How Does Levelling Up Spending Compare In London And The South East To Other Parts Of The Country?

Wales and the North West look set to most benefit from the most recent round of levelling up spending, how does this compare to other areas of the north, London and the South East following Rishi Sunak’s and Michael Gove’s announcement?

===========================================

Levelling Up was never going to be easy, even if the South was discounted completely, as there are many deprived areas in the North, but if London was discounted there are a good number of deprived areas in the South to and some even within the London area.

Many projects have over the years been announced for various areas of the North, but have many been announced and then abandoned, well I believe so.

Some years ago there was the West Coast rail line from Manchester to London and the East Coast rail line from Newcastle to London, but not much upgrade from Leeds, through Sheffield to London.

There was some time ago a proposed idea to extend the Euro Channel link to the North with a container train area in the North Midlands, but it didn’t go ahead, then there was HS2 and HS3, but now HS2 only to Birmingham and then possibly to Manchester, but not to Leeds and Sheffield. HS3 was supposed to be an East to West  from Hull to Liverpool, but not now and may only be Liverpool to Manchester, with possible upgrades to Leeds.

The road links are not much better, yes the North East has the A1, but not a full motorway. Since the M1 not much has been built to the east of the Pennines. But to the West there are many motorways, the M5 to the M6, then many around Manchester M60, M61, M65, M66.

There is the M62 from Hull through Leeds and Manchester to further West, but no new routes from Sheffield to Manchester except the old Snake and Woodhead, which in Winter are many times impassable due to snow and ice. This is until you get to Birmingham and have the M5  to the South and then the M6 north to Manchester and further North.

In the South there is the M23, M25, M42 and others.

So the East of the Pennines is so much worse off, especially North from Birmingham to Sheffield and Leeds on both rail and road.

These links or the lack of them are seriously affecting many areas North of Birmingham and certainly East of the Pennines.

All of this could be affecting investments in the North and certainly the North Midlands to the North East. This infrastructure needs to be urgently improved, as does many more instances of investment.

No matter how it is worded the North does, still, see that compared to the previous investments in the South, albeit around London, the North is so much worse off and in many respects will continue to be so.

Source: How Does Levelling Up Spending Compare In London And The South East To Other Parts Of The Country?

Government suspends NUS funding over antisemitism claims and replaces with alternative student representation

Jewish students need to have confidence this is a body that represents them, says Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi

==========================================

Unfortunately racism is still around, but I had hoped not to the extent that it had been.

It is said that the young are not as racist as some of their elders, as no one is born a racist, it is of their own chosing, but racism is wrong from whatever quarter it comes from and any surfacing of any forms of racism have to be countered.

So, it is very disappointing that racism is still, apparently abound in the NUS and in a place of learning, for it seems that appropriate learning is not being practiced.

I so hope that the NUS and any other organisations wherever they are have a zero tolerence of racism as we are all supposed to be equal and colour, ethnity, age, gender, disability  and others should be be a target for anyone to cause abuse to.

Lets all of us, please, learn to live with each other for that is the right thing to do and is respecting all of our Human Rights.

 

Source: Government suspends NUS funding over antisemitism claims and replaces with alternative student representation

How California could save up its rain to ease future droughts — instead of watching epic atmospheric river rainfall drain into the Pacific

Urban infrastructure was designed to take stormwater out to the ocean quickly. Now, California needs that precious water.

==========================================

This what is being considered in California, US, but water both too much at times and the insufficiency at many others. The effects in many countries could be different for many reasons.

What is evident is the excesses of water and the insufficiencies are both going to get worse as the years go by and in some countries the urgencies are more than others, but in every country urgent actions need to be taken.

Would what is being considered in California be possible in other countries, well that is for the countries concerned, but it is very clear that something new needs to be done in every country.

The costs would generally be a major consideration, but which is the major concern, the costs of lives or costs of actions, well what choice would yours be?

