the Greasy Pole

Bye Bye Blair?

2007-04-20T15:22:00.000+01:00

Breaking news from the BBC:

Might Blair want to leave the scene of crime a little earlier than the anticipated May date perhaps?

Surely that'll be the case if the CPS starts to make noises... imagine charges being brought against senior Labour government figures just before an election!

Not so Great

2007-04-20T08:59:00.000+01:00

I have the great misfortune to have to use First Great Western (what a misnomer! neither first nor great... just a miserable excuse mainly) on my daily commute to the big smoke.

Never mind that it costs me (well my company, but that's hardly the point here) £33.30 per day (or £91.00 per week depending on the demands of the week) but I have to stand on every single journey. I last had a seat in February and before that? I can't remember such is the infrequency.

Truth be told, what really smarts, as a paying customer, is the amount of passengers they insist on cramming on to the cattle trucks*. Hence I have got to know many strangers much better than either if us would have probably prefered. My favourite part of the whole experience though is the poor customer service that only ever entails apologising to those poor souls in first class who are denied the drinks trolley because the rest of us are blocking the way.

I was therefore particularly amused to read the following letter of complaint via Devil's Kitchen.

*Sorry, carriages. OK so at least the older HST trains have windows that open - yesterday I made the mistake of getting on one of those three carriage jobs in which you can't open the windows. I think I now have an insight into how dogs die in hot cars.

Coalitions of the unwilling

2007-04-19T16:43:00.001+01:00

Despite yesterday's post, given devolution is here to stay and I am a pragmatist (some might say opportunist...) I have to (relunctantly) agree with what the short, fat, follically challenged one has to say, summarised succinctly, as ever, by CH on devolution and power sharing.

Accepting devolution also means accepting the bastard-love-child that is STV and embracing the nature of a PR system which includes the quirk of government power brokers being the smaller parties.

And the Scottish Tories are now one of those smaller parties and could be one of those power brokers, if it so chose.

With PR at local government level in Scotland too, power sharing is here to stay and we have to participate in that process or face alienating supporters at all levels.

Surely it's preferable to swallow some pride and see policy enacted compared to the long wait in the political wilderness that is the alternative?

P.S. But I should make it clear that the rest of the article, where he bangs on about an independant party in Scotland, is total crap. He is a trouble maker and in the minoirty.
Of course there are others who share his sentiment. However, firstly, they would never be seen dead on the same platform as Monteith and secondly, they are largely in the background, unwilliing to take a larger role in the day-to-day runnig of the party.

Lib Dem Inconsistency on Greg Dyke vs. Devolution

2007-04-18T17:52:00.001+01:00

The idea of a coalition of Tories and Lib Dems to beat Red Ken isn't the worst idea I've heard to unseat someone who manages to appeal to an uunfeasibly broad cross section of London Society. Wrong choice of candidate however in Greg Dyke!

But really, you've got to love the Lib Dems:

Lib Dem chief of staff Ed Davey said the Tory proposal had been "very odd", and may have been against the party's rules.

He said Mr Cameron had proposed the idea of a joint candidate to face Labour incumbent Ken Livingstone in a meeting with Lib Dem leader Sir Menzies Campbell.

Mr Davey said: "The people of London should have a full democratic choice on next year's mayoral elections. David Cameron's proposal would have denied that.

bbc.co.uk

What grand hypocrites!

Coalition with Labour at Westminister in the case of a hung parliament wouldn't then?

Or as in Scotland, is it fair that a minority can impose their policies on the majority? Isn't that a a denial of the majority's will?

Independance all round? No thanks.

2007-04-04T16:36:00.000+01:00

This is unbelievable!

An independant Scottish Tory party would collapse.

The Deep Malaise

2007-03-12T15:25:00.000Z

ConservativeHome is categorically wrong to demand David Mundell's resignation. The prolific Iain Dale is right to say the party in Scotland needs to get it's act together but like most commentators looking in he doesn't quite realise how deeply moribund the party is.

