A message from David.

Sam and I have been overwhelmed by all the letters, cards, emails and flowers we have received about Ivan. Sending an e-mail this week just gives us both a chance to say a big "thank you". It means a lot to know that others are thinking of us and him.

We always knew Ivan wouldn't live forever, but we didn't expect to lose him so young and so suddenly. He leaves a hole in our life so big that words can't describe it. Bed time, bath time, meal time - nothing will feel the same again.

We console ourselves knowing that he won't suffer anymore, that his end was quick, and that he is in a better place. But we all just miss him so desperately.

When we were first told the extent of Ivan's disability I thought that we would suffer having to care for him but at least he would benefit from our care. Now as I look back I see that it was all the other way round. It was only him that ever really suffered and it was us - Sam, me, Nancy and Elwen - who gained more than I ever believed possible from having and loving such a wonderfully special and beautiful boy.

David and family, you will be in my prayers tonight.

Am I a Tory, or am I just right?

Lately I have asked myself whether I am a Tory or am I just right? Was I right when I supported Labour back in 1997 or was I just delusional. At the time I thought I was right. Now Iain Dale has made me think twice about my political loyalties. Are the Conservative party right, or are they just right for the moment? please read this. I believe they are right for the moment.

Don't get me wrong, deep down I'm a Conservative, but Conservatism is changing to be the party of the people. We, as a country have made mistakes, we have banned corporal punishment, we have reduced the power of parents and given that power to children, we have put the rights of criminals before those of victims, we have given up our freedoms in the name of safety, we are supporting the lazy in the name of charity, enough is enough.

God I hate Liberals. Unfortunately the Labour party is riddled with them. Idiots that know they have no chance of power without hiding under the guise of Labourism (think Nuclear/Trident). Conservatism is not always fair for the few, but it is usually right for the many. Sometimes you can't make an omelette without breaking a few eggs - I think that is Conservatism at it's purest. A few kids will suffer from the cane of an over zealous headmaster, while many (and society in general) will benefit from good discipline.

We have gone too far towards wishy washy Liberalism. It's a failed experiment. It's time to go back to the traditional values that worked. It's time for the Tories.

Jim Sheridan - Labour "put-up" job over Sir Fred.

Jim Sheridan, Labour MP for Paisley and Renfrewshire North is calling for Sir Fred Goodwin to be stripped of his knighthood. This has got to be a "put-up" job. Is Jim a friend of Gordon, or does the Whip have something on him? There's no chance of any legal challenge taking back Sir Fred's pension, and there is no chance of Fred's Knighthood being stripped. It's all smoke and mirrors from the Brown bunker.

Sir Fred got his Knighthood for: 'services to banking' in the Queen's Birthday Honours list in June 2004.

Who put him forward for that Honour?

Who in government knew about his pension?

Who thinks that Gordon Brown is just making noises to cover up an embarrassing pension deal that the government thought would not go public? i.e "forget your golden handshake, it will only annoy the population, we'll give you a massive pension instead"

Quote of the day: Gordon Brown to Labour's National Policy Forum.

Gordon Brown at today's Labour National Policy Forum:

"For me our purpose has never been clearer"

Quite - I'm sure Brown's "purpose" is becoming "clearer" by the day to the citizens of this country. I'm assuming that that "purpose" is to ruin the country?

Gordon Brown is to blame for UK recession.

Iain Dale says: "It is Gordon Brown's regulatory system which is to blame for the current shambles [the recession], and he cannot be allowed to escape from that blindingly obvious fact."

I will tell you why Iain is spot on:

We are all victims of basic stupidity, fraud, incompetence and greed. The most important factor by far is incompetence - incompetence that leads straight to number 10 Downing Street. Both the Bank of England and the FSA (Financial Services Authority) have made mistakes, but they both answer to the Chancellor, and it is he who should be protecting this country from financial ruin. He failed to do so.

