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.

Town to Change Name?

When I saw that Lunt in Merseyside wanted to change it's name I wasn't surprised. The people of Southport also want out of Merseyside too.

But no, it's the name Lunt they want changing according to this story. It seems that vandals keep changing the signs to something rude.

The United Nations

If you still have any doubt that the UN is thoroughly corrupt and unreformable then please read this.

Time to abolish it or at least for the UK to withdraw.

US Election

I just had to nick the following from The Remittance Man. If you don't visit this blog, with lovely views too, then you really should.

A Dane’s view of the US elections

We in Denmark cannot figure out why you in the USA are even bothering to hold an election.
On one side, you have a bitch who is a lawyer, married to a lawyer, and a lawyer who is married to a bitch who is a lawyer.

On the other side, you have a true war hero married to a woman with a huge chest who owns a beer distributorship.

Is there a contest here?

Danes have always struck me as eminently perspicacious fellows.

Police State

Police (left) arrest a Londoner for having eyes too close together. Officer Dibble said: "He definitely looks like the type of person that might commit a crime one day!"

Yet another poor innocent is raided by the police at 3-00am, dragged down the nick and locked up for 11 hours. Eventually Officer Dibble blushes, apologises and sends the poor sod home.

Now, far from belittling theft of anything, but is it really necessary to raid the home of somebody suspected of nicking a telly at 3-00 in the morning? I grew up thinking that's the time you raid train robbers' houses, or IRA suspects. In a case such as this why not pop round his house in the afternoon for a chat and a cup of tea, a bit more Dixon of Dock Green than Sweeney. Sadly it seems that the police, with the help of 10 years of New Labour, have lost all sense of proportion. Or are they just a bunch of mindless bastards?

Letters to the Editor

Being snowed under with elections at the moment, there are no elections in my vicinity but there are elsewhere in the North West of England, time is a bit short. To cut corners I am posting some stuff that has appeared in the local paper recently.

This one may sound fractured, between Fairtrade and the EU, but that was the editing. I did link them more clearly in my original, honest guv!

And this is the response from Gina Dowding, a Green who I was on the council with in Lancaster from 1999 to 2003.

As ever I think the Green response proves my point.

Bob Spink MP

Great news today. Bob Spink MP, former Tory, has joined the UK Independence Party giving us our first Member of Parliament. I particularly agree with his opposition to abortion.

Read all about it!

This is Wheelie, Wheelie Stupid

Members of Cumbria Police's crack Wheelie Bin Squad (left) arrest a council tax payer after being informed that his wheelie bin was an inch higher than allowed on the day of collection. The leader of Copeland Borough Council, Councillor Richard Head, praised the officers for their bravery after the dawn raid that led to the arrest.

But seriously Copeland Borough Council takes the prize for being the biggest bunch of prats and the most useless council in the UK. Some poor sod has now got a criminal record for having his wheelie bin lid raised four inches because it was overfull. If you don't believe it read this.

Of course Dick Head is not the leader of Copeland Borough Council, I made that up. It's actually Councillor Elaine Woodburn who can be contacted on: 01946 820861. Or by email at: ewoodburn@copelandbc.gov.uk

Alternatively should you wish to confirm this story Copeland Borough Council can be contacted on: 0845 054 8600. Or: info@copelandbc.gov.uk

Poor Old Plod

As public confidence in the police plummets this happens. A "crack" unit of Manchester's finest anti-drug police do a dawn raid in Bolton. But instead of finding a sordid den of iniquity they find a poor old dinner lady having a nice quiet brew before departing to feed the local school kids. With a quick "whoops sorry love" they left and, hopefully, headed for the right house. With police being more "dope" than "crack" these days is it any wonder we are fast losing faith in them.

Which reminds me of a sign I saw last week outside a garden centre. It read:

Top quality weed free

I turned back thinking this must be some kind of Howard Marks type legalise cannabis stunt but underneath it continued:

top soil in stock now.

Nice One Banksy

Here is the story of the latest stunt by guerrilla artist Banksy.

As you can see, it is a particularly fine piece of graffiti that involved the artist erecting temporary scaffolding to work on a Post Office depot wall above Oxford Street.

What a class protest.

Back from Rehab

Left is the famous painting by Edward Munch, The Scream. I'm convinced it is actually a painting of an English tourist looking at the prices on a Norwegian restaurant menu.

Having experienced Norway this weekend I can only liken it to some kind of huge rehabilitation centre, a picturesque one but not for the weak, unless you are terribly rich.

We went through the ritual humiliation that is airport security and a few hours later trundled into Oslo, not quite as picturesque as the countryside en route, but still, a new city to explore. The rehab. feeling hits you when you look at the menu in the first 'reasonably priced' restaurant that you have been recommended. Hunger pangs tend to disappear when you see that starters cost £12 or more, and the cheapest wine is over £20 per bottle. So you check that you are converting the currency correctly. And you are. You check that this is actually the 'reasonably priced' restaurant that was recommended. And it is. And so the weekend progressed, with minimal alcohol consumption and massive calorie intake reduction, the driest weekend I've had in decades, rehabilitation!

Apart from the cost, oh yes beer around £7 per pint, Oslo is well worth a weekend, especially the Munch Museum, a touch of irony there, and the Resistance Museum. But I came back with the distinct feeling that airport security confiscating a 125cl bottle of deodorant, because the limit is 100cl, is not going to stop a repeat of 9/11. Afraid airport security is now so oppressive that I no longer wish to go by plane , it's ferries and trains in future.

The United Nations

For a very long time I have believed that the United Nations is a sham, its existence seems to be solely to give assorted tyrants and unsavoury Third World despots the chance to lord it over the Western democracies, with special venom reserved for Israel.

This article from the Spectator very nicely proves the point. It's about time the whole thing was ripped apart and consideration given to John McCain's suggestion of a League of Democracies. However, I suspect any new organisation would end up just as corrupt and undemocratic as other supranational bodies, such as the EU, so would favour loose alliances as and when we feel they would benefit us.

Who knows, if the Spectator carries on with a line like this, I may even renew my subscription, cancelled after the Cameron grovelling current editor, Matthew d'Ancona took control.

The Guardian

I want to make it clear that I do not read The Guardian, I think it is vile and patronising. However, I do read The Week which I can thoroughly recommend, and there are usually articles in there from The Guardian.

Yesterday I spent 6 hours on a train travelling to London and back, not for the sheer fun of it but for a work related meeting. As a consequence I read The Week from cover to cover and was appalled to read an article, from The Guardian, by Seumas Milne. By the way the name Seumas is just one of several Celtic versions of James. I can't find an electronic version of the article so here is the gist of it.

