Some times when you see articles about the governance of the UK, you wonder if you are reading a plot outline for an episode of "The Thick of it".
And today was one of these days.
Let's start with Liam Fox (yes him... the one who resigned in disgrace over his friendship with Mr Werrity. A relationship in which he allowed his young friend access to top secret information, the run of the MoD, a card which announced him as a representative of the Secretary of State (although he was not), and included him confidential meetings with top level foreign representative, mostly Israeli, including visits abroad at our expense, all to the horror of the officials at the MoD).
Stuart has already pointed out Fox's commentary on the Scotland situation. Apparently, according to old Foxy, had we voted to leave this glorious union, we would have found ourselves in "a bit of a pickle" because of the collapse in oil prices. A lie of course, but it sounds convincing to the uninitiated as part of the steady anti-Scottish drip drip drip....

Fortunately, however, you'll be happy to hear that we didn't leave so we are all living in clover; we've never had it so good... after all we'll be at war shortly, always good for business; "hard-working" families "up and down the country of S******d are losing an average of £1,300 in tax credits; our budget has been cut yet again; we are about to lose the right to strike; European human rights are about to be replaced by English ones (God help us); getting sick or becoming unemployed has become a tragedy on the scale of the black death (ie likely to lead to death)... and that's just for starters.
So now Foxy, almost unbelievably only 54 years old, having amassed a tidy little fortune for himself, has advised the government that it must cut benefits further, and that these cuts must be for keeps. He says too, that now is the time to do it, when there is a broken opposition...although he fails to mention that it might have been a good idea to have done it when there was NO opposition... ie a few weeks ago when Labour failed to join the SNP, Greens and Plaid to vote down further cuts. (Still, his type love having a go at Jeremy, and why let mere facts get in the way?)
He was joined in this appeal to the government by the chairman of the Taxpayers' Alliance, Alex Wild, who said that now was the time to make cuts to pensioners' benefits, after all, many of them wouldn't be around at the next election, and those who were would probably have forgotten who cut their benefits.
Of course it's true... Many older people have voted in their last election, and some will, over a period, not remember which set of incompetent spivvy bastards cut the benefits, given that there is very little between Labour and Tory policies on the subject. Both have voted for draconian cuts for the less well off.
I don't shrink from the fact, because a fact it certainly is that people die.
Indeed, I've cited demographics as a reason that a further independence referendum in 5 years' time would be more likely to produce a Yes vote. A lot of the older people who predominant voted for status quo will be dead... There I've said it. We all know it's true.

But has it occurred to Foxy and his friend, Wild, that not all older people will have died or forgotten? Some of them will have suffered, and as we all know, older people tend to vote.
Many folk, young and old, remember now, for example the fact that Fox himself was sacked for his crass stupidity, risking the nation's security with his young friend. That was a good while ago in 2011. (He didn't last long, did he?)
Additionally, the relatives of the recently deceased, or very forgetful elderly, who have had to cope with their grand parents', parents', uncles', aunt's, reduction in circumstances, will be still be there, and still voting?
In addition to not being very nice, they seem to be less than terribly bright.
And today was one of these days.
Let's start with Liam Fox (yes him... the one who resigned in disgrace over his friendship with Mr Werrity. A relationship in which he allowed his young friend access to top secret information, the run of the MoD, a card which announced him as a representative of the Secretary of State (although he was not), and included him confidential meetings with top level foreign representative, mostly Israeli, including visits abroad at our expense, all to the horror of the officials at the MoD).
Stuart has already pointed out Fox's commentary on the Scotland situation. Apparently, according to old Foxy, had we voted to leave this glorious union, we would have found ourselves in "a bit of a pickle" because of the collapse in oil prices. A lie of course, but it sounds convincing to the uninitiated as part of the steady anti-Scottish drip drip drip....

Fortunately, however, you'll be happy to hear that we didn't leave so we are all living in clover; we've never had it so good... after all we'll be at war shortly, always good for business; "hard-working" families "up and down the country of S******d are losing an average of £1,300 in tax credits; our budget has been cut yet again; we are about to lose the right to strike; European human rights are about to be replaced by English ones (God help us); getting sick or becoming unemployed has become a tragedy on the scale of the black death (ie likely to lead to death)... and that's just for starters.
So now Foxy, almost unbelievably only 54 years old, having amassed a tidy little fortune for himself, has advised the government that it must cut benefits further, and that these cuts must be for keeps. He says too, that now is the time to do it, when there is a broken opposition...although he fails to mention that it might have been a good idea to have done it when there was NO opposition... ie a few weeks ago when Labour failed to join the SNP, Greens and Plaid to vote down further cuts. (Still, his type love having a go at Jeremy, and why let mere facts get in the way?)
He was joined in this appeal to the government by the chairman of the Taxpayers' Alliance, Alex Wild, who said that now was the time to make cuts to pensioners' benefits, after all, many of them wouldn't be around at the next election, and those who were would probably have forgotten who cut their benefits.
Of course it's true... Many older people have voted in their last election, and some will, over a period, not remember which set of incompetent spivvy bastards cut the benefits, given that there is very little between Labour and Tory policies on the subject. Both have voted for draconian cuts for the less well off.
I don't shrink from the fact, because a fact it certainly is that people die.
Indeed, I've cited demographics as a reason that a further independence referendum in 5 years' time would be more likely to produce a Yes vote. A lot of the older people who predominant voted for status quo will be dead... There I've said it. We all know it's true.

But has it occurred to Foxy and his friend, Wild, that not all older people will have died or forgotten? Some of them will have suffered, and as we all know, older people tend to vote.
Many folk, young and old, remember now, for example the fact that Fox himself was sacked for his crass stupidity, risking the nation's security with his young friend. That was a good while ago in 2011. (He didn't last long, did he?)
Additionally, the relatives of the recently deceased, or very forgetful elderly, who have had to cope with their grand parents', parents', uncles', aunt's, reduction in circumstances, will be still be there, and still voting?
In addition to not being very nice, they seem to be less than terribly bright.
