General Election Timing: Still Betting 100 Weeks

Julian Glover, the Guardian's chief leader writer, has come out to play to Comment is Free after a six month hiatus. The allure of a snap election is laced with cowardice he claims, subtitling A prime minister who had faith in his own character would resist the temptations of going to the country early. So that's that then.

LOL reckon that Dizzy is now right to play it cool when he was so recently just a fool to fan the flames of rabid speculation.

They were all at it of course. Even though a "No 10 source" has told The Times: "There is no election announcement next week, this is just a diversionary tactic in the face of the Tory meltdown".

Dizzy's later post pointed to one of the snares and traps Gordon Brown may well be laying for the Tories viz. annual spending limits for which only Brown himself can or may know the window.

First weekend in June 2009 is still my best guess. I have been plugging that view pretty much since Brown took the helm.

"Wasting" a general election without boosting a local government or euro election would surely not be prudent. It's not really about bottle. Of course it is all about winning as "Idiot!" Julian's first commenter suggests. But in particular it is about winning well.

Those Euro elections may provide the best prospects of all. An upstanding 100 weeks from succession to own mandate. At least a couple more chances to wind Cameron up to spend his money.

Gordon Brown gets two elections for the price of one. Labour benefit royally from greater turnout in a side contest. Town Hall control recovered. Or best of a bad job with reducing numbers of Euro seats.

George Galloway: Rounds on His Comrades, Again

A pattern is emerging. Famous splitter and cat impersonator George Galloway has published an attack on his SWP comrades with Liam Macuaid providing the full text.


The SWP tried to get their retaliation in first, reminding me of some of the falling out in the Stop The War Coalition over issues including rather ugly "All Means Necessary" remarks.

Not so Nimble NIMBY Nick: A Right Herbert, and his "David Davis is Soft" Rumour Gathers Momentum

Within the Tory Party Nick Herbert MP has a bit of a reputation as law-and-order hardliner. Willing to go further than those many of us would see as tough to the point of harshness. This Herbert was acting seriously pissed when around 18 prisoners were released recently. A week or two early. From Ford open prison in his constituency:

At this Nasty Nick said:

“It is totally unacceptable that prisoners are being released early onto our streets, especially those who have committed violent or drugs-related offences. It is particularly worrying that a fifth of those who have been released have committed crimes sufficiently serious that they were originally sentenced to longer than a year in prison. The public is being put at risk as a result of the Government’s decision to ignore earlier projections of the future prison population and its failure to plan accordingly."

In others words he wants the government to build more and extend existing prisons. As he soon made clear:

"Total capacity will still be 4,000 places short of their medium projection for the prison population by that time (2012), assuming that prisons will be full to the gunnels, with prisoners continuing to be doubled up. As Harry Fletcher of the National Association of Probation Officers said,
“They’ve had eight, nine years and really done nothing... There’s been no substantial building programme and no provision for probation.”

That's clear then. Nick Herbert MP does not want prisoners released even a few days early. So Nick Herbert MP wants loads more prison places. LOL would like to see far less people in prison with a particularly bleeding heart liberal approach to those who really need treatment rather than incarceration, to those whose crimes are trivial yet persistent who are cell blocking, to those where community sentencing would be far far cheaper and far far more effective.

Seeing and ever growing prison population estate as a success story is as sensible as measuring health success by numbers staying overnight in hospital. In both cases less customers and more and better prevention would surely be a success?

Having said that LOL do respect a man who is consistent and willing to lead on difficult issues. So this story from Ridiculous Politics seems rather strange and very disappointing:

Nick Herbert, the shadow secretary of state for justice, has pledged that the Tories would boost jail capacity and make prisoners serve longer terms - but he has opposed plans to turn Ford Open Prison in his own constituency into a closed prison. Jack Straw MP said: "It is nothing short of hypocrisy for Cameron and his frontbench team to make a national pledge to increase prison places, and then we find out that locally they are against the very thing they promised".
Perhaps Herbert should join the Lib Dems who are into this sort of thing.

A self-dubbed "CCHQ insider" provides this insight at Conservative Home where Herbert was recently postally interviewed by his fanclub:

Herbert refers to Davis' responsibility because he is trying not to annoy Davis.
Herbert and Davis used to be very close friends. They have had a bitter fall out partly because Herbert is siding with Michael Gove and wants to be tougher on terrorism but Davis wants to continue building bridges with Liberty.
This fall out will surely be picked up by Her Majesty's press before long with lamentable consequences.
Davis should be sacked and Herbert given his job. Until then, we will struggle to be taken seriously on security affairs.

