Even Kezia Dugdale has tweeted that she cannot and will not support taking money away from the poorest (for which credit), and there are tweets from councillors reminding Ms Harman that she is a caretaker leader only and will be gone in September.
Of course Kezia herself, only last week, was talking about how the Labour Party must try to appeal to a wider audience than the core vote... the aspirational classes.
I'm wondering if she's not finding a little hard to be all things to all voters!
I've tweeted her inviting her to square the circle. If she can't and won't support Labour Party Policy made in London, will she support a separate Scottish Party which makes its own policies. I don't expect a reply.
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When is Stephen House going to resign? His record as head of Police Scotland has been pretty awful. Even in friendly newspapers I don't remember hearing one good thing about him. From his stop and search of children to the fleet of luxury chauffeur driven cars used to transport the elite of Police Scotland at the extreme displeasure of the Justice Secretary.
Last week's total failure of the public by a member of his staff, which led to two deaths, was the straw that broke the camel's back for me. Clearly it's not directly his fault, but the buck has to stop somewhere and that's what he gets the big bucks for.
I can't help thinking that if he doesn't go soon of his own volition, it will be the job of the justice secretary to sack his useless backside.
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Willy got himself a nice little wedding present from the Queen in the shape of a Hall. No, not a lobby... I'm talking a proper Hall here. In fact Anmer Hall, which is on his grandma's estate in Sandringham. Apparently it wasn't up to Kate's high standards, so she spent £2.5 million doing it up. And now, the damned tennis court is in the wrong place, wouldn't you just know it.
What a blow.
But fear not, money is no object to the Saxe-Cobergs, so Kate is having it moved 36 ft to improve her view. And all for the knock down price of £60,000. (Anyone work out how many hours work that is at the new minimum/living wage (private sector only)that you can't live on?)
Munguin's readers will be relieved to know that, unlike the horrifically expensive £4.5 million renovations carried out at Kensington Palace, the royal family is paying for this work out of its own money...although where that comes from no one really seems to know. Us, I suspect!
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Some thoughts on Austerity...
 |
| Trickle down theory |
"If it were not for my crumbs, how would you get any bread?"
"I'm the baker."
 |
| And sitting on... and talking to |
tris
ReplyDeleteDo Labour just stand for election or
We are called upon at the beginning of the twentieth century to decide the question propounded in the Sermon on the Mount, as to whether we will worship God or Mammon. The present day is a Mammon-worshipping age. Socialism proposes to dethrone the brute-god Mammon and to lift humanity into its place
-James Keir Hardie
Do they choose the payroll vote and self aggrandisement or return to
the founding principles from which old Labour was formed.
there is a claim a suggestion media inspired spin .
the left can not be elected in the UK (ignoring Scotland as they do)
But that has always been said since the first Labour MPs entered
parliament and yet history tells a different story.
If the left is a dead end why dont they embrace and encourage Labour
moving as far left and becoming more.unelectable
Perhaps the truth is they do look at Scotland and other nations who challenge
the enforced neo-liberal agenda of the rich and powerful and having looked
shite their pants at what could sweep them and their economic nightmare away.
People like Harman Kendall and hunt are not right leaning Labour they are in fact
Tory supporters in the wrong party if they want Tory policies why do they not join
the Torys and help them in the open . Rather than hiding in the Labour party
whilst following and attempting to impose the Tory agenda within the Labour party.
They are a version of Conservative ' Militant ' tendency and should be treated as such
Yep agree with this, but what about Blair and Mandelson? Were they in the wrong party too?
DeleteNot one word can I disagree with Niko, history will show how Labour allowed themselves to suborned by the Establishment and became it.
DeleteThe one thing I would say is that those people, the people who are socialist in the Labour Party are as guilty as those who should be in the Tory Party. They abrogated their responsibility to those they said they represented.
Too many people in the Labour Party with inferiority complexes, they allowed those who came out of University to take over, Blair was a perfect example in that he may have been a qualified barrister/lawyer. he never practised from what I can see. He was pushed forward, probably because the Establishment saw in him that he was malleable and a safe pair of hands.
Labour have had their teeth drawn and it will take one heck of a lot to get the falsies replaced with new ones.
