Cameron Pledges To Crack Down On Compo

Today’s Daily Telegraph reports that David Cameron plans to tackle that modern scab on society: no win no fee lawyers. The type of lawyers that got their qualifications out of a cereal packet. It’s the equivalent of a qualified accountant working for over the phone only loan companies.

As Cameron says, these sordid companies have been born out of the culture of health and safety, were every authority and company has to cover it’s back. You can’t blame them. Claimer XYZ falls over a stick in the car park and BANG- you’re in court! H&S should be the preserve of those who work in professions were the risks are high, but can be managed. A code of conduct. But not a chance for every mechanic who cuts himself in public sector employment (Honestly, it happened once) and gets a pay out. That’s called an occupational hazard, like a criminal getting locked up as the opening credits of Porridge remind us.

Cameron says rightly that people cannot expect a risk free life, and quite right. People need to take some personal responsibility. There is a difference between negligence and people looking for a claim (a trade union special, I’ve seen this). That difference has been blurred and needs to be redefined.

The Tories claim they will stop these companies from advertising on TV and making huge referral fees.

They have spoken about it, now lets see it because this is something that lots of people need reminded of: life is dangerous. Manage it.

Shocking Arrest On Brixton Band

I have just read a very concerning article in today’s Times. They report that on Saturday, the Police in Staffordshire arrested a band of black rockers ‘The Thirst’ with some 30 officers, vans, dogs and even a helicopter. This was based on what a CCTV operator said before their gig, but the Police did not move in until they had finished.

As the Times pointed out, the Police did not check the video themselves to verify the report of the CCTV operator that there was a gun in the possession of said band.

One admits that it is always best to be careful and act on any reasonable suspicions, but the heavy-handed efforts of the Police have caused quite a lot of shock. Of course if the Police had reasonable grounds to believe that there was a gun involved they should have taken a strong course of act to avert any potential tragedy. The fact remains though that the tape was not checked and as such there is this stink.

It’s important to remember the professionalism of those who had to carry out the heavy-handed tactics. No weapons were fired by the Police and the restraint they showed is highly professional in my opinion.

Whilst it is difficult to condemn the Police for treating this report with a high priority, due to the intervening period there was time to re-check the tapes and be sure. That is the most damning point of this episode.

Tories Creep North

It’s marginal seats that decide elections. The Conservatives know that they need to claim more of these in the north of England if they are to win power with any sort of majority (never mind workable majority) in the general election next spring. The Tories lead Labour in 32 marginal seats by 42 to 36 per cent. (YouGov Poll: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/6673177/Poll-Tories-advance-on-key-Labour-strongholds.html)

I’m not surprised. So many working class people in the north of England have thought that Labour was best for them their whole lives. One can’t really blame them for that; the Labour is meant to be the friend of working people.

But over the past 12 years so many of them will have come to realise that Labour has spent it’s time cosying up to big business to woo the middle class who scoffed at Labour’s anti-business image. Hey, I have no trouble with them shedding their ridiculous left-wing ideology of the past which Gordon Brown has attempted to resurrect through the 50% tax rate which will drive those with deep pockets away from our shores to spend elsewhere.

I don’t really think that the Tories are any better but I hope that they will tackle the work shy attitude of too many people in the UK. I don’t like Dave Cameron either very much, but that would be one of my priorities for the general election. Of course there should be some welfare state. But, it’s meant to be a safety net for those who fall on hard times and not for those who see it as a career and reliable source of income. Rights and responsibility.

I also hope that they erase the culture of failure. The acceptance of failure. Failure is good sometimes, like when one takes a (reasonable) risk to improve matters and looses, one learns by mistakes. The essence of junior executives. But I think that the attitude of some people within the Labour party that we are all successful in our own ways. That’s partly true: people’s individual lives can not be measured in success, success for one person is quite different from another.

But I hope that Tories encourage young people to aspire to their full potential career wise, and realise that mediocrity is not desirable. Not everyone can be top dog, but the satisfaction of knowing one is doing their best is much better than accepting mediocrity.

For me, it’s possible to see why the Tories are moving north.

When The Dust Settles On Attempted Murder

Many will be aware of the events of Saturday night in Fermanagh, were republican dissidents made an attempt towards a PSNI officers life.

Two men aged 32 and 26 will arrive in Court later today over the charges. No doubt this will be a short hearing mainly just of formalities but one would assume that the Police have a good case: they are the witnesses themselves.

As with the murder of Constable Carroll in March, politicians across the board came out and condemned this. For that at least there is obviously little discussion to be had.

