R and R in Power: Place Your Bets on Blairs' Place for 07/08

Luke Akehurst is confused. Here he wonders lonely as a clot what's the fuss about Tony Blair's excursion to see Lord Bee Gee whereas here he provides a helpful link to an off shore betting service.

Crime Watch: Sensitive Lib Dem Information Stolen in Cheetham-Gate

Manchester Evening News reported the violation felt by former councillor, ex-PPC for Gorton, solicitor Qassim Afzal when his office was burgled and his top secret hard drive stolen.

Reading between the lines I'd say there is a manic suggestion that this burglary is part of a yet another terrible Cheethamgate conspiracy. Mr Afzal worries about his high level correspondence with Menzies Campbell and President General Pervez Musharraf of Pakistan.

Generous gifts from the good General were among the effects that were left untouched which Qassim's runaway imagination takes as evidence of his being targeted by espionage. But if so by whom?

The word is that he is incredibly unpopular with his own local Lib Dem party who probably resented his posturing in Westminster and Brussels and in the papers as he was a PPC and PEPC - when he couldn't even hold onto his Council seat or do any casework at all. Two facts that may (remarkably) not be unrelated.

There was a time when Manchester Lib Dems organised a regional dinner in Manchester Town Hall and made poor Qassim sit with the Liverpool contingent. None of the Manc lot wanted to talk with him. Allegedly. And LoL were told that virtually none of them helped on his campaign in Gorton in 2005. There are now signs that he is to be carved out in a scrap to the death between Carpetbagger Chas and Honest John of this parish. With Maverick Marc perhaps having a run also.

Meanwhile poor deluded Mr Afzal is offering £500 reward for recovery of his missing files. If they have fallen into the hands of journalists of the talents of Messrs Woodward and Bernstein then I'd recommend a quick shufty at election material, marked registers, lists of proxy voters, and expenses calculations as well as equality complaints within the Manchester Lib Dems. Of which there have been quite a few. If Mr Afzal is de-selected as PPC after winning a sizeable swing he will be the second Asian PPC in Manchester constituencies to be pushed aside.

There might be nothing there but as Mr Afzal has been prone to making mischievious complaints of electoral offences with only iffy hearsay "evidence" I'd like to know whether that was projection (8) or just bad losing. The Lib Dems have not even suspended their jailbird people Mozaquir Ali (right here) and Manzoor Hussein - pending appeal - who were bang to rights in Burnley.

It was a case of jail, inaction from Lib Dems and terrible shame on their party.

Qassim Afzal of course lost all his recent elections so his expenses claims will not be scrutinised though I did notice that his return included just one composite invoice from an intermediary rather than any of the original print and other accounts.

Dishonourable Discharge: Most of Lib Dem Willie Rennie Outpourings

Staying with a military theme we noticed the appalling Lib Dem Willie Rennie MP trying to make political capital from the very unfortunate death of Sgt Steven Roberts in Iraq. I agree with Rennie that our government bear blame for Roberts' death.

Though for my money this is for sending "our boys" to Iraq at all, and undertrained, and leaving them there so long, making things worse, and for the mercenary among us, at great expense.

Sgt Roberts was in fact on duties policing people throwing stones. The only guns and ammunition on the scene were in his own tank. Which is where the poor training and bad judgement of his colleague came in. Firing his machine gun out of control and at close quarters and fragging his NCO in the process. This soldier had clearly not intended to shoot his comrade. He was planning to shoot at (or perhaps over the heads of) unhappy Iraqis with stones.

Agreeing with Rennie then is not particularly for the reported equipment shortcomings. Little more than a grim detail of a horrendous big picture.

But Willie Rennie is a complete hypocrite over this, as he is on the war as a whole, and on cluster bombs and other dodgy munitions. As Sgt Roberts
is not his constituent Rennie would surely have been better off keeping his runaway mouth schtum. Hoping that no-one would notice he is completely cup-tied on war and military equipment.

