Monday, 28 September 2009
Thursday, 18 June 2009
Through a glass darkly
Well I went down to the glaziers to get some new window glass and the guy asked what kind and I asked for some of that new Gordon Brown glass that he recommended he would be using from now on at the Parliamentasry Labour Party meeting last week.
So I got it home and it is impossible to see through. So I went back to the glazier and he said he would set up an enquiry about it but I could not attend as it would be private so that all concerned could afford to be honest. It can't make anyone attend who can't be bothered or answer questions they don't fancy.
What this country is a chance to choose a new glazier.........
So I got it home and it is impossible to see through. So I went back to the glazier and he said he would set up an enquiry about it but I could not attend as it would be private so that all concerned could afford to be honest. It can't make anyone attend who can't be bothered or answer questions they don't fancy.
What this country is a chance to choose a new glazier.........
Monday, 15 June 2009
Saturday, 16 May 2009
Here we go round the Mulberry Bush.......
Well if you recognise that as a Traffic song rather than a children's nursery rhyme we are of the same generation. Let's see what else?
1. The millionaires were all on the Tory front bench not the Labour one
2. The Labour Party refused to join in foreign military escapades with the Americans e.g. Vietnam
3. The Tories wanted to erode individual liberties in favour of the state not the Labour Party
This whole expenses thing is part of the Alice in Wonderland that is modern Britsh politics.
We expected Tory sleeze and cover up.It was part of the natural order as was doing anything for the City and selling workers rights down the river. Now Labour have opened the door to mass privatisation including The Post Office and the NHS and the new Tory Government will walk right through those doors big time.
In ten years time what will New Labour offer to voters to get back in? The mind boggles..........
1. The millionaires were all on the Tory front bench not the Labour one
2. The Labour Party refused to join in foreign military escapades with the Americans e.g. Vietnam
3. The Tories wanted to erode individual liberties in favour of the state not the Labour Party
This whole expenses thing is part of the Alice in Wonderland that is modern Britsh politics.
We expected Tory sleeze and cover up.It was part of the natural order as was doing anything for the City and selling workers rights down the river. Now Labour have opened the door to mass privatisation including The Post Office and the NHS and the new Tory Government will walk right through those doors big time.
In ten years time what will New Labour offer to voters to get back in? The mind boggles..........
Wednesday, 29 April 2009
Oops
I meant snots not trouts in the trough!!!
Although trouts has that whimsical quality that is characteristic of the MPs caught like rabbits in the headlights of publicity with unjustifiable claims resorting to that mantra of denying any WRONGDOING. That is a very Saxon sounding word...cannot find a language expert when you need one........
Although trouts has that whimsical quality that is characteristic of the MPs caught like rabbits in the headlights of publicity with unjustifiable claims resorting to that mantra of denying any WRONGDOING. That is a very Saxon sounding word...cannot find a language expert when you need one........
Quo Vadis Prime Ministers Questions
Well today was as innane and as meaningless a session as I have ever heard.
Brown ducked, dissembled, ignored to the point where you really wonder why he turned up. I began to feel a sense of nostalgia for when he is away and Harriet Harmann steps up to the plate.
Why does he do it? If a normal person is asked a question we either do not answer at all or attempt to explain and argue our actions or beliefs. He has so little faith in his actions/beliefs that he just avoids answering and seems to think a question ducked is a success when it is really a waste of an opportunnity to state his case on whatever issue is raised.
The tame questions from his own members are an embarassment and again a waste of opportunnity to hold the government to account on behalf of their constituents who after all did put labour MPS there to represent them.
I have no doubt the next lot will be as bad. But perhaps after the equivalent of the political enema that will be the election defeat a real Labour Party will emerge.
I will vote Labour when there is a Labour Party not the Blair/Brown Neu Toryism of PFI, illegal wars, the destruction of civil rights , nuclear weapons and self interest as illustrated by Smith and McNulty and trouts in the trough.
Brown ducked, dissembled, ignored to the point where you really wonder why he turned up. I began to feel a sense of nostalgia for when he is away and Harriet Harmann steps up to the plate.
Why does he do it? If a normal person is asked a question we either do not answer at all or attempt to explain and argue our actions or beliefs. He has so little faith in his actions/beliefs that he just avoids answering and seems to think a question ducked is a success when it is really a waste of an opportunnity to state his case on whatever issue is raised.
