THE DAILY EXPRESS: LESS INTELLECTUALLY SOUND THAN THE DANDY

Most days when I drop into Morrison’s, I glance at the headlines on the journals that I’d never bother with online... The Sun, Star, Record, Express, Dandy... and I think it’s fair to say I rarely come away without smiling, or tittering, but today I couldn’t help let out a real loud laugh.

Afterwards of course, I realized that it wasn’t funny, but somewhere between bad and wicked.

The headline was “Britain in the EU: this must be the end”. Funny, I thought. What’s that about?

Then with incredulity I read:

In a (sic) historic Commons decision, MPs overwhelmingly rejected proposals to give prisoners the vote.

They voted by a margin of more than 10 to one against bowing to a ruling from the European Court of Human Rights. The moment of defiance, after decades of submitting to EU institutions, was being seen as a turning point in the battle for British independence from European edicts, judges and bureaucracy.


What? A couple of weeks ago I read on Calum Cashley’s Blog about Richard Baker not knowing the difference between the ECHR (47 signatories of Council of Europe) and the EU (27 member states). Now I can imagine that the distinction wide and wonderful though it may be, might have escaped the notice of Richard Baker, but the Daily Express? In a newspaper where presumably the stories are checked by senior staff and legal advisors and sighned-off by an editor, surely someone would have known that the two organisations are entirely different.

But no. The Daily Express doesn’t know the difference.

Now whether you like the EU or not, you really can’t blame it for everything that has Europe somewhere in its name. If MPs do indeed vote to come out of the EU on the basis of the decisions of the ECHR, aren’t they going to look a wee bit silly when the next ECHR decision comes along.

What made me angry was that the Express knows full well that the two organisations have nothing to do with each other, but in order to sell paper and stir up anti-European sentiment it tied the two together because of the supposedly emotive issue of prisoners’ rights to vote. And that is despicable.

On the subject of the rights to vote, frankly I have no idea what is bothering everyone, why Mr Cameron is made to feel positively queasy by the notion, after all:

We allow prisoners the right to a healthy diet and medical treatment;
We allow them to sleep on beds with sheets, mattresses, duvets, or blankets; We heat their cells;
We allow them visits, let them smoke;
We allow them to phone out of prison, and to enjoy recreational facilities;
We allow them home for the weekend. (Jeffry Archer even went to a party at a cabinet Minister’s house during one such weekend);
We allow them out to work.

Why would we deny them the right to vote?

MPs (and this is nothing to do with the ECHR) who commit crimes and go to prison for a year or less are not only allowed to vote, but keep their job and their salary. So how does that seem fair?

Judges give custodial sentences and noncustodial sentences for exactly the same crime, dependant on home circumstances, family, gender, etc. Why would the imprisoned person lose their vote and the non imprisoned not?

It’s a storm in a tea cup; a great load of Xenophobic rubbish. There’s nothing the Express likes better, and it’s shameful.

FMQs: In which a particularly low standard of debate is the order of the day

The first minister announced that Outplay Entertainment is to create 150 new jobs in the computer games industry in Dundee.

That superb announcement was followed by some immature argy-bargy between the Labour group leader and the first minister about plans relating to education under Labour and SNP councils. It is beneath the dignity of this blog to report the individual questions, but let’s say it did nothing for the dignity of parliament or of either protagonist. And the first minister at one stage had his microphone turned off.

And so to Ms Goldie, who decided to try to rake up some trouble with more questions about the Al Megrahi case. She asked about the connection between the release of Al Megrahi and the slopping out process discussions between the Scottish Cabinet Secretary for Justice and the English Secretary for Justice on this subject. Alex pointed out that the discussion about slopping out having taken place in 2007, and the diagnosis of Al Megrahi having taken place in 2008, it wasn’t very likely.

There is an excellent piece on this by James Kelly at Scot Goes Pop, which explains the situation more adequately than I could, indeed, for that matter, more adequately than the First Minister did.

The blame game has thus far been played back and forward in the media between the Scottish and UK Labour governments of the time. However Alex took the opportunity Ms Goldie had afforded him to point out that two Conservatives had written to the Scottish government, one pointing out the commercial implications of continuing to hold Al Megrahi and the other suggesting that he (Megrahi) be used as a bargaining chip. So the Tories are not as clean as we had perhaps thought despite Cameron’s dribblings.

