Polio - Let's All Eradicate It

My generation are fully aware of the consequences of Polio, me personally, who had it at the age of 5 and came through it unscathed, except for a very slight walking issue. Whilst tens of thousands died and similar numbers remain with severe mobility problems and that is only in this country, world wide it's a much worse picture and in undeveloped countries much much worse. 
Now you won't often see me giving praise to a Tory led Government, however with them doubling their contribution next year to eradicate that awful decease, Polio, needs applauding.
Polio is a debilitating diseased which like smallpox needs to be fully eradicated, the sooner the better.

After Neighbourhood Offices They Now Want To Close Our CAB's

Birmingham’s five Citizens Advice Bureau centers face closure after losing £600,000 in council funding and staff faces redundancy as the charity awaits news on other funding streams.

It has been widely reported that the five Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) offices across the city face closure next month after the council cut £600,000 in funding and the service is also in line to loose further funding from other services, threatening some 45 jobs.
As expected, Birmingham’s coalition run City Council said it had always warned the Birmingham CAB not to rely on council funding, however CEO of Birmingham’s CAB, Yvonne Davis, said the charity got five times the council funding from other sources such as Macmillan Cancer Care and the Royal British Legion, but it still relied on the city council for 20 per cent of its funding.

It's All Wonga To Charge Too Much Interest

The number of quick loan companies advertising quick loans over short periods on TV is particularly worrying, in so much as the interest rates for these short period loans is as much as 2600%APR, which in itself is immoral.
Researching for this article, I'm astonished to find that over 4 million quick short term loans were transacted in the UK last year alone, with absolutely no control over the interest rates charged, which I find astonishing in this day and age.
Apparently the OFT in a report to Government last June spoke of their concerns, but has the Government done anything? No It's done diddly squat and this will remain so long as these companies continue to support certain political views, or support certain activities like that of sponsoring transport on New Years day in London after a request from old Boris.
Say no more.

Inflation Possibly, Stagnation More Likely

Whether you wish to measure it as RPI or CPI inflation is on the up, something which we haven’t seen at these levels for quite sometime.

The difficulties with inflation will be the impact on those living on fixed incomes and young families with mortgages.
With the Bank of England’s economists charged at keeping inflation at levels set by George Osbourne each year, interest rates will definitely increase if not this coming month then next. Interest rate increases will be yet another burden needing to be absorbed in to households monthly budgets as salary increases in both private and public sectors will be unheard of for this year and possibly even next.

Is It Truely Deception?

Oh how true is this!
Being actively involved in politics for over forty years, seeing numerous styles in government, both local and national, I whole heartily agree with the sentiment from this contributor.

Sorry To See You Go Alan

Probably the most approachable bloke in the whole of Gordon Browns Cabinet was Alan Johnson, as was Yvette Cooper streets ahead of all of the other women I had met.
So the news that Alan Johnson was resigning from being a front bench spokesman for the shadow cabinet is a really tough blow, not just for Ed Miliband of course, but The Labour Party as a whole. I wish and hope matters turn out well for him and his family.

On the other hand Yvette Cooper will be no walk over as Shadow Home Secretary, believe me, she is extremely intelligent and very diligent in her dealings, so they had better watch out in The Home Office and their ministers.
On the other hand Labour's front bench rottweiler, Ed Balls, can now set about ripping chunks out of George Osbourne and that team of  n'er do wells, after all Ed has probably forgotten more than the whole of that team know about economics in it's broadest sense.

Will There be A Fuel Duty Increase In April?

With The Treasury expected to make an extra £2 billion out of the misery of motorists having to pay more for petrol, it seems that some Tories, including the Prime Minister wants to ensure those who live in the countryside pay less. I can accept that there are families in rural areas who simply can't afford the petrol price increases, but there is also a far greater number who can pay the extra. So why should poorer urbanites also be ignored?

Rats at 10 Downing Street Shock

It seems that there are more rats in Downing Street than most of us thought.

