Absolutely Not The Daily Troll-o-Graph

 The Labour leader has held talks with Unite chief Len McCluskey as a frontbencher suggested there was a 'way back' for Mr Corbyn. Source - Daily Telegraph 30/10/20 Link Sir Keir Starmer has been accused of lacking “backbone” after he refused to condemn Jeremy Corbyn and senior Labour figures suggested the door was now open for his return. The Labour leader on Friday held private talks with key union leader and Corbyn ally Len McCluksey alongside the party’s general secretary David Evans, fuelling speculation that a major climbdown could be on the horizon.  It came as allies of Sir Keir suggested that Mr Corbyn could be reinstated if he apologised and retracted his claim that the scale of anti-Semitism in Labour had been “dramatically overstated for political reasons.”  Echoing their comments, shadow Welsh secretary Nia Griffith told reporters: “I'm sure that there can be a way back if that's what he chooses." Separately, John McDonnell, the former shadow chancello

The former leader deserves to be expelled from the party and moderate former members welcomed back. Source - Daily Telegraph 29/10/20 Link It is inevitable that media and public attention will focus on Keir Starmer’s response to today’s publication by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) of its final report into Labour anti-Semitism. Little of what the commission has concluded is new or was not expected; what is new is the party leadership and how it responds. How will Starmer make things right? Removing the party whip from his predecessor, Jeremy Corbyn, was a very good start, so Starmer should be given credit for that. Now he has to go further. While it is reasonable and predictable that some will point the finger of blame at Starmer himself – after all, he remained on the front bench, campaigning to make Jeremy Corbyn prime minister while knowing that the PM-in-waiting had been accused of enabling and tolerating anti-Semitism in the party – such accusations are largely (t

 Source - The Spectator - 28/10/20 Link Germany, the DAX index – the benchmark for the economy – is already down 4 per cent today. In France, the benchmark CAC-40 is down by 3.3 per cent – heading toward the low points seen in the spring. Across Europe a stock-market crash is starting to unfold. Is it a panic? An overreaction of edgy traders? Not really. The reality is that the markets have noticed something that not many people have yet picked up on: that the Eurozone is at the epicentre of the second wave of Covid-19 – and the economic damage this creates is going to be a lot worse than it was in the spring. We may think, admittedly with some justification, that the virus is bad in the UK, and the political response chaotic. But it is now far worse on the other side of the channel. In France, with more than 50,000 infections a day, Covid-19 is completely out of control and president Macron is expected to announce a return to some form of national lockdown tonight. In Germany, which l

Negotiators must overcome three major sticking points to secure a Brexit trade deal during intensified trade negotiations. Source - Daily Telegraph 24/10/20 Link The UK and EU are locked in intensified negotiations and hope to finalise a Brexit free trade deal in two to three weeks.  Both sides admit there remain significant differences over the major obstacles of fishing, level  playing field guarantees and the deal’s enforcement. So where did the two sides start on the three issues and where are they going? Fishing Where they started The UK wanted a Norway-style deal with annual negotiations on fishing opportunities with significantly more quota for British fishermen. Opportunities should be calculated on the basis of zonal attachment, a method reflecting where fish are. here are now more fish in UK waters because of climate change. The agreement should be separate from the trade deal.  The EU wanted reciprocal access to UK waters under existing conditions with fishing opportunities

 The strengths and weaknesses of the Biden-Harris and the Trump-Pence tickets examined. Source Daily telegraph 26/10/20 Link Donald Trump Mike Pence vs Joe Biden Kamala Harris us election 2020 policies vice presidents How does the Trump-Pence ticket stack up against the Biden-Harris ticket? CREDIT: AFP Donald Trump has dubbed Joe Biden, the man hoping to succeed him in the White House, "the destroyer of American greatness".  For his part, Mr Biden has picked Kamala Harris to join him on the Democratic presidential ticket this November and he hopes the California senator offers the best chance of beating Mr Trump and Mike Pence on November 3.  With the presidential debates over, and the race to the 2020 election in full swing, attention has turned to how the Democratic and Republican pairings match up. Mr Biden and Ms Harris were formally nominated as the presidential and vice-presidential candidates at the Democratic convention last month, while Mr Trump and Mr Pence accepted

