Kmflett's Blog

Liz Truss is on ‘Planet Normal’ talking about the Budget &  Big Government

Liz Truss (see her Twitter account) has been on Planet Normal, which exists in a galaxy far, far away & is Telegraph podcast. She does not like Rachel Reeves Budget for the usual reasons.

She argues that the economic establishment believes in Keynesianism which is odd because it certainly didnt between 2010 and 2024 when she was a Tory MP, Minister and briefly PM. Rachel Reeves who has Treasury Brain as much as Labour’s first Chancellor Philip Snowden in 1924 may well support a form of economic orthodoxy. Its hardly Keynesian though

Liz Truss

Treasury orthodoxy backs big Government, high tax & spend and Net Zero. On #planet normal I talk about how to take on this failing approach.

‘The basic issue is we have an economic establishment in this country that believes in Keynesianism ….’

In order to turn this country’s economy around, it won’t be enough just to get rid of the ghastly Reeves. The whole failed edifice needs to be brought down.

The Fletter below appears on-line and in print in the Guardian (31st October/1st November)

Such things should stand on their own but the New Labour reference is an historical nod. Starmer’s politics are not New Labour but Reeves’ Budget does suggest that Blairite slogan except the word ‘bit’ was actually ‘lot’

The Clarkson reference, a typical device in a Fletter is a joke. Clarkson, who acquired his farm as a legal way of avoiding inheritance tax, now finds he may have to pay some. His financial advisor can probably help

 In New Labour terms, Rachel Reeves’s budget is in the “a bit done, a lot still to do” area. But any budget that annoys Jeremy Clarkson is clearly on the right lines.
Keith Flett
Tottenham, London

Really Useful Knowledge on Rachel Reeves Budget. A small amount done, a huge amount still to do (but it annoyed Jeremy Clarkson)

Really Useful Knowledge was a term used by nineteenth century radicals to look at the reality of how the world worked focused around the labour theory of value, as opposed to how bourgeois politicians and economists argued it worked. Below are some notes on Wednesday’s Budget

The backdrop to the 30^th October Budget was the keeping of the 2 Child Benefit Cap and the cut to the Winter Fuel Payment. Neither are progressive policies but they didn’t feature much on Wednesday

Political commentator Steve Richards argued that it was a centre left Budget. That seems optimistic. In fact it was something that aside from the Tory media that will oppose anything labelled Labour on some grounds or another, was not in some areas hugely different to what the Tories would have done.

That said the increase in the minimum wage, more spending on the NHS (depending on how much ends up in the pockets of privateers) and a focus on capital gains and inheritance taxes does suggest a mildly progressive set of measures.

The medium term background outlined in the background papers remains of a low Growth, low Productivity economy.

Michael Roberts analysis suggests in part

But there is no wealth tax on the very rich (which could easily raise £25bn a year); there is no increase in taxation of rapidly rising corporate profits (that stays at 25%) and tax exempt thresholds are not being raised with inflation until 2028, so most working people will pay more tax out of any increase in wages.  There will be a “crackdown” on welfare benefit fraud to get £4bn year, but only a vague commitment to tackle widespread tax avoidance and evasion (which loses the government some £25bn a year).

The minimum wage will increase to £12.21.  Reeves described the 6.7 per cent increase as a “significant step” towards creating a “genuine living wage for working people” – although it falls short of the £12.60 an hour sum recommended by the Living Wage Foundation.

Roberts quotes Sahil Jai Dutta put it:  “Labour has shown little sign of changing the current model where critical infrastructure is provided by private firms. Many of these companies have shunned investment for the past three decades, while ramping up dividends, buybacks and executive pay. Rather than confront why, Labour’s priority seems to be sweetening investors and developers with more money available on better terms.”

More subsidies for big business funded by more taxes and government borrowing.

