Yesterday was the day when the A and AS level results were released. The local paper websites were crammed full of stories of the local geniuses who excelled.
http://www.times-series.co.uk/news/11408989.North_London_A_level_results___live/?ref=var_0
http://www.edgware-today.co.uk/news.cfm?id=27307&headline=A-level%20results%20day:%20Pass%20rates%20at%20Woodhouse%20College%20rise our educatio%20again
Now of course for those who did well, these stories are a good news story. My two daughters both received results yesteday and did extremely well. The sad truth is that the education system is not fit for purpose. It is all very well getting lots of a* etc and saying Barnet schools have done marvellously, but are we delivering a generation of young people who can do the jobs vital to support the economy? I run a business and we make a positive point of trying to employ young people. Over the years we've built up a great team. The interesting thing is that all of our best members of staff did badly in their exams. You may think that this is because a music studio is a specialist job, but it is the basics that so many of those we've employed have had issues with. Simple tasks like writing down purchases and turning off radiators in rooms at the end of sessions.
We've also seen the pressure that young people suffer and the stress caused when they don't get the required grades. It leads me to ask if judging people on their ability to do exams in a high stress environment is really a good way of judging those best suited to do the top jobs in the country. I actually think that it is probably the worst way.
I am also disturbed at how little emphasis there is on preparing the students who are non academic for the workplace. As far as I can see, Barnet schools do little in the way of preparation for those who will be going into a manual labour profession or vocational jobs. I think that the less acedemic should be able to start apprenticeships aged 14 and this should be viewed as positive career path rather than some sort of second class education. In Barnet there is an obsession with free schools and academies. We are obsessed with exam results and league tables, when we should be obsessed with the ensuring our young people are happy, well balanced and getting an education that prepares them for the rest of their life.
Over the course of this blog, we've told hundreds of Friday jokes. The biggest joke of all is the way we are all seduced into celebrating the success of a system that is totally unfit for purpose for the UK economy.
Friday, 15 August 2014
Thursday, 14 August 2014
Rog T's Cancer Blog - I'm ready for the final surprise
For
those of you who are regular readers and have read the previous posts
on Cancer, you can skip this first paragraph.This is the latest
installment in my occasional series about how I'm adjusting to living
with a big C in my life. For those of you who aren't, here's a quick
summary. I'm 51 years old and in October 2011 I had a prostate biopsy
following two "slightly high" PSA tests - 2.8 & 4.1. The biopsy took
ten tissue samples and one of these showed a "low grade cancer" which
gives me a 3+3 on the Gleason scale. I'm now on a program of active
monitoring. In early February, I got the results of the a PSA test -
down to 3.5 and an MRI scan which found absolutely nothing, two more
tests in 2012 were at 3.5 and 3.9, in 2013 my test was 4.0. My latest
PSA test in January was a slight improvement, down to 3.8, in other
words the downward trend has stopped. I've no symptoms and sadly for a
few people, if I'm gonna die soon, it won't be from Prostate cancer. Got
the picture?
Today is the big day! Today is the day when I have my latest PSA test. Woo Hoo. It is a day of all round fun in our house. I have a daughter getting A Level results, A daughter getting A/S level results and me going to find out if I'm going to be croaking imminently! Well actually, if you know anything about PSA tests, that really isn't a very likely option given the last PSA test and biopsy results. Nope, it has been stable since 2011. I am on a schedule of "active surveillance" where I just get regular PSA tests and biopsies to see how the cancer is behaving.
Never the less I find it stressful and depressing time. Last night I had three beers and half a bottle of wine to take my mind off the whole bloody thing. The raised stress levels in the house don't help. I had a fitful nights sleep and a particularly unpleasant nightmare. I dreamed that I was dying and that I'd released a blog containing all the allegations people had told me about all our local political characters, detailing the stories of spousal abuse, peadophilia, drug taking, criminal activities and other misdemeanours that various souls (some clearly simply malicious) have sent me over the years about the great and good in Barnet. There was a media storm in my front garden as I was about to pass away. My logic in the dream had been that as I was about to die, there was no point them suing me. Given that one particularly nasty local politician has glorified in taking the piss out of my cancer, it has crossed my mind that in the event of his wish coming true, it would be quite ironic to remind him of the adage "careful what you wish for". Now of course, apart from his well known criminal conviction for assaulting a woman, all of the nasty things people have told me about him are purely tittle tattle and I am sure that most, if not all of it, is made up. To be honest I couldn't care less what people do in their private lives. I don't want my blog to be remembered simply for being a source of nasty rumours in a bitchy parting shot at those I dislike, so I think on balance it is actually the last thing I'd do.
