The Prime Minister says he ttakes accusations of Islamophobia seriously, so seriously he did nothing about them for 18 months until the former Minister involved wrote about it yesterday in the Sunday Times.
Now there is to be an inquiry by the Cabinet Office.
Remember what Sir Humphry says; "only hold an inquiry if you already know the findings"
Which is why Nusrat Ghani issued the following statement:
"I look forward to seeing the terms of reference"
And this is the killer, as it is the PM who sets those terms, who will carry out the inquiry ad what weight the findings, if any, will carry. As it stands, the PM himself decides if the Ministerial Code has been broken, and he has already overrulled two inquiries into Ministers breaking the Ministerial Code.
It doesn't bode well.
And remember, this is the same Government, which, with a straight face, issued a report saying there was no institutional racism in the UK. Headed by a man who described Muslim woment was "pillar boxes".
Hmm.
Monday, 24 January 2022
Sunday, 23 January 2022
Saturday 22nd January 2022
I had arranged a meeting of the moderators of my Kent Orchid group, and as both other moderators live in North and West Kent, best go to them for once.
And as we were in West Kent, might try some churchcrawling before and after.
I did a search via Google maps, and drew up a hit list of targets; some old, some new.
We clearly had to go to Tesco first, as we were run out of much stuff, so as soon as we had drunk our first coffee, we hopped in the car and drove to Whitfield, where there were only a few hardy souls, like us, up and about hunting and gathering.
News is that all what we needed was there, but price rises are rising sharply. Won't effect us that much, but for some it will be hard.
Back home for bacon butties and put the shopping away, all set to go.
I checked my camera batteries, packed them in my oversize gadget bag, threw them in the back f the car, and we were off.
One of the things I wanted to check was how bad the queues of trucks waiting to get into town along the A20. Turns out it was about two miles, though that was moving, if slowly.
We drove on, onto the motorway and through Folkeston, Ashford, Maidstone before turning off.
First up was Leybourne, just off the recently widened M20, the church is on the main road into the village, between the war memorial and the "castle, which is manor house, really.
Saturday mornings, many churches are open for cleaning prior to Sunday's services, so it is reasonable that some of the seven, including Leybourne, would be open.
None were.
So began a trip of disappointments, although the churches mostly looked interesting, but all bar one had no keyholder details, no way of getting access, and the thought that this may become the new normal: locked churches, becoming further divorced for their communities.
Leybourne had a fine collection of ancient yew trees in the churchyard, some with equally old grave markers sheltering underneath. Spring flowers were beginning to open, including several snowdrops.
A sign of hope?
We hope so.
I had a list of churches to visit, five new and three revisits. I had noted their postcodes, so after each we would drive along narrow lanes to either leafy villages or the edge of towns, I would park the car, Jools would remain inside, reading, and I would go to check the church door, find it locked, take some exterior shots. And we would repeat that over and over again.
We ended up at East and West Farleigh. I had low hopes either would be open. West had the keyholder's details if I really wanted. I'll go back in the summer, but the door was locked, and the cricket pitch next door was tidy enough, but needing of a mow, and the squares didn't have their covers on, the ball would be going every direction!
After West Farleigh, we dive to the local pub, one of the local pubs, the highest rated one, The Good Intent, where we were to meet the two mods for the Kent orchid group for us to discuss rules for the group over pints of frothy ale.
Ian had arrived, but Terry was lost.
We went inside to wait, Ian bought the first round, and we took up seats by the woodburner. Toasty warm.
Once Terry arrived, we made five rules, agreed on those, then Jools and I ordered a ploughman's each, while we carried on talking to Ian and Terry.
At half two we were done, so jools and I drove back through Boughton Moncheslea to Leeds and onto the motorway, though we came back via the Alkham Valley to avoid the port. It was getting dark when we got home, the football on the radio was at half time, but Norwich had won 20 hours before. Yay. I made brews.
I had half a pint of leftover gravy from last week, so we had stak and wine pie, roast taters and steamed veggies with the gravy. It was most splendid.
I watched the footy, listened to the soul and funk show on the radio, before Poppy told me it was time for bed, so we went to read before turning out the lights at nine.
