“The PM has sided with landlords over renters, putting their energy bills and cost of living up by ducking the improvement of rules on energy efficiency” (Jess Ralston)
Seven Bins
Early September, BBC research found Thames, Wessex and Southern Water collectively discharged sewage for 3,5000 hours in 2022, when it was not raining, in breach of permits. Illegal ‘dry spilling’ led to more shit in waterways, allowing build-ups of algae and toxins at levels posing a danger to swimmers and a risk of death to pets. Water UK wanted the spills to be investigated. Due to the EA’s ongoing criminal investigations, other water companies couldn’t provide data.
Progress to meet targets on sewage and leakage too slow, Ofwat made the companies pay back £114bn. Thames Water the worst, the £1,000m fine amounted to £5 per customer.
Mid-month, sewage discharge coupled with chemicals was partly blamed for a covering of toxic blue-green algae on Lough Neagh which supplied 40% of Northern Ireland’s water.
In a month of environmental policy contradictions, a ban on halogen and fluorescent bulbs came into effect, planning permission rules for inshore windfarms were relaxed as long as local community was supportive, and The Rosebank oilfield was approved to the fury of campaigners who held a spontaneous demo in Westminster and threatened legal action. The government also granted Tata Steel up to £500m to convert the Port Talbot furnace to electric arc. Investment halved and the workforce reduced by 90%, locals were incensed at job losses.
News leaked that net zero goals would be diluted. Cabinet hastily convened and Rishi brought his speech forward. Characteristically not addressing parliament, he held a press conference in Number 10. Saying they couldn’t impose ‘unacceptable costs’ on British families and current plans were unrealistic, he announced a pile of delays and exemptions while claiming they’d still meet green commitments. Gammons were delighted that the dirty cars ban was pushed back to 2035 (so much for The Glove-Puppet insisting that was immoveable!) But several tories joined opposition parties and eco-campaigners in condemnation. Alok Sharma was mystified by the PM attacking a previous government, in which he was Treasurer. An unnamed minister said it was ‘bonkers’ when they’d just doled out an undisclosed sum of money for a Tata (them again!) car battery plant in Somerset. And what about the recently-lauded BMW investment to build electric Minis in Oxford? (or was it tractors?) Injecting £430m into the UK, Ford were furious at the undermining of ‘ambition, commitment and consistency’.
Missing all DEFRA’s recycling targets, Rishi scrapped the idea of every household having seven bins. SUEZ CEO John Scanlon was disappointed that half a decades’ work was reduced to a ‘media soundbite’. Already confused by what went in which receptacle, Phil sang ‘Seven Bins’ to the tune of ‘Seven Tears’ (a 1981 hit by The Goombay Dance Band).
Other changes included more exemptions and incentives to replace old gas boilers, and ditching energy performance criteria for rental properties, followed by abolishment of the home energy efficiency taskforce. Speaking to The Big Issue, ECIU Energy Analyst Jess Ralston said Rishi had clearly sided with landlords over tenants.*
Rather than help families struggling to pay bills, Rishi patently aimed to shore up support ahead of a general election. The Scumbag threatened a startup party to ‘replace the rotten tories’. However, a YouGov poll found 76% of tory voters welcomed the shift, as opposed to 36% of the electorate overall.
The ploy appeared to be working – you’ve been Sunackered!
“What a surprise: a committee led by the previous health secretary and which exclusively spoke to his friends in government, found that the deaths of 150,000 people were ‘redeemed’ by the vaccine roll-out” (Hannah Brady)
No Surprises
Haiga – Altered Carbon
Unrested after a bitty night, I forced myself up Monday and got through the routine chores with remarkable efficiency. I then started putting decorating stuff back in the coal hole when a tin of white paint leaked all over, creating more work, backache and ill humour. After posting blogs, I hung sheets on the line. Although the sun didn’t reach that side of the house, a warm breeze dried them quickly and made them less smelly. For dinner we made use of discounted hot dogs and spare lentils to make a casserole. Phil said it was no surprise it was a triumph!
The Welsh Covid Pass was introduced for access to events and clubs. Other places such as care homes could follow. Damian Hinds said Boris’ holiday was important for the country; he needed time to relax and unwind but not too much as he was constantly in touch, being briefed and still in charge. Shadow minister Pat McFadden retorted he didn’t care where The Bumbler was as it was just as chaotic when he was here: “What I want is grip from the government and we haven’t got that at the moment.” A spokesman insisted government departments were working together on how to support business through the energy crisis. A freedom of information request revealed that of 750 cops accused of sexual misconduct in the past 5 years (excluding The Met), only 34 were dismissed. The Draconid meteor shower lit up Northumberland skies and Airbus tested Zephyr. The solar-powered aircraft intended to bring internet to unconnected areas, flew for 18 days in the stratosphere. Meanwhile, scientists got excited that radio waves from distant stars detected by the LOFAR telescope, could lead to the discovery of habitable planets in the goldilocks zone.
