Italian economy overtakes Britain

Since my last cheery post reflecting on Britain's continued recession, yet more evidence has emerged to the extent of our economic emasculation.

First we learnt last week that the USA is now officially out of recession. That means Britain -- "best placed to weather the global economic crisis" yada yada -- is now the only major industrialized nation whose economy is still contracting. As if that wasn't bad enough, it was then reported that even Italy's economy is now bigger than Britain's.

A few years ago we would routinely hear politicians and commentators proudly talking about Britain as the fourth biggest economy in the world, behind only the USA, Japan and Germany. Well now we're just seventh. China, France and Italy have all overtaken us.

Our economy in contraction, saddled with unprecedented and growing levels of national debt, unemployment going up, our future mortgaged to the hilt... is this what the iron Chancellor meant when he talked about "prudence" and "abolishing boom and bust"? God help us.

More analysis over at the excellent "Burning Our Money" blog -- HERE.

Latest betting for the next mayor of London

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At this rate Livingstone will be looking to LBC for his pension top-up, and not to you and me. So much the better. As far as I'm concerned, he makes a far better radio presenter than he ever did mayor of London.

UK recession continues

This morning the Office for National Statistics reported a sixth consecutive contraction of UK GDP (-0.4%). That makes the current recession the longest on record. France, Germany and Japan all moved into growth three months ago, but the UK's economic woes are looking ever more like a depression.

Yes, this was a "global downturn", it started in America, and of course, Britain was "best placed to weather the global economic crisis"...."we have reduced government debt"....remember all that crap?

Yeah, well remember it next time you're in a voting booth.

BNP on QT: Labour v Free Speech

It comes as no great surprise to witness Labour's outpouring of revulsion at the prospect of Nick Griffin appearing on tonight's "Question Time". The BNP is, after all, a sore point for the Labour Party -- not because of the great ideological gulf that allegedly separates the two parties, but because many BNP supporters are working-class rank and file who are "indigenous" to Labour's heartlands: disillusioned and frustrated with the Labour government, and who wouldn't vote Conservative. It is an historical trend that the extreme right's fortunes have flourished toward the end of Labour administrations and when Labour's popularity has hit its lowest points. In other words, the BNP is well-known repository -- and suppository -- for the Labour Party protest vote. Indeed a very substantial YouGov poll carried out just prior to this summer's European elections, in which the BNP won its first ever seats, showed that nearly half of those intending to vote BNP came from traditional Labour supporting families.

One of the Labour MPs who has been most vocal in his condemnation of the BBC has been our very own Andrew Slaughter, MP for Ealing, Acton and Shepherd's Bush. Apparently Slaughter isn't such a big fan of free speech either. He says:

"I think it is just irresponsible. Cutting through the dinner party conversation about freedom of speech, the practical impact it is going to have on Muslim, black and Asian communities is reason enough not to give the BNP a platform."

So there you have it. Slaughter thinks that freedom of speech as recognized in international law, and in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, is just a load of middle-class prattle that can be summarily dispensed with when it comes to him getting his own way. That kind of authoritarian mindset will tell you a lot about Labour Party core "values", and the unremitting stream of repressive legislation they have unleashed on us over the last twelve years.

Now, to be clear, I think the BNP are just a bunch of blathering idiots and thugs who have nothing positive to contribute to British society. They don't represent a credible force in political life, their mandate is miniscule, and they shouldn't be taken seriously at all. It is their opponents -- particularly on the left, who go on (and on) about them as if they mattered, who give the BNP the publicity, the credibility and recognition they simply don't deserve. We only need look at the laughing stock that is BNP London Assembly Member Richard Barnbrook to know what happens when that party is given exposure and a platform: they have nothing to say.

If we really believe in democracy, if we really believe in freedom, then we should have the confidence to deal with extremism through democratic processes, and not have to resort to the very tactics most espoused by the extremists themselves.

Councillor Phil Taylor calls for Censorship

There were fun and games on Ealing Today's community forum last week. One upset resident is claiming that Ealing's parking enforcement is turning a blind eye to parents who park illegally at a primary school near where he lives. The resident pointed out that the local ward councillor is also a member of the school's board of governors, and has previously expressed her indifference to the residents' concerns. He asserts that her membership of the board of governors is a significant conflict of interest with her duties and responsibilities as an elected representative of that area.

Now, whether or not any of this is a credible analysis of the facts has become slightly beside the point, (for now). What was astonishing however, was Councillor Taylor's reply. It wasn't so much the pompous, preachy tone that we've now all become accustomed to, but after making his point he finishes off by writing:

"I will ask the site editor to remove your comment as I believe that it is unacceptable."

I have to say, it was very generous of Mr. Taylor to confess to this authoritarian instinct of his. Whereas most reasonable people would prefer to discuss the relative merits and truth of a comment according to evidence, and within a free and open discussion, Taylor just wants to "remove" unwelcome or inconvenient opinions without properly addressing them.

To silence people according to some dumb concept of acceptability that exists among Phil Taylor's beliefs is, quite simply, political censorship -- and nobody needs it. Happily however, it seems the site editor in this case has not found it necessary to remove the offending comment, and all is still well in the free world. There you go Phil: omniscient, ubiquitous (certainly), but not quite omnipotent...

"Around Ealing" -- October 2009

The October edition of "Around Ealing", the community magazine produced by Ealing Council, is available in pdf format here.

Another new hotel for Central Ealing

This time last month I mentioned that planning permission had been granted for a new hotel in Bond Street, in Central Ealing. Well, like the buses, you wait for ages, and then two come along at the same time!

As reported in the Ealing Gazette recently, Travelodge is planning to build a ninety-nine room hotel, complete with cafe and bar at 77 Uxbridge Road, previously the offices of Prince Evans solicitors. No expected date of completion was noted.

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