We clearly had to go to Tesco first, as we were run out of much stuff, so as soon as we had drunk our first coffee, we hopped in the car and drove to Whitfield, where there were only a few hardy souls, like us, up and about hunting and gathering.
News is that all what we needed was there, but price rises are rising sharply. Won't effect us that much, but for some it will be hard.
Back home for bacon butties and put the shopping away, all set to go.
I checked my camera batteries, packed them in my oversize gadget bag, threw them in the back f the car, and we were off.
One of the things I wanted to check was how bad the queues of trucks waiting to get into town along the A20. Turns out it was about two miles, though that was moving, if slowly.
We drove on, onto the motorway and through Folkeston, Ashford, Maidstone before turning off.
First up was Leybourne, just off the recently widened M20, the church is on the main road into the village, between the war memorial and the "castle, which is manor house, really.
Saturday mornings, many churches are open for cleaning prior to Sunday's services, so it is reasonable that some of the seven, including Leybourne, would be open.
None were.
So began a trip of disappointments, although the churches mostly looked interesting, but all bar one had no keyholder details, no way of getting access, and the thought that this may become the new normal: locked churches, becoming further divorced for their communities.
Leybourne had a fine collection of ancient yew trees in the churchyard, some with equally old grave markers sheltering underneath. Spring flowers were beginning to open, including several snowdrops.
A sign of hope?
We hope so.
I had a list of churches to visit, five new and three revisits. I had noted their postcodes, so after each we would drive along narrow lanes to either leafy villages or the edge of towns, I would park the car, Jools would remain inside, reading, and I would go to check the church door, find it locked, take some exterior shots. And we would repeat that over and over again.
We ended up at East and West Farleigh. I had low hopes either would be open. West had the keyholder's details if I really wanted. I'll go back in the summer, but the door was locked, and the cricket pitch next door was tidy enough, but needing of a mow, and the squares didn't have their covers on, the ball would be going every direction!
After West Farleigh, we dive to the local pub, one of the local pubs, the highest rated one, The Good Intent, where we were to meet the two mods for the Kent orchid group for us to discuss rules for the group over pints of frothy ale.
Ian had arrived, but Terry was lost.
We went inside to wait, Ian bought the first round, and we took up seats by the woodburner. Toasty warm.
Once Terry arrived, we made five rules, agreed on those, then Jools and I ordered a ploughman's each, while we carried on talking to Ian and Terry.
At half two we were done, so jools and I drove back through Boughton Moncheslea to Leeds and onto the motorway, though we came back via the Alkham Valley to avoid the port. It was getting dark when we got home, the football on the radio was at half time, but Norwich had won 20 hours before. Yay. I made brews.
I had half a pint of leftover gravy from last week, so we had stak and wine pie, roast taters and steamed veggies with the gravy. It was most splendid.
I watched the footy, listened to the soul and funk show on the radio, before Poppy told me it was time for bed, so we went to read before turning out the lights at nine.
17 miles
As much as I would like to say I have proof Brexit isn't working, I also cannot lie.
What we can say without dout is that traffic levels and amount of freight passing through Dover port and the Tunnel is lower than previous years, but also there have been queues this week.
One widely shared meme is satellite iages showing lines of trucks on the A20 approaching Aycliffe. Ths image far from being from this week was at least a year old.
But the lament on line has been BBC reporters were quick to come to DOver to report on the 17 miles of trucks getting into the port this week?
17 miles is from Dover nearly to Ashford, so 17 miles of queues would be from Dover to Hawkinge, to Folkestone, to the services at Hythe and most of the way to the inland freight handling facility in Dover.
Through this week it has not been that bad.
I check the Google Maps traffic radar, mainly to warn Jools of any issues on her evening commute, and the worse it has been was on Wednesday I think, when the line of trucks nearly reached the Roundhill Tunnels at the end of the M20. That is about four miles.
There is a huge difference between 4 and 17 miles.
We rightly call out bullshot from Brexiteers when it is spouted, but we must also make sure that what we, what were once called remainers, is subject to the same scrutiny.
Queues might get longer as more checks come in.
