As we enter summer recess from Parliament and school holidays we would have hoped for long days of great weather. Not to be it would seem as the Jetstream sets below our shores meaning a constant buffeting of unsettled weather. It was a shame that the fantastic Ramsgate Carnival did not escape given the huge amount of work that goes into it across the community.
On the last full day in Parliament, as part of my long-standing membership of European Scrutiny Committee (ESCOM), we held an evidence session with the Chief Executives of Dover Port and EuroTunnel together with an official from Eurostar whose ‘border’ is at St Pancras. The topic was how these major points of entry and exit to the UK will cope with the EU’s Entry and Exit requirements and also the EU’s new ETIAS system, akin to the USA ESTA. These systems are common around the world and indeed the UK will be implementing its own in time. These operate as a pre-screening system to allow for Visa-free travel. The date of implementation keeps getting put back, but the limitations of space at both Dover and Eurotunnel are causing some head-scratching. My interest on all Kent residents’ behalf is how this might impact on our local traffic flows. Pleasingly, despite the need for all UK passports to now be examined and physically stamped, flows through the channel crossings have been quite smooth across the summer getaway.
Since my last piece, we’ve had three by-elections across the country. We performed badly in two but Boris Johnson’s old seat of Uxbridge and South Ruislip, on paper the narrowest majority of the three, confounded many with a narrow Conservative win. The new ULEZ charges at £12.50 per day, due to be implemented by Mayor Sadiq Khan at the end of August, which the Conservatives opposed, was clearly the reason for our narrow victory. Much has happened on the Net Zero front since the 2019 election. This was the first time that the true costs of many of these policies had been put to the electorate: they were rejected. There is a lesson here.
Despite outer London Councils losing their court action to stop ULEZ there is opportunity for Home County Authorities to launch their own action. Kent County Council are considering options as this charge will apply to Kent residents who enter this very wide zone. This includes many residents from South Thanet. Putting the arguments about air quality aside for a moment, flawed as they are, for those who would like a newer car and are saving for one, hitting people with a £12.50 per day charge will hardly help their savings plan. Of course, these charges are little to do with laudable goals and are seen by many as a blatant tax charge.
I’m now leading a campaign to suspend the 2030 new diesel and petrol car and van ban until at least 2035. This would lead us into concurrency with what our competitors in the US and EU are doing and would bring certainty. Under any measure we have insufficient electricity generation or charging points for a 2030 ban to be realistic in just 7 years’ time.
New North Sea gas and oil licences announced is great news for energy security and lower energy costs. New activity in the North Sea, which merely replicates what Norway has been doing for years means new jobs, investment, tax revenues and a helping hand to the UK’s perpetual balance of payments problem. We purchased £40Bn of Norwegian gas last year, and tens of £Billions of other LNG shipped gas from countries as far-flung as Australia. On the CO2 ledger this similarly makes little sense. I hope to have done my bit to restore common sense into our national energy policy.
The lesson to be learnt from the Uxbridge results is that the government seems to be more concerned with getting votes than with improving air quality and reducing serious illnesses and deaths.
Not only the government, the opposition too.
Our chocolate tea pot MP didn’t mention that Johnson’s majority of thousands was reduced to hundreds did he? And what is the European Scrutiny Committee when its at home? Perhaps they should scrutinise the fact that when we had free movement of good and services, it included free movement of EU citizens as well! Now we are subjects again, of the King, we need to queue up with all those scruffy foreigners to show our passports when entering an EU country! And while I am at it why do MP’s only work half a year, and have 2nd jobs like Mackinlay?
Craig is spot on. The CO2 costs of shipping LNG from Australia is daft as opposed to sourcing nearer to home. By the way how is that new trade deal with the Pacific Rim going? You know, that one Brexiteers were so proud of.
Hands up who remembers exhausts without catalytic converters, burning stubble and burning Oremulsion at Richborough (along with the consequent “Thanet Throat”?
