WebSalmond: Alex Salmond goes for Blair

Oddly the most amusing thing about all this is how its the SNP and PC who are making Parliament work for the whole UK. (Ok the most amusing part is Alex Salmond eyebrow movement at the end !) I think Alex is aware of this as he's talking, you can hear himself trying to get to make up his mind whether to call it the UK Parliament or not !

Still politicians communicating direct - which is good.

I've thought for a while that the SNP has the right idea on impeaching Blair. Iain Dale thinks that will help the Labour whips - but maybe Labour MP's would rather Blair was banged up for war crimes, rather than loans for peerages ?

PS I believe it was a SNP/Conservative no confidence vote that brought down the last Labour government. Too much to hope for again I suppose.

Update: It was too much to hope for ...

How Stern was spun - free debate crushed by Labour

Actual journalism and from the BBC ! ( Well done ). Here it comes ....

Buried deep down in the BBC news web site is this report from Sarah Mukherjee which explains how the government has controlled the launch of the so called Stern report. (Read all of it - I've just quoted from its end.)

The moments of freedom did not last long, though, as we were herded back together for the Blair/Brown/Stern speeches and what we were told was a question and answer session. (We did get our phones, though.)

It was, according to one colleague, "one of the hardest listens of my life".

As the speaker tag team continued with international co-operation targets and commission announcements, I began to feel like I was having a sonic hole drilled in my forehead.

But it would be worth it, to get a question in to the Chancellor - an opportunity rarely, if ever, given to environment journalists.

As last. Speeches over.

The questions. "We will not be taking questions from the press..."

Spun? More like boil washed - and hung out to dry.

If Climate Change is such a challange to the world - why is no scrutiny allowed or questions allowed in the press conference ? ( A point picked up in passing in Today's Telegraph. See below )

"If we members of the press had actually been allowed to ask questions of Tony, Gordon, chief number-cruncher and the rest we were not: 'a sign of the times' — we might have asked Sir Nicholas how exactly many fewer degrees of global warming we and the world might have had if Labour had continued Mrs Thatcher's's lead in the world, as it promised in 1997, instead of losing the plot."


The only spinning surely should be done by the Earth.

The press must make this sort of manipulation the headline every time the government tries it on - otherwise we will forever just have to accept what we are told.


Tags BBC, Sarah+Mukherjee
Stern+Report
Stern

Spooks is a great example of BBC bias

This week its those evil Christian Terrorists. Last week it was Mossad pretending to be terrorists.

Its the strange planet that the BBC lives on !

(If your not in the UK Spooks is a TV series about MI5 - the script for which appears to be written by readers of the Guardian.)

I'm of to watch Vox Politix when I get the laptop fired up - this is from the old PDA.

Update: Wonkotsane points out, in comments, that Islamic terrorist plot lines have feature more heavily through the series. I'm not a avid fan of Spooks - so stand corrected.

Which MP has the biggest carbon footprint ?

I'm guessing its Margaret Becket - but perhaps it the Dear Leader ? Or some Jock MP who has to keep flying down to London to vote on English bills at Westminster (business class of course) - between his state funded campaigning in the darkest central belt.

And who burns the most carbon on fact finding missions ? We should be told !

This would make a great article for a tabloid - as it exposes their hypocrisy at the heart of those who now lecture us. Will Blair agree to holiday in Cornwall for ever more to save the planet ? I think not.

Surely its really all about:

1) Heading David Cameron of at the pass ( hence high profile for the boy Milliblog and dragging his grumpiness to the press conference).
2) Raising taxes without anyone complaining.


Of course I'll not be laughing when the sea starts to lap around my shed due to global warming - but then I checked how high above sea level my house is - did you ? I've heard of scenarios which have the sea level rising by 10m - almost over night. ( This is very much not the consensus view which considers changes over periods of hundreds of years). But remember most of these models were created by scientists not engineers. Scientist don't build things or do scale up in any form of responsible way. ( Now I'm going to get flamed - but what the hell. )

Council tax to be replaced by Tory Tax ?

The new tax idea, denied by our ever honest and trustworthy NuLabour govt, of fining people for having good schools, clean streets and a pleasant area to live just looks like a way of raising tax from Tory voters ( which costs the government little in terms of support ) to spend on Labour voters.

