Sharing
> a UK "sharing city", shared transport, shared office space ...
That gives me an idea for a Bong! venture: Needlr, the needle-sharing app for sophisticated heroin users.
The creation of entire "sharing economy" cities, mandatory use of Airbnb and Uber for civil servants, and the "opening up" of UK.gov's vapourware Verify service to business are just some of the latest crackpot "sharing economy" recommendations from the government. The response from the Department for Business, Innovation and …
Whitehall should also "lead by example" by getting civil servants "to use sharing economy solutions to book accommodation and transport when travelling on official business".
Never mind Whitehall, let's start with Downing Street. Next time Call Me Dave wants to visit the far-flung corners of his empire, he can cadge a lift up the M1 and sit in the back of Stanislaw's white van, sharing a bottle of kupnik and a joint with Stan's chippies.
Mark Field, Conservative MP for Cities of London & Westminster, said in a Parliamentary debate last week that it was "essentially a front for a commercial campaign".He said: "Frankly, it is akin to setting up a trade body of payday lenders to dictate financial services policy. I am sorry that the wool is being pulled over the minister’s eyes as these self-professed independent voices dictate a commercially advantageous landscape.”
He sounds far too sensible to be in the Tories. That or his City constituency backers are running scared.
Hah! Though perhaps the more appropriate activity is 'drinking the Kool-Aid'.
Every time I see batshit ejaculations like these I worry that our 'me-too' brigade of politicians in Australia will take a nice big gulp* and jump on the band-wagon.
* - Yes, I am alive to the ambiguity but think it works both ways.
"Frankly, it is akin to setting up a trade body of payday lenders to dictate financial services policy."
Implying this is not what currently happens.
At least payday lenders fill an actual need of the market (which is why they exist in the first place, even if all the world-improving wankers go all huffpuffy on them)