Quicken

OK, the logic of Boris defenders is that these aides quitting is actually him taking charge and cleaning up the number 10 culture. Judge, jury, execution. Hold on a second though. Aren't these same people saying everyone needs to wait for the results of the police enquiry, and maybe the publication of the full gray report, before passing any judgement on Johnson. I trust these former aides are going to be extra-cooperative with the police enquiry.

Battle lines being drawn. Understandably, the unions are less than impressed, but the treasury steps right in with support: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-60252340 So much going on. The NI hike feels really poll-tax like, hitting in the middle of soaring energy prices and general inflation. Meanwhile, the energy bill rebate is basically making everyone go Klarna on their bills - nice can kicking. And then you have multi-millionaire elites telling the little people not to ask for pay rises. He might as well have said plebs or proles.

No kidding. Just read this article on the BBC: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-60206564 "Mr Bailey said that while it would be "painful" for workers to accept that prices would rise faster than their wages, he added that some "moderation of wage rises" was needed to prevent inflation becoming entrenched. Mr Bailey said: "In the sense of saying, we do need to see a moderation of wage rises, now that's painful. I don't want to in any sense sugar that, it is painful. But we need to see that in order to get through this problem more quickly." In the year from 1 March 2020, Mr Bailey was paid £575,538 including pension." All in it together, Andy?

Knock me over with a feather. I think he'd like to see interest rate rises banned permanently.

£290m in consequentials to spend. Live thread on the BBC here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/uk-scotland-60229188

Of course the Council Tax measures only apply in England, so it's over to the devolved administrations to see what they do now. This from Sturgeon:

Yes, a surprisingly progressive move there. Of course those pensioners will not be subject to the NI hike. Win some, lose some.

Same day as the interest rate hike announcement, which I thought was interesting...

https://www.theguardian.com/money/2022/feb/02/energy-bills-rise-ofgem-price-cap I wonder what wheeze the government will come up with here, and who the winners and losers will be.

No no. I meant I'd been sharing it after you did here. Made me chuckle, thanks.

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/feb/02/flowers-arriving-month-early-uk-climate-heats-up-bloom-insects-birds

Thanks for the Beastie Boys video Chunketh. I've been sharing that.

Two thirds of people want tax increase to pay for health and social care, according to new poll Yes, but not this tax increase. Most think 'the rich' are someone else even if they have a top 1% salary or top 1% wealth.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-60218870 The PM's official spokesman would said he would not "speculate" on whether Mr Johnson and any staff found by the Met to have broken Covid rules would be named by the government. But, at a later briefing, journalists were told: "Obviously we are aware of the significant public interest. with regards to the prime minister, and we would always look to provide what updates we can on him specifically. But beyond that I can't get into individuals." Asked if that "hypothetically", should Mr Johnson be fined, No 10 would make this public, the spokesman replied: "Hypothetically, yes."

It's the total cost of employing someone that matters to a business. The headline wage is just a component of that. In aggregate this will mean fewer jobs, lower pay or lower profits. Or all of the above.

Everyone still seems to be quoting 1.25%. Why is it so hard to see that it is double that? 2.5% folks.

Nope. It's 2.5%. Employer and employee.

"Manifesto pledges are not subject to legitimate expectation"

It's the Poll tax of this generation. 2.5% income tax rise on the squeezed middle in the midst of the first bout of real inflation in a generation. Ouch

In full? Probably just after we achieve carbon neutrality.

True but the public also thinks that he knows where the skeletons were buried, figuratively speaking.

Hence the bridge to NI idea. Probably wanted a triumphal arch for that one.

Yes. It'll hasten the end of this government, and possibly the uk.

One word - Incorporation

There is supposed to be a next generation of PEVs coming by 2025 that will be cheaper. See e.g. the Tesla Compact Electric Car, VW id.1 and id.2, etc. The cheaper end of the market will never have the range champions though. Personally, I'm keen to explore the PV-assisted models, which can get longer range with smaller batteries and lower weight (see e.g. Lightyear, Aptera, and Sono).