UK Inflation falls to 2%

So after being told we were going to have a triple dip recession it turns out we didn't even have a double dip.

After being told we would lose our AAA credit rating we were marked down by only one of the three agencies.

And now after being told that we would have unrestrained inflation we have - Inflation back to the 2% target.

Now obviously I wouldn't expect  Labour at any time to actually admit to being wrong, wrong and wrong but at least the economy is on the mend.

I guess at least they can still talk about the cost of living crisis and pretend that prices today would be the same as in 2010 had they stayed in power - of course I am not sure quite how this claim works as prices were going up at quite a rate before 2010 but at least this is one of Labour's claim which can't be shown up as scaremongering.

p.s. I hadn't planned on this being an anti-labour post more about the good news for the economy, the trouble is that pointing out Labour lies is just too much fun (and quite easy)

Labour's Scortched Earth Policy, The Police and Thailand

I am off to Weston-Super-Mere today for a meeting regarding a new database and so have had plenty of time to look through the paper (Metro on this occasion) and a couple of stories leaped out at me.

First, there is a story about civil servants having their bonuses stopped, in fact it states that only the best performing 25% will get a bonus, surely this is right, as if you are under performing why would you get a Bonus? Whilst I think perhaps just the top 25% may be a bit tough after all I am sure the people in the 26th percentile are probably still doing a good job, we are in unprecedented debt levels so it will take some pain for all to get us out of it.

It was also pointed out that Labour rushed to sign off 14Billion of contracts leading up to the election including 420Million on new schools, 13Billion on a tanker aircraft programme and 600Million on a computer contract. One former advisor to the old government is quoted as saying "The atmosphere was pull up the railways, burn the grain stores, leave nothing for the tories." - is this governing in the public good? Anyone involved in this kind of destructive, malignant government should be barred for ever holding public office again.

Second story to grab my attention is about Police to civilian ratio. The Chairman of the Police Federation, Paul McKeever has said that the increase in the percentage between Police and civilian staff can lead to danger to public safety. Now I have to declare that I am not neutral in this debate as my brother is a police officer as were my father and uncle before him. I am therefore quite pro police officer, however I do feel that we use far too many police officers in far too many back office positions. My personal view is that I would like to see all non-command office positions filled with civil servants and all officers out on the street replacing PCSO's (not that I think pcso's do a bad job, I have met many as a councillor and found them all very competent.) But why should a fully trained warranted PC be stuck in an office filling out paperwork for more than half their shift?

Finally I was upset to see that the death toll in Thailand has increased to 30 with 232 injured after another day of violence, in what is a mostly ignored topic. There are around 5000 supporters of the former Thai prime minister in a camp in Bangkok who have been advised to leave as the government troops have stated they will escalate their response. With over 200 of them already shot by the armed services I can't even imagine what the week will bring for them.