Monday, March 31, 2008

Eyes of the world?

President Robert Mugabe has said the "eyes of the world" are on Britain and said that it should hold an election without delay!

Millions had been unable to vote and "their voice must now be heard".


Mr Brown blames Britain's problems on a Tory plot

Has April 1st come earlier this year?

T5 baggage system 'working'

Government is in touch - Smith

Team GB's revolutionary success
"Great Britain's cyclists delivered an awesome series of performances in Manchester at the Track Cycling World Championships. "

Thursday, March 27, 2008

Doing your homework!

White working class 'left behind'
"Children's ability to succeed was also defined by their own academic hopes, how much homework they did and their attitude to school, the report added."

Teachers call for ban on homework
"Teachers want homework to be abolished for primary school age children."

Asylum seeking

Why did Congoan, Iranian and Somalian asylum seekers flee to the UK rather than to a neighbouring country!?!

Asylum seekers tell their stories

Britain should do what's best for Britain rather than foreign nationals!

Wednesday, March 26, 2008

Between a Northern Rock and a hard place?

Had the FSA restricted Northern Rock's mortgage lending or challenged it's business model before the current credit crunch, who would have complained most, Northern Rock's directors or shareholders!?!

Tuesday, March 25, 2008

Playing the council tax card?

Will any of the major political parties be fighting May's local elections with promises of reducing council tax?

If council tax reductions are not popular, why has Scotland frozen council tax rises this year!?!

Dig for victory!

Did the 'Bevin boys' do the country "a great service" when striking for better pay in 1944 rather than waiting for Hitler's defeat!?!

"By their steadfastness, courage and unity, they had redressed the injustice of 1921, and re-established a guaranteed minimum wage. " - National Union of Minerworkers.

"it still makes us proud to remember everything you did" - Gordon Brown, PM.

Monday, March 24, 2008

Hide and smoke?

Cigarette display ban considered

"A pack of condoms and, erm, erm, a pack of twenty"!?!

Association of Teachers and Lecturers

Should the Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL) be calling for a reduction in immigration levels rather than for increased funding to "to cope with the numbers" of children arriving from abroad with little or no English!?!

When "the vast majority of newly arrived families [are] placed in deprived areas with empty houses - and with spare capacity in the schools", who represents the locals competing for good quality public services!?!

Friday, March 21, 2008

Reducing child poverty

With seven children by five different fathers, what is Shannon Matthew's mother doing to reduce child poverty by 2010!?!

Thursday, March 20, 2008

Benefits of the European Union?

Australia deports UK paedophile
Serial paedophile Raymond Horne, reportedly moved from the UK to Queensland in 1952 aged five and started offending in the 60s.

Lawrence killer wins bid to stay
"Although [ ] born in Italy, Chindamo has lived in the UK since the age of six." It would be "disproportionate" to deport him after he completes his sentence for the murder of Philip Lawrence.

Wednesday, March 19, 2008

Educating white working class boys.

What's more important, playing politics with white working class boys or educating them?

"One delegate [at the Association of Teachers and Lecturers] said liberal-minded people had stopped highlighting white boys' problems [of underchievement] for fear of lending weight to the arguments of right wing politicians."

Tuesday, March 18, 2008

Credit crunched?

What happens in just a couple of months when the Federal Reserve can no longer reduce interest rates as they are already 0%!?!

Number Crunching

£7bn - Total bonus pot for City bankers & workers in 2007.

£5bn - Emergency loans provided to UK banks yesterday.

Monday, March 17, 2008

Benefits of working?

If Dame Carol Black recognises that generations of the same family have "drifted" into a benefits culture, will she call for reductions in the £63bn welfare benefits bill that funds them!?!

Stressing that none of these claimants are lazy but merely need more support will achieve nothing without rewarding work and penalising lives on benefits!

Will Dame Carol condemn the politicians who have created the benefits culture!?!

Sunday, March 16, 2008

Conservative tax rises?

If David Cameron is unable to offer the electorate any immediate tax cuts following a Conservative general election victory, why bother highlighting how Labour have increased taxes time and time again!?!

"High debt, high interest rates, high taxes -- and now lower growth. Those are the facts that this budget cannot hide" - David Cameron, Wednesday, March 12th.

Friday, March 14, 2008

Expenses, expenses, expenses

What is Her Majesty's Revenue & Customs (HMRC) view of MPs being allowed to claim up to £10,000 for a new kitchen, £2,000 for furniture and £750 for a TV or stereo for their second homes?

Are they taxed as benefits in kind? Can contractors temporarily living away from home for employment reasons allowed to make similar claims against their own companies!?!

Thursday, March 13, 2008

Heathrow Intruder

Why wasn't today's Heathrow airport intruder shot by Police for posing an "extraordinarily serious" threat to passengers?

