Typical of a Gordon Brown announcement things weren’t quite what they seem. Yes he’s going to step down as party leader but in an “orderly” manner so not until conference in September and if the country needs him (fat chance) then he’ll generously agree to cling on to any leaver of power that he can for as long as possible. On an amusing quote front Mr Brown said “parliamentary and not presidential system“, so what were those leadership debates about then?
Meanwhile senior Labour types such as John Reid and Blunkett are saying that Labour should step down and let the Tories as the largest party get on with things. Nick Clegg has abandoned his previous stated intent to work with the party with the largest mandate and is trying to play Labour and the Tories against each other to secure the best advantage for the LibDems and sod national interest. Of course it seems likely that if the LibDems do get to power via the Labour Party that they’ll not be terribly popular and Mr Cameron can paint himself as the victim of a stolen election, regardless of if it’s actually been stolen or not under our system.
All of which of course ignores the fact that there are several seats which may be open to legal challenge due to lack of voting papers, people being turned away etc. Which might not change the balance of power but who knows.
What is certain is that who ever does manage to grasp the reins of power even for a short period of time is probably not going to be popular, due to the massive amount of cuts that actually need to be made to avoid going the way of Greece, who we’re being forced to bail out by something north of 10 billion (and remember before the election the 3 main parties were struggling to find ways to cut 6). Given the renewed interest people seem to have in politics these days (we do so love a farce) I think there may actually be a way to avoid that for the Tories at least, they need to take the radical move of actually telling us the truth. Regardless of if they’re in power or not they need to come clean with us and say “we’re screwed, fixing this is going to hurt a hell of a lot – sorry but it’s got to be done”. They won’t do it obviously and even if they did people would scream but they’ll scream a hell of a lot more if we end up in the same position as Greece.
To end of a more positive note Anna Raccoon has a delightful take on the position Gordon now finds himself in, oh and we already have our first exepenses scandal of the new parliament and they haven’t even sat yet.
Just seen on the BBC:
Gordon Brown ‘stepping down as Labour leader’
The one eyed loon is actually leaving Downing street, of course it throws the horse trading with the LibDems wide open again and may yet result in Labour staying somewhat in power for a while at least. But I’ll take solace where I can find it and that the one eyed Scottish idiot is leaving is worth a drink in my book.
Over at Charlotte Gore’s blog there’s a rather good article on political geekery, which makes two very good points. The first being that if you’re reading this blog (or hers or any of the political blogs) then I hate to say it but you’re probably at the moment either a friend of the blogger or a political geek – or as she more kindly puts it “People Who Are Into Politics.”.
The other point picked up more in the comments is one I want to look at a bit closer is that blogging isn’t enough, talking amongst ourselves on blogs isn’t going to achieve much, or as she says:
“It’s just no-one’s noticed yet, that’s all. Like no-one’s really noticed how you and the rest of the gang would actually be terrifyingly powerful if anyone could figure out a way of brainwashing you into going out knocking on doors and delivering leaflets and telling all your friends about this site or this book they MUST read, you know?”
I think on this point she’s partly wrong, not much more than 18th months ago I didn’t read a single political blog, not sure how I stumbled into them and now I read loads and write the odd one. On the back of just that people I know have started reading political blogs beyond humouring me and reading this one, and I’ve pointed people at other political blogs, shared articles with people that possibly didn’t care on facebook and swapped links with people that did care. I’ve even lent people political books which before I stumbled on political blogs I wouldn’t even have owned. So even without going out delivering leaflets in this connected world messages are being spread from friend to friend (admittedly the pub also helps here), some of these were interested in politics before some weren’t. But all that said as some of the comments have observed it isn’t actually enough we do need to move beyond the on line world, and follow Leg Irons move and make and give out leaflets, or maybe join Old Holborn for a costumed walk (If you’ve not been on one you do get to talk to random people about what you’re doing and why). I recently started 646 All out! for this election and have moo cards and stickers ordered and will be getting flyers as well, I’ll hand them out or leave them for people to find – no idea on the impact it will have but some people may visit and from there discover other blogs or talk about it in the pub, and leaving such cards in places to be found is a lot less effort than handing out leaflets door to door.
