http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2015/may/23/alistair-carmichael-liberal-democrats-byelection-threat-leak-snp-sturgeon
.. and about time too. The 'French Ambassador' rumour about Sturgeon was one of the more absurd bits of mud slinging in an already unpleasant election season. I hoped at the time that somebody might have to take responsibility.
That it could potentially wipe out the last Lib Dem seat in Scotland is just the icing on the cake and a fine illustration of irony in action.
Showing posts with label Coalition. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Coalition. Show all posts
Sunday, 24 May 2015
Sunday, 3 May 2015
Clegg will put Lib Dem 'red lines' first
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/election-2015-32568840
... by which I assume he means the trails of blood that the party is leaving behind as it drags itself towards post-electoral irrelevance.
... by which I assume he means the trails of blood that the party is leaving behind as it drags itself towards post-electoral irrelevance.
Sunday, 19 April 2015
Labour claim they are no longer Labour
http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2015/apr/18/ed-miliband-tories-labour-one-nation-conservatives-eu
This makes me want to throw up a little bit. Come on Ed, at least pay lip service to the left wing ideals that Labour espoused for most of the last century.
If people are small minded and selfish enough to vote Tory they will do. Appeal to a constituency that you have a chance of winning.
This makes me want to throw up a little bit. Come on Ed, at least pay lip service to the left wing ideals that Labour espoused for most of the last century.
If people are small minded and selfish enough to vote Tory they will do. Appeal to a constituency that you have a chance of winning.
Saturday, 28 March 2015
Cameron flailing but apparently still full of bile
http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2015/mar/28/david-cameron-makes-personal-attack-on-ed-miliband-and-sneering-socialists
Well good to see that the the Tories are sticking to their 'traditional values' while accusing Labour of betraying theirs. However, since the traditional Tory values appear to be meanness, unprovoked personal attacks and doubling down on unsuccessful economic and international policies I'm not sure this is any special reason to vote for them.
Well good to see that the the Tories are sticking to their 'traditional values' while accusing Labour of betraying theirs. However, since the traditional Tory values appear to be meanness, unprovoked personal attacks and doubling down on unsuccessful economic and international policies I'm not sure this is any special reason to vote for them.
Sunday, 8 February 2015
Osborne resorts to bribery
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-31241867
I just saw an interview on BBC news with Osborne offering the flimsiest reasoning for this blatant piece of electioneering.
"We've just come out of a recession where our need to lower interest rates have hit savers", he mugs. Fair enough so far, "and therefore we should support those who save for the good of the economy".
Lots of buzz words. Impeccable logic. However, one wonders why the over 65's with their Final Salary pensions and innumerable state-funded benefits are especially deserving of further government largesse. Osborne's move has been described as 'reverse social engineering' since all the studies show that the young have been disproportionately screwed by the downturn. This further encouragement to growing wealth inequality doesn't seem to faze the chancellor.
The only reason for this move is that we are now in election season and Osborne wants the silver vote to help stave off the defeat that threatens with the splitting of the right wing vote between Tory and UKIP.
I just saw an interview on BBC news with Osborne offering the flimsiest reasoning for this blatant piece of electioneering.
"We've just come out of a recession where our need to lower interest rates have hit savers", he mugs. Fair enough so far, "and therefore we should support those who save for the good of the economy".
Lots of buzz words. Impeccable logic. However, one wonders why the over 65's with their Final Salary pensions and innumerable state-funded benefits are especially deserving of further government largesse. Osborne's move has been described as 'reverse social engineering' since all the studies show that the young have been disproportionately screwed by the downturn. This further encouragement to growing wealth inequality doesn't seem to faze the chancellor.
The only reason for this move is that we are now in election season and Osborne wants the silver vote to help stave off the defeat that threatens with the splitting of the right wing vote between Tory and UKIP.
Tuesday, 20 January 2015
Osborne gets back on his hobby horse
http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2015/jan/20/scottish-votes-income-tax-george-osborne-devolution
Anybody else worried about the fact that we are meant to hand our economy over for another four years to the party that took approximately 3 miliseconds after the Scottish referendum to swing from appealing for them to stay to pandering to British nationalists?
