MUNGUIN EN VANCANCES

All packed and ready to go.

Arrived and waiting for cocktails.

Picnic luncheon at the castle.

Inspecting the gardens.

Floral arrangements specially planted for Munguin's arrival.

With Dani and Zeta.

It's hard for a wee furry animal to keep cool,
but the fountains look good.

And there are some nice green places in the shade.

Quick meeting outside the USA Embassy with Ronnie. He was thrilled.

I wanted to them to get the parliament in but Abé had to get his head in the way.

Country residence at Lake Balaton.

A cruise on the Blue (Green??) Danube.

We visited a synagogue ... 

...and a church.

It was nice of them to put up barbers' poles to point me to the hairdresser.

So, we climbed to the top of a volcano (in the car)

We even took public transport... Me, Munguin, on the métro!! Imagine.

Our gracious host, Viki.

The view from Munguin's apartments.

The wasps were at least an inch long. No joke. Tris was scared stiff!

And finally to Lake Balaton again.
Sincere thanks to Viki, Dani, Abé, Zita, and all the other people who made the stay so marvellous. Seriously never turn down the opportunity to visit Hungary. It's one of the loveliest countries we've ever been to.

IT'S WORLD PENGUIN DAY

And Finally

This is a beautiful story of the affection and devotion that is possible between man and bird.

A South American Magellanic penguin swims 5,000 miles each year to be reunited with the man who saved his life.

Retired bricklayer and part time fisherman Joao Pereira de Souza, 71, who lives in an island village just outside Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, found the tiny penguin, covered in oil and close to death, lying on rocks on his local beach in 2011.

Joao cleaned the oil off the penguin’s feathers and fed him a daily diet of fish to build his strength. He named him Dindim.

After a week, he tried to release the penguin back into the sea. But, the bird wouldn’t leave. ‘He stayed with me for 11 months and then, just after he changed his coat with new feathers, he disappeared,’ Joao recalls.

And, just a few months later, Dindim was back. He spotted the fisherman on the beach one day and followed him home.

For the past five years, Dindim has spent eight months of the year with Joao and is believed to spend the rest of the time breeding off the coast of Argentina and Chile.

YESTINY

A NOT SO GOOD START FOR LABOUR'S CONFERENCE

You're not actually going to believe this, but it's true. 

Labour has released a video for their conference...all about what Kezia stands for now that she thinks she has the freedom to run Scottish Labour without interference from London. You know the stuff...who she is for, and whose side she is on and all that. New New Labour or something maybe or maybe not.

Anyway, if you can read the stuff which comes hurtling at you on the screen from different angles, and frankly I doubt that you will be able to get it all, you'll see that, as the daughter of two teachers, education is one of her top priorities.

Unfortunately ... You might also notice this!

Some time ago Kezia Dugdale trotted out some pretty dubious figures purporting to show how badly primary school leavers today read and wrote. As you can see from the link, the good Rev rapidly debunked them, but I am sure that the Record and the Hootsman, not to mention the BBC accepted them without much question.

Munguin has a suggestion for her.

Maybe she should start her crusade for better reading and writing skills with her own team. Most of them, of course would have completed their primary education in the days of direct rule from London, or at most under the leadership of the old Scottish Executive, but all that pooling and sharing doesn't seem to have done them much good!

Now, we are far from grammatically and orthographically perfect on Munguin's Republic. We'd be the first to admit it. But we are not putting ourselves forward as the next but one First Minister. 

The Dear Peregrin Letters...

You may remember that some time ago Munguin signed up, under a nom de guerre (Peregrin), for information about what was going on with the Tories, on a "know thine enemy" basis.

Here's the latest epistle from Munguin's pen pal, the wildly delusional, David Cameron, who clearly now sees himself as some latter day working man's hero. How different everything must look from the window of Downing Street or a government chauffeur-driven limo, for a man born to Eton, Oxford and best of everything.

Always good for a laugh, Dave takes us on a fantasy journey here, through his policies to return Britain to Dickensian times, when the sun never set on the rich and never rose for the poor.

Enjoy.