Looks similar to the ongoing removal of resources from the NHS in high tax paying areas (ie Tory areas) to move to Labour and marginal Labour areas.

This is starting just to look like organised theft.

Socialism's class war continues.... the only safe middle class people will be NuLabour politicians and those on their expense accounts- researchers and hangers on.

Think about it: with complex databases and a few heat maps from chipmunk Blears it is possible to design taxes that will most hit the supporters of your opponents. Its like Mugabe bulldozing the homes of those who vote for the MDC.

BBC doesn't even do unbiased science any more

I saw the last Horizon program and as on a number of other occasions keep asking myself is it just me or is Horizon just loosing touch with science. Their programs seem more interested in how people feel about things than underlying principles. ( Maybe the program makers suffered under the 2 science GCSE fiasco in our schools. ).

Anyway I'm not the only one - check out what The Register has to say on the subject.

Benn for PM ?

Everyone knows there is just no point in being elected deputy leader of anything, let alone that Labour party. The only point in standing is to run for the leadership under cover. (OK Maybe Harriet doesn't understand this part, but what's new there ?)

Mr Benn (jnr) must think Gordon is going to slip up. His grumpiness will have noted this - so its a high risk strategy for Hilary. Still can't help thinking who ever wins - the tax payer will lose - followed by everyone else not on MP pensions and salaries.

There was a time when the thought of Mr Benn as PM would have caused a run on the pound. I wonder just how reformed and NuLabour Mr H Benn really is.....

BBC Bias - more comments

Its looks like the right of centre MSM is locking onto Andrew Marr's comments on cultural bias. See Tom Leonard's article in today's DT.

But most telling is the comment added to the DT site from an ex BBC staffer - who wanted to remain anonymous ( though he might want to check the web link the DT left for him... )

I worked for many years for the BBC and, before going freelance, achieved a senior editorial-management post which I occupied for over three years. In 2002, I went on a three-day managerial course with about 30 BBC colleagues of similar rank. We were all housed on one floor of a comfortable country hotel. My room happened to be at the top end of that floor, thus boasting a commanding view of hotel corridor stretching away into the distance, sixteen doors to the right and fifteen to the left. I woke early on the first morning and, dressing-gowned, opened my door a crack to pick up my copy of the Telegraph, ordered (by phone) the night before. And what did I see outside those all doors? Yes! To the left and to the right, an almost solid river of Guardians, stretching interminably into that hotel void. To confirm I wasn't dreaming, I stuffed my Telegraph under my dressing gown and took a tip-toed walk down the entire length and counted: 27 Guardians, and 4 Independents and 1 Telegraph. Mine.
See also USSNeverdock on the same subject and Dodgeblogium.

PS Trying not to blog so much over the last few days as its half term and the laptop is mostly off. Reading Oriana Fallaci's "The Rage and The Pride" when the family let me.

Tag BBC, BBC+Bias

Updates

Another good post on the same subject from Cobbett Rides Again .

Helen Boaden - Bias at the BBC ? Come on its us !

Helen Boaden has posted a response on the BBC's The Editors Blog to the substance of the Mail on Sunday reporting of the BBC admitting its bias.

Its worth a read - let her know what you think at the end of the post. I've posted a response asking for the stream of the whole meeting to be made available. After all if the meeting was that open why not ?

Helen clearly loves the BBC and rushes to its defence (she's spent much of her career there). She dismisses the view quotes in the MoS as personal views she disagrees with - due to a lack of evidence other than circumstantial quotes. (What other evidence is available ?)

I wonder how bias could be shown to exist ? Perhaps an opinion poll of BBC news staff - it would have to be hidden so they didn't realise it was just BBC news staff being asked. A list of who works for the BBC news and any past political affiliations ?

Or perhaps just watching their output is enough.

Tag BBC, BBC+Bias, Helen+Boaden

Debate on TV: Channel 4 dispatches

I managed to watch a fair bit of the debate on Channel 4's dispatches last night. Rather than adding to that debate ( on Muslims and free speech ) let me say something about the format.

The debate and cross examining of witnesses worked in a way that normal current affairs programs just don't.

There should be more of these debates - the format is far more informative than say the BBC's Question Time.