Milne argues that the radical left should now turn to religion in order to bring about the change it desires. Previously religions have traditionally backed the state and the etablished order, but times have changed. He cites the Catholic church attacking "savage Capitalism" and urges the left, who have traditionally been atheistic if not violently opposed to religion, that "the Left's struggle should take place within religion, not against it".

Lovely article that superbly highlights the complete stinking hypocrisy and moral bankruptcy of The Guardian, Seumas Milne and Socialism in all its forms.

Yet Another Data Shambles

Thanks to Mark Wadsworth who has this piece, or similar, on his blog.

I have an account with HSBC and have had some really annoying episodes with them. Only last week I threatened to take my account to another bank then remembered, I have tried most banks and they are all pretty abysmal.

This though could be the clincher. Just goes to show that crass incompetence is not the sole preserve of the public sector.

Obamamine

I couldn't resist this one. It is shamelessly lifted from Joey's Pheisty Blog, which is well worth a visit.

Chinese Olympics

In 1938 the England football team were asked to give the Nazi salute in Berlin before a game against Germany. It is still a shameful episode that occasionally haunts English football. Admittedly many people now look back with regret at the naivety of kowtowing in this way to Hitler.

This weekend a collection of sportsmen and celebrities took part in a similar action, this time a sop to the totalitarian dictators who govern China. They did it by carrying the Olympic Torch, on its relay route to China, and did it on British soil.

The Chinese government have called the demonstrations against this abomination "vile". Let's just put their vocabulary down to poor translation should we? Because what is really "vile" is the way the Chinese government subjugates its people, be they Tibetans, Christians or people who are even mildly critical of the regime.

And now that sport as a whole has sold itself to the highest bidder, the President of the IOC called for a peaceful resolution in Tibet, but saved his harshest comments for the demonstrators in London who stood in support of Tibet. His comments about them were: "it is not compatible with the values" of the Olympic Games. Well what about the mass slaughter and attacks on basic freedoms and human rights carried out, on a daily basis, by the Chinese government? How do they fit in with the Olympic ideals?

70 years on we have learned absolutely nothing.

Let Them Eat Cake

We have friends who have emigrated to New Zealand, indeed every week we seem to hear of somebody who has gone to New Zealand. When our friends went we warned that the grass isn't always greener on the other side and guess what? The nutters are rampant over there too.

It seems that the NZ government have now identified a porky problem with their school kids and, in true nanny state style, at least one school has banned kids from bringing birthday cake to school.

You can't escape it by running to the other side of the world I'm afraid.

An Uplifting Week

I'm far from being sloppy and emotional but every now and then something happens to really renew your faith in human nature.

This week I read Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom. It tells the story of Mitch Albom's Tuesday visits to his former lecturer and mentor Morrie Schwartz, who is dying with ALS, or MND as it is known in the UK. Over the course of the months Morrie imparts his unique wisdom to Mitch on a range of subjects such as love and human relationships. It would be a hard human who wouldn't be moved by this amazingly touching book. All the more poignant for me as I worked for the MND Associaton from 1996 to 2004, and met so many brave people like Morrie.

Then this morning we shopped in Booth's in Carnforth. If you don't know Booth's they are a small supermarket chain, mainly in Lancashire and North Yorkshire, and they do an amazing range of locally or regionally sourced produce, especially meat and cheese. Anyway, the uplifting part was that there was a group of people in the car park doing free car washes while you shopped. It turns out that they were from Carnforth Free Methodist Church and do it once a month. When Mrs B. offered a donation they refused, telling us that they only did it to help people, not to raise money.

Quite an amazing end to the week.

Another Data Shambles

Here we go again. This time it's Plymouth City Council.

A member of the public found the sickness records of 15 Plymouth City Council staff outside a local pub. Ironically the pub is called the Bar Ha! Ha!

The council have tried to say it's not a big deal but, as personal data should be secure, they are "taking this incident very seriously". Even so the authority claims it "has very strong procedures to protect data and its procedures are constantly under review". God help the people of Plymouth if the procedures weren't under constant review.

As government continues to look at more and more repressive ways to protect us from 'identity theft' it becomes ever more urgent that we protect ourselves from government, be it supra-national, national or local government.

Mugabe and the European Union

It seems, according to this story, that Robert Mugabe has learned extremely well from the EU. Meaning, if you think you have lost a popular vote, such as a referendum on Maastricht, the Euro or the EU Constitution don't worry, just have another vote and the plebs will get it right second time around.

In this case Mugabe is hoping to have a re-run of the presidential election if he loses. Will the EU have the audacity to criticise him if he does?

Which reminds me of the old joke, that spelling Mugabe backwards reveals his Lancastrian ancestry.

North Wales Plod

What a superb irony in the news this morning. The North Wales police HQ, that haven of political correctness and heath and safetydom, has been on fire. Despite all the health and safety crap it was a mistake by a worker with a blowtorch working on a multi-million pound refurbishment that caused it.

My first thought was to find out if Brunstrom was the guy on the bonfire, but it was only a small fire I believe. But then I thought of a Downing Street petition calling for the worker to be knighted. But then I thought as it was only small he didn't deserve an honour.

Sadly the Traffic Taliban survive to fight another day.

People's History Museum

The People's History Museum in Manchester is one to avoid when it re-opens in 2009. Initially supported by Labour, the TUC and various Co-Op organisations it is undergoing a revamp and seems to now have a bizarre range of funders it sponges off.

It nestles on the banks of the River Irwell, a river that until not too long ago ran orange with pollution but is now part of Manchester's 'regeneration'. But cross the bridge over it and you are in Salford. Salford is where socialist revisionists now claim that the workers saw off Mosley's Blackshirts in the thirties in defence of North Manchester's Jewish, women and working class populations. The truth is the BUF were so strong in Salford they faced little opposition, had their Northern HQ on Northumberland Street and, when they closed their London HQ, considered Salford for their new national HQ.

What really makes me giggle though, apart from the crass hypocrisy of the left, is the strapline for their little people's museum. It reads: "A Revolution on the Left Bank". How very borgeois, and the Irwell is definitely not the Seine!

UKIP's NW Spring Conference

Left is the truck, courtesy of our Tameside Branch, that spent the weekend parked on Morecambe Promenade outside the UKIP NW Spring Conference.

Like Christmas there are months of planning and anticipation then bang, it's over and done. The weekend just gone we had our NW Spring Conference in Morecambe and all the hard work was worth it. There was a very definite feel that this is no longer a single issue party but a full blown party with plenty to say.

