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Its the football season last week, after the dismal World cup campaign am I the only one who thinks the new season has arrived at least 2 months too soon - most of us would at least like to try to pretend it is still summer. Good luck to Leeds United, although losing last week wasn't the best start. Its still a long road back to the Premier League where they should belong. Unfortunately its a season where even more than ever success depends on which oil baron you have to bankroll the campaign. |
The EU has decided to fine various British governmental, voluntary and other organisations because they have failed to publicise the EU enough using the money handed over in the form of grants for one thing or another. I will remind you that the 'EU money' was actually ours in the first place; if we got rid of the EU and gave the grants directly it would cost a third of the money! However, the EU knows no bound in its appetite for self publicity and is so desperate for it that it will bribe us with our own money, on pain of heavy fines when we don't meekly fall in to line and co-operate. |
3 August 2010....'Call me Dave' has gone on his travels for the summer and has been blundering through his tour of Asia. Firstly he turns up in Turkey and states a desire to let the Turks into the EU, with all its consequences of unlimited immigration and financial subsidies this entails. Not only would we have a flood of Turks, but there would be also the Kurds, Iraqis, Iranians, and numerous others that have a rather porous border with Turkey. Next on the agenda is going to India and insulting Pakistan - our allies on the war on terror. Presumably the Indians liked it, but not what was needed for harmony and to secure the future of friendly relations with Pakistan. On the issue of Pakistan, my sympathies go out to those who suffered in the Pakistan floods. |
19 July 2010....Today Leeds branch announces some preliminary candidate approvals for the next council elections next year. For Moortown Ward we have Jeff Miles, a local businessman. In Alwoodley we have myself, Warren Hendon. We expect that there will be more candidate announcements in due course along with modifications to this website in the run up to this local election. |
 22 June 2010 ..... Tommorrow is the 'emergency' budget. It won't be a surprise that the Tories are planning to pick our pockets, allegedly to cut the budget deficit. However they have aready been shown to be weak when it comes to tackling waste, surely this would be a better idea than yet more tax? As we have said before there is a whole range of costs related to the EU that should be cut along with waste in government. At least we can give them a little credit for scrapping ID cards though. |
19 June 2010....England have had two games in the World Cup, and what a passionless bore. Come on our boys, start playing with a bit of passion and effort. If we don't improve - well England deserve to go home. I have still got the flag flying though. |
We have had six weeks of Clegg getting cosy with Cameron, and this double act already hasn't disappointed in terms of scandal, in particular the MP who was paying rent to his closet lover and claiming it on expenses. They still haven't improved! |
10 May 2010....A note on the development of this website, as the election is over I will be making only occasional updates over the summer. However, as there is an impasse regarding a hung parliament it is eminently likely that we will be doing battle all over again sometime as soon as this year. I would like at this point to thank all those who have given encouragement, delivered leaflets, helped out in other ways and of course those who voted for me. We will be back! |
Congratulations to Leeds United - promoted at last on the last day of the season, despite appearing to throw it all away in the last few weeks. |
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9 May 2010.... A brief review of last Friday mornings election count events - whilst I would have to say that I did not get as many votes as expected, when I got up to say a few words after the result announcement, I stated that we would be back next time, and we will. Still, its back to work again on Monday though. During the campaign I enjoyed the hustings event, plus some of the encounters with the public e.g. the bloke who said 'the Tory looks like a zombie' and similar snippets. Also the events handing out leaflets in shopping centres and market squares were good. |
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4 May 2010.... With the campaign we are now in the home straight with the election on Thursday. Remember that UKIP are the only sensible option if you wish to do the following: 1) Quit the EU and its diet of rules, regulations and beaurocracy. 2) Simplify government with all the savings that come with it both in public spending and reduction of interference. 3) Obtain a fairer tax system, whereby tax is simplified with taxes cancelled for the low paid and everyone to pay less tax, all this to be paid for by waging war on beaurocracy in general as well as the savings detailed on my 24th March item. 4) Proper controls on immigration, from both inside and outside the EU. 5) A crack down on crime with proper sentences for criminals. 6) Many more - just go to the policies page and read our policy documents and manifesto. |
Hello, its May Day and the sun is shining (or at least it was this morning!). As the election is in only a few days time, I can recommend you read our manifesto on our policy page (link above). Fresh ideas and straight talking for a better Britain existing as an independent nation without EU interference. |
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30 April 2010.... This evening, I took part in a 'Question Time' style hustings debate with opposing candidates at St Andrew's Church in Roundhay. A good range of topics was discussed, including the economy, schools, ID cards (which I am against) and the EU. We believe our message is getting across and is being well received both here and on the streets of Leeds NE. |
29 April 2010....Gordon Brown has been exposed with his true colours when he called a woman from Rochdale 'a bigot' for merely mentioning her concerns about immigration. Labour have done nothing for years about immigration, yet only now claim to care about it in their manifesto because there is an election. Gordon Brown's comment exposes Labour's manifesto promises on immigration as a sham. |
