Cash

The crisis at Wirecard has resulted in users of its various brands being cut off from their own funds, and reliant on some one sorting out the unfreezing of the cards.  There are reports of people being scarred by having their access to funds stopped dead even they have money in the bank.  I don' t believe this would be the case if they were using Cash as this legal tender and cannot be refused.

Advocates of a cashless economy need to think the risks through.

This remains a salutary warning even though The UK arm has now resumed operations.

Licensing the Lockdown Easing

The great opening of bars and restaurants is supposedly well under way, although I suspect will take many businesses much more than a week to get their outlets into shape.

Firstly, they will need to configure with 1metre social distancing in mind. Staff will need to be trained in what the rules are possibly on how to deal with "difficult" customers.

Secondly, they will need to get suitable PPE, plastic screens, extra cleaning products and whatever else is needed.

Thirdly, I dare say that many places will to stock up on food and drink and make sure they have regular supplies.

All that may well take longer than a week.

A second question occurs to me, which is who will police all this?  Is it the local authority, the police or the pubs themselves?  Does whoever it is have the staff and money needed?  Are the powers already included in legislation already passed or does something new have to be passed?

Finally, how does the conflict between the need of an outlet and other objectives get resolved?  For stance, in Brent pavements are often narrow and generally owned by the Council.  How does the Council resolve the ambitious targets to increase walking with the possibility of the streets being cluttered with al fresco dining?  Does the cafe have to pay for the use of the highway beyond its own forecourt.  If the restaurants want to vary their operating times from previous ones is the local authority geared to cope with the new applications?

I wish I had confidence that ministers had thought about all this but I suspect they have not.

Mark Sedwill's Departure

It looks like Boris Johnson is betting the UK ranch on an off the cliff Brexit. It will cost the country economically and in national strength for many years yet.  Johnson's own reputation and that of the Tory Party will be mud.  I see no wY of heading it off, however.

The Price of Going Cashless

The Guardian has a short piece on going cashless, and the problems caused to certain groups.  The liberty argument for accepting cash is surprisingly understated. Cash is after all legal tender.

Jenrick Again

It sounds as if the Sunday Times has a significant break through in information on the Jenrick/Westferry case that I alluded to some time ago.

This case has already rung alarm bells with local government in general and planning circles in particular.  Brent has had a a fair share of opaque planning applications.

I shall look forward to what the Sunday Times publishes.

Widening Pavements in Harlesden Town Centre

In Harlesden Town Centre recently, I noticed that one of the pavement widening schemes following the onset of Covid19.  The problem is that it is in the semi-pedestrianised bit by the 18 bus stop opposite Harlesden Methodist Church.  Given that the entire width of the street is available for social distancing, so it seems an priority.

Food Theft and Sainsburys

Some actists in Camden have Stolen food from Sainsburys. I hold no brief for corporate giants, but Sainsbury's have actually been central to feeding the UK during the Covid19 epidemic.  Without it, hunger in the capital would have been far worse. The whole Extinction Rebellion movement needs to rethink what it is doing and whether it will simply alienate the public.

Long-Bailey Sacked from the Shadow Cabinet

Rebecca Long-Bailey has been sacked from the Shadow Cabinet following her retweeting of a Maxine Peake article with an evidence free anti-Semitic reference.

The original article illustrates how anti-semitism appears to have become institionalised in the Labour Party.  The article claimed that Israeli security forces were training some police forces in the USA, and this included the officers responsible for George Floyd's death.  There may be an element of truth that some police and security forces co-operate between the USA and Israel, but I have seen no evidence that the Minnisota police were among them. I find it impossible that training techniques in restraint would include kneeling on some ones neck as it seems perfectly obvious to anyone that that could easily kill some one.

I can only conclude that Israel was dragged in simply because some people are so schooled in an anti-Israeli/Jewish narrative that they assume anything bad must be linked to Israel.

Brexit, Covid19 and More Beside?

While everyone has been arguing about statues and so on, the deadline for applying an EU transition extension is now almost past.  We are therefore facing a no deal Brexit on top of the effects of Covid19. Let us hope that we don't get a second wave and/or a flu epidemic on top.

The remarkable thing is how much of this is the direct choice of the present Conservative government.

Opening Leisure Outlets

The opening of leisure outlets from 4 July, which appears to be based on the latest Brownian motions of Boris Johnson's brain, opens potential for reopening libraries in some form. Although Peterborough's libraries have been returned to the Council, I can't see why the library sector is not subject to the same profit problem as commercial businesses, and would help generate footfall in town centres.

That said forthcoming budget cuts in local government threaten the service.

There is also the odd case of Wìllesden Library.  Here the nature of the building is that the museum, art gallery and the business that rents there can only operate if the library is open.

