Random Thoughts

Not current or topical, but I came across this on Twitter.

It relates to when Sally Magnusson did a "Songs of Praise" religious broadcast from the Calais refugee camp.

You'll remember that the Daily Mail nearly burst into flames on the newsagents' shelves at the thought of the BBC wasting money going  to France (they probably spat at the mere mention of the word France) to do a Christian programme from a place where there is a considerable amount of human suffering.

(I mean, what would Jesus have done in the circumstances...called them a swarm, like the UK's unbeloved prime minister, or advocated more drowning, because they are cockroaches, like tabloid Z-list "celebrity" Katie Hopkins.)

But the above paragraph makes a good point. 

In the course of any day, the BBC on any one of its dozens upon dozens of channels, conducts hundreds if not thousands of interviews with politicians and members of the public, with never a warning that it's just possible that something one of their interviewees said may not be 100% true (Alistair Carmichael, to take an example out of thin air), and that the BBC can't verify it.

It's strange that the only time that the BBC feels it necessary to point out that they can't provide documentary evidence of veracity is when it comes from a refugee.
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It will be comforting, or otherwise) to readers of the New International stable of papers that Ms Brookes is to return as their chief executive.

During her last tenure there (before her £16 million pay off) she oversaw, apparently without seeing anything at all, or indeed ever wondering where all the information her papers were printing was coming from, some of the monst intrusive and illegal phone hacking and paying off of police and various other sources.

The English justice system found her to be totally innocent of doing anything wrong. She knew nothing about the criminal behaviours of her key staff including Andy Coulson, who went to prison for his part in it.

I'd have said that that showed an incredible incompetence in someone in her position whose fingers should have been on the button at all times.

She sounds like the kind of person who would need supervising if they were making a cup of tea. Still, it will be open day for anyone on the staff wanting to do a bit of fiddling or cheating. She clearly won't have a the vaguest notion of what's going on.

It's a great life, though, if you are in with the right people.
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THE SUN'LL COME OUT TOMORROW

Despite now having what must be half of the management team of The Sun on bail, Rupert Murdoch, has promised that the paper will continue to publish and will be on the street on Monday.


But, it's early days.


The newspaper's deputy editor along with four colleagues was arrested Saturday for making illegal payments to police, and other officials, who appear to be an Army officer and an MoD civil servant. 

The other journalists arrested were John Kay, former chief reporter who joined the paper in 1974; Nick Parker, chief foreign correspondent; John Edwards, picture editor; and John Sturgis, deputy news editor.

A woman employed by the Ministry of Defence was arrested at her home as was a member of the Armed forces and a serving police officer with Surrey Police was also arrested at his home in Surrey.

A memo to all staff from the chief executive of News International, Tom Monkridge, said that he had had assurances from Mr Murdoch himself that he was committed to continuing to own and to publish the Sun. (As opposed to ditching it as he did with the News of the World.)

When Rebekah Brooks appeared at a Commons committee in 2003, she was asked by Chris Bryant whether her newspaper had been involved in improper activities.

She replied: “We have paid the police for information in the past.”

Andy Coulson, who was sitting next to her, and clearly a more savvy operator than Brooks, which may be why he, and not Brooks, later worked as David Cameron’s director of communications, nearly fell off his chair in an effort to point out that the hay-head sitting next to him meant to say that any payments were made “within the law”.

It appears that he was lying.

Oh well. These things happen. 

A little word of advice to Mr Cameron: When picking staff who are going to be working very closely with you, best to make sure that they are squeaky clean. That's what the Secret Service vetting system was set up to do, so, it should have winkled out Mr Coulson's involvement in this travesty. 

Well I say it it should have, what I properly mean is it would have if you hadn't just taken Coulson's word. as a personal friend, that he was as innocent as the day is long, and bypassed the Secret Service.

A little word of advice to the Secret Service: Don't take Cameron's word for anything on anybody. He is an appalling judge of character, and his friends seem to be truly dodgy people. 

Furthermore he appears to not know his arse from his arm pit.

IN WHICH ANDY IS IN TROUBLE, RBS INVESTS IN BOMBS AND TRIS REFLECTS ON UNFAIRNESS

Well now, it's not any surprise to me that Andy Coulson decided to resign as spin doctor to the prime minister. How could he have thought he would get away with such blatant lies to Cameron, the police, parliament, the public...? And what about James Murdoch and Rebekah Brooks, not to mention old Rupert ? They must all have lied through their teeth too.

