A blizzard of thoughts

Hello again, faithful readers of my blog. As ever, I apologise for the interval since I last shared my thoughts and opinions with you all. Much travelling and working and a distinct lack of time in front of a PC.

So, I suppose the story of the week has been the snow. Anyone would think this fair isle had never seen a covering of the white stuff before given the blanket coverage given to the disruption it had caused on the television news programmes. Living as I do in Brighton and working in Croydon, the wintry weather did impact on my working arrangements given that trains from Brighton to the capital were suspended when the snow was at its heaviest on Monday. Fortunately, my employers have an office just 10 minutes from where I live in central Brighton and so I was able to work in Brighton on Monday and Tuesday this week, albeit my walk to work look twice as long and walking downhill was ill advised wherever the snow was particularly thick. One wrong footstep and it was like going down an Olympic ski jump ramp. I do know several people though who were snowed in and couldn't make it to work, even where their workplace was relatively local.

One of the common complaints that I heard in the aftermath of the snow was that Britain was ill prepared and badly resourced for the snowfall, especially as the snow had been forecast for a couple of weeks before it arrived. This is quite a natural reaction from people who were affected by the adverse weather. Nonetheless, I think there is only so much preparation and resource you can have in reserve for a meterological phenomenon, which, generally speaking, is only this bad once every ten years or so. I will discuss this subject further among the items below.

I had some good feedback when I did the last two blogs as kind of a "news wrap" with different sections, so I thought I would approach this blog in much the same way. Please feel free to pass on any feedback about the structure of this blog, and indeed, the content within it.

1. It's snow joke
So, as I was touching upon above, this past week has seen significant snowfall in Britain which has placed a real drain on resources. Local councils have run out of gritting salt, A&E departments have been worked off their feet as a result of adults' delusions of grandeur that they could have been a champion skeleton bobsleigh champion in another life. Meanwhile Britain's businesses count the cost of lost revenue as a result of the failure of their employees to make it into work, either because of the deficiencies of the transport infrastructure that the snow brought about, or because of the many school closures that meant working parents had to stay at home and find some alpine based entertainment for their children, most of whom would never have witnessed snow like this in their lives hitherto.

We all like a good moan at the best of times, but there are two things in particular that are bound to get citizens of this mad and crazy isle incensed. First of all, the weather itself and the sheer unpredictability of it. Secondly, being inconvenienced in any way, shape or form is a surefire trigger for a whinge. Therefore, it was little surprise to hear the amateur Transport Secretaries bemoaning the disruption on the transport network and criticising the lack of resources available to prevent the snow setting. One cap wearing member of the brethren I recall speaking on the news saying "Britain shouldn't be like this. We're not a third world country". Hmm, because snowfall really cripples Burkina Faso, Swaziland, Chad and Gabon, doesn't it? I suggest this pent-up correspondent swots up on his CIA World Factbook.

Let's look at the evidence as Loyd Grossman used to say. We are reliably informed by the Met Office that Britain has not experienced snowfall like this for eighteen years. I have no reason to doubt this fact. Quite apart from the fact that I do not believe the Met Office's press statements are prepared by the Iraqi Minister of Information, it sounds about right to me. The last time I remember snow like this, I would have been about 13 and I remember having the radio on first thing in the morning, eager to hear whether my school had closed, much as I imagine many children and parents around the land did this past week. Well, I said I was 13 then and I'm 31 later this year, so the 18 years adds up.

So bearing in mind that snowfall like this has not happened for 18 years, is it realistic to expect for councils to stock up on gritting salt and a variety of mechanical tools to clean up the snow on the roads and the pavements for the possibility of the items being needed on some snowy day several years down the line. This is especially the case in these times of financial prudence and belt tightening, where councils are making cut backs and making staff redundant.

