Accident prone and overly nervous?
Are the Tories becoming just a tad accident prone and overly nervous?
When a recent poll broke the trend showing a clear Tory victory and suggested a hung parliament, some Tories went into headless chicken mode, even though subsequent polls indicate that it was probably a rogue poll.
The Tory reaction, however, showed how uncertain the party remains of victory.
Then there was last week's PMQs, when David Cameron raised the potentially incendiary matter of taxpayers' money being used to subsidise schools with link to Islamic extremists.
There are two schools -- in Tottenham and Slough -- that have indeed had government money despite such links. But because Mr Cameron got some of his facts wrong, what should have put the government on the backfoot ended up backfiring on the Tory leader and his party.
Mr Cameron's main error was to get the source of government funding for these schools wrong. I'm not sure his critics would have bothered what the source was if the state was funding BNP-linked schools. But no matter: as any good journalist could have told him, when you make important revelations, you need to get all the crucial facts right or the revelations rebound on you.
That's what happened: the Tories ended up on the defensive, Labour got off scot free (even though taxpayers' money has gone to these schools and they do have links to Islamists, which is why I won't be apologising -- as some of you requested -- for giving former Home Secretary Jacqui Smith a hard time last Wednesday) .
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Now we learn that Zac Goldsmith, the wealthy trustafarian who is contesting the winnable London marginal of Richmond for the Tories, has non-dom tax status, which is embarrassing.
Mr Goldsmith points out that he pays UK tax on UK-generated income, which I don't doubt for an instant. But all non-doms do that: there tax status allows them not to pay UK tax on income generated abroad that they do not repatriate to these shores.
I have no idea how much (if at all) Mr Goldsmith benefits from that non-dom benefit and he's already said he intends to drop his non-dom tax status before the election (though it might have been sensible if he'd done that the moment he was selected to run for Richmond rather than wait for the revelations in yesterday's Sunday Times).
But many voters will think that those who have power over tax-and-spend (MPs) should be subject to exactly the same tax regime as the rest of us before they have the right to rule over us. Mr Goldsmith's radical Green agenda, for example, has many calls on the public purse, include taxpayers' subsidies for renewable energy. It wouldn't be quite right, would it, to ask the rest of us to meet the cost if he wasn't paying his fair whack too?
No doubt all these matters will be forgotten come the election. But they do suggest that, even with a clear lead in the polls, the Tories are in for a bumpy ride as they head towards election day.
At least that will make the campaign more interesting for the rest of us.
~RS~q~RS~~RS~z~RS~55~RS~)
Comments
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I agree with your point on the schools: a bit more research and the Tories would have made a direct hit on a number of government policies.
The trouble is that the modern Tory party is too slick too actually think they need to work at these things. Gordon Brown's economic and taxation policies have been an open goal for years before he even became PM. Critical, forensic detail is what is needed in Opposition: just like dear old Robin Cook used to hand out (I do so wish he were here for the Iraq enquiry: a good man sorely missed)
It has dawned on Cameron that the Tories have to work to become the next government. However, that fact has not dawned on his battalions who seem to think they are just a shoe in. If they want the landslide they seem to think they are justified then they have to prove they are worth voting for. This means they must prove how different they are to the shoddy New Labour crew. As it currently stands I see no difference: they are just the default government.
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Agree that Mr Goldsmith should have relinquished his non-dom status prior to applying to stand for parliament at all.
An error of judgement like that is not best for a prospective MP. Likewise the cynical would say that he was hedging his bets and not relinquishing his non-dom status until he was sure of his future career path.
A careful businessman then but not such a clear parliamentary candidate perhaps.
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Great thing about the next election is that no one will be labouring under the illusion that things can only get better
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Are Ken Clarke and Jacqui Smith related? They could easily be father and daughter, are both troughers from the public purse and their political ideology are not poles apart by any means.
Why Zac Goldsmith is a PPC is beyond me. I thought Cameron wanted more female candidates and diversity. I am less sure about Cameron as a future PM - he has made some poor decisions recently and at heart I think he is more pro Europe than he lets on.
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The criticisms of the Tory party that we are now seeing are fully justified. New Labour don't deserve to be re-elected - they haven't done well for the country, in spite of their extravagant claims, and they are currently drifting and rudderless. Yet the main opposition party is inept and expert only at shooting itself in the foot.
It's beginning to look more and more like a hung parliament after the next GE, especially if there are strong signs of economic recovery by then.
Cameron and his team need to get their act together, check their facts before opening their mouths, critically scrutinise the people they are choosing to put forward, and possibly pinch a few UKIP policies and attitudes.
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I do concede that on many important issues it's likely that Tory policies would have been no different/no more beneficial than those of Gordon, but it's difficult to exonnerate Gordon from blame on the perception that the Tories would have been no better.
I don't believe Cameron's lies much more than I believe Gordon's lies, but I'm getting irritated to think that Gordon may be assured he has any credibility left if I vote for him, and I am always blocked by his biggest lie of all time - the Lisbon Treaty.
If Cameron changed his attitude on the EU into something matching his pre-Lisbon Treaty stance, showed scepticism on the Climate Change Circus and showed he wasn't just tagging along behind the USA on Afghan policy I might be able to vote for him. To me, Gordon is busted, and Labour have left it too late to drop him now, but I'll be voting UKIP, unless Cameron makes his party look a little more different to the one he seeks to replace in Parliament. I doubt he will because he seeks to follow a safe middle path. That's probably not enough to achieve what he wants.
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"..Labour got off scot free (even though taxpayers' money has gone to these schools and they do have links to Islamists, which is why I won't be apologising -- as some of you requested -- for giving former Home Secretary Jacqui Smith a hard time last Wednesday) ."
Maybe you should appologise for coming accross like Mr angry from tumbridge wells. Who has a problem with Women, Labour especially Labour Women(see above) and those global warming tree hugging hippies. The real 'Have your say' fanatics have excuse of not being paid to be a Journalist for the BBC.
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Andrew,
you ask if the tories are becoming accident prone. Well there is now the chance for them to show that they are not. The way they can do this is to ask the government why there was a sudden change of plan on the invasion of Iraq when we were originally to go through the north, but the Turks, who Blair wanted to see join Europe, said that was unacceptable, so the whole direction of attack was changed to the South. The conservatives really do have to attack, the defences are down, get a grip, go for Browns throat.
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Andrew - I think they got a bit carried away over the schools thing - despite having a very valid wider point.
Guess it's all about learning from each cock-up - as Danny Fink said afterwards - never use real examples as they're a minefield.
The Sun cocked it up with Mrs Janes, Labour cocked it up with Rose Addis and the Tories had Jennifer's ear.
Can I just say how impressed I am with your mentions/intv re Climategate. You clearly totally wrong-footed your guest when asking him about Urban Heat Islands. Made my day.
More please - this is a massive scandal and I suspect you know it too.
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Andrew - The obviously hurried scramble to have something meaty with which to try and seat the old boiler PM was what created the tory egg on face.
They didn't do their research properly. Had they been journalists they would have researched and checked everything before using it with their big guns.
It only looked hot to trot for about 2 hours. A Pirrhic victory if ever there was one.
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The headline on breaking news on the BBC is that Brown is to announce that there will be 9,500 troops in Afghanistan by December. Is this figure correct? The only way this number can be accurate is if the wounded and dead are being replaced on a weekly basis.