HM Prison Ford has been in the news several more times in the last 12 months. Nick Herbert's own parliamentary question revealled that 70 prisoners had absconded in ten months to October 2006.

And it was the Deputy Warden and another officer from Ford who were prevented from giving vital evidence in person in the Liarco Chindamo case. Another instance of Tory toffs talking top tosh and twaddle.

Lib Dem Voice: Welshing on Expenses?

Lib Dem Voice has a rough and ready analysis of Welsh Assembly election expenses. Rough and ready because it is based on the published figures as submitted by parties.

LOL would like to know whether they are going to give us the REAL figures as well as the PUBLISHED figures? For example:

John Leech 2005 election contributions from a single published source (there were others, including a loan from his mum) = £23,000 cash

John Leech 2005 published election expenses (there were others) = … less than £11,000 … cash and kind

Unrepentent Communist: Red Jukebox Jury

Unrepentent Communist does hard labour down this mighty mp3 mine. Deepest red anthems of the world. Graphic: Modernhumorist.com

Toffs Out!: London House is Falling Down ...

Samantha (and Dave-id) sold her last home in Notting Hill for £1.15 million to fellow toffs Timothy and Melissa. But just like Cameron’s “new” Tories, this doer-upper sadly is underpinned by inadequate foundations.

Immigration: Inaudible Dog Whistle, Midnight Bark

Over the Cameron Months we've been treated time and again to complaints from the Tory Boy Blogger in chief that Mainstream Media ignore all the gallant behind the scenes briefing from the Tories. But this morning things were quite different.

While Iain never tires of telling us the Tory machine is out placing and steering stories, that the dratted MSM are not playing ball, that try as they might only the LP gets access, that the BBC are worst of the lot ... none of which claims really stack up, but no matter ... then a glorious day dawns!

Coulson's team bring home the bacon (so far, await backlash). BBC Newsnight provide a huge platform (albeit it with a hidden trap door). Dave-id Cameron steps up. Some say he does a good job. He is not hung immediately anyway.

This "immigration story", whatever it might be, just having the word on the front pages will be seen as a win by the nasty old Tory rump, well that is just something the MSM spotted and chose for themselves. These twitching ears are convinced that it was one of those super-octave silent dog whistles, inaudible even to most dogs. But it is certainly audible to the late shift hounds of the press ... who then spread the word with that old staple The Midnight Bark.

Webcameron: Mandela Event Brilliantly Put Together

Dave-id Cameron congratulates Mayor Livingstone on a brilliantly put together event and President Mandela on being at the height of his powers.

Twisted cynics will no doubt wonder:

- What was student Dave's position on the horror that was Apartheid South Africa?
- Did student Dave join the Federation of Conservative Students' (FCS, predecessor of CF) deliberate boycott-of-the-boycott on Barclays Bank?
- Did student Dave instead oppose the Federation of Conservative Students' boycott-of-the-boycott?
- What was graduate Dave's position on Apartheid South Africa?
- How did Dave pubically or privately oppose Tory policy vs the scourge of Apartheid?
- What was Dave's position on sports tours to South Africa?
- Does Dave endorse his likely mayoral candidate (and Oxford and FCS colleague) Boris Johnson's many marvellous insights into Africa and African questions?
- Could Dave and Bozzer plan a piss up in a South African Brewery?

I'm a Rejoice! Rejoice! man myself. Sinners saved and all that jazz. Well done Dave Cameron. I for one am convinced.

Newsnight: Cameron Bravura Performance?

Iain Dale links to The Mail's Ben Brogan reviewing Cam on Newsnight:

On immigration he gave the plain answer I mentioned earlier -
"it's been too high" - while making the sensible point that under
Labour we've had inflammatory language but ineffective action,
and that needs to be reversed

Which divides into being half a fair point and half a bit rich from the man who coordinated the dog whistling for the "are you thinking etc" campaign of 2005. Labour would I think rush to agree a bi-lateral cooling down of immigration rhetoric.

As Ben continues:

(that said his solutions - transitional controls for new EU states and quotas - sound a bit woolly).

A bit woolly? Come on! Everything to do with Cam is more than a bit woolly and this was a lot woolly. Looks like a bit of a bottomless pit of emptiness there in the middle of that warm blue coffee table.

To be fair I only caught the last 60 seconds of this live and have yet to hit rewind. But in that 60 seconds and particularly the last 15 I thought that at least two of the esteemed panel were looking at him in a way that said:
"You are completely gaga".

Click the banner to launch the programme.

BRAZIL: Mañana 9:30 am Dental Appointment

Just got to the bit where the dentist/torturer gets his and our hero escapes. What great preparation. Still it's only a wisdom tooth with throb and cold pain. Nothing much to worry about really.

