Government Need Autumn Election - We Don't!

While Gordon Brown spends his summer vacation in Scotland, possibly looking for a new job, and his 'stand-ins' try to make the headlines in the national press, it is time to start wondering how Labour is going to survive the next few years.

Given the public's disappointment over recent political events and our perception of a lack of leadership in all things that matter to us mere mortals, it seems almost a certainty that the Conservatives will be asked to form a government after the next election - due by the Spring of next year.

That timing causes another problem for the present government, as all the difficult and unpopular decisions (to save us from ourselves) need to be implemented before then, meaning the government will face even more resentment from the voting public before polling day arrives.

The financial pain created by paying back the huge public borrowing deficit will be an enormous burden to the average voter.

Added to which, there is also the likelihood there will be attempts to replace GB as leader before, or during, the Autumn party conference.

If the Conservatives do gain power next year, they will be able to claim that none of the hardship we are all suffering was of their making and they will probably retain power for years - especially if the financial conditions gradually improve and we all start to feel better.

Not a very attractive proposition for Labour, so how do they tackle it?

The easiest way would be to accept they are going to lose, but limit the fallout.

If they were to call a snap autumn election this year, they will almost certainly place the Conservatives into government and thereby force them into the spotlight to take the blame over what will be necessary, but unpopular, decisions.

They will avoid the PR nightmare of having to force out their leader and be able to gently sideline him, while he eventually steps down to 'spend more time with my family'.

They will have sidestepped having to make the difficult decisions over our increasingly unpopular role in Afghanistan and will be able to criticise our new government from the safety of the opposition benches.

In short they will be able to re-build quietly and covertly.

It is very likely that the Conservatives will have been exposed as being nothing more than hype and, have themselves become so unpopular after their first four year term, they will be removed at the following election.

The new re-invented shiny Labour will, by then, have regained the public's confidence enough to return to power.

See? it's easy really...let's just hope they don't think of it!!

Director Of The FBI Is A Hypocrite!

Predictably, the outcry over the compassionate release of the only person convicted of the Lockerbie bombing, Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed Al Megrahi, has been loud and spoken malnly with an american accent.

Poor old Kenny MacAskill, Scotland's justice secretary, has been the main target. He claims to have made the decision to release Megrahi all on his own but as we all know it is very unlikely to have been allowed to proceed had it not been part of a much bigger political picture.

Poor old Kenny has, today, received a scathing letter from the director of the FBI in the US, Robert Mueller. In it he writes:

"Your action gives comfort to terrorists around the world who now believe that regardless of the quality of the investigation, the conviction by jury after the defendant is given all due process, and sentence appropriate to the crime, the terrorist will be freed by one man's exercise of 'compassion'."

Hmm now where do we start on that one?

Megrahi's trial is generally accepted to have been, at best, controversial and was not tested in front of a jury but in front of a panel of three Scottish judges sitting in a 'neutral' country. Proof of the quality of the investigation normally rests on the evidence presented to the court and again this has been disputed with claims that some of the 'proof' was fraudulent or fabricated.

Sadly, Megrahi's release stopped his scheduled appeal, which would have tested all of the above and hopefully brought a more balanced judgement on the guilt of the accused.

But what could almost be the funniest part of the letter, if it was not so serious, is the part saying:

"Your action in releasing Megrahi is as inexplicable as it is detrimental to the cause of justice. Indeed your action makes a mockery of the rule of law."

Remember this was written by a senior law officer in a country that has brought the word 'rendition' into the English vocabulary, where anyone suspected of actions that could be even remotely related to terrorism, were flown around the world while hooded and chained, were tortured by water boarding and worse, were mentally abused and held in a prison camp on foreign soil without due process of law or being formally charged with any offence - all for years on end.

If this is the definition of justice to which Mr Mueller refers then it is hard to know who is the greatest danger to the 'rule of law'.

To be able to criticise Mr MacAskill, the distinguished director of the FBI should first have made certain he was writing from the lofty peaks of the moral high ground.

If the recent behaviour of the US intelligence services is now seen as a benchmark for 'justice' then... stop the world..I want to get off!

Lockerbie Bomber Leaves More Questions Than Conviction!

The only man convicted over the Lockerbie bombing 20 years ago, Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed Al Megrahi, has, as expected, been released from his life sentence on compassionate grounds.

Megrahi is said to be suffering from prostate cancer and is not expected to live for more than a few months.

No one can deny the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103, over the Scottish town of Lockerbie in 1988 was a terrible act. The deaths of the 270, both aboard the plane and in the town, was unforgivable and the sheer audacity of the attack rightly shocked the world.

It is only natural that the families of the victims have been vocal in their criticism of Megrahi's release.

However, I am one of several people who has severe reservations about the legitimacy of his conviction and the circumstances of his release - it all seems to be a little bit too neat.

The evidence against him at his trial in the Netherlands was said to be mostly circumstantial. Indeed, one of the UN observers openly expressed his concern over the fairness of the proceedings and spoke of the possibility of a spectacular miscarriage of justice.

Despite such reservations, the governments - and their intelligence agencies - on both sides of the Atlantic needed someone on whom to focus the blame. Megrahi was convicted and sentenced to life in a Scottish prison. He has been there for the last eight years.

The timing of his compassionate release, therefore, seems to be a little convenient coming at a time when he had served so little of his sentence and just before his second appeal was to have been heard by the court.

His defence team were convinced they could present new arguments proving that much of the evidence at the original trial had been fabricated.

No one has ever explained how Megrahi managed to carry out such an attack on his own, his motivation for carrying it out or who financed his action. Surely those three questions would have been the first asked in the original investigation?

He just does not seem to fit the accepted profile we have come to accept of a radical terrorist.

Perhaps, it is because an appeal could have proved embarrassing in certain quarters, that a deal was done for him to drop his action in return for an early release.

Perhaps, the need to quench our thirst for Libyan oil is seen as being more important than the incarceration of a terrorist bomber whose conviction raises questions.

The fact is, a doubt has been left that makes me ask those questions

Megrahi has, throughout, been consistent in maintaining his innocence and today said:

"The remaining days of my life are being lived under the shadow of the wrongness of my conviction. I have been faced with an appalling choice: to risk dying in prison in the hope that my name is cleared posthumously or to return home still carrying the weight of the guilty verdict, which will never now be lifted.

Sometimes, the overwhelming need to see justice done overcomes the need for truth.

I hope that today's events will not mean that the full and complete story will now be buried with the deaths of both Megrahi and his appeal!

