Technology | 2009.12.17
Hugh Muir's diary
Tony Blair is up to something. But then, Mr Big Shot is always up to something
• It is fitting to note that as everyone who is anyone in green politics talks shop in Copenhagen, Tony Blair is toying with yet another new project. How could he content himself merely by bringing peace to the Middle East and selling his expertise to ever higher bidders? How could he? Thus research into online domain names shows that his discreet company vehicle, Windrush Ventures Ltd, has this autumn registered a novelty called the Low Carbon Capital Fund. But what is it? His spokesman says: "From time to time we register names in an area we may be interested in." He refuses to elaborate. But there are clues. For around the time the name and its variants were purchased, Blair was getting very excited about climate change and the financial opportunities it presented. He made speeches extolling the "business revolution in low-carbon industries" that was coming, and linked up with a body called The Climate Group. This publicises the ideas of entrepreneur James Cameron, who wants to see the equivalent of war bonds issued to green-minded investors. These would enable power stations to carry on burning fossil fuels by bolting on rather expensive carbon capture technology. For where there is crisis, there is also opportunity. Blair knows that better than most.
• Yes, crisis equals opportunity. So let\'s hear it then, for all of those seeking to capitalise on Copenhagen. Let\'s hear it for Retail Ireland, a body keen to stop shoppers heading to the north to spend their euros in the sterling zone. "It is sobering that cross-border shopping trips in 2009 will result in the emission of 100,000 tonnes of carbon," warns director Torlach Denihan. That\'s what it\'s about, not competition between retail centres. Thank you, Torlach. Now we understand.
• These three words, sympathy and Lord Mandelson, don\'t often walk out together, but the compassionate might ask whether he really deserved the Plain English Campaign\'s Foot In Mouth Award . Yes, what he said was convoluted, but he was only trying to talk up Gordon. That\'s quite difficult. "Perhaps we need not more people looking round more corners but the same people looking round more corners more thoroughly to avoid the small things detracting from the big things the prime minister is getting right," Mandy said. But was that any worse than this offering from the Cabinet Office, flagged up to the Commons public administration committee and ridiculed in Public Servant magazine? "Savings on the core grant-in-aid delivering the Change-Up programme against the counterfactual of an inflationary increase and re-prioritisation of the OTS budget to fund a wider range of investment programmes from the 2007/08 baseline amount to around £4.8m realised in 2008/09," said officials. They know what they meant. Another country, Whitehall.
• Continuing headaches for poor old Zac Goldsmith as he seeks to placate his opponents and angry Tories who will keep bringing up the non-dom controversy. Zac (pictured), who plans to surrender non-dom status in the current tax year, has been busy writing to those making trouble for him locally in southwest London. One such missive said: "Where I say that the non-dom status brings few benefits, that is correct. I have not hoarded \'millions\', as my rivals would like people to believe. That is not what motivates me. What savings there have been are minuscule compared with the funds I make available to causes I believe in. After tax, that is by far my biggest expenditure." Problems, problems. It\'s no life. Honestly.
• Unfortunate then, that yesterday we demoted Prince Charles to the post of chairman of the King\'s Fund. He is, in fact, the president. And that\'s important, because we have words of wisdom to pass on from the man who does chair the King\'s Fund, Sir Cyril Chantler. Bidding farewell to outgoing chief executive Niall Dickson, who is destined for the General Medical Council, he said: "The best tip I was ever given: should you find yourself in hospital, arrange for friends to send you a very large bunch of flowers and a card saying, \'With best wishes from your friends at the GMC\'." That\'s all it takes, a few lilies and a dodgy message in felt pen. Simple, but apparently it works.
For more information, please visit
http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2009/dec/09/hugh-muir-diary-tony-blair