TRENDHUNTER: Outlawing Visible Underwear Now

Exposed Underwear Ban - Atlanta Cracks Down

(TrendHunter.com) The sooner Manchester have £80 on the spot fines for visible underwear the better. The world gets warmer. The problem escalates. Clamp down now. Lib Dems will talk up the menace, but vote against action. As usual. In the USA Delcambre and Opelousas, Louisiana have outlawed it; and Atlanta, Georgia and Shreveport, Louisiana are discussing the perils of plunging pants. Obviously a decent society has to draw the line somewhere and underwear is that line. It’s called underwear for a reason, goes the logic and nobody s… [More]

Viral Marketeers: Don't You Just Hate Their Guts?

Well now you can go somewhere and express your loathing with a hat tip to the hateful Dizzy, for doing their vile bidding. Good stuff.

Manc Blogging: Manchizzle Heads Culture Review

Just caught up with Manchizzle's good news as stand out in The Guardian Guide Manc Blogroll. Those damned Americans. Come over here, take our blogs etc etc. Help make the North West the cultural bees' knees that's what they've done. The swine. But that's a long story.

Guardian Guide:
"The pick of Manchester culture and hub of blogging goodness."
Manchizzle:
"Couldn't have said it better myself. Cheers, nameless Guardian writer."

ARTSCLUSIVE: Arts in Mind at Brick Lane Gallery

Art in Mind is Opening Tonight | Wednesday 6-9pm | The Brick Lane Gallery | 196 Brick Lane | E1 6SA

The Five Artists are : Alex Daw (C) | Morten Andersen (A) | Peter Armstrong (E) | Ulli Hamers (D) | Michael Peterson (B)


The above links have been mildly disabled but will be restored at 9pm. Examine the five clips of art. All but one - Exhibit A - is a detail rather than full frame. Which artist is a celebrity? And for extra fun who are they? And what are they famous for? Answers to email address, no spoilers please.

ANSWER: (B) Michael Peterson is the outsider artist. Several got that.
MORE CLUES: Feted in certain East End circles, hence this booking perhaps, but famous under a "professional name" and virtually unknown by this one.

Group exhibition of emerging artists organised by http://artshole.co.uk and thebricklanegallery.com. Exhibition continues to 10th September | open daily 12-6pm.

Future Art in Mind dates: October 2nd to 15th; October 30th to November 12th; November 20th to December 3rd. To take part in Art in Mind and for more information contact tony@thebricklanegallery.com

Games Without Frontiers: Wars Without Tears (PG)

Unity at Ministry of Truth takes a gruelling journey through Sham Cam's Flim Flam. Games Without Frontiers, Wars Without Tears ... we couldn't help ourselves humming along in the Biko Building Coffee Bar as the alien invaders were - for a time - vanquished.

But they kept coming as each layer of arithmetic was calculated there'd be another level ... until finally, well, I'd have to kill you if I told you that.

Your correspondent specialised in Pacman and held a long term top score in the coffee bar. Never did me any harm ... chomp, chomp, chomp, chomp.

The nostalgic can play Space Invaders online here and Pacman right here.

Of course the alert will have seen mosaic's invading the space also.

This one is in Manchester's bohemian Northern Quarter where our glorious council and local meejah caught on around 2004.

It seems to me that this huffing and puffing is not a bad line for a council to take.

If guerilla marketing through flyposting, graffiti, mosaics and stickers is universally permitted or even generally encouraged it loses all its edge after all. More on which another time perhaps.

Le grand-pere of the SI school of street mosaic is said to be Invader who began his battle in 1998 and has been welcomed with more or less open arms in dozens of cities worldwide.

I could not be certain when the first of these appeared in Manchester but around 1998 (if not 1997!) would be my guess. It's viral after all.

While Dave-id Cameron is just grasping at populist straw-polls there is something of a problem in the USA with young men being enticed into body bags with high-adrenaline war gaming.

The USAAF offer a choice of meat hooks to hang yourself on.

There's the cold war Wings Over Europe: Cold War gone Hot - coyly or bullishly, LOL not sure, rebranded 'Wings Over Europe: Soviet Invasion' for the European market. In 2005.

The follow up to 2004's Wings Over Vietnam which speaks for itself. (2004) For the nostalgia seat of the pants brigade there's First Eagles: The Great War 1918 (1914 through 1917 don't count (2006).

Each of these cost about one quarter of a million dollars to produce. But the USA army showed them fly boys with $5.5 millon for America's Army and this has led to various fascinating spin offs (see link). THe US Navy blew all comers out of the water with a $80 million budget though this did also pay for some other PR and stuff.


