Mean testing

+An article in this week’s New Statesman has reminded me, or perhaps more accurately alerted me to the fact that our established church has been without an Archbishop of Canterbury (ABC) for nine months. I doubt that the absence of this leadership has impinged on the lives of the country’s citizenry (on the question of precisely which country’s citizenry we’re talking about here is not entirely clear to me). As usual discussion about who or indeed what the next ABC is going to be is leading to a lot of handwringing if not bell ringing. I’m sure if CofE parishioners prayed successfully for a miracle it could be a model Labour Party members to immediately follow, to rid themselves of their own sub-performing middle manager (which is what Justin Welby was). The problem for the CofE, and religionists generally is that they build their edifices to honour themselves rather than their foundational texts. As a humble humanist and atheist to boot I would suggest that the next ABC should follow in the footsteps of Henry VIII, dissolve the stones of tradition and start afresh. Give English Heritage a decent part of the CofE’s £11billion wealth fund to look after the empty churches and do as Jesus did and get out amongst the poor and needy. Well, why shouldn’t I suggest things the CofE should do? I’m told it’s my established church and that I live in a Christian country. As it stands neither of those things are true in the proper sense of the word and perhaps it’s long past time to go down a different road.
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+I joined a Zoom call hosted by Crispin Flintoff to discuss what the name of the new left party should be – current working title is ‘Your Party.’ I cautioned that whatever is chosen it has to be stuck to, since the usual dialectic about the left is that it endlessly debates what it is about and then splits. A more important question is who would be its leader. Corbyn has name recognition, but he is not qualified. He has, after all had two shots at the ultimate goal already. Nobody believes it would be third time lucky – at age 80?
 
+Back in July 2020 I suggested how pensioners’ winter fuel allowances and bus passes may end up being means tested. It hasn’t worked out in quite the way I foresaw, but now it is happening nevertheless. The winter fuel allowance means testing will be fairly generous, only affecting those who have incomes over £35,000.  But now, not attracting much attention yet is the real likelihood that bus passes too will be means tested. So far it is suggested that this will only be trialled on a regional basis, i.e. local councils will have to decide on their own schemes (with a little encouragement from the Treasury which will cut their grants). I guess if this means some pensioners will have to revert to travelling around in their Bentleys there will be more space on the buses for the rest of us.