Labour may have their issues but at least they aren't total two-faced hypocrites.
Anybody else worried about the fact that we are meant to hand our economy over for another four years to the party that took approximately 3 miliseconds after the Scottish referendum to swing from appealing for them to stay to pandering to British nationalists?
Labour may have their issues but at least they aren't total two-faced hypocrites.
Wednesday, 31 December 2014
Class War? What Class War?
http://www.theguardian.com/education/2014/dec/31/labour-class-war-private-schools
I'm amazed Mr Jones managed to keep a straight face for the photo.
He manages to simultaneously work in a claim that many parents who send their children to private schools make 'huge sacrifices' to do so while also accusing Labour of returning to 'Class War' by considering ending tax breaks (that favourite tool of oppression of revolutionary parties!).
Surely if anybody who is willing to sacrifice can make use of private school services then there is no 'class' here to be victimised. That argument only holds together if such schools really are over privileged havens for grooming the children of the rich.
Typical woolly-headed thinking from a defender of the establishment.
P.s. Happy New Year to one and all. Please consider not voting Conservative or UKIP as a potential new year's resolution.
I'm amazed Mr Jones managed to keep a straight face for the photo.
He manages to simultaneously work in a claim that many parents who send their children to private schools make 'huge sacrifices' to do so while also accusing Labour of returning to 'Class War' by considering ending tax breaks (that favourite tool of oppression of revolutionary parties!).
Surely if anybody who is willing to sacrifice can make use of private school services then there is no 'class' here to be victimised. That argument only holds together if such schools really are over privileged havens for grooming the children of the rich.
Typical woolly-headed thinking from a defender of the establishment.
P.s. Happy New Year to one and all. Please consider not voting Conservative or UKIP as a potential new year's resolution.
Saturday, 6 December 2014
Russia today, Britain tomorrow
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-30326253
Putin's economy is in a mess due mainly to his alienation of key trading partners in America and Europe (unless you subscribe to the fantasy that OPEC are keeping oil prices down as an early Christmas present to all the motorists and industrialists out there).
The British coalition government should be carefully taking notes. A departure from Europe would not piss the international community off as much as Russia's annexation of Crimea and blatant intervention in Ukraine but no amount of austerity scrimping will suffice if we too succeed in annoying our main trading partners.
Putin's economy is in a mess due mainly to his alienation of key trading partners in America and Europe (unless you subscribe to the fantasy that OPEC are keeping oil prices down as an early Christmas present to all the motorists and industrialists out there).
The British coalition government should be carefully taking notes. A departure from Europe would not piss the international community off as much as Russia's annexation of Crimea and blatant intervention in Ukraine but no amount of austerity scrimping will suffice if we too succeed in annoying our main trading partners.
Wednesday, 22 October 2014
Miliband forgot the economy!
So I tuned into Prime Minister's Question Time last weekend - mainly to see Cameron get the kicking he royally deserved for hiring a welfare minister who thinks that it is acceptable to indicate that the disabled may not be worth paying a minimum wage (http://stochasticreview.blogspot.co.uk/2014/10/lord-freuds-slip.html).
However, I was astonished to find that the Tories are still droning on about Miliband's accidential omission of mention of the deficit in his Manchester speech in late September. "I hope Ed remembers to attend the doctor's appointment for his sore throat" quips the intolerably smug Prime Minister in a show of mock sympathy for Miliband.
Insincere condolences are something that Britain has got used to under the Coalition. Perish the thought but some of us might even think we can afford to forget the economy every now and again rather than using austerity to justify a barrage of policies that keep the poor unsupported, vital national services privatised and growing numbers of young people excluded from adequately renumerative employments or affordable housing.
... but then such thinking goes against the austerity play book in an election where Cameron seems determined to pander to the privileged and/or UKIP supporters.
However, I was astonished to find that the Tories are still droning on about Miliband's accidential omission of mention of the deficit in his Manchester speech in late September. "I hope Ed remembers to attend the doctor's appointment for his sore throat" quips the intolerably smug Prime Minister in a show of mock sympathy for Miliband.
