The Red Rag

John Finnemore Screws the News

2011-07-10T14:07:00.002+01:00

...News International that is. Listen to the end if you have a few minutes.

Ed Miliband is almost there...

2011-06-12T21:32:00.002+01:00

Which Labour MPs are still on the bus with Ed?

David is right behind Ed Miliband

2011-06-12T20:06:00.002+01:00

You had better watch your back then Ed.

My Predictions for 2011

2010-12-31T13:23:00.004Z

Lib Dems will narrowly win the Oldham East and Saddleworth by-election with a Tory swing in their favour.
All 3 main party leaders (Cameron, Clegg and Miliband_E) will still be in post by the end of the year.
The AV referendum will be comprehensively defeated.
Sarah Palin will do something that will effectively end her chances of being a serious candidate for the 2012 US presidential election.
A number of Lib Dem MPs will resign the party whip (see 3 above) to either sit as independents or join other parties.
England will win the Rugby World Cup.
I predict that Mark Thompson is wrong for the third year running and Eddie Mair will not become the new host of BBC Question Time.
Liam Fox will no longer be a cabinet minister by the end of the year.
Including Old and Sad and Belfast West there will be 6 by-elections during the year.
A petition signed by more than 100,000 people will trigger a debate in parliament about leaving the EU.

h/t Mark Thompson

2010 in review

2010-12-30T19:43:00.002Z

Here are my favourite posts from each month of 2010

Jan Old Labour Old Danger
Feb More Labour Lies Exposed - Unemployment
Mar Jobless figures fiddled to hide massive 10% rise in long term unemployed
Apr A future fair for all - animated manifesto film - Edited for accuracy
May Widget: Gordon Brown's political soul leaves his body
Jun Harman proposes genetic selection

I took July and August off for an extended vacation. Well if the poiliticians can do it!

Sep Time to Unite the Labour Party
Oct Ed Miliband's 'Victor Meldrew' generation
Nov Picture of Galyna Kolotnytska
Dec The first day of winter

I hope you had a great Christmas and wish you a happy New Year

Merry Christmas

2010-12-23T18:00:00.000Z

David Cameron kicks Gordon Brown out of number 10. Could you ask for a better Christmas present?

BP Beyond Profiteering

2010-12-21T14:47:00.002Z

A little snow and BP at the Trafford Centre decides to charge 10p a litre more than the local price. I am not a advocate of price control, let the market do that. They are free to rip people off if they are daft enough to pay.

I would urge people to shop around to stop this kind of profiteering.

Update: I did this post from my iPhone so didn't realise the pic was out of focus. It says 129.9p per litre.

The first day of winter

2010-12-21T12:05:00.004Z

Today is officially the first day of winter. I'm not sure what that makes the last few weeks!

I tend not to comment much on what used to be called 'Global Warming' before we had ten consecutive years without any, but I have to say that the 'warmists' are looking quite silly. Last year was the coldest winter in Britain for 30 years. Warmists put it down to being that 'once every decade cold one'. With this winter being set to be much colder, will that become the 'twice every decade cold ones'?

Are we entering a new ice age? Should the government act immediately by chopping down trees, turning all the coal fired power stations up to maximum, or even creating carbon plants to pump the gas directly into the atmosphere? No of course not, that would be stupid wouldn't it? As stupid as the wasting of the billions currently planned by the warmists of Cancun.

It is time for this government to call a halt to the waste and put these plans on ice (so to speak). Send the jury back out, the science is not settled. It is based more on faith than substance. The warmists are starting to look like cranks trying to change the world with a new religion. Frighteningly governments around the world are supporting them with billions. We are trying to prevent warming in Africa with money that could fight aids, malaria, famine etc. it is global madness.

Beyond belief

2010-12-20T16:56:00.002Z

I know it has been 50 years but I can't see sales from this shop covering the rent. At least Granada is private and not wasting our license fee. Let's hope the BBC doesn't follow with an Eastenders shop.

Coronation Street souvenir shop.

The Blonde Miliband

2010-12-17T18:52:00.014Z

So Ed Miliband has gone for a Christmas card that truly reflects his personality. Many shades of grey. The only dash of colour is the red in the corner, very apt indeed.

The card features his partner Justine Thornton and their two children baby Samuel and Daniel who was born in 2009. On the subject of colour, I couldn't help but notice how blonde their elder son is.

Justine is a successful barrister who worked closely with the dashing blonde QC William Norris throughout 2009. Her chambers web page boasts "William Norris QC and Justine Thornton have been successful in a high profile and complex challenge ..."

William Norris QC

Not that you should infer anything from that. I certainly don't. I was amused though to find his name turn up in an article entitled They're all blonde, of a certain age and great company John Cleese still makes me laugh.

Update: A reader has pointed out that "The Blonde Miliband" is, of course, the one who has a "blank" where the name of the father should be on his birth certificate. Ed was "too busy". Another has pointed out that he could have had his name on the certificate without attending by filling in a "Statutory Declaration of Parentage signed by the other parent and witnessed by a Solicitor, Justice of the Peace, Commissioner for Oaths or certain other designated people." Many of which work in Westminster Palace.

As Jill Kirkby pointed out back in September; What kind of dad is that? "Too busy" is just not plausible - we know this guy is ambitious, but no-one is so preoccupied with ascending the political ladder that he can't find time to carry out this basic token of parental commitment.

The Nativity - Brilliant

2010-12-17T13:43:00.005Z

How social media, web and mobile tells the story of the Nativity.

The Christmas story told through Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Google, Wikipedia, Google Maps, GMail, Foursquare, Amazon...

H/T Excentric

So farewell then Iain Dale

2010-12-14T18:25:00.005Z

So farewell then Iain Dale
your blog has had to go
to free up some time
to host your radio show

Dizzy said you were a big beast
but Keith's mum said you had lost
a lot of weight

E.J. Thribb aged 17½

QT Live blog

2010-12-09T21:34:00.000Z

Join us tonight at 10:35 for a Question Time live blog. David Dimbleby is joined in London by Liam Fox MP, Norman Lamb MP, Sadiq Khan MP, Aaron Porter and Janet Daley.