Time For 'Dinosaur' MPs To Be Extinct!

Just when we thought the public scandal over the expenses claimed by our parliamentary representatives was dying down, one of their number seems to have woken up from a coma and announced that he thinks the salaries of his buddies should be doubled, in exchange for not claiming some of the living expenses of the past.

Sir Patrick Cormack, who was one of the candidates for the recent Commons Speaker vacancy says the salary of an MP should be doubled from £64,766 to over £130,000.

He appears to be oblivious to the fact, that most people living in the UK are struggling to pay for one home and keep their jobs, without even a thought about claiming an increase in pay.

Sir Patrick said:

"I have reluctantly become convinced over the last few weeks that the most effective way of restoring public confidence in parliament is for there to be a significant increase in members' salaries and an abolition of all allowances, save for the allowance to pay staff and a constituency office"

One of his colleagues, Douglas Hogg, who you probably remember claimed for the cost of cleaning out his moat, agrees and has declared the pay of an MP has now fallen so low, it is no longer sufficient to support the lifestyle "to which most professional and business classes aspire"

If, as they like to claim, they are members of either a professional or business class, they have shown they have no understanding of the product they represent and have enough arrogance to completely disregard the public outcry of the past few months.

Like the majority of their dinosaur colleagues, it is time they became extinct!

NHS - In Sickness Or In Health?

Right wing politicians in the USA have been knocking our NHS system and predictably, our own political leaders have been very vocal in, rather hastily, jumping to it's defence.

While it is admirable for them to do so, a cynic might focus on the fact that almost 1.4 million people are employed by the NHS and they will represent a considerable number of votes when the next general election takes place.

Few can deny, the NHS is a fantastic part of the UK's foundation and most of us are grateful for the right of access to what we are told is free medical treatment. However, what we often forget is that it is not really free at all and it is certainly not a perfect system. We all pay for our treatment through our taxes and National Insurance.

The NHS is a system that has, like government, grown to be an unwieldy and ever costly organisation that is open to abuse and wastage.

Treatment is not consistent throughout the UK and it is often misused by 'medical tourists' from abroad.

The costs of administering the NHS are massive and it probably has more managers and admin staff than those in the front line medical areas.

While the government keep reminding us that the waiting times for treatment have gone down over recent years, operating theatres are still not used to their maximum potential and are sometimes left 'on standby' for at least one day a week because the surgeons do not want to work on those days.

Hospital consultants are often at odds with their local management about basic working procedures and frequently try to resist attempts to introduce more efficient working methods.

In short, it is far from being a perfect system and has, over the years, naturally become a political football between the parties.

It is an organisation made up of 'the haves' and the 'have nots'. Some make a very comfortable living from working for the NHS while to many, it has to be thought of as more of a vocation, with long hours and a poor financial reward.

What would really help at this time, is if our politicians would pause for thought and consider some of the criticism before they go into 'auto pilot' in creating sound bites that defend a system of which they personally have little experience.

After all, when was the last time our political leaders chose a night waiting for treatment in the local casualty department over using the benefits of their private health insurance?

Most of the rest of us live with the real life flaws of an NHS we would never want to lose but we pray will keep getting better and better!

Paramedic Struck Off After Oral Sex!

A much needed paramedic who was caught during the act of being given oral sex in the car park of a hospital, was today struck off the register.

The chair of the disciplinary panel hearing his case said the act would:

"offend the morals of any right-thinking member of the public"

Had the 53 year old paramedic been spotted by a member of the public the comment might hold some truth but he was not. He might as well have been accused of offending Martians, for it was 11pm at night and he was spotted by security officers who watched his actions on their CCTV cameras.

Describing the incident, they said it looked like "a performance of oral sex" as the woman's head moved up and down in the man's lap.

Hardly a damning indictment but then I am sure they spent some considerable time adjusting their 'controls' before confronting the guilty parties.

It's good to know that yet another 'spy' camera has been put to such good use to protect us all against the threat of a serious crime by consenting adults.

Meanwhile, I wonder if the morally upright chair of the tribunal would have refused the paramedic giving him treatment in the event he was to suffer a serious health failure....me thinks not!!

Baby P - Should The Gagging Order Have Been Lifted?

The case of the torture and death of Baby P, two years ago, is still shocking.

The 17-month-old child had been abused over a period of months during which his back and ribs had been broken along with other horrific injuries. I still cannot bring myself to read all of the details.

The fact the social services had failed to either notice, or act on his behalf - even though he was on the Child Protection Register - was criminal.

The fact his mother had stood by while her boyfriend had dealt the abuse was also criminal. Both her and her lover have now been convicted of causing or allowing the death of the child. It is worth remembering their actions were not a 'heat of the moment loss of control' but deliberate and systematic abuse of a small child.

A judge ordered their identities should be protected because they were involved in a second trial where the boyfriend was found guilty of the rape of a two-year-old girl, while Baby P's mother was acquitted of child cruelty after it was alleged she witnessed the rape but did nothing to stop it.

Last night the judge removed the anonymity order and today the media has been busy discussing the pros and cons of whether they should have been publicly named.

A Professor of Psychology, even insisted during a radio interview, they should remain anonymous because they had probably themselves been abused as children and therefore were not totally responsible for their actions.

What total Cock!!

If they did not know the basic difference between right and wrong, then they should not have been allowed to have control of a child - far less have been living openly within our society.

Justice needs to be seen to be done and now we all know who was responsible for Baby Peter's death.

It is worth remembering that if his death had been caused by a vicious dog, the law would have ordered the immediate destruction of that dog.

His death was, instead, caused by people he should have been able to trust as his protectors.

Maybe it is time to change the law with regard to people!!

Mandelson - Prince of Darkness Will Stay Out Of The Light!

Much has been written this week about whether Peter (Lord) Mandelson has plans to take over from Gordon Brown to lead the Labour Party.

It seems to me, to be a bit of a ridiculous proposition and the only question that should really be asked is why should he, or anyone else for that matter, want to?

Labour, as it presently stands, is a busted flush. It has no direction, no leadership and very little support either from the public or its own MPs. The fallout from the recent expenses scandal has damaged Labour far more than its rivals - even though, MPs from all parties were equally guilty.

With an election looming on the horizon and the country still deep in a recession, it seems almost an impossibility that Labour will have a chance of retaining power.

Why then should Mandelson,want to lead what will become the next opposition - probably for years to come based on the voting trends of the last thirty years.