UK budget: no game changer – Michael Roberts Blog

The Budget did however annoy Jeremy Clarkson which if you see the occasion as a culture war class war is a win

Beard Liberation Front

31st October

Contact BLF Organiser Keith Flett 07803 167266

JD VANCE VOTED SCARIEST HALLOWEEN BEARD

The Beard Liberation Front, the informal network of beard wearers, which campaigns against irrational prejudice against the hirsute, has said that the crypt door has creaked open on the Scariest Beard of Halloween 2024 poll and Donald Trump’s running mate JD Vance has won the vote.

The poll attracted over 3,000 votes with Vance spooking broadcaster Neil Oliver 33% to 29%

Neil Oliver and JD Vance won the first round of voting and went through to the final. In Round Two Laurence Fox and Morgan McSweeney headed the poll.

The title, awarded each year on October 31st, takes a wry look at Halloween festivities by identifying the scariest beard in the public eye. The winner is likely to win by the narrowest crack of a squeaky floorboard.

The BLF does not generally believe that beards are scary, a view promoted by generations of Pogonophobes and beard haters

BLF Organiser Keith Flett said, facial hair is part of Halloween tradition. We aim every year to subvert some of the pogonophobia that lies behind that, while looking in a light hearted way at ‘scary’ beards. JD Vance’s beard isn’t really that scary even if many of his policies and statements are.

Scariest Halloween Beard Shortlist

Richard Branson, Rocket Man

Laurence Fox, social media star

JD Vance, Weirdo

Jonathan Gullis, unemployed

James Cleverly, politician

Morgan McSweeney, organiser

Neil Oliver, The Coast Guy

Richard Holden, politician

31st October marks the first anniversary of the cyberattack on the British Library.

Ive been a reader since 1984 so this is my 40th anniversary and I do possess a post March 2024 readers ticket.

The impact was devastating for researchers not just in the UK but globally. For the first few months I looked at the New Musical Express, which the BL has a complete print copy run of in Humanities 2 on open access. For recent social history its a useful tool and also lots of stuff on E P Thompson!

Eventually on site ordering was restored via paper slips just like the days of the old Round Reading Room. In the last few weeks remote ordering is available again albeit the on-line form is not exactly the easy to use previous on-line system.

The hard work of Library staff needs to be recognised and there is still a way to go to restore access in anything like full. There are still working PCs in the Library- you bring your own device.

Beyond all that this is the National Library and the Government, even the new one, has done nothing or next to nothing to sort the situation out. A reflection of where we are in Britain in 2024

On reaching 68. Thanks to the NHS

Indeed I am 68 today, being born on 31st October 1956 as the Russian tanks swept into Budapest & just as Britain, France and Israel were starting the debacle that was Suez.

Clearly I learnt my politics at birth.

I’m not a great fan of birthdays, although they are statistically significant but as an historian one does note the passage of time.

Reaching 68 is something of a landmark since there were at least three occasions in 2022 when it was more likely than not that I would not. Thanks to all at the University Hospital Cardiff and perhaps in particular to a nurse called Cerys for bringing me back to the land of the living on the second occasion. As the consultant noted when I was discharged, if I was a cat I would have used up one of my nine lives then.

My partner Megan has helped a lot to restore me to something like working order since those times

I remain working as an elected union officer because even at 68 there is no home but the struggle and of course chairing the socialist history seminar at the Institute of Historical Research as well as organising the Beard Liberation Front.

Anyway on my birthday I’m in Cardiff,(but I still live of course in Tottenham)

In addition the beard is still flourishing

I may have a beer….

St Peters Brewery accumulates craft breweries. Which way forward?

James Beeson has the story in the Grocer as he often has and of course its also been nicked by the S*n, also a frequent occurrence.

To avoid administration Sarf London brewery Gipsy Hill has been sold to St Peters Brewery (Bungay). In fact as of a week ago its now known as Sunrise Alliance Beverages.

I had missed that earlier in October it had also taken control of West London’s Portobello brewery and since 2023 has owned Curious (which earlier had brought out some elements of Wild Brewery).