Question Time 9th December 2010

The NUS should pay for their damage

2010-12-09T18:50:00.003Z

The NUS should have their assets sequestrated until they have paid for the damage done to the Treasury building and Parliament Square. They should also be charged for the policing in the same way that football clubs are.

These thugs should be made to learn that their actions have consequences and they must bear them. We must not allow the NUS to claim they are not responsible. They are fully responsible and must be held accountable.

Wikileaks the movie

2010-12-09T13:14:00.000Z

Wikileaks - You can be sure of Shell

2010-12-09T11:53:00.007Z

Shell’s Vice President for Africa, Ann Pickard "I do not like to talk to US Government officials because the US Government is leaky."

Consul General Donna M. Blair "She may be concerned that by telling us the true impact of the attack, more bad news about Shell’s Nigerian operations will leak out."

Ann Pickard was right wasn't she. After all it wasn't Wikileaks who leaked this cable was it. It was indeed the "leaky" US government's fault, they made the cables so freely available internally that some malcontent was bound to leak them. Ann has tremendous abilities and the US government would have done well to act upon her concerns. Nobody knows more about leaks than Ann after her 5 years in Nigeria.

Described by Fortune Magazine as the bravest woman in oil and one of the 50 most powerful women in business, Ann was Shell’s Regional Executive Vice President for Sub Sahara Africa, based in Lagos Nigeria, for the past 5 years. In that role she oversaw the company’s exploration & production, gas and LNG activities in the region.

Before that, Ann was Director, Global Businesses and Strategy and a member of the Shell Gas & Power Executive Committee with responsibility for Global LNG, Power, and Gas & Power Strategy.

In March this year she became Executive Vice President Upstream Australia within the Shell Upstream International organisation, responsible for the exploration, production and gas commercialisation part of Shell’s Australian business.

Since then, her role has expanded to Country Chair of Shell in Australia, adding oversight of the manufacturing, chemicals, supply and distribution, retail, lubricants, trading and shipping, and alternative energy parts of the business.

Support Wikileaks Boycott Paypal / EBay / Mastercard

2010-12-08T21:15:00.010Z

Paypal have behaved badly, they have tried to cut off funding from Wikileaks because of government pressure. Wikileaks have not been found guilty if any illegal activity, as far as I know they haven't even been charged with any. So show Paypal your support for Wikileaks by boycotting them. I will also boycott Ebay, Amazon and Mastercard until Wikileaks gets their service back.

Show your support on facebook.

PayPal has said that its decision to stop people from using its service to make donations to Wikileaks was made after a letter from the US government. A vice-president at the online payments firm said the State Department had said that the activities of the website were illegal in the US. PayPal suspended payments to Wikileaks last week, and has been followed by Visa Europe and Mastercard.

Amazon and Swiss bank PostFinance have also cut ties with Wikileaks.

PayPal's vice-president Osama Bedier told a conference that the company's acceptable use policy group had decided to suspend Wikileaks' account after the State Department sent a letter on 27 November, adding that it was a "straightforward" decision. The company, which is owned by US online auction giant eBay, later clarified that Mr Bedier's comments referred to a letter sent from the State Department to Wikileaks, not directly to Paypal.

More on the BBC.

Tuition fees - The facts

2010-12-08T17:51:00.005Z

The Coalition Government is reforming higher education funding to ensure universities have the money they need.

Following the advice of the independent funding review, set up by the last Labour Government, the upper limit on tuition fees is being raised to £9,000. Students will pay nothing up front, and will only start paying the money back once they’ve left university and are earning over £21,000 a year.

A lot of myths have been circulated about the plans. On this site, you’ll get the facts.

Wikileaks - Gordon Brown lurches from political disaster to disaster

2010-12-08T16:07:00.003Z

I have just read an intersting cable that was leaked on Thursday speculating on who would replace Gordon Brown and listing his possible successors . It praises David Miliband and James Purnell but contains a damning assessment of Ed Balls, and Harriet Harman.

Ed Miliband doesn't even rate a mention. The US didn't understand that it doesn't matter who the MP's or Party members want it is up to the trade unions to pick their puppet. Although they did acknowledge that John Hutton had harmed his chances by upsetting the union barons.

The language clearly shows the utter disrespect the US had for the bungling Brown. They refer to his 'abysmal track record' and describe him as lurching 'from political disaster to disaster.' I have reposted it in full below. The bold highlights are mine.

WHO WOULD REPLACE GORDON BROWN AS UK PRIME MINISTER 31/07/2008

Summary. As Gordon Brown lurches from political disaster to disaster, Westminster is abuzz with speculation about whether he will be replaced as Prime Minister and Labour Party leader, and, if so, by whom. Right now, Foreign Secretary David Miliband and Justice Secretary Jack Straw are the two most frequently mentioned, and likely, successors.

1) Miliband as the “Labour David Cameron” to represent the Blairite wing of the party or Straw as a Labour elder statesman to bind the Party together. Other credible names in circulation, in Post’s view, are Brown confidante Secretary of State for Children and Schools Ed Balls, House of Commons Labour Leader Harriet Harman, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions James Purnell, and Health Secretary Alan Johnston. These would-be successors are a diverse group, but they all have one thing in common: unless Brown steps down voluntarily, which is highly unlikely, one of them will have to mount a public challenge to Brown, and none of the candidates has so far been willing to wield the knife - or at least not yet. End summary.

Talk of Ousting Brown Reaching Fever Pitch

2) A terrible by-election defeat in Scotland on July 23, in which a formerly rock-solid Labour seat with a 13,000 majority fell to the Scottish National Party (Ref A), has left the Labour Party reeling and fueled fears among MPs that Brown’s leadership of the party, and his premiership, may now be beyond repair. For the first time in Labour’s eleven-year reign, Labour MPs are experiencing what it is to be truly unpopular and fear they are facing meltdown at the next election, which must be held no later than June 2010. According to a July 28 YouGov poll, if a general election were called now, the Tories would receive 46 percent of the vote, while Labour would take just 26 percent and the Liberal Democrat Party 17 percent; 74 percent of respondent said they were dissatisfied with Brown’s performance as PM. In this febrile atmosphere, Westminster is buzzing with news that dissident MPs are canvassing their colleagues to find a new leader, while at the same time Cabinet ministers are lining up to warn MPs to stop plotting and unite behind Brown (Ref A). While rumors have been afloat for several months, our contacts tell us now that those considering getting rid of Brown are no longer confined to a small rump of bitter ex-Ministers, such as Charles Clark (Ref B). With no sign yet that Brown has a clear plan to turn the party’s woes around, commentators wonder if he can hold out until 2010, and are already turning their attention to who might replace him.