We all knew what was going on. Self Certification, 125% mortgages, lending 4 or 5 times salary, lending over 40 or 50 years and a massive increase in the buy to let market. We all knew these were dodgy mortgages. Even people like me with no financial education could see that many thousands of people who could not afford a mortgage where being duped into massive debt. I remember the dread of going to see my Bank manager for my first mortgage 20 years ago. I wore a shirt and tie, I had six months pay statements, I had to prove employment, I had to have proof of where I lived, I could borrow a maximum of two and a half times my salary and most importantly - if I had been overdrawn during the last six months, I could forget buying my first house. That was a safe loan for a Bank to give. If the banks still behaved in the same way today, we would most certainly not be in this terrible mess.

This time bomb has been ticking away for at least five years. Gordon Brown has been fully aware of the danger, but he failed to act in the interest of the people of this country.

From the FSA website December 2005:

The area of self-certification mortgages and in particular the potential for abuse of self-certification mortgage products during the mortgage sales process was identified as an early priority by the FSA. The potential for abuse of the self-certification of income has been well publicised in recent years, with two programmes broadcast by the BBC in October 2003 and February 2004 alleging certain abuses.

The above is an introduction to a review carried out by the FSA into Self-certification mortgages back in 2005. The review seems to have been carried out in a reasonably professional manner. Many faults in the system were identified. However, absolutely nothing seems to have been done about it. The FSA found widespread bad practice (including fraud), and what did they do? they issued "feedback" - Well pump bloody pump.

Gordon Brown - you are to blame for this mess - you and no one else.

UPDATE: The link to the review above no longer works. The review seems to have disappeared? So I've linked to a page on the FSA which shows that it did indeed exist. If anyone can find the review please let me know.

Convention on Modern Liberty - David Davis video.

Convention on Modern Liberty - 28th Feb 2009

The Convention on Modern Liberty will be a one day gathering of 1,000 people on Saturday 28 February 2009 at the Institute for Education in central London and as many again in the parallel regional and national meetings in Belfast, Bristol, Cambridge, Glasgow, Manchester, and Cardiff. It is being sponsored by Rowntrees, openDemocracy, Liberty and the Guardian.

From Anthony Barnett, Phil Booth, Shami Chakrabarti, Henry Porter, Stuart Weir:

We are entering a dangerous period in our country. Economic turmoil threatens profound hardship and disharmony. Disenchantment with politics is growing and even legitimate protest is threatened by an unprecedented programme of challenges to our rights, freedoms and democracy. Sixty years ago Britain was a proud co-author of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms. Now it is increasingly centralized, abandoning its historic principles some of which date back to the Magna Carta.

The Government’s continued stated determination to extend detention without charge in terrorism cases to 42 days is one symbol of the damage done to our hard-won rights and freedoms. The Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 (RIPA), which gives hundreds of agencies access to people’s records without their knowing, is another. The collection of all available records on a huge central database for the use of the authorities is a third.

We believe that such threats can be overcome but only if the public is woken to the dangers. While we may be impatient for action, the issues must be addressed in an open-minded way with as thorough and accessible public debate as possible.

Therefore we invite you to join a Convention on Modern Liberty. It will ask three broad questions:

Are our freedoms and rights threatened by an over-powerful state and if so how do we defend ourselves from this?

Are dangers to our security from terrorism and other threats, from climate change to pandemics being used to attack our rights, and how can we best defend ourselves?

How can we arouse sustained public interest?

We are making Modern Liberty a convention not a conference. We want to bring as many people together to see what common ground can be reached in defence of our freedoms. The Guardian is the main media partner. The Rowntree Reform and Charitable Trusts and the Rowntree Foundation are initial supporters. A wide range of organisations are joining the event from across the political spectrum.

Fundamental rights and freedoms are common to us all. The Universal Declaration recognises ‘the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family as the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world’. In Britain such values have an even longer history. We are indeed the inheritors of an inspiring tradition of liberty.

At the same time technical advances from information technology to explosives and the threats of catastrophic climatic change have altered the framework of power and fear.

