"..but this is pub bore policy." Despite your noble efforts, no party seems to want to produce policies based on an intellectual foundation. Maybe 'The People' just want to be entertained?
Minor points:
1. "Firstly, waste disposal needs a compete overhaul, repealing the Waste Framework Directive, removing the carbon tax on waste, and repealing the ban on landfill."
Agreed. We have loads of quarries that can be used but not under this directive.
2. On Lorry drivers. The problem is that they cannot go 'off the clock' at 'The Ramp' so have to use nearby laybys. I'm not convinced they are the ones causing this explosion of roadside litter. Is it "The Usual Suspects"?
Lowe's falling in to the trap of seeing things only from the blunt end and devising a policy around that rather than looking deeper into the issue to see if there's a root cause that needs dealing with first.
As for breaking up the universities and funding more trade schools if only there was a party on the Right that was thinking along those lines....oh, wait...
Restore is where Reform was 2 years ago, both in terms of organisational structure and policies. In 2 years' time Restore may well be where you would like it to be on those scores.
Your criticism, though, misses the point. At this stage of the electoral cycle, voters neither expect nor much want highly detailed policies. They are much more interested in the direction of travel. After all, do you imagine Reform's immigration policies announced today will be unchanged between now and the GE? No chance.
Let's face it, 90% of voters pay little attention to politics, let alone policy details, between elections. Only the nerds care about the practicalities of implementation. Everyone else is just listening to the mood music and deciding whether or not it chimes with them.
Maybe you should join Mr Lowe & offer your services to build a cohesive set of policies based on the work you've already done in the Manifesto project.....rather than just continually sniping from the sidelines....
Both Reform and Restore have to stop sniping at each other or it's going to cost the country at the ballot box. That includes you. It’s all very well expressing difference in policy - we expect that - but when you use language such as "Uncle Rupe” and describe those positions of his that you don’t agree with as “brainfarts” and “slop” it’s clear you’re more intent on disparaging than debating and it encourages many of your commenters to do the same.
You’re patently a mouthpiece for Reform and so I would hope this type of puerile behaviour is not a directive from on high. Your inability to remain respectful while expressing alternative solutions to the problems that we all share and wish to resolve is not persuasive. If this becomes a staple approach from Reform and you, it will cost the party more voters than it attracts.
Already the impression I have from reading your blog is of a small minded, disrespectful nit picker, unable to criticise the bulk of Lowe’s tough policies (which are enormously popular) and so who has to resort to nipping at his heels on issues such as NHS parking and now litter. We have much bigger fish to fry and although we have differences we are on the same side. You and your party need to start acting like it.
Look at the shot in the link below. We are importing people who think this is a normal way to live. You find this all over Pakistan and Bangladesh. Don’t belittle someone who identified that litter is another example of our clash of cultures and offers a way to address it. Lowe recognises that this is one of the canaries in the coal mine and has opened a debate on how we deal with it. Try to contribute to it with some maturity.
Superb skit of Uncle Rupe by Tim Stanley in today's Telegraph:
"... I have watched hours of Lowe podcasts – my goodness the man can talk, mostly about Farage – and his messiah status is mystifying. He is a standard golf club ex-Tory, convinced he can save Britain by running it like a business (though not, one hopes, Ratners or Thames Water).
Lowe, who is also for the benefits cap, told one interviewer that he desires “hard work” and “the return of the Protestant ethic” – that’s my vote lost, I’m Catholic and idle ..."
Using the photo on Pete’s post this is a motorway and maybe a digital one without a hard shoulder. No one can seriously expect members of public, whether volunteers or prisoners to be just dropped off to clean up. There are valid highway working training courses that have to be worked through before access to the motorway is allowed for what basically are pedestrians.
We all agree littering is a problem but there are genuine hoops to jump through before all and sundry are allowed on fast dangerous highways.
The litter issue is a particular bugbear of mine, I think more about how it's getting there in the first place. Much more tricky than organising the clean up afterwards, be it done by voluntary participants or prisoners. As an aside, a family member regularly goes out litter picking and last week some locals mistook her for someone doing community service.
I'm sure there is something to the idea that our 'guests' from the 3rd world care less about littering, however the problem is endemic across the country so clearly enough white Brits don't care either. I wonder if the issue is one of modernity and scale - more packaging and a bigger population. I'm only in my mid 30s but litter seems to be much worse today than I remember it as a child. Pete is right to identify lack of civic pride, if our ruling class don't seem to care about the state of the country then why should the plebs? I wonder if in the short term we need to take the Singapore approach of harsh penalties, but then that would require actual enforcement of the laws we have of the books. Then again, if the political will was there to arrest people for litter and graffiti instead of wasting resources arresting Pete for his tweets then I'm sure the country could be cleaned up.
"..but this is pub bore policy." Despite your noble efforts, no party seems to want to produce policies based on an intellectual foundation. Maybe 'The People' just want to be entertained?
Minor points:
1. "Firstly, waste disposal needs a compete overhaul, repealing the Waste Framework Directive, removing the carbon tax on waste, and repealing the ban on landfill."
Agreed. We have loads of quarries that can be used but not under this directive.
2. On Lorry drivers. The problem is that they cannot go 'off the clock' at 'The Ramp' so have to use nearby laybys. I'm not convinced they are the ones causing this explosion of roadside litter. Is it "The Usual Suspects"?
