Hopes Aren’t ‘Stratospheric’, They Are Unreasonable And Unachievable

The Green party members in Bournemouth at the weekend were, largely, exuberant. More than one person I spoke to used the word “joyful”. “The energy is amazing,” said Jean Lambert, the former London MEP. “It’s exceeded my expectations,” said the new leader, Zack Polanski. “Even the most unfriendly journalist can’t find anyone that isn’t fired up and ready to go.”

The fawning over this snakeoil salesman - dubbed 'Hypnotits' on Twitter -  has been astonishing to see. If they'd had social media accounts back in 1978 in Guyana when Jim Jones was getting his Messiah shtick on, it'd have looked a lot like this. 

Can't help but wonder if it's going to end up as disastrously.

Polanski himself contributed to this feeling. He has a talent for expressing members’ views clearly and without fearing how the rightwing press might respond.

Where once there was a nervousness about defending controversial but internally popular policies such as drug decriminalisation or denouncing Israeli “apartheid”, the party has now abandoned this caution – and members love it.

Yes, no doubt nutters applaud policy statements from those even madder than they are! 

Partly, it comes from the feeling of moving in the right direction in other ways, too. Many members have long been concerned about the party being overly white. While that’s still true, there were, as party chief executive, Harriet Lamb, said to me, “more global majority Greens at this conference than ever before”.

‘We’ve attracted even more loons this year, go us!’ 

What’s also important is that, for many members, the last few annual conferences have been – as more than one person said – “horrible”, marred by transphobic behaviour.

Translation: Psople who don’t believe men can become women simply by claiming that’s what they are. 

But, mostly, the party was focused on steering activist energy into winning new seats: it’s now confident of getting at least one Welsh Senedd member in May, and aiming for two. London’s local elections will be a big focus. And it’s hoping to win mayoralties in Hackney, Norfolk and Suffolk, and Sussex and Brighton – in the latter two, against Reform – in the latter, Millward herself is the candidate.

It remains to be seen whether enough people have come to their senses by then. As the old Chinese curse puts it, we sure are living in interesting times. 

The risk now for Polanski is that expectations are stratospheric.

Not the word I'd have chosen... 

We Do, Simon, We Do....

...and look at the result! When David Lammy opens his mouth, his brain falls out and lies quivering on the desk. And yet he's now Foreign Secretary!  

And as for Diane Abbott, if she has one brain cell, it's very lonely. 

The Commons is reluctant to reform itself, but it badly needs it. Now we supposedly know who the next government will be, voters, at least in marginal seats, should select their MPs as individuals, not loyal party members. They should judge them for intelligence, radicalism and independence – qualities likely to be in very short supply.

Indeed so. So perhaps if people no longer vote tribally, and actually read up on the candidates in front of them, we'll see an improvement in quality? 

It's a nice thought.  

A Different Sort Of Activist Infiltration...

We're used to trans cultists and Islamists, now that other scourge of modern life has decided to worm its way into the ranks of the decision makers:

A widower has today claimed a cycling lobby in Government tried to stop his seven-year battle for tougher penalties for killer riders. It comes after the House of Commons backed an amendment this week to create three new offences for dangerous cyclists — 'causing serious injury by dangerous cycling' and 'causing death by careless or inconsiderate cycling'. Campaigner Matt Briggs, 53, raised a glass to his late wife Kim upon news of the victory last Thursday, telling MailOnline it would hopefully give authorities a 'clear process to prosecution'.

They have such a process in other crimes and often drop the ball, so don't expect this to be any different... 

Kim sustained catastrophic head injuries after being hit by Charlie Alliston who was riding a fixed-gear bike with no front brakes at 18mph in Old Street, east London in 2016. She died a week later in hospital, aged just 44. Now, Mr Briggs has said one of the biggest setbacks to his campaign was 'forces' in Government that did not want cyclists to be held legally to account in the same way motorists are.

Can't be Boris, can it?  

Speaking to The Telegraph, Mr Briggs said he'd 'occasionally felt like giving up', after the former transport secretary Grant Shapps stated twice that new laws would be introduced but they never materialised. 'I was brought up to believe that when people in authority say something is going to happen, it does,' Mr Briggs told the newspaper.

*boggle* 

Then The Civil Service Should Pay

The science secretary, Michelle Donelan, received government advice before she tweeted a letter in which she accused an academic of supporting Hamas, Downing Street has said. No 10 refused to say what advice officials had given her and whether she actually followed it, but insisted she had “acted in line with established precedent”.

Lame response - find out! Signed, a bill payer. 

Kate Sang, a professor at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, sued Donelan for libel after the minister published a letter to UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) in October urging it to cut links with her and another academic, Dr Kamna Patel of University College London. Donelan expressed her “disgust and outrage” at their appointment to an expert advisory group to Research England on equality, diversity and inclusion. However, in a statement posted to X on Tuesday, Donelan admitted she was wrong and had misunderstood the social media posts. The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) later said it had paid £15,000 to settle the case without admitting liability, out of public funds.

Take it out of the civil service budget. She cleared it with them.  

On Thursday evening it was reported that Donelan’s letter was cleared by her department’s legal team. Politico said civil servants had flagged concerns during the drafting of the letter – to which numerous people, including top officials, contributed – but that the legal team had decided the position was solid.

Not that that stops Labour idiots grandstanding: 

The shadow leader of the Commons, Lucy Powell, asked whether Donelan had followed “appropriate advice” that was given to her, or had gone against it. “Because if [she went against it], then surely she should personally pay the costs,” Powell told MPs.

The person responsible for clearing it should pay. Not me and you, eh, Reader? 

The More I Hear From Her, The More I Like Her...

Kemi Badenoch has suggested electric vehicle mandates could hamper investment in Britain and lead to job losses, in a sign that another of the government’s green pledges is in doubt.

Don't just suggest it, though, Kemi. State it. Because it's true. 

The zero-emissions vehicle mandate is part of a series of rules to phase out petrol and diesel engine cars in an attempt to reach the government’s legal target of making the UK a net zero carbon emitter by 2050. The UK ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars is due in 2030.

However, there are widespread concerns over whether Britain has adequate infrastructure and capacity for the growth of electric vehicles.

And who says that? Some petrolhead determined not to give up his polluting vehi...

Oh. 

Last weekend, the prime minister ordered a review of low-traffic neighbourhoods (LTNs). It is unknown whether the plan is to seek the removal of all LTNs, even those that have been in place for long periods, or only those installed since 2020 when Boris Johnson’s government provided £200m for more to be created.

It doesn't really matter what his plan is. We all know what it is. Not enough.

And if he doesn't realise that soon, he'll find someone else doing his job instead...