Political Correctness-Let's Have A Laugh

There's nothing better than seeing the self-righteous, sanctimonious, holier than thou come a right cropper. Recently there have been two great examples in Paul Elliott, ex-footballer, and the Lib Dems, personified by Lord Rennard.

For years the Lib Dems have bored real people rigid whining on about equality and other politically correct claptrap. Now they are embroiled in a dirty old man saga with four women claiming Lord Rennard, a Lib Dem peer, acted 'inappropriately'. Inappropriate seems to me to be one of those euphemisms so fond of the politically correct, meaning behaviour that they don't like, but isn't really bad. Example: Lord Rennard pats his secretary's bottom, that is 'inappropriate' behaviour, which is quite different to rape, or attempted rape, which is way beyond 'inappropriate'.

Then there is Paul Elliott, ex-footballer and professional black man. He has been given a CBE for services to political correctness. Since retiring from a very lucrative and successful career as a footballer he has whined on about racism on a regular basis becoming known as an 'anti-racism campaigner'. But he has just had to resign from various positions within the Football Association for, I love this one, sending racist text messages to a former business partner. Oh the sweet irony! I assume Aunt Lizzie will be popping round to Chez Elliott to get the gong back.

But that's political correctness. It's such a crock of tripe that even the politically correct get tangled in the ridiculous web they have weaved. Oh how we laughed.

Whining Chavs In Harpurhey

I had to laugh when I heard that certain people in Harpurhey, including ludicrous MP Graham Stringer, were angry about a TV documentary series set in the area. They claim it shows Harpurhey and the people in a bad light. Of course it does, the place is a bit of a chav craphole and they should either accept it or move out. If they think it's Wilmslow or Prestbury then they really should lay off the crack for a while.

Then today I saw in the news that two people, stopped for speeding, had tried to run over the police who stopped them before whizzing away. Yes, it was in Harpurhey. 

UKIP and Marta Andreasen-The Farce Lingers On

Farage or Petain?

The continuing comedy drama that is UKIP continues to raise a titter, just a shame a few people still take the party seriously. I first met Farage in 2000 when I was invited to stand by the local UKIP members in the Preston by-election. When I was introduced to him I instinctively checked my watch was still there after we'd shaken hands, he may as well have had the word 'spiv' tattooed on his forehead it was so obvious.

Over the following few years I had the misfortune to suffer his company on many occasions as he became increasingly megalomaniac and obnoxious. On one occasion he was lost in Manchester trying to find a hotel I had booked for him and his 'lady researcher', we were demonstrating outside the Tory conference next day. Only a clown would phone somebody 60 miles away and state that he didn't have a clue where he was in Manchester then ask if I could I direct him to the hotel. Obviously not, you do need a start point when giving directions but he was too dumb to realise. Then, when I suggested he ask a pedestrian for directions he told me he was scared to do that because there were too many Tories about and they don't like him. Man of steel? I don't think so.

So I wasn't surprised when Marta Andreasen MEP resigned on Friday to join the Tories citing Farage's attitude to women and his Stalinism. She's spot on. That led me to ponder the other UKIP MEPs over the years. It's not gratifying reading really, but in no particular order here we go:

Ashley Mote: Went to chokey for fiddling housing benefit prior to climbing aboard the gravy train.

Tom Wise: Went to chokey for fiddling his expenses.

Michael Holmes: One of the three MEPs elected in 1999, Farage being another. Holmes resigned as leader and left the party soon after being elected.

David Campbell Bannerman: Defected to the Tories in 2011, he was elected in 2009.

Nikki Sinclaire: Forced out of UKIP after refusing to sit in their group in the EU Parliament alongside assorted right-wing nutters, racists and homophobes from other European countries. I should declare that I worked as Nikki's campaign manager for three months in the 2010 general election and that I worked from 2004 to the end of 2008 for John Whittaker MEP.

Marta Andreasen: Resigned last week to join the Tories.