How Would It Happen?

3) There are two ways to oust Brown. First, he could step down on his own, perhaps at the behest of a group of close advisors and party elders. We judge this possibility to be extremely unlikely; Brown has wanted Downing Street for too long to go quietly - a point London Mayor Boris Johnson, a Conservative, made in a widely-read op-ed piece earlier this week. Second, another candidate for party leader could force a leadership election by identifying him- or herself publicly and producing the names of 20 percent of sitting MPs (70 of 346 Labour MPs) who support his/her candidacy. Labour would then hold an election at its party conference for a new leader, in which Brown could conceivably run himself to regain the leadership. In the event of a leadership election, one-third of the vote would be allocated to MPs; one-third to Labour Party members; and one-third to the trade unions. Many MPs have told us that, regardless of the scenario, they candidly hope a change in leadership is still a long way off. They acknowledge - as Labour Deputy Whip Nick Brown did to us just days after the Glasgow election -- that changing PM for the third time in 18 months could lead to calls for an immediate general election, which would be hard to ignore and would not give Labour the time it needs to recover under a new leader.

When Would It Happen?

4) Before the catastrophic July 23 by-election defeat, uppermost on MPs, minds was heading home for the summer recess. The fact that Parliament is now out until early October gives Brown some breathing space. On the other hand, Labour MPs now have a lengthy period to hear out their constituents’ wrath while gnawing over the problem of their party’s collapsing popularity and their leader’s seeming inability to turn its fortunes around. There is rampant speculation by media and pundits alike that a move against Brown will occur before the party meets for its annual conference at the end of September - early September 2006 was when the plot that eventually forced then-PM Blair to announce a date for his departure from Downing Street took place. While that scenario still remains highly unlikely, another possibility rapidly gaining credence among Westminster watchers has Labour replacing Brown closer to a general election in 2009 or 2010, thus giving a new leader a few months time to settle in and get the party’s poll ratings back up.

The Candidates

5) In the order of frequency, and Post’s assessment of their credibility as potential successors, below are the names we are hearing most often from Labour Party contacts and from UK media observers:

David Miliband

6) Foreign Secretary David Miliband is a high-flying young member of the Government whose name inevitably tops “future leader” lists, with some going as far as to call him Labour,s “heir apparent.” A former Kennedy Scholar, Miliband at 42 years of age has been at the center of power for a long time, serving as Blair,s Head of Policy from 1994 to 2001 before winning a seat in Parliament.

7) Miliband’s appointment as Foreign Secretary in June 2007 makes him the second-youngest UK Foreign Secretary ever. His appointment came as a surprise to many who had expected Brown to purge the cabinet of so-called “Blairites.” Miliband’s fortitude is widely viewed as a testament to how successfully he has bridged the Blairite/Brownite division that still hamper the Labour Party. He steers clear of well-known Blairite rabble rousers Charles Clarke, Alan Milburn and John Reid, all of whom are suspected of trying to unseat Brown, and resisted pressure from “Blairites” to stand against Brown before last year's leadership handover. More Machiavellian voices within the Labour Party say that Brown gave Miliband the high profile job of Foreign Secretary not as a reward for his loyalty, but as a way of keeping Miliband removed from domestic politics where he might start to build up an alternative power base for any future job vacancy.

8) Miliband certainly has the most high-profile portfolio of all Brown’s would-be successors. Added to that, his Labour credentials are impeccable and his intellect unquestioned. Some consider Miliband, whose nickname at Number 10 was “egghead,” as too brainy to be leader. Rumor has it that he has entered into an electoral pact with Cabinet colleague and another would-be successor James Purnell (see para. 15), who reportedly told Miliband he would stand aside in order to give Miliband his full backing.

9)Long viewed as too young or too reticent to challenge Brown, Miliband may be changing this perception. An op-ed piece he published in the July 29 Guardian, in which he laid out his ideas of how Labour can still win the next election, has triggered wide-spread media speculation that he is positioning himself at long last as a possible successor. In the op-ed, Miliband was careful not to criticize Brown - but neither did he call for party unity behind the PM, and Miliband is canny enough to know how this omission would be interpreted. Miliband’s Principal Private Secretary told us July 30 that Downing Street had “been told in advance about the article” and explained that the op-ed piece reflected that Miliband is “concerned and doing a lot of thinking about the party’s standing,” but said the Foreign Secretary was not the kind of man to “plot behind someone’s back on his own.” The PPS declined to respond when asked if that meant the Foreign Secretary was the kind of man who might join a delegation of plotters who ask the Prime Minister to step down for the good of the party.

Jack Straw

Could the party unite around caretaker leader Jack Straw, a wise old man of the party? In the wake of the July 23 by-election meltdown, the media was awash with rumors that 62-year-old Straw, currently the Justice Secretary, was being lined up by disgruntled Labour MPs to confront Brown and force him to quit before taking over as caretaker leader of the party while a younger replacement is groomed. After Gordon Brown himself, Straw is the second most senior member of the Cabinet, having previously served as both Home Secretary and Foreign Secretary, holding the latter post during the September 11 terrorist attacks and overseeing the beginning of military action in Afghanistan and Iraq. Outwardly an amiable and affable man, Straw is viewed with less affection by some cabinet colleagues who say they have been at the receiving end of his whispering campaigns regarding their abilities. Critics are also quick to note that he was one of the first of Blair's closest allies to jump ship in favor of Gordon Brown when he sensed the political winds were shifting in Brown's direction.