And key to the above point is, it is no one person's fault. Scotland has been marginalised by the party as an area of importance since devolution arrived and the exodus from the party post-'97.

Scotland will never be the most conservative region in the UK, but if it was possible to hold 21 seats in '83 why none now? The party north of the border has stagnated for lack of three key strengths:

1. Party management;
2. Policy initiative; and
3. Pool of talent.

Devolution affects all three and has been the catalyst for the growth of most of the problems.

More to follow...

Remodelling

2007-03-12T14:37:00.000Z

I have been struck down with a fairly violent bout of food poisoning which has given me the opportunity to redesign the layout a bit and play around with some ideas...

As in the natural world, things which are bright colours (such as pink) are often warnings that they are poisonous and shouldn't be consumed. Why then, didn't I realise this before my first (or second, for that matter) mouthful of Pepto-Bismol???

Astonishing...

2007-03-08T16:17:00.000Z

Courtesy of Finklestein's Comment Central, another interesting piece from Robbie Millen on what is essentially the widening gap between fundamentalists and the mainstream.

Conservapedia is, frankly, astonishing. I don't think it's unfair to suggest that Wikipedia suffers from certain problems, but to suggest that it is over run by anti-Christian, American hating communists is frankly risible. Conservapedia attacks Wikipedia for clouding facts with liberal propaganda and unsurprisingly, all the US hot potatoes are cited: abortion, homosexuality and evolution theory/the big bang.

By virtue of the sheer number of people who moderate at Wikipedia, articles (on the whole) tend to the factual and avoid any one bias. That's not to say they don't outline various criticisms, etc. but the main article itself is usually factually based.

Not so in Conservapedia... take abortion. Wikipedia's entry is the description of medical procedure (which abortion is) where as Conservapedia's entry is a list of the horrors associated with abortion.

Why squeal about bias, only to replace it with bias of a different flavour*?

At least CreationWiki does what it says in the tin - it is open and honest about it's objectives. Conservapedia seeks to squash inconvenient facts that contradict theological beliefs and present the results as fact. It's not about the religiosity or beliefs, it's the deliberate deception and promotion of ignorance.

Give people the facts and let them make up their own minds. Wikipedia, for all it's faults, is still the better proposition because it shares and expands the store of human knowledge.

*That's flavour with a u. Hilariously they think this is ungodly. The patronising and ignorant mindset could possibly explain the phenomena.

the Times they are a changin' (mk2)

2006-11-20T14:23:00.000Z

I picked up my copy of The Times today and thought, hmmmm.......

So sitting at my desk, past the front page, thinking "silly Ruskies, this is all smacks of poison darts and umbrellas" and then, hmmmmm.....

Wait a minute - Something's changed! New font and format.

The new format looks more like a cross between the Indy and the Guardian... oh dear!

Why this continous tweaking?

... and when will they stop tweaking the format at the Telegrpah too, and concentrate on content? Broadsheets in their desperate rush to attract yoof readers are loosing their reason d'etre - quality writting and not just in the comment section.

west wing - wow!

2006-05-10T00:17:00.000+01:00

OK, I know I'm probably the only one who is getting excited and slightly emotional but it's here.....

Series 7 box set. Which means it's arriving but it's departing (after 7 years).

I know I have a problem with box sets (buy, buy, buy!!!) but this one is a mixed feeling.

A great series having seen better days ending. Not that its that bad - if you haven't seen any yet you should. The writing is very sharp, especially in the first four series.

Pre-order now!

the Times, they are a changin'

2006-05-09T23:00:00.000+01:00

What does today's much talked about Times poll really mean?

No nice graphs as per the normal Populus/Times usual, but ConservativeHome just about fills the void.

Given the last month has included the following:

Cash for Peerages
Charles Clarke's releasing of the criminal foreign masses
NHS finanial mismanagement (and the Labour Party being booed by a nursing union!!!)
John "Two Shags" (more than two, 'alledgedly') Prescott

and that's really just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Labour sleaze, how is the dip in support for Labour not a lot more?