And so to Tavish who was asked about funding for the National Centre for Excellence in Traditional Music at Plockton. It had been funded from 2000 till 2007, but in 2008 it had become the responsibility of Highland Council. Fair question and the first today! Alex pointed out that along with the responsibility for funding the centre, Highland Council had also been given the funds by the government. However the Cabinet Secretary for Education had met only the day before with John Farquhar Munroe, the Liberal Democrat MSP for the area, and although Mr Salmond had not yet had a report on the meeting he was confident that Mr Russell and Mr Farquhar Munroe would have found some solution.

And so to members’ questions and the first one from the boorish Richard Baker who, for his efforts, got knocked back by the PO. His sneering question related to the Cadder decision (the fact that interrogating suspects without access to a lawyer breaks international law). The first minister, in his turn ripped the stupid little man to shreds, including humiliating him for the pathetic mess he made of an interview on Newsnight earlier in the week. It is rare for Alex to sound so disgusted with anyone other than Gray or to go to such trouble to leave anyone looking less clever. Kenny Gibson asked about Ayrshire’s plans for part time schooling, and gave the FM a chance for high comedy at the expense of Labour. But there was a serious question about councils playing politics with kids’ educations, which was roundly condemned. Kenny Gibson is a good player, and maybe a man to watch.

And so they adjourned for lunch after an inauspicious half hour, with the exception of the first and last few minutes. If this is the start of electioneering, a rise in the standard of debate is desperately needed if the voters are not to be put off getting out of their armchairs.

Pics: Alex Salmond with Douglas and Richard Hare, pretending he knows how to go a computer game.... yeah right Eck. Presiding Officer Alex Ferguson invites the elderly neighbours in for a cup of tea (we should all be doing that). John Farquhar Munro MSP (Liberal) wants extra funding for music centre. Kenny Gibson MSP (SNP) can speak faster than Eck can eat a curry...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00y4255/First_Ministers_Question_Time_10_02_2011/

(The tv version wasn't working when I tried it, but as usual I'm sure that Subrosa will put up a video)

RARE SIGHTING OF A VERTEBRATE LIBERAL DEMOCRAT

I’m mystified.

Mr Osborne has put a small increase on the bankers’ tax, the bankers have feigned displeasure and we have been told it is a victory for the taxpayer.

Well from where I’m standing I’m not seeing a victory. I don’t see all the tax payers who are about to be made redundant celebrating this victory. Nor am I seeing all the people who have to work part time getting out the bunting.

George said in his speech: “The anger at the terrible mistakes of the banking industry and the failure of those who regulated it will long remain, and rightly so.

“But let us as a country confront this hard truth - anger and retribution will not bring one percentage point of growth or create one job.

“The anger will remain and we must never make the same mistakes again, but Britain must move from retribution to recovery.”

In short, yes, OK, they were wrong, and yes, they wrecked the country’s economy and your lives, but it’s time to forgive and forget and let them get back to trousering vast amounts of dosh, while you sit at home in the cold.

George, listen up mate. Along with an incompetent Labour government and financial control authorities, and an opposition that was reluctant to criticise the banker’s ridiculous remuneration or the country’s personal debt that was getting totally out of hand, these people, these bankers, are to blame for the horrific mess we are in.

And yet, and yet.... Some of these fools are walking away with bonuses well over a million pounds... while we get the sack or have to go part time. The government has felt it necessary to cut the military, reduce their perks; cut welfare payments even for sick people so disabled they cannot leave the house without help, telling them we are all in this together. Everyone must make their contribution.

It seems to me that we have started to treat these people like we treat royalty. Although there is no visible difference between us and them, they are different. We’re not quite bowing and curtsying, but, just as it is inconceivable that Princess Mrs Parker Bowles should take the bus to do her shopping in Morrisons, it is inconceivable that these people should suffer or be made to pay for their mistakes, because they are bankers.

They threaten to leave the country, go to Bombay, Dubai, Hong Kong, New York, and we shiver at the prospect, and beg them to stay. This may have more to do with the fact that these self same bankers provide more than half the money that runs the Conservative Party than that the country would go to the dogs without them.

God knows we went to the dogs WITH them.

Then we have someone with just a little bit of guts.

Liberal Democrat Finance spokesman in the Lords, Matthew Oakenshott, spoke out against the deal accusing Osborne’s team of “arrogance and incompetence”. Of course he was sacked by Nick the Tory for his troubles. Danny Alexander who also seems to have become more Tory than the Tories, condemned him and said that this does not reflect the Liberal Democrats’ view.

I rather suspect, Danny, that it does.

