Westminstenders: A fully functioning government?

[RedToothBrush]

It's been a month since parliament voting on anything.

The staggering reality of May's premiership is that government has ceased to function. We are stuck not just on Brexit but every other issue, such is the weakness of May's authority.

It begs the question of how long this is tolerable by all sides of the Conservative Civil War?

May being unable to bring anything forward means no deal is probably as inevitable as if a hardliner was PM.

There was talk of May / Corbyn reaching a fudge to get a deal via the backdoor WAB (Withdrawal Agreement Implimentation Bill) as it was politically impossible for them to be seen doing a deal any other way. However news today is that despite pressure from the 1922 Committee to bring it forward, May has slapped just a one line whip on it, meaning it will go precisely no where.

The polling for the European elections is perhaps more favourable to Labour than they might have feared after last weeks local election disaster so the mutual interest for Corbyn to move forward in anyway has already gone. Seeing the Tories be humiliated at the ballot box is too much of a temptation.

The phrase about Shit Creek only gets more apt.

All that is happening is every member of the Tory Party is lining up to take part in a leadership contest. It's harder to think of a Tory who isn't considering standing. It's not just the likes of Johnson, Gove, Rudd and Hunt. It's also the likes of Johnny Mercer and Graham Brady queuing not so patiently.

And its getting harder to argue that May is better as PM than the possibility of a right right candidate, because of the paralysis. Though as Rudd rightly points out, such a PM who wanted to actively have no deal as a policy, would struggle to win a majority in the HoC for that all important Queens Speech vote - every bit as much as May. Unless they were to somehow decide they could abuse the power of the executive and ignore parliament - a feat May has repeatedly attempted but ultimately failed at.

All everything feels, is a massive sense of merely delaying the inevitable.

Remain? Hard to see how under any Tory. A Deal? Hard to see what it might be and how there will be a Parliamentary majority. A PV? Well that still has to get through parliament and needs to be arranged smartish. And might not resolve the Irish border issue if the vote goes 'the wrong way' A General Election? That still seems to be a distinct possibility. But with the seeming resurrection of the LDs that's one the Tories will be desperate to avoid. Not that Corbyn is likely to succeed either. And of course there is now the Spectre of the Turquoise Arrows lurking. The crushing of the purple pound notes feels a hollow and distinct success.

It feels like we are waiting for the political sky to fall in in some sort of never ending Brexit Purgotory.

The cataclysmic event will occur at some point. It has to. But for now, it feels that there is nothing but waiting and waiting to be done.

The Honda news is distressing

and 21 hours old. It's absence from headlines is noteworthy.

I suppose closing car manufacturing and steelmaking would be good for the environment, Now all we have to do is find something else to do. How about knitting (by hand of course)? Can be done at home with minimal travelling (wool and finished items can be collected and maybe the family groceries could be dropped off at the same time).
Back to the 1800's, just the job!

{Brexit makes all sectors of UK manufacturing a special target when CEOs are looking to cut capacity}
And so many large companies that were 'sold off' to other countries.

Apart from the fact that almost nobody would want to pay the genuine costs for hand made clothing this might work.
We would have to scrap the minimum wage though.

I actually wonder if the best thing for the EU to do would be to rally behind the climate change momentum and make a drastic change in regards to electric cars. I heard a R4 prog yesterday with some car industry leader saying that the only reason they don't make electric cars more affordable is because there isn't demand which seemed so counter intuitive I laughed aloud. By doing that they would be leading the way (seeing as we have a void where we could have this inspiration) and send a clear message about the likes of Koch and Farridge.

Ukip/Farridge has always been about making immigrants take the blame for the financial crisis over the bankers. Having a father who worked as a stockbroker and having done it himself I am surprised journo's haven't made more of it as his key point.

I'm still happily pointing out his anti-climate past - Prince Charles' speech to the EP is another good one (where he refused to stand and clap at the end of Charles' speech asking EU for more controls to prevent climate change). There's an interesting Independent article on his views here which is annoyingly pay walled.

{Apart from the fact that almost nobody would want to pay the genuine costs for hand made clothing this might work.
We would have to scrap the minimum wage though.}

I suspect for the 'sweatshops' in various countries it is not far off their way of life. I remember vaguely about 'posh' woolens being made in Albania or somewhere.

I heard a R4 prog yesterday with some car industry leader saying that the only reason they don't make electric cars more affordable is because there isn't demand

Missing the science about shit batteries then.

Until battery technology can make electric cars equivalent to ICE cars you are pissing in the wind. So that means a range of at least 300miles (my car will easily do 500 on a tank) and about 4-5 minutes to fill up at a fuel stop.

Alternatively - but more radically - you could work towards creating a society and infrastructure that doesn't need long car journeys to make a living. But that's harder to dole in in fat grants and subsidies, I guess.

Yes there are really simple things like actual non death risking cycling provision in towns and cities that could reduce pollution.
Ds would love to cycle to school but it is so unsafe so I wouldn't let him. Instead I drive him in our oversized US truck we were given when we arrived. This is in a US city where lots of money was spent setting up a bike scheme. But no sensible commuter cycling infrastructure was set up.