Good Luck Niko, you will need it, heard Jeremy getting it in the neck this morning, but then live by the sword, die by the sword as they say. Nothing but a Tory Press mostly in this country.
tris
ReplyDeleteI am not on twitter but
#ThisIsACoup
I'm proud of! #ThisIsACoup #2 #SolidarityWithGreece #IStandWithGreece - via @twitter_fi
I am on Twitter, and I stand with Greece too. I'll have a look at the hash tags.
DeleteChomsky said "Austerity is just another word for class war".
ReplyDeleteWell I agree with Chomsky. This whole crashing the Banks thing was well engineered. Get the poor back into their box, crush any dissent, tell them we are all in it together, tell them there is no alternative. Well on this island there are cleverer people than I certainly am who have fallen for this tripe, hook line and sinker. I am glad to say few in Scotland.
DeleteWhat can you say about electing a Government who is made up of most of the same people who wanted less scrutiny of the Banks than even our stupid Gordon. The same people who have sat in at Bilderberg Group meeting and got their orders.
Great Post Munguin and Tris, the stake went firmly in. We shall not hold one's breath for a reply from Kezia, she will have to ask what she should say. As for the Royals, well would you not do the same, all the freedom in the world to spend someone else's money. The Queen has forgotten what has happened to most of the Crown Heads of Europe, they lost them. The remainder either keep their heads down and their costs or like the Spanish, they may have to worry about losing them.
Chomsky knows a thing or two, I reckon, Brian. I suppose it is more or less just that.
DeleteThe rich have benefited mightily from the crash. The poor are left foundering, and England's endorsement of the Tories, and their hegemony over Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, none of which voted for them, means that over the next 5 years the rich will get richer and the poor poorer.
As I've said before, I wonder how long it can be tolerated.
Helena. Her problem is that she is against the general principles of the English Labour Party, and yet she doesn't believe in a separate Scottish Labour Party and must finally take her orders from London.
DeleteHow can you square that circle?
What can I say Tris?
ReplyDeleteOh I know ... I'm just glad wee Ozzie has put in a Benefit cap for all those on benefits of around £26,000 ... apparently. Can you imagine what the Doucheness of whatsit would be spending on her *ahem* renovations if she was NOT held to this benefit cap?
Fortunately for Katie, Willie has an important daddy and an even more important granny... and both of them have more money than Croesus, so the problems of the little people are of no account to them.
DeleteBesides, if they were, they would just have them changed!
I guess you are right Tris. After all I heard the news earlier tonight gushing all over the Royal earse all because he has started a new job. Just one itsy bitsy littlt question here ... WTF has the b*****d been doing for the last six months or so since leaving the R.A,F.?
DeleteErm. Paternity leave probably, and getting the new mansion and the London palace sorted... ie spending daddy's and the taxpayers' money.
DeleteAnd maybe opening a few things.
Let's hope the SNP campaign on a referendum in 2016, for 2016.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure that they will Conan. The latest figures (according to opinion polls) show that the Yes side would still lose today, even after London dumping on us, and there being monsters in teh government who jump in the air with excitement at the thought of the poor suffering.
DeleteIt's almost impossible to imagine that anyone could possibly believe that pooling and sharing still makes us better together.... but it seems that they do.
Well if I saw a few more of those who voted NO looking and sounding sorry I would agree with you, unfortunately we need them to really feel pain to recant and so be it, we seem to have to too.
DeleteHi Trish,
ReplyDeleteThe first panel, with two paras beginning "The Daily Mirror opinion poll" is taken from my blog. The way it is positioned it in your article makes it seem like it's by Kezia, which a) doesn't make sense and b) is highly insulting to me! Cheers
Hi Craig:
DeleteI didn't take it form your blog, although as you say so, it must have originated there. It appear upon and was taken from my twitter feed.
I will remove it and trust it causes you no further insult, and at the same time apologise for any hurt caused. I have great respect for you and your writings and no slight was intended.
Incidentally the name is Tris, not Trish, as I thought you might have remembered from our meeting.
Kind regards
Tris
Meanwhile back at the ranch the guy who got the old heave ho form top spot at Barclays last week is apprently getting a £2Million Golden Goodbye plus a pension of £275k or £375k - I can't remember which.
