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| Oooops. Now we know why you like your system better, Kez. |
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| How's that again George? Good luck in the London Mayoral elections, by the way. The last poll I saw you were on...erm 0% What odds are you getting on that? |
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| Reasonable, but some of them are far from nice. As Mr Corbyn, or for that matter Ms Dugdale or Ms Lamont. They might not think they were too nice. |
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| Here we go again. YAWN. |
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| Uh huh, well that worked a treat, didn't it? |
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| Maybe he could become a gardener. I suspect they won't want him back as a towel folder. |
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| I know you are too much of a gentleman to do it Humza, but I know what I tell the wee junior minister. It would start and end with F. |
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| We would if we were independent. And will when we are independent. |
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| If you laugh at a child who is different, he will laugh with you because his innocence exceeds your ignorance (but only just).
Both Abu and Helena have recommended THIS post on Wee Ginger Dug.
I was asked to reproduce it here, but I'm sure that Wee Ginger Dug has more readers than I do (many of them the same) and I'm not quite sure it's the thing to do to reproduce another blogger's work, but what I'm happy to do is recommend it in case you missed it, as I had.
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OTW ~ Tris, have you read Wee Ginger Dug's "Lets Dream of Unicorns"? Is it possible for you to reproduce it here in full here. It is just too powerful. Not sure as to whether I should scream or cry while I was reading it.
ReplyDeleteHaven't read it yet Abu.
DeleteI'm not sure that it's quite the done thing to reproduce it here, but what I will do is add a link to it above in this article.
Of course everyone whose read your comment probably pretty rapidly made their way to Paul's article.
I don't want to think of your crying, so I suggest you find some place pretty isolated and SCREAM :)
Noted with thanks Tris. I have to apalogise in advance to Munguin as I am going to vote that blogpost as the best one this year. I suppose it is quite hard to beat when it involves unicorns.
DeleteIn all seriousness, that blogpost must be distributed and read as widely as possible. Especially the young ones. I have printed and pasted it on my wall. I was lucky at the time of reading it I was in a public place. I don't think I could have stopped myself.
From now on if anybody asks me whether I believe in unicorns, I will say yes.
Apologise*
Deletetris
ReplyDeletehttp://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-3572318/MAX-HASTINGS-Lib-Dem-loser-Danny-Alexander-leads-parade-ministers-mandarins-cashing-time-office-plum-jobs-STINKS.html
For those who enjoy rags-to-riches stories, that of Danny Alexander is one for you.
He was born in 1972, and, after leaving university, scratched a living first as a researcher for the Campaign for Freedom of Information, then as a press officer for the Lib Dems and finally for Cairngorms National Park.
In 2005, he became the Lib Dem MP for Inverness and Nairn.
-n the Coalition Government of 2010, after David Laws was forced to resign for fiddling his expenses, Alexander became Chief Secretary to the Treasury because the Lib Dems had scarcely another MP who could count beyond ten.
At the 2015 election he lost his seat and Government job.
A bleak future stretched before him. Here was a man of 43, with no apparent qualification as anything save a PR man in Britain’s wilder places. But, lo and behold, a fairy godfather flew to his rescue. The Tory Chancellor took pity on his jobless ex-colleague.
I like the quote: "Senior service officers and top civil servants who take jobs in related sectors staunchly defend their right to do so. They point out that in real terms, their incomes have fallen far behind those of successful people in any other profession, never mind in the City."
DeleteYou can't help thinking that if they were in it for the money, and they were good enough, they'd have been working in the private sector (City) all along, instead of waiting till they had some inside information to sell as a price for the board room chair!
The Mail may very well have over-egged Danny Alexander story and played down the Tory who chairs the company he helped in government, but for all of them it is the same story.
Take take take.
There is a point to be made though. As the Mail says, once you were rewarded for your success "as the bathchair beckoned". Now elderly ministers are few and far between. The pace expected of a minister, or mandarin is probably more than most elderly people could manage.
So ministers are younger. (I'm not sure that's a good idea.) And they retire (or are chucked out) in their 40s or 50s.
And then what is there to do but profit from their "celebrity"?
Margaret Thatcher made a fortune from after dinner speeches, mainly in America, as well as from some "must have" but utterly unreadable books. (I love political biography/autobiography and eat them up, no matter from which party, but I couldn't get past page 40 of her first book.)
Major contented himself with a book of cricket.
Blair, of course, has made using his celebrity into an art form. Brown and LORD Darling following in his footsteps.
The question is ...what do you do with ex senior ministers who are only in their early 50s?
Personally, I'd send them down the dole with anyone else who becomes unemployed and then they could compete for jobs in the local McD's.
Someone needs to beef up the organisation that oversees these appointments. It sounds very much like the expenses office that used to take everything they said at face value. Utterly useless rubber stamping.
I hope we will hear more about it.
Tris,May I add my plea to Abu's, The Wee Ginger Dug needs to be read. Now off to Dunfermline High Street to give our Nicola a wave. Helena
ReplyDeleteI've added a link to it Helena. I think that's the most appropriate thing to do.
DeleteTell Nicola that Munguin says hello and that if she wants a picture with him, he'll be happy to consider it.
Tris
ReplyDeleteI was listening to GMS this morning, don't worry I skipped breakfast so no risk of throwing up, but what really struck me, other than the usual hypocracy over the EU with it will takes years for the UK to negotiate it's leaving neverendum, the UK must really be thick Scotland would have done it overnight according to unionists. I digress, what really struck me this morning was the push to split the SNP vote has really went into overdrive. They are so determined to help the unionist parties to try and deny an SNP majority, even Fox News is not as bad as that.
