Wednesday, May 31, 2006

Magna Carta Day tops British day poll

According to a poll by BBC History Magazine Magna Carta day was chosen as the best option for a new bank holiday celebrating being British.

The Results were:

Magna Carta: 27%
(15 June_
VE Day: 21%
(8 May)
D-Day: 14%
(6 June)
Armistice Day: 11%
(11 November)
Trafalgar victory: 10%
Slave trade abolished: 6%
(25 March)
Napoleon's defeat: 4%
(18 June)
Churchill's birth: 3%
(30 November)
Cromwellian republic: 2%
Reform Act: 2%

The snag with this is that the Magna Carta was signed prior to the union so it is in fact an English day and St George’s day would be a much better day to celebrate.

A cynic would say that historical context was not a consideration for most people but the date was chosen as the one likely to be the sunniest just in case it becomes a bank holiday.

Monday, May 22, 2006

Quo Vadimus – Where are we going?

Aaron Sorkin the writer and producer is known for his fast paced scripts such as Sportsnight and the West Wing. Workplaces like that are where I feel most at home and I would hope that any place I work can be a bit like that.

Aaron often builds in thought provoking almost philosophic lines into his plots. Quo Vademus is one of them from Sportsnight a behind the scenes comedy based around a third place cable sports show.

Quo Vadimus simply means, “Where are we going?” The character who is an entrepreneur states that his career he has had more failures than success but what matters is that when he fails he gathers his team round and asks “Where are we going?” and after things start to look up.

We all need to know where we are going, once you know that, it is easy to work out how to get there. The other thing to accept is that failure is part of the path to success, failing sometimes can mean your doing things right.

Quo Vadimus?

Links:

Aaron Sorkin imdb biography

Wednesday, May 17, 2006

BBC Spin on “illegal immigrants” John Reid Interview

I watch BBC Breakfast in the morning, which on the whole is a great programme.

This morning I caught an interview between Sian Williams the presenter and John Reid the Home Secretary. Overall I thought John Reid was very open and honest about the immigration issues and explained how it was impossible to put a figure on the illegal immigrants in the UK because being illegal they did not pass through border controls and were not otherwise registered.

Sian Williams was somewhat aggressive asking closed questions with a very pointed drive to get a sound bite. If you watch the interview Sian comes across as cynical and un-professional, think Jeremy Paxman without the skill.

I then read the news headlines on the BBC website later in the day, where they claim John Reid blamed the whole problem on the last Tory government and had no clue how many illegal immigrants there were.

That story has now been changed to reflect Prime ministers question time, so I am unable to confirm the source. However other media outlets picked up the story.

To quote from the interview:

Truth of the matter is, we don’t have a precise figure for this, not only do I not have it but none of my predecessors way back to Michael Howard and the last government… partly because people who come here illegally hide themselves.

The system of counting those who are leaving the country as illegal immigrants was again abolished under the last conservative govt. I make no complaint about that…

That was pretty much his entire commentary on the Tory government, not so much a criticism of the Tories but an agreement that no party had solved or created the problem.

In the same interview John Reid stated that the govt was beating targets for removing failed asylum seekers, the one area of immigration policy where a govt can make positive progress. This was largely ignored in later reports; good news is not so newsworthy.

This story is likely to run for days with the media focusing on the alleged incompetence of the govt. With Charles Clarke succesfully removed it is too early for the media to go for a scalp but even if they did John Reid is smarter than your average politician.

Sunday, May 14, 2006

Do Not Melt Our Coins?

The Royal Mint have warned against melting down pre 1992 coins (2p's and 1p's) to obtain the Copper. Copper has increased in value to such an extent that on the metals market the Copper is worth worth twice as much as the coins face value.

Reading between the lines, if the Royal Mint has issued a release then presumably they have actually caught someone trying to melt down coins. I have previously heard of people stealing Copper wire, but melting down coins for the Copper.

Will Copper become the new gold?

They go on to point out that it is actually illegal and that on such a small scale it is impractical for most people.