And finally, what of Cameron? There's a choice of what may have happened... Firstly, he colluded with his dear friends Rebekah and Andy, and he knew all along... Or perhaps he is such a fool that he can be taken in by someone at an interview for a job at the heart of English and UK government, and he didn't bother to get MI5 to check out the truth, because he;'s a friend... Perhaps worse still he agreed to employ Coulson if Rupert agreed that "The Sun" would back the Tories for government, and him for prime minister.

In any case, he must now reflect on whether or not he considers himself a suitable person for the job of prime minister. Then he should ask to see the Queen, and resign.

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Cluster bombs are evil. They fall like little bomblets from the sky, scattering as they do. They land in trees, on the ground, on fences, in ditches, everywhere in fact. Many don't explode at the time they are dropped. In fact many don't explode until long after... after the war for which they were intended is long over. The saddest thing is that over 30% of the victims are children, who think that they are toys, and 60% are civilians. Small they might be, but deadly they most surely are.

It came as some surprise to me, seeing that I hate them with such passion, that I am a shareholder in a company that lends money to manufacturers of these evil weapons. Financing them is illegal in 108 countries, including the UK. However, there is a loophole that investment can be made in a company which manufactures them, as long as the money is not specifically for their production.

The Independent reports that an investigation by Dutch arms experts into how financial institutions continue to invest in the industry has revealed that the virtually state-owned RBS is the UK's worst offender. Saved by the public purse after its collapse during the credit crisis, taxpayers now own 83% of the bank. But that has not stopped it from investing hundreds of millions of pounds in the arms trade.

I am utterly disgusted.

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Inflation is at 5%, although under the government's preferred measure it is only 4.4% (you bet they. prefer it). Wage increases are running at an all time low. Another power company, Npower, has announced price increases of 16% and 7% for gas and electricity; train fares are set to increase by between 3 and 8 percentage points above inflation (in England, but that will affect the cross border services); food inflation is nearer 10% than 5; there are fears that this winter will be as harsh, if not harsher, than last and pensioners are having their winter fuel allowance cut (despite a specific promise that this would NOT happen).

People who took part in the London riots and those elsewhere in England are being imprisoned for as little as stealing a bottle of water. One man has been given 6 months in prison for water worth £3. A Scottish MP who stole tens of thousands of pounds of OUR money and was suspected of stealing a great deal more, served 4 months in prison.

What's the betting there will be more riots ere long?

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STOP PRESS:

I thought you guys might like this, from the Express. Another U-turn, it seems...

By Ann Widdecombe

I ADMIT to hooting with mirth when I read in the weekend press that David Cameron now faces difficulties reversing the hunting ban because the new breed of MPs whom he brought in through the A list and at the expense of the old guard whom he despises are actually anti-hunting.

Poetic justice was never more pleasing.

From the earths of a thousand woods you can hear the foxes laughing.

Tally, ho, ho, ho, ho

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IS THIS THE BEGINNING OF THE END FOR CAMERON?

David Cameron has made some errors of judgement since coming to power just over a year ago.

A coalition of his right of centre party with a left of centre party may have been the first, for, although it seems not to have hurt him in the country, he has made some dangerous enemies inside his party. From there on in he has U-turned himself into something resembling a corkscrew on health, welfare, law and order, crime and punishment, the environment, finance, the EU, the “respect” agenda, and on and on... so much so that whilst those of us who are of a different political colour have not known whether to laugh or cry, followers have found themselves with an easier choice and a bill for Kleenex!

I’ve always said that Cameron had no substance; that he owed his success to a mixture of wealth (and the clout that that brings), a distant familial relationship with royals (and the clout that that brings) and his natural ability as a PR man. He lacks depth and intellectual vigour and his upbringing has left him with as much idea of what goes on in the head of Monsieur Tout le Monde as I have of the passing thoughts of the Sultan of Brunei.

But perhaps the most important example of his lack of judgement has been in his choice of friends.

Every prime minister, it appears, has to make some sort of respectful concession to one of the country’s most powerful men, News International’s (NI) Rupert (I have a file on everyone) Murdoch, but David, because he could, decided to go farther.

Not only did he court friendship with Rebekah Wade-Brookes, inviting her to dinner, and dining at her home while her organisation was in the midst of negotiations to acquire BSkyB, over which the business and later culture secretary had the final say, but he insisted on employing, as press secretary, her disgraced colleague, Andy Coulson, who had resigned from NI over the scandal of phone hacking minor royals. “I believe”, he said, “in giving people a second chance”.