Perhaps the most worrying thing for the coalition is that Matt Oakenshott is a close friend of Vince Cable, and is seen by many as his spokesman.... Ew er... What's next?

Pics: (1) Jedward? Nope, but close. It’s our own Dgeorge, whose careers seem to me to be following the same trajectory as the cheeky twins. (2) A set of lazy scroungers who probably refused to take a pay cut or work part time or indeed for nothing for a month. (3) That’s what happens to little boys who tell lies. My granny told me that, but until now I doubted her. Sorry Gran. (4) As they always trot out us owning 80% of RB SCOTLAND or 40% of Halifax SCOTLAND, I thought it might be appropriate to remind people that we own 100% of NEWCASTLE, ENGLAND-based Northern Rock. (5) Despite reports to the contrary Liberals are not extinct. This one has been found languishing on the red benches. Not only is he Liberal but he appears to be a vertebrate.

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 THINGS MUST NEVER SUFFER TORY CUTS

For those of you who have been worrying yourself silly about the dangers to which His Royal Highness Prince Charles and the old dear he sort of lives with put themselves when they descend from the ivory tower that is Clarence House, and come into contact with “ordinary people”, commoners, red bloods, I can tell you that police protecting them and the rest of the royal family (including the totally useless York sisters), at VAST expense to you and me, are being issued with taser stun guns.

They are to be given the controversial non-lethal guns to supplement the conventional firearms that they carry at all times while guarding Very Important Persons.

And members of the Diplomatic Protection Squad, who stand guard over the prime minister and other so-called “dignitaries”, will also be issued with the stun guns which fire a dart into a suspect which can then deliver an electric charge of 50,000 volts.

When Charles and Cammy were attacked during the student demonstrations before Christmas, and protesters surrounded their car shouting "Off with their heads" and "Tory scum", the protection officers did very little except lock their vehicle doors and hope it would all go away.

The Metropolitan Police Commissioner Paul Stephenson said they had shown enormous restraint by not shooting the protestors. Yeah, good one. But can you imagine what would have happened if they’d killed a few !!!!!

So anyway, they had a review because it must never, never be allowed to happen again, and commanders have been told they can arm their squads with X26 Tasers, which have a range of 21 feet and can also give electric shocks at close quarters.

Although the police will still have their “killing” guns, they will have the option to use the tasers, if they think that killing protesters might, as it were, “backfire” on them.

It’s good to know that our beloved rulers will be protected from the people over whom they rule, with such a variety of weapons. It warms my heart to know that they will be kept safe.

Pics: (1) You can just see how happy Wills is to be left with the commoner, who looks a bit hacked off herself. (2) Taser gun trials... ouch, that looks sore. That will teach you to call HRH Tory scum. (3) The York Sisters... isn’t it nice to know that while everything else is being cut, there is no expense spared to keep these people, so vital to the running of our state, safe and protected from....us.

WHITHER THE HEALTH SERVICES IN THE UK?

I was speaking to my GP last week, and she mentioned the English Health Service reforms, saying that all her practice colleagues were hoping that they would never come to Scotland. I feel the same way. I want her doctoring, not managing, and even more so now that she told me she was pretty useless at admin, but I know she’s a smart cookie when it comes to healing.

It seems that many people in England feel the same way about the English health secretary Andrew Lansley's plans. His scheme has united doctors, health think tanks (and the right-of-centre think tank Civitas), unions representing the 1.4m-strong NHS workforce, health academics, MPs on the health select committee, the NHS's major employers, and patients' representatives in opposition.

Even David Cameron's brother-in-law, an NHS cardiologist, thinks the government has got it wrong, but predictably Mr Lansley and Mr Cameron intend to press on regardless, certain as they are, that they know best.

I’d be interested in finding out what other people think about this, particularly if you are English and are going to have to live or die by the totally new NHS that will emerge, and in any case, is this the right time to start messing about with something that will certainly cost a vast amount of money to set up?

But also if you are Scottish. The NHS has been carefully protected by the current government in Scotland. Is this a good thing? Do you think that it is fit for purpose in the 21st century, or has this government ignored the facts, as explained by Cameron, that in its current state, the NHS will simply not be able to survive? What do Scottish Tories think about their English colleagues' plans? And if you are Welsh or Irish, what kind of NHS do you have, and should it change?

These are extremely important issues for the whole of the UK, lives being dependent upon them. I have no idea what Labour’s proposals would be for the Health Service, but I feel that this will be an important issue in the debates leading to our General Election.

