Posts

MoD defence intelligence update 16th March 2024

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Saturday music spot: Henry Purcell's Rondeau from Abdelazer (Z570)

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MoD Defence intelligence update 15h March 2024

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Music to start the weekend: Vivaldi's Concerto for 4 violins in B minor

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Thursday music spot: "My Heart is Inditing" by Handel, HWV 261

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MoD Defence intelligence update 14th March 2024

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Growth figures for January

This post is about initial and provisional GDP growth figures. For the avoidance of doubt, it refers to absolute GDP in real terms after adjusting for inflation, not GDP per head. Initial figures released yesterday suggest that the economy returned to growth in January, and grew by more than it contracted in December. You can find these initial figures at: GDP monthly estimate, UK - Office for National Statistics (ons.gov.uk) The initial figures show that the economy grew in January 2024, with GDP up 0.2 per cent and that our services industry and construction services are growing.  I was going to call this post "UK economy returns to growth" but actually it should not be taken for granted that the slight negative growth initially reported at the end of last year actually happened.  As I have explained in previous posts on the dangers of building strong narratives from weak data, which you can find here , here and here , initial GDP growth figures tend to be revised. In the

Quote of the day 14th March 2024

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MoD defence intelligence update 13th march 2024

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Midweek music spot: Mendelssohn's Hebrides Overture (Fingal's Cave)

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Cleaning up Britain's waterways

This week the government   announced plans for water companies to invest over £180 million to prevent sewage spills across the country ,  driving the largest infrastructure investment in water company history, as we stick to the plan to tackle pollution and clean up British waters.  The amount of sewage being spilled into our rivers is completely unacceptable - and whilst we have taken tough action to tackle this, there is more to do. That is why we have announced plans for water companies to fast-track investment of £180 million to stop more than 8,000 sewage spills over the next year. This funding will be invested in AI systems to help manage storm loads, the installation of thousands of new in-sewer monitors to check flow and spot blockages early, and the recruitment and training of specialist staff. Whilst Labour and the Liberal Democrats continue to snipe on the sidelines, we are sticking to the plan to tackle pollution and clean up British waters by protecting and strengthening o

Quote of the day 13th March 2024

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MoD Defence intelligence update 12th March 2024

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Tuesday music spot: "The Final Countdown"

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"The final countdown" sung by the band Europe, with a visual track of scenes from the Battle of Geonisis from Star Wars Episode II, "Attack of the Clones." This is the battle which made all Star Wars fans at the time think "Oh, that's why Obi-Wan Kenobi thinks Storm Troopers can shoot straight." Near the start of the original Star Wars film, "Episode IV, A New Hope," Obi-Wan refers to  Imperial Stormtroopers shooting accurately. This line was ridiculed by fans because for the rest of that film and the original trilogy, Stormtroopers were notorious for being unable to shoot straight when firing at the heroes (e.g. characters with "plot armour" who cannot die if the story is to make sense.)  My son fell about laughing while we were watching "The Mandalorian" when the character Mayfield, who is an Imperial army veteran and a sniper, reacts defensively to a joke about whether an Imperial soldier could be a good shot, and says

Protecting the Muslim community

I have previously written about the measures the government has taken to protect Britain's Jewish citizens. Just as there is a totally unacceptable rise in hate incidents against Jewish people  there is also an alarming rise in equally unacceptable hate incidents against Britain's Muslim citizens. This week the government set out plans to protect our Muslim communities. The Conservative government is investing over £100 million to protect Muslim schools, community centres and mosques as we stick with the plan in standing against hate crimes, abuse, threats, and harassment against British Muslims. Anti-Muslim hatred has absolutely no place in our society and the rising number of hate attacks against British Muslims is very worrying. That is why we are investing £117 million over the next four years in new security measures, including alarms, fences, and CCTV cameras to protect Muslim schools, community centres and mosques.  This is an increase of £4.9 million in funding for the

More people in work, wages rising faster than inflation

It has been a long hard slog recovering from the damage done to the world economy by the pandemic, but the British economy is starting to turn the corner. New jobs figures show there are over 4.1 million more people in work since 2010 , showing our plan is working as we drive down inflation and grow the economy. Key statistics :  Employment: There are almost 33.2 million people in work in the UK (up 76,000 over the last year and up by over 4.1 million since 2010). Employment rate: Near record highs at 75 per cent (up by 4.8 points since 2010). Unemployment: There are 1.3 million people in unemployment (down by over 1.1 million since 2010). Unemployment rate: The unemployment rate is 3.9 per cent (down by 4 points since 2010) – near record lows. Wages: Regular pay is continuing to grow and outpace inflation (up 6.1 per cent in November 2023 to January 2024). Youth unemployment: There are 437,000 fewer unemployed young people since 2010.  Other good news:: There are 30.4 million people i

Reforming electricity markets

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Today, the Energy Secretary set out the Conservatives'   plan to deliver more gas power stations as part of our sustainable transition to net zero , as we stick to the plan to ensure proportionate and pragmatic transition, keeping bills down for families. The UK is the first major economy to cut its emissions by half since 1990, showing our plan is working. We must stick to the plan as we deliver net zero in a sustainable way without increasing costs for hardworking families. That is why we will set out our plan to support the building of new gas power stations to maintain energy supplies for when the sun doesn’t shine and the wind doesn’t blow. The choice is clear: stick with the plan that is working under Rishi Sunak and the Conservatives who will deliver a brighter and more sustainable future for the country, or go back to square one with Sir Keir Starmer and Labour who will just drive up bills for families with their 2030 decarbonisation promise which they themselves originally

Quote of the day 12th March 2024

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"Anti-Muslim hatred has absolutely no place in our society." Prime Minister Rishi Sunak , message to community leaders on a visit to London Central Mosque, where he announced £117 million in new security measures to protect Muslim schools, centres and mosques across the country.

MoD Defence intelligence update 11th March 2024

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Ramadan Mubarak

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Wishing a happy and blessed Ramadan to Muslims in the UK and around the world 

MoD Defence intelligence update 10th March 2024

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A Mothering Sunday prayer

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Below is a picture of the candle which I lit in St James's Church after the service this morning.  Prayed on this Mothering Sunday for all mothers everywhere and especially those on both sides affected by Putin's illegal, devastating and bloody invasion of Ukraine and by the almost equally bloody war in the Middle East.

Quote of the day for Mother's Day 2024

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MoD update 9th March 2024 part 2: latest intelligence on the Russian invasion of Ukraine

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MoD update 9th march part one - freedom of the seas

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Saturday music spot: The Pink Panther Theme Music

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MoD defence intelligence bulletin 8th March 2024

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Music to start the weekend: "The King Shall Rejoice," by Handel HWV 260

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Quote of the day 8th March 2024

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