Cameron's speech - Seeing through the spin

David Cameron spoke today in an attempt to blame Gordon Brown for the expenses scandal. The press seem to have allowed Cameron to be quoted, but not put any of his quotes in context.

Cameron said

"Last week we had the latest revelations from Parliament. The details might be new but the feelings they provoke are all too familiar. Disappointment. Despair. Even disgust. But as I argued in my speech at the Open University in May last year, anger at the expenses scandal is just the most forceful expression of a deep frustration people feel with our whole political system."

Indeed David Cameron might have said this, but the last time expense reform went before the house of Commons it was blocked with the great help of 21 Conservatives MPs, many of whom are members of David Cameron's front bench. If he really felt that strongly about reform, should these parliamentary expense reform "blockers" really be in his shadow cabinet ?

"It’s a system in which too much power is concentrated in the hands of the elite and denied to the man and woman on the street. We’ve been seeing the symptoms of that for years. Decisions made behind closed doors. The Houses of Parliament bypassed and undermined."

The ironic thing is, as Michael Brown, the respected journalist and former Tory MP said on Newsnight tonight, David Cameron has been the most controlling centralising leader the Conservative Party has had. He has introduced systems in to the Tory party that have manipulated who gets selected for safe Tory seats, and his words do not match his actions. and that leads us on to ...

"Money buying influence. Too often just an elite few choosing the people who become MPs for many years. We can’t go on like this."

Don't mention Lord Ashcroft to Mr Cameron. A multi millionaire who over nine years after receiving a Tory peerage, has yet to confirm if he pays full UK tax. Money, it seems clearly to me, can buy influence within the Tory Party.

"We’re just weeks away from an election. This should be the highest point in our democratic life – but never has the reputation of politics sunk so low. We’ve got to fix our broken politics and we’ve got to start fixing it now. The question is: who’s going to do it, and how are they going to do it?"

And one wonders why Mr Cameron when you make such a duplicitous speech, decrying the Labour Party but then replicating and in many cases doing exactly the same things within your own party.

"We are a new generation, come of age in the modern world of openness and accountability. And when we say we will take power from the political elite and give it to the man and woman in the street - it's not just because we believe it will help fix broken politics. It's what we believe, full stop.

We don't believe that an arrogant, all-controlling government sitting in London passing endless laws and regulations actually makes things better. In fact, on many occasions it makes things worse."

But again Mr Cameron, this does not equate or add up with your own party policies announced this week. Only yesterday the Tories were announcing plans to remove powers from local government to scrutinise and make planning decisions on new schools. Instead of locally elected local councillors making these decisions, and being locally accountable for them, the Tories propose that a minister in Westminster would make the decision. This flies in the face of your comments in your speech.

"As well as cleaning up Parliament, we’ve got to empower it. There was a time when Parliament used to stand tall, a beacon of democracy leading national debate. But people look at it now and see a place they feel little connection to, play little part in, and don’t feel proud to represent them. It all adds up to a weak Parliament – and we’ve got to get its strength back.

That must start by making people feel connected to it. They don’t right now, because they don’t feel connected to the politicians in it. To restore that link we need to restore proper accountability – we need to give people the feeling that they are the ones pulling the strings and that they hire and fire their representative in parliament."

The best way to get people to engage with politics would be to get rid of safe seats, have a system of fair votes and ensure that people's votes actually count. Of course, it is only the Conservative Party that actually opposes these plans. Hypocrisy ?

"And one of the biggest constitutional changes in our history - our membership of the European Union - has practically passed Parliament by. We are hopeless, totally hopeless, at scrutinising the European legislation, regulation and spending that affects our country."

Indeed Mr Cameron, we have given away lots of powers to the EU. too many in my opinion (as a Euro sceptical Lib Dem). But the biggest give aways in recent years were the Single European Act (signed by Mrs Thatcher without any referendum) and the Maastricht Treaty, signed by John Major without a referendum. We really should take no lessons on the EU from the Tory Party.

Alistair Campbell Breaks Down on Andrew Marr show

There was a uite astonishing moment on TV earlier.
Andrew Marr has Alistair Campbell on his show, with Campbell promoting a fictional book he has written. But under questioning from Marr about the Iraq War, and Andrew Marr making a somewhat flippant but completely understandable comment equating his fictitious book with the dodgy dossier, Alistair Campbell paused, tears welled up in his eyes, and I though he was going to sob.

Now I don't want to be seen in any way as criticising him for being emotional, indeed it shows a very human side to Mr Campbell, but for Mr Campbell to keep insisting that it is unfair for people to criticise the war in Iraq and get upset about being asked questions about it leads me to two conclusions.

Firstly, try not to start any news wars.

Secondly, if you don't like being questioned about Iraq, don't try to seek publicity for your book during the Iraq enquiry when you are bound to be asked questions about Iraq.

Accused MPs to get "Golden Payoffs"

Ludicrous as it may seem, the three Labour MPs who face criminal charges over their expense claims, are entitled to "Golden Payoffs" when standing down from parlimanent this year.

These payments which could total £65,000 are paid to MPs, depending on the length of their service, when standing down at an election, but since Elliot Morley, David Chaytor and Jim Devine will not have gone to court, there are no powers to stop them getting the money.

It does seem absolultey ridiculous that MPs get so many benefits when so many hard working honest people are losing their jobs with minimal payments.

Why don't the Conservatives trust local democracy ?

According to reports today, the Conservatives, if elected to power this year, would stop local councils having the right to make planning decisions about new schools, with this power being taken by central government and a minister in London making decisions instead of locally elected councillors.

This harks back to the days of Thatcher when powers were routinely taken from councils and centralised in Westminster.

Whilst local councils might not always make the decisions that the government wants, local councillors are much more accountable than a Tory minister in London who may have a safe seat in a different part of the country and is therefore wholly unaccountable for the decisions he might be making about schools. Why should an MP for Surrey East be allowed to make planning decisions about things in Norwich ? This should be left to Norwich Councillors because at least the electorate have the ability to get rid of those councilors if they don't like the decisions they make.

Why does Cameron stand by someone accused of using figures "likely to mislead he public"

It is unsurprising that the Tory press and media have tried not to mention Chris Graylings rather disturbing misuse of statistics in order to make a political attack on the government.

This government is poor enough to be criticised on its real record. Quite why Chris Grayling has to go to such lengths to make inconsistent comparisons between data is really poor, highlights his unsuitablility for high office and must make people question why it is that David Cameron is standing by him.

Are front bench spokesmen for the Tories encouraged to lie ?

Anyway, the Independent has a full listing of Grayling's gaffes for people to check out.

Update Although it is a shame that the Independent do not know that the headline "Lies damn (sic) Lies and Tory statistics" should really read "damn(ed)", from the Mark Twain/Benjamin Disraeli quote. I recall the Labour Party using the incorrect quote in a leaflet they put out to slag of the Lib Dems in 1997 saying our bar chart statistics were wrong. Actually they turned out to be only one half of one percent out from the final result.

Which Norfolk MPs will have to repay the taxpayer their expenses ?

The list of those MPs who have to repay expenses was published yesterday (Thursday), and it brought good news for some MPs, but not for others.

Lib Dem MP Norman Lamb has nothing to repay, having made no false claims, and he is joined by Richard Bacon (Tory MP for South Norfolk), Henry Bellingham (Tory MP for NW Norfolk), and Tony Wright (Labour MP for Great Yarmouth). Charles Clarke (Labour MP for Norwich South) won an appeal so will not now be asked for a repayment of any monies after initially being told to repay £743.

Those MPs investigated who have money to repay include Ian Gibson (who already stood down as MP for Norwich North), Christopher Fraser (Tory MP for SW Norfolk) and would be MP for my part of the world, Keith Simpson (Conservative MP for Mid Norfolk and Tory candidate for Broadland).

One now only wonders what the voters will make of these MPs. No doubt those MPs who ahve done nothing wrong will also have to put up with voter derision despite their innocence. Voters have every right to be angry, but lets aim our anger at the right targets.

A Unitary Norwich plus Norfolk to keep its District Councils ? - Let's hope it is true

The EDP reports that government minister John Denham, who has responsibility for making the decision about the bids for unitary status in Norfolk, may decide to keep the present council system, but allow Norwich City Council to become a Unitary Authority on its existing boundaries.

Firstly, can I say how pleased I am if this is the decision. Not because I particularly want to change education authorities (as I work in Norwich), but because I have long been an advocate of keeping the existing district councils which are more in touch and often more relevent to local people in our village and small town communities across Norfolk.

When I was a North Norfolk District Councillor I was applauded loudly by the Tory Councillors for my passionate speech in defence of District Councils and in opposition of plans by Norwich City council to take over vast areas of Broadland District Council, leaving the rest of Broadland to be scattered amongst neighbouring authorities. The Tory who was due to speak after me merely stated "I agree 100% with councillor Starling and have nothing else to add". Indeed my position and arguments against the unitary authority demands made by the Labour run Norwich City Council was praised by a local Tory Parliamentary candidate in comments sent to this blog.