Dear Peregrin,

When we came to office in 2010, Britain was on the brink. Our task was urgent: to rescue our economy from the mire. With that economy now going in the right direction, we are once again on the brink - but this time, on the brink of something special. We have a golden opportunity to renew the idea that working people are backed in this country; to renew the promise to those least fortunate that they will have the opportunity for a brighter future; and to renew the ties that bind every part of our United Kingdom. We now have the mandate to deliver that renewal. And it starts with today's Queen's Speech: a clear programme for working people, social justice, and bringing our country together - put simply, a One Nation Queen's Speech from a One Nation Government.

The first task of a One Nation Government is to help all working people have security. 

And nothing is more crucial to that than a job. A new Bill will help to create two million more jobs this Parliament. That means there should be a job for everyone who wants one - in other words, full employment. To help people get those jobs, we'll train them up; three million more will start apprenticeships over the next five years. We will also reward work by letting people keep even more of the money they earn - for the first time putting it into law that the Minimum Wage is and always will be tax free. That will be alongside a five-year tax lock which means there will be no income tax, VAT or National Insurance rate rises in this Parliament.

The second big focus of this Queen's Speech is championing social justice. 

That starts with education: a decent schooling for every child, no matter where they're from. Our school reforms in the last Parliament were bold; one million more children are now learning in good or outstanding schools. In this Parliament they will be bolder still: taking over and turning into Academies not just failing schools but coasting ones too, as part of our new Education and Adoption Bill; opening not just a few more Free Schools, but 500 more. Of course, there is nothing that embodies the spirit of One Nation and the cause of social justice more than our NHS, which is there for everyone, whoever they are, regardless of their ability to pay. So we will continue increasing spending on our health service, by at least £8 billion a year by 2020, and make it a truly 7-day NHS.

We will also continue our welfare reforms that help people into jobs, reducing the benefit cap further, to £23,000. Our reforms will incentivise work - so people are always better off after a day at the office or factory than they would have been sitting at home. That's true social justice - not handing people benefit cheque after benefit cheque with no end in sight, but turning workless households into working households; the misery of unemployment into the purpose and dignity of employment; and the welfare system into a lifeline, not a way of life.

Third, this Queen's Speech will bring every part of our United Kingdom together. 

Our legislation will make sure this recovery reaches everyone, from the oldest industrial towns to the remotest rural villages. Our High Speed 2 Bill will help bring our great northern cities together in a Northern Powerhouse that rivals the biggest cities in the world.

For our different nations and regions to coexist as One Nation, people must have more direct power over the areas in which they live. So our Cities Devolution Bill will allow them to bid for an elected mayor, with far more sway over planning, transport, policing and health. We will have a Scotland Bill, a Wales Bill and a Northern Ireland Bill, and will put into practice our promises on devolution - making Holyrood the most powerful devolved Parliament in the world. Governing with respect means respecting the wishes of the English too. That's why we will address the fundamental unfairness devolution causes in England, by introducing English votes for English laws. And the UK will have more control over its affairs, as we bring forward proposals for a British Bill of Rights to replace the Human Rights Act. We will also legislate to have an EU Referendum before the end of 2017, putting the question to the British people for the first time in 40 years: the European Union - in or out. Underpinning all of this is security. With an Extremism Bill, an Investigatory Powers Bill and a Policing and Criminal Justice Bill, we will keep our people safe.

That's our legislative programme. It's challenging but doable; optimistic but realistic. It's the bold first step of a One Nation Government - a Government for working people.

 And this is the Britain we're setting out to create: a Britain where you can get a decent job, have a good education, buy a home of your own, have dignity when you retire, and feel safe and secure throughout your life. In the last Parliament we laid the foundations for that; in this Parliament we will use them to build something special. We've now got the majority we need. With this Queen's Speech we're going to get on and do it - for every single person in this great nation.

So - if you haven't already - please join the Conservative Party today, and play your part in everything we'll achieve together in the next five years.

Thank you,

 

David Cameron

ANYTHING TO HELP OUT AN OLD FRIEND...

Munguin kindly agreed to do some
publicity for Mr Salmond's book

...So he kept a copy for himself.

But, seriously, big thank you to Alex Salmond for being a great sport with Munguin, and for an interesting evening talking about this book, the referendum campaign, and the future. Even if you didn't agree with his politics, he has to be one of the most engaging speakers you've ever heard.

