‘New Labour’ Archives
Michael Foot
Michael Foot made very few mistakes. The Press Association reports that Michael Foot, the bookish intellectual and anti-nuclear campaigner who led Britain's Labour Party to a disastrous defeat in 1983, died this morning. He was 96. Foot died at his home in north London following a long illness. Foot personified the socialist tendency in the Labour Party, which Tony Blair successfully erased when he won power at the head of a business-friendly, interventionist "New Labour." Yet Foot [...]
Words from the No 10 Massive
"Brown reading his own speech" Gordon Brown's solutions to the joint problems of bank bonuses and the economy are somewhere in the future - and always will be. In the latest statement from No 10 Downing Street, he says that Ministers are committed to ensuring that banks which have taken Government loans, pay back “every last penny to the British tax payer". In a podcast discussing banks, Gordon Brown also says that this year’s 50 per cent tax on bank bonuses is part of the [...]
Octavius – over to you.
Badger Brown There are people who will vote for a politician because he has a pretty face, looks honest or has a good voice. What fires an important section of the electorate is not logic but emotion. Perception, prejudice and superficiality are the new Gods and it is only in recent years that politicians have become conscious of the fact that complicated economic and social policies are not the primary route to votes from an increasingly apathetic and intellectually [...]
The Brown-Darling Conjecture
There are still six Millennium Prize Problems which remain unsolved. The proof of the Poincaré Conjecture was completed by Grigori Perelman in 2003 and its review completed in 2006. That means that there is room for another insoluble problem and that problem is the current United Kingdom economy. In common with the other Millennium Prize Problems, the UK economy is doubly incomprehensible because not-only has the solution evaded the greatest economic and political minds of the [...]
Another handout
Darling's unique approach to the banking industry. Alistair Darling is going to announce that the government will spend £30 billion on "buying bank shares". One presumes that it is now called "buying shares" because the government does not want to keep using the word "handout". (By the way, he is not using "our" money. This will be a combination of recently-produced or borrowed money). The government will thus be increasing its equity in the banks and so diluting the share [...]
Joint-up Government
Two executives at the Royal Bank of Scotland have been suspended after alleged corruption at its overseas mortgage operation. The bankers were allegedly asking foreign estate agents for payments worth tens of thousands of pounds in return for referring customers. Many of the suspected practices have taken place within the last 12 months and since the government bail-out. (more...)
Cherie Antoinette.
"Let them eat a lorra lorra cake, chuck." Tony Blair has not yet broken cover and declared an interest in becoming President of Europe. The post will be created once the Czechs have ratified the Treaty of Lisbon. Gordon Brown has made a decision (!) and declared that he will be lobbying on Blair's behalf, should Blair decide to put his name forward. (more...)
CWU – An Assisted Suicide.
The modern face of Royal Mail So the Royal Mail strike is on. It has been booked to continue for only two days but the fallout will last for the next few weeks. The Royal Mail system will not suddenly right itself after two days of inactivity. Letters, people, vans and parcels will not magically materialise at the depot where they are supposed to be. (more...)
Spelthorne? Moorlands?
David Witshire MP David Wiltshire, Conservative Member of Parliament for Spelthorne will be sitting outside the headmaster's study this morning. (more...)
A real Legg-up
"I'm as innocent as the next man." The MPs expenses fiasco rumbles on and Parliament's reputation is still heading South. Much was made of the previous Speaker's lack of management skill and consequently he was removed from office. So where is Speaker Bercow? In the last few days, his name has not been mentioned at all. This is the time when he should be earning his salary and TELLING members what they should do. (more...)
Westminster Back to School
"Tell you what - I'll throw-in The Dartford Crossing and Northern Rock" It appears That the Government is about to hold a boot sale. One would like to say that they were selling-off the family silver but unfortunately, that's already gone. Gordon Brown does not have the best record for selling the country's assets- the most well-known being his sale of our gold reserves. He sold at the bottom of the market at somewhere near $200 per pounce CLICK HERE. Today, gold is trading at well [...]