We are not to know yet whether the rumours are true, but I know that people here in Taverham have no wish to be taken over by Norwich City Council. I am sure that people in the West of the County in places like Clenchwarton (where I lived as a child) and those in Diss, Bacton and Gorleston, all feared that their local councils with local offices would be abolished in favour of a remote Norfolk County Council based in Norwich.

An announcement is expected next week. Fingers crossed that we stay here in Taverham as part of Broadland District Council (despite the rather odd decisions and money wasted by the Tories locally). Given the was the Tories have mismanaged the County Council, being taken over by that body would have been an unmitigated disaster !

The lights go out in Taverham (and Norfolk)

Are your streetlights going off in Taverham ? If Norfolk County Council have their way then 665 streetlights in Taverham (where I live) will be turned off from midnight each night.

What amazes me in this is that there are so many more options that Tory run Norfolk County Council have failed to consider but so little consultation with parishes and local people.

1) Why not turn them off from 2am ? People are still returning from pubs, friends, etc at midnight, so why the arbitrary 12pm turn off ?

2) Why not turn every other light off ? It would still cut costs but would provide at least a limited amount of light for pedestrians and make people feel safer.

3) Why are they turning lights off near pedestrian crossings ? I know that in parts of Norwich and in nearby Horsford they are planning to do this, so what is the logic in this ?


If you want to know if your lights are going to be turned off, check out the list of roads in Taverham below.


ACRES WAY, ALDER WAY, ARGYLL CRESCENT, ASHGROVE, BADGERS BROOK ROAD , BARBERRY CLOSE , BARDOLPHS COURT, BECKS FUR, BELL CLOSE , BILL TODD WAY, BISHOP RISE, BRAMBLE CLOSE, BROADGATE , BROOM CLOSE, BUCKTHORN CLOSE , CAMERON GREEN, CASTLE RISE,COLEMAN CLOSE,COOPERS CLOSE, COWDEWELL, CRICKET CLOSE, FIRETHORN CLOSE, FOREGATE CLOSE, FOXWOOD CLOSE, FREELAND CLOSE,FRESHWATER WAY, GANNERS HILL, GARDYN CROFT, GRACE EDWARDS CLOSE, HAREWOOD DRIVE, HARROLD CLOSE, HAVERSCROFT CLOSE, HAZEL CLOSE, HEDGEMERE, HINKS CLOSE, ISBETS DALE, JORDAN CLOSE, JUDGES GARDENS, JUNIPER WAY, KINGSWOOD AVENUE, KINGSWOOD COURT, LIMETREE COURT, MANOR CHASE, MAPLE DRIVE, MARLAND ROAD, MARRIOTT CHASE, MELTON DRIVE, MOKYLL CROFT, MONT CROSS, MULBERRY COURT, NABER FURLONG, NORGATE WAY, NUTWOOD CLOSE, OAKLANDS, OLD WARREN, PEAKWELL CLOSE, PEDDARS WAY, PRIORSWOOD, PYEHURN MEWS, RADCLIFFE ROAD, RIVERDENE MEWS, ROOK DRIVE, SEAFORTH DRIVE, SEGO VALE, SHAKESPEARE WAY, SHEPHERD WAY, SHILLGATE WAY , SNOWBERRY CLOSE, SPRINGWOOD, STEEPLE CHASE, SUTERS DRIVE, SYLVAN WAY , THE CAINS, THE COVEY, THE DROVE, THE FALLOWS, THE MOORS, THE SEATES, THE SHIRES, THE THICKET, TRIMMING WALK, UPHALLE, WALNUT CLOSE , WALSINGHAM DRIVE , WENSUM WALK, WHEATFIELDS, WINNERS WALK, WITHY WAY, WOODLANDS , WYLDE CROFT

Has the official list of Tory "Spin" Blogs been revealed ?

Liberal Conspiracy has a list of all those Tory blogs who will, if the Tory Party has its way,be offering less in the way of objectivity and more in the way of Tory "spin" during the forthcoming general election campaign.

I myself was a regular poster on events during the Norwich North by-election, but at no point did the Lib Dems ask me to post a story on their behalf, rebut a story or become part of any online campaign.

I guess those Tory bloggers identified need to question why they blog. I am sure some of them would have no truck with being organs of the Tory Party's spin machine if the story reported by Liberal Conspiracy is true. But if they blog to offer their opinions and views on politics and the world, one would wonder why any of them would be told what to print.

If they anyone were to turn their blog in to the official spin machine of the party they support they might just put a link straight through to their official party website and cut out the blogging completely. And thris aplies to every party.

Update 22.02 - Comments to me suggest that the story and the list may not be correct. If that is the case I would genuinely be pleased as many of those Tory blogs are amongst my daily reads.

Short changed

Clare Short's testimony today to the Iraq inquiry drew applause from the onlookers, but to my mind and In know that of many others, hearing Ms Short justifying her support of Mr Blair and her mistakes in doing so only served to highlight what a fool she was and remains. But more than that, it really does make you wish that Robin Cook, the one cabinet member who did resign over Iraq, was still alive to given evidence.

Clearly Robin Cook was cleverer that Ms Short because she failed to see what the rest of us and he could see, and that was the plain fact that the war was wrong. Ms Short's excuse that she supported the war because the Attorney General said it was legal simply does not stack up with her criticism of Blair today. She complained that he made decisions and expected them to be rubber stamped. The problem was, she was one of those people doing the rubber stamping. Had she followed Robin Cook out of the cabinet, it would have increased the pressure on Blair and perhaps encouraged more ministers to speak up, develop a back bone or grow a pair !

Sadly, we'll never know what difference Ms Short having some common sense in March 2003 might have had on the government. What we do know now is that she wants to blame Blair without, in my opinion, taking any real blame on her own shoulders.

Dumbing down the business news

I've just seen one of the dumbest film clips ever on The One Show regarding the Kraft takeover of Cadburys.

Now I know The One Show does very much aim its fire at the lowest common denominator, but I had hoped for something a bit higher than The Sun business pages level of coverage from Adam Shaw, one of the presenters of Working Lunch. But no, instead we got the tripe that I just saw.

In comparing the possible loss of jobs in the Kraft takeover with other takeovers of UK forms, Adam Shaw sought to show how some takeovers can be good for UK jobs. his example of this ? Asda and the takeover by Walmart. Confused ? I should say. Mr Shaw seemed to think that comparing a shop with a manufacturing business was a good comparison. The basic fact that a manufacturer can increase UK market share by producing more overseas  whilst a retailer has to increase its UK workforce if it is to get a larger share of the retail market was lost on Mr Shaw.

Which party is wrecking election night ?

Of the Norfolk constituencies who say that are still intending to do their general election count on the Thursday night, only two appear to be doing what Iain Dale wants.

So far North Norfolk and Norwich South appear to be the only two that will not be held over until Friday.

Looking at who runs the councils, it really is very interesting.

North Norfolk Count - Conducted by Lib Dem run NNDC.

Norwich South Count - Conducted by Labour run Norwich CC.

Norwich North/Broadland Count - Conducted by Tory run Broadland DC


Mid Norfolk/South West Norfolk - Conducted by Tory run Breckland


N/W Norfolk - Conducted by Tory Run Kings Lynn and West Norfolk BC


Great Yarmouth Count - Conducted by Tory Run Great Yarmouth Borough Council


South Norfolk Count - Conducted by Tory run South Norfolk BC.

So which party is wrecking election night ?

Are police radios safe ?

THIS report about the use of the TETRA police radio system comes as no surprise to me, having sat through numerous meetings in my time as a District Councillor when we discussed the siting of the police TETRA masts across North Norfolk five years ago.

I was told by a police officer in North Norfolk that the rates of illness went up very quickly after the new masts and radios were introduced. Similarly I was told of headaches, nausea and other problems suffered by residents living near to the mast in one North Norfolk town.

My understanding is that the frequency the TETRA masts work on is different to that used by mobile phones and that the frequency is very close to that which has been known to cause tumors in rats. Similarly, whilst mobile phones only transmit a signal whilst being used, a TETRA radio works differently by being connected for long periods even when not actually in use.

I am not one to start campaigns against phone masts as I am not convinced that the evidence is there to suggest that phone masts are any more dangerous than having a wireless router in your home, but there are genuine concerns about the safety of TETRA masts and the radios that use this system. THIS WEBSITE set up to take reports from police officers who use the TETRA system is evidence of that.

Double speak from Tory MEPs ?

According to THIS posting, Conservative MEPs think that it is not the role of MEPs speak out on issues in Africa.

However, THIS posting makes clear that Conservative MEPs do think it is the role of MEPs to speak out on issues in Africa.