Some investigative reporting is required here. Also is there a breakdown available of front-line troops, as opposed to support staff in Afghanistan?
PS Andrew, please keep up the tough questions. Whenever a politician opens his/her mouth i am torn between thinking if it is all a load of cobblers or is it only half a load of cobblers.
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My 11.
There are two numbers on the BBC front page. One says 9,500 and the other says it will be more than 10,000 troops in Afghanistan. I thought that inflationary pressures applied only to the prices of goods and services!
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A bad day at the ranch Andrew,
after all the fuss over troop numbers in Afghanistran can the politicians in the commons insist that Brown name the eight other countries committed to sending troops.
The government, Brown, Straw, Ainsworth and Rammell must not get away with it. In the form of a chant at a football match they must be revealed 'name the eight, name the eight, name the eight'.
I am finding it more of a disgrace that we are now having what would seem to be a consistent problem. One soldier or two soldiers a week are being killed in Afghanistan. It is just so convenient for Brown to come to the despatch box every wednesday, bravest, most wonderful soldier, we must never forget, every week, just one or two now. family should feel proud, names, letters written, parades, flags lowered, all the usual stuff.
There are books available which indicate the awfulness of Browns sending of more soldiers to Afghanistan. One book written by Kenneth Cain, Heidi Postlewait, and Andrew Thomson, indicates what sort of characters some countries send when meeting their international committments.
They are paid to send their 'soldiers'. Only they go into a prison, say you are have sentenced to twenty years. if you sign up we will take your service as remission on your sentence, you will also be paid. What do you want to do, rot in jail, or get out of jail. A few weeks training, a bit of equipment and the country has suddenly met its obligation and sent its 400 soldiers. Seriously, Brown must think we were all born yesterday.
I say name the eight. Oh, and the numbers, and they must all be evaluated by British and American commanders, just to make sure we are not being conned.
As for Turkey, can we have a statement why they did not aloow our soldiers into Iraq through the north, when Blair and others want them in the EU. I mean you really seriously cannot make it up.
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Michael Portillo was correct when he said that the Afghan conflict is one we can neither win nor leave, having already made the disastrous mistake of getting involved in the first place, but if there's one policy area that will kill Gordon's election chances stone dead. This is it.
Finding that troop numbers are being increased to 10,000, rather thn the previously touted 9,500, makes it appear he's trying to hide the true scale of our commitment to this folly. Having unilaterally taken us into Europe against the country's wishes why is he now ignoring the lack of European involvement ? If Gordon chooses to assume the mantle of war leader, then he better start acting like one.
He has to defend the troops by criticising those who fail to commit troops alongsside ours, and he needs to deal with recalcitrant allies like Pakistan, who are harbouring the enemies we're fighting. Committing troops to risk their lives imposes responsibilities on a political leader that he appears not to understand. His 'contract to kill' message to Pakistan was weak and is only likely to emphasise what's wrong with the whole strategy.
If he puts our troops in harms way, he had better have considered the consequences that may be forced on him in the future, as any action that appears to make those lives lost appear to have been in vain, will damage him irrevocably.
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Storm in a tea cup. I think we are about to enter the economic hurricane, better batter down the hatches.
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I don't think Gordon knows what being a war leader entails.
I read an official report of a patrol by UK troops and they visited a mosque in some remote village and were well received. They had taken the precaution of placing a sniper at a secure vantage point and he noticed that a crippled child on crutches, who had been begging sweets, was acting as spotter for some Taliban snipers across the road. The trooper was able to forewarn the soldiers and weren't caught unawares when the firing started.
Now, I hate to upset anyone's sensitivities, but in those circumstances you shoot at all combatants, including children if they are compromising your security and assisting enemies to bring fire down on you. In the Second World war we even blew up the French Fleet at anchor, killing many allied sailors, but that's the nature of war.
If Gordon doesn't have a solution to al Quaeda operating from secure bases in Pakistan, he shouldn't be making greater commitment or he'll face the dilemma of either sending them into Pakistan, or allowing them to be picked off by an enemy who can select when they engage.
Pakistan have shown reluctance to confront our enemies on their territory, and have even complained that ISAF actions send more fighters over to their side. ISAF were hoping that Pakistan's action would have the opposite effect, and that they could act in co-ordination.
I must watch Dispatches and alleged links between UK political figures and Russian oligarchs. It's the usual suspects.
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FOI development on PFI schools
Received an email from my FOI caseworker today saying that DCC are not famaliar with the Operation Maintenance Manuals (OMM)for one of the schools.
This come as a late surprise to me because a few days ago the same caseworker informed me a decision had been made on my FOI and he was just awaiting the FOI Commissioner to sign the letter.
It beggars belief that my local authority have admitted ignorance to the OMM as such documents are a statutory requirement.
I think my local authority are hoodwinking the FOI.
Wath this space.
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Further to my 17.
The SMOKING GUN for the PFI schools in my area is my FOI request for a copy of the Operations Maintenance Manual (OMM) which my local authority are playing dumb to the FOI.
It also raises the question why did the FOI Caseworker advise me my case had been concluded and he was awaiting the FOI commissioner to give his approval??
I am NOW told that my local authority are NOT familair with the OMM.
I am smelling a big fat rat here Guys.
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Dr Whistleblower's Case
A decision on the Dr Whistleblower is expected next week but a summary of the case can be seen here.
I am surprised this case went to court and how much has this case cost the taxpayer.
British Employment Law is quite clear that any whistleblower cannot be sacked for such actions and all Dr Whistleblower needs to prove his that he made these allegations in good faith.
I will give you a golfing rule anology on Dr Whistlblower's case.
quote from the PGA/RA Golf rules
" A player may state his/her ball is unplayable anywhere on the course and the players decision is final"
Unquote
This ruling is from memory hence, might not be verse and chapter,hence the golf rules states the GOLFER make the call when his ball is unplayable and ditto for the Employment Laws whence, saying, if a whistlblower make an allegation in good faith. Who, appart from the whistleblower and his maker can question "GOODFAITH".
I think what I will do, is arrive at my IT armed with a Driver=Putter and a rule book??!!
Don't worry guys,not cracking up, on the contrary,playing some of the best golf of my life at the moment.
Its amazing how many chickens can be see coming home to roost these days, just in time for Xmas
http://www.eastlondonadvertiser.co.uk/content/feed/commentOnArticle.aspx?brand=ELAOnline&category=news&itemid=WeED27+Nov+2009+15%3a11%3a05%3a203
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Mr.Cameron has now apologized to the House of commons for giving misleading information,Zac Goldsmith will repatriate enough of Jimmy`s millions to satisfy the taxman and secure his seat.Enough of these stories,they sustain a kind of dragging innuendo and suspicion which makes it difficult for ordinary men and women to pursue a political career.
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Surrey ABC 15
"Storm in a tea cup. I think we are about to enter the economic hurricane, better batter down the hatches."
Have you been given advance warning of this? Perhaps you should share it so that fellow soothsayers can point their finger at Gordon Brown, and give him accusatory details of what they accurately prefigured.
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Is that sufficient ap ?
"Britain risks becoming the first country in the G10 bloc of major economies to risk capital flight and a full-blown debt crisis over coming months, according to a client note by Morgan Stanley"
It gets worse, so I won't quote any more.
