It's interesting that you mention trade off and the employment of drivers etc and adhering to health and safety law etc.
The point here is that the change to smart motorways has been made with flawed evidence and the model being rolled out isn't the same as the model used in the trials.
It's like illustrating an aeroplane with two engines and then building them with just one - it's just fecking wrong. The smart motorways are a flawed "quick fix".
It's easy to be glib if situations dont affect you personally but, equally, it's easy to see when something is wrong and to demand a change.

As usual you don’t answer the question - I have <120 trucks and over 200 trailers on road so don’t try and tell me you know more about road transport than I do - issues on motorways have greater significance on my employees than you can ever understand-unlike you I need to keep 300 people in work - perhaps if walked in my shoes you might actually understand - in the public sector it’s so easy as long as I keep paying my 2m+ of taxes keeps the likes of you in a job

NEXT time he’s up North? What’s he going to go up North for?
He won your votes so he’s no need to go up North. Well, not until a couple of weeks before the next election, after he’s crashed the economy following a Hard Brexit and he still needs you mugs to vote for him again! Which you probably will - even though after 10 years of Tory austerity the life expectancy in the New Tory areas is dropping!
You couldn’t make it up!

The question is how did he get an increased majority if the 10 years of austerity were so bad? Surely it should have been a slam dunk for Corbyn and labour?

Brexit and voters replacing logic with in many cases prejudice.

Surely if they had voted Labour for years how can they suddenly have a prejudice to the same party?

I think the prejudice was more against the perceived threat posed by immigration which the Conservatives with the help of the Brexit party fostered. This was also coupled with the misunderstanding of the modern world by believing we could be a power once more on our own.
The media must also take some responsibility by calling it the Brexit election it was not, this was only one item the rest was how the country would be run over the next five years.

Agree on the first part but, I think that it was the "Brexit election".
I voted remain but, had I voted the other way, I would have been mad as hell that it hadn't been sorted, hence the reason why Labour took a bath.
Cummings got that part right .However, it was how Labour had been in the preceding 10 years that cost them.
We had a government in complete disarray and yet Labour were still miles behind in the polls and with the Tories trying to occupy the centre ground, Labour will have a bloody long wait for their next shot at running the country- unless of course, the wheels come off for Johnson, which could certainly happen.

Why does the chancellor walk like Norman Wisdom, maybe one of Wisdom’s songs may be a clue.

Boris has surrounded himself with "yes men" (and women) and to have the best government, even for the Tories, means having people brave enough to question some of their ideas and policies and in the absence of any decent opposition (Labour is still a bloody mess), it's more important than ever that questions are asked from within the ruling party.
We've already seen the direction that Johnson and Cummings are trying to take us and left to their own devices, who knows just how that will finish.

"Please dont laugh at me 'cos I'm a fool"

Well done

Early indications are that fuel duty is set to rise as the first move to fill the hole in the Tory spending plans.
Probably the least sensitive area for voters but, a huge hit for the transport industry, many of whom are already struggling.

That's what fuel escalators are for - simple solution pass the cost on - everybody is in the same boat. There will be a lag month one but after that no issue.

Eh ?
An increase in fuel duty is just another tax, an increase in cost for all of us and especially transport companies, where fuel costs are a significant slice of their day to day costs.
It may be a one off hit on inflation figures but, it's an increased cost for anyone who consumes fuel or, where fuel is part of the cost of any product or service, which is pretty much anything and everything.

The government has left very little wiggle room to generate extra tax revenues, especially if the ecconomy continues to cough and splutter, which looks absolutely nailed on for a little while.

We were pretty much "flat lining" as things were but, the Coronavirus looks certain to put our ecconomy in reverse, if only for a limited time.
Now where was that strong ecconomy that we kept hearing so much about during the election.

Full employment in crap jobs seems to sum things up reasonably well.

Do let me know where I can pass the cost on for when my monthly fill at the petrol station goes up, my weekly shop goes up because of increased logistics costs, and my public transport tickets increase.

I think that he is suffering from Tory (blue rinse) blindness.
A tax increase is still a tax increase and unlike an increase in the top rate of income tax, an increase in duty on fuel affects pretty much anything and everything, even though the costs may be "hidden".
The Chancellor is still going to have to get creative with his budget, unless he is happy to increase government borrowing.

Once again you didn't take the time to understand the comment - the comment to which I responded specifically mentioned the transport industry - as an owner of a sizable transport company I think I am in a stronger position to comment than you. I never made any mention of public transport, private mileage etc. Slow down and read what I put before embarrassing yourself any more than you already have.

The Black Swan is a serious issue - you only have to look at Flybe - well run businesses will cope but it will hurt. I don't employ anyone in a crap job - yes I have people who have less responsibility than others and their pay reflects that - all jobs have a degree of repetition even mine, a brain surgeon etc. - its the nature of work. The idea that everyone has a crap job is an unnecessary slur that reflects the overall quality of your responses.

You responded to my previous post:

Early indications are that fuel duty is set to rise as the first move to fill the hole in the Tory spending plans.
Probably the least sensitive area for voters but, a huge hit for the transport industry, many of whom are already struggling.

With this:

That's what fuel escalators are for - simple solution pass the cost on - everybody is in the same boat. There will be a lag month one but after that no issue.

I agree that you didn't seem to answer the post in full and after spending over 30 years dealing with a myriad of transport companies, I am well aware that most domestic carriers now use a fuel surcharge to allow them to change their prices at relatively short notice and of the "lag" that you speak about.

You did appear to ignore the effect on the general public and completely ignored or weren't aware that a change in fuel surcharge will affect everyone and is just another tax increase.
I'm also pretty sure that within the extremely competitive transport sector, many, many hauliers and carriers go bust at regular intervals so, I think my point was valid, dont you ??

you need to remem er, the politics of envy run deep with wrencat and kingstreetcat (who, I assume blames Officer Dibble for everything, afterall, he wears blue.) The Labour party are so inept, so not a worthy opposition, no news from them, so the lunatic fringe on the left try and puff out their chests by saying EVERYTHING is the Conservatives fault. They (conveniently) forget the years of Fubar rule under Blurgh and Brown that contributed to an economic crisis, the ignore illegal wars, let them rant.

Lose the ability to question what is going on and you may as well be a sheep.
No politics of envy on my part and you're actually correct about Labour being inept - I suppose there is a first time for everything (you being right that is).

Having viewed last night’s Andrew Neil interviews with Starmer and long Bailey and also looking at Burgon on Marr last Sunday . The harsh fact of the matter is labour is unelectable. They have no policies that resonate with the voters so the only device they have to justify themselves is the mass attack on Patel. Conveniently forgetting the hounding from office Sara champion for highlighting Asian grooming gangs in Rotherham.

Is that the same Andrew Neil that Boris ran away from ?

This may come as a shock but what you say to get elected may not be what you put in place once appointed. I know it is what Johnson did on a daily basis but he effects all our lives the Labour candidates are looking to lead a party.
If it is Starmer or Nandy I expect a much better organised opposition with a more recognisable shadow cabinet.
Johnson will not be able to produce the Marxist card and he may actually have to do something about the racism in his own party.

It certainly is, turns out it was a smart move. What’s that old saying, winner’s can smile losers can please them selves