It reflects the pressures that the craft beer sector faces including the cost of living crisis, post-pandemic debt and business rates. The Budget on 30^th October addressed some of these issues (up to a point) though criticism of the impact of higher wages is entirely misplaced. Where do brewers think the money comes from to allow people to buy their products? Share dividends?

The wider issue with Sunrise Alliance is why they are accumulating breweries, what their business model is for the future and where their capital comes from.

Something to ponder over a glass of Gipsy Hill Hepcat perhaps.

Labour’s first Budget for 15 years and the first ever by a female Chancellor saw Rachel Reeves speak for 77 minutes, longer than any Tory Chancellor managed between 2010 and 2024. In fairness it doesn’t take that long to say ‘we’re going to do over the poor again’.

Philip Hammond did manage 71 minutes in 2018, while the last Labour Budget speech made by Alistair Darling in March 2010 lasted 58 minutes.

These stats are from the Guardian but what 2024 journalism doesn’t have is historical research in depth. Labour’s first ever Budget speech was delivered by Philip Snowden on April 29th 1924 and he spoke for 105 minutes.

While it might be thought he didn’t have to bother with soundbites and social media brevity in fact he then published his speech as a pamphlet titled The Housewives Budget..

Who was defined as working class in Labour’s first Budget in 1924

The first ever Budget from a Labour Government was delivered by Chancellor Philip Snowden in late April 1924.

It did not hit the profits and wealth of the rich, a pattern maintained by later Labour Governments but it did offer some modest help to the working class. Snowden published his Budget speech as a pamphlet, The Housewives Budget, and we can get some idea on how working class was defined from this.

The working class breakfast included tea, coffee, chicory, sugar and dried fruits (raisins, figs and plums). Duty was reduced on all these items.

Snowden abolished duty on sweetened table waters which he said were largely consumed by children and the poorer classes. He kept the duty on soda water which the bosses put in their whisky and gin.

He also got rid of the duty on herb beer. Often associated with temperance (of which Snowden was a leading supporter) they were in fact alcoholic roughly at the strength of a modern table beer.

The duty on cheap seats in the cinema and music halls was reduced focused on those taken up by the ‘less well to do members of the community’. The impact of this on entertainment enjoyed by the working class was huge. Snowden estimated the cost as £4m a year at 1924 prices £204m at 2024 prices.

Snowden then defined the working class not by their jobs but by what they ate and drank and the entertainments they enjoyed

The England and Wales Cricket Board have revealed viewing figures for the Womens and Mens Hundred competition 2024 as part of details a further cricket broadcasting deal.

The headline good news is that Test Match Special retains UK rights for all England Womens and Mens international games (all formats) until 2028.

The BBC has not met the ECB’s asking price to show a handful of Womens and Mens T20 live and Channel 4 and ITV are not interested either. That means all live cricket will revert to Sky in the UK. Given the viewing figures for the Hundred (below) Comcast who own Sky are no doubt overjoyed.

Their subscription audience for cricket is likely mostly grumpy old men (hello there..) who like Tests and like less short form matches and in particular the shortest form of them- The Hundred.

Unfortunately the BBC has retained rights to show 15 live Hundred games split between the Womens and Mens game

Of course this is all rather one-dimensional. On many days (at one hour or another) the cricket fan can check TNT or other channels for international matches (all formats) being played around the globe as well as at least some of the twenty T20 and T10 franchises operating

viewing figures for the Hundred dropped by more than a quarter this summer, although they held up ­better on the BBC than on Sky Sports despite ­clashing with the Paris ­Olympics, which convinced executives in ­Salford to stick with the ­competition. ­Audiences for the ­women’s ­Hundred fell by 41% on Sky compared with 2023, with a 28% decline for the men’s ­competition, while on the BBC the men were down 25%, with the women’s figures ­dropping by just 2%.

Guardian 29th October 2024

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2024/oct/29/cricket-england-ecb-fails-to-agree-free-tv-deal