 There is a strong case for a sensible rationalisation of the Government’s office and land stock   The state owns huge amounts of land and infrastructure that it could sell or lease back   With the right approach, we can raise money, build new houses and stave off damaging tax rises Source - CAPX 22/10/20 Link Even before the crisis, the Government had little room for fiscal manoeuvre. Spending was already increasing, in order to fund its manifesto commitments. Taxes were already high, and the Government had promised not to raise the main ones further. And borrowing was close to its long-term limits. In the wake of the crisis, there will inevitably be calls for further tax rises to help fill the hole in the Government’s finances. But before increasing a tax burden which is already at historic highs – and thereby risking choking off any recovery – or thinking that debt can grow ever higher without end or consequence – the Government should re-examine its existing spending. A Centre of P

 Davos has been cancelled - but there's still no ignoring these unbearable charlatans   If you want proof of the vacuity of the Alpine knees-up, it's that coronavirus didn't get even a mention in January   The World Economic Forum wants businesses to focus on stakeholders not profits - that's a false dichotomy Source CAPX 21/20/20 Link One undoubted silver lining of Covid has been the cancellation of the world’s most insufferable and useless virtue-signalling, willy-waving conference: the World Economic Forum at Davos.  If you wanted proof of the total vacuity of this gathering of the super-rich and super-woke, it’s that the emergence of coronavirus didn’t get even a passing mention back in January. George Soros complained about the stock market; Angela Merkel warned about conflict in Libya; Greta Thunberg spouted her usual nonsense; while the ghastly Carrie Lam was given a platform to blame foreign influence for protests in Hong Kong. But if you thought you could now i

 I was a great supporter of the Republicans under Ronald Reagan, but today it's the Democratic challenger who best embodies his great legacy. Source Daily Telegraph 23/10/20 Link challenger who best embodies his great legacy SAJID JAVID 23 October 2020 • 6:00am Sajid Javid In the summer of ‘92 I left London to begin a new chapter in the United States. New York was intimidating and unfamiliar, and so like many new arrivals I searched for fragments of home. As a conservative who had grown up in the era of Thatcher and Reagan, I found one in an unconventional place – as a member of the local Republican club. Reagan’s presidency made an early impression on me. He represented an optimistic, aspirational brand of conservatism and stood up for his principles. He was passionate about equality of opportunity, made possible through the power of economic freedom. In eight years, he transformed a nation in decline into an international model of leadership and prosperity. Trump may have borrowe

Covid-19 and economy are main concerns – but with millions of votes already cast what impact, if any, will the final debate have? Source Daily Telegraph 22/10/20 Link On Thursday night, Donald Trump and Joe Biden will face each other one last time in the final presidential debate before the US election. The debate, at Belmont University in Nashville, offers the two candidates a final chance to make their case to voters before November 3.  The first head-to-head between the pair was characterised by hostile exchanges and personal insults, with Mr Trump criticised for interrupting Mr Biden during his speaking slot.  Will the final showcase have any impact on voter behaviour, or have too many people already made up their mind for it to make any tangible difference? The US is starkly divided across partisan lines, with the chasm between party supporters on an ideological scale the widest it has been for decades under the Trump administration. It is the most pronounced over climate change,

 A cashless society will mean greater security, less fraud and more competition   A simple rule change could effectively turn every village shop into an ATM   The Government should be aiming to make Britain cashless by 2030 Source - CAPX 19/10/20 Link I believe that the time is right to set an ambitious goal of the UK becoming a cashless economy by 2030, meaning that 95% of all payments are made without the use of physical notes and coins.  Many of the benefits of this are clear: lower costs, a more competitive choice of banks and payment services, greater security for consumers and lower fraud and theft. As many have found during the pandemic, there are huge benefits for businesses too. Every business can transact directly with its end customers and in so doing gain data – often for the first time – and establish powerful feedback loops, boosting productivity and growth. For government there are gains from reducing the ‘grey’ economy which the Institute for Economic Affairs has estima

