David Lindsay formed his own party last year and promises to field candidates nationally for this all-encompassing BPA (British People's Alliance).
Now, in a short notice re Gwyneth Dunwoody's death, he is pointing out that New Labour were/are troublesome Trotskyites.
Thanks to Conservative Home for linking to Boris Johnson's Q&A in Health and Well Being Guardian HERE. A chucklesome taster:What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?
An excessive and almost hysterical attention to detail.
Mmmm. Just like On The Buses. Left to right: Powell, Cameron, Johnson.
Max Lib Double O Seven is a new You Tuber (23 years old, 23 hours ago, spooky) who has rather taken up the flash animation mantle of Tim at Bloggerheads who has been unusually silent on the Johnson-Dickhead for mayoralty issue.
Alert readers may remember that Tim Ireland created Boris Johnson's personal website which is now credited to some dickheads at Wibbler. Also the credited designers of young Tim Ireland's site. Cosy little world we live in.
Thanks to Mark T' Mark for the heads up in comments HERE.
UPDATE Sunday 11:00: Clearly these YouTube offerings are homage to Ireland's ouevre as Tim always signs his political works in his own name.
UPDATE Monday 11:44: Clarification.
Wibbler main man Simon H appears as a stag weekend dickhead on the banner of his homepage here, linking to free web-sms services (detail, left) and the title was intended to be observational rather than derogatory.
Paul Waugh in the Standard points out that the Buntery Johnson, B is still one for smoking behind the bike sheds. Chain smoking all the way to some £10,000 of donations from tobacco pushers.
Nothing new in Tory support for Tobacco pushers of course. One of the most agonisingly desperate chaps I have ever seen was a former Tory Cabinet Minister firing the starting gun at a healthy living fun run last summer in his Rushcliffe constituency.
Although the winner, Tarus Elly as it goes, was only about 30 minutes in running 10k, Mr Ken Clarke, for it was he, could not be persuaded to hang on and present the prizes. Much money was raised for the Kenyan Orphans Project which involves UK Medics in various splendid development projects in Kisumu and elseswhere.
All kinds of rationales for departure were offered. Including paying his paper bill, or he'd be in trouble with the missus. And packing for his trip that afternoon ... to South Africa on BAT business. In actual fact Ken was gagging for a smoke and finally exited stage right at quite a trot for a man of his build.
Liberal Conspiracy draws attention to the above attack advert saved for the nation by Hopi Sen. This has had a startling effect. Will Parbury has woken from a long slumber. Pickled Politics is delirious and Dave Cole is not far behind alongside Tory Troll. Dave tags Septic Isle on the Standard.
Hopi has also dubbed Sadie Smith the political Charlie Brooker because as we all know Charlie's been such a fence sitter on the Johnson issue.
UPDATE: A militant Compass Youth member has tagged an unsubtle collection of Johnson-abilia to the soundtrack of "You Fascists Are Bound to Lose!". A few spolling mistakes, but that's C21st edukashun for you.
Oldham's new fish eye logo slightly pilloried here is quite good actually. Bit blue. But bit good too actually. Congrats to Hemisphere.
Gwyneth Dunwoody MP has died. A battler and a character first elected in Exeter (1964-1970), but latterly (1974-2008) MP for Crewe/Crewe & Nantwich. Longest serving woman MP (39+ years) and longest continuous woman MP (34+ years). Formidable and independent chair of Transport Select Committee since 1997.
Lembit Opik's contribution on the influx of central european people to the UK was nowhere near as embarrassing as expected. Never mind.
Lib Dem Voice guest poster Andy Mayer says: Sod London, vote for Lib Dem franchise careers. Damning stuff. Geoffrey Payne writing in comments there is right. That is politically bankrupt. Bit like jewel in the Lib Dem local government crown Liverpool.
Today Liam at Cassilis draws attention to some Republican theorizing on the Obama approach to economic interest as motivation. Almost equating the Republicans to the BNP. Surely not? ... but, then again it's not so far off the mark.
And yesterday there was some wondering about Jon Snow vs Gordon Brown. With the latter deemed highly evasive even by politician standards. That's a view some will share. But Snow is a rather inept interviewer at times. Not half as clever as he thinks he is.
ASIDE: Dan Snow - whose dad is Peter Snow who is Jon's cousin and apparently the connection who got Jon moving in journalism despite his shortcomings in that area - was unexpectedly eager to point out in an R5L interview I heard (sorry can't find a link just now) that the Snow men are dire thickos. He gets his brains he says from mum Ann and auntie Margaret.
PICTURE (Telegraph) : "Then you put the other boot on the other foot Jon".