I was actually undecided on my second vote to be fair but they have pretty much made my mind up for me now to be honest. I hate the BBC I really do. Getting taxed for this pish really sticks in my throat. If my family didn't watch tv I swear I would do without rather than pay that tax for propoganda. Sell the shitty thing off now. But anyway it was basically another SNP hate fest.
Your pics though just sum up how bereft we are of decent opporition and decent people within politics in the main, Dugdull is probably a decent person, unlike Rennie and Davidson, but she is out her depth.
Bruce
Don't pay the britnat bbc licence tax.
DeleteSNP x 2
The BBC was working hard this morning to puit the SNP down.
DeleteJames Naughtie was on Radio Four and "one party state" appeared a few times. Although they tried to make it sound as if he was being fair to the parties, he missed the Greens and Ukip in interviews. And his tone was so London establishment it was sickening. Although he didn't say, please vote for other parties to stop them getting a majority, he might as well have.
The other day John Humphries interviewed Nicola just after 8 o'clock, the most prestigious spot with the biggest audience. he tried hard to beat her down, with his 50 years of experience of political interviews, but she didn't falter. He talked referendum referendum referendum, and she batted him down with education, health and transport.
I stopped having a tv ages ago. £144 for THAT?
No chance. But if you have family, I can understand why you do pay it.
It's high time it was changed. Why should you pay the BBC to watch STV or Dave or ITV3?
It's not just the leaders that are of poor quality. There are no alternatives waiting to take over in the parties. It's said that they will replace Dugdale with Sarwar, which shows just how desperate they are.
Absolutely brilliant post from Wee Ginger Dug!
ReplyDeleteI wonder if Danny Alexander has some contacts at the Campaign for Freedom of Information who could tell us who else knew about Carmichael's leaked memo?
Completely off topic, No 1 daughter says "It's not fair, she got her giraffes! Can you ask Uncle Tris for photos of an Oriental Dwarf Kingfisher, please?". So, Tris, can you ask Munguin, please?
Well, you just tell them, all they have to do is ask, and (within reason) it will be there. Munguin is a most magnanimous animal.
DeleteAs it is Uncle Jim has provided said pic.
Tell both of them to watch out on Sunday!!!
I think I could hazard a guess at: the deputy prime minister, the prime minister, the cabinet secretary and Fluffy. probably a few other lesser beings too, but Nick and Dave are the ones that count.
Still, it suited them that people might think that Sturgeon was a liar. Probably got a bit embarrassing when the French Ambassador got involved, but by then it was too late.
Set of lying scumbags.
Actually all of WGD's posts are brilliant. As indeed are MR's especially on a Sunday. Though quite what a oriental dwarf kingfisher will look like I'm unsure.
ReplyDeleteAnyone staying up to watch? (those with a tv license or access to TV of someone who does). I'm fearing waking up to a Tory constituency MSP - I may need extra orangs on Sunday...
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oriental_dwarf_kingfisher
DeleteI don't believe the Ruth Davidson party are going to make a breakthrough, though they may break the selfie on the the back of something record.
Beauty of a bird.
DeleteThis may be embarrassing for her if she fails to make the second spot.
On the other hand it might just save Kez's skin if she gets second place.
Someone is going to have a red face.
Unless of course suddenly Kez makes a dash for the finishing post and overtakes the SNP and runs the next government of Scotland.
Scary thought.
PP: I'll probably be awake and following the results on Twitter, being one of those who point blank refuses to pay the BBC a penny.
DeleteIf you get a Tory, which, I grant you, you might, we'll do extra Orangs along with the requests from John's No 1 and No 2 daughters.
Thanks Tris, felt it needed a big audience but yours and if course his Hir and mightiness thoughts mean as a lot and I am sure Paul is happy to have the recommendation. Nicola had a trouble free visit to Dunfermline,we were all happy to see her,well apart from the snooty ladies and two Labour supporters. HELENA
ReplyDeleteWhy was the whole sLabour party there?
DeleteI'm always happy to recommend Paul's writing, but now he's a media star I suspect that his readership dwarfs mine.
DeleteSnooty ladies? Tories i imagine... and as Jim says, virtually the entire Dunfermline Labour membership?
Well we can;t expect them to treat Nicola with any respect.
Like that, yes the entire slab membership, too stupid to get s job,both out of work from their atire. The age of the snooty women, age when they will not be around long enough. Will say great turnout from us old folks, and every Nation that makes up Scotland.Helena
DeleteGorgeous George, or should that be Gormless George. I once saw him described as the twat in a hat who thought he was a cat. If he ever gives us trouble again, we can set Patrick Harvie on him.
ReplyDeleteI believe Iceland backed our independence, they must be shaking their heads in disbelief at us.
LOL good description of him.
DeleteHe must think he's some Jazz singer with that hat. George Melly or someone.
Iceland took a very encouraging attitude I think. I remember the President indicating that Scotland would be welcomed by him into teh family of Arctic nations.
They must think we are mad...
I can imagine the average Icelander saying: "They think they are too small with 12 times our population... too poor with all those natural resources... and too stupid with all those fine universities. How do they think we manage?"
The Icelanders haven't got a neighbour telling them they are shite, for at least 300 years.
DeleteI've never had the "cringe", and I don't understand it, but it's a phenomenon we must counter, to proceed.