I've been tagged...

I don't normally do these things... but I've been tagged by Iain Dale, so, here goes...

The Meme of 3

1... Things that scare me
Heights
Injections
Bats and rats

2.…People who make me laugh
Peter Kay
Buster Keaton
Tony Hancock

3...Things I hate the most
Racism
Slugs
Birmingham City Football Club

4...Things I don't understand
Foreign languages
How pictures come down that wire on to my television screen
People who are enthusiastic about DIY

5...Things I'm doing right now
Typing this
Listening to 6.0.6
That’s enough… I don’t do multi-tasking

6...Things I want to do before I die
Read the obituaries of Margaret Thatcher and Doug Ellis
See Labour elected and carry out a socialist manifesto
Write a novel

7... Things I can do
Ride a bike
Be a little tactless
Cook

8. Ways to describe my personality
Patient
Tolerant
Understanding
(I’m told)

9. Things I can't do
Dance
Climb mountains (or stepladders) See Q.1
Give up drinking

10...Things I think you should listen to
Charlie Gillett, BBC London 8pm, Saturdays
Bob Dylan
Jazz, live at Corks, Bearwood

11...Things you should never listen to
My wife snoring (or don't let me catch you)
Norman Tebbitt
Gangsta Rap

12...Things I'd like to learn
To keep my big mouth shut
To draw
To play guitar

13...Favorite foods
Fresh French bread
Blue Stilton
Avocado

14...Beverages I drink regularly
Timothy Taylor’s Landlord Bitter
Batham’s Bitter
Mojito

15...Shows I watched as a kid
Bill & Ben the flowerpot men
Champion the Wonder Horse
Dixon of Dock Green

16. People I'm tagging...
Lobster Blogster
Mike Ion
Skuds

Victims

David Grossman, the celebrated Israeli writer, publicly urged his government to accept a ceasefire. And then...

Downloading

As I said I would, I have spent much of the weekend (in between watching endless re-runs of Olof Mellberg's towering header) crawling around in the loft, sifting through hundreds upon hundreds of vinyl LP's in order to convert selected albums and tracks into MP3 files for the ipod. Well, the good news is... it works! Even someone with my limited technical knowledge has been able to do it, and I'm currently listening through the ipod to....
Man Kind - Misty in Roots - Live from the Counter-Eurovision, 1979.

The following quote from the intro to that track was played at Peel's funeral:

"When we trod this land, we walk for one reason ... to try to help another man think for himself. The music of our hearts is roots music, music which recalls history, because without the knowledge of your history, you cannot turn in your destiny: the music about the present, because if you are not conscious about the present, you're like a cabbage in this society."

Too true mate... and good news for anyone from the South Wales area... Misty are coming there next Saturday!

I'll list my favourite vinyl to mp3 selection later this week.. but for now I'm going to start downloading.

Fantasy Football

Absolutely nothing to add!

My brain hurts

This can be infuriating. A brainteaser. (Via Rachel)

Backtracking

I will be spending most of this weekend scrabbling around in the loft sorting through the 2,000 or so vinyl albums stashed away up there. I haven't owned a turntable for about 7 years when the CD finally won the war and I had to resort to sorting around the shops to recreate the back catalogue. Obviously not everything got replaced. Some were so obscure that they were not translated to CD, and some albums had just one standout track but didn’t warrant the exorbitant price being demanded for the whole album. Then, as the mp3 revolution arrived, the prospect of vinyl became even more remote... although folks down the pub were always passing on highly technical, and as such, useless advice about transferring vinyl to cdr and then on to the ipod.

But today… this arrived in the post and my life can be complete again.

The BIG kick off

OK, just two days to go to the start of the football season proper. Yes, I know, the bluenoses and yam yams around here think it has been going two weeks already, and they are busy pretending that football is much more fun, cheaper, contains less diving and cheating etc. etc. outside of the top division. It makes you wonder why they were in such depths of despair last season as the tumbled the first steps to hopeful oblivion. Still, people in Colchester, Southend and Plymouth can look forward to their weekend being invaded by neanderthal brummies telling everyone how the sleeping giant is about to wake up.

So, for all of them who have already forgotten what life is like in the fast lane...



Alternatively, you can have even more fun HERE.

(PS - this smug, boasting piece of arrogance is written in advance of the opportunity we have been given to allow the gooners to inflict their usual brand of homocide on our defence in celebratation of the opening of their new stadium)

Ask the powerful 5 questions

1. What power have you got?
2. Where did you get it from?
3. In whose interest do you exercise it?
4. To whom are you accountable?
5. How can we get rid of you?

Only democracy gives us that right.
That is why no-one in power likes democracy.
- and that is why every generation must struggle to win it and keep it.
Including you and me - here and now.

You can read more here.

An offer of help....

Apparently, Walsall Illuminations need a new name! I could suggest a few things, but I bet they don't ask me. You can e-mail your suggestions here.

No depth charge

My online dictionary definition of the word vacuous states:

1. Devoid of matter; empty.

2. a. Lacking intelligence; stupid.
b. Devoid of substance or meaning; inane: a vacuous comment.
c. Devoid of expression; vacant: “The narrow, swinelike eyes were open, no more vacuous in death than they had been in life” (Nicholas Proffitt).

3. Lacking serious purpose or occupation;

There can be no better description than the word vacuous to describe the performance by the Leader of Her Majesty's Opposition, David Cameron, on the Today programme this morning. I have crticised Tony Blair more than most over the last decade... but the very notion that this silly public schoolboy Cameron could lead the country is barely credible. Thatcher was brutal, Major was boring, Hague and IDS were joke figures, Howard had substance, though people just didn't like his substance, but Cameron is just.... well, vacuous!

It certainly seems like the old duffers at The Telegraph are getting worried:

Mr Cameron's ill-judged sally gave John Prescott the opportunity to wallow in righteous (and wholly artificial) indignation, describing the Conservative leader's remarks as "beyond belief" at a time "when we should all stand united". Political sanctimony from Mr Prescott is hard to stomach, but it has to be said that Mr Cameron left himself wide open to the attack. We trust his future musings on these complex issues will be both more thoughtful and more memorable.