In contrast to the high octane arcade and simulation games the kids get to play is the reverent minute of patriotism and honour that is the advert for parents (above). This has the payoff: "America's air force - no one comes close". An ironic allusion to the blue-on-blue situation I'll be bound.

The realist war game recruitment genre is Militainment by the way.

Not to be confused with the after dinner speaking and radio presenting chores of come back kid Derek Hatton.

PARENTAL GUIDANCE: Please note that parents wishing their children to play the nice man's battle games should ensure that they are seven years or older. Bit nasty in places. But no sex. There's a war on.

Gummy Bares All: Another Week Another Tory Duffer

Iain Dale thinks it is so mad that John Gummer must have CJD. He may say that, I couldn't possibly comment.

Next week: Tebbit on the Bicycling Industry; Heseltine on Military Procurement; and Thatcher on High Level Foreign Affairs.
(Editor: can you really say that?)

Blogger Dale's Rat Pack: 52 Cards and a Joker

Iain Dale has kindly posted comprehensive details on just how to order copies of his latest book. Iain Dale's Guide to Political Blogging in the UK.

Got some really classy new blood this year I'm hearing. Iain's taking some ribbing in comments from clinically sane nationalists for having home country sections for everywhere but England.

Akehurst: Seeing Red as Farmers' Market Hits Roof

Don't like to encourage Akehurst's Alter Ego, one bursting ego can be quite enough, but given recent cross party concern about a farmer's lot it is cheering to see Luke linking to the uplifting story of farmers whose fortunes are literally high as a kite. Thanks, say commentators, to British input on the ground. Teach a man to fish and all that.

But there's more. Though Luke displays a captured propaganda sheet (left) that Hackney right wingers were planning to put in place of the more uplifting story (right) from the horticultural frontline. Growing and arranging flowers has become the watchword for seething machismo and bitter local rivalries. Monsanto are said to have patents pending but will not be serving this produce in the staff canteen.

BUT SERIOUSLY: It is time we started buying the whole crop as futures - they don't even have to grow it - and also buying something useful that they actually do grow on the same fields. Bit like set aside.

LDV Poll: Should Lib Dems Stir Shit on EU?

Lib Dem Voice are running a poll, currently pretty evenly poised, on whether Lib Dems should back a referendum as The Telegraph suggest. Stephen Tall asks:

What do you think? Should the Lib Dems support the
demands for a referendum - after all, we were the only mainstream party to call for one to validate the Maastricht Treaty - or would this simply be pandering to a Eurosceptic media, exploiting issues too technical to be decided by a
simple Yes/No vote?

I tend to agree with reasonable comments from tinter and the reliable Lawrence Boyce.

As a party which locally will call for a referendum at the drop of a hat - but not provide them if in power - the Lib Dem high ups should heed their remarks. Mountjoy (here today doing the old 2+2=5 shuffle on jobs, benefits and gast arbeiters) unintentionally says it all in a comment at LDV - it would be political opportunism of the worst kind:

Yes, because Brown is seriously isolated on this issue now that 120 of his MPs have called for a referendum.

So nothing to do with the merits of the case? Just naked opportunism? This is why I fully expect it to appear all over the place in Focus newsletters in the fairly near future! Surprise me please.

Of course a referendum could be won on the merits if there is an honest debate. Being as this one is 75% electoral opportunism and at most 25% substance then LOL are dubious that could happen.

Might yet be persuaded. So let's have a supplementary question. If there were a referendum should Lib Dems (and indeed other opportunist opponents) campaign against the government? If not, what?

John Redwood: Fine Words Butter No Parsnips

John Redwood is not the first person for singing lessons, Welsh language lessons, or up to date tax policy prescriptions but this worry about the USA and Iran seems pretty straightforward.

The question for Redwood, the opposition, and particularly Labour as expected incumbents for a generation, is what now? What should Britain do next? The EU? The US of A? More important: what should Iran do next?

Welsh Alphabet poster Museum of Welsh Life at St Fagan's Castle, Cardiff (Item ref: F71.337). Also facsimile view in LOL's splendid hallway, M21.

Oh Brotherment: Civil Partnerships 1400AD Always

Says so on the Internet so we can take it as gospel. In news that will shock academe Live Science journal has claimed that there were same sex civil unions in Europe six hundred years ago. In France, they say, these contracts were called "affrèrement," translated as brotherment. So there you go. Ground breaking stuff.