I sort of feel that I should use my situation for positive reasons, persuading others to get checked and helping those in my situation to deal with it. I believe that our dreams are our psyche dealing with issues and showing us that what may seem like a good idea can be a very bad one. I woke up feeling rather bad with myself and was glad that it was a dream. It arms me to deal with the situation if and when it should arise. Often we simply ignore the messages that our dreams tell us, forgetting the lessons straight away. I believe that the human mind is far more powerful than we realise, but we spend most of our lives suppressing it. So if you are going through a stressful time and you have a vivid nightmare as I did. Spend some time and analyse it. Think about your feelings and whether you actually felt better for the course of action you took in your dream scenario. See if there are any lessons to be drawn. Don't underestimate the power of your mind or the tools it gives you to deal with the problems in your life.
I hope that by the end of the day my daughters have had positive results and in ten days or so I do as well. If we don't, I just hope that as a family we have the love and strength to cope with it.
Mill Hill News - Travellers take over St Josephs College fields - Updated
Breaking News - A large convoy of travellers has this morning moved onto the green belt grazing fields at St Josephs College, the former Roman Catholic missionary training college, currently being converted into luxury flats. The fields are currently rented by a local equestrian centre for grazing of horses. Local residents have contacted the Barnet Eye to enquire as to whether the local police, council and MP's will be taking action. We have contacted these bodies for a response and will update this blog later when the situation becomes clearer.
The London Borough of Barnet does not currently have a permanent traveller site. Over the past few years groups have moved into several sites around the borough, most recently Bunns Lane in Mill Hill. It is not clear whether it is the same group.
The travellers have now departed the site
The London Borough of Barnet does not currently have a permanent traveller site. Over the past few years groups have moved into several sites around the borough, most recently Bunns Lane in Mill Hill. It is not clear whether it is the same group.
The travellers have now departed the site
Wednesday, 13 August 2014
Musicians are getting a raw deal from ISP companies
Then…
Mill Hill Music Complex has been running for 35 years. In this time we’ve seen huge changes in the music industry. Consider some of the changes which have occurred in this time. When we opened our doors, there were four TV channels, with Top of the Pops and The Old Grey Whistle test being the only regular shows where you could actually see bands. The whole Punk/New Wave movement was built with airplay based more or less solely on the John Peel show on Radio 1 at 10pm. Record labels ruled the roost and if you wanted to listen to music, you had to buy 7 or 12 inch vinyl records. There were three major national weekly music papers. These were the NME, which was the mag for hipsters, Melody Maker, which was the mag for Muso’s and Sounds which was the mag for teenyboppers. A good review in NME could get your band a record deal. There was a thriving pub and club music scene. The concept of “pay to play” hadn’t been invented and promoters booked bands because they were good, not because they brought their mates. If you were in a half decent band, you felt you had a chance of making a decent living as a musician. If you got a record deal, you’d expect the label to develop you and not drop you if your first single tanked.Now…
Fast forward 35 years. No one in the UK has a clue how many TV channels there are, or even how many dedicated music channels there are. The nearest thing to a National TV show that can break bands is Jools Holland. There are untold internet radio stations playing all manner of sub genre’s of music. Record labels are struggling to survive and most get by on royalties from back catalogs. Only the NME remains of the “music press” and that is a minority publication. Getting a review in NME is simply something to tweet or put on your facebook page. Music pubs which actually pay bands are few and far between and it seems no one goes to watch a band playing originals “on spec” anymore. Every musician I know, apart from those in established acts, is struggling to make ends meet. Which begs the question…Is it possible to make money out of being involved in music these days?
I was pondering this question and it occurred to me that there us musicians are generating huge amounts of money. The trouble is that not a penny of it comes back to the us. Who makes the money? The internet ISP’s and other technology companies. Back in 1989 a British Computer scientist Tim Berners-Lee, proposed a system of exchanging information using computer systems. It was originally designed for exchanging scientific papers, but it was soon realised that all manner of other things could be exchanged and shared. This was called the World Wide Web and within a short period, we all started using it.
Today
life without the internet or web would seem unimaginable. We buy
holidays online, have email accounts and watch all manner of TV shows,
listen to radio shows etc on the web. But what made it into this
integral part of life in 2014. The answer is that music drove this. Some
of the earliest users of the web were sharing music on it. Sites such
as Youtube have generated huge interest in the web and built up the
skills of whole generations of users.This has generated huge amounts of cash for the internet companies, but not a penny comes back the way of musicians. We share clips and tracks all the time, with Youtube, Twitter and Facebook being the current flavour of the month. Whilst many musicians play along with this, hoping to get some exposure, the ISP’s are raking it in. Can you imagine if there was no music on the Web? I firmly believe that if this was the case, it would still primarily be used for exchanging scientific papers and articles.