.....

ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE UNITED KINGDOM, FOR THOSE THAT GIVE A DAMN

I am indebted to Cynical Highlander for bringing my attention to this. Not only is it funny, it's also pretty much, more or less accurate. (Northern Ireland is a province not a nation.)

BLAME ANYONE BUT ME, SAYS GEORGE

It’s nothing to do with me, says George Osborne, referring to the price of petrol which is at record levels in the UK.

He says that motorists are paying the price for mounting oil prices, and his friend at number 10 has said non-tax factors were mainly driving the cost at the pump.

The comments were in response to OPEC chairman Abdullah al-Badri who had told motorists to blame their governments if they thought they were paying too much for the fuel in their cars.

It is virtually the same message as King Abdullah gave to Gordon Brown, when at a conference a few years ago, Brown hit out at OPEC, which seems to be largely controlled by Saudi Arabia, asking them to control the price of oil by increasing production, and promising to increase production in Scotland.

The king pointed out, whilst looking straight at Gordo, that the price of oil was, in fact, quite reasonable, but that some governments chose to tax it more highly than others, thus causing greater strain to their citizens.

Prices of petrol have hit record levels at the pumps this week in Britain, despite falling in other European countries, including France and Germany.

So why’s that then George, if it’s all down to the oil producers?

Number 10 said that if the oil price goes up then that’s clearly going to affect the prices at the pump. Jeez, now we know why these people got to where they are.

But with petrol in the UK the second most expensive in the world and over 60% of that 2nd most expensive in the world fuel is tax, which has increased twice in the last two months, it’s a little disingenuous, to say the least, to blame the oil producers.

Pics: Our George: Have you ever wondered how much he understand of all this economics malarkey; Opec controls 40% of oil production; King Abdullah with some funny old bloke in a weird outfit inspecting troops; Breakdown of petrol prices based on 126.9p per litre.

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”.

INTERNATIONAL AID BUDGET SPENT ON VATICAN STATE VISIT

FMQ is over at Subrosa's place this week


It seems that one of the countries that is in need of foreign aid is none other than the fabulously wealthy Vatican City.

I know this because it has come to the notice of the Committee for International Development, chaired by Malcolm Bruce, who has asked how diverting money from the international aid budget to pay for the state visit of His Holiness the Pope would meet the requirements of global aid rules.

Detailed examination of the accounts of the Department for International Development (DfID) show that £1.85 million of their fund money, was transferred from foreign aid to help pay for the expensive visit in June 2010.

Mr Bruce quite rightly noted that many people would be as surprised as the committee to discover that UK aid money was used to fund the Pope's visit. He also asked that ministers should explain exactly what this was spent on and how it tallies with Britain’s commitments on overseas aid.

Apparently DfID reckon that they were one of a number of government departments which part-funded the Pope's visit to the UK. The contribution, according to a spokesman, recognized the Catholic Church’s role as a major provider of health and education services in developing countries.

Good heavens. I’ve heard some crummy excuses in my time, but this one is worthy of a satire show all on its own. The Catholic Church does a great deal of work in under-developed countries, including continuing to deny the inhabitants the luxury of contraception to control the every larger population. Good work.

The spokesman said that the money did not constitute official development assistance and was therefore additional to the coalition government's historic commitment to meet the 0.7% UN aid target from 2013 (which is required to be met in order for the prime minister to retain his seat at the G8 table), although, I suspect that this has been hastily added now that the cat is out of the bag.

How embarrassing for the government to be found to be pilfering from an aid budget, to subsidize celebrations for the great and the good. But how typical.

But be aware that when you pay your higher taxes and get reduced services for them, that while this country blows hard about how much money it contributes to international aid, to helping the poorest people in the world, people hit by typhoons, earthquakes, disease and pestilence, that the government is just as likely to transfer the money to wining and dining heads of state, and laugh at you behind your back.

Pics: (1) The Pope has a new hat Sophia! (2) Examples of aid that the Vatican has spread around the third world, thus rendering it deserving of our aid money to fund their state visit. (3) How the ordinary people of the Vatican City live. (4) The poor wee Pope's summer residence at Gandolfo, which, along with Vatican City remains a part of the Papal States.

RULE BRITANNIA... BRITANNIA RULES THE WORLD

Gordon Brown in some sort of mistaken notion that he was the Chinese or American President, or some other sort of world statesman ordered the Pakistani President to kill Osama bin Laden.

Apparently the President was not happy at his tone.