Also, because such a fall of snow had not occurred for nearly two decades, this meant that people themselves were not prepared for the eventuality. The big difference between Britain and countries where snow is a far more regular part of people's lives, such as Russia, Finland or Canada, is that the citizens of all these countries are adequately prepared for the snowfall because they experience snow every year. Drivers in Finland and Russia carry around their own kit of supplies for such circumstances, while the Russian government invests in almost military style vehicles which perform the job of making the road surfaces safer to drive on. These are countries that are subject to a polar climate every year, due to their proximity to the Arctic Circle, whereas however much we complain about the cold weather in the UK, the fact of the matter is that we live in a temperate climate in this country.

What did not help in terms of dealing with the snowfall was that the initial winter storms fell on Sunday afternoon and evening. Of all the days in the week, this was the worst because of the difficulty in getting people on the scene in good time either because of staff not working in the first place, or because of the challenge of staff getting to the hot spots (well, cold spots really!) and taking the necessary action. This became a chicken and egg situation by Monday because by then, the snow had set in and the transport networks had stopped running altogether and yet still, those staff whose job it was to get the networks running again with their hard work had to find a way of getting to the roads or railway lines where urgent work needed to take place. Had the snow not fallen until Monday or Tuesday, I am sure that much action would have been taken more swiftly and the chaos that ensued would have been reduced, and with it, the supply of gritting salt would have largely remained intact.

In the aftermath of the country being brought to a standstill, it is likely that there will be enquiries about what could be done better the next time. Well, I suppose the main thing is an attitude of mind. Councils need to be proactive rather than reactive. Investing heavily in anti-snow devices is probably not realistic, Britain is not Russia or Finland, it does not have heavy snowfall year on year and I am sure a few years will pass before we see snow of this volume falling again over such a vast area of this country, so spending a fortune on contingency planning around adverse weather is probably not the best use of money.

Nonetheless, as I said earlier, people were informed that this snow was coming a good fortnight before it arrived. Weather forecasting is never going to be 100 per cent accurate because of how the wind can suddenly change direction contrary to previous predictions. The BBC 5 day forecast on its website is testament to this. One day, it will say that rain is expected in your postcode area on Thursday, but by the time you get to Thursday, you discover that you did not need your raincoat.

However, breakthroughs in technology have come a long way since Michael Fish told the people of Sevenoaks that they would not be experiencing a hurricane the following night, as he put a magnetic sunny spells sign on the weather map over London in October 1987. The people of West Kent went to bed with seven oak trees nearby and were woken up by howling winds which left just one oak tree. These days, meterological patterns can be tracked live, so that the progress of a shower, storm or whatever other phenomenon can be seen across its every move. The organisers of the Wimbledon tennis tournament know when the Centre Court will need covering before the spectators feel the raindrops falling on their heads, due to a sophisticated computer system. A similar sort of system for councils across the country will help to have people on stand-by in the future, as and when the weather is a risk to public safety or is a risk to the running of an efficient transport network.

Other than that, there is only so much that can be done, especially given that so many people commute many miles to their place of work and so, short of working from home, would have few options available once transport links were no longer accessible.

2. British jobs for ignorant people
In the current economic climate, it is quite natural that people become more anxious about their own job security, especially within some of the traditional refining and manufacturing industries where people lack the requisite skills and quite possibly sufficient inclination to be trained for working in the ever-expanding service sector.

However, I must confess that my supply of sympathy for the protesters at the oil refineries over the use of foreign workers is somewhat limited. First of all, in case people haven't noticed, Britain is signed up to the European Union, and as part of that membership, love it or hate it, it agreed the Maastricht Treaty and the freedom of movement of labour throughout EU member states. At the time of its inception, there were 12 member states and I think it has snowballed now (snowballed, did you see what I did there?!) to about 27 or 28, meaning that nationals of any EU country is free to seek work in any of the other member states provided they are working and they have a passport.