On the Saturday we had excellent presentations from Phil Booth of No2ID on why we must oppose ID cards and the database state, Tim Aker from The Taxpayers' Alliance on the scandal of local government waste and Marc Sidwell, of the Adam Smith Institute, on the damage done to the developing world by fair trade. The final outside speaker of the day was a representative of the Lancashire Police Federation, who explained the police dispute with the government over pay and conditions. On Sunday we also had a talk from Sean Corker of Manchester Against Road Tolls who outlined their opposition to charging and satellite monitoring of motorists.

UKIP speakers included Party Leader Nigel Farage, who attacked EU nationalism, and Party Chairman John Whittaker who explained the perilous financial position of much of the Eurozone. Deputy Leader, David Campbell Bannerman, ably outlined his work with our policy working groups and emphasised again our role as a fully fledged political party.

There were also excellent talks from Robert Woods and Lisa Duffy on the growth of Young Independence and a whole host of other UKIP speakers including yours truly, Phil Griffiths, NW Chairman, Fred McGlade, Hilary Jones, Rachel Oxley and the excellent father and son team of Tom and Michael McManus, winners of our first two public speaking competitions.

There was a bumper attendance with excellent company, good food and plenty of drink consumed. A fine weekend was had by all. Now on with the May local elections!

German Healthcare Part II

Here's another one from Germany.

It seems that a woman went into hospital to have her wrinkles sorted out but came to after the operation to find they had given her new breasts by mistake. It follows this tale of the woman who went in for a leg operation and came out with a new anus!

Whatever happened to German efficiency? Or is it some form of sexism? Harriet love.........

Please Harriet love, tell us you're joking darling.

So now the New Labour Stasi are going to hound you for sexual harassment if you call the barmaid 'love' or 'darling'. As ever the dead hand of the EU is lurking in the background, but it's nutty old slapper Harriet Harman who is responsible. Come on Harriet petal, tell us it's a joke. She's probably just peeved because even David Blunkett wouldn't sexually harass her.

Here's the full story from the Mail.

Where does that leave Alistair Darling?

Where is Newcastle?

It's quite incredible that the Department for Communities and Local Government doesn't seem to know the difference between Newcastle-upon-Tyne, and Newcastle Staffordshire.

It transpires that this beacon of government excellence gave £2m of our taxes to Newcastle Borough Council by mistake, when it should have gone to Newcastle-upon-Tyne City Council for encouraging local businesses. Quite why it should be rewarded in this way for doing its job is another issue.

The interesting finale to this fiasco is that the government is only asking for the return of £970,000 of the £2,000,000. So I wonder what has happened to Newcastle, Staffordsire's unexpected windfall of over £1m. And, if the government had informed Newcastle-upon-Tyne that it was due this £2m, why they didn't question its non-arrival.

Here's a tip for the civil servants. You can tell the difference by phoning the two councils, if the person answering the phone seems to be talking a long forgotten dialect of Swahili, that is Newcastle-upon-Tyne. If you don't need an interpreter that is Newcastle, Staffordshire.

BAA Backdown

Here is the story of the British Airport Authority backdown on fingerprinting passengers in the new Terminal 5. It seems that they now wish to photograph everybody going through the terminal instead because the legality of fingerprinting has been questioned.

Their reasoning for these measures is to allow domestic and international passengers to mingle in the terminal, then they can check that the passengers are who they say they are when they come to board domestic flights, danger of illegal immigration you see.

In other words, by piling them all together, and infinging their freedoms and liberty in the name of security, the BAA can make more money from passengers in their vulgar shopping mall style terminal.

Dismantle Traffic Lights

I have just been contacted by Martin Cassini asking for a link to an article I wrote earlier this year on 'shared space', or abolishing traffic signals, road signs and markings. He is putting together this website.

I also found this article that Mr Cassini had in the Times last year, which is an excellent read for those of us who want to liberate our roads.

Manhattan Declaration

Here is an interesting article from the UKIP website written by a colleague of mine.

It gives an alternative view on climate change to the current orthodoxy, and condemns the media's ignorance of the Manhattan Declaration, signed by scientists attending a New York conference on climate change earlier this month.

Police State

Until the Glazers took over at Old Trafford in 2005 I used to travel with my Dad, who was also a season ticket holder, to watch United in Europe on average about 2 or 3 times a season. Good fun and we spent a day or two in some great cities sightseeing and watching football with friends who were also on the trips. Since then we have had one foreign jaunt watching FC United of Manchester in Leipzig in 2006. Withdrawal symptoms have set in.

This week we were mulling over possibility of a sporting away trip when a weekend in the USA to watch our first ever baseball game came up as a possibility. But, considering the oppressive security measures now operating at US airports, that thought was knocked on the head, if I behave criminally then treat me like a criminal, until then no thank you.

So instead we are off to Oslo to watch a Norwegian championship game between Lyn Oslo and the quaintly named HamKam, otherwise known as Hamerkameratane, not a name that lends itself easily to pithy chants from the terrace songsters of Hamer, the club's hometown. At least going from Liverpool to Oslo we only have to show passports, and will be outside the EU for a few days which is a nice bonus.

However, this article by Nigel Rumfitt QC highlights a worrying development at Heathrow's Terminal 5. Here the Spanish owned British Airports Authority, and British Airways, are fingerprinting all passengers on domestic flights claiming it to be a government requirement. When challenged on this, as ever, the standard response is that by agreeing to use the facility you are "consenting" to being fingerprinted therefore there is no compulsion. How long before our airport security, for domestic and foreign flights, becomes as oppressive as US security currently is?

Yet another step in the direction of a full blown police state. Support for No2ID is now more vital than ever.

German Healthcare

Here is a quite unusual, if shocking tale from Germany. We complain about the NHS and its problems and many people seem to think foreign healthcare is so superior to ours. Well I wouldn't be too happy if I had gone into a German hospital for a leg operation and came round from the anaesthetic with a 'new anus'!

Teaching Unions

Easter is always enlivened by the sheer idiocy of the teaching unions who have their annual gatherings around now. The latest from the NUTters is to request a ban on army recruitment in schools. Even their own executive find that a ridiculous position, so it will probably fall.

Ask yourself one question. Would you prefer your kids to be taught by a regimental sergeant major or a bearded Ernie 'Che' Guevara loving Marxist?

A more useful position would be to ban trade unions from recruiting in schools.

Ireland and The Lisbon Treaty

As Ireland prepares for its referendum a colleague has drawn my attention to this video. It was made by the WiseUpJournal.com, a site or organisation I cannot vouch for, but the video, what I have seen of it, is excellent and contains interviews with some serious and respected politicians from Europe and Ireland.

Tibet, South Africa and Sport

As Tibet, or the Chinese brutality in Tibet, continues to make the news here is a link to the history of the conflict according to the National Democratic Party of Tibet. Although they obviously have their own 'spin' on events, I suspect it is more objective than the Chinese version and probably the BBC's.

