Not a meeting where they had coffee.

Do you have to be a total shit to work as a spin doctor or does the job turn you into one? Listening to the appalling descriptions from Libya on Channel 4 News last night, it grated to say the least, to hear of a ‘Foreign Office Source’ describing the meeting between William Hague and the Libyan Ambassador as, ‘not a meeting where they had coffee.’ 

Oh ‘the source’ must have hugged himself all over for that one. As some of the Libyan military are shooting and possibly bombing their own people; as Libyan diplomatic staff express anxiety around the world about genocide and reasonable people everywhere want a peaceful resolution we have a (taxpayer) paid mouthpiece talking tough yet sounding deeply pathetic. 

What a little shit. 

Talking of which, how about 'Call me Dave's' attempt to emulate his hero, the Middle East Peace Envoy? Talk about seizing the moment. Just as the Middle East undergoes one upheaval after another what does Dave do? He visits several rocky sheikhdoms with a 'trade delegation.' 

For 'Trade Delegation' read 'Arms dealers'  - nothing like striking while the iron is hot and establishing your values in a volatile situation. 

With that, the blog will be off for a couple of weeks. Hope things improve.

To patronise or to really patronise?

‘Call me Dave’ launched the ‘no’ campaign for the AV referendum with a quite disgraceful speech on Friday. The condescending way he regarded the electorate spoke volumes about his patrician leanings and his arrogance. As Andrew Rawnsley made clear in the Observer today, he too found this view unpalatable.

“The no campaign in general has almost nothing to say which is positive about the status quo. Its arguments are negative ones against change.”

“The worst argument advanced in the prime minister's speech was that AV is too complicated. He said: "I don't think we should replace a system that everyone gets with one that's only understood by a handful of elites."

“Well, let us accept that numbering candidates 1, 2, 3 does require a slightly more advanced level of numeracy than simply making a cross. I think Britain will cope. Many Britons already use AV when electing representatives for charities, churches, companies, trade unions, societies and voluntary organisations. Labour and the Lib Dems both elect their leaders by AV. Funnily enough, ever since the 1960s, when the Tories started to elect their leaders, they have used either AV or a close cousin. Had they used first past the post in their last contest, the leader of the Tory party would not be David Cameron. It would be David Davis.” (my emphases). 

Clearly if the extremely thick Bufton-Tuftons on the Tory back benches can cope with AV then anyone can. Looking at the dinosaurs and expense-fiddlers who are in favour of the status quo  (Beckett, Blunkett, Straw, Clarke anyone?) massive reform is overdue. AV is not it - but it is a step in a better direction. 

“Does the campaign to keep first past the post think that most Britons are stupid? Yes. 

Not only that, they are relying on the stupid vote to win.”

Libya and the UK

The grim news from Gaddaffi’s regime is not a surprise. The current squirming and wriggling from William Hague fits our role as a wise-monkey friend of Libya to a T. 

‘Sell us your oil, let us explore your desert to find more and we will not look too closely at the way you run your country. We will also help you with crowd control equipment and tear gas cannisters. We will help train your secret police and we will not ask awkward questions about people being locked up without trial. When everything kicks off we will utter platitudes and gentle criticism knowing as we do so that it is a charade. We may even let you know via diplomatic channels that it is a charade.....Since Wikileaks we have to be a bit more careful.’

Hague follows on from the loathsome Tony Blair, David Miliband and Jack Straw, politicians who never knowingly let principles get in the way of profit. 

Special Relationship or Fawning Grovel?

It was a dread-inducer listening to the start of the outpouring of guff about the so-called ‘special relationship.’ This relationship, aka ‘one way street,’ will feature in miles and miles of churnalism when the Obamas turn up for a state visit in May. The Glendas and the Phil Spaces will make some easy money regurgitating ancient writings about how wonderful the special relationship has been for the UK. Almost all of it complete twaddle. 

Watching allegedly sane men scrabbling for a position next to the annointed ones is deeply sick-making. Wee Gordy Broon’s desperation to be seen looking statesmanlike by the side of Obama said plenty about his rationality and his vulnerability.

Seems we are going to get tons of the same from the ‘Call Me Dave’ camp as our beloved leader will hold manly poses with their beloved leader. Will he hold his arms bent out at an angle like his hero, Tony Blair? Will he strut alongside Obama, leaking power and machismo from every pore? Will any of this strutting, preening and pomp produce anything worthwhile? 

Don’t bank on it.

Toeing the Party Line

Cast your minds back to the toxic dump that was the expenses scandal. Remember Tory Toff Anthony Steen and his outrageous expenses claims who then compounded his sins by claiming that the great unwashed were simply ‘jealous.’ Local worthies in his Totnes safe seat were very concerned at a possible backlash so set up an almost unique method of selecting their replacement candidate. By using a postal voting system not limited to party members they opened up the selection process to all voters in the constituency. A popular GP, Sarah Wollaston, emerged as the clear favourite and duly went on to win the seat. 

So far so hunky. For the Tories a toxic MP had been dumped for a popular local GP. It deflected attention from the Expenses Scandal and allowed them to ‘move on.’ Scroll forward many months and all is not well in Toryshire.

The GP understandably has a point of view about slimy Lansley’s unmanifesto’d plans for the NHS. She claims to be broadly in favour but has some key practical issues which she feels need addressing. She was approached by the Tory Whips to serve on the Committee stage of the controversial health and social care bill. It was made clear to her she could only get on the committee if she agreed to keep quiet and support the government. She did not agree and is therefore not on the committee. What an insight into how our so-called democracy works. This is not new. Labour did it too. Committees packed with placemen and yes-men do not produce good legislation. A close analysis of the ranks of junior ministers shows just how much harm the system of patronage does. 

There are rumblings from among the new crop of MPs that things have got to change. They certainly have.

Humbuggery

In all the fields of inflated hot air that parliament revels in, the debate on giving prisoners a vote is a doozy. Lots of harrumphing and gallumphing galore. Would that they got so hot and bothered about sorting out the criminality in their own ranks. 

Perhaps some of them are secretly concerned that if they were to attend jail ‘canvassing’ they may not be let out.

The fact that the so called revolt was lead by the egregious Straw (among others) fair takes the breath away. This is the man who denied the Chagos Islanders a fair hearing and used Parliamentary skullduggery to keep their grievances hidden. Clearly a model of democracy in action.

Shock! Horror! Tories in bed with the City.

The news that the tories received over half their funding from City spivs ranks alongside the defecation habits of bears and the religious persuasion of the Pope. 

What is truly astonishing in all this ‘blame it on Labour - blame it on the defecit’ mantra, is the way the link between Investment Bankers and the tories is quietly ignored. The greedy gamblers who brought the world’s economy to the floor are largely the same greedy bankers who back the tories. 

Another bucketful of nails in the ‘all in it together’ coffin. 

Not only do we need reform of Parliament, we also need reform of party funding. At least the spivs get what they pay for, which is more than can be said for the Unions!