CAN YOU JUST IMAGINE FOR ONE SECOND WHAT THIS IS LIKE?

TRY TO IMAGINE IT, AND IF YOU  STILL WANT TO CRITICISE FRAU MERKEL FOR WHAT SHE DID WITH REFUGEES, WITH ALL ITS ATTENDANT PROBLEMS, ASK YOURSELF "WHAT WOULD I HAVE DONE?"

WE'RE BORED ALREADY

Goodness me. We are half way through the first day and already we are bored.

We vaguely listened and dozed through the Today Programme and later listened to a week in politics (after which Munguin threw the radio across the room). 

If this is the standard of debate, then it makes the Scottish Referendum campaign, and Project Fear, sound relatively adult.

Please, please Mr BBC DG, don't let's have Michael Forsyth all over the radio and telly until whenever, just becasue he's the only man standing who was close to Thatcher (her of the words NO NO NO and the actions YES YES YES!) and was party to her inner thinking on the Union.

Apart from Mental Micky,  all the commentators we heard were English, and it was interesting to hear how many times folk intimated that "England" would be fine on its own (if only). The Tory MP from Berwick, Ann-Marie Trevelyan was gracious enough to expand that to "Great Britain" and while the woman  was sickeningly sycophantic to Cameron, she was most certainly not having any of his "special relationship" nonsense.

Our favourite side-splitting comment was that Europe never listened to anything that the UK had to say, so we should leave. This despite the fact that the First Ministers of Northern Ireland, Wales and Scotland have asked the UK to delay the referendum until the national elections are over, so that this one topic should not overwhelm the campaigns which are about so much more. 

At the time of writing, no such undertaking has been forthcoming. Maybe we should leave.

We thought some of these pictures would cheer you a little before tomorrows Soppy Sunday, when we promise there will be no mention of Europe!

Update!

So, now we know who will find themselves demoted if the answer is stay; and promoted if the answer is go. It's a calculated risk!

Sanjeev Kohli ‏@govindajeggy  30m30 minutes ago

David Baddiel should not be confused by the British Prime Minister David Bad-deal.

Update 2:

BREXIT... DO YOU CARE?

I've been interested in politics since for ever.

I really can't imagine why anyone wouldn't be. After all politics, quite literally, rules your life. It makes the laws you have to live by, it decides your taxes, and if your unlucky enough to need them, the benefits you get when you're sick or old or unemployed. It is in charge of your schools, hospitals, roads, rubbish collection...and almost everything else in your life.

There a bits of it that are tedious beyond belief, but, as it regulates every bit of your life, you'd have to be vaguely dense not to take an interest in it. 

(The fact that politicians don't really want you to take an interest should tell you something.)

I've believed for a very long time in an independent Scotland, and I played an enthusiastic, if small, part in the referendum campaign both here with Munguin, and out on the streets.

But for all my interest in politics, I have to say I have virtually no interest in the EU referendum. Maybe it's because I'm so sickened by the broken promises made by Cameron and Gordon Brown that I no longer care what happens to Britian. (Devo max, or devo super max as was promised by a Better Together representative on nationwide tv, has turned out to be a few relatively useless extra powers.) 

I've been a relatively enthusiastic supporter of the EU over the years. I've often been paid a salary from their funds, and I enjoyed an 'employment exchange' through an EU project where I worked at a University in France. In short it has been good to me personally.

But I've also seen many good projects paid for by EU matched social funding; projects that were able to do infinitely more because of money from Europe. I know too, that Scotland gets a far better deal from Europe than does England... Wales and Northern Ireland do even better than Scotland.

That said there are many things wrong with the EU, as there are with any government... not least the idiotic trek between Brussels and Strasbourg. I have no problem with Cameron trying to get one or two little changes made. I'd be happy if he would attack that one.

But, as you might expect for a politician like him, he is doing it all wrong. The whole point of the single market is that rules apply across the Union (the EU plus the countries of EFTA which join to make the European Economic Area). 

The EU doesn't tell people what benefits to pay, what taxes to charge, what their minimum wage should be, or many other things. All it says is that in a single market, what you do for your own people, you must do for others.

So, if you pay in-work benefits to your own population (because the wages are so pathetically low that people can't live on them), then you must do it for people from other EEA countries.