Now, I realise that over half the population of this wonderful, insular island of ours are against European integration and would like us to rule our own waves and taken on the world all by ourselves, but the fact of the matter is, we are signed up to a club. The rules have been passed and we have approved those rules by virtue of signing up to them. Short of withdrawing from the EU, those requirements are binding and so however much those of a certain age don't like it, we have to play by the rules. So all this protesting and jingoistic behaviour is actually completely pointless.

I also think there is more to this than just people objecting to foreigners taking their jobs. What it actually boils down to are inflexible workers who will not tolerate working with foreign people. This was witnessed on the news the other night where one such protester was seen to say "I just can't work with those greasy Eye-ties". His words, as the inverted commas indicate, not mine. Such inflexible and xenophobic attitudes are sadly not surprising and just as racist behaviour was rife in the late 1970s when there was a recession occurring, so it appears to be rearing its ugly head again among the uneducated, The Sun Says reading brigade with this kind of intolerant behaviour and also the disturbing trend of the BNP gaining support among protest voters who have grown disillusioned with the three main political parties.

You have to look at why people employ foreign workers in the first place. Often it is because they can bring particular skills, certainly in manual related work, which British workers either do not possess or are unwilling to work towards, because they are comfortable with their lot, it's too much hassle. They also can be paid less than what British counterparts quite possibly would be in many instances. Workers who have come over from Eastern European countries for example, will still be earning more for a menial job in Britain than they would have done back home when they left Poland and Bulgaria. This might be different now that these economies have grown as a result of their membership in the EU and so in some cases, Poles and Bulgarians are heading home, cue panic in the British building industry. But because of the minimum wage, British workers are required to be paid a greater amount in many cases for doing a similar job, and employers question the value for money. This is also why more and more British corporates are placing their call centres in Mumbai or Bangalore, rather than having them in Maidenhead or Basildon.

People in more industrialised sectors of work have been in their jobs sometimes for 15 to 20 years. They lack the skills needed to learn another trade, do not have the inclination and through working in one place for such a long time, they have become very regimented and set in their ways. They work with other people who have worked for a similar length of time and who have similar prospects and consequently, this results in that ever dangerous word, the clique. With the service sector forever more swallowing up more traditional sectors so far as opportunities go, particularly with the increase in technologies markets, these workers are becoming more concerned about their future prospects and going on the scrapheap. Foreign workers so happen to be a convenient threat, but the fact is that it is a competitive world.

The ideal of British workers getting employment in this country is an ideal that I am sure everyone would be happy to see come to fruition. But there is a principle in recruitment and selection that I approve of far more, namely that the employer appoints the best person for the job, regardless of their race, gender, creed, nationality, age or shoe size. If that person so happens to be a foreign national residing in the UK but who has the requisite skills to bring to the job to add value to their employer, then so be it. Competition should at least remove complacency. The world does not owe anybody a living and this self-pity culture that rears its head when the country is struggling is not helpful to anybody.

Foreign people go about their jobs in different ways to Brits and I think there is a lot to be said from working alongside people of other nationalities, it helps encourage people to be more rounded individuals and to be educated. I think there should be more done in fact to make sure every British citizen gets to sample working and living abroad for a spell in their life because I think it will encourage people to be more flexible and less set in their ways.

It was unwise for Gordon Brown to coin the phrase "British jobs for British people" because that was always a slogan that could be taken on and used for more sinister connotations. In these times of uncertainty, I do hope however, that people's individual insecurities will not result in a significant upturn in xenophobic behaviour. We live in a flexible, fast moving society and change whilst not being universally embraced is however an irresistible force. It is, of course, the people who cannot handle these changes who are the most vocal and in doing this, it only proves to their employers that they are right to cast their net out further to people who are not so regimented and who have such inflexible skills sets.