Midweek turned grey and I turned ropey. Tuesday, I persevered with housework, writing and shopping. As meandering high school kids cluttered up the co-op, I scarpered out the back door. Skirting two white vans blocking the street below on the way back, I was about to swear when a delivery man politely asked did I live there. The other van belonged to the window cleaner. His son smiled at me from the passenger seat while his dad nattered with Poet Neighbour. After sorting the load, I attempted more writing but got sharp pains in my head and had a lie down.
AZD7442 antibody shots was found to halve the risk of severe covid in people who couldn’t take vaccine. As Brian Madderson of the Petrol Retailers Association said there were still shortages due to tankers not being in the right place, CF Industries found a longer-term solution to the crisis that halted production last month. Gareth Stace of UK Steel called the expected help for other power-hungry industries in the form of taxpayer-backed loans, a sticking plaster. ONS reported workers on payroll rose to a record 29.2 million August-September but vacancies rose to 1.2 million. In a bid to restore public trust, all police forces would review alleged violence against women, incidents of indecent exposure and vetting practices. Maggie Blyth would lead the NPCC’s work and co-ordinate action across England and Wales. Swampy and fellow eco-warriors planned to stay in tunnels under the path of HS2 at Aylesbury until Christmas.
A report by the S&T and H&SC committees into government’s handling of the pandemic said nothing we didn’t already know or that I hadn’t been saying since March 2020. It labelled the early response ‘one of the most important public health failures the UK has ever experienced’ but said the situation improved with vaccine development and treatments. Doing the media rounds, minister Stephen Barclay refused to acknowledge mistakes or apologise to bereaved families, reiterating the idiotic mantras about learning lessons and knowing things now that we didn’t then. Hannah Brady of Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice called the report ‘laughable’ and wryly observed it was no surprise that they found 150,000 deaths were ‘redeemed’ by the vaccine, adding: “this is an attempt to ignore and gaslight bereaved families.” Fellow campaigner Fran Hall came on Newsnight to ask Aaron Bell what lessons had been learnt? The Bell-end blathered about being prepared for flu (which they weren’t), following official scientific advice and criticism being all very well with the benefit of hindsight. Rory Stewart revealed he was accused of populism by Jenny Harries for suggesting simple measures such as masks early on. Fran wanted someone to take responsibility. Bell-end admitted the PM was ultimately accountable but said it wasn’t about pointing fingers; systems needed to be interrogated. Rory retorted it wasn’t enough and should be a massive wake up call for a “smug, closed government that doesn’t accept any external challenge.”
Trust Issues
An Emotional Captain Kirk
Sleep mediocre, it was again an effort to rise Wednesday. I posted ‘Wonders of Ulverston’ on Cool Places 2i and tried to draft a guest blog for The Researcher. Looking at other contributions, I was fairly sure a friend had written two of them (an artist, TV star and writer to boot!) Slowness and glitching presaged a software update while a glitch on the NHS app caused chaos for travellers unable to get a QR code.
Two more unheard-off energy companies went bust and rail freighters reverted to diesel because electric was too expensive. Amid HGV driver shortages, containers backed up at Felixstowe and Maersk re-directed ships to European ports. Port bosses and toy retailers told consumers to stock up on Christmas tat, but Rishi Rich and Tim Morris of UK Major Ports Group said don’t panic buy. After Lord Frosty Gammon complained the Northern Ireland protocol wasn’t working and had to change, the EU proposed to significantly reduce red tape, address looming bans on products like sausages and give Westminster a more consultative role. Refusing to extricate the European Court of Justice, Maros Sefcovic said their role was essential for the province to retain single-market access. A new round of talks was expected in the coming weeks. While Lord Frosty insisted everyone in government knew what they were signing, The Scumbag unsurprisingly said Boris didn’t, Jenny Chapman claimed they were using a spat with Brussels to distract from their own failures and Leo Varadkar said it showed you couldn’t trust the Brits. 11 EU countries backed France in calling on the UK to abide by the agreement for continuity of fishing round Jersey. Hate crime up 9% in the year to March 2021, 12% for racially-motivated crime, The Home Office cited ‘trigger events’ such as BLM protests but campaigners blamed misinformation and conspiracy theories linked to the pandemic. Will Shatner aka Captain Kirk, went to the edge of space in Bezos’ New Shepard rocket. After spending 10 minutes going to 350,000 feet, the oldest man to leave earth became emotional. Prince Wills criticised space tourism, saying we should make this planet better rather than blasting off elsewhere.
After a fretful night,Istole myself Thursday to read information for an appointment the next day, sorted logistics and chatted through anxieties with Phil. Despite reassurances, I couldn’t concentrate on writing. About to go shopping, Phil asked should he come? It was a good job he did; even with gaps on shelves, I loaded a trolley thanks to reduced items and practically the last ‘5 for a fiver’ deal from an almost-empty cabinet. Attempts to compartmentalise a failure, I took a mild valerian to calm my brain and tried to rest. My body relaxed but I couldn’t stop my thoughts wandering. A similar story at bedtime, I had a truly dreadful night – neither the chill pill nor the meditation soundtrack aided sleep.