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Hang on chaps, the Blog topic is how rubbish the Tories are ... we shouldn't be drifting off piste already, we've only had about twenty posts!
Nobody got anything else to say about how rubbish the Tories are?
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Ref 23 Sagamix
I have Saga, where have the Shadow Government been whilst all this skullduggery has been going on??!!
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@23
The opposition has had to grasp at straws but cheap politicking will eventually backfire.
If you compare this to 97, we had come out of recession and the good times beckoned so Blair was able to offer a message of hope and the country bought it - by contrast the Tories can only offer austerity and their only hope is to discredit the incumbent administration, but by offering austerity they are inevitably linked to the Thatcher years still reviled by many - opposition is not an easy job.
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Surrey ABC 15
wrote
"Storm in a tea cup. I think we are about to enter the economic hurricane, better batter down the hatches."
I wrote
Have you been given advance warning of this? Perhaps you should share it so that fellow soothsayers can point their finger at Gordon Brown, and give him accusatory details of what they accurately prefigured.
GP wrote "Is that enough AP?"
Of course it`s not enough.Finger wagging wisdom of this kind comes from a bottomless pit of nothing.I don`t know what he/she is actually saying,so if you want to sound like old Moore, write an almanack.
However,the cautionary note from Morgan Stanley on British credit worthiness which you mentrion is a more serious issue,and is a possible, although unlikely result of the scale of the banking collapse here, relative to the size of the economy,and the measures that had to be taken to remedy it.
However,the past prognostications of Morgan Stanley were unable to save it from the effect of the US bank crisis.Twenty percent of the company was offered to Mitsubishi and Wachovia,its remaining assets were placed under the supervision of the regulator.
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coats @ 25
That is NOT what I was looking for.
True enough though, I suppose. In a sense.
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In my opinion, the Chilcot Inquiry will not be thorough if they don't investigate the OIL FOR FOOD SCAM as well as Blairs lies and deception
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Flash Gordon: Britain best placed to weather the recession.
The last G20 nation still in recession is... Britain.
Britain was shamed yesterday by official figures showing it was the only country in the G20 group of the world's most powerful economies still in recession.
Roll On 2010
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Re :23
I have Saga. They are all inept chancers including Labour and I wouldnt put any of them in charge of anything more complicated than a sweeping brush.
Roll on the General Election when we will get a chance to clear the lot of them out.
Come on you lot do yourselves a favour and stand down now. You know you dont want to wait till after the General Election then you wont get your £60,000.00 pay off will you.
After all its not as if you are in it for "public service" reasons is it youve proved that with your expenses scam.
Take the money and go now. I am sure the public will think it well worth the cash.
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Andrew,
from your link 'should have put the government on the backfoot'
'Tory aides have agreed some of their information had been inaccurate but the party said its main claim that the schools received some public money had been vindicated.'
Does this mean that the Tories are against all faith schools receiving public money, this might come as news to many middle englanders who send their children to CofE and Catholic church schools across the country.
My view is that all state funded schools should be secular, if people want to provide extra religeous education in the faith of their choice then that is a matter for them.
As for Zac Goldsmith, whilst he is non-dom and claims that almost all his income is generated in the UK and so derives little benefit from his status, what about the house in Richmond or the farm in Devon, who owns them (his foreign registered family trust).
Does he declare benefit in kind to the tax-man ?
How much taxable UK generated income would the normal person in the street require to be able to fund this kind of lifestyle ?
Why doesn't David Cameron ask Mr. Goldsmith to publish his P60 and put the matter to rest ?
No doubt he would say that it is a private and personal matter, I would say that just means he has something to hide.
Is it just me or do all the top politicians seem to wander round in a kind of westminster fog, occasionally glimpsing their feet and wondering where they left the gun.
Ignorants and Comics, bang!...ouch!
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As the Tories continue to fire randomly at their feet so the Brown stuff continues to flow.
All conditions have been met to allow us to send additional troops over to Afghanistan. Just a day before Obama is due to make his announcement. What timing.
Truth is always the first casualty of war.
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# 31
I believe the point Cameron should have made, was that the country was providing finance to a school in which two leading members of Hizb ut Tarrir, an entity Blair wanted to proscribe and that is proscribed in several Middle Eastern and European countries, and considering the sort of checks they do nowadays, it's surprising that no one noticed.
One Muslim school in Leicester became fully state financed, on the basis that they provided a proportion of places for non Muslims. Predictably, it is reported, that they took the money and didn't comply. Faith schools are not only socially divisive, but they also break the most fundamental tenets of UK discrimation law.
It's hard to act against C of E schools as that is the faith of the country and I didn't notice it was a baying totalitarian politicised pressure group, but if 'push comes to shove', then I see no need to confuse education with religion at all. Surprisingly, the ruling of the EU that schools in Italy should remove crucifixes from publically funded schools suggests that they support the view, unless it's just another example of an anti-Christian orthodoxy.
If people wantt to teach religion, then let them pay for it 100%. It is hypocritical for the government to fund discriminatory schooling of any sort.
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rocket @ 31
"My view is that all state funded schools should be secular"
Mine too.
And if - a big IF I know - all schools were state funded, the algebra works out as ALL schools are secular.
Religion confined to the churches, the temples, the mosques, the home and people's private thoughts.
Imagine that.
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On today's DP, the new UKIP leader, Malcolm Pearson, claimed that the Lib-Dems supported a referendum on 'In or Out of the EU', which Ming Campbell immediately denied. Pearson had obviously not grasped that the Lib-Dems had only introduced this referendum idea in a desperate attempt to deflect pressure for a vote on the Lisbon Treaty, at the time when that was still a possibility.
Pearson was naive in his assumption, and Campbell failed to admit the dishonesty of the Lib-Dems in their political manoeuvring (naturally).
It's a pity that, even in a hung parliament, UKIP are unlikely to be in a position to influence the policies and actions of the other parties regarding the EU. Something stronger than the proposed Tory Sovereignty Act is desirable.
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Regarding the Afghan National Army, police recruitment that NATO has estimated will be required to govern the country, has anyone actually done the maths?
Total population estimated by the UN is 28 million, 14 million of which are under 18 (I assume that NATO will not be training kids) which leaves 14 million adults and life expectancy averages at 45 years. Half again are probably women, and the chances of women serving must be next to nil.
This leaves 7 million more or less able bodied men of which a fair number will be wearing the Taliban jersey. Gen McChrystal's latest figures call for a combined force of about 400,000. This would imply that 1 man in 17 men would be in some form of uniform.
Only North Korea has a higher density of population in the armed forces. Are these numbers being touted really at all realistic? North Korea also has no qualms about using women on the front line, and coupled with the nation's indoctrination techniques mean that the general population will accede easily to joining the military. In Afghanistan by contrast the exact opposite is true.
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32. At 11:07am on 01 Dec 2009, TheBlameGame wrote:
As the Tories continue to fire randomly at their feet so the Brown stuff continues to flow.
All conditions have been met to allow us to send additional troops over to Afghanistan. Just a day before Obama is due to make his announcement. What timing.
Truth is always the first casualty of war.
I wanted to ask why it is untruthful to coordinate your military strategy with an ally? Until I remembered you may attempt to tell me.
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29. At 10:17am on 01 Dec 2009, Roll_On_2010 wrote:
"Flash Gordon: Britain best placed to weather the recession.