Private Farr (8871 - 1st West Yorks) was found guilty of "mis-behaving before the enemy in such a manner as to show cowardice". Private Farr simply refused to return to the trenches while suffering from "shell shock". After two years on the Western Front he was so badly affected that he spent five months in hospital. Despite this he was found guilty at the court-martial and executed in Northern France. Well done Des Browne, Andrew Mackinlay and most of all, Gertrude Harris (now aged 93) . Now it seems... John Reid may soon arrive at the same opinion. It would have been even better if Gertrude Harris had been given that peace of mind 8 years ago!

Nice and sleazy does it...

Bloody hell! This bloke is not even having the decency to wait a while before he dips his hands up to the elbows in the sleaze bucket. Coming on top of this it seems Cameron and co. are vadvertising the fact that they are 'open for business'. No doubt aspirant Tory MP Iain Dale has already started his Book of New Tory Sleaze.

Coming.... and going

A comrade of my for many years has started his own blog - just before he goes on holiday, perhaps not the best time to start - and today he explains why he is no longer a member of the Labour Party.

"Well I finally got my reward for this unstinting loyalty - I received a letter saying that because I had failed to pay my membership fee within the first six months of this year (having never missed a payment for the last 31 years) I WAS NO LONGER A MEMBER. Nice to be wanted eh?
My thoughts on this - thanks for nothing and goodbye!!."

More takeover talk

Lerner bid for Villa is apparently not a done deal... yet.

The world's greatest lover?

I can ass-ure you... this guy is hot!

Oh happy day....!

I detest the notion of Football Clubs being taken over by US (or Russian) billionaires to use them as their playthings, or even to asset strip them. But given the fact that Aston Villa Football Club has been in the hands of one of life's most malevolent creatures for a quarter of a century... today's news must be regarded as a blessed release. I despise the very air that a very small group of people use, (Margaret Thatcher, Ariel Sharon... and Doug Ellis?) so today I will raise a mojito to Randy Lerner (whose very name conjures up an image of a student called Sean who I once shared a flat with).

Lubbly jubbly

Our local curry house, the always excellent Haweli in Bearwood... actually gets a little feature in The Guardian Weekend magazine, including a rather good illustration (which unfortunately doesn't appear in the online edition).

Stomp the dirt down!

Should we honour the mother of a convicted terrorist... or should she burn in hell for eternity. Your chance to vote.

Relax

You probably don't have time in the week when you're pinching a few minutes at work to surf the blogs... but relax, it's the weekend. Take your time, put this on in the background and let 'Trane and Miles blow while you surf.

Missing it

I now know why people who go to Tuscany want to go back. Sunset over Bearwood is delightful... but it just doesn't compare.

The ego has landed

Is there a football manager with a more inflated reputation than Terry Venables. For over 20 years he has beed feted by the London based media as if he was the best football coach on the planet, with just the right combination of the cheeky cockney chappie with the coaching skills of Marcello Lippi. I just cannot believe the hype he has received this week. Eriksson is castigated and dismissed as a failure because he 'only' got us to the quarter final of two World Cups and a European Championship... El Tel is the Messiah who got us to the semi-final of the European Championship with every game played at Wembley! His achievements in the last 20 years appear to have been to help to avoid relegation with Middlesboro with a Chairman with more money than sense (sufficient qualification incidentally to enable his new boss to get the main job), winning an FA Cup Final with Tottenham (on that basis John Sillett or Bobby Gould could claim the job) and contributing towards getting Leeds United relegated... oh, and that Euro 96 semi-final. Not to mention, of course, conducting a business career which would make Del Boy Trotter look like a pillar of the community.

Anyway... this is no major prediction... but I suspect the FA will be writing out the P45's for El Tel and his boss sometime in the next 18 months... and McClaren will carry the can whilst Tel Boy will go with his media image untarnished.

Labour Conference Blogger? Moi?

Innovative, fresh, enthusiastic blogger wanted. What gives me the impression that they are not thinking of me?

Lords Reform

Elect the Lords. "The power of political patronage has to be protected. Preferment and promotion are the levers the party whips use to coerce loyalty from recalcitrant MPs, and it is alleged that party fundraisers sometimes dangle peerages in front of prospective donors."
Billy Bragg on commenting on the hint that only 50% of the reformed house might be elected is the feeble admission that hard choices are being evaded.

Ceasefire Now

Tony Benn and others calling for a Ceasefire Now in the Lebanon.

Essential reading

The Independent has, until now, tended to make Robert Fisk's superb articles on the Middle East part of their subscription service. They appear to have decided now we can all read them. Crocodile tears of leaders as city burns.

Sunset

This was the stunning view across the pool and the Tuscany hillsides from the patio of our holiday apartment in Tuscany. I'm not going to bore you with the complete set, but I will post some other pics on the Flickr site as soon as I can get round to it. There is also more about these wonderful, peaceful apartments on Jules and George's website. (Thanks to George for towing me out of the ditch last week when I went off the road - only joking if you're reading this from the car hire company).

Legover time

I'm sure Inzy didn't join in the laughter... but this was just the moment for Jonathan Agnew to recreate his famous "he just couldn't get his leg over" remark, although without Jonners being reduced to fits of hysterics alongside him, it could never work again.

Role Reversal

Tony Benn in Media Guardian writing about his forthcoming interviews with interviewers. Should be worth watching.

