The Mystery of Northern Rock and the other 1.2 trillion

A while ago Fraser Nelson writing in the Coffee House Blog wondered if a certain Gordon Brown, our erstwhile PM, might try to hide the nationalisation of the Northern Rock away so it didn't count against the National Debt. He wrote this thinking it might not be possible.

Well lo and behold we now hear that he has done just this. With a sleight of hand Gordon has made 7% of our supposed National Debt just disappear. That's 82 billion according to my calculations from the ONS website. This means that the figures quoted by Gordon Brown in parliament yesterday for a national debt percentage of 37.9% of GDP were entirely bogus. They are now at 43.4% of GDP. Of course Gordon has redefined debt now so he can use some "doublespeak" to make it sound good.

Gordon has basically hidden the debt. It's like me saying I have no debts, oh, apart from my mortgage which doesn't count as it's really an asset. The problem with this is that I have to pay it off which of course leaves me less money to deal with my other spending.

Now of course Gordon and Alistair Darling think they can spend, spend spend in an orgy of Keynesian economic theory to sort out their earlier problems. Of course these problem are not of their own making, they are the devil's spawn sent from America to destroy us.

Of course the figures shown above are entirely bogus as described below. Gordon, who wants banks to be transparent, has hidden away much of the true national debt. His creative accounting with the public pensions and PFI has left true debt at a level vastly above that which he purports is within EEC guidelines. The true figure may be as much as 1,854 billion, 3 times as much as Gordon wants to admit and makes our National Debt over 120% of GDP, a truly remarkable figure, which eclipses that of even Italy. These figure were calculated by Conservative MP, Brooks Newmark, he

says the true level of government borrowing is much higher. He calculates – including the cost of projects financed through the PFI, unfunded public sector pension liabilities, the debt incurred by Network Rail and the recent nationalisation of Bradford and Bingley – the true figure is at £1,854 billion – three times greater than the official figures, equivalent to 126.9 per cent of GDP, or £75,984 for every household in the country. "The true figures for government debt are the result of this government's loose fiscal policies and excessive spending,"

Writing in the Guardian Brooks has the following to say

The British government often congratulates itself on its efforts to keep public finances on a stable and sustainable level. Yesterday Gordon Brown even claimed:

"Debt is considerably lower than a decade ago".

However, Britain's public debt is actually £1,866 billion, equivalent to 125.5% of GDP, nearly three times larger than the government's published figure of £645 billion and 43.4% of GDP. This measures out as a debt of £76,475 per British household.
While figures recently released on the scale of the government's public spending bonanza point to government borrowing leaping to a record £8.1 billion in September, this is only the tip of the iceberg. Opaque off-balance sheet measures have, until
revealed in The Price of Irresponsibility published by the Centre for Policy Studies, kept hidden the full cost of projects financed through the Private Finance Initiative, the extent of unfunded public sector pension liabilities, the debt incurred by Network Rail and the recent nationalisation of Bradford &Bingley. Yet, the figure may be much worse. While the exact impact on the public finances of the government's recent bail-out of the banking sector is as yet unknown, it could imply an addition of as much as £500 billion to the balance sheet. This would increase public debt to a massive £2,366 billion, which is 159.1% of GDP, or over £96,967 per British household.

I just wish I could make my mortgage disappear like Gordon does.

Making Northern Rock disappear Coffee House

Labour's dodgy biil to save their Marginal MP's

Not content with the way the set up of constituencies already massively helps them win a majority and still poll less than the Conservatives, they are now trying to stop Political Parties from spending money in constituencies before an election is called. This is despite the fact that standing MP's can spend up 40,000 pounds a year "communicating" with their electors.

Jack Straw is obviously wanting to get this bill passed as soon as possible so that it hampers other political parties before the next General Election

Tories Claim General Election Spending Rules Fix

The Big Brother database and the DPP

Hard on the heels of stories about the Giant databases and the censorship of the internet we now have the Director of Public Prosecutions, Sir Ken Macdonald, publicly telling the current Labour Government not to

"break the back of freedom"

by creating irreversible powers that could be misused to spy on individual citizens and so threaten Britain's hard-won democracy. Sir Ken, who steps down next month as DPP, continued

"We need to take very great care not to fall into a way of life in which freedom's back is broken by the relentless pressure of a security state.

"Technology gives the state enormous powers of access to knowledge and information about each of us, and the ability to collect and store it at will. Of course, modern technology is of critical importance to the struggle against serious crime. Used wisely, it can protect us."

But he added that "we need to understand that it is in the nature of state power that decisions taken in the next few months and years about how the state may use these powers, and to what extent, are likely to be irreversible. They will be with us forever. And they, in turn, will be built upon. So we should take very great care to imagine the world we are creating before we build it. We might end up living with something we can't bear".

The most important point of this speech is the fact that these type of plans are irreversible. Once they are in place they just never go away and are almost always built upon to take away more freedoms and allow us less privacy in our normal lives.

This is from the Government who has publicly said that not supporting 42 days allows terrorists to kill members of the public. The implied threat is that they know best and can do no wrong.

This is the true "crimespeak" of 1984 arriving in 2008.

Big Brother database threatens to 'break the back of freedom' - UK Politics, UK - The Independent

Doublethink and Crimethink Time has arrived

Read this I will add more later.

According to Andy Burnham, the introduction of a ratings system for internet content would not be "over-burdensome". We have asked the Ministry of Truth (aka Department for Culture, Media and Sport) on several occasions how such a system might work and how its Minister’s view that such regulation would be easy to implement could be squared with general consensus that it would be unworkable. Or, as one expert put it: "bonkers". We asked again last week.

The Ministry did not feel they could elucidate further. A spokesperson explained that as the UK Council for Child Safety on the Internet had only just been set up, and would be making recommendations about regulating the internet in due course, "it wouldn't be helpful or appropriate for us to speculate about what those recommendations might be".

Also have a look at this article in the Guardian

UK.gov says: Regulate the internet • The Register

Mandy rumours Continue.

Gordon may yet live to regret the re-re-appointment of Mandy. The rumours continue that he was hitting the gravy train hard whilst he was EU Trade Commisar. There are now allegations of at least 3 separate relationships that may not be quite right. Time will tell, but with the history of Mandy's previous ministerial positions it's not looking good.

Storm over Mandy's freebie yacht cruise with shoe tycoon Mail Online

MoD should 'hang their heads in shame'

Yet again the Coroner has sent a bleak message to the MOD after the death of one of our soldiers. This time he has said to the MOD that they should "Hang their heads in Shame" over the death of Cpl Mark Wright.

Cpl Wright was killed attempting to rescue one of his injured comrades. The Coroner said his death was caused by equipment failure and lack of equipment amongst other reasons. The failures were both large and small, some of which could have been fixed by minimal expenditure.

We have apparently just found 50 bn to bail out our banks surely we can find 2-3 bn to ensure our troops are properly equipped for their jobs.

Coroner: MoD should 'hang their heads in shame' over soldier's death - Telegraph

The Downfall of Gordon Brown

This is part of a series of Video clips based around a short clip from Der Untergang . Basically it's Hitler having a bit of a stushie at his underlings. Now the clip is used with subtitles to shed a light on some current situations. This one is about Gordon Brown and the House Price Crash. Not for the easily offended but a good laugh.