I'm confused.

Is it because the Tories don't actually care about gay rights or am I reading too much in to this ?

P.S. And for the record, I agree 100% with Robert Sturdy. It's a shame his South West colleagues do not use their role and influence to speak out similarly against wrongs and injustices.

Six stories that won't make Iain Dale's Daily Dozen

1) Iain fails to report the selection of a Lib Dem candidate in Broadland (the seat which comprises part of North Norfolk where Iain has stood and part of Mid Norfolk where is friend Keith Simpson is the Tory MP.)
Iain was very keen to write of Lib Dem chanches here in his EDP column when no Lib Dem MP candidate was selected, but has been strangely silent since the selection of a well knwn local campaigner. Iain claims never to have heard of Dan Roper, which is odd as he really is not that unknown (unless you really are out of touch with Norfolk politics).

2) Southport Tories in meltdown.
Not the "We're going to win and Cameron is great" sort of stuff that Iain usually likes to highlight.

3) Tories below 40% in the polls
Errm, again, not realy good Tory spin.

4) Iain's PPC chances gone ?
Some of the comments are really insightful and explain why he is "being played" and unlikely to ever be selected for a winnable seat (which in my view would be a shame).

5) Another Cameron gaffe ?
Oh no, not again. Once, twice, three times a gaffer ...

6) The not so Rainbow Tories
Tories are all talk but no action on gay issues.

Despair over Blair

Watching Blair today just serves to highlight what it is that people so dislike about politics. After everything that has happened, despite the weight of evidence, in spite of all the facts, he still does not get it.

Like an MP justifying his excessive expenses claim, Blair stood out as being slick, but ultimately so intransigent that whilst he may go away from today feeling that he gave a good account of himself, I think his performance will ultimately come to haunt him.

The line, which I paraphrase here that "I'ts not about a deceit or a lie or misleading, it's about a decision", makes clear his lies.

Blair had already made a decision, no doubt when he met Bush, that Britain would invade Iraq no matter what. So Blair did mislead, he did deceive, he did lie, and all of those were just to get parliament and the British people to back his decision, made on the basis of flawed evidence.

Blair might be the consumate politician, but his legacy will be that of a Prime Minister who wasted some of the best economic conditions in years, missed an opportunity for parliamentary and electoral reform, who failed to take action to fix those parts of broken Britain all in the name of having his war.

Yet again, what is the point of the Met Office ?

When the Met Office's own satellite cannnot distinguish between rain and snow, you really have to wonder if theiy know what they are doing.

Forget the forecast for rain, its been snowing here for several hours and despite what the Met Office are predicting (more rain) I suspect we are in for several inches of snow.

If they cannot even accurately report what the weather is doing now, how can we believe their forecasts ?

Stating the bleeding obvious

The National Audit Office has reported that the BBC does not always provide best value for money when covering large events. This should be little surprise to anyone.

Some of the big events justify a large staff and big costs. The Olympics instantly spring to mind. But more than sic months ago it was reported that the BBC sent almost as many staff to Glastonbury as they did to China to cover the Olympics.

As I wrote at the time, I am not fan of the BBC devoting itself so entirely to a niche event like Glastonbury, and I hope the report today make the BBC come to grips with the fact that events like the Olympics and World Cup are not the equivalent of an annual music festival.

British overseas aid - Money well spent ?

A few years ago I asked why it was that we are giving £825 million in aid to India.

Today we read that India is to spend more double the amount we give them in aid on a space programme to put Indian astronauts in to space.

Is it really a good use of our money in these hard times to gives British taxpayers money to fund projects in India when the Indian government seem to think that a space programme is more important ?

How many children have been hurt by this disgraceful GP ?

It has been announced that a hearing in to the GP who claimed links between the MMR jab and autism has found him to have been guilty of misconduct.

The report on the hearing is HERE.

The one question that has not been answered yet though is how many children did not get the MMR jab and as a result, hat was the increase in children getting measles, mumps and rubella. These illnesses, very serious to people of different ages, can leave permanant damage.

You still occasionally hear people quiting MMR as a reason not to get a flu jab or the HPV jab, so this idiot doctor really does have a lot to answer for.

The iPad review Apple fans won't want to read

A great summary of the iPad HERE.

The are many millions who will buy it because it is an Apple product. Those people would also buy a dog turn if it was prefixed with the letter "i" and was carrying an Apple badge.

And before people ask, I do own 4th generation ipod Nano, so I know Apple do make some good stuff.

Fed up with government ads filling ad breaks

Watching the last ad break in Celebrity Big Brother tonight I am totally fed up with the amount of adverts from the government filling each break.

Firstly I had to watch the ridiculous advert telling me to drive five miles less each week. Given the price of petrol these days the times when I used to go out simply for a drive are long gone, so I find the adverts patronising and silly. Then I had to watch an avert about apprenticeships, again paid for by the government.

It's even worse if you listen to commercial radio with whole ad breaks sometimes being 90% made up of government funded ads.

It seems in this recession the only source of advertising income for ITV, Channel Four and commercial radio is the UK government. I know the banks received a bail our, sadly I know the reasons why. But is commercial radio and TV really in need of such subsidy ?

Someone try and justify concurrent sentences for horrible crimes

A child rapist repeats his horrific crimes over and over again and is given "concurrent" sentences for each of his further crimes. How can that be justified ?

If criminals at any level are allowed to believe that repeating their crimes does not result in a suitably larger punishments, what is the point of our justice system ?

Damned if they do and damned if they don't

We are always being told by those who hate the BBC that the corporation should act like other commercial companies in the real world. So why is it when the BBC does this it is attacked for it ?

The BBC has very successfully expanded BBC worldwide in to a profitable business which provides income to the BBC. Yet a parliamentary committee feels that the BBC should be forced to dilute its stake in the business which sell BBC shows and intellectual property to another company. Why ? Apparently to allow the BBC to make more money from the venture. This would not be so laughable were it not for the fact that the BBC has been criticised for growing Worldwide too quickly and aggressively.

The fact is that there are many people who will seek to criticise the BBC whenever it is successful because they so hate to see the BBC do anything well. I am not saying the BBC is perfect, far from it, but when it generates income which could be used to reduce the license fee then making it sell off these profitable parts serves no purpose other than to ensure that the BBC stands a better chance of failing. And that is what these people want at the end of the day.

Not another hypcrite Tory ?

I await the first Tory to step forward and defend the leader of the Scottish Tories for THIS.*

*With thanks to Stephen Glenn.

Brown and Cameron both trying to weasel out of the election debates

As Dizzy comments HERE, it seems increasingly likely that any election debates will be rather sterile affairs due to the rather stupid and deliberately unreasonalbe requests of both David Cameron and Gordon Brown. So what are they scared of ?

The only person not being accused of making silly demands is Nick Clegg, which makes sense, because Nick is neither scared of public scrutiny of himself or his policies, and he also knows that such debates provide the Lib Dems with an amazing opportunity to break the current two party stranglehold on politics.

Perhaps this answers my first questions as to what the Tories and Labour fear. If Nick Clegg were to come across as the more reasonable, the more human of the leaders, and his party suddenly got a 5% bump in the polls, the would be a real danger to the old parties of the Lib Dems suddenly gaining traction with the electorate, and that is the last thing the Tories and Labour want. The old parties want the Lib Dems to be a think tank from which they can steal the best ideas, but neither of the old parties are liberal, and the lack a real understanding of democracy.

So whilst the broadcasters mght be hoping that the debates go ahead, my fear is that they won't.

Another good reason to vote Lib Dem in Hull North

Andrew Allison highlights on his blog just how useless the Labour MP for Hull North is. Of course, with the Lib Dems in a clear second place, it gives people even more reason to try and get her out of Westminster at the enxt election.

It's a shame that there is no decent opposition to Nadine Dorries who, according to people I follow on Twitter, is also adept at blocking anyone from her Twitter feed if they don't agree with what she says.

Norfolk Tories make swinging cuts to funding for schools in deprived areas

The EDP writes today

Norfolk's neediest youngsters could miss out on lifeline support because of a £1.9m cut in funding to more than one-third of the county's schools, many in the most deprived areas.

The county council is set to slice the sum out of the grants it makes to schools to help them boost results among vulnerable children.

In all 167 schools will get less money than they were promised - with cuts ranging from a few hundred pounds to almost £93,000 for the biggest loser, Great Yarmouth High.

Interesting to note that despite Cameron's pledge to defend eduction and the NHS, when it comes to what Tories are doing, on the ground, cuts to education are one of the first things they do.

No doubt Norfolk County Council will be asking the schools they are cutting significant funding to why their results are not as good as they hoped. Appalling.

Norfolk's nutty Greens show just how nutty they are

The Green candidate in Great Yarmouth is standing down in order to support and help the Tory candidate.

