There I was, thinking I could start winding down on the blogging for a bit before returning to the fray after the New Year, when this shit comes along: Debbonaire and Rees to be elevated to House of Lords - Martin Booth | B24/7 | 20.12.24.They’re among 30 new Labour peers being created by the prime minister, Kier Starmer.
Having watched Rees' activities closely, the only good thing to be said about this is that it illustrates how far the establishment is removed from the people. On any objective measure - Rees was the mayor that persuaded Bristol to abolish the mayoralty - you can't say he's been a success. But here they go, empowering and enriching those who will serve their agenda. It's becoming more and more difficult to avoid noticing that the current system is working against ordinary people.
But/and: I'm also seeing signs that some are falling for the 'devolution' in the hope that the new form of 'local democracy' being promoted by central government will benefit local communities. But devolution is actually about something else - concentrating more and more power into the hands of the likes of Rees and their associates. UK Column is good on this and one of my Substacks 'The trouble with mayors' highlights the global networks and interests behind them.
I suppose what I'm learning at the moment is that such news isn't worth getting hot under the collar about because it's just exposing to an ever greater audience how rigged the system is. More and more of us just can't take anything about it seriously anymore. Being made a peer has become even more meaningless to me now than ever before.
Having watched Rees' activities closely, the only good thing to be said about this is that it illustrates how far the establishment is removed from the people. On any objective measure - Rees was the mayor that persuaded Bristol to abolish the mayoralty - you can't say he's been a success. But here they go, empowering and enriching those who will serve their agenda. It's becoming more and more difficult to avoid noticing that the current system is working against ordinary people.
But/and: I'm also seeing signs that some are falling for the 'devolution' in the hope that the new form of 'local democracy' being promoted by central government will benefit local communities. But devolution is actually about something else - concentrating more and more power into the hands of the likes of Rees and their associates. UK Column is good on this and one of my Substacks 'The trouble with mayors' highlights the global networks and interests behind them.
'Devolution' is definitely going to be dealt with in a post in the not too distant future...
I suppose what I'm learning at the moment is that such news isn't worth getting hot under the collar about because it's just exposing to an ever greater audience how rigged the system is. More and more of us just can't take anything about it seriously anymore. Being made a peer has become even more meaningless to me now than ever before.