Is CallMeDave being less agressive than he should be in his questions to the Prime Minister during PMQs?
I think the Tories and the Lib-Dems are pulling their punches. They know that whomever wins the General Election is going to inherit a country and government in an epic financial mess.
Could the limp-wristed nature of the opposition be a cunning plan? Let Labour win and then have a vote of no-confidence in 12 months when the finances really go tits up.
The crisis has to reach epic proportions, Labour has managed to hide and massage the figures up until now, but at some point the tax revenues will fall dramatically, quantative easing will run out, and the wage demands of a million overpaid public sector non-jobs will create another Winter of Discontent.
The next twelve months are going to be rough. Regardless of who is in Number 10.
Wednesday 24 February 2010
Monday 22 February 2010
BBC spinning over bullying allegations
The allegations of bullying of staff within 10 Downing Street is being turned into a political argument by the spindoctors of Number 10 and its propaganda unit, the BBC.
This morning on BBC Breakfast, there was an interview with Christine Pratt, the founder of the National Bullying Hotline. The BBC interviewer was looking to attack the source of the allegations and not the allegations themselves.
The BBC has turned this bullying story from one of a workplace problem into a political one by following the reasoning that the bullying hotline has links to the Conservative party.
The propaganda unit has gone into full time damage limitation in order to protect the Glorious Leader.
The National Bullying Hotline has endorsements from David Cameron and has Ann Widdecombe as a patron.
It would appear that New Labour doesn't like it when the opposition gets some ammunition to attack the gurning, nosepicking, angry, incompetent incumbent of Number 10.
If you don't want to get bitten, don't release your attack dogs in the first place.
This morning on BBC Breakfast, there was an interview with Christine Pratt, the founder of the National Bullying Hotline. The BBC interviewer was looking to attack the source of the allegations and not the allegations themselves.
The BBC has turned this bullying story from one of a workplace problem into a political one by following the reasoning that the bullying hotline has links to the Conservative party.
The propaganda unit has gone into full time damage limitation in order to protect the Glorious Leader.
The National Bullying Hotline has endorsements from David Cameron and has Ann Widdecombe as a patron.
It would appear that New Labour doesn't like it when the opposition gets some ammunition to attack the gurning, nosepicking, angry, incompetent incumbent of Number 10.
If you don't want to get bitten, don't release your attack dogs in the first place.
Wednesday 17 February 2010
Pull yourself up and get busy!
I'm difficult to pigeonhole. I'm a "floating" voter. I choose to vote based on who can help me the best at that time.
When I was younger, being brought up on a sink estate in Birmingham, Labour was most likely to help me out.With its policies involving the redistribution of wealth and giving those at the bottom of the ladder a financial boost, it was right at that time.
As it turns out, I did better for myself by getting on and learning. I stayed on when most of my classmates left school at 16. Myself and a few others completed our A-levels and then went on to University. We got busy. Especially those of us with a less wealthy background.
As it happens, although I voted Labour, it was a Conservative; Norman Tebbit that was right. I got on my bike.
I dropped out of university after the first year. I was one of the first to jump through the hoops that was the Student Loan Company. I could see that if I was to continue with my degree, I would end up in a load of debt with no guarantee of a job at the end of it. I deliberately failed my end of year exams and walked away.
I signed back on the dole, and while looking for work I completed a City & Guilds vocational course. I then tried to get back into University, but found that my Local Education Authority was not prepared to pay for any other fees as I had already done a year of a degree. I shrugged and while studying towards a foundation course in Software Engineering found a job.
I worked, moved jobs several times in search of greater salary and more responsibility. I got on my bike.
I could've stayed in the sink estate. Got married and had a load of kids, and expected the state to pay for my home and welfare. I didn't. Based on my experience, it took me 10 years to get myself financially better off than if I had left school at 16 and had a family and let the taxpayers support me.
10 years of investment in myself is what it took. It's those first 10 years that a lot of people do not want to invest in themselves. Its hard work. There were many setbacks and letdowns. But now, because I got on with it and got busy,I now have a decent paying job and I am buying my own house. The only debt I have is my mortgage.
When I was younger, being brought up on a sink estate in Birmingham, Labour was most likely to help me out.With its policies involving the redistribution of wealth and giving those at the bottom of the ladder a financial boost, it was right at that time.
As it turns out, I did better for myself by getting on and learning. I stayed on when most of my classmates left school at 16. Myself and a few others completed our A-levels and then went on to University. We got busy. Especially those of us with a less wealthy background.
