After Manish Sood, the Labour candidate described his own party leader (Gordon Brown) as the "worst Prime Minister in history", and another Norfolk based candidate who was standing in Cambridgeshire South East was stripped of his official candidacy because of lewd details being published about his private life, you'd imagine that we might have had our fill of candidates putting their foot in in in Norfolk. But it appears not.
This morning local news media are reporting that the UKIP candidate for Norwich North, Glenn Tingle, has issued an apology for writing that we should blow up Iran and for denigrating people in Afghanistan.
Showing posts with label Labour. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Labour. Show all posts
5/01/2010
Labour Freepost in Broadland
Due to being very busy with work and delivering leaflets, I have been unable to keep up to date with posting copies of all the leaflets on my blog, however, in an attempt to catch up I will post a number of them here in the next 24 hours.
Here is the Labour Freepost leaflet, which arrived last Saturday and another copy of the same leaflet arrived on Tuesday. Quite why the post office are delivering two copies of the same leaflet, is beyond me.
The other issue that is beyond me is why the Labour candidate, who is seeking to represent a landlocked constituency like Broadland, chose to have her photo taken on the coast ! Bizarre and showing a real lack of thought in my opinion.
The other issue that is beyond me is why the Labour candidate, who is seeking to represent a landlocked constituency like Broadland, chose to have her photo taken on the coast ! Bizarre and showing a real lack of thought in my opinion.
3/27/2010
You don't have to be stupid to be a Labour MP but ...
If evidence is required as to why voting Labout can be a liability, THIS is it.
Who would send an email begging for help in the General Election to their main opponent TWICE !
Hat tip to Andrew Reeves
Who would send an email begging for help in the General Election to their main opponent TWICE !
Hat tip to Andrew Reeves
2/22/2010
Why does it take an imminent General Election for something like this to happen ?
Is it any wonder that people so distrust central government and the whole circus of Westminster politics when decisions that seem obvious to everyone else suddenly happen with a General Election just weeks away.
The government today announced that the early release of prisoners would cease in the next few weeks, many would argue this is a cynical policy just to appeal to voters in time for the general election campaign.
No wonder so many people have lost patience with this government.
The government today announced that the early release of prisoners would cease in the next few weeks, many would argue this is a cynical policy just to appeal to voters in time for the general election campaign.
No wonder so many people have lost patience with this government.
2/09/2010
How can we trust Labour to make laws when the break them so easily ?
The Labour Party has had an enforcement notice served on it after using obtrusive autodialer phone systems to make unsolicited calls to voters using a Coronation Street actress as the computerised voice.
The Labour party used the autodialer again in the 2009 Euro elections after already being told to stop using the system after the 2007 local elections.
In a statement the Labour Party said "it would examine the ruling and always tried to meet guidelines."
It does make you question the intelligence and morals of the Labour Party that there are two possible reasons for their failure to comply with the original legal ruling.
Either ;
1) They do not seem to be able to understand a ruling the expressly forbids them to use the autodialler system.
or
2) They deliberately and cynically chose to break the law.
If we can't trust Labour to follow laws, how can we trust them to make laws ?
The Labour party used the autodialer again in the 2009 Euro elections after already being told to stop using the system after the 2007 local elections.
In a statement the Labour Party said "it would examine the ruling and always tried to meet guidelines."
It does make you question the intelligence and morals of the Labour Party that there are two possible reasons for their failure to comply with the original legal ruling.
Either ;
1) They do not seem to be able to understand a ruling the expressly forbids them to use the autodialler system.
or
2) They deliberately and cynically chose to break the law.
If we can't trust Labour to follow laws, how can we trust them to make laws ?
10/10/2009
Is this putting the country's defence first ?
In order to save money all Territorial Army training is to be suspended for 6 months. Remember, this is just after a TV advertising campaign (costing several million pounds) to get people to join the TA.
It further undermines any credibility this awful Labour government has when it comes to defence issues.
It further undermines any credibility this awful Labour government has when it comes to defence issues.