The past thirty years has seen a greater reduction in home produced air pollution than ever before in human history. Anyone under the age of 40 can’t possibly remember air pollution. What there is is certainly not produced in this country.
Which began the question, “What is U.L E.Z. about?” Today the wind is gusting to at least 20mph. All the exhaust emitted in Thanet now will be halfway to the Netherlands in an hour’s time!🙄
Nice to hear Craig talking wisely about “energy security” too. Vatenfall’s offshore investments are very helpful, but also very vulnerable to attack.
Btw. I don’t drive.
Harry I grew up in the 40’s 50’sand 60’s in Bromley, and “smog” as it was called was so thick I remember having to walk in front of my younger brothers car holding a red hurricane lamp to guide us home! The lamp also had to be placed outside next to parked cars! This was down to the vast majority of people having to heat, and sometimes cook with coal!
This was also during National Service, and many men were drafted into working down the mines, instead of the armed services (not women though they didn’t do National Service after the war!) When my dad came back from the war he put me to work picking up bits of coal along railway tracks that had fallen off steam trains, because coal was rationed, and we had to collect it in a pram from a small depot near to Bromley North station, happy days, I think not!
Tens of thousands of people died as a result of Smog each year, and not just in London, it was in every town! The government brought in the “Clean Air Act” and people had to use more expensive “Smokeless” fuel, until in the 70’s central heating and double glazing became popular, but that needed gas, and oil! There is now another energy crisis, and its too late for me, but the end of world isn’t far away, unless carbon free forms of energy production are used world wide. Fossils like Mackinlay, will die out as their uses are poison!
“… but the end of world isn’t far away, unless carbon free forms of energy production are used world wide…”
being the key phrase in that.
The U.K. is 1% of global population.
The worst per capita contributors are not Briton. Nor is it Americans, Russians or Chinese. It is those in “Developing nations” who are so poor that they use dung for fuel.
Nothing we do here in the U.K. makes any difference whatsoever. Virtue signalling impoverishment of our most vulnerable in order to placate the rabid young Green Guard so remeniscent of Mao’s brainwashed thugs is no way forward. Read Jung Chang’s “Wild Swans” to find how that panned out!
This man has done nothing for Thanet, he opens his mouth and hot air comes out.
Does not live locally and has no local interest or knowledge, about time people in power live in the areas they cover and not just get paid for bad judgement and wasting tax payers money also they should all be held accountable for their decisions. Normal jobs for the likes of us are held accountable so why are they exempt for failure
Craig MacKinlay is a climate change denier and once you understand that fact, it explains his attitudes to much of modern life.
His ERG group has left this country potless,isolated and lacking direction.
The Sunak administration is seeking a foothold and is becalmed as a result.Nothing works well or properly, large corporate organisations are determined on a greedflation operation, which is as damaging to the economy as it is to the ordinary consumer. So Called regulators are on a carousel of light touch action, followed by a plum job with those they have regulated. In many ways we have become a corrupt, short sighted, and expedient society, where sticking plaster policies and insincere apologies substitute for justice and action.
I can see why conspiracy theorists are having such a field day.
Craig is one of those ‘Don’t look up’ politicians, that choose to ignore the growing catastrophe of back to back severe heat waves in southern europe, and persist in the myth that North sea gas and oil will be used in the UK. It won’t, it will be sold on the world market to the highest bidder.Getting gas from the USA by sea is more carbon emission efficient than drilling and flaring of gas,in the North Sea.
In any case,Craig, we should expand solar,wind production, and insulate our houses.These actions will produce jobs.
As for Harry, yes the wind is blowing towards Europe, but the particulates are dropping on us, and Thanet has has a serious health problem, with an ageing population, deprivation and a struggling NHS. ULEZ will cut down on those particulates and reduce carbon emissions.
Its time to scrap the old Discovery’s, Shoguns, and Transits.
It amazes me that some trades persons prefer to run around in glorified scrap heaps than invest in their own businesses!
The Tory’s struck lucky, not because of ULEZ, but because the numbskulls in the Labour Party,let it become an issue, rather than tackle it up front.