11) Over the July 26-27 weekend, Straw interrupted his U.S. holiday following widespread rumors that his supporters were collecting names of MPs to force Brown into a leadership challenge, announcing that he remains “absolutely convinced” that Brown is “the right man to be leading the Labour Party.” Despite his public endorsement of the PM, No 10 advisors are reportedly enraged by the actions of Straw,s supporters who they suspect of organizing a coup, with or without Straw’s active participation.

Ed Balls

12) Super bright, relatively young, Ed Balls, now Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, has seen his star rise and fall in recent years but remains a credible front-runner to succeed Brown. Since becoming an MP in 2005, he has enjoyed a meteoric political rise into the Cabinet in only 3 years, not least because of his close friendship with Brown. Brown plucked Balls out of his job as an economist at the Financial Times and installed him as a senior advisor in 1994. Balls became Brown,s most trusted lieutenant at the Treasury, where he was unofficially known as the Deputy Chancellor. He continues to remain Brown's closest confidante, and it is an open secret according to Labour party contacts that Balls is Brown's choice as his successor - a charge Balls vehemently denies. He is married to another Labour high-flying minister, Yvette Cooper.

13) While his financial credentials and close relationship to Brown weigh in his favor, Balls has performed badly as Schools Secretary and is accused of shirking responsibility for the failings of his department (the most recent blow to his reputation was a delay in reporting standardized test scores to UK schoolchildren, which Balls at first publicly minimized then belatedly apologized for). Critics point out that since coming out from the shadows and entering the public arena, Balls has shown himself to be less than suited to the top job: his public speaking is derided as “dull,” his slightly awkward manner as “charmless,” and he has many enemies within the party, precisely because of his relationship with the PM. Party insiders accuse him of cowardice because he tells Brown what he thinks Brown wants to hear. It is this close relationship that may make a leadership challenge difficult for Balls, since of all the would-be successors, Balls will face the harshest criticism if he turns on his mentor. On the other hand, in the unlikely event that Brown steps aside voluntarily, Balls might very well catapult to the top of the possible successors.

Harriet Harman

14) Deputy Leader Harriet Harman, the only woman mentioned as a possible successor, is a relative policy light weight but an adept inter-party operator. A Brownite, she has reportedly been discreetly attempting to gauge how much support she has among Parliamentary colleagues ever since Brown’s star started to wane earlier this year. Harman faces a rough ride with most of the UK media, especially the more widely read tabloids who criticize her aggressive championing of women's rights and say that she is obsessed with political correctness. On July 29 Harman had to publicly deny reports that she told her aides, “This is my moment (to rule),” following the July 23 by-election disaster. She has recently begun to speak on the need for the party to underscore its commitment to equality and fairness, which may be a sign of her reaching out to the party’s anti-Blairite, left wing.

James Purnell

15) Work and Pensions Secretary James Purnell is another strong candidate, although he is often described as Labour's “next leader but one.” Like many of the other contenders, 38-year-old Purnell was one of Blair's closest advisers at Number Ten before entering Parliament in 2001. Purnell is already a darling of the UK media, having taken on Britain's so-called “benefit cheats” by announcing plans for the long-term unemployed to retrain and take on work.

16) Purnell's political radar is finely honed and colleagues describe him as astute and able. He went to work for Blair when Blair was a relatively unknown MP in the late 1980s; now, after just a year in the cabinet, Purnell has gained a reputation for handling difficult briefs with aplomb, although he is sometimes criticized for coming across as smug. Purnell may have support within Parliament, but he lacks a strong constituency base outside Westminster - crucial for any successful party leader. Because Purnell was “parachuted” into a safe parliamentary seat, he has no local ties and therefore limited local backing; and because he is not from a trade union background, he also can't count on the support of union leaders, who aren’t impressed with his planned social security cuts.

Alan Johnson

17) For many in the Labour Party, Health Secretary Alan Johnson pushes all the right personal buttons. Born into poverty, orphaned, and married with two kids by the age of 18, Johnson went on to become the boss of one of the UK's biggest trade unions - the Communication Workers Union - where he worked his way up from postman to union baron. Johnson, who has a reputation as an inclusive and collegiate boss and is most often described as “amiable,” is happy to let junior ministers in his department shine rather than taking their ideas or their limelight - but it is this lack of killer instinct that, commentators note, make Johnson more suitable to serve as a deputy prime minister, rather than for the top job itself in which he has shown remarkably little interest.

Andy Burnham

18) On paper, Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport Andy Burnham's rise through the party mirrors that of James Purnell. At 38 years old, Burnham has only been an MP since 2001, following a career as a special advisor to PM Tony Blair. He is also another “Blairite” who, like Miliband, successfully survived the cull when Brown became PM. Burnham is a dark horse favorite among Labour members. The Cambridge-educated father-of-three has a common touch his rivals envy and is married to his university sweetheart, Dutch-born Marie-France.

Jon Cruddas

19) MP for Dagenham Jon Crudas is a wild card. Although not well known outside the party, he fought a brilliant campaign in last year,s Labour deputy leader contest, eventually losing out to Harriet Harman, but not before winning the crucial backing of some of the country,s biggest trade unions as well as the endorsement of Labour's “Tribune” magazine. Cruddas, elected to Parliament in 2001, has already shown himself to be a highly astute and wily politician. Prior to becoming an MP, Cruddas was one of Blair's closest advisors, working as his deputy political secretary at Downing Street where he was responsible for the Government's relations with the trade unions. On becoming an MP, Cruddas cleverly began to disassociate himself from Blair, rebelling against the Government on key issues, opposing the Government’s initiatives to pay for university education, more rights for asylum seekers, and the renewal of the UK Trident nuclear submarine system. He has described himself as “mistaken” over his decision to vote for British participation in the 2003 Iraq conflict. One of Cruddas, biggest assets is his wife, fellow party activist Anna Healy, who has worked for many of Labour's best known cabinet ministers in recent years. However, Cruddas - who is believed to have turned down ministerial roles from both Blair and Brown - may find that his lack of previous any ministerial experience counts against him.