You really couldn't make it up, but it sums up what many of us find about the Greens here in Norfolk. The oppose things they support, the offer no solutions, only criticism, and they even support other parties which are widely acknowledged as being the most sceptical when it comes to climate change and have the poorest eco credentials.

People in Norwich South ought to take note.

More ammunition for the Taliban

It's this sort of religious nuttiness which makes Celebrity Big Brother contestant look slightly norman in an American context, although still very odd by usual British standards.

Dan Roper chosen as Broadland Lib Dem candidate

Dan Roper has been seleted as the Lib Dem prespective parliamentary candidate for the new Broadland constituency.

I attended the selection meeeing and was genuinely impressed by the passion Dan showed, his previous and recent campaign experience and his commitment to work hard at winning the seat for all the right reasons, for as long as it takes.

Dan, spoke of his previous membership of the Labour Party and the shameful way they have betrayed this country and all those people who once believed in their message. It was quite amusing then to hear so many members at the meeting then state there was nothing wrong with being a member of another politcal party in the past, with various people owning up to having been members of the Labour and Conservative parties in the past. And, of course, that is the point of being a Lib Dem campaigner. You have to change people's views from being Labour or Tory to being Lib Dem.

All in all, I am so pleased that my local Lib Dem candidate is genuinely the sort of person I would be proud to go out and campaign for. I wish him luck and will do whatever I can to help him.

The simple statement that shows the stupidity of Cameron's marriage tax break

The Tories are proposing a tax break for married couples. This statement from Nick Clegg on the issue says it all.

"What does is mean for the poor woman who has been left by some philandering husband who goes on to another marriage and gets the tax break and she doesn't?"

And news just in, the Pope is a Catholic

Whilst it would be ludicrous to say all Tories are anti gay, it is true that the Tories party clearly has a record of its MPs being the least friendly towards gay people of all the political parties. And if any proof were needed, the facts, figures and voting records are listed HERE.

Spoiling my eco credentials

I have a new car. It is another Skoda, this time a Skoda Yeti 4WD.

Whilst people might question why I am buying aq 4WD, I simply point out that my wife has to drive cross country to work, barely using any A or B roads and for my job, my school never closes, no matter what the weather. We were in school last week when all other schools were closed. So with both my wife and I needing to be able to get to work, we need a car that is capable of getting from A to B as ,to put it mildly, the weather last week did not make it easy at all.

Whilst people will question my eco credentials, I would simply point out that I do less than 6,000 miles a year and my new car will average more than 40 miles to the gallon.

Now all I have to do is work out how all the gadgets work.

A sign that any media source is not to be trusted is if they get excited about the release of school league tables

BBC East tonight almost wet themselves with excitement talking about the "incredible" High School league tables produced today.

Anyone who knows anything about education knows that league tables show only what is recordable, not what is important. The fact that BBC East, not noted for their fantastic journalism locally, reported this with such gusto and excitement rather underlines why I don't watch the BBC local news.

Flu - Will the new government be as inept and stupid as Labour ?

One of the things that has highlighted the utter incompetence of Labour to me and underlines why they do not deserve another chance in power has been their handling of the swine flu outbreak.

In the first place, they had a policy of mass over reaction in the media coupled with a complete lack of real action by the government when it came to taking real action. The government's overreaction might have made sense were it not for the fact that the UK government was pressing the World Health Organisation to not declare the swine flu out break as a pandemic. It might have also made sense had the UK government taken immediate action to prevent people flying to Mexico. As it was. the weekend that the swine flu story broke and the inital fears were that the death/kill rate was as high as 8-10%, the UK did nothing to stop flights. of course, in hindsight there may have been no need to cancel flights, but the government did not actually know this.

Then there was the doling out of tamiflu to anyone. This is never a good idea as it breed resistance. My own experience with my son having flu over Christmas was that although he was issued with tamiflu, the doctors advice was "don't take it unless absolutely necessary". Does this make sense to anyone ?

Then there has been the absolute lash up that has been the vaccination programme. After being told we were "as prepared as anyone in the world", it turned out we weren't. The fool that is our Cheif Medical Officer, Liam Donaldson, said that we would have a vaccine by july, then August, then September, then they didn't actualy arrive until the very end of October. And if we were so prepared and ahead of every other country, why did we not get our vaccines until three weeks after Australia ?

So the vaccination arrive, then we start the vaccination programmes by only getting 1 million people injected in the first month. An appallingly low figure. Following this, and hundreds of thousands of asthma sufferers, who were promised a jab as they are "at risk", find they are not entitled at all to a jab because this government changed the definition of asthma patients so that asthmatics who use inhalers are not asthmatics. Does this make sense ? Ask the Labour government.

To top things off, the government, it turns out, did not include in GPs' contracts the commitment that they would carry out vaccinations in the case of a pandemic meaning millions of children under the age of five will still not have got a swine flu jab.

According to an expert on the the local news today reporting on "What now for Swine Flu ?", swine flue will be the predominant flu strain for the next few years and he urged under 5s and vulnerable people to have jabs if they are offered. However, what was not mentioned is that annual flu jabs wear off and are not a "for life" vaccine. This means that under fives would need another injection next year. Will they be offered this as part of the annual flu jab programme ? Of course not, because under fives are not given a seasonal flu jab !

Whilst it might seem trivial and swine flu has not killed millions, it underlines that this government did very little right in the outbreak and had it been H5N1 bird flu or another serious flu, we'd all have died and Labour would not have had a clue.

Atlantic fronts to warm Britain up by end of the week - The end of snow is in sight !

Looking at weather forecasts from various sources, it is clear that by the end of the week most of the country will be having rain, as opposed to snow, and evening temperatures should be above freezing, meaning an end to the ice and snow.

And all I can say is thank goodness for that !

Tory bloggers on Zac Goldsmith

The latest revelations that donations from Zac Goldsmith to the Tory Party may have been covered up are in the papers, So what are Tories bloggers saying about it ?

As of 10:16 am

Iain Dale says nothing.

Guido Fawkes, who claims to be independent but leans heavily in his postings towards attacking almost anyone except the Tories, says nothing.

Conservative Home says nothing.

Tory Radio says nothing

And of all the other Tory bloggers, I could not find one mention.

In stark contrast, after revelations about Gordon Brown, this issue was being discussed on Labour Websites and blogs like Labour List.

Tories prefer Labour to Lib Dems

Apparently there are so few differences between the Lib Dems and the Tories that the Tories are specially organising fundraising to unseat Lib Dems rather than fighting Labour.

Perhaps Conservative voters should take note that when it comes to winning seats of Labour or the Lib Dems, the Tories prefer to attack the Lib Dems.

No wonder David Cameron wants to hug a hoodie

David Cameron told us a few years ago that we should be more understanding of the issue of those "hoodies" who exhibit antisocial behaviour. Now we know why. He employs people with the same credentials as your typical hoodie.

Surely Cameron would know or he would know who to ask ?

David Cameron has said in response to questions about whether his photo was airbrushed that "he hopes it wasn't". I don't think that he answered the question though.

He claims he was not responsibly for the photo so does not know about it. However, as leader of the Tory Party, surely he would know this or he would know who to ask ?

The fact is that if it had not been airbrushed, he would have answered immediately "no". As Stephen Glenn points out, the evidence of airbrushing does seem pretty clear. I'm sure I would know if a picture of me was airbrushed by the fact that that the photo would not accurately represent what I see in a mirror each morning. Is "Dave" saying he has no reflection ? Now that would make sense.

Lets use the snow to spell out the message of the sort of Britain the Lib Dems would like to see

The Lib Dems are all about empowering people to take action and make a difference, yet the law of the law really does seem to stand in the way of this. Just look at this article about clearing snow from your path or road. The truth is the law in this country prevents people from taking action themselves, puts artificial barriers in the way of people and communities taking independent effective actions themselves, and makes people even more dependent on and expectant of a nanny state that will do everything for them.

Why doesn't Nick Clegg take the snow as an opportunity to spell out the sort of Britain we want to see. Where people take responsibility for clearing snow from their driveways instead of fearing that they could be sued for doing so. A country where people know their rights, but also know their responsibilities. A Britain where we don't just moan about the lack of gritting, but where people actually bother to walk to the gritting boxes and grit the bit of their road themselves.

We hear on the radio and TV all the time about people helping each other out in the snow. People offering shelter, people taking medicines to the ill. People going out and doing shopping for the elderly and infirm. Yet too many people these days take the "there is no such thing as society" line, sit back and expect someone else, government, or the council to do everything for them and if it isn't done, then they still won't lift a finger to   help.

Utterly totally useless information from the Met Office - See which version of the weather forecast you would believe

Here is a copy of the screenshot from the BBC Weather website (information provided by the Met Office) giving the weather forecast for the next five days.

The first weather forecast is for Norwich (Norfolk) and features heavy snow on Friday and Saturday.