It's not a level playing field... or a single market... if only British people get tax credits, making them the only people who can afford to take low paid work and pay high rents.

Cameron has a problem with his back benchers who have a natural disinclination to like anyone who isn't English...and I do mean English as opposed to British. (Didn't Gideon Osborne say that Scots were a rowdy and disruptive element in the Commons?) 

Tory MPs don't like immigrants and they don't like foreigners telling Brits what to do. After all, the Brits ran a quarter of the world single handed. They don't need some damned foreigner telling them how to run dear old Blighty (or blighted).

I seem to have spent half my life listening to Tories, the Sun, the Daily Mail and Express and the Telegraph blaming everything on the EU, and immigrants, and foreigners in general. There's hardly a day goes by without one of these papers doing their damnedest to stir up racial tensions.

Never mind all the figures that show that EEA immigration has been incredibly good for the economy. Never mind that without them we wouldn't have any plumbers or electricians, our hospitals would fall apart and crops would lie mouldering in the fields.

Cameron will probably fail to get what he wants. Of course a population of 60 million is a huge market (although it seems to me that everything you see in the shops comes from sweat shops in China), so the other countries won't want to lose the UK from the union. But they have made it clear that there will be no treaty changes. These facts would get in the way of a good moan about damned foreigners.

Whatever he comes back with in February, it will not satisfy his Eurosceptic back benchers. And Britain may be moving closer and closer to an exit.

And, you know what? I don't care. There will be advantages and disadvantages of a Brexit, but the disadvantages will be more keenly felt here in the Celtic nations. (Unless the UK government can stump up a considerable amount for Northern Ireland, I can see there being a strong movement in the province, towards Dublin.)

There's a possibility that if Scotland votes heavily to stay in, and England votes to come out, then a second referendum will ensue. I doubt that could be a bad thing. 

Probably for that reason alone I will vote to stay in.

I'd like to know what you guys are feeling about it...

Cameron proves to be an embarrassment to us, again

I was amused the other day to read an advance declaration on Twitter from someone who said: "In the event of me being involved in a disaster I want to make it known that I do NOT want a visit from David Cameron". I couldn't help but agree. 

It's bad enough to have to put up with this smarmy individual on the tv, where there is an off button, and when you are feeling quite well. Imagine the horror of him standing at your bedside making political capital out of your misfortune.

So yesterday my heart went out to those poor people in a Lebanese refugee camp who had the misfortune to be alighted upon for that purpose, by the aforementioned prime minister.

Whilst he was there, and giving the locals a break from the dubious pleasure of his company, he took time to talk to the press and to berate other European countries for not doing enough in the circumstances, and demanding that they 'step up to the plate'.

This must have gone down well with the rest of Europe and in particular with Frau Merkel. Germany admittedly is now struggling and has had to temporarily close its borders to new refugees, but it should be remembered that last weekend it took 70% as many refugees as Cameron intends to accept in the next 5 years.

Other countries are doing sterling work. Even smaller states, including the very smallest, are taking some people.

At the same time Cameron and May, whilst accepting the scale of the crisis, refuse to do anything much but throw money at it. 

In fairness it is true to say that the UK has sent a great deal of money as part of it's overseas aid budget (with one eye on the added advantage that it secures their G8 membership requirements). 

But they want the refugees to stay ...well anywhere, as long as it isn't Europe. Despite the ridiculous overcrowding in terrible conditions of the camps in Lebanon and Jordan, they think that these countries  should take more, and that the countries of North Africa should set up holding camps. 

I'm not sure if I were a refugee that I'd particularly want to be in Egypt or Libya... and not even Tunisia since the Arab spring (so much supported by the UK government) and since the absolutely disastrous war in Libya, waged by the Brits and French at the behest of the Americans, which has left yet another state in complete lawless turmoil.

Of all the countries in Europe, France and Britain are most responsible for the instability in the Middle East (Britain more so than France, given France's refusal to take part in the illegal war in Iraq which left a huge part of the region in chaos and with no real effective government), so  thinking that it can tell other countries to step up to the plate is more than a little ridiculous.

