Time to dump Harman, Ed!

Anyone who watched this debacle on Newsnight can be under no doubt that Miliband has the wrong deputy, and that she is a liability.

It is rare for me to post twice in a single day, but to listen to Harriet Harman blaming the riots on tuition fees really is beyond the pale!

Full marks to Michael Gove for putting her in her place...



I have sympathy for Miliband in that he was not allowed to pick his own deputy, but after this performance she really must go!

Time to dump Harman, Ed!

Anyone who watched this debacle on Newsnight can be under no doubt that Miliband has the wrong deputy, and that she is a liability.

It is rare for me to post twice in a single day, but to listen to Harriet Harman blaming the riots on tuition fees really is beyond the pale!

Full marks to Michael Gove for putting her in her place...



I have sympathy for Miliband in that he was not allowed to pick his own deputy, but after this performance she really must go!

Mission Creep

Much has been said recently about the phenomenon known as 'Mission Creep' in respect of this country's involvement in Libya.

As far as I can see, it's a clear case of here we go again. First Iraq, then Afganisan and now Libya. Frankly, all these things are sod all to do with us.

As far as Libya is concerned, the UN gave us a mandate to enforce a no fly zone to protect civilians from ethnic cleansing by Gaddafi.

Regime change was not an aim - oh, hang on, now we can't see a solutuon without removing Gaddafi.

None of our troops will be involved on the ground - oh, hang on, we need the SAS to target spot for us and to train the rebels.

Any of this sound familiar? If you are American then it should - it was called Vietnam...

Mission Creep

Much has been said recently about the phenomenon known as 'Mission Creep' in respect of this country's involvement in Libya.

As far as I can see, it's a clear case of here we go again. First Iraq, then Afganisan and now Libya. Frankly, all these things are sod all to do with us.

As far as Libya is concerned, the UN gave us a mandate to enforce a no fly zone to protect civilians from ethnic cleansing by Gaddafi.

Regime change was not an aim - oh, hang on, now we can't see a solutuon without removing Gaddafi.

None of our troops will be involved on the ground - oh, hang on, we need the SAS to target spot for us and to train the rebels.

Any of this sound familiar? If you are American then it should - it was called Vietnam...

Benny goes to Assisi...

Pope Benedict XVI and representatives of the world’s major religions will make speeches and sign a common commitment to peace when they meet in Assisi in October, but they will not pray together, the Vatican has said.

I find this totally baffling!

The October gathering will commemorate the 25th anniversary of Pope John Paul II’s “prayer for peace” encounter in Assisi. The 1986 event was seen by many as a milestone in interreligious relations but was criticised by some Catholics who said it appeared to inappropriately mix elements from Christian and non-Christian religions.

Given that the last meeting was called "prayer for peace", I find the decision even more baffling!

Pope Benedict will prepare for the Assisi gathering by hosting a prayer service with Catholics from the Diocese of Rome in St Peter’s Basilica the evening before. According to the Catholic Herald, "other Catholic dioceses and other Christian communities are encouraged to organise similar prayer services."

So what they are basically saying is that only the Catholic and 'other Christians' should pray together for peace?

There are also apparently arguments wthin the Catholics community that to pray to God with members of other faiths would degrade the Catholic Church's claim to be the one true faith....

...so, in the interests of peace, let's cut the hypocrisy and bring back the Crusades!

Benny goes to Assisi...

Pope Benedict XVI and representatives of the world’s major religions will make speeches and sign a common commitment to peace when they meet in Assisi in October, but they will not pray together, the Vatican has said.

I find this totally baffling!

The October gathering will commemorate the 25th anniversary of Pope John Paul II’s “prayer for peace” encounter in Assisi. The 1986 event was seen by many as a milestone in interreligious relations but was criticised by some Catholics who said it appeared to inappropriately mix elements from Christian and non-Christian religions.

Given that the last meeting was called "prayer for peace", I find the decision even more baffling!

Pope Benedict will prepare for the Assisi gathering by hosting a prayer service with Catholics from the Diocese of Rome in St Peter’s Basilica the evening before. According to the Catholic Herald, "other Catholic dioceses and other Christian communities are encouraged to organise similar prayer services."

So what they are basically saying is that only the Catholic and 'other Christians' should pray together for peace?

There are also apparently arguments wthin the Catholics community that to pray to God with members of other faiths would degrade the Catholic Church's claim to be the one true faith....

...so, in the interests of peace, let's cut the hypocrisy and bring back the Crusades!

Alan Duncan - That's rich!

