A new dawn in the east?

 Keir Starmer is on a trip to China. The red carpet has been put out and there is optimism. The prime minister has taken with him a gang of company leaders and heads of cultural institutions, like The Royal Shakespeare Company and V&A museum - so the British are hoping this will all pay off handsomely. However the problem of human rights - isn’t something that can be ignored and the welfare of the Hong Kong newspaper editor and businessman Jimmy Lai, must be addressed. He is now 77 years old and not in good health. Will this visit to China by Starmer make a difference, in the short term perhaps, but longer - who can tell? 

Andy Burnham.

 The popular mayor of Manchester, Andy Burnham, has been blocked from standing as an MP. The reason given by the National Executive Committee of the Labour Party - is that it would be a ‘distraction’. In addition it was seen as a potential threat to the prime minister and leadership of the party. Unfortunately this myopic decision - makes Starmer and his cronies look weak. He is an increasingly unpopular and isolated figure for the - rank and file of the party. He may have saved his skin in the - short term, but by not having a leadership battle - will in the long term undermine his credibility. 

The way forward for Britain.

 The crisis over Greenland is a wake up call for the country and in particular for the prime minister. The era of Trump has arrived - with a crash of international agreements hitting the floor. He is an unreliable partner and we must take appropriate action, in our national interests. We should make it explicit that we want a - closer relationship with our European partners. We can start with NATO and working with other nations on - collective defence, including towards Ukraine. In addition we should seek closer economic arrangements with the EU. Not rejoining, but a pragmatic approach and relationship. We are too small to stand alone and Europe will offer some protection against on the one side America and the other China. A similar argument was set out by Andrew Marr in this week’s New Statesman. 

A bull in a china shop.

 All the noise and hullabaloo surrounding Trump at Davos is - akin to the proverbial bull in a china shop. Apparently we won’t now have the introduction of tariffs against countries like the UK and others. It’s becoming increasingly difficult to take him seriously - as he is so erratic, irrational and unpredictable. Perhaps that’s his intention - to keep everyone guessing? Whatever the purpose its destabilising the world order, but that gives him a lot of power. 

A Faustian packed.

 The Mob Mafia boss is in Davos at the World Economic Forum. The podcast by Rory Stewart and Alistair Campbell The Rest is Politics - gave an excellent insight into the motivations of Trump, regarding Greenland. He basically wants to rule the world without any restrictions or restraint on his power. The problem for many countries, including Britain is in appeasing him, only makes him more dangerous and irresponsible. Its rewards his outrageous behaviour. Can we function as an independent country without the nuclear weapons and support of America? The short answer is no. We are therefore a - vassal nation without proper independence from America. We have allowed this supine dependency to occur over many decades and going back to WW2. Moreover we can trace it back to the agreement in December 1962 at the Nassau Conference between President Kennedy and the then prime minister Harold Macmillan - about nuclear weapons and the decision that we would acquire Polaris nuclear missiles from America. From that date - we lost our freedom to act independently of America. So a Faustian Packed - was signed with the obvious disadvantages to Britain and our independence. 

Brand Beckham.

 It shouldn’t be a big surprise, that the Beckham family is dysfunctional. The parents are narcissistic and endlessly self promoting of their brand. The fact that their eldest child Brooklyn should ‘blow the whistle’ on the family saga - isn’t good PR for Brand Beckham. Apparently he isn’t interested in a reconciliation with David and Victoria - his controlling parents. I remember seeing a documentary about David and Victoria, some years ago and he explained, on camera that ‘all the drink cans in the fridge’ had to face a particular way. The family sounds a bit like the fictional - Addams TV Family (1964-1966) on steroids, in other words a - bloody nightmare. Who in their right mind would want David and Victoria as their parents? 

A mega embassy.

 The Chinese government wants to build a mega embassy opposite the Tower of London and in the old Royal Mint building. It’s causing great concern and controversy, both inside and outside government. According to media reports, MI5 have signed off on the deal. But other countries including the United States are not happy. Britain is again caught in the middle, either it alienates China or the USA - damned if you do and damned if you don’t. Some have suggested it’s a threat to national security - with having it so close to the City of London and major infrastructure. 

Well as expected today on Tuesday 20 January the Secretary of State for Housing Steve Read, agreed to the idea. The site was bought back in 2018 for £225 million. It will be the largest - of it’s kind in Europe. The Conservatives have called the decision an “act of cowardice”. No doubt the debate will continue.