Do you own your home?
How many cars are owned or available?
Are you English -Welsh -Northern Irish
Are you White English -Welsh -Northern Irish – Scots
Are you White Irish
Are you White Gypsy or traveller
Add another Thirteen variations
How well can you speak English?
Voluntary question Religion is ……….?
How many questions will you anwer when the CENSUS comes around?
I know what my answers will be: None of your business, Mate!
I was surfing on blog links yesterday evening, and came across a reference to a film which can be variously described as ”glorious history’, ‘xenophobic rubbish’, ‘racist propaganda’ or simply one of the best action films ever made.
I write of course about ‘Zulu’, the story of the defence of a tiny mission station in Natal, South Africa in January 1897, by British soldiers from B company, 2nd Battalion, 24th Foot, later known as the South Wales Borderers, some Natal Militia volunteers; all under the command of Lieutenant John Chard and Lieutenant Gonville Bromhead.The garrison of the mission station comprised 8 officers and 131 non-commissioned ranks. Of these 17 were killed and 10 wounded.
The battle of Rorke’s Drift followed the massacre of over 1700 British troops at Isandlwhana by the same Zulus who fought against the tiny number of British soldiers. to this day, no one resally knows how a disciplined force was overrun by such a foe, but they were, and the Welshmen who died at Rorke’s Drift were all shot by British bullets from British rifles captured the previous day.
When I was in Durban during my Merchant Navy days, the nightwatchman aboard our ship was an incredibly ancient Zulu man, and we got talking one evening. H e claimed that his grandfather fought at Isandlwhana as part of a Zulu ‘Impi’ or regiment, and what his grandfather told him as a young boy had stayed with him all those years. He told me that the young men were always placed at the vanguard of the charge, and the older, more experienced warriors at the rear. The battle cry was simple, “Those who move forward may die; those who run back will die!”
Amongst all the protestations, and professions of innocence, I do not detect an obvious need for a ’sea-change’ from our political governing class.
From Cameron we get a ‘firm’ message to his disgraced fellow Front-benchers and those who fawn in the back ground that all stolen money should be repaid. Then what? Nothing! No indication that the local Conservative Associations are going to be handed back the power which they once held; which is that of De-Selection! No perception that the anger of the voters needs to be taken into account! Some M.P.’s have already been saying that it’s alright for Cameron, as he is already wealthy, and he does’t need the cash, and they do!
We hear similar murmurings from Brown and the Labour Front bench; in that crooks such as Elliot Morley and Hazel Blears have ‘erred‘, and have made restitution, and Elliot’s really such a nice guy, and he is so penitent, and on and on until the audience dies of boredom!
I quote from Rudyard Kipling’s Mesopotamia when I write:-
Even while they soothe us, while they promise large amends,
Even while they make a show of fear,
Do they call upon their debtors, and take council with their friends,
To confirm and re-establish each career?
The General Election is now just a year away, and I figure the smoke-filled rooms will be awash with frantic clones of Blears, Morley, Hoon, Bradshaw and the other scum from Labour; whilst their opposite slime-filled numbers from the Tory Party, those names including the names of Hogg, Gove, Gummer, Ancram and Davis will be casting glances at the address listings for their local Associations, and wondering how long memories of claims past will in fact last!
How many British Constituencies can claim to have an M.P. seemingly as able and incorrupt as Philip Hollobone, M.P. for Kettering in Northamptonshire? Along with having the lowest amount of expenses out of 646 Members, he also sits upon his local Borough Council, serves as a director of a ‘clean coal company’, (which is perhaps a drawback in his judgement in my eyes) and also does a stint as a Special Constable with the British Transport Police?
If all three major Parties gave their local Constituency Parties and Associations a free hand to decide whether to stick with the incumbent, or to try a new name, that might do the trick, because British people vote for a Party and a Name, nor just a Name. They might turn the tide of anger away by doing something along those lines, because core voters, whether Labout or Tory or Lib-Dem have good memories; and whilst a parliamentary term is perhaps a long time, a year is definitely not!
As in most things, I can only speak and write for myself, but I have never heard so many talking as one, no matter from which side of the aisle they sit and view the world at large! I have never heard before the depths of sheer annoyance and disbelief in the comments regarding our political masters, and I wonder if the Telegraph has unwittingly started a new political force, which is based on British bloody-mindedness, one which is intolerant of cant and hypocrisy, one which is determined to see and institute change, even if that change means we have to build again from scratch?
Jokes which Obama discarded from his routine at the Washington Press Corps Dinner!
“Sorry I’m late… Louis Caldera was my cabbie and he thought it would be a good idea to drive me by the Statue of Liberty for a photo-op.”