First Commons Defeat for Johnson

Boris Johnson has suffered his first Commons defeat since winning the 2019 election Jeremy Corbyn gifted him.  The issue is bullying of Commons staff where Rees-Mogg wanted MPs to police themselves.  Past experience suggest that this would make the whole scheme unusable by staff.

Brent and Deaths

Brent had more than 3,495 deaths in the twelve weeks up to June 6.  If that is shocking, that it is probably the worst record in the UK. Closely related to the spread of Covid19 of course.

Hancock's App Fades Away

The proposed virus app seems to be fading away. One of the problems ministers have demonstrated, aside from straightforward dishonesty, is a naive faith in technology.  Along side their obvious autocratic tendencies I hope that will be a lesson learnt for future pandemics.

Jenrick's Corruption Scandal

Together with this story, jenrick's position following the Sunday Times this morning seems totally untenable.  His resignation should be followed by a broad inquiry is essential.

UPDATE 24.06.20

Further alleged planning irregularities have appeared in The Jewish Chronicle.

A reminder of the Pergau Dam Disaster

Those unconcerned by the Foreign Office taking over internal aid once again, might to remind themselves of the Pergau dam disaster.  That really was a time when the UK aid budget was treated as a cash point in the sky.

Can Leeds Close All its Libraries?

The Independent reports that Leeds is considering closing all its libraries.

Is this legal?

The answer is that no one has ever tried.  The original law defining Council duties to provide a library service was passed back in 1965 so no one considered the Internet.  Some Councils charge for computer use, implying that do not see it as part of the library duty at all.  The Brent and Draper court cases both suggested it was.

This leaves open the question, can you claim you are providing the service if there are are no library buildings?

That depends on whether a court considers it to be "comprehensive" and "efficient".  I would say that such a service would be inaccessible to many people who live, work or are being educated in Brent.  I would also sspecutas a spectacularly in effective use of the current libraries resources that have been designed the way they are through the libraries transformation.  There would also be the question of how the Council had carried out its assessment of need under the Equality Act and in order a Wirral style review.

While I don't expect a full on closure programme, Brent will certainly be thinking about a massive reduction.  Voices within wanted this In the 2019 budget.  They got cold feet as public opposition became clearer, but they are likely to return to it.

Failing Grayling

The government's constant incompetence with Covid19 is causing me to look with a certain nostalgia on the days when I thought Chris Grayling was the worst it could possibly get.  Odd how perspectives change.

Not Just Statues

The statue debate which has erupted recently should, logically, apply to other things.

Buildings are an obvious example. Banqueting House in Whitehall is historicly important as England's first neoclassical building. It also has an extraordinary painted ceiling by Rubens.

It was built by James VI and I to glorify himself and the Divine Right of Kings as the painted ceiling makes clear without subtlety. His son Charles I used it for the same purpose.  These elitist values might well be offensive to some people.

Others might point out that Charles I was condemned in what can be seen as the world's first war crime trial, and Banqueting House was the scene of his execution.

The double meaning is unusual but the use of a building as a vehicle for a political meaning is not.  Other vehicles include many of other forms of art such as painting, music, murals, photographs and so on. Many of our institutions such as museums and universities were founded using arguably tainted money.

Are we really going to engage in a cultural erasure programme of these things every few years in a Fahreinheit 451 way?

And would such an exercise not simply be a distraction from the hard grind of actually eradicating deep seated problems such as institional racism?

What Happened to Taking Back Control of Our Borders?

At the start of this Parliament, the Home Secretary announced an immigration bill which disappeared and announced again in May.

This promised a points based system based on having an income above a certain level and "skills".  It does not seem to pay attention to economic needs such the Labour demands for seasonal workers or the needs of sectors such as hospitality or of public services such as the NHS or adult social care.

Since then in a stark reversal from the Tory decisions of the 19o0s, many more people from Hong Kong will be allowed in apparently without reference to points.

At the same time, the Home Office appears to be continuing Sajid Javid's decision to strip a UK national of citizenship on the grounds that someone else might make her a citizen.  This puts the citizenship of millions of people in danger.

The Home Secretary appears not to be concerned about localised surges in population growth.

Finally, the government is determined not to extend the EU withdrawal agreement beyond Christmas.  Any businesses surviving the virus will just have to take what hits them in 2021.

The government proposed to deal with damage to trade by not implementing any tariffs for imports in a manner that is contrary to the rule of law and makes our markets vulnerable to social dumping. It is also effectively admitting that leaving the EU damages the economy.

Does any of this have any coherence at all?

Legal Lockdown

Local Authorities are complaining about the legal authority for a Local lockdown.

The same problems apply to various other measures that the government put forward.  The legal authority for the police to enforce face covering on public transport is far from clear' and judging by the government's general dithering, subject to change.

It really isn't fair for the public, the police or transport staff to be treated this way by ministers.