UK Politics And A Blank Billboard!

The above is reported to be one of a series of posters commissioned by the Conservative leadership as part of their election campaign.

If it is to be an example of the standard of electioneering over the next few weeks then God help us all.

It's about time we banished the distraction of 'personality politics' and they started talking about policy. After all, a 'personality' will not get us out of our present difficulties but a clear vision by a united government will.

Sadly, though, with the present state of politics in the UK the billboards would remain blank!

'Terrorism' 'Liberty' And The 'Fear of Fear!'

Parliament’s Joint Committee on Human Rights, comprised of peers and MPs from all parties, has reached a conclusion that many of us formed a long time ago - the government’s response to the threat of terrorism in the UK far exceeds the probability of an incident.

The committee has questioned whether ministers could legitimately argue, nine years after the 9/11 attacks, whether a “public emergency threatening the life of the nation” remained.

The government insists the threat from terrorism remains “real and serious”

A Home Office spokeswoman stated:

“The threat to the UK from terrorism remains real and serious and we are committed to doing all we can to protect our nation's security while protecting individual liberties using the proper safeguards.”

And therein resides the lie...

Individual liberties have been eroded massively since the turn of this century. A knee-jerk reaction, Anti-Terrorism Bill, was rushed through the commons after the attacks of 9/11 and 7/7. It was not properly drafted, or debated, and has introduced all sorts of restrictions on the ‘individual liberties’ we have been permitted to enjoy in recent years.

Local and district councils have used the bill as a ‘snoopers charter’, monitoring the recycling habits of residents within their boundaries, while tourists and photographers have been left open mouthed with shock, when stopped and searched by police officers for the potential terrorist crime of photographing public buildings. Refusal to comply with intrusive questions has often led to unjustified arrest. Nearly every time, the police officers themselves, do not understand the rights of individuals under the act.

Identity cards are still being discussed as a mandatory requirement for all of us residing in the UK and ministers use every opportunity to hype up the terrorist threat, to ensure we comply with their wishes to introduce even more controls over our everyday lives.

I have not bothered to go into the number of surveillance cameras operating in the UK since 7/7 or the diversity of their use, which cannot even be slightly justified by any terrorist threat.

I do not question whether the UK is a target from an act of terror in the foreseeable future. We have always been threatened by terror of one sort or another. The seventies were a far more dangerous period than that we are in now and it became a common occurrence to be within range of an IRA bomb going off in London. We were not, however, stopped in the streets for no reason, or surveilled by faceless camera operators while going about our daily lives.

I find it surprising that none of the mainstream political parties have mentioned the present erosion of our civil liberties as being something worthy of discussion in the forthcoming general election debates - or is it really that surprising?

Hitler’s Reich Marshall, Hermann Goering summed the politics up thus:

“…it is always a simple matter to drag people along whether it is a democracy, or a fascist dictatorship, or a parliament, or a communist dictatorship. Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. This is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same in every country.”

It seems nothing has changed!!

Jamie Bulger, John Venables And 'Human Rights'

What sort of society have we become that we care more about preserving the anonymity of a convicted child killer than we do about the terrible act he committed against his victim?

I am referring, of course, to an incident in 1993 when a two-year-old boy, Jamie Bulger, was taken from a northern shopping centre by two ten-year-old boys who tortured and beat him to death on a railway line.

Jamie’s abductors, John Venables and Robert Thompson, were subsequently caught, processed by the courts and given custodial sentences. It was argued that, legally at least, because they were minors, they could not be held responsible for their actions, even though it is inconceivable that anyone who could commit such a terrible act could possibly have carried it out without knowing that what they were doing was against every accepted standard of humanity.

They have since been released back into society, on license, given new identities and promised anonymity to protect them from revenge attacks.

One of them, John Venables, now 27, has been taken back into custody, following what are described as offences being committed which are in breach of his licence conditions. He is expected to face serious charges under his new identity.

Predictably, the media and the family of Jamie Bulger want to know the full facts which would involve releasing details of his new life. The Justice Secretary, Jack Straw, is resisting the pressure and refusing to comply. There is talk that to do so would infringe Venables’ human rights and put his life in danger.

When he was released from his original custodial sentence and given his new life, he was given a second chance. It now seems that he has betrayed that trust and should, therefore, forfeit the benefits and generosity our society has shown towards him.

