BONUS CULTURE MAKES MOCKERY OF DARLING'S POLICY

Earlier this week, the Chancellor was criticised for his failure to adopt stringent regulation on the banks bailed out by US. Today's Mail reports the bonus culture is back......
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1198904/City-banks-reward-staff-mind-blowing-bonuses-months-bringing-world-economy-brink-meltdown.html
The Left Economic Advisory Panel's take is here

THE GREAT FOOD DIVIDE

I blame the fact that I was force-fed as a (very) premature baby both for a lifelong obsession with food - and a lifelong problem with my metabolism. I'm currently (successfully) managing to eat rather less but note today's CiF thread on a report in the Mail which suggests us Northerners spend far less on fresh produce and eat more junk than our counterparts in the south. Oh, yawn.

Some 70 years ago, in The Road To Wigan Pier, George Orwell pointed out that people with very little money or indeed time would tend to opt for a tasty fried fish supper rather than take the time to concoct something healthier or cheaper.

His evocation of the fly-blown tripe shop remains one of the great examples of descriptive prose in the English language. The fact is that diet is still largely determined by income and by class. Not by geography.

Until recently, it was fair to say that food in Britain remained cheap. Not so any longer. The days when you could cram a bag full of veggies for very little are long-gone .

Hebden Bridge, where I live, is a haven of foodie-ness with two delis, an organic veg and meat shop, two butchers, greengrocer's and no big supermarket. Two farmer's markets a month and every week a market where this week I bought a fresh piece of perch for £2.47 and baked it in the oven with lemon and herbs. I must confess it was rather bland and a portion in batter with some chips would have tasted rather better. And cost rather less.

I skipped on the fruit and veg ( apart from a punnet of strawberries for £1) because it was far too expensive.And frozen veg is just as nutritious.

Due to diminished income, I've become adept at stuffing sell-by cheapies in the freezer, I can make a pan of soup for about 50pence, and being a post-war child am also pretty skilled at the comfort dishes my mum made like shin beef stew ( Tater ash if you're a Mancunian, Scouse if you're a Scouser) and liver and onions. But, North and South, the art of cooking is dying out.

Junk food is undoubtedly more prevalent and I see far more takeaways when I go down to London than there are in Manchester city centre. It's all part of a quick-fix, corporate society where a vegan cafe has little chance of success in a world dominated by KFC and McDonalds.

I'm reminded of that wonderful TV documentary where Michael Portillo took over the cooking for a family in Liverpool and shamefacedly confessed he spent more on one meal out than the family did in a week. And that's the bottom line. Iceland, Lidl and Aldi are the ports of call for anyone with mouths to feed and very little money to feed them on. Ocadia and Waitrose the preserve of those with oodles of cash. Those with very little will eat what they can afford. And chips are very very cheap.....

A TERRIBLE TOLL

It is not Bob Ainsworth's fault that the speaking clock is probably capable of emoting more distress than he is able to in the wake of the news that the death toll in Afghanistan hasnow reached the same total as Iraq.But never was a man less suited to the role of conveying public sorrow at private grief. He talks like an automaton.
That's no doubt why one of the bereaved relatives today accused him of being uncaring about the deaths of so many soldiers in so few days. I am sure that is not really the case.
However, it is surely time for the Government to consider bringing the troops home and ending the carnage.

CELEBRITY POLITICOS

George Clooney is arguably one of the most handsome men currently on the planet. And, if I were Sarah Brown, I probably wouldn't exactly turn down the chance to meet him either. But I wonder what both were doing at the G8 summit in Italy.
Most of the tabloids coverage of the summit has consisted of blow-by-blow accounts of what the various wives were wearing and who looked the best. Why, exactly, do the wives have to be there? It only adds to the cost of the whole circus and it's rather depressing so little progress has been made and that the world's leaders are still male, middle-aged and parading their partnes around as if it were London Fashion Week rather than a serious political summit. It 's all a bit farcical and, frankly, a distraction from the global changes which desperately need to be addressed. Still, fair play to Carla Bruni for snubbing Berlusconi so she could take George to the opening of a cinema. Given the choice, who wouldn't ........

PHONE TAPPING.....

John Prescott is right to call for an enquiry and it beggars belief that Andy Coulson. as editor of the News Of The World, would not have known what was going on.......

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8141720.stm

SLEEPWALKING TO DISASTER.....