In Germany, the issue of tape piracy was addressed by a “tape levy”. This money was fed back to musicians, with the money being distributed towards those at the bottom of the tree more than the top. The UK is second only to the USA in creative arts. The music industry has generated huge revenues for the UK taxman and yet nothing is ever done to support our community. From the marine offences act in the 1960′s when governments banned pirate stations and attempted to control what we listen to, to the present day, popular music is viewed with disdain by the establishment.
The bottom line is that because musicians have no effective lobbying organisation and no-one to speak for the industry at the top table, the grassroots is being strangled. The biggest attack was inadvertent. It was the banning of smoking in pubs and clubs. Since this legislation, thousands of pubs and clubs, the lifeblood of the music community have disappeared. It is getting to the stage where there is virtually no where for bands to play.
So what can be done?
I believe that there should be a levy on ISP’s and anyone who makes money from internet content. This should be fed back into the wider music community and used to support venues and other organisations which give musicians a chance to ply their trade. Near Mill Hill we have the Arts Depot, a potentially world class venue, but this gives no support for up and coming local artists. It could be a seed bed for local musicians and bands, but is just not interested.I would like to see grants for pubs and clubs to improve facilities for bands and subsidies for up and coming bands for gigging and recording. I would like to see this paid for by an ISP creativity tax. To put a band together is expensive. Rehearsals cost money, instruments cost money and doing gigs cost money. It will be suicidal for the UK economy if young musicians are priced out of the business. Ultimately the ISP’s would make even more money, if a new generation of creative people can be developed.
Mill Hill Music Complex are starting a campaign to get a fair deal for up and coming musicians and proper support for those of us who have put the UK at the forefront of the World music industry. We can’t do it alone, please support us.
----------------------------
This blog was first featured on the Mill Hill Music Complex Studio blog
http://www.millhillmusiccomplex.co.uk/musicians-getting-raw-deal-isp-companies/
Tuesday, 12 August 2014
Barnet and the social divide between rich and poor
Over recent months, some commentators on the left have started to whisper about the possibility that the local Conservatives are hell bent on a policy of "social cleansing" of Barnet, where it becomes an exclusive enclave of the mega rich. They point to all manner of ratherstrange policies regarding social housing and have added 2 + 2 together to get 5. You see the big flaw in their argument is this. You can't be rich unless there are lots of poor people. The whole purpose of being rich (if you do it properly) is to swan around enjoying yourself whilst everyone else does the work (preferably on minimum wage). What the Conservative Party have been very good at is to generate a sense of apathy amongst the working class and lower middle class, which results in them not bothering to vote. Every study ever done has shown that Conservative voters are far more likely to vote than Labour supporters.
This is down to two resons. Firstly Labour are extraordinarily bad at making the case to their core voters that the only way their lot will improve is by voting Labour. The other is that Labour have stopped recruiting working class people to stand as candidates, so the core vote no longer associates themselves with their politicians. The Ed Millibands and Tony Blairs of this world completely lack the common touch. Sometimes it almost seems as if they talk another language to the rest of us. I was chatting to Mill Hill Tory Councillor John Hart recently at his wifes funeral. John always tells me that he buys his vegetables in Burnt Oak. He says the quality is better and the cost far cheaper than any of the supermarkets and the banter with the shop owners is far more fun than "the blank moronic stares from the checkout girls" in supermarkets. Now this is a bit unfair, but I think we all know there is a grain of truth in it. A point he made to me was quite telling "How many Barnet Labour Councillors would buy their mushrooms in Burnt Oak?"
The truth is that there is a huge social divide in Barnet but the biggest problem is that it is the Labour Party and the Labour Councillors that are the biggest cuplrates. In the two winnable seats in Barnet we have Andrew Dismore and Sarah Sackman as Labour candidates. Both are good candidates, however both are lawyers. The Leader of the Barnet Labour group is Alison Moore who is a scientist. How many councillors are labourers, bus drivers or manual workers? These are the people who should be the core of the party, but it seems that they've been ethnically cleansed from the party senior ranks.
Someone asked me if we'll ever see another Labour government if we get Scottish devolution and the large core of Scottish Labour depart. The answer is yes, but only if Labour gets back in touch with its roots. This would start with them actually caring about their core voters. Barnet would be a good place to start.