I wouldn’t have touched him with a tarry pole. He was damaged goods, and either he lied through his teeth to get the job, or Cameron believed that with the police in the pockets of NI, all would be well. The people at the top would look after each other, as they always had.

But bit by bit the stitching came apart. More and more people reported their phones had been tapped. This time “celebrities”, then politicians...then Coulson resigned, leaving us to suppose that the worst was yet to come.
As come it has. Victims of crime have been hacked; police inquiries into murder have been hampered; police have been in the pay of NI, and the person who signed the cheques was Cameron’s boy Andy (Second Chance) Coulson.

The last I read was that phones of soldiers killed in action may have been hacked. Just how much lower is there to go?

Mr Cameron is associated closely with the people at the top of an organisation which knew these things were going on no matter how hard they try to act as if they didn’t, despite everyone expressing “shock and horror”; Rebekah, David and even Rupert.

So, were all these people naive, gullible fools who just sometimes wondered where all these fabulous stories were coming from? Or are they hard hitting million/billionaires, who knew but didn’t care?

And are David Cameron and his premiership forever tainted by association with them? Indeed is it time to look for a prime minister with a little substance?

PHONE HACKING IS SO 2010

No, don't worry, Rupert hasn't taken us over, yet.

The phone hacking scandal isn’t going away anytime soon.

That is one of the messages from this programme (which I think can only be seen in the UK).

I’d recommend you watch this if you can find the time. The unpalatable truth it uncovers, not just on the News of the World or indeed, News International, but a wide range of other organisations, including the police and the prime minister, is worth knowing.

It seems, as Munguin’s Republic has been saying for some time, that there are far too many people who are scared of Rupert Murdoch. People didn’t like to admit it, indeed Alistair Campbell denied it, but big John Prescott admitted that they were very wary of taking on the Sun or the News of the World. On all four occasions when MPs on the Cross Bench Media group asked Rebekah Wade (senior manager of NI) to testify before them, she declined. An option to ask the Serjeant at Arms to issue a warrant for her was dismissed because (it is alleged) they were afraid that their personal lives would be put under the microscope by the paper.

The police certainly seem dislike investigating any accusations levelled against News International and the programme looks at the reasons behind this. Could it be that they fear over cautious scrutiny of their personal affairs? Or could it be that Murdoch has the power to offer a career change? Certainly the officer in charge of the original enquiries into phone hacking which saw a royal correspondent and a freelance detective imprisoned, and was then dropped for supposed lack of evidence, now strangely works as a columnist for a Murdoch newspaper. A well paying, and relatively easy job (after all Coleen Rooney can do it). And him just a simple bobby!

Cameron’s judgment must come into question. Why did he employ Coulson? The NoTW editor was hands on to the point of micro management, but didn’t know his journalists were phone tapping? He was also accused of bullying his staff at the paper, and yet he was employed by Cameron at the very heart of government. Did Cameron ask any questions about his part in the phone tapping? After all he resigned over it. Did he ask about the bullying? If so, did Coulson lie, or did Cameron just take him on anyway? Or did Rupert make it a condition of his support. Was it the Sun what done it?

We also have to doubt the wisdom of the prime minister while his government was discussing the News International deal with BskyB, having dinner with Rebekah Wade, and passing it off as a meeting with a constituent (which she is), but neglecting to admit that James Murdoch (who is not) was also at the dinner. As Ms Wade is married, it’s unlikely that he was only there as a partner on a constituency matter. In any case, does the prime minister have the time to have dinner with all his constituents?

He should have been anywhere but near either of them while these matters were being examined.

The final part on this story looks to the future in the tabloid world. Phone hacking is now ‘stone age’ (and in any case most celebrities are wise to it anyway), but to replace it we now have wifi hacking where a journalist will hack into the wifi systems in, say, an hotel lobby where meetings are going on. (S)he will then feed spyware into the computers of the users in the lobby and be able to hack into documents, downloads, emails etc....

It’s worrying. And because the government and the police are afraid of the press, it’s not about to stop.

One cheering note. It appears with the information that is coming to light, that friend Coulson may have lied at the trial of Tommy Sheridan, as a result of which, he may be joining the tan man in the pokey in the not too distant future.

