They’re Off

On 6th May 2010 we will be asked to elect a new House of Commons consisting of 650 honest and true members, up from the current mainly honest and true 646 members. Of those currently sitting, 144 (22%) will not be seeking re-election, an unusually high number, some through disgrace, some taking the opportunity to secure attractive redundancy payments before a likely reduction, and others who have become completely brassed off with the whole thing.

Much has been made of the ‘expenses in lieu of pay’ problem. An interesting historical perspective on this appeared in the Telegraph in November 2009: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/mps-expenses/6629911/MPs-expenses-system-created-in-pact-between-Thatchers-ministers-and-Opposition.html

But we the public must take our share of responsibility too. If we were to accept the advice of independent panels set up to consider fair and reasonable remunerations for people in public life instead of giving way to political expediency resulting in changes which, by definition, are less than fair we should avoid many of the troubles we find ourselves in. The ‘What’s in it for me?’ brigade will continue to howl their protests but politics should be about the common good not narrow self interest. A system that is open and fair must benefit us all in the long run avoiding the sort of mess we find ourselves in now.

Read More

PC Causes Death of Humour

Do you find this funny?

?THIS WAS NOMINATED FOR BEST JOKE OF THE YEAR - WORTH SHARING

A Somalian arrives in London as a new immigrant to the UK .

He stops the first person he sees walking down the street and says ........ 'Thank you Mr. British for letting me in this country, giving me housing, money for food, free medical care, free education and no taxes!'

The passer by says, 'You are mistaken, I am Mexican!'

The man goes on and encounters another passer by. 'Thank you for having such a beautiful country here in the UK !'

The person says, 'I not British, I Polish!'

The new arrival walks further, and the next person he sees he stops, shakes his hand and says, 'Thank you for the wonderful Britain !'

That person puts up his hand and says, 'I am from Russia , I am not from Britain !'

He finally sees a nice lady and asks, 'Are you a British?'

She says, 'No, I am from Africa !'

Puzzled, he asks her, 'Where are all the British?'

The African lady checks her watch and says ...'Probably at work'

IF YOU DON'T PASS THIS ON TO ALL YOUR FRIENDS YOU WILL RECEIVE THREE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS ABSOLUTELY FREE? [Copied as seen]

In the old days we may have heard a joke like this in the Music Halls or on television. Nowadays they are circulated on the internet or by mobile phone texts.

Intrigued to discover the origin of its nomination for best joke of the year a quick ?Google? Showed that it had been circulated widely on the internet, especially on alternative humour sites. Then I discovered a report in the Guardian that two Tory councillors had been suspended over ?Racist email? For sending the joke to Tory MPs. Here are some paragraphs from the report:

?Two Tory councillors have been suspended from the party after sending a racist joke to an email list including Ribble Valley Tory MP Nigel Evans, the mayor of South Ribble, and fellow Conservative councillors. Simon Farnsworth, a Ribble Valley councillor, sent the joke on to Ken Hind, his fellow councillor and a former Tory parliamentary candidate in Selby and Lancashire West at the 1997 and 1992 elections. Hind then sent it on to a long list of Tories, including Evans; DW Parkinson, the mayor of South Ribble; and other South Ribble and Ribble Valley councillors.

A Tory spokesman said: "Simon Farnsworth and Ken Hind have been suspended from the Party. The contents of this email have no place in the Conservative party." Hind said he apologised to "all those people from the nations mentioned in the joke. It was not my intention to insult their racial origins, and I deeply regret passing on this item as I recognise now that it could cause offence." He added: "In my daily life I deal with many people of different racial origins in our diverse community and in our relationships get on well with them. I deprecate those who are racist. On many occasions I have been outspoken in my condemnation of those who incite racial hatred and am committed to developing an integrated tolerant community in which all races creeds and religions live side by side in peace.

"I am privileged to name amongst my friends and associates many who are of Asian or African origin. I wish to emphasise that any apparent insult or criticism contained in the joke does not reflect my views or those of the Conservative party." Farnsworth has also been contacted for comment but had not responded at the time of publication. David Eccleston, who received the email by mistake and passed it to the Guardian, said that many people thought David Cameron "seems like a nice guy and he seems to care", but "these jokes bring you back to Earth with a bang because you realise that behind Cameron's call for 'change' are the same old nasty Conservative party ? And that's not change." ?

The Guardian was not shy about printing the joke.

In the General Election, Immigration was identified as one of the main issues that bothered the electorate with varied perceptions of the benefits and problems. Humour has traditionally been used as a legitimate tool for dealing with problems but in this politically correct society we appear to have lost the ability to laugh at ourselves. When was the last time you had a really good laugh? Have you heard the one about the Scotsman, Welshman and the Irish man?..? Not anymore. Such traditional humour has been killed for political correctness and not just by having to say ?Person?. The basis of ?Humour? These days has shifted to the use of four letter words such as ****, ****, and even ****.

What a joke.