Having said that here is also a link to a BBC broadcast of the demo, and attack by Chinese soldiers, that probably sparked the riots and growing unrest.

The problem for Tibet is that vested interests makes a boycott of the Chinese Olympics highly unlikely. The last serious boycott was of the Moscow games in 1980 over the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. Americans were forbidden from competing while our government 'advised' athletes not to compete.

Similarly, despite serious security concerns, and even doubts about the supply of electricity to the event, the South Africa Football World Cup in 2010 will go ahead, because it would be politically incorrect not to. Would the Euro Championships in 2008, in Austria and Switzerland, go ahead if they couldn't guarantee the power supply?

Sport is about money and power these days unfortunately, principle went out of the window a long time ago.

Now The Gurkhas

Here is a link to yesterday's story of how badly one of our servicemen, who married a Canadian while posted in Germany, is being treated by this government while he is away fighting their war.

Today the Gurkhas are demonstrating against their appalling treatment at the hands of this, and previous governments. They have been a proud part of the British Army for over 200 years but are refused, in many cases, the right to settle here and many have to return to Nepal after service on pitiful pensions. 50 Gurkhas are reportedly handing back their medals to the government today in protest.

Support the Gurkhas by following this link!

IRA and BBC

No real surprise at this report from Reuters appearing on St Patrick's Day. No surprise either that the Irish police arrested a number of BBC men in connection with paramilitary activity.

Last night I had the misfortune to watch the South Bank Show 'special' on the march of the Marxists in 1968. Seeing Melvyn Bragg brown-nosing prime t~*t Tariq Ali was truly vomit inducing, especially having heard Tariq The Trot on Desert Island Discs that morning also being brown nosed, that time by Kirsty Young.

Looks like we are in for a load more heavy duty slagging off of Western culture and civilisation, especially the British type, by the media luvvies in celebration of their failed attempts at Marxist insurgency 40 years ago.

Tibet

The Chinese are at it again. It seems that Buddhist monks on a peaceful protest are fair game for the Chinese security forces. But I suppose our government would look rather hypocritical condemning China when we are in Iraq and Afghanistan.

I have also been sent this link to Youtube, allegedly showing Chinese troops murdering Tibetan pilgrims.

European Champions League

Although the European Cup, as was, has been grossly diminished by the pursuit of cash, the quarter final draw has thrown some tremendous games up:

United v Roma-again!
Arsenal v Liverpool
Chelski v Fenerbahce
Barca v Schalke 04

Full story here.

The EU

More hot air here from the European Union.

National No Smoking Day

No idea what Al Gore is smoking here but don't go near him when he exhales, sure it must be causing global warming.

Go on have a cig!

Clarkson in lumber again!

Here are two names to remember: Adam Blake and Hayley Byford. It seems that they are claiming to have a photo of Jeremy Clarkson driving along the M40 while talking on his mobile. Not content with getting his photo they have now forwarded it to the Thames Valley plod who are 'looking into it'.

I bet they went to a newspaper to make a few bob too. What a sad nation of misfits we are becoming when people bahave like these two quislings.

Oath of Allegiance

The proposed oaths of allegiance, suggested in a report by Lord Goldsmith, are just more patronising pap from our political masters who have spent years demolishing any sense of patriotism and national pride. Now, when they realise that people are slowly starting to wake up to the situation, they try and nationalise patriotism and force their form of it on us, whether we want it or not.

Personally I prefer the understated nature of our patriotism to the organised flag waving, and other overt demonstrations of pride in one's country that others display, but each to his own. After years of political correctness damning all things British does anybody actually believe that getting pupils to swear allegiance as they leave school is going to make any difference? Would a pupil, student or anybody else who supports a terrorist organisation refuse to swear the oath and say why? I doubt it, they would just go through the motions. This proposal won't do a single thing to turn empty words into a true feeling of patriotism.

Lord Goldsmith accepts that there is a "crisis of national identity" but will not accept that it was caused by people of his ilk in the political class in the first place. Perhaps the timing of this ludicrous posturing is designed to divert the minds of the simple from the Lisbon Treaty. Or am I being cynical?

Ice Hockey

One of the things certain to get ice hockey fans on their feet is a good fight between players, either one on one or, as happened in Manchester on Saturday night, a mass brawl. Occasionally the crowd get involved too as happened here when Serbian hockey players took on the Lithuanian crowd.

But it isn't limited to Eastern Europe. Some of the worst fights, or best depending on your outlook, are in the USA with many mass brawls and one on ones on Youtube featuring American teams.

Perhaps MPs v Electorate is worth a try instead of elections!

Peter Hitchens-Prize Prat

In the Mail on Sunday yesterday grouchy old prat Peter Hitchens asked the following question:

"Why do respectable, educated people have anything to do with the moronic cult of football, a celebration of cheating, shamming, spite, crudity and greed?"

I try not to read Hitchens, or the Mail on Sunday for that matter, because the man is quite obviously a charlatan and a self serving snob. But for some reason yesterday I made the mistake of reading his column. I wonder when he ever turned down a pay rise because he had enough money? The man is spiteful, a sham populist and a grumpy old fart too . He is stuck in the Edwardian era with the look of a Benedictine monk trying not to break wind . So my question is:

"Why do respectable, educated people have anything to do with the moronic cult of Peter Hitchens?"

NHS Waste

Here is a link to a plea from one NHS hospital trust for the return of crutches by ex-patients, the internet is littered with them, pleas not abandoned crutches. In a small hospital like Cromer 12 pairs of crutches are lost each month and each pair costs at least £20.00. The Mid Yorkshire NHS Trust buys over 200 pairs per month. That is a lot of money over a year.

I'm particularly interested because this weekend I returned a pair of crutches to my local hospital, nearly a year after I needed them after a fractured calcaneum (heel). If Cromer hospital loses 12 pairs a month, I can only wonder how many are lost nationally each month and what it must cost the NHS. Surely a returnable deposit could be asked for. Or is that going against one of the sacred founding principles of the NHS? I often think it's a shame prudence wasn't one of the NHS's founding principles.

Hillary Clinton The Monster

Is it any wonder that people, throughout the world, are sick of politics when those working in politics have to resign for telling the truth.

Samantha Power must have a great future in politics!

Calling All Patriots-Especially Lancastrians

I am saddened to read reports, apparently emanating from Tesco, that certain traditional dishes are endangered species. This is a dire situation and I would urge all patriots to eat, eat and eat again to ensure their survival. If the nutters in Greenpeace can sail the seven seas to save the whale we can chomp away to save Lancashire Hotpot, cow heels and tripe and even Beef Wellington. We must then follow it up with lots of bread and butter pudding and/or spotted dick, two other endangered species. Not sure about saving sherry trifle though, oh yes go on, I'll be selfless and save it for others who might enjoy it.