John Hutton

20) 53-year-old Business Secretary John Hutton was until recently seen as another strong contender - until he upset the powerful and influential trade unions by arguing earlier this year that the UK should “celebrate the fact that people can be enormously wealthy in this country.” The unions were further infuriated when Hutton said the Government had reached “the end of the era” on considering new regulations, although this sentiment has earned Hutton the respect of the business community, who see him as a key ally. The unions now say there has been a complete breakdown of trust, and have called on Hutton to be removed from his post in any Brown government reshuffle (widely expected in September as part of the Prime Minister’s effort to re-energize his political standing). These requests put Prime Minister Brown in a difficult position - he would look weak were he to move Hutton; the answer may be to move him to another cabinet spot, such as the next Defense Secretary.

21) union fury won’t particularly bother Hutton, who has always been to the right of the Labour Party and one of Tony Blair,s closest allies, a lack of union support would stop any leadership challenge he might be considering. Hutton has told us in confidence that he is fed up with government work and considering standing down at the next election to go into the private sector.

Comment-

22) Given the improbability that Brown will step down voluntarily, the chances of any one of this group of would-be successors, or any dark horses that might emerge, taking over before the scheduled election in 2010 depends on one of them challenging Brown openly for the party leadership. So far, none of them have been willing to wield the knife, most likely afraid that such a move would cause a party split that would in the end be an even greater fiasco for Labour. We don’t see a clear tipping point on the horizon - but given Brown’s abysmal track record over the last year, that day could come when Labour MPs return from vacations in late August/early September.

Tony Blair recalled to Iraq Inquiry

2010-12-08T15:01:00.003Z

Jack Straw too. Perhaps some Wikileaks will shed light on why.

A cure for parasites

2010-12-08T11:48:00.005Z

About 1.6million people in Britain have never worked, 1.6 million parasites living off the backs of hard working taxpayers!

According to Iain Duncan Smith hundreds of thousands of teenagers and adults have become used to languishing on benefit because work simply does not pay. This is bullshit, work pays, it is just that benefits can pay more. We don't need to tinker with benefits to fix the problem we need to slash them.

He unveiled figures showing that 1.6million people aged at least 16 have never had jobs and that excludes those aged between 16 and 24 in full-time education.

Half are aged between 25 and 64. They have been screwing us over for decades. Not months but decades.

Duncan Smith is to reform the benefits system so that people will not lose out financially if they take jobs as, many benefits are abruptly stopped if people start work, so that many do not feel it is worthwhile to enter employment. My view is that this situation should simply be reversed. With benefits abruptly stopped if people refuse work.

Duncan Smith told the Institute for Public Policy Research think tank yesterday, "‘The costs of welfare dependency are unsustainable." he went on to highlight that the disgraceful outcome of the last Labour governments policies was that ‘The welfare bill has risen by over 40 per cent in the last decade or so."

So the solution is simple, cut it by 40% nobody will starve, maybe then some of these parasites will go and get jobs. They don't need their central heating on all day if they are out looking for work. The don't need the latest release of World of Warcraft for their Playstation 3 to keep them occupied, They don't need booze and fags bought for them by the taxpayer, they don't need holidays abroad when they never do any work.

Duncan Smith says "We have a system which is immensely complex with different benefits delivered by different agencies, making it difficult for people to know who to contact and when.For those who manage to navigate the system, the next challenge is often the move back into employment. One of the first questions people ask is whether they will be better off in work. but too often they find out that the answer is 'no', or 'only just'."

So what,? That doesn't mean we should continue benefits to those that return to work. It means we should cut the benefits of the parasites who refuse.

So here is my alternate plan. It could be implemented quickly and efficiently. Create a set of value adding services that simply do not get done today. cleaning up litter, removing graffiti, clearing fly tipping, etc. Tender the services to private companies specifying that they must pay no more than minimum wage, must exclusively employ those who were unemployed and must make them work a minimum 40 hour week. They must take all comers, however if anybody fails to perform their job to an acceptable standard they are free to sack them. This doesn't require a huge department. One civil servant could knock up the tenders in an afternoon. Set up a website so that members of the public can propose projects. Again, one IT bod in half a day. Pay the companies 15% above minimum wage for each employee, that allows them to make a fair return and ensure private enterprise takes all of the setup costs.

Send the first 100,000 long term parasites to work for these newly created companies, If any turn the job down cut off all benefits. Make it absolutely clear that if they fail to perform and get sacked they will not qualify for any further benefits. Why only 100,000 when there are 1.6 million of them? Simple, I bet that most people once they have no choice but to work will soon leave these menial jobs for something better, so we can then send the next 100,000.

So stop messing with a broken system , don't replace it with another system that will not work. Fix the problem at the root cause - make the lazy bastards work.

Wikileaks: The Curse of Jonah

2010-12-07T10:24:00.005Z

Has anybody else noticed the extraordinary resemblance between Gordon Brown and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. I think perhaps they are related. We should be told.

From Wikileaks cable IRAN’S FIRST FAN

As emotions run high following a week of adversarial debates between Iran’s four presidential candidates, the outcome of the national soccer team’s World Cup qualifying match against the UAE could add to voters’ dissatisfaction with Ahmadinejad just 36 hours before they head to the polls. President Ahmadinejad has worked hard to associate himself with Iran’s beloved national team - “Team Melli” - a tactic that backfired in March when he was accused of “jinxing” the team, which suffered a last-minute defeat to Saudi Arabia just after Ahmadinejad entered the stadium. That event, coupled with an unexpected loss by the national wrestling team with Ahmadinejad in attendance earlier in the year, set off a firestorm of SMS messages and internet jokes holding the President personally responsible for the teams’ defeats, and has led numerous IRPO contacts to predict - only partially in jest - that a loss to the UAE team in Tehran on June 10 could further weaken Ahmadinejad’s standing among soccer-crazed Iranians.

It's the curse of Jonah!

USA 'v' The Internet - WikiLeaks now on 500+ Mirror sites

2010-12-06T23:08:00.005Z

This is what happens when a government takes on the Internet. In their determination to take WikiLeaks and Cablegate off the Internet, here is what the US government have achieved, WikiLeaks is currently mirrored on 507 sites.