Nigel Farage: Too many scandals to list here, including putting his wife on his payroll without anybody in UKIP ever knowing, and certainly not knowing what she did when it came to light.

The problem is UKIP MEPs do very little work, they have some of the poorest attendance records in the EU Parliament and rarely attend or contribute to committee meetings. They have gone native and are now just a small group of people making themselves very wealthy, while doing very little, at our expense. No wonder they do nothing but bicker, stab each other in the back and resign, as the saying goes, the devil makes work for idle hands.

We didn't defeat the Nazis by joining them did we? Petain tried that little number in France and look how Vichy ended up. Sadly it looks like Farage is the latter day Petain leading a Vichy party on the gravy train they claim to oppose while achieving nothing for the UK.

George Galloway and Anti-Israeli Hatred

Galloway's the one on the left.

We've known Galloway is a barking mad scumbag for years, but he used to try and hide it. But since he was outed a few years back for consorting with bloodthirsty Arab dictators he's dropped all pretence of being a civilised human being, let's face it even the Labour Party find him beyond the pale.

But just when you thought the Bradford MP for the ironically named 'Respect Party' couldn't stoop any lower guess what? He does! Just watch this:



So you accept an invitation to debate Israel but won't debate with an Israeli? Whatever 'mad as a box of frogs' means, Galloway is obviously it.

Breaking Down Communities

Everything about political correctness and the modern obsession with 'equality' seems designed to divide communities and pit one group against another. Talk of community and society is cheap when we seem to be living in an era when disparate groups seem to think that we should all adapt our lives to suit them. It seems to be the tyranny of the minorities.

The horrific Harriet Harman has been at it again recently whining on about women only shortlists for parliamentary elections. David Cameron's been whining about there not being enough women in the Cabinet too. Personally I don't care what sex my MP is, as long as he/she is capable of doing a job. If I was faced with a candidate from a women only shortlist that would guarantee that particular candidate didn't receive my vote.

Then we have disability groups expecting the whole world to adapt on the off chance that a person with a particular disability is inconvenienced. I have every sympathy for people with disabilities, having worked for medical charities much of my working life, but there are far too many people working for disability groups, especially disability rights/pressure groups, who have a vested interest in constantly preaching at people. They are making good livings from doing it.

I have every sympathy with disabled people and have campaigned for disabled access to buildings etc. An example of the extreme I distrust was a case when I worked for a London charity a few years back. We had held an annual event in a particular venue and had spent many months with the management committee planning the event that particular year. A disabled person on the committee had taken part in the planning. But on the day he turned up, with a local newspaper journalist, and made a big deal about not being able to get in without assistance. We could have used a fully accessible venue and told the original venue why we had moved venue. But he wanted to be seen as a martyr.

Then there is the disproportionate amount of political influence gained by the militant gay lobby. Any criticism of gay people or gay lifestyle and the critic is branded homophobic. Catholic adoption agencies have been forced to close down because they would not place children with gay couples. The word 'marriage' has been redefined because gay people want to get 'married'. The whole of the population, it seems, has to change to accommodate the wishes of the militant gay lobby.

Racial politics is the obvious great divider. Criticise Islam and you're an 'islamophobe'. Criticise the levels of immigration and you're a 'xenophobe'. No place for rational debate, just stifle argument  branding opponents 'phobic'.

So here's one to ponder. I heard a black comedian on a comedy panel show having to say what reason she  had been given that  father Chritmas didn't exist. Her mother told her it was because she didn't want a fat white man with a beard taking credit for the presents she'd bought. I can't help wondering if that had been a white comedian talking about a black figure that she would have been branded racist.

NHS Brainwashing

The caring NHS?

The brainwashed NHS freaks are getting ever more hysterical as needless deaths in that huge nationalised shambles are exposed. It reminds me of a clip on the TV news a while back, where a reporter in North Korea mentioned the name of their latest bloodthirsty despot, and the assembled zombies smiled and applauded his name. How sad.