"Even if it were legal, the practicalities involved in melting down such huge quantities of coins would seem to us to make it a highly improbable task for the average consumer"
- unnamed source at Royal Mint

The price of Copper on the London Metals Exchange stands at 8619 US $/ tonne or approx $8.61 / kg.

Saturday, May 13, 2006

Lord Archer and Prison Reform

One of the signs of maturity is being able to agree with political opposites on occasion. Lord Archer is a Tory peer and under most circumstances I do not agree with his politics, he is in my opinion a mediocre writer, and he is not a suitable role model for anyone.

For those of you who are unaware of his background, the former party chairman of the Conservative Party was accused by the Daily Star of sleeping with a prostitute. He sued for libel and won damages, however he fabricated an alibi.

Years later, when he was standing for London Mayor concerns were raised about his suitability. A former personal secretary came forward with the story of the false alibi. Lord Archer was prosecuted for perjury and perverting the course of justice, and sentenced to 4 years imprisonment.

He served two years of his sentence and was released in July 2003.

Since his release he has intimated he would only sit in the House of Lords for a debate on prison reform and he wants no further role in politics preferring to concentrate on his writing.

I overheard on the radio a recent interview where he talks about the problems of the prison system in the UK.

One major cause of criminal activity is the poor education keeping individuals trapped in a cycle of crime unable to gain employment. Prison should be seen very much as an intervention to rehabilitate criminals for society. Education for those that want or need it should be available.

Lord Archer pointed out that prisoners get paid for working whilst in prison. For menial tasks such as washing the floor they get £12 a week whilst those choosing to improve themselves by studying get only £8 a week (updated figures from the radio interview May 2006 – for which I have been unable to find a reference)

Yet almost ever day the government seems to come up with the latest multi-million pound scheme to reduce offending. Surely this is a relatively easy fix, if anything prisoners should be encouraged to study by being paid more. Through education it might be possible to break the cycle of crime and give some people the chance they desperately need.

Happily there are some points where I disagree with Lord Archer. He believes inmates should face a basic literacy test before being considered for a job or early release. I believe that although this could be something that should be considered for suitability for release, I think it should be optional. Forcing people to do anything never works and in this case could alienate an already disconnected group further from society.

Lord Archer has concerns about drugs policy in prisons, how the current policy encourages people to switch from soft to hard drugs because it is easier to pass random drugs tests on hard drugs. Drugs in prisons seems to be a very complex problem covering supply, policy and intervention. Lord Archer does not have all the answers but it continues the debate on drugs and crime.

Lord Archer, who may be stripped of his title under new legislation affecting lords with criminal records, may have learned some lessons from his time in prison that the politicians can never understand from their padded seats in Westminster.

Sources:

Radio interview May 2006 (source unknown)

BBC news website various articles.

Thursday, May 11, 2006

Philosophy and Economics

Capitalism is the only real system of economics that has lasted, although no country operates a pure capitalist economy.

New Labour's "third way"” is one of the latest successful reincarnations of capitalism.

Capitalism cannot be described as the pinnacle of human economic endeavour. There are flaws and cracks in the veneer, indeed some commentators would suggest that the system is an unmitigated disaster and the only reason it still exists at all is because there is no viable alternative.

One of the main failings is that small numbers of people get richer while the poor remain poor. Another failing is that people can spend billions on an art-work by a famous artist while people die for want of food and clean water.

This article is not about these flaws, other people state cases for both sides of the argument with more verve, enthusiasm and facts. I seek to lead the reader on a thought experiment of alternatives to capitalism, perhaps not viable ones, but a revolution of thought beyond Labour'’s "third way"” philosophy.

The Problem

The problem that I see with capitalism is that everything is based on monetary value, so to abolish capitalism monetary value has to be replaced with social value. To completely abolish money its value has to be zero and the only driver for human progress is self- fulfillment or self-actualisation (Maslov).

A half way house has monetary reward based on relevance and importance to society, so only jobs that improve the human condition get high salaries. The flaw with this is how do you measure contribution to society, salaries would have to be controlled by a regulatory body.

The abolition of money would require everything to have no value, everyone would be able to have whatever he or she wants, when they want and in whatever form they want. Where could you start to make the transition?