Well done Channel 4 and Dispatches. Only quibble is I'm fairly sure the audience wasn't balanced to reflect British society rather to represent it. You can tell that from the outcome of the vote at the end. But I'm not going to go on about that but to say again what a great format for current affair issues ! (In many ways the vote is irrelevant - what matters is what you think and how you have responded to what you've heard.)

If you have NTL or Telewest you can now use Channel 4 on Demand (4oD) to watch again ! ( I was over to 18 Doughty Street for Vox Politix - Slugger O'Toole did especially well there I thought. )

The BBC discovers its biased ! Marr answers Marr.

Just found this Mail on Sunday report - via Iain Dale's blog. Read both they are very much worth your attention.

My favourite quote is from Andrew Marr:

"The BBC is not impartial or neutral. It's a publicly funded, urban organisation with an abnormally large number of young people, ethnic minorities and gay people. It has a liberal bias not so much a party-political bias. It is better expressed as a cultural liberal bias."

Now some time ago Andrew said - on the subject of BBC Bias ( see Biased BBC blog - who lives by these words )

"We get from time to time people saying you're biased in favour of the Labour Party. Every time I ask people - show me a case of that bias, explain to me where we got it wrong and why what we said was so unfair - they seem to be unable to do so", Andrew Marr, May 11th 2001.

So Andrew it looks like you've worked out what the rest of us knew for some time !

The BBC is institutionally left wing. Our democracy is therefore undermined by state funded propaganda. The question has to be asked if there really is a full democracy in the UK under those circumstances.

Update:

If after this you would like to tell the BBC what you think - go and have a go on The Editors Blog here, which has a post on this. Man in a Shed did a while ago - but oddly his comments have not yet been published. ( But that kind of makes the point. ) Its not like they are overwhelmed with comments anyway !

Also on this subject:

USS Neverdock - down the pub with the MoS
Or search for the latest comment here.


Tag BBC+Bias, Andrew+Marr

United against Arabisation of Britain ?

This mornings Daily Telegraph has an good article in its comment section that offers a potential excellent approach to the veil issue and supposed Islamic radicalism. Identify it as Arabisation - and alien to the Pakistani community and traditions.

Of course this looks like its true also and it gets us all on the same side.

Identifying things as Islam vs Britain is a recipe for disaster. But labeling the radicalisation with an alien nationalism could work much better.

Time to follow up politicians !

By the was I read an interesting article in this weeks Economist (no link as in a internet cafe) on how the Saudi's have been fighting Al Q with Soft power - getting ex-Jihadis to denounce the movement. Very effective apparently. Lets not just spend all our time on security and the problems it has - but fight the war of ideas like we mean to win !

Same old NuLabour

Given the opportunity to discuss tax, and the ideas that lower tax rates might not mean significantly lower tax *take* Ed Balls put his own career first, before the interests of an open debate and the benefit that gives to his country.

What was the Balls response ? "Same old Tories"( A recognised trade mark of Antony Blair esq ) - which every unbiased by charter BBC presenter could be relied upon to repeat.

They fear debate - almost as much a losing access to the gravey train on which so many NuLabour devotees travel.

Remember the lies from Blair and Brown at the last election about every nurse etc being sacked ? Spin and smear - in the place of open debate with the people. Democracy will not thrive on spin - but they don't care NuLabour hopes to. After all what actual jobs in the real world could most of them hold down ?

Liam Fox gets his message across on 18 Doughty Street

I've been watching 18 Doughty Street for a few evenings now - and its soon going to start competing with blogging as the greatest destroyer of useful work time ! Tim Montgomerie and the crowd give you the feeling of being in a rather comfortable pub that you don't want to leave - just one more round then I must be going.

I was especially interested by the interview with Liam Fox broadcast last night, you can watch again here if you missed it.

Two things impressed:

1) The full nature of the conversation.
2) What Dr Fox was saying. (Yes really - he's right on the mark.)

I'm glad someone who is getting closer to power is thinking about the fact we are sending large amounts of our money, via high energy prices, to countries that do not always wish us well. Also that our defence focus needs to be on defending our supply lines, and even better generating more energy at home.