This calls for a renewal of our democratic self-confidence. This is the purpose of the Convention on Modern Liberty. Whether you agree or not we hope you will join us to debate these issues.

Anthony Barnett (openDemocracy)
Phil Booth (NO2ID)
Shami Chakrabarti (Liberty)
Henry Porter (the Observer)
Stuart Weir (Democratic Audit)

Sir Fred Goodwin - Tell Gordon Brown to shove it.

Sir Fred Goodwin's pension of £693,000 a year for life is without doubt a ridiculous sum, recession or not. Based on his performance it is hard to credit (excuse the pun) him receiving so much. HOWEVER, this is not a bonus, this is a pension that was contractually agreed between Sir Fred and the board of RBS. I understand that this pension was also agreed to by the share holders.

It turns my stomach to think of Goodwin raking it in, but a contract is a contract. Gordon Brown, who many consider to be the most ruinous Prime Minister this country has ever seen - the destroyer of the economy - will not be giving up his pension. Gordon the destroyer said:

"When banks fail... the people who make the mistakes cannot and should not run off with entitlements and with additional discretionary payments... this is unjustifiable, unacceptable....."

What a bloody cheek - can he not see the irony in his words? - he could have easily exchanged to word bank for government. Brown will leave office with this country in ruins. He will be paid massive appearance fees and he will receive very lucrative book deals. He will become rich from being Prime Minister, and we will be poorer for the privilege of his leadership.

So I say to Sir Fred: Tell Gordon Brown to shove his legal action where the sun don't shine.

Lost Luggage video - Laugh your head off.

Enjoy:

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery - or a rip off?

Is imitation is the sincerest form of flattery? Well it seems someone has decided to start a blog using almost the identical name (Daily Referendum blog) as mine (Daily Referendum). I can't see any reason for this new blog other than to earn money from google ads. The owner seems to be posting random pictures with the main part of the screen taken up by a google ad. They have even engineered their links to so called news items to blend in with the ads.

I doubt there is much I can do about this as the name of this new blog is slightly different. Some people have no shame. I wonder how many other blogs this person has running with copycat names?

condolences

My Dad had to say goodbye to two of his sons and it almost destroyed him. I can't imagine what David and Samantha are going through, but I will say a little prayer for both them and Ivan tonight.

The Credit Crisis visualized in video.

Hat tip: Theo Spark.

ICM Poll shows Conservatives maintaining winning lead

This latest ICM poll reinforces the gap between the Conservatives and Labour. I think we can definitely say that whatever happens Gordon Brown will not be leading the next government.

Martin Bright says that those approaching Brown are warned not to mention the word legacy. Brown will be feeling immeasurably desperate to ride out this recession before he has to call for an election. Otherwise he knows full well that his legacy is going to that of destroyer of the economy.

Chris Grayling: We are the party of Law and Order.

If you are going to read anything today, please make sure you read this speech by Chris Grayling: Labour is soft on crime and soft on the causes of crime.

Makes you proud to be a Tory.

I wrote this post on the subject in June 2007.

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50% I'm moderately liberal

Robert Peston goes up in my estimation.

Robert Peston has redeemed himself today by having a go at the sheer brass neck of Gordon Brown. How the hell can Brown make noises about stopping 100% mortgages when he allowed the banks to get away with issuing 125% ones? He has more neck than a jar full of Giraffes. Brown is trying to look like the saviour, putting the economy back on track. What he is actually doing is fixing his own mistakes, but it is too little, too late.

Peston says:

"They are the servants now".

That's the nub of Gordon Brown's vision for our banks, as outlined in an article he's written for the Observer newspaper.

Which in a sense is a statement of the obvious, since almost no British bank would be alive today if it weren't for the support of British taxpayers in the form of loans, guarantees and investment from us.

But what's striking is that although he has extraordinary and perhaps unprecedented power over the banks, the prime minister's programme of change for the banking system is strikingly conservative (small "c").

