vivweb01

Editors note: I first compiled this blog in late 2022 in the aftermath of  the ignominious fall of 'Trussonomics' and before the advent of AI. Many of the ideas are still very relevant today, so a revisit with recent developments in mind at a time when AI is really starting to affect our workplaces is probably appropriate.... Introduction This has been a momentous couple of months all told, with more than the usual quota of economic and political U-turns, a new war in the middle east, and probably more to come that we don't yet know about. The ‘new’ Labour regime’s primary task after taking office in 2024, was to act on their manifesto promise of 'restoring some sense of stability' and preventing the economic meltdown which they claim beckoned…. Did this actually happen ? I'll let the reader answer that particular question themselves...and give their verdict on it at the ballot box in May (if called to do so this year!). But whatever regime is in charge, w...

  A midst all the discussion about the perils of global warming, there has been no mention recently of when we might expect the start of the next Ice-Age.... This was a topic that hit the headlines some years ago and was all the rage for a year or two before fading into obscurity. It is probably no coincidence that this media fade-out coincided with the increased coverage in the media about global warming and its wider implications for our future well-being. But should we be so quick to dismiss the possibility of  a much cooler future ? There is now no doubt that our global climate is warming – and doing so quite rapidly. There is also little doubt that our large-scale release of greenhouse gases since the dawn of the industrial era in the early 1800s will have contributed significantly to this process. However, despite the views of some environmentalists, our planet's atmosphere is a chaotic and unpredictable beast, and the jury is still out on whether ‘man-made’ clim...

I first published this mini-review in July 2022 - and a lot of water has passed under the bridge since then, with a new and highly unpopular government in place and already faltering.  The employment situation has worsened significantly since then due to the NI surcharges leveled by Reeves on Business in October 2024 and the follow-up tightening of labour legislation, substantial rises in the minimum wage and large hikes in Business Rates in 2025.  These tax-raising measures have already hit private industry hard, with many SMEs, particularly in the enterteinment and hospitality sectors already forced out of business. I've recently updated it to reflect recent developments and the prospects for our economic recovery, which are pretty dire, given Reeves' attacks on our only wealth-creating sector . There has been little or no progress on addressing our low productivity and high benefits-dependency amongst the working age population. Unemployment has now started to raise its ugl...