Mandelson has far more power in his present position, than he ever would as Party Leader. He seems to know where the 'skeletons are buried' and he is able to manipulate and cajole events - and the media - to turn in his favour. He has an arrogance that is both detestable and admirable at the same time. He has proved himself to be a truly remarkable political survivor, despite being forced out of the cabinet, in disgrace, on two separate occasions.

It is unlikely that whoever succeeds Gordon Brown will pass the 'test of time' to make it back into power. The party is far more likely to go through a long period of self destruction, re-evaluation and blame, before it can ever settle on unity again.

Mandelson is far better placed to orchestrate the long term future of Labour - and retain his control - from his present position than from being its leader. At the moment he is in a place of respect - as a leader he would be in a position of blame.

He has proved himself to be far too canny an operator to be caught out like that.

He is a Kingmaker and not a King

Peter (Lord) Mandelson has more than earned the right to be known as 'The Prince of Darkness'

Poor Wee Scotland .... It's truly Offal!!

Just when we English were thinking things were ‘at peace’ with our neighbours north of the border it seems we might be about to upset them again.

After years of controversy over the ‘plundering’ of North Sea Oil and decades of arguing over self rule for the wet, windy, mountainous and I might add very hospitable and beautiful country, a historian claims to have discovered that the Scottish National Dish, Haggis, was not invented by the Scots!

Instead, Catherine Brown, has found a reference to it in a 1615 English book. That’s a clear 200 years before any mention of it in Scotland.

However, former world champion haggis maker, Robert Patrick, disagrees:

"Anything that's to do with Scotland, everybody wants to get a part of.

We’ve nurtured the thing for all these years, we’ve developed it, so I think very much it is a Scottish product"

Still, one good thing to come out of it ....they might soon be advertising for skilled bricklayers to rebuild Hadrian’s Wall......cue the Pipers!!

Buy One Get The Rest Free ..... In German Brothels!

Walk through any shopping centre in the UK and you will see discount offers a plenty, aimed at boosting trade for a range of struggling businesses.

The German's have gone one better and are offering customers of their brothels the chance to sleep with as many prostitutes as they want.... all for a one off fee!

If that isn't tempting enough, they have other offers, including rebates for customers on benefits or pensions, free shoe cleaning for overnight guests and ten per cent off if you arrive on a bicycle or by public transport.

With deals like that, I am sure our euro MPs will be queueing down the street for the chance to get the taxpayer the best value for their claimed expenses!!

Cameron Is A Complete Tw*t

If I ever had any doubts about the Opposition Leader, David Cameron's ability to lead this country after the next general election, they were confirmed today.

As a guest on a networked radio show he 'inadvertantly' used swear words and has since made a carefully crafted 'apology'

Explaining why he does not use social networking site Twitter he said:

"Too many twits might make a twat"

then, talking about the impact of the expenses scandal on MPs' reputations, he said:

"The public are rightly pissed off - sorry I can't say that in the morning - angry with politicians."

His aides say he did not go on the programme with the intention of swearing. However, someone with Cameron's slick PR background does not easily make a 'mistake' such as the one today.

I can only assume he was trying to court publicity by trying to appear hip to the younger voters in the UK.

Instead, what he has shown today, is that he is not hip but hype.

He has chosen to promote himself to the public based on what he thinks will be popular and 'cool' rather than what he really is.

This country is in a mess and we need a true leader with conviction and policies - not a Chameleon - to guide us back into better times.

I am not easily offended by swearing so I will be honest and admit I think he has been a complete twat!

Afghanistan - We Will Eventually Have To Talk!

My goodness, it has been three weeks since I last posted. I have been trying to think of a reasonable excuse for being so unreliable and have failed miserably.

During my 'downtime', more of our troops have lost their lives in Afghanistan and two more have died today.

Politicians of all parties have been making accusation and counter accusation about the lack of helicopters available to our military but none of them are owning up to the fact they have known for many months of the situation but have not wanted to be seen as the first to break ranks with the government. In short, they have first waited for the media to question the increasing number of deaths so they can capitalise on the public shock.They are spineless!

The government are, of course, still promoting the 'war against terrorism' excuse as being the reason for our presence in Afghanistan but no one has yet pointed out that all previous such situations have only ever been resolved by sitting around a table and compromising over beliefs and demands.

If anyone should ever doubt we talk to terrorists they should remember we have a number of MPs, with Irish accents, elected to the Commons - and who are claiming large amounts in expenses and salaries - who in the past, have been involved in what was perceived as being terrorist offences.

Indeed, even Nelson Mandela, who seems to be only a breath away from Sainthood in the minds of many, was himself branded a terrorist before being incarcerated for all those years. He is living proof that time changes our perceptions and we all eventually have to talk.

Meanwhile, a report in the Independent on Sunday has stated that our military action in Afghanistan has cost every man, woman and child in the UK, £190 since 2001. That money would have financed 23 new hospitals, 60,000 new teachers and 77,000 new nurses.

The cost of the lost human lives cannot, of course, be valued but it seems to me that any expected benefits from what has been described as "a war we cannot win", are unlikely to be worth the price we have so far paid!

Afghanistan - Is The Gamble Worth The Lost Lives?

In the space of a week, seven British soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan.

UK Defence Secretary Bob Ainsworth has now admitted what we all know already.... that even more lives will be lost.

The total number of UK military personnel killed in the conflict is now 176.

The Defence Secretary justified our continued presence in Afghanistan by saying:

"for Britain to be secure, Afghanistan needs to be made secure".

But is he right? Can we achieve anything approaching stability in the country and will it really make any long lasting difference to the security of the UK?.

Indeed, do most people in the UK even know where Afghanistan is?

Politicians are now starting to give various new reasons for our military presence but our main aim is, apparently, to defeat the Taliban and to stop Al Quaeda being able to operate from within the country. The only trouble with that aim, is that few of the terror organisations' permanent bases are within the borders of Afghanistan; they are operating, instead, from within neighbouring Pakistan and it is unlikely that situation will change in the near future.

We are, therefore, going to be gambling with the lives of our troops for years, if not decades, to come.

History has shown that the military might of most foreign powers has ultimately suffered defeat in Afghanistan.

If our politicians are to continue gambling, I just hope they can prove history wrong!

Government - The Illogical Cost Of Logic!

The politicians are, once again, taking shots at each other over the spiralling cost of government and how they are going to reduce it.

The Leader of Her Majesty's Opposition, David Cameron, said yesterday he would cut back on the expensive and unelected quangos should his party win the next election.

