The weekend is in sight. This means that the Westminster MSM have to scrabble around for another nice, page-filling scandal to keep us diverted from what’s going on. we’re in for another weekend of blatant, shameless deflection.
For today, the Sunak attempts at cutting back on some Net Zero policies may serve. Only for the record and in passing am I mentioning the collection of today’s front pages (link) about ‘end to interest rate rise’ and the fate of the ‘Murdoch empire’.
Now let’s enjoy today’s rich harvest of examples for blatant and shameless projection. Firstly, there’s Labour’s criticism which has got to be seen (or read …) to be believed (emphases are always mine):
“Simon Case has been accused of allowing Rishi Sunak to use Downing Street as “PR for the Conservative Party” over a net-zero announcement branded with the Tory conference slogan. The cabinet secretary has been warned by Labour that he risks the impartiality of the civil service after the prime minister unveiled a series of changes to climate policy while standing behind his party’s conference strapline.” (link, paywalled)
Does this mean that the PM has no power and is just a puppet of the Whitehall mandarins, that he has to obey his Cabinet Secretary in all things? We’ll have to see if Whitehall mandarins will support one of their own should Labour get into No 10 or if yon mandarins want to get rid of Simon Case by all and any means possible.
Note that there’s no factual criticism by Labour of Sunak’s decision. Perhaps we’ll get to see over the weekend Labour explaining to us that Net Zero is good for us. Perhaps they’ve taken note of Matt Goodwin’s poll on this issue, published yesterday in his paywalled substack site where he points out that the majority of the electorate – the 16-24 age cohort exempted – is in the majority against Net Zero, observing that the Net Zero policies are regarded :
“[…] as an imposition on people by an “increasingly out-of-touch, London-based, financially secure and morally righteous elite who are losing sight of how their policies are affecting the rest of the country, and, on the other side, a much larger number of financially precarious if not impoverished voters who are increasingly having to upend their lives and finances to meet the demands of this new elite.” (link, paywalled)
Pointing out that the ongoing physical destruction of Khan’s ULEZ cameras is a sign that the electorate isn’t going to reward this policy with their votes, Goodwin concludes that ditching the worst of the green crappery makes electoral sense:
“Which is why, whatever your personal view of Net Zero, wherever you sit on this issue, the blunt reality for Rishi Sunak is that zooming in on this divide is good politics and good for his chances at the rapidly approaching general election. Rishi Sunak, it appears then, is very much up for fighting the next election. The only question is whether his party’s disillusioned voters will now rally behind him.” (link, paywalled)
While this is for the future, I found it quite remarkable that the usual ‘experts’ in Westminster only managed to come up with this criticism:
“In his speech on environmental policy, Rishi Sunak promised that when it came to meat and flying taxes, as well as a “government diktat” to force households to use seven bins, “I’ve scrapped it”. There was only one issue: according to his critics, as well as his own civil servants, no one was seriously proposing any of those policies. There was nothing to scrap.” (link, paywalled)
So were they alright with the other Net Zero excrescences Sunak scrapped? Interesting … It’s as if the ‘model experiments’ by local councils in England and Wales, of forcing people to have seven bins – or boxes – never happened. Models, after all, aren’t meant to be implemented – if you believe those ‘experts’. ‘Veganism’ also has been ‘imposed’ by acres of newsprint adn shelves full of crap, even a whole month being educated to it: nah, never happened, go away!
There’s also an opinion piece in The Times, by Paul Goodman, editor of that Tory ‘ConHome’ newsletter. The headline is sufficient: “This is the green case the Tories should have made ten years ago” (link, paywalled): another lovely deflection from asking why the Tories never did so. Answer: look no further than Ms May and Johnson plus wifey! Any Tory wanting to keep his job would never ever dare to stand up against those former PMs.
That’s all I have for today. As exercise in blatant deflection the ‘criticism’ of Sunak’s Net Zero policies truly takes some beating. Have a good day.
I do not understand. People claiming to be Economists , appear on the telly saying this that and the other about inflation . and appear to be clever by forecasting what will happen.. We knew what would happen The instant the treasury took control of Sunak.
What happened was cold blooded calculated looting and theft, While advancing a tiny percentage for adulation of the masses.
Fully aware of the consequences gains losses and who would pay.
If you earn now less than 130 % of your 2020 wage. , the government has STOLEN the difference.. ( Its the Big Pharma and treating not curing. – all over ) .
Ice Cold. Ruthless. Dishonest by any measure to cover up . No wonder they were partying.|
Spooksey Ole Mate- just remember, economists were invented, to make weather forecasters look good(!).
Taa. Actually i enjoy bad weather. So I don’t care . But I ‘ve never come across an economist who forecasts the weather. But I expect there’s one on GB News.
Too much common sense in your solution Ken P, an attribute totally lacking amongst those in government.
Local Authorities raised the idea of seven bins required as a repost to the environment secretary’s proposal to have seven types of recycling. It was not a direct policy by a potential consequence of one under consideration so not an entirely straw man.
The Climate Change Committee has called for a reduction in meat consumption – too many farting cows – and that could be by reducing supply (as In Ireland where the government is proposing to cull 200,000 cows) or by dampening demand by a tax on meat. Sunak has ruled out a tax only. For every dead cow in Europe there will be a farting new one in India where cows are sacred.
In the deranged headlong rush to Net Zero misery why do we in the UK have to be the first lemmings over the edge? Our contribution to global warming is so small that if the whole country disappeared off the face of the Earth it would make no difference. We are totally at the mercy of China, USA, India, etc and if they do nothing, then, according to the zealots, we’re all screwed anyway. If the ruling classes want change then they should set an example, for starters, no jetting around the world, no gas guzzling limos and 4×4’s and only owning one home, or palace.
There seems to be some concern about house building and extra sewage pollution at the moment. Can I suggest a solution, stop importing thousands of extra sewage producers, our sewage system wasn’t built to cope with mass population expansion and we have too few homes for the existing population.
Ken P : Why we’re the first lemmings….
We have David Miliband to thank for the Climate Change Act 2008, with the strings in the background pulled by our old friend Soros. Blair having sold us down the river before that
I understand that to put a stop to Net Zero lunacy the 2008 Act would have to be repealed. Our Emperor Soros would not allow that.
Only five members of the Tory Party were against the Climate Change Act 2008!!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Climate_Change_Act_2008#:~:text=On%209%20June%202008%2C%20following,Andrew%20Tyrie%2C%20and%20Ann%20Widdecombe.
Like immigration Labour may. be bad but the Tories are a hell of lot worse! Climate hysteria has been cranked up under the Tories!!
Re 7 garbage bins: OK this has receded for now. But there will be no end of various petty regulations like this which are all about teaching us obedience like dogs, humiliating and insulting us with great enjoyment. And of course it’s a great money spinner for them in fines.
They’re retreating for a time as a GE is on the horizon but wait till after the GE…….
The only way to stop it is for enough of us to treat these diktats with the contempt they deserve, otherwise we’re feeding the problem and it will get worse and worse.
Well Viv, it’s even worse than anyone expected. Among all the projection and distractions, while you’ve all been distracted by Russel Brand and much other BS, this act is awaiting Royal accent. I don’t expect it’ll take King Sausage Fingers long to sign this.
The Digital Online Security Act – or something like that. Very shortly your remaining privacy will be gone, the government will have access to anything you do online, emails, pictures, anything. Here Neill McCoy Ward tells us all about it.
“They Just Did It! Your Personal Privacy Is Officially Over! (Government Passes NEW Online Law)”