The last G20 nation still in recession is... Britain.
Britain was shamed yesterday by official figures showing it was the only country in the G20 group of the world's most powerful economies still in recession."
If I were you I would steer clear of economics,your sloganizing and lack of an elementary understanding of the rudiments,exposes the threadbare nature of your political hopes. When I wrote this is a previous thread yours were among the posts I had in mind:-
"Finally,no policy,incident,destination or chance remark of Mr.Brown is too trivial to escape the fine net of their condemnation.Theirs is the confessional of the terminally prejudiced, who, in their own hopeless way, are also beyond redemption. "
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#34
No Saga, what I mean is what I said, "all state funded schools should be secular".
the law states that all children must be educated to a standard but does not say how that education should take place.
I'm happy with that, it allows parents to send their children to a state school, educate them individually at home or group them together to provide private schooling for them.
The collective tax system should only be used for inclusive education and that by its very nature must be secular.
Exclusive schooling for select groups (be they individual, religious, affluent, doctrinaire or any other grouping) should be paid for by that group.
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Andrew,
the interesting event today will be the announcement from Obama about future American involvement in Afghanistan.
However, I have a family member who used to serve with Special Forces and I have a serious problem with Brown and his big mouth. He wouldn't tell us about the actual number of helicopters because it put our forces under threat, and national security of course. Now he tells us how many Special Forces are operating in that country. He, and the Ministry of Defence, have been using 'D' notices to keep this information out of the press now Brown goes and opens his big mouth again. I can't believe this man.
Now my family member has a High Court injunction against him because of extra-ordinary rendition, and enhanced interrogation techniques. He is not allowed to speak, could it just be because our wonderful brave Special Forces will yet again come under pressure to detain people who will then be interrogated by our American allies.
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bob @ 39
"No Saga, what I mean is what I said"
Yes, I know ... me too!
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#39
The argument for state funded education to be secular and thus inclusive sounds fine and logical. But is it that simple?
'The state' consists of millions of citizens of different beliefs and philosophies. They all - or mosly all - pay their taxes and therefore fund 'state education'. But if some of them - a sizeable proportion based on the number of current non-secular schools - wish a non-secular education for their children, they would have to pay again if your proposition held. Or would you exempt them from a proportion of their tax payments?
Might it not be more reasonable to retain a mixture of schools within the state system to allow a certain amount of choice? That would be inclusive as far as the tax requirements were concerned, but would still offer 'secular only', and other options to those who wanted them.
The totally secular argument sounds good - comparable to the 'one size fits all' comprehensive idea, which failed - but it might, in practice, prove to have some drawbacks, particularly in terms of 'customer satisfaction'.
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I see Denham is at it again banging the drum for the white working class.
http://chat.thisislondon.co.uk/london/threadnonInd.jsp?forum=18&thread=316868&message=1642588
After 12 years of abandoning us do these chancers really think anything they have to say has any relevance to us whatsoever?
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Who let the Druid out ?
"Copenhagen climate summit: 50/50 chance of stopping catastrophe, Lord Stern says"
I propose we have an annual warmist day when we all buy vinegar and bicarbonate of soda to add some more carbon dioxide to the atmosphere just to show what a joke this is.
Politicians wonder why we don't believe them, Perhaps because we aren't as stupid as they are, a stupidity they have amply demonstrated to everyone.
The Copenhagen Druid Revival Show will be a farce, and if it rates its own chances of success as low as 50 per cent, it will be a complete waste of time and major contributor to guess what - carbon dioxide ?
Has anyone noticed that the less attention we pay to their dramatic prophesies, the more doom laden they become ? It's all so very childish.
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#43 sa
I think it's called the BNP effect.
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#41 sagamix
I saw this and immediately thought of you saga:
Death to all cuckoo clocks.
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#42 mike-jay
I was thinking along the lines of the French education model
No tax breaks for educating privately, there aren't any at the moment (other than charitable status) and yet there are plenty of private options.
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Lord Stern claims that climate warmist naysayers are muddled.
He certainly isn't. As vice-chairman of IdeaCarbon group which is intending to serve as a ratings agency in the carbon trading market, he has a financial interest in doom.
The Druids have come on a bit since they relied on belief.
He's an economist and not a climate scientist, so we can more easily understand his motivation. His pronouncements are more akin to adverts than objective opinion. Perhaps if he indicated his financial interest he'd be less of a liability to the Druid cause.
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roll @ 46
:-) ... Fabulous.
Where will it end?
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Re :45
Partly mike-jay. I would call it crapping themselves due to the electoral catastrophy they are facing.
All of a sudden they need the white working class to keep their gravy train running.
How unfortunate for them. I suggest they find a place in the dole queue.
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And it looks like the Labour Government is going to try and fix the election result
http://www.voteforachange.co.uk/blog/entry/tomorrows-headlines/
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#47 BR
Paying for private education in the hope that it might be of better quality than state education isn't the same as having a range of options within the state system, all broadly following the same academic curriculum, to offer secular, religious, ethical, or philosophical choices for those who can't afford, or don't wish to pay extra for their children's education.
Provided a school does not teach or indoctrinate pupils in a way that could be illegal or constitute a threat to society or to law and order, what is the problem? Could it be a form of secular bigotry - along the Dawkins lines - that generates fevered antagonism to non-secular schools?
It's a bit like the climate change debate, isn't it?
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Under the law of this country it is illegal to run schools that dicriminate on the grounds of religion, and yet there are state funded schools doing just that. There is no excuse for government funded discrimination.
There is a close relationship between religion and politics and this country has done a lot to separate the two. We find the Church of England innocuous, but it is a reflection of our polical view and is hardly intolerant and totalitarian. Other religions have different values which are politically at odds with our whole system of democracy. I am not offended by it, but it gives a skewed vision of our society. An example is the question of Sharia law which was even trialled in Canada and has been mentioned by liberals here, but it merely takes away the rights within minorities, and puts them in the hands of undemocratic religious authorities. It sounds lovely, but its formation can only be necessary to disadvantage a party who would otherwise be entitled to differenmt rights under UK law. It legalises discrimination.
One man's liberalism is another man's discrimination.
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PFI LESSONS LEARNED
It appears my JIHAD against my local authority is slowly paying off because I note with a wry smile than a recent new school has been designed with SPRINKLER SYSTEM which begs the question WHY THE HELL were the 6 PFI schools NOT provisioned with sprinklers??!!
They are now playing DUMB with the FOI saying they don't know what I mean when I reer to HEALTH AND SAFETY FILE & OPERATIONS MAINTENANCE manual.
iTS LIKE TAKING CANDY OFF KIDS
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37. anthony piepe
"I wanted to ask why it is untruthful to coordinate your military strategy with an ally? Until I remembered you may attempt to tell me."
Très amusant ap.
Just looking at the 3 conditions and how things could have improved so dramatically, despite indications to the contrary.
I hope your faith in Brown is well-placed. Not for your sake.
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Ref my 54
I have now written to my MP Ben Bradshaw and my Tory MP wannabe asking them for an explanation why:
1.Why a recent school built by my local authority has been provisioned with Fire Sprinkler System whilst 5 of the 6 new PFI schools were NOT provsioned with the Sprinkler System, as required by BB100,the School Design Criteria..