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

What's eating Campbell

Alastair Campbell froths at the mouth about the possibility of Cameron and the Tories being the next government in this article in the New Statesman. He really is a piece of work. His real problem is that he can't see past the old style "class" wars. These disappeared years ago, but he is stuck in Labour time lock which refuses to see that the world moves on. His hypocrisy knows no bounds.

Some quotes from the article

I cannot stand the sight of the Tories getting smugger and smugger, thinking they can waltz back into power when they have done nothing to deserve it.

Smug you couldn't get any smugger than Alastair!
Next we have this piece of garbage about doffing caps and toffs

Much more than here, the old class structures still have a certain hold in our country, I am afraid to say, and there is a lot of cap-doffing going on. With him as leader and Boris Johnson in the mayor's office - quite a lot of the highly paid people running the newspapers and broadcasts and filling the columns have no trouble with a bunch of Old Etonians running the country from White's.

"But it is the last thing Britain needs, not after all the progress we've made towards a truly meritocratic country. Cameron's speech at his conference showed that once you get [past] his youth and his cherubic looks, there is nothing much new Tory about him," Campbell said. "There was also a nastiness there that will have surprised a few people - all that rubbish about teachers refusing to put plasters on kids' knees and soldiers not being respected in their communities. What complete cock.

Stunning, he has no idea about real life and what goes on in the UK these days.


New Statesman - What's eating Campbell

42 Days Pay-off for DUP?

According to the Mail Gordon Brown and Harriet Harman have had a big stushie over the relaxation of the abortion laws planned for the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill.

The final line in the article is interesting it says

It emerged yesterday that Mr Brown has responded to pressure from Ulster MPs by making it clear that the Government should not support moves to legalise abortion in the Province on the grounds that it would jeopardise the peace process.

Now pardon me for being a bit suspicious but might this be part of the pay-off for the DUP supporting Gordon's 42 day Debacle?

Just a thought.

PM clashes with deputy Harman over plans to relax abortion laws Mail Online

Audit Commission loses 10 Million in Iceland Crash

Stunning the Audit Commission who really should know better, have apparently lost £10m in the Iceland Banks crash. Somewhat humiliating for a watchdog whose remit is

The Audit Commission is an independent watchdog, driving economy, efficiency and effectiveness in local public services to deliver better outcomes for everyone.

Our work across local government, health, housing, community safety and fire and rescue services means that we have a unique perspective. We promote value for money for taxpayers, covering the £180 billion spent by 11,000 local public bodies.

As a force for improvement, we work in partnership to assess local public services and make practical recommendations for promoting a better quality of life for local people.

Apparently they have five strategic objectives as follows

• to raise standards of financial management and financial reporting;
• to challenge public bodies to deliver better value for money;
• to encourage continual improvement in public services so they meet the changing needs of diverse communities and provide fair access for all;
• to promote high standards of governance and accountability; and
• to stimulate significant improvement in the quality of data and the use of information by decision makers.

Number 1 appears to be a bust now!

Perhaps this will help the government to understand how LGA's manage to lose so much money investing in Icelandic Banks.

Financial crisis: Oxford University and Audit Commission fall victim to banks - Telegraph

La La Land - Wednesday - Boom and Bust Day

The news in Gordon's La La Land has moved on now that the Banking Crisis has been solved by our own Superman. Unfortunately it's now dominated by Boom and Bust, in particular Bust which appears to be the way we are heading in the UK. Of course Bust no longer exists in Gordon's La La Land so it has been renamed as Tory Bust and of course will never happen as Gordon now has the figures to prove this, or he will have shortly once he's brownied them.

Unfortunately the UK Jobless figures managed to defeat even Brown's dodgy mathematics. They show the highest rise in the total for 17 years and with over 2,000 a day becoming jobless the total in the UK will likely be more than 2m by Christmas and could reach as much as 3m by the time of the next election in 2010.

Never mind Super-Broon has a stunning idea for all these people, not only has he got work for them they will also save the world from Climate Change. Loft Lagging will be the new job for all the unemployed Bankers, their job will now, not be to spout out hot air, but to stop it from escaping from our cold and draughty houses. Unfortunately as usual Broon's statistics and maths are a little wayward. It appears that only 2-3 days worth of jobless people at the current rate could solve this problem in no time at all. Never mind but it did seem like Gordon had had his Norman Tebbit moment. Just a shame he doesn't get on his bike and find a new job.

With the Banking crisis sorted and Gordon telling all and sundry how he alone had solved it, across in Europe it looks like some of his minions in Europe don't quite believe his story. In fact Newsnight had an interesting interview with Badger's French equivalent Christine Lagarde who, having donated her hairstyle to Badger, wasn't quite on story for the BBC's EmilyMaitlis who was desperately trying to get her to acknowledge the beatification of the hero Gordon. As "Sally C" on Political Betting put it

1.You have all implemented the Brown plan.

No, the plans are not all Brown plans, they are all different. There is a mix of ideas from the British plan but also ideas from others.

2. But Gordon was the fast off the mark; you needed a kick up the bum.
No. We all acted at different paces because some were in more trouble than others and had to act more urgently [ie us!].

3. But Gordon was the driving force.
No. It was the G4 who ALL put ideas on the table at that meeting and decided to move forward with other nations, each nation doing its part.
The President of the EU was directing operations.

All the time she spoke she had a half smile on her face.

They think Gordon is a spinning prat - not a superhero. He has done his bit [no doubt] but he’s overegged it and they have seen through him.

I am begining to like the EU. More than Brown anyway.

I would add that Madame Lagrande did give Badger some praise!

On the home scene we missed Gordon at Prime Minister's Questions when Harriet Harman wasn't quite on form especially when sitting in Superman's seat. She obviously hasn't quite had the proper superhero training yet. Hague was stately and his final question was rather good when he said Brown's claim to have abolished boom and bust was the

"most foolish, most hubristic, most irresponsible ever made". As the economy goes into recession, people are not going to forget who led us to this point.

Uncle Vince also had two good questions which Harriet appeared to fail to understand, her grasp on the current crisis and the economy appeared rather poor and she required to consult her prepared notes for some appropriate or in most cases inappropriate answers.

Mandelson was also still having a bit of a tough time seemingly not trusted with the role of anti-corruption Champion. What can he have done not to be trusted with this role?

Elsewhere Labour's new Schools Minister Sarah McCarthy-Fry admitted to Michael Gove in a Parliamentary Question that just 4 of the 113 letters about the government's new diplomas have been supportive, unfortunately she couldn't then do some simple calculator work on these figures or get her English correct. Obviously she is high on the list to become Chancellor in the near future.

Oh and by the way the Stock Markets have been tanking today, and are continuing to crash in Asia so it looks like fears of the Banking Crisis being over are slightly premature or then again it could be the coming recession.

Euro we go!

