Friday 23 July 2010

Liberal calls Tories Toxic

The BBC reports Liberal Democrat MP Tim Farron saying many Tory MPs are "toxic" and claiming David Cameron is using his coalition partners as "cover" for unpopular decisions.

Meanwhile, deputy leader Simon Hughes said his party would not have backed the government's academies bill if they had not been in the coalition. Liberal Democrat activists and some MPs are concerned about the party leadership's backing for a VAT rise, which they opposed at the general election, and cuts to school buildings programmes.

It all goes to strongly suggest principles have been sold out for a ministerial limo. Surely a betrayal of every Liberal Democrat voter. How the Liberals must fear the next ballot box.

Friday 9 July 2010

Voting Liberal 'Pointless'

The BBC reports Liverpool Lib Dem council leader Warren Bradley saying he fears people will see no point in voting for the party after it formed the coalition government.

Pointing to the cancellation of school building projects Mr Bradley rightly suggests Liberal ministers are collaborating in policies that typical Liberal voters would soundly oppose.

It does appear that to gain their first sniff of power in the best part of a century, and for a referendum on voting reform of the mildest possible kind, Liberal MPs have been only too willing to sell out on supporters' core principles.

School Building Program Fiasco

Coalition Education Minister Michael Gove has been forced to make a humiliating apology after issuing a list of school building works cancellations that was littered with errors.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/10549400.stm

Not only does the fiasco raise serious questions over the competence of the current administration but the whole cancellation of scheduled building works illustrates how little priority the coalition gives to the education of today's youngsters and the society of the future.

Tuesday 6 July 2010

The Great Referendum Rip-Off

Great news that a referendum is to be held on making the UK's ridiculous voting system marginally better by moving to AV.

But already the vested interests are out in force trying to rig the thing.

Tory MP Bernard Jenkin complains that holding the vote on the same day as local & Scottish and Welsh parliamentary elections would "artificially inflate the turnout". And there was us thinking Democratic politicians actually wanted high turnouts in order to better represent the will of the governed!

The dinosaurs are also trying to impose an arbitrary "threshold", so that even if a majority of voters back change, the status quo could still win. The "threshold" would work by requiring the proposal to change the voting system to not only win the referendum but get the support of 40% of everyone on the voting register - including those who didn't vote. In effect this would mean that non-voters would count as opponents of reform and would give opponents of reform a massive advantage in the referendum campaign.

Oppose the stitch-up - http://www.takebackparliament.com/

Humiliating coalition climbdown over 55% rule

Yesterday Nick Clegg announced a major coalition climbdown by making it possible for a simple majority of MPs to dismiss parliament (Nick Clegg retreats on no-confidence votes).

On the positive side it is at least reassuring that our lords and masters are willing to respond to widepsread criticism.

But isn't it extremely concerning that this highly educated elite lacked the foresight to realize that a government that couldn't command a majority would effectively be unable to function, they would be useless but immovable.

Thursday 1 July 2010

Minister's Hillsborough Insult

Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt praised the England fans at the 2010 World Cup saying the "terrible problems" of "Heysel and Hillsborough in the 1980s seem now to be behind us".

The implications of Hunt's remarks are that hooliganism was in some way to blame for the 1989 tragedy in which 96 Liverpool fans were crushed to death. In reality no fault has ever been attached to fans and the blame for the tragedy lies with police failings.

Hunt's remarks are an insult to the bereaved and all those there or involved on that terrible day.

Has Hunt offered to resign for such offencive remarks? The silence is deafening.

Has he been fired? The Prime Minister's official spokesman has said that David Cameron has full confidence in Mr Hunt.

A sad indication of what lies in store from this flawed coalition.

Tories Afghan Chaos

William Hague has said he would be "very surprised" if Afghan forces did not have responsibility for their own security by 2014, and that he did not expect UK combat forces to still be there by the time of the next scheduled general election in 2015.

However, Defence Secretary Liam Fox predicted that British forces could be among the last to leave Afghanistan and "strategic patience" was required. He urged the UK and its Nato allies to "hold our nerve" and show the resolve to "see the job through".

Quite apart from the obvious truth that British forces should not be shedding their blood on Afghan soil in the 1st place (the campaign is driven by US economic interests and serves only to worsen Western-Islamic relations) the 2 statements are clearly at odds. Either the forces stay until the job is done, or they leave by 2014!

If I was a soldier stationed in Afghnistan I would be horrified that my supreme command shamefully didn't appear to be of a consistent mind on such a life or death issue as this campaign.

Liberal VAT Hypocrisy

Remember the election campaign? It wasn't so long ago.


Nick Clegg and the Liberals quite properly campaigned AGAINST any rise in VAT.

Fast forward the 1st coalition budget. Tory chancellor Osborne announces the tax is to rise from 17.5% to 20%. Guess what? Clegg's Liberals fall tamely in line. Although to their credit a few decent liberals did protest.

VAT hits the poor disproportionatly because our non-discretionary costs, ie wnat we NEED to survive, are about the same - rich or poor. So it is unfair.

Typical Tory tax, sadly suppoted by their unlikely liberal bedfellows.

The first cracks may have been plastered over but keeping this coalition going will be harder than keeping the Titanic afloat after it met the iceberg.