10/07/2009
Another dim idea from a Labour supporter, but given the source it's hardly surprising
A Norfolk Labour activist is suggesting that people buying a round of drinks be effectively abolished as people's alcohol consumption could be monitored on an "entitlement card". His suggestion would mean that if you bought a round the whole round would appear next to your name on your record of alcohol consumption. This would stop you buying rinks for your partner, it would stop people drinking if they had had too much. Presumably also creating a black market for people who don't drink to also sell their entitlement to someone else ?
And of course on top of all this it would essentially be another way of the big brother Labour state monitoring and controlling what people do in their private lives.
You have to remember though that the person who wrote this letter is someone many Lib Dems in Norfolk know. Before jumping ship from the Lib Dems, something that every Lib Dem I know gave a big cheer for when they heard (indeed, many would have wanted to give him a shove and encouragement many years before), the author, was the sort of person you avoided at conferences. Long on talk but short on anything interesting to say. And now, having been a Tory, then a Lib Dem, he finds himself in Labour.
Believe me, they are welcome to him.
And of course on top of all this it would essentially be another way of the big brother Labour state monitoring and controlling what people do in their private lives.
You have to remember though that the person who wrote this letter is someone many Lib Dems in Norfolk know. Before jumping ship from the Lib Dems, something that every Lib Dem I know gave a big cheer for when they heard (indeed, many would have wanted to give him a shove and encouragement many years before), the author, was the sort of person you avoided at conferences. Long on talk but short on anything interesting to say. And now, having been a Tory, then a Lib Dem, he finds himself in Labour.
Believe me, they are welcome to him.
9/11/2009
Criminal checks for everyone
The latest initiative by the government to ensure that everyone who has anything to do with children, including those parents who give lifts to and from clubs is an astonishing amount of overkill and symbolic of this government's willingness to ignore common sense at all costs.
Whilst we can all appreciate that criminal record checks (CRB checks) are important and necessary for those employed to work with children and those who run childrens' activities, it seems ludicrous to apply this to a further 11 million people.
Clubs and voluntary groups find it hard enough to find volunteers and this move will make that even harder. The government seem to believe that these checks will eliminate all dangers to children but ignore the fact that all offenders have, at some point, been first time offenders. These checks will not stop people with clean records but bad intent having contact with children, so risk will not be eliminated.
The other aspect is the fact that CRB checks are a very good income stream for the government. My old school had to get me CRB checked when I qualified as a teacher. I then got CRB checked again 3 years later when I became a councillor. There was then a change in the status of my school and all staff (including me) had to have further CRB checks. Then I changed school, and my old CRB check (only one year old) was deemed invalid so I was checked again. Two years later my school changed to a Primary school from a Middle school, thus changing it's name, which apparently invalidated the CRB check so all staff were checked again. So by my reckoning in a little over 10 years I have been CRB checked five times, at a cost of £32 each time, costing more than £150. Why a CRB check and a certificate cannot be transferred, take with you from establishment to establishment for a period of five years, only requiring your new employer to phone your previous school or employer to check you have not got any recent convictions, I do not know.
What is the silliest part though was the fact that all 40 plus staff at my school had to be redone just because our school name changed. That's £1300 on checks that were not needed. And now we are being told that school budgets will be squeezed in the recession !
Whilst we can all appreciate that criminal record checks (CRB checks) are important and necessary for those employed to work with children and those who run childrens' activities, it seems ludicrous to apply this to a further 11 million people.
Clubs and voluntary groups find it hard enough to find volunteers and this move will make that even harder. The government seem to believe that these checks will eliminate all dangers to children but ignore the fact that all offenders have, at some point, been first time offenders. These checks will not stop people with clean records but bad intent having contact with children, so risk will not be eliminated.