Benedict Brogan reports the following

The Luxembourg Legend that is Jean-Claude Juncker has offered an intriguing analysis of the financial bail-out in an interview with the Rheinischer Merkur, which we might have missed had it not been for the eagle eyes of Bloomberg:

Oct. 15 (Bloomberg) -- Luxembourg Finance Minister Jean-Claude Juncker told German newspaper Rheinischer Merkur the U.K. will consider adopting the euro once the credit crisis abates. ``The British prime minister had to beg to be let into the room in which the euro group was meeting,'' Juncker told the newspaper in an interview published today. ``I'm sure that when the storm is over, the British will think about whether they shouldn't become an equal in all decision-making bodies.''

Stunning if true. Would Gordon do this without a vote.

Benedict Brogan's political blog

Mandy won't be Anti-Corruption Champion

This is embarrassing to say the least for Peter Mandelson. Jack Straw has just announced in a written ministerial statement that he and not the Business Secretary has been personally appointed by Gordon Brown as the Goverment's official "Anti-Corruption Champion".

Why is this bad news for Lord Mandelson? Well, the last person to hold the title was his predecessor at DBERR, John Hutton. Worse still, the secretariat and other officials will REMAIN in Mandelson's department.

Not surprising really that your anti-corruption champion shouldn't be a minister who has already resigned twice and is already having questions asked about his probity yet again.

Labour can't even trust it's own ministers shocker!


Paul Waugh | Blogs | Evening Standard

Giant Database Plan

Not content to spray just our personnel data about the place, Labour now have a plan to spray all our communications data about the place. Apparently they will keep this in a giant Database.

Judging by their previous attempts this will be a very large Microsoft Access database kept on someone's USB pen drive though in a huge advance they may remember to password protect it with a default password so at least one person won't be able to access it.

Apparently even Governments own reviewer of anti-terror laws, Lord Carlile, is not greatly in favour, he said:

"The raw idea of simply handing over all this information to any government, however benign, and sticking it in an electronic warehouse is an awful idea if there are not very strict controls about it."

He's not joking. Currently data is leaking from this government like a bottomless bucket. They have no idea how to store and access data securely.

This is just another example of Big Brother Labour at work.


BBC NEWS | Politics | Police may get more data powers

La La Land - Tuesday's Report of Burials

Buried under the Reports of how the Financial Crisis has been sorted by Gordon we have the following list just from today.

1. Secret Coroners Inquests dropped from the Counter Terrorism bill. The bill is now a complete waste of time.
   
2. SAT tests dropped for 14 year olds.
3. Inflation at record high for 16 years.
4. Justice Department to cutback over 10,000 jobs.
5. Mandy in double trouble.
6. New Terror alert coincidence day after 42 days bill dropped. "Reckless" Comments by Lord West.

Remarkable! Considering yesterday was a bad day as well.

Not in La La Land - Total, utter, dreadful defeat.

A link to an article by Daniel Finkelstein in the Times. Read it and understand why the Great Saviour is really an Emperor with new Clothes.

His final conclusion is spot on

The idea that boom and bust had been abolished was not a small claim among many. It was the central claim of this Government. It was the boast of boasts - the boast upon which all other boasts were built. And now it has been revealed as totally empty. Not triumph, then. Disaster. Not victory. Total, utter, dreadful defeat.

If this is a triumph, I'd hate to see a disaster | Daniel Finkelstein - Times Online

Mandelson the Bully

The attached article in the First Post shows another sample of Mandelson's behaviour in Government that should raise more concerns on his appointment as Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform.

It looks at his "misjudgement" in being associated with Russian Billionaire Oleg Deripaska, and then looks at how he was bullying the tiny state of Guyana. The First Post says

One of Mandelson's last acts as EU Trade Commissioner was to threaten Guyana, one of the poorest countries in the world, with financial penalties that could amount to €70m a year because the Guyanese government has so far refused to join an Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) between the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and the European Union.

Guyana has criticised various "anti-developmental" conditions of the agreement, including the relaxation of barriers on foreign investment and clauses on intellectual property rights that would make it more difficult for Caribbean countries to patent their own generic medicines.

The First Post also comments that it is

No wonder that a report commissioned by the EU's rotating president, Nicolas Sarkozy, condemned the tactics - "pressure, paternalism and threats" - used by the EU commission during these negotiations.

So here we have Mandelson doing what he does best bullying and cajoling the "little" people into doing what he wants with various threats. This is exactly what he did in his previous times in British Government and why he has been brought back in a cynical move by Gordon Brown, to be the Labour Heavy after Gordon's failed attempts.

The report in the First Post also finishes off with the following

For Mandelson, ­ like the New Labour project itself, ­ symbolises the bullying arrogance of the neo-liberal creed that has dominated the world for the last three decades.

It is a world in which powerful countries prise open the economies of the poorest so that private corporations can control their food, their water and their electricity, where governments claim to be powerless to intervene in the workings of the 'free market' and yet are suddenly able to produce undreamt-of sums of money to bail out banks when they fail - our banks, not those of Russia, Argentina or Thailand which once went to the wall without receiving any bail-outs or offers of assistance.

We may well wonder at the motives of Gordon Brown for bringing one of his former political enemies back into the government. But as we shake our heads at the cynicism and moral blankness of the "prince of darkness" we might pause to consider that these vices are not just his: ­ they are part and parcel of the system that allows such men to flourish.

Not only should we consider how Mandy can be brought back but, why and how, our system can allow this to happen to a twice disgraced politician who appears to have sucked more bonuses from the system than many of the erstwhile bankers we have seen pilloried in the press in the last few days.


How Guyana brought out the bully in Mandelson | Opinion | The First Post:

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

La La Land Report - Tuesday - Toothless Gordon

After all Gordon Brown's hard man act with the Counter Terrorism bill and his bribing of the DUP with 200 million of our money, we now have a bill that bears little resemblance to what Gordon wanted to impose on us.

Gone are the two main tenets of the bill, 42 days and secret inquests.

What is also gone is any relationship Gordon had with Civil Liberties groups and many of his own MP's. All in the aim of trying to portray him as a "hard" man of politics.

I hope he thinks it was worth it.


BBC NEWS | Politics | 'Secret inquests' plans dropped

Black October?

I thought I'd jut pop this comment from Political Betting up on the blog as it is by someone dear to my heart...!

Iain Dale has just posted this on his blog, Cameron Foresaw Liquidity Crisis in March.

I don’t often quote in its entirely a blogpost from another blog, but this one from ConservativeHome’s Tory Diary merits an exception. Over to Tim Montgomerie…

There’s been a lot of criticism of David Cameron recently but this extract of a speech that he gave more than six months ago showed a pretty good understanding of the issues of capital inadequacy and illiquidity at the heart of this crisis:

“As well as the reforms we have outlined for the UK financial system, we need reforms at a global level too. So let me suggest one important reform that needs to take place in light of the recent crisis in world banking.

“The Basel capital accords determine how much capital a bank must set aside for a given amount of lending. This makes good sense, and, for obvious reasons, it is right to set the rules at a global level. But economists have identified some key problems with the current Basel accord.

“First, the rules on liquidity, which has been at the core of the current crisis, are too weak. Banks can operate with enough funding only to survive for a couple of weeks, but still be within the rules. Second, we need to examine which asset classes and which institutions are covered by existing rules. For example, the zero-weighting of some triple A assets has led to distortions in asset allocation. Put simply, some of the debts were kept off balance sheet so they didn’t count as lending under the rules.