USA 0 - WikiLeaks 507 and it isnt even half time!

wikileaks.as50620.net	wikileaks.tard.is ipv6	freeus.jsdev.org
wikileaks.enzym.su	freeus.jsdev.org	wikileaks.cellue.de
wikileaks.kafe-in.net ipv6	wl.opsec.eu ipv6	wl.donatepl0x.com
wikileaks.challet.eu	wikileaks.kister.org	wl.gernox.de
wikileaks.morningtime.com	wikileaks.renout.nl	wikileaks.fdn.fr
wikileaks.gonte.se	wikileaks.kaptenkong.se	wikileaksmirror.proxelsus-hosting.de ipv6
leaks.gooby.org	wikileaks.dubronetwork.fr ipv6	wikileaks.perry.ch
wikileaks.sbr.im	wikileaks.u0d.de	wikileaks.81-89-98-125.blue.kundencontro...
www.fuckip.de	wikileaks.psytek.net	wl.mrkva.eu
wikileaks.joworld.net	www.wlmirror.com	wikileaks.chiquitico.org
wikileaks.rout0r.org	www.gruiiik.org	wikileaks.adhelis.com
wikileaks.high-color.de	wikileaks.holarse-linuxgaming.de ipv6	wl.alfeldr.de
wikileaks.jikan.fr	wikileaks.huissoud.ch	wikileaks.geekview.be
wikileaks.fs-cdn.net	wikileaks.burnzone.de	wikileaks.dysternis.de
wikileaks.nulset.net	wikileaks.franslundberg.com	wikileaks.krkr.eu ipv6
wl.yoltie.net	wikileaks.gnourt.org	wikileaks.theunfamiliar.co.uk
wikileaks.zeitkunst.org	wikileaks.aelmans.eu	wikileaks.serverius.net
wikileaks.synssans.nl	wl.ernstchan.net	wikileaks.yasaw.net
zwartemarktplaats.com	wikileaks.dena-design.de	wikileaks.zone84.net
wikileaks.subastas-xxx.com	wikileaks.iuwt.fr	wikileaks.chmod.fi
wlmirror.wildeboer.net	www.wikileaks.freelists.com.au	leaked.rndm.ath.cx
wikileaks.splichy.cz	wleaks.3sge.pulsedmedia.com	wleaks.hellfire.pulsedmedia.com
wikileaks.palisades-berlin.de	wikileaks.razor1911.com	wikileaks.dokansoft.com.ar
wikileaks.thinkfurther.de	wikileaks.trankil.info	wikileaks.gonte2.nu
leaks.stumcomie.com	wikileaks.timburke.org	wikileaks.ehcdev.com
wikileaks.zurk.org	wikileaks.myscripts24.de	wikileaks.breit.ws
wikileaks.emilts.com	wikileaks.ruicruz.pt	wikileaks.now-pages.com
wikileaks.ego-world.org	cablegate.r3blog.nl ipv6	www.wikileakz.eu
wikileaks.realprogrammer.org	wikileaks.the-secret-world.info	wikileaks.superjoesoftware.com
wikileaks.rtjuette.de	wikileaks.rustigereigers.nl	mirror1.wikileaks.lu
mirror2.wikileaks.lu	internaluse.net	wikileaks.r00t.la
wikileaks.cordover.id.au	brd.mcbf.net	wikileaks.spurious.biz
wikileaks.1407.org	wikileaks.mollar.me	azow.selb.us
wikileaks.furdev.org	wikileaks.datkan.net ipv6	wikileaks.nortemagnetico.es
wikileaks.threefingers.ca	wikileaks.brenne.nu ipv6	www.anontalk.com
wikileaks.hutonline.nl	vm8157.vps.tagadab.com	nl1.wikileaksmirror.nl
wikileaks.noomad.org	wikileaks.xcplanet.com	www.wikileaks.nw-ds.com
wikileaks.infinium.org.uk	wikileaks.piratskasit.cz	peoplerule.info
wikileaks.sirobert.com	wikileaks.solvare.se	wikileaks.marktaff.com
wikileaks.hmaks.com	im.wikileak.im	wikileaks.aamjanata.com
www.wikigoteo.dialetheia.net	wikileaks.dft-labs.eu	wikileaks.julietvanree.com
wikileaks.argenton.ch	wikileaks.i0i.co	wikileaks.lionelwood.com
wikileaks.antifan.de ipv6	wasiutynski.net	wikileaks.diedx.nl
wikileaks.chram.net	wikil3aks.dyndns.org	wikileaks.encgmail.com
wikileaks.yoerin.nl	wikileaks.mcpond.co.nz	wikileaks.siwhine.org
wikileaks.schroth.cx	wikileaks.delight.ch	wikileaks.moochm.de
wikileaks.syncaddict.net	www.hallitus.info	info.patourie-systems.com
wikileaks.softic.cz	wikileaks.redhog.org	wikileaks.brokenbydesign.org
wikileaks.nisd.dk	wikileaks.sentientrobot.net	wikileaks.kronoss.org
wikileaks.s4ku.com	wikileaks.glembotzky.com	wikileaks.nperfection.com
wikileaks.laquadrature.net	wikileaks.legrandsoir.info	wikileaks.artwww.net
wikileaks.39mm.net	leaks.uaqv.com	wikileaks.krtek.net
www.emilts.com	leaks.3nglish.co.uk	wikileaks.explain-it.org
wikileaks.dunnewind.net	wl.fcharlier.net	wikileaks.poete.eu.org
wikileaks.datenscheibe.org	wikileaks.kapitein.org	www.wikileaks.djity.net
wikileaks.nodemaster.de	wikileaks.listepik.net	wikileaks.explain-it.org
wikileaks.sedrati-dinet.net	wikileaks.rigacci.org	wikileaks.ratm.ch
wikileaks.tonbnc.fr	cablegate.sentientrobot.net	wikileaks.ist-bremer.de
wikileaks.spinrise.com	wikileaks.rothnet.org	wikileaks.webtito.be ipv6
wikileaks.lainconscienciadepablo.net	wikileaks.g33kthug.co.uk	wikileaks.b166er.net
wikileaksmirror.matstace.me.uk	87.106.58.253	wikileaks.virii.lu
wikileaks.junkle.org	leaks.iamfos.co	wikileaks.wass-media.com
wikileaks.karlsen.co	wikileaks.lupine.me.uk ipv6	wikileaks.webprofiles.org
wikileaks.azatoth.net	wl.unbloggbar.org	santocristo.info
wikileaks.back2hack.cc	wikileaks.supercrapule.com	wl.treymassingill.com
wikileaks.poliisi.mobi	wikileaks.karlsen.co	wikileaks.rickfalkvinge.se
wikileaks.amette.eu	wikileaks.batsh.it	wikileaks.freei.me
wikileaks.chsdl.de	last.to	wikileaks.iheartfreedom.ca
wikileaks.rackstack.com	wikileaks.serverlicious.org	wikileaks.excds.se
wikileaks.under.ch	leaks.kooll.info	wikileaks.nldla.com
cablegate.dyndns.info	wikileaks.afturgurluk.org	wikileaks.phasebook.net
wikileaks.emquadat.com	wikileaks3.no-ip.org	wikileaks.hermans.net
wikileaks.urli.eu	wikileaks.laotracarboneria.net	wikileaks.datapusher.net
wleaks.shellmix.com	wikileaks.citizen-boycott.org	wikileaks.in-edv.de
wl.hor.de	wl.rekursion.ch	naixt-genne.com
wikileaks.aircraftdispatch.net	wikileaks.cimeterre.info	wikileaks.2qt.us
wikileaks.rhgnet.de	wikileaks.crypton-technologies.net	wikileaks.xgstatic.fr
wikileaks.medienfuzzis.com	wl.creative-guerillas.com	wikileaks.philpep.org ipv6
wikileaks.para-dice.de	wikileaks.outcast.no	wikileaks.bandsal.at ipv6
wikileaks.concretedonkey.cz.cc	wikileaks.oualid.net	wikileaks.webterrorist.net
wl.22web.net	wikileaks.deepdata.de	wikileaks.theano.de
wikileaks.buzzworkers.com	wikileaks.electric-castle.net	wikileaks.caseid.org
wikileaks.luchaspopulares.org	wikileaks.paysen.net	wikileaks.atpolitics.com