Remember this twat?


The Rt Hon Alan Duncan MP, Minister of State for the Department for International Development, will be addressing issues surrounding public financial management, transparency, accountability and value for money at an international conference organised by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy in London on 15th March.

Hang on, though! Isn't this the same Alan Duncan who was forced to repay £4,000 in expenses he shouldn't have claimed in the first place? Isn't this the same Alan Duncan who famously proclaimed that MPs were "treated like shit" and had to "live on rations"?

Isn't it a bit rich to ask this man to talk at a conference about "Trust and Accountability in Public Financial Management"?

And even more amazingly, what the fuck is he doing in the government handling International Development, possibly the most unaccountable department of all?

Alan Duncan - That's rich!

Remember this twat?


The Rt Hon Alan Duncan MP, Minister of State for the Department for International Development, will be addressing issues surrounding public financial management, transparency, accountability and value for money at an international conference organised by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy in London on 15th March.

Hang on, though! Isn't this the same Alan Duncan who was forced to repay £4,000 in expenses he shouldn't have claimed in the first place? Isn't this the same Alan Duncan who famously proclaimed that MPs were "treated like shit" and had to "live on rations"?

Isn't it a bit rich to ask this man to talk at a conference about "Trust and Accountability in Public Financial Management"?

And even more amazingly, what the fuck is he doing in the government handling International Development, possibly the most unaccountable department of all?

Immigrants oppose immigration

A new survey has revealed that more Asians than whites believe that immigration to this country must be stemmed.

Research commissioned by the Searchlight Educational Trust found that 39 per cent of Asians, 34 per cent of whites and 21 per cent of blacks believe that immigration should be halted either permanently or at least until the UK's economy was back on track.

Almost half of those questioned, 48 per cent, were open to supporting a new far-right party as long as it eschewed 'fascist imagery' and did not condone violence. And 52 per cent agreed that ‘Muslims create problems in the UK’.

So it would seem on the face of it that the Labour party were right to brand the people of this country who opposed immigration as bigots - but the bit it seems to have got badly wrong is that an awful lot of the bigots are not caucasian Brits!

Surely, this is clear case of the pot calling the kettle black?

(You can read a fuller report by clicking here.)

Immigrants oppose immigration

A new survey has revealed that more Asians than whites believe that immigration to this country must be stemmed.

Research commissioned by the Searchlight Educational Trust found that 39 per cent of Asians, 34 per cent of whites and 21 per cent of blacks believe that immigration should be halted either permanently or at least until the UK's economy was back on track.

Almost half of those questioned, 48 per cent, were open to supporting a new far-right party as long as it eschewed 'fascist imagery' and did not condone violence. And 52 per cent agreed that ‘Muslims create problems in the UK’.

So it would seem on the face of it that the Labour party were right to brand the people of this country who opposed immigration as bigots - but the bit it seems to have got badly wrong is that an awful lot of the bigots are not caucasian Brits!

Surely, this is clear case of the pot calling the kettle black?

(You can read a fuller report by clicking here.)

93 Men in a Boat (4) : The Champagne Socialist

As my regular reader will confirm, there's nothing I hate more in life than a bloody hypocrite - and the worst sort of hypocrite is the champagne socialist. You know. Bastards like Blair for example....

Anyway, I will not embarrass myself or you by telling you how much this latest trip cost us, but it does not take a genius to work out that 5 weeks in a boat cruising the South Pacific doesn't exactly come cheap! I don't think there were any poor people on board unless, of course, you count the crew and the expedition team.

While we were on a coach trip around Tahiti, we had an English guide who was married to one of the locals. At one point, she asked how things were going back home. One idiot immediately yelled out "We've got a bloody Tory government now that wants to put 490,000 of us out of work." My response was "That's about two million too few, chum."

Turns out that this paragon of the Socialist State works in local government, so might might ask how the fuck he can afford this trip in the first place on the back of the taxpayers' money?

But I digress...

One of our fellow passengers was injured in a fall on the bus. A sort while later, Mrs D was enquiring as to her well being, and commented that on a previous trip the boat seemed to have enough doctors on board to start up our own hospital. This was enough to prompt this twat to launch into a major rant about doctors' pay rates. "Well", she replied looking him straight in the eye. "There aren't any poor passengers on this trip either!"

This was like a red rag to a bull, and off he went again. "Some people can afford these things easier than others!"

Well, matey, this is what I suggest : The next time you are in agony and fearing for your life, after the operation just pay the surgeon half of what you were prepared to give him before he treated you.