Not to be confused with all the indications - including extant orders of service in Greek and Slavonic languages - of same sex unions going back to Plato and beyond. Or of the late John Boswell's 1994 work Same-sex unions in pre-modern Europe, also published as The marriage of likeness. This has description of Adelphopoiia, or brother-making and the aforesaid translations, with facsimiles for the Greek ones.


But well done to Yahoo for today's scoop. The not so Orthodox St Sergius and St Bacchus (above) were brotherly lovers in 300 and odd.

NEEDLESS TO SAY: elements of the US cognoscenti really are finding this idea very tough going.

Here's one: 1) Nothing says they were homosexual relationships; 2) It’s still not marriage, which is what the homo lobby wants.

And here's another: In the contract, the "brothers" pledged to live together sharing "un pain, un vin, et une bourse," (French for one bread, one wine and one purse)
Our Founders pledged each other their "lives, fortunes, and sacred honor" and they weren't poncing nancy boys. Sometimes a pledge is just a pledge.

Which if you think about it is US red necks defending cheese-eating surrender monkeys' honor with the heterosexualness of their founding fathers. They've seen Deliverance and they sure are scared.

George W Bush: Blogs Sublime to Ridiculous

Dizzy has spotted the Huffington Post fomenting mutiny while commenting sock puppet "Guido Faux" finds cached family values fascism. No more elections Dubya? How's it grab ya?

Leeds West Selection: History for Alison Lowe?

Quite a few firsts and potential firsts for the socialists of Bolton South East. Another beckons for Alison Lowe in Leeds West. Shortlisted last week, Lowe has represented Armley in the constituency for 17 years, taking the seat from Lib Dems in 1990.

Alison is Chief Executive of a medium-sized Leeds based charity called Touchstone. Labour has a 12,810 majority in Leeds West. The hustings is on 14 September 2007.

If the City's 2004-5 Mayor is successful she will become the first ethnic minority woman selected under an all women shortlist. Seen above as Deputy Mayor launching Leeds' status as Fair Trade City with Rt Hon Hilary Benn MP.

More Bolton Socialism: Ten Commandments

LP929 Socialist Ten Commandments © Bolton Socialist Club/Leeds Postcards Individual orders 60p per card Trade from 25p in packs of 15.

Libdemologists: Really, Really Poor on Equality

Lest we forget, in greeting Yasmin Qureshi's selection Sunny at Pickled Politics reminds us that while Labour and even Cameron's Tories are making progress on equality, the Lib Dems are sadly nowhere near. Back to which fact in due course. Meanwhile this post from James Graham reminds us of the territory.

Bolton South Labour: Making History by ... Picking a Dyed in the Wool Socialist

Yes, that's right! It's happened right here in Greater Manchester. "Constituency Labour Party Selects Socialist!" Brilliant. A candidate that stood in Bolshy Brent 2005, refusing to toe the party line on the war, highlighting the most socialist achievements of the government as a platform.

Famously pulling in both Tony Benn and Ken Livingstone rather than current ministers as their key supporters on the stump. In fact this person is even Mayor Ken's Human Rights Advisor.


Meanwhile others are rightly celebrating other aspects of the selection - Yasmin Qureshi could be Britain's first woman MP with Pakistani heritage. She will depend on a speedy weigh in versus a more tortuous count in Bethnal Green & Bow to pip Bangladeshi heritage Rushanara Ali to also be first Muslim woman and first Asian woman elected.

The official precis CV goes: Qureshi is a Barrister at 2 King’s Bench Walk chambers and human rights advisor to London Mayor, Ken Livingstone. She has worked for Government Legal Services and Crown Prosecution Service and was the Head of the Criminal Legal Section of the UN Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) for some time. She contested Brent East in 2005.

Slate were more effusive. Cheeky Muslim Woman Attorney Who's Britain's Most Appealing Candidate was just their May 2005 headline:

This time, Labor has more than leveled the playing field. Qureshi is a formidable candidate. She's a Muslim of Pakistani descent in a constituency that's 28 percent Asian and 13 percent Muslim; she's a barrister; she's a human-rights adviser to London Mayor "Red" Ken Livingstone, who represented Brent East from 1987 to 2001. On paper, she's astonishing enough. But in person she's astounding. Charismatic, chatty, cheeky, she's a natural extrovert. She described herself as "a gobby candidate" — that's "outspoken" in American — which is one way of saying that she disagrees with a good chunk of current Labor Party policy.

Over the last four weeks, she's run an anti-war campaign that stresses the government's economic strengths. She has distanced herself from Blair and invited in "old Labor" stalwarts like Livingstone ("former Labor" (sic) in his case) and Tony Benn to campaign for her.

