The Public Realm

 The end of the year seems a good time to compose an inventory of the state of the UK's public realm after 14 years of Conservative rule.

Prison estate: under-staffed, rat-infeed; so close to capacity that new government forced to release inmates to make room for  more recent offenders.    Courts:  buildings closed or neglected, insufficient functioning toilets for jurors, insufficient barristers, long waiting-lists (up to two years or more) for trials  NHS: Hospitals, crumbling buildings, long waiting-lists;             Insufficient  GPs;  few “designated “ doctors; 8am phone-call lottery.           Nurses; massive shortage; too few in training (result of abandonment of            bursaries.)           Dentists; completely unavailable in many areas.  Schools: restricted curriculum, arts/music etc neglected; crumbling concrete in buildings; shortage of teachers. Universities: many on brink of bankruptcy; grade inflation; overseas students discouraged.  Local government: savage cuts to grants: forced to abandon vital services  (eg Sure Start)  Social care: long-standing problem left unaddressed.  Roads: pothole infestation  Privatised industries: Inadequate regulations  and rip-off dividends to owners (often foreign governments.) eg Water; sewage pollution;                                                      Railways; inadequate services; cancellations Housing: failure to build sufficient for affordable rent or purchase  Stock Exchange: flight of key firms from.  Money laundering: London now the word’s capital for.  Key industries and assets: sold to overseas buyers (eg ARM!)  Poverty: percentage of families in poverty increased.  BBC: Savage cuts to this World Class institution, especially the World Service  House of Lords: unprecedented number of new “peers” created; failure to reform  Democracy: restrictions on voting, reduction of powers of electoral commission.   IIn my view this list, or something similar,  should be brandished every time the tories claim to be ready to form a government again.  I'm sure I've not thought of everything: amendments and suggestions for additions welcomed.   for balance, is there anything that is better at the end of 2024 than it was in 2010 .  Well, we pensioners have done rather nicely, thanks to the Triple Lock (introduced at the insistence of  the Liberal Democrats, who played a noble but unrewarded part in making the Tores less bad than they proved to be  after the first years of tTory Rule, when they escaped from our restraining hand.)  But the basic state pnsion still compares very unfavourable to those in similar developed countries.) Anything else. . . ?

 

Starrmer's six good intentions

 

 

Analysts of  the US election results seem to have come to the preliminary conclusion that  whereas the Democrats fought on  high-minded policies extolling decency and democracy the Republican message resonated more closely to the real needs of the majority of the people. The Democrats could also point to an economy which, theoretically is in good shape, with low unemployment, inflation reduced to a manageable level and relatively fast growth, but “ordinary people”, whom right-wing talk-show host Tucker Carlson describes as “the people who can actually change a flat tyre, who pay [their ] taxes and work 40 hours a week” feel that the economy is not working for them. 

They do not feel “better off” today than they were four years ago (or even, in the US14) and  they are prepared to overlook Donald Trumps immoralities because he  speaks to their condition  and is more likely to fix it.

It is probable that the Labour Government believe that something similar applies to Britain and that is the reason for Sir Keir Starmer’s much heralded  bread and butter milestones.  They seem designed to appeal to our own “left behind,”  though  need further and better particulars to make much sense.

 The originally- promised Fastest growth in the G7  has been wisely converted  to “higher living standards in every region of the country." Fine if  the growth is equitably shared, sustainable and non-polluting, and the measurement includes rising standards of public services in each regions as well as private consumption.

Building 1,5 million homes will be great  if they are affordable, the majority are council or housing association dwellings for rent,  they are not available for second homes, the right to buy is severely curtailed or abolished, and  any “planning uplift” arising from the sale of agricultural land for building  goes to local government or the exchequer and not the landowner.

No more that 18 weeks waiting time for operations in the NHS for 92% of patients: fine if the rest of the health services also improve (some of us would like no more than 18 minutes waiting time to contact the GP) and include public health provision, along with adequate provision of social care.

An additional 30 000 police and allied officers “on the beat.”  Also fine if allied with an efficient court service to accommodate the extra offenders who are caught,  a well-staffed probation service to persuade offenders to follow more orderly paths, and a clean and up to date prison estate to house those who must be incarcerated in humane and civilised condition, along with effective education and training facilities to promote rehabilitation.

