Monthly Archives: October 2014

Red-Tape fire-starter Francis Maude helped made UKIP chair Steve Crowther a millionaire

Posted on October 31, 2014 by Miles King

As I wrote previously, I thought that Steve Crowther, UKIP’s machiavellian chairman, had made a fortune in the world of Ad agencies and marketing. He co-founded a company called April Six in 2000 and then sold it to The Mission … Continue reading →

Posted in deregulation, Think Tanks, UKIP | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

UKIP Chairman Steve Crowther – Master of Spin, and lover of Sharks?

Posted on October 29, 2014 by Miles King

UKIP chairman and North Devonian Steve Crowther was heavily involved in campaigning against a windfarm out in the Bristol Channel, and worked with the local CPRE group, as I described in a previous blog. At that time I had singularly … Continue reading →

Posted in the far right, Tory Party, UKIP, Uncategorized | Tagged , | 12 Comments

You forgot to show us the Astroturf Beefy

Posted on October 26, 2014 by Miles King

I don’t know whether UKIP has successfully put some psychotropic chemical in the water supply, but the bizarre stories seem to just keep on coming at the moment. The latest is the launch of a “network” – how do you … Continue reading →

Posted in anti conservation rhetoric, anti-environmental rhetoric, Astroturfing, blood sports, Charities campaigning, Charities Commission, corporate lobbying, RSPB, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | 6 Comments

Forget Gross Domestic Product, we need to measure Gross Natural Product

Posted on October 23, 2014 by Miles King

        Trading Floor at The New York Stock Exchange 1963   We have now had four and a half years of austerity, of seeing our public services, and more widely, the public realm in Britain being cut … Continue reading →

Posted in economics, neoliberalism, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | 4 Comments

UKIP’s Roger Helmer ventures into supporting renewable energy, and gets it all wrong.

Posted on October 18, 2014 by Miles King

      More UKIP bonkersness. Roger Helmer has now decided he supports renewable energy, but only if it is bioethanol distilled from wheat. This appears to be because he doesn’t want a bioethanol distillery built in Stocton (sic) on … Continue reading →

Posted in biofuels, renewable energy, UKIP | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

Lib Dems continue to haemhorrhage voters to left and right

Posted on October 18, 2014 by Miles King

More on that Lib Dem – UKIP connection. The most recent YouGov poll shows the libdems on 8%, with UKIP on 18% and the Greens on 7%. It’s worth noting that of those who voted LD in 2010, only 32% … Continue reading →

Posted in General Election 2015 | Tagged , , , | 5 Comments

The Changing Politics of British Landscapes

Posted on October 17, 2014 by Miles King

          It’s fair to say that UKIP’s environmental policies, especially those involving any deep thought or reflection, are hard to find anything other than a little bit silly. And this sense isn’t helped by the antics … Continue reading →

Posted in brownfield, landscape, the far right, UKIP, wind farms | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Owen Paterson calls for the use of nuclear submarines to power the UK

Posted on October 11, 2014 by Miles King

        Owen Paterson wants the UK to run on electricity from Nuclear Submarines Owen Paterson is a bit of a submarine himself these days. He goes under, for weeks at a time, then pops up, fires off … Continue reading →

Posted in climate change, Denialists, Global Warming Policy Foundation, Matt Ridley, neoliberalism, Owen Paterson | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Thought Spending Cuts were to reduce Public Debt? Think again

Posted on October 10, 2014 by Miles King

Last week David Cameron told the Tory Conference that under the Coalition the country was “paying down its debt.” This, after all, we are told is the reason why we have had to endure: The worst cuts in public services … Continue reading →

Posted in David Cameron, public debt, spending cuts, Tory Party, UKIP | Tagged , | 3 Comments

Will “The Usual Suspects” fund Owen Paterson’s new Dummy Tank UK/2020?

Posted on October 6, 2014 by Miles King

      a dummy tank Two and a half years ago I wrote about the Art of Deception, and Operation Fortitude, where inflatable tanks were used to fool the Germans into thinking that D-Day would be an invasion of … Continue reading →

Posted in anti-environmental rhetoric, Astroturfing, corporate lobbying, deregulation, Neoconoids, neoliberalism, Owen Paterson, Think Tanks, UKIP | Tagged , , | 2 Comments