What is needed, though, is much more than that; it is an understanding of how the system works in the first place and that is something that no-one seems to be able to get their head around.

The best illustration of the way our government is run was printed in the letters page of The Kent on Sunday at the weekend. It read thus:

Once upon a time, the government had a vast scrapyard in the middle of a deserted industrial estate.

A civil servant said: “Someone may steal from it at night.” So they created a night watchman position and hired a person for the job.

Then the Prime Minster said:

“How does the watchman do his job without instruction?”

So, they created a planning department and hired two people - one to write the instructions and one to do time studies.

Then, the Minister for The Department of Work and Pensions said:

“How will we know the night watchman will be doing the tasks correctly?”

So, they created a quality control department and hired two people - one to do the studies and one to write the reports.

Then the Chancellor said: “How are these people going to get paid?”

So they created the positions of time-keeper and payroll officer, and hired two more people.

Then the Treasury said: “Who will be accountable for all these people?”

So, they created an admin section and hired and administrative officer, assistant administrative officer and a legal secretary.

Then the Chief Secretary to the Treasury said: “We have had this command in operation for a year and are £18,000 over budget. We must cut back overall costs.”

So, they made the night watchman redundant!

Seems to be a pretty fair summary to me....!

Michael Jackson - Controversial To The End!

The King is dead - well the much celebrated 'King of Pop' anyway!

In the unlikely event you have been hidden away in a cave and not heard the news, singer, dancer and musician, Michael Jackson, passed away during Thursday evening (UK time) from what is said to have been a heart attack.

The media, of course, are questioning if this was brought on by the excessive use of painkillers and whether one such drug was administered by his 'personal physician' a short while before his death.

Whatever the outcome, MJ ended his life as he had lived through most of it - in chaos.

He is a spectacular advert for not pushing your children into the world of showbusiness at an early age. His life seemed to be, at best, unrelated to reality, and at worst seedy and questionable. Both his unhealthy fascination with young people and his obsession with changing his appearance through the use of the surgeon's knife clearly demonstrated a mind that was not at ease within it's own framework.

Commentators are saying we will all remember where we were when MJ died. Personally, I will not.

He was unquestionably a great entertainer and had a knack of grabbing the headlines whenever he wanted. That is as far as it goes for me - but then I do not share the fascination for celebrity misfits that many people do.

It could be argued he was seen as a role model by many of his fans but surely a lifestyle like his is not something to be envied or aspire to?

It seems that Jackson has departed this earth as he lived his life - in a huge mess that others are going to spend years cleaning up.

R.I.P. MJ!

UK Policing -A Change For The Worse!

Last time I checked, we were living in a free society where the right to demonstrate was just that - a right.

When it was peacefully carried out, it was unhindered by the police - intervention only came about after a public order offence was being, or likely to be committed.

This disturbing video report in the Guardian newspaper shows how police tactics have now changed for the worse and we should, perhaps, start examining our own society more closely before we start to criticise those in other countries.

Judge for yourself....

PM Wants To Teach Not Lead!

Speaking in a peculiar but presumably honest interview in today's Guardian, Gordon Brown has said he would like to go into teaching when he leaves office. He has also admitted to being a poor communicator and admits he has lacked the ability to forward plan because he has had to concentrate on dealing with real time matters.

Not exactly great qualifications for teaching!

He also admits (I think understandably) he has been badly hurt by the recent attempts to force his resignation and:

"I'm not interested in what accompanies being in power. I wouldn't worry if I never returned to all those places - Downing Street, Chequers...And it would probably be good for my children."

Why then, did he fight and scheme so hard to take over the leadership from his predecessor, Tony Blair?

He also said:

"To be honest, you could walk away from all this tomorrow"

So why doesn't he?

Maybe it is because this interview reads as nothing more than a last ditch attempt to drum up support based on the nation's sympathy vote; he has, after all, tried everything else.

What we certainly do not need in these times is a leader who openly admits he is not up to the job.

I am finally coming round to the idea that it is time the removal men were called to Number 10!

It's So 'Transparent' They Think We Can't See Through It!

With what has turned out to be rather bizarre timing, the government announced on Tuesday, their plans for a broadband tax on phone lines in the UK, to guarantee all of us are able to surf the internet at the highest possible speeds.

Today, the Commons authorities have published over a million documents on the internet relating to the expenses claimed by our politicians over the past four years.

According to the Prime Minister:

"My principle in this is the maximum transparency - it's got to be consistent of course with security but I think people have got to be as transparent as possible"

The released documents are so "transparent" that most of the interesting detail has been blacked out and cannot be read.

Of course, the censored sections have nearly all been revealed by the Daily Telegraph revelations already. So what is the reasoning behind such an action?........you've guessed it.......security!! That convenient excuse for hiding embarrassing facts, has been brought into play again.

Apparently, it is to protect the politicians from their constituents knowing their home addresses. However, this also makes it difficult to see which politicians have 'flipped' their homes over the four year period.

One of the people who brought the original Freedom of Information request targeting MP's expenses summed it up thus:

"I can see that avoiding embarrassment has been the key motivating factor of what's been deleted"

It makes me wonder, how much of the proposed super fast broadband will be conveniently blacked out when 'transparency' proves it could be embarrassing!

The 'Dud Missile' Of An Iraq War Enquiry

Yesterday afternoon, our failing prime minister, Gordon Brown, finally announced what many have been demanding for years - an enquiry into the Iraq war. So far so good.

The fully independent enquiry is to be held in secret, will not report until after the next general election and will not apportion any blame. Now that is all bad!

After the recent scandal over MPs expenses when the prime minister promised a more transparent government, does he really think the British public will have any trust in such an enquiry? Has he not been told of his party's total crash in the polls?

Many questions about the legality of the Iraq war still remain unanswered, even though the original claims about weapons of mass destruction have been proved false.

A secret enquiry where no-one ends up taking responsibility is about as much use as a cat flap on a submarine.

The families of thousands of dead Iraqis and those of the 179 British service personnel killed as a result of the conflict, deserve much more than just another high profile cover up!

Planet Earth to Collide with either Mars or Venus!

We're all doomed!

Computer simulations have predicted that our planet Earth might collide with either Mars or Venus- but not for at least another billion years!

By that time, we will probably already have destroyed ourselves by one of a multitude of perils like Swine Flu, nuclear stupidity, global warming, another crap government or boredom from watching the contestants on series one billion of Big Brother!

Roll on the collision I say!!

The Perils Of A Big Majority!