DJ Dr Roops wishes Pete Shelley a happy 53rd HERE and then, what's this neat segue to New Wave Asian Beats?, she sticks Ed Husain loud and proud on the other deck.
Good skills. Funniest Shelley story I can recall was the time he was propping up the bar after his solo sound check at the late lamented International Club - now an east mediterranean super-delicatessen - talking with the late lamented promoter Roger Eagle. Along came a flowers delivery. "Pete Shelley? Peter Shelley?", "Yes I!" said the man accepting delivery gleefully.
"Who can these be from?" he wondered aloud, tearing open the message. Inside, hilariously, a summons from the taxman. Many happy returns Peter.
Iain is not responding very well to his treat. He follows an extraordinary piece of pig-ignorant spin from Sir gGOO - threatened with reshuffle by Conservative Home readers - and indeed from the source Bloomberg in this really rather ridiculous misrepresentation.
We expect better of Britain's leading political blogger Iain. As Ann Widdy might say: "Buck Up!" Why on earth has Iain repeated this cock and bull?
The Chancellor DID NOT say "Prime Minister Gordon Brown's Labour government" now did he? That's Bloomberg substituting a complex unpacking of the word "We" now isn't it?
And as for the non sequitor argument that follows? That this quote means it's power for power's sake: "All governments and parties go through difficult patches," Darling said. "This is a time when we should remember why we stand for government, the purpose of being in government."
No reasonable person with half a brain could think it means what Iain says he thinks it means. Now, we know GOO is a perverse man who will twist words and figures well beyond reason as soon as blink. But Iain Dale? Surely not.
REAL WORLD ASSESSMENT: It is gratifying that BBC News 24 and even the Tory-backing Sky News are NOT carrying this piece of GOO-ey nonsense.
With Tribune now muttering about Gordon's future we might as well link to the book on his successor at Political Betting. No sign of John McDonnell though Livingstone (100-1) and Jon Cruddas (16-1) are there. But non-lefty lefty John Denham is perhaps the highest surprise on tens.
Mike Smithson is tipping Andy Burnham as the best value bet. Perhaps the Leigh MP could restore Britain to a place where people know and feel the differences between the parties? In the way he told a Fabian debate at the Leadership Conference in Manchester last year we used to. When we were thin.
But Gordon's not going anywhere anyway. Apart from Washington. Where contrary to the TBB spin he's beginning to gain some news traction and emerge from under the Pope Bennie roadshow's long shadow.
LabourHome has a sneak preview of tomorrowFriday's Tribune Poster Cover.
Conspiracy theorists will also notice a "Brown Must Go" item trailed.
Dr Huq concludes her review of this and last night's Mayoral debate by suggesting the designers might have used an energy-saving lamp.
But they were probably quite right, don't you think?
One of the biggest problems with Johnson and the Tories generally is that their Greenwash don't. Don't wash.
Luke reports the success fo a campaign to stop Archant London papers carrying BNP adverts. There is some controversy in the comments. Would editorial coverage of the refusal in the likes of the Guardian boost BNP fortunes? Er, NO!
Back in Sedgefield last year Newsquest's Northern Echo did take this BNP advert but gave the money away to charity and ran a weaselly editorial comment about free speech. Hackney Mayor Jules Pipe dealt with that line in first link above.
Newsquest's parent company is called Gannet by the way. Thanks to Miles for that info. In comments.
Was in Liverpool last evening, talking with Cllr Joe Anderson who will hopefully be leading the Council and Liverpool out of the slough of despond come May 2. Assisted by bloggers Dr Bill Jones ("Skipper") and Stephen Newton I managed with great expertise and at great expense to prepare this treat for Iain.
The very first comment on Conservative Home's shadow cabinet reshuffle discussion is from the comedically named David Belchamber. Saying clearly that Sir G George Oliver Osborne MUST be moved. As he is so very inept with figures and a convicted fibster too that would indeed be a good move for Tories.
If that is Cameron had the guts to can his cokey Bullingdon Bully buddy. I don't think Cameron is remotely close to that level of crony-free decision-making. Which is ultimately a good thing for Labour, and so for the country.
Greg Hands MP has published proof that Nick Clegg paid a subscription for one year to the Cambridge University Conservative Association right here on Conservative Home. This is something which Clogg has repeatedly denied and which that other saintly Lib Dem Huhne has repeatedly claimed.
I found this reference following a lead on Mr Bean - Conservative related to my previous post. But Dr Huq lists some of the blogsters who got there first.
Rupa also links to this Indy story indicating that Christmas Post (and/or dim-witted Lib Dems) saw some 1,300 postal votes arrive too late to count and with at least 906 of them for Huhne. In other words enough to change the result in Huhne's favour.
