Policy is hard

The problem, or one of the probles, in having a Cabinet full of shit is that they really don't know how to do anything.

Sure they can make grand announcements like "levelling up" of "getting Brexit done", but with an actual plan and making it happen, levelling up is no further forward today than 24 months ago when Johnson was made PM and first announced it.

I mean, something could have been done, one or two actual policies or actions to level up the country, instead the only thing the Government did do was to cancel the eastern leg of HS2 and cancel the northen rail powerhouse. But at the same time promising that journey times would be halved. They didn't say which routes or how, but all journey times cut.

This was always a lie, and has been proven as such, but stayed mainly in the rail industry world, the news agenda moves on and the promises made last week are forgotten and so the cycle begins again in a different policy area.

The cost of living crisis that has only just begun was long forecast, but Johnson and his Goverment did nothing.

It could, as the French Government did, impose windfall taxes on energy companies and use that the keep rises low.

Instead it allowed the energy companies to keep all their record profits, pay shareholders dividens, while the public get to pay 50% more for the energy that their taxes had made it possible to be produced.

And it will get worse with the war in Ukraine, another 50% rise in the autumn looks only too possible.

And the Government doesn't like scrutiny, so is planning on selling Channel 4, which is self funding, mainly because C4 News is critical of the Government. Minister responsible, Nadine Dorres, was unaware of how Channel 4 or Channel 5 was funded, once in a select committee, where she had to be corrected. She now plans to end the BBC licence fee.

Johnson et al like to proclaim the UK's power across the world, and yet fail to understand that power is now mostly soft, but the creative industries and the BBC doing more to promote the country than a half billion "yacht" which Johnson wanted so spaff more cash at, to promote power.

Thing with a boat, its not good at getting to countries without a coastline, like Ukraine. The BBC, however, when it became clear that Russia was controlling the media in the area, the Corporation switched on short wave transitters so the real news could be broadcast to those under fire or living in fear.

A yacht can't do that.

But its all about gestures. And no substance.

All culture wars, knowing the cost of everything and the value of nothing.