I also think given the extreme nature of the legislation being debated in the Westminster parliament yesterday, the man behind it should have had the courage to turn up and listen to the discussions. (Craig Murray has an excellent analysis of the implications here.) 

If Cameron were half a man he'd have been there, not sliming (not slimming, as the pic above shows) his way across in the Middle East like the Spiv PR man he really is.

YOU'D THINK THAT WITH ALL HIS MONEY HE'D BE ABLE TO AFFORD SOME NEW LIES TO TELL

According to David Cameron, an independent Scotland would find itself behind countries including Serbia and Macedonia in the process of joining the European Union.

iScotland would have to "queue up" to join the EU, he said, for some strange reason, while he was campaigning in the Newark by-election in England. They care in Newark?

He also said he was disappointed that Scottish people living in the rest of the UK would not be able to vote in September's independence referendum. Although, as the referendum, by UK law, had to get the permission of the UK government to take place, and was the joint responsibility of the UK and Scottish governments in its range and methodology, it seems strange to bring this up now and not before the Edinburgh Agreement was signed. Of course it would have been almost impossible to ascertain who would have been eligible to vote, and that is why it was not seriously considered. But people like Cameron never let the truth get in the way of creating bitterness when it suits their own political ends. 

He said: "If Scotland vote for independence they are no longer members of the EU and it's become clearer and clearer since this campaign started that they would have to reapply to join the EU and as such, as an independent country, they would have to queue up as it were behind other countries - for instance those in the western Balkans that are already on the path towards membership”.

Well that’s, at best, conjecture, and at worst, lies. He must be the only person in the world who seriously believes that an expansionist organisation like the EU would disfranchise Scottish citizens, take away their passports, driving licences, and all their rights as European citizens, at the same time as removing all the rights a privileges of other EU states’ citizens to live, study, work in Scotland, and put them on hold so that countries like Montenegro and Macedonia could take precedence over them.

The scenario is too ridiculous to imagine. All EU students at Scottish Universities would immediately be obliged to either return home in the middle of their courses, or to pay steep fees for the rest of their education. All fishing in Scottish waters would stop; all projects being funded by the EU would immediately have no cash; Scottish people living overseas would become aliens in their new countries, as would all the Europeans working here. And for what?

 Scotland, as a current member of the UK, and therefore the EU, meets all the criteria of being a member of the EU. Why would they queue behind countries which are working to bring their finances, human right, etc, etc, into line with Europe, possibly taking decades to do so?

No one is suggesting it would be an overnight rubber stamping. A new country would most likely have to negotiate terms, and no one really expects that any of the opt outs, or penalties for these opt outs, currently enjoyed or paid by the UK would necessarily continue. But most intelligent and educated estimates are that, within a period of 18 months, these issues could easily be resolved. East German territories and citizens, after all, became a member overnight when accepted into reunified Germany.

On the other hand, when Greenland obtained the power from Denmark to make its own decisions on these matters, and decided to withdraw from the EU, it took it 2 years for the EU to reluctantly let it go.

Of course Mr Cameron could have sorted this uncertainty long ago. It is in his hands to ask the EU for a judgement on Scotland’s position. Mr Salmond has asked him to do this. He has refused. He prefers to be able to play on fear. That is the kind of Prime Minister that Scotland has. One who appears to be at war with the country. In short, an enemy. 

Meanwhile, almost unbelievably, this week Mr Cameron warned FrauMerkel that if the man she has backed to become president of the EU Commissiongets the job, then Britain may leave the EU. You couldn't make it up.

Needless to say Cameron continued with the usual tired old dross about hoping the Scottish people will vote to remain in the United Kingdom because we're a successful family of nations, all bringing something to this United Kingdom.  But I refer you, and him, to the video in a previous Munguin post.

For someone campaigning in an English by-election with absolutely no connection to Scotland he made a great deal of independence. You began to wonder if he hadn’t lost the plot as he rambled on about risks outside the UK. Not being able keep the pound (lie), outside the UK you wouldn't have such a strong economy with so many jobs…(another lie, as the economy in London and Oxford is entirely different from anywhere in Scotland… and the unemployment figures on a country wide basis being better in Scotland than in England). Then there was the ever reliable “banks” tale. The British taxpayer saved the Scottish banks. Except that that’s a lie too. The actual losses from banks (which might have had Scotland in their titles, but are based in, and regulated by London) in Scotland was tiny. The Scottish liability could easily have been paid. The massive losses came in London and in the USA. And the USA liabilities were, by law, paid by the USA government. 