This is down to two resons. Firstly Labour are extraordinarily bad at making the case to their core voters that the only way their lot will improve is by voting Labour. The other is that Labour have stopped recruiting working class people to stand as candidates, so the core vote no longer associates themselves with their politicians. The Ed Millibands and Tony Blairs of this world completely lack the common touch. Sometimes it almost seems as if they talk another language to the rest of us. I was chatting to Mill Hill Tory Councillor John Hart recently at his wifes funeral. John always tells me that he buys his vegetables in Burnt Oak. He says the quality is better and the cost far cheaper than any of the supermarkets and the banter with the shop owners is far more fun than "the blank moronic stares from the checkout girls" in supermarkets. Now this is a bit unfair, but I think we all know there is a grain of truth in it. A point he made to me was quite telling "How many Barnet Labour Councillors would buy their mushrooms in Burnt Oak?"
The truth is that there is a huge social divide in Barnet but the biggest problem is that it is the Labour Party and the Labour Councillors that are the biggest cuplrates. In the two winnable seats in Barnet we have Andrew Dismore and Sarah Sackman as Labour candidates. Both are good candidates, however both are lawyers. The Leader of the Barnet Labour group is Alison Moore who is a scientist. How many councillors are labourers, bus drivers or manual workers? These are the people who should be the core of the party, but it seems that they've been ethnically cleansed from the party senior ranks.
Someone asked me if we'll ever see another Labour government if we get Scottish devolution and the large core of Scottish Labour depart. The answer is yes, but only if Labour gets back in touch with its roots. This would start with them actually caring about their core voters. Barnet would be a good place to start.
Sunday, 10 August 2014
The Tweets of the week in Barnet - 10/8/2014
Here we go again
1. Never mind tweet of the week, this is tweet of the century so far. Watch this video !!!!! (breaking the habit of a lifetime I've embedded it)
2. One of the architects of the One Barnet project has seen the light !
4hrs 30 minutes to go to our comeback game. How many of you will come to the Stade de Gosling to see the Wares in... http://fb.me/39V4YMXYO
@BarnetCouncil your pay by phone app/texts/phone calls are appalling. What happened to putting money in a machine!!!!!!! Fuming
Retweeted by MillHillMusicComplex
1. Never mind tweet of the week, this is tweet of the century so far. Watch this video !!!!! (breaking the habit of a lifetime I've embedded it)
David Scanlan FRAS
Astronomer Royal Frank Dyson opens Mill Hill observatory (1929) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_piE8jUiyo4 …
2. One of the architects of the One Barnet project has seen the light !
Brian Coleman
Council forced to write off £1.1 million in rent arrears following IT fault http://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/council-forced-to-write-off-11-million-in-rent-arrears-following-it-fault-9652292.html … another Capita success !
3. A poignant reminder of the countries loss
Private John Parr. Britain's first casualty. Born in Barnet he lived at 52 Lodge Lane, North Finchley
4. Barnet LibDem leader Jack Cohen is getting fed up with Bwians One Barnet legacy !
More IT problems at Barnet all my sent external emails are bouncing back
5. Edgware Town FC reborn - a moving text
6. How many times have we heard this?
Annelise Moeke
7. Another resident fuming at Barnet Councils slapdash ineptitude
Amanda Yaffe
Sigh. My final attempt to contact @BarnetCouncil. 4 previous emails may not have elicited a response, but social media is the future, right?
8. Barnet Council get it wrong again. Did no one tell them about the forthcoming tropical storm !!!
Barnet Council
Looks like a good weekend for a bike ride #skyridelocal http://bit.ly/1sAV8jk pic.twitter.com/rsW7tfLMNk
9. Barnet has a new TV superstar! A great British baker !
Watched last night's #BakeOff again with the kids this evening & think they shouted "CHETNA!" more often than "Daddy!" 
@chetnamakan #GBBO
10. This made me laugh! A retweet by Mill Hill Music Complex
Retweeted by MillHillMusicComplex
Sex isn't the answer. Sex is the question. "Yes" is the answer.
10 reasons why Tories should think twice about Boris as leader
It is pretty clear that Boris Johnson has his eyes firmly set on a serious run for leadership of the Conservative Party and to become Prime Minister. Many of the Tory chattering class in London are hugely excited at this prospect. The Barnet Eye was pondering whether Boris has what it takes to be Prime Minister and whether or not he'd do a good job. In many ways his run as London Mayor has been successful and his supporters are saying "If he can run London, he can run the country". I suppose that if we apply the Boris supporters logic, then Ken Livingstone would be the best man for Labour PM. Like Boris, Livingstone did a good job of running London and much of the success of Boris has been built on the foundations Ken set up. We all accredit Boris with the huge success of the Olympics and it would be foolish to deny that he did a great job organising them. It was a huge challenge and whatever the legacy Boris leaves when he hangs up the blond toupe (metaphorically speaking), it will surely be his finest hour. It is ironic that it was Ken who did the hard part in winning the bid and many Tories at the time were hugely critical claiming that it was a "waste of money". We must credit Boris with delivering Ken's dream with panache and in the process transforming East London. As to his other successes, perhaps cycling in London is the greatest. The Boris bike scheme has shown that in Central London cycling has a role to play. I also like the Boris bus. The competition to design it was pure genius and as a Londoner I love the sight of them. I think Ken massively screwed up by getting rid of the old Routemasters.