The NHS is no different to any other industry, it has good points and bad.



The NHS is no different to any other industry, it has good staff and bad staff.

The NHS is no different to the bailed out banks, our tax cash pays for it.

The NHS is no different to insurance companies, if I crash my car, or my house floods, repairs are 'free at the point of delivery'.

So why oh why when needless deaths in the NHS are exposed do the zombies, like their comrades in North Korea, start screaming about how wonderful the NHS is and how it must be defended?

To me nationalised healthcare means politicians are in charge. To me politicians are stinking hypocrites out for numero uno. Why then, do people who spend 12 hours a day attacking politicians spend the other 12 drooling about the NHS? I can only think , unlike millions of us, that they haven't experienced the appalling service provided by so many hospitals.

Oh, and for the seriously NHS brainwashed please stop getting paranoid about the Tories privatising the NHS, it's terribly tedious. Cameron hasn't got the balls.

British Democracy?

I've long since lost the fire in my belly I had for politics, which makes blogging difficult, in a word I can't be arsed. Our politicians are as bent as nine bob notes, we are ruled from a stinkingly corrupt Brussels, the system seems to have perfected squeezing cash and independent thought from the populace and government is hand in glove with big business.

Decades of socialism/social democracy have forged a dependency on the state that means we are no longer the masters, we are mere cogs in the wheel of the state, be that London based or Brussels based. There was one chink of light recently when UKIP announced they had been joined by a descendent of Guy Fawkes. Oh good, I thought, they might sneak him into Parliament to complete the good work begun by his esteemed ancestor. Alas, as ever with UKIP, he isn't actually a descendent of  the hero himself at all, false alarm.

I have often wondered why we still have so many MPs when 70% of our laws come from Brussels so was hopeful that the boundary changes would do the job and even things up. But the Lib Dems threw a temper tantrum and blocked the attempt at rebalancing our democracy. No longer are we governed by men with vision, a sense of history and a deeply held belief in freedom and democracy. Instead we are governed by intellectual pygmies whose decisions are based on personality, spite and vengeance, and stuff the electorate. This quote, from parliamentary sketch writer Quentin Letts about the boundary debate says it all:

"In Britain we have long flattered ourselves that we play by the rules. In the Commons on Tuesday, the rules were blatantly broken.

In the 23 years, on and off, I have been reporting Parliament, I have not felt so disgusted by our political class.

The behaviour of Mr Miliband, Mr Clegg and their MPs is worse than cash-for-questions or the expenses scandal.

Those were fuelled by small-minded greed. This is the naked abuse of parliamentary principle. This, I am afraid, is anti-democratic theft". 

Follow the link below to Quentin Letts' full article:


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-2270995/Ive-felt-disgust-political-class.html#ixzz2KIXtEMo2

The Flowers of Manchester

 

One cold and bitter Thursday in Munich, Germany,
Eight great football stalwarts conceded victory,
Eight men who will never play again who met destruction there,
The flowers of English football, the flowers of Manchester

Matt Busby's boys were flying, returning from Belgrade,
This great United family, all masters of their trade,
The Pilot of the aircraft, the skipper Captain Thain,
Three times they tried to take off and twice turned back again.

The third time down the runaway disaster followed close,
There was a slush upon that runaway and the aircraft never rose,
It ploughed into the marshy ground, it broke, it overturned.
And eight of the team were killed as the blazing wreckage burned.

Roger Byrne and Tommy Taylor who were capped for England's side.
And Ireland's Billy Whelan and England's Geoff Bent died,
Mark Jones and Eddie Colman, and David Pegg also,
They all lost their lives as it ploughed on through the snow.

Big Duncan he went to, with an injury to his frame,
And Ireland's brave Jack Blanchflower will never play again,
The great Sir Matt Busby lay there, the father of his team
Three long months passed by before he walked again.