Insincere condolences are something that Britain has got used to under the Coalition. Perish the thought but some of us might even think we can afford to forget the economy every now and again rather than using austerity to justify a barrage of policies that keep the poor unsupported, vital national services privatised and growing numbers of young people excluded from adequately renumerative employments or affordable housing.
... but then such thinking goes against the austerity play book in an election where Cameron seems determined to pander to the privileged and/or UKIP supporters.
Wednesday, 15 October 2014
Lord Freud's slip
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-29628557
In before the newspaper cartoonists - now that's what you call a Freudian slip!
But seriously we didn't need one idiot minister to let us know how the government plans to treat the disabled if they win re-election. Their current moves to reduce benefits for all those who need them whether they are working or unemployed, disabled or fit, shows how little concern they have for such groups.
In before the newspaper cartoonists - now that's what you call a Freudian slip!
But seriously we didn't need one idiot minister to let us know how the government plans to treat the disabled if they win re-election. Their current moves to reduce benefits for all those who need them whether they are working or unemployed, disabled or fit, shows how little concern they have for such groups.
Saturday, 9 August 2014
Miliband jumps on bandwagon
Come on Miliband - I've defended you every time the newspapers have tried to present you as a clueless moron because the press always does that to any Labour leader who isn't actively pursuing right wing policies.
However, it's going to be hard to do so when you appear intent on jumping on the Conservative's 'goad the Scots into voting for independence' campaign. It might win a few votes in the more bumptious areas of Little England but basically it is up to Scotland whether they stay or go and antagonising them is only likely to push more towards a 'fuck England' attitude.
Scot-baiting is an even worse move for Labour than for the Conservatives as the left can actually expect considerable amounts of votes north of the border. The Conservatives have little to lose but Miliband risks killing the goose that lays the golden eggs and marginalising Scottish voters.
However, it's going to be hard to do so when you appear intent on jumping on the Conservative's 'goad the Scots into voting for independence' campaign. It might win a few votes in the more bumptious areas of Little England but basically it is up to Scotland whether they stay or go and antagonising them is only likely to push more towards a 'fuck England' attitude.
Scot-baiting is an even worse move for Labour than for the Conservatives as the left can actually expect considerable amounts of votes north of the border. The Conservatives have little to lose but Miliband risks killing the goose that lays the golden eggs and marginalising Scottish voters.
Saturday, 5 July 2014
Serious fraud office commits serious fraud
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/red-faces-at-serious-fraud-office-over-taxmans-fine-9574906.html
Look up irony in a dictionary some time and you may find a link to this article. Of course with the Tories traditional massaging of awkward statistics I doubt they will let this blatant rule bending persuade them that corporate and institutional tax avoidance may be more of an issue than those pesky benefit cheats.
Look up irony in a dictionary some time and you may find a link to this article. Of course with the Tories traditional massaging of awkward statistics I doubt they will let this blatant rule bending persuade them that corporate and institutional tax avoidance may be more of an issue than those pesky benefit cheats.
Sunday, 2 February 2014
Who's afraid of the Union-man?
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-26005919
Ridiculous fear mongering by the media over this move to formalise joint membership of a union and the Labour party.
How can a move to involve ordinary people in politics be a bad thing? By making it up to the individual whether they want to opt in for joint voting privileges, the influence of those terrifying Union 'bosses' is if anything reduced further than in the current system.
Tories predictably jump on the bandwagon without digging into their own funding practices and the effect it has on their policy making (bedroom tax on those on benefits while rich take a tax break being an especially unjust example).
Ridiculous fear mongering by the media over this move to formalise joint membership of a union and the Labour party.
How can a move to involve ordinary people in politics be a bad thing? By making it up to the individual whether they want to opt in for joint voting privileges, the influence of those terrifying Union 'bosses' is if anything reduced further than in the current system.
Tories predictably jump on the bandwagon without digging into their own funding practices and the effect it has on their policy making (bedroom tax on those on benefits while rich take a tax break being an especially unjust example).
Sunday, 22 December 2013
Cameron vs Plevneliev - advantage Plevneliev
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-25484456
I'm still not happy with the Lib Dems for their cynical betrayal of pretty much every election promise they made but you have to admit they represent the saner side to the current Coalition.