Pics: You can't really blame them. He is, after all scary! Bet that suit cost more than my house!! Dave "over my shoulder go 500 cares" Cameron. Rebekah sweetie, be careful with that phone. Maybe someone will play you at your own game. Wouldn't it just be the jam on the toast if someone wiped the supercilious grin off this one's face by putting him in the same cell as Tommy?

SOME RANDOM THOUGHTS....

I heard the other day on the Today programme that, on the American TV station Fox News, despite the recent shooting of Gabrielle Giffords in Tucson, Arizona, and the plea from thinking people all over America for a bit of common sense in the kind of rhetoric they use in discussing politics, Glenn Becks indicated that he would like to put a gun to the heads of his political opponents. Nice grown up politics, Mr Beck. Why on earth does Mr Murdoch employ dorks like this?

Talking of Mr Murdoch, nice move from Mrs Karen Murphy, landlady of the Red, White and Blue pub in Portsmouth, England. Although I don’t care much for the pub name, I love the fact that she managed to get her premier league football from Nova instead of BSkyB, at a faction of the price, and that when the league tried to stop her, she took them to the European Court in Luxembourg. It looks like she’s going to win. Well done her... and up yours Murdoch.

Still talking of Mr Murdoch, more evidence is emerging that Andy Coulson knew all about the phone tapping. Paul McMullan sat at the next desk to Coulson, and to quote him: "As he sat a few feet from me in the newsroom he probably heard me doing it, laughing about it, etc., and told others to do it." Mr McMullan gave written evidence to the Home Affairs Select Committee.

Foot in mouth Clegg has said that the middle classes will hardly notice the tax increases... I suppose he means middle class as in him and David and Gideon ... and for that matter Ed and Ed and ...Alex, Annabel, etc. I sure as hell am noticing them. He really is a pratt. Does anyone know anyone who actually likes this bloke?

Poor old Devine Jim. It seems that his defence was that he was advised by two other MPs to steal the money that he is currently in the dock for defrauding the tax payer of. They both deny it, of course, and one of them, Tom Watson, pointed out that he was a minister and Devine was a backbencher so they would have been unlikely to see much of each other and NEVER socially. “The working class can kiss my arse, I’ve got the foreman’s job at last!” Huh, Mr Watson... erm Minister Watson... oh no, EX-minister Watson. Nob!

It’s rare that I would have anything good to say about Sarah Fergusson but she made a programme exposing the maltreatment of children in orphanages in Turkey, which caused a diplomatic incident. According to Wikileaks, David Miliband (who was no stranger to upsetting foreigners himself), was obliged to grovel when the Turks complained. He admitted that they could not control her. Fair doos. When she was chucked out of the royal family because she had made a fool of herself, the government lost control over her. They should have thought about that. After all they didn’t chuck Andy out of it, and heaven knows he’s made a fool of himself often enough.

America has agreed with Russia to give it details of Britain’s trident missiles as part of their new arms control deal. New Wikileaks show that the US spied on a FCO minister’s private life. Ivan Lewis was reported to be a bully, sexual predator and possible depressive. It does seem that, at least under President Obama, the pretence of a “special relationship” has been abandoned. It was reported that the president found Gordon Brown depressing (who wouldn’t), and it is rumoured the Americans find David Cameron and George Osborne, lightweight (who wouldn’t).

And finally, quote of the week: “If I go, there will be chaos” President Mubarak!

Well duh, Hosni.

Pics: Do I need an excuse for putting up a pic of George. Nah, and I know it keeps Pap happy too. This will just remind you that he’s out to get your money. Murdoch is a scary looking character whatever he’s up to. I thought about putting up one of him smiling, but then I thought: No...You’ve done nothing to me. Jim... or Purple Coupon as I like to call him. Sarah, Duchess of Pork, no worse than her odious ex-husband. President Obama, saying his prayers slightly squinty “Please God, keep that boring sod Brown away from me”.

ANDY IS SAYING GOODBYE ...GOODBYE

Andy Coulson has resigned as David Cameron’s media chief in the light of revelations of illegal phone tapping at the News of the World when he was the editor.

He, somewhat belatedly in my opinion, decided that his position has become untenable. Apparently however, he will stay in post for a few weeks, presumably to show that he was not a wrong doer and has not been sacked.

The problem with Mr Coulson’s situation was that, if he knew that illegal phone tapping was the chosen method for the exposés that the News of the World was getting, then he was complicit in it, and therefore, as the boss, overall responsible for law breaking.