In my view Saudi Arabia is especially interesting - as the oil is running out ( maybe much faster than they admit ) and the population is exploding. It sometimes seems to me that parts of the Arab world who have populations that are exploding are desperately hoping to relocate many of them to the west.

Russia is looking more and more less friendly (their population is of course collapsing ) - see an article from last weeks Economist here.

Anyway nip over and have a listen to Dr Fox if you haven't already. This sort of interview gives politics a good name - and starts to let the public in on the deeper thinking that goes on below the sound bite.

By the way Alex Hilton, of NuLabour Home and Recess Monkey fame, did well in a polished barrister sort of way ( the same way that a good lawyer can get a guilty man off) spinning the NuLabour viewpoint, and using debating ploys to skewer the other bloggers present. With such an ability to disconnect himself from inconvenient past events and current evidence (failing NHS - Sion Simmons etc ) he has all the skills to do well in NuLabour. Maybe he could replace Sion Simmons - somebody has to.

The modern work place

How many MP's, MP researchers, public sector employees, consultancy people and services personnel can the few people who actually make things support ? ( Just wondering ).

PS No idea who to credit here - turned up via an email.

How do you use a Tank to pick crops ?

Answers to the Ethiopian defence ministry - quickly please.

My guess the Eritreans are putting pressure on to discourage the Ethiopians from having a go at the Somali Islamic mob.

Check out the report on the BBC.

The decision to scrap Sea Harrier now comes back to haunt Blair

See the DT this morning and its article Navy 'too weak' for big role in Korea blockade.

NuLabour decommissioned and has scrapped the Sea Harrier force - in true vindictive MOD fashion making sure it can't be de-mothballed by selling and breaking the aircraft up ( sometimes you have to wonder whose side the government is actually on. )

Now the chance of Royal Navy ships needing aircover comes up and there is nothing left. The new destroyers are perhaps questionable (EU Referendum certainly thinks so ) - and not functionally existent yet.

But this could be the least of our problems - the Falklands still need defending against an increasingly aggressive Argentine regime. Perhaps Blair won't be remembered just for Iraq, but for losing Port Stanley as well.

The loss of the Falklands would be a new Suez - and perhaps destroy the armed services which to a major extent hold the United Kingdom together. The end of the United Kingdom could be the result.

The Navy must resist this commitment - which is ineffective without the Chinese anyway.

Update:

A widow of one of the guys from the RAF Nimrod that crashed in Afghanistan is reported by the BBC saying that her husband said:

"he could not remember the last time he flew a plane "with all the parts working"."

My point ? The services have been starved of money. A while ago I quoted the DT as saying the defence budget has gone down 25% .

Listen again - to Christina Lamb

Just looking through some of my old posts and spotted the BBC (Today prog) still have an interview with Christina Lamb on being in an ambush. It really does bear listening to again - link here (real player).

Listen to the emotion in Christina's voice. She sounded traumatised to me and trying hard to keep her emotion in control.

Listen also to her criticisms.

This was in July and the events heard happend earlier - its Mid Oct now, and the government has started some spin about

Go on to listen to the Foreign Office representative ( he says they are delivering reconstruction in Helmand ). MOD wouldn't put anyone up

My feeling is we are just being lied to. We must keep holding then likes of John Reid to the words they used when they committed our forces.

Blair as we know doesn't tell us the truth.

Note also Chritina's telling of radios not working and air support not being available. How many such incidents happened to troops without Journalists to report back ?

Will Israel prosecute its President

It would be a great scandal - but also a clear sign that nobody is above the law, at least not in a democracy. I don't know if he's guilty or not, but it looks like a court will decide. ( See BBC report here. )

Can anyone name another middle eastern country where the president could be prosecuted like this ?

I wonder if Anthony Blair is watching ?

The Amish must be a remarkable people

The BBC reports that not only have the Amish community forgiven the family of the man who murdered their young girls, but they have even helped them.

This is the price of love - which they bear witness to by these actions.

And the circle of violence and victimhood is stopped in one step.

Islamic groups behead priest and crucify 14 yr old boy

Apologise for the Pope linking Islam with violence or we will kill you ! ( Credit to Symbel who has a full post on this - see here. )

Extract below from Symbel's post here:

An email from a priest in Sweden, Adris Hanna, describes the Muslim terror campaign against the Christians in Iraq:

The Syriac-Orthodox priest Paulos Iskandar was kidnapped this Monday, October 9, and beheaded today Wednesday October 11.

