Potholes.

I don't think this is true, while there would have to be quite a change in the way things are done and run there's enough fertile land in the UK still to grow our own food. It's just that, at the moment, overseas producers can sell us food far more cheaply than we can produce it ourselves, so we don't.

I suspect we'd have to wipe out any other species who might want to get some use from the land. Who needs 'em anyway? Parasites, the lot of them.

I think, and I know you didn't say this, that the idea that we are not overpopulated is simply innumerate. I don't have a solution.

It's true that many types of food can be imported at a lower price (and plenty of things that just don't grow here).

On the other hand, during 1939 to 1945 we had a very powerful incentive to grow enough food to feed the population (ditto 1914 to 1918). We couldn't.

Worcester County Council is Reform-led and is increasing its part of council tax by 9% though. Somehow I don't think the extra money will be spent on fixing potholes, but will disappear into that black hole called adult social services and the relentless increase in 'SEND' provision.

Well it is, and it isn't. The problem is that people think this stuff can be planned and managed.

The world is a chaotic system and does the unexpected all the time. Who would have thought that the only alternative to a bunch of political grifters, would be a complete tosser who would dump on his allies, go out and attack Iran and then complain that they didn't come and help?

As long as trade routes, geographical and social differences, exist, importing food is just 'what one does' in a developed country.

Same as exporting tech of one sort or another. Or services.

Hey ho. We will adapt as we must... and people will welcome change, and rail against change.

Reform will save Britain. Reform will destroy Britain. Reform wont make any difference to anything.

Pick your stance...and shout away.

We made considerable improvements though. With more time I think it would have been possible and productivity of land is much better now. It wouldn't be easy and it would take many years and changes to our lifestyle but I'm pretty sure it would be possible,

And that was to a much smaller population.

Most of the land we have that isn't covered on houses is covered on crops if it can be. And needs imported fertiliser to grow stuff on. The rest is too hilly and thin-soiled to be good for anything except sheep and goats

Yes, just over half what it is now.

There finally seems to be some realisation that the system is creating perverse incentives to be diagnosed with adhd/autism ...

Interesting obituary in the Torygraph today for Billy Mumford who was a prolific art forger, he did time for it.

When he was at school, a teacher told his German Jewish refugee mother who had poor English that he showed signs of being autistic.

So she saved up and bought him brushes, paint etc.

car damage probably matches around 80% of my total councils tax. Think about that...

I'd go for that, say 12 constituencies voting a week with a fixed term of maybe 4 years and 21 weeks so the polling date roughly alternates seasonally and slowly moves through the seasons. A sort of Finite Impulse Response filter if you like.

And everybody has two votes, one positive one negative. You can use neither, either or both, so you retain the simplicity (and ballot papers, use O or X) of FPTP but with a little PR added.

Might need updating - ' . . . that gets significantly richer'?

In message <C4l* snipped-for-privacy@news.chiark.greenend.org.uk>, at 21:30:20 on Thu,

I've noticed a definite trend for local politicians to claim (if elected) they can fix things which are the responsibility of a different layer of government. It's unclear if this is ignorance, or a deliberate ploy to mislead the public.

In message <10qn4db$1iocf$ snipped-for-privacy@dont-email.me, at 02:16:27 on Fri, 3 Apr

Central Government controls a lot of County Council spending, both by ring-fencing grants and capping council tax rises.

In theory a CC could spend *some* more money fixing potholes, but which of their other services should be cut to fund it?

Whoosh? Meet the new boss; same as the old boss ...

I like bringing a little engineer8ing into it

Ah, Tri state logic. Yes no and dint care.