And much of what he's suggesting will be seen as closing a stable door that was left wide open during his many years as chancellor.

Full story.

If you see Gordon Brown, give him this for me.

If you see Gordon Brown, give him this for me: Copy picture, print, cut out and place in the hand of Gordon Brown. He has been found guilty of destroying the economy. The spot marks the death of his political career.

This is in no way a threat against Gordon Brown's person.

Gordon Brown is to visit Obama - Oh dear.

Gordon Brown is to visit Obama, oh dear, that's a shame, Barack's career was going so well. I guess Gordon popped in to see the Pope this week to make sure they weren't double booked again.

From Sky:

The Prime Minister will visit the White House on March 6 to discuss the "common global challenges" faced by Britain and America.

These will include the situation in Afghanistan and the global financial crisis, a Downing Street spokesman said.

The announcement suggests Mr Brown has won the race to become the first European leader to visit the new President in Washington.

A White House statement said the two nations "share a special partnership, and the President looks forward to working closely with the Prime Minister to address common global challenges."

Full story.

Conservatives - Save the Great British Pub (Jeremy Hunt).

From the Conservative Party:

With nearly 6 pubs closing every day of the week, and local pubs under threat, we believe that the Government should be doing more to save the Great British pub.

With nearly 6 pubs closing every day of the week, and local pubs under threat, we believe that the Government should be doing more to save the Great British pub.

33% of the price of every pint goes in Beer Tax to the Chancellor. Now the Government plans to increase beer tax further.

The Conservatives have called on the Government to help save our pubs and safeguard jobs by:

1.Cutting taxes on lower alcohol drinks such as beer and raising taxes on problem drinks like high strength ciders and alcopops in order to use the tax system to target binge drinking whilst ensuring that responsible drinkers and the traditional British pub are not unfairly penalised

2. Enforcing existing laws to deal firmly with irresponsible drinkers & premises

3. Trusting adults to make informed choices, not punish them for the actions of an irresponsible minority

4. Supporting the British pub as a vital part of local communities

Jeremy Hunt, Shadow Culture Secretary said:

"We all have our favourite local pub but up and down the country people have been losing theirs. Not only are they a critical part of our heritage but they are often hubs for local communities helping social groups, sports clubs and often even the village shop.

"For too long the Government has tried to tackle binge drinking by punishing responsible drinkers and landlords. With massive tax hikes and heavy handed regulation all Labour will succeed in doing is closing down more pubs. This has to stop. We should be proud of our brewers and proud of our pub industry and do what we can to support it which is why today we are launching this campaign."

You can sign a petition to save our pubs HERE.

Jacqui Smith is odds-on to get the boot in 2009.

Calm down, calm down..... she hasn't got the boot yet. I for one will have a large drink if she does get put out of our misery.

From William Hill:

BOOKMAKERS WILLIAM HILL have made Jacqui Smith an odds-on shot to cease to be Home Secretary during 2009. Hills now offer 4/6 that she will leave office THIS year - and 11/10 that she is still Home Secretary on January 1, 2010.

And Hills have also made her odds-on to lose her seat in Redditch at the next General Election - making her 11/8 to retain the seat, with the Tories 8/15 to win it.

'Ms Smith's travails refuse to go away and she now risks embarrassing the Government, which has plenty of other controversies to deal with. Gordon Brown may well feel that he needs to resolve the issue and that he can best do so by dumping her' said Hill's spokesman Graham Sharpe.

THE CONSERVATIVES are 1/7 favourites to win the next General Election with William Hill who make Labour 4/1 - respectively the shortest and longest odds they have been since Margaret Thatcher was in power.

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Don't want to be Obama's Elf - the video.

Sorry for the glut of videos, but this is brilliant:



Hat tip Theo Spark

Money as Debt - How banks make money.

The following five videos are a must watch. They take 45mins to view in total. Sit back and have your eyes opened.

Ipsos Mori poll gives Conservatives a 20 point lead.

