'Facts' in the EU debate and Red 163

The bunch of men shown were in a way pioneers in Europe-we all worked together at Euronews (European TV news channel) in Lyon France over 20 years ago.

Euronews Ecully in 'our day'

On Friday we had a mini- reunion and of course we put the world to rights, speaking a fair bit about politics and the world we inhabit - general consensus was I think to vote remain.

So I'm hearing two main things ahead of the UK's EU vote:

1) People are bored and not engaged - well all the people I've spoken with (for and against) are really engaged, admittedly my ex colleagues are a special bunch having spent some time living in France and part of a European co-operative.

2) They're not getting the facts - well there are some facts like how long it takes to leave and the end of membership  payments, but the main points are conjecture.

We don't know how things will pan out if we leave, most commentators agree there'll be some initial turbulence in the markets.

Formerly trailblazers now blazer wearers

The choice we make will be more about a trajectory for the future  and following people we believe.

Should you trust someone like Boris Johnson  who has failed to keep his word on more than one occasion (apparently he's already offering the position of Chancellor  to various MPs) or perhaps Iain Duncan Smith - new friend to the  the poor  who had problems with expenses and his  'University' career?

Oddly many people I speak to tie up Somalian refugees, asylum seekers  with EU membership and I think there is some confusion over the position of workers in the UK after a Brexit vote.

I've not decided a 100% on my own choice but I'm worried that those with most to lose will be damaged most by an exit, be it unemployment or limitations to their future.

Red 163

Red Sign - In Leicester Square, London the opportunity to get discounted theatre tickets.

You won't miss this

Published pictures, unravelling and 227 Red

As published

For the last 2 or three years I've been offering up pictures to the local paper (the Ealing Gazette), it's probably telling me something about the press (as is the profusion of Freebies in London I got NME this week) that I'm now submitting to the third different person - Good luck to Steve Bax who published so many of my pictures and is now moving on.

Anyway it's nice to see another of my photo's in the local paper but again the cropping is I think slightly  detrimental - but there you go (you judge) .

The shed (plot 198)  less cropped

Unravelling

It feels like a real shame that the main UK opposition party (Labour)  is not in a 'better place' as the Conservatives continue to fragment and old wounds open up in front of our eyes - there are some difficulties that could really be used to strengthen the perception of a fairer alternative.

The question is really what IDS will do now freed of collective cabinet responsibility - is he a principled (quiet) man who has been pushed too far or an incompetent about to be revealed as an inadequate head of DWP?

IDS has been shown to be a duplicitous operator before  with questions not completely satisfactorily addressed on his academic career and his expense claiming (how would he judge a benefit claimant who wanted the state to pay for his pants?), he's unlikely to surface as leader of the Right having left as something of a 'bleeding heart' but perhaps he can be part of the 'King making process' when Cameron leaves the stage?

IDS may have done us all a service in bringing (again) to public attention the continued failures of George Osborne  and upsetting David Cameron enough to reveal his own short temper in the customary(but nuanced) 'exchange' of letters.

Interesting times continue.. 

 

Red 227

It's all about the product..

And G-AWE