Getting 75% of five-year-olds ready for school.  I think this should be 95% and in this area we do need a “nanny state” to do the job, whatever the Daily Mail and Express say about it. Something like “Sure Start” must be restored, and local government provided with the funds to finance it effectively.

Clean power by 2030  should be non-negotiable, will be terribly expensive and should be genuine and not obscured by the pretence of “carbon capture.”

We must earnestly hope that the government achieves enough of the above, and more (eg, rescue the universities, provide local government with the funds to do their job, properly fund education and…and ….and . ..) sufficiently to convince voters, that they, preferably in alliance with other progressive parties, should be returned to government for at least another term. A move back to the discredited Tories, especially in alliance with the xenophobic Reform Party, should be unthinkable.

 But even if this is achieved, Britain will not have become the efficient modern equitable country we deserve to be.  

 In his speech Starmer gives a hint of blaming the civil service for being obstructively complacent.  Maybe they are, I have no experience (other than watching "Yes Minister"). 

The real problem is that Britain’s government structures are “not fit for purpose.”.

We need commissions, all-party symposiums, citizens assemblies or something to consider:

Devolution: our government is far too centralised.  Genuine power, with tax raising functions, need to be passed down effectively to our nations, regions and localities.  To my mind directly elected mayors are the wrong vehicle and for the most part are a sham.

A complete rethink of our taxation system, taxing unearned rather than earned income, bads rather than desirable activities, and leading to a greater measure of equality.

The machinery of government, with  fairer voting  systems which elect a parliament, national,regional and local government assemblies and councils which effectively hold their executives to account, strict control of the funding of the parties vying for power and measures to secure fair and balanced media coverage of political activity  

There is no sign at the moment that anyone is paying attention to these root and branch reforms that we need. If we ignore this need than the problems we face in 2029 or whenever, may be ameliorated, but they will remain and still be daunting.

Come kindly death

 I'm pleased that the Commons have voted in favour of Assisted Dying.  The majority was a slim one, 330-275, which reflects the strength of arguments on both sides.

To my mind the strongest argument in favour is that, in both Oregon and Australia, where assisted death has been legal for some years, now 66% of those who ask for and receive the "end it all" package don't actually use it.  Clearly it becomes  an "insurance."  it could actually improve palliative care and the quality of life in the last few days since it empowers the individual with the knowledge that  if things get "too much, she or he is in charge and can put an end to agonies and indignities which are no longer tolerable.

The arguments against carry weight, not least the additional demands on the medical and legal services.  It is not flippant to point our that it is difficult enough for the "poorly but not actually at death's door" to gain the services of just one doctor, never mind two, and judges are already facing a backlog of cases in which accused and victims experiencing waiting times measured in years rather than months.

 I am not too  much moved by the argument that greedy relatives might coerce someone into ending their life  in order to get their hands on the potential inheritance.  Surely they could wait six months?  More serious is the possibility that the patients with not long to live might  pressure themselves into thinking they are "a burden" and so end their lives prematurely.  An  Australian contact assures me there is little evidence of either of these situations "Down Under,"  but how would they know?

 These and other issues will be thoroughly thrashed out in the Committee Stage, Report Stage and Third Reading of the bill, and then all over again in the House of Lords

 Opponents of the bill express concern around the "slippery slope" argument: that this first step could open up the ;possibility of voluntary euthanasia in vastly extended circumstances.  There is little evidence that this has happened in other countries, but one area to which I should like to see it extended is to conditions such as motor neurone disease (MID) where the body degenerates and the mind remains intact.  Such a condition could become intolerable well before the last six months of "life" are diagnosed.

 Kim Leadbeater, the sponsor of this bill, is my MP (no longer for Batley and Spen, but now Spen Valley.)  If the bill becomes law  she will be remembered in history one of the great social reformers, along with Lloyd George, Sydney Silverman, David Steel and Roy Jenkins.  A fitting memorial for her murdered sister Jo cox.