wikileaks.otnf.tk	wikileaks.nslu2-info.de	leaks.letsneverdie.net
wikileaks.yasaw.net	wikileaks.atpolitics.com	mhym.de
www.wikileaks.videoteppista.net	wikileaks.deutero.org	wikileaks.grokia.se
wikileaks.tamcore.eu	wikileaks.youfailed.de	wikileaks.stephaneerard.fr
wikileaks.jotocorp.com	wikileaks.canariaswireless.net	wikileaks.thearksakura.com
wikileaks.thefrackin.info	wikileaks.maero.dk	wikileaks.metrogeek.fr
wikileaks.simplaza.net	wikileaks.fellr.net	wikileaks.mindfreakonline.de
wl.dixon.pl	wikileaks.zombix.pcriot.com	wikileaks.wkellner.com
wl.thj.no	wikileaks.sodom.se	wikileaks.macventure.de
wikileaks.damn1337.de	wikileaks.bitciple.com	wl-mirror.sokoll.com
wikileaks.224charenton.net	help.majestan.com	wikileaks.giggsey.com
wl.kallix.net ipv6	wikileaks.unknowntruth.net	wl.kaizer.se
wikileaks.legalsutra.org	wikileaks.kitara.nl	wikileaks.kyak106.com
wikileaks.marpeck.net	wikileaks.leech.it	wikileaks.pamphleteer.de
wikileaks.return0.de	wikileaks.0x04.com	wikileaks.mirror.jfet.org
wikileaks.nerdhero.org	wikileaks.3ofcoins.net	wikileaks.g0rn.com
wikileaks.chpwn.com	wikileaks.fuck.cc	wikileaks.hoppipolla.net
wikileaks.slackdev.com	wikileaks.openmafia.org	wikileaks.paper.st
wikileaks.efremigio.es	wikileaks.zanooda.com	wikileaks.wtfstfu.org
wikileaks.freedomofspee.ch	www.elajt.info	wikileaks.chuso.net
wikileaks.letras.net	wikileak.eicat.ca	wikileaks.0xff.it
wikileaks.apileofbytes.com	wikileaks.revspace.nl	leaks.curaj.tv
wikileaks.mumu.cz	wikileaks.kassala.de	wikileaks.chpwn.com
wikileaks.k-ribou.com	wikileaks.stasi.fi	wikileaks.milchi.de
wl.kollegstufe.org	leaks.freudian.sl	wikileaks.laez.nl
wikileaks.dexite.de	74.63.248.219	wl.ownage4u.nl
wikileaks.peer7.de	wikileaks.infinityloop.es	wikileaks.orfeu.es
wikileaks.myke.us	wikileaks.noova.de ipv6	wikileaks.leckerbits.com
wikileaks.byteserv.de	wikileaks.zro.co	raubmordkopiert.ws
wikileaks.adoutte.com	wikileaks.iodev.org	wikileaks.ludost.net
wikileaks.roethof.net ipv6	wikileaks.thespinlight.com	wikileaks.apathie.net
wl.mimamau.de	www.wikileaks.ufone.de	wikileaks.mooo.se
wikileaks.neofosis.com	wikileaks.eglin.net	www.mistermikileaks.com
wikileaks.pwnt.nl	majjj.com	wikileaks.antoniojperez.info
wikileaks.ig33k.com	wikileaks.extensity.co.nz	wikileaks.rudemusic.net
wikileaks.adoutte.com	dgmx2k.dyndns.org:800	wl.fuldaecho.de
wikileaks.nc23.de	www.wikileaks-backup.com	wikileaks.bynoob.com
wikileaks.martindv.es	mirror.friendsofwikileaks.org.uk	wikileaks.disknode.org
wikileaks.adundo.com	wikileaks.lazzurs.net	wikileaks.deathserv.net
wikileaks.tollofsen.se	wikileaks.brokenco.de	wikileaks.buckyslan.com
wikileaks.moell.us	wikileaks.classcast.de	wikileaks.datenwelten.de
www.priv.us	wikileaks.neopt.org	wikileaks.samhargreaves.eu
www.finngaria.de	wikileaks.skvorsmalt.cz	wikileaks.neurd.org
wlmirror.cosego.com	leaks.boerdy.net	wikileaks.gundam.eu ipv6
novgorod.zunedevwiki.org ipv6	wikileaks.biz.tm	wl.i2pbote.net
leaks.underrun.org	wikileaks.simleb.cc	wl.stefanpopp.de
wikileaks.tejero.ca	www.keepinformationfree.com	whatever.grillcheeze.com
wikileaks.olivu.com	wikileaks.jieji.org	wikileaks.zakulisa.org
wlm.flooble.net	wikileaks.eondream.com	www.shamanhouse.com
wikileaks.galama.net	wikileaks.eondream.com	wikileaks.goodlifebikes.ca
wl.newscenterx.de	wikileaks.kofuke.org ipv6	wikileaks.xr3.cc
dev.quadodo.net	wikileaks.yacy.info	wikileaks.anarka.nl
wikileaks.happyforever.com	wikileaks.data-get.org	wikileaks.humanpets.com
wikileaks.hellopal.biz	wleaks.verymad.net	whitenetdownloads.com
WL.sanvicentemedia.com	wikileaks.lotek.org	wikileaks.profithost.net
wikileaksmirror.eu	wikileaks.chronzz.co	wikiconstitution.info
wikileaks.tinychan.org	wikileaks.holy.jp	leaks.no.net
www.wikileaks.angelbeast.org	www.wikileaks.angelbeast.org	wikileaks.drewhavard.com
wikileaks.keladi.org	wikileaks.awardspace.us	wikijm.com
wikileaks.pandas.es	wikileaks.mustashwax.com	wikileaks2.info
wikileaks.artwww.net	wikileaks.oneeyedman.net	wikileaks.openconnector.net
wikileaks.jordanroy.net	wikileaks.crazzy.se	wikileaks.moo2ah.com
wl.udderweb.com	www2181u.sakura.ne.jp	wikileaks.blackwire.com
wikileaks.rlsjrnl.info	wikileaked.jamestheawesome.kicks-ass.net	wikileaks-in.ganesh.me
wikileaks.luotettu.net	wikileaks.xakep.name	wikileaks.jejaring.org
wikileaks.mahut.sk	wl2.gernox.de	wikileaks.mine-server.info
wikileaks.revoleaks.com	bonsainetz.de	www.spacemission.org
wikileaks.media.pl	wikileaks.imrof.li	wikileaks.hoper.dnsalias.net
wikileaks.escism.net	wikileaks.lelapinblanc.eu	wikileaks.tryptamine.net
wikileaks.piratenpartei-nrw.de	wikileaks.cancamusa.net	wikileaks.aamjanata.com
wikileaks.joevr.org	wikileaks.toile-libre.org	wikileaks.parano.me
wikileaks.slite.org	wikileaks.zvdk.nl	wikileaks.picturesbyphilipk.de
wikileaks.hostingjuice.com	wikileaks.editia.info	wikileaks.renout.nl
wikileaks.phoeney.de	wikileaks.msga.se	wikileaks.infotubo.com
wikileaks.adzi.net	www.example.sk	wikileaks.wazong.de
RealnoeBlinDelo.com	wikileaks.matschbirne.com	wikileaks.aadnoy.no
wikileaks.erfassungsschutz.net	wikileaks.aleph-0.net	wikileaks.oliverbaron.com
wikileaks.vyus.de	wikileaks.ladstaetter.at	wikileaks.willjones.eu
wikileaks.anti-hack.net	wikileaks3.piratenpartij.nl	wikileaks.ninanoe.net
wikileaks.g0tweb.com	74.207.247.66	wikileaks.schuijff.com
wikileaks.iqaida.de	fremont.ca.us.wikileaks-mirror.com	wikileaks.version2.nl
newark.nj.us.wikileaks-mirror.com	london.uk.eu.wikileaks-mirror.com	dallas.tx.us.wikileaks-mirror.com
zurich.ch.wikileaks-mirror.com	wikileaks.zici.fr	wikileaks.tunny.ch
wikileaks.breit.ws	wikileaks.weltgehirnmaschine.de	wikileaks.csbnet.se
wikileaks.digital-revolution.at	wikileaks.nijhofnet.nl ipv6	leaks.mooninhabitants.org
wikileaks.ralforolf.com	wikileaks.pancake-pirates.org	93.90.28.65