And the queue isn't really a solid queue, as at the traffic lights at Aycliffe there are police stationed there, waiving trucks through as and when there is room at the port. So, the queue is moving all the time. There are some gaps, where drivers are on 15 minute breaks, they wait until the break is over and recorded on the digital taco, then they shuffle up.
On the way out yesterday, we went up the A20 out of Dover to the start of the motorway, so was able to see with my own eyes the reality of the 17 mile queue. It was described above, gaps between tucks in several places, and the end wasn't at the onrap at Capel, less than two miles. Just as the traffic radar had said.
Make sure what information we share is accurate. I am sure that information drom drivers of deays at depots and sometimes at ports is correct, but there have been no 17 miles of queues at Dover this week, at most four miles on the A20, and none on every day bar one on the A2. When we used to get Operation Stack, there would be trucks parked up everywhere. There is nothing like that so far.
We Dovorians would know before most.
What we can say without dout is that traffic levels and amount of freight passing through Dover port and the Tunnel is lower than previous years, but also there have been queues this week.
One widely shared meme is satellite iages showing lines of trucks on the A20 approaching Aycliffe. Ths image far from being from this week was at least a year old.
But the lament on line has been BBC reporters were quick to come to DOver to report on the 17 miles of trucks getting into the port this week?
17 miles is from Dover nearly to Ashford, so 17 miles of queues would be from Dover to Hawkinge, to Folkestone, to the services at Hythe and most of the way to the inland freight handling facility in Dover.
Through this week it has not been that bad.
I check the Google Maps traffic radar, mainly to warn Jools of any issues on her evening commute, and the worse it has been was on Wednesday I think, when the line of trucks nearly reached the Roundhill Tunnels at the end of the M20. That is about four miles.
There is a huge difference between 4 and 17 miles.
We rightly call out bullshot from Brexiteers when it is spouted, but we must also make sure that what we, what were once called remainers, is subject to the same scrutiny.
Queues might get longer as more checks come in.
And the queue isn't really a solid queue, as at the traffic lights at Aycliffe there are police stationed there, waiving trucks through as and when there is room at the port. So, the queue is moving all the time. There are some gaps, where drivers are on 15 minute breaks, they wait until the break is over and recorded on the digital taco, then they shuffle up.
On the way out yesterday, we went up the A20 out of Dover to the start of the motorway, so was able to see with my own eyes the reality of the 17 mile queue. It was described above, gaps between tucks in several places, and the end wasn't at the onrap at Capel, less than two miles. Just as the traffic radar had said.
Make sure what information we share is accurate. I am sure that information drom drivers of deays at depots and sometimes at ports is correct, but there have been no 17 miles of queues at Dover this week, at most four miles on the A20, and none on every day bar one on the A2. When we used to get Operation Stack, there would be trucks parked up everywhere. There is nothing like that so far.
We Dovorians would know before most.
Saturday, 22 January 2022
Blue on Blue
Last week the PM's office called a meeting of the Government Permanent Priviate Secretaries (PPS) to get them to tow the line and support Johnson.
Johnson's Chief of Staff, Dan Rosenfield, was left surprised to find they wouldn't.
Jane Hunt, on the lowest rung of the Government ladder stated that "she wouldn't piss on hi if he was on fire".
Meanwhile, former Transprt Minister, Nus Ghani, was sacked because her Muslim faith made others in Cabinet uneasy.
This has been denied by the Chief Whip, though it is unclear why the former Minister would lie about this.
The Chief Whip, Mark Spencer, said he identified with the un-named person who said that to Ghani, but then deleted that Tweet. Putting out a similar statement.
Sadly for Mr Spencer, he has so little authority in the party now, leaks have been made of the unflattering nicknames he has for some MPs:
Anthony Mangnall, behind foreign aid rebellions, is “Anthony Wanknall”.
Tom Tugendhat, China hawk, is “Tom Tugentwat”.
From a Party once famous for its public unity even when that wasn't the case, this is beyond remarkable.
More popcorn?
Johnson's Chief of Staff, Dan Rosenfield, was left surprised to find they wouldn't.
Jane Hunt, on the lowest rung of the Government ladder stated that "she wouldn't piss on hi if he was on fire".
Meanwhile, former Transprt Minister, Nus Ghani, was sacked because her Muslim faith made others in Cabinet uneasy.