So while there’s not many of us talking and it can seem like a bit of an echo chamber there are far more reading silently and that number is growing, and if we somehow start to advertise ourselves out in the real world that number will grow faster and who knows what it might turn up. I think there can yet be quite a ground swell of people that do read these blogs along side then instead of the mainstream media before either the mainstream media or us bloggers notice, but if we are serious about getting our individual or group message out there we can’t just sit around hoping to be found*. And if we’re not serious about getting a message out then all we’re doing is sitting around whining like a bunch of Emo Kids that have been told that they do have to do their chores before they can go to the club – and if that’s all we’re going to do really we may as well just go to the pub.
* I say this as someone that is utterly hopeless at self publicity and is quite content for people not to discover a word I’ve written – so please do accept the fact that whilst I’m calling everyone else a pot I’m well aware that I’m very much the kettle.
The end of the world must surely be coming, that or I’ve fallen into some odd alternate reality, for today we have:
Tom Harris saying Daniel Hannan is right (which he is) and elsewhere Peter Tatchell is defending homophobes (well their right to free speech). All these attacks on our liberties and sovereignty do make for some strange alliances.
Just seen over at Old Holborn go read what he’s said and it’s worth following the few links in the article as well it won’t take long. But the gist taken from EDL Media is that:
On Saturday 20th February 2010 Members of the leadership team of the English Defence League were arrested as they traveled to Scotland to support the Scottish Defence League demonstration.
While in custody the team members homes and families homes were raided by police armed with automatic machine guns which terrified the leaderships family which included small children and other older family members. Computer equipment was seized during the 3 hour raid.
It doesn’t say on what grounds they’ve been arrested and will be charged so it’s possible they’ve been up to something they shouldn’t and arresting them en-route to a demo like that was just a convenient coincidence. But on the other hand it does look a tad troublesome from the point of view of awkward demonstrators of all sorts. The various comments and sound bites in the articles linked to by OH also don’t paint a very reassuring picture with the police seeming to co-operate with counter protesters to prevent the EDL from exercising their legal right to make a static protest. This comment in particular doesn’t suggest that the anti-EDL protesters the police were helping had entirely peaceful intentions in mind:
Student protester James Nesbitt, 23, from Glasgow, said: “We had spotters out across the city looking for fascists in pubs. We got here quickly but the police are doing everything they can to keep us away from them.
Certainly a situation to watch to see how things develop.
Just when you think that the mendacious scoundrels that sit in the palace of Westminster might have learnt to shut up and keep their heads down, they find new and interesting ways to dig up past scandals and heap more disrepute upon their heads. In this case we have three labour MP’s claiming that parliamentary privilege protects them from being prosecuted for fraud over dodgy claims (hat tip: Dizzy). However there may be a silver lining in this dark and stinking cloud, in that as observed by Captain Ranty it may yet test and revalidate the 1689 Bill of rights which could have very interesting repercussions (see comment thread over on Captain Ranty for a discussion).
It seems as though all those conspiracy theories about mass immigration being a deliberate policy to change the culture of the UK may have had a point. According to a report in the Telegraph (hat tip to Iain Dale)
He wrote: “Earlier drafts I saw also included a driving political purpose: that mass immigration was the way that the Government was going to make the UK truly multicultural.
“I remember coming away from some discussions with the clear sense that the policy was intended – even if this wasn’t its main purpose – to rub the Right’s nose in diversity and render their arguments out of date.”
Currently I’m not angry about this, I’m still going WTF! The idea that there could be even a grain of truth in this, that any government could even briefly thing that such a policy was in anyway a good idea. Especially as from tales from some immigrants that arrived here to work and marry and form a life it seems that they must have had a very specific idea of which immigrants and what sort of diversity they wanted. So really what on earth where they thinking?