Lawyers say he is innocent until proven guilty and of course they are right but they forget that Jamie Bulger was never given the chance to prove anything in his short life!

His ‘human rights’ were extinguished in 1993!

Gordon Brown, Iraq And The Ominous 'World Order'

PM Gordon Brown’s appearance, today, in front of the Iraq Inquiry into the war was, as expected, forceful and confident. He told the panel the war had been “right”

He said he had been convinced by his own intelligence briefings that Iraq “had to be dealt with” as it had become a threat.

He thought Iraq was in breach of UN resolutions and had become one of the “rogue states” that should not be allowed to flout international law.

However, what I found to be the most ominous statement by the PM was that he feared the “new world order we were trying to create would be put at risk”.

What world order would that be and who is the “we”?

I am unaware of us agreeing to be part of any “world order” and would like to know: who are the other member states? Who is deciding the 'agenda' within this “world order?

We have already discovered what happens when a financial “world order” goes into meltdown and will be paying the price for a long time.

To me, the phrase plants the seed of questioning over whether there might be a bigger game being played in which none of us are aware we are even taking part.

Communism always pushed for “world order” and the Muslim extremists seek the same thing.

I am not sure we should be part of a ‘one vision’ approach that sees “world order” as being justification for invading countries that do not share the same stated values as ourselves.

That would be no better than communism, or Islamism, by the back door!

ITV Thinks Its Audience Are Goldfish!

What is going on?

ITV has been showing the live football match between England and some foreign team for two and a half hours tonight and after just a half hour break for its News At Ten, it is now playing out the highlights of the same match.

Do they think we are all suffering from memory loss? Do they think we have started to turn orange and spend hours swimming around the bath? Do they think we have all turned into bloody goldfish and can't remember what happened just 40 minutes ago?

Is it really surprising they are finding it a challenge to attract any advertisers when they are treating all their viewers like complete idiots?

With a summer of World Cup on the horizon I am thinking of selling my TV! But then....do goldfish buy TVs?

Michael Foot - A Lost Era!

It was with a great deal of sadness that I heard the news of the death of Michael Foot, a left-wing Labour party leader from an era when politicians had integrity and conviction and not the false facade of media training courses and spin.

Mr Foot always reminded me of a crazy mad scientist with his casual manner of dress and his long silverish hair. He was as far removed from today's politicians as you could possibly be.

Whatever you thought of his political views - and to some he was almost seen as the devil - you could never ignore his speeches or his forceful arguments. He was simply a brilliant orator.

Sadly, his tenure as leader of his party came at a time of warring ideology and personalities and he led it into its worst election defeat ever. However, he made an impression on me that, unlike that of today's politicians, is hard to forget.

He was an honest man with idealistic views.

You would be hard pressed to name many of those in twenty years time. Oh for the good old days!

Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Cheryl Cole-Text With Ashley And A Night In LA With A Dog!

The media is full of the marital strife of celebrity Cheryl Cole and her footballer husband Ashley, who appears to have been trying to take full advantage of playing offside.

It has been reported that Cheryl, who has been in LA for the weekend, has dumped her husband by text and has been seeking comfort with an American male dancer.

The Daily Mail said today:

‘Mr Hough - a professional on Dancing With The Stars, the U.S. version of Strictly Come Dancing, stayed with Mrs Cole until 4am when he left with his dog.’

Up until then, I was bored by the whole story, but now....!!

Three Cheers For 'Brown The Bully'

Shock Horror!

It is being implied that our prime minister, Gordon Brown, is a bully and has been intimidating his staff by his rants and physical abuse.

An anti-bullying charity has stated it has received calls from No.10 personnel seeking comfort and advice about the upset they are suffering while at work.

Predictably, No 10 are denying the allegations and the Conservative Party are calling for an official enquiry. The Lib-Dems are doing what they always do and waiting to see which side to emulate before committing themselves to an opinion.

Guess what...it’s almost time for an election and all the parties will grasp at every opportunity to tarnish their opponents. None of them have any original policies or solutions, so it is better to start name calling to divert our attention away from that fact.

The story first broke because of a new book being publicised by a self promoting journo.

Personally, I am disappointed: by the charity for its lack of confidentiality; the Tories for their cheap attempt at character assassination; the journo for being a journo and the staff of No.10 for being pathetic spineless wimps.