Predictably, the Labour party have been well and truly trounced in the European and local elections; they have suffered the worst results in living memory.

Predictably, the Conservatives have gained a massive power base and are looking good for when the country eventually goes to the polls in a general election.

Sadly, apart from a few isolated cases, the alternative parties have only managed to make moderate gains and there lies the problem....

We do not need another government holding power with a massive majority. We have lived through that cycle of events since Mrs Thatcher's Tory government came to power all those years ago.

Innovation and a fair society does not come from having big majorities. It only comes when the political parties have to work together and take the best of each other's ideas.

We should have learned by now that big majorities just bring arrogance, deceit and abuse of the democratic system.

If anyone should ever be tempted to doubt that fact, they only have to watch what is happening in UK politics now!

Voting - An Exercise In Freedom!

Twenty years ago, this week, the demonstration for democracy and freedom of speech took place in Tiananmen Square in China. Few will forget the iconic picture of 'tank man' who stopped the military armour by refusing to move out of its way.

It seems ironic that today, when we are supposed to be exercising our own freedoms by voting in the local and european elections, many of us will be too apathetic to place our crosses against the name of our chosen candidate. We are so used to living in a free society, we tend to take it all for granted.

After weeks of hearing the stories of greed and arrogance by our politicians, it is almost understandable some of us will be reluctant to vote for anyone, though to remain silent, will only play into the hands of the major political parties.

From my own point of view, I went to the polling station and voted for those whom I had actually met, while they were campaigning hard on the streets over the last few weeks.

Needless to say, they were not from the complacent 'big three' political parties.

Time for change!

PM Brown Takes Low Blow From Blears!

If the wheels on Prime Minister Gordon Brown's bus have not yet fallen off, they are certainly wobbly to the point of collapse.

Following yesterday's rumour that Home Secretary Jacqui Smith is to leave his cabinet, Communities Secretary Hazel Blears, has now followed, using perfect showbiz timing (some might question what she ever did anyway).

Of course, both women have been severely criticised recently for their dubious use of the expenses system and both were tipped to be removed from their positions in the cabinet in the next few days. But, while it might be almost believable that Ms Smith's intentions are honourable, in the case of Ms Blears they are most certainly not.

To walk out so publically just a day ahead of tomorrow's polling, is nothing short of a treacherous act, aimed at toppling her leader over the cliff edge, on which he is presently balancing. She is, by her action, hoping to kick-start an open revolt amongst Labour MPs to force the PM from office. It could be that she will succeed.

Tonight, it was reported, that the signatures of over a hundred MPs have already been collected, in a sign of no confidence in their leader.

Blears' actions have been described by one political commentator as being "Deliberate, calculated and with intent".

Whether Brown goes or stays - and I really could not care as they all seem to be odious individuals who command no respect - I just hope that Blears, by displaying such disloyalty, will never be seen performing in the political spotlight again.

Queuing For The Right To Die!

Today, I was shocked to learn that over eight hundred people in the UK have added their names to a waiting list - to die.

They are queueing to attend special clinics in Switzerland, where the law permits assisted suicides and where they will be helped to end their lives with dignity.

Of course, most of these people are suffering from terminal illnesses and they do not want to remain in the UK where the present law forbids assisting in the ending of a life. They do not want to cause undue suffering on themselves or their loved ones, by waiting for the inevitable to run its course; they want to end their lives while they still have some control.

The House of Lords is presently debating whether UK law should be changed to allow assisted suicides to be made legal here. The reality, is that for years, many doctors have been assisting in speeding up the ending process. It is not done officially but is achieved through prescribing heavier than needed doses of drugs to those with little hope of living a quality life and who deserve some compassion and humanity.

Predictably, many of those of a religious nature are outraged at the possibility of assisted suicides becoming legal. They frequently argue their point, by mentioning the 'word of God' and by saying no-one has the right to decide their own end - except, of course, the Good Lord himself.

I do not know whether there really is a God or not. For me it is purely an academic argument.

I do know, there is a suffering that many people do not deserve to experience and if they can find a peaceful way to end their pain, they should surely be given the ultimate decision over their own destiny.

The act of suicide is not, as many would argue, a cowardly one.

To decide to cross the point of no return takes incredible courage and determination. It is not an attention seeking exercise but a final act of desperation and we should, surely, try to respect the views and the wishes of those who feel they no longer have a choice.

Britain's TV Talent

This weekend saw the largest audience for a UK TV show since 2004. It has been described by many as "car crash television" and by some as being "a freak show". Whatever the various opinions expressed, there is no denying that the final of Britain's Got Talent (BGT) attracted a peak audience of 19.3 million viewers.

It can only be described as a massive success for the ITV network, where the average viewing figure for a Saturday night is normally around 5.3m. If you combine the peak rate advertising revenue to the income from phone-in voting at 50p per time. it must have been television's version of winning the lottery.

Despite what we are told, BGT is a mongrel in the history of TV talent shows; it is not, as we have been led to believe, an original format but is instead a mish mash of various shows that have gone before.

Where it scores over its predecessors, though, is that it has had a huge amount of money invested in it and has high production values and massive publicity and hype.

The three judges have no obvious qualification for judging 'talent' but head judge, Simon Cowell, has always demonstrated a huge talent for tapping into the naivety of the British public while at the same time, exploiting the massive earning potential of the successful participants at the top of the competition.

The show's producers, under the control of Cowell, have successfully manipulated the various senses within each of us, by letting us share the ridicule, amazement, sympathy and embarrassment carefully woven into each episode and subsequently judged by the panel. The balance between entertainment and discomfort has often been a delicate one.

We enjoy the guilty pleasure of being the voyeur when a ten year old contestant stops singing in the middle of a live performance, has a semi tantrum and insists on being able to start over.

We love the feeling of guilt when we judge a contestant on her plain looks and then, when she starts her performance, are left mouth agape because she has a truly amazing voice.

Personally, I wish that TV entertainment did not have to rely on exploiting such feelings within us but then 19.3 million people think I am wrong!

MPs Expenses - One Even Suggests A Rise!

It's five days since I last posted on here and despite North Korea setting off underground nuclear explosions, petrol prices rising again, paedophiles in Portugal and Peter and Katie still being apart, one story is still managing to cling onto the headlines after a staggering twenty plus days - MPs expenses!

Even the media's hysteria over Swine Flu has fallen to the back of the news queue despite the number of cases in the UK now standing at 150 or more.