ReplyDeleteIf it wasn't so sad and disgraceful it would be laughable - instead the fat cats carry on laughing all the way to the bank or more likely offshore tax haven.
Wasn't he only in post for a matter of a year or so?
DeleteI wonder if Kezia is wishing that she had persevered with her applications to work for The SNP - just think she might have been one of the Triumphant 56 instead of being in line to be lumbered with Labour In Scotland's poisoned chalice.
ReplyDeleteShe's actually not good enough to be an SNP MP. I doubt that she would have passed the selection.
DeleteShe's certainly not at the standard of the ones whose maiden speeches I've heard so far. She may grow into the role.
DeleteTris
ReplyDeleteDugdale is an opportunist of the worst kind, I know you give her a little credit for saying she is against cuts in tax credits, but to be honest I suspect that she is only saying it because of the leadership election, with one member one vote she has to say the right things. Overall she is the London candidate and will change her opinion based on whomever is unlucky to win the so called big prize. I also watched Harmon's interview and actually could not believe what I was hearing, just when you think a party can't fall any further, there you go. Corbyn, I suspect, will be kept out of the top job, and even if by some miracle he wins, he won't survive long. I don't know why Labour just don't start the merger talks with the Conservatives now and be done with it.
I don't normally shout for people to go, but House has to go( anyone accepting a title says enough for me in many ways). He has been a disaster since appointed and I must admit this is one policy I think the SNP Government have gotten wrong. I'm not saying that there didn't need to be change, and I admit I was for one Police Force, but the record to date is a disaster from their stupid uniforms, to their community policing being all over the place and now people have lost their lives. House is a disaster and NS is making a huge mistake in supporting him, he just cannot stay in the job. There also needs to be a re-think on how Police Scotland operates across the board. I just think it has proven not to be a good policy and we need to learn the lesson before it gets worse, it may have delivered short term savings but it feels like it is not working. I don't have any evidence for that, but I have no confidence in it at all. I have also been surprised by how reserved Willie Rennie has been in not calling for every Police Officer in Scotland to resign, he must have read my blog.
The Windsor's make me sick, everything they stand for is indefensible in my opinion. I understand that they are not allowed to comment on politics, well we know that's not true. Wee spoilt Prince can't keep his nose out of anything that even remotely threatens his millions or privacy and the Queen used a Church service to promote a no vote. The rest of the clan have no shame, I might have some sympathy if they actually stood up for us poor wee subjects but they could not give a shit, their whole existence is about propagating their existence and keeping the small elite where they feel they are entitled to be, and the rest of us in our place. Now you kinda sometimes think, they are probably nice people, Andy Murray seems to think so, but to be honest I just don't think they are because nice people just don't do the things they do on taxpayers money.
The Lords is just plain indefensible, it's time for the Liberals to stop sending no marks there for a pay day and the illusion of being in Government, another huge issue in our country and again designed to keep the few where they are and the rest of us down.
As always, I hate a hell of a lot about this country.
Bruce
Bruce,
DeleteAs always, I hate a hell of a lot about this country.
Me too.
I seem to recall Eddie VII abdicating? It turned out that he was quite fond of Adolph Hitler, and unlike thee or me, was chucked out to the Bermuda. Other than being executed.
That is how the British State deals with cheats and liars of their same ilk. It rewards them with a peaceful end to their alleged assiciation with Adolph Hitler.
I think there is much more to come out about that period of history, but HMG is not releasing the data. What have they to hide, and why?
I wonder how they will keep Corbyn out, but I'm inclined to believe that they will try. They will I suppose call upon friendly journalists to give him a rough ride. He's probably teh kind of man who has no skeletons in his cupboard but'll they will do some looking.
DeleteI think House should go, but I don't think that they should dismantle Police Scotland because he was piss poor at his job. I wish the FM hadn't stood by him, but I'm not entirely sure what else she could ahve done. Failure to do so would be him sacked!
Willie of course, as he was always against the idea of one force, has a certain amount of reason to be smug. I think he should be careful to downplay that in view of the fact that people have died. In fairness it is not unlikely that had there still been multiple forces, this may have happened. It seems it was not entered into the log book and no action was taken on it.
