Liberal Vision

Smoke For Victory!

China is often heralded as the new champion of free markets. And there is no doubt that it has some of the most liberal trade rules in the world. But sometimes adoration of the People’s Republic can lead commentators to forget that, even in the economic sphere, China is incredibly interventionist.

It also remains a textbook case of what happens when bureaucrats rule. But the latest proposal appears to truly beggar belief. In fact, if it did not appear in several independent sources, I would believe that it was a satire.

Chinese government officials have been ordered by the government to smoke more cigarettes to boost the economy. Departments whose staff smoke too few cigarettes will lose revenue that they would have received from state tobacco taxes; individual civil servants will be fined unless they smoke local brands.

The policy was originally introduced in Hubei Province, where local government agencies and institutions were given a target of 230,000 packs of locally-produced cigarettes a year, according to Hubei-based Chutian Metropolis Daily reported. This follows a policy earliest this year in Hefei province where civil servants were pressured to buy flats to keep the property market afloat.

So staggeringly stupid is this, that it seems almost nit-picking to point out two particular economic features of this. The first is the belief that increasing tax revenues will increase the economy. The second is the fact that protectionism appears to be emerging between Chinese provinces.

On the other hand, if bureaucrats are so stupid that they are ordering bureaucrats to smoke more, perhaps a Darwin Award is in order.

Around the Stonewall

The anniversary of the Stonewall Riots has been noted already in Lib Dem circles, and today Tristan Mills draws attention to a rather depressing reaction from a town in Texas.

Alas more examples of mindless homophobia from other continents speckle our media, and I’ve noticed two solely around the issue of football.

So yes, this is another football post. And there will be more.

The first of these sorry tales was reported in the Indie last week - a Turkish referee has been hounded out of the eastern town of Tabzon for having the temerity to favour sleeping with men.

Now today I read that Uganda’s national team boss Bobby Williamson is being pressured into supporting a code of conduct that condemns homosexuality.

Both stories tell us more about the regions of the world they occur in than the sport itself (allegedly homosexuality is illegal in Uganda). However, homophobia continues to linger in football throughout the world, with a notable lack of openly gay players even in the English game.

To end on a brighter note, stand-up comedian Doug Stanhope has a typically acerbic rant on the subject of gay marriage. His view: marriage shouldn’t even be legal per se. Take a butcher’s, here - click.

The New Labour Disaster in 4 minutes

There has been quite a bit of discussion concerning the Liberal Vision video published here last week.

I have responded to some of the comments on the Lib Dem Voice website, (scroll to the bottom of that page for comments) if you are interested.

Why I didnt support the first “Armed Forces Day”

I opened up the Sunday Telegraph of all newspapers this morning to be greeted with what amounts to 2 full pages of government propaganda with the headline “Nation salutes its heroes on the first Armed Forces Day”. They campaigned for it - so I guess they wanted to shout about it.

I didnt support it yesterday and I wont support it any time soon. Not because I am anti the armed forces. I actually think that, of their kind, they are pretty damn good.

I dont support it because this is just another example of the government hi-jacking a PR event to suit their own agenda.

This is the same government that skimped on equipment going into the Iraq war. Many deaths can be laid at the door of the then-chancellor Gordon Brown who refused the budgets necessary to keep these soldiers alive. This is the same government that has overseen record numbers of ex-soldiers ending up in custody. Ex-military personnel comprise by far the largest occupational group in the prison system - because there is no money to help them get over the trauma of war. This is the same government that wanted the inquiry into Iraq held in private - despite military leaders demand that they have their actions judged by the public. This is the same government that wanted to turn their back on the Ghurkas lest we forget.  I could not find any mention of any of that in the Telegraph’s patriotic report (please tell me if I missed it).

If this government cared that much about these people they would have done more - and do more - where it matters. Not create a tokenistic flag-waving  ”Armed Forces Day” in the hope that the remaining good will for the forces will somehow rub-off on them. With a few handy pictures of Gordon with the boys and girls in uniform along the way.

What is also disappointing is that the armed forces seem unable to stop the goverment using them for their own political ends. I understand that they crave a return to the warmth and respect that was once theirs without question. But they wont get it from me until they stand up to this government. Perhaps that we will see that during the Iraq inquiry (those bits we are allowed to see).Lets hope.

PS: Was it purely coincidence that the date chosen - 27th June, also marks the Day Gordon Brown became Prime Minister back in 2007? What a day to choose whoever thought it up!

Could Milburn become even more anti-Brown?

Alan Milburn won’t be seeking re-election at the next election.

He wants to pursue other stuff, spend more time with his family etc etc.

But might there be a last parting shot?

Now wholly unshackled from any obligations to back Brown’s dying government, might he even go as far as endorsing another party in 2010?

If Brown clings on until the electorate finally deliver their damning verdict, don’t bet against it.

