In the last few days a handful of Republican activists have gone to the courts in Texas, in what can only be described as an attack on the democratic process which manages the US Presidential Election. This weekend, representatives from the Republican party went to the Texas Supreme Court to request that ballots cast in drive-thru centres in Harris County in the state should be discounted. When the Supreme Court rejected their request they immediately took their case to the federal court. Anyone old enough to remember Bush v Gore will know that in a US election the courts are often used to decide state elections, and the Electoral College system means this can affect the national result. But the Texas case is different – Republicans aren’t suggesting that specific votes should be invalid, they are objecting to an entire method of voting which has already been in use for some time simply because they don’t like it. They are arguing against allowing
“Level” is a word prominently in the news recently. UK/EU negotiations are faltering over Level Playing Field rules and before one of his trademark disappearances, Boris Johnson pledged to Level Up the country. It seems odd to suggest that levelling of one kind is essential while another considered unacceptable. “Levelling Up” - snappy slogan, great idea but does anybody know what it means practically, let alone trust this government to deliver it? COVID has had a massive impact on employment, with tens of thousands of jobs lost even before furlough ends. Over 10% of the North West workforce are employed in retail, many others in manufacturing & hospitality yet the government refuses to provide targeted sector-specific relief. On the other hand, millions of pounds of public money has (rightly) been spent on COVID information campaigns and PPE contracts - but almost all of it has gone to companies connected to government advisors and their chums without any tendering, connections