Chris Dillow has a nice chart, plotting the government deficit out-turn against a forecast based on its historic relationship with unemployment, swinging off John Maynard Keynes’ remark that if you look after unemployment the budget will look after itself. As he says, the interesting bit is what happens after January 2012. Unemployment dropped sharply, but…
Read More The budget and the bogus hairdressersSome links, with combined themes of data visualisation and rage. This is from the Economist but don’t let that put you off. I still hear people saying “well, you say the Euro is awful, but what about bedroom tax eh eh?” This is pure whataboutery. The enormity of the disaster is pointed up by the…
Read More A charts postSo, Open House weekend again. Part of the fun is always the opportunity for gratuitous travel around London.
Read More #openhouse: meet the Edwardian future, where your water comes fromBonus extra #burybadnews at the Care Quality Commission: The impact of the economic downturn on the quality of health and social care has been cancelled. Well, there’s some good news! Wait. The CQC has cancelled its study into the impact of the economic downturn, not the impact itself. Thanks to Tony Bovaird on twitter. Just…
Read More #burybadnews extra: the impact has been cancelledThort: I was quite sarcastic about lefties who were convinced a Yes would trigger all sorts of good stuff across the UK, but the No, or rather the preceding yes-scare, does seem to have shaken a few things loose. Another thort: West Lothian question, Matt Turner answer. England so big that I think a govt…
Read More thortsWhat’s the central fact of the debate about how to renegotiate the union after #indyref? Here it comes: there is a hard deadline in May 2015, when there must be a general election. This is important because it changes all the actors’ bargaining positions. The situation Usually, in British parliamentary politics, a majority can do…
Read More Gaming out devolutionSo I promised to check what bad news was getting buried over the indyref. Here are some stories. NHS foundations crash to first-ever monster deficit: official NHS foundation trusts are struggling, missing waiting list targets, spending a lot of money on agency staff, and have had a sector-wide deficit for the first time. 19% of…
Read More #burybadnews: the burying. here are some boring links about fishA quick thought. I have to say I was pretty conflicted reading this. I mean, there’s basically nothing I want more than David Cameron’s downfall, and I’d like to double my lifetime score of downed Tory prime ministers. But then, I’ve already stated my reasons. Here’s a relevant story. In one of those WW2 comic…
Read More Save it for NogoodnikIf you haven’t yet, read the Rodent who says some of the same things I’ve been saying but more fun, and shorter, and Scottish. Beyond that, I’d like to point out that tomorrow’s vote is a licence for two of the slimiest pols in the game to agree whatever they want and ram it to…
Read More Jerry’s Final Thought, and #burybadnewsI have recently been reading Nick Davies’ Hack Attack, and you bet there’s going to be a review. In the meantime, here’s Alex Salmond in October 2010. Rupert Murdoch wants to buy the rest of BSkyB, has already planted Andy Coulson in Downing Street, and his lawyers are fighting Justice Vos’s demand that they hand…
Read More Vote yes to get rid of Rupert Murdoch