The tame questions from his own members are an embarassment and again a waste of opportunnity to hold the government to account on behalf of their constituents who after all did put labour MPS there to represent them.
I have no doubt the next lot will be as bad. But perhaps after the equivalent of the political enema that will be the election defeat a real Labour Party will emerge.
I will vote Labour when there is a Labour Party not the Blair/Brown Neu Toryism of PFI, illegal wars, the destruction of civil rights , nuclear weapons and self interest as illustrated by Smith and McNulty and trouts in the trough.
Monday, 27 April 2009
Heads you win Tails You Lose or vice versa
There was not much Mr Darling could do with this budget and so that is what he did ...not much.
Its like that old line about the man who had much to be modest about.
Whoever is in government in a years time will have to make massive cuts and put up tax for the bulk of us not just the high earners.
I like the Will Hutton line in The Observer about giving up pretensions to world power and emerging as a decent country...lets hope
Its like that old line about the man who had much to be modest about.
Whoever is in government in a years time will have to make massive cuts and put up tax for the bulk of us not just the high earners.
I like the Will Hutton line in The Observer about giving up pretensions to world power and emerging as a decent country...lets hope
Tuesday, 21 April 2009
Blackburn Lancashire
I read the news today on boy.............. the media is obsessed with trying to second guess tomorrows budget. If you predict enough things then it is like backing every horse in a race then claiming to have picked the winner.
The reality is that we are opening a deposit account to attempt to save regularly whilst having a huge credit card bill at 39% interest. That doesn't make sense well neither will tomorrow as Mr darling moves the financoal deckchairs around the deck of our very own Titanic i.e. the economy.
A tweak here a twist there. Is the patien sitting comfortably.
We are going to have to pay more for less. More tax less services.
Problems that were not addressed in the good times do not stand much chance of being sorted now but the illusion will be given that one budget can sort a decade of neglect.
I won't mind reading it because I like science fiction, parables and fables and this will have an element of each.
The reality is that we are opening a deposit account to attempt to save regularly whilst having a huge credit card bill at 39% interest. That doesn't make sense well neither will tomorrow as Mr darling moves the financoal deckchairs around the deck of our very own Titanic i.e. the economy.
A tweak here a twist there. Is the patien sitting comfortably.
We are going to have to pay more for less. More tax less services.
Problems that were not addressed in the good times do not stand much chance of being sorted now but the illusion will be given that one budget can sort a decade of neglect.
I won't mind reading it because I like science fiction, parables and fables and this will have an element of each.
Monday, 20 April 2009
I see Damian MacBride maybe expelled from his local branch of the Labour Party.
This is a disgrace!!!!! Another break with the past.... Instead it seems to me that someone who
is not known to the local party…never goes to meetings…surely Labour should keep to its traditions and rather than expel him have him measured for a parachute and nominate him to run as their next parliamentary candidate…..
This is a disgrace!!!!! Another break with the past.... Instead it seems to me that someone who
is not known to the local party…never goes to meetings…surely Labour should keep to its traditions and rather than expel him have him measured for a parachute and nominate him to run as their next parliamentary candidate…..
Sunday, 19 April 2009
Love Labours Lost
Lord Ashdown (call me Paddy) made a good point today that many of us dinosaur old labour supporters have been mulling over for the last few decades (or so it seems).
Now that the Blair/Brown leadership have slashed and burnt the redundant (to their eyes) traditional Labour support base who will they appeal to if they lose the next election.
My fantasy is too be asked to vote Labour in 2015 and try to figure out what incentive will be offered. I must point out that we have never been canvassed in the 14 years we have been here.Also at the last county election labour did not even field a candidate. Up to the last election this was a Labour seat.
Vote Labour or:
1. we might get involved in old style colonial wars
2. the gap between rich and poor will grow
3. you will get a corrupt government dominated by sleeze and self interest
4. you will have to suffer an unelected upper tier of governement
One could go on but you get the idea
Labour needs radical surgery and a purge of all things Newist
The silver lining of being the opposition
Now that the Blair/Brown leadership have slashed and burnt the redundant (to their eyes) traditional Labour support base who will they appeal to if they lose the next election.