“Third, judgements about credit risk were delegated to rating agencies who themselves had incentives to expand the amount of lending that was allowed under the rules. Put simply, because they are paid fees for rating debts, credit rating agencies had an interest in there being as much debt as possible. Finally, market risk was measured by backward looking models which tend to exacerbate the credit cycle, not dampen it. When credit is easy, the models allow more lending. When credit tightens, the models reduce the amount of permitted lending.

“In short, liquidity risk was all but ignored, credit risk was delegated, and market risk was backward looking. And we now know that not only did the regulators not know, but too often the banks themselves didn’t know, the full extent of the risks they were subjected to. But let me say again, any reforms at an international level will need care to ensure that in tackling the past problems they do not create the problems of the future. At the same time, we must all recognise that crises are inevitable, so a prudent Government, as we will be, that is committed tol be, must improve our response to these crises when they appear.”

Thanks to Richard North of EU Referendum blogspot for pointing the extract out to us.

Now, I don’t remember Gordon Brown anticipating the banking crisis in this clear way, do you? And while I am in the mood to nick things from other blogs, take a look at THIS post from Ben Brogan, where he quotes from Gordon Brown’s speech to Reuters this morning…

“In future regulatory systems there will be both greater attention to issues of solvency and liquidity and probably a pro-cyclical attitude where in a period of growth you have got to lay aside more for the possibility that there will be contractions.”

Isn’t that what the Conservatives have been saying for the last 18 months?”

I think that Brown and the PLP misread the mood last week, but I don’t think that Cameron and Osborne did. I suspect that the Conservative Whips worked just as hard as the Labour Whips to make sure that the Conservative benches behaved in exactly the opposite manner to their colleagues across the floor.

Back during the Conservative Conference Cameron was able to articulated the current problems in a much more voter friendly way than Brown, the bipartisan attempt to get the government into the drivers seat and get the engine started was effective.
Brown turned down any offers to share the limelight with Osborne and Cable, but they were offered in this time of economic crisis.

Now its time for a reality check some honesty from our politicians. We are not in a good place to weather this economic downturn, and we are facing years of belt tightening both personally, and in the public finances.

Very tough decisions are going to need to be taken sooner, rather than later. And if this government continue with a Scorched earth policy for short term political gain, rather than longer term fiscal prudence, then they need to be held to account at every point.

Cameron and Osborne need to carry on with their strategy of being honest about the difficulties, and tough medicine which will need to be administered. They need to knock this spin about military wars, this is an economic tsunami.

We had Black Wednesday, this is more like Black October!

Kind of sums up what is happening this month.

La La Land - Monday's Report - Gordon saves the World

Today was apparently the day according to some commentators that "our" Gordon saved the world. Let's have a look at what he and his government have achieved today.

1. Spent 37bn of our money on second class banks, who are in a Financial Crisis, much of which was caused by the actions and then inactions by their "saviour" Gordon Brown
   
2. Lost a humiliating vote in the Lords when the 42 day detention plan was defeated by 309 - 118 votes.
   
3. Then released details of the plan to drop 42 days from the anti-terrorism bill and replace it by an emergency one-line bill to be used when Labour deem it correct.
4. Admitted the loss of 1.7 million, yes 1.7 million peoples data. They don't even really know how much, who or what has been lost.
5. A probe by the Speaker of the House of Commons into an allegation that the former Prime Minister deliberately misled the House over exemption of F1 from tobacco advertising bans.

So a great day for Gordon. On any ordinary day anyone of the bottom 4 would have been enough to bring about calls for heads to roll, but today Gordon has saved the world.

I can only wonder what he can achieve in La La land on Tuesday. The Universe beckons. Only a few problems though. The supplies are running out there is no money to buy more and borrowings getting a bit tricky these days without any collateral.

Will we own Second Class Banks?

The attached article from the Telegraph discusses why Barclay's has preferred to try and raise capital itself rather than go cap in hand to Gordon for some of our money to keep them in business.

As the article says

Barclays yesterday unveiled plans to raise £6.6bn of new capital from the private sector as chief executive John Varley warned that government ownership of rival banks will leave them "hobbled" and at risk of losing key employees.

John Varley the Chief Executive says Barclay's can get the money privately and it will also stop dividends for a few years and raise further money through savings. If it can do this then it will not have to put up with any interference from the government nor any hobbling on their chosen strategies.

It is also worried that if it did take money from the public purse it could not retain top employees as they might feel constrained or perhaps they would not like the idea of following government instructions.

If this is so it means that if Barclay's survives the next couple of years it will be better able to perform and will have better personnel than banks who have taken the public money.

If this is so then we may well have just bought 37bn worth of second class banks. This could mean a greater loss on this high risk investment or a much longer repayment period. This means that the British public will suffer as we have less money for public spending and/or possible tax cuts.

Barclays in £6.6bn private fundraising to avoid constraint - Telegraph

Brown in La La Land - He's just making it up now

Fraser Nelson writing in the Spectator's Coffee House blog has this to say.

Another breathtaking Brownie at the Prime Minister’s press conference today:

“I have to say we face this situation with relatively low national debt because of the steps we have taken since 1997, where we wiped off perhaps more than around £100 billion of debt by reducing the proportion of debt in our national income.”

Huh? The ONS is unequivocal: net debt was £351bn in May 1997 and £632bn in August – or £545bn if you exclude Northern Rock. So where is his “wiping out” of £100 billion? Normally with a Brownie you can see how he cooked up the fake figure. But this time, it really does look like he just made it up.

Consider this for a moment. As Brown chastises bankers for dishonest off balance sheet accounting, he is concocting figures live on national television. There has never been a greater need for honesty but Brown remains unable to level with the public about the amount of debt his government has saddled us with. A reminder that the malaise Brown so piously diagnoses in the City – creative accounting – remains at the heart of his own treatment of government accounting.

On live television has yet again lied to us all. This fantasy land he lives in where he quotes out tractor statistics which are patently untrue is just amazing. Why don't the big TV networks take him up on his lying. I understand they are unlikely to get repeat interviews if they do this but that's what real journalism should be about.

He's just making it up now | Coffee House

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

Tearjerking Hypocrisy

Who said this and when?

And so here I am - working for this incredible country, while trying as far as possible to give my children an ordinary childhood

Some people have been asking why I haven't served my children up for spreads in the papers

And my answer is simple

My children aren't props; they're people

Clue here.

Today we get this.

The PM has been meeting people all day. But when we walk into the living room of the flat 'above the shop', there is someone else waiting patiently for his help - a small boy wearing a pair of cartoon pyjamas. 'The wheel's come off,' says John Brown, five next week, handing over a Transformers car. 'Fix it, Dad.'

Brown puts his jacket on the coffee table, where a stack of official papers are ready for tomorrow. Then, obligingly, he gets down on all fours on the carpet, his tie flapping, and searches for the missing wheel.

Stunning, but why should be surprised by the King of Brownies, supported by the Prince of Darkness

Brown is La-la - Official

Psychologist Lucy Beresford tells Daily Politics Gordon Brown is 'deeply insecure' and bringing Peter Mandelson back was "Freudian" bordering on "self-mutilating behaviour".


