A nice little earner

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Accredited workers powers Way back in 2002 Labour introduced the idea of accredited workers, people who can demand our details, or our money for a variety of things not all of which were offences. It’s not been exactly a tidal wave of people getting these powers but as The Telegraph observes the number is increasing an increasing rate both in numbers of people who are accredited and in the number of organisations allowed to enrol people. It would seem to be snow balling, and why not all those fines they can charge help to keep paying for councillors and politicians expenses and jollies abroad.

For instance from the Telegraph article:
“In March this year, Scotland Yard gave 15 private security guards the limited policing powers to operate around Victoria coach and railway stations in central London”

Those aren’t even PCSOs, just random security guards with no well known requirements for ID or uniform, if there’s even any criteria for acceptable ID or uniform in the first place. As other people have observed the potential for fraudulently collecting fines is quite impressive, not to mention the ease with which addresses could be gathered in this age of “identity theft”. Would you have any idea if you were talking to a genuinely accredited person who a con man?

Looking at the little list of powers they have I’d observe that it’s not actually illegal for under 18’s to have alcohol nor under 16’s to have tobacco, and “force” them to surrender alcohol?

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This mask was made for walking

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Fawkes thinkingMy recent post about the state of affairs in Whitby reminded me that just after the Whitby Goth weekend is another day when I tend to dress up and go around looking silly. By which of course I’m referring to the now traditional* walk around Westminster in the guise of Guy Fawkes. Hopefully Old Holborn will lead the way again, as he much better at it than I. But regardless come November the 5th I shall be wandering around Westminster in costume, as the powers that be don’t seem to be slowing down in destroying our liberties. After all with people being prosecuted for covering their faces in public in France and Belgium, and laws to let the police remove face coverings being mooted in the UK following the London looting – who knows how long we’ll be able to wander around the place in fancy dress?

So for that reason alone plus all the ones I’ve muttered about previously I’ll be going for a walk again this year. So it’d be rather jolly if other people felt like joining me (and hopefully OH, he’s far more dapper than I)for a healthy stroll, in the manner of political litmus paper. If people are interested I do have a plan to push this a bit more than just here**, but it will really only work if other people are involved. Either way all will be unveiled soon, but do drop me a line if you’re curious/interested.

* It’s happened 3 years in a row, that makes it tradition in my book.
** And I will be plugging the walk quite a bit here as it’s more fun to go walking with company.

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Monday shorts

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I was going to post about something else but then I watched The Wonderful World of Tony Blair – which reminded me of just what a total smegging cock that waste of skin actually is, and we’re still bloody paying for him!

“Dispatches shows that at the same time as Blair is visiting Middle East leaders in his Quartet role he is receiving vast sums from some of them. If Blair represented the UK government, the EU, the IMF, the UN or the World Bank, this would not be permitted.

He would also have to declare his financial interests and be absolutely transparent about his financial dealings. But no such stringent rules govern the Quartet envoy.

However, he could opt to abide by the rules and principles of public life. They were introduced by John Major, and Tony Blair endorsed and strengthened them for all holders of public office – but chooses not to himself.”

And in other news a trader has told the BBC that:
“This economic crisis is like a cancer, if you just wait and wait hoping it is going to go away, just like a cancer it is going to grow and it will be too late!”.
(H/T Zero Hedge)

Video thanks to his Grace:

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