Cameron's not done a bad job so far (certainly more Prime Ministerial than the last three) but I can't help feeling he'll never succeed until the public falls out of love with Nu Labour.

Surely professional incompetence (as 3 of the 4 above are) is so much worse than personal indiscretions. And yet such gross incompetence of the worst kind doesn't deliver the killer blow...

I can't even begin to explain why they are still so popular - it genuinely mystifies me.

But in saying that having just seen the advance copy of tomorrow's DT (ITV News) it would seem Blair's downfall is beginning - at last but I won't hold my breath.

last.fm: personal music preferences

2006-05-09T13:30:00.000+01:00

I first heard about last.fm about 2 months ago but had been slow to check it out.

It watches what music you listen to and makes suggestions from:

music that is similar by genre, etc.
other peoples' prefences whose are similar to your own

It has a radio player "thing" that also lets you rate songs and seems to be a free to air playlist.

Combining all this, it then lists what you listened to last, most, etc. Overall quite a lot of cool things going on behind the scenes with this. Check it out:

Return to the fold...

2006-05-09T00:20:00.000+01:00

Hmmm, well, yes.

It's been a while....

During my auspicious period of silence I have managed to submit my 25,000 (80 pages!) dissertation and find gainful employment for when, or at this rate if, I graduate - more on striking lecturers later.

You know what they say about a day being a long time....

Further more...

2006-02-06T23:57:00.000Z

I suppose what I'm rallying against in the previous post is not Islam in particular as a a religion but a group of fanatics who as a minority are trying to prevail upon us alien restrictions and limit freedoms that we have fought long and hard for - since the time of Magna Carta.

Why is it alright for me to be able to criticise one religion in the strongest terms possible and not another?

I personally believe that it is ungodly, unChristian & downright evil for the Roman Catholic Church to preach in Africa that condoms are evil and chastity is the way forward. This is a policy that has and will condemn millions upon millions to long and painful deaths. Personally I believe Pope John Paul II has gone to hell for it. Would a caring loving God really condemn so many of his children to death if he could save them?

There! You see... I bet Catholics aren't terribly fond of me now.

But I also want to ask, why do so many suicide bombers incite the name of Mohammed as they prepare to blow themselves up? Why is it that Islamic organisations are so prevalent in these tragedies and not other national or tribal groups? Last time I checked we didn't invade Islam.

So why the feeling of such intense hatred - why do the religious leaders of Islam feel sothreatened by Liberal Democracies if all is as rosie as they claim?

These are hard questions that require hard answers and must be answered in order to resolve many of the current problems.

Disgusting & Downright UnBritish

2006-02-06T23:18:00.000Z

Protests by a small fraction of Islamic extremists is disgusting and displays a breathtaking level of stupidity, ignorance and intolerance.

Little do they realise this great country which belongs to us all is exactly why they can just about get away with such outrageous behavior and yet they are protesting against the same system allowing criticisms against their personal beliefs!

Thank goodness we live in a democratic society so we too can protest at this unreasonable reaction...

Oh, right of course, we can't though!

Freedom of speech and criticism of religion or any other organisation which wishes to rule our lives is a permanent feature of our society.

If followers of Islam are too weak to come up with reasoned responses or their faith is lacking, may I suggest they move to any one of many very welcoming and hospitable countries in the middle eastern penisula?

Photos: BBC News, Daily Telegraph

The Health of the Union

2006-01-25T17:10:00.000Z

Reading Drinking From Home (Scottish Raj) & The CEP (Campaign for an English Parliament) this morning, on the subjects of Scots at Westminster and devolution made me think what a botched job Labour has made of the constitutional affairs it has deigned to touch and how we solve the West Lothain Question.