It is a sad day when the President of Bulgaria has to remind our elected leader that we have a tradition of respecting international agreements and welcoming the migrants that our economy has always relied upon.
I'm still not happy with the Lib Dems for their cynical betrayal of pretty much every election promise they made but you have to admit they represent the saner side to the current Coalition.
It is a sad day when the President of Bulgaria has to remind our elected leader that we have a tradition of respecting international agreements and welcoming the migrants that our economy has always relied upon.
Wednesday, 11 December 2013
Benefit Software Debacle - The poor execution of a bad idea
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/iain-duncan-smith-insists-benefit-reform-is-on-track-8992509.html
£40 million wasted on useless software by the admission of Iain Duncan Smith. So much for the Coalition's austerity.
Iain Duncan Smith, of course, being the same inept minister who publicly claimed that he could live on the £53 per week that some on benefits are forced to subsist on.
Well, Mr Smith, if you had actually put your money where your mouth is and accepted the Change petition calling on you to try it (http://www.change.org/en-GB/petitions/iain-duncan-smith-iain-duncan-smith-to-live-on-53-a-week) you could have subsisted on the wasted software money for 754,717 weeks (approximately 14,514 years).
In short, you might want to consider the cost of your hypocritical and blinkered attack on the poor and disadvantaged before you cause even more real damage to the people of this country.
£40 million wasted on useless software by the admission of Iain Duncan Smith. So much for the Coalition's austerity.
Iain Duncan Smith, of course, being the same inept minister who publicly claimed that he could live on the £53 per week that some on benefits are forced to subsist on.
Well, Mr Smith, if you had actually put your money where your mouth is and accepted the Change petition calling on you to try it (http://www.change.org/en-GB/petitions/iain-duncan-smith-iain-duncan-smith-to-live-on-53-a-week) you could have subsisted on the wasted software money for 754,717 weeks (approximately 14,514 years).
In short, you might want to consider the cost of your hypocritical and blinkered attack on the poor and disadvantaged before you cause even more real damage to the people of this country.
Monday, 30 September 2013
Raising the stakes (or a predictable Tory comeback)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-24339347
So Miliband does something brave and makes a claim that got people excited. Energy freezes might be economically messy and environmentally disastrous but at least Labour were doing something slightly left wing again by offering a popularist policy.
The Conservative response being to assume that he is consciously lying and try to top it with a more outrageous economic lie. A budget surplus without raising taxes? Austerity is demonstrably not bringing prosperity while causing damage to our social policies and infrastructure that could take decades to heal. Forget about pie in the sky, Osborne, and give us economic stimulus, real growth and jobs instead.
So Miliband does something brave and makes a claim that got people excited. Energy freezes might be economically messy and environmentally disastrous but at least Labour were doing something slightly left wing again by offering a popularist policy.
The Conservative response being to assume that he is consciously lying and try to top it with a more outrageous economic lie. A budget surplus without raising taxes? Austerity is demonstrably not bringing prosperity while causing damage to our social policies and infrastructure that could take decades to heal. Forget about pie in the sky, Osborne, and give us economic stimulus, real growth and jobs instead.
Wednesday, 18 September 2013
Lib Dems our only hope?
Nick Clegg says that we need to vote for the Lib Dems at the next election to stop the other parties from messing the country up.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-24137394
.... but after all the broken promises of the last election who can we rely on to stop you messing up Nick? It is a bit too late to portray yourselves as the best of a bad lot when you've already helped to endorse a disastrous Conservative government that lacked the votes to stand on its own.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-24137394
.... but after all the broken promises of the last election who can we rely on to stop you messing up Nick? It is a bit too late to portray yourselves as the best of a bad lot when you've already helped to endorse a disastrous Conservative government that lacked the votes to stand on its own.