The yanks are coming

2010-12-06T17:13:00.017Z

Visitors to the blog today have included the US Senate, the House of Representatives , the Library of Congress and the World Bank. Quite scary, am I going to have my DNS entry removed in retaliation for reposting a number of cablegate documents? Or perhaps for putting up wikileaks IP address after they had their DNS removed. Are they planning on freezing my assets?

Perhaps more worrying was the Mounties of Canada hunting me down. After all they always get their man, but no, they were looking for a woman too, yes that woman, all of the above have been searching for pictures of voluptuous Ukrainian blonde Galyna Kolotnytska. She should come forward and make her fortune on the celebrity chat circuit. I hear Oprah beckoning.

Obviously given the financial crisis the world is facing the gnomes of the World Bank wouldn't have time for such frivolity. Would they?

Well perhaps our very own Houses of Parliament are a little bit more serious and discerning in their web searches? Oh, I see, they want pictures of Russian Lolita Spy Katia Zatulivete.

Good to see that with the world lurching from crisis to crisis our lords and masters still have time to spend on the Internet searching for pictures of pretty girls.

Update: OMG they've sent in the Navy!

COP16 Cancun - Sea Level Rise - Proof & Cause

2010-12-06T11:19:00.006Z

In an unexpected turn of events climate alarmists gathering at tax payers' expense at a luxury resort in Cancun Mexico have not only found positive proof of rising sea levels, they have also obtained photgraphic evidence of the cause.