My own MP, Derek Wyatt, (he claimed for pork pies among other things) has announced to the local press that he and his colleagues would be happy to give up their claims to expenses - but only if they are given a considerable rise. He claims they are fine upstanding citizens who should be recognised as senior members of society by being paid as 'chief executives' of the communities they represent - but where in most cases they fail to live.

He had a massive majority of....just 79... at the last election, so I would imagine he could well be regretting his arrogance when his disenchanted voters tell him in no uncertain terms what he is really worth!

Let's hope he had the foresight to put away some of the money he claimed while he was just 'following the rules'

You're All Just Jealous!

If you’re looking for an example of just how contemptuous some MPs still are after being caught milking the expenses system, you do not have to look further than Conservative MP, Anthony Steen.

He was revealed in the recent Telegraph revelations for letting his daughter live rent free in the London flat used to claim his second home allowance and subsequently selling it to her at less than its market value.

The Totnes MP hit back by saying:

"I've done nothing criminal, that's the most awful thing, and do you know what it's about? Jealousy.

"I've got a very, very large house. Some people say it looks like Balmoral. It's a merchant's house of the 19th century. It's not particularly attractive, it just does me nicely"

He also said that government ministers had “mucked up the system” by introducing the Freedom of Information Act.

Conservative Party leader, David Cameron has since severely admonished his MP, and announced Steel is to stand down at the next election.

Cameron commented:

“It was a completely unacceptable thing to say. He's announced his retirement from Parliament."

The whole incident is really best summed up by a comment from Shadow Foreign Secretary William Hague who described Steen’s words as “ridiculous”

It seems such a description is also applicable to the man himself!

BNP? - One Lump Or Two?

There's been much ado in today's press about a guest attending one of the Queen's annual garden parties to be held in June.

Nick Griffin is the leader of the British National Party (BNP) and is being taken to the event as the guest of a BMP member of the London Assembly.

London's mayor, Boris Johnson has publically accused the far right BNP of trying to turn the garden party into a "political event" which seems to be a bit rich coming from someone with the track record of Boris.

Last time I checked, we were living in a democratic society where freedom of speech is paramount and people of differing views are tolerated. The Queen is the figurehead of our society and during her reign has met people with all beliefs and attitudes - many far worse then those of the BNP. She is the ultimate professional and I am sure she will be able to handle the situation with both grace and charm.

Whatever mainstream politicians may think of the BNP and its moral standing, after recent events, now is not really the perfect time for the 'pot to be calling the kettle black!'

Doctor Drills Into Boy's Brain Using A DeWalt!

It would be very easy to bore the bum off you with another story of greed and deception in Parliament, but to be honest there are only so many expletives one can use to describe those greedy, arrogant shits.

Tonight then I am going to give you the night off and focus on someone who is worth talking about, a man called Dr Rob Carson.

Doctor Carson, is a GP who practices in a small town in Australia.

Last week, the mother of a 12 year old boy brought her son to his surgery. The boy had been complaining about a severe headache following a bad fall from his bicycle, earlier in the day.

Dr Carson realised immediately the boy had bleeding on the brain and he would need to do something fast or he could die.

He had no specialised neurological instruments in his surgery so without wasting a second he said to an assistant "Get the Black and Decker". The assistant ran to the maintenance room where he retrieved a De Walt drill usually used on operations of a more mundane type.

The boy was placed under anaesthetic and the good doctor duly operated under the guidance of a specialist neurosurgeon via phone.

His anaesthetist said afterwards:

"It was pretty scary. You obviously worry, are you pushing hard enough or pushing too hard, but then when some blood came out after we'd gone through the skull, we realised we'd made the right decision"

The boy was subsequently airlifted to a bigger town, with proper facilities, where he made a full recovery. Dr Carson went back to his normal work in the community but said modestly:

"If you are in that situation, you just do those things. It is just part of the job and I had a very good team of people helping me."

Isn't it heartening to know there are still good, honest, professional people in the world, who are not obsessed with claiming back the cost of a pork pie or justifying the purchase of the biggest plasma telly?

If only we could persuade him to enter the world of UK politics!

Speaker Of The Commons Quits!

Following yesterday's witch hunt in the Commons, the Speaker, Michael Martin, has now announced he will be leaving his post on June 21st.

It will be interesting to see, who will be put forward as his replacement, as it seems that very few politicians are able to 'walk tall' while still claiming a clear conscience.

One can only wonder where the spotlight will settle next in the Parliamentary blame game but there is one thing that no MP needs for a while and that is a General Election!

All change!!

Don't Fall For The Blame Game!

"We all bear a heavy responsibility for the terrible damage to the reputation of this House. We must do everything we possibly can to regain the trust and confidence of the people."

These words by Michael Martin, Speaker of the House of Commons, were part of his 'apology' this afternoon to a packed Chamber of MPs and could not have contained more truth.

Martin bears a large amount of responsibility for the present crisis in Parliament, after leading the fight to keep details of MPs' expenses secret, We should not, however, forget it was the large number of those who stood listening to him this afternoon and who were supporting calls for him to step down from office, who have actually been exposed for being up to their necks in the pot of gold.

Their response to the present situation is predictable; find a scapegoat and divert the public's attention away from their individual wrongdoing. We must not let that happen.

The culture of excessive claiming has been propogated by MPs of all parties, over a number of years; it is a culture born from greed. They should all have demonstrated better judgement but, instead, they thought of it as their right. It was, therefore, in all their interests to back the Speaker's attempts to block publication of their dubious claims. They are, collectively, responsible for their present circumstances.

That is why it is unfair to try to focus blame and claim a lack of confidence in just one man.

If they really want to do everything possible to regain the trust and confidence of 'the people', they should do the honourable thing and, as one, fall on their individual swords!

Extradition To US Without Evidence - Time For Change!

Yesterday, I was sent a request to sign a petition on behalf of a husband and wife living in Scotland, to stop their extradition to the USA.

Their names are Brian and Kerry-Ann Howes and they have four children. Their 'crime' is to have supplied two chemicals - both of which are perfectly legal in the UK - to drug rings in America, where it is said they were used in the production of the drug crystal meth - a form of amphetamine that has been crystallised to allow it to be smoked.

Howes had been selling chemicals over the internet for several years. The chemicals he supplied are commonly used in the production of pyrotechnics and for medical use. He always took the precaution of verifying delivery addresses and receiving payment by credit card. His business premises were monitored by Health and Safety officials. He was, by all normal standards, a genuine trader.

The US authorities, however, disagree and say he is part of a global drugs ring which operates bases worldwide.