For now I’m going to go to bed, and hope that when I get up in the morning this will prove to be a bad dream or a hoax or something. On the off chance that it isn’t Leg Iron has a more coherent response and possible reasons (I think the David Icke being right theory may make the most sense).I expect there wil be some choice words over in the comments at Old Holborns
I am more than a little pissed off at the possibility that there’s even a grain of truth in any of this.
Yesterday I commented about a march/procession that is being organized by “Islam for the UK”. Discussing this matter with other people elsewhere I’ve come to realize that this march may be more significant than at first site. Assuming of course that it’s not just an elaborate hoax which if you read the site seems almost creditable.
However there are two aspects to this march which I think are really worth further consideration.
1) How this march will be policed, and if it will be allowed to go ahead.
2) If the published material for this march is considered either treasonous or seditious and what action if any is taken.
Continue reading »
A rather interesting event has been brought to my attention thanks to Anna Raccoon which really does need to be brought to wider attention. It seems that the Islamic group “Islam for the UK” are planning an openly seditious march that may also be treasonous, as it will be calling for the abolition of Parliament and the monarchy (they’re also calling for Gordon Brown to be thrown out but that’s hard to argue with).
Full details of the march can be found here. The march is on the 31st of October so just before Old Holborns gentle stroll, which will make it very interesting to see how it’s policed and even if it’s allowed to go ahead, as sedition is still illegal.
Go read the whole procession (Not demo obviously because those are naughty) details but mean while some choice highlights:
Undoubtedly, Islam and the Shari’ah have reached new heights in the United Kingdom, Muslim communities up and down the country have brought forth a culture and system that is not only superior to the British way of life but also a shining example of what true subservience to Almighty God can bring to a society drowning in disbelief and oppression.
…
We hereby request all Muslims in the United Kingdom, in Manchester, Leeds, Cardiff, Glasgow and all other places to join us and collectively declare that as submitters to Almighty Allah (SWT), we have had enough of democracy and man-made law and the depravity of the British culture. On this day we will call for a complete upheaval of the British ruling system its members and legislature, and demand the full implementation of Shari’ah in Britain.
Now whilst I do agree with some of what they say, Gordon should go and that the government is indifferent to the populace, I think to borrow a phrase from Pink Floyd that it’s now quite clear where out where these folks really stand. I hope that this march gets lots of publicity both before, during and after the event as how our glorious leaders and beloved police force deal with it will I think be most educational.
So far it seems as though swine flu isn’t co-operating with the governments/media’s plan to turn into a pandemic. So far behaving no differently from any other seasonal flu. Of course the more cynical among us might wonder if the rapidly approaching end of shelf life for all those tamiflu capsules the government bought for bird flu back in 2005 has any relevance, it’s certainly hasn’t done Roche‘s share price any harm in the past. According to the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation the shelf life of Tamiflu capsules is 5 years in capsule form but with 2 million doses stock piled from 2005 at about £100 a dose that’s a bit of change about to expire.
Meanwhile whilst the rest of us are being suitably afraid or not, perhaps it’s British pig farmers who have most to fear. With Egypt already using swine flu as an excuse to kill off it’s pig farms can DEFRA be far behind? Private eye and others have long documented DEFRAs apparent dislike of British farming, especially it seems small farms, so if this initial out break doesn’t give them an excuse for a cull they can always repeat the same trick as they used for foot and mouth and release the virus again from their own labs.
Across the pond, and remember this all started in America Fox are wondering what impact swine flu might have on civil liberties (hat tip Towards Mutual Benefit). For the record I’m still fairly convinced that it’s far more likely that it will be some out break of disease that triggers the civil contingencies act and not terrorists (unless of course no obliging disease happens along).
Mind I still haven’t got my leaflet from the government telling me what to worry about.