Lord Rennard reported to the Privileges Committee

I hear that Lord Rennard has been referred to the Privileges Committee over his expenses claims - particularly, but not uniquely, his claim that his primary residence is in Eastbourne.  He has been reported by the Sunlight Centre for Open Politics.

Those with long memories will remember the resolution of the Federal Executive Committee meeting, over a month ago, on 20th May 2009. This promised, amongst other things, a code of conduct to be published by mid-June. If it has been published, I can’t find any sign of it on the official party website (although as I can’t find a way of actually searching the party website, it’s hard to be sure).

Click here for the letter calling for an investigation

More to follow.

BBC Gravy train revealed in all its glory

BBC Expenses claimed by the fat cats have been reluctantly released by the Corporation today. And much fun will be had with the array of items bought by the so-called senior management (fizz for Forsyth, roses for Ross, leaving do’s for …(well everyone who’s ever left by the looks…).

We’ve also had confirmed that the top 50  highest paid BBC employees collectively earned £13.6million in 2008 with 47 of the 50 earning over £190,000  (the PM earns £195,000). 

I have heard the argument about the BBC needing to be the best and to do that they must pay “commerical rates”. But these are frankly NOT todays commercial rates for middle ranking managers. They are way way WAY over top. And let us not forget also that their fat BBC pensions look as safe as houses. Former Director of Audio & Music, JENNY ABRAMSKY walked away with a  pension pot of £4 million. John Smith head of BBC Worldwide has a £3million+ pension pot. This just does not happen in the commercial sector.

As for Mark Thompson the Director General has a basic salary of £647,000 (+considerable benefits) . He may well say that if he was taking an “equivalent job” in the commercial market he would earn considerably more. But what private enterprise would not have sacked a CEO by now if they have stumbled from one crisis to another as he has…

The faked programme trailer about the Queen; rigging of  phone-ins on shows including Blue Peter, Children in Need and BBCs Asian Network’s “Film Cafe”; deceiving people about the cost of phone-in votes (Comic Relief does Fame Academy);holding money back from charity phone-ins (Comic Relief); the catastrophic management of the Russell/Brand affair; the equally mismanaged sacking of Carol Thatcher; 

Oh and the money…..  shock at the salaries paid out to its “top talent” (about which the BBC remains firmly tight-lipped);  criticism at the  £100,000 a year spent on chauffeur driven cars to ferry the DG himself and his deputy a few miles to work each day; the widely condemned £88million (£50k per head) relocation bonanza  planned for staff moving to Salford in 2011 which is now being erm… “reconsidered” ; the ill-advised £17.5 million paid out in staff bonuses last year as the rest of Britain faced financial disaster; the unbelievable £36Million budget overrun on websites (rather than sack anyone they simply decided to  increase the total budget  to £150 million, yeah.. very commercial) . It just goes on…

And whilst I have no problem with a company covering the costs of an executive having to return from an overseas holiday early in an emergency, why pay a deputy DG over £500,000 a year and then have to come back yourself to clear up the mess? The Russell Brand/Jonathan Ross matter was a 100% avoidable fiasco. Save yourself £500,000 and a whole stack of trouble. Sack the deputy (oh I forgot they dont do that at the BBC)

Mark Thompson’s days are now surely numbered. He looks and sounds out of touch, has singularly failed to maintain standards, and his “cost-cutting” measures look elitist to say the least.

But this is not about one man losing touch with reality - this is about an organisation that has lost touch. Got fat and greedy. It needs its role redefined,vast parts of it sold off and the remainder to be seriously pruned. Do much less and do it much better.

I have posted on the BBC only recently http://www.liberal-vision.org/2009/06/17/first-slice-off-the-sacred-cow/ and I know there are some fans of the BBC out there still. But fewer by the day I’ll wager.

Check on your MEPs

Following last month’s Euro elections I’ve come across a fairly useful website: VoteWatch.EU

The site lists all MEPs and allows you to categorise by their parties, political groups and so on. Statistics include voting loyalty to these groups and attendance records.

The stats cover a period of roughly four and a half years.

Go take a butcher’s.

ICM poll from Norwich North. Labour down 15%.

I’m told an ICM poll from Norwich North will appear in tonight’s Norwich Evening Press.

The results are (with changes since 2005 in brackets):

• Conservative 34% (+1%)
• Labour 30% (-15%)
• LibDem 15% (-1%)
• Green 14% (+11%)
• Others 7% (+4%)

The poll was commissioned by the  University and College Union and also included a number of questions about education. Details here.

UPDATE 5pm: Incumbent Norwich North MP Ian Gibson may run as an Independent according to the BBC

Chris Fox appointed as interim CE

The newly appointed Director of Policy and Communications, Chris Fox, has stepped into the role of Liberal Democrat Chief executive for the next General Election. Party president Ros Scott’s statement is on the offical party website.