However, the role of the varies bodies will have caused a little concern to Sinn Fein. Obviously the Garda have arrested one suspect over the border but the role of the Special Reconnaissance Regiment may have caused some strive and a stark realization that as long as Northern Ireland is a part of the UK, the Army will, from time to time, in exceptional circumstances such as these play a part in helping the Police (as well as a foreign body like the Garda).

The disbandment of Special Branch was one of Sinn Fein’s pet projects at the time, and whilst I would ultimately have to say it was a concession made to get them on board, reform of special branch would have been better. Because, Sinn Fein unfortunately cannot have their cake and eat it as it were. Special Branch was a part of the RUC, and whilst being aware of that position, it was part of the civilian force.

They couldn’t have expected SB to disappear and something not to spring up in its place with some of its powers. This isn’t to condemn them on this point, but it seemed awfully naive.

Let us hope justice is served.

Paddy Offers Irish Replay

French full back Patrick Evra is getting the boot in to the Irish: by offering them a replay on his Playstation.

After Thierry Henry’s ludicrous hand ball on Wednesday there have been major gripes against the Frenchman and calls from the FAI to FIFA and the FFF to replay the game.

From the very outset, the request to replay the game was silly. Once you allowed this, every hand ball, dodgy penalty or player taking drugs on his own would be an open door for getting matches replayed.

FIFA: often fools of immense caliber have done well to keep a lid on this for the fabric of football. Well done, Septic Bladder.

Unelected Briton Is Second In Command At Unelected EU

She doesn’t (nor does the new President of Europe) have a slither of a mandate, but Labour peer Baroness Ashton is the second most powerful person in the European Union today. People have been charging her with not having enough experience, but for me that isn’t the issue.

It is an issue, but not the big mama. Fact is: she is a member of the House of Lords and as such unelected. She is in a post were not a single vote has been cast despite her not representing 27 nations across the world and further depleting the power of the once powerful Foreign Office.

This spits on Europe, and whilst we in the UK can only be glad that Tony Blair is not the man in power today this is simply typical of the European Union and how the Labour Party especially is simply happy with the status quo. Instead we have a European Federalist, who promotes EU emblems in schools and town halls.

The Lisbon Treaty may only make difference to the sell outs in Brussels come December 1st when it takes effect, but that the imposition of EU symbols on us, against our will would signify all that is wrong with Europe. I just hope that the government ‘grows a set’ as it so eloquently could be put and tells the EU to get stuffed. Or did we lose our veto despite being a huge economic player?

Pro-Europeans will say that this allows Britain to have a strong say in Europe. And that might be acceptable, if the person was to defend our national interests and keep in mind that in the 70’s, the UK signed up to an economic free trade area, not a socialist paradise.

Lots of us love visiting Europe, European languages, European history. But, we don’t want it imposed on us.

Back With Abundance: Harriet Harman

That is, that I’m back with abundance to my blogging. After a few days out (hey, it’s been pretty busy with coursework!) I’m back. Yesterday actually I had something that I wanted to post on, but time allowing because of a few commitments that I had. I digress;

Dishonest Harriet Harman will be prosecuted for a minor car crash which happened back in July in her constituency. She faces penalties for driving without due care and attention and whilst on her mobile.

It is said Harman will refute the allegations. I heard some hear’say at the time of this that she had dismissed it and she was known were to be found (which Sky News reported, but not the BBC!), but that’s simply off the rumour mill so take it with a pinch of salt. I would imagine the deputy leader of the Labour party has somewhat more wit than so despite what I think of her.

The Police still have to obtain a summance from a Magistrate, but assuming that happens she would be in the dock.

It’s a petty position to take, but for me after Labour’s war on everything (motorists in mind) it’s good to see this be taken forward. To often celebrities and those in the public eye get away free, but hopefully not on this occasion.

Banning the use of mobiles behind the wheel was of course a safety measure and I can only imagine has a positive effect (also, it is easily worked around) but for a member of the government to flout the law is irresponsible and typical of the one law for them, one law for us behaviour that exists at the top of politics.

Allegedly Harman is looking at a six month stretch, and depending on the amount of disregard for the system I think that it’s quite possible. This is exactly the type of irresponsible motorist the government should clamp down on!

More later!

British, not European

So a lots of people (like me) like to remind ourselves from time to time. It seems that the net on national identity, be that British, French, German, regardless, is closing in.

Perhaps like me you were glad to see Blair’s candidacy for the role of EU President crash and burn. He is a war monger, with no track record of success. He is largely offensive to a lot of people. But then, when you think it’s all over, out comes Herman Van Pompuy of Belgium. The federalist looks like he will be installed in the position at a dinner of the 27 EU leaders on Thursday.

