Malcolm Blair-Robinson's Blog, page 174
April 13, 2015
Boost Growth Without Borrowing
An idea to stimulate economic growth without further government 
borrowing. Written in plain English and very easy to follow, this is the only really fresh approach out there to the intractable problems of the UK economy, and it is just beginning to be noticed in important places. Buy Now! 99p Kindle or £2.99 paperback
April 12, 2015
Inheritance Tax : A Vote Winner?
Well that depends whose side you are on. This is a typical move for a Tory campaign, but this is not a typical campaign. Given that the beneficiaries of this latest Tory tax goodie are almost all Tory voters, it is unlikely that it will gain any for Cameron. On the other hand it plays very well for Labour and might get more of their core vote to the polls. It also plays well for the Lib Dems who have advanced recently after alleging that the Tories in government looked after the ‘bosses’ while the Lib Dem ministers looked after the ordinary workers.
There is something seriously discordant about promising the biggest cut back in public spending since whenever, which will impact welfare and all things to do with the poor, while at the same time finding cash to give the biggest death duty bonanza since 1945. This will surely underline Milliband’s message more then Cameron’s.
Too Few Nurses
According to the Royal College of Nursing the number of NHS hospital nurses is now lower than it was in 2010. This is in part due to the reduction in training places due to cuts, with the effect that thousands who apply to become nurses cannot get trained. This is turn leads to recruiting nurses from overseas who are already trained.
This is barmy. It is also at variance with the claims of the coalition parties that they have boosted the number of nurses and maintained spending on the NHS in real terms. At the very least there seems to have been a degree of robbing Peter to pay Paul. Efficiency savings is one thing, but a plan to increase nurses at the same time as reducing training places is ridiculous.
Free Download: Last Day!
DOWNLOAD NOW!
To celebrate the new cover image for the paperback and Kindle editions of this Nazi era drama, it is available free to download until midnight US Pacific Time Sunday. The image shows Karl Kaufmann, Gauleiter of Hamburg and husband of the woman on whose life the character of Lise is based in the book, riding in the left back seat of Hitler’s car.
Economic Recovery: Are You Sure?
The UK Trade deficit was worse than expected in February.
Goods exported in February were the lowest since 2010.
The trade deficit with the EU is at a record high.
The UK economy is 70% consumer spending and has not been rebalanced in favour of manufacturing.
Most economists agree that no long term recovery can be built on this model.
The UK has the lowest productivity per capita of any of the industrial nations, behind the US, Germany, France, etc.
We need to have an election campaign that stops throwing insults and tossing out financial promises which are unlikely to be kept and instead gets real on what is going on in the world on which we depend.
April 11, 2015
Free Weekend Download
Click on image to download UK
To celebrate the new cover image for the paperback and Kindle editions of this Nazi era drama, it is available free to download until midnight US Pacific Time Sunday. The image shows Karl Kaufmann, Gauleiter of Hamburg and husband of the woman on whose life the character of Lise is based in the book, riding in the left back seat of Hitler’s car.
Election 2015
This morning we wake up to learn that the Tories have suddenly found £8 billion to fund the shortfall in the NHS. Where they found it they are not so far saying. Other parties will dismiss it as ‘uncosted’ before coming up with some news-flash style policy announcement of their own. It is unclear whether anybody outside the political bubble and the media is listening to this stuff. There is very slight movement in the polls in Labour’s favour (not in Scotland) and the Lib Dems seem to be recovering a little.
Does it have to be like this? Why is this election campaign among the big parties so piecemeal and long winded? There are still four weeks to go so anything can happen, though so far it hasn’t. We can only hope it does.
April 10, 2015
Free Download
Click on image to download UK
To celebrate the new cover image for the paperback and Kindle editions of this Nazi era drama, it is available free to download until midnight US Pacific Time Sunday. The image shows Karl Kaufmann, Gauleiter of Hamburg and husband of the woman on whose life the character of Lise is based in the book, riding in the left back seat of Hitler’s car.
Southampton General: Wrong Again!
It was very ill advised for medical staff at Southampton General to organise a PR defence in the media today of their absolutely disgraceful performance over the Ashya King case, when they showed a serious lack of judgement and understanding, and turned the child’s parents into international criminals on the run, when all they wanted was to seek alternative treatment for their child.
Southampton General, whatever its positive qualities, is possessed of an unacceptable level of professional arrogance in its paediatric department and a lack of interpersonal skills when dealing with parents who question their judgement. I know. I was forced to agree to a new treatment regime for my daughter against her and her parents wishes and threatened with a police protection order if we did not concede to their demands. We did. The hospital proceeded with its plan. It proved fatal.
This hospital’s decision to re-open this whole sorry episode following the successful treatment of Ashya overseas, will cause this family further trauma and betrays the same lack of judgement as was demonstrated during the incident itself.