How so? Well you see Rennie has history. His current biography includes:

Willie ... works for a small Scottish communications firm, helping advise the Royal Society of Chemistry and Asthma UK ... Willie Rennie was press adviser to Fife Council's Liberal Democrat Opposition Group and a member of the Dunfermline Focus editiorial team, working with Dunfermline's Lib Dem councillors on local issues.

So, the PR and lobbying firm he apparently still works for spins yarns for the RSC and Asthma UK. He also still moonlights on Hocus Focus. But Rennie forgetfully omits to mention that they also do the business for a Scottish business called RSL, part of Raytheon.

Willie Rennie has been banging on about Cluster Bombs and particularly getting them banned as in this Hansard extract also featuring the hypocrite John Leech from 5 December 2006. He has even signed three EDMs on the subject, spouted at PMQs and is backing this Presentation Bill.

The only problem with all these good works is that his friends at Raytheon/RSL make CLUSTER BOMBS as well as lots of other goodies. Rennie has visited their works as an MP, if not as a spin Doctor before his election, in what he called a "fact finding mission":

"During his visit Rennie was briefed on the company’s activities and future plans by Acting Managing Director Jim Trail before taking the opportunity to tour the site’s production areas.
Commenting on his visit Rennie said, “Living in Fife I had heard a lot about Raytheon and I was keen to see the factory for myself. Having had the opportunity to visit and meet some of the management team and employees it is easy to understand why the company enjoys such a good reputation both in Fife and further afield.”
RSL, the UK-based subsidiary of Raytheon Company, employs 650 people at its Glenrothes facility. RSL designs, develops and manufactures a range of high technology defence and commercial electronics."

As Willie says it is easy to see why Raytheon enjoys such a good reputation. This picture shows some of their munitions ready for active service. What is less easy to see is why Rennie is undermining their business without ever mentioning his liberal conflict of interest in working for this cluster bomb makers' lobbyists.

Major hat tip here to the team at Fib Dems.

Renewal In Power: Meaning RIP for Labour Left Wing?

Luke Akehurst (pictured right in weekend wear) claims here that he is from the "moderate" wing of the Labour party. So let's count those party wings then. There's the left wing. There's the right wing. And now there's this third wing. The "moderate" wing.

One of the strings to Luke's war chest is as a consultant to the arms industry. It may be that the money he has been paid by arms dealers and nuclear peddlars has made his knees rather jerky when it comes
to a sniff of a "peace and justice" agenda from John Cruddas.

Or perhaps his pals at BAe have promised, as their next trick, to bring in a revolutionary three winged plane? It probably won't work, that, barring a helicopter (like this McDonnell machine) with all three wings spinning together.

So, with an idée fixée in mind, entirely dispensing with the left wing may be Luke's favoured engineering solution to this conundrum. Move the old right wing across. And place Luke's 'moderate' or actually far-right/dirigiste wing in its place. Is that the master plan Col Akehurst?



Here is an artist's impression of the futuristic alternative united party/aircraft with just the one wing carrying and linking everyone. This one is also a McDonnell creation. But I feel sure as a true democrat with a policy focus John'd let anyone from the left or centre left who emerged as the favoured candidate for the 150 or more PLP members significantly to the left of Gordon to captain the ship.

Renewal In Power: 'Lefty' John Cruddas Outed by 'Moderate' Nutter

The Labour leadership and deputy leadership phoney war so far has been been a sad sack of a thing. The Left contribution to date has been particularly disappointing. There are NO candidates barring John McDonnell who actually voted against Bush's war on Iraq.

Michael Meacher has latterly become rebellious and is a stalwart of the anti-war speaking circuit. But, let's be honest, he voted for the war, his excuse that he was taken in by Blair's dossier means he is either a clot or a fibber, and LoL don't think he's a clot. He surely did it to keep his salary and position? He is a millionaire rentier after all. And that can alienate Labour. And his hawking of daft conspiracy theories as a "9/11 Truther" really has been exceedingly embarrassing.