Home Thoughts

Well, I’m back, and at least I’ll be able to follow the news a bit easier now, and as far as I’m concerned the appointment of Martin O’Neill is only part of the job. As I posted a number of times when he was up for the England job, I’m not half as convinced of O’Neill’s qualities as he, or his mates in the media are. He won a couple of League Cups with Leicester (even Big Fat Ron has won that for us) and finished first in a two horse race in Scotland. But compared to the job he has got on at Villa Park, they were easy-peasy, particularly whilst that scrote continues to run the club. Still, I wish him all the best (Martin, that is… you really don’t want to know my wishes for Doug Ellis), but as my curmudgeonly old mate Ernesto texted me in Italy to say… “Yippee! We’ve got a manager who thinks Robbie Savage and Alan Thompson are footballers!”

Mug of the Month

The Tories have been scrabbling around all sorts of useless characters to stand instead of Nobber to get a bashing from Ken Livingstone in the London Mayor elections. Ian Dale, bless his little silk socks, has come up with a cracker! Ken will be shaking in his boxers when he reads this.

I have not shared a bed with Neil and Christine Hamilton (yet)

In this modest Tuscan cottage we are staying in, beaming down from the top of the stairs is a signed photograph of the fragrant Christine Hamilton smiling lovingly at her weedy husband Neil. At first I thought I was going to be able to post a blog headed "Councillor Piper shares a bed with the Hamilton's" but I thought I had better confirm that in advance of another missive from my old friends at Carter Ruck. A good job I checked too, because it turns out that Neil and Christine had not in fact stayed here, but the owner had appeared alongside them in the 'Rocky Horror Show'.

Wolfie goes for it!

It would seem that the Labour heirarchy are running scared that Wolfgang may win a seat on the National Executive Committee. I am assured in my holiday hidey-hole that the panic is not because Blairites are now deciding to switch to Wolfgang because of his insistence that Jack straw was talking rubbish!

More good news..

From ConservativeHome:

"The Conservative Party's principal asset - almost its only asset apart from its core of loyal supporters - is evidently the Blair Government.... Only 36 per cent of those who bothered to go to the polls at the 2005 election voted Labour. According to YouGov, 33 per cent say they would still vote Labour today. In other words, despite a chaotic reshuffle, evidence of gross mismanagement in government departments, "loans for peerages" and John Prescott's 10-gallon hat, Labour support over the ensuing 15 months has dropped by only three points. The explanation must lie overwhelmingly in the Tory Party's continued lack of popular appeal and in the fact that the economy, if not exactly buoyant, remains in most people's eyes in reasonably good shape."

Now... I really must go back to the pool...

Good News

It has taken an extraordinary amount of time, but at last justice has been done for the people of Kingstanding.

Message from Tuscany

The first thing to say is... it's bloody hot here! OK, so, what a suprprise, I hear you say. You go to Italy in July and discover it's hot, hardly a novel discovery I suppose. But this is really hot. I've been to the Sahara in southern Algeria, and that was hot, the South of France, and Marrakech... but this is as hot as I can remember ever having experienced... and it's fantastic.

This has been my first chance to catch up on the news from home, and the fact that Doug Ellis is not only still alive, but also still in control of Aston Villa, is a matter for deep dismay. What is more I see from today's Guardian that the decrepid old sod has managed to frighten away one lot of investors and the possibility of Martin O'Neill becoming manager (although I think a lot of O'Neill's credentials to date are in the heads of his media mates). I also see the spectre of Sven has been raised. When it was mentioned in the Screws scam last year everyone had a good cackle.. perhaps the fake sheikh knew more than the rest of us.

Ah, well, back to the pool....

Going to cool down

Blogging may be a bit spasmodic as Mr & Mrs P are heading off to Italy, leaving teenage son Michael to wreck the house with the assistance of his mates... which probably means blogging will be spasmodic after that too whilst I get the computer mended.

Whew! That's one gone. Now could someone give Souness a job. Quick!

Squeaky bum time

There are a large number of Labour councillors outside of London who are very worried indeed. Many of those councillors are those who are up for re-election next May. They had assumed that by then Blair would have gone, the party would have been re-energised under whoever the new leader was, and they would be laughing all the way to the polling stations. Now they are not so sure. It looks like he may not go, and for them it threatens to become the nightmare scenario. Whereas it seems fairly obvious that despite New Labour people still don't trust the tories in Government and are very uneasy about the Dave factor... a protest vote in the local government elections, or staying away altogether may become increasingly attractive.

Well, councillors, you know what to do. We all have a responsibilty to get this leadership issue resolved, and your interests are more concentrated than many.

John McDonnell on his leadership challenge.

With all Prezza's problems, inside and outside the trouser department, the string of revelations about the Home Office, Tessa Jowell's 'private' problems, 'cash for honours' and Levy's arrest, a deeply unpopular war in Iraq and a Prime Minister whose popularity is plunging, and all the problems associated with burn out and over familiarity.... the Labour Party could not have been surprised if it found itself 12-15 points behind in the opinion polls.

But we're not. The Tories have a very small lead, and even that looks vulnerable every time Cameron shows his face on TV. Over at ConservativeHome, one of the commenters thinks he knows why:

The current political landscape is fascinating, even when like me you are on the wrong side of it. I decided not to renew my Conservative membership as I loathe so much of what Dave is doing in aping his idol, Tony Blair. However, it's clear that the Conservative Party is attracting new voters. Question is do the new ones offset the old ones like me who are going to stay at home.

Sad anecdote: my safe Conservative seat has seen Association membership fall this year from 1250 to 900. Wonder why.

Iain Dale slams Tory-Lib Dem coalition

Now, this is fun. Comrade Dale has hit out at a scam being performed by Lib Dem-Tory run Camden Council... and then tries to imply that it is Gordon Brown's fault that the Council are on the fiddle. What's more... Iain confirms that it is not just the Council that is useless, they have a useless Press Department too.

Ellisgate

Just a couple of points about this article in The Guardian.

Having recently relinquished his position on the board, the greatest day in the club's history had passed him by.

Errm, not quite. He hadn't recently relinquished at all. Ellis had gone before we won the league title in 1980/81... and in fact he would have sacked Ron Saunders if he hadn't been thrown off the Board in 1979. as it was, he bought back into the club when we were European Champions... and within three years he had sacked the manager and got the club relegated!