 

 

Source: How California could save up its rain to ease future droughts — instead of watching epic atmospheric river rainfall drain into the Pacific

Climate change: “Loss and damage” fund payouts could take decades, scientists warn | The BMJ

The loss and damage fund—agreed at the 27th United Nations climate change conference (COP27) to help poorer countries respond to climate disasters1—could be derailed by arguments over “contested science” and take years to pay out, scientists have warned.Speaking at the World Science Forum in Cape Town on 7 December, Roger Pielke Jr, professor in the environmental studies programme at the University of Colorado Boulder, said, “One reason rich countries were happy to sign the loss and damage framework is because there’s a little bit of a secret there: arguments over loss and damage can go on for years, for decades, before any money changes hands.”The loss and damage fund was agreed as COP27 closed, with a transitional committee expected to …

============================================

‘Climate change: “Loss and damage” fund payouts could take decades, scientists warn’, but decades we and certainly not those who will need these payouts will have decades, for in decades it will be far too late, perhaps this is what those who should be paying out are hoping for.

 

Source: Climate change: “Loss and damage” fund payouts could take decades, scientists warn | The BMJ

From antibiotics to eggs, this is the age of inconvenience. We’d better get used to it | Gaby Hinsliff | The Guardian

In Britain we’re used to getting what we want, when we want – but the supply issues that have emptied shelves are here to stay, says Guardian columnist Gaby Hinsliff

==========================================

Scarcities occur for many reason some outside our control and some not.

Panic buying can cause some scarcities but not all, Yes, Brexit has caused some and also climate change plus others.

It appears the World is not willing to do all it can to combat climate change and it may be becoming too late, if it is not already.

 

Source: From antibiotics to eggs, this is the age of inconvenience. We’d better get used to it | Gaby Hinsliff | The Guardian

Is Dominion’s $1.6bn defamation lawsuit a death blow for Murdoch and Fox News? | Rupert Murdoch | The Guardian

The media mogul and Fox Corp are being sued for allegedly broadcasting ‘lies’ about the voting machine company

===========================================

Will this be another ‘nail in the coffin’ of Murdoch and eventually Trump, one hopes so.

 

Source: Is Dominion’s $1.6bn defamation lawsuit a death blow for Murdoch and Fox News? | Rupert Murdoch | The Guardian

Charlene White and I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here’s other Black female contestants never stood a chance | The Independent

This series of ‘I’m a Celebrity’ has seen its only two Black female contestants booted from the show first – keeping alive an odd tradition that’s affected everyone from Alison Hammond to Adele Roberts. Nicole Vassell asks how long the show can choose to ignore it

============================================

I must say I am no fan of ‘I’m a Celebrity and this, apparent racist connection only makes me more so and it’s applied connotations to ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ again not a favourate programme of mine, as I an no fan of any reality programme, so the apparent coming back of ‘Big Brother’ is filling me with dread.

But, apparent racism in the reality voting is even more of a dread.

The UK is and always will be a multicultural country and in my opinion far better for it. But, racism in any form needs countered for it is an unhealthy experience, especially for persons who are non-white.

Without a strong multiculturalism the UK will fail to exist and many professions are totally reliant on non-white inclusion. The NHS for one the care profession for another and many more.

But there are many professions where racism appears to be rife and not only racism, but, also accounts of gender discrimination. One only has to look at the Police and especially the MET Police and now apparently the Fire Brigade, or is it only the London Fire Brigade, we will have to wait and see.

We import a lot from America, but their concentration on racism is one that we should not.

Unfortunately, racism will never go away, as there will always be, I hope a very small number of racists and not only in the white communities for all communities have some degree of racism in them, but the attitudes of the white population go a long way to breed racism in other cultures.

We all should be viewed and treated as equals, with race, gender, disability, sexuality and others not being countered in the way we react to each other for there are good and not so good in all areas of life and we should all embrace each other.

It makes life for everyone so much easier, especially in these dark days of ecconomic disparity for we all need each other.

