David Brear 🇬🇧

Oh, I wish I could see this.

Aah, bless …

It was never at the BM, surely? It can’t return there.

If it returns anywhere, it should be Canterbury, shouldn’t it? That’s the most likely place for it to be made.

I’m taking my 93-year-old aunt out for a birthday lunch. She’s a lovely lady and it will be fun!

We have the same problem America has. For four years the government can do what it likes.

We need ‘continuous’ elections. Say, every two years half the population votes to renew half the MPs.

That way we get a government which is responsive to the public.

I mean, it’s a close thing between a baby red panda and a baby tree kangaroo.

They both look as if they’re the sort of toy you buy YOUR baby to play with.

Is that anthropomorphism or what?

‘This could have been an indirect result of the climate decline in Europe at the time’

Nothing to do with the lack of doctors then? Must be the result of a topical - fashionable? - worry.

Not just ‘a’ cute red panda, as if it’s an unusually cute one - all red pandas are cute!

But a baby red panda!! THAT’S CUTE!!

And that’s a great way to spend it.

They do look good Simon! Congratulations.

I was only quoting Tacitus/Agicola yesterday.

Well, the government is a democratically elected body with oversight and also executive power. That worked out well didn’t it? I’m thinking of water companies here.

Incidentally, I assume you mean CEGB?

It’s the structure that’s the important thing - giving people the flexibility, and money, to do what needs doing without politicians looking over their shoulders. With long term security, so long as they perform.

Yes indeed - run by locals for locals - focussed on demand and, of course, local votes.

Even there, the standard of maintenance often fell, particularly with Conservatives running a system with which they had no sympathy. And social planning was a problem.

It’s a bit different from watching the contrails over Kent in 1940, but just as much hangs on the result.

Bust doesn’t matter so long as govt can step in to run service temporarily and launch replacement.

Investment shouldn’t be a problem so long as investors think long term-low returns. Thatcher sold cheap, aiming at sucking in voters wanting quick returns, as they did when they all sold.

It’s a bit like BBC: it relies on the govt licence to do its work, meaning it fears the annual scrutiny (BBC seems to live in fear) but ministers, who may only have their seat for a year or so, aren’t interfering.

There has to be scrutiny, there has to be transparency, but this is another way.

… than a government department fighting others for its £s and subject to all sorts of political infighting.

With, I think, an independent (how?) annual audit. That way govt can appoint directors/staff. And, of course, be effectively distanced from their decisions.

Can’t argue with anything there, but the big point in the Thatcher privatisations was that companies can raise money on the market (=cost government nothing) and that’s a big plus.

A company structure with government majority share is better (and probably a dam sight more transparent) …

Management of such companies involves only control of investment and staff.
The test for such a company is not how much profit it produces, but how effectively it is run.

Indeed.

There is no reason why a capitalist company structure should not be used to run public services. Low profits should be taken as evidence of long-run security. Such companies do not need expensive directors either: this is not a competitive market.

This is the productive private sector, which includes UK water companies that choose to poison our rivers and seas instead of doing what we pay them to do, is it?

Thank you! I didn’t mind waiting.

All this, the Trump ‘approval’, the chat about the big bomb, the moving of US aircraft to safe bases - it’s all political pressure on Iran to crumble.

I don’t believe they will. The people in charge only point one way and I can’t see them changing direction.

Let’s hope you don’t need too many.

Those were the days. I used to enjoy writing programs.

This is the tallest one in Britain at Rudston, Yorkshire - 7.6m.

But the modern Catholic Church too - it’s not long since the Pope agreed that Catholics could be cremated, so long as they aren’t trying to avoid rebirth.

They, the early medieval people.