BBC NEWS | Programmes | Daily Politics | Brown 'psychologically insecure'

More La-La from Gordon

According to Gordon who was speaking from his home in La-La land

... he was working internationally to reduce the price of oil, and that he'd like to see the winter fuel allowance higher, were it not for the need to balance expenditure.“I’d like the winter allowance, frankly, to be higher, but we’ve got to balance off the need to do other things such as increase expenditure on the health service and meet all our targets on the health service.

“I’m trying to get the oil price down, and get the fall passed on directly to people at the petrol pumps and then on to gas and electricity bills. “We are determined that just as people pass on the rise, they pass on the fall when the oil price falls.“We want to see more stability – I’m talking to OPEC members and telling them that they must not cut oil production now…they must act in a statesman like way to help the rest of the world by having a stable reduction in the oil price.

Translation. I'm about to try and bribe the voters but I've just found out I left my wallet at home so you'll have to wait a few days. After Saving the world from Financial Meltdown, I am now sorting out the final problem of Oil Prices over which I have no control, I think God consults me and my Beatification is now complete.

Men in white coats are now talking to the Prime Minister to explain to him he is no longer in control of the future of the UK.

Update: Spectator has this as Gordon's Canute moment

Politics Home

MoD computer hard drive missing

Stunning a year after the major loss of Child Benefit data our government agencies and their contractors are still holding unencrypted data on portable disks that are either easily stolen or mislaid. In this case it is serving soldiers, many of whom will be abroad with little or no access to check if their id's are being used fraudulently.

What are they thinking about. Have they no brain, have they not ready anything about secure holding of data. Data such as this should be encrypted from birth to death and never stored unencrypted in any form for any reason.

It's not that difficult but it does require decent systems and processes. These are obviously missing despite the warnings and reports.

Yet again we have the same problem and yet again still bonus's will be paid and heads will not roll. Shocking and a disgrace to our serving forces.

BBC NEWS | UK | MoD computer hard drive missing

Join Gordon Brown in his La-La Land

The linked article in the Times is a must read for you to understand the fantasy La-La land our supposed Prime Minister is living in.

He is currently touring the country explaining to us how he has single-handily cured the world of all its financial ill's whilst inanely grinning at anyone who asks him a tricky question such as "What about the coming Recession?".

Now the Spectator suggests it's not even his own plan but comes from the G7/IMF World Bank Leaders.

He has obviously been told to look cheery in the face of the current crisis but his inability to work out what is appropriate during current times is beyond belief. This was again demonstrated at PMQ's this week when he managed to destroy any sense of the crisis staring him in the face by his inappropriate response to David Cameron's last question, when he was accompanied in his supposed joke by the braying donkeys of his supposed Government

As Gordon fêtes his five year 500 billion "stability and restructuring" plan, World Stock markets are dropping like stones for the seventh day in a row and countries, companies and our countrymen are going bankrupt at an alarming rate. Soon Gordon will not be able to sleep for his phone ringing as another company goes bankrupt, will he be laughing for much longer.

His inability to understand that the UK is uniquely badly placed to face this recession is now becoming a joke around the world. His belief that under his 10 years of stewardship of the economic well-being of the country he created a masterpiece immune to boom and bust has collapsed around him like the walls of Jericho but he remains convinced that it was nothing to do with him.

He has pissed the wealth of this nation down a drain of spending that we could not sustain whilst not even managing to sort out those problems his government promised to cure, back 11 years ago in the heady days of 1997. Now he is attempting to portray himself as Moses returned to deliver us from this Crisis of his own doing.

I am now seriously worried about our former great country, we have a leader who can't lead and is in a state of beatification, believing himself the great leader and curer of all ills, when in fact he is verging on delusional.

Our only hope, up here in Scotland, seems to be that Alex Salmond can bring forward his promise of Independence and we can lock Gordon away down in England. Time to vote SNP or have I now gone La-La as well.

We must lead the world to financial stability | Gordon Brown - Times Online

MSPs approve tartan register bill

Just so you know how MSP's spend their valuable time at Holyrood and how well our money is spent in this time of Crisis. Maybe this is why Gordon Brown has an inane grin on his face.

Surely this sort of thing should be done by the manufacturers and makes of these products and not at our expense.

BBC NEWS | Scotland | MSPs approve tartan register bill

Aberdeen Schools - £120m scheme 'funded by Iceland'

The BBC are reporting that the current project to refurbish 10 Aberdeen schools is being funded by money from a collapsed Icelandic Bank.

The Icelandic government seized control of Landsbanki earlier this week. So far the council has not commented on the impact of the Landsbanki collapse on the project or the extent of the bank's involvement in the deal.

Aberdeen City Council signed a public private partnership agreement with a consortium in February. The deal involved the consortium designing, building, financing and operating the schools over 30 years. Under the project, two new secondaries and seven new primaries will be built, with another primary being refurbished.

Aberdeen council are of course so cash strapped they couldn't actually afford to have money invested in the banks unlike other councils in Scotland who may have lost substantial amounts of money.

What the impact of this is on the schools and on current schools, some of which are under construction, remains to be seen.

BBC NEWS Scotland North East/N Isles £120m scheme 'funded by Iceland'

Gordon's (call me Joe) Five Year Stability and Restructuring Plan

Tomorrow at 7am Gordon or his sidekick Alistair will announce his 5 Year Stability and Restructuring Plan. This plan had better be good. But it is a huge gamble and is a result of the ten years of Gordon and Labour's stewardship of our economy.

As Damien Reece says in his article

Of course, gambling on banks could produce spectacular returns but at least Darling and Brown seem, finally, to have realised that they can no longer sit on their hands and wait for the financial crisis to abate. But they may have severely underestimated how much a US-style bail-out will cost.

The IMF provided a rather shocking figure to answer that question yesterday: £115bn – equivalent to the entire health budget or a one-off payment of around £2,000 for every man woman and child in the country.

If ever there were a finer illustration of how catastrophically exposed Britain is to the financial crisis, this must be it. The UK followed the mantra of “spend first, think later” for so many years that we forgot it would all have to be paid off eventually.

Few if any countries are immune to the crisis, but Britain is facing a proportionally bigger bill than most, largely for one specific reason: the regulation system set up by Gordon Brown in 1997 did not clamp down hard enough on those responsible for the current crisis.

The final bill for this manic clean-up operation will be enormous and future generations will end up paying, not just us. But this is no time to quibble – it is time to tackle this crisis head-on and put the building blocks in place for an eventual recovery.

Let us hope that Gordon and Alistair have for once got the numbers and decisions right.

We need more than Darling’s £50bn gamble to stave off recession - Telegraph

Don't Panic - We're Doomed?

Martin Wolf writing in the Financial Times has the following to say

As John Maynard Keynes is alleged to have said: “When the facts change, I change my mind. What do you do, sir?” I have changed my mind, as the panic has grown. Investors and lenders have moved from trusting anybody to trusting nobody. The fear driving today’s breakdown in financial markets is as exaggerated as the greed that drove the opposite behaviour a little while ago. But unjustified panic also causes devastation. It must be halted, not next week, but right now.

That's great but what do you do if your savings are in Icesave?

All I can say at the moment is that Alistair Darling had better pull his finger out tomorrow morning and announce something that will stop the panic and not just another bit of dithering.