If, on the other hand, as he repeatedly claimed he had no knowledge of the hacking, it makes you wonder how such an incredibly incompetent and irresponsible journalist would make it as an editor of a national newspaper.

Tabloid newspapers make their money out of sensation. Their readers are interested in who Jordan is married to this week; how mad Cheryl Cole is and what therapy she is undergoing; what Prince Charles was saying on the phone, late at night, to Mrs Parker-Bowles from his four poster; whether David Beckham has been having an affair (thinking that his wife had left him... and unaware that her latest diet had left her invisible to the human eye). In order to keep a supply of these ever more salacious stories coming, reporters have to find more and more outlandish and possibly illegal ways of investigating the lives of the rich and infamous.

Either Mr Coulson neglected to ask how his reporters were getting the big exclusives they kept turning up for him, or he was naive enough to believe that the reporter’s next door neighbour’s sister was a close friend of the woman who cleaned for the neighbour of whichever prince or “star” they were investigating.

Either way he was a poor choice as close confidant of the prime minister.

Of course, in fairness to Mr Cameron, is it not possible that the choice was made by Rupert Murdoch as a quid pro quo for him swapping horses, and dedicating his all-powerful British news machine, including The Sun, The Times, The News of the World, and BskyB to the Conservative cause in the run up to the UK general election.

Cameron was said to be "very sorry" that Mr Coulson had felt "compelled" to resign due to continuing pressure. Well, whatever Dave, but no one believes anything you say now.

Pics: Andy Coulson, who will not get any unemployment benefit, because he left a job of his own free will. Rupert the shar pie, and Cameron looking happy, must have been before he got the job.

MR CAMERON TRUSTS THE PUBLIC TO UNDERSTAND...!!!

Nice Mr Cameron has given an interview to the Daily Telegraph pledging that there will be tax cuts for the middle class once the mess is sorted out. And that it will be in this parliament.

So now we know why he is rushing double plus quick, to cut the services that keep low earners and pensioners going. He needs the money for middle class tax cuts.

This is a wide ranging interview in which he takes time out from the serious stuff to tell us that his new daughter sleeps in a cardboard box. Isn’t that sweet...just like tens of thousands of people all over the country...except her cardboard box is inside a posh council house in Downing street, or an even posher one in the country at Chequers, whilst most of the rest of them are under bridges..

He warns the police not to be alarmist over the cuts. He tells them not to suggest that the cuts will mean fewer police on the streets. I expect they are supposed to say. “No bother Dave. We can do exactly the same as before with only 75% of the money....” Having backed the new MPs’ expenses watchdog when he was looking for disgruntled people’s votes, he is now going to reform it because some MPs are a bit upset that the world doesn’t stop and bow to them. Clearly the cuts for normal people don’t apply to MPs.

He says too that Universal benefits could be at risk...so you may have to go beg for your pension, and prove you are a pauper before you can get your winter fuel allowance, despite having paid National INSURANCE all your life. Maybe MPs should be means tested for their expenses in these times when we are all in this together. After all David himself claims for mortgage payments on one of his three houses despite being indecently rich and having a wife who earns in excess of £300,000 a year.

He has backed both William Hague and Andy Coulson, and feels that people have been unfair to them. Poor Mr Coulson is being punished twice he tells us! And presumably we should take Mr Hague at his word and not doubt either his sexuality or his judgment which by most people’s standards is simply abysmal.

He describes how he sees it when this is all over, remembering he has told us services will never return to how they were in the past, but promises middle class tax rebates before the next election.

With Mr Osborne’s spending review just over 3 weeks away, Cameron very generously tells us that he intends to trust the public to accept the truth about spending cuts.

Accept the truth...? From a politician? After what we have had over the last year? You must be having a laugh Mr Cameron.

All I’ll say to you is “Wisteria”.

Pics: Mr Cameron's collection of houses.

UK GOVERNMENT FAST BECOMING A COMEDY OF ERRORS

You sometimes wonder whether this is some kind of dream you are living through, but then you pinch yourself and realize that only a matter of a few months into this government, it appears in complete disarray. The kind of factional infighting and behavioural 'issues' which usually afflict governments in their ‘fag end days’ (no Eton pun intended) are here in spades in what might be called the ‘salad days’.

We know that the right wing of the Tory party, outside of the cabinet, is unhappy that any concessions at all are being allowed to the Liberals and that already there is an ‘awkward squad’ making life difficult, and that there is a corresponding bunch of dissatisfied Liberals on the left of the party wondering how to explain to their constituents why they are voting for cuts in benefits, cuts in jobs and bonuses for bankers? (More here.)