Here are a couple of articles from the Telegraph concerning New Zealand. Concerning trade and taxation. Trade deal with New Zealand in reach after Jacinda Ardern's landslide victory, Liz Truss says Ministers hope to accelerate talks with New Zealand now that the Japan trade deal has been completed Source - Daily Telegraph - 18/10/20 Link A trade deal with New Zealand is now in sight, Liz Truss has said as she prepares to step up negotiations in the wake of Jacinda Ardern’s landslide election victory. Allies of the International Trade Secretary said Ms Ardern’s re-election had provided the opportunity to press ahead with talks, with the second round of negotiations due to commence on Monday. The New Zealand Labour party’s resounding victory, which has handed it 64 seats in the country’s parliament, also leaves open the possibility that she will no longer need to form a coalition.  Government sources pointed out that the election had removed a potential obstacle to progress in Winsto

By Douglas Murray. I thought this was a very good article. Food for thought at what could very well be in store for the rest of the country if the Democrats get their way. I must admit I hadn't realised things had got so bad. If this is true it's very worrying. Source - Daily Telegraph - 17/10/20 Link Anyone who has visited San Francisco in recent years will have noticed that one of the world’s most beautifully positioned cities has turned into an American dystopia. Nowhere in the first world is actual inequality more pronounced. The proximity of Silicon Valley has made property unaffordable to anyone below the millionaire class. And when that class comes down from their towers or ventures into the centre of the city they encounter sights rarely seen outside of a zombie movie. The incentivisation of homelessness, dire provisions for the mentally ill and easy access to legal and illegal drugs have meant that even the city’s boutique shopping streets are crowded with people who h

 The EU was never going to seek mutually beneficial terms with what it regards as a renegade province Source - Daily Telegraph 17/10/20 Link I assumed that, when it came to it, the EU would prioritise the economic interests of its 27 members. I was wrong. By sticking to a number of deliberately absurd positions – including demanding British fish as a sort of leaving fee – Brussels has effectively collapsed the talks. There will be no trade deal. The question now is whether we agree a series of technical accords on aviation, road haulage and the like. Did the two sides trip and stumble their way here? Maybe. Looking back, we can see a series of chance turns that led to the dead end. There was Theresa May’s accidental premiership, following the withdrawal of every other candidate. There was her refusal to go for a quick and easy EFTA deal, at least in the short term, which would have obviated the row about the withdrawal terms. There was the disastrous 2017 election, which ushered in a p

 Even diehard Europhiles had nothing good to say about the Common Agriculture Policy   Rows about food standards are a distraction, the new Agriculture Bill is good for farmers and the planet   Getting both the RSPB and the NFU on side is a pretty impressive feat Source - CAPX 14/10/20 Link After seemingly endless rows over chlorinated chicken and animal sentience, the Agriculture Bill has almost made it through Parliament. The constitutional oddity of ‘ping pong’ between the Commons and the Lords, which will hammer out the final text of this historic piece of legislation, started this week, When it finally becomes law, it will be a moment worth celebrating. It’s hard to underestimate the frustrations with the EU’s Common Agriculture Policy, which this Bill will help to replace. In a previous life – working for a firm of rural surveyors – I remember trudging through fields in the pouring rain measuring trees, field margins and hedges. These “ineligible features” had to be declared and

 Daily Telegraph - 16/10/20 Boris Johnson has said it is time for the UK to "get ready for January 1st with arrangements that are more like Australia's" as he signals the end of Brexit talks.  The Prime Minister said that although he had only ever sought a Canada-style deal "to judge from latest summit in Brussels that won't work for our EU partners", who wanted the continued power over the UK's laws and fisheries, he claimed.  "I have to make a judgement about the likely outcome and to get us all ready," Mr Johnson said. "Given that they have refused to negotiate seriously for much of the last few months, and given that this summit appears explicitly to rule out a Canada-style deal, I have concluded that we should get ready for January 1 with arrangements that are more like Australia’s based on simple principles of global free trade." Mr Johnson did not rule out reopening talks if there was "a change of heart", although str