The other aspect is the fact that CRB checks are a very good income stream for the government. My old school had to get me CRB checked when I qualified as a teacher. I then got CRB checked again 3 years later when I became a councillor. There was then a change in the status of my school and all staff (including me) had to have further CRB checks. Then I changed school, and my old CRB check (only one year old) was deemed invalid so I was checked again. Two years later my school changed to a Primary school from a Middle school, thus changing it's name, which apparently invalidated the CRB check so all staff were checked again. So by my reckoning in a little over 10 years I have been CRB checked five times, at a cost of £32 each time, costing more than £150. Why a CRB check and a certificate cannot be transferred, take with you from establishment to establishment for a period of five years, only requiring your new employer to phone your previous school or employer to check you have not got any recent convictions, I do not know.
What is the silliest part though was the fact that all 40 plus staff at my school had to be redone just because our school name changed. That's £1300 on checks that were not needed. And now we are being told that school budgets will be squeezed in the recession !
8/05/2009
Labour MP agrees with me ... but does so 6 months late
Iain Dale brings our attention to the fact that Labour MP John Spellar is wondering why a UK Government agency is giving away foreign built cars as prizes instead of UK built cars.
I would at this stage like to point out that I raised this point six months ago !
Why has it taken six months to notice this ? .Nice to know you are keeping up Mr Spellar.
I would at this stage like to point out that I raised this point six months ago !
Why has it taken six months to notice this ? .Nice to know you are keeping up Mr Spellar.
7/28/2009
Another self inclicted wound - What do headlines like this do for Labour's core vote ?
Is there any way to undermine Labour's core vote than to read headlines saying that the government is going to court to reduce the compensation payout to soldiers severely injured in Afghanistan ?I can't think of anything which could make the government look less caring and more hypocritical given the current climate and the perceived penny pinching in Afghanistan.
It is symptomatic of this government though (as I wrote yesterday) that they are providing stories for The Daily Mail and The Express which write themselves (that is if the Express can avoid another Madeleine McCann story or link it in some way to Princess Diana.
Whilst there might be reasons for appealing against compensation payouts, irrespective of the mess the government are in politically, is it not the worst time possible from a military strategists point of view to be pursuing a court case in order to claim back what is only around £100,000 ? We have in recent years had something of a recruitment crisis in our armed forces and whilst there are reports that recruitment is easing due to the recessions (something the US forces have relied upon for year whilst recruiting in the poorest parts of the US), it sends a poor message to anyone thinking of joining the army at this moment.
But going back to Labour's core vote, those who were less than enthused about voting Labour last week in Norwich. What does it say to them about Labour's priorities. I always think that the ex local authority housed working class Labour voter are some of the most patriotic voters who take a deep pride n their country. This is why so many of them so happily switched to UKIP in last week's Norwich North by-election. These people might vote Lib Dem where there is a long established Lib Dem presence, they won't switch to the Tories out of a long held antipathy to that party, but UKIP provides a place to put their cross with no feelings of regret.
When Alistair Darling said yesterday that he is still optimistic of a Labour win next year, it really makes you question him on his economic forecasts too.
7/27/2009
Mandelson spinning again
While Peter Mandelson follows the rigidly of defending Gordon Brown in the wake of the Norwich North by-election, the problem is that Labour just don't get what is is that Norwich North tells us.
Labour's line is that due to the circumstances in which Ian Gibson stood down, this election was all about expenses, and was a special circumstance unrelated to normal politics. What Labour fail to recognise this that this is a self inflicted wound, and these self inflicted wounds are the sign of a government that is not only unable to control events outside of its control, but those it can control are done wrongly, in this case effectively sacking Ian Gibson whilst doing nothing about the likes of Hoon, Blears and others.
I seem to recall the last Tory government going through a similar episode of self harm over things like "back to basics" and the sleaze that was endemic in the period from 1992-97.
Whilst it might seem like a good defence for Gordon Brown to claim Norwich North was different, the electorate know otherwise and this makes Labour seems even more out of touch.