3. Clarke's return is a sign of the times
I was pleased to see the return of Kenneth Clarke to the front bench of the Conservative shadow cabinet recently. In times of financial difficulty, it makes complete sense for a real political heavyweight in all senses of the word to return to a position of influence, particularly given that he was a very good Chancellor of the Exchequer, having taken over in the aftermath of the previous economic recession in the early 1990s. I am someone who holds the opinion that where a pressing issue like the failing world economy is concerned, political manoeuvrings should be set aside and an all-party coalition should be convened where experts on the economy from all parties should make the decisions on how to take the country forward. Clarke's expertise, along with that of the Lib Dems's Treasury Spokesman, Vince Cable, should be tapped into just as much as the thinkers within the Labour Government.

Clarke's return as Shadow Business Secretary puts him in direct competition with Labour's Prince of Darkness, Lord Mandelson, but unfortunately political debate between these counterparts will be restricted due to them not sitting in the same chamber. While Clarke has returned to the front row of the green benches in the Commons, Mandelson's speaking is confined to rising from the red seats of the House of Lords.

It is rather symptomatic of the malaise in British politics at the moment that there are very few recognisable politicians sitting on any side of the political fence. Go back to the 1990s and I could probably have named you the vast majority of the Conservative cabinet of the time and their respective job roles and also been able to name their shadow counterparts in the Labour Party. I would find that an impossible task now, without resorting to cheating by looking up the details on Wikipedia.

Clarke is undoubtedly a politician is substance, intelligence and charisma. The public identify with him because of his common sense speaking and his slightly roguish behaviour. He is a man who enjoys a pint, a cigar and some jazz. He also happens to be 68 years old. some 25 years older than the current Conservative leader and was elected an MP when the said leader was still in short trousers. Clarke's age should not hinder his ability to do the job, but it does say much about the faceless band of toffs that the Conservative Party have among their younger politicians that Cameron has decided to turn to an old hand for advice and to make an impact.

It is also well known that Clarke is passionately pro-European, something that is at odds with the Tories' official party line on the subject. This means he will not be universally greeted with open arms by some of his colleagues. This will not worry Clarke in the slightest though. He is very much his own man and I doubt he will rock the boat. Apart from the fact that Clarke talks a lot of sense on Europe, which some of his more ignorant colleagues would do well to listen to, his experience and knowledge on the economy will be invaluable, but more than that, at a time when floating voters wonder if the Conservatives are a viable alternative to the Labour Government, they now at least can see a politician in opposition who commands respect and there are very few of those around at the moment.

4. Cameron's maths studies don't add up
Staying with the shadow Government, it was reported this week that the Conservatives are producing a study to show that the standard of maths in schools is getting worse and that exams are in fact getting easier. To throw some weight behind his latest bandwagon, sorry, campaign, Cameron has enlisted the support of Carol Vorderman. Well I suppose it gives her something to do in the day now.

From what I can see, this whole study centres around some findings that someone with a certain level of ability could get a grade B now, where 20 years ago they would have got a grade E. Well, I'm not sure whether this actually means that exams are getting easier or that examiners have just got used to the marking criteria now. Let's bear in mind that GCSEs were introduced in 1988 and so people from around 20 years ago would have been the guinea pigs for the new way of testing children. I'm sure there were some examiners who were too strict when GCSEs first came into being and so this might well be the reason for what the Tories see as a perceived disparity between then and now.

I don't really see the point in comparing tests then to tests now anyway. Children are going to be tested on different things because times have changed and the skills that need to be demonstrated have changed also because the world of work has dictated that these skills are required when those being tested take their first steps out into the big wide world.

Education in schools in this country isn't perfect and there is always going to be a chasm between the achievements of children who have parents who can afford the privilege of their children being educated privately, and those who can only put their children in a state school, and often due to the postcode lottery that exists in certain local boroughs, find that their children do not get to go to their first choice of secondary school anyway. But I do not feel that this type of study is actually of great value or help as all it does is gives amunition to those know-it-alls who surface every summer when the exam results come out and say "exams are getting easier, blah blah blah".