Don't worry about weight gain, ignore the food fascists, they are only skinny because low fat this and skimmed the other is so tasteless they never eat it and starve.

Military Uniforms

There was a sad inevitability about the news that military personnel are being advised not to wear uniform off base for fear of abuse or attack. There are several reasons for this, a situation which is abhorrent to most reasonable people.

Firstly our government has frequently sent our forces into areas where most people in the UK believe we should not be. The government has used the armed forces to try and garner popular support. Even as the news about RAF Wittering broke Gordon Brown was talking about getting military personnel to wear uniforms off base to try and increase support for the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Thanks to the contempt in which most of us hold the political class, and the corrosive influence of political correctness, respect for our institutions is disappearing and, sadly, that includes our armed forces in some quarters. If the governing class will not listen, and people feel powerless, then the populace will direct their contempt, wrongly in my opinion, at that which they can see and reach. In the case of Afghanistan and Iraq that means the armed forces.

Finally, when you have a sizeable proportion of the population that does not accept our liberal democratic system, values, beliefs and culture, then you have an inbuilt enemy that holds that which we admire and respect in contempt. Internal conflict then becomes inevitable.

No matter how much we disagree with the government's war obsession, our service personnel deserve respect and much better treatment from the public and, more importantly, from this government.

ID Cards-Mad Cow Disease

Jacqui Smith (does she think that spelling her name that way makes her sound exotic?) has resurfaced with a timetable for ID cards.

On the radio this morning she was claiming that ID cards would make our identities more secure, so they are really for our benefit. Tell that to the millions of people who have had their personal data lost by various government departments.

As with every other issue, the government is reneging on previous promises about ID cards being voluntary too. Workers in 'high risk' areas will have to have them from next year but what is meant by 'high risk'? At the moment the government cites airport workers. But what about police and other emergency service workers? Civil servants? Bank staff who could open accounts and launder money for Osama bin Laden? People who work on ferries and at ports? People who work at oil refineries? Pretty soon a sizeable chunk of the population could be exempted from the promised voluntary nature of the scheme proposed by the government.

Then what about people visiting a government building, especially the House of Commons? People using airports? People using banks? Will they be told they can't without an ID card? But of course they can if they get one voluntarily!

From 2011 anyone applying for a passport will have to also apply for an ID card. From 2010 students and young people will be 'encouraged' to have an ID card.

If you haven't already done so please pledge your support to No2ID .

Referendum? Kick 'em in the ballot box!

Looking back on the fuss about the non-existent referendum on the Lisbon Treaty, and the furore will kick off again in the House of Lords, I can't help wondering what the fuss was actually all about.

The most useful thing about the campaign for a referendum was that it kept the issue of the EU and the Lisbon Treaty in the public's mind. That was why many of us joined the lobby last week at the House of Commons, not because of a belief that we would actually get one. That would have been delusional.

If we had got a referendum the government would have chosen the wording, and just think of the power there to manipulate the question in order to get 'the right decision'. And remember the vast resources pumped into the yes campaign in the 1975 referendum campaign, against the meagre resources raised from the public for the no campaign.

Think about the EU's record on abiding by the votes of the populace in referenda. Apart from the UK in '75, where the voters were conned and lied to quite unashamedly, wherever the voters have said "no" there has been a re-run and the voters 'got it right' the second time, ask the Irish and the Danes. Please also remember that the French and the Dutch said "no" in referenda so their wishes have been side-stepped by renaming it the "Reform Treaty".

The biggest benefit of these last few days, weeks and months has been seeing the political class squirm, lie and cheat their way out of the referendum that they all promised us in their 2005 manifestos. And I include the two-faced Tories in that, let's face it when they actually had the power tio give us a referendum, all those years they were in power, they never did. Anybody can make grand promises before an election they know they are going to lose, so don't let the Tories take the moral high ground.

To all those people in the three old parties who work so hard in a variety of anti-EU pressure groups, please remember that your hard work is wiped out as soon as you then campaign for your pro-EU political party. Kicking them in the ballot box, right where it hurts, that's the only way.

What a shower!

Gordon Brown and Labour.

Nick Clegg and the Liberal Democrats in turmoil.

Tory hypocrisy. They never offered a referendum when taking us ever deeper into the EU in the '70s, '80s and '90s, when they had the power to.

The Cenotaph and Abraham Lincoln

Each time I walk down Whitehall I wonder why there is a monument to wimmin when the Cenotaph, bearing the words To The Glorious Dead, is a suitable memorial for all. Surely in this day and age that must be sexist. Having said that I do recognise the significant role played by women, as well as men, in all wars that we have been involved in so I'm not being a male chauvinist pig about this.

In its way it is very similar to the statue of Abraham Lincoln erected by Manchester City Council in the dark Marxist days of the early 80s. Lincoln sent a letter to the Mayor of Manchester after the civil war thanking the 'working men of Manchester' who had helped defeat the Confederates by refusing to work with American cotton. Manchester City Council, in their wisdom, duplicated the letter on the statue but changed the wording from 'working men' to 'working people'. I call that a gross insult to Lincoln, and to history, and it typifies the way in which political correctness insults the people it pretends to help.

UKIP North West Spring Conference Part 3

Mark Sidwell, author of the Adam Smith Institute report into the misguidedness of Fairtrade, has agreed to speak at the UKIP NW Spring Conference on March 29/30. My post on his report is here.

Other speakers will include Tim Aker from The Taxpayers' Alliance, Phil Booth of NO2ID and Dr Sean Gabb of the Libertarian Alliance.

UKIP speakers to include Nigel Farage, Party Leader, David Campbell Bannerman, Deputy Leader and John Whittaker, Party Chairman.

For more information, and to book places, please contact the NW office on: 01524 387690 or email: lancasteroffice@ukip.org

Referendum Demo

How good to see two demonstrators climbing a crane near Parliament Square demanding a referendum on the EU Constitution, aka Reform Treaty. Well done fellas.

We have just had two chickens rambling around Lancaster City Centre this morning getting signatures on our referendum petition, chickens signifying Brown and the other politicians' cowardice in not holding a referendum. The response was magificent but don't hold your breath.

PS They were really our UKIP branch chairman and secretary dressed up, not real chickens, although they were very agitated when they passed the local KFC.

Social Anthropologist

Yesterday I was privileged to meet Dr Benny Peiser (left), who is a social anthropologist at Liverpool John Moores University. You can find out about Benny here at his homepage.