The other interesting bit is right at the end...
Ellis has certainly had that in terms of his investment. He purchased Villa for around £80,000 in 1982 but, although the club is worth about £50m now.

Yes... not to mention the near million pounds a year he has taken out of the club in salary and dividends since he 'handed it back to the supporters' by going plc and converting his stake in the club into a small goldmine for the fat travel agent.

Another Tory snout in trough...

Ian Dale smeared former Labour MP David Hinchliffe and accused him of "trousering close on £6,000" as a non-executive director of an NHS Trust. But as PoliticalHackUK points out, there is a former Tory Council candidate sitting on the same Trust Board! Has he also got his nose in the trough?

Declaration of interest: Councillor Bob Piper is the Chair of the Sandwell Mental Health Trust, (which is undoubtably sufficient evidence of having nose in trough direction for Iain I suppose) .... but does not receive any remuneration for trashing Iain Dale's dafter posts.

No tears here

There'll not be any regrets in Birmingham 6 about this. Now it's time for the other waste of space to follow him out the door after 23 wasted years. Does entrepreneur mean having the ability to stuff your pockets with money whilst ruining a business?

Let's here it for the Nobber

According to a poll carried out by ConservativeHome one of the favourites for the Conservative candidate to take a sound thrashing from Ken Livingstone is none other than... Nobber Norris. Nobber apparently attracted 10% of the votes... but behind him in the poll we find 3.5% of respondents also thought .... anyone but Nobber! They'll set 'em up, Ken, you can knock 'em down!

Anything for headlines

News of Dave's latest swing to the left, via Deadbrain

Hedonism Rules OK

I don't know how much further into the sewer the country can sink after this. Although I'm sure you can all think of some prime candidates to take part.

Speaks for itself.

Forward.... but which way is forward?

Iain Dale responds to Tim Montgomerie of ConservativeHome who has criticised Cameron for appealing to the liberal conservatives and ignoring or alienating their traditional right wing support. Iain gives the game away when he says:

"...there are things which David Cameron has announced which cause me to twitch a little. But for the most part, we keep our noses to the grindstone and don't rock the boat. Why? Because we know that it's necessary and we understand the strategy."

The strategy is according to Iain is... keep quiet, put up with all this liberal shit, lull those disaffected Lib Dem a New Labour voters with a promise of New Conservatism under cuddly, hoodie-hugging/bike riding/ecologically concerned Dave.... and then sandbag them with a good dose of old style right-wing reactionary conservatism if we can get elected!

Just one warning for Iain and his mates... and Tim and his mates too, come to that... there are many here among us who thought that was what was going to happen under Blair. Once he was elected he would jump out of his telephone box, throw of that millionaire loving outfit, leave all that wage restraint and anti-union talk behind him, stop the creeping privatisation of the NHS, education and other public services and emerge as our socialist Party leader. Well, I never believed a word of it. Blair was, and remains, a member of the ill-fated SDP. He is what we would have got if David Owen had stayed and gone on to lead the Party. So, Tories... be warned. History does repeat itself, first as tragedy, then as farce, as a great philosopher once said

It just gets worse..

Not only are they going to allow the bastards to desecrate our neighbourhood, disturb people's sleep, blight their homes and be a general bleeding nuisance... they are even going to allow the swine to advertise the fact that they are doing it on our bloody telly!! Can I pass on a short message from my constituents to Mr. Andrew Brown, Chairman of the Committee of Advertising Practice and the Broadcast Committee of Advertising Practice who announced this decision.... GO STUFF YOURSELF WITH THE RAW END OF A RED HOT RASP.

Spot on

Letter in the Birmingham Mail:

Juventus fans are moaning because they've been relegated and docked 30 points. They should try putting up with what we've had to endure during the Ellis years!

It's a wonder that you still know how to breathe...

The Planning Inspectorate has disgracefully given approval to Blue Chip Casinos to open an all-night casino in a converted pub in my Ward (see artists impression of this disgusting object, left) despite the overwhelming opposition of local residents and elected members. I can find no words to describe the wretched bureaucrats who have taken this decision, but I would bet a thousand pounds to a bucket of shit that they don't live next door to an all-night gambling den.

This decision will ensure the lives of the people living in the streets nearby are blighted. Tossers with more money than sense will be banging cab doors, shouting to their mates, starting up their cars or rolling around the nearby streets in the early hours of the morning whilst hard working folk are looking to get a decent night's sleep. Meanwhile, no doubt the gambling bosses will stuff the money of the stupid into their pockets, Ministers will roll over on their comfy feather pillows in grace and favour homes, and the Planning Inspector will sleep soundly in his quiet Bristol suburb.

Rot in hell!

Prezza's Pole (oops... Poll)

I normally avoid this sort of thing, but, this is your chance to say what you think ...What was John Prescott's greatest achievement during his time with the ODPM? The results so far are not encouraging.

On being the 'nearly nasty' party

Roy Hattersley in The Guardian on Cameron's dilemma:

Pretending that the Conservatives are the "nice party" will not work. It is not true. And many Conservative members will not even try to counterfeit love for people they believe to be their social inferiors.

Picnic in the Park

Record crowds and scorching temperatures at today's Warley Woods Picnic in the Park.

Plans for the recolonisation of Cuba

The United States is busy approving plans for the recolonisation of Cuba under US hegemony.

Under the Plan, in the future all Cuban communication, electric power, transport, mining, industry, agriculture, medical, and other productive enterprise will be privatized and the vital actors (US and its entrepreneurs) will build and create for Cuba a water and sanitation system, a health care system, an education system, a transportation system, a communication system, a shelter system (homes for everyone), a food security system (a chicken in every pot), all presumably similar to what we are doing for or to the Iraqi people. Much more, in fact, than we are willing to do for the people of New Orleans.