The trainer, coach and secretary, and a member of the crew,
Also eight sporting journalists who with United flew,
and one of them Big Swifty, who we'll ne'er forget,
the finest English 'keeper that ever graced the net.

Oh, England's finest football team its record truly great,
its proud successes mocked by a cruel turn of fate.
Eight men will never play again, who met destruction there,
the flowers of English football, the flowers of Manchester

Poem by Eric Winter, taken from Football Poets

David Morris MP and Gay Marriage

I received a letter this weekend from my MP, David Morris, informing me that he had consulted widely and would be voting against gay marriage in the House of Commons today. I had contacted him some time ago to ask his position, so credit where it's due, he has consulted and listened. Shame he didn't on the question of an EU referendum, but eh, that's life.

There is still a problem though. On what issues should an MP have a core belief that will not be shaken? If MPs merely consult, then go along with public opinion then why not get rid of them and just have referenda? If I ask a candidate what his views are on a range of issues I want to know what his views are, not what public opinion is. Otherwise, how do we decide who to vote for? There are times when an MP must surely vote with conviction, even if it means going against public opinion, he must then justify himself to the electorate and either keep or lose his seat.

So I'm glad my MP will be voting against gay marriage today. But he still won't get my vote come the next election.

Foreign Police Chiefs

Allo, Allo......Allo

I'm as critical of the police as anybody but please, foreign police chiefs and chief constables coming in from industry? I don't think so. This government seems determined to piss as many groups off in this country as possible, at the same time ensuring Ed Miliband becomes the next Prime Minister.

I don't want a citizen of the US, Canada, New Zealand or anywhere else as Chief Constable of Lancashire. I want an Englishman and ideally a Lancastrian, certainly somebody who has spent many years in the North West and has some understanding of the culture and outlook of the region. The government, well the Tory part of it, constantly claims we have the best police in the world so why the need to recruit from outside the police, let alone outside the country?

This is not, before some nobhead starts, xenophobia. I would expect the authorities in the US, Canada etc. to recruit from within too for the same reasons.

Roll on 2015 and we can be rid of this nauseating government. But what about a foreign Prime Minister? Anybody got Robert Mugabe's number?

Leave Us Alone!

I am getting tired of charities and medical bodies trying to boss us around and interfere in our lives. This time it's a food charity called Sustain, backed by the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health

They are urging the government to slap a levy of 20p per litre on soft drinks. A levy is a euphemism for a tax. With the tax they squeeze out of us they want to buy fruit and veg for schools. Tell you what, you're a charity, raise the money yourselves and stop thieving off the rest of us, we pay too much tax already.

It's time a lot of these organisations that call themselves charities were reviewed. In many cases they should lose their charitable status as they are merely pseudo-political campaigning bodies. A decent government would carry out a wholesale review of charity law and the Charity Commission.

David Ward Lib Dem MP and Holocaust Memorial Day

Another twat MP. Thank you Bradford!

Well what an utter turd David Ward really is.

He accuses "the Jews" in Israel of "inflicting atrocities on Palestinians...on a daily basis".

According to him he was "trying to make clear that everybody needs to learn the lessons of the Holocaust".

The Lib Dems have "condemned his use of language".

Mealy mouthed shits Ward and his party aren't they? But what do we expect from Lib Dems?

Holocaust Memorial Day is 27 January!

It would be awful to think that Ward was merely ingratiating himself with the Muslim population of his constituency. Surely Lib Dems aren't such political whores?

David Cameron and that EU Speech

Having read the speech I can't help concluding that it was just  fluff and bull. In fact it was just fluff and bull, definitely.

I have debated membership of the EU over the years with Lib Dems and people from other parties, and Eurofanatics from the European Movement. Not once have I heard a really convincing argument for our continued membership.

The EU has kept the peace in Europe since 1945? No it hasn't, that was NATO, the Cold War and the threat of mutual annihilation.

We would lose trade if we left? No we wouldn't. EU countries would not refuse to sell us cars, wine and so on in a fit of pique if we left.

