Friday, June 29, 2007

The former unlamented Deputy Prime Minister.

On another blog, albeit with Tory sympathies, there is a report that recently Mr Prescott was seen strutting into a parliamentary party dinner with a cabal of confidantes. Seconds later Mr P re-emerged in full tantrum with his confidantes in hot (though somewhat bothered) pursuit. Mr P was allegedly heard to complain "Not one of them stood up when I entered the room! I was deputy prime minister only four hours ago!"

If that were true then it is the final comment on how power corrupts and how self important people given positions of authority loose all sense of perspective.

Monday, June 25, 2007

Weather.

It has been reported that this is probably the wettest June on record. It can only be a matter of time before hose pipe bans and drought warnings are issued.
Harriet Harman.

I was as amazed as a lot of other people were when Mrs H became Deputy Leader of the Labour Party. I thought that Alan Johnson was home and hosed. Wrong again. After recovering from the shock my subsequent judgement was one of horror. The Labour Party have only themselves to blame but the country deserves better.

But let the last words go to a mighty Labour backbencher Gwyneth Dunwoody. Her view of Harriet Harman? "She is one of certain women who are of the opinion that they have a God-given right to be amongst the chosen."

However HH has been appointed Labour Party Chairman and it seems unlikely that she will also get a Cabinet job. That may be the only good thing to come out of the election.

Sunday, June 24, 2007

The Change.

Goodbye Mr Blair. Welcome Mr Brown.

Friday, June 15, 2007

The demonic Donald Rumsfeld.

The Irish in many ways have a softer and more subtle way of saying things. The alternative word in England for excrement sounds to me rather crude and offensive but if like the Irish you add an 'e' to the word it becomes shite an altogether more softer and attractive expletive.

The word came to mind when I was reading 'Rumsfeld - An American Disaster' by Andrew Cockburn. Rumsfeld has to be the greatest shite of the last decade. If anyone thought Bush was bad be grateful that Rumsfeld did not rise higher in the game of politics.

The documentation of the activities of Rumsfeld is also an expose of the pernicious US system of lobbying and political contributions for favours past and future. It is an area that should cause increasing concern in this country and which calls for absolute transparency. The present checks and balances in our system are totally inadequate.

Thursday, June 14, 2007

Mrs Bedonebyasyoudid (aka Mr Anthony Blair)

An amazing rant by Mr Blair about the feral press.

If it is true that people get the government they deserve then it is an absolute truth that governments get the press they deserve.

One can have little sympathy for the Prime Minister. He sowed and then he reaped.

Saturday, June 09, 2007

Paris Hilton, Cash for Honours and Justice.

The return of Ms Hilton to the pokey gives the clear message that in America celebrities are subject to the normal rules of justice. I hope we in the UK will follow this example set by the American Judicial system when it comes to prosecuting and sentencing in our Cash for Honours scandal.

Sunday, June 03, 2007

Education and Grammar Schools

When I was (until recently) a member of the Labour Party there were times when many of us marvelled at the infinite capacity we appeared to have of snatching defeat from the jaws of victory. It is now clear that we did not have a monopoly of this particular commodity.

The Tory Party have got themselves into a right tizz-waz over Grammar Schools. Ironically there was no need to do so since the real issue is not whether you select and stream pupils or what you call the school. Selection and streaming happens whether children go to Grammar Schools or Comprehensives. The real necessity in State Education is to bring all schools up to the standard enjoyed by pupils in private education. This demands investment to improve the school environment, a policy of not trying to micro manage schools, restoring the authority of the Headmaster and a reduction in the size of classes by approximately fifty per cent.

The arguments should be about how we best achieve the improvement.

Friday, June 01, 2007

The Blair World Tour.

The tour continues but I fail to see what it has achieved for Mr Blair or of more importance this country and its taxpayers.

It is the final act of vanity on what for me has been a decade of missed opportunities and misjudgements. It seems inevitable that power after a number of years corrupts to the point of clinical madness and total self delusion

I can see little difference in this respect between the final acts of Mrs Thatcher and Mr Blair.