By the way who does Captain Mainwaring remind you of?

FT.com / Columnists / Martin Wolf - It is time for comprehensive rescues of financial systems

42-day detention dropped as unworkable

What a waste of all our time and money. This unworkable bill will be dropped just as Gordon Brown will be dropped at the next election.

The only good thing is that Gordon Brown wasted so much of his political leverage on this bill. He has only achieved much bad feeling amongst his own party. This was supposed to be the clunker showing the strength of his hold on Labour.

It is typical of Labour that this bad news is buried on "Brown" Monday.

42-day detention dropped as unworkable - Times Online

The Curse of Jonah hits Mandy

According to the Sun

PETER Mandelson was recovering this morning after being rushed to hospital last night with a mystery health crisis.

The new Business Secretary was taken ill as he dined with health minister Lord Darzi.

Sources refuse to confirm it was a heart-related condition.

He was whisked to St Mary's hospital, Paddington, from the west London restaurant.

Today government sources refused to give details of Lord Mandy's illness.

But a source said: "It isn't life threatening."

Lord Mandelson was having dinner with health minister and world-renowned surgeon Lord Darzi to discuss NHS reform.

The fact that the internationally-renowned surgeon was with him and unable to assist suggests it was a serious attack.

Sources say the Business Secretary will have to return to hospital for treatment.

But the scare means he will miss the inaugural meeting of the new National Economic Council this morning.

Update 09:50: According to the BBC he will need an operation.

Peter Mandelson's late night dash to hospital | The Sun |News

What's a Mandelson

According to David Cameron the definition of a Mandelson in Conservative circles is the time it takes between meeting Mandelson and him being rude about Gordon Brown.

Mischievous Mandy drops another brick

I haven't blogged for a while but thought this story about Mandelson would show the character of this politician.

I quote

It was only weeks ago that Peter Mandelson was, in the words of a senior Tory source, “dripping pure poison” about Gordon Brown in his ears. These were not just passing remarks but a well-constructed critique of the prime minister’s failings born of intimate knowledge. The government’s vulnerability to the charge of overloading the country with debt was also discussed, I can reveal.

This article will let you know who the senior Tory is.

When Peter picked a peck of pitta ...

Could the Taverna Agni be the new Granita? It has already been noted that European Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson dined with shadow chancellor George Osborne at the taverna in northern Corfu in August, and Osborne has said he has broken bread with Mandelson before, at Davos earlier this year.

But since when was Corfu the scene of high-powered political meetings? Mandelson has been a keen visitor to the island since banker and philanthropist Lord Rothschild, who owns a swish villa there, began extending his hospitality to the former spin doctor. And Osborne has also been schmoozing with the banking family. He has found a keen fan in the shape of Lady Serena Rothschild, who donated £190,000 to the Conservative party, specifically for Osborne's office.

What could Osborne and Mandelson be talking of while chewing their calamari? Surely Mandelson, occasional friend of Gordon Brown, would not have been so naughty as to offer advice to Osborne on strategy?

Gordon will reap what he has sowed.

Mischievous Mandy drops another brick | Martin Ivens - Times Online

Clear - Secure Data?

Secure data is just a dream until companies and governments work out just what they are dealing with. The basic problem is that processes to access and store data are inadequate. This is why until proper processes and procedures are in place we need to accept that "secure" data is just not possible particularly in large scale systems, such as the NHS Spine, which transport data to and from many smaller systems or access points.

The simple example shown in this article where supposedly highly secure data on verified travellers show just how dangerous this problem could be. The company operating the system, FlyClear, is now not accepting new customers as they "upgrade" their systems. Interestingly as late as July 2008 they were still extolling their privacy and how they were secure, including details of an audit performed by Ernst and Young. Their parent company is intriguingly called Verified Identity Pass Inc.

It may also find out the hard way that one error in this type of market can lead to the end of the business. Significantly the system causing the problem was called "Clear" and obviously this is how they liked to view their data.

The Times today also has another example, not new, of how the supposed "Fakeproof" E-Passport can be cloned in minutes.

What this shows is that anything claimed as "uncrackable" or "unbreakable" just isn't at the moment so don't believe it.

Slashdot | "Clear" Air-Travel Pass Data Stolen From SFO

Robbing Oil to pay for Rock.

What's the betting our dearly beloved leader will come up with a "Windfall" tax on Energy Companies of about £3bn. Just enough to fund the £3bn needed to prop up Northern Rock and it's jobs in the Labour Heartlands.

Job done, profits from well run businesses supporting thousands of jobs are used to prop up irresponsible and criminally stupid business which deserved to fail. I wonder where we have seen this before.

BBC NEWS | Business | Northern Rock makes a £585m loss

Don't Buy a house in August...

... the number of houses sold in August/September should plummet now this news has been "leaked". Another shot in the foot for "Jonah" Brown and his team of Brownies

However at least in later months he may be able to say the temporary scrapping increased sales!


Ministers Consider Plans To Temporarily Scrap Stamp Duty To Boost Housing Market Business Sky News

Dual the A9 campaign

Could I ask all reader/s to sign this campaign. The A9 is currently Scotland's most deadly road and, whilst it is not considered the most dangerous, because of it's length, it is a route traversed for many miles by most drivers. It's mix of single/dual carriageway, local, national and foreign drivers, cars, caravans and lorries and type of terrain make it one of the roads I try not travel on if at all possible.

Add to this it being a truly scenic road make it one of the most dangerous in Scotland.



Dual the A9 Campaign

SNP win Glasgow East - Tories third - Brown out?

SNP 11277 43.1%
Lab 10912 41.7%
Tory 1639
Lib Dems 915

Swing to SNP about 26%.
Majority 365.

Brown is surely deeply in trouble now. This was Labour's 25th safest seat. Many Labour MP's in marginal seats will be really begin to worry now.

Congratulations to the SNP.

Recount - It's a Curran Problem

Apparently the recount is a Curran problem as their are two hopeless lefties with the surname. I know what it's like to a have a problem with Curran's as I have a Curran as my wife but she is definitely not a leftie!

SNP have apparently a 350-400 majority according to sources.

Recount in Glasgow East!!!!

Spoke to soon before. Looks like recount now! Still to be confirmed. Who is calling for it.

Scotland just about to kill off Brown?

Result in Glasgow East due in next 5 mins. Will this see Scotland send Brown to Political Wilderness.?

No recount for Glasgow East

This indicates a decent majority for the SNP? Result due about 01:20-30

SNP may have 1500 majority in Glasgow East

... Liberals to lose deposit!

SNP are already celebrating in Glasgow East

Just seen John Mason celebrating with his supporters on the BBC. Labour out to 20-1 on Betfair. "Gnasher" Sturgeon having fun laughing at Danny Alexander.

Spectator says - The word is that Labour has lost

More encouraging news!

The word is that Labour has lost | Coffee House

Herald says Labour Concedes Defeat In Glasgow East Byelection (from The Herald )

Hopefully this is true!

Labour Concedes Defeat In Glasgow East Byelection (from The Herald )

Might the SNP kill off Brown?

Staying up to watch the hopeful demise of Labour in Glasgow East. Turnout is high at 42.245%.