Bolton has a Socialist Club. Not just some comrades meeting in a smoky pub mind. This is a bricks and mortar, albeit a little tired, at Wood Street (bricollaged above with YQ) and if you click the link you'll find some real red antecedents.

Wood Street may be needed to make up for the loss of one of=r two Labour Clubs in the Town as The Bolton Evening News reports. Not local. Never heard of her. Blah de blah.

Bolton West MP Ruth Kelly: "She's hard-working and committed to improving the lives of all those living in Bolton South East."

David Crausby, MP for Bolton North: "selection of a Muslim woman is a real step forward."

Bolton Interfaith Council secretary Tony McNeile: "The selection of an Asian woman is a reflection of modern society in Bolton."

Bolton Council leader Cliff Morris added: "It will be nice to have a young Asian woman representing Bolton so we have a nice mix of MPs."

Yes, "nice". LOL add: "The selection of a socialist is the real news today."

Nargis Khan fans will be pleased to hear that she did well and it was her transfers that finally settled matters. LOL have not yet seen the detailed numbers although the final margin was just 17. Thinking aloud this may mean that Nargis - who is a Bolton lass with her family home in the town - may have seen transfers splitting quite evenly between the two "finalists".

London Runner Up: It's Boris By a Landslide?

Conservative Home have contacted a stonking 300 or so London Tories and their question on the Mayoralty sees The Bozz dominating at 80% plus with The Boff in second just under 10%






Into the valley of coming poor second rode London Tories ... Clicky Buttons courtesy of Conservative Home. I'll get rid of those bullets anon, or not.

Open Democracy Archive: Operation Muslim Vote

While the last story rumbles through the Blogosphere - and with notable care in the MSM - LOL find this Open Democracy story of May 2005, on how Operation Muslim Vote was at that point floundering and why. Some useful history and insights. Clearly the goings on on the world stage are of concern to the Ummah but getting stuck on this concept and supposition of concern only with these issues is crass and stupid. That's the drift I think.

Times Donor Story: Does Benedict Have Insurance?

Times Online had a story about a wealthy and successful Scottish businessman who has made a tidy fortune from his software house Picsel Technologies and who is a star turn on the meet the entrepreneur circuit.

This fellow is called Imran Khand. This is he. He is a British Muslim. And he is we're told a donor to Labour by way of the Muslim Friends of Labour (MFL). The Times suggest he is donating by way of this organisation, which is not bound by the reporting rules covering a party unit, to avoid publicity.

Whereas in fact he seems to rather enjoy the limelight! How curious this all is. He's no shrinking violet that's for sure. Suggesting Mr Khand is trying to hide any donations he may make? Well that really is something from Murdoch's people and all who sail with them.

The Times also claim that Mr Khand has recently set up a whole series or businesses with someone they describe as "an arms salesman", whatever that means. They don't say. Did this mysterious fellow once work in a Walmart selling air guns? Sell machetes at the local army surplus?

Now, of course this is of interest to me as I have been investigating the donation of £58,000 from Heckling & Koch's principal to the Tories.

Now that guy is an arms manufacturer on a huge scale! No question about that. Millions of units, made by his own fair hands. Trading officially with more than half the countries in the world. And with strategically placed plants in around 15 of them. Making designer guns and knives, as well as mopping up bloody acres of the mass market.

His new assault rifle the lightweight XM8 is about to feature in a "shoot off" with other contenders for the biggest prize of all - replacing the M4 carbine in the hands of the USA's marauding military.

More on which tomorrow.

Tory Blogger Benedict White is very much on the attack though. More concerned with bashing this blogger (or his own bishop) than taking care with the actual story. But whatever, Bennie's blog banter makes the second reference I've found - the Times being the other - which links Mr Khand to the mystery arms salesman. Except Benedict White has promoted the mystery man to "arms dealer" and in his headline to "arms dealers!", plural and exclamatory. Perhaps all Muslim businessmen and/or Labour donors are now considered, by Benedict, to be arms dealers?

I do hope he knows what he is doing? This comment over at the Scotsman is quite bold in repeating other allegations but wisely does not go with the arms salesman/trader/traders line. I can see no other papers following The Times story. Perhaps it does not stack up? UPDATE: The comment is verbatim lift from The Mail who also do not carry the alleged salesman, trader. traders line.

If Benedict White is an NUJ member he will have good insurance and advice if the writs start flying.

Otherwise I do hope he has plenty of evidence of who this fella is, that he can properly be described as an arms dealer, that Mr Khand can properly be considered to have started a business or businesses with the fella, and indeed that Mr Khand is trying to hide any donation he may have made to the Labour party. Or it'll be eggs-on-face-Benedict.

