Burham has the 35 nominations he needs; it seems that the press see him as the left wing candidate which since in 2010 he was on the right shows how things change but its the weakness of the Left that’s the problem. Are we missing Katy Clarke? We should remember that in 2010, Dianne Abbott, the left’s candidate won more votes than Burnham. It’ll be a disgrace if there’s not a left candidate and it will pull the debate to the right.
Lies and apologies
More about Labour should apologise (about spending too much) and move on. That worked for Clegg. Not!
Security
The US Patriot Act will now lapse after the Senate refused to extend it. Meanwhile in the UK, the Securocrat’s wet dream continues, with May’s new “Investigatory Powers” Bill empowering data retention, mandating backdoors and criminalising IT security research. Companies (& academics) will leave!
Hayek
Still struggling through Wapshott’s “Keynes Hayek”. I was asked last weekend, in one sentence what the difference was, which was hard to answer? It maybe that Hayek wasn’t a very good economist, certainly according to Wapshott, A Road to Serfdom is primarily about the politics of government intervention not the economic impact.
Battery life
I have taken my SIM out of my phone, boy does it help battery life. …
Impenetrable
I find Wapshott’s explanations of the differences in economic theory between Keynes & Hayek impenetrable. 🙁
Mandatory Reselection
#LewDeptLabour narrowly voted against mandatory reselection for MPs. It’s probably a moot point since the boundary commission will almost certainly fuck-up most of the constituencies anyway. Our focus on new rules should have been elsewhere.
Absolute Power
Amazingly its the US Justice Department are behind the FIFA swoop and arrests. Mind you the majority of the victims are US multi-nationals but with corruption it’s very hard to determine the victims. They’re usually outsiders, in this case the fans. British politics responds by going after Blatter and replaying Cameron’s ignominious attempts to imitate Blair by winning the World Cup for the England. No one is talking about absolute power corrupting absolutely and the way it plays for Britain’s Crime Commissioners and Executive Mayors. …
Surprise
Lewisham Deptford CLP voted in its well attended all members meeting to nominate Dianne Abbott and Christian Wolmar. An amazing thing happened, people changed their minds; there was an appeal to balance the ballot paper and include Dianne for her politics and Christian as a positive policy irritant.
Meh!
Tories are introducing TU political fund (contracting in). Meh! Labour gave that up with the Collins Review. …