2.Why my local authority has published a school brief for a new school whilst no such publication were made for the 6 PFI schools.
It seems V strange to me that my local authority can build one small school in accordance with the relevant statutory regulations and requirements NOW but were unable to comply only 4/5 yeas ago when the PFI schools were designed.
It would also appear that my local authority is leading the FOI commissioner UP THE GARDEN PATH because my local authority is claiming NO KNOWLEDGE for OMM & HEALTH AND SAFETY FILES.
This could get interesting.
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ASBESTOS REMOVAL AT MY LOCAL AUTHORITY HQ
My local authority has closed a section of its HQ for the removal of some asbestos. Could someone please tell me what year it is or have I stopped in time.
I feel another FOI request coming on??!!
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BREAKINGNEWS ON PFI SCHOOLS
I have discovered why the PFI schools in my area are in such a state. It's because a directive given by the DfES.
quote
• Production of a Health and Safety File which should stay with the project for the building’s life.
(‘As built’ record drawings, and operation and maintenance manuals are not a requirement, but should be maintained to inform the Asset Management Plan.)
UNQUOTE
No person applying a right and proper mind would make such a satement.In essence Ed Balls or his predecessor gave UNLAWFUL INSTRUCTIONS to local schools education auhorities.
These schools are now unsafe to work in or maintain or extend because of missing statutory regulations
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Ref my 58
A copy of my email to Bradshaw and my Tory MP wannabe
Ben & xxxxxx
I have discovered the REAL reason why the PFI schools are so screwed up. It is because the local authorities were given false and misleading information by the DfES and please find the DfES guidelines attached.
I would like to bring your attention to one particular paragraph in the DeFS
Quote
• Production of a Health and Safety File which should stay with the project for the building’s life.
(‘As built’ record drawings, and operation and maintenance manuals are not a requirement, but should be maintained to inform the Asset Management Plan.)
Unquote
No person applying a right and proper mind would give such an instruction.In essence,the DeFS has instructed local education authorities to CIRCUMVENT Statutory Regulation.
I call upon you both to act on this with urgency because such failure leave the schools unfit for purpose.
With thanks
Exxonmobil2
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PFI Project Regulatory Failures
It beggars belief the DfES has given a clear concise written directive to Local Education Authorities to circumvent statutory regulations in the DeFS
Quote
• Production of a Health and Safety File which should stay with the project for the building’s life.
(‘As built’ record drawings, and operation and maintenance manuals are not a requirement, but should be maintained to inform the Asset Management Plan.)
Unquote.
I wonder if such unlawful directives are isolated to my local authoritys are ALL PFI projects managed this way??
Who's mandate said, EDUCATION EDUCATION EDUCATION,
I AM SURE IT WILL COME TO ME???!!
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Good Morning Andrew,
overnight the president of the United States made his speech to the nation on troop deployments to Afghanistan.
Brown makes a statement in parliament. He should, no must, have also made a formal statement to the nation about why on earth after so many years are we still reinforcing defeat.
He surely must have learnt with our ignominious defeat in Basra, where we we had to rescued by the Iraqi and American forces, that we will now have to follow the orders of American forces. Some of the these orders will not be compliant with international law, as was again confirmed by Americans in Iraq, with extra-ordinary rendition and enhanced interrogation techniques, as well as them being trigger happy.
This is not good enough, Obama says that even America cannot afford Afghanistan, neither can we in Britain. Brown announced the number of our Special Forces operating in the area of Afghanistan and Pakistan, he should not have done this. We will be using drones, with the Americans, on the Pakistan and Afghan borders, and we will assassinate people with no trial, no arrests, no legal interrogation. By hitching ourselves to the American wagon train we do not know where we will end up.
I think that rather than look to the war in Vietnam, we need to look at the Boer War, that is how this occupation is developing, anybody outside a ring will be the enemy, and suffer the consequences. America lost in Vietnam, we gave the world concentration camps in the Boer war, and eventually South Africa ended up with apartheid, what can we expect from Afghanistan and Pakistan, something nobody yet knows, but when we do we will say how on earth did that happen.
In the meantime Osama bin Laden is still free, no doubt even if he was captured he will be released on humanitarian grounds, just like Ronnie Biggs and the convicted Libyan terrorist who still would appear to be alive, just like a certain City financier who had been diagnosed with alzeihmers.
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Andrew,
good news about the release of the Brits from Iran.
However, can we stop describing them as sailors. They are quite wealthy middle class young men who are yachtsmen, who just so happen to have a journalist with them. I hope that we do not hear how brave and courageous they are in their chosen 'career'. How can Brown and the politicians refer to our brave and courageous soldiers now fighting and dying in Afghanistan be the same as any brave and courageous modern day 'yuppies'.
In the meantime our brave and courageous real sailors do nothing as another middle aged couple who are joy riding around the world on their yacht are continuing to be held by a load of pirates.
In the meantime one of our citizens is held in Iraq, and those captured with him have been murdered. What a funny old world.
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We are told that we must not citicise the politicians and military over the Afghan debacle. Well let's try and put things into perspective, because both are either totally incompetent, or are misleading us over what the are trying to achieve.
In World War Two the invasion of Europe consisted of landing 425,000 troops on the beaches of Dunkirk, and the forces we are now deploying in Afghanistan are comparable.
So, we aren't fighting a few al Queade hardliners or a minority of extremist Afghan Taliban are we ? If we are being lied to, our leaders cannot expect our support. Either our military are so unbelievably inefficient, or there is a massive insurgency supported by a large propoertion of the population. Bear in mind that our troops are being assisted by a not insignificant number of armed Afghan troops and police.
It's a little like Climate Change. Politicians think that if they dress in a suit and talk rubbish, that we'll believe any old garbage they tell us. I'm glad to see that the Australians have kicked Climate Change into the long grass, and hopefully that'll be the beginning of wresting control from the Druids. Of course I'm discounting the Chinese who basically gave a 'v' sign to the whole concept.
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I'm in heaven
"In a speech in the south of France, Mr Sarkozy said the appointment of Michel Barnier was a victory for European economic modelling.
Mr Sarkozy blamed the “free-wheeling Anglo-Saxon” model, favoured by Britain and the United States, for the global economic downturn while praising European thinking which “had nothing to do with excesses of financial capitalism”. "
"Mr Barnier's role as Europe’s new internal markets commissioner gives him power over financial regulatory reform, with France seen as favouring a tough stance on issues like bonuses and curbs on hedge funds."
Nothing like giving away power to Europe and then finding them betray Gordon, as well as laying all the blame for the financial crisis on him. You betrayed us Gordon. Now you can savour how we feel. How utterly delicious.
"Mr Barnier's role as Europe’s new internal markets commissioner gives him power over financial regulatory reform, with France seen as favouring a tough stance on issues like bonuses and curbs on hedge funds."
Maybe Europe has benefits I hadn't foreseen. We know that Gordon and Darling are still wedded to the City and are incapable of making any meaningful reform, but now they've thrown our sovereignty away, they are powerless. They can hardly criticise Europe, can they ?
I doubt I'll manage to wipe the smug smile off my face for a week.
Now Cameron can launch his attack on a fundamental issue and rip Gordon to shreds. It works on so many levels. How well Europe has betrayed Gordon. Simply magnifique !
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#64
we now have the EU as the Flinstones, with Barney Rubble running the show.