If the Outer London Boroughs had spent some of the probable £3m they spent in legal fees in subscribing to a scrappage scheme rather than playing politics,the outcome for the public might have been more optimal.
As for encouraging KCC and others to waste yet more money,on legal costs, perhaps Craig you might recall why KCC are closing nurseries,closing HWRC’s including Richborough, and why our bus services are in decline? Yes, Craig KCC is bleating about money, so perhaps suggesting that they waste yet more money on legal fees is not a great idea.
I do love constructive criticism.🤣🤣🤣
I BE HAPPY TO SEE U GET KICKED OUT OFF THE SOUTH THANET SEAT-U ARE A WASTE OFF SPACE.
On average there is only 0.039% CO2 in the atmosphere. That is, among every 2500 air-molecules there is only ONE CO2-molecule!
And as CO2 is nearly 50 % heavier then the other molecules in the air, nearly all CO2 is on the ground.
There is no effect of CO2 on the climate. The current CO2 mystery is promoted with the argument, that the molecules of the atmosphere, once they are hit by the infrared of the heat of the earth, they can ray off these infrared heat rays into space!
Only a small extent of molecules of gases transfer energy with infrared-rays, most energy is transferred by “kinetic” transmission.
There is no empirical proof that the so-called infrared emitted greenhouse gas theory is true, and there have been no fundamental experiments designed to prove or falsify the theory. All IPCC predictions of warming are based on computer models programmed by ?
All computer model programs are only as good as what & which data you choose to include to get your desired result.
Well said Axle.
The scientific illiteracy and ignorance of a fearful, gullible majority has led us to a point where facts have become irrelevant for them. Critical thinking is the greatest sin in the 21st century.
I’m not sure what you mean by “only” 0.039%. The point is that before the Industrial Revolution began, and humans started burning increasingly vast amounts of fossil fuel, there was “only” 0.028% of CO2 in the atmosphere. It’s almost doubled in 200 years. And that’s the important bit. (There’s “only” 0.05% carbon in steel, but it makes an enormous difference when compared with wrought iron, for example)
If the atmosphere was absolutely stable, then indeed heavier molecules such as CO2 would sink to ground level. But the fact that we haven’t all died of suffocation shows that this is not the case. Indeed, the winds that blow, from ground level to the Stratosphere, keep our atmosphere well churned up.
CO2 is a “Greenhouse Gas”. It allows in shorter wavelength radiation (sunshine). This heats up the ground, trees, buildings, rocks … and these re-radiate heat at a longer wavelength. And, just like the panes of glass in a greenhouse, the CO2 in the atmosphere traps this heat, leading to a global rise in air temperatures.
The IPCC doesn’t need to predict anything. Just measure the current air temperature around the world, and compare it with what it was 200 years ago.
Even the most cynical observer must have noticed the record temperatures in the UK last summer, and seen the news items about what is happening in Mediterranean countries at the moment.
What desired result do you suppose the world’s scientists want to get?
https://junkscience.com/2023/01/milloy-climate-tweet-sets-twitter-abuzz-even-musk-admits-he-is-no-believer/
There’s always one, isn’t there? And I don’t mean CO2 molecules..
A pity that’Axle’has only 0.039% of his neurons fully operational.What was I saying about conspiracy theorists?
Don’t bother to explain climate science to him as he is away with the fairies and unicorns.Craig MacKinlay and his unpleasant group are responsible for allowing the Axles of this world to prosper.
The world is burning, families are starving the NHS is in crisis, and wars are escalating – and Craig is still grinning away in front of Parliament as if he’s forgotten where he’s supposed to represent! And blames the naughty old jet stream! Sad really.
Fortunately, I am neither a scientific illiterate, nor gullible, nor ignorant.
I am fearful, though.
Fearful of where World Governments in general, and ours in particular, are taking us.
Parliament summer break, of course it is, they works so hard. Bless them.