Labour say: "MFL agreed to register with the Electoral Commission as a matter of best practice." They continue: "MFL was able to assure the Labour Party that all donations received by it had come from permissible donors."

Peter Black AM and the whole two job thing

Don't know this Peter Black AM from ADAM, and I didn't realise until now that he was another two-jobber holding down a council seat as well as one in the Assembly.

But Lib Dem Voice draw attention to This is South Wales and an even handed story, that LDV whine about, stating that he has made donations of £12,000 and £15,000 to his own campaign funds.

The least we can say is that what he is doing with his Council pay is transparent and accountable. And that his Council and Assembly work are in the same part of Wales and not 200 miles/three hours travel apart. Others are not so honourable. Mentioning no names.

Clearly there was blatant dishonesty in Ealing Southall about Vivendra Sharma (60) age being 72 and so on. And there was one particular press stunt involving two jobs Leech supporting the Lib Dem man's insistence that he would be a full time MP.

What an extraordinary choice that was, in his Blue Peter shoes and all.

Home Office Shenanigans: It's Just Not Cricket

The Independent is not a LOL daily read so I missed this but happily PDF has come to the rescue. We're back to the Liarco Chindamo tribunal and what Nigel Leskin, Chindamo's solicitor, described as a "cynical attempt" to stuff his client's case as two key witnesses - officers at Ford Open Prison - were stymied and prevented from giving evidence in person:

"I can only assume that it was intended as an obstruction to the defence putting its case properly. This was a very serious issue and one on which the tribunal should have been able to hear directly from the witnesses who knew most about my client's progress in prison, it would have allowed both sides to cross-examine them and so create a fairer impression of what they had to say."

The judgment shows that their written evidence was crucial.

Senior immigration Judge Allen said in the judgment:

"Of particular significance was what was said by Mr Hughes, the deputy governor of Ford Prison, in his letter to the appellant's solicitors of 8 March 2007. He had been in the Prison Service for 30 years and had dealt with numerous offences. There were only a small minority who had demonstrated a change for the better and gone on to lead lawful and purposeful lives and he strongly believed that the appellant was a changed person who had realised the gravity of his index offence and if given a chance would prove himself worthy of trust. All the reports on him had been very positive and the parole board had been very impressed."

The Independent report continued: The Home Office declined to comment on the allegation that it had tried to mislead the tribunal by suppressing evidence. A spokeswoman said the Government intended to appeal against the tribunal ruling so that Chindamo could be deported to Italy, where he was born. Yesterday, the Tory party continued to argue that the case showed it was time to abolish the Human Rights Act.


Ridiculous! As if he didn't have enough bad karma already. Image: after Bloggerheads. Trying to abolish an Act which scarcely impinges on this matter. Cameron said: "The fact that the murderer of Philip Lawrence cannot be deported flies in the face of common sense. It is a glaring example of what is going wrong in our country. What about the rights of Mrs Lawrence? We ought to abolish the Human Rights Act and replace it with a British Bill of Rights that we can write ourselves - that sets out clearly our rights and responsibilities."

Back to the Independent: Shami Chakrabarti, director of the human rights group Liberty, said Mr Cameron had misunderstood the Human Rights Act. "This case is about European Union law, not the Human Rights Act. It is wrong for David Cameron to suggest otherwise." She called on Mr Cameron to "correct his error and apologise to Mrs Lawrence for letting her think all it takes is a tweak to the Human Rights Act for her husband's killer to be deported to Italy".

Ministry of Truth: Pistol Whipping Gun Crazy Tories

LOL have a brace or three draft posts on guns blinking on the old dashboard. Unity has saved some writing up by crunching Dizzy here and then crunching SNP and Easterhouse baby slaughtering here.

Which is not to say I shouldn't take a break from stopping and smelling the flowers, stopping and mowing the lawns, stopping and walking the dogs, and get on with some starting. More soon, at which point this little baby (above right) will be explained.

Breaking News: Alberto Gonzo Law Gonzales Goes

2:00 PM: Guardian Unlimited:

"It has been one of my greatest privileges to lead the department of justice," Mr Gonzales said in a perfunctory statement, without taking questions from reporters. He will step down on September17.

"I have lived the American dream," the son of migrant workers said. "Even my worst days as attorney general have been better than my father's best days."

3:30 PM: Guardian's list of other quitters with LOL taking the liberty of sneaking an extra one in:

· Lewis 'Scooter' Libby, chief of staff to vice-president Dick Cheney. "Resigned" in October 2006 after indicted in Valerie Plame scandal.