It seems to me that if you have to rely on lies for ALL your arguments, you actually don’t have anything. Cameron must be thanking his lucky stars for a compliant press and a BBC that desperately needs his English Culture Secretary to raise the licence tax.

In conclusion with sickening predictability he said: “I think the UK has been a great success story”.

Tell that to people on the receiving end of Iain Duncan Smith’s Department of Wickedness and Purgatory (DWP). Tell that to all the people forced to live on the lowest comparative minimum wage and the lowest pension in Europe. Tell that to people paying the highest fares for the worst trains in Europe, or the most money for the smallest houses, the most expensive petrol, cars, furniture etc… The list is endless. 

Statements like that remind me of the speech made by the prince of Wales, welcoming some immigrants to England where he said: “I’ve always considered myself extremely privileged to be born British.”   No seriously, he did!

SNAPS ON SATURDAY

So, there was a debate, and Johann couldn't answer any of the questions

But she had a good excuse. She wasn't genetically programmed

Unfortunately , it seems the rest of us are all thick too

But anyway, the Queen of Germany came to see the Queen of Scots
Unfortunately the poor woman was also obliged to see Cameron

Wings gave itself a month to raise £53,000 and had it done by tea time

British Airways was positive about an independent Scotland saying it
would be good for business, and promptly did himself out a any chance of a K

It wouldn't be UKOK without some bribery and
corruption going down in government.

Bowie, who lives in the USA and Switzerland
sent someone to England to tell Scots not to leave ..
he said "us", so I assume that means the "US A"

Noel (thanks Stu), on the other hand, 
thought it was a good idea.

Sounds like a fine fellow

Oh, and his mate too. A friend of the rusty lady

Well, that says it all. Tories just don't understand us

George Osborne went down well for Labour

This one was just astonished

Absolutely astonished

Not being genetically programmed to do politics,
she must have decided to clean the kitchen.
Mine's needing a good dicht too Jo, if you're free

And the Norwegian Oil fund which brings in £14 billion
a year in interest alone hit Half a trillion pounds in total.
 In 20 years, that's not bad.
Tax take from UK oil is around £7 billion
UK Oil Fund interest £0, because...
...UK oil fund £0 :(
Can't have everything!

SO, WHAT'S BEEN HAPPENING THIS WEEK?

Repugnant creep though Mitchell is, the police who stitched him
up are even more so. If they can get away with stitching up a
 cabinet member, no matter how vile,
what can they do to the ordinary Englishman?

Oh yeah, one of the reasons we didn't protest when
all the rest of Europe was protesting...
Theresa has been up a telegraph pole

Why not? The Chinese have access to the nuclear plants

 in England. They might as well build the warships

Phew... got away with it...AGAIN

Iain Doughnut Smith has for the last year happily made lifeunbearable for anyone claiming benefit or working tax credits and has beenbellowing how much money he has saved the taxpayer.

Today he was revealed as the snivelling useless little creep he most certainly is, and that his department has spent so far £450 million which now most certainly will be written off, his department has been described by today's report as a shambles and chaotic and there are further accusations that Smith is up to his old tricks of trying to bully fellow ministers and staff into blaming the civil servants working on the project.

Smith the spineless yellow bellied bully pulled the same stunt with his personal Secretary while being investigated for fraud in which she said in her sworn statement that ''Iain Duncan Smith and his friends put unbearable pressure on me to see things their way''.

 Smith is a stain on this country and one of the vilest, most deceitful and just plain stupid parasites ever to hold a ministerial position. It is nothing but a national shame that others will now take the fall for this serial idiot’s total incompetence and utter uselessness at his job. This man is nothing more than a fool with a rich wife and a suit who's father in law set him up to be an MP for his own ends.

David Cameron said today ''Iain Duncan Smith has my full support'' Says it all really.

But now I have to face the civil servants I blamed....eeek

I've wanted to do this to yer smary face for years,
 because you're so much cleverer than I am and I hate you for it