I used to rate the Windsors at least a bit when I was younger, but their behaviour has sickened me. Charlie may not have liked Diana, but he had a duty to stay with her and try to be as happy as they could. Instead of course he had to do what he wanted to do.
The Queen has been involving herself in politics, albeit quietly by the back stairs, getting laws changed when they didn't suit her. Charlie does it loudly.
The Cambridges play a being normal people... but normal people with endless amounts of money supplied by us, who have no money. It would take an ordinary person 4 years of living on air and with no rent to earn the £60,000 that they spent on moving a tennis court to give them a better view!
As for the lords, it's always been a joke, but when there is a sea change in the political situation it shows itself up even more vividly as being a complete joke.
Unless a party is prepared to prostitute itself by putting people forward to this iniquitous waste of money, with the attendant idiotic titles, then a party, lets say for example, with 56/59ths of the Scottish MPs, has no representation there.
Monstrous.
Thing is DC you have to remember WHY he abdicated. It wasn't because he was fond of Adolf it was because he wanted to marry a divorcee!
DeleteNow you can call me cynical if you like, and I know most folks already do, but I seem to recall that there is a certain individual desperate for his mummy to pop her clogs so he can get his grubby little hands on the throne of England. Only one wee incidental little itsy bitsy problem that I can see ... he married a DIVORCEE!
So as far as I'm concerned what was good enough for his mither's uncle is good enough for him. Charley Farley and Mrs Parker Bowles (I'll NEVER call her the Duchess of whatnot!) can go take an extremely long walk off an extremely short plank before I'll ever recognise them as heirs to the throne (of England). They will NEVER be accepted as heirs to the title of Monarch of the Scots in Scotland of that I'm certain.
Yes Douglas. Other people who consorted with Hitler were put to death form being traitors. He was sent to the Bahamas. Fair?
DeleteAs usual they have a vast amount to hide. Corruption, theft, perversion, cruelty, think of a nasty thing and multiply it by 10.
I just hope he blows the whole thing apart by insisting that the Archbishop of Canterbury break his religious beliefs and crown her queen.
DeleteI hope too that the archbishop tells him to get stuffed.
Time someone did.
Arbroath,
ReplyDeleteYou are of course right that Eddies decision to marry a woman with "Chinese talents", was the reason he lost the throne. ( I have often fantasised about what "Chinese talents" actually means, but there you go.)
However, he may, and this is speculation, have become a King in waiting. Willing to have taken the Reichstag pfenning in exchange for personal aggrandisement. The fact he was exiled to Bermuda suggests that elements of the British State were less than happy with him.
Our Royal Family is a joke.
Our beloved (hah!) future monarch wrote this about someone else:
"”I want to be reincarnated as your tampon.” – Prince Charles to Camilla Parker Bowles"
We respect these people?
If they were thee or me, it wouldn't matter,but we pay for these people. It is a complete,utter disgrace.
I'm at a complete loss to know what Chinese talents are, although they do very nice black bean sauce...so maybe she was handy in the kitchen?
DeleteShe did get through husbands though. Each time setting her sights a bit higher.
Apparently when he abdicated and they married and went to live in France the new king said that Davie could be called HRH the Duke of Windsor. She on the other hand was not allowed to share his rank as royal, and remained Her Grace, the Duchess of Windsor.
In their mini court in Paris and in the Bahamas, however, Dave the lad insisted that the servants refer to her as Son Altesse Royale, despite the fact that she wasn't.
Apparently it was the QM who came up with that punishment, saying that as she had a history of remaining married only for the shortest of ties, it surely wouldn't be long before she sound a new man, richer and more powerful, and married him.
She couldn't possibly be allowed to do that and be a royal, said the QM! Blissfully unaware of what her own daughter would get up to, and several of her grandchildren.
Unfortunately I can't see Charlie without thinking about a tampon. And that says all you have to know about how I feel about them.
Wee soft spot for the Lady with Chinese Talents, first she reduced the pool of Royalty and I believe she was much bemused she got stuck with Darling David. She was another Pug person, Queen Mum would not have one anywhere near her thus preserving my Favourite Breed a little longer.