The pitifully small rebellion on the 10p tax rate was sadly another indication that the PLP has not learned from the mistakes of the last couple years- and most of all the dreadful results in June. Today, I received the final report from our former MEP Richard Corbett - a decent bloke who did not deserve to lose his seat to the BNP. It was utterly nauseating to hear Nick Griffin on the radio as a bona fide member of the Brussels Parliament being given time on the BBC explaining why he thought boats carrying illegal immigrants should be sunk. Why are we giving oxygen to these scumbags by ignoring the plight of the most vulnerable, and betraying our fundamental values? Reversing the 10p decision would have sent a clear message out that the Govt has listened and learned. Instead, we are, as John McDonnell puts it in the Morning Star article below, sleepwalking to "disaster." And local MPs like Gordon Prentice and Mike Wood, who were brave enough to join the rebellion, are among those most at risk as a result.
http://www.morningstaronline.co.uk/index.php/britain/labour_on_the_road_to_disaster

STAY AY HOME UNIVERSITIES

Bear with me for a Dark Ages moment or two. When I left home in 1977 to go to university it was a door into a different world.I met students from a wide range of backgrounds, I was independent, I was an ADULT ( well I thought I was) . The notion of staying at home and going to university would have been absolute anathema.
Today, the news channels report the Govt plans financial incentives - no tuition fees - for students who stay at home.
Some 30 years on my nephew is planning to do exactly that because he does not want to be lumbered with thousands of pounds in debt. And no doubt, in the current climate, he's making a highly sensible decision. But we have to ask ourselves what will happen if this policy, which on the face of it helps thousands of young people, comes to pass.
Effectively, those with least money will choose to stay at home. It will create a two-tier system whereby the rich and affluent will choose universities on the basis of the best place for their courses, enjoy the freedom of three years away from home, and of course the unique experience which university offers in learning how to survive as an adult for the first time ever.
Those with no such resources will study close to Mum and Dad. They will also lose out both intellectually and be the "poor relations" in an unacceptable way . The only answer is for the Govt to re-introduce proper maintenance grants, stop the iniquitous financial burden which students carry, and reform the tax system so that university is open to all. With no worries about debt, tutition fees, or the highly necessary practice of cutting free from the comforts of home.

CAMPAIGNING FOR THE LEFT

As the General Election draws nearer, the LRC is drawing up a list of MPs whose track-record in Parliament merits extra support at the General Election. One might have hoped the list of MPs rebelling over the 10p tax rate would have been longer than the 18 who supported Frank Field's bid to stop its abolition. Another opportunity wasted to win back support from the General Public. At present I can't source a list of the rebels on the internet so if anyone can supply it I would be grateful........Update: Gordon Prentice, Peter Kilfoyle, Jeremy Corbyn, Kate Hoey, Mike Wood, John McDonnell, Paul Flynn, Alan Simpson, Dai Havard, Mark Fisher, Kelvin Hopkins, Frank Field, Lynne Jones, Dianne Abbott, Martin Caton,David Drew, Andrew Mackinlay.

NEC GETS IT WRONG ON PPC SELECTIONS

In the past few days I have had a couple of calls from PPCs who were hoping to switch from unwinnable seats and throw their hats in the ring for one of the newly available constituencies coming up soon. One was in the north and one in the south. All had had the blessing of their various constituencies in their wish to go somewhere with a realistic chance of being an MP. Both, I have to say, were on the left. No surprise as in recent years the only seats where left candidates get chosen tend to be on the outer fringes of Parliamentary possibility.
At a meeting held yesterday, the Org Sub re-stated that NO PPC already in place can leave their sitting constituency which rules out dozens of candidates from having a chance in the forthcoming selections in Burnley, Bury North, Leyton and Wanstead, etc etc etc.
Now in normal circumstances, I could see their point. It's not good form, particularly, to spend time campaigning in a constoituency and then scoot if something better comes along. But these are not normal circumstances. Both the candidates would make excellent MPs, they've been in the Party years and are not in any sense carpetbaggers. But they've been barred. Why? Call me old-fashioned but I suspect had they been in cahoots with the machine then it would have been a very different story. My sympathies to both - and anyone else who was hoping to replace the discredited MPs now standing down.

FREELANCE MONTH

It's kind of ironic that this month is designated by the NUJ as Freelance Month as this month is when I cross the Rubicon from scraping by to being seriously skint. Of course, I'm far from being on my own. Which is why the NUJ is highlighting the plight of freelances.

Most journos I know are either facing redundancy, scratching their heads and wondering how on earth they are going to replace the work they have lost, or seeking alternative means of employment.

At 51, the reality is that my chances of getting a staff job ( if they still existed) on a local paper are precisely zero. My only option is to contact as many people as I can and try and pick up PR or other forms of writing work to tide me over. But I'm not particularly optimistic.

My young nephew is a hotshot on using the internet to make money and has informed me of one or two sites which pay up for reviews of books etc. This blog earns me a tiny amount of money and I'm thinking of setting up a credit crunch blog to cheer up others in the same boat by sharing tips on saving cash.