I have no idea whether the Howes are drug dealers or are innocent of the allegations, but there lies the problem.

Since the letter of request for extradition to the US was presented, they have each spent over 214 days on remand in prison and both are now living under a curfew at home. They have not been officially charged with any crime and no evidence against them has been presented to a UK court. They are presumed to be guilty on the basis of a letter from the US authorities.

How has this come about? Because in the aftermath of the terrible events of 9/11, when the only exercise taken by government ministers was that provided by knee jerk reactions, home secretary at the time, David_Blunkett, signed the Extradition Act 2003 which removed the obligation on US law enforcement agencies to present British courts with prima facie evidence of an offence. All that is now needed, is a letter of allegation before proceedings commence; if they say you are guilty, we believe them without question.

What makes things even worse, is that the change was never debated in Parliament but, instead, was passed using Royal Prerogative.

The treaty is unjust, unethical, unconstitutional and just about every 'un' word you can think of. It undermines the basic principle of our justice system and plays into the hands of a country that has - over recent years - demonstrated its complete disregard for human rights by detaining and torturing people without trial.

As for the Howes, if they are extradited, their lives will be destroyed. Their children will be taken into care and Brian and Kerry-Ann face up to 20 years in a US prison. If they had been suspected terrorists, they could not have been held for longer than 28 days without charge. They have already been held for seven times this limit. They are, seemingly, the victims of a ridiculous law that needs to be changed.

So, without having been able to make a judgement based on anything other than word of mouth, I am going to sign the petition. This is not because I think the Howes are either innocent or guilty of the allegations but because I have always valued the fairness of justice and consider their treatment by the present system has been unfair. I am protesting to bring about a change to the present system and restore it to one based on evidence presented to our courts.

I wish them luck and for the sake of all our freedoms, I hope you do too!

Minister Suspended For 'Sloppy Accounting'

When was the last time you made the 'mistake' of forgetting you had paid off your mortgage? To most sane people it would sound ridiculous.

Not so, apparently, to ex-Labour minister Elliot Morley, who has been exposed by the Telegraph as yet another greedy MP fleecing the public purse with his expenses.

He has claimed a staggering £16,000 on a mortgage he was no longer paying and the best bit...he says he had not even realised!

Like many before him, he is saying the claim had been a "mistake" and it was due to "sloppy accounting" on his part.

Unfortunately, unlike many of his colleagues, he will not be able to use the excuse he has done nothing wrong and was just obeying the rules.

After suspending him from the Parliamentary Labour Party, his boss, prime minister, Gordon Brown, stated:

"If there are any other disciplinary cases where we have to take action we will take action immediately."

We can only hope the action taken, will be to call in the police to investigate what appears to be a 'mistake' of the fraudulent type and that Mr Morley will not experience such 'sloppy accounting' when the judge passes sentence!

UK Is Slave Trade Destination.

One week after my post Heathrow Children Trafficked For Sex revealing children going missing into the slave trade from a children's home in Hillingdon, Parliament's Home Affairs committee has declared that the UK is fast becoming a destination of what amounts to a modern-day slave trade.

The MP's from all parties that make up the committee, have said there are at least 5,000 victims of trafficking in Britain.

Most of them are women and children and most are being forced into the sex trade or used as professional beggars on the streets.

Committee chairman Keith Vaz said:

Yes we have good information on the scale of the problem, enforcement is patchy, prosecution rates are low and there is little protection for victims"

Why is this being allowed to happen in 21st century Britain?

It seems that the Home Office need to bring together the UK Border Agency and the police and make them work together as a priority to bring this situation to a speedy end.

BBC On-Air Battle with a Labour Lord

Another day of revelations about MPs and their shameful and excessive expense claims.

Opposition Leader, David Cameron, is claiming to be "appalled" at the stories and is insisting that members of his party, who have been named and shamed, must pay the money back or risk being expelled from his party.

One of the most entertaining moments of the day, however, must be the on-air battle between BBC news anchor, Carrie Grace and Labour peer Lord Foulkes who is a close ally of the much criticised Commons Speaker, Michael Martin.

Watch it yourself and decide who comes out on top!

Expenses Of A 'Sorry' Pog Of MPs

Instead of hanging their heads in shame, as most of us would do, Members of Parliament - from all parties - have defended their over excessive use of the parliamentary expenses system, by saying they have done nothing wrong and have only claimed what is allowable under the rules.

Some have said a half hearted "sorry" but whether they are "sorry" for what they have done, or they are "sorry" for being found out, we will probably never know.

Of course, some would call them corrupt but in legal terms they are not. Morally, though, they are guilty of corrupting and abusing a system that has relied on common sense and trust, knowing there was little effective scrutiny of their sometimes laughable claims.

The Daily Telegraph has been justified in releasing such details to an increasingly angry public.

MPs, however, do not agree and are requesting that the police investigate the leak of such sensitive and damaging information.

It would have been far better for the politicians, if the details had not been made public until the long weeks of their summer recess from Parliament. They could then have been sunning themselves on exotic beaches, or spending time in their 'second home' hideaways and inaccessible to the media. They would have hoped that by the time Parliament had reconvened, the story would have been long forgotten.

Several MPs have even dared to suggest they are entitled to such large expenses because they are paid a low salary for what they do. Those of us who are working for less than £68,000 per year, before allowances are added into the equation, might not agree.

Several of them have even had the arrogance to comment, that if they were working for private corporations they would be paid a lot more than they are presently being paid. My answer to that is go and get a job in the private sector - if you can - after all, you must be working very hard to be able to afford the time to claim for a bar of chocolate and similar!!

Whatever argument they use in attempting to justify their claims, the fact remains that while cancer patients are being refused life prolonging drugs because there is no available budget and pensioners cannot afford to heat their meagre homes, MP's are milking the public purse for all they can get, while they claim for every luxury imaginable.

I have been writing on this subject for almost two years and the temptation is to be very angry with the latest revelations. That is not the answer. The best way to express our contempt is to remove them all from Parliament at the first available opportunity.

The way things are going, we should not have too long to wait!!

Heathrow Children Trafficked For Sex!

Q. How do you lose 80 children in just over two years?

A. Put them in a children's home run by Hillingdon council.

As incredible as it may seem, that is what has happened to many of the children - mainly of Chinese origin - who have arrived unaccompanied at Heathrow Airport.

They are taken to the home while their individual cases are investigated by officials and it is supposed to be a place of safety.

