At least the Labour members in Selly Oak lcan't complain about not having a varied choice when it comes to selecting their next candidate.. Blairite loyalist to the core, Steve McCabe.... in favour of Foundation Hospitals, the Iraq war, student top-up fees, anti-terrorism laws and ID cards.... or serial rebel Dr Lynne Jones.... errm, opposed to Foundation Trusts, the Iraq war, student top-up fees, anti-terrorism laws and ID cards.
Should be a tasty selection meeting.
Monday, October 30, 2006
Parkinson's disease
If you just happen to be passing through the leafy lanes of Berkshire... this sounds like a great place to miss. Not just for the £850 bill for your grub and the unexceptional range of hearty ales, but you might even have the mifortune to bump into the Thames river bank's most boring Yorkshireman droning on about his love of Barnsley, Fred Trueman, Skinner Normanton, and Dickie Bird, whilst a whole host of middle-of-the road crooners to lull you to sleep. So... if you want a night out watching the tedious Chris Rea or Tony Christie over your reconstituted scampi and onion rings... this one's for you.
Sunday, October 29, 2006
BNP kick squealing Sharon into touch... but who has trousered the cash?
Sharon Ebanks, thrown off Birmingham City Council following a recount of last May's Kingstanding election papers, has now been booted unceremoniously out of the BNP. Not for being an out and out racist, and surely not because enthusiasm for her cause drained away when it was revealed her father was black, but because she would not keep quiet about allegations of financial corruption in the BNP. Perhaps the most ludicrous suggestion for Sharon's departure was that
When the delightful Ms. Ebanks was fighting her case to keep her seat, Sandwell BNP activist Simon Smith launched a defence fund with a view to raising £5,000 from the gullible to pay for legal costs.... now some of the stormtroopers are asking the sheepish Smiffy, "Where's our money gone?" in light of the fact that the BNP are not paying the legal costs. Over on the Stormtroopers chat forum... things are getting a tad fractious.
"she had made anti-semitic remarks"... even Sharon, in the immortal words of Ricky Gervais, was moved to say "You're having a laff".
When the delightful Ms. Ebanks was fighting her case to keep her seat, Sandwell BNP activist Simon Smith launched a defence fund with a view to raising £5,000 from the gullible to pay for legal costs.... now some of the stormtroopers are asking the sheepish Smiffy, "Where's our money gone?" in light of the fact that the BNP are not paying the legal costs. Over on the Stormtroopers chat forum... things are getting a tad fractious.
Turnout
Simon Jenkins writing in The Sunday Times writes an interesting piece on Ruth Kelly's local government proposals and the notion that Gordon Brown had essentially filleted them before they were published. Jenkins is trying to push the nonsense of elected Mayors' though, so he presents us with a few facts from the right-wing think tank, the New Local Government Network, whose very basis for existence seems to be that they detest local government. So, one of Jenkins' 'facts about Mayors' is that
"Election turnouts have risen". Well.... given the hysteria generated by the local media in these contests, turnouts would be up, you would think. I took a look at the New Local Government Network's list of Mayoral election results... and the turnout of electors listed there appears to have been less than spectacular. Of course, in Stoke-on-Trent in 2005, (where in 2002 the public nearly elected a BNP Mayor, which would have produced an interesting response from our NLGN friends)... the turnout was helped by the fact that nearly 10,000 voters took the trouble to vote... to spoil their ballot papers! Some endorsement, that, eh?
Saturday, October 28, 2006
The sound of silence
I've just come back from watching Aston Villa play Liverpool at the Liverpool Central Library. This is not sour grapes. We are no strangers to defeat by a comfortable three goal margin up there. For years during the seventies and eighties it seemed that we were invited along as the support act when Liverpool were presented with the Championship trophy, and for desert they rattled up three quick goals before declaring and playing an exhibition match for their fans.
What was different today though, (apart from the fact that their slightly better than average team are a million miles away from winning the title) was that those games used to be played at Anfield. A roaring atmosphere, full of screaming demented scousers, intimidating to away teams and fans alike. Today's game was played in front of what Roy Keane once described as the prawn sandwich brigade. 3-0 up, with five minutes to go in the first half, ripping your opponents to shreds, a whole squad of stewards wouldn't have been able to drag me out of my seat until the break. But no, this passive bunch of muppets, who came alive briefly with each goal before returning to their slumbers, were off down the steps queuing for their half-time scampi. After the break, they patted their stomachs, and fell gently to sleep, interrupted only briefly for the ovation to the immense Steven Gerrard as he left the pitch, job done. When we got back to the M6, where we merged with the fake scousers and Mancs on their way back to London from Bolton, I wondered where all the old Liverpool fans who used to go to the match from their Liverpool homes, go now on a Saturday.