The latter group are employed in the 'pump room' of what is supposed to be the 'heart' of our government. Their leader is supposed to be a man of iron who is ruthless in his decision making.

All leaders have to show their displeasure and frustration from time to time, otherwise nobody would do anything but sit around sharing coffee and doughnuts while discussing celebrity lifestyles.

I am pleased the PM has finally demonstrated some character; I have spent far too long waiting for such a sign.

If the workers in Downing Street find the temperature too hot for them, I can only suggest they get out of the 'hell' they think is the kitchen!

Dial 'M' For Mossad, Murder And Miliband

The killing of a Hamas commander in a Dubai hotel last month, is starting to cause an international outcry - officially at least.

Mahmoud al-Mabhouh is thought to have been in Dubai negotiating a deal for armaments, when his life was ended by what is believed to have been members of an Israeli secret service hit squad.

Dubai's police chief has said he is 99% sure of the involvement of Mossad agents in the killing. He has released details and photographs of the squad and rather predictably, they were all found to have been using stolen identities - some of them of UK passport holders.

The Israeli government, in their normal blunt and forthright way, have responded by saying there is no proof!

Foreign secretary David Miliband has vowed to “get to the bottom” of the incident but I am assuming it is the same “bottom” he got into, when trying to suppress involvement by our own security services, during the US interrogation of suspected terrorists, recently made public in the UK Court of Appeal.

Meanwhile, Interpol has issued red notices for the eleven suspects in the Dubai killing and distributed photos for identification purposes.

I am not sure what is more ridiculous: that they really believe such professional killers are not disguised; or that the international “outrage” at the killing is genuine.

Oh the games governments play.....!

Profiteering And A Complete Bunch Of 'Bankers'

Barclays Bank has just announced profits of £11.6bn. This is an increase of 92% on the previous year. Other banks are expected to announce similar news in the near future.

Barclays' management is intending to share out a bonus pool of around £1.5bn amongst some of its staff.

Meanwhile, interest on credit cards is running at its highest level since the late 1990's, despite the lowest base rate we have ever seen.

According to the Institute of Directors, 60% of small firms are being turned down for loans by the banks. Many are only surviving in the short term by the use of credit cards.

Yesterday it was reported that it will not be until at least 2016 that we will see repayment of the massive public funds poured into the banking system by the present government.

Is it really surprising then, that such huge profits are being announced?

It seems that City institutions have, once again, taken us all for a ride.

They really are a complete bunch of 'bankers'

The Cost Of Balancing Art And Earthquakes!

The above life-size bronze sculpture, by Swiss Artist Alberto Giacometti, was sold at auction in London, yesterday, for the record sum of £65m after just eight minutes of bidding.

The UK appeal for the disaster victims of the earthquake in Haiti has raised £70m and taken almost three weeks.

Somehow, comparing those two facts makes me feel uncomfortable.

I am not sure whether it is because one person can have so much as to be able to spend such a huge sum on a piece of bronze, or whether it is that so many people are left with so little, and are not able to find even the basics necessary to survive.

I guess that is the balance of life....for those who have, there are many more who have not.

It just does not seem a fair equation to me!

Troops Patrolling Streets Of UK?.....It Could Soon Happen!

Just when you thought it could not get any worse...it has!

We are already the most surveilled population of almost any country in the world and now it seems our controlling government are paving the way to be able to deploy the armed forces on the streets of Britain.

The news came in a Green Paper published yesterday as part of a strategic defence review. Of course, it uses the same old tired excuse - terrorism!

The report says decisions need to be made on the...

"balance between focusing on our territory and region and engaging threats at a distance"

and

"what contribution the armed forces should make in ensuring security and contributing to resilience within the UK".

I have no idea what the hell such a vague and all encompassing statement means but I do know that the possibility of troop deployment is a much more frightening prospect than the perceived threat it is supposed to be preventing.

However, it seems that the media are far more interested in publishing news of philandering sportsmen, than reporting on what would be an irreversible attack on our individual freedoms.

If we don't wake up to reality soon, we could all be dozing into a permanent nightmare!

Katie Price Wedding Draws 'Gasp' Of Boredom!

According to the website of ITN, the latest wedding of Katie Price (aka Jordan) which took place in Las Vegas yesterday "drew gasps throughout the nation".

