Malcolm Blair-Robinson's Blog, page 124

A Road Map For Labour: How To Win In 2020

Turn Left To Power is an explosive dissertation in book form offering a fundamental redirection for Labour’s return to power, with bold ideas for a new economic and social settlement, including economic and taxation reform, restoration of responsibility in government and a renewal of democracy. Full of detailed information, hard facts and the results of thorough research and deep thinking, the narrative will grip you like a thriller and open your eyes to a brighter, fairer future in a mere 25000 words. The ideas are relevant whether Brexit goes In or Out. Frank and at a times brutal, Turn Left To Power offers a collection of fundamental reforms which amount to a political revolution which can propel Labour back to government in 2020.

Check it out now. Paperback £4.99   Kindle £1.99     AMAZON UK

Orlando: The Aftermaths

You will notice the plural in the headline. This is deliberate. On the one hand you have the trauma and grief of those caught in this mindless atrocity and this blog can do no more than declare solidarity, kinship and sympathy with all those brave people whose lives have been torn apart. Sympathy too for the whole American nation whose confidence and pride in itself is shaken but not shattered by this assault upon its values, its integrity and its purpose.

But then we come to the political aftermath. Here America can, as it did post 9/11 squander the international goodwill flooding towards it from all across the globe, by vengeful and incoherent responses which do no better than make matters worse. Top of that list would be some kind of assault upon the freedoms and dignity of US Muslims, or restrictions of entry of Muslim visitors from overseas. That would make no more sense than curbing the rights of Christians because Hitler was nominally one of them. Next would be some increase in air bombardment of towns held by IS, which always kills civilians and is precisely the reaction IS hope to provoke.

Finally, but significantly, to fail to bring some kind of restriction into force about who can own guns, of what power and for what purpose. It is this failure in gun control which baffles the whole world and does more than anything else to deaden the power of American influence. It makes the tracking of potential suspects more difficult than other countries, where lone perpetrators have to access assault weapons and guns via the underworld, which is both monitored and infiltrated by the security services. In the US the killer only has to go into the gun store to kit up for mass murder, transgressing the law only at the moment of launching the attack.

This dreadful event will undoubtedly drive many into supporting Trump for President. But his pronouncements upon it cast serious doubts about whether he is, after all, the right man for the job.

Labour’s Road To Power: Brexit or Not

Turn Left To Power is an explosive dissertation in book form offering a fundamental redirection for Labour’s return to power, with bold ideas for a new economic and social settlement, including economic and taxation reform, restoration of responsibility in government and a renewal of democracy. Full of detailed information, hard facts and the results of thorough research and deep thinking, the narrative will grip you like a thriller and open your eyes to a brighter, fairer future in a mere 25000 words. The ideas are relevant whether Brexit goes In or Out.

Malcolm Blair-Robinson, writer and blogger,  has been a keen political observer for more than sixty years. Born a Tory, he became a founder member of the SDP, before gradually migrating left. In 2014 he published his idea of Dynamic Quantitative Easing which aroused interest in high places and this forms a core element of this powerful and compact analysis of Labour’s opportunity to regain power.

Frank and at a times brutal, Turn Left To Power offers a collection of fundamental reforms which amount to a political revolution. He is dismayed by the unfairness of the current economic model and is driven by the hope of a better future for the rising generation.

Get your copy now. Paperback £4.99   Kindle £1.99     AMAZON UK

Moving To Brexit?

All or  most polls give Leave the lead and that certainly suggests the tide is turning in Leave’s favour. This is because Remain have overdone their threats of economic meltdown without reminding voters of the historic significance of the EU achievement and the contribution it makes to the quality of life and freedoms we enjoy today. It has failed to counter the wild economic assertions made by Leave including the promised cash splash in our favour if we go, until these ideas are too deeply embedded to be successfully challenged before polling day. Remain started the immigration fear with stupid promises about reducing numbers which cannot be delivered, which Leave now claim can only be delivered if we exit the EU. Which is a false claim because if we want to trade with the EU free movement will be the price. Remain has failed to make the point that we make a profit out of immigration and without it taxes will have to go up.

With just over a week to go there may be a swing back to Remain, Labour voters may mobilise to vote to back the EU, enough young people may have registered to turn the tide, because they rightly see themselves part of something bigger than just the UK as European Citizens able to travel, work and live freely wherever they choose. Or maybe none of that will happen in which case we are marching headlong to the Exit. But Exit to what?

And that is the point. Leave has no idea, but talks in lofty terms about a new Utopia of a free trading nation, rich and independent striding wherever across the globe. Maybe one day. Maybe never. All the financial indicators are set at danger in a global economy once again dangerously over leveraged and out of balance. Brexit will be a major economic shock, not just for the UK, but for Europe and the global financial system. Will it cope? Or does the ghost of Lehman rise before us?

One thing is for sure. If Cameron loses, he is toast. Your problem is so may your job, your prospects and your aspirations be toast too. To get them back you may have to bake a new loaf with different ingredients in the mix. It could taste a lot better. But it will take quite a time. Meanwhile you could get rather hungry.

Think before you vote. It is your choice. But you will have to live not just with it, but in it. For the rest of your life.

Back Tomorrow!