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Gomer Pyle 65
"In World War Two the invasion of Europe consisted of landing 425,000 troops on the beaches of Dunkirk, and the forces we are now deploying in Afghanistan are comparable."
If your grasp of economics is comparable to your understanding of history I would stay clear of both.
The beaches of Dunkirk were the site of the biggest disaster in British military history when Guderian`s panzers,(1940), forced the BEF to Dunkirk where they were rescued by the navy.
The invasion of Europe,(1944), took place on the beaches if Normandy,well to the west of Dunkirk.There were no landings at Dunkirk or the Pas De Calais.
As for your other comments about Sarkozy,I argued in a number of previous threads this would happen when the opposition sided with the French and Germans to prevent a significant figure like Blair filling the still undefined post of president, and acting as a counterweight to Franco-German economic power.Perhaps you could temper your delight with the reality that British power and influence in Europe is now diminished as a result.
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#38 Piepe wrote:
"Finally,no policy,incident,destination or chance remark of Mr.Brown is too trivial to escape the fine net of their condemnation.Theirs is the confessional of the terminally prejudiced, who, in their own hopeless way, are also beyond redemption."
How about posting some non-prejudiced remarks of your own, starting perhaps with a robust condemnation of Labour's continual and tedious class-war tactics (as we saw at PMQs today).
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Gomer Pyle 63
"In World War Two the invasion of Europe consisted of landing 425,000 troops on the beaches of Dunkirk, and the forces we are now deploying in Afghanistan are comparable."
The invasion of Europe (1944),was launched against five Normandy beaches coded Omaha,Utah,Sword,Juno,Gold, by combined allied forces.
Durkirk (1940), was the site of possibly the greatest disaster in British military history when Guderian`s panzer divisions pushed the British Expeditionary force to the sea.330.000 British and French were rescued by the Navy. While this was happening there was a news blackout in Britain.
As for your comments on the EU,I predicted the resurgence of Franco-German economic power before the event, as you will find in my recent threads.I find your pleasure in the weakening of Britain`s power in the EU hard to understand,but it is no stranger than the bewilderment Europeans felt when the British opposition sabotaged the attempt to have Blair elected as president, which event made a significant contribution to that result.
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Any politician attempting to raise tired class war cliches is 'tap dancing on a mine field' especially when your Deputy Prime Minister is rarely to be found outside a clique of his merchant banker pals, relatives of Libyan despots and Russian oligarchs. When someone asks 'Do me a favour guv' he doesn't hear it in the East End of London, and it's spoken in rather less proletararian tones, but he never disappoints.
Multi millionaire film stars are entitled to support Labour if they wish, but supporting hypocrisy from the comfort of their acquired splendour, only emphasises what's wrong with Labour. I could tolerate Stalin if I did so from the comfort of a palace. I feel that politicians are more influenced by celebrities than voters, but they can afford to be, and it gives them something to Twitter on about and impress the children.
I am disappointed that the Tories appear so impotent, and it's only the grotesque mess that Gordon's made of everything that's likely to hand Cameron victory. On Europe, Afghanistan and Climate Change their policies are little different and I see Gordon as a failure and Cameron as a failure in waiting. Cameron edges it, as he isn't a proven failure, but the disastrous enconomic situation he faces after the election, makes a subsequent term most unlikely, unless the economy explodes between now and the election, which is possible but not certain.
Cameron's playing it safe and Gordon's trying to keep him penned in without room to manoeuvre, and succeeding, but it's still not enough to overcome Gordon's unpopularity.
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If anyone is still interested in 100W lightbulbs I bought some from a well known home and garden specialist, which bought a huge order shortly before the ban came into effect. The first name is the same as the BBC's business editor and the second an anagram of YADS.
You can also legally buy through the internet something called "hard wearing" lightbulbs used outdoors and by tradesmen.
I am finding that the first generation of new lightbulbs as poor in terms of luminosity and reliability - I bought one last week for GBP 1.50 and it lasted 5 seconds before burning out! The second generation coming out now do better on the luminosity front, but it is too early to say if they are more reliable or not.
And why are the Phillips lightbulbs made in China and not Eindhoven? No large carbon footprint there then by the climate change hypocites, eh?
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67. At 2:21pm on 02 Dec 2009, johnharris66 wrote:
#38 Piepe wrote:
"Finally,no policy,incident,destination or chance remark of Mr.Brown is too trivial to escape the fine net of their condemnation.Theirs is the confessional of the terminally prejudiced, who, in their own hopeless way, are also beyond redemption."
JH wrote
"How about posting some non-prejudiced remarks of your own, starting perhaps with a robust condemnation of Labour's continual and tedious class-war tactics (as we saw at PMQs today)."
I was working at the time so your information on PMQs is priveleged.My wife, who has a more acute mind than me on these matters, did see the programme.Her comment was that Mr.Brown was genuinely angry
and said what he felt for a change.There is so much paper waving and synthetic anger among politicians,I am sure an expression of real feeling must be therapeutic.
As for your more general point on prejudice,my own interest is in analyzing social structures,institutions and processes over time.I am equally interested in viewpoints other than my own if they are literate and have an evidential base.After all,you learn nothing unless you try to encounter an opponent at their strongest.
Perhaqps you feel that rants and sloganizing are part of the essential quiddity of the human condition? Perhaps.I find them terminally tedious and have now said so.
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#71 Piepe
I have noticed your posts consisting of many interesting observations, but laced with a contempt for Conservatives (politicians and voters) and without any balance on ther other side. On this I do think you are being party-political and lacking objectivity (which somewhat spoils the substantial points you are making).
Maybe Brown was angry at PMQs, but then the next questions are about what, and was it justified? About people being privately educated? (depite the previous Labour PM) About inheritance tax? (despite Labour's promise to increase the threshold). If this is anger then it seems disproportionate. But again for you, Tories make empty slogans, Labour express genuine emotion. Actually I don't think Brown was angry as his hands shake when he is, and today he seemed relaxed and self-confident.
You profess to be above the fray, but I rather think you are in the same place as the rest of us.
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Andrew,
extra military deployment to Afghanistan. Where are the eight other nations, Brown, nor Obama will name the eight.
As for us, how many private security operatives will be paid for and sent. Please remember that General Sir Mike Jackson has very strong connections to a private security firm which supplies security, in all probability to Afghanistan.
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Pestons blog is reporting that the RBS board may have to quit if Darling vetoes the bonuses - needless to say the bankers are not getting overwhelming support!
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Oh dear ap, how tedious you are.
I admit a slip of the key over Dunkirk, but it doesn't alter the point that we are in a country hardly advanced beyond the Middle Ages, with a continental sized invasion force, and taking a licking. I'd move off the point if I were you, as even I'm beginning to wonder what's going on. In any level headed view, it was a badly planned and poorly executed invasion. Does this remind you of anything ? and now we're caught in a trap, as Portillo rightly said, where we can't win and can't leave, but other knowledgable observers have pointed out, this will take a generation to resolve successfully.
Politicians appear ignorant of the fact that Pakistan's nuclear arsenal is already under the watchful eye of a US force, so that scare argument is no longer relevant.
As for Tony Blair. Europe made it quite clear that they saw no place for a razzmataz song and dance artist, and if you haven't caught up with the news about who they did elect, then you should do so immediately. The UK's place in Europe has been diminished by Gordon's deperate attempt to giving priority to rewarding favours, rather than looking after our interests.