Really?

The only thing close to a gasp that I could hear, was a collective yawn of boredom and the odd wheeze from an asthmatic.

Somehow, I doubt there will be many anniversaries!

Richard Madeley On Saddam And Blair!

If I was Tony Blair I would be seriously worried tonight.

TV presenter, Richard Madeley, who is the 'Dick' of the legendary TV partnership of Richard and Judy has felt the need to make a short film for BBC's Daily Politics show in defence of our previous prime minister.

I am not sure which shocks me the most: TB needing to be defended by RM or RM becoming an authority on the legalities of war.

It has to be said, that as a political analyst, Richard makes a very good television presenter.

Watch for yourself here and weep!

Could it soon be "Arise Sir Dick"?

Should John Terry Remain England Captain? - Hell No!

Predictably, the papers are full of the alleged marital indiscretion of England and Chelsea captain John Terry and questioning whether he should be allowed to continue as captain of the England squad at this year’s World Cup Finals.

For me, the answer is very simple...No!

I say this not because of what he has done but because of the arrogance demonstrated in the way he has done it.

Whether this is a one-off transgression or whether more stories will surface in the near future, I do not know but so far at least he has not even expressed regret.

Terry did not ‘come clean’ when he became aware he was about to be exposed by the press but, instead, resorted to legal action to gain a complete injunction against the allegation being published in the UK media.

Fortunately, this injunction was lifted last Friday by Mr Justice Tugendhat who made it clear he thought Terry was more interested in protecting his lucrative advertising sponsorship than protecting the privacy of his family. Mr Justice Tugendhat also said:

"Freedom to live as one chooses is one of the most valuable freedoms.

"But so is the freedom to criticise - within the limits of the law - the conduct of other members of society as being socially harmful, or wrong."

Terry chose the girlfriend of a teammate - and a friend of his wife - as the focus of his attention and according to the press, paid for her to have an abortion when she became pregnant with his child.

In reality, he was not just cheating on his wife but cheating the general public and his sponsors by selling his image as that of a responsible role model.

Sadly, in the world of football things like infidelity are not often thought of as being a red card offence; I remember several instances over the last decade - including that of an England coach.

Meanwhile, the general public seem to be more impressed by the amount of money a player earns in a week, or the 'flash' cars they are seen to be driving. Football players have become celebrities and many of them think they can do what they like, when they like and get away with it. They are arrogant.

Whoever captains the England squad should be an ambassador for the whole country and a genuine role model for the young. He should not be someone who behaves as John Terry has done. Respect is something that should be earned and not something that can just be bought.

So, on balance, I think Terry’s behaviour has been less than that we should expect of someone worthy to lead the England team into the Finals.

In the meantime, his betrayed wife has - like all betrayed wives of celebrities seem to do - flown to sunnier climes to concentrate on her tan and her future.

The alleged ex-mistress is said to be negotiating the sale of her story to the media for a sum that most of us will never see in our lifetimes.

Welcome back to the real world!

Climate For A Change...Of Message!

The UK’s Climate Change Secretary, Ed Miliband, has stated it would be “profoundly irresponsible” to use one “mistake” as an excuse not to act.

He was referring to the fact that the Himalayan Glaciers have not seemed to melt in quite the 'doom and gloom' manner predicted by the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

Mr Miliband added it did not "undermine decades of climate research and the overwhelming majority of scientists say that." Hmmm it must be right then!

The trouble is, no-one has come up with a convincing argument either for, or against, climate change being a man-made problem. It has, instead, been a storm of confusion and opposing ‘facts’.

Cyclical changes in climate have been occurring since the creation of the planet.

Yes, we could all do a lot better at helping the environment but we have reached a stage in our evolution where we no longer just accept, or believe, the words of Al Gore, government funded scientists or self important ministers. We need to respond to positive education and not desperate scare tactics.

I have no idea who is right or wrong about global warming but what I do know, for sure, is...... I am bloody freezing!!

Blair And Iraq - All In One Picture!

Having spent today following the reports of Tony Blair's historic grilling, yesterday, at the Chilcot inquiry into the Iraq War, I was really not sure what impression I was left with.

Then, I saw the above picture in The London Daily News and it seemed to sum it all up perfectly!!