“Incidentally, Caldera was also going to be the person who ordered the Navy SEALS to rescue Captain Phillips from the Somali pirates if that had turned out badly.”
“In an effort to ensure that any terror suspects killed under orders of the administration is completely legal in the eyes of the president, ‘killed terrorists’ will now be referred to as ‘really late term abortions’.”
“The White House says that the president had no prior knowledge of that 747 buzzing of Manhattan. Is it really a good idea to entrust our national security to somebody who can’t even install The Club on his own jet?”
“Barack Obama hasn’t denied any knowledge of a buzz since he smoked a bowl with William Ayers.”
“And I don’t know about you, but I sleep better at night knowing that a White House aide can scramble F-16’s without anybody else knowing about it. This way, if the s*#t comes down while Obama’s teleprompter is unplugged, somebody can still order planes to bomb New York to appease an enemy like at the end of Fail-Safe.”
“If you’re wondering why the president is in a good mood, it’s because he’s glad to be finished with his annual physical. During his colonoscopy doctors removed two benign polyps and the White House Press Corps.”
“This morning I took a walk through the National Cemetery — or as ACORN calls it, a ‘recruiting trip’.”
“Things are getting weirder and weirder. Barack Obama is now running an auto company, and yesterday I read that Lee Iacocca was taking over control of the Black Panthers.”
“Michelle Obama is also here tonight. The First Lady just taped an episode of Sesame Street but walked off the set after seeing a segment featuring The Count holding photos of Barack’s cabinet members and saying, ‘Two… twotax cheats. Ah Ah Ah. Three… three tax cheats. Ah Ah Ah…’”
“After it was clear her husband would be president, Michelle said that for the first time in her adult life she was proud of America. If everybody thought this way, there would only be 44 women in the history of the U.S. who were proud of the country. And they called Ivana Trump high maintenance?”
“The Obamas just received a dog as a gift from Senator Ted Kennedy. Barack thinks Bo will be a good travel companion just as soon as they can get him to stop getting the runs and jumping out of the car whenever the motorcade is heading toward a bridge.”
As many of my readers may already know, I am retired, after working in various sections of the Engineering World for over fifty-odd years. I have three grown children, and of course, the light of my life is well illuminated by my two wonderful Grandsons.
At my time of life, most are ready to take a back seat, especially in terms of public life, except in the simple case of blog writers such as myself and my many colleagues, who feel pushed to comment on current life, politics and the way we are governed because we see the steady drift towards authoritarian rule if not continually highlighted and opposed! I have comparatively good health, having come through major surgery, and am attending the gym five days a week in the faint hope I’m gonna get slimmer! I was going to adopt the role of Grandad and side-of-the-park commentator, until I read today’s Telegraph, and truly discovered the extent of the disdain in which we, the Electorate of this United Kingdom of Gresat Britain and Northern Ireland, are held by the so-called Members of Parliament who claim to represent us!
I am therefore going, over the next few weeks, to discover how I would go about starting up a new Political Party, one which truly has the interests of the voters at heart, with no allegiances to Party demands or beliefs. A Party which would campaign on one issue alone as a start, which would be to cleanse the Augean Stables of Westminster, to remove from the headlines such stories as the Tory M.P. who made over £320,000 at the taxpayers’ expense PERFECTLY LEGITIMATELY; or the equally sordid tale of Mr. Clean himself, Keith Vaz, M.P. who claimed £75,000 for a flat twelve miles from his constituency home. Or of ’Gorbals Mick’ himself, Mr. Speaker, claiming £1,400 for chaufeur-driven cars whilst in Glasgow, visiting vital contituency places such as Celtic Park, and spending some £3,000 of our money on carpets and painting on his ‘own home’!
The Party would be named the ’Root and Branch’ Party. One of the founding principles would be that if elected to serve, and if successful enough to form a Government, the Leader of the Party would only serve as Prime Minister or Leader for exactly one year, after which there would be an internal election for a new Leader. Similar elections would be held for all major Ministries. All major government initiatives would be sent out for consultation by the People, and Referenda would be held by Sealed Internet Servers to gain a majority decision on any such questions not previously covered by a manifesto, which would be adhered to by Law, instead of just a vague promise, as with, for example the Labour Party of today.
The only travel expense allowed would be for public transport, and the only waiver would be for First-Class travel by rail, because that’s where the only comfortable seats are found! No cars, no aircraft seats, Nothing! If it is deemed good enough for British people, it is good enough for M.P.’s. If they want to travel by other means, they will only be recompensed the value of the standard rail fare, and with nothing else!