#buildonbrownfieldbuildonmanston
Then compare temperatures and CO2 content with 500 years ago, 2000 years ago, 20,000 years ago and 200,000 years ago.
The last 200 years has seen the lowest CO2 levels in Earth’s history. CO2 is plant food. Much below 0.02% and every living thing on the planet dies.
Your orthodox scaremongering is shameful. Lovelock was correct about Gaia. Unfortunately, the lesson people took from him was to build simplistic computer models to scare children with.
The irrelevant efforts to change things by 1% of Humanity will merely leave the poorest and most vulnerable in our society at the cold, immobile and at the mercy of zealots with good health and nice warm middle class homes to go to.
CO2 levels are the highest they’ve been for over 100,000 years.
There is absolutely no doubt that current levels are due to mankind burning vast amounts of fossil fuel since the Industrial Revolution.
Or that it’s removal of billions of trees has left a surfeit of plant food.
None of this is simple.
Like I said. Impoverishing, immobilising, freezing and starving the poorest aim far us for some arbitrary, abstract middle class goal serves no Briton well.
Would you like to have another go at that? Your posting is a bit incomprehensible.
Maybe it’s not that man has burned more hydrocarbons. The other side of the equation is the flora that feed on C02.
A few days ago the UN Secretary General claimed that ‘the era of global warming has ended, the era of global boiling has arrived’, warning us of ‘unbreathable air’ and scorching temperatures. Do you really think that approving new oil and gas licenses and unnecessarily delaying the ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars until 2035 (just because that is what the EU and the US are doing) is going to help us to reach net zero by 2050? Ignoring the UN is becoming quite the habit of this far right Tory Government, and I think will probably prove to be its downfall. The illegal migration bill passed a few weeks ago, and directly contravenes the UN 1951 Refugee Convention relating to the status of refugees, which says that refugees should not be returned to a country where they face serious threats to their life and/or freedom, and which outlines the minimum standards that every country is expected to meet (spoiler: the U.K. no longer meets these standards). Do you know what this means? The Tory Govt have broken international law and are behaving no differently from the likes of Vladimir Putin. Can’t wait to see Craig voted out of office in the upcoming general election and the Tories stand trial at the ICC.
All that Mackinlay lacks is the political will to introduce policies that will enrich the lives of everyone, because he knows that he’s not going to make any extra money from it. “Bye bye my mates from Tufton Street!”
Blair in the dock first.
Along with all those who voted to attack Iraq.
Now that was real institutional murder!
Harry: no.
Fewer trees (a bad thing) would explain why CO2 levels were not falling. It would not explain why they are rising very fast since the Industrial Revolution.
Humans have been chopping down forests for 1000s of years. It is only during the past 200 that CO2 levels have risen so much.
Absolutely due the humans burning hydrocarbon fuels.
You say tomato,
I say tomato.
The acolytes focus on the last 200 years because that’s what we’ve got documentary records for. Everything else is hypothetical and speculative.
The fact is that the London I remember as a kid had walls ingrained with soot. Air full of particulates from domestic chimneys and coal fired power stations and uncatalysed exhaust emissions. All of which today’s centenarians – of which there are a greater number than at any time in history – have lived through.
“Everything else is hypothetical and speculative.”
No.
Although written records have only been kept for the past couple of centuries or so, there are a number of proxies which show what climates were like going back millions of years.
Eg: tree rings, lake and sea bed sediments, ice cores from Greenland and Antarctic ice caps, stratigraphy in sedimentary rocks.
This is hard science, not hypothetical speculation.
“.. hard science…” it is not.
Inference is the word.
Hard science is an hypothesis directly tested by experiment.
I am well aware of dendrochronology, ice cores, etc. They are indirect, not direct, documentary evidence. From which things may be inferred only.
Much the same as leptons, hadrons & black holes can be inferred from gaps in theoretical physicists’ equations.
But just because a direct measurement can’t be made doesn’t invalidate the measurement.
How far away is the Sun? How heavy is the Moon? Scientists only know because of proxy (indirect) measurements.
