Labour: reminding you why you voted them out.

Maria Eagle, the new shadow transport secretary, wants to use the UK’s network of average speed cameras to provide incentives for motorists to observe the law.  Yup, Labour don't just want to record the 'plates of cars caught speeding, they seem to be suggesting a national database of every car and its average speed in relation to speed limits posted according to this interview printed in the Daily Torygraph. 

Maria Eagle - looks more like Maria Evil.

No no no, this is not a revival of pay as you drive, in fact its economically being promoted as the opposite, but it does give some credibility to the suggestions which came about at that time which were that the scheme was more about building a giant tracking database rather than anything else.  Guess what the big common factor here is?  A big tracking database.  I was one of those who dismissed this suggestion as scaremongering last time out but I'm prepared to adjust my opinions to fit the prevailing facts.  Hmmm.

Spy in the sky (well, on a pole anyway)

Oh well, at least Maria will have moved on to some other shadow cabinet post by the time of the next election.  Also a politico with an odd name Eric Pickles (he's the Communities Secretary) has announced that "the war on the motorist is over" according to an article in today's Metro.  Which is a relief. I don't know about you but avoiding IEDs set up by my local council and fending off marauding raiders from the Department for Transport was really slowing up my commute in the mornings.  Don't you just love the way these prize buffoons like to over-egg everything? 

Eric Pickles - fatwah on drivers to be lifted.

Yeah, sure the previous administration had policies which were not exactly helpful to the average car owner (and worse still for the abnormal car owner like myself) but lets be honest to call it a war is demeaning to the intelligence of all concerned and an insult to those who have past and present actually fought in wars...  Pay an annoying extra tax or get shot at by terrorists?  Not much of a comparison is there.