Paperback writer

My new book, I think I'll call it Brainspotting. The Plot: Working class boy takes drugs, writes books, makes fortune, thinks 'Dave' is a good guy, becomes Tory, moves to live in California.
The End.

Tales from a murky past

I think I have some history with the Paul Corrigan mentioned in THIS article about Cherie Blair in the Mail on Sunday. Way back in the 1970's a Paul Corrigan used to visit our flat at Warwick University where he had befriended a couple of my flatmates. He was a Sociology lecturer and a bit of a Marxist (a very small bit by the look of his subsequent career) who would happily spout off about anything and everything, whether he knew anything about it or not. Looking at the picture in this biography in The Guardian, he has put on a fair bit of timber (as they say in Willenhall) since those days.... it must be all those breakfasts at the Cinnamon Club!

Baroness Thatcher must be one of the most reviled people in Britain... but even she has a few devotees who cling fondly to their memories (like those sort of 70 year old teddy boys or fifty year old punks) of baton waving policemen, queues of unemployed people looking for a job, the poll tax and beating up Argentinians. But this man must be so lonely. Nobody... and I mean nobody, likes him at all.

It's picnic time in the People's Park

 Tomorrow the Warley Woods Community Trust will be holding their annual Picnic in the Park and hundreds of local people will turn up with food and drink to enjoy the live music, and (hopefully) a bit of sunshine.  

Tomorrow's picnic also celebrates the centenary of the parkland being dubbed 'The People's Park' after it was brought into public ownership by local councils and public subscriptions. Over the last few decades the Woods and Park went into fairly sharp decline, but in recent years it has been taken over by a Community Trust and run by local people. With a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund they are starting to restore the park to its former glory, and tomorrow local historian Professor Carl Chinn will be broadcasting his local radio show from the picnic site.

Carl wrote a really good piece about the history of the 'People's Park for a local newspaper recently, and the Trust have published a Centenary publication which you can get for less than a tenner + postage (details are on their website).

Inside the bunker

The inside story about the new European Parliamentary grouping formed by Dave is exclusively revealed HERE.

McDonnell standing will force Brown off the fence

I think it is fairly safe to say that John McDonnell will not win a Labour Party Leadership election when Blair stands down. That doesn't mean he shouldn't stand, and I'm pleased he has thrown his hat in the ring. No doubt those who wanted a coronation will call McDonnell and the Campaign Group divisive, or like Luke Akehurst they will rejoice because they think it will give Brown the opportunity to expose the weakness of the left. That may well be so, I mean if the left in the Party had not been so weak we would not have had to put up with some of the worst excesses of Blairism. However, the advantage of a contested election with a left candidate standing is that Gordon Brown will be flushed out. He will not be able to continue his disappearing act that he has become so adept in doing everytime Blair does something controversial. He will have to either stand firm on Blairite policies (such as the latest proposal to privatise the management of health services) and tell the Party and trade union members where he stands... or go some way to meet the demands of those in the Party who oppose the blatent conservatism of the New Labour project. Interestingly, big trade unions like UNISON, with a very substantial health sector membership, will ballot their members who pay the political fund to determine how the union will cast it's vote for Leader.

Cameron's 100% success rate

Promises: 1
Broken Promises: 1

More at Political Hack.

Time for a revolution... and to end the reign of King Tony the First

Can I start this post off by saying how much I welcome the investigation into the cash for honours issue. As someone who is implacably opposed to an honours system based on patronage, I actually think far more of the honours have been 'bought' in one way or another than we really know about. I know we are all expected to gasp with joy when a little old lollipop lady gets a gong for 40 years service seeing the kids cross the road... but these are just sops to make us think the honours system touches everyone. I'm sure there are people in the Lords who have been put there because they are capable of scrutinising legislation, and to ensure that at least someone is awake as Bills make their passage through the House. But I am equally sure there are Lords who have earned their place by decades of servility to their party leaders, or by agreeing to shuffle upstairs to create a vacant safe seat for an up and coming star of the future. Until the introduction of the requirement to declare donations we had no idea who was bankrolling the Parties, or what they got in return. However the number of super wealthy people who made it in into the ermine robes seems like pretty good circumstantial evidence that people have been getting their rewards in the Lords, even if not from the Lord. The loans for honours scandal is just the latest ruse to allow the wealthy to buy a Lordship which can be used as currency to buy even more Non-Executive directorships in the City of London. Slowly... but steadily, the information is being prised out of it's shell, and the near silence from the Tories over this (compared to the hysteria and rush for the media spotlight during the Prescott fiasco) tells me that squeaky-clean Dave is keeping his head down on this one.

Of course, part of the answer is for total transparency in Party funding. But that is not enough. The essential problem in this country is that at it's very heart, it is undemocratic. It is Her Majesty's Government, the Monarch can declare war, legislation requires the Royal Assent, the Monarch appoints the Peers, the Archbishops and the Bishops, and all the CBE's MBE's and OBE's are doled out by the Queen as if she had sat in her bedroom into the early hours pouring over lists of the worthy to decide who gets what gong.

But in reality, this power lies with the Prime Minister... and it is this power of patronage that needs to be brought to an end if we are to call ourselves a democracy. The monarchical powers are passed down by the monarch, not to the people, through the House of Commons, but to the Prime Minister, who exercises that power with all the grandeur and ruthlessness of a feudal King. The Prime Minister selects the Cabinet, those who would be King, and decides who gets what job. That gives the King the power over his Barons. The Prime Minister selects all of the other underlings of Government, all of the PPS's the Junior Ministers, the Whips and who sits on which important Select Committees. Added to this power, the Prime Minister can also decide who is next in line, who is waiting at the foot of the greasy pole, if one of the underlings doesn't behave themselves. In this way the Prime Minister controls the Government, and can therefore usually command the controlling Party... and in this way, controls the House of Commons. The power of patronage over the Lords just seals the whole thing up in one neat package. So the next time you hear Ruth Kelly or David Miliband talking about empowering people you will know they are saying you may be able to have power over the person that decides how often your dustbin is emptied... whilst the country is still run along feudal lines.