Or are you saying that the distance to the Sun and the mass of the Moon are just made-up and worthless figures?
Proxy data is perfectly reasonable to use when direct observations are impossible.
I take your point regarding trigonometry and celestial bodies.
I also accept that where there are anecdotal written records – such as the eruption of Krakatoa – with which to cross reference dendrochronology, and ice cores there is a significantly reliable record.
However, when we move back further beyond the realms of reliable written records the potential for error is greatly magnified. Weren’t we all taught early on in Mathematics that over reliance on extrapolation inevitably results in significant errors?
Radio carbon dating has always been imprecise at best. Recent Chinese research – no I don’t have a link – on neutrinos has rendered such reliance more dubious still. Whilst cross referencing fossilised pollen and wood and rock strata may give indications of events, to extrapolate from these and call it “hard science” is more than a little rash. Unfortunately, when dealing with ancient CO2 we only have bubbles frozen in ice. That’s one big extrapolation!
George N.
You should show some decorum, were you not taught “If you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all.”
how on earth can a government have a holiday ? but as in an earlier post i suppose they have earned the rest. hopefully they will get a long one soon
The “government” is not on holiday.
The government is The Monarch, The Council and, The Executive (of which a few are elected M.P. who are Ministers.I
Yet another exa.one of the if orange of most people with a vote. The government is a permanent entity. How could it be otherwise? Politicians are just talking heads.🙄
If you need a laugh take a look at his profile picture where he’s standing on a gunboat in camouflage gear.wtf
Cheer up readers with a bit of luck, airhead, clueless Tory MPs will be spending, more time with their families, after the General Election and we won’t have to read a load tosh about summer recess, school holidays or flipping nonsense about the weather and the jetstream.
Instead how about a bit of passion, how about a bit of empathy for those suffering the fallout from Liz Useless and Kzazy Kwarteng, and his constituents who’ve picked the up tab for government negligence, costing hundreds of pounds in additional mortgage fees and thousands lost from pension funds.
Shame on those gutless Conservative MPs, who’ve stood on the sidelines supporting a lying cheating leader followed by an inept couple of clowns who’ve apparently gone into hiding following the disappearance of Billions of pounds from Britain’s finances
It is inaccuarate to say “The new ULEZ charges at £12.50 per day, due to be implemented by Mayor Sadiq Khan at the end of August, which the Conservatives opposed”.
The ULEZ charge was established in March 2015 by a Conservative, Boris Johnson, when he was Mayor of London: https://www.london.gov.uk/press-releases/mayoral/ultra-low-emission-zone
The expansion on the ULEZ zone was activly encouraged by another Conservative, Grant Shapps as Secretary of State for Transport, in May 2020. See paragraph 12h in this letter: https://content.tfl.gov.uk/extraordinary-funding-and-financing-agreement-may-2020.pdf
Some Conservatives may have opposed ULEZ but this is disagreement within the Conservative party. Trying to blame the current Mayor of London for implementing a Conservative Party policy is a little disingenuous.
Absolutely spot on.
“Summer Recess” – this should be abandoned. It should run all year. Governance never stops and scrutiny is important. It’s also not like MPs don’t go on holiday when they like this is just a nice long holiday for many MPs even with their huge pay rise. When often they say teachers shouldn’t get pay rises because they get so much holiday!
As for Craig’s opinions. Laughable as always.
This “MP” is a joke services are a mess in thanet cannot get a doctors appointment hospital etc etc. He is absolutely the worst I’ve ever seen I cannot wait to vote this lot out.
The Big Lie!
Ritchie Sunak has said that the UK needs to issue 100s of gas and oil exploration licences in order to get security of supply.
Only 20% of UK oil is used by us. The rest is sold by the energy companies on the International markets.
All of our gas is sold on the international markets at international prices. We buy back our own gas at huge profit to the energy companies.
These companies are made up of hedge funds from countries such as UAE and China.
Prior the the Ukrainian invasion, the UK only imported 4% of Russian gas.
We’re being lead up the garden path.