Labour's line is that due to the circumstances in which Ian Gibson stood down, this election was all about expenses, and was a special circumstance unrelated to normal politics. What Labour fail to recognise this that this is a self inflicted wound, and these self inflicted wounds are the sign of a government that is not only unable to control events outside of its control, but those it can control are done wrongly, in this case effectively sacking Ian Gibson whilst doing nothing about the likes of Hoon, Blears and others.
I seem to recall the last Tory government going through a similar episode of self harm over things like "back to basics" and the sleaze that was endemic in the period from 1992-97.
Whilst it might seem like a good defence for Gordon Brown to claim Norwich North was different, the electorate know otherwise and this makes Labour seems even more out of touch.
6/14/2009
Bob Ainsworth - A sign of desperation by the government
On "Have I Got News For You" this week they mocked the fact that the Labour party have appointed the almost anonymous Bob Ainsworth as Minister of Defence. From my experience, they are right to joke about him.
I lived for three years, in Coventry and was a council candidate during that time in Bob Ainsworth's constituency. In that time, he was virtually anonymous. As a politically active and politically aware student, you might have expected the local politicians to be of immediate interest to me, and in the run up to the 1997 I expected to see lots of them, but of the then four MPs in Coventry (then reduced to 3 in 1997), Bob Ainsworth was the least seen and least known of any of them. Indeed John Butcher, the one Tory (who was standing down anyway) had the highest profile.
But the thing that stands out was the almost universal opinion of Bob Ainsworth from all sides, including Labour people I met during the campaign, who all described Bob Ainsworth as either anonymous or useless, and this man is Minister of Defence ?
Update - The Telegraph also has a lot of detail on Mr Ainsworth's expenses claims.
4/28/2009
Proof that Labour CAN organise a piss up ... but not in a brewery
Okay, I know this was standard practise under the Tories too, but it does prove Labour do have the ability to organise a piss up somewhere.
9/24/2008
Th real truth about Ruth Kelly
Whatever Gordon Brown and Labour might be trying to spin today, there are certain truths that they cannot hide about Ruth Kelly resigning.
1) For many months it has been openly known that Ruth Kelly has been unhappy at the direction of the Brown government.
2) She has been a mother and just as needed by her family for the last 11 years, so why now it is so important to spend time with her family, people will have to draw their own conclusions.
3) Somebody in the Labour Party leaked the news to the BBC for malicious reasons in order to undermine Gordon Brown's good news from yesterday. They must also have known that the BBC and other news organisation would be fully briefed enough to run with the story and give it the profile and "legs" required to keep it as a top news item. A story like this rarely has the legs to survive a whole news day at the top of the agenda without people in the press knowing more than they can actually say.
The truth is, this appears to be yet another orchestrated attempt to undermine his leadership.
1) For many months it has been openly known that Ruth Kelly has been unhappy at the direction of the Brown government.
2) She has been a mother and just as needed by her family for the last 11 years, so why now it is so important to spend time with her family, people will have to draw their own conclusions.
3) Somebody in the Labour Party leaked the news to the BBC for malicious reasons in order to undermine Gordon Brown's good news from yesterday. They must also have known that the BBC and other news organisation would be fully briefed enough to run with the story and give it the profile and "legs" required to keep it as a top news item. A story like this rarely has the legs to survive a whole news day at the top of the agenda without people in the press knowing more than they can actually say.
The truth is, this appears to be yet another orchestrated attempt to undermine his leadership.
9/22/2008
Tories can't stop ID cards - Says Labour Minister
It is quite astonishing to read and hear the arrogance of a failing labour government and it's ministers who are insisting on a "full steam ahead" programme of trying to force people to accept ID cards before Labour lose power.
It appears Labour's latest ruse is to indoctrinate teenagers in to using them and taking them before they know better.
The most worry aspect of this issue is that Labour minister Meg Hillier claims that ID cards would be so integrated in to government policy by 2010 that any future government would be unable to unpick them from the system.
As the BBC reports
"But Ms Hillier said the Tories would find it difficult to "devalidate" the cards that had already been issued and scrap the database that was also being used for passports. "
Obviously Ms Hillier is unaware that any Tory government, no doubt with the full support of all other parties who oppose ID cards, could simply pass a law stating that ID cards would no longer be issues and they would no longer be valid.
