“Fuck business!” Boris Johnson is reported as saying at some point during the Brexit negotiations. He was wrong on the specifics, but probably right on the general point. Business is as business does and its agenda is seldom aligned with that of the country at large.
Nor of course was Johnson’s. But he had the advantage of having been elected. The dangerous ones are those who hide behind spurious and misleading titles such as the Institute of Economic Affairs, the Tax Payers Alliance, and other Tufton Street think-tanks and pressure groups. The influence they hold over Truss and Quasi-Kwarteng is out of all proportion to their numbers and intelligence.
One business magnate who doesn’t hide behind these faux institutions is Mark Zuckerberg, who has managed to make his corporate motto the basis of the government’s modus operandi in the UK.
“Move fast and break things” he said. Truss and Kwarteng moved very fast indeed to break the UK economy, and thus reward those hedge-fund managers who shorted the pound and provide Starmer with a lead in the polls which will not easily be overturned.
We should note, however, that - potential spoiler alert - both Kinnock and Miliband had 28 point leads and managed to lose. Starmer will be aware of this and, despite intimations at Conference that he thinks enough is enough, I suspect he will continue his policy of don’t-rock-the-boat.
Let the Tories lose it, rather than Labour win it. Move slowly and don’t break anything. Not even the Tory hegemony, with its two key elements: hard right ideology and total incompetence.
Yes, Labour will tinker with the detail. But the signs are that it will not make the fundamental changes that are necessary for sustainable growth.
Remember. Zuckerberg has re-named his empire. It is now Meta. It means two things. The first is after or beyond. The second is self-referential.
Today from the everysmith vaults: Bob’s Uk tour is imminent, but others are available. In my neighbourhood, the Hallé is performing the Shostakovich 5th Symphony, followed by the Unthanks, followed by the Cowboy Junkies. Playing today as I write is that amazing debut Cowboy Junkies album, The Trinity Sessions.
Nor of course was Johnson’s. But he had the advantage of having been elected. The dangerous ones are those who hide behind spurious and misleading titles such as the Institute of Economic Affairs, the Tax Payers Alliance, and other Tufton Street think-tanks and pressure groups. The influence they hold over Truss and Quasi-Kwarteng is out of all proportion to their numbers and intelligence.
One business magnate who doesn’t hide behind these faux institutions is Mark Zuckerberg, who has managed to make his corporate motto the basis of the government’s modus operandi in the UK.
“Move fast and break things” he said. Truss and Kwarteng moved very fast indeed to break the UK economy, and thus reward those hedge-fund managers who shorted the pound and provide Starmer with a lead in the polls which will not easily be overturned.
We should note, however, that - potential spoiler alert - both Kinnock and Miliband had 28 point leads and managed to lose. Starmer will be aware of this and, despite intimations at Conference that he thinks enough is enough, I suspect he will continue his policy of don’t-rock-the-boat.
Let the Tories lose it, rather than Labour win it. Move slowly and don’t break anything. Not even the Tory hegemony, with its two key elements: hard right ideology and total incompetence.
Yes, Labour will tinker with the detail. But the signs are that it will not make the fundamental changes that are necessary for sustainable growth.
Remember. Zuckerberg has re-named his empire. It is now Meta. It means two things. The first is after or beyond. The second is self-referential.
Today from the everysmith vaults: Bob’s Uk tour is imminent, but others are available. In my neighbourhood, the Hallé is performing the Shostakovich 5th Symphony, followed by the Unthanks, followed by the Cowboy Junkies. Playing today as I write is that amazing debut Cowboy Junkies album, The Trinity Sessions.
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