Solutions

Monetary Value

One part of the economy to start at could be property. All property would have to be nationalised, all rents and mortgages declared null and void. Everyone would be allowed to have any plot of land they wanted within certain limits. I can imagine a large bureaucracy maintaining databases and managing land applications. Planning regulations would still limit development and no one could own land, which was un-productive or unused. All such sites would be assigned back to the ministry in charge.

Of course to prevent the economy from over heating there would have to be a general wage cut between 30-50% of salary, cutting the part of wages currently spent on housing.

Any more than two homes would probably be considered illegal unless each of the extra homes was also home to someone else. A rich owners loop hole could be that an extra home would be allowed providing part or all was a residence for someone else e.g. care taker or house keeper.

This may seem to be an example of the rich getting away with something but consider that first these new residents would have jobs that previously did not exist and secondly that empty houses have become part of the national housing stock.

Other parts of the capitalist economy could be removed and dismantled in a similar way although it is also possible that the entire capitalist machinery could never be dismantled unless further technological and social advances take place.

Privatised Communism

Communism was an economic system, which was less than perfect although had it been an American idea would the enemy of capitalism be the one that was defeated?

What if a private company provided a flavour of communism to its employees.

No more salaries, the company will provide all needs, housing, food luxuries and even holidays.

This idea would be based on the fact that there is a limit to how much a person could spend especially if for 37 hours a week they have to be at work. The system would work in a similar way to job and finish employment; you can work whatever hours you want provided the job gets done.

In some aspects, such as property, it would benefit the company. In the current economic climate the company would see a return on its investment.

For major diversified multinationals the company could provide most goods and services and any other needs bought in could be sourced at reduced cost.

To completely remove cash from the employee / employer transaction each employee would have a company credit card with no limits.

Taxation would become the burden of the company, which could cause some headaches for the Inland Revenue, currently benefits are given a value and taxed on take home pay accordingly. With no take home pay no personal tax, but in all likely hood the revenue would place the tax burden on the company.

Disclaimers

These are merely an example of "“too many thoughts", they are thoughts about the betterment of mankind, and they do not have to be practical or of any use in the real world.

Hopefully, they raise questions and thoughts about whether our economic system is perfect or can it be improved upon.

Monday, May 08, 2006

Bideford Old Bridge Update

Torridge District Councillors met on the 3rd of May 2006 and refused to accept DCC’s option 2 (steel walkways) for Bideford Old Bridge, a grade 1 listed structure of exceptional value.

TDC Councillors supported the option 1 proposal of keeping the bridge looking virtually the same. The Councillors have also requested that DCC consider a postal consultation to get a wider view of opinions from the local community.

Although DCC have said no decision has been taken, the spokesperson at the meeting seems to suggest a leaning to option 2.

Government funding for the scheme – possibly around £6 million for either of the choices – was for full strengthening work. Doing nothing or lesser repair schemes were not an option” – Lester Wilmington, DCC

He goes on to cite a survey of 446 residents where “slightly over 50%” favoured option 2.

As is the nature of such meetings no one present supported DCC option 2.

This meeting has raised some interesting points.

1. If TDC was a unitary authority option 2 would not be the preferred option.
2. What does “slightly over 50% mean?
3. DCC seem to be blackmailing both local democratic representatives and members of the public by suggesting option 2 is the only option that will receive full funding i.e. pick option 2 or pay more in council tax.

Other parties such as English Heritage or central government will no doubt put forward their views shortly. I have emailed English Heritage to see if they have issued a response to the consultation.

A debate that is worth watching.

I have emailed English Heritage to see if they have issued a response to the consultation.

Sunday, May 07, 2006

EU Agrees Battery Recycling Law

First thought was, of all the easy things to recycle we don’t do it.

According to the BBC only six EU countries had recycling schemes to collect all types of batteries in place in 2002. Top was Belgium with 59% recycled and bottom was France with 16%. The UK was not even on the list.

So hence the EU directive calling for collection points at no extra cost to the consumer. It evens comes with collection targets and insists any cost from the schemes be borne by the industry. All EU countries now have two years to pass the directive into national law.