He was being interviewed for the magazine Brussels Bulletin about his views on climate change. It was fascinating to listen to a scientist who looks at climate change objectively, or from a sceptical point of view. Too many people are committed to the cause of green politics because of a political agenda, or because of vested interest, or they have been brainwashed into a political stand on an issue that is far too important for that. Interestingly since yesterday I have 'googled' Benny Peiser and on at least one website he is labelled a 'denier', meaning that he disagrees, or questions, current thinking on climate change. Check out his homepage and decide for yourself.

Immigration

Here is a link to the story of the government's latest deception. Their much trumpted points system for immigrants is outlined and then, towards the end, there is a "by the way it doesn't apply to migrants from the EU".

The truth is the government has kicked in the teeth, yet again, people from the Commonwealth and elsewhere, in favour of Europeans. Oh, but is only Europeans from countries within the European Union.

Another Home Office Data Cock-Up

A disc containing confidential data has been found, hidden between the keyboard and circuit board, of a Home Office computer left for repair at a shop in Bolton. Will they ever learn?

Read about it here.

Harriet Harman

Here you will find the whole question and answer session from the The Independent with Harriet Harman, the one where she describes Castro as "a hero of the left". It is worth reading the whole thing just to see how juvenile and petty the Deputy Leader of the Labour Party actually is.

To balance the often drooling sycophancy of leftie morons, such as George Galloway and Harman, towards Castro here are links to some anti-Castro/anti-communist blogs.

Direct Action

I think that Greenpeace and Plane Stupid are just that, plain stupid. Most environmentalists are barking mad egocentrics covering their utter self-absorption with 'love for the planet' and peeing off the rest of us in the process.

Having said that I do admire their tactics. As politicians ever increasingly ignore we mere mortals, the more direct action becomes our only course of action. We used to do riots really well in England. When did we go soft?

Lisbon Treaty-Mass Lobby of Parliament

Here is the BBC report of yesterday's mass lobby of Parliament. I, along with several thousand others, went to London to demand a referendum, denied us by the Labour government despite it being in their 2005 election manifesto. And they wonder why we despise politicians when they claim this treaty is different to the constitution.

Yesterday I met some fantastic people while waiting to enter the lobby. But I have to say that those decent people who are still in the Tory Party are sadly deluded if they think a Tory government would do any better, history says it wouldn't.

New York Philharmonic

Interesting to read here about the New York Philharmonic escorting Condolezza Rice to North Korea. Much more constructive than sending the bombers over there.

I've heard that that the UK offered to send opera singer Paul Potts, but George Bush vetoed that thinking we were offering to send numerous bloodthirsty dictators from Cambodia.

National DNA Database

Here is a link to the Libertarian Alliance press release condemning recent demands for us all to be included on a national DNA database.

Fair Trade?

It seems the Adam Smith Institute has produced another report on Fairtrade, and thank God.

I have always been amazed how gullible those liberal do gooders are to fall for this hogwash. There is even a town in Lancashire, Garstang, that proclaims itself to be "The World's First Fair Trade Town".

Fairtrade receives £2m from the taxpayers and is backed by numerous dodgy celebs., themselves worth millions but with very long pockets, but always quick to squander tax money. That says all you need to know about it.

Fairtrade is yet another marketting ploy that shafts farmers and farm workers in developing countries. But as long as pinko/green liberals, and loaded celeberities, get a warm glow they will turn a blind eye to the reality and grandstand, despite the real results of their actions.

The developing world needs free trade not fair trade.

Nigel Farage MEP and Sunday Times

I enjoy the Sunday Times, largely because of the entertainment provided by Rod Liddle and Jeremy Clarkson. Shame it also prints the bile of a 'journalist' called Daniel Foggo.

Here is a statement from the UKIP website.

Police Riot

Here is a report on Bolton Wanderers fans being attacked by Spanish police in Madrid last night.

Here is a link to the Eurogendarmerie website.

Eurogend is the EU's paramilitary police force but at present only consists of police units from five members states.

The following is Eurogends explanation of its emblem, taken from the official website:

"On a background of blue sky, the cruciform sword symbolizes the force, the laurel crown the victory, and the flaming grenade the common military roots of the police forces".

And the following is the explanation of its motto:

" EGF motto is “Lex paciferat”, whose meaning (the law will bring the peace) stresses the principle of the strict connection between the enforcement of the rule of law and the restoring of a safe and secure environmment, cornestone for EGF commitment".

Now I know that British football supporters have been a bit naughty in the past, and no doubt will be again, but believe me the European police can be pretty nasty. What should concern us all is the fact that the British police are becoming increasingly authoritarian, and football grounds seem to be the training ground for the militarisation of the British Bobby, followed by ever more 'robust' policing of demonstrations of which the state disapproves.

Eurogend points to the future direction of policing throughout the EU, and everybody should be worried. What happened in Madrid last night was not a one-off and scenes such as those have occurred here in the UK, and will become more common as the state becomes ever more domineering, powerful and authoritarian.

Diana Inquest

It isn't often I agree with Labour MPs, but in this article about the inquest into Princess Diana's death, I have to salute George Foulkes, Dari Tayor (who he? Ed.) and even the former Europe Minister Denis McShane for talking sense. Three Labour MPs talking sense, indeed three MPs talking sense, is a rarity indeed. They agree what a sham and a waste of public funding this inquest really is, and urge Mohammed el-Fayed to accept that it was an accident.

What a shame a few more MPs didn't object to the waste of over £150m on the equally ludicrous Saville Inquiry. That inquiry, set up by Blair, looked into the events in Londonderry in 1972 that became known as "Bloody Sunday" and was a peace process sop to the IRA.

PS Dari Taylor is a she and has been an anonymous Labour MP in the North East of England since 1997.

Is It April 1st?

Here is a link to the Travelodge website. Here you will find an article about the above. Yes, Travelodge have developed 'space age' pyjamas. It really isn't April 1st but I can't help wondering if somebody is playing games with us. Surely these are just photos of people from a third rate 1970s TV sci-fi series.

And does Travelodge really term itself "a retailer of sleep"? If so can I have 5 hours worth please? And does it really have a "Director of Sleep"? If so can he authorise the staff to let me takeaway my 5 hours of sleep rather than sleeping in?

One thing is for sure, if I had to wear pajjies like that I would feel far too big a prat to sleep a wink, even in a room on my own! What if there was a fire and you had to evacuate the place?

Chickens in the EU

Here is an article by Elaib Harvey, of the blog "England Expects", writing in The Brussels Journal.

There is an entertaining photograph of UKIP staffers over there dressed as chickens. They are making the point that the EU is chicken for not giving the population a say on the Reform Treaty by holding referenda.