· Paul Wolfowitz, "Resigned" as deputy secretary of defence in 2005.

· John Bolton, "Resigned" as US ambassador to UN in December 2006.

· Donald Rumsfeld, Secretary of defence. "Resigned" in November 2006.

· Andrew Card, White House chief of staff. "Resigned" in March 2006.

· Harriet Miers, White House counsel. "Resigned" in February 2007.

· Tony Blair, Held Bully Bush's coat in Iraq. "Resigned" in March 2007.

· Dan Bartlett, Counsellor to the president. "Resigned" in June 2007.

· Karl Rove, political strategist and close confidant to George Bush. Leaving at the end of this month.

London Mayoralty: Tories' Dirty Tricks on Ken

From the acronym that is PDF provides this report (reproduced verbatim) hat tip ???.

>>>> Conservative London Assembly Member Angie Bray has an article on Commentisfree. As one might expect, it’s a piece of Ken-bashery. As one might not entirely expect, one of its key bases is an appalling, total and utter lie:

Have you ever seen the Venezuelan electoral register? It looks innocent enough at first, with columns for your name, address and polling number. But then it suddenly turns slightly menacing: a long line of columns records every ballot you have ever cast. One of the fundamental tenets of democracy, which guarantees freedom from persecution, is the secret ballot. Yet this is unheard of in Chavez’s Venezuela. This means that if you haven’t voted for el presidente, you don’t get access to vital poverty relief schemes.

An appalling outrage; I can’t believe our mayor is fraternising with such a stealth-dictator. Except that, err, he isn’t. Venezuelan elections are held on an entirely secret ballot basis.

Another, err, not entirely true fact from Ms Bray is:

The Conservative group invited along one of the many dissident groups in the country whose members have had to flee abroad since he took office. Of course, Ken banned them from the building.

Actually, the only person Ken banned was terrorism advocate Aleksander Boyd. In short, if you support terrorism and lies, vote Boris!<<<<

The Boyd link is to news that the clown has withdrawn a legal action against Ken over the decision.

LOL: From Our Religious Affairs Correspondent

My facebook and realworld friend Tom Murphy has entered "Christian - Catholic" as his religion. Where I put "Socialist Atheist Humanist". This inspired me to post on his wall:

Christian - Catholic for religion? Nice ironic juxtaposition. At 11, at a school patronised by the late great Augustine (I'm loving Angels etc) our class teacher was Mr Warren. Not one of us. Perhaps married in. Played tennis educationally on TV with Rod Laver. Another non-Catholic. Never seen either taking communion. His fine singing voice stumbled like Redwood during hardcore Catholic hymns. Faith of Our Fathers Living Still and other gory glory martyr stuff. Anyway, we knew. He must have had close supervision from Sister Michael. And other cross-naming sisters of perpetual poverty. Tho' how did Sr Margaret swing hers? One day, out of the blue when we had a lesson about religion (as they all were) he asked us a trick question: "What Religion Are You?" he asked innocently. My synaptic hand was up. I was selected. Did he know? "Christian" I said confidently. He laughed out loud as other kids smiled. "I hope so". He found one of 30 others with the correct answer. "Not for me" I thought.

The rousing tune and martyr inspiring lyrics above right are now associated with Thanksgiving in USA.

More LOL religion anon.

Yasmin Zalzala Asks: About Lib Dem Perfidy

Yasmin Zalzala has commented here, asking about the Lib Dem dishonesty in Ealing Southall where they claimed that Vivendra Sharma was 72 years old. He is actually a venerably vital 60. One leaflet, making this claim - late in the election incidentally as a BLATANT LIE - is reproduced above courtesy of the wonderful by-elections leaflet repository. The Lib Dem man (right) seems to be laughing his head off at the fibs in his own leaflet!

Obviously the bar chart was utter tosh also. Goes without saying I suppose. The leaflet also claimed that Cllr Sharma had missed "most" of the council meetings in the past year.

Also a BLATANT LIE. But amusingly they sent none other than Councillor John "Two Jobs" Leech MP to back up their man's claims that HE would be a full-time MP. In his Blue Peter shoes. Obviously Leech is missing a large proportion of meetings that he would normally attend as a Councillor, particularly those on police, health, environment, local improvements, and TRANSPORT which is his portfolio as number three in his parties "front bench" team. They're almost all on that! On the front bench team. He has spent two full years already as a part timer in two jobs, as well as going off on his footballing and other junkets. He intends to spend another year moonlighting though should there be an early election he will be able at least to cling on to his Town Hall sinecure.

Yasmin Zalzala (left) and John Leech (right). All smiles.