DeleteMind my favourite spot for them all is a bog in Sutherland.
I think you may actually be right about Eddie Douglas and the *ahem* plans for him to return to the throne under Adolk's *coigh* tutorism.
ReplyDeleteAs for that UTTER pathetic excuse of an individual that thinks he is next in line to the English throne well I'm lost for words he is an utter disgrace to the term Royalty in my view!
Had Hitler won the war, I understand he did intend to put David on the throne of England as a puppet.
DeleteWell, they've been puppets to the like of Thatcher, Blair and Cameron. I hardly think old Adolf would have been that much worse. Still happily it did';t happen and he blew his brains out instead.
Ho hum...would that more "leaders" would be so sensible and obliging.
tris
ReplyDeleteI hardly think old Adolf would have been that much worse
oh do come on really though
An exaggeration to make a point, Niko
DeleteHitler would probably have been worse than even IDS..
Me old Mum in Law used to say that there are people in this country who would have been just as obliging as the Germans in popping people into ovens. So not really surprised at the likes of IDS, I have to my misfortune known a few individuals here who would rather bring others down that raise themselves up. You only have to watch the scramble to see how far down you can drag others with the likes of the Budget. I have never understood it myself. The arguments I had with the regards to pay outs to Miners in the eighties, you would never believe and that was from people who kept their own jobs.
DeleteIt is worth remembering though, Niko, that the Hitler regime murdered those whom it thought useless to society.
DeleteRemind me how many sick and disabled IDS has managed to kill as he dismantles the welfare state.
I note his latest wheeze is to suggest that everyone put away something in an account (nice for the banks) to pay for their own sickness or unemployment benefits should they need them. I thought we already did at 12% of our income. It was, if I remember aright, called National Insurance.
Why should Stephen House go? The right wing press has demonized him as they did Salmond. They twist facts and tell lies as usual. What has he actually done or not done that merits his departure?
ReplyDeleteStephen House did not institute Stop and Search. It was heavily used before he went to Glasgow, and it is still much used there now. It is NOT his stop and Search. In fact the Government began looking at the use of Stop and Search a long time ago. They commissioned an academic report, and there was an internal police report. Reduction in use was already in train long before the tabloids took up the story.
The individual forces were buying luxury cars before the creation of Police Scotland. Under the administration of Stephen House their usage has been drastically reduced.
In the case of the uninvestigated car crash, perhaps one death could have been prevented (it is thought the driver died on impact) but since when did an error by one relatively junior officer become cause for the person in charge to resign? If it happened repeatedly, and Stephen House failed to do anything about it, that would be a different matter.
The Scottish Government is backing House – including Matheson despite his supposed “extreme displeasure”. Where by the way did you get that juicy titbit? Was it from the Justice Secretary himself or was it a tabloid writer's interpretation? The MSM does have form in the matter of misreporting what our politicians actually said, don't they.
Screeching for House's head (or backside), is a nasty tabloid trick. I am sorry to see Munguin stoop so low.
I can;t reveal my source, but it wasn't a tabloid.
DeletePersonally I am no lover of our Police Force, but it is nothing to do with the fact that we have now a unified Police Force. This was needing to be done and I see no problem in keeping it. We certainly did not need all the forces we had, though I imagine it has reduced the promotions there. This seems to have been an error, an unfortunate error but one which can be learned from. I was not a happy bunny when the SNP let our Transport Minister resign, he never should have and they should have fought harder to have kept him, this has ensured that every time there is what ever problem the media start calling for heads. Funny that Carmichael and all that,strangely silent.
DeleteI believe it was in the Sunday Herald that said that the justice secretary was unhappy with the money House's force was spending on luxury cars..£800,000 was the sum mentioned I believe. I think the point is that the new force was to be a departure from the procedures of the old forces a time to bring in a new way of doing things and instead House has imported wholesale all that was wrong with Strathclyde police stopping and searching children, logging crimes as incidents and not crimes so they don't stymie the crime stat targets, closing call centres and getting rid of back room staff who might otherwise have logged calls while employing a new Deputy CC. Just because the old forces did something is no reason that the new one should and that goes especially for a fleet of luxury cars.
ReplyDelete