The second weather forecast is for Norwich International Airport which is actually just three miles from Norwich City centre and is actually within the boundaries of Norwich. According to them Norwich International is getting completely different weather from Norwich (which is the same place) on Friday and Saturday ?

Is it me or is this just totally confusing and further emphasises that the Met Office provide an unbelievably poor service ?

It is difficult enough making decisions about travelling without the Met Office providing two totally contradictory weather forecasts for the same place.

What is wrong with our legal system that takes 14 months for a traffic offence to come before a court of law ?

Ashley Cole, the footballer, adulterer and husband of Cheryl Cole, was found guilty of speeding by a court today.

Astonishingly, the arrest was made in November 2008 ! Why the hell do our courts react so slowly ? Why has it taken 14 months before this case was heard ? Is it any wonder people have no faith in the legal system ?

The fact is that the CPS and our court system is held in such low regard by people in general. I was told be a friend who is related to a barrister that he knows which cases, even when his client is guilty, that he will win based on which CPS person turns up. Apparently some are "utterly useless" and "do not understand the cases they are presenting and in some cases offer lesser charges because they do not have the knowledge to prosecute the more serious charges."

Rabbit in the headlights ? Cameron crumbles under the spotlights

It is not a good start to the Tories unofficial election campaign that under proper scrutiny, the sort of scrutiny he can expect every single day of a general election campaign, David Cameron appeared to flip flop, changing Tory party policy from the previous policy then changing it back again in the space of a few hours.

As the BBC reports

(Cameron) was forced on to the defensive over tax breaks for married couples after telling the BBC he hoped to bring them in but could not promise them.

Mr Cameron later issued a statement saying they would "definitely" come in.

Of all the things to worry about - Harman shows why she IS a political lightweight

With international terrorism in the news, the recession dragging on, Afghanistan returning British servicemen in coffins on a weekly basis and enough domestic matters to keep any government busy, what is Harman banging on about now ? Read HERE.

What about the blood on your hands Mr Major ?

John Major seeks today to criticise Tony Blair in his handling of the Iraq War. Much as I would like to agree with John Major, I cannot forget or forgive the fact that his government knew about the murder of 5,000 muslims in Srebrenica in 1995, was warned about it by then Lib Dem leader Paddy Ashdown, and the UK government let it be known that the "safe areas" would not be defended.

John Major will not be judged well by history, and I beleive in 16 years time when the 30 year rule is applied to government data and we find out the full facts, history will judge John Major's government to be even worse.

You can read more about what John Major's government knew and how they acted HERE.

This should suddenly make me popular with the movers and shakers in Lib Dem blogging

I've never really written in depth on this blog before about a particular subject which seems to energise a number of "top" Lib Dem bloggers. But since this subject seems to be a prerequisite in order to gain any recognition in the Lib Dem blogosphere , I thought I chuck in to the melting pot my opinions about Dr Who based on having watched the Christmas and New year episodes.

I, as people will read, am only a casual watcher of Dr Who. I probably catch a couple of episodes each series, so am in no way an expert on the subject of Dr Who. But watching the last two episodes really does make me wonder if the appear of the programme to 9 year olds is based on the fact that the plots seem to involved the same level of detail and thoughtful planning typically expected of a 10 year old child. Thinking about it, that's not really fair, because if a nine year old in my class had turned out the storyline for the last two episodes as a story plan, I would have been extremely disappointed and told him to do it again.

Things just happen in Doctor Who. Doors lock for no reason, planets long destroyed,  re-appear because of a diamond being found, spaceships lose power for good reasons and get them back for no good reason. Characters forget things for a reason then remember them for no reason, in short, events happen just because the writer decides on them on a whim whilst the plot development and the reasons for the events happening are completely glossed over by ludicrous science or simply the Doctor being clever.

The shame of it for me was that the final episodes were really well put together, brilliantly acted, full of fabulous effects but ultimately rather pointless given the fact that the writer Russell T Davies felt that he could allow more or less anything to happen in the story because it is science fiction and all the rules of cause and effect and plot development could be tossed away.

Whilst Russell T Davies might have revived Doctor Who, he has also left it as a niche programme with people like me, open to the idea of watching the show, finding is juvenile plots unchallenging and far too light weight. I will tune in to the next series of Dr Who. With the brilliant Steven Moffat as the man in charge of the scripts, the show should be a must see.

Where does gummer's decision to stand down leave Cameron's Green policies ?

Whilst it may have seemed fairly minor news when it was announced that John Selwyn-Gummer is to stand down as MP for Suffolk Coastal at the next general election, it does raise some questions about the Tories Green credentials and the future of Cameron's claims that the Tories can be trusted on the Green agenda.

Gummer is standing down to be a a campaigner on environmental matters, very noble. But when only 40 of David Cameron's MPs even voted to support the climate change bill, and with many of the possible new intake of Tory hopefuls being even more ardent global warming deniers, it must be ablow to Cameron that one of the few Tories who would support Camerons greener policies is to go.

Who will defend the Chinese government and at the same time attack the Labour Party ? Step forward the Daily Mail

You can always rely on the dictators friend, the Daily Mail to seek to blame the ills of the world on either the BBC, Europe, Immigrants or "liberals". Today, when dealing with the sad events concerning the execution of Akmal Sheikh, Leo McKinstry in the Daily Scum has managed seemingly to me have a dig at liberals, the government and an immigrants lack of links to the UK all at the same time.

In a ludicrous article where he ignores China's history of murdering tens of thousands of its own population, forgets the murders of journalists and those dissidents who dare to talk about corruption in the Chinese state, turns a blind eye to the murder of thousands of students in Tianamen Square in 1990, Leo McKinstry uses such quotes as

In contrast to New Labour's policy of appeasement and surrender, the Chinese Government acts vigorously to defend its people from the misery caused by the drugs trade.

Oh yes, Mr McKinstry, the Chinese really do care about their population. All those little girls left to die in hospitals, they care for them too don't they ?

He goes even further when he writes

In China, the death penalty can be invoked against anyone carrying more than 50g of drugs - and that is one obvious reason why China, proportionally, has nothing like the drugs problem that we have in Britain.

Oh, so its nothing to do with the relative poverty of China then ? Nothing to do with China doctoring figures and statistics so as to leave the impression that their one party dictatorship actually does care ?

So nice to know that when it comes to dictatorships, one newspaper can be guaranteed to believe every figure, statistic and piece of propaganda that comes from their propaganda ministry. We shouldn't be surprised of course. it was the Daily Mail that similarly swallowed Hitler's lies up to 1939, so the paper does have good form.

It does make me wonder though what the Daily Mail would have said had Mr Akmal Shaikh been called Adrian Smith, been white, not been muslim and lived in Tunbridge Wells.

I think we know the answer to this don't we.

The fact that the Daily Mail can seemingly support the putting to death of a man with delusional mental health problems ought to to shock us all. But to read what Mr McKinstry has written he ought to show a little bit more gratitude that he lives in a country where spouting bilious hate fuelled rubbish gets you no more than the wrath of a minor political blogger. If Mr McKinstrys lived in China, my opinion of his delusional mental problems would not save him from the from a fate many Chinese face very day. That of summary execution, torture, forced labour or death.

How to deal with idiots who phone 999 for no good reason

I don't think it takes an enormous amount of intelligence to know the difference between a good reason and a bad reason to phone 999.

The answer for people like THIS who phoned up 999 over Christmas because her cat was overly playful and was "doing her head in", is simply to send a police car round, arrest her for wasting police time, and then see how many other people think that the emergency services should be phoned for such trivial matters.

Sadly, the police release stories like this every few months, but until firm action is taken, it will get worse and worse.

I am, apparently, the number one Lib Dem blogger

Many thanks to those people mad enough to vote for me as number one Lib Dem blogger in Iain Dale's end of year poll. I suspect I may have been helped by a couple of notable bloggers either quitting blogging or leaving the party, but thanks all the same.

I go through regular bouts of wanting to give up blogging, indeed I did give up earlier in the year (just as the local media were starting to take an interest, so I told them I had quit and they went away ), but I have kept going through lean times. Hopefully, with the election coming, I will be full of ideas and opinions.

Many thanks again to all the readers. Now I must go and see to my son who is two, still full of flu, and is more deserving of my time than even you dear reader !

Is almost everything about Cameron spin and falsehood ?

David Cameron, it appears, is worried about the Tories chances of having a working majority at the next election. Why else would he have made such an overt attempt to woo Lib Dem voters in his new Year statement yesterday if he wasn't confident ? The problem is, his statement is so hollow in the context of everything we know about the Tories and his motives.

Whilst he says that differences between the Lib Dems and Tories are much less obvious than they were before, that is only because the Tories have not had the opportunity to support illegal wars started by the Labour government. In truth, yawning gaps exist between the Lib Dems and the Tories on many issues, and Cameron knows this. So why did he make his statement ?