One step I have taken is to lock away what remains of my savings to ensure they do not fritter away - so that if push comes to shove I will have to take whatever work I can find. It is probably time to stop going to the pub and to invite friends round, get the pulses out of the back of the cupboard, and hope that at some point in the future things will improve.So, solidarity to all the other freelances I know who are prowling the supermarkets for red stickers, discovering the charity shops, and harking back wistfully to the days when we took all that well-paid work for granted. In the meantime, I am open to offers.........and please click the ads!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DAD

Today is my Dad's 89th birthday and I just want to wish him a good day though truth be known he probably doesn't know what a blog is......last year he gave us a bit of a scare and spent most of the summer in hospital but he's rallied round and defied medical logic once again to be looking forward to attending his grand-daughter's graduation next week. Only the second generation of the Press family , as Kinnock once put it, to go to University.
When he came to MY graduation, 29 years ago, I thought he was knocking on a bit! In fact, he was only 60 but when you are 22 that seems very old indeed.
Born in 1920 to parents who left Northern Ireland after having the gall to fall in love across the religious divide, he was sent back to Portaferry on Strangford Loch for some years when five kids proved to much to fend for in 1920's Manchester .
My well-worn theory is that the fresh air and fresh food he had in his days as "Johnny Manchester, " as the local kids used to call him, are partly responsible for such amazing longevity .
I hope I've inherited his genes and ability to withstand less than abstemious behaviour .....I certainly inherited his interest in politics, trade unionism, and love of an argument over a drink or two. Now counting down to 90...........fingers crossed. Happy Birthday, Dad.He's pictured above with me and my sister at last year's Mayor-making,

EQUALITY IS ALL

I have just had to turn down an invitation, which I would happily have accepted, to speak to the Greater Manchester Fabian Society in November. It clashes with another commitment but I hope they will ask me back at some point as it is always good to engage with others - even if you're not always going to agree. Here in the north, we also don't have the plethora of meetings and discussions which people in London take for granted and are pretty blase about.
The Fabians may not be normal territory for the LRC but let's not forget 'twas they who organised the infamous debate on the Labour Leadership Election that never was and provided the only opportunity for John McDonnell and Michael Meacher to debate with Gordon Brown. As Brown was outflanked completely, he saw both of them off the very next day but that's history.
However, in recent days. John Denham has kicked up a storm with a speech he gave to the Fabian Society claiming Labour should ditch notions of egalitarianism and worry more about "those in the middle". Quite honestly, I was a bit astonished. Wasn't this the very same John Denham who at one point in 2007 was being touted as a possible "left" contender against Brown? . It also shows a bewildering lack of political nous, frankly, for such a senior politician not to be tuning in to the cultural zeitgeist in an economic climate which is very different from the prosperous days of 1997 and 2001.
I fundamentally disagree that people don't care about fairness and social justice and closing the gap between rich and poor. As unemployment rises, and will continue to, more and more will realise the illusions fostered by New Labour that everyone can prosper under capitalism and that it's OK to be "intensely relaxed" about the filthy rich are simply not so.
Young people, in particular, are seeking fairer ways of running the world and campaigning tirelessly on issues like global poverty, climate change and peace.
Denham got it wrong - which is why he has been lambasted by that doyenne of social democracy Roy Hattersley. I trust Denham's views are not representative of the Society as a whole. And I hope to be able to debate with them at some stage......after all I believe Tony Benn is also a member.

AND THEN THERE WERE NONE.........

One morning soon I expect to wake up and find the top 100 monopolies nationalised.......or something damn close. Because every day now seems to bring another U-turn on New Labour policy.

The LRC has been calling for years for the railways to be nationalised, for compulsory ID cards to be scrapped. And, most recently, for the Royal Mail privatisation plans to be abandoned. Now by the osmosis of the capitalist crisis all the above are to happen. With the blessing of the Government......

Every day there is also the announcement of another prominent Blairite jumping ship. Tessa Jowell and former Chief Whip Hilary Armstrong are the latest said to be standing down following in the footsteps of Milburn, Hutton, Hewitt. Reid, and a swathe of backbenchers who have decided to jump before they are ousted either at the hustings or in the wake of the expenses' scandal.

There is a terrible irony in all of this because of course the policy changes are the result of pragmatism, not principle. Let's face it. Lord Adonis must really have indulged in some serious gritting of teeth before opting for taking the East Coast line back into public ownership.

But all these developments give the Left a serious window of opportunity.

On rail re-nationalisation, endorsed gleefully by John Prescott and dozens of Labour MPs, it's now time to take things to the logical conclusion and launch a campaign in and outside Parliament for wholesale re-nationalisation of the railway system. Supported , incidentally, by none other than Peter Hitchens on Question Time the other night. And of course backed in 2003 as Labour Party policy at the Bournemouth Conference......

The Left can also use the U-turns caused by pragmatism as an opportunity to unite around the principles which will vastly improve our chances at the next Election. There must also be a new campaign to stop Trident , which according to reports Gordon Brown is now considering scrapping on the grounds of cost. ......There is all, IMHO, to play for now.

The same is true of dozens of constituencies newly vacated by sitting New Labourites, which present left candidates with an unexpected chance of standing for Parliament. I would urge anyone who wants to see a newly reinvogorated Left in the next Parliament to put their names forward and go for it. And, by the way, you do NOT have to be on te existing Parliamentary Panel.