I'm a bit late posting this but it's worth a look at all that blue. How long now before we hear a new round of "Gordon Brown to go" rumours?

Derek Draper - The downfall video.

Warning strong language.



Hat Tip Donal Blaney.

Conservatives say: Where's the (British) Beef.

Did you know that beef raised abroad and then processed and packaged here can be labeled British Beef? Or that "outdoor bred" pork comes from pigs that are raised in indoor pens? It's all a play on words, the sows are impregnated outdoors and that is where it ends.

This afternoon the Conservatives will launch a campaign to stamp out misleading "British" labels. Shadow environment secretary, Nick Herbert will say:

"For a decade Defra (the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) has promised to clamp down on misleading information, and leading supermarkets gave a commitment in a voluntary code that they would not sell imported meat processed in the UK under a British label. "Yet poor labelling persists. "People have a right to know where their food comes from. Meat labelled British should be born and bred in Britain, raised to our high welfare standards. "Other EU countries fight for the interests of their consumers and their farming industry within the trading rules. It's time for the British government to show the same spine."

Not only that, there's a video to accompany the launch:

David Cameron - English votes on English matters.

David Cameron has once again said he will support an "English Grand Committee".

David said:

"The solution in the Clarke paper* is the solution I'm most attracted to. "For English-only legislation, we would have a sort of English Grand Committee. That is our intention and what is likely to go in the manifesto."

This is how it works (I think): All MPs can vote on the first, second AND third readings of England-only laws. However, on the third reading, parties would be stopped from using Scottish votes to block amendments made by English MPs.

This is not a perfect solution but it is a damn sight more than Gordon Brown would ever offer. It would be a great addition to the Conservative manifesto and hopefully a stepping stone to an even better solution.

*Clarke suggested the English Grand committee in his paper last year.

Labour are flushing an extra £219bn down the Sh*tter.

£219bn is a hard figure to imagine. What could you do with a million? Iain Martin from the Telegraph's Three Line Whip is asking: How did Labour manage to spend so much so badly?

Many of us have been aware that Labour have thrown money at policing, education and health. We've heard the announcement's at each Budget statement, millions here and billions there. But what turned me away from the Labour party was their total inability to manage the money they have spent - our money. Who thinks that we have less crime? who thinks that our kids get a better education than we did? who thinks that our health service is worth the money we pay for it or that our hospitals are as clean as the used to be?

I think about the last decade and I ask myself - has the country and society in general improved for all the money Labour have spent? The answer is no. Crime, booze, drugs, teenage pregnancy, manners, morality, respect - can you think of any of these that have been improved under this Labour government.

They've spent and wasted our money, got us into unimaginable debt and as far as I can see, they have only made the country worse than before they started.

I really do wish that Brown will call it a day, and soon.

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YouGov Poll likely burst the LibDem Bubble.

The Lib Dems will be disappointed with today's YouGov poll carried out on behalf of the Sunday Times. It puts them on a meagre 14 points - way down on the 22 points shown in last night's poll from ComRes.

It does however confirm that Labour are on the slide. I think the rise observed in Labour's poll ratings over the last few months is over and we have seen the last gasp of this terrible government.

It's all down hill for Gordon Brown. If Labour want to save some seats they are going to have to call a snap election.

ComRes Poll - Labour move towards third party status.

Another good poll for the Lib Dems sees them only 3 points behind Labour. The jungle drums will be beating around Westminster for the next few days.

How can Labour possibly hope to win an election if things get worse and they are pushed into third place in the polls?

Are you ready for a snap election?

Ode to Derek Draper, to blog or not to blog....

I've been doing a little trawl of some of my favourite blogs and someone seems to be making a right tit of himself. With that in mind I thought I'd write an ode to Derek "I'm not paranoid, but I know you all think I am" Draper:

There was a young man who loved Brown,
In fact, he became his favourite Clown,
He started a blog, but it was a dog,
So pathetic, it ought to be put down.