This is fantastic news for the environment as most batteries contain toxic metals such as nickel, mercury and cadmium which are extremely harmful to the environment and us.

Even better news is that batteries containing high levels of nickel or mercury will be banned except in exceptional circumstances.

I will leave the last word to EU Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas.

The faster we start to collect and recycle batteries, the better for the environment.

People Notes: Sun Tzu

Sun Tzu wrote the earliest recorded military treatise in the world, he was a General in China around the 6th Century BC. Although there has always been some question as to whether he did exist or is merely a representative of a group of writers.

His book although primarily focused on warfare contains much that can be applied to other areas of life; indeed anywhere you might find enemies or a need for strategy. It has found favour in diverse situations such as business, politics and sports.

Lionel Giles translated the book into English in 1910.

Sun Tzu believed all warfare was based on deception, to unsettle the enemy and lead them to not expect your attack.

He details the relationship between an army, the state and its people. He did not believe in prolonged battles or unnecessary draining of state resources. His armies were expected to forage off the land and the enemy and the object of warfare was victory not prolonged campaigns.

The treatment of prisoners is also described and they were required to be "kindly treated and kept".

Sun Tzu made several lists such as the five dangerous faults, which may affect a General:

1. Recklessness, which leads to destruction;
2. Cowardice, which leads to capture;
3. A hasty temper, which can be provoked by insults;
4. A delicacy of honour which is sensitive to shame;
5. Over-solicitude for his men, which exposes him to worry and trouble.

From his writing it is easy to see how it translates into the world of management, the simple descriptions and categorisation of tactics and strategies can be readily applied to boardroom battles.

Sun Tzu left a legacy, which simplifies the battles of humanity and equips the reader with methods of dealing with any enemy on a battlefield or elsewhere.

Sources:

Wikipedia entry


Project Guteberg e- book -The Art of War

Monday, May 01, 2006

UK to miss CO2 emissions target

The UK govt have announced that the UK is not expected to attain the 20% targeted reduction in greenhouse emissions set for 2010. The current estimate suggested by a climate change programme review suggests a reduction of 15-18 % (The UK Kyoto target is 12.5 %).

The govt intends to redouble its effort to attain the original target and has every intention of meeting the 20% reduction.

The US and Australia have continually refused to sign up to the Kyoto protocol preferring the technology / voluntary solution. The US has been criticised over this stance and is seen to be protecting its economy and the oil industry.

However, the US belief that technology can override and beat nature should be considered as a driver to this political standpoint. This unshakeable belief may in fact blind both its people and politicians from accepting that a two pronged approach of emission reduction and advances in technology is needed.

The UK economy is robust and can show the world that it is possible to reduce CO2 emissions without harming the economy. I agree with the government that the UK should aim for the 20% target but chastise Tony Blair for the efforts his government is undertaking.

The UK is at a fork in the path, if investment and a supportive green energy taxation and regulation environment are provided the UK can become the world leader in technology and best practice. If we choose the wrong path the UK will be buying in both technology and best practice from other countries such as Germany.

The UK has a clear choice between being a market leader or a market follower.

The recent inclusion in the budget of £50 million for micro generation projects should be immediately tripled to £150 million. A major policy initiative should be implemented to push towards all public buildings being equipped with solar / wind generators, energy efficient building materials and other products. Planning regulation and government grants for such projects should be simplified.

Micro-generation can improve the resilience of the national generating grid, much like the Internet the entire grid could not be taken down. This resilience is imperative in reducing the exposure of the electricity grid to major terrorist attacks.

Specific government proposals could include:

  • A 5% VAT rate for all micro generation materials, including solar panels.
  • A 5% environment tax for all standard light bulbs which could be directly replaced by energy efficient bulbs. The proceeds should be given to charitable organisations and local councils to supply low cost or free bulbs to low income homes and community buildings. Any excess funds could be put into the micro generation budget.
  • Developers of new supermarkets and out of town shopping centres should be required to include details of energy efficiency and microgeneration in planning applications in order to obtain planning permission. Minimum quantitative standards should be set in relation to these planning conditions.
  • Specific research funds should be set up to support and further research into wave and tidal power.
  • The UK govt should lobby for an EU wide aviation fuel tax to reflect the environmental costs of air travel. Any proceeds from the tax should be ring fenced for environmental projects e.g. sustainable transport.
  • CO2 emission reduction targets should be set for all public sector organisations.
  • CO2 emissions should be part of a company reports together with a statement of how the organisation is working towards reducing emissions.
  • A government quality mark should be established to support the above.
  • A car / oil industry research fund should be set up to support the development of alternative fuels and efficient new vehicle designs.