If any M.P. wants a second home whilst at Westminster, a special apartment block will be built to the same standards as that provided for the soldiers of the British Army, and they will reside there, and nowhere else, at least not at public expense!
X-posted from ATW
Charged with Rape!
Charged with multiple accounts of money-laundering and corruption!
Stated that he will not be infected with H.I.V. because he took care to shower after the rape, which of course was normal consensual sex!
Self-Acknowledged terrorist!
So there we go, a perfect candidate and now the elected President of the Republic of South Africa
I hear that there is to be a play about a trial which parallels the trial of the murdering bastards who slaughtered tiny Jamie Bulger.
Peter Morris said that the Edinburgh Fringe production was intended to counter the “irrationality” that surrounds coverage of the James Bulger killers.
I’d like to place our ‘arty’ friend Morris in close proximity to the distraught father of tiny Jamie, and let the producer explain the ‘irrationality’!
After I posted this, on the subject of the shoddy treatment afforded the soldiers who remained after their dead comrades were shovelled on to a Cargo Jet wrapped in bubble plastic, I wrote my M.P. to protest, and I append the letter and subsequent replies here for your information.
So that’s all right then?
I have only just realised that we only have his word that he only has one eye operative!
I see this prime example of ”’British”’ youth is on trial for her life in Laos on a charge of smuggling heroin!
I’d volunteer to load the rifles!
Anyone who deals, carries or dabbles in drugs gets all they deserve, and the sooner the better!
Passed by John Redwood’s own blogsite, and found he was discussing the massive problems which this country is facing after twelve years of Labour compiling their own versions of Stalin’s five-year plan, namely the six-and-a-half-minute plan. That, by the way, is the time of the average sound-bite from the Labour bunkers as they spit defiance at the outside world!
Travelled on towards No Problem, and discovered my favourite canal-roaming couple have returned to the waters after getting their narrow-boat refurbished! Sue sounds fairly content with the workmanship and finishes on their floating home; it really does help when the guy who is doing the work knows what he’s about!
Did a sharp right-hander and landed aboard Paul Staines’ site where he publishes a series of poklitical prat-falls for both sides of the aisle in Guy Fawkes blog. He mentions in passing how M.P.s will be able to ‘Censor’ their own expenses before public release. What he doesn’t mention, but what is generally known to exist is a complete and detailed list of ALL those expenses on a single CD-ROM, which has been floating around searching for a good place to explode upon!
Off the next junction and around the houses brings us to Adam Smith, where the learned folk discuss Swine Flu in conjunction with Hedge Funds and Industrialised Farming; clever combination!
Turned around the corner, and found myself parked next t this nice little site, not a real blog, but with the same devious intentions, which is FakeCharities. Seems like the authors get quetly pissed-off at organisations calling themselves Charities, and then being totally or largely-funded by public or tax-payers cash!
Dropped down into second gear while driving alongside The Ranting Penguin; it’s a site where I sometimes land, but not for too long because he spoils the sentences with repeated obscenities! Shows a lack of education, my son!
A quick side-slip lands us up at the doorstep to the BNP’s Martin Wingfield, but we don’t stop long because he vets his comments section with a really heavy hand; no backsliders allowed on Martin’s site!
Found our transport gliding along beside the UK Libertarian Party’s blogsite. I like their style, but as they will be the first to admit, they’ve got a real long row to hoe!
Accelerate away from Westminster, and a sweeping left-hand brings us to England Expects, where he is chuntering on in a determined fashion about Europe, and the Elections. Don’t know why he bothers, to be perfectly honest! The parliament itself is about as useful as tits on a boarhog, and just about as beautiful as well. Policy is determined by the Commission, the Council of Ministers says what goes, and the Parliament just carries on talking to itself, despite little gems like Dan Hannan’s demolition of Gordon Brown.
When I saw the ‘age revised-upwards’ images of Madeleine McCann, I was reminded of the events which have led up to the release of those pictures.
I am especially reminded that it was because the ‘Parents’ of this little girl left her, and her tiny brother and sister ALONE in the hotel bedroom whilst they went swanning off to a restaurant some hundred and fifty yards away to eat and drink with their friends, that she was so easily taken!
So let’s all remember who did what, and when and why!
THE government has raised its virus alert level to ‘pantastic’ after it was confirmed that two people in Scotland were hovering close to feeling slightly unwell.
The pair, from one of the dozens of non-descript hell-holes between Edinburgh and Glasgow, were admitted to hospital yesterday when their condition was described as ‘critically fuzzy’.
Doctors said they were now 90% certain the couple were suffering from Pork Flu as opposed to a common strain of Scottish Influenza, also known as a bastard hangover.