The Bishop in Mosul wrote me an email tonight and told me that the funeral will be held in Mosul tomorrow.

Christians are living a terrified life in Mosul and Baghdad. Several priests have been kidnapped, girls are being raped and murdered and a couple of days ago a fourteen year old boy was crucified in the Christian neighborhood Albasra.

Only the blind and deaf or those without wit can fail to understand this.

See also the Assyrian International New Agency here.

I've put the executed man's picture up - in his memory. Words fail me on the 14 year old boy. We just bury our heads in the sand on this.

Again its about dominion and hate for these groups. Will British Islam distance itself ?

The veil - if modesty was the issue ...

Ok I've held of on this one for a while, mostly as everything seems to get said else where. But I now have something to contribute ! (You may rightly be wary - its Friday and I've been working hard this week and need to let of a little steam.)

Veils are to some extent rather sexy - especially the one I've grabbed a picture of for this post. No wonder John Prescott is in favour. Surely the idea is to avoid tempting men, or at least Islamic men - especially the bearded Islamo fascist variety that are hoping to go to heaven, where all the virgins are. By the way do you think virgins wear veils and are modest in suicide bomber heaven ? Where do all the virgins come from anyway ? Are they virgins because nobody 'wanted them' ? Could be rather grim in Suicide killer heaven. I know this may seem trivial - but they're good questions. But I digress....

To avoid all the wanton temptation what about a covering helmet with TV cameras for eyes ? Then there could be no temptation and you could watch TV when the conversation your not having with you non-muslim friends get boring.

Of course the BBC is there already - see below. Looks like Dr Who was ahead of the game again ! They cost GBP 29.99 from Dixons - get there before the Christmas Winterval rush !
Or alternatively the women could try dressing up as men ! That'll kill any sex appeal and unwanted temptation.

Update: Over at Drinking from Home a post on the same subject finishes up:

Nobody needs to wear a veil. As Rod Liddle says in this week's Spectator, if a non-Muslim woman demanded to cover herself from head to toe because she feared the predatory attentions of men she'd be sent to a psychiatrist.

Too right.

Further update: Boy in a Shed has just spotted the Cyberman mask - he wants one for Christmas. ( Well now really - but he's going to have to wait. )

Labour MP gives offence - but gets respect from the 'unbiased' BBC

Your unbiased by charter BBC is helping the shameless excuse for an MP Sion Simon promote his filthy innuendo about David Cameron's family.

He makes a spoof of the WebCameron videos ( no problem there - I think UKIP were there first and Rory Bremner won't be far behind ), but he shows the real vicious nasty nature of some of the hatred of their opponents that Labour MP's show.

He make remarks about Mrs Cameron and the Cameron's children ( which show also that he can't add up ) which are disgraceful. I know people like to laugh these things off these days, but they shouldn't. Mr Simon, if he were a real man, would offer an apology ( not the half hatred Boris type ) and express his regret.

But the worse thing about this is that the BBC play the video from their site ( see picture ).

I know David Cameron's got the under the socialists skin - but neither the unbiased BBC or Mr Simon have covered themselves in glory here.

He will regret this for the rest of his life, unless his apologises.

The BBC just shows its true colours ....

Update:

Get over to sky news to seen an interview with this snivelling worm of an MP. He condems himself in his own words. It also appears Tom Watson is involved in this - he should not escape censure.

YouTube copy here ( credit to Guido and Biased BBC ):

My favouite part is when Simon says "Be quiet when I speak - Tom is a proper blogger" etc. Surely he's going to get deselected ?

Also - see the real thing here:



Update: Tom Watson has appologised for his part in the matter. Very good - his spoof WebCameron video was at least passable.


Tags BBC BBC+Bias Sion+Simon

Have they told the Dear Leader yet that he's firing blanks ?

On the subject of North Korea's apparent Nuclear Explosion, that is looking like a failure. Do you think anyone has told the Dear Leader yet ? Its hard to see the upside from a North Korean scientist point of view for doing so. Of course he may read the international press ...

Is he the forgiving type - look dear we can get over this together etc ? I wouldn't want to be counting on it.