So would Boris be a good choice as Leader of the Tories and possibly Prime Minister? The Barnet Eye believes that Boris has all the characteristics to be a great Mayor and none of the ones required to be Prime Minister. Here are the ten reasons I believe that Tories should think twice before handing him the job.
1. He's a lousy judge of character. The Ray Lewis debacle showed just how poor a judge and how slapdash his recruitment process was. Another example of his poor judgement was his close relationship with discredited criminal Brian Coleman, handing him the plum job of head of London Fire authority. Mr Colemans reign was a total disaster. His unpopularity in the role turned a 20,000 majority at the GLA in Barnet and Camden into a 20,000 loss.
2. He is addicted to vanity projects. The best example of this is the Docklands cable car. This hugely expensive trinket was promoted by Boris as the answer to transport issues in the area. In fact it is simply and underused tourist attraction. Even his fellow Tories squirm at talk of Boris Island.
3. He has a record of being completely ineffectual in Parliament. His previous stint as an MP was a disaster and his Tory colleagues were only too pleased to get shot of him when he stood for Mayor. Most hoped Ken would trounce him and that would be the end of him. He was sacked from his previous front line role by Michael Howard, for telling porkies. Would a man who couldn't hold down a junior front bench role really be able to take the top job.
4. He would be useless at Prime Ministers Questions. As Mayor he has Mayors question time and he is regularly embarrassed, becoming tetchy and irritated. If such inquisitors as Andrew Dismore can rile him so easily, how on earth would he cope with 600 odd MP's, all out to make a name for themselves. Here (courtesy of Barnet Bugle) is just one example of Dismore skewering him. Make no mistake, a bad PMQ performer is doomed (ask Iain Duncan Smith).
Even the Daly Mail has doubts about him. This article sums up many of the concerns - http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2298529/Nasty-Not-exactly-But-TV-ambush-Boriss-rise-doesnt-look-quite-irresistible.html - the only positive they could see in a Boris PMship would be that he isn't Ed Millband. Of course if Boris ever ascended to the throne, the Mail would fall in four square behind him, but equally if it subsequently all goes wrong, they clearly would have no problem ditching him.
5. He loves schemes which burn money and deliver nothing. The outer London fund is just one example of the Boris love of wasteful porkbarrel projects. We've seen a couple of examples of this here in Barnet. The £1.4 million spent on North Finchley tart up (spot it if you can) and the £400,000 spent on High Barnet.
6. Boris has a poor record of concern for the health of Londoners. Ken Livingstone was seriously addressing issues of poor air quality in London. These all ground to a halt as soon as Boris took charge. Thousands of Londoners have died as a result of ill health issues related to poor air quality and pollution. If he cares so little about something he could have sorted out, how can he be trusted to run the NHS.
7. He lacks the trust of other senior Tories. It is no secret that Boris doesn't get on with George Osborne. Yesterday we did see one well known Tory come out in favour of him. Maverick MP Nadine Dorries was spouting lyrically over his talents. I rather suspect that Nadine would catch his eye (given his rep and his background) but I am less than sure that her record shows her to be that great a judge of political reality.
8. He is likely to be an embarrassment to the UK when dealing with other countries. Boris has a long CV of putting his foot in it when travelling abroad or discussing issues relating to foreign countries. He seems to have no concept whatsoever of the realities of diplomacy. His recent claim that all of the problems of the EU could be dealt with simply by having an Inter Governmental Conference is just one example of this extraordinary naivity. If it really was that simple, hasn't it occurred to Boris that Margaret Thatcher, who had far more respect on the world stage than he does, couldn't pull off that simple trick. Whilst Boris may feel he is a far better negotiator and a bigger figure on the world stage than Thatcher, the rest of us will need some convincing.
9. He is untrustworthy and a bit of a nasty piece of work who is easily riled and loses his temper. If you don't believe me, watch this - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-21916385 - and in this clip he tells a Labour opponent to "Get Stuffed" when he can't answer a question http://news.sky.com/story/1140304/boris-johnson-tells-opponent-to-get-stuffed - His supporters claim he's always charming and lovely. Five minutes research on the web tells a wholly different picture. Even convicted fraudster Conrad Black said he didn't completely trust Boris.