Lowe's falling in to the trap of seeing things only from the blunt end and devising a policy around that rather than looking deeper into the issue to see if there's a root cause that needs dealing with first.
As for breaking up the universities and funding more trade schools if only there was a party on the Right that was thinking along those lines....oh, wait...
In other words he is an opportunistic midwit. At best, a midwit. He evidently thinks he’s cleverer than he evidently is.
Restore is where Reform was 2 years ago, both in terms of organisational structure and policies. In 2 years' time Restore may well be where you would like it to be on those scores.
Your criticism, though, misses the point. At this stage of the electoral cycle, voters neither expect nor much want highly detailed policies. They are much more interested in the direction of travel. After all, do you imagine Reform's immigration policies announced today will be unchanged between now and the GE? No chance.
Let's face it, 90% of voters pay little attention to politics, let alone policy details, between elections. Only the nerds care about the practicalities of implementation. Everyone else is just listening to the mood music and deciding whether or not it chimes with them.
Maybe you should join Mr Lowe & offer your services to build a cohesive set of policies based on the work you've already done in the Manifesto project.....rather than just continually sniping from the sidelines....
Just a thought....
There is no doubt Lowe will be hoisted by his on petard unless he bucks his ideas up and currently there is little sign of that happening.
It's been a week.....!
Both Reform and Restore have to stop sniping at each other or it's going to cost the country at the ballot box. That includes you. It’s all very well expressing difference in policy - we expect that - but when you use language such as "Uncle Rupe” and describe those positions of his that you don’t agree with as “brainfarts” and “slop” it’s clear you’re more intent on disparaging than debating and it encourages many of your commenters to do the same.
You’re patently a mouthpiece for Reform and so I would hope this type of puerile behaviour is not a directive from on high. Your inability to remain respectful while expressing alternative solutions to the problems that we all share and wish to resolve is not persuasive. If this becomes a staple approach from Reform and you, it will cost the party more voters than it attracts.
Already the impression I have from reading your blog is of a small minded, disrespectful nit picker, unable to criticise the bulk of Lowe’s tough policies (which are enormously popular) and so who has to resort to nipping at his heels on issues such as NHS parking and now litter. We have much bigger fish to fry and although we have differences we are on the same side. You and your party need to start acting like it.
Look at the shot in the link below. We are importing people who think this is a normal way to live. You find this all over Pakistan and Bangladesh. Don’t belittle someone who identified that litter is another example of our clash of cultures and offers a way to address it. Lowe recognises that this is one of the canaries in the coal mine and has opened a debate on how we deal with it. Try to contribute to it with some maturity.
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.reddit.com%2Fr%2FUrbanHell%2Fcomments%2F137lig3%2Ftrash_filled_streets_of_dhaka_bangladesh%2F&ved=0CBYQjRxqFwoTCKDzt5WC8JIDFQAAAAAdAAAAABAi&opi=89978449
Superb skit of Uncle Rupe by Tim Stanley in today's Telegraph:
"... I have watched hours of Lowe podcasts – my goodness the man can talk, mostly about Farage – and his messiah status is mystifying. He is a standard golf club ex-Tory, convinced he can save Britain by running it like a business (though not, one hopes, Ratners or Thames Water).
Lowe, who is also for the benefits cap, told one interviewer that he desires “hard work” and “the return of the Protestant ethic” – that’s my vote lost, I’m Catholic and idle ..."
Using the photo on Pete’s post this is a motorway and maybe a digital one without a hard shoulder. No one can seriously expect members of public, whether volunteers or prisoners to be just dropped off to clean up. There are valid highway working training courses that have to be worked through before access to the motorway is allowed for what basically are pedestrians.
We all agree littering is a problem but there are genuine hoops to jump through before all and sundry are allowed on fast dangerous highways.
The litter issue is a particular bugbear of mine, I think more about how it's getting there in the first place. Much more tricky than organising the clean up afterwards, be it done by voluntary participants or prisoners. As an aside, a family member regularly goes out litter picking and last week some locals mistook her for someone doing community service.
I'm sure there is something to the idea that our 'guests' from the 3rd world care less about littering, however the problem is endemic across the country so clearly enough white Brits don't care either. I wonder if the issue is one of modernity and scale - more packaging and a bigger population. I'm only in my mid 30s but litter seems to be much worse today than I remember it as a child. Pete is right to identify lack of civic pride, if our ruling class don't seem to care about the state of the country then why should the plebs? I wonder if in the short term we need to take the Singapore approach of harsh penalties, but then that would require actual enforcement of the laws we have of the books. Then again, if the political will was there to arrest people for litter and graffiti instead of wasting resources arresting Pete for his tweets then I'm sure the country could be cleaned up.
Farage Lite.
He absolutely cannot hide his hatred and bitterness toward Farage. And anyone with a brain knows that's the only reason he is standing.
If he is an ethno nationalist despite the blurb on their website that would be why Farage had to get him out of the party at any cost.
I've always respected yourviews and opinions but as of late, you seem to offer nothing but continual criticism of the Centre-right.
Instead of this obsessive nay-saying, Surely you could be making a difference by coming out in support of someone and offering your services?
Deportation for littering is a vote winner.
Sounds like a parody Disgusted of Tunbridge Wells shouting at his long suffering and slightly deaf wife while reading the Daily Telegraph.
Another good article 👍