It appears that he favours EU regalia in town halls, schools and sporting events. Well never mind that we have the European Champions League (a legitimate competition because British teams actually want to be there, unlike people and the European Union).

A federalist, pro Union of Socialist States of Europe type of bloke, who will degrade our democratic right to get rid of him. Hell, we never even put him there in the first place.

An absolute insult to voters and despite the nothing’s that Willie Hague has uttered to the Telegraph today (P2), they sold out. Time for them to step up to the plate.

Time for Clegg too, instead of trying to abolish tradition just like an EU federalist! However, let’s remember who got us in this spot in the first place.

The sands of time are a-running for the Labour government.

The Paperwork Gestapo: II

Ministers working below Labour Party deputy leader Harriet Harman, and top dog in the equality stakes in the government are proposing another wonderful question for the 2011 Census:

Are you a homosexual?

Not to make a joke out of it, but what has this got to do with the government. It’s supporters would say that it will lead to a more accurate reflection of the population and whilst that is perhaps true in part; it is completely unethical.

Say a man is gay, but wishes to keep it private. There are bound to be many reasons for this and whilst I can only speculate those who wish to keep it private should be allowed to. Whilst the question will not be mandatory and therefore not answering it will not have a fine attached to it, I seriously question the need.

The Office for National Statistics, a body which often delivers damning reports into government waste is against the plan, according to todays edition of the Daily Telegraph, P14. On the other hand, the Equality and Human Rights Commission argues that knowing how many homosexuals there are in the UK would lead to more accurate equality laws.

I fail to see how, but I would be glad to have this explained by anyone in the know, other than saying “x% of the population is homosexual”. In any case, I would assume that this would not be wholly accurate. If a married man, with family is now identifying himself as ‘gay’ inside, how is he to explain why he is not going to tick ‘hetrosexual’ on the form.

Fair, he could say ‘Oh, why should the government know?’, but ultimately it is one’s private business regardless of their sexuality whether they chose to let this be common knowledge or not. Admitedely, this is just one slant on the issue, but I believe that it is wrong to include this question, as despite what the EHRC says- I do not believe it will lead to accurate answers for a range of reasons.

One would welcome the small state and the vast hauling in of government snooping. Time for Harriet Harman to show that she represents everyone (like lots of politicians), and not just what keeps her in a job.

Griffin To Contest Seat In East London

BNP leader, Holocaust denier and MEP Nick Griffin has announced at the party conference in Wigan that he will contest the Barking constituency in east London, a BNP strong area with strong racial tensions. Griffin will be looking to exploit those no doubt as he tells those in the east end how they deserve better.

Barking is a strong Labour seat and has been since its creation in 1945 with some 48% of the vote in 2005 in fact. Naturally it’s going to be hard to topple Margaret Hodge from the seat, but with the wind blowing against the government and the BNP seemingly riding high- this is Griffin’s best shot at getting the biggest mouthpiece the BNP could wish for: the House of Commons.

Claiming at the conference that the “Labour party has let that borough down in a catastrophic way” (Barking), he showed his face on economics. After comparing the bank bail out to a huge welfare check, Griffin said he would oppose cuts for families and ordinary people. Cuts for everyone methinks, but Griffin knows he will pull in that working class vote which is very hacked at ‘unchecked immigration’ in certain places, such as east London.

Griffin obviously knows what cards to play in this area, and whilst I don’t see him actually winning the seat I think he is going to give Hodge a good run for her money and will very likely come second. In 2005, the BNP were just 0.2% behind the Tories, having gained 10% on 2001. All things look rosy in Griffin’s garden in terms of mounting a serious challenge.

I hope he isn’t elected. He’s a nasty man, who stands for a nasty party, which offers no alternatives to problems other than dividing people up by race. It seems some PC-ers are game for doing that too, but on a totally different slant of course.

The Economy? What about QE? What about public-private initiatives? Education? Selection or post code? Taxation? How are we going to pay for this ‘repatriation’ of yours, Nick? What about fuel tax?

All the questions that need to be asked of Griffin, for despite what we all know about his racist views, those asking the questions would be silly to ask him on his Mastermind subject. I would be disappointed if come the election he was shouted down by an anti-BNP mob bent on shouting abuse. Ask him the fine detail; then those who might have some sympathy will really get to make up their mind on this fool.

As lots of people have said- The big three and their representatives saying ‘Oh, you must not vote BNP’ only makes voters with contempt for the political class want to give your local Labour, Tory, Lib Dem member a good kicking a little more.

But not with well directed fists and boots.