Dave’s Speech
Standing ovation? Inevitable. Interestingly enough, the autocues were not visible. Dave walked on clutching a pile of notes - which was probably a disappointment to those who expected another off-the-cuff session. He told us in true "Honest Dave the Voters' Friend" style that the next few years will be tough. The Honest Dave approach will be contrasted by many with Gordon Brown's style which increasingly resembles that of an ageing Poker player holding his cards ever closer to his chest. [...]
Conservative Party Conference week.
Boris Johnson once again has showed his leadership credentials by being approachable, witty and engaging. He does make the rest of them look a little bit pedestrian. In spite of his shambolic image, you can sense a rod of steel running through both his speech and personality. One to watch for the future. Imagine a TV debate between Boris and Gordon Brown. It will never happen - but what a prospect. Boris Johnson and friend George Osborne's [...]
Friday October 2nd 2009
Ethiopia has suddenly become the focus for all anthropologists. An ancient skeleton was found in 1992 and it has taken 17 years for the research team to rebuild it. Why all the excitement? The skeleton belongs to an in-between species of humanoid about 4.4 million years old. It has been designated Ardipithecus Ramidus. It is not “the missing link” but by extrapolation, it appears that it is probably about 9 million years since the division between apes and humans. So where was John [...]
Thursday October 1st 2009
A survey has just been published of the world's top Broadband Countries - taking into account speed etc. The United Kingdom is languishing in 25th place. The top country? South Korea. Is this another indicator of the rise of the East and the slow eclipse of the West?. The Daily Mirror has adjusted its reportage of the Tories today - presumably in response to the Sun's decision to back the Tories. It's going to be a right mess leading up to the election. The gloves are off [...]
Friday September 25th 2009
Friday September 25th 2009 The mole who leaked the MPs’ expenses information to the Daily Telegraph has revealed what motivated him to do so - apart that is, from the £110,000 fee that he was paid. It now appears that his primary motivation was not money but the fact that serving soldiers were “moonlighting” at the House of Commons. They were working in the Security department and protecting the Civil Servants who were dealing with confidential matters - one of which was [...]
Thursday September 24th 2009
The Government has criticised the Football Association for not reforming itself. It has also asked the F.A to spend more time and resources on ethnics and women as well as telling them that they should provide better leadership. Perhaps when the F.A has completed its restructuring it can then give H.M Government a few tips. Talk about Pot-Kettle. A recent U.S survey shows that many Americans think that Tony Blair is the British Prime Minister. Someone ought to tell them who the real UK [...]
Wednesday September 23rd 2009
Apparently, there is a small but statistically significant rise in patient deaths when junior doctors start work in August. Perhaps the same survey should be done with slightly different parameters: Before pubs open and after closing time. A friend sent me a cartoon yesterday which, for the first time, explained the constant Midde East conflict . Jewish man looking up at the sky saying, “Now, let me get this straight God. The Arabs get the oil and you want us to cut the end off [...]
Tuesday September 22nd 2009
Did you see Darth Mandelson being questioned on the subject of bankers’ bonuses last night? As Business Secretary, he has the power to stop the bankers in their tracks. But he cannot and he would not answer any bonus-related questions. General Stanley McChrystal, the top US commander in Afghanistan has warned that the war there could be lost unless there is an increase in troops within a year. He is asking for an additional 30,000 troops. This is truly developing into another [...]
Monday September 21st 2009
It now appears that Womens World 800m champion Caster Semenya was tested ages ago and there has been concern over her sex for months. The issue did not suddenly materialise at the last Word Championships. The whole thing has been handed so badly that there is every likelihood of IAAF resignations. Baroness Scotland will probably resign this week. If every politician who made a mistake resigned, Westminster would be empty by now. It looks as if Megrahi is going to be the first [...]
Monday September 7th 2009-Friday September 18th 2009
Friday September 18th 2009 There has been some concern that Romell Broom may have suffered mental anguish when two Ohio State officials failed to find a vein in order to deliver a fatal injection. According to Broom’s lawyer, Broom had suffered both “mental and physical injuries” and apparently became distressed and appeared to cry. Broom was convicted of raping and then killing a 14 year-old girl. We’re too fat, we drink too much alcohol, we’re unfit, we ingest female [...]