So, I'm not upset if one of the Lords has been detained by the police to try to explain whether or not his fellow Lords got there by bunging someone a few hundred thousand pounds. I welcome it. But until we decide to sweep away the power of the robber Barons and their feudal Master, we will remain serfs scrabbling around in the dust for crumbs.

Laugh... I nearly burst my stitches

So, this is what we have come down to. A Foundation Trust hospital plan to introduce Butlin's-style redcoats on the wards. If my memories of Butlins Redcoats is anything to go by they'll do well to keep them out of the beds!

There are expected to be 17 Parades today involving tens of thousands of Orangemen in the six counties of the North of Ireland. In sharp contrast to previous years the British Army are to be confined to barracks, the Orange Order seem to at least be talking the talk of peaceful marches (walking the walk may be another matter) and Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams has called for restraint. After more than 300 years of sectarian supremacist displays it seems the Orange Order want to celebrate their history in a positive fashion, and that is to be welcomed. This sort of thing will hopefully be condemned by everyone.

The Madcap Laughs no more....

One night a long, long time ago, at Mothers Club in Erdington, Birmingham we were treated to the magic of Pink Floyd recording part of the live session of Ummagumma. Introduced by the late John Peel, the Floyd were tremendous... and I'm not sure they ever really reached those heights again, despite the popularity of things like Dark Side of the Moon. I was reminded of that gig again today when I heard about the death of one of the group's founders, Syd Barrett, who had already retreated into his illness by the time of Ummagumma.

Shine On You Crazy Diamond


Remember when you were young, you shone like the sun.
Shine on you crazy diamond.
Now there's a look in your eyes, like black holes in the sky.
Shine on you crazy diamond.
You were caught on the crossfire of childhood and stardom,
blown on the steel breeze.
Come on you target for faraway laughter,
come on you stranger, you legend, you martyr, and shine!
You reached for the secret too soon, you cried for the moon.
Shine on you crazy diamond.
Threatened by shadows at night, and exposed in the light.
Shine on you crazy diamond.
Well you wore out your welcome with random precision,
rode on the steel breeze.
Come on you raver, you seer of visions,
come on you painter, you piper, you prisoner, and shine!

Hug a Hoodie

Recess Monkey... Have You Hugged a Hoodie Today?

The Shadow Cabinet Member for.... Birmingham?

Andrew Mitchell is one of those talentless twerps that I have recently been identifying as a member of Dave's Shadow Cabinet. According to the Conservative Party website, this totally anonymous man is the Shadow Secretary of State for International Development. Interestingly, Mitchell's low profile in matters of an International nature may be explained by this report which describes him as also being... the Shadow Cabinet Member for Birmingham!

Errrm... who does he shadow?.. is there a Cabinet Member for Birmingham?

We do not endorse football related violence... but...

How many Materazzi's can you deck? Just move the cursor and left click. Shouldn't laugh... well, only a bit. (via Clive Davis)

Update - Link now working again.

The Authoritarian Tendency

It seems that the Party has learnt nothing from Blaenau Gwent. "Some fear that it will be used to tarnish their record so that their constituencies de-select them unless they fall into line on government policy." What, do they suppose the party members in Islington North are currently unaware of Jeremy Corbyn's views? I suspect not. this is the first step in an attempt to suspend left MPs in order to prevent them standing for reselection and to try to replace them with some tired old party hacks who have failed miserably elsewhere. The fact is, as Blaenau Gwent proved, Constituency Parties and the electorate deeply resent having candidates imposed upon them and foisting on them someone who will stick their tongue as far as possible up the rectum of the Party leadership will backfire badly.

Defectors

It looks like the hoodie-hugging isn't proving that popular in my favourite Midlands Council as two Tories do the walk of life.

Can you pass the Tory Shadow Cabinet Test?

Following my earlier post about the Conservative Shadow Cabinet, Andrew Kennedy takes up the point and sets a test.

My prediction

OK, I've rubbished Iain's predictions, it's now head in lions mouth time.

Allez Les Bleus! Allez Zizou!

Update: Well, I got one thing right. Zizou certainly Allezed!

Diary predictions

I've said this before, but I'll repeat it. I quite like Iain Dale. OK, he's a Tory, he likes Mrs T. I've never actually met him, and for some reason I cannot understand, he seems not to like the Deputy Prime Minister very much. On the plus side, he can be witty, informative and he is always willing to give a helping hand to lesser known bloggers than himself (all bloggers are lesser known than himself). But in his desperate efforts to 'out-exclusive' other bloggers and the mainstream media, Iain has a tendency to be a bit wild with his predictions. No, I'm not talking about his prediction early in the World Cup that Fat Frankie Lampard was a star, but this prediction today. Iain has read the tea leaves (or the newspapers he has wrapped the tea leaves in) and boldly forecasts that Prezza will go this week. Of course, in doing so, he hopes we have forgotten his prediction just before the local council elections.

This law must go.

When I answered questions for Mike Ion's blog last week I was asked which three laws I would repeal. I didn't include the 2003 Extradition Act... but it must surely go. I have no sympathy whatsoever with bankers who do rip-off millions of pounds from their employers, and I must confess to some reticence to support people in those circumstances... but as one of them says in Today's Indie... the Government should insist on "this crime allegedly committed by Britons against Britons in Britain being tried in Britain." Despite what the stupid boy Oakeshott may say, this isn't anti-Americanism. It would be equally wrong if this Act applied to Sweden, Switzerland or Swaziland. One of the most disturbing features is that the law was apparently introduced to deal with terrorist suspects. How much attention, I wonder, would the Independent or other newspapers have paid if these three people were to be sent off to be shackled in Houston or Guantanamo, if they had been terrorist suspects? But the same principles should surely apply even if they were. There should be a minimum requirement for a country to make out a case for extradition on the basis of crimes against their nationals or in their country. As Rod Liddle writes in The Times: "In 30 years hardly any alleged IRA terrorists have been extradited from the United States to Britain, despite the fact that the accused were in the main: British citizens; had committed their alleged crimes on British soil; and there was prima facie evidence to prosecute them."