But the piece de resistance in respect of this useless, two faced, hypocritical bastard is that his cabin was on the next deck up - so it cost even more than ours! What a prat!

93 Men in a Boat (4) : The Champagne Socialist

As my regular reader will confirm, there's nothing I hate more in life than a bloody hypocrite - and the worst sort of hypocrite is the champagne socialist. You know. Bastards like Blair for example....

Anyway, I will not embarrass myself or you by telling you how much this latest trip cost us, but it does not take a genius to work out that 5 weeks in a boat cruising the South Pacific doesn't exactly come cheap! I don't think there were any poor people on board unless, of course, you count the crew and the expedition team.

While we were on a coach trip around Tahiti, we had an English guide who was married to one of the locals. At one point, she asked how things were going back home. One idiot immediately yelled out "We've got a bloody Tory government now that wants to put 490,000 of us out of work." My response was "That's about two million too few, chum."

Turns out that this paragon of the Socialist State works in local government, so might might ask how the fuck he can afford this trip in the first place on the back of the taxpayers' money?

But I digress...

One of our fellow passengers was injured in a fall on the bus. A sort while later, Mrs D was enquiring as to her well being, and commented that on a previous trip the boat seemed to have enough doctors on board to start up our own hospital. This was enough to prompt this twat to launch into a major rant about doctors' pay rates. "Well", she replied looking him straight in the eye. "There aren't any poor passengers on this trip either!"

This was like a red rag to a bull, and off he went again. "Some people can afford these things easier than others!"

Well, matey, this is what I suggest : The next time you are in agony and fearing for your life, after the operation just pay the surgeon half of what you were prepared to give him before he treated you.

But the piece de resistance in respect of this useless, two faced, hypocritical bastard is that his cabin was on the next deck up - so it cost even more than ours! What a prat!

I hate wogs

After all this stuff about eco-fascists, I think we need a little light relief, so here's an interesting ditty by Eric Bogle.

Not very politically correct, but that's Australians for you!

Video hosting by

I hate wogs

After all this stuff about eco-fascists, I think we need a little light relief, so here's an interesting ditty by Eric Bogle.

Not very politically correct, but that's Australians for you!

Video hosting by

A Nun's Vow of Poverty

OK. It's Sunday, so time for my regular look at the workings of religion - and, believe me, this one is a real piss boiler...

According to the Daily Telegraph, "A Benedictine nun who faces an impoverished retirement is challenging the Government's refusal to give benefits to members of religious orders.

Sister Mary Scott, 74, and one other nun run the Oulton Abbey community near Stone in Staffordshire, where they manage a small nursing home and playgroup, but she is getting too old to keep working.

Sister Mary has never been paid, so never paid National Insurance, and what money she makes goes on food and clothes.

A Government regulation excludes 'members of religious orders who are fully maintained by their order' from pension credits, but her lawyers argue that the abbey is not supported by the Benedictine order which has no central hierarchy. She has been given permission to take the case to the Court of Appeal.

Her barrister, Stephen Knafler QC, said poverty was an 'endemic' problem facing the country's 5,000 remaining nuns and 1,400 monks, most now past retirement age."

Well of course it is, you stupid bugger! It's endemic because they take a vow of poverty! Although clearly in the light of the scandal of child molestation by priests, religious vows count for fuck all these days!

And another thing, if she has "never been paid", where did she get the money from to spend on "food and clothes"?

You two faced, hypocritical bastards! I hope that this is all going down in St Peter's ledger ready for your day of judgement. You make me sick, the lot of you!

A Nun's Vow of Poverty

OK. It's Sunday, so time for my regular look at the workings of religion - and, believe me, this one is a real piss boiler...

According to the Daily Telegraph, "A Benedictine nun who faces an impoverished retirement is challenging the Government's refusal to give benefits to members of religious orders.

Sister Mary Scott, 74, and one other nun run the Oulton Abbey community near Stone in Staffordshire, where they manage a small nursing home and playgroup, but she is getting too old to keep working.

Sister Mary has never been paid, so never paid National Insurance, and what money she makes goes on food and clothes.

A Government regulation excludes 'members of religious orders who are fully maintained by their order' from pension credits, but her lawyers argue that the abbey is not supported by the Benedictine order which has no central hierarchy. She has been given permission to take the case to the Court of Appeal.

Her barrister, Stephen Knafler QC, said poverty was an 'endemic' problem facing the country's 5,000 remaining nuns and 1,400 monks, most now past retirement age."