10. He doesn't really seem to take his job seriously. Two years ago when London was engulfed in riots, did our Mayor take the first plane back? Nope he was too busy enjoying his holiday. In effect London had no effective leadership. When you get the big job, you get the big responsibilities and of all his many mistakes, to me that was the most serious. If he was PM and there was a crisis whist he was sunning himself in Barbados, we can't be sure he'd give a stuff.
Of course I am not a Conservative. I'm not a member of any party. Who leads the Conservatives is a matter for them. I was asked who I thought would be the most effective Leader, should they choose to knife Cameron. If we assume the choice is between Theresa May, George Osborne and Boris, I'd say that May seems to me the safest pair of hands. There is an old saying that the Home secretary is the politicians graveyard job, but she has managed to be calm and efficient. Osborne is a more divisive character. I suspect that the public don't really like him. Then there is the current encumbant - David Cameron. I think history will be very kind to Cameron. I am not a Tory, but I think he's done a good job as PM given the hand he was dealt. When we found we had a coalition government, I think few people thought it would last or that it would deal with the deep structural issues which were destroying the economy. I disagree with many of the cuts and the policies of the coalition, but whatever you think of them, the UK economy is in far better shape now than it was when Cameron took over. I doubt Boris could ever have brokered a deal with the Lib Dems, let alone deliver 4 1/2 years of stable government. My advice to Conservatives up and down the country is simple. Be very careful what you wish for. I suspect that all Boris will do is cause a lot of navel gazing when they should be ramping up for an election. It may well be that the first act of the return of Boris is to deliver a Milliband government. But that won't really concern Boris, will it? As that is probably his best chance of getting the top job.
So would Boris be a good choice as Leader of the Tories and possibly Prime Minister? The Barnet Eye believes that Boris has all the characteristics to be a great Mayor and none of the ones required to be Prime Minister. Here are the ten reasons I believe that Tories should think twice before handing him the job.
1. He's a lousy judge of character. The Ray Lewis debacle showed just how poor a judge and how slapdash his recruitment process was. Another example of his poor judgement was his close relationship with discredited criminal Brian Coleman, handing him the plum job of head of London Fire authority. Mr Colemans reign was a total disaster. His unpopularity in the role turned a 20,000 majority at the GLA in Barnet and Camden into a 20,000 loss.
2. He is addicted to vanity projects. The best example of this is the Docklands cable car. This hugely expensive trinket was promoted by Boris as the answer to transport issues in the area. In fact it is simply and underused tourist attraction. Even his fellow Tories squirm at talk of Boris Island.
3. He has a record of being completely ineffectual in Parliament. His previous stint as an MP was a disaster and his Tory colleagues were only too pleased to get shot of him when he stood for Mayor. Most hoped Ken would trounce him and that would be the end of him. He was sacked from his previous front line role by Michael Howard, for telling porkies. Would a man who couldn't hold down a junior front bench role really be able to take the top job.
4. He would be useless at Prime Ministers Questions. As Mayor he has Mayors question time and he is regularly embarrassed, becoming tetchy and irritated. If such inquisitors as Andrew Dismore can rile him so easily, how on earth would he cope with 600 odd MP's, all out to make a name for themselves. Here (courtesy of Barnet Bugle) is just one example of Dismore skewering him. Make no mistake, a bad PMQ performer is doomed (ask Iain Duncan Smith).
Even the Daly Mail has doubts about him. This article sums up many of the concerns - http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2298529/Nasty-Not-exactly-But-TV-ambush-Boriss-rise-doesnt-look-quite-irresistible.html - the only positive they could see in a Boris PMship would be that he isn't Ed Millband. Of course if Boris ever ascended to the throne, the Mail would fall in four square behind him, but equally if it subsequently all goes wrong, they clearly would have no problem ditching him.
5. He loves schemes which burn money and deliver nothing. The outer London fund is just one example of the Boris love of wasteful porkbarrel projects. We've seen a couple of examples of this here in Barnet. The £1.4 million spent on North Finchley tart up (spot it if you can) and the £400,000 spent on High Barnet.
6. Boris has a poor record of concern for the health of Londoners. Ken Livingstone was seriously addressing issues of poor air quality in London. These all ground to a halt as soon as Boris took charge. Thousands of Londoners have died as a result of ill health issues related to poor air quality and pollution. If he cares so little about something he could have sorted out, how can he be trusted to run the NHS.
7. He lacks the trust of other senior Tories. It is no secret that Boris doesn't get on with George Osborne. Yesterday we did see one well known Tory come out in favour of him. Maverick MP Nadine Dorries was spouting lyrically over his talents. I rather suspect that Nadine would catch his eye (given his rep and his background) but I am less than sure that her record shows her to be that great a judge of political reality.