What was different today though, (apart from the fact that their slightly better than average team are a million miles away from winning the title) was that those games used to be played at Anfield. A roaring atmosphere, full of screaming demented scousers, intimidating to away teams and fans alike. Today's game was played in front of what Roy Keane once described as the prawn sandwich brigade. 3-0 up, with five minutes to go in the first half, ripping your opponents to shreds, a whole squad of stewards wouldn't have been able to drag me out of my seat until the break. But no, this passive bunch of muppets, who came alive briefly with each goal before returning to their slumbers, were off down the steps queuing for their half-time scampi. After the break, they patted their stomachs, and fell gently to sleep, interrupted only briefly for the ovation to the immense Steven Gerrard as he left the pitch, job done. When we got back to the M6, where we merged with the fake scousers and Mancs on their way back to London from Bolton, I wondered where all the old Liverpool fans who used to go to the match from their Liverpool homes, go now on a Saturday.
Friday, October 27, 2006
Nightmare
I had a late night last night, and this morning I dreamt I heard someone called Andrew Lansley, who claimed to be a Shadow Health Minister, on the Today ranting on about how PFI was a complete waste of money. Then things got more surreal... I heard Lord Baker, former Thatcherite Education Secretary of State, savaging Labour for backing down to faith groups, particularly the Roman Catholic church over the issue of them having to accept up to a quarter of their pupils from other faiths or with no religion. It was a really horrible nightmare... and so realistic.
Wait for it...
Tom Waits has one of the most distinctive voices in modern music, with a rasp that sounds like a 60-a-day man who has swallowed a razorblade. He has a 54-track triple CD out next month, Orphans: Brawlers, Bawlers and Bastards and by following the links you can find more details and listen to some of the tracks, and I would urge you to listen to 'Road to Peace'... one of Waits' few diversions into politics. It's bloody brilliant.
Thursday, October 26, 2006
Power to the people... but only if you do it how we tell you
So, that's it then. Ruth Kelly is putting the local back into local government. She (well, her boss actually, but the Opus Dei One has been lumbered with it) has decided it is time for local authorities and local people to be 'empowered'. Time to throw off the shackles of centralised bureaucratic government. Sounds really good, eh? All that local democracy stuff... all that 'double devolution' jargon... set the people free... let them decide. I love the sense of freedom and empowerment for local people in this one classic phrase... Central Government will:
"Legislate for choice of three leadership models for local authorities: a directly elected mayor, a directly elected executive of councillors, or a leader elected by their councillors with a clear four year mandate. All executive power will be vested in the leader of the council."All executive power will be vested in the leader of the council. Well, you can't get much more local and democratic than that... can you?
A new non-job filled
According to Iain Dale, Gillian Shephard has got a new job. Obviously the arse-end of the pantomine donkey position had already been taken.
F.O.A.D.
Still trying to bin the reflected glory of others. After spending 23 years living on the back of a European Cup win when he wasn't there, he is now trying to claim the credit due to his successor.
"I always knew he was the right man and I have been proved absolutely 100 per cent correct."Nothing to do with the 20 million-odd smackeroonies he trousered on the way out, of course.
Wednesday, October 25, 2006
Well, he ain't here then...
I thought I would try to help out in The War Against Terror (T.W.A.T.)... so I typed the name Osama Bin Laden on to this site...
Tuesday, October 24, 2006
C.H.I.M.P
Ever since Thatcher, who seemed to think the law of the jungle was best, politicians have been engaged in trying to work out the best way of testing efficiency and value for money in public services. Major modified CCT regulations, Blair tried Best Value, and now we seem to have settled upon a series of inspection regimes. In health and social care you have CSCI and Joint Area Reviews and the Healthcare Commission, in local government we have the Audit Commission, education has OFSTED, and on, and on. If a Council, school, or a hospital trust gets a bad inspection you will often find something in the media from your rent-a-quote politician sounding off to anyone interested on the back of an Inspectors’ report.