The History Man

Stephen Fry in The Observer on why we should learn from history rather than spending time apologising for it.
"We haven't arrived at our own moral and ethical imperatives by each of us working them out from first principles; we have inherited them and they were born out of blood and suffering, as all human things and human beings are. This does not stop us from admiring and praising the progressive heroes who got there early and risked their lives to advance causes that we now take for granted."

He flits from shop to shop just like a butterfly, in matters of the cloth he is as fickle as can be

Andy Marr this morning had Vivienne Westwood on talking about her perfectly laudable campaign in conjunction with Liberty against human rights abuses. It was difficult not to laugh out loud though when she explained that youth were turned off politics by 'consumerism'. This coming from a fashion designer....!!!

Living in the Shadows

When Labour came to power in 1997 although they had been out of office for 18 years they had a front bench team containing some real heavyweight politicians (no, not just you, John). Whether you liked or loathed people like David Blunkett, Jack Straw, Gordon Brown, Peter Mandelson, Robin Cook, Clare Short, John Prescott, Mo Mowlam, and to a lesser extent Harriet Harman, Jack Cunningham and Margaret Beckett, they were at least politicians that people could recognise and even if they hated them, they knew they hated them and why.

The Tories have now been in the wilderness for nearly 10 years. Try naming more than half a dozen members of Cameron's Shadow Cabinet. If you can, I suspect you are a hopeless political junkie and you might need to think about getting out more. I tried this out on a group of USDAW Shop Stewards I was talking to last week. Out of the seven Stewards six of them named the boy Hague (a failed Tory Leader), four said Ken Clarke (a failed Leadership candidate and not actually in the Shadow Cabinet) and there were 3 suggestions each for David Davis (a failed Leadership candidate), Michael Howard (a failed Leader and not in the Shadow Cabinet) Liam Fox (a failed Leadership candidate) and Boris Johnson. Only one person got a member of the Shadow Cabinet and their portfolio correct (Hague & Shadow Foreign Secretary). So those that were known, were known for being failures, or in Boris's case for being funny on TV.

My point is that this Tory front bench is woeful. No personality, precious little public profile, and seemingly making no impression on people whatsoever. They are not even well known enough to be loathed. These USDAW Stewards were not apolitical people, and I would guess they were ahead of the average voter on these things. Now, this may be because the Tories need to establish Cameron, and therefore the Shadow Cabinet have been pushed into the errm... shadows. To return to the point about Blair's 1997 Cabinet though... Blair in 1995-97 was promoted as the front man, but I got the impression that people as a whole thought he had a competent team around him. I suspect if you try the above exercise on a few people down the pub you will not get the same response about this anonymous bunch. Just ask someone who the Shadow Cabinet member is for Culture, Media and Sport or what they have done in opposition to Tessa Jowell during her last difficult year. Ask them if they have ever heard of Peter Ainsworth (I have to admit, I haven't), or Philip Hammond, or do they know what David Mundell, Cheryl Gillian or Oliver Heald do for a living? Whilst Health has been a political minefield for Patricia Hewitt over the last six months or so... what has Andrew Lansley been doing with his daytime hours?

Cameron must be thinking of that famous quote attributed to the Duke of Wellington... "They may not scare the enemy, but by God they scare me." Or that brilliant Private Eye cover showing Nixon saying, "At least no-one is goint to try to assasinate me with Spiro T. Agnew as VP."

Creek... paddle... row!

With sinking heart I realise that when reinforcements are announced by Des Browne, the Defence Secretary, the only question from Liam Fox, his Tory Shadow, will be whether there shouldn’t be even more. Up the creek the Cameroons will go (just as Iain Duncan Smith did over Iraq) until to criticise the deployment in principle will look like a late and hypocritical U-turn. Matthew Parris in The Times.

Questions and Answers

Mike Ion asks the Questions. If the answer is little Micky Oakeshott... what's the question?

Traditional American Values

If you thought George W. Bush was an isolated case... watch this Political Ad for a Traditional America

Cameron praise for Birmingham

David Cameron, speaking to the Local Government Association, has described Birmingham as "an economic powerhouse, and a place of beautiful urban design." Unfortunately for the people of Birmingham he was talking about the Birmingham of 100 years ago, not the place currently run by the Tory/Lib Dem halfwits of today.

Due process

When a foreign government applies to extradite one of your citizens, but you are aware that prisoners in that country are tortured, abused and put to death, should you really agree to allow extradition? Would we extradite someone accused of alleged crimes carried out in this country against the Mugabwe regime in Zimbabwe? I think not. So, why is the Home Secretary going along with this?

Time to go home

It sounds like the totally useless Tory spokesperson on Health, Andrew Lansley (who???) is preparing to spend more time with his family.

No disciplinary action over Nazi victory

The Chief Executive of Birmingham City Council has highlighted a series of errors which resulted in the wrongly declared election of a BNP candidate in May's local government elections. However, he said no disciplinary action will be taken. One of the errors meant that one candidate seemingly appeared on ballot papers as standing for two different parties if the Birmingham Mail can be believed.

Are the Chief Returning Officer for Birmingham City Council.... and the Chief Executive who thinks there should be no disciplinary action, by any chance the same person?