Europe is the sick man of the world. We need to rid ourselves of all the rules, regulation and bureaucracy that is stifling Europe and turning it into a stagnant mess. We need to be confident and look to the world, Brazil, China, India and other countries that are the economic future.

But enough, to Cameron's speech. Don't just take my word for what a load of waffle it was, read the full transcript here in the Spectator.

The New Puritanism

There has been something unpleasant happening in this country for a long time. Part of the problem is political correctness, which has oozed into our national life in a quite unpleasant way, but it has been allowed to happen because people haven't stood up and said enough is enough. We live in a culture where the worst crime you can commit is to cause offence.

There has been a fuss in the media the last couple of days because the BBC played a childrens TV show called Tweenies that featured a character based on Jimmy Savile. I have every sympathy for victims of paedophiles, indeed for any victim of a sex crime, but yesterday I heard a professional victim advocating all TV and radio recordings featuring Savile be destroyed. His premise was that programmes such as the Tweenies episode could upset victims of sexual abuse. He was abused and now runs a support group for victims.

I would argue that the man running the support group has reminded many more victims what happened to them by spending hours on the media attacking the BBC, many more people heard him than saw the Tweenies. So, by his logic, there should be no media coverage of sex crimes at all, just in case it upsets a victim.

As for destroying recordings of TV and radio shows including people later found guilty of sex offences where do we draw the line? We could wipe from the record whole chunks of our popular culture. Actors, footballers, singers and a great many people in other high profile jobs have been found guilty of sex offences. Do we, in the great tradition of Stalin, expunge the lot and pretend they never actually existed? Of course not, we would also lose examples of the work of the decent, talented many as well.

The Trouble With Political Parties

There's a bit of a kerfuffle in UKIP at the moment where there appears to be one of their regular purges going on. Those being chucked out in this current round of blood letting are those who have publicly backed the idea of 'gay marriage', which UKIP opposes.

I oppose 'gay marriage', although I believe that gay couples should have the same legal rights and protection as heterosexual couples. I oppose it on the grounds that marriage is between a man and a woman. I do  not believe that to be homophobic in any way, although the usual emotionally incontinent obsessives elsewhere on t'internet have called me, and others with similar views, homophobes.

However, I do believe that political parties should allow some leeway on issues of conscience such as this, and that UKIP have over-reacted, as they usually do. Why Cameron is so obsessed with this issue, which few other people in the country feel is of vital national importance, we can only guess. So I do not understand why any political party should force members out over the issue.

What it really shows is how dehumanising political parties have become. Yes there is a need for discipline, but there should also be room for debate and dissent, within reason. On any matter of conscience individual members should be free to take up their own position, especially on issues such as this, capital punishment, abortion, euthanasia and similar. The public are sick of hearing party spokesmen just parrot the party line, they want real human beings who can think for themselves. Sadly when independent thinkers surface in a political party they are all too often hounded out.

Lance Armstrong

I've never had many heroes, plenty of people I admire but few I'd call heroes. Lance Armstrong was one, a man who beat cancer then went on to win the toughest sporting event in the world. To see him fall from grace makes me sad rather than angry. What makes me angry are the people jumping on the 'let's crucify Armstrong the drug cheat' bandwagon.

In recent years I've lost count of the number of cycling books I've read, especially books about Le Tour, I recommend some of those on the current bandwagon read a few before they continue pontificating. I suggest especially Tyler Hamilton's autobiography The Secret Race, David Millar's autobiography Racing Through the Dark and David Walsh's The Seven Deadly Sins. Walsh is the journalist who initially, way back when Armstrong won his first tour, tried to expose his cheating, Millar served a ban for drug use as did Hamilton, a long time colleague of Armstrong's.

Armstrong has now admitted doping and has stated that he will have to spend the rest of his life apologising. It seems that his confession, and in all likelihood having to return millions in prize money, sponsorship and money received from successful past libel victories, not least against The Times, is not enough for the mob. The mob seems to want blood and won't be happy until Armstrong is dangling from a tree in Texas.