This has been denied by the Chief Whip, though it is unclear why the former Minister would lie about this.
The Chief Whip, Mark Spencer, said he identified with the un-named person who said that to Ghani, but then deleted that Tweet. Putting out a similar statement.
Sadly for Mr Spencer, he has so little authority in the party now, leaks have been made of the unflattering nicknames he has for some MPs:
Anthony Mangnall, behind foreign aid rebellions, is “Anthony Wanknall”.
Tom Tugendhat, China hawk, is “Tom Tugentwat”.
From a Party once famous for its public unity even when that wasn't the case, this is beyond remarkable.
More popcorn?
Friday 21st January 2022
And again, the end of the week.
Yay.
It is strange now how I find out about the rest of the world. Over half the department is based in India, and although my colleagues are graduates, and the company has ensured they get jabs, the latest COVID wave is breaking over the country, and the latest lockdown is being imposed. Of course we had this sitation six weeks ago, and are now coming out of it. With the vaccines they are not worried, just have now got used to restrictions.
Like we all have.
Jools has yoga, so is up and about at five, I get up half an hour later, and outside there is light in the south east, light is coming, the year grows older.
She leaves while I drink my coffee, I make a second nad have a slice of toast, ready for the weekely social meeting. Which is where I find out about the COVID situation in India, and in Denmark. In Denmark, restrictions might be loosened soon, but not yet.
I get down to work, there is more reviewing of documents and calls to make, information to pass on.
The bright start fades to cloud that gets ever darker as the morning turns to afternoon, and it gets no warmer. We had planned to go for a walk when JOols came back home, we didn't. Instead we had a coffee and talk.
There is little to do, dinner is leftover gumbo, which will involve the pot of spicy stew being warmed though and some rice cooked. As expected it was better the next day, flavours deeper and less harsh.
Once the music quiz was over, it was the pleasure of watching Norwich play at Watford. Watford were the team above us, and we have lost the last three meetings between the two teams. So, hopes were not high.
City started out well, but once a midfielder went off injured, Norwich lost their way and were hanging on until half time.
Sigh.
In the second half, there was an improvement, and suddenly, Norwich scored. Josh Sargent managed to twist his foot behind him to loop a cross in off the underside of the bar, and after a VAR check, it was given as crossing the line. And then the lights went out.
Or half the lights went out, play was suspended, and we clicked our heels for ten minutes before the two managers agreed the game could restart, and Norwich scored almost straight from the restart, Sargent again.
Watford looked dangerous again, and then Norwich forced a cross and a defender managed to poke the ball into his own goal and it was 3-0. The cherry on the icing on the cake was a Watford player sent off, so Norwich just about cruised to the three points, a clean sheet and ended the day out of the bottom three.
Wow.
Its the hope that kills.
Yay.
It is strange now how I find out about the rest of the world. Over half the department is based in India, and although my colleagues are graduates, and the company has ensured they get jabs, the latest COVID wave is breaking over the country, and the latest lockdown is being imposed. Of course we had this sitation six weeks ago, and are now coming out of it. With the vaccines they are not worried, just have now got used to restrictions.
Like we all have.Jools has yoga, so is up and about at five, I get up half an hour later, and outside there is light in the south east, light is coming, the year grows older.
She leaves while I drink my coffee, I make a second nad have a slice of toast, ready for the weekely social meeting. Which is where I find out about the COVID situation in India, and in Denmark. In Denmark, restrictions might be loosened soon, but not yet.
I get down to work, there is more reviewing of documents and calls to make, information to pass on.
The bright start fades to cloud that gets ever darker as the morning turns to afternoon, and it gets no warmer. We had planned to go for a walk when JOols came back home, we didn't. Instead we had a coffee and talk.
There is little to do, dinner is leftover gumbo, which will involve the pot of spicy stew being warmed though and some rice cooked. As expected it was better the next day, flavours deeper and less harsh.Once the music quiz was over, it was the pleasure of watching Norwich play at Watford. Watford were the team above us, and we have lost the last three meetings between the two teams. So, hopes were not high.
City started out well, but once a midfielder went off injured, Norwich lost their way and were hanging on until half time.
Sigh.