The truth is it is not about removing differences between parties, as Cameron claimed. It was about a cynical attempt to woo voters from the Lib Dems on a false premise that the Tories stand for the same things that the Tories stand for. Dishonest ? Of course, but when it comes to sanctimonious rubbish dressed up as proper political discourse, Cameron is truly the heir to Blair.

I know people in the Tories who have met or know Cameron, and finding one of them in private to say anything positive about him as a person is a real struggle. One ultra loyal Tory I know did a good job once of defending him. When I listed some of the things I had been told about Cameron, the reply I got was "I don't think he means anything by it. It's just his style". Some defence !

For me Lib Dem MP Dany Alexander summed up the difference between the Lib Dems and Tories best of all

"David Cameron seems to be confused about what a fairer Britain means. For the Liberal Democrats it means cutting taxes for the lowest paid, for him it means cutting them for millionaires."

Lib Dems shouldn't be fooled by Cameron. If you want an unfair Tory government whose priorities are to give money to the rich, cut from the poor and legalise fox hunting, then vote Tory. If you want a fairer Britain, the only way you will get that is by voting Lib Dem. The Tories offer only a fake liberalism.

I refer you to my post of two years ago

Two years ago I wrote about the lies peddled by the Countryside Alliance regarding hunting.

It appears two years on nothing has changed, indeed they CSA laim to have more support than ever for hunting. Can we assume therefore that their claims of doom, job losses, the mass culling of hounds and us all being overun by foxes were lies ?

The fact is, as I proved HERE, the Countryside Alliance are little more than a Tory front anyway. They actively campaigned against MPs who did not even support the hunting ban in 2005, highlighting that fact that they are a political orgnaisation more than a lobbying organisation whilst their claims to speak on behalf of the countryside are like me officially declaring that I speak on behalf of the people of India because I like a take away.

Swine Flu on Christmas Eve

I have, since swine flu first appeared last April, been highly critical of the government's preparations and plans for dealing with the pandemic. If you are unaware of my regular posting on the subject, click HERE to read the link to them.

So now having had to phone the pandemic flu line for my son who, on Christmas Eve, late in the evening, appears to have all the symptoms of swine flu (many thanks to the parent who sent their child to nursery with flu and gave it to my son), I am aware even more of the inadequacy of the service.

Phoning the main pandemic flu number involved listening to about 10 minutes of chatter and advice which was all very obvious before then being given another number to ring. Then I rang the other number (0800 1513100), only to be put through to a person, who never actually picked the call up. After having the phone ring off dead twice when they were "connecting me", I eventually went through the internet method of registering for Tamiflu. Now we have to wait 12 hours for a place in Norwich to open so we can get his Tamiflu.

I know it is Christmas Eve and we should make allowances. But for the national phone helpline to simply fail to connect callers and leave them with a dead phone line really is taking the mickey, especially when you are trying to deal with an asthmatic two year old who is running a temperature of 38.7c and is throwing up and coughing.

Of course, I hear you say, "But if he is a two year old with Asthma, he will have been entitled to a vaccine". The answer to that is no, he isn't. Because he takes a non steroid based inhaler, the government deem his asthma not to be asthma, so he does not get a jab. There must be tens of thousands of at risk patients across the UK who fall in to this boat who cannot receive a jab either because of very odd government rules.

Now I must get back to my son.

Merry Christmas to you all, accept for the health minister who set the rules that mean my son who is a high risk patient did not get a jab because of spurious and illogical rules. I hope the minister personally has a rotten Christmas and that he/she loses her seat in the new year.

Shame on you pay day loans companies

My son is watching the Childrens TV channel Cartoonito this morning. So of all the companies advertising on Christmas Eve on a children's channel, what is being advertised ? A "Pay Day" loan company offering to loan people money that would be in their account by 2.30 this afternoon, repayable at an interest rate of 2356% APR !

Talk about a shameful way to behave. Knowing that many parents will be finding it very hard this year to afford to buy gifts for their children and saying to those parents "We can give you some money ... at a price".

These companies that rip of vulnerable people (and lets face it, you have to be in a vulnerable mental or financial state to take out one of these loans) should be outlawed. They prey on other people's misery and make them worse.

Can I sust say who ever is behind the company advertising on Cartoonito today, I wish you misery and shame on you.

Update - Even worse, they are saying they will give "25% off" to people who apply today. This is not what you might feel to be 25% off though. For me and you 35% 25% means a quarter. But to this Pay Day loan company it means "25% off the 2356% interest rate" giving people only 2331% APR instead !

How accurate are the weather forecasters ?

Last Friday I checked the weather forecast before work. According to the Met Offce, Norwich International Airport (2 miles from where I work), should have been having a heavy snow shower. The weather was bright sunshine !

On Saturday, according to the weather forecast on TV, there was, by teatime,no snow in Norfolk. This is contrary to the fact that it had been snowing here (two miles from Norwich International Airport which gets its own forecast on the BBC Weather website) for three hours hours. The weather forecaster even told us that the East of Angland would be "dry,k with no snow sleet or rain". Totally wrong.

So I check the weather this morning. According to the Met Office it has been raining here in Norwich since  6am. Having got up at 6.30 I can categorically say it is not raining here, but look at the satellite images on the BBC weather website, and they are saying something completely different from what is the reality.

People are constantly criticised for choosing to go on journey rather than staying at home in this bad weather. But the truth is people do not trust the weather forecasts the Met Office give because they are so consistenly wrong.

This is the corrent forecast for now. So where is the rain ?

Mebwyon Kermow to protest over leadership debates ?

The Cornish Nationalists Mebwyon Kernow are set to mount a legal challenge to the plans by SKY, UTV and the BBC to hold leadership debates in the general election.

Despite the fact that they are not fielding candidates across the country and whilst it is clear they could never form a government, a spokesman for MK said "I cannot accept that we have been excluded. I know we could never form a government and I know that we get plenty of coverage in elections in Cornwall, but we want to get well known in other parts of the country too where we field no candidates and where we have no political concerns."

Note - This is al made up rubbish but perhaps Alex Salmond, who enjoys the privilege the MK don not have in the Scottish elections would like to make note. I don't believe for one moment that MK would be that childish as they are showing more maturity that the SNP.
Note to Alex

Iranians hack Twitter but don't know how to use Babelfish

A group almost certainly controlled by the Iranian government hacked Twitter a few days ago (which I missed at the time), according to reports.

Their text read like this

THIS SITE HAS BEEN HACKED BY IRANIAN CYBER ARMY

iRANiAN.CYBER.ARMY@GMAIL.COM

U.S.A. Think They Controlling And Managing Internet By Their Access, But THey Don't, We Control And Manage Internet By Our Power, So Do Not Try To Stimulation Iranian Peoples To....

NOW WHICH COUNTRY IN EMBARGO LIST? IRAN? USA?

WE PUSH THEM IN EMBARGO LIST

Take Care.

Which begs one question. If you have the know how and intellect to be able to hack Twitter, why can't they learn to use the translation website Babelfish ?

X Factor winner is not the Christmas number 1

Funny that the internet campaign to stop the X Factor winner automatically getting the Christmas number one has succeeded. 

It's just sad that the vehicle for this project was a real dirge of a song by Rage Against the Machine that has the same record label that Simon Cowell is also linked to. Talk about self defeating !

Two Tory views on the #Kerryout online campaign

The supposedly independent #Kerryout campaign to see the Labour MP for Bristol East to lose a the next election has been written about by two Tory bloggers today.

The website, which ludicrously suggests it is an independent campaign (despite being set up and backed by known Tories) is a pretty low piece of work by any standards. To flagrantly bandy the word "independent" around is something the Tories like to do, particularly in local elections, but to claim in any way shape or form that this is an independent campaign stretches the idea of clean politics beyond what most people would call acceptable.

Still, Iain Dale eulogises about the campaign on his blog today, and bizarrely, decides to attack the Lib Dems in to the bargain. Let me explain it in context. The Tories set up an so called "independent" campaign, which they then use to raise money for the Tory candidate, and then from this level of dishonesty they attack the Lib Dems. You couldn't make it up !

Still, for a much more balanced view, and one which will strike a chord with many decent Tories and those who are genuinely independent, another Tory blogger,  Andrew Allison points out that this type of personal negative campaigning using front groups to do the nasty work of the Tories does politics and the Conservative Party absolutely no favours at all.

If Iain Dale thinks this is a success then heaven help political discourse and clean campaigning.

Be careful who you make friends with Africa

In the wake of the failure to get any sort of agreement in Copenhagen, African countries are reportedly very angry that no legally binding treaty has been agreed. It appears also that China was the main culprit in preventing a real deal being made.

So isn't it odd that African nations, who have readily accepted Chinese grants for building stadiums and "showpiece" buildings in return for access to the natural resources these countries have, are moaning.