Yesterday Mr Cameron, equally deluded, was minded to employ his 9 whole months of experience of government, by lecturing the Egyptian President about what he should be doing with his little bit of trouble.

Where on Earth do these people get off?

Firstly I can’t help but think that if Messers Brown and Cameron were in the habit of addressing themselves to issues in the UK, then perhaps we wouldn’t find ourselves in the parlous state that we do, and secondly, what is it about British Prime Ministers that make them think that they know best about things that are happening on the other side of the world.

How would Brown or Cameron like it if they got a call from the Chinese president, giving them instructions about how to have a successful Olympics or from the Qataris, pointing out that it was barbaric to pepper spray protesting students?

The days of London running the world are over. Live with it. Get your heads down and try to find a sensible way of sorting out the mess that is Britain. See if you can find a way to employ all the people for whom there are no jobs; see if you can find a way of dealing with the worst crime rates and highest prison population in Western Europe; and while you’re at the tackle the drugs issues, teenage pregnancies, education that sees people with degrees but unable to spell simple words and punctuate a paragraph. Deal with issues like the woman who testified yesterday that the hospital (in England) where she went for a small operation, was so dirty that she went in for a week’s stay and ended up being there for 18 months, suffering from C Diff, E-Coli and MRSA.

Do something about the joke that is the British Railways system, where the prices are around double and the service around half the European average, and where believe it or not, they are putting up prices by 3 times inflation in order to discourage people from using the service, because they simply cannot cope.

Sort the bloody pot holes in the roads. We pay between £120 and £250 a year in road tax, not to mention the most expensive petrol in the world, and our roads are like Yak tracks in Nepal. Cars are shaken to bit and springs are broken on a daily basis.

Do something about building affordable rented houses so that we stop this ideologically driven nonsense that even the poorest can own their own homes. Home ownership is for rich people who can afford to deal with the re-roofing, or damp coursing that comes along from time to time. Not poor people who struggle to get by to have enough money for food by the end of the month.

And do something about the crap you expect our pensioners to live with. No surprises that Britain has the lowest pension as a proportion of average wage, in all of Europe, and many live in penury.

That’s what running a country is about. Not lecturing Egyptians about how to deal with riots or telling Pakistan who to assassinate.

Oh and if your reason for thinking that you have the right to do any of that is (as mine is for lecturing you) that Britain gives aid to these countries (as I pay my taxes to you)...then stop giving them aid. It is us that needs aid. Our pensioners, our hospitals, our roads.

Shape up or ship out.

Pics: Fresh faced and busy tailed as ever, the sleeping ugly; Hosni, looking well Browned off at being lectured by Cameron; Osama, Osama, where for art thou Osama? (Ok, I know it doesn't mean where!); Don't you think that Egypian riots have a golden glow compared with the grey ones we have here? Birl on it Hosni, I is de boss, because I is British, innit.

韋鳴恩. POOR MAN THOUGHT HE WAS TO BE PAID, BUT HE'S WORKING FOR FREE AS A GOOD EXAMPLE TO US ALL

When he was offered the job of “Big Society Tsar” for 3 days a week, Nat Wie thought he was to get a salary. (Apparently it’s revoltingly common to talk money, so no one mentioned it at all, until the day before he started the job, when he was told it was a voluntary post.)

He had a desk in the Cabinet Office, and a peerage, but no salary. Part of the Big Society. That'll teach him to go around trusting government ministers.

So the noble lord has had to reduce his commitment to the Big Society to two days a week instead of three, because he needs to earn some money to feed his kids, pay his mortgage and...stay alive.

Much of Mr Wei's work involves how to free “ordinary” people (that’s like you and me) from the daily grind, so that they can devote more of their time to charity or voluntary work and get involved in their communities under David Cameron’s "Big Society" plans.

But no one much in the ranks of us “ordinary people” has heard of him, and it seems that he has not actually made much headway in the job of selling the idea of the “Big Society” to the public. After all who really knows what it is about? The scheme is, it is said, facing Whitehall resistance and the stretched capacities of local authorities.

One of the problems that strikes me is that by and large “hard working British families” are very busy working hard, bringing up their kids, digging their gardens, keeping warm, trying to find enough money to get by, without starting some new voluntary activity. People with jobs are trying hard to hang on to them in an atmosphere of overwhelming “presentism”, and those who don’t are working hard to find one.

There are people, of course, who already do get involved in the local community. Community councillors “up and down this country" are working for nothing; and many people very quietly go about the business of looking after elderly neighbours, doing a bit of shopping, visiting with them, taking them out for a run in the car...