In the second half, there was an improvement, and suddenly, Norwich scored. Josh Sargent managed to twist his foot behind him to loop a cross in off the underside of the bar, and after a VAR check, it was given as crossing the line. And then the lights went out.
Or half the lights went out, play was suspended, and we clicked our heels for ten minutes before the two managers agreed the game could restart, and Norwich scored almost straight from the restart, Sargent again.
Watford looked dangerous again, and then Norwich forced a cross and a defender managed to poke the ball into his own goal and it was 3-0. The cherry on the icing on the cake was a Watford player sent off, so Norwich just about cruised to the three points, a clean sheet and ended the day out of the bottom three.
Wow.
Its the hope that kills.
Friday, 21 January 2022
Thursday 20th January 2022
As I have remarked many times, days during the week are pretty much the same. Small details change, like what I do at work, but the rest; getting up, coffee, set up the office, log on, have breakfast and so on and on, never really change that month.
Looking back, the last time I travelled to Denmark was in February 2020, just before the war began. I worked for a different company, had a different boss, but had clear roles, resposibilities and objectives. Two years on I might actually have a role title and a lukewarm promise of more of the same, or what I did last year, which all a bit unfocussed if I'm honest.
Anyway.
You know me, I write about all sorts of mundane shit, the weather sometimes. Well, we have had almost no rain so far this year, and not much wind. Just lots of sunshine, which give way to frosty nights. But really very little rain, and not that much rain in December either. The autumn storms that we usually get, arrived early, in August, then although we had windy days, but the week on week of storms we usually get.
All very odd. Spring bulbs are sprouting, but then they do, although no daffodils or dwarf iris seen yet in flower, and no sign of the winter aconites I planted this time last year. I search each morning for flowers, for signs of spring. None so far, and no spawn in the pond.
In fact, I might be going to Denmark next month, we shall see. I have a super top secret job to do, along with my colleague Frank, and I would need to be there in person. You can't steal diamonds by Teams, apparently.
Thursday was another day spent reviewing documents. More and more come into scope, each one written by the same person, and each on a contradictory word salad. I mean its written in my language, but I don't understand it. God knows how anyone else does.
Through the morning I have toast, fruit, more toast. Scrambled eggs on toast that is, for lunch. One egg and one small slice of toast. Hit the spot.
I know I really should have gone for a walk, so once the day was done at half three, I put on my boots and grab a camera or two. Not much choice of a way to go, so I walk along the street, up to Collingwood and then along to Fleet House.
I see a few dog walkers, some people walking without dogs too. One gentleman walking a pony.
As you do.
I walk back home along the lane into the light of the setting sun. It was getting chilly again.
Dinner was to finish the gumbo. So, first up was to make 2 litres of chicken stock (from cubes), cook the chicken and smoked sausage, soft fry the onions and then wait for Jools who had got the vegetables and prawns.
Once she got home, I chopped the vegetables and Jools stirred the roux into the stock. All gets added into the stock, along with cajun spices, and after half an hour, we put the prawns in to finish it off. A pot of rice has been cooking at the same time, I drain the rice, serve, and we retire to the table with a glass of wine each.
Cheers.
It was rather good, but the cajun spice (bought in Texas) is too salty, so I am looking into making my own next time, seems easy enough.
Anyway, it all goes down very well, and there's more than enough to have leftovers on Friday.
There is football on the tellybox. League Cup, Are v Liverpool. Should have been a good game, but was quite disappointing, even with their best two players missing, Liverpool were too good and ran out easy 2-0 winners. I had drunk most of a bottle of sloe port watching it, so when I went to bed at ten, I slept well.
Looking back, the last time I travelled to Denmark was in February 2020, just before the war began. I worked for a different company, had a different boss, but had clear roles, resposibilities and objectives. Two years on I might actually have a role title and a lukewarm promise of more of the same, or what I did last year, which all a bit unfocussed if I'm honest.
Anyway.You know me, I write about all sorts of mundane shit, the weather sometimes. Well, we have had almost no rain so far this year, and not much wind. Just lots of sunshine, which give way to frosty nights. But really very little rain, and not that much rain in December either. The autumn storms that we usually get, arrived early, in August, then although we had windy days, but the week on week of storms we usually get.