As it happens, although I voted Labour, it was a Conservative; Norman Tebbit that was right. I got on my bike.
I dropped out of university after the first year. I was one of the first to jump through the hoops that was the Student Loan Company. I could see that if I was to continue with my degree, I would end up in a load of debt with no guarantee of a job at the end of it. I deliberately failed my end of year exams and walked away.
I signed back on the dole, and while looking for work I completed a City & Guilds vocational course. I then tried to get back into University, but found that my Local Education Authority was not prepared to pay for any other fees as I had already done a year of a degree. I shrugged and while studying towards a foundation course in Software Engineering found a job.
I worked, moved jobs several times in search of greater salary and more responsibility. I got on my bike.
I could've stayed in the sink estate. Got married and had a load of kids, and expected the state to pay for my home and welfare. I didn't. Based on my experience, it took me 10 years to get myself financially better off than if I had left school at 16 and had a family and let the taxpayers support me.
10 years of investment in myself is what it took. It's those first 10 years that a lot of people do not want to invest in themselves. Its hard work. There were many setbacks and letdowns. But now, because I got on with it and got busy,I now have a decent paying job and I am buying my own house. The only debt I have is my mortgage.
Thursday 11 February 2010
Ode to Geoff Hoon.
There once was an MP called Hoon,
whose defeat was guaranteed soon,
He's scammed and he's fiddled,
flipped houses and diddled,
And out of job by this June.
whose defeat was guaranteed soon,
He's scammed and he's fiddled,
flipped houses and diddled,
And out of job by this June.
Cooking the books?
The Greeks are having to open the books on the state of their economy.
They're in dire need of financial help, but the problem could be bigger than first envisioned.
The Greeks have a national statistics agency, similar to the Office of National Statistics in UK.
The NSSG should be independent. It isn't. It comes under the authority of the Greek Ministry of Economy and Finance.
Oops.
The EU has ongoing investigations into the problems with Greek fiscal statistics. Last year EuroStat reported
"In the 21 October notification, the Greek government deficit for 2008 was revised from 5.0% of GDP (the ratio reported by Greece, and published and validated by
Eurostat in April 2009) to 7.7% of GDP. At the same time, the Greek authorities also revised the planned deficit ratio for 2009 from 3.7% of GDP (the figure reported in spring) to 12.5% of GDP, reflecting a number of factors (the impact of the economic crisis, budgetary slippages in an electoral year and accounting decisions)*
A deficit of 3.7% of Greek GDP would be equivalent to 12.25 BILLION dollars.
A deficit of 12.5 % would be 43.75 BILLION dollars.
A big difference. Of course, there being a general election had nothing to do with massaging the figures.
*http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/cache/ITY_PUBLIC/COM_2010_REPORT_GREEK/EN/COM_2010_REPORT_GREEK-EN.PDF
They're in dire need of financial help, but the problem could be bigger than first envisioned.
The Greeks have a national statistics agency, similar to the Office of National Statistics in UK.
The NSSG should be independent. It isn't. It comes under the authority of the Greek Ministry of Economy and Finance.
Oops.
The EU has ongoing investigations into the problems with Greek fiscal statistics. Last year EuroStat reported
"In the 21 October notification, the Greek government deficit for 2008 was revised from 5.0% of GDP (the ratio reported by Greece, and published and validated by
Eurostat in April 2009) to 7.7% of GDP. At the same time, the Greek authorities also revised the planned deficit ratio for 2009 from 3.7% of GDP (the figure reported in spring) to 12.5% of GDP, reflecting a number of factors (the impact of the economic crisis, budgetary slippages in an electoral year and accounting decisions)*
A deficit of 3.7% of Greek GDP would be equivalent to 12.25 BILLION dollars.
A deficit of 12.5 % would be 43.75 BILLION dollars.
A big difference. Of course, there being a general election had nothing to do with massaging the figures.
*http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/cache/ITY_PUBLIC/COM_2010_REPORT_GREEK/EN/COM_2010_REPORT_GREEK-EN.PDF
Hoon Avoiding "Portillo Moment"
Geoff Hoon is not going to stand for parliament at the next General Election. Although before Christmas he was reported to be committed to supporting the constituents of Ashfield as their MP.
He has flipped his homes and is now flipping his standing towards the electorate. He's running scared. He knows full well that the expenses scandal and the very poor attempt at ousting Gordon Brown last month has hit his credibility very hard.
He is another expense-fiddling, house-flipping git that doesn't want to risk public humilation in front of the electorate.