Gordon sold us down the river, once twice, three times, we got a lady - as Foreign Representative, a post we now find has all the power of custodian of the president's wig.
I'm hoping, and feel confident of success, that France will attack the City of London with blood curdling ferocity in revenge for all those historic defeats - Trafalgar, Waterloo, the Archers. It's nobody's fault but Gordon's, and I won't cry to see all Gordon's City pals desert him. Maybe there's hope for UKIP yet.
All Tony ever did for Europe was give away our rebate. I doubt urope think we've got much left worth having, especially as we're the second highest contributor after Germany and the most bankrupt, somewhat akimbo of Tristan da Cunha.
Come again any time ap. It was a pleasure.
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Andrew,
it would appear that it is not only political parties which are a bit accident prone, and it is not only our brave yachtsmen who have troble at sea.
For example, a Russian icebreaker is caught in the Weddell Sea off Antarctica. It was apparently on a cruise, and with the fascinating interest which the media in general, but the BBC in particular seem to have a problem with global warming I thought that the following quote might be of interest to Gordon Brown as he visits Copenhagen,
Russian news agencies said a BBC camera crew filming a documentary about the Antarctic was also on board.
"They are implementing the tour program in full," Kuzin said. "The captain reported that the situation on board is normal."
Now I dread to think what normal is but we shall leave that alone.
My point is that it would seem that people who complain most about the situation of global warming being detrimental to the environment seem to have an awful lot of time to spare actually going to see the very environment which is in danger from human beings.
In Exeter, the constituency of the now infamous Ben Bradshaw, we have the Met Office, part of the Ministry of Defence. What did they do a few years ago, flew in scientists from all over the world to discuss global warming.
Others have mentioned the Exeter High Schools and the problems over fencing, lightning protection, as well as sprinkler systems. Well also consider that no opportunity was taken with regard to siting any wind turbines, no interest in siting solar panels, nothing at all. So, I must say that it is not only Bradshaw, it is so many other MPs who are free with words but not with action.
By the way when will Brown not be in parliament to answer any questions, will he be in Copenhagen during the Darling speech, or will he fly backwards and forwards as the great international statesman which he is. Will we PMQs next week or will it be another pathetic stand in, not answering direct questions, with MPs bawling like overgrown children.
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75. GomerPyle
Following your para on TB and the EU Presidency here's an interesting link:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2009/dec/01/mystery-tony-blair-finances
Add the illegal war to grey accounting and it's no surprise he didn't get the top job.
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On Day 1 of the Lisbon Treachery they demanded £20 Billion to pay more Eurocrats
On Day 2 of the Lisbon Treachery they take control of the City
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/8391354.stm
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# 77
Inheritance tax avoidance schemes TheBlameGame ?
Surely no Labour politician with red blood in his veins (or vain in Tony's case) could even spell such a thing. Lordships and shady financial dealings with Russian crooks and Arab despots are outside their scope surely ?
I have some suggestions for sources of Tiny's income that aren't mentioned in that article, apart from his Tommy Trinder tribute act, of course. Lord Minky wasn't the only guest at the infamous partridge shoot. However I must point out that Lord Minky was maybe there as a twitcher, or perhaps a beater, but in no event as a shooter.
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JH 72
"You profess to be above the fray, but I rather think you are in the same place as the rest of us."
I think I said I like to encounter viewpoints different to my own, which means I don`t attribute Olympian cool to myself and Dionysic frenzy to my opponents.
Having dispensed with that,I`m delighted that Mr.Brown kept his cool.As for the class war business,our political parties are class based and if you reach into their subconscious you will find class imagery and prejudice.Mrs.Thatcher spoke frequently of "Our people", Clarissa Eden objected to having to view the washing line of the yeomanry,there were mutterings by the establishment about Mrs.Thatcher being a grocer`s daughter.The labour establishment is not immune and I don`t just mean reverse snobbery.People who have achieved their position by merit rather than background are a kind of noveaux, displaying the vulgarity of ostentatious learning,good taste,select company and material acquisition.Michels called this propensity of left parties "The iron law of Oligarchy."
So what you describe are facets of the human condition,we try to discriminate in favour of ourselves and our peers,we condemn "others" and attribute corresponding virtues and vices.But it is hard to envisage any culture with a language and belief system which doesn`t discriminate at every level of input and response.
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Gomer Pyle 75
I would have thought your idea that the invasion of Europe was launched against Dunkirk was more than a slip of the keyboard, but a window into your mind.As for the rest of the post,it is so thanklessly dire it should be left to consenting adults in private.
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More good news for Climate Change and the Druids.
Apparently the Carbon Credit market has been abused by criminals who have been operating a VAT 'carousel' type fraud and positively minting it.
You couldn't make it up - could you ? I'd laugh if it weren't our money being thrown away financing the criminal world on a fool's errand.
"After cracking down on Britain’s £35m carbon trading tax scam that stretched across Europe, Dave Hartnett, director-general of Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs, told us that he believes traders will continue to “chance their arm”.
Asked whether it could become the next carousel fraud, he said: “I think it’s happened already."
Well - that's alright then. I daren't even google the amount we lose through VAT carousel fraud. It's eye watering - believe me. If we've devised another variant, heaven help us.
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This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the House Rules.
Chad/Cameroon Pipeline latest news
http://www.truthout.org/topstories/120209sg02
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80. anthony piepe wrote:
"I think I said I like to encounter viewpoints different to my own, which means I don`t attribute Olympian cool to myself and Dionysic frenzy to my opponents."
Almost choked on my honeyed wine and olives over that one...
If you're making a casual reference to Nietzsche's philosophical dichotomy, shouldn't it be Apollonian cool and Dionysiac frenzy?
(Merely asking as I know you're a stickler for accuracy ap.)
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Dunkirk:
Simon Maffey was a guardsman and part of the Dunkirk rearguard.He lobbed grenades into a German strongpoint,was wounded and evacuated.
While being operated on,and under anaesthetic, the ship was blown up by Stukas,he was put in the water supported by lifejackets, where the navy picked him up.Invalided out of the army he spent the rest of the war as a merchant navy stoker.
I never asked him if he`d been to Eton because it isn`t something you talk about.He had a simple patrotism which was generous and inclusive and we will not see his like again.
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Leave ap be. He's reading random quotes from some of his old school books.
Someone's discovered that there's a North Waziristan as well a South one, and surprise surprise, that's where the major threat to ISAF is coming from.
"US officials have publicly questioned why Islamabad has failed to challenge Taliban leaders like Jalaluddin Haqqani, whose militia has killed more Nato troops that any other in raids launched from his base in Pakistan's North Waziristan. His ability to direct attacks inside Afghanistan has been presented as evidence that the sustained threat to reginal security comes from within Pakistan rather than across its frontier."
Most pre-adolescent schoolboys will be aware of Sun Tzu's Art of War, and even those who aren't, will be aware that it's something of a tactical blunder to be unaware of your enemy's location and then to avoid attacking them there, when you find it.
If you make the choice of waging war, then it's something of a mistake to pursue it with the etiquette of an Edwardian tea party. If we're bound by some Arthurian protocol not to disturb al Quaeda and the Taliban when they're in their winter lodgings, then we can fill Afghanistan with troops without having much effect at all.
