Author Archives: WR_admin

Gearing Up

Surveyoris the magazine for highways and transport professionals.  This month’s issue is headlined ‘Return of the Regions’ and opens to reveal an editorial by Dominic Browne, and more besides.  The editorial starts as follows:“In January of this year the Department for Transport (DfT) launched a small (by government standards) pilot competition for local authorities toContinueContinue reading “Gearing Up”

Unenlightening Europe

Quelle surprise!  As we noted in September, France was an easy target for terror.  So, ten days on from the Paris attacks, how’s the reaction unfolding?Canadian blogger Vlad Tepes sums up the polarisation:“The most important thing you can do when people you don’t know are murdered by Muslims in an act designed to promote theContinueContinue reading “Unenlightening Europe”

Mercia on the Move?

Yesterday our President and Secretary-General travelled to Stafford to attend a meeting of the Acting Witan of Mercia. The Acting Witan arose out of a group called the Mercia Movement, who researched and published as The Mercia Manifestotheir vision of an autonomous and sustainable bioregion in the English Midlands.  In 2001 this led to theContinueContinue reading “Mercia on the Move?”

Letting London Go

Wastemonster has often voted for evil.  And now for EVEL – English Votes for English Laws.  Quite right too, as far as that goes.  Which is not very far.  The Daily Express, predictably, took it way too far, with a blustering piece by Leo McKinstry today about the great, tax-oppressed nation of England, paying forContinueContinue reading “Letting London Go”

History Made Here

G K Chesterton is often misquoted as saying that those who argue that ‘you can’t put the clock back’ obviously know nothing about clocks.  It’s near enough to what he did write – that time only moves forwards but principles needn’t – to let stand.  What’s more, we’re seeing plenty of evidence of it justContinueContinue reading “History Made Here”

Wrapped in Golden Chains

“There’s been a lot of pressure to highlight human rights abuses but the Chinese haven’t mentioned the DWP once.” Tory Comedians on Facebook Questioned in London this week on his country’s human rights record, Xi Jinping responded with the kind of explanation that would have appealed to Deng Xiaoping back in the 80s.  Something alongContinueContinue reading “Wrapped in Golden Chains”

Izzy, Whizzy, Let’s Get Bizzy

Or maybe ‘Ozzy, Wheezy’.  What is the sound of one hand clapping?  George Osborne ought to know, following his announcement this week that business rates will be ‘devolved’ to local councils, along with the one-directional power to lower them.  Osborne’s understanding of devolution is that it’s that degree of autonomy that allows others to takeContinueContinue reading “Izzy, Whizzy, Let’s Get Bizzy”

Pass It On

Nowadays, the Conservatives have a tree as their emblem, symbolic of the countless trees to be felled thanks to them and their allies (Labour, FibDem, even Green) as the urbanisation of England rolls onwards.  The emblem used to be a flaming torch, the same symbol that used to warn motorists of a school ahead, beforeContinueContinue reading “Pass It On”

All Washed Up

Andrew Parker, the head of MI5, told BBC Radio 4 listeners today that the service could do with new surveillance powers to tackle the terrorist threat.  That’s hardly surprising, according to the cynical view that you never let a good crisis go to waste.  If necessary, you create one.  We face a toxic combination.  OnContinueContinue reading “All Washed Up”