My fantasy is too be asked to vote Labour in 2015 and try to figure out what incentive will be offered. I must point out that we have never been canvassed in the 14 years we have been here.Also at the last county election labour did not even field a candidate. Up to the last election this was a Labour seat.
Vote Labour or:
1. we might get involved in old style colonial wars
2. the gap between rich and poor will grow
3. you will get a corrupt government dominated by sleeze and self interest
4. you will have to suffer an unelected upper tier of governement
One could go on but you get the idea
Labour needs radical surgery and a purge of all things Newist
The silver lining of being the opposition
Saturday, 18 April 2009
Goon
The answer to Police behaving themselves at demonstrations cannot be trial by camera phone.
Like all service providors they need to be kept honest by anonymous observation. The mystery shopper approach used by many in the private retail sector would work well.
The various forces should recruit and train people who are neither pro or anti police to attend demonstrations in pairs to monitor behaviour. The knowledge that the person you are interacting with could be monitoring you will improve their behaviour and weed out those who are too aggressive.
Mystery shoppers are paid but mystery monitors would do it for expenses (no not second homes type expenses!). Lets get the ball rolling I'll be first. Who will be my mystery monitoring buddy?
Like all service providors they need to be kept honest by anonymous observation. The mystery shopper approach used by many in the private retail sector would work well.
The various forces should recruit and train people who are neither pro or anti police to attend demonstrations in pairs to monitor behaviour. The knowledge that the person you are interacting with could be monitoring you will improve their behaviour and weed out those who are too aggressive.
Mystery shoppers are paid but mystery monitors would do it for expenses (no not second homes type expenses!). Lets get the ball rolling I'll be first. Who will be my mystery monitoring buddy?
Take the Readies...........
Like many people I get most of the news I need from radio, television and the internet so why do I buy newspapers?
The answer (for me) seems to be for the musings of the various columnists. Sometimes they provide an insight and depth that is not readily available in other media e.g. Nick Cohen in The Observer and sometimes a wry sense of the absurd in current affairs e.g. Rod Liddle in the Sunday Times or a sense of rage against the Brown machine that is just addictive like Matthew Parris in the Times.
The problem is that for every excellent columnist there is half a dozen who simply annoy me to hell (and back!). Okay lets play a game. I will list the adjective that best descibes 5 of the worst and you figure out who I mean. Answers on a cyber post card. One of these word onanists I debated with via email over a particularly tortous rationalisation on his behalf of why he had slipped from his use public provision mantra when it came to education for his own children. But now as part of his drift to the right he works for a paper where he lacks an email to allow such democratic nonsense.
1. Pompous
2. Innane (but my departed dad was witty!!)
3. Trivial (but my brother is a scholar and a succesful politician)
4. Venal (shes poor one day and trying out luxury cruises the next)
5. Hypocrite (the poor how can we help oh just off to my villa in the Dordogne to think about it)
You can't go wrong as therte are just so many to choose from.
The answer (for me) seems to be for the musings of the various columnists. Sometimes they provide an insight and depth that is not readily available in other media e.g. Nick Cohen in The Observer and sometimes a wry sense of the absurd in current affairs e.g. Rod Liddle in the Sunday Times or a sense of rage against the Brown machine that is just addictive like Matthew Parris in the Times.
The problem is that for every excellent columnist there is half a dozen who simply annoy me to hell (and back!). Okay lets play a game. I will list the adjective that best descibes 5 of the worst and you figure out who I mean. Answers on a cyber post card. One of these word onanists I debated with via email over a particularly tortous rationalisation on his behalf of why he had slipped from his use public provision mantra when it came to education for his own children. But now as part of his drift to the right he works for a paper where he lacks an email to allow such democratic nonsense.
1. Pompous
2. Innane (but my departed dad was witty!!)
3. Trivial (but my brother is a scholar and a succesful politician)
4. Venal (shes poor one day and trying out luxury cruises the next)
5. Hypocrite (the poor how can we help oh just off to my villa in the Dordogne to think about it)
You can't go wrong as therte are just so many to choose from.
On your Marx get ready...............
A first on Any Questions today as Giles Coren complains that the questions are so serious. Perhaps if you go for light weight members you should go for light weight questions.....
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