Whatever happens Gordon Brown's Scottish Labour will have had a very bloody nose.

Reports are that the Tories may even get up to third which will be a good result.



BBC NEWS | Scotland | Glasgow, Lanarkshire and West | Glasgow by-election polls close

Virus, Government and Microsoft

The words Virus, Microsoft and Government Websites in one article should make us all a bit wary.

Despite the appalling spelling, the article is as follows.

Key Government websites have been infected by a virus that allows cyber-criminals to steal browsers' personal details, it was reported today. More than a thousand Government and consumer sites are said to have been hit, including some run by the NHS and a local council.
The Times Online says the hackers are Eastern European and that security experts estimate at least two million coputers worldwide have been affected.
It reports that the Asprox virus is unlink other viruses; it sits undetected on mainstream sites and automatically installs itself on a user's computer potentially allowing the hackers to have access to financial information. Joe Stewart, director of malware research at SecureWorks, said Asprox "appears to be trying to build up the size of the botnet, infecting people through web pages by adding an IFRAME.” According to securecomputing.net, the attacks occur on websites that are running Microsoft SQL-SVR (Server) that already have some sort of vulnerability.

The Times article is here.

Virus 'has infected major Government websites' - Home News, UK - The Independent

More Batman Bale Victims?

Are these poor creatures more victims of Christian Bale the star of the new Batman movie "The Dark Knight,".

BBC NEWS | Scotland | North East/N Isles | Bemused rescuers pick up penguins

Eilean Donan Castle

Eilean Donan Castle
Originally uploaded by fitaloon

A final Holiday Photo before a return to normal service

Bla Bheinn

Bla Bheinn
Originally uploaded by fitaloon

On a visit to Skye we went on a trip to Elgol to view the Cuillins. This is Bla Bheinn about half way to Elgol

Torridon Hills Sunset

Torridon Hills Sunset
Originally uploaded by fitaloon

A view from our Holiday house on the banks of Loch Torriidon one evening.

Hercules over Eilean Donan Castle

Hercules over Eilean Donan Castle
Originally uploaded by fitaloon

Seen on a visit to Eilean Donan Castle.

Scene through a Door

Scene through a Door
Originally uploaded by fitaloon

This was the view through the back door of our home for a week on Loch Torridon. The view in all directions was just wonderful.
You can see many more photos here.

Just back from Holiday

Balgy Lodge and Loch Torridon
Originally uploaded by fitaloon

We have been on Holiday to the West Coast (Loch Torridon) and just back. More photos etc. later. This was the view from the house to the North.

Blue Blood for the NHS

Instead of ranting on about who invented or voted for the NHS Annabel Goldie has done something simple and effective to back the 60th anniversary of the NHS, she has given blood.

This marking of the anniversary, is typical of the understated and very effective way, that Annabel has led the Tories in the past 18 months.

Mind you as one of the comments on the site says

Why not, she gave blood at the opening of the NHS.

Goldie bringing blue blood to ordinary Scotsman(or woman).

Goldie gives NHS something back - Scotsman.com News

GB PLC accounts in Disarray

The Times reports that the National Audit Office is refusing to sign GB Plc's accounts or at least the Treasury versions. What a surprise this is, as the Government attempts to put the 50bn bail out of Northern Rock anywhere but the debit side of the accounts. The Times says

Mr Darling is fighting a bruising battle with the National Audit Office (NAO), which is unhappy at the way that the nationalisation of Northern Rock is being treated in the Treasury’s books. The annual report from No 11 was published yesterday but, in a highly unusual departure from normal procedure, without the department’s resource accounts.

The problem is that if the Northern Rock bail out is put on the debit side the borrowing this government has to do will exceed all expectations by a significant amount.

Michael Fallon, the chairman of the Treasury Scrutiny Committee, said:

“This is a fresh humiliation for Alistair Darling. He has lost control over public finances. Now it looks as if he can’t get his department’s books past the auditors.”

This is just another in the long line of demonstrated incompetencies of this disintegrating government. Whilst Darling and Brown argue about 10p tax, CGT, VED, Fuel Duty etc the accounts and indeed the whole nation is slipping deeper and deeper into an economic quagmire.

Please, Please can we have a General Election and get rid of this shambles.


National Audit Office rejects Treasury accounts - Times Online

Come on England - Scotland 2 England 0

The score is now 2 leaders to nil in terms of Party Leaders between Scotland and England, with the departure of Nicol Stephen, the Liberal Democrat leader in Scotland to "spend more time with his family". Surely England can do better than this and at least get rid of one and make a real game of it. On Saturday we had the departure of the late and unlamented Wendy Alexander.

I'm sure the loss of Nicol will be tremendous blow to the Lib Dems in Scotland. His Leadership and sure footed policies in getting the Lib Dems to their lowly position in Scottish Politics will be sorely missed, well at least by the Tories and SNP.

After today's Brownies at PMQ's how much longer will we need to wait until Gordon does the honourable thing and resigns.

Gordon Brown and his Lists

Nick Clegg told Gordon Brown today at PMQ's that he confused a "list" with answers. It also seems from this article by Irwin Stelzer in the Telegraph that Gordon confuses "lists" with Priorities and Actions.

The problem is that Gordon has lots of "lists" but nothing is in reality generated from them. As Mr Stelzer says

Unfortunately, he knows how to draw up an impressive list of goals, but cannot set priorities or figure out how to get there. He wants to end child poverty, but that can't be accomplished by increasing child benefits and dependency on the state, or raising the minimum wage to price teenagers out of jobs.

He wants to raise the productivity of British firms, but ensnares them in EU regulations that reduce workforce flexibility. He wants to increase the number of workers gainfully employed or on training schemes, but can't seem to grasp that continued payment of benefits makes the couch more attractive than the workplace.

Mr Brown wants the NHS circa 2008 to be as great a boon to Britain as it was at its founding 60 years ago, but can't quite accept that full patient choice and genuine, wide-open competition are a surer route to reform than more and more central directives.....

....Gordon Brown wants a richer, fairer nation, its citizens safe on the streets and in their homes, but insists on micromanaging every twist and turn on the route to that goal.

He understands, or says he does, the power of Adam Smith's invisible hand and the diffusion of power it creates.

But somehow, he can't resist relying instead on the clunking fist. It just seems to him so much more effective to do it alone, rather than to rely on the individual choices of citizens, free to pick their kids' schools, their own healthcare providers, and workplaces in which the rules suit them and their employer, rather than central planners' notions of the proper work/life balance.

As Mr Stelzer says at the end

"Too bad, not only for the Prime Minister, but for Great Britain."

I can only echo this sentiment on a day when it becomes more and more obvious that we are heading towards a recession that Gordon Brown has no idea how to handle.

Gordon Brown would achieve more by doing less - Telegraph

Honours for 42 day votes?

The Telegraph thinks Keith Vaz was offered honours for his vote in the 42 days detention debacle. This was brought up at PMQ's by David Cameron and Gordon Brown has denied any "bribes" to anyone, including the DUP.