He'll get a nice big fat pension, relocation expenses, and has got a nice property portfolio as paid for by the taxpayer.
Reports in the Nottingham Evening post of January 09, 2010, stated "Members of the Ashfield Constituency Labour Party have told the Post that before Christmas Mr Hoon assured them he was "100%committed" to his job, but after his call for a ballot failed to find favour with Parliamentary colleagues there was speculation he may move on.
"Mr Hoon said he had no regrets over his intervention in the debate about party leadership and he was "committed" to remaining as the Ashfield MP."
http://www.thisisnottingham.co.uk/politics/Hoon-Ashfield-defiant/article-1690042-detail/article.html
He has flipped his homes and is now flipping his standing towards the electorate. He's running scared. He knows full well that the expenses scandal and the very poor attempt at ousting Gordon Brown last month has hit his credibility very hard.
He is another expense-fiddling, house-flipping git that doesn't want to risk public humilation in front of the electorate.
He'll get a nice big fat pension, relocation expenses, and has got a nice property portfolio as paid for by the taxpayer.
Reports in the Nottingham Evening post of January 09, 2010, stated "Members of the Ashfield Constituency Labour Party have told the Post that before Christmas Mr Hoon assured them he was "100%committed" to his job, but after his call for a ballot failed to find favour with Parliamentary colleagues there was speculation he may move on.
"Mr Hoon said he had no regrets over his intervention in the debate about party leadership and he was "committed" to remaining as the Ashfield MP."
http://www.thisisnottingham.co.uk/politics/Hoon-Ashfield-defiant/article-1690042-detail/article.html
Wednesday 10 February 2010
Arctic Ice Cap Set to Increase
A negative plot on the Arctic Oscillation graph correlates with a thickening of Arctic Sea ice during the winter.
The AO graph has been mostly negative since December 2009.
See the graph here http://www.cpc.noaa.gov/products/precip/CWlink/daily_ao_index/ao_index.html
The ecofascists would have us believe that Polar bears are drowning and the Arctic Ocean is boiling if they had their way. Fortunately for the rest of us, it can be shown by scientific method (and not just making up a story to scare children, as per Greenpeace) that there will be more ice in the Arctic this summer.
The world is not about to end. Don't let the "watermelons"* of GreenPeace and the Al Gore Appreciation Society fool you. Green propaganda and ecoterrorism is a means to extort money from hardworking people via taxation.
*watermelons are green on the outside and red on the inside. Intolerant, ignorant, jealous, data-fiddling, control-freaking bastards the lot of 'em.
The AO graph has been mostly negative since December 2009.
See the graph here http://www.cpc.noaa.gov/products/precip/CWlink/daily_ao_index/ao_index.html
The ecofascists would have us believe that Polar bears are drowning and the Arctic Ocean is boiling if they had their way. Fortunately for the rest of us, it can be shown by scientific method (and not just making up a story to scare children, as per Greenpeace) that there will be more ice in the Arctic this summer.
The world is not about to end. Don't let the "watermelons"* of GreenPeace and the Al Gore Appreciation Society fool you. Green propaganda and ecoterrorism is a means to extort money from hardworking people via taxation.
*watermelons are green on the outside and red on the inside. Intolerant, ignorant, jealous, data-fiddling, control-freaking bastards the lot of 'em.
A bailout for Greece?
Article 122 of the Lisbon Treaty, grants the EU the power to provide finanical assistance to a member state that is in exceptional economic trouble.
"1. Without prejudice to any other procedures provided for in the Treaties, the Council, on a
proposal from the Commission, may decide, in a spirit of solidarity between Member States, upon the measures appropriate to the economic situation, in particular if severe difficulties arise in the supply ofcertain products, notably in the area of energy.
2. Where a Member State is in difficulties or is seriously threatened with severe difficulties caused by natural disasters or exceptional occurrences beyond its control, the Council, on a proposal from the Commission, may grant, under certain conditions, Union financial assistance to the Member State concerned. The President of the Council shall inform the European Parliament of the decision taken."
This could lead to a substantial transfer of assets from the UK to Greece. We are talking billions of pounds. Is it possible that an economic crisis in a less industrialised nation could be engineered in order to invoke Article 122?
Could this be a way to transfer wealth from the (relatively speaking) richer, industrialised nations to the less wealthy, more agricultural members of the EU?
If the answer to those two questions is yes, then there is nothing to stop the EU from bringing everyone up to a common standard, or if you're cynical to drag the major economies down to the lowest common denominator.
Britain, yet again could be subsidising the poorer nations at the expense of our own industry and people.