So he came up with a plan,
To prove to all that he was the man,
He attacked other blogs, and twiddled some cogs,
And spun them as only a Labour stooge can.

He cried racist! And Libel,
The dirty rule book is his Bible,
With a whinge and a whine, he passes his time,
Unashamed, unkempt and morally idle.

So Derek has become an embarrassment,
He thinks he’s blogging establishment,
But he’s just a loser, an arse kissing schmoozer,
On the blogosphere he ain’t made a dent.

Conservatives now 1/6 favourites to win most seats.

From William Hill:

WILLIAM HILL have slashed the Conservatives from 1/4 to 1/6 favourites to win the most seats at the next General Election - making them the hottest favourites they have been since Margaret Thatcher stood down.

Labour's odds have been lengthened from 11/4 to 7/2, with the Lib Dems offered at 100/1.

'Punters are shovelling cash on the Tories at any price we put up at the moment - but we have barely seen a bet of any size for Labour this year' said Hill's spokesman Graham Sharpe.

Hills offer 4/9 that the Tories will win with a clear overall majority, 9/4 that the Election produces a Hung Parliament and 7/1 that Labour win with an overall majority.

And Hills now believe that it is a virtual certainty that Gordon Brown won't risk a General Election until the last moment, so have cut the odds for the next poll to take place in 2010 from 1/3 to 2/9.

They also offer 9/2 that it will be held between July and December this year and 8/1 in or before June 2009.

Gordon Brown is now odds-on to be the first of the three current Party Leaders to stand down - Hills make him a 4/7 chance to be the first to go, with Nick Clegg at 5/2 and David Cameron 9/2.

Brown is 8/11 to cease to be PM during 2010; 5/2 during 2009.

Hills make him 4/11 to lead his Party into the next General Election, 2/1 not to

Labour voters reject Euro in latest poll.

A poll carried out by YooGov on behalf of Caroline Flint, the Minister of State for Europe, questioned Labour voters on the their desire to join the Euro. A staggering 98% percent rejected it out of hand.

Many of those questioned told the pollsters that they were "more than happy with the Giro."

Alert! Al-Qaeda in spaghetti bomb threat.

MI5 have uncovered an Al-Qaeda terror plan involving bombs concealed in tins of Alpabetti spaghetti. A top level nation wide search is underway to find and destroy the deadly tins. MI5 Deputy Director General Sir Rupert Smithe-Collingwood said:

"It is vitally important that we track down these tins of spaghetti with the utmost urgency. We are asking the public to report any suspect tins to the police, but please do not be tempted to disturb them."

Asked how dangerous the tins could be, Sir Rupert said:

"Very dangerous - in fact if one of these tins of Alpabetti spaghetti were to go off in a crowded supermarket - it could spell disaster."

You have been warned.

Commons liaison committee to force Gordon Brown to resign?

We've seen Gordon Brown's man (and former HBOS chief) Sir James Crosby quit over allegations that he ignored warnings that the bank's lending policies were dodgy to say the least. Former HBOS employee, Paul Moore, said he was sacked by Crosby for whistle blowing. Now Gordon must face the music in front of the Commons liaison committee. The committee, which is made up of the heads of all the select committees, will grill Brown for two and a half hours. Much of that time will be spent quizzing Brown on his part in the disastrous collapse of our economy under his stewardship.

I hope they nail him - nail him so hard that he is forced to resign.

Labour dirty tricks in Waddon council by-election.

From Croydon Today:

Labour has been accused of dirty tricks in the run-up to tomorrow's (Thursday's) Waddon by-election.

As part of its campaign the party is claiming the Tory council has a secret plan to build an incinerator at its Factory Lane recycling site.

But the Tories have firmly denied the claim, and are accusing Labour of scare-mongering to boost its votes.

Labour leader Tony Newman is defiant in his claim, however, ahead of what could be a tight election.

"What I'm saying is the Tories need to stop lying and come clean," he said.

