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badgercourage

Listed below are comments made by badgercourage between Thursday, 19th November 2009 and Tuesday, 24th November 2009 (15 Hours Ago) .

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Introducing green cuts 10:58am on 24 Nov 2009 Nick

Well they could start by turning off the lights in Government offices when they go home!

More seriously, as someone who knows a little bit about the subject - I used to be responsible for the offices of a big public sector organisation - I would risk a small wager that it's actually quite easy to cut 10% of the carbon emissions of most office-based organisations within a year if you are determined to do so. Turning the heating down 2 degrees, the lights mentioned above, cutting down unnecessary travel, concentrating on fewer buildings with the space used more intensively, installing better glazing and heat management, buying more efficient appliances, etc. Cutting staff numbers and encouraging home working by others would also contribute.

All this would have capital costs, cause disruption, be unpopular with staff, and might raise operating costs, so much so that it could be judged on balance not worth the effort.

But that doesn't affect the narrow point.

Is there any evidence that Government have tried seriously to do this? I saw little sign when I visited Government offices in several departments over the last 10 years.
Reasons to be careful 4:00pm on 23 Nov 2009 #120 Mightychewster

No-one is claiming that coalition government is perfect. But its GOT to be better than the polarised shouting match we have at present. Large majorities have led over recent decades to authoritarian government, bad and repressive laws, and little role for the individual MP.

I believe that "middle ground" "compromise" politics would mean less "whipped" government and more scrutiny of what's best for the population not just the interests of the "security industry", management consultants, privatised utilities, big business and the others who shout loudest.

If governments had to explain their proposals better, persuade coalition partners and and justify them properly to Parliament to get them through, that'd be a good thing. We might even end up with less target-driven, fear-dominated public administration.
Reasons to be careful 12:33pm on 23 Nov 2009 #36 Saga

"So we can say that the Tory lead is probably down to 2% ... next to nothing in other words. Below the margin of error in fact."

No, that's not what the figures say. They say the Tory lead is probably 6% on an atypical sample but may be as low as 2% or as high as 10% even on that sample, and on a more representative sample is probably in the range of 4-12%. The range of error may be upward as well as downward. And the 2% is AFTER the margin of error.

"A man hears what he wants to hear and disregards the rest..." [Paul Simon]
Reasons to be careful 12:26pm on 23 Nov 2009 I have argued all along that a hung Parliament is both likely (and desirable).

it is likely because

* The Tories have a huge majority to overcome.

* The government will do everything in its power between now and the election to "bribe" the electorate, or at least make promises to them. All governments do this.

* The government will try to frighten the electorate about what the Tories might do. Again, all incumbents do this.

* It takes many more votes to elect a Tory than a Labour MP because of constituency size differences.

* People don't like being told that the election is a done deal.

* the Government will do better at getting its core vote out than in recent elections.

* They will make sure that postal voting (which favours them) is maxmised.

I know from previous discussions I'm in a minority but I do think a hung Parliament would be good for the UK. First past the post and big majorities may deliver clarity, but can anyone honestly say that it has delivered good government or democratic credibility in the last 40 or 50 years?

So bring it on, I want a hung Parliament with a strong LD showing, leading to a coalition government committed to genuine electoral reform.

I do recognise the possibility of (and fear) a very close result with the LDs squeezed and a minority government leading to a second election in the Autumn, but either you believe in democracy with all its faults or you don't...
Britain lands key EU foreign policy post 7:29pm on 20 Nov 2009 #218 Saga

"There is no chance that Gordon Brown will ever be elected PM"
"Not quite true, Max ... it's a 7/1 shot down the bookies"

I'm sure the bookies are not offering 7/1 that he'll be elected PM. I'm not a betting man but if that is genuinely what they are offering I'd take very big odds on the negative to that bet!

What you mean is that they are giving those odd against him being PM after the General Election - not the same thing at all!

to achieve that he'd be elected as MP for Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath, with the votes of about 20,000 people; carry on as Labour leader, probably without a vote; and be asked to become PM as leader of the party with the largest number of seats.

Sounds pedantic, I know, but it is a genuine distinction, especially in the context of Cathy Ashton's appointment.

We will in all probability NEVER have an elected PM in the UK, as long as it lasts (two variables there, of course!).

Pip, pip!
Britain lands key EU foreign policy post 12:51pm on 20 Nov 2009 #117

Fair point.

But at least they were elected by a consituency and most of them through their own proper party procedures.

Gordon Brown was elected by the votes of 24,278 people in the constituency of Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath, and unopposed as leader of the Labour Party. A very thin basis for being PM of a country of over 60 million people, but there you go.

Cathy Ashton has never been elected by anyone, not even in local government.
Britain lands key EU foreign policy post 12:18pm on 20 Nov 2009 #100 John Constable

"Specifically for the English, when we English regain our English political identity, then it will become much easier for us English to also don the European cloak."

There may be something in that. I think of myself as English first, British second, Europe doesn't even come into it at the moment - I would never say to (eg) an Argentinian that "I'm from Europe". Maybe if I didn't think of myself as "British" as well as "English" I might consider myself a European.

But I wouldn't bet on it...
Britain lands key EU foreign policy post 11:50am on 20 Nov 2009 #76 fairlyopenmind

"When Baroness Ashton was nominated as a Commissioner, I saw no reference to the "suspension" of her peerage. Viscount Stansgate (Tony Benn) renounced his peerage, being a good old fashioned socialist..."

I don't think you CAN resign from a life peerage - Benn was a hereditary peer. There are now provisions for a life peerage to be withdrawn if you are a MEP as you're not allowed to do both but that doesn't apply to Cathy Ashton as it's not an elected post...

Doubtless some constituional geek can elaborate?
Britain lands key EU foreign policy post 00:34am on 20 Nov 2009 I was until now a supporter of the UK's membership of the EU and had been ever since we joined - without a referendum, for those of you too young to remember.

I now reluctantly conclude that it's time for the UK to leave this outrageous gravy train for incompetent, unelected second raters. We can and will do better outside, as Norway and Swittzerland can testify. The EU needs us more than we need the other 26 countries. We are not part of Shengen or the Euro, so it would be pretty painless to leave and negotiate a free trade relationship.

And I'm sure Nick is right that Cathy Ashton is a wonderful person. So is my next door neighbour, but that doesn't make her qualified to be EU foreign affairs chief. And she has been elected for public office exactly the same number of times as Baronress Ashton.
Map of the Week: Galoshes and a smile 4:52pm on 19 Nov 2009 #23, 24

Or to give it it's full title, the "Federated Union of Countries and Kingdoms Democratic Union of Peoples"

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