We are going to rebuild the country with the FDR new deal from the 1930's.

In fact Johnson is referring to the 'Square Deal', and counting on our lack of knowledge of it.

So what did it involve?

The Square Deal was President Theodore Roosevelt's domestic program, which reflected his three major goals: conservation of natural resources, control of corporations, and consumer protection. These three demands are often referred to as the "three Cs" of Roosevelt's Square Deal.

I can't wait to see the tories 'control the corporations'

I thought the corporations controlled them.

This touches on what I said the other day about the Civil service.

How often do you hear of government's making big spending announcements then nothing happens as they get bogged down in red tape. Housing targets is an obvious one, HS2 and Heathrow.

I am sure we can all agree with unemployment about to rise significantly we need to fix the schools, hospitals roads etc. That can only happen quickly if we have a government and civil service that is fit for the demands of the 21st Century.

The whole planning process needs to be reviewed, what is the point in having a public Inquiry which takes years when at the end of the process the losing side is allowed to take the decision to court which then adds further considerable delay. I am not saying ride rough shod over the law but I am saying these Inquiries take too long and the courts allow too many appeals.

The civil service needs to reform the process and then ensure that the specific planning Inquiries are not allowed to drift along.

Otherwise 2 years from now people will be saying what has been built?

One more point

Sure I have no real knowledge of the process for large projects but it just seems to take years. We should be able to have a fair process and an appeal process that is streamlined. I assume the planning system has evolved over the years to meet the legal requirements e.g. environmental impact however that doesn't mean to comply with the law that you have to do it the current way and no other.

I noticed when we applied for planning permission for the stadium two people who lived in Scotland complained. Their objections should not carry the same weight as say a person who lives next door to the ground.

I may be wrong on this point but I was told that some protestors (who are part of a group) demand an individual hearing to slow the whole process down. The common-sense approach would be for the Chair to say I will hear from one representative from each protest group e.g. Friends Of the Earth.

Edited by Badger11 (30 Jun 2020 1.48pm)

One more point

Who would have thought that a tory government just elected with a big majority, would be reduced to invoking socialist policies in a national emergency.

And Keynesian policies it is just amazing.

It has nothing to do with corona that 6.75 billion will be spent on repairing our schools, it is because of their disastrous austerity policies.

Ask the PM himself he thinks austerity was s***e himself !!

Ten years binned by tory ideology.

No reasonable person would agree that austerity was necessary.

Basically you are saying, if the roof is leaking we won't fix it to save money.

What sort of economic policy is that, it is only deferring the inevitable.

Has Johnson become a compassionate caring human being after his brush with death.

He must have realised that the NHS saved his life and was given to us by the post-war socialist Attlee government.

We won't he holding our breath.

Don't give a damn what policies are used as long as they work. I think you are seeing it way too much as a battle between parties rather than a battle between policies. Austerity as a policy saved money but has left a legacy of dilapidation and underfunded departments/local authorities. Previous Labour policies put the country into the position where austerity was required so neither party has covered themselves in glory over the years. One spent too much, the other not enough.

There have been many reasoned arguments that say the only reason Blair got in was because he moved the Labour Party towards Conservative style policies which won him the election. You can't then turn on the Conservatives and say that using more traditional Labour style policies is wrong. Maybe with Boris in power you are now supporting the wrong party?