Read More

The selfish selfie

I am disappointed to say the least by the attitude to the coming General Election of Nicola Sturgeon and the Scottish Nationalist Party. More than enough blood has been shed, including the blood of my own kinsmen, in the making of the Union to see it unpicked for party political advantage.

There is something distinctly unpleasant about a politician who wants to be a foreigner in a United dismembered Kingdom while expecting to call the tune in British politics. By all means have a strong voice in devolved government but the current scheming is a disservice to our United Kingdom. The vote for independence was lost but minorities are never satisfied no matter what the cost.

The Scottish people like the rest of the United Kingdom should make a clear choice for the government of the United Kingdom leaving nationalism to devolved government but the way things are we have the ludicrous situation of the "two-faceddanquot; Sun backing the SNP in Scotland and the Tories elsewhere. How very Murdoch!

The choice is clear, vote for strong government to avoid minorities calling the tune. One only has to look to the Anglican Church in Great Britain to see the chaos that has been caused by the tail constantly wagging the dog in England and Wales.

Update - the hidden agenda [05.05.2015]

From HeraldScotland: "Leaders of Glasgow anti-Labour demo suspended by SNP".

After denying that hardline nationalists organised the angry protest which forced Jim Murphy and comic Eddie Izzard to cut short a rally in Glasgow city centre, two members have now been suspended by the SNP. A group of around 20 demonstrators, drawn from different fringe groups, had disrupted the street rally.

"One of the suspended, Piers Doughty Brown, a self-style 'anti-austerity' campaigner, and James Scott, the leader of a fringe nationalist group called Scottish Resistance, had their membership of the SNP withdrawn after pictures emerged of the pair with Nicola Sturgeon and Alex Salmond".

Scottish Resistance is "part of an alliance of nationalist groupings committed to overthrowing "British imperialism" and advancing "the cause of independence".

Nicola Sturgeon said the appalling scenes on the streets of Glasgow were nothing to do with the SNP:

"What happened yesterday was the ugly face of nationalism". Quite so.

Update - SNP threat [07.05.2015]

Police Scotland have issued nationwide warnings amid fears of 'threatening behaviour' from firebrand SNP supporters. Story here.

Read More

Bishop of St Davids is right but probably wrong

Joanna Penberthy is right to encourage people to vote and to vote wisely in the forthcoming General Election.

Probably she will not. The first female bishop in Wales is a proud Corbynista which may account for the subliminalred vote going into the ballot box on the St Davids diocese web site and the red X on the ballot paper rather than the traditional graphite pencilled X.

Former MI6 chief Sir Richard Dearlove has warned that Jeremy Corbyn isa danger to national security and unfit to become Prime Minister. Sir Richard who spent 38 years with the intelligence service warned bluntly: "Do not even think of taking the risk of handing this politician the keys to No. 10."

"Jeremy Corbyn and his then-lover Diane Abbott

 visited communist East Germany together in the

1970s "                 Credit: Times Newspapers Ltd  According to a report inThe Sun Jeremy Corbyn was "granted access by communist East Germany to go behind the Iron Curtain in the 1970s. He travelled with his then-lover, and now Shadow Home Secretary, Diane Abbott." He also attended a wreath-laying ceremony for Palestinian terrorists who "castrated and murdered Israeli athletes at the 1972 Munich Olympics".

The Daily Mail has accused Jeremy Corbyn, John McDonnell and Diane Abbott of being "unashamed apologists for terror, who have devoted their lives to befriending the enemies of Britain while undermining the very institutions that keep us safe in our beds."

In her video address to electors the bishop of St Davids says that in what is "undoubtedly the most important election in British history", we will be voting on "what sort of people and what sort of behaviour we want to see in those we elect to Westminster. Ask yourself: Does this person have my community's interests at heart? Can I trust them?"

Based on the above press reports the Corbynista cannot be trusted.

Numerous Anglicans in Wales can testify that Penberthy and her fellow bishops on the bench are not best placed to speak of trust.

They promised twin integities to provide mutual flourishing when women were admitted to the priesthood. A promise they quickly dropped while developing an 'inclusive' Church which excludes anyone who follows scripture and tradition, effectively excommunicating them for believing what most of the world's 86 million Anglicans believe.

Why would anyone believe a bishop in the Church in Wales?

Read More

Loser

Labour's Jeremy Corbyn in the House of Commons. Source: Independent (PA)

There was no contrition after Jeremy Corbyn led the Labour Party to a humiliating defeat at the 2019 General Election. He refused to accept any blame and remained in office.

Ignoring Coronavirus advice from Prof Chris Whitty the Chief medical adviser that people over the age of 70 should take "particular care to minimise their social contact" Jeremy Corbyn said he would not be working from home and would carry on with his duties as normal.

Advice from the Government is designed to keep British citizens as safe as is reasonably possible.

As Leader of the Opposition, Corbyn set an abysmal example demonstrating that he is a loser the country was fortunate to avoid.

Read More