DFH in the Scottish Raj article identifies 28 Scots who hold major Cabinet, Government & parliamentary positions from Tony Blair to PPSs to the Speaker. The imbalance is obvious and frankly embarrassing. As far as I can see there are two options for Britain if we accept the current arrangement in Westminster, Holyrood and Cardiff is a total, unworkable fudge:

We either retain the current unitary system, whilst overhauling the Lords, returning all powers to Westminster and provide more emphasis on the regions or the more impoverished areas outside London and the Midlands such as the North West/East, Scotland & Wales that will always need help.
We adopt a Federal system which breaks the UK into Scotland, NI, Wales, the North, Midlands and South of England each with their own mini-bicameral systems with a streamlined Commons and a Senate style Lords of much fewer Peers/Senators (approx. 100.)

However the real problem for many in England (like the folks at the CEP) is that any Union between the four nations will always require money to flow out from London to the weaker/poorer regions. This may seem inherently unfair but the price the other home nations pay in return is the loss of the brightest and the best to England, and in particular London. This has, historically, exacerbated the poor situation of wealth generation in countries such as Scotland and hence resulted in the need for such support.

David Stenhouse's 'On the Make: How the Scots Took Over London' is definitely worth a read to understand more about the outflow of talent from Scotland to England over the ages.

Strangers: Integrity & Galloway

2006-01-24T21:15:00.000Z

I have a friend who likes to argue Galloway has integrity. Naturally I have never agreed with him and always seek to persuade him of the error of his ways.

But I watched Celebrity Big Brother for the first time last night and I don't understand how anybody can say, with a straight face, that "Gorgeous" George is advancing his cause, or his constituents, or the down trodden masses he claims to represent.

On another note, regarding his work ethic: he has the lowest voting record but for the Speaker and Speaker's deputies who can't vote and Tony Blair (the Prime Minister of Great Britain - fair enough) and yet his constituency is in London. All he is interested is in boosting his ego.

Shame Mr Galloway, shame. In the high profile campaign you fought in Bethnal Green you promised your constituents so much more and yet you have failed them so badly and delivered so little.

What Next?

2006-01-24T21:01:00.000Z

The Lib Dems seem intent on total self-destruction at the moment, p12 of today's (Tuesday) Telegraph has an article about a new local Lib Dem party president - he's 12 years old!

I'm sure this is a lovely story and that he is very bright but it's wrong on so many levels and as for the possibility of jokes... well I'm not going to start, it would just be far too easy.

They're not really helping their current situation or repuation with stories like this are they?

Fat Cats in The Public Sector

2006-01-23T17:28:00.000Z

Public workers are up in arms about proposed changes to their pension provisions according to a BBC News Article.

Of course they are - poor dears. It's such a hard work, toiling for the government now that their retirement age remains at 60, and their pensions must remain index linked, oh and of course under the 85 rule they should be able to retire as early as possible, for good measure.

Never mind that the people who pay public sector pensions (the taxpayers) should be asked to pay as their own pensions collapse around them and then be forced to work ever longer so as to be able to retire with a decent pension.

Please, do strike, cause mass misery to those who pay these pensions and then win any way as this government is too weak to stand up to and your irrational demands.

Mark Oaten: Part II - The Aftermath

2006-01-23T16:19:00.000Z

Mark Oaten's "Episode" raises an interesting thought for the Conservative Party.

He was the man the Tory Party had the most to fear from - he won the solid Tory seat of Winchester from Gerry Malone back in '97 and could have probably done the same in larger quantities for Lib Dems around the country at the next election.

The rest of the bunch are pretty unappealing - Huhne has only sat in parliament for a matter of months and now he wants to lead a national party! I know there are Cameron parallels there but not such bravado on that scale. Ming - too old, dull and reliable. A good man but a caretaker only. Simon Hughes - not terribly inspiring is he?

Oaten was different (no, not like that!) - he wasn't threatening to alot of Tory voters and alot of his ideas (tough liberalism, etc.) appealed to many disaffected Tories. He could have quite easily gained alot of centrist New Labour voters that wouldn't vote for a Labour party under Gordon Brown too, putting the party in a remarkably strong position.