The Foreign Secretary is under scrutiny for having the most appalling judgement, appointing his chauffeur to a position of advisor, taking him to Afghanistan and Dubai, and sharing expensive hotels rooms with him when there were plenty of cheap hotel rooms to be had. And all this when there was already rumours about his sexuality. (Full story here.)

The media advisor to the prime minister is alleged to have been complicit in a wide variety of illegal phone tapping, and unless many of his ex-colleagues are lying through their teeth, he either was, or he must be the dumbest and most out-of-touch editor ‘Fleet Street’ has ever known. But he won’t stand down. This story has disappeared from the front pages to be replaced by the next comedy act, which is.....

Mr Djangoly. It appears that the Justice Minister (that should be English Justice Minister; he is NOT the justice minister in Scotland, thank heavens), has used private detectives to uncover who said what about his claiming expenses to the tune of £13,000 for a jeune fille au pair. (Full story here.)

The company he engaged, at a cost of £5000 may well have broken the law in its deception as it interviewed people such as his election agent, who has resigned, and the leader of Huntingdonshire’s Tories, who is considering legal action against him, in his quest to find out who “dobbed him in” over his false expenses claims. And he’s the bloody JUSTICE Minister. Dear heavens... what a mess....

Roll on the General Election.

UNEMPLOYED WILL PAY FOR BANKERS' RECESSION

It appears that, in an effort to get Mr Coulson off the front pages of the newspapers, Mr Osborne has come up with a diversionary tactic. Hit the dole scroungers. No one ever objects, Rupert loves it, and he’s the boss. Can’t go wrong.

So George announced that there will be swinging cuts on benefits.

OK long story as short as I can make it (and I apologize; it is a long post). There are cheats. Yes, loads of them. But there are far more decent honest people on the dole than there are cheats. I promise you. It’s my job.

The truth of the matter is that most people do not actively choose to live on benefits. Despite what the Sun and the Mail tell you, they are rubbish. Even worse than the kind of wages so many people get by on.

No, most people would prefer to have a decent job and a disposable income. Those who are long term unemployed are so because they:

a) do not have the kind of skills, or intelligence, necessary for the kind of work that today’s employers are offering;

b) were put on the scrap heap in the last great clear out of jobs, taken off unemployment benefit and put on to invalidity benefit, in order to massage the figures, and forgotten about. As a result of which they are now elderly and utterly unemployable;

c) have criminal records which, for most employers, immediately disqualifies them for consideration;

d) have appalling employment records which mean that they discarded by employers;

e) have drink or drugs habits which will exclude them from any kind of work;

f) are recovered drug users or alcoholics;

g) are female, and pregnant or single and have children under 10;

h) are HIV positive and their treatments make them sick

or

i) they are over 45, and most employers are dubious about employing them

or (and these are things that should be actionable by government because they are the individuals fault, although that doesn’t increase their employability)

j) they have debts (that are held in abeyance while they are unemployed);

k) they are dealing drugs on the side and need the cover of unemployment;

The people who made this recession are sitting in the House of Lords or selling books, or raking in massive bonuses again like nothing happened. But savings have to be made and the idle poor are to be made examples of.

Maybe George would like some of them in the Treasury. Maybe he would like to explain to his colleagues why there is a paedophile and a rapist starting in their office on Monday, along with a guy who has a drink problem, and someone who is HIV positive and whose treatments make her vomit regularly.

If you are going to get the 5 million people that the government now estimates are idle (I seem to remember that the estimated it at 7 million when Labour was in power) back to work, iron lungs and all, there is a golden ingredient that is missing, and that is JOBS.

Unemployment is going up. Employers are paying off. The government is about to add to that. Vast numbers in the poorest parts of the UK (the BBC survey was all about England for some strange reason) are going to be paid off making the most depressed parts of the country more depressed.

I hope this is a ploy. It certainly was not planned and some members of the Liberal party are furious and predict resistance as they were not consulted. As for the public? Cutting benefits to the lazy is usually much welcomed, but there are a lot of hard working folk that the bankers’ recession has thrown onto the dole, while they take ever bigger bonuses like nothing has happened. I’m not sure that it will work so well this time.

Don’t take the prols for granted George. You’ve probably met very few of us, but we can be quite assertive when we are not tugging our forelocks.