Yes he has now admitted using performance enhancing drugs. But most of the peleton throughout the nineties and up until recently were using performance enhancing drugs. That doesn't make it right, but many riders, such as Millar and many others, were eventually seduced into using drugs as they knew they could not achieve what they were worthy of otherwise. They saw rider after rider with less talent leaving them behind because they were not using drugs. Eventually they gave into temptation and many cyclists have faced bans at best, death at worst from using illegal substances.

Armstrong, as in everything in his life, was just the most clever, maybe the most cunning at doing what was almost institutional in professional cycling. Yes he was a bully in attempting to cover his tracks and his treatment of Betsy Andreu, wife of former teammate Frankie, and others was unforgivable. But few sporting champions are known for being soft and cuddly. They are invariably single minded, ruthless and have one interest, winning. This often translates into arrogance, bullying and a lack of consideration for others.

Sadly numerous Tour winners have been stripped of their titles after failing drug tests, not just Armstrong. In most years a new winner could not have been handed the title as so many behind the winner were eventually found guilty of using performance enhancing drugs too. Many previous winners, not stripped of their titles, admitted in later years using banned substances. Armstrong wasn't the first and it is unlikely he will be the last.

Armstrong has finally admitted his offences and could now face financial ruin and possibly even prison for previously swearing under oath that he had never used performance enhancing drugs. He must now cooperate with the authorities, rather than the pathetic Oprah Winfrey, and finally spill the beans on everything, going back to his career before he had cancer.

We must also remember that except for the dogged determination of USADA Armstrong would never have been outed and lost his Tour and Olympic titles in the first place. If he'd been from a country other than the USA he would probably still be feted as one of the greatest athletes we've ever seen, a seven times Tour de France winner. The US authorities must be congratulated for that, just as the UCI role in doping, especially Armstrong's should be independently investigated.

David Cameron-Unprincipled Coward

Clueless!

So David Cameron has bottled out of his long awaited speech on our relationship with the European Union. No surprise as he is the most unprincipled, spineless and cowardly Prime Minister we've ever had to suffer. He makes Blair look like a man of substance. OK, that's going a bit far but you get my drift.

So he hides behind the crisis in Algeria. What is he planning to do, pull his trollies on over his trousers a la Superman, fly under his own steam to the desert and single-handedly free the hostages?  With a ludicrously high number of government departments, ministers, junior ministers, advisers and bureaucrats don't tell me that, in this modern age of communication, Cameron couldn't delegate and still make his much trumpeted speech. No, the man is a charlatan and the Tories should bin him immediately.

The truth is that Cameron is scared witless of the EU and is terrified that it will be his downfall, which it must be if he continues to lie and hide his real beliefs on our relationship with the EU in order to pull the wool over the eyes of the electorate. The man is beneath contempt.

Human Rights? Don't Make Me Laugh!

They're a bit like the word 'fascist' I suppose, the words 'human rights', the more they are bandied about the more they lose any kind of significance or meaning. Question the wisdom of uncontrolled immigration from the EU and you'll be labelled a fascist by some swivel eyed pinko liberal loon. Dare to mention the Daily Mail and aforementioned swivel eyed loon will label it fascist. The Mail is not my paper of choice but come on, fascist?

Then we have the ludicrous obsession with human rights. There's a good argument against the tyranny of the majority, after all, if 51% support the slaughter of the first born in every household does democracy say that it should happen? Of course not, democracy is tempered by morality, which tells us it is wrong to slaughter the first born. But for decades now our system, including our system of morals, has been undermined. Militant atheism is one of the most virulent tools being used against our system and human rights are being used as a very effective weapon. What the modern obsession with human rights has given us is the tyranny of the minorities.