Of course in Rochdale one ward selection which looked to bring de-selection of a particular sitting councillor - who had allegedly been collaborating with Labour - was over-turned by cronies of Paul Rowen MP, Dave Hennigan and their ilk by simply disqualifying five of the voters on one side while not bothering to scrutinise the other side.
Lib Dems ... the not-very-nice, not-very-fair party.
The cheeky Welsh scampie Rob Ad-lard (serial Conservative Loser, City Centre) has copied and pasted an entire LOL post on his scarcely visited blog.
No, of course he didn't ask. No, of course he's not paying me. No, of course he doesn't see any benefit for himself in publishing yours truly revealing some background on his Lib Dem opposition.
Of course Mr Adlard took almost six weeks to muster a retort to this post condemning him for kiddy Tory politics.
Not because he is chronologically relatively young, which the poor dear seems to feel to be the case, but because his contribution was strikingly immature as well as unedited and tedious. He would appear to be confirming his juvenile attributes by (hee hee) nicking other people's work.
MEANWHILE: Manchester Conservatives have I'm told excelled themselves and selected a Mr Bean to contest the Didsbury West Ward (hee hee).
Wise before his time Hopi Sen plays a game of Crisis? What Crisis? and enjoys being twee with his girlfriend and juvenile with his Nintendo DS.
Leaving aside the occasional election, political leadership is not or shouldn't be a popularity contest. Doing the right thing and being momentarily unpopular is brave, and Hopi explains.
Evan Price offers an interesting round up of a week in court for the government. HERE. As a lawyer he makes a good polemicist.
But I'm not sure on the tallying - 4-1 to the people over the government - really. The decisions, or judgments as lawyers would have it, are of course more precise than the general reporting thereof.
In reverse order (please refer to Evan's blog for the flesh):
The military equipment one. Not really contested or controversial. But as Evan says the judgment borders on nonsense given the variables. There was an interesting contribution on R5L from a 19-year-old private. He was now wearing "better" body armour but found that it was "worse" in restricting his ability to use his weapon and also his mobility.
BAe Systems and Saud. Well. I'm not sure where this leaves the public interest rationale for abandoning such cases. The threat was an unlawful premise it seems. But what about the jobs, the exports, and the ultimate unwinnability of the case? Where it is not even really clear who the victim(s) is/are.
Inquiry on Iraq War II. There will be one in due course. But as Evan says this is not the way they come about. Though the equipment case offers a different route for skirmishes.
Abu Qatada export deal. Think we all knew that would probably happen. Is he a terrorist subject or a terrorist suspect Evan? He's still in jail of course and may ultimately plead to be allowed to go to somewhere that will be willing to take him.
Immigration rules. These are a right royal mess of course. This is not something exclusively of Labour's doing. The rules are sedimentary and have built up over decades. Need a clean sweep. But as this case shows change is difficult.
Not sure that Evan's conclusion of incompetence ("best ever!") is supported by the evidence he brings to bear. The law in such matters seems to be a process of both attrition and iteration.
And is it really the case that there were only five results in the courts last week where the govt or regina were party?
Pre-eminent Tory Boy Blogger relies on bookies' prices on housing market changes. Yes, Iain is reporting what the bookies "reckon" on house prices.
Has he not noticed the old phenomenon of bookies having five windows to take bets and just one paying out? The bookies reckon on making a profit from sentimental, greedy, sporting, gullible, calculating (delete as applicable) folk who fancy a flutter.
With the "value" of many homes in Manchester having gone up by 200% (i.e. now changing hands for three times as much) and indeed much more in some cases in the past eight years we can:
(a) probably afford a 20% dip if the bookies market are "right"; and also
(b) rely on betting markets to be orientated to buying Audi's for bookies.
Not being particularly reliable economic forecasters.
Even if the bookies ARE right this sort of overall fall could be accomplished by a big crash in the exchange value of buy-to-let properties - many held by inveterate gamblers - and a more modest and long expected adjustment in real home prices.
Lib Dem Voice are hosting a debate and poll on "Should deaf parents be able to select deaf babies?" Like Stephen Tall I heard a debate on this matter, but not the Radio Four one to which he refers. But the same deaf activist was on Radio 5, and indeed David Blunkett commented on the debate there.
As so often what the debate was and is missing was/is proportion and quantum. What deaf activist Tomato Lichy and his partner were calling for was not a wholesale screening involving deaf pregnancies in general. No designer deaf babies. Not at all.
They were saying that in the event of deaf people being involved in IVF treatment - which always involves screening and selection of embryos - that there should not be a presumption and compulsion to discard otherwise healthy embryos - perhaps the otherwise healthiest - that could be deaf.