Of course, action by the govt should be supported by personal action; many small changes in lifestyle can make a big difference.

Suggestions for personal action include:

  • Buy local produce.
  • Buy products with less packaging.
  • Replace bulbs with energy efficient ones (80% reduction in energy usage).
  • Draught proofs your house.
  • Insulate your loft.
  • Turn the heating down by one degree.
  • Boil only the necessary amount of water in your kettle.
  • Don't leave the video / dvd/ tv / stereo on stand by.
  • Turn off your computer when not in use.
  • When buying white goods think energy efficiency.
  • Defrost fridges and freezers regularly where appropriate.

Neither of these lists is exhaustive but could go a long way to help reach the targets both for the UK and other countries in the Kyoto Protocol.

Tony Baldry MP - Torture and Rendition

In 2005 I was part of the email "Make History Poverty Campaign". Basically what it involved was every other week they asked you to email a political figure about Global poverty policy, the idea being that several thousand would email the said person and create an imperative for action. The usual suspects were included Tony Blair, Gordon Brown, other ministers, European ministers and global leaders. Each email was timed to a certain event such as G8, the budget, European summits etc.

Anyway one such email was to your local MP, mine happens to be Tony Baldry, so I sent the email expected nothing further to happen. Now I am stuck on a snail mail list for International Policy, which if nothing else gives me something to open in the post.

The latest communique from TBa (not to be confused with Blair) is on UK policy of torture and rendition. Apparently his speech (15/02/06) was reported in
The Independent and elsewhere.

TBa seeks confirmation of two things
1. That the UK does not support the use of torture to gain evidence even in cases of major terrorism events and distances themselves from any world power which would seek or has been proved to use terrorism for such means

2. That the UK does not:
(a) deport or extradite any person to another state where there are grounds to believe said person will face torture.
(b) Would not assist in any rendition through UK or overseas territories if to do so would put us in breach of our national and international obligations.

Needless to say TBa receives confirmation from The Minister for Trade (Ian Pearson) on behalf of the govt. Although he states there are some difficulties on the status of Guantanamo Bay. In answer to this anomaly he re-iterates the govt position previously made by TB (Tony Blair this time).

"We have made it clear that we regard the circumstances under which the detainees continue to be held in Guantanamo Bay as unacceptable, and the US Government are fully aware of our views."
- Ian Pearson, Minister for Trade
The other interesting parts of TBa's speech are the quotes from various people that he has found to support his arguments.

On the assertion that torture is somehow acceptable government policy to prevent major terrorist incidents:

"there was a before 9/11 and there was an after 9/11. After 9/11 the gloves came off."
- Cofer Black, Former chief of counter-terrorist centre of the CIA reports to a House of Representatives and the US senate Committee on Intelligence.


On historical UK precedence on the use of torture in the UK:

"We have seen that the use of torture, though illegal by the common law, was justified by virtue of the extraordinary power of the crown which could, in times of emergency, override the common law."
- Sir William Holdsworth in his "History of English Law"


TBa notes at this point that the first act of the long parliament in 1640 at the time of the English civil war, was to abolish the court of Star Chamber, where torture evidence had been received.

On the US policy of rendition:

"It is the policy of the United States ... to comply with its laws and comply with treaty obligations, including those under the Convention Against Torture"
- Secretary of State Rice 5 December 2005


President Bush on International Law:

"International Law? I better call my lawyer ... I don't know what you are talking about by International Law "
- 2003


Appellate Committee (House of Lords) findings 8 December 2005 A (FC) and others v the Secretary of State for the Home Department:

"Torture is not acceptable. This is a bedrock moral principle in this country. For centuries, the common law has set its face against torture ... Torture attracts universal condemnation ... No civilised society condones its use. Unhappily, condemnatory words are not always matched by conduct."
- Lord Nicholls

"Torture is an unqualified evil. It can never be justified. Rather it must always be punished."
- Lord Brown


These are not all the quotes, there are many more fine words of condemnation as well as comments regarding the unofficial use or blind eye approach to torture.