If they are so very angry, we can assume that these African nations will sever their links with China ? Of course not. Africa is angry because they expected more. But will a one party dicatorship who murder thousand of their own population each year ever give a damn about anyone other than themselves ? Of course not.

Africa should be careful where they make friends.

A letter to my 16 year old self

Iain Dale has tagged me to write a letter to my 16 year old self giving myself 3 pieces of advice. So here I go.

Dear Nich,

Here is some advice for you.

Contrary to what you might think now about your future, you will actually go on to learn and be educated and you will realise it is what you were meant to do. I know you loathe school, can't wait to leave, and as a result have no desire to do A levels. But don't be too depressed when after two months at Norwich Union you realsie you have made a terrible mistake and wish you had gone on to further education. You will go to University and there you will meet some of the most amazing people you will ever meet, you will make the very closest of friendships, and you will not regret for one moment that you chose this delayed path in to education.

Accept that you cannot be popular with everyone and accept that some of those you count as friends really and truly are selfish arseholes. You know the only child who has everything handed too him on a plate ? You know to whom I refer. He will dump an you and your friends, play you off against each other and in general arse you around. You don't need his friendship or the friendship of his clique he will develop this year (you'll soon see the clique appear). Oh, but stay in touch with Andy. He's a bit misguided sometimes and yes, he will make a couple of monumental errors in his dealings with you over the coming years, but he'll always prove to be a good friend. You'll make many friends because for all your fears about wanting to be liked, people do genuinely like you when you don't try too hard !

Finally, you will really like yourself when you are my age (nearly 39), in fact, from the age of acout 25, you will really and truthfully have grown in to yourself. You will know that you don't have to always be the life and soul of the party, people will trust you implicitly, it's okay to be a little down sometimes, but the grey cloud that is over your head right now (and will be there until the age of 25) will go and be virtually banished accept on bad days. You grow in to yourself and in to your looks and you'll be tremendously happy in your late thirties, and so SO much calmer.

Oh, and to break a rule and offer a fourth and fifth piece of advice, don't get used to Everton winning league titles as this year (1987) will be their last for many many years and you will learn, despite all your hopes, that politics changes nothing. Absolutely nothing.

Cheers

Nich

Strange bed fellows

It appears the Global Warming deniers may get want they want and the Copenhagen summit might produce a fudged agreement that will do nothing to save the planet.

Strange that it should be the Chinese governmentment that is doing the global warming deniers a favour.

Strange bed fellows. It must be thrilling for them to know that the Chinese and the extreme right wing in this country have so much in common.

Sick to death of DJs eulogising about snow

If you tune in to local radio almost anywhere at the moment you seem to be greeted by an imbecilic DJs spouting on about how wonderful the snow is. What joke.

Snow is a miserable thing. It causes accidents, deaths, slow journeys, wasted fuel, events to be missed, plans to be canelled, and in general an enoprmous amount of disruption for anyone who has a life. Whilst I accept that childrens might like snow, for most of us it is the last thing we look forward to in the winter.

So why do local DJs seem to think we like it ? Because the average local radio DJ is extremely dim.

Green Christmas Hypocrisy

I noticed a house which sported a "Vote Green" poster in the recent Norwich North by-election has shown its owners up to be true to the values of the Green Party. In true "Do as I say, not as I do" style, the house is festooned with Christmas lights outside it.

Presumably the lights are all powered by someone inside the house on an exercise bike with a dynamo ?

I am fed up with hearing about how they deal with snow in cold countries

Listening to Radio 5Live in the way home from work consisted of travel and wqeather updates followed by them reading out stacks of emails from people in Canada, people who have family in Russia or people who live in Scandinavia telling us how we are so pathetic because they can cope with snow really well.

Of course they cope well with snow. They are guaranteed to have snow in Canada, Russia, Poland, Scandinavia, etc, and as a result, people know to fit studded tires (which would destroy our roads because they are only suitable for roads that have snow on them), the central and local government can confidently predict that spending hundreds of millions of pounds on snow clearing equipment will not be a pointless investment due to guaranteed snow. In the UK we can go several years without any serious snow. Any such investment in the UK could be one of the most expensive follys ever.

So who don't these people in cold places just keep their opinions on how we deal with snow to their own countries. We deal with snow badly because, to put it simply, we don't have snow very often. We live in a temperate climate that ranges from very warm for small perios of time to very cold for small periods of time with most of our weather simply being mild, miserable and cool.

Turkeys vote for Christmas

BA, whose average staff costs are apparently nearly double those of any other UK airline, are faced with 12 days of strikes thanks to the UNITE union's decision to oppose reforms that would give BA a fighting chance of surviving the recession and actually staying in business.

It seems that Turkeys really do vote for Christmas.

What's the delay Dave ?

David Cameron announced today that a Tory government would introduce a law preventing anyone who does not pay UK from sitting in parliament in the UK.

So here's a question or two.

1) Why does he not make it a rule for Tory candidates and MPs now ?

2) Why, dsepite repeated reminders at press conferences an in TV interviews ove the last three years, has he never sought to tell Lord Ashcroft (The Tory party's largest donor) that he needs to be registered for tax in the UK ?

It's all very well telling us what you would do, but how about acting on it first within your own ranks Dave ?

Taking Labour's Bitter Pill Will Not Make Us Better

To hear Labour big guns being rolled out to speak to the press over and over again over the last two days since the pre budget report has been a lesson in how to sound if you have run out of ideas.

In the last 24 hours I have heard Alistair Darling, Jack Straw and the quite awful Ed Balls all defending the PBR on the simple basis that "the Tories would be worse". This quite pathetic defence just highlight how vaccuous Labour are now and how utterly bankrupt they are in the ideas department.

So what will the polls make of it ? I cannot see anoything other than a decline in Labour's support on the basis that the PBR was not good for most people and it actually fails to address the urgent needs of the country.

People an accept a bitter pill if it will make you better. But as the BBC reports tonight, Labour's measures will do nothing to solve the crisis in the public finances whilst everyone will be feeling the pinch.

What has Roger Federer done ?

A few weeks ago the people at Gillette must have felt themselves very special. They had long term contracts in place with three of the most popular, wholesome and clean cut sportsmen in the world, and every advert for the company was adorned by their faces.

Since then, Thierry Henry has become known worldwide not for his style, verve and footballing skills, but for his cheating handball exploits eliminating Ireland from the World Cup.

Then Tiger Woods, it appears, decided to have extra marital relations with more or less anyone who fancied a go with the world's number one golfer.

I guess the question is now what has Roger Federer done ? The clean cut and rather affable Swiss tennis player is the only one of the three not to have done something that would spoil his image.

Why did you become a doctor ?

I would imagine that the main reason to be a doctor is that you want to save people's lives and make the ill healthy, but it appears I am wrong.

It seems the BMA think that the profession is made up largely of people who are worried about not receiving hefty performance bonuses on top of their £100,000 a year salaries.

I wonder how proud the medical profession will be of themselves when we find out in six months time how many under fives died of swine flu needlessly because they were worried about their bonuses ?

Where were all the celebrity Tory PPCs in 1997 and 2001 ?

Isn't odd that in 1997 and 2001, all these ex Generals and sons/daughters/brothers/sisters of the glitterati, TV presenters and celebrity journalists were able to keep themselves as far from a Tory rosette as was humanly possible. But as soon as the Tories start doing well in the polls, there is suddenly a deluge of people with "names" or "medals" who trot themselves out as Tories, seemingly without ever done a days canvassing or delivering in a no hope ward in their lives.

It must be galling for many Tories who remained loyal in the lean years up to Cameron's leadership election in 2005 that they should be punished and in some cases be tarnished (and I particularly feel for Iain Dale in the case) with not having had a good result in difficult circumstances, only for a newcomer who doesn't have the nerve or the passion to fight a no hope seat waltz in waving a Tory membership card and get selected for plum seats.

The first question I would be asking of these political celebs is where were they in 1997 and 2001. Where were they in the darker days of the IDS leadership when the Tories were languishing in the polls ? Were they out campaigning for the Tories and if they weren't why not !

Wanted : One Term MP

Orpington Tories are selecting a new Tory candidate for the seat held currently by the Tories.

Anyone who knows politics will be aware that an enormous amount of Ashcroft money was spent in Orpington in recent years to keep it in the blu column and with a little bit more luck the Lib Dems might have picked the seat up in 1997 and 2001. Given the Lib Dem strength there are the fact that the Lib Dems are still within a reasonable striking range of winning in Orpington, I think the Tories are advertising for a one term MP.

Global Warming Denial and Football Fan Excuses

I tweeted on twitter last night to someone last night that the arguments given by those who deny global warming are akin to those given by a football fan to justify their continued thoughts that their team still are the best, even after a heavy defeat.