Now it may well be that this will not make a huge difference to many people encountering the issue and feeling the irresistible urge to express an opinion, make radio programmes, lobby law makers, or change the letter of the law as the Department of Health now appears willing to do.
But from my point of view some rudimentary indication of the numbers of people affected would be informative.
Tomato Lichy is inter alia a script writer and technical producer for Deafinitely Theatre, and a performance and media artist.
There is an interesting debate at Mishka Zena's Deaf Read blog.
Westmonster reports some partisan reporting from the Daily Telegraph. Now there's unusual. And at one point Westie also jeers at the "four pubs close everyday" stat from the same sort of vague stat heaven cess pool.
These are of course beloved of twisting journalists and lower league politicians such as all Lib Dems. At all levels. Tragically including Dr Vince Cable - the erstwhile safe pair of hands - yet to explain how he got army wage scales and numbers so very bizarrely wrong. Never mind apologise.
But how many NEW bars and assorted licensed premises are opening every day at the moment Westmonster Oli? Did any of these "quality" journalists say?
We have about 20 or 30 more bars in M21 where I live than we did under the last Tory government. Was about seven I think. Now it's about 30 to 35. But, alas, it must be admitted that one traditional pub has closed in the period.
Particularly looking forward to the opening of Orlando's at the corner of Barlow Moor Road and Sandy Lane. Opening on election day no less - Thursday 1st May.
This is in effect a supper club with turns like tokester Howard Marks, gagster Felix Dexter and soulstress Ruby Turner mentioned in dispatches to entertain the 70 or so lucky diners.
Speaking of undefeated socialists we have a one-minute vox pop of Londoners backing Ken. Well spotted by Tom Watson MP. Cllr Bob Piper has another.
Our Man(c) in Mexico aka Ken has moved his blog.
He has blogsclusive news of Fidel Castro.
Very poorly but stable would be the euphemistic hospital spokesman speak.
"Near-death, in coma" is plainer English. "Invicta" is his legendary status. Like Kent. Clark Kent perhaps?
Tomas Abyu of Salford Harriers is running today's Olympic Trial/London Marathon as by far the fastest Brit. He clocked 2:10:37 in the last Dublin event. But through the perversity of the selection process Dan Robinson whose best time is rather slower is the only one who will be taken to Beijing if none of the Brits beat the clock today. Tomas is pictured at the XXI Club Dinner which I organised last November with Dr Ron Hill MBE who is a past Commonwealth, European, Boston Champion and three times Olympian with a best of 2:09:28. Which for many should have been recognised as a world record.
The pair compared notes on the selection foibles for these major events. Tomas is exceedingly fit and heads British rankings for half and full marathon. But he is recovering from bronchitis for this particular race day. Will he rise above that? We'll see.
At half way Abyu and Robinson were locked together on 2:11 (i.e. bare automatic qualification) pace. Brendan Foster is as ever prattling half truths and prejudices in the commentary. He wants Dan to go. Because he runs 2:14, 2:15, 2:16 in such events. That is mediocre in historic terms. Tomas has been much faster.
Brendan is also wrong with the 1908 Olympic anecdotes about moving the finish line. It was the start line that was moved in fact.
There is no earthly reason really why the Olympic and other championship marathons shouldn't have far more relaxed entry requirements. If every Olympic nation selected their best three a field of 600 would nonetheless be manageable. Why restrict this to 100? Or 50 or less in the case of a Commonwealth Games? Various past champions debuted in the Olympics and other Championship marathons. Not possible these days.
UPDATE: Robinson is getting the better of the Brits race and should run 2:12:30 or thereabouts. This will be a big improvement for him. But two minutes slower than Tomas' best. Robinson will get to go on the basis of finishing 11th in the Worlds in a relatively modest time. Today's race may well remain Robinson's life time best. Tomas will probably run 2:14/2:15 or thereabouts. I hope that UK Athletics come up with some way of beating the perverse system to take Abyu.
UPDATE 2: Foster has added to his catalogue of mistakes by suggesting the Dublin course was not properly measured. That is not correct. It was simply not an approved event for qualification times. It was of course 26 miles and 385 yards.
Apart from his persistent errors Foster is commercially involved in many of the races on which he commentates. Time for him to move over surely? Now if he'd pointed out the controversy over the course in Belgium on which Derek Clayton ran 2:08 in 1969 - probably at least 400 yards and up to 1200 yards short - and for which all charts and diagrams disappeared. And that Ron Hill should have had a world record in 1970 with the time quoted above. That would have been different.
POSTSCRIPT: Robinson ran about 2:13, Abyu about 2:15.
Posts