"A major security alert has taken place at Heathrow airport as [an Asian or Arab] man with a rucksack scaled the perimeter fence and ran into the path of an aircraft."

Education spending

If £31bn of additional Government spending on education over the last ten years still means that less than half of all students get five or more good GCSEs, will the additional £200m announced in yesterday's budget make any difference!?!

"By 2011, every school 'will be an improving school' "

Wednesday, March 12, 2008

2008 Budget checker

How many times will Alistair Darling mention the following in today's Budget!?!

  • Prudence.

  • Northern Rock.

  • Climate change.

  • Hard working families.

  • No return to boom and bust.
  • Tuesday, March 11, 2008

    Forced marriages

    Whose culture should prevail when cultures clash, the patriarchal culture that accepts forced marriages or a liberal culture tolerant of diversity!?!

    Burning credit?

    Will co-ordinated central bank intervention stem the credit crunch or is it merely delaying the inevitable as if throwing lighter fuel on a fire to make it burn longer!?!

    Number Crunching

    £120m EU flood aid to be given to the UK.

    £300m DEFRA's forecast EU fine for mismanagement.

    Promoting social cohesion

    If Former attorney general Lord Goldsmith wants to promote "social cohesion", why not reduce the level of immigration rather than encourage pupils to swear allegiance to the Queen?

    Will certain groups be exempt!?!

    PS Should civil servants swear allegiance to Gordon Brown!?!

    "I swear: I shall be loyal and obedient to Gordon Brown, leader of Great Britain and people, respect the laws, and fulfill my official duties conscientiously, so help me God."

    Sunday, March 09, 2008

    Cohabitation laws

    Are lawyers condemning the Government's retreat from new rights for cohabiting couples because of the amount of revenue they will lose!?!

    "I was furious frankly: there are huge amounts of injustice as things stand." - Jane Craig, the association of family lawyers.

    49% of the population know there is no such thing as common law marriage!

    Tory tax cuts

    Will George Osborne, shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer, ever call for income tax cuts to "revive the economy" rather than cuts in corporation tax?

    Businesses cannot to vote at General Elections! By contrast, the Liberal Democrats are offering the electorate a 4p cut in income tax!

    A new type of government!

    How can Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg offer the country "a new type of government" when he insisted that Liberal Democrat MPs should abstain from voting on an EU referendum!?!

    Saturday, March 08, 2008

    Motorway speed limits

    When road fatalities on Britain's motorways are 'just' one third that of Britain's A-roads, where should Department of Transport focus it's resources!?!

    Friday, March 07, 2008

    Ten green bottles!

    Should bottled water be taxed if it has no green credentials!?!

    Thursday, March 06, 2008

    Manifesto commitments

    Lords back down on glorification
    Charles Clarke warned peers that Labour had made a manifesto commitment to outlaw the glorification of terrorist attacks and intended "to honour it".

    MPs reject EU treaty referendum.
    The three main UK political parties promised a public vote on the EU Constitution in their 2005 general election manifestos.

    Tony Blair's legacy

    62% of white working class voters say life has generally become worse in the UK in the last decade compared with 51% of middle class white people.

    71% of white working class voters believe crime has got worse over the last decade, compared to 66% of middle class white people.

    52% of white working class voters thought immigration was a bad thing compared to 33% of white middle class people.

    Does any mainstream political party reflect these concerns!?!

    Tuesday, March 04, 2008

    Free NHS parking

    Could free car-parking at English NHS hospitals be subsidised by the forecast £1.8bn English NHS surplus this year!?!

    "We don't think it makes sense to spend money that's currently being spent on patient care - getting people treated faster and better - on subsidising car parks. " - Ben Bradshaw, Health Minister.

    Monday, March 03, 2008

    Grubby nurses

    Nurse guilty of killing patients

    Let's hope Lord Mancroft doesn't mention it David!

    Alcohol poverty vouchers

    When will the Government demand meetings with executives from the drinks industry to offer "alcohol vouchers" to subsidise drinks for the poorest in the community!?!

    You, EU unskilled worker!

    If unskilled workers from outside the EU should be barred from the UK for the "forseeable future", would unskilled workers from within the EU be barred in an ideal world!?!

    Free the English!

    Are any services free in England that Scottish or Welsh citizens have to pay for in their own countries!?!

    Saturday, March 01, 2008

    You can't handle the truth!

    Why should David Cameron wish to punish Lord Mancroft for describing the nurses who treated him at the Royal United Hospital in Bath as "mostly grubby, [ ] drunken and promiscuous"?

    Welcome to the real world Lord Mancroft! Are we supposed to ignore reality David!?!

    In other news:

    Dramatic rise in C. diff deaths