8. He is likely to be an embarrassment to the UK when dealing with other countries. Boris has a long CV of putting his foot in it when travelling abroad or discussing issues relating to foreign countries. He seems to have no concept whatsoever of the realities of diplomacy. His recent claim that all of the problems of the EU could be dealt with simply by having an Inter Governmental Conference is just one example of this extraordinary naivity. If it really was that simple, hasn't it occurred to Boris that Margaret Thatcher, who had far more respect on the world stage than he does, couldn't pull off that simple trick. Whilst Boris may feel he is a far better negotiator and a bigger figure on the world stage than Thatcher, the rest of us will need some convincing.
9. He is untrustworthy and a bit of a nasty piece of work who is easily riled and loses his temper. If you don't believe me, watch this - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-21916385 - and in this clip he tells a Labour opponent to "Get Stuffed" when he can't answer a question http://news.sky.com/story/1140304/boris-johnson-tells-opponent-to-get-stuffed - His supporters claim he's always charming and lovely. Five minutes research on the web tells a wholly different picture. Even convicted fraudster Conrad Black said he didn't completely trust Boris.
10. He doesn't really seem to take his job seriously. Two years ago when London was engulfed in riots, did our Mayor take the first plane back? Nope he was too busy enjoying his holiday. In effect London had no effective leadership. When you get the big job, you get the big responsibilities and of all his many mistakes, to me that was the most serious. If he was PM and there was a crisis whist he was sunning himself in Barbados, we can't be sure he'd give a stuff.
Of course I am not a Conservative. I'm not a member of any party. Who leads the Conservatives is a matter for them. I was asked who I thought would be the most effective Leader, should they choose to knife Cameron. If we assume the choice is between Theresa May, George Osborne and Boris, I'd say that May seems to me the safest pair of hands. There is an old saying that the Home secretary is the politicians graveyard job, but she has managed to be calm and efficient. Osborne is a more divisive character. I suspect that the public don't really like him. Then there is the current encumbant - David Cameron. I think history will be very kind to Cameron. I am not a Tory, but I think he's done a good job as PM given the hand he was dealt. When we found we had a coalition government, I think few people thought it would last or that it would deal with the deep structural issues which were destroying the economy. I disagree with many of the cuts and the policies of the coalition, but whatever you think of them, the UK economy is in far better shape now than it was when Cameron took over. I doubt Boris could ever have brokered a deal with the Lib Dems, let alone deliver 4 1/2 years of stable government. My advice to Conservatives up and down the country is simple. Be very careful what you wish for. I suspect that all Boris will do is cause a lot of navel gazing when they should be ramping up for an election. It may well be that the first act of the return of Boris is to deliver a Milliband government. But that won't really concern Boris, will it? As that is probably his best chance of getting the top job.
Saturday, 9 August 2014
Looks like Mike Freer is getting a bit desperate
Thanks to Tony for sending me this. It is a letter he received from Mike Freer MP which is about as misleading as it gets. Mr Freer is effectively suggesting that nearly every dwelling in Barnet will be subject to mansion tax at the highest rate. Mr Freer neglects to mention that if there is a revaluation the bands will change as well. If this is what Mike Freer needs to do to get re-elected it is rather sad, isn't it? There is nothing I hate more than people lying to me and misleading me. If Mike Freer wants to protect the interests of those of us living in Mansions that is his business, but to pretend it will apply to everyone is plaing wrong in my book.
The Saturday List #64 - A Holiday at home, great Days out on the train from Mill Hill !
So here's the plan Stan! I have decided that I'll soon be taking a weeks holiday. I have come up with a novel idea. I am going to have a holiday at home! So instead of jumping on a jet to foreign climbs, I will spend a week where every day I'll have a day out somewhere on the Thameslink Route - I will just jump on a train at Mill Hill and hey ho. Here's my plan
1. St Albans. St Albans is a great place to start. We have the the Abbey, the Roman amphitheatre and a stack of great pubs and restaurants.
2. St Pancras. You can easily while away a day at the station, but I have an even more cunning plan! I am going to jump off and walk to Camden Town via the Regents Canal footpath. It is a great walk. There is also the canal boat museum in Kings Cross basin. I will always spend 5 mins admiring Barlows train shed, now painted light blue (just for Manchester City FC, Leabue champions) and Sir Gilbert Scotts hotel. If I have time I may also nip into the British Library.
3. Blackfriars. One of my favourite ways of spending a day is to walk along the South Bank. There is currently an exhibition of Matisse cutouts at the Tate Modern, which is well worth a view. I'll round it all off with a pint in the Blackfriar, which is worth a visit, just to look at the ceiling.
4. City Thameslink. This is the station for St Pauls and Fleet Street. St Pauls Cathedral is an awesome building. When you look at it, remember that they built it with no mechanical tools, no cranes, no lorries. Everything was brought by horse, barge and hand. It is only when you think about it, you realise the true genius of Wren.