Lets make the UK a great place to be for everyone and use that as an example to other countries where their way of life may not be as good.

Source: Charlene White and I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here’s other Black female contestants never stood a chance | The Independent

Family Of Man Who Waves At M6 Traffic Keen To Meet Toy Giver

It is good to see that there are still great people out there. For listening to the news, it is mostly depressing, so when good is there it is so uplifting in many ways.

Same Difference

A family said they would love to thank a lorry driver in person after he left a gift for a disabled man who likes to wave at traffic.

The toy postal lorry was left by a Royal Mail worker for Alex Chesters who he regularly saw waving at him from a bridge over the M6 near Stafford.

Mr Chesters’ father, Darren, said they have thanked the driver online but they would like to meet him.

“I don’t think he realises what a difference he’s made to Alex’s life,” he said.

View original post

The Family Of Six In A One-Bedroom Flat Due To Inaccessible Social Housing

The housing market in the UK is far from good and even more so in respect of Social housing for many reasons

1. social housing stock has, over many hyears been reduced through the ‘right to buy’ scheme where social housing tennents were given the right to buy on a much lower price than the current market value dependent on how long the family have resided in the property, but Local Authorities, (LAs) were not allowed to use the resulting income from the sale of the property to buld replacement stocks

2. UK social housing stock is generally old, so not as acceptable to conditions of today, especially with regards to accessiblity and other aspects in regards to disabilities, but also many others such as use of energy and suitability of current climates

3. lack of available funding at LAs due to, at least 10 years of austerity cuts to Government grants to LAs, plus increased costs related to COVID, in a very changing market. This is not only reflecting on social housing, but many other LA resourses such as, education, social care and many others

4. too long timescales toprovide required adjustments and alterations and adaptations

5. state of repair of much social housing as repairs have not been done, effectively, sufficiently and within required timescales, leading t many social housing properties to be in a poor state causing many areas relating to causes of very poor health of tennents residing in them

When a family needs improved and more suitable accomodation is it required immediately and not in a year or years time as to do so puts more stress, and inconvenience on alrady very stressful and inconvenienced families so adding much more to problems within their lives.

This was not satisfactory years ago and even more so now, but this Government and may previous Governments have and are being shown to behave like the ‘3 wise monkeys‘, see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil’.

This is a major crisis, in addition to all the other major crisises within the UK and should never have been allowed to occur, but mismanagement or, in reality, no management by UK Governments for more years than there should have been, out of sight, out of mind, except for those of the population who are directly concerned, but Governments who are not and never will be concerned.

Same Difference

A family of six have been living in a one-bedroom flat because the social housing they were assigned was inaccessible to their disabled child.

Seven-year-old Joel Verala uses a wheelchair and is fed by a tube due to quadriplegic cerebral palsy.

The house has three bedrooms but the family have been told the adaptations he needs could take a year.

Croydon Council said it had always informed the family the work would take “some months to complete”.

Joel’s mum, Souskay Verala, describes her son as a “happy boy” on the BBC Access All podcast.

“He likes stories read to him, he loves his siblings playing around him, as well as walks outside,” she says.

The family – Souskay, her husband and three children – were excited to be offered the three-bedroom council property in March having lived in a small flat for the previous six years.

But, though the…

View original post 888 more words

The U-shaped happiness curve is wrong: many people do not get happier as they get older

The U-shaped curve of age and happiness doesn’t stand up to scrutiny, a new study finds.

 

============================================

There are many gen eralisations which are made during the cycle of life and are any of them correct, maybe not, as in generalisations there are many variable factors. In fact happiness, you could be happy one day and not the next it all depends on who you are, what you are, where you are, state of health and many others aand at times you may not be in control of your own destiny, as many others could have effects on it as well as yourself.

Just accept what life is and maybe live for the moment.

 

Source: The U-shaped happiness curve is wrong: many people do not get happier as they get older