All very odd. Spring bulbs are sprouting, but then they do, although no daffodils or dwarf iris seen yet in flower, and no sign of the winter aconites I planted this time last year. I search each morning for flowers, for signs of spring. None so far, and no spawn in the pond.
In fact, I might be going to Denmark next month, we shall see. I have a super top secret job to do, along with my colleague Frank, and I would need to be there in person. You can't steal diamonds by Teams, apparently.
Thursday was another day spent reviewing documents. More and more come into scope, each one written by the same person, and each on a contradictory word salad. I mean its written in my language, but I don't understand it. God knows how anyone else does.Through the morning I have toast, fruit, more toast. Scrambled eggs on toast that is, for lunch. One egg and one small slice of toast. Hit the spot.
I know I really should have gone for a walk, so once the day was done at half three, I put on my boots and grab a camera or two. Not much choice of a way to go, so I walk along the street, up to Collingwood and then along to Fleet House.
I see a few dog walkers, some people walking without dogs too. One gentleman walking a pony.As you do.
I walk back home along the lane into the light of the setting sun. It was getting chilly again.
Dinner was to finish the gumbo. So, first up was to make 2 litres of chicken stock (from cubes), cook the chicken and smoked sausage, soft fry the onions and then wait for Jools who had got the vegetables and prawns.Once she got home, I chopped the vegetables and Jools stirred the roux into the stock. All gets added into the stock, along with cajun spices, and after half an hour, we put the prawns in to finish it off. A pot of rice has been cooking at the same time, I drain the rice, serve, and we retire to the table with a glass of wine each.
Cheers.It was rather good, but the cajun spice (bought in Texas) is too salty, so I am looking into making my own next time, seems easy enough.
Anyway, it all goes down very well, and there's more than enough to have leftovers on Friday.
There is football on the tellybox. League Cup, Are v Liverpool. Should have been a good game, but was quite disappointing, even with their best two players missing, Liverpool were too good and ran out easy 2-0 winners. I had drunk most of a bottle of sloe port watching it, so when I went to bed at ten, I slept well.
Brexit and Dover
There have been many Twitter posts about the lines of truck leading into the town on the A20 and sometimes, on the A2.
I do not deny there are queues, but for the most part what we see on the roads, judging by traffic radar, melts away each evening, only to build up during the night and morning.
Local traffic can get through on the outside lane, and there are police at the bottom of Shakespeare Down directing truchs un onto Townwall Street.
Most times there are no queues on the A2 at all.
I have heard it reported that a lot of the delays are because to DFDS ferries are in dry dock, which might explain it.
What we can say is the queues are being seen despite much reduced volumes of traffic and trade, if trade were to increase with, say, the spring growing season in Dutch greenhouses, then delays would be worse.
It is currenty 11:10 on Friday morning, and there are no queues at all. We had worse queues for various reasons over the years, and these were not on the news, I don't think there anything untoward that being the case now.
But let us see how things progress. The nedless lines of trucks back to Birmingham haven't happened, but that is partly due to lower traffic volumes, while the long jams were predicted on traffic remaining the same.
Whether the current situation is wise for Britain to go down is another matter. Less trade coming in, less trade to the EU too.
I do not deny there are queues, but for the most part what we see on the roads, judging by traffic radar, melts away each evening, only to build up during the night and morning.
Local traffic can get through on the outside lane, and there are police at the bottom of Shakespeare Down directing truchs un onto Townwall Street.
Most times there are no queues on the A2 at all.
I have heard it reported that a lot of the delays are because to DFDS ferries are in dry dock, which might explain it.
What we can say is the queues are being seen despite much reduced volumes of traffic and trade, if trade were to increase with, say, the spring growing season in Dutch greenhouses, then delays would be worse.
It is currenty 11:10 on Friday morning, and there are no queues at all. We had worse queues for various reasons over the years, and these were not on the news, I don't think there anything untoward that being the case now.
But let us see how things progress. The nedless lines of trucks back to Birmingham haven't happened, but that is partly due to lower traffic volumes, while the long jams were predicted on traffic remaining the same.
Whether the current situation is wise for Britain to go down is another matter. Less trade coming in, less trade to the EU too.
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