Dr Tom Logan, from the Royal Infirmary of Scotland, said: “Scottish flu is particularly common at this time of year as the weather becomes milder and the days longer, meaning everyone spends even more time in the pub than usual, mainly because they can stand outside all night smoking hundreds of fags.”
As confirmed cases in Europe leapt from probably 14 to possibly 19, officials said the very small number of people infected meant it was vital governments across the world were prepared to use the word ‘pandemic’ as often as possible.
Martin Bishop, from Doncaster, said: “I thought it was when millions of people were infected, bodies were piled outside cemeteries and doors were daubed with a big, red ‘X’ to indicate a ‘house of the unclean’.
“But then I looked it up and sure enough it said ‘Pandemic, noun – 19 people in four different countries, each with a slight temperature and a bottle of Lucozade’. So there you go.”
Margaret Gerving, from Peterborough, said: “I thought we’d at least see some tanks on the streets and lots of government agents walking around in those scary-looking biological suits they wore in E.T.
Some Thirty years ago, Britain commenced the Great Revival. From being bankrupt in spirit as well as in practice, we were led down the road to recovery, to confidence and to prosperity. In the space of some ten years, we fought an internal war against over-mighty and wealthy union barons whose sheeplike supporters just could not see the damage their leaders accomplished, and we fought another war against a dictatorship some ten thousand miles away in the southern latitudes, with the Falklands Isles invaded by Argentina. We, as a nation, accomplished the renewal of Great Britain, aided and spurred by one person, and one person alone, Margaret Hilda Thatcher, now of course Baroness Thatcher.
This lady, once dubbed by no less a judge of character than Winston Churchill as ‘The only Man in the Cabinet’, planned the renewal of Britain after the doldrum and neglect years of Labour and previous lacklustre Tory administrations, the last of those being the Heath government which took us into the European Common Market. She saw the manner in which the Union Barons literally ruled the Labour Ministers, with their constant demands for more money, more benefits, more leverage for thie members and of course, for their unions, the vast majority of which of course were very left-wing by nature and composition! The Unions’ attack on, and of course defeat of, the Industrial Relations Act and the freeing of the Pentonville Five must have helped her in her policies towards the Trade Union Movement that all were to be equal under the law, but the Law would have to be fit for purpose. She stood for Tory Leader, and despite everyone’s disbelief, became Official Leader of the Opposition, with the sulking Ted Heath hovering in the background.
After a series of debilitating strikes in the ‘Winter of Discontent’, and the results of two ‘Devolution’ referendums pushing the Nationalist Parties to withdraw their support from Labour, a single vote decided that Labour was defeated in a Vote of Confidence, and Margaret Thatcher became our first female Prime Minister.
Her record, both in Domestic as well as in Foreign matters, is written in many places, and is both long and unique, in that in the many battles she undertook, she won the most vital ones. She reformed Trades Union Legislation, put the economy on a sound footing, and, in my view as well as that of many, only made one serious error in her years, which was to sign up to the Single European Act. She claimed afterwards that she had been mis-briefed, but I believe that she missed the simple truth that all European Legislation has enough built-in loopholes to allow any slippy bureacrat to run rings around any politician who doesn’t deal with scum every day of the week.
Her triumphs in the South Atlantic, aided and abetted of course by her strong friendship with Ronald Reagan, when the British Fleet took the Royal Marines and the Army south to the cold South Atlantic, fought their way to the Falklands beaches and on to victory in Port Stanley, sent her name, and that of Great Britain, ringing around the world as a nation and a Lady, who would not be pushed around!
She survived an assassination attempt by PIRA/SinnFein. Her attitude towards the so-called ‘hunger-strikers’ and their demands for ‘political prisoner’ status was both robust and correct, she said ”Crime is crime is crime; it is not political”. Unfortunately, her Government was also in contact with the Republic of Ireland’s leadership, contacts which evolved into the ‘Anglo-Irish Inter-Governmental Council’, a precursor to the betrayals of Blair and the Belfast Agreement.
Margaret Thatcher is today a frail lady in her ‘eighties. She has been diagnosed as suffering from dementia, and has virtually no short-term memory at all. A sad truth and a sad ending in sight for one of the finest Political minds and Prime Ministers this country is ever likely to see.
x-posted from a Tangled Web
Are they getting off lightly?
Nicholas Winterton; Ann Winterton, Douglas Hogg, Andrew Mackay; all these thieves are stating that they are not standing for re-election. The first two, notable for claiming some £80,000 for a flat owned by a trust controlled by THEIR CHILDREN, are stating they cannot keep up with the ‘hectic pace’ of politics! The other thieves are just as glib, and just as bad, and just as guilty!
They should all be sitting in police cells on multiple charges of THEFT!