Tory Phil Thomas, who is the council's cabinet member for environment and highways, is outraged at Labour's allegation.

He said: "Basically what they are trying to do is frighten the electorate by scare-mongering and unfortunately a number of elderly people have rung us asking if this is true.

"They are desperate. We would not consider building an incinerator.

"As long as you have a Conservative council you won't have an incinerator in Croydon."

Labour? dirty tricks? never!

Times populus poll puts Labour 14 points behind the Tories.

The latest Times populus poll puts Labour 14 points behind the Tories. It is also less favourable to the Lib Dems than yesterday's ICM poll.

From the Times:

David Cameron has opened up a sizeable lead over Mr Brown as the best Prime Minister to handle the recession and to lead Britain forward after the next election. In November Mr Brown was ahead of Mr Cameron by 52 to 32 per cent as the right leader to deal with the British economy in recession. They were level pegging last month but Mr Cameron is ahead by 41 to 32 per cent.

Mr Cameron has widened his margin as the right leader to take Britain forward after the next election from 42 to 35 per cent in November, and 43 to 31 per cent in January, to 45 to 28 per cent now.

Jacqui Smith's voting record shocker!

After recent events, are you surprised by this:



Click to enlarge.

Hat tip to They Work for You.

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Climate change part 28 - Aussie vote.

Even though Australia is suffering from terrible bush fires in he south, the Aussies aren't falling for the Global warming Myth. ABC News is holding an online vote on whether Global Warming to blame for the current heatwave in Australia. So far 15575 votes have been counted and I think you will be surprised by the results:

Click HERE

Hat tip. Tom Nelson.

Jacqui Smith - I want my money back! (second home allowance)

Bullshitters do what bullshitters do, and this morning Jacqui Smith has been doing her best. She has been accused of fiddling her second home allowance to rip the taxpayer off by some £116,000. She is claiming Second Home Allowance for her Redditch constituency home she shares with her husband and children - up to £24000/year.
Her spad says:

"The Home Secretary has always abided fully with Parliament's clear rules on expenses and has long-standing written approval from the Parliamentary Fees office for any agreed expenses. "She spends the majority of her time in London attending to Government business and has full approval for any associated expenses relating to her second home in her West Midlands constituency."

Absolute BOLLOCKS!

Allegedly she stays at her sisters on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday nights. She spends Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights at her supposed "second home". By my calculations that is 3 nights at her sisters and 4 at her "second home". That's not even counting the massive amount of time Parliament is closed thanks to the government. If she is not at least bending the rules to line her pockets then I'm a Frenchman. Apparently she turned down a grace and favour home because she wouldn't be able to claim "second home" allowance.

Jacqui Smith should resign - at the very least - I want my money back!

More on this story HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE.

George Osborne on the Andrew Marr Show - A+ (again).

George Osborne has just appeared on the Andrew Marr Show. Once again he put on an excellent performance, speaking clearly and getting his point out loud and clear. I cannot understand all those fools who feel the need to question his abilities every time we have blip in the polls or Labour trolls start stirring it up. People must remember that Labour have targeted Osborne for a reason, and the reason is that Cameron and Osborne are a great team - both are great in front of camera or an audience.

Alistair Darling has followed him up with the usual waffle - not worth repeating for the thousandth time.

I will post a link to the show when it is available.

RBS to hand out £1bn in bonuses.

RBS are to hand out £1bn in bonuses to their staff. Can you Adam & Eve it? After we have forked out £20bn to bail them out, they get a bloody bonus. Christ on a friggin bike! It looks like Lloyds and Barklays are going to follow suit.

Full story HERE.

Poll: What kind of Tory are you? part 2

I'm running this Poll again to see if opinion has moved over the last six months:

When you drift around the various Tory blogs, you find that we have pretty similar opinions on Climate Change, an English Parliament and Europe. To this end I thought I would put this theory to the test. For the record, I selected A, B and C.

What kind of Tory are you?

A) Are you for an English Parliament (only)?