Although it is good to see policy debated and questioned in society, a mark of a civilised society would be where such topics would not need to be discussed. Any consideration of the use of torture would be abhorrent and universally unacceptable.

Bideford, UK. Old Bridge Reconstruction

Place: Bideford, Devon, United Kingdom.

Bideford is a small port on an estuary in North Devon. It has two bridges the Old Bridge (Official Name: Long Bridge) and the New Bridge (Official Name: Torridge Bridge).

The Old Bridge connects the two main parts of the town Bideford and East - The - Water. A bridge has been on the site since the 13th Century, originally made of oak beams it has been remodeled almost continually since then. It is currently a 16th Century bridge, possibly with the oak beams incased in the stone work with 1925 concrete cantilever extensions.

Needless to say 80 years since the last major works, and the last major works involving concrete the walkways need to be replaced.

Devon County Council, the authority in charge of repairs has made two suggestions:

Option 1: Replace the Walkways exactly as is, making it stronger and essentially the bridge will look the same as it does now. Lighting would also be improved to enhance both the road and architectural lighting. (The picture is supposedly the computer generated version of what it will look like although obviously it looks like that now)

Disadvantages: According to DCC investing substantial amount of money for little change.

Option 2: Remove 1925 walkways and replace with light-weight metal walkways with metal fence sides. A wall would be built between the road and the walkway providing separation of traffic and pedestrians. The downstream walkway would be larger to accommodate cycles. This would mean the bridge would be asymmetrical.

Advantages: New cycle route, separation of pedestrian/cycles and road traffic, historic arches bought into view.

Disadvantages: Its hideous and asymmetrical, large amount of metal on a stone work bridge.

Obviously the locals are up in arms and rightly so, its only a few years after the historic Quay was rebuilt, which in the end went ok apart from the slope from the back of the Quay to the front and the trees that had to be replaced with young saplings which are never as good as mature trees.

Back on the bridge DCC favours option 2 everyone else will prefer option 1. I would actually prefer an option 3. Over the centuries the bridge has been redesigned and each generation has left its mark, so we should leave ours but not the hideous metal structure proposed in option 2.

My Option 3 is a variation of the pre 1925 bridge which had cast iron walls with semicircular alcoves for the lights and viewing. The cast iron went a lovely shade of green.

There is scope for variation, black iron work, or a half stone, half iron wall, plenty of scope for variation with alcoves and the lighting stands. The medieval arches could be bought into view simply by raising the walkways by a foot or so.

Given the strength of wind on the bridge it would be nice to see flag poles attached to the light stands to allow long flags to be put up in the summer on the down wind side. Although could be costly in flags.

Whatever happens Option 2 should be shelved as quickly as possible.

The reasons are:

  • Its asymmetrical.
  • The wind is often strong, the current wall acts as a barrier to waist height, the new fence will not, resulting in difficulties in strong winds especially for people with push chairs etc.
  • The fence and metal walkway is an insult to the natural stone of the bridge
  • The metal work is not in keeping with the rest of the stone built quay or town.
  • It is not a suitable modification given the history of modification to the bridge.
  • The public at large will not support option 2, a modern architects dream.
  • The town is the little white town not the metal town.
  • The light weight metal may be too lightweight given the exposed aspect of the bridge (Like the millenium bridge in London it would not be a good idea if the bridges flexed in a high wind).

There are more details on the DCC website for the consultation.
On the website they give you a virtual tour so you can see just how hideous option 2 is.

They are currently consulting with the public and you should email them at bidefordlongbridgeconsultation@devon.gov.uk or contact them

Bideford Bridge Consultation
Freepost RLZS-KYHC-RXCL
Devon County Council
Matford Offices
County Hall
Topsham Road
Exeter
EX2 4QW