On a serious note the US and UK will know the truth of this. They detected the explosion that sank the Kursk for goodness sake. But they have carried on for a day without letting on - now that's interesting.

Danish TV - Wafa Sultan on Islam and moderate Muslims

Here (windows media only I'm afraid) is the brave Wafa Sultan talking about her view and criticism of Islam.

Her views are not very easy to take on board - mostly because of the implications.

Is is actually possible to reform Islam ? And if so into what ?

Update - just found a YouTube version here:

Check out the USGC's Earthquake report for North Korea this morning

Looks like the Earth moved for the Dear Leader. International response is predictably lame.

I know why don't we all give them time to perfect miniaturizing the war head to get on a missile !

Credit to the USGC's web site here:

Update:

Google Earth view of the 'epicenter' below:


Update:

It appears the Dear`Leader may have a case of premature explosion - rumours are the explosion was only 1 kT. Its suggests a failed test. You wouldn't want to be the scientist who screwed that up would you ?

The BBC is pushing the line that North Korea accelerated it Nuclear program due to Bush

The BBC keeps 'asking' the question if President Bush's axis of evil speech accelerated the recent North Korea Nuclear test.

Heard this a few times ( last time on news 24 just 1 min ago ).

Its a strong editorial line from the BBC that looks biased to me !

Meanwhile in Iraq

Patrick Cockburn writes the following about his experiences in Iraq as a reporter who has been returning at intervals since the invasion:

"The main preoccupation of Bush and Blair seems to be keep news of this away from their own people. Again and again they claim that there are parts of Iraq that are at peace, that the success of the insurgents is exaggerated by the media. In fact the situation is far worse than is reported."

Go over to the First Post to read the rest - but those sentences are the most telling. The same could be said of Afghanistan perhaps.

When will the general public take the same view ? Time is coming for the Conservative party to make hard choices in the UK. Just blind support for the government will no longer do.

The UK is closer to North Korea than the USA or Australia

Just been lissening to Today on R4 ( as ever ) and I have a key point to add. [ After the news of North Koreas unconfiremed nuclear test explosion. ]

The UK is closer to North Korea than either the continental US or the vast majority of Australia. (Who the Today program was asking if they feel less secure to.) Get your globe out to check - of course the usual 2-D flat projection will make you feel much more safe, its just wrong. (Perhaps that's what's on Margaret Beckett wall at the Foreign Office.)

Mrs Beckett doesn't want to do anything that will make any difference, in case it makes it worse, according the the interview I heard.

Why do no British politicians point this out ? By the way North Korea is developing missiles with sufficient range to reach us - but they could of course just put a bomb in a container and send it by sea freight.


Tags BBC Radio+Four Margaret+Beckett

Prescott thinks some women should be allowed a bag over their heads

What a Gent he is !

Bit of a NuLabour vote panic going on perhaps ?

Stuck in a rut - the Motorways of England

Man in a Shed has been driving on the Motorways of England this weekend and has the following two observations:

1) Large amount on the inside lanes of these motorways are deformed by heavy lorries to such an extent as to require driving corrections. ( aka large ruts in the road ). Clearly maintenance isn't being done - or roads aren't being repaired to the needed standard.
2) Often before bridges there are now deformations in the road which are getting deeper.

Since things never used to be like this Man in a Shed deduces that the government isn't paying for road maintenance at the moment. ( Don't even look around the roads of Surrey these days ).

Is this part of a wider financial crisis ?

We of course will never be told.

Labour cancel spring conference ? Iranian press say

So is this the answer to the what's Jack Straw up to question ? Ans creating a great day to bury news about the Labour Party.

I can't believe I'm becoming aware of this through the Islamic Republic News Agency. But that's the case - they report that "Labor's general secretary Peter Watt said that the party was abandoning its conference in February that was due to take place in Glasgow and replacing it with a series of smaller events around the country.

Nope - seems it was on the BBC after all - hidden away here.

They report Labour as saying "Blogs and podcasts would be used to broaden "online engagement" with the new "interactive party", ". Sounds unlikely given their media control freak attitude to life.

So what's Jack Straw and the government up to ?

