Why won't my economy grow?

It's a mystery

From the BBC…

NHS bosses want chippy to sell fruit and veg

Plans for a new chippy have come up against a health board’s demands for fruit and veg on the menu.

With the Welsh health service in a state that is not unadjacent to that of a developing country, you would think that NHS bosses had - forgive me - bigger fish to fry.

Betsi Cadwaladr health board wants the proposed takeaway in Morfa Bychan, Gwynedd, to sell a “good selection” of fruit and veg.

I suppose they could stock a good selection of fruit and veg. Whether they would sell it is another question. Mushy peas is about the limit. Possibly a pickled onion for the traditionalists.

It wants the menu to have less fat, salt and sugar and is worried an increase in fast food outlets is “detrimental” to people’s health.

Even the BBC is laughing at this…

It is unclear whether customers would relish the prospect of cod and broccoli on the menu.

Morfa Bychan is a very small place indeed. With a population of 500, its Wikipedia page hints at its sleepiness by boasting that it has “a small supermarket, a fish-and-chips shop, a gift shop and a children’s playground.” But it is a holiday destination with several caravan parks, and people who holiday in Britain like to have fish and chips.

The board said the location of the proposed new business was popular among holidaymakers, adding: “The food in these areas is targeted to meet the needs of tourists as opposed to local residents.”

No, not “as opposed to”. The phrase you’re looking for is “in addition to.”

“This is of particular concern for local permanent residents where this food is available throughout the year and not just during holiday periods.”

Imagine having a choice of fish and chip shops, not just in summer but also in winter! Are there really any local residents who have expressed concern about this food being available? I can think of only two people who might be worried. One is the acting public health director Jane Moore. The other is whoever runs the incumbent fish and chip shop.

The more junk food was available, the board added, the more likely it was that people would get fat.

“Increased access to unhealthy food retail outlets can be associated with increased weight status in the general population and increased obesity and unhealthy eating behaviours among children residing in low-income areas,” it said.

The evidence does not actually support the theory that living near “junk food” outlets makes people more likely to be fat. Even if it did, it would be none of the government’s business. The plan is to open the new chippy two doors down from the existing chippy. This would be ideal for consumers because it should improve standards and lower prices.

My understanding is that no one will be forced to buy the fish and chips. All transactions will be strictly voluntary. If weight-conscious local residents currently have the resolve to walk past one chippy, I’m sure they can manage to walk past two.

“While we appreciate this is only one extra takeaway unit, this would still be one additional takeaway than what is currently available.”

You can’t fault their mathematics. This is why they get paid the big bucks.

Inevitably, the local council are also members of the anti-growth coalition…

Porthmadog council also chipped in with its disapproval, dubbing the scheme an “overdevelopment” as there were “too many businesses in a small area”.

Well, quite. The area already has a gift shop and a small supermarket. How much more commerce can people be expected to tolerate?

The council warned the plans would cause traffic and parking problems, adding there was already a chip shop in the area.

It’s a fish and chip shop, not the O2 arena. In any case, I refer you to the photo above which mentions a ‘large car park’.

This was not the only exciting story about Welsh local government reported by the BBC this week. On Tuesday, it was revealed that tempers are fraying at Conwy County Council. Councillor David Carr blew a fuse when he saw the council’s statutory self-assessment for 2023/2024:

The report was slammed by Mr Carr, who said: “I’ve looked through the report, and yet again... nothing about equality and diversity.

“The question to ask is why not?”

These are the questions that keep our public servants up at night. Multiply the number of people like David Carr and Jane Moore by several orders of magnitude and it starts to become clear why the economy is stagnant and nothing works any more.