LETTERS TO LABOUR (IN THE TRADITION OF HRH)

Dear Mr Murphy,

Shortly after you were elected as the leader of the Scottish branch of the UK Labour Party, you said that you would not lose a single seat to the SNP.

If you should lose the odd seat to that party, will you resign your leadership?

Kind regards


Munguin.

++++++++++

Dear Mr Murphy,

If the Tories have 290 seats, Labour has 280 seats and the SNP 45 seats, will your boss allow the Tories to form a minority government rather than work with the SNP to promote left of centre policies?

Best wishes

Munguin.

++++++++++

Dear Ms Lamont,

As an elder stateswoman of the Labour Party, what do you think of the job Jim Murphy is doing?

Salutations

Munguin.

++++++++++

Dear Labour,

The London Labour spokesperson on Work and Pensions has said that Labour is not the party of the unemployed, nor would it wish to be seen as such.

Whilst, of course, I was aware that the party was not exclusively dedicated to the unemployed, I thought that at least they had an interest in their welfare. Indeed I could be quite sure that they used to care about people who were out of work.

Would you care to indicate to the unemployed who they should now vote for if they wish to elect someone who gives a damn?

Sincerely

Munguin.

++++++++++

Dear Mr McTernan,

I've been reading that you have on numerous occasions praised Mrs Thatcher and indicated that a Tory revival would be good for Scotland.

Is that the general feeling of the Labour Party in Scotland?

Best wishes

Munguin.

++++++++++

Dear Mr Murphy,

Could you please let me know what would be your priority if Labour were to be elected to power in Scotland? (No, don't laugh.)

Would it be dealing with the number of people who are using foodbanks, or would it be making sure that Trident were renewed?

Your truly

Munguin.

+++++++++++

Dear Mr Murphy,

In England you appear to think that £6 000 is a reasonable amount for students to pay each year to avail themselves of a bachelor's degree. In Scotland you appear to think that that sum is £6 000 too much.

Could you explain what is different between Scottish and English students?

Kind regards

Munguin.

++++++++++

Dear Mr Miliband,

It has been Labour policy for over 100 years to abolish the House of Lords.

It is SNP policy to abolish the House of Lords.

Is this something you could work together on, or would Willie Bain insist that 100 years of traditional Labour thinking on aristocratic rule be over turned because a wee lassie in a tin hat also happens to believe that?

Yours sincerely

Munguin.

+++++++++++

HARRISON FORD IS THE OCEAN, AND MUNGUIN STICKS HIS FINGER UP AT THE DIDDY MAN

Powerful stuff here!

Hello, my faithful readers.
It's me, Munguin,
your proprietor here.

I thought I'd show some solidarity with my mate the FM
at the same time as wishing that old DJ luck in picking up
his career.  I heard him screeching the other day.
He's really lost his voice.
He was even worse than that Terry Wogan!
And that's not easy.

NORMAL SERVICE WILL BE RESUMED AS SOON AS POSSIBLE

Apologies to all.

We are still dealing with the aftermath of the weekend's flood at Munguin Towers.

You will be relieved to know that Munguin is fine (and dry) and is looking forward to seeing Nicola Sturgeon tomorrow night (although the private dinner will have to be in her hotel room, unless she fancies soggy foie gras!). 

Tris is somewhat worn out having spent the last few days emptying buckets, drying wet towels and falling over dehumidifiers, including in the middle of the night. Such is the life of one of Munguin's underlings and all for the minimum wage in Burkina Faso.

Anyway, we were amused by Alex Salmond's reaction to being blown up in Lewes last night.  

Incidentally, does anyone know why we have bonfire night in Scotland. It wasn't anything to do with us, unless you count the King, which we shared with the English at the time... and he would have been no loss to us, or them.
++++++++++

Entirely separately, we thought you might enjoy this... Munguin says he's going to employ this dog for Tris, seeing as he always leaves his cell, wallet and keys when he goes out and has to come back for them...

Nice to see so many MPs turned up in the Commons to debate a living wage for ordinary people. Clearly there is no need for them to worry about a living wage. Some people have to live on less than their food allowance. Obviously it is a subject that interests MPs greatly.

Here, they are talking about something
that matters to them...
THEIR wage.