Then there is John Cruddas. Compassite and the self-declared candidate of the centre Left for the deputy race. He doesn't like the far-right BNP much. Who does? So is JC by any stretch of the imagination a left winger?

The ever vigilant Luke Akehurst seems to think so. Such a threat in fact that he must be stopped at all costs to ensure "electability".

For "electability" it seems that Luke's Labour must be pro-war, pro-privatisation, pro-rich and anti-worker. That is all arrant nonsense of course. This approach is what has hollowed out Labour's membership and support since 1997, seeing votes, council seats, council control and westminster seats all dip to modern lows. Truly the road to electability.

But the soft LA identifies some anti-war types endorsing John - who voted for the war, for foundation hospitals and for almost everything Tony Blair wanted. With flickers of rebellion on the Education front sufficing to crystallise a vibrant Cruddas youth.

Now sadly Mr Akehurst claims to have lost confidence in Mr Cruddas. Like this ultra-loyalist careerist tosser was ever a Cruddas supporter! Yeah right!

Blair's Ugly Rumours: New Peace Benefit Release on New Year's Day

Tony Bliar's band Ugly Rumours are set to release a cover version of Edwin Starr's War on New Year's Day. This is the first day from which download-only singles will be eligible for the main chart listings. In a delightful caterpillar-tracked U-Turn Blair and his comrades have decided to donate 25% of the 79p proceeds per download
to Stop The War. As few as 30,000 sales can give number 1 in the first week in January.

Tory Funding: Fine Dining in Victorian Gothic Splendour close to the Heart of London

More on Tory Party abuse of House of Commons protocols on political fundraising will follow shortly.
Keywords - Cameron - Baldry - Zaiwalla - Banquets for Peerages

Tory Funding: British Virgin Islands sorts to buy Elland Road?

With anonymous BVI sorts having already bought and sold the heart and soul of the cuddly nu tories some BVI based sorts are to buy Elland Road, the home of Leeds United. They plan to sell the ground on in seven years. Making a profit of 25% per annum. At this rate the first BVI sorts whose loans - if either non-commercial or in fact gifts - might be illegal may want to call them in quickly so they can get involved in some even more lucrative property deals.
Whether the Lib-Con alliance which now operates Leeds City Council is hoped to assist in any way with this off shore profit taking is unknown as LoL goes to screen. In a spooky coincidence the lefties at the BBC announced the Tories were deep in debt in the same 48 hours as plugging the sale of the soccer ground.

Torygraph: "BNP are lefties" shock

In an Editorial swiping at Dave/id Cameron for being completely out of touch with the grass roots The Daily Telegraph has today decreed that rather than being a far-right party the British National Party are in fact Left-fascists. This has caused great delight at UKIP who spin what was little more than a throwaway soubriquet into another great triumph for this walking talking purple patch.

UKIP may now believe they can completely corner the market in right wing nationalists, particularly as Mr Cameron continues to alienate his party faithless and send them into the arms of the delightful Mr Farage.

But is this just contrariness from the right wing organ? After the Guardian produced a two-day six-Berliner-pages brochure for the new-BNP. Proving beyond doubt that bears do indeed use forested facilities. And that Pope Benny does after all wear a pointy hat. Are the Torygraph simply crying for help from ballerinas, civil servants, engineers and other obvious Left-fascists they fear they may now have lost?

Seem to me that the real left-communalists these days are the apolitical and ascrupulous Lib Dems with an example being the way they campaigned forcefully for and against planning consent for a particular Oldham mosque either side of the Leeds Road, according to the micro demographics. A different leaflet for every street.

Tory Humour: Yet Another Bypass?

Iain Dale at 4am posted thusly:Could it soon be Arise Sir Robin Gibb? Tony Blair is continuing his habit of blagging freebie holidays from those who are either celebrities or those with honours, or preferably both. This New Year he's in Florida with Bee Gee Robin Gibb CBE. He's obviously gone downmarket this year, normally preferring to stay with the beknighted Sir Clifford Richard of this parish. It's reasonable to assume that Blair won't be serenaded with the 1987 Bee Gees Hit 'You Win Again'. More likely their 1981 song 'He's a Liar'.