There have been so many leaflets, booklets and personally addressed letters from the Tories and Labour this week I do not have time to refute their claims in detail. However, there is meant to be an election expenses limit for the last 3 weeks of the election campaign approximating to about 15p per elector. Many of the individual items received have clearly cost more than this, particularly those sent through the post and those handled by paid leaflet delivery services. Presumably the relevant campaigns can justify their spending, however I think it is fair to say that at least the spirit of the rules has well and truly been broken. |
A brief review of the latest batch of leaflets. Two large glossies from Labour with the basic message of how much they have spent on various projects, but as usual forget to mention the amount of national debt they have built up - £167 billion for the most recent available tax year. Given that Greece is in trouble over its debt again, when are Labour going to get the message and stop overspending. The UKIP approach is to cut waste, beaurocracy, project such as ID cards and of course the EU whilst maintaining core services such as the NHS and education. Also we have the BNP - a party that has desperately been trying to sanitise itself from the charges of racism, holocaust denial and white supremacy. The BNP TV party political using Churchill was an insult to the great man, who led the defence of Britain but helped so many escape the clutches of Hitler and his gas chambers. |
The latest from the EU....They have decided that it is against their so called 'human rights' legislation to discipline children. Now the EU is meddling with how parents bring up their own children. As we have said before only a vote for UKIP is a vote to run our own country and get rid of this meddling. |
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25 April 2010.... This weekend, another in our series of days of action. This time we have canvassed Morley and Pudsey, with Moortown on Sunday. We are finding that our policies on immigration, crime and the EU are finding resonance with the voting public. |
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23 April 2010.... Today it is St George's Day. We need to slay the dragons of the past and the failed policies of the LibLabCon parties who have consistently let your nation down. As part of our manifesto UKIP proposes to make this day a bank holiday. |
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22 April 2010.... My condolences go out to the family of John Boakes, who has passed on from a suspected heart attack. He was UKIP's candidate for Thirsk & Malton, was dedicated to the future of his country and will be sorely missed by all. |
More leaflets from the Tories. They claim again to want to control immigration, but can't because again they won't do anything about the EU which forces us to take Eastern Europeans and has a proposed new Directive in the pipeline to force us to take those queueing up in Sangatte over the Channel. Also claims to want to save Post Offices - but the EU won't let him as has been written before. In his long discription of commitment to local people, why no mention of Tesco and their new megastore in Oakwood. Perhaps its because as Councillior he failed to stop it from being built, which will lead to the inevitable closure of local businesses particularly in Oakwood itself. |
Now its the turn of Nick Clegg (Lib Dem leader) to have revelations of dubious financial dealings - this time related to donations and his own personal bank account. Also regarding Nick Clegg - on tonight's TV debate he was heard to want to give amnestys to those who have entered Britain illegally (currently around a million according to official stats). So to gain entry to the UK it will be best to break the law under the LibDems, if enacted this would simply encourage even more unwanted uncontrolled immigration. |
| 22 April 2010 ..... Today it has been revealed that Labour ran up a deficit of £167 billion pounds in the last financial year. Labour have been overspending for years, including during the boom before 2005. Its a principle of sound finance that when times are good you save up for a rainy day. Gordon Brown and co have spectacularly failed to do this, and now we have several 'rainy' years the deficit is running out of control because there is nothing left in the tank to sustain it. Hence all these threats to downgrade Britain's credit rating which will make all this government borrowing so much more expensive. Remember the crisis in Greece - we could be next. |
Our latest leaflet is for my election address, which should be mailed to eveyone in Leeds NE this week. To view it online along with our other campaign leaflets, go to the leaflet page. Why not display it on your car or in your front window and show your support for the future of your nation. |
Defence policy - UKIP would end the shameful policy of sending our armed forces into battle without proper equipment such as armoured vehicles or body armour and give them helicopters that work. An end to the cutting of Britain's defences would be on the agenda with increases in forces back to our 2001 strength. There would be no merging of our armed forces into an EU army - currently proposed but swept under the carpet for this election by the LibLabCon paties who have colluded to support the Lisbon Treaty (renamed EU constitution). |
Quick review of this weekend's leaflets. This time the LibDems - much populist stuff whilst avoiding difficult stuff like the economy and immigration. Also wants to save our post offices but can't as they support the EU which has been decimating the delivery business by giving it to foreign competitors. |
On immigration UKIP will freeze most permanent settlement for 5 years whilst sorting out the mess created by the EU, and regain control of our borders. We will not discriminate against anyone on the basis of their skin - racism is repugnant to me as it is to any other reasonable person. We would maintain our proud historical tradition of supporting genuine asylum seekers but return the illegals to where they came from, something Labour have failed to do - by their own admission there are almost a million illegal immigrants currently in Britain