LonelyTiredandLow
There is a serious issue with 'electric' vehicles in that the infrastructure to support their widespread use is simply not there.
The electricity has to come from somewhere, be it coal, gas, nuclear or a 'renewable' source.
There needs to be sufficient network of charging points so probably most (place of employment) carparks would have to have them for an increasing number if not all parking places.
Electric is only a 'displacement' activity as it moves the pollution 'elsewhere'.
The power grid distribution in the UK (and would be similar elsewhere) could not deliver the sheer power needed to charge vehicles dotted all over the place. Thus massive recabling (lots more copper!) would be necessary. I am not suggesting it can't or shouldn't be done, but there are some serious problems to overcome if it is to be widespread.
Similarly with hydrogen power for buses etc. The hydrogen has to be 'made' somewhere, which is not a 100% efficient activity.

Yes there are really simple things like actual non death risking cycling provision in towns and cities that could reduce pollution.

every initiative I've seen to promote cycling has done it assuming everyone can cycle. So bad luck (once again) for the people stupid enough to get stuck in a wheelchair. Although I guess they could take a bus. Oh, hang on ....

There is a serious issue with 'electric' vehicles in that the infrastructure to support their widespread use is simply not there.

No, the technology to support them isn't there. All public electric car charging points are just disguised car parking. And the point of environmental policy is it should be reducing, not increasing the land reserved for motor transport.

Some might start to guess why I'm not a massive Green voter ....

{Yes there are really simple things like actual non death risking cycling provision in towns and cities that could reduce pollution.}
Many cities in the Netherlands have brilliant cycle routes that are almost totally separate from cars and pedestrians. It will have been expensive to build originally, but makes travelling cheap and easy for at least the regular short trips.

DH can't cycle and has tried and failed as an adult. No one can cycle during the worst of winter where we live. So cycling can't be the only solution but it is particularly annoying to allege you promote it by providing bikes but do nothing to actually make the roads safe enough to use. (Although the buses have really cool bike racks on the front of them)

Similarly with hydrogen power for buses etc. The hydrogen has to be 'made' somewhere, which is not a 100% efficient activity.

Hydrogen is a fucking pig to store. Because it's such a small molecule, it can seep though any seal eventually. Plus it has a really crappy energy density. In fact do you know what the best way to store and transport hydrogen is ? Bolt a few oxygen and carbon molecules on to made a decent hydrocarbon - like petrol - and do it that way.

FFS even alcohol has more energy density. Funny how that's disappeared as a fuel. Especially as you can grow it.

No one can cycle during the worst of winter where we live

You're probably not trying hard enough ...

Seriously, we were warned not to breathe outside for a few days this year 😀. I kid you not.

Seriously, we were warned not to breathe outside for a few days this year 😀. I kid you not.

Snowflakes.

Are people really bothered about only being able to do 300 miles and having to charge for 5 minutes? Surely the time to fill a tank is about 2 minutes as it is?

I really think that until we have a big change in attitude towards these things then we won't put funding into researching the solutions. Start with taking petrol/diesel off the roads and work from there. It's similar to recycling there - until people do it regularly there won't be a call for improved service/better recycling of plastics. I also agree with safe cycling routes, it's certainly why I wouldn't ride in my town for any purposeful journey. There are 'leisure paths' with little of use at either end (along a river) which are pleasant but not functional.

{No, the technology to support them isn't there}
We can manage the technology but it is fragmented into various disciplines and has not been presented to the general public in a fully structured plan.
A Sinclair C5 with a decent modern Lithium Ion battery can probably manage a reasonable range but is otherwise crap.
There is a lot of development in F1 racing with battery power, but they are OK because if they run down it is only a 1 mile walk back to the pits! It is addressing applications that are near to existing lifestyles that are the issue.
Having regulations that stipulate a vehicle must have a 'lifespan' of say 25 years or more without need for structural replacement (so using non corroding metals) and plastic parts that can be recycled completely (already done in many situations) and inherent 'repairability'.

We couldn't have as our only car one that needed recharging every 300 miles. It would be fine in the city but a disaster when trying to drive across the US. In some places trying to keep topped up with fuel is a challenge enough and we can drive for longer than 300 miles on a tank. I don't think a one size fits all solution needs to be found though so much as a patchwork of sensible options.

Are people really bothered about only being able to do 300 miles and having to charge for 5 minutes? Surely the time to fill a tank is about 2 minutes as it is?

If you want to live a decent life in the UK as things stand, then yes.

{DH can't cycle and has tried and failed as an adult.}
It's called a tricycle! Harley Davidson make some but the big engine spoils the 'environment friendly' aspect.

With electric cars, there are cost & environmental issues re disposal of the battery when the car is scrapped

I personally think this is an area the EU needs to exploit - renewable and clean energy sources and making them widespread and functional. If the whole EU was up to date on provisions, put up jobs in research and manufacturing for this as a niche you would hopefully see the end of Exxon and other big US giants holding the cards. We know they've kept advances secret and the extent of their knowledge of climate change. EU needs to be the sea-change before (if we haven't already) it tips further into politics in such a way that it has recently with Trump and Farridge. They need to be seen to be doing something remarkable and opposite that works at the same time as showing true values not xenophobic finger pointing

iirc, to fully charge an electric car takes from 30 mins to over 12 hours, depending on model

I didn't realise 5 minutes was a realistic target in the forseable futur