The Telegraph says

Mr Vaz is the Labour chairman of the Home Affairs Select Committee. He was previously opposed to the plans but later offered his full backing. He made a major speech during the debate on the proposals which is thought to have won over some backbench MPs. Securing his backing was seen as crucial by the
Government.
Amid rumours of a peerage or knighthood, Mr Vaz was asked in Parliament during the debate the day before the vote whether he had been offered an honour for his support. He said: “No, it was certainly not offered—but I do not know; there is still time.”
In the handwritten letter sent on 12th June 2008 – the day after the key vote - Mr Hoon writes: “Dear Keith…Just a quick note to thank you for all your help during the period leading up to last Wednesday’s vote. I wanted you to know how much I appreciated all your help.”
“I trust that it will be appropriately rewarded!...With thanks and best wishes, Geoff.”

Gosh wouldn't this be a surprise.

Gordon Brown under pressure over 'reward' for Keith Vaz over terror bill - Telegraph

Markies are Struggling

If Markies are struggling it means the UK is in a bad way. If we can't afford to occasionally shop at Markies it means we have little or no spare money. According to the BBC shares are down over 15% today on the back of poor sales figures particularly food.

They are one of life's little rewards when you need a bit of "Feel Good" factor or just want a nice bit of luxury without the hard work.

Another marker in the slow death of Gordon Brown's tenure as Labour Leader.

BBC NEWS | Business | Sales gloom sees M&S shares dive

Barking Mad

Can you see anything wrong with this advert with a nice picture of a cute puppy? Well look here to see who thinks it is "unclean".

PC gone mad. Why have the Tayside Police said sorry. This is ideological stupidity. This highligts the fact that political correctness dominates all publicly funded agencies, and the fact that police forces have to employ diversity advisers rather than on bobbies to tackle crime.

H/T Gabble of Pb.Com
Barking Mad

Goodbye to the NHS

Whenever I hear that the government is about to "do" something to the NHS, I head over to DR Crippen at NHS Blog Doctor to see what the real story is. Dr Crippen is a General Practitioner and has a long experience of seeing the NHS from the frontline

A case in point is the release of the Darzi Master Plan for the NHS. Now I know what the plan is about and how it will help me to a better "quality" life. However I am still stuck as to how Labour will do anything with this report to actually help anyone. As Dr Crippen says

You begin to lose the will to live as you wade through this morass of focus-group soundbites. Is there any meat on the bone? Don’t eat, don’t drink, don’t smoke, don’t take drugs, don’t have sex and don’t go mad. All good stuff. You can’t fault it, can you? You can’t criticise motherhood and apple pie. Trouble is, you cannot build a health service on soundbites.

In other words the report is the usual mound of meaningless drivel that Labour calls "Policy" and then uses it as justification to waste our money.

If you want to do a bit of reading on the Farzi committee I suggest you peruse through these articles at the Ferret Fanciers blog.

Meanwhile I will be celebrating my first day with Private Health care courtesy of my company.

NHS Blog Doctor: Lord Darzi : offensively inoffensive

Flying Ruaridh

Ruaridh at tubing In Alford with the Youth Club tonight.

I don't know what it is, Brown, but somehow you piss me off.

The title of this article in the Independent is a more sober, "Gordon Brown thought he could rely on the Scottish vote – now it could bring him down" but I'm sure that Bruce Anderson would have preferred to title it with my version.

His comment below is probably the stand out

When Labour dominated the Scottish executive, there was no equivalent of the prawn cocktail offensive that the Blairites launched to woo the City. Most Holyrood Labour ministers were surly, glottal-stopped, class-hating mediocrities. It was hardly surprising that businessmen who had dealings with them found the process deeply depressing, especially as everyone assumed that they and their ilk would be in power for ever. Now, however, the Nat ministers use the language of free enterprise. There has been a smoked-salmon canapé offensive. This has led a lot of Scots who are natural Tories to conclude that independence might not be too bad after all.

In this he is quite right, Tories in Scotland are generally seeing there is a better way forward than being ruled by a government in London, that has little relevance for a modern Scotland. In this they have been helped by the way Annabelle Goldie has handled Holyrood since the elections in 2007 gave Labour a bloody nose. She has been the only stand out Tory performer the Scottish Government. The problem with the Tories in Scotland is that they have been to hell and back and attracting really good people back into politics is a long and slow process. The beginnings are there but much work is still required. Bruce Anderson has this to say on this subject

Even if the Scottish Tory party were led by Adam Smith, Henry Dundas and Walter Scott, it would have difficulty in overcoming its countrymen's snivelling resentment. But the current leadership is some way below world-historical class. In the 80s and 90s, the Scots Tories produced Messrs Forsyth, Lang, Rifkind and Younger, plus my Lords Mackay and Strathclyde – as well as a score of able though less eminent figures. Today, most of their successors are dire, and proportional representation creates another obstacle to a Tory revival. Under PR, those at the top of the party's list are virtually guaranteed a seat, however badly the Tories do short of extinction, not yet a danger. In the Scottish Parliament, the Tory leaders enjoy status and income without having to fight for it. They have no incentive to resist genteel decline, and there is a further hazard.

I would disagree with him on his last point. I do see a resurgence in the Scottish Tories, no longer do you only whisper you are a Tory. With this resurgence will come competition for position and this will make for better candidates.

One final point from his article is as follows

It is extraordinary that Mr Brown could not persuade Wendy Alexander to stay on at least until the by-election was over. She has been a hopeless minister, a truculent colleague and a useless leader. She might at least have tried to compensate for this by showing some gratitude to the man who made her political career. (No wonder they were drawn to one another. They are similar personalities.)

This is very much in tune with what I thought over the weekend when I heard about Wendy's "resignation". The two of them were of such similar outlooks that you wonder if the one can exist without the other in the Labour hierarchy. Only time will tell.

Bruce Anderson: Gordon Brown thought he could rely on the Scottish vote – now it could bring him down - Bruce Anderson, Commentators - The Independent

Sounds on Sunday - Tracy Chapman - Fast car

Way back in the distant past in the years B.C. (Before Chris, my wife) I finally bought a CD player and then had to buy a CD to play on it. My first CD, bought more for the fact that it was Digital Recording,and I wanted to see how a CD could perform, was Tracy Chapman. I had heard the odd snipet of Tracy Chapman before this and thought I would like the CD.

How right I was. I cannot number the times I have listened to this CD. When I met my wife she was living in Inveress and I was in Aberdeen so I spent a fair bit of my life driving up and down the A96 (not a pleasant experience) between the two cities. Much of the time I listened to this CD and this track was perhaps my favourite depending upon the mood I was in, good on the way and bad on the way back.

Anyway enjoy.

P.S. And no to my brother she is not a poor man's Joan Armatrading.

You've never had it so Bad

According to the Telegraph and calculations performed by Capital Economics the current tax burden is the worst it has been since 1991.

The household tax burden rose from 34 per cent of income to 34.6 per cent in the first quarter of the year - the highest level since the spring of 1991.

The figures, calculated from official data published on Friday, underline how far taxes have risen since Labour took office in 1997. They come after the scrapping of the 10p tax rate caused an internal Labour mutiny.

Despite the Government's headline tax rates remaining unchanged, a variety of so-called stealth taxes have increased the burden.

So the next time Gordon says taxes are down at PMQ's you can tell him it is yet another of his "Brownies".

Families hit by greatest tax burden since 1991 - Telegraph