Labour Lords a'Lying

Just another routine story of Labour destroying our Democracy. Two Labour lords are set to be suspended for a year after being caught out by the Sunday Times. If anyone in business was found out taking what were essentially bribes they would be thrown out without any thought.

As Lord Taylor put it

"rules are meant to be bent sometimes".

It just seems that with Labour they are meant to be bent, distorted and just plain broken all the time.

Two Labour peers face suspension from Parliament over 'cash for amendments' - Telegraph

Til' death us do Part - A reminder to Mandelson

Mandy or more rightly The Right Honourable The Lord Mandelson, had his first speech as a Minister in the House of Lords yesterday. Apparently it a was all slickness and sweetness. However the reply to Mandy had a few nice touches of irony for him. As Simon Hoggart explains

The Tory Lord Hunt replied in equally glutinous terms. "A very accomplished maiden speech!" he gushed. "He led us on a fascinating and absorbing journey through history ... his impressive career to date ... his tributes to colleagues and, in particular, the staff were much appreciated and reciprocated by us all! He has indeed joined the aristocracy."

At this point I thought I would gag, but at least he had concealed one or two little acid bombs.

"As a life peer he can only be introduced once into the house ... we are together now until death us do part."

He quoted the Bible on the topic of lilies: "They toil not, neither do they spin.

"While he toils, I am sure he will reflect deeply on the second part of that quotation ..."

This was good, sarcastic stuff, and I suddenly found my breath returning.

A little reminder to Mandy that the House of Lords may not be that easy a place to live if your life is full of spin.

It has become a difficult place to please as a number of Government Ministers have found to their cost just this week.

Simon Hoggart's sketch: Mandelson takes peers' breath away Politics The Guardian

Mandy and the Russian Billionaire

A new mystery involving Brown's new poodle Peter Mandelson. According to the Evening Standard.

Peter Mandelson faced new questions today over his relationship with Russian billionaire Oleg Deripaska. The newly-appointed Business Secretary is at the centre of a row over a potential conflict of interest, the Evening Standard can reveal, after two European companies sought his help following allegations that Deripaska's company cheated them over a $1 billion deal in Moscow.

Mandelson, then European Trade Commissioner, took up their case. To their surprise, the two companies then learned that Mandelson was enjoying lavish hospitality aboard the Queen K, the yacht owned by Deripaska, the man they blamed for defrauding them.

The revelation comes at an awkward time for Mandelson. The Business Secretary, now Lord Mandelson after his ennoblement yesterday, was parachuted into the Government by Gordon Brown at a time of grave crisis. Mandelson had already resigned from the Cabinet twice and this new disclosure yet again raises questions about his judgment. Why, it was asked, did he not declare a personal interest when his role as commissioner clashed with a friendship?

Mandelson dismissed suggestions that he had acted unwisely and, in a long statement to the Standard, defended his right to a private life. Yet the Russian connection raises nagging doubts at a time when the Government is fighting to stabilise the turmoil engulfing Britain's financial sector.

One day after he has been ennobled to be Gordon's new enforcer, he's already in the muck. Now there's a surprise for this man who has already had to resign twice.

H/T James A on Political Betting

Mandelson, the billionaire and a growing mystery | News

Lords humiliates Labour on 42 days

The Lords have rejected the proposed changes to the detention plans to allow 42 days. They rejected them by 309 - 118 votes. As Jon Craig on Sky said, "This is a crushing humiliation for the Government".

Update: Government to make statement on this in House of Commons at 20:30. Will this be a humiliation for Gordon Brown who has personally backed the 42 plan? I can't see it being anything else.

Lords rejects 42-day detention plans Politics guardian.co.uk

Conservative peers try to stall Lisbon treaty Bill

I can only wish them well in their task for the day. As the Times says

The Conservatives will table an unusual motion today urging that the third reading of the European Reform Treaty Bill, due tomorrow afternoon, be delayed, probably until the autumn.

They are seeking the support of Liberal Democrat, crossbench and even rebel Labour peers to back the measure, arguing that they would not be stopping ratification altogether but delaying it while Ireland and Europe decide what to do next.

David Miliband, the Foreign Secretary, flew back from the foreign ministers' meeting yesterday to tell the Commons that the Government believed ratification should continue as planned.

Conservative peers try to stall Lisbon treaty Bill as Ireland seeks more time - Times Online

Old Buffers forced into Active Service

The BBC (other internet news sites are available) reports that Five former defence chiefs spoke during a Lords debate, during which there were calls to improve levels of military funding.

The most revealing statement was the fact that

"Gordon Brown was a most unsympathetic chancellor of the exchequer as far as defence was concerned - and the only senior Cabinet minister who avoided coming to the Ministry of Defence to be briefed by our staff on our problems."

So the man in control of the purse strings didn't care enough for the people who are risking their lives for him and his corrupt Government to even come and see the people running the Armed Services. The man is a complete disgrace. We can only hope he is beginning to see the writing on the wall and resigns in the near future.

Lord Boyce didn't hold back in his criticism

"The smoke and mirrors work of the government and, in particular the Treasury, actually means the core defence programme has had no effective budget rise at all.
If we were actually to cut to the truth, we would find it was actually negative - especially if one subtracts the £550 million to be spent on the slum accommodation that should have been replaced years ago.
And this negative budget is why, if you go to the MoD today, you will find blood on the floor as the defence programme is slashed."

Admiral Lord Boyce added that the decision to give one person - Des Browne - the jobs of both defence and Scottish secretary was an

"insult"

at a time of war and followed up with

"It is seen as an insult by our sailors, our soldiers and our airmen on the front line. And I know because I have reason to speak to them a lot. And it is certainly a demonstration of the disinterest and some might say contempt that the prime minister and his government has for our armed forces. And it shows an appalling lack of judgement at a time when our people are being killed and they are being maimed."

Another former defence chief, General Lord Guthrie, said Mr Brown had been

"unsympathetic"

to the military, following up Lord Guthrie said:

"In my experience... he [Gordon Brown] was a most unsympathetic chancellor of the exchequer as far as defence was concerned - and the only senior Cabinet minister who avoided coming to the Ministry of Defence to be briefed by our staff on our problems. And I think really that he must take much of the blame for the very serious situation we find the services in today.""

As I have been saying this Government and especially Gordon Brown have nothing but contempt for our Armed Forces yet expect them to fight and die for this country. This is the Labour Government's biggest disgrace and makes the loss of personal data by HMCR look like a petty mistake.

P.S. This post was inspired by a "Champagne" Socialist Roger of Political Betting who had this to say on the "Old Buffers"

I was encouraged by seeing those three buffers (who used to run the armed forces) in the House of Lords criticizing Brown personally for not giving them enough money. It reminded me what I dislike about the establishment in this country and I was left asking myself how these three could run a cake shop let alone the armed forces.

My reply to him is here


BBC NEWS | Politics | Brown 'shows contempt for forces'