Look behind Gary O'Donoghue and you'll see one on the steps of No 10 and no it isn't David, Nick, Vince or George.

Commission Land v Crown Land

The Coalition Governments plans to sell off most if not all of Forestry Commision Land, are in my opinion unacceptable, but so did some members of the Lib-Dems who now partner the Tories in Government and in particular Danny Alexander, who is Chief Secretary to The Treasury, the recipients of the money. Me thinks double standards here!!!!!!!

In Canada almost all of the land, around 89% of land is “Crown land”, that is to say that either the provincial or the federal Government owns the land and will allow logging, mineral, farming or sometimes fishing rights to the land to individuals, corporations or aboriginal groups. However being Crown Land gives entitlement to the "subjects" to cross the land, hike across it and even camp on it.
If only our Government, past and present had the mindset to have passed in to legislation what previous Canadian Governments had achieved, no one would need to worry about access to what is now our land, but will shortly become fenced off, private property.

Banks To Pay Billions In Bonuses

No Apologies.
No Restraint.
No Shame.
Hence True Morals.
It's an absolute disgrace that the Government will not continue the former Labour Governments tax on very large bankers bonuses.

Birmingham Refuse Collection

They still haven't collected our household rubbish since 15th December, as they haven't enough work to collect in, I'm being facetious, as across the whole of Birmingham there are piles of rubbish on pavements in almost every road, except Sutton Coldfield which seemed to have the whole resource of Holford Drive last Monday and again this past Monday to clear it.
So why is the same department that doesn't have enough crews out collecting household refuse, have enough people to deliver refuse bags and garden green waste bags, even though this service is suspended until late February. It just beggars belief that a Tory Lib-Dem Council could cause so much havoc in such a short time, before Christmas it was the lack of gritting on roads, after Christmas it was household refuse around in in roads, same department, same Strategic Director, same portfolio, same Cabinet Member!!!!!!!!

Another Promise Made, But Could This Be Another Promise Broken?

The coalition Government has only been in power for a few months, just over six months to be quite frank. One promise I thought that they hold on to, was that on education and in particular "Sure Start Centres" funding being safe, however as the money is given to local authorities to fund such centres, there is no ring fencing, so it's up to the L.A. to decide where it goes. Hence the article in today's Daily Mirror where Hammersmith and Fulham council, a Tory Flagship Council, are closing down nine of the fifteen centres in that borough. Is this to be just the tip of the iceberg, I wonder?

The Middle Class And The Squeezed Middle

“Fundamentally this is a Government out of touch with the needs of the middle classes and indeed the squeezed middle.”, not my words but that of Ed Miliband in an interview on Radio 4's Today Programme, where John Humphrys tried to tear a strip or two off Ed, over "The squeezed middle" late November. Today in the Daily Telegraph we read that the squeezed middle are being squeezed by the Government by as much as £3,000 this coming year.

A Whole Generation Will Loose Out

An article by David Blanchflower in this weeks New Statesman, really hit home with the way this coalition Government is treating young people and in particularly those who are unemployed.
Unemployment at the best of times in unsavoury, but when you are so young, lack skills and knowledge of working, there is no where but down.
This is a subject that Gordon Brown and the previous Government took serious, providing additional  Area Based Grants to local authorities to provide employment experiences for young people.
I know from my own personal experience of interviewing people over many decades, having seen at first hand the confidence of someone who has had recent employment opposed to those who are unemployed and them feeling inadequate because they don't have a job.

Is It Man Flu Or Swine Flu?

Let me begin by wishing everyone a happy and prosperous New Year.

As the title of this article states, is it man flu or swine flu, either way I'm feeling terrible, aching head, terrible cough, difficult in breathing and really down and awful. The thing is, is that I've become addicted to writing stuff on this blog, so no matter how awful I feel, I do want to say something, no matter how banal it may seem to you who reads it.