B) Are you a Climate Change Sceptic (only)?

C) Are you against the Lisbon Treaty (only)?

A and B?

B and C

A and C

A, B and C

None of the above.

pollcode.com free polls

The Speaker Michael Martin to step down in June? - At last.

From the Red Box:

Several MPs I've spoken to recently - mainly Tory - have suggested that Michael Martin may announce he is standing down ahead of the European elections in June, and hold a by-election on June 4.

Here's their logic.

Labour will be keen to select a new Speaker before the end of the Parliament, while they still have a certain majority. That's the only way they could hope to stop a Tory speaker taking over, and there have even been suggestions recently of a tie-up with the Lib Dems perhaps to select Sir Ming (though I'd be sceptical given it's a secret ballot to select Martin's successor, making deals harder.)

Not a day too soon. I could write a paragraph describing Michael Martin, but I think one word sums him up: STOOGE.

ICM Poll for Sunday Telegraph shows Lib Dem surge.

ConHome are reporting a surge for the Lib Dems in the latest ICM Poll for the Sunday Telegraph.

God knows why, it has to be rogue poll, I can't think of a single thing the Lib Dems have done lately that could impress anyone. I do think it is possible that they could have taken some voters from Labour after an embarrassing week for Brown, but not that many.

I can't wait for the day the Lib Dems beat Labour in one of the Polls.

Batman (Val Kilmer) for Governor of Gotham City (New Mexico).

From USA Today:

First came the Terminator. Is Batman next?

Actor Val Kilmer may be the next action star-turned-governor, the Associated Press reports. Though he hasn't made an official decision, Kilmer, a New Mexico resident for more than two decades, told the AP that he's looking for ways to be "contributive" in the southwestern state.

"If that ends up being where I can make a substantial contribution, then I'll run," the registered Democrat said, who would replace Gov. Bill Richardson if elected. Richardson is term limited and can't run for reelection.

Holy bill of rights, Batman! (actually said by Robin in the TV show).

(p.s did you notice the made up American word? .... Contributive)

Jeremy Clarkson Gordon Brown "a one-eyed Scottish idiot" Video

You heard all the fuss about Clarkson, if you haven't seen the video, here it is:

Jeremy Clarkson apologises to Gordon Brown - sort of.

I love Jeremy Clarkson. After the massive fuss over him Calling the one-eyed Scottish idiot a "one-eyed Scottish idiot" he has issued an apology - well sort of: "In the heat of the moment I made a remark about the Prime Minister's personal appearance for which, upon reflection, I apologise."

No mention of him being a Scottish idiot. Nice one Jeremy.

UPDATE: I just asked the wife if she had heard about Clarkson calling Gordon Brown a "one eyed Scottish idiot"

This is how the conversation went:

WIFE: Yeah I heard it on the radio, I didn’t know he was blind in one eye?

ME: Well, yeah supposedly

WIFE: How did that happen?

ME: He got kicked in the head playing rugby as a kid

WIFE: Is that why he’s got a funny shaped head?

I kid you not!


UPDATE 2: Tractor Stats knocked up this great image of our Gordon:

Sarkozy has a go at our dozy (Gordon Brown).

Good old Nicholas Sarkozy has had a bit of a go at Gordon Brown's financial prowess (or lack of it). He said:

"Gordon Brown's decision to cut VAT has absolutely not worked. "Cutting VAT by two points doesn't incite people to buy if they are scared about their future. If anything, consumption in Britain has gone down."

And he went on to say France's response would be different from the UK's, because the "English have no industry."

You have to laugh at the spin coming out of No10:

"We saw the news reports last night. They have been in contact. It was not meant as an attack. I will leave it to the Elysée to explain why that is not a criticism.

"We appreciate the context in which the President made those comments, in the context of a domestic French political debate about France's future economic policy."

Not an attack my arse. Just how thick do they think we are? The Telegraph are reporting that Brown and Co are in reality going ape shit.