That is entertaining, but what is very sinister is the following exchange between a freelance journalist, there to cover 'the debate' in the EU parliament, and the EU's Head of the Audio Visual Unit when the journo tried to cover the demo:

"You should not broadcast that interview".
"Why?" said the shocked hack.
"Because the film crew are employees of the Parliament and they should not be used to film dissent".

This exchange was overheard by a BBC journalist and her interjection actually saved the day. A fuller eyewitness account appears from the two links at the top of this post.

The Database State?

It seems this government is totally incapable of dealing with data according to this BBC report, even data sent to us by the Dutch police about very serious criminals. All the more reason that those of a libertarian persuasion, of whichever hue, should support NO2ID.

It seems that on this occasion the disc, containing the data, didn't actually disappear, oh no, it just went into a civil servant's desk drawer prior to him/her going off on a lengthy stint of sick leave. That's alright then.

As a sign of how serious the Home Office are taking this latest cock up staff are "believed to be discussing whether to make a statement". Well, don't bother if you really can't be arsed.

Are the non-Domiciled Rich and the City Good for England?

Are the non-Domiciled Rich and the City Good for England? This article was written by Sean Gabb, Director of the Libertarian Alliance, on his train journey to work this morning. Dr Gabb never ceases to amaze.

There is an interesting reference to Mohammed al-Fayed towards the end of the article, paticularly relevant as he is heavily featured, for other reasons, in the news today.

Kosovo Again

The Kosovo situation is increasingly worrying, as are the pronouncements of our sixth form Foreign Minister Milliband Senior, who is now claiming that the Kosovan declaration of independence "does not set a precedent". True it doesn't set a precedent as such, it follows precedents set previously by numerous countries following the collapse of Yugoslavia and the USSR. It also follows a precedent, set by the UK government, whereby terrorists are allowed to join the government, remember Northern Ireland? Well the new leader of independent Kosovo has a very dubious Marxist-Leninist past.

He also claims that the move does not encourage independence organisations elsewhere in Europe, such as the Basques in Spain or Macedonians in Greece. Well of course it does Milliband you nitwit! You can just imagine a Basque seperatist sat nursing his Kalashnikov, in his Ernie Guevara style beret in the Pyrenees thinking Kosovo today, the Basque country tomorrow.

The whole aim of the European Union is to divide and rule. It wants nations to be split asunder, so that they can be lured into its sphere of influence and control as they are supposedly powerless and vulnerable left all alone , witness the ongoing break up of the UK.

Another equally worrying aspect of the Kosovo situation is the religious element, as posted yesterday, which is being ignored by the media. How long before Muslim seperatists declare independence elsewhere in Europe? Wonder if Mr Milliband would then regard Kosovo as a precedent?

And on the wider European level have Miliband and the others recognised the danger of a belligerant Serbian reaction, especially a Serbia backed by the Russian government?

Spot the Difference

Here is a report on Kosovo from 1999.

Here is a report on the weekend's declaration of independence by Kosovo.

If you can't tell the difference try looking for the word "Muslim" in the current article.

Many thanks to Edward Enlivener for his comment. As I couldn't use his link from the comments page I have also put it here. It is from aljazeera.net.

Prince Charles or Asbahadur Gurung

Here is a link to the Telegraph report on how Purbeck District Council refused Mr Gurung permission to fly the Gurkhas' regimental flag outside his Nepalese restaurant. However, he was told he didn't need planning permission to fly the EU flag. Mr Gurung spent 28 years in the Queen's Ghurka Signals.

Here is a link to the BBC report of Prince Charles grovelling to the EU in a speech to British MEPs in Brussels. Perhaps it's time we sacked the Saxe-Coburg-Gothas and invited somebody like Mr Gurung to become our head of state. It seemed that during Charles's long friendship with Spike Milligan Charles didn't understand that Milligan was a comedian and not a royal advisor.

Of course we all know what the media can be like, so below are the contact details for Mr Davies, Purbeck Council's principal planning officer, just in case you would like to confirm any of the reports in today's press:

Alan Davies (Principal Planning Officer) : 01929 557261
alandavies@purbeck-dc.gov.uk

If you would also like to let HRH Prince Charles know that you disagree with his comments, or check if they have been reported accurately, he would love to hear from you I am sure, via the link below:
Prince of Wales-Contact

The Mosquito

Barbera Woodhouse-Minister for Children

Ed Balls-Dog Trainer

Here is an interesting article about something called a Mosquito. I find this quite disturbing but for different reasons than Shami Chakrabati of Liberty does. Mosquito is a device, of which over 3,000 are currently in use in the UK, that emits a high pitched tone that can be picked up only by those under 20. It is called a 'dispersal device'.

Now as far as I know it isn't yet April 1st, but I did have to check my diary when I heard about this on the radio this morning. I don't have the huge downer on young people that too many people in Britain seem to have. By and large I find them pleasant, polite and very civilised. Yes some push their luck a bit but didn't we all when growing up? Yes some are mad, sad or downright bad, but that applies to people in every generation.

Where there are problems with unruly youths we need to get the police working properly and, further than that, we need to get to the root of problems with antisocial behaviour, not use indiscriminate 'dispersal devices' that just move the problem to another area. And I would be pretty upset if I was under 20 and received a blast of high pitched screaming in my ears aimed at unruly youths around the corner.

The last time I heard of anything like this the devices were used for dog training by Barbera Woodhouse. Seems that in New Labour's Britain dogs and kids are equal, or worse the same.

UKIP North West Spring Conference (Part II)

Hamish Howitt , who is currently being hounded by the health fascists for allowing people to smoke in his Blackpool pub, will be speaking at the UKIP NW Spring Conference on March 29 in Morecambe.

Some of Life's Mysteries (Part II)

Every now and then things change, which is fine, that's life. But some of the changes I do find very difficult to understand.

Booking fees. These are an abomination and legalised theft in my opinion. Now fair enough if you happen to buy tickets from a ticket agency I suppose, they have to make their wedge. But why oh why do you get charged a booking fee when buying direct from the theatre box office? Especially when you buy on the internet and even pick up the tickets when you arrive for the show thus saving them postage.

On Feb 23 we are off to Manchester for the Versus Cancer night at the MEN Arena to hear Inspiral Carpets, Fun Lovin' Criminals, Happy Mondays and more. We booked the tickets, with a booking fee, then were prompted to request delivery method. I went for Fastrack, which was an extra £2-50 on top of the booking fee. I paid the money and lo, I had paid for the privelege of printing off the tickets using my own ink and paper. Bastards!

The other thing that really bugs me now is the way men have started towing little suitcases behind them like trolley dollies. Pick 'em up you feeble gits and if you're too weak don't go out until you've had a few good feeds and found a bit of strength.