One example of the tyranny of the minorities was the forced closure of Catholic adoption agencies for refusing to place children with gay couples. These agencies did magnificent work for children and parents for many, many years but because of our Catholic beliefs the state closed them down by declaring it illegal to refuse gay couples the chance to adopt. The rights of gay people obviously override the rights of Christians in this country.

So what happened to diversity? What happened to the much trumpeted concept of people from all cultures, beliefs and religions happily living side by side? Great idea, unless you're a Christian. Then increasingly you are left on the outside of this wonderful world of diversity and tolerance. Surely, with any number of adoption agencies catering for gay couples, there is room for agencies who object on grounds of conscience? Couldn't gay couples just find an agency that would help them adopt? What next, close down Catholic churches unless they cater for Jews, Muslims, Hindus, Sikhs and so on?

This week we have had the results from the European Court of Human Rights. Again, in two of the four cases the rights of Christians were trampled on in order to support the rights of gay people. Surely on grounds of conscience, and in the interests of diversity and freedom of choice, people should be allowed to decline to marry gay couples or to provide them sex counselling? As with adoption there are any number of counsellors and registrars who would have no objection to counselling gays or presiding over civil ceremonies for gay people so their refusal on grounds of conscience is not depriving gays of their rights. But these people have now lost their basic right to work because of their beliefs and consciences.

Increasingly 'human rights' are being used to oppress the majority. The more those two words are bandied around the more oppressed the citizens of the UK become. The police state is tightening its grip on an almost daily basis.

Christian Oppression Continues in the UK

European judges have ruled in favour of Nadia Eweida who took her case to the European Court of Human Rights after BA made her stop wearing a necklace with a cross. Judges ruled that the rights of three other Christians had not been violated.

The other cases involved nurse Shirley Chaplin whose employer also stopped her wearing necklaces with a cross, Gary McFarlane - a marriage counsellor fired after saying he might object to giving sex therapy advice to gay couples - and registrar Lillian Ladele, who was disciplined after she refused to conduct same-sex civil partnership ceremonies.

In a typical piece of cowardice the British government backed this oppression of Christians. A sad sign of the times in modern Britain. It seems that freedom of speech and conscience exist as long as you follow the prevailing politically correct orthodoxy. Otherwise all the talk about diversity and equality is just more bullshit.

I Smell Political Bullshit!

Prize for the most fatuous political bullshit of the year so far has to go to George Osborne for the following statement on why he, a multimillionaire, is happy to give up child benefit:

"I'm giving up my child benefit from today so that my children-and yours-aren't saddled with our debts forever". 

Job done then. But bloody hell, how much has he been getting in child benefit?

In a further bout of political bullshit induced nausea I got a phone call today from an ex-UKIP member asking me if I had the details of their regional office so he could rejoin. Interestingly he managed to get my new mobile number but couldn't find the number of UKIP's regional office. Says it all really.

Anyway he wanted to rejoin because they are doing so well at the moment. Stop the bandwagon, I want to clamber aboard. When I asked him how he'd come to this conclusion he told me how they were on 16% in a current opinion poll. I see, job done then, they've cracked it. Wonder what went on at the last election then when polls put them on double figures but they could barely muster around 4% in the election? Oh aye, an opinion poll is meaningless crap whereas elections actually see people get elected. Big difference.

My prediction for the next two years? The Tory media will continue to 'big up' UKIP and their threat to the Tories so that said Tories will return to the Tory fold for fear of handing the next election to Miliband and co.

If that fails there will be a series of exposes of Farage's sordid personal life involving allegations of excessive drink and Eastern European ladies of a very generous nature to Western European gents with big fat expense accounts. At least one other UKIP MEP will be caught claiming huge expenses for not turning up and another one will make an admission about unmentionable sex with an animal in a former colony when he was a callow youth.  

Not forgetting the home front a UKIP local election candidate will hit the news by advocating the chemical castration of homosexuals and the beheading of anybody caught wearing a burka.

Seems pretty much like business as usual then.