The state of the nation

 A friend has sent me a copy of an article Will Hutton wrote in 2022 for Prospect Magazine on an assessment of the state of the UK economy after 12 years of Tory-led small-state doctrine,  deregulation and low taxation. Early in the article Hutton provides a useful list (in no particular order):

1. Poor productivity;

2.  Threadbare welfare services;

3.  The menace of predatory finance;

4.  Inadequate human capital;

5.  Systematic aversion to risk-taking;

6.  Paucity of public investment;

7.  Carelessness about who owns our national assets;

8.  Lack of economic resilience in critical sectors (ranging from energy to water);

9.   Overheated property prices;

10.  Exit from the EU's single market;

11.  Impotent regulatory agencies;

12.  Weak business investment.

Two years later, and thus after a full fourteen years of the Conservative  "free market" experiment, there seem no reason to alter the list.  All the Opposition Tory Party seem to offer now is more of the same  -  indeed to "double down " on it.  

Hutton points out, however,  that then (and now?) Keir Starmer's Labour Party "fails to work out feasible practical reforms, [thus] leaving a vacuum."

 Later in the article Hutton provides a list of things the UK is still "good at."  These are (again in no prearticular order)

1.  Pharmaceuticals;

2.  Aerospace;

3.  Financial and business services;

4.  Creative industries;

5.  .Beverages (like Scotch whisky);

6.  Tech-driven start-ups (around our leading universities.)

This list has some interesting overlaps with one produced by Larry Elliot and discussed in a  earlier post. (See https://keynesianliberal.blogspot.com/2024/10/what-are-we-still-good-at-makiing-and.html)

Both the above lists provide useful anchors against which to assess the relevance and likelihood of success of any  measure proposed by our still new government.  

So far they have expressed an intention to improve the public infrastructure and the political response, supported and amplified by the hugely hostile press, has been to bleat  about the the taxes proposed to finance this.  We need to move on, recognise the need for higher taxation (preferably on unprotrusive "rent" rather than productive exchanges).  

And, as Hutton points out, the longer we resist re-aligning ourselves with our neighbours in Europe, the more difficult we make our return to the ranks of well run, equitable, and efficient first-class nations.

 

 

 

 

Sanitation for Peace

Today  is World Toilet Day, which comes up each year on the 19th November, when the United  Nations reminds us of the 3.5bn people (about one in three of the world's population) who still do not have the facilities to urinate and defecate with dignity, in privacy and safety, with their waste  hygienically disposed of.

 This year's Theme is "Sanitation for Peace" and you can find more details of it, and previous years' themes, here:

 https://www.unwater.org/our-work/world-toilet-day

 The connection  is  that the toilet cabinet is a "peaceful place." (eg children  who are being bullied at school go there for peace and safety)

 There are also posts on this blog on the topic on the 19th November in previous years. 

With the catastrophic result of the election in the United States the world has become once again a a very dangerous place, and the possibility of our destroying ourselves in some form of "hot" war dominates the headlines. 

The humanitarian work and purposes of the United Nations, along with Britain's role in helping to make the world a happier place for peoples of all  the continents, gets pushed into the background.  In country after country the the philosophy of putting up the shutters, looking after ourselves and "devil take the hinder-most" (MUGA?) dominates.

The UK is the exception. In our election we rejected such insularity and gave the majority of our votes to progressive parties dedicated to shouldering our responsibilities.  After a period of chaos the "adults" are back in charge.

Our government needs constant reminders of our expectations of it and not allow  "events" to blow it  off-course.  

M/s Reeves's budget did not make any moves to restore our Overseas Aid Budget to 0.7% of GDP.  A large slice of that budget is now used for housing asylum seekers in the UK itself rather than on development overseas, and the £2.5 billion temporary "compensation" which the Tories introduced in their last years of power has not been continued.

Please think about this next time you retire to your "bathroom " at home or the lavatory cabinet  wherever you happen to be  to relieve yourself with dignity, in privacy and safety today  - and every day spare a moment to ask how you would cope if these facilities were not available.

Details of the work of "Water Aid," which tries to supplement the government's efforts, can be found here:

https://www.wateraid.org/uk/donate/donate-to-wateraid-today?id=RA/TPP/01A&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&gad_source=1&gclsrc=ds