Personally, as someone who had a chequered record in exams throughout my academic life, both sitting my GCSEs and latterly at university, I would like to see more done to make coursework an essential part of people's overall grade. Far too much weighting is placed on exams because it is seen as a way of replicating a "real life" pressurised situation and involves working against the clock. Plus, the more resourceful teenager has been known to plagiarise other people's assignments off the Internet and pass it off as their own.

This is a problem, I agree, but it is not a reason to turn away from coursework. Coursework tests people's ability to carry out research, it tests logic, it can test verbal and written communication skills, the very skills that employers say are lacking in school leavers taking up jobs. Above all, it tests people's ability to present a coherent argument and it tests people's ability to work to a deadline and therefore plan their time and project management.

Instead of wasting time trying to cast doubt over children's achievements, the Tories should look at coming up with a sensible manifesto for improving education in state schools. But considering most Tory politicians send their children to private schools and also considering that David Cameron's attitude to improving the economy will be to cut back on investment in education, I very much doubt this strategy will be in keeping with their agenda. So people will continue to diminish children's academic achievements because they presumably did not have any themselves.

5. A rocky model
News that Northern Rock managers had recently agreed to pay 10 per cent bonuses to their staff was greeted with consternation and disgust. After all, this is an organisation that still owes millions of pounds of debt and which had been an failing organisation before the Government stepped in and nationalised it.

I have some sympathy for Northern Rock staff because this is not a typical case of greedy bankers being paid obscene bonuses. We are talking here about your average cashier number 4 or the woman advising on mortgages or PEPs who works hard and does their job in awkward circumstances. It is not their fault that they are working for an organisation in financial trouble, but they are damned by association.

Nonetheless, the managerial decision to reward their hard working staff with bonuses was misguided not just because of the connotations in the present climate, but also because on a more practical level, it is money that they do not have. Or to put it another way, it is money we do not have, because after all, this is now a nationalised bank. That is why I found Gordon Brown's reaction that "it was a decision for Northern Rock to make" hard to fathom. No it wasn't Gordon, the moment they became nationalised, the Government had the power of veto.

When Northern Rock's travails became public consumption and resulted in queues of elderly people forming a line with their savings books stretching from Croydon to Coulsdon, it produced the inevitable response from experts that the only way to deal with the problem was for the Government to intervene and take control of the bank and bail it out financially. Maybe that was the right approach at the time, but nationalisation is a flawed business approach because it just gives failing business managers a get out of jail card and they somehow feel they are no longer accountable for their actions.

The decision to award bonuses to the staff I guarantee would not have happened if Northern Rock was still a privately owned business free of Government hand outs because how could they justify it to their shareholders or directors at a time when their financial position was so grave? Now that the Rock is nationalised, the Government needs to take a firm hand and not tolerate any future decision making of this kind. Nationalisation to me is an escape clause for a failing business and unless it is in the nation's interest to preserve the business, then the Government should let the business stand and die by its own successes or failings. I also find it remarkable that all through its financial problems, the Government have not seen fit to ask why Northern Rock is still sponsoring Newcastle United's football shirts, at what presumably, is some cost.

As I said at the beginning, I do sympathise with staff working at Northern Rock and they do not deserve to be regarded as pariahs for being paid a bonus at the discretion of their bosses. I am sure they have good work in testing circumstances and none of us would turn down a bonus. I expect this is a decision the managers made with pressure having been applied by the trade union for staff to be paid for their loyalty and efforts in bad times as an exercise to foster good employee relations. But the fact remains, it was not the right time or right measure to adopt to thank staff for their support because of the obvious connotations and the financial implications too. It is up for the Government to be tougher on failing businesses it rescues in the future. Perhaps they need to enlist the services of Sir Alan Sugar as a troubleshooter!


In the words of Bugs Bunny, that's all folks for tonight. I hope not to leave it so long next time. Adios amigos, as they say in Portslade!