Half Van Race

 

Politics is a rough game

Reform pledges to open migrant detention centres in Green-voting areas

Reform UK’s pledge to build new detention centres for people awaiting deportation in areas that vote for the Green Party has been branded “grotesque” by rival parties.

Nigel Farage's party also promised that none of the hubs would open in places with a Reform council or MP if the party wins the next election. Instead, it said, it would "prioritise" sending migrants to Green-held areas because Zack Polanski's party supports "open borders".

The Green Party seems to be learning that politics is a rough game. They support open borders as an aspirational policy with some fudging over implementation, so they don't have much of an answer to this move by Reform. 

The response below for example - not a good effort, not good enough as an electioneering counter - 


A Green Party spokesman said: "Reform keep making unserious announcements to try and distract voters from the fact they want to privatise our NHS."

Greens are still learning politics seems to be the message here. Maybe they will eventually learn some economics, engineering and environmental science too. Or possibly not - that would dilute their message.

The Preposterous Enigma

Is there after all a key to the preposterous enigma of the universe?

Arnold Bennett - Imperial Palace (1930)


The universe is impossibly vast, we know this and Bennett was right, its unimaginable vastness is an enigma. 

Yet everything we know tells us that the entire universe is governed by laws which operate from the preposterously vast, down, down, down, smaller and yet smaller, down, down down to the polymer molecules of Sir Keir Starmer’s trousers.

Now that is a preposterous enigma.

Net Zero Rail Travel

 

The real scandal behind the Mandelson saga

Nada Kakabadse and Tim Knox have an excellent CAPX piece on government obsession with process over outcome. All normal people understand how important the difference is, in daily life we don't try to make good decisions merely by ticking boxes.


The real scandal behind the Mandelson saga

• A bad appointment cannot be rescued by good process
• Britain keeps ticking boxes while trust keeps collapsing
• Our state seems to think if you follow the rules, then the outcomes are secondary

Here is an idiotic question for an England football fan this summer. Which would they prefer winning? The World Cup itself? Or the FIFA Fair Play Trophy, awarded to the side with the best disciplinary record during the tournament?

The answer: it might be nice if England plays decently, but all of us would hugely prefer winning the real thing. Rules matter. But they are meant to support good outcomes, not replace them.

This preference for good outcomes over process applies to most of life. When we are shopping for a jar of coffee, it is a bonus to know that it has been ethically sourced. But for most of us, the primary deciding factor will be the quality of the coffee. A bad coffee, however ethically sourced, will remain a bad coffee.

One place where this does not hold is Westminster. And the Mandelson saga is the perfect illustration of how bad things are.

The whole piece is well worth reading for many reasons. Topical ones are not only the Mandelson saga, but also the absurdly futile government emphasis on economic growth by ticking ideological boxes.  

Survey research by Ipsos, in partnership with the Institute for Government, found that 49% of respondents rated the Government’s performance as poor, and 63% expressed disappointment with its record since the election. Only 23% believed governments could make substantial progress on key priorities over the next decade.

This matters because competence-based distrust is different from moral condemnation. A voter who thinks politicians are dishonest has lost faith in their character. A voter who thinks government cannot deliver has lost faith in the system’s capacity. Both are present in Britain today, and they reinforce each other.

Reeves and the Mystery of the Shrinking Growth

Rachel Reeves plots ‘growth push’ as Labour set for bruising elections

Rachel Reeves is plotting another “growth push” as the Labour party prepares itself for a potentially bruising defeat in the local elections.

Meanwhile -

154 Claire's shops, Russell & Bromley and more UK stores close down - full list

Claire's

In a huge blow, Claire's shut all 154 of its UK locations this week. Administrators at Kroll confirmed the closures, revealing that approximately 1,300 members of staff face redundancy.

Russell & Bromley

The British shoe retailer has closed 33 stores. The final Russell & Bromley closure took place on April 23, following the firm's announcement of the first 10 closures on April 21.

LK Bennett

Luxury fashion brand LK Bennett has shut nine stores following its entry into administration. The nine shops had been scheduled for closure by the end of April, although stock sold out more quickly than expected.

Ark Pet Centres

The pet retailer, which operated outlets across South and East Devon, including in Plymouth, Exeter and Torbay, confirmed the immediate closure of all its stores this week.

Unfortunately Reeves isn't likely to be any worse than Miliband or anyone else willing to take on this particular poisoned chalice. 

Even Miliband may see Chancellor of the Exchequer as a bit of a bacon sandwich role. Of course he may be picking up hints that Net Zero is becoming a bacon sandwich role too.

Use it or lose it

Government looks to tackle flight cancellations as holidays at risk

• The UK government is introducing measures to protect British families' summer holidays amid a significant rise in jet fuel costs, which have approximately doubled since the Iran war.
• Ministers will relax 'use it or lose it' flight slot rules, enabling airlines to cancel less popular routes, such as business flights, without incurring penalties.
• This initiative aims to reduce overall demand for aviation fuel and prevent last-minute cancellations of holiday flights, offering greater certainty for travellers.

Tediously familiar and all part of the 'Not our fault' narrative. 'Use it or lose it' has political relevance to any headline problem from which governments can both distance itself and virtuously meddle at the same time. 

It's the mania for micro-managing everything, every little detail of daily life and there is not the slightest sign of it slowing down.