Well of course it is, you stupid bugger! It's endemic because they take a vow of poverty! Although clearly in the light of the scandal of child molestation by priests, religious vows count for fuck all these days!

And another thing, if she has "never been paid", where did she get the money from to spend on "food and clothes"?

You two faced, hypocritical bastards! I hope that this is all going down in St Peter's ledger ready for your day of judgement. You make me sick, the lot of you!

Blair - The ultimate hypocrisy

I shamelessly nicked this diagram from a 2009 article in the guardian which you can read by clicking this link

In the ultimate irony, as the fat hypocrit, Lord Prescott, warns that the Labour Party is going bust, the same cannot be said of it's ex leader Blair. Believe it or not, the bugger is actually opening his own BANK.

The Financial Services Authority (FSA) has last week registered Blair's new Mayfair-based investment bank, Firerush, which could act as dealmaker in investments for the super-rich. It will contribute to his considerable fortune, which is already reported to be in excess of £20 million. Coincidentally, that's the same amount Prescott says that Labour owes. Spooky, or what?

20 bloody million... and after all the scheming hypocritical sod said about bankers and rich people avoiding tax through complex tax avoidance schemes. Pass the bloody bottle... and a large glass!

Now I'm not for a minute suggesting that Blair is doing anything illegal, but my God his moral compass is pointing in a very odd direction indeed.

Still, now he's a Catholic, I expect he'll be meeting the Pope next month - and he'll give him absolution...

Blair - The ultimate hypocrisy

I shamelessly nicked this diagram from a 2009 article in the guardian which you can read by clicking this link

In the ultimate irony, as the fat hypocrit, Lord Prescott, warns that the Labour Party is going bust, the same cannot be said of it's ex leader Blair. Believe it or not, the bugger is actually opening his own BANK.

The Financial Services Authority (FSA) has last week registered Blair's new Mayfair-based investment bank, Firerush, which could act as dealmaker in investments for the super-rich. It will contribute to his considerable fortune, which is already reported to be in excess of £20 million. Coincidentally, that's the same amount Prescott says that Labour owes. Spooky, or what?

20 bloody million... and after all the scheming hypocritical sod said about bankers and rich people avoiding tax through complex tax avoidance schemes. Pass the bloody bottle... and a large glass!

Now I'm not for a minute suggesting that Blair is doing anything illegal, but my God his moral compass is pointing in a very odd direction indeed.

Still, now he's a Catholic, I expect he'll be meeting the Pope next month - and he'll give him absolution...

Religious sensitivity

There has been a big who-ha in the States over the plans to build the Mohammed Attah Memorial Mosque on the site of the World Trade Centre in New York.

Apparently O'Bummer supports the plans, which only goes to show just how in touch he is with the people of America.

However, our reporter has learnt of similar schemes for Mosques in this country.

Plans are afoot for the building of the Hasib Hussain Islamic Cultural Centre in Tavistock Square, London. Mayor, Boris Johnson, said "The building of this cultural centre will help to heal the wounds between the Christian and Islamic communities following the events of 7th July."

Also in the pipeline north of the border is the building of the Al Megrahi Mosque in Lockerbie to be funded by donations from the Libyan government. The Libyan ambassador commented "We hope this will demonstrate to the Scottish people that we respect them deeply and are very grateful to them for the way they treated Mr Megrahi after he was found irrefutably but falsely guilty of the bombing of PanAm flight 103."

This spirit of co-operation and understanding between the two religions comes as construction starts on the new Catholic Cathedral of the Holy Crusades in Mecca.

Religious sensitivity

There has been a big who-ha in the States over the plans to build the Mohammed Attah Memorial Mosque on the site of the World Trade Centre in New York.

Apparently O'Bummer supports the plans, which only goes to show just how in touch he is with the people of America.

However, our reporter has learnt of similar schemes for Mosques in this country.

Plans are afoot for the building of the Hasib Hussain Islamic Cultural Centre in Tavistock Square, London. Mayor, Boris Johnson, said "The building of this cultural centre will help to heal the wounds between the Christian and Islamic communities following the events of 7th July."

Also in the pipeline north of the border is the building of the Al Megrahi Mosque in Lockerbie to be funded by donations from the Libyan government. The Libyan ambassador commented "We hope this will demonstrate to the Scottish people that we respect them deeply and are very grateful to them for the way they treated Mr Megrahi after he was found irrefutably but falsely guilty of the bombing of PanAm flight 103."

This spirit of co-operation and understanding between the two religions comes as construction starts on the new Catholic Cathedral of the Holy Crusades in Mecca.