Sunday, 21 July 2013
Japan weighs in on the EU referendum
Apologies for the lack of posts recently. I've been doing some serious job hunting which while ultimately successful was fairly time consuming. For the last two weeks I've been travelling with friends in Spain and France and had very infrequent access to the internet. However, I'm back now and with any luck things will be back to normal in the next couple of weeks.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-23393856
It staggers me that the Coalition can stomach the cognitive dissonance from their conflicting stances on the economy and Europe/immigration. If we are expected to stomach major cuts to our much-loved welfare state then could we at least have some restraint from the Conservatives when it comes to popularist EU-baiting. Cameron and Osborne have been told again and again that immigration and EU membership are essential to our economy but prefer to win brownie points with sceptical voters than accept reality and financial prudence.
Julian Brazier's comments are similarly asinine. The eurozone is in trouble but these are tough economic times and few nations have emerged unscathed. The way forward is in mutual commitments and political/industrial links rather than in ignoring the needs and opinions of important trading partners.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-23393856
It staggers me that the Coalition can stomach the cognitive dissonance from their conflicting stances on the economy and Europe/immigration. If we are expected to stomach major cuts to our much-loved welfare state then could we at least have some restraint from the Conservatives when it comes to popularist EU-baiting. Cameron and Osborne have been told again and again that immigration and EU membership are essential to our economy but prefer to win brownie points with sceptical voters than accept reality and financial prudence.
Julian Brazier's comments are similarly asinine. The eurozone is in trouble but these are tough economic times and few nations have emerged unscathed. The way forward is in mutual commitments and political/industrial links rather than in ignoring the needs and opinions of important trading partners.
Friday, 31 May 2013
Tory Whip resigns in shame
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-22727903
Tory skeletons are really tumbling out of various closets at the moment, aren't they?
Although in my opinion it is not the racism or business links of individuals that we should be worrying about. Mercer's earlier racist comments are only a shade worse than Mayor Johnson's comic bumbling about minorities and political correctness, which only serves to endear him to the Conservative grass roots support.
Similarly one can't come down too hard on an individual who lobbies for his paying sponsors when his own party simultaneously lowers taxes for the rich and turns a blind eye to multinational's tax evasion while bringing in bedroom taxes for the poorest in society.
However, such scandals can only weaken the Coalition in the next election and they are a welcome triumph for the investigative journalists at the BBC and Panorama.
Tory skeletons are really tumbling out of various closets at the moment, aren't they?
Although in my opinion it is not the racism or business links of individuals that we should be worrying about. Mercer's earlier racist comments are only a shade worse than Mayor Johnson's comic bumbling about minorities and political correctness, which only serves to endear him to the Conservative grass roots support.
Similarly one can't come down too hard on an individual who lobbies for his paying sponsors when his own party simultaneously lowers taxes for the rich and turns a blind eye to multinational's tax evasion while bringing in bedroom taxes for the poorest in society.
However, such scandals can only weaken the Coalition in the next election and they are a welcome triumph for the investigative journalists at the BBC and Panorama.
Wednesday, 22 May 2013
Howe vs Cameron
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2013/may/18/david-cameron-control-geoffrey-howe
Truly scary - not only is this an article by a former Tory foreign minister (and one of Thatcher's closest allies at that) that I almost entirely agree with, Howe seems so disillusioned with the current Conservative leadership that he actively encourages the other parties against them.
Geoffrey Howe is only the latest high profile figure to point out the facts of life to Cameron and Co. Britain's economy, security and influence abroad all depend largely on retaining good links with the European bloc. To throw all of this away in an attempt to claw back a few UKIP voters may be the most egregious display of poor judgement in modern British history. However, the Tory party lurches around the issue with no concern for the damage it does to our prospects for economic recovery and our image abroad.
Truly scary - not only is this an article by a former Tory foreign minister (and one of Thatcher's closest allies at that) that I almost entirely agree with, Howe seems so disillusioned with the current Conservative leadership that he actively encourages the other parties against them.
Geoffrey Howe is only the latest high profile figure to point out the facts of life to Cameron and Co. Britain's economy, security and influence abroad all depend largely on retaining good links with the European bloc. To throw all of this away in an attempt to claw back a few UKIP voters may be the most egregious display of poor judgement in modern British history. However, the Tory party lurches around the issue with no concern for the damage it does to our prospects for economic recovery and our image abroad.
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