However, according to a confidential report written by the UK Border Agency and leaked to the Guardian newspaper two thirds of the children taken to the home disappear within a week. It is thought they are targeted by organised criminals and made to work in the sex industry or as street sellers for the drugs trade.

In the just one year, 77 children fled the centre and only four were traced; one was pregnant after having been forced to work in a brothel in the Midlands.

A spokesperson for Hillingdon Council tried to excuse their lamentable failure by saying;

"We cannot lock the doors because it's a breach of their human rights"

Surely, the real breach of human rights has been the total failure of the authorities to protect these children in the first place. It seems almost unbelievable that the situation has been continuing for so long and has only now been revealed because of a leaked official report.

Shadow Home Secretary Chris Grayling commented:

"To have such a large number of children going missing when they are supposed to be in care is unacceptable. We need an urgent explanation from the Home Secretary"

Therein lies the problem - it's that woman again!

The Home Secretary's Final Comedy Routine?

As any good comedian knows, it is all in the timing.

So what better proof could we have all been shown, than that supplied by the woman who has given us many laughs over the past few weeks, Home Secretary, Jacqui Smith.

On the same day she has announced the introduction of the controversial identity card scheme which is to be piloted in Manchester, the internet security firm, McAfee, has reported that internet hijacking is now officially out of control and very few computers will be immune from attacks in the next few years; so far, they have detected over twelve million infected computers.

The identity cards have been heavily criticised both on the grounds of human rights and of database security.

The Home Office intend to allow high street stores such as Boots and Happy Snaps to eventually handle the issuing of the cards on its behalf. It is very unlikely the computers of such stores will be adequately protected against highjacking and our personal details will be easily available for cloning by the internet gangs.

On grounds of cost alone, Shami Chakrabarti, director of civil liberties group, Liberty, said:

"One begins to wonder what planet the Home Secretary is living on when in the middle of a recession, she wants to charge us £30 for an ID card and another £30 for handing over our own personal information"

Perhaps then, it is time that the curtain was finally brought down on this particular comedienne!

Caught Off Camera - You're Nicked!

The boss of one of the main companies responsible for supplying speed cameras to the authorities has been fined £300 and banned from driving for six months for ......speeding!!

Tom Riall, is head of the Serco company which has provided around five thousand cameras across the UK. He was caught by a police patrol while driving at 102.9mph on the A14.

After his court appearance he is quoted as saying:

"I recognise that speeding is not acceptable. I very much regret what happened and I have made a full apology to the court."

It seems there is a balance to the world after all!

Beware The Ninjas Gordon!!

The Ninjas are busy ironing their best black pyjamas and sharpening the points of their knives.

While PM Gordon Brown hops from foot to foot on You Tube, looking like an epileptic on steroids, his trusted cabinet colleagues are busy plotting.

Last week, Communities Secretary, Hazel Blears, openly stated that her boss had led a "lamentable" failure of the government to communicate with the voters - apparently she had not watched his performance on You Tube. Of course, Ms Blears is as likely to become PM as I am to become Miss World - or come to think of it I am as likely to become PM as she is to become Miss World! Either way, she is just mischief making, to try to sow the seeds of a leadership election.

Similarly, Harriet Harman, deputy Labour leader has publicly stated she does not want to be Prime Minister. Of course, what she really means is that she would love to be but she fears getting killed in the rush by her rivals in the cabinet.

At times like these, it is not the ones who speak out openly but the ones who are lying silent in wait that need to be feared.

Foreign Secretary, David Milliband, is one of those, who I am sure has spent many an hour in front of his bathroom mirror practising his smug, insincere grin in readiness to strike with a deathly blow. He would have liked to have dealt it last year, at the party conference but was effectively sidelined from the spotlight. And there are others....

If ever I were tempted to feel sorry for a politician - which I am not - I would be feeling something for Gordon now. He must spend sleepless nights with the lights on watching for shadows as the Ninjas get ever closer!

Nice people to do business with!

A Crashing Time For Police Drivers!

Figures obtained under the Freedom Of Information Act have revealed that police officers caused over 64 accidents per week last year - that's a staggering 3,357 over the full year.

Since 2004, the number of police-related car accidents has also included the loss of 150 lives.

These figures may even be lower than they should be, as ten regional forces declined to supply their own accident figures.

Staggeringly, some of the incidents were attributed to simple things like failing to use mirrors when reversing, failing to stop at junctions and taking bends too quickly. Over zealous driving while involved in chasing suspects was also a major cause of crashes.

The Royal Society For The Prevention Of Accidents commented that police should take heed of their accident rate and:

"lessen the risk of the same mistakes happening in the future"

Next time you get stopped for a suspected traffic offence take comfort from the fact it may be a classic case of 'don't do what I do - do what I say!'

Iraq - More 'Official' Lies!

An article in today's Independent's Commentators section by the much respected Robert Fisk highlights the deception that is still being 'spun' about our role in Iraq and the state in which the country has been left.

The article has been based around a letter, forwarded to him by one of his readers, Tom Geddes, and penned by someone with an illegible signature from the Ministry of Defence's "Iraq Operations Team, Directorate of Operations"

It justifies our involvement in Iraq by stating:

It is important to remember that our decision to take action (sic) in Iraq was driven by Saddam Hussein's refusal to co-operate with the UN-sponsored weapons inspections...The former Prime Minister has expressed his regret for any information, given in good faith, concerning weapons of mass destruction in Iraq which has subsequently proven to be incorrect."

Mr Fisk, in his article, points out:

Saddam Hussein did not "refuse to co-operate" with the UN weapons inspectors. The whole problem was that – to the horror of Blair and Bush – the ghastly Saddam did co-operate with them, and the UN weapons team under Hans Blix was about to prove that these "weapons of mass destruction" were non-existent; hence the Americans forced Blix and his men and women to leave Iraq so that they and Blair could stage their illegal invasion. I saw Blix's aircraft still on the ground at Baghdad airport just two days before the attack. Note, too, the weasel words. Blair did not give his information "in good faith", as SM (the illegible writer at the MoD) claims. He knew – and the Ministry of Defence knew (and I suppose SM knew) – they were untrue. Or "incorrect" as "SM" coyly writes.

Interesting words about a lie that very few journalists seem willing to keep in the public eye.

Action in Iraq was an unforgiveable abuse - of democracy here in the UK, of the decision making process of the United Nations and certainly of the people of Iraq and of our troops.

While it may be convenient to just sweep it under the carpet with the rest of the falsehoods from the Blair years, we must make sure that the truth is eventually acknowledged!