It got me thinking about how we performance manage our MPs. At the moment, the only real measure is the ballot box every four or five years, and often, on the flimsiest of information, we are asked to judge whether they are doing a good job or not, even though we may have had no personal contact with her or him. So… why don’t we have a Commission that will tell us about our MPs. They could arrive with a few days notice, inspect all correspondence and see how quickly and efficiently it was turned round. They could check attendance in the House of Commons (MPs would clock in) and participation in divisions, and they could do unannounced spot checks outside their advice surgeries to check with constituents how they felt they were treated, was the MP polite and helpful, etc.
Then, they could publish their reports for everyone to see whether they are achieving a one, two or three-rated service as an MP. When it came around to selection of a candidate, or at election time, people would then be able to make an informed choice… yes, choice, that phrase so much championed by the government, about whether they had an MP who met the required standards. Then, if the public re-elect an MP in the full knowledge that he or she has been a wretch for years, so be it, that’s their choice.
Just to be helpful, I have suggested a name for the new body; it could be the Commission Hoping to Improve MPs. (CHIMP).
It got me thinking about how we performance manage our MPs. At the moment, the only real measure is the ballot box every four or five years, and often, on the flimsiest of information, we are asked to judge whether they are doing a good job or not, even though we may have had no personal contact with her or him. So… why don’t we have a Commission that will tell us about our MPs. They could arrive with a few days notice, inspect all correspondence and see how quickly and efficiently it was turned round. They could check attendance in the House of Commons (MPs would clock in) and participation in divisions, and they could do unannounced spot checks outside their advice surgeries to check with constituents how they felt they were treated, was the MP polite and helpful, etc.
Then, they could publish their reports for everyone to see whether they are achieving a one, two or three-rated service as an MP. When it came around to selection of a candidate, or at election time, people would then be able to make an informed choice… yes, choice, that phrase so much championed by the government, about whether they had an MP who met the required standards. Then, if the public re-elect an MP in the full knowledge that he or she has been a wretch for years, so be it, that’s their choice.
Just to be helpful, I have suggested a name for the new body; it could be the Commission Hoping to Improve MPs. (CHIMP).
Monday, October 23, 2006
A mayor for Birmingham
The Birmingham Post today prints a letter from the Labour Group Leader on the City Council saying that "a Labour council would allow an unfettered referendum on the future governance arrangements for Birmingham." Leaving aside the fact that there is no immediate prospect of a Labour leadership of Birmingham City Council, should Sir Albert not indicate whether or not he has a particular interest in the possible position of City Mayor for Birmingham? With the Birmingham Post & Mail Group making it absolutely crystal clear over the last few years that it favours a City Mayor (pushing forward people like local historian Carl Chinn, the clown Digby-Jones, and even more laughably Karren bloody Brady who already presides over one lot of Birmingam losers), Sir Albert knows that a referendum is going to be massively skewed in favour of a 'yes' vote. Of course, there are those cynics who might suggest it is the only possible way Sir Albert could return to power in Brum.
Hatters on Cameron
Roy Hattersley takes a week off from attacking Tony Blair, and turns his attention to Dave. I suspect the dilemma that both Labour and Tories have with David Cameron is that neither really trust his integrity. Is he really the same old reactionary Tory trying to fool the electorate into believing he is something else as Hattersley says, ...
The Tory leader's approach to politics is so blatantly superficial that the thinking voter is waiting, perhaps subconsciously, for the real Tory to emerge from behind the bland wall of generalities.... or does he genuinely believe what he is saying, and is just greasing the pole before shafting the Tories with it?
Sunday, October 22, 2006
Don't think twice, it's alright
Birmingham City Football Club are Shit! Don't blame me for that, get it from someone who knows. At least Pete isn't like one of those saddos that have been wandering the earth for the last three years telling anyone who will listen that the sleeping giant has woken up.
This is a cracker for Dylanoligists. Thanks (again) to Tony.
This is a cracker for Dylanoligists. Thanks (again) to Tony.
Saturday, October 21, 2006
More from The Bench
I have never seen this site before today... and now I am nicking all of it's contents because it is superb. Whilst you are there... check out the Afghan Novelty Pen.
Why don't we do it in the road?
Cruel... but clever.
On the subject of music, if my daughter happens to read this... you are reminded that there are 392 Jeff Buckley videos on YouTube.
On the subject of music, if my daughter happens to read this... you are reminded that there are 392 Jeff Buckley videos on YouTube.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)