He will have known what the reaction from the self styled mohammedan councils of this and that would be. He has a large muslim vote - and its not a Boris throw away gaff - its an article in a newspaper - a local newspaper.

So what's NuLabour up to ? These things don't happen by accident - even when Jack Straw says them. Is he getting worried about the BNP for example ? Or is this a plot to build up pressure for more draconian security legislation ( Queens speech soon ).

Taliban cease fire - or just a sham ?

Just followed back from a comment from Setting the Desert on Fire blog to the 3 Para video posted earlier.

Have a look at the following, then go a read what James Barr is saying on the subject here. I think the most worrying part of reading his post is the feeling that the war is being lost, and our politicians are again fighting it in such a way as to suit an agenda of their own. Whatever that may be.

Can anyone understand BBC radio 4's new announcer ?

Seems a bit unprofessional to put someone on who has problems communicating to the listeners. ( At least he did with me.) I guess this is some form of self loathing anti English middle class evil man type trip on behalf of Radio 4.

No doubt this sort of post is just the sort of reaction they we're hoping for. Role on satellite radio. Right now Radio 4 is still the best current affairs radio station - despite its political bias - but I'd love a good alternative.

Tags BBC Radio+4

Group B streptococcal infections

The DT reports today on the survey by Pregnancy & Birth magazine that says only two per cent of the 1,000 pregnant women and new mothers surveyed had been informed about GBS (Group B streptococcal ) at an antenatal class, and only three per cent had been informed by their GP. Two-thirds of those women said they still had no idea how dangerous GBS could be.

This problem kills about 70-100 babies a year in the UK. ( The child seat fiasco by contrast is estimated to save only 4 - think of the money the government is making all us parents spend on that !)

This is done as standard in some European countries - why not here ? We know a family who have suffered a loss this way, and it can be not comfort to know many of the cases are easily preventable.

The DT report goes on to say:

"Ministers have asked the UK National Screening Committee to work with Group B Strep Support, the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and other experts to consider doing more research, provide more information about GBS, and support doctors and nurses."

That response - if its a fair report of what is going on - is just crap. Their departments should already have assesed this issue and they either need to say why they are doing nothing, or announce a change in policy. Yet another Blairite/NuLabour review, initiative fob of is just not acceptable - but it is an all too familiar cowardly and morally corrupt reaction from them.

Tories will stay loyal to the Union - really ?

Richard Ehrman in The First Post says "They (the Conservatives) won'’t support a break-up even though it would be to their advantage".

Also he says "Independence for Scotland might well deny Labour the chance to rule in England - maybe for ever".

All I can say to Richard is don't count on it. The Conservative party is often slow moving and - eh conservative. Yes we're attached to the Union. But there are a lot of English people getting increasingly angry with how the Union is run for Celtic benefit - rather than for all the people. England is not represented ( shut up Lord Falconer - you know what I mean - no more lawyers quibbling from you thanks ).

The natural progression of the debate - fuelled by the Barnett formula and anti-English finacial and democratic settlements is, as I see it the following.

1) English votes on English matters
2) This will lead to an effective English Executive in all but name ( there is just no other logical route - its just the Conservative Party doesn't want to say it just yet ).
3) Labour win power in the UK with Scots and Welsh votes - the Labour 'English Executive' is unable to function.
4) On a return to power of the Conservatives, England secedes from the Union due to the bad fealing from 3.

You don't have to want the end of the Union to get this result - you just have to light the blue touch paper and retire (forgive the pun) , and fail to give England a proper devolved settlement at the start of the process ( much as Labour have done ).

If you want to save the UK - then you must give England a parliament with equivalent powers to the Scottish Parliament. Nothing else will do.

3 Para Helmand Province Afghanistan

See http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=thSoAqyXTwQ
Credit to Pat2415

Lets hope none of the men have to get the treatment that has been handed out to a returning para in Selly Oaks hospital recently. ( There should be no need to have to use the word hope here. ) Or just that they get paid properly.

Rest in peace Sgt Simon Cullingworth and Sapper Luke Allsopp

The inquest into the deaths of two British soldiers in the Iraq war has returned a verdict of unlawfully killing.

This case has personal resonance as Simon was one of the two school mates who have died so far in the war on terror. The case also shows the brutality of the Baathist regime, which combined with the sociopathic lack of common humanity and natural sympathy for human beings that Islmofascism's shows, puts what we are fighting into context.