As it is now, the Lib Dems can only lurch to the left and will have to compete with Labour for a limited pool of voters - leaving the door wide open for Cameron and the Tory party to move back to the centre ground at the next election.

Thanks to Guido for the photo.

Mark Oaten: Part I

2006-01-23T15:04:00.000Z

There's am interesting debate going on at Guido Fawke's place about Oaten's (supposed) hypocrisy.

Nobody, I think, likes to see another person having to resign in humiliation (unless they're a particularly nasty piece of work) nor the way the press tear up aspects of their personal life in avery public areana.

However, if one is going to cause a fuss over the use of prostitutes and the circumstances surrounding such a case, common sense would suggest that one doesn't get caught using prostitutes six months later, especially if one is married with two children.

I genuinely don't think the issue is his use of prostitutes per se, more the fact he has been caught in that classic politician pose of do as I say, not as I do.

Normal Service Will Resume...

2006-01-23T11:47:00.000Z

Lack of posting recently has been, frankly, crap - apologies. Something about University final exams, Christmas, you know all the usual excuses.

Anyway, the stream of high quality chat will resume shortly...

On the subject of disappearing, what has happened to Peter Cuthbertson at Conservative Commentary ? He seems to have disappeared off the face of the earth since late lastt October. ConCom is/was always worth a read as it covered a whole range of challenging/controversial issues in Peter's unique and interesting manner. His contributions are missed.

Disenfranchisement?

2005-11-17T19:01:00.000Z

I came across Who Should You Vote For? and tried their Conservative Leadership quiz... well obviously I came up for Cameron:

Your expected outcome: Cameron

Your actual outcome:

Davis -6

Cameron 6

You should support: David Cameron

Well fair enough I suppose... but with questions like:

The Conservative leader should never have taken illegal drugs...

and

The Convervative leader should have military experience...

...I can't help[ but feel the objectivity and the point of the quiz was totally defeated. Any idiot (like me) can go on there a blatantly answer the questions in manner which guarantees you will end up with your preffered candidate. They either haven't put any effort into researching either candidate very well or don't care about trying to do something useful with the quiz.

Any person who has a vote for the contest (ie party members) will know most of the answers for their candidate of choice - what I expected was some sort of revelation.... maybe I expect too much.

...is a very long time!

2005-11-09T22:00:00.000Z

Well I've seen it all now!

Fraud at the Times (Alledgedly)

Having read the front page of the Times at Lunch I did think the poll rather odd - to suggest that Davis had achieved such a marked swing over Cameron in such a short space of time...

Then reading Guido and then PolliticalBetting.com this evening I couldn't believe that the Times was trying to swing a major headline on the intention of 122 people! And they were only Tory voters not members.

Is it only me who feels this to be a little fraudulent or at the least a little economic with the truth?

Blair loses it!

Let's hope this is beginning of the end. When the Labour Party finally woke up and defied Blair.

It's good to see parliamentary democracy is alive and well in this country - well it might have a cold most of the time but it moves when it counts.

90 days is a quarter of a year... and potentially with no charge!

Surely if one is that much of threat to the state there will evidence to provoke this thought in the first place? Otherwise it might run as follows: "We think you are guilty and we're going to bang you up until we find the evidence."

Sounds more like China than the UK.

A week in politics....

2005-11-08T23:00:00.000Z

Wow! Travel has stopped me from posting this week but what a week it's been.

South of the border:

How is Blair going to push through the 90 day legislation? He normally manages it but here's hoping not this time . And think of the serious ramifications it could have at this stage of his premiership. Now there's a thought!

North of the border:

Good riddance to Monteith - complaining that everyone else was up to their necks in it to. Of course he's just whining as he got caught.

Now that we have a proper and good Scottish Chairman (with a backbone) the proper action has been taken. Monteith needs to be booted out the party - such insubordination can not be tolerated in such a small group.

Good Luck to Annabel Goldie: read her funny and quite apt cowboys and indians parallel here.