A lot has been happening but I have been very busy with a visit from my grandchildren, who have taken priority over everything. Will be posting normally from tomorrow, Tuesday June 14th.

How Labour Can Win In 2020: Turn Left To Power

Turn Left To Power is an explosive dissertation in book form offering a fundamental redirection for Labour’s return to power, with bold ideas for a new economic and social settlement, including economic and taxation reform, restoration of responsibility in government and a renewal of democracy. Full of detailed information, hard facts and the results of thorough research and deep thinking, the narrative will grip you like a thriller and open your eyes to a brighter, fairer future in a mere 25000 words. The ideas are relevant whether Brexit goes In or Out. Frank and at a times brutal, Turn Left To Power offers a collection of fundamental reforms which amount to a political revolution which can propel Labour back to government in 2020.

Check it out now. Paperback £4.99   Kindle £1.99     AMAZON UK

NHS: Time To Talk Funding

As the weekend battle raged between the two wings of the Tory party over Brexit Yes or No, the NHS was never far from the front line as the weapon of choice for both sides, who have now lost the entire plot of what this referendum ought to be about, and instead are in a fight to the end, regardless of the damage they do to each other, to their country, to their party and to their cause, whichever one it is.

That does not alter the fact that the NHS has major and growing problems. The money is too thinly spread and unable to deal with all the priorities at once, so things like mental healthcare fall by the wayside. The reason for the difficulties is the lack of proper funding. It is impossible to provide an infinite service, in other words one that has to deal with whatever arrives at its door, on a finite budget, or one which does not expand as demand expands. Add to that it is not realistic to provide the complete package of a modern and timely healthcare system on less than 10% of GDP. At the moment the NHS has to get by on about 7%. If that rose to the required level it would inject an additional £60 billion a year. This is a vast sum compared to the trivial promises being scattered across the political conversation. It is time to discuss how to raise it.

Turn Left To Power: A Road map For Labour

Turn Left To Power is an explosive dissertation in book form offering a fundamental redirection for Labour’s return to power, with bold ideas for a new economic and social settlement, including economic and taxation reform, restoration of responsibility in government and a renewal of democracy. Full of detailed information, hard facts and the results of thorough research and deep thinking, the narrative will grip you like a thriller and open your eyes to a brighter, fairer future in a mere 25000 words. The ideas are relevant whether Brexit goes In or Out.

Malcolm Blair-Robinson, writer and blogger,  has been a keen political observer for more than sixty years. Born a Tory, he became a founder member of the SDP, before gradually migrating left. In 2014 he published his idea of Dynamic Quantitative Easing which aroused interest in high places and this forms a core element of this powerful and compact analysis of Labour’s opportunity to regain power.

Frank and at a times brutal, Turn Left To Power offers a collection of fundamental reforms which amount to a political revolution. He is dismayed by the unfairness of the current economic model and is driven by the hope of a better future for the rising generation.

Get your copy now. Paperback £4.99   Kindle £1.99     AMAZON UK

 

Brexit Thoughts 12: Leave Lack Answers

There is passion and emotion in the Leave campaign but very little else. The economics are a fantasy and I think they know this. They hope a few catchy promises like bottles of watery Elixir sold by con men from the backs of wagons in the Wild West will be enough to convince the level headed. Probably not. Which is why they major on immigration. Fear and prejudice are the best friends of empty politics.

Now that the line up of economists, financial institutions, friendly nations, economic think tanks, international economic bodies of all kinds and almost everything with some capacity to think in numbers from the kindergarten upwards, warn of the costs of Brexit, the absence of any planning or ideas of how to take advantage of the new freedom if it is chosen, may well be the determining factor if it isn’t. The fallback cries of Leave are that it is the elite who want to stay and that they were wrong about the Euro.

First I had not previously recognised Gove, Boris and their friends as underclass, but this referendum experience is a learning curve. Second if we had gone into the Euro we would have enjoyed an economic rejuvenation like Germany, we would have trade  and budget surpluses,  we would be saving the equivalent of £30 billion per year now spent on housing and low wage benefits, we would not have excessive housing costs or house price inflation and, like Germany, we would be a considerably healthier economic power than is now the case. So it depends what you mean by wrong.

Labour: A Road Map: Download and Paperback: A Must Read

Turn Left To Power is an explosive dissertation in book form offering a fundamental redirection for Labour’s return to power, with bold ideas for a new economic and social settlement, including economic and taxation reform, restoration of responsibility in government and a renewal of democracy. Full of detailed information, hard facts and the results of thorough research and deep thinking, the narrative will grip you like a thriller and open your eyes to a brighter, fairer future in a mere 25000 words. The ideas are relevant whether Brexit goes In or Out.

Malcolm Blair-Robinson, writer and blogger,  has been a keen political observer for more than sixty years. Born a Tory, he became a founder member of the SDP, before gradually migrating left. In 2014 he published his idea of Dynamic Quantitative Easing which aroused interest in high places and this forms a core element of this powerful and compact analysis of Labour’s opportunity to regain power. Frank and at a times brutal, Turn Left To Power offers a collection of fundamental reforms which amount to a political revolution. He is dismayed by the unfairness of the current economic model and is driven by the hope of a better future for the rising generation.

Get your copy now. Paperback £4.99   Kindle £1.99     AMAZON UK