Despite the weight of evidence, the melting of the North Pole, rising temperatures, freak weather patterns, flooding, more extreme hurricanes and cyclones, and a host of other evidence from a vast range of sources from across the globe, there remains this hardcore of mainly right wing groups, more obsessed with dollars that justice, who cling to fragments to justify their opposition to any thoughts that global warming is happening or that it is a bad thing.

The fuss over a few e-mails from one university in the UK (the University of East Anglia in Norwich) are being used to try and taint the evidence from thousands of researchers and scientists around the world. Yet when "The Great Global Warming Scandal" was debunked when a number of those whose contributions were taken out of context complained that the programme did not accurately represent what they said or felt about global warming, the Global Warming deniers don't see that as evidence that it taints "all" their arguments in the same way as some emails from the UEA supposedly does.

Then there are those who seem to think that global warming might be a good thing. Witness Nigel Lawson on Andrew Marr's programme this morning who seemed to be trying to justify his view that most people in this country are not that worried about a small rise in temperatures. Forget that a small rise in the UK means a small rise in Africa, leading to further drought.

For global warming deniers to claim that the emails from the UEA prove that the whole global warming argument is without foundation is like a losing football fan claiming that the 5th goal in a seven nil defeat was actually offside.

All the money in the world cannot but you innocence when you are guilty in Italy

How galling for the rich family of Amanda Knox, now convicted of the murder or British student Meredith Kercher, that running an expensive media campaign and spending over a million dollars during her defence, to find that the Italian legal system is not as flawed as the US system, and that money and fame does not ensure a not guilty verdict.

Now let's hope that the family of Meredith Kercher can get some peace, for despite all the fuss caused by Knox's family, it is poor murdered Meredith and her family who seem to have gone unmentioned in all this.

Weekly Flu Questions

Based on the report from Liam Donaldson on the weekly swine flu figures, there are almost as many questions as answers given the government's dreadful response to swine flu.

The government are apparently worried about the continued flow of under fives in to hospital because of their extreme reaction to swine flu.

Interestingly though, under fives are equally prone to hospitalisation from normal seasonal flu, so it is a mystery why under fives are not routinely offered the seasonal flu vaccine. I know someone whose three year old has been admitted to hospital in each of the last two years because of seasonal flu and still this child cannot get a seasonal flu jab because he is not in an "at risk" group.

Anyone with any knowledge of health issues (and they know this in the US) knows that under fives are at risk from any flu bug irrespective of their general medical condition.

The second issue is why there is still no agreement with GPs for immunising all children between six months and under five years. This is supposedly a priority for the government, but they have not even agreed a deal more than two weeks after announcing it !

The simple and obvious point that city bankers cannot understand

We are constantly told that if city bankers are not given bonuses, they will leave and work elsewhere. This is their justification for their greed and arrogance, and seemingly the world has bought in to this lie because nobody has bothered to question it. The problem is, the whole argument fails to hold water.

The argument goes that if we do not pay these people millions they will leave, and they may go abroad. The problem is with this argument that they live in the UK, most are UK citizens, and most really do not have the urge to work abroad. The opportunities to work abroad already exist for them so this argument is bankrupt.

So what if they left and went to work in Europe ? Well the problem is that they deal with UK banking, that is their area of expertise. They work in the London markets and although the markets are "world" markets, working from London has its advantages.

So what if they go and work for another UK bank ? Well does another UK bank have the capacity and money to take on all these extra bankers ? The answer is almost certainly no.

There is an argument for Wayne Rooney to be paid a vast sum of money. He has a unique talent that cannot be taught. Likewise some businessmen take calculated risks with their own money and makes deserved healthy returns. Whilst anyone moaning about the sums that Take That makes simply lack the ability to be singers and songwriters. But what do bankers do that is that unique ?

You are not born "a banker". Everything they do is trained and taught. Presumably, if bonuses were not there and they all left, a new generation of bankers could be taught the job ?

The problem is that there is no academic qualification to be a banker. No degree in banking, it is simply a job that actually many people could do, if they were given the opportunity. I am not saying that everyone would be good at it, but neither are all bankers (as we have seen).

Please don't for one moment think I am saying being a banker is an easy job. I'm sure it isn't. But then again, neither is being a nurse, a teacher, a doctor, a fireman, or in the armed forces. But anyone who thinks that sitting behind a desk playing with other people's money, means they should be entitles to earn premier league footballer wages really is living on another planet.

In simple terms, bankers are not unique, they do not posess unique skills that only they have. They are just lucky, have the right school tie or the family contacts that got them a lucrative job.

Reason enough not to get elected to parliament

Looking at pictures of the new leader of the Labour Party in Wales, it makes me even more sure that attempting to get in to parliament is not for me.

Apparently Carwyn Jones is 42 years of age. I am turning 39 next month. If politics makes you look that old, that quickly, then I'm better off staying in the teaching profession !

Why aren't dangerous dogs treated as a lethal weapon ?

Following another tragic death of a young child at the hands of a dangerous dog, kept illegally, in the full knowledge of the fact that these dogs are killers, one wonders how many children will die before the Dangerous Dogs Act, a rushed and very poor piece of legislation, is amended or replaced.

It seems clear that what is needed is proper legislation that puts the onus on the police to take action, and where people who breed and keep dangerous dogs are not merely threatened with the dog being destroyed, but face a prison sentence that is commensurate with possessing a lethal weapon.

Millionaire wannabe Tory MP Zac Goldsmith is a non dom !

A few years ago nobody had heard of "non doms", but now most people have a good idea that those who are "non domiciled" in the UK and avoid paying UK income tax, now pay a fairly nominal flat rate of £25,000 a year and that is it. Now for anyone earning over £70,000 a year, being able to pay a one off £25k might seem like a bargain in order to avoid paying more in income tax. The problem is you have to have teams of accountants, generally have a home overseas, and be very wealthy in order to have the pieces in place for tax avoidance on this scale.

So it must be galling for the people of Richmond Park constituency to read that their Tory candidate,the multi millionaire Zac Goldsmith, is a non dom, and avoids UK income tax on his vast £200 million wealth.

No wonder the Tory Party were so keen to try to overturn a recent Lib Dem and Labour amendment to a law which would have made it illegal for non doms to fund in any way UK political parties as it would have cut off the vast sums Zac Goldsmith has poured in to Richmond Park constituency.

David Cameron and George Osborne have been talking tough on tax avoidance recently. Let's see how they act against one of their own "A listers".

I wonder if the Tory front organisation the Tax Payers Alliance will comment about this ? After all, surely those setting our taxes should also be paying the taxes ? However, it's hardly likely since it was reported recently that one of the senior people in the TPA is also a French resident who does not pay UK tax.

Five years to vaccinate the UK population from swine flu

The fool, Sir Liam Donaldson, who regularly every Thursday magnifies his stupidity by either stating the bleeding obvious about flu or contradicts something he said a few weeks before, further underlined just how poor our government have been in dealing with what is a very mild flu, by announcing that in the last month, just one million people have been vaccinated.

In simple terms, we have had around 5 million doses delivered to the UK, but have only managed to inject 20% of them. And if we keep up with the current rate, it will take 60 months to vaccinate 60 million people. That's five years !

God help us if H5N1 ever mutates to a human form. With a 60% kill rate, we'd all be dead by the time Sir Liam got to his final press conference after 5 years of vaccinations.

Why I've been away

Apologies to regular readers of my blog for my absence.

In simple terms, I am up to my neck in work, with PGCE students to monitor, classes to teach, plans to be written, trips to be organised, and keeping myself healthy and avoiding the flu.

So I may well blog this weekend, if I get the time, but perhaps not. As soon as I am on top of my work, I'll be back !

Brown and Cameron both in the wrong over photo opportunity on Remembrance Day

It's good to see that those in charge of marking the Day of Remembrance have told David Cameron and Gordon Brown that they were wrong to turn the act of remembrance in to a photo opportunity.

Quite why we should believe the Tory spokesman who claimed it was a "last minute decision", is beyond me. How many people just happen to turn up with a camera man with an expensive SLR camera with them in case you make a "last minute decision" ?

Four days later, not even the courtesy of a reply

Four days ago I emailed Norman Lamb MP and Andrew Lansley MP regarding an issue to do with swine flu vaccination. I e-mailed the exact same e-mail to both MPs, gave no further prompts and wondered who would get on to this issue, with the strong hope that both of them would bring the government to account over the fact that some asthma sufferers are being denied the vaccine because of "technicalities".

Norman Lamb replied within two hours, and I have received a subsequent e-mail from his office out of courtesy explaining that they will get back to me.

As for Andrew Lansley, not one word. Not even the courtesy of an acknowledgement.

Is this how the Tories deal with people ? Is this their "Open and accountable" face ?

Come on Mr Lansley. I gave you all the facts to take this story up with the appropriate minister. I have been impressed with your words so far on the issue of swine flu. It's a shame your office lack the basic manners to deal with people courteously.