Dave looks a bit weak about the Big Society

British prime minister David Cameron did not look too convincing about his promotion of the "Big Society" yesterday. Anyway that is my view. In most areas the local council is the main player because it holds the purse strings and thereby has the resources to carry out projects.
Although councils can be much maligned in many locations they do have the expertise to help run schools and look after the elderly. Perhaps these activities can be outsourced to private providers to save money but look at the problems of the private care home operator Southern Cross loaded up with debt by private equity
purchasers.

In addition, it is a sad state of affairs that most English people do not want to volunteer for anything. Most don't want to know their neighbours and perhaps we have a duplication of charities (too many of them). Existing volunteers are perhaps dismayed by the lack of a new generation of people coming through.

Also, the British government has no shown no sign of working with civil institutions such as trade unions, churches, mosques, temples etc, which already do their best in helping people participate in society.

It looks like Dave and Gideon are feeling the heat.

Dear Reader, it looks like the Old Etonian mafia are feeling the heat. The Royal British Legion has accused the government of breaking the military covenant while increased job losses in the pipeline are not going to help stimulate economic confidence. Some public sector workers (and I say this with a heavy heart) will not find private sector conditions very conducive. Lower holidays, can't go on sickies and no pension plan (although we will have this stuff and nonsense called NEST coming your way soon)are not particularly attractive to some people in the UK public sector (especially amongst Catholic public sector people in Northern Ireland, I suppose it is part of a Gandhi-style disobedience campaign).

I am sure disaffected public sector voters will vote for Labour at the next election but if this is four years away then it would be simply too late for them. New Labour had already initiated cutbacks in the National Health Service (NHS)such as the planned closure of A&E departments like Enfield Chase Farm. (See Note***)

Changing the subject it is a shame NEST was not up and running a few years ago and we would still have some more British companies, which have been since swallowed up by foreigners, to invest in. The roll-call includes Cadburys, Smith & Nephew, Wellstream and British Oxygen (BOC). Here, everything is up for sale. The City is like Wimbledon. We host the tournament but don't win it. Even the Spanish bought up Bristol Water, Luton Aiport, BAA and O2. While our major investment was the massive amount of money wasted on the Vodafone acquisition of the German company Mannesmann Telecom.
Makes you glad to be English!!

Gawd knows why the London Stock Exchange (LSE) wants to merge with Toronto Stock Exchange. I suppose it is to get rid of the threats from the French and Germans.


Note*** Chase Farm was originally a profitable hospital then it was shunted into a joint operation with Barnet General. Now it is threatened with closure because greedy w***ers see a nice little earner selling off the site for houses