Dr Richard North

Ford Popular, like the horse, ideal in the snow
Winter, a disaster for some but an opportunity for others? So here we are, not even the New Year yet but the weather has brought us down. In countries with a tradition of very low temperatures there is the concept of 'cabin fever'. This affects people who stay inside from the fall of the first snow until spring and, as a result of their self imposed imprisonment, they go a bit mad. Oh dear I hear you say! Remembering that 'stay inside' is the advice of the 'authorities', of all stripes, who don't wish you to experience their ineptitude first hand. In an age of air travel a larger than ever number of UK residents have had experience of winter in countries where a lot of snow is to be expected. I have watched snow blowers at a small rural airport in Canada clear a runway in a blizzard so a mid-sized Boeing jet could take off. It was -20C and just minutes after take off the runway was again covered. The journey to and from the airport was done in a small Toyota with snow tyres and was both safe and done at a reasonable speed. By contrast we have all seen the pictures of life in the UK, even gritting lorries have gone into ditches; from the top to the bottom of the great pyramid of public servants it seems hard to find anyone able to do it right. Years ago it was deemed reasonable to suggest we have in the UK "the wrong kind of snow". Increasingly it looks as if we have, as a nation, the wrong sort of attitude and the wrong sort of public servant too.

Mi26

Spin, in the political context, is a big part of the way thing are done in the UK. Almost a month ago we wrote Spin is back . In this post we pointed out that Nulabour's helpmate-cum-spinner, Damian McBride, had his thoughts dutifully printed in the Guardian, Daily Mail, Spectator and on the BBC website, maybe other places too.

News management is one thing but a news blackout, how do they do that? Over on EU Referendum Dr Richard North has a disturbing tale to tell, see HERE.

Bouncing ball
What is going on? Rather like a bouncing ball Damian McBride is back with us. This week there have been articles about McPoison in the: Guardian, Daily Mail, Spectator and on the BBC website. Why should this be?

When it comes to bouncing this is supposed to be the sole province of our PM, Mr McEyebags. He is the one, according to the spinners, who is always just on the verge of being hailed, yet again, by a grateful nation as their saviour. This theory is flawed in that is does not explain, but admits to, the fact that the fortunes of the PM go down as well as up.

In that respect it's like the claim of the PM, ridding the nation of boom and bust, not one but both banished forever. However, all too painfully plain to see, is not only the ex-iron Chancellor, now rusty PM, still with us and flaking away merrily in the mother of all busts, but his nasty little sidekick too.