Back in the EUSSR. You don't know how lucky you are.
"1. Without prejudice to any other procedures provided for in the Treaties, the Council, on a
proposal from the Commission, may decide, in a spirit of solidarity between Member States, upon the measures appropriate to the economic situation, in particular if severe difficulties arise in the supply ofcertain products, notably in the area of energy.
2. Where a Member State is in difficulties or is seriously threatened with severe difficulties caused by natural disasters or exceptional occurrences beyond its control, the Council, on a proposal from the Commission, may grant, under certain conditions, Union financial assistance to the Member State concerned. The President of the Council shall inform the European Parliament of the decision taken."
This could lead to a substantial transfer of assets from the UK to Greece. We are talking billions of pounds. Is it possible that an economic crisis in a less industrialised nation could be engineered in order to invoke Article 122?
Could this be a way to transfer wealth from the (relatively speaking) richer, industrialised nations to the less wealthy, more agricultural members of the EU?
If the answer to those two questions is yes, then there is nothing to stop the EU from bringing everyone up to a common standard, or if you're cynical to drag the major economies down to the lowest common denominator.
Britain, yet again could be subsidising the poorer nations at the expense of our own industry and people.
Back in the EUSSR. You don't know how lucky you are.
Spreading the word...
The Tap has published a post regarding economic problems building up in Greece.
There is an expectation that other EU members will be asked by the ECB to bail out the Greek Economy.
I have always believed that the Euro "one-size-fits-all" currency would be a problem for the less industrialised nations of the EU.
As The Tap has said, I too expect a lot of civil unrest and rioting in Greece. The sunnier, Mediterrean cultures are less likely to be complicit with their governments demands. Their hotter, fiery, more independent nature is something we should take note of in Britain.
It is far too easy to sit back and and let apathy lead us into further financial misery.
There is an expectation that other EU members will be asked by the ECB to bail out the Greek Economy.
I have always believed that the Euro "one-size-fits-all" currency would be a problem for the less industrialised nations of the EU.
As The Tap has said, I too expect a lot of civil unrest and rioting in Greece. The sunnier, Mediterrean cultures are less likely to be complicit with their governments demands. Their hotter, fiery, more independent nature is something we should take note of in Britain.
It is far too easy to sit back and and let apathy lead us into further financial misery.
Monday 8 February 2010
Poetic pisstaking
I know an old PM that ate lots of fruit.
I don’t know why he ate lots of fruit,
He’ll get the boot.
I know an old PM that wore a bad suit,
To cover the gut from eating the fruit.
But I don’t know why he ate lots of fruit,
He’ll get the boot.
I know an old PM that cried on the telly,
Tried to get votes by being less smelly.
He cried on the telly to buy a new suit,
That covered his gut from eating the fruit,
I don’t know why he ate lots of fruit,
He’ll get the boot.
I know an old PM that made himself spin.
Full up with sin! He was desperate to win!
He made himself spin, to be less smelly, to buy a new suit, that hid the fruit.
But I don’t know why he ate lots of fruit.
He’ll get the boot!
I know an old PM that talked to Obama,
And now he’s been eaten by Jeffrey Dahmer!
Friday 5 February 2010
Breaking News
MPs Morley, Devine, Chaytor and charged.
Lord Hanningfield charged. Insufficient evidence to prosecute Lord Clarke.
No announcement as yet regarding Baroness Uddin.
Lord Hanningfield charged. Insufficient evidence to prosecute Lord Clarke.
No announcement as yet regarding Baroness Uddin.
Fingers crossed..
Hopefully the CPS will not be a woolly, browbeaten bunch of numpties today.
Today I am hoping the CPS will overcome the posturing and great wailing and gnashing of teeth from Westminster.
I don't just want to see 6 parliamentrains prosecutes and jailed. I want every single one of those theiving bastards that were cuaght out by Legg to be tried in Court.
Six out of 390 guilty troughers to be prosecuted is not good enough.
I want the lot. Every single theiving, deceiving, lying scumbag should be sent down.
Westminster is rotten. It needs to be replaced.
Today I am hoping the CPS will overcome the posturing and great wailing and gnashing of teeth from Westminster.
I don't just want to see 6 parliamentrains prosecutes and jailed. I want every single one of those theiving bastards that were cuaght out by Legg to be tried in Court.
Six out of 390 guilty troughers to be prosecuted is not good enough.
I want the lot. Every single theiving, deceiving, lying scumbag should be sent down.
Westminster is rotten. It needs to be replaced.
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