LoL replied at a more reasonable hour:

But whereas You Win Again was a number 1 winner He's a Liar vanished without trace. Is it even real? Do you have it in your collection Iain? On your iPod? Aaaaargh. Seems to me he's escaped a taxiing Tragedy to end up Staying Alive. He is now looking forward to Tomorrow, Tomorrow and First of May but he may then have only Lonely Days to look forward to.

DECLARING AN INTEREST: The Gibbs used to live in the Chorlton area before they were transported to Australia as a forerunner of ASBO children. They went to Oswald Rd Primary nearby. And they possibly sponsored and certainly opened the music production suite at Chorlton High School, a non-PFI new-build creation - which was officially opened by Tony Blair himself. Daughter attends same. Son will follow in September.

Manchester Labour Christmas Cards: Duty Done, but is it Going, Going, Gone for the Lib Dems?

Is it bye bye from Ming?

Quick effort this morning to get out the last of the Labour cards for Kathy Crotty who is standing in Manchester City Centre; for John Hacking who is standing in Chorlton Park; and the three Labour Councillors in Chorlton. All these branches have adopted the "Season's Greetings" and Happy New Year formula.

City Centre is a big ask for us. Kathy, myself and Ahmed Ali came close in the 2004 "all out" and a swing of about 50 votes from the Lib Dems would have seen us take two seats. In 2006 I stood. We held our ground with pretty much a solo campaign. Our work was concentrated on two priorities.

1. Saving the five or six seats the Lib Dems had promised Charles Kennedy.
2. Plus we had the idea that with a concerted effort we could take four of theirs.

And we did all that!

Chorlton was one of the seats we held and it is where I live. We were soon boosted by the defection of Cllr Angela Gallagher from the Lib Dems, absolutely fed up by their bullying ways. Angela gave or loaned the John Leech campaign a very tidy sum. In fact twice the election expenses limit all by herself.

In most cases a pushy young man who persuaded a 69-year-old woman to part with £23,000 including a big slice in a last ditch emergency - over a "thank you" meal which was planned as yet more pleading - well, you'd expect that young man to end up in court and very likely in gaol. But this particular young man ended up in parliament!

No wonder they're always calling for more police in their leaflets! Though of course all their Police Authority Reps have been voting for the sensible budgets and are pretty satisfied with the massive increase in numbers since 1997.

Anyway, there is a point to this diversion. John Hacking is standing in the seat where Leech has remained a councillor since his parliamentary election. Leech isn't up. He's going to do the two jobs for at least a third season.

And on my return Leech's own card had landed on my mat. This was much as last year. A card signed by most of their candidates, their two MEPs and Cllr Leech MP. But with a scrawled letter enclosed. Fibs and a pious homily.......... Leech - eye off the ball?

When LoL gets a chance there will be a full textual analysis of that one. Will it be seven deadly sins? Or the full twelve lies of Christmas? Hat tip for the suggestion to an anonymous comment at John Leech Watch. Who knows what professional handwriting analysis would reveal. Watch this space!

The comment at JLW was to a new story there that local Lib Dems are giving serious consideration to de-selecting John Leech. Because of his general performance, and also of course for his albatross. The scandalous hoax over what he then said was to be the closure of our regional cancer hospital.

This possible de-selection comes on top of the sad news relayed on top of their slump to 15% (You Gov) on Conservative Home though ultimately from Dizzy that disloyal and garrulous Lib Dem councillors on Radio 4 this morning are saying that Menzies Campbell must be shown the door too. And these things seem to come in threes as there has been continuous

speculation since Manchester Labour thumped the Lib Dems in May - against the national trend - that their group leader Simon Ashley is also for the chop.

In all three cases their keeping what they have got could be better news for Manchester Labour than their cashing in their sad old brushes and getting in new brooms.


Are Campbell, Leech and Ashley now due to join Kennedy as Lib Dem yesterday's men?