5. Brighton. The end of the Thameslink line. Brighton is always well worth a day out. There are so many fun things to do in Brighton, but the pier and the pavillion will be on the agenda. We may well squeeze in an overnight stay at the Old Ship, my fave hotel.
6. London Bridge. I've been meaning to "do the Shard" for a while. A trip to the Globe Theatre may also form a part of this day. Lunch will be at Borough Market and a pint in the Market Porter is an obligatory part of the trip.
7. Mill Hill Broadway. If I lived anywhere else on the line, I'd come to Mill Hill and take the short busride to the RAF Museum at Hendon, so what better way to finish the week at home, by staying at home. I have a special affection for the musem, because my Dad was in the RAF and flew Wellington Bombers. The last complete example of this plane, the most numerous in the RAF in WWII is kept in the museum. There is far more to see at the museum. There is a fascinating exhibition on at the moment - Biggles and chums - http://www.rafmuseum.org.uk/london/whats-going-on/events/biggles-and-chums-first-world-war-watercolours-a/
So there you go. That is my holiday at home. Mill Hill Broadway station is at the bottom of my road.
What do you think? Here's there map - is there anywhere I've missed (I don't consider the bit that ends at Kings Cross to be part of Thameslink) - http://www.firstcapitalconnect.co.uk/static/pdf/network_route_map.pdf - I'm always looking for new places to visit, so if there's anything interesting I've missed, leave a comment
1. St Albans. St Albans is a great place to start. We have the the Abbey, the Roman amphitheatre and a stack of great pubs and restaurants.
2. St Pancras. You can easily while away a day at the station, but I have an even more cunning plan! I am going to jump off and walk to Camden Town via the Regents Canal footpath. It is a great walk. There is also the canal boat museum in Kings Cross basin. I will always spend 5 mins admiring Barlows train shed, now painted light blue (just for Manchester City FC, Leabue champions) and Sir Gilbert Scotts hotel. If I have time I may also nip into the British Library.
3. Blackfriars. One of my favourite ways of spending a day is to walk along the South Bank. There is currently an exhibition of Matisse cutouts at the Tate Modern, which is well worth a view. I'll round it all off with a pint in the Blackfriar, which is worth a visit, just to look at the ceiling.
4. City Thameslink. This is the station for St Pauls and Fleet Street. St Pauls Cathedral is an awesome building. When you look at it, remember that they built it with no mechanical tools, no cranes, no lorries. Everything was brought by horse, barge and hand. It is only when you think about it, you realise the true genius of Wren.
5. Brighton. The end of the Thameslink line. Brighton is always well worth a day out. There are so many fun things to do in Brighton, but the pier and the pavillion will be on the agenda. We may well squeeze in an overnight stay at the Old Ship, my fave hotel.
6. London Bridge. I've been meaning to "do the Shard" for a while. A trip to the Globe Theatre may also form a part of this day. Lunch will be at Borough Market and a pint in the Market Porter is an obligatory part of the trip.
7. Mill Hill Broadway. If I lived anywhere else on the line, I'd come to Mill Hill and take the short busride to the RAF Museum at Hendon, so what better way to finish the week at home, by staying at home. I have a special affection for the musem, because my Dad was in the RAF and flew Wellington Bombers. The last complete example of this plane, the most numerous in the RAF in WWII is kept in the museum. There is far more to see at the museum. There is a fascinating exhibition on at the moment - Biggles and chums - http://www.rafmuseum.org.uk/london/whats-going-on/events/biggles-and-chums-first-world-war-watercolours-a/
So there you go. That is my holiday at home. Mill Hill Broadway station is at the bottom of my road.
What do you think? Here's there map - is there anywhere I've missed (I don't consider the bit that ends at Kings Cross to be part of Thameslink) - http://www.firstcapitalconnect.co.uk/static/pdf/network_route_map.pdf - I'm always looking for new places to visit, so if there's anything interesting I've missed, leave a comment
Friday, 8 August 2014
The Friday Joke - 08/08/2014
As it's friday here's the joke. This one made me snigger at the pub earlier
Q: What looks like half a cat?
A: The other half!
And here's another one for good value
And here's another one for good value
A policeman in the big city stops a man in a car with a Siberian Lynx in
the front seat.
"What are you doing with that Siberian Lynx?" He exclaimed, "You should
take it to the zoo."
The following week, the same policeman sees the same man with the cat
again in the front seat, with both of them wearing sunglasses. The
policeman pulls him over.
"I thought you were going to take that cat to the zoo!"
The man replied, "I did. We had such a good time we are going back again today!"
Have a nice weekend
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