Sadly, this smacks again of Labour caring little for civil liberties, the law and democracy.
It appears Labour's latest ruse is to indoctrinate teenagers in to using them and taking them before they know better.
The most worry aspect of this issue is that Labour minister Meg Hillier claims that ID cards would be so integrated in to government policy by 2010 that any future government would be unable to unpick them from the system.
As the BBC reports
"But Ms Hillier said the Tories would find it difficult to "devalidate" the cards that had already been issued and scrap the database that was also being used for passports. "
Obviously Ms Hillier is unaware that any Tory government, no doubt with the full support of all other parties who oppose ID cards, could simply pass a law stating that ID cards would no longer be issues and they would no longer be valid.
Sadly, this smacks again of Labour caring little for civil liberties, the law and democracy.
9/16/2008
It's a Labour trick !
Some people seem to think Gordon Brown is the subject of a nasty campaign to unseat him by an unscrupulous group of Labour MPs. But given that it has taken so much coverage away from the Lib Dems ought we not give Gordon Brown some credit for his elaborate scheme to deny the Lib Dems and Nick Clegg much need publicity ?
P.S. Yes, I am joking.
P.S. Yes, I am joking.
9/15/2008
When it comes to defending the coastline what comes first for Labour - England or Bangladesh ?
It is well known that due to climate change and global warming the coastline of the low lying east of England is at greater risk than ever from flooding.
Any visitor to North Norfolk can go to Happisburgh and see the peril many householders feel as each year more and more of their parish falls in to the sea whist the government tell us that they do not have the necessary £30 million needed to protect the whole of the North Norfolk coast. Similarly parts of Suffolk around Southwold have effectively been written off by the government and will be allowed to flood.
This might be acceptable were the government as strapped for cash as they claim.
But today I read that the government is to give £75 million to Bangladesh to help protect their coastline from flooding.
I've always felt the old saying "Charity begins at home" has some meaning. Clearly Labour's priority lies with the people of Bangladesh and not with the people of England.
Any visitor to North Norfolk can go to Happisburgh and see the peril many householders feel as each year more and more of their parish falls in to the sea whist the government tell us that they do not have the necessary £30 million needed to protect the whole of the North Norfolk coast. Similarly parts of Suffolk around Southwold have effectively been written off by the government and will be allowed to flood.
This might be acceptable were the government as strapped for cash as they claim.
But today I read that the government is to give £75 million to Bangladesh to help protect their coastline from flooding.
I've always felt the old saying "Charity begins at home" has some meaning. Clearly Labour's priority lies with the people of Bangladesh and not with the people of England.
9/13/2008
"Concerted campaign" against Brown
Although those Labour MPs who oppose Gordon Brown appear to be small in number at the moment, it is clear that they have a "drip, drip" approach to trying to unsettle other Labour MPs in to joining their calls for the Prime Minister to go.
The strategy, with MP Joan Ryan today joining those "coming out" as opposing Brown seems to be that each MP in their group will make an announcement each day in an attempt to create momentum and encourage other to join them.
Will it work ? According to the BBC, although there is a concerted campaign, they believe that there are only 12 Labour MPs who are willing to sign a nomination paper for an opponent to face Brown, and although Charles Clarke (3653 votes majority ), Siobhain McDonagh (majority 12,560 votes), and Joan Ryan (majority 1920 votes) have nailed there colours to the mast, by the time the Labour conference starts, they may have run out of rebels.
The most interesting of those who have so far come out against Brown is Siohain McDonagh, whose 12,560 vote majority seems safe in even the most extreme of Labour defeats, but perhaps that is a sign of the fear in the Labour Party's own ranks that someone with a seemingly safe 12,560 vote majority may itself be vulnerable.
The strategy, with MP Joan Ryan today joining those "coming out" as opposing Brown seems to be that each MP in their group will make an announcement each day in an attempt to create momentum and encourage other to join them.