And in the leafy villages of the counties and in the suburbs there are ladies and possibly some gentlemen who serve on the bench (in England), organize the girl guides, the gymkhana, the dog show, the village fête and the local hunt ball, and join the RSVS or work for the church or for a charity shop.

Most people who have the time to do something, do something.

But not everyone has the luxury of that time. Working families (especially the HARD working ones so beloved of the politicians) have little spare time.

I hold out very little hope of success for the “Big Society” because of this. But as this is David Cameron’s own vision of Britain based, I suppose, on what he has known all his life; people with enough money to leave the drab tasks of daily living to servants, and enjoy organizing local events.

Given that I read somewhere (Daily Telegraph columnist Heffer, I think) that David Cameron had appointed around 25 personal staff to the civil service (including one for his wife, if you please), you would have thought that he could have managed a full time post and salary for the man who is supposed to make his one actual idea in government actually work.

Pics: 韋鳴恩 in his robes; How the Big Society works; For the thick ones, another explanation of how the Big Society works; Call me Big Dave Society; Nat Wie, out of fancy dress, who is, I'm told, actually a nice bloke despite the company he keeps in the Cabinet office.

"THIS IS A MATTER ENTIRELY FOR THE SCOTTISH EXECUTIVE", LIED DAVID MILIBAND AND JACK STRAW

The UK government, pssinly aided by a member of their royal family, advised the Libyan government on how to deal with the Scottish government over the release of Mr Al Megrahi. Then they were economical with the truth about it so that their “friends”, the Americans (the ones that think they are pathetic), wouldn’t be cross with THEM, but with Alex Salmond instead.

Documents released by Wikileaks show how desperate Western governments were to do business with the massive oil economy of Libya. They illustrate in detail how Brit ministers and officials were determined not to let Libyan anger over Megrahi’s imprisonment get in the way of money that was there to be made from a business relationship between the countries.

Blair even went to Libya and met with Gaddafi in his desert tent, all huggy and kissy, and signed a prisoner transfer agreement, although, as the only Libyan prisoner in the UK was in Scotland, and the responsibility of the Scottish government, it’s doubtful that he had the right to do this . But why would Tony Blair ever bother with what the law said when there was money to be made?

However, in October 2008 Megrahi was diagnosed as suffering from cancer and within a week Bill Rammell, a junior Foreign Office minister, had written to his Libyan counterpart advising him on how this could be used as the grounds of securing al-Megrahi’s compassionate release from prison. You have to admit it, Labour can move pretty sharpish when there’s a buck to be made, and good taste goes right out the window when there's a sniff of cash.

The FCO immediately wrote to the Deputy First Minister of Libya giving details of the process for requesting compassionate release from a Scottish prison. The Scottish government knew about this as the FCO had had to check the details with them.

The leaked document, from the Americans says that: “Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond told Jack Straw that he will make the final decision in this case. Salmond told Straw that he would make the decision based on humanitarian grounds, not foreign policy grounds.

The Qatari government was also involved in making representations to Edinburgh, and Washington was said to be concerned that they (the Qataris), as one of the richest nations in the world, were offering financial incentives. The Qatari response was: 'That is ridiculous; it was not necessary to offer money. It was all done within Scottish law. We offered no money, investment, or payment of any kind’.

Did the Senators not have this information when they, somewhat imperiously, summond our First Minister to appear before them?

Another American document shows that Prince Andrew and even the Queen may have played a role. It reports: “He, Gaddafi went on to thank his 'friend Brown’, the British Prime Minister, his government, Queen Elizabeth, and Prince Andrew, who 'against all odds encouraged this brave decision’. Gaddafi noted that the UK efforts would positively affect 'exchange’ between the two countries.

So, all the released papers square with what Alex Salmond has said all along (except that Salmond told Straw that HE would make the decision, whilst he told everyone else that it was Kenny MacAskill who would take it).

A comment from Iain Gray would, at this point, be interesting, if not (almost undoubtedly not) helpful. Doubtless, however, if asked, Mr Gray would simply mention that it sounded like another SNP broken promise and a personal humiliation for Alex Salmond. Yawn.


Pics: Mwa mwa dahling, Gaddafi and Blair’s love in in the desert; First Minister’s story is borne out by Wikileaks; Qatari money, the cash that really talks, but we didn’t need any of it. The law was enough; Blinky Straw, the man with the moral rectitude of a tape worm.