MMR Jab - The 'Proof' Is Still Out There!

One of the biggest decisions for parents of small children over the last decade, has been whether to have a child vaccinated with the MMR jab.

The triple vaccine is said to protect against Measles, Mumps and Rubella and is highly recommended by the officers of our nanny state who, of course, always know best. They do not take kindly to anyone questioning their self proclaimed wisdom and will take all the action they think necessary to quash any dissent.

One such dissenter is Dr Andrew Wakefield, a gastroenterologist who now faces being struck off as a physician by the General Medical Council (GMC) after a hearing said to have cost £1million and lasting 148 days.

The GMC, today, ruled that Dr Wakefield has ‘failed in his duties as a responsible consultant’ and ‘acted dishonestly’ after he published the results of his study questioning the safety of the MMR jab in The Lancet in 1998. He believed - and still does - he had uncovered a link between the MMR vaccine and bowel disease and autism.

Following publication of his claim, the uptake of the jab decreased by over 20% and he was blamed for panicking the public. It seems unsurprising then, that an attempt would be made to destroy his reputation.

Interestingly, Tony Blair, while in office as Prime Minister, refused to clarify one way or the other whether his own children had been given the vaccination and this did little to instill confidence amongst worried parents.

Today’s ruling has not found Dr Wakefield guilty of being wrong but guilty of using the methods he did when carrying out his research.

The children in his study, were aged between three and ten and all had enjoyed a life of normal development, before having the vaccination. However, soon after having the MMR jab, they were found to suffer intestinal problems including diarrhoea and constipation. Nine of the group were diagnosed with autism.

According to the research team, subsequent study of a further 48 children revealed that 46 followed the same pattern.

However, the GMC has not questioned the results of the study but the methods used by Dr Wakefield’s team.

Amongst the accusations were: ‘subjecting vulnerable children to inappropriate and invasive tests’, of ‘being in breach of some of the most fundamental rules in medicine’ and accusing Dr Wakefield of not having paediatric qualifications and not having worked as a clinician for a number of years.

Finally, the GMC claimed the children did not meet the criteria for inclusion in the research and that the doctors did not have ethical approval to investigate them.

Surely, one of the most ‘fundamental rules' of a medical researcher, is to voice concern when there is doubt about something that could be so harmful to those most vulnerable.

All of the above accusations are, really, just technicalities and designed to distract from the main point.

Dr Wakefield has not been found guilty of being wrong but has been found guilty of questioning the word of those who are too arrogant to believe they could ever be wrong.

Science is, by its very nature, a subject of continual questioning and we must never just give in to things we are given as 'fact'.

After all, it was not that many years ago we were told, as 'fact', the earth was flat!

The future health of our children is even more important.

'Obscenity' And The Ministry of Defence

Defence Secretary, Bob Ainsworth, has been forced to reveal, in reply to a parliamentary question, that a senior official at the Ministry of Defence trousered a bonus payment of £84,500 last year.

The average payment for senior fixed term appointees was said to be £31,890 over the same period.

What the heck is a 'senior fixed term appointee'? Well, the Cabinet Office describe the positions as either consultants brought in from outside the civil service, or seconded from other departments. Hmmm... I am still none the wiser.

Given the way we follow everything the US does, I am tempted to question whether these 'senior fixed term appointees' are really private security personnel (aka mercenaries) contracted to perform dirty deeds - while allowing plausible denial for the government - in places like Iraq and Afghanistan.

A spokesman for the Taxpayers' Alliance branded the payments 'obscene' but what is really 'obscene' is the sight of the coffins in which our dead military personnel return, after losing their lives while earning a fraction of the pay being awarded to the recipients of the bonuses.

What is 'obscene' is the fact that the Ministry of Defence could not afford to supply our troops with the equipment needed to protect their lives during a war we should, arguably, not be fighting but can, instead, afford to pay consultants large bonuses.

What is 'obscene' is the cost of the security circus that will be protecting the man who led us into the present military actions, Tony Blair, as he is grilled by the Chilcot inquiry into the Iraq war, at the end of this week.

But the biggest obscenity of all is that it has taken a parliamentary question to even discover that our tax payments are being frittered away in such an unsavoury fashion.

New 'Foolproof' Airline Security On Test!

Don't laugh......It could well catch on!"