Will it work ? According to the BBC, although there is a concerted campaign, they believe that there are only 12 Labour MPs who are willing to sign a nomination paper for an opponent to face Brown, and although Charles Clarke (3653 votes majority ), Siobhain McDonagh (majority 12,560 votes), and Joan Ryan (majority 1920 votes) have nailed there colours to the mast, by the time the Labour conference starts, they may have run out of rebels.
The most interesting of those who have so far come out against Brown is Siohain McDonagh, whose 12,560 vote majority seems safe in even the most extreme of Labour defeats, but perhaps that is a sign of the fear in the Labour Party's own ranks that someone with a seemingly safe 12,560 vote majority may itself be vulnerable.
9/05/2008
Rare praise for the Labour government
I will stick my neck out and offer praise to the government for their decision to support energy conservation measures as opposed to a one of bribe of giving windfall payments to poorer people.
Let's face it, a one of payment will be gone in a very short amount of time and energy prices are hardly likely to drop in the future meaning that this one off payment will be a waste of time. However, energy saving measures will be long term projects that will ensure people will save money for many years to come, plus the environmental benefits are clear to even the dimmest Labour MP.
It is a shame, therefore, that so many Labour MPs and union leaders have today spoken out against the government's measures. It seems that there are too many desperate Labour MPs who would prefer to have seen the government use cash to bribe voters in to voting Labour.
Shame on those MPs and well done to the government.
Let's face it, a one of payment will be gone in a very short amount of time and energy prices are hardly likely to drop in the future meaning that this one off payment will be a waste of time. However, energy saving measures will be long term projects that will ensure people will save money for many years to come, plus the environmental benefits are clear to even the dimmest Labour MP.
It is a shame, therefore, that so many Labour MPs and union leaders have today spoken out against the government's measures. It seems that there are too many desperate Labour MPs who would prefer to have seen the government use cash to bribe voters in to voting Labour.
Shame on those MPs and well done to the government.
8/24/2008
National ID card contractor proves ID card data will not be secure
I am sick and tired of hearing Jacqui Smith saying the latest loss of government data is not the fault of the government and is instead all down to a contractor breaking rules.
Why do these firms break rules ? Is it perhaps because they know the government will do nothing ?
If Jacqui Smith really wants to show the government is taking the issue seriously and that they do want to win the trust back of the electorate then they shoudl sack PA consulting, the firm behind the data loss and rule breaking, and strip them of any other government contracts.
The problem for the government though is that PA consulting are also one of the firm working on the National ID card system the government want to bring in. Remember, the government have assured us that the ID card system will be secure but they employ a company to work on it who break data protection rules. Confused ?
It was interesting to see the reaction of PA consulting to a BBC camera crew turning up to ask for a statement or interview about the data loss on Newsnight the other day. Suddenly lots of "heavies" and security men turned up, the camera crew were shoved rather unceremoniously on to the streets and a degree of security was evident that was certainly not seen in the way they handle confidential government data.
So will Jacqui Smith take action against a company who are part of the National ID card scheme ? What do you think ...
Why do these firms break rules ? Is it perhaps because they know the government will do nothing ?
If Jacqui Smith really wants to show the government is taking the issue seriously and that they do want to win the trust back of the electorate then they shoudl sack PA consulting, the firm behind the data loss and rule breaking, and strip them of any other government contracts.
The problem for the government though is that PA consulting are also one of the firm working on the National ID card system the government want to bring in. Remember, the government have assured us that the ID card system will be secure but they employ a company to work on it who break data protection rules. Confused ?
It was interesting to see the reaction of PA consulting to a BBC camera crew turning up to ask for a statement or interview about the data loss on Newsnight the other day. Suddenly lots of "heavies" and security men turned up, the camera crew were shoved rather unceremoniously on to the streets and a degree of security was evident that was certainly not seen in the way they handle confidential government data.
So will Jacqui Smith take action against a company who are part of the National ID card scheme ? What do you think ...
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