Which reminds me that those poncy knots in scarves that men wear also drive me mad. Even when they are wearing t-shirts they have scarves on with that poncy knot. Wear it properly or leave it at home you plonkers.

Divide and Rule

By and large if people are left to get on with their lives they pretty much get on with each other. But this doesn't suit the Labour Party who were initially set up to pitch worker against boss. They desperately need to make various groups feel threatened so that they can play the role of great protector and defender of their rights.

So it came as no surprise to read today that Harriet Harman is considering tearing up their own race relations legislation to encourage black only, or BMEs as they patronisingly refer to them, shortlists for successive parliamentary elections so that their numbers are increased at Westminster.

They did that for women and look at the results: Harman, Jacqui Smith, Caroline Flint etc., God help us all. I can imagine the harpies and prats like Gordon Brown sat around discussing why they are all hated so much. Then one of them has the bright idea that 'BMEs' are under represented in the current crop of MPs so decide to make sure more of them get elected so they can be hated too. And there is a bonus, that way they can stick them in front of the cameras and accuse any critics of being nasty racists. Or is that me being cynical?

Either way welcome to modern Britain, but don't expect too much if you happen to be white, male and middle class. And if you happen to be black prepare to be used, patronised and abused by those who would claim to be 'looking after your interests'.

When they have finally destroyed any semblance of national identity and social cohesion, they can start building the society they really want.

Liberating the Motorist

Here is an article I have written that is featured on the UK Independence Party website. It was prompted by some discussion and comments on an earlier post on this blog.

Thanks to those who contributed and prompted me to delve a little deeper, especially Mark Wadsworth who has some posts on his blog along similar lines well worth looking at.

Lunatics and Asylums

The government's university secretary John Denham has admitted that over the last 10 years, which is since his party came to power, over £500,000 has been paid out in grants, and non-repayable loans (what's the difference?) to inmates in clink. So the answer if you have children of university age is for them to commit an offence, for which they are likely to receive 3 years, then come out with a degree but no student debt.

Except that a report by Sir Ronnie Flanagan, for the Home Office, claims that the police are so under-resourced they are virtually useless, which we know anyway. So your kids will probably commit the crime but get away with it. You can't win can you?

And in true New Labour style they have now decided to 'plug the loophole'.

Munich 6 February 1958

Here is the official Manchester United Football Club website's tribute to all those who died 50 years ago in that terrible tragedy.

Both sides of my family are Manchester United supporters going back to my great grandparents, and probably earlier to when they were Newton Heath. The first time my father saw Old Trafford was when my grandfather, who was a docker on the ship canal, took him to see what was left of the ground after it had been bombed during the war. My father was there in Manchester, as were the rest of my family, when the news of the tragedy broke. I attended my first United game at Old Trafford in short pants in 1965, a mere 7 years after the tragedy which was the year before I was born.

The greatest tribute to the Busby Babes I heard was from a former colleague in London who told me how, before Munich, he had been to White Hart Lane supporting Tottenham against United, but the crowd ended up cheering every move of the United team they were so entranced by their quality of football.

Who knows what that team may have achieved.

UKIP North West Spring Conference

Sean Gabb has confirmed that he will be speaking at the UKIP North West Spring Conference in Morecambe, Lancashire on Saturday 29 March. Also speaking will be Tim Aker, of The Taxpayers' Alliance, on local government waste, and Phil Booth of NO2ID , giving us an update on their splendid work so far in fighting ID cards and the database state. Other stimulating speakers have been invited but yet to confirm, updates will appear here and on the UKIP website.

On the Sunday speakers will include UK Independence Party Leader, Nigel Farage, his Deputy David Campbell Bannerman and Party Chairman Dr John Whittaker. There will also be speakers on the range of UKIP policies.

All this for £10 per day (inc lunch and refreshments) and £10 for the Saturday night buffet and social. To book, or for more info email: lancasteroffice@ukip.org

Let's Have A Giggle

Hope the following brightens up a dreary, wet Monday afternoon. Well it is in Lancaster.

The Pope, a schoolboy and an unnamed American President are in a plane. Suddenly the pilot suffers a heart attack and the craft takes a nosedive. As the engines sputter, the three passengers try to stay calm.'Well,' says the Pope, 'we have established that none of us can land this baby, so we're going to have to jump for it.''But there are only two parachutes,' says the boy, pointing to a pile of bundles by the exit.Without hesitating, the American President rushes over to them, takes one and shouts: 'I am the President of the United States of America. I am the world's most powerful leader. And apart from that, I am the most intelligent President in the history of my country. I have a responsibility to my people not to die.' With that, he leaps out of the plane. Now the Pope turns calmly to the schoolboy and says: 'I am already old. I have already lived my life as a good person and a priest. There is a place for me in heaven. I insist you take the last parachute.''No need,' says the boy, 'America's most intelligent President has taken my schoolbag...'

Kensington High Street

On the radio this morning I heard that Councillor Daniel Moylan is to receive another award tomorrow for his work on de-cluttering Kensington High Street , this link is to a full case study of the project.

In summary the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea removed much of the 'street furniture' that was misguidedly regarded as being essential for the safety of pedestrians, and bizarrely for motorists. We all know the masses of fencing, lines in the road and street signs, so the council got to work and, for once, it has worked.

It works along the lines of a project piloted in Drachten in Holland. It worked there by liberating motorists and pedestrians from constant badgering instructions and directions by, amongst other things, removing conventional street signs. It made people actually pay attention themselves and make decisions, rather than acting like robots. As a result in Drachten waiting for a bus went down from 55 to 9 seconds, because it speeded up traffic flow, and accidents dropped by over 40%.

Similar results have been achieved in Kensington and it is good to highlight, for a change, good work by a local authority. It is also more aesthetically pleasing, and what a way to prove greeny/environmentalists wrong.

Now, let's start using the same principle on every area of human activity and move towards a truly free and liberated life.

Government ID Card Plans Dealt A Blow

Here is a link to a leaked document annotated by NO2ID. It highlights the growing fiasco that is the government's ID card policy.

It's not terminal, yet, but we can hope.

Arseholes

Those naughty Liberal Demoprats are at it again. One of those naughty boys used the word arsehole in a debate in Westminster Hall.

The arsehole is Ivan Lewis, a government minister, probably for pomposity. He must have had a really sheltered upbringing because his comment afterwards was that "the use of such language is not only inappropriate but sends out a terrible message to young people".

I agree it does send out a terrible message to young people, that the MPs are so poncey they find the word arsehole really shocking. I grew up in Gorton, an old Labour part of Manchester, and kids then would have thought you were a right poof for using a word as mild as arsehole. Times have changed, perhaps we should send young people to Iraq or Afghanistan away from such incivility!