Up 13% in a week, 45,606 new daily covid cases was the highest since July. With 7,024 hospitalised, Witless said it’d be a tricky winter and GPs were instructed to see people face-to-face to ease pressure on A&E. More money was pledged for locums who didn’t exist and ‘league tables’ would show up those who didn’t. Many countered that patients liked zoom consultations and The C**T said it wouldn’t turn the tide. Obviously expecting a grilling from doctors, Goblin Saj missed the RCGP conference*, saying he was clearing his diary to fight for the NHS. While doing a round of media interviews, he apparently didn’t have time to read the damning report – obviously 150 pages was too much for him. Pig farmers and processors welcomed help with storage and temporary 6-month visas for butchers but warned it needed to happen quickly to be any use. Customer’s bills to go up another £45 because of bombed companies, National Express had enough fuel until 2023 but not enough drivers. Wednesday, Insulate Britain blocked roads, got dragged off by motorists and unglued and arrested by police. They then suspended protests until 25th October to hand-deliver a letter to Number 10. After staff allegations and a vote of no confidence, North Yorkshire PCC Philip Allott said he wouldn’t resign and hoped to rebuild trust. By evening, he’d stepped down, saying it was the honourable thing. Well, it would have been if he’d gone straight away!
On Question Time, Prof Rob Winston said scientists shouldn’t be blamed for failures during the early stages of the pandemic and none of the evidence presented to the Lords S&T committee was made public. Criticising the last 2 health minister, he told us the Lords asked The Cock questions every day and got no answers and The C**t left the department in a mess ‘with no remorse’. Tory Penny Mordaunt maintained people did their best at the time, but the report flagged up important lessons which needed to be learnt as we weren’t through it yet. Labour’s Alison McGovern lamented a lack of cross-party discussions and former aide Sam Kusumo admitted government was accountable and should have included local and international leaders in decision-making. Economist Anne McElvoy wanted Saj to apologise for not reading the short, clear report: “mistakes in England were on a scale that is not acceptable.” She trusted a public inquiry would reveal the trade-offs made between public health and the economy. Moving on to the fudge over an ‘oven-ready’ Brexit, she called the Northern Ireland protocol a bodge but hoped ‘tweaks’ would make it work. Penny insisted the agreement was signed in good faith, wasn’t meant to impact negatively on the people of Northern Ireland and the EU now realised change was needed to eliminate trade friction.
Sportswashing
Buzzing Fuchsia
Hardly sleeping all night, there was no way I could go anywhere Friday. Exhausted and distressed, I lay dozing until Phil made moves. I fetched tea and opened the curtains to view the colourful pre-dawn sky adorned with a bright star (or was it a planet?) We again discussed my worries before I phoned to cancel the appointment. Phil left me to rest but it was futile as streaming sunlight replaced darkness. Giving up, I ventured down for coffee and a short spell on the laptop. Head drooping after lunch, I went back to bed, alternately reading and trying to sleep; impossible with an ultra-bright sun and whirring mind. Slightly less fatigued by evening, we indulged in pizza, wine and escapist films.
43,000 incorrect PCR results 8th September-12th October, halted test analysis at the Immensa Health Clinic Ltd. Lab in Wolverhampton. Jenny Harries of UKHSA trusted only a few thousand were infectious. Travellers returning from red list countries would only need a LFT from 24th October and the fully-vaccinated could go to the USA from 8th November. Shats announced the limit on the number of deliveries foreign lorry drivers could make while in the UK would be lifted for up to 6 months. Popular Southend MP David Amess was stabbed to death at his surgery in Leigh-on-Sea. 25 year old Ali Harbi Ali was arrested. Another success for the ‘prevent’ agenda – not! I predicted calls for protection for MPs out in the community would finally be acted on because he was a tory, albeit a nice one.
Extreme tiredness led to improved sleep over the weekend but insufficient to make up the deficit, I stayed home. Saturday, I cleared overgrowth near the garden. Phil went to the shop and reported the corner pub heaving with punters wedged like sardines. Sunday, I installed the Halloween tree, wrote a haiga using a picture from last week’s visit to the cloughii and took photos of our fuchsia – still blooming and buzzing with bees.
As anticipated, Patel came on Marr to say there would be measures to protect MPs in their constituencies, after a review overseen by Lindsay Hoyle. Ambassador Andrei Kelin told him Russia could do more to help with the gas crisis if their Nord Stream 2 pipeline was approved. He didn’t mention that with only 29% vaccinated, Russia experienced a record number of covid cases and around 1,000 deaths per day over the weekend. At Newcastle United’s first game since a Saudi take-over earlier in the month, human rights activists parked a van displaying murdered Jamal Khashoggi outside St. James’ Park. Toon fans may have thought anyone was better than Rick Astley, but others saw it as sports-washing.
*RCGP – Royal College of General Practitioners, not the Revolutionary Communist Party (if they’re still a thing)
The Corvus Diaries 