Zimbabwe and Mbeki

It seems that Thabo Mbeki has now jumped in to defend Robert Mugabe, scratch the surface of an African democrat and there is a raging lunatic despot waiting to spring forth. According to this report Mbeki has sent a snotty letter to George Bush for being nasty to that nice Mr Mugabe, and for being disrespectful to the people of Zimbabwe for daring to criticise Mugabe.

Forgive me but a country's president starving his own people half to death, and rigging election after election, is hardly showing immense respect to his people. And with the rate of decline in South Africa I would have thought Mbeki would have enough on his plate sorting his own mess out.

On gaining independence in Zimbabwe, and the subsequent end of apartheid in South Africa, the world thought that both countries would prosper and break the tradition of wealthy and relatively stable African countries gaining self-government then sliding into poverty and dictatorship. How wrong the world was.

Fascists in the Town Halls-Memories

The recent spate of incredibly lunatic actions from local authorities sent me off meandering down memory lane. I was elected to Lancaster City Council in May 1999, when plans for warding off the civilisation ending 'millenium bug' were in full swing. For my sins I was on the Audit and Support Services committee, which I was soon to chair.

At one of our first meetings the CEO was rambling on and on and on. To relieve the sheer tedium a colleague came out with a flippant remark which got us tittering like naughty schoolboys, you know the situation I am sure. We were duly rebuked for not taking the 'millenium bug' seriously.

The CEO then announced that the council wished to spend £30,000 issuing booklets to every household containing emergency telephone numbers should the worst happen. I questioned the wisdom of this as the numbers were already in local telephone directories. This sent the CEO into a frenzy about our group not taking the matter seriously culminating in the statement that: "The whole telcommunications system could possibly crash at midnight on the millenium!"

The irony was obviously too subtle, he never did see it.

Fascists in the Town Halls

I'm beginning to think that these stories are now being planted just to see if I fall for them. Or is that paranoia?

Fascists in the Town Halls

The late DDR communist dictator Eric Honecker, his spirit lives on in British town halls.

Tameside MBC, which is just to the east of Manchester, must take a bow as the biggest set of morons yet, probably worse than Bolton MBC. This is the story of Joy Tracey, who put up A4 posters advertising that a stray cat was being cared for by her and asking the owner to contact her. Tameside MBC sent 'enforcement officers' (aka the Stasi) to threaten her with prosecution for not getting planning permission for the posters.

We really are becoming as bad as the old German Democratic Republic.

Fascists in the Town Halls-Wheelie Stupid

Can you believe this? A 22 year old woman fined £265 for putting her wheelie bins out too early.

Dim Sum Police State

The police in Taiwan are desperately looking for the guy on the left so they can prosecute him for eating noodles while riding a bike.

He didn't have an accident, didn't hurt anybody or anything so why bother trying to get him?

Bastards!

Crewe and Nantwich

The last weekend before the by-election and the UKIP battle bus is out on the streets full of literature, posters and supporters. Oh, and not forgetting the candidate, Mike Nattrass.

The last public meeting of our campaign is on Monday night at Nantwich Town FC where Nigel Farage, Party Leader, will be speaking along with Mike. Kick-off 7-30pm

Manchester-So Much To Answer For

So Manchester United have been told to scrap their plans for a homecoming tour of the city following next week's cup final thanks to those loveable 'fans' from north of the border. I'm always amazed at the media love fest with Scottish football fans. Every time a Scottish club visits Manchester there is serious trouble, but their reputation remains untarnished.

At least there will be one benefit from the trouble earlier this week, nonsensical talk of Rangers and Celtic joining the English league should finally end. Do we really want, drunken, sectarian, violent bigots playing every week in England? OK, so Leeds United are already playing in England but thankfully not in the Premier League!

Police State

Here is the story of a man in Tredworth whose car was two inches over his drive, so the authorities came to take it away for destruction as it wasn't taxed, idiots! He sawed the car in half and told them to take away the rear half as that was the 'illegal' part.

Five police cars came to deal with him. So you know what to do next time you're burgled, tell Plod that your car is illegally parked outside your house and that you are about to saw it in half.

The French

Mr Rude (Left)

This story really says all you need to know about the French. The Mr Men are back with an addition, Mr Rude who speaks with a French accent. It seems that he will encourage children to pull his finger which will make him break wind. The French embassy don't think it will help Anglo-French relations. But then again the fact that France exists doesn't help Anglo-French relations.

Which reminds me of this schoolboy howler:

Q. Why did de Gaulle have Greek letters on his cap?
A. Because he would have looked stupid with French letters on it.

Crewe and Nantwich Meetings

Bob Spink, UKIP's first MP, will be speaking at the Crewe Arms Hotel (opposite the station) on May 12 in support of our by-election candidate Mike Nattrass.

There will be a second public meeting on 19 May at Nantwich Town FC. The guest speaker will be Nigel Farage MEP, Party Leader. Both meetings begin at 7-30pm.

If you would like to help the campaign office is at 121 Nantwich Road, Crewe (1/2 mile from the station). Tel: 01270 211007.

Hard Labour in Crewe

Since the Labour Party so tastelessly called the Crewe and Nantwich by-election, even before the late Gwyneth Dunwoody has been buried, people have been trying to work out why they have acted with such speed.

One thought has crossed my mind. They knew they were in for a drubbing in the locals so that had no bearing, one way or the other, on the decision. They are also likely to lose the mayoral election in London, which may have more of a bearing on the decision to move the writ so quickly.

Labour HQ called for prospective candidates' CVs to be sent in by Thursday, the writ only being moved on Wednesday. The shortlisting is taking place today (Friday) with selection taking place on Saturday. Now is all this just a Machiavellian way to keep an unemployed, former London mayor from getting in there?

Police State

Police (left) arrest a postman for not wearing Post Office issue underpants.


The next time you are the victim of a crime that the police are so busy they can't respond to, consider this story. Then claim that you are reporting a postal worker who is not wearing Post Office issue shorts and they will be round in a flash.

Crewe and Nantwich

Here we go!

UKIP are fighting our first by-election in the North West since 2000, when I was the candidate in the Preston by-election. Despite the fact that Gwyneth Dunwoody, the deceased MP, has yet to be buried Labour yesterday called the by-election for May 22.