Dirty politics

Tory blogger Iain Dale has done a lot to promote blogging in this country (and not a little bit to promote Iain Dale, but hey, why not?) and last night he was invited on to Newsnight to be confronted by Paxman. Now, the prospect of being even lightly grilled by Paxo would terrify most people, and in that respect I thought Iain did quite well (although on his blog, like most football supporters who've just watched their team on match of the day, he whinges that his best bits were left on the cutting room floor). My one reservation was that the area chosen for discussion ended up making Dale look a bit smutty. The 'political' story about Prescott is the one about the Texas billionaire, the Dome and the Casino. All good intriguing stuff. The angle Iain Dale was channeled down was the DPM, the secretary or secretaries and the shagging. All good News of the Screws stuff, but instead of striking a decisive political blow, Iain was made to look like a Conservative Party stooge (for David Davis's former campaign manager to say he hadn't spoken to senior Tories about these matters seemed to have even less credibility than Prezza's excuses) doing an impression of Piers Morgan. Perhaps it was Newsnight who chose the debating line, but for Iain, I think it was the wrong one. As Tony Benn often says, 'Don't wrestle with a chimney sweep... you'll only get dirty too.'

Nothing happening

The Lib Dem Manifesto for Birmingham City Council in 2004 when they took control of the City Council in a coalition (oops, I mean a progressive partnership) with the Tories, pledged to press ahead with the devolution agenda. They said...
A city – “that's local” - decentralisation
Liberal Democrats have been promoting effective devolution for many years. This will continue and we have proposals to ensure the finance is placed in the wards where it is needed.

Now it would appear, like so many of the coalitions aims... this one has ground to a halt too.

Lego...

There must be someone out there who could do a British equivalent of this. The Brick Patriots.

Sheer bloody torture

If someone attached electrodes to your genetalia and threatened to crank up the power, or grabbed your fingernails with a pair of rusty pliers, or put you in an orange jumpsuit and kept you in solitary confinement for years on end, I hope, like me, you would still resist this.

Get your backside into gear...

All over the country on election night thousands of ballot boxes are opened, ballot papers counted and the result is declared within minutes of the end of the count. Give the same job for one district to the Senior Master at the Royal Courts of Justice to do and it takes two months to organise the count, and another month to declare the result. What's the matter with these people? You've seen the count take place, tell us who won... get on with it!

Not quite on the mark there, Dave

As we all know 'Dave' has pledged to rectify the gender imbalance and diversity mix amongst Conservative MPs, and one of the ways he has decided to do this is through the 'A' list of candidates for potentially winnable seats. ConservativeHome has published some interesting figures of the progress being made by Dave's New Model army in the country:
Proportion of women selected (of all candidates): 29.0%
Proportion of women selected (since A-list): 22.2%
Proportion of women selected (before A-list): 31.8%

Mmmmm, yet another example of talking the talk rather than walking the walk. Oh, and by the way, apparently there's a possibility that one of those selected so far may be from the minority ethnic population.

Absolutely...

I have got to say, on reflection.. this story is hard to swallow.

The best two footballing sides (Argentina and Brazil) are out of the competition. If Zinedene Zidane can repeat the footballing masterclass he gave against Brazil, surely neither an ordinary German nor functional Italian team can prevent the great man lifting the World Cup for France (OK, I'm a Francophile, and I know this is also not the best French side we've seen by a long way). I'm not even considering the prospects of the bloody Portugese....

Everybody's talking at me, I don't hear a word they're saying

"I know everybody in SW1, in the Westminster Village, is talking about this. I'm afraid they talk about little else. But I think as a Government, if we are not going to squander a third term, let's just turn out from Westminster and talk to the people of this country." Tessa Jowell to Andrew Marr on Blaenau Gwent. I don't suppose there's any chance of a bit of 'turning away from Westminster and listening' too, is there?

PS - I'm not particularly a supporter of a 7/7 public enquiry, mostly because I don't think anyone from the security services would allow the truth to emerge anyway and it would just frustrate people and prolong their agony. But if Tessa really wants to talk to someone.... Danny's been waiting a whole bloody year.

Dubya's State of the Nation

If you've got quicktime... this is very good. (via Newer Labour)

Not counting chickens...

For those who have been wetting themselves in recent months about the Conservatives chances of forming a Government sometime in the next four years, the opinion polls showing Cameron racing away have been a source of constant joy. Tory bloggers have hardly been able to contain their glee, and predictions about the size of their overall majority have been appearing in abundance. The media have similarly rejoiced with banner headlines announcing the latest poll triumph for Dave. Strangely... the Sunday Telegraph front page appears to have overlooked the latest poll commissioned by ICM for... the Sunday Telegraph.

Update: Over at Political Betting, this looks interesting too.(hat tip to Mike Ion)

Eye on the ball

How refreshing to see that with all the problems in the Home Office that Dr. john Reid has got to sort out... he hasn't taken his eye off the ball. Tightening up the Official Secrets Act to prevent the public finding out what dreadful cock-ups you are making must be one of the first things the electorate will thank you for. Much more important than all those trivial issues surrounding asylum, prisoners etc. Go to it John.

On the road again

Together with the other Ward Councillors Dr. Ann Jaron and Steve Eling I was out this morning doing the Bearwood Street Surgery for July. Over 500 houses in Bearwood were leafleted earlier in the week telling people we would be in their roads this morning. Today we walked the streets and called on anyone with the leaflet displayed in the window. It was a great success... although absolutely baking hot, and we made a number of contacts whose issues we will be taking up first thing Monday morning. It is part of a rolling programme designed to cover the whole Ward during the year and show people that we don't just come round at election time.

More impersonators

My apologies are obviously due to the Luke Akehurst I mentioned in yesterday's post. I was obviously fooled by some Tory who had created a spoof Akehurst site. They had made it so reactionary that I should have seen through it. Anyway, this is Luke Akehurst's Blog.

That's more like it

Over at ConservativeHome we here that "Tory MPs hear that change must be faster, deeper and wider." from the Cameroonies. I liked this comment by one of the contributors:

"faster, deeper, broader"...does that mean we are going to have some policies anytime before 2050? If the changes already put in place are any indication of what is to come, I think we are going to have a seriously hard time getting votes come 2009/10. When I hear fluffy phrases like the stuff thats coming out at the moment, I shudder because I know thats another few thousand votes we've thrown away. I have no faith in these changes.