But this does not give the government permission to just slowly bleed our armed forces.

As I've said else where I'm not in favour of carrying on in Afghanistan, unless our troops are given the equipment, numbers and support to do the job.

Coffins sneaked back into the UK and under reported injuries just to spare the political blushes of this disgraced government is what I fear for the future - and is in already happening.

This case shows both the tragedy of war and the face of our enemy, against whom we dare not weaken. ( Just letting out soldiers bleed slowly at a rate that public relations allows to be carried by this government is just not enough. I regard that as being weak. We either withdraw to a defensible line or fight to win with full effort and support including proper medical treatement in military only wards.)

But rest in peace Simon - you'll be remembered.

Man on the run from Islamofascists in France

A philosophy teacher who criticised the Koran as "a book of incredible violence" has had to go on the run in France - due to death threats etc. This is all getting very familar. When is something going to be done about it ? (Le Figaro machine translation version here ).

At least Nick Robinson is worth part of the license fee

Nick has a spot on post on his blog on Conservative Tax plans here. It obvious of course - expect to his friends at BBC News - maybe he'll get them to read his Blog ?

Maybe Nick could investigate BBC reporting and explain its view point with the same sort of clarity ?

Crosspoint: Dizzy Thinks has a good post on the tax debate also.

Tags BBC Nick+Robinson

The BBC's support for Labour today

If you doubt this then take a look at their web site (11:30am Mon 2Oct06). Look at the headlines... I had a similar experience listening to R4's today program this morning. On Today the headline was repeated a number of times before anyone mentioned that:
1) This all happened a number of months ago and no one was charged.
2) It was nothing compared to Labour's people who have been arrested.

This happens on the first day of the Conservative party conference, even though the events have been known about for months and do not in themselves signify any wrong doing. It looks and smells like the usual dirty ticks campaign we have come to expect from a morally bankrupt NuLabour.

If you work your way through the web site - you'll find George Obsourne pointing out the obvious part that any Journalist who was doing his/her job should have know from the start.

This is a clear example of how the BBC does not follow editorial impartiality and provides support to the left in British politics. Even the article itslef hides the truth near the bottom. They are clearly hoping no one reads that far.
(Sorry about the small fonts - but I had to reduce the font size to get to the point where the timing of these incidents is mentioned. This can't just be coincidence - its spin from the state funded broadcaster - `aka government propaganda .)

Tags NuLabour BBC BBC+Bias

What is going on in Afghanistan ?

There has been a media war going on. Some reports from the front have come in and they are shocking - today's Mail on Sunday has the most shocking (warning: some of the description there is graphic and unforgettable - if your of a nervous disposition you won't want to follow that link - just take my word for it that its bad) , especially the description of how French Special Forces were treated by the Taliban on capture ( why hasn't that been a greater issue - don't the French care ? Has it been reported in France ?)

I wonder if Des Browne knows what is really going on ? Or does he just refuse to learn.

The risks our men in Afghanistan are taking are massive. We owe them the correct support - or to get them out. I fear neither will happen due to NuLabour being involved in the grab for the leadership of their party.

When I hear people talking about our forces being there for 10-15 years, I think if this is really the assessment then we should leave now.

Update: See also the Independent's account.
See British Army Rumour Service discussion on this.
Also Richard North's post in EUReferendum - he has a point about this issue deserving a higher profile - but I suspect he's not going to be chums with David Cameron even if he does bring it up in his leaders speech.
Robert Fox in the First Post asks Where are all the dead Taliban? - no stranger to war reporting he - which is why his question has to be taken seriously.
Mondays Telegraph opinion here and article " Paras almost retreated under Taliban assault" here

Tags AfghanistanDes+Browne French+Special+Forces

Michael sheen as both Blair and Nero - what are they telling us ?

It seems that Michael Sheen has played both Blair and Nero lately. ( Thanks to NTL's watch again facility I've only just seen the Nero episode of ANCIENT ROME: THE RISE AND FALL OF AN EMPIRE.

As Nero he plays a man who loses his mind, but believes he is a god as no one stops him when he does things he should be stopped for.

I wonder how much of a strain it was to play both characters ?