Quite simply, Pakistan is either part of the solution or part of the problem, and this should have been resolved before more troops were committed. It also strikes me that this is a military mission being hampered by diplomatic constraints.
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85 Blame
How clever you are.I used Olympian in preference to Apollonian because it is more generally understood.Walter Pater used the dionysic ideal in his essay on the renaissance.
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87. At 9:29pm on 02 Dec 2009, GomerPyle wrote:
"Leave ap be. He's reading random quotes from some of his old school books."
My old school books might told me Overlord didn`t pitch up at Dunkirk.Perhaps you should spend some quality time with yours.
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You sound more and more like Gordon and his inheritance tax 'chew toy' every time you post ap.
Your remuneration as a Gordon impersonator will be somewat impaired after next May, though his comic potential will live longer than his political influence.
He'd actually make a good opposition PM, but politics doesn't work like that.
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Andrew,
can people please get it right. We are not at war in Afghanistan, there has been no formal declaration of war by Britain. We are despite what some politicians might say a force of occupation in that 'state', by invitation from the corrupt Quisling Karzai.
If we were to be at war then so many things would be different, but we are not. I would prefer it if war was declared but it won't be. Think of all those Afghans and Pakistanis now living in Britain, they would have to be interned, for their, as much as our safety.
My problem is that it is now well documented that the British had problems with the Americans in Iraq, extra-ordinary rendition, enhanced interrogation techniques, and the Americans being 'trigger happy'. I think the latter will be one of the major problems with winning hearts and minds.
I still remember pictures of Harry in Afghanistan before it all really kicked off, calling up air strikes on his computer, no trials, no attempt at arrests, or detention, just bomb them, kill them, well Harry 'we do bad things to bad people' has blood on his hands just like the generals, the politicians and the insurgents.
However, I watched Marr on the television tonight with Churchills speech on the retreat from Dunkirk 'The making of modern Britain' you know the one, we will never surrender etc...well the Talibhan have their Churchills, their flags, their heroes, their glorious past, and do you seriously think that we can ever get out now, we have committed one of the cardinal sins in military tactics, we have reinforced defeat, we are always going to be the problem and never the solution.
Just for the record also watched the film on the BBC of 'Pearl Harbor' which also included a scene where Doolittle was explaining his famous raid from the aircraft carrier on Tokyo when asked what would he do if shot down. His response was fly his plane into a target because 'he was too old to be a prisoner'. Now excuse me but is that not a suicide bomber, just like the Talebhan. We all need to ask ourselves what would we do if our country had been invaded by a foreign power, would we not have resisted, using every means at our disposal, just like Churchill said we should, we will never surrender. Why should the Talebhan, especially when it was Saudis who flew into the Twin Towers.
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Good Morning Andrew,
now you know how much we down here in Exeter love our MP, Ben Bradshaw. The man who put his arm around Johnson at PMQs last week, and was told off by the Speaker, he really should know better. So, I looked on his Facebook site this morning and thought I would share with you all that he has joined some new friends 'Friends of Queer Nation' well done Ben, you keep it up, you will lose your seat don't you know.
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Good Morning Andrew,
with regard to the deteriorating situation in Afghanistan and Pakistan, and our fear of terror on our streets, and the problems with Muslims, A-Qaeda, the Talebhan and other situations then surely we are coming to the time when, like the Millenium Dome a decision has to be made as to whether or not we actually go ahead with the Olympic games in England. I say England because although it is based in London, there are other sites, and it will be the taxpayer paying for it.
So, either we admit defeat on that front, that we won't be able to put on the games without draconian infringments of our civil liberties, and the civil liberties of those attending. Or we also admit that there is every danger that as the games approach, and we are still embroiled with America in various wars, or occupations of foreign countries, that a majority of countries will boycott the games.
If people, as I think they do, want to support our troops, but not the political decisions and strategies being employed, then let us start a new movement. Boycot the Olympic games in London, send it to Paris, or somewhere else, but not London. Don't compromise yourself by taking filthy lucre, money after all makes pimps and whores of us all, as Shakespeare, or Marx would say.
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Good Morning Andrew,
I notice from the BBC News web site that Brown just does not get it. Apparently he is now sending retrospective letters to the family of soldiers who died two years ago, because of an administrative oversite. Two years late, and now he even brings the lovely Sarah into all this.
The man just has no shame, and as for the spelling, you can't make it up. Does nobody know how to spell conscientious, I mean you can even check it on the net, or doesn't our PM know anything about computers. Please don't tell me, because of his eye=sight he has problems, yeah, we know.
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A very good morning Andrew,
I just thought that further to my earlier posting about visitors to the Antarctic being caught up on a Russian icebreaker I would add this. I hope that the BBC, the scientists, the artists, etc.. have been able to negotiate a discount, I wonder if they will have to declare benefits in kind:
A Russian travel agency advertises two-week tours to the area (the Antarctic) aboard the Captain Khlebnikov to see emperor penguins at costs ranging from $13,890 (€9,350) to $22,690 (€15,280) per person.
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Good morning each & Andrew.
I just want to see how my name looks, there is some confusion.
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96.
Could be those who are using multiple IDs are getting their handles rejected??
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@ 96/97
Mmm dunno what's going on.
I got an email from the Beeb saying my "sagamix" name contravenes House Rules and so I can no longer use it!
Funny business.
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#96/97/98
I created a new user name (I have two e-mail accounts) but instead of displaying the new blogger name I am named as a U boat. Under my old blogger name "excellentcatblogger" they displayed my real name. What next, will they start showing people's e-mail addresses?
Have posted a complaint but not sure what that will achieve.
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Uthis, Uthat?
Plainly improvements are afoot.
I have checked my e-mail and no bad news there. (yet?)
"Blatant Political skullduggery." I calls it.
O, what a tangled mess we leave when some practice to re-sieve?
On the wider stage...
"Sack the lot! These bankers.
Back in the mists of time when I was first old enough to vote one Ted Heath's cry was...
"Who should run the country? The Government or the unions."
Now we are back to that square one.
"Who should run the country? Government or the Bankers.
Sack the lot. '£!'.
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Now Gordon is telling us he's been told that Osama bin Laden is no longer in Pakistan.
The mind boggles. I can imagine Gordon travelling on the Circle Line from Bank to the Elephant and Castle (I have no clue as to London underground routes in case ap is wanting to set off st a tangent) and having a chat with Lord Minky "Oh no Gordo, I have it from reliable sources that Osama always spends winter on the Riviera".
I could add significantly to a list of places where Osama isn't, but it doesn't advance the issue at all, other than to take pressure off Pakistan for diplomatic reasons. I particularly enjoy the theory that when Pakistan takes action against the Taliban they all move into Afghanistan, and vice versa when ISAF do the same. It's a game of military 'ping pong' that could only be resolved if our sophisticated military forces could co-ordinate their military.
War is the failure of diplomacy. When an underdog faces overwhelming force, then diplomacy is their best weapon. No one is criticising our soldiers. It is our politicians who are at fault, giving priority to diplomacy when soldiers are dying because the known sources of terrorism are being given 'safe haven' status, by politicians.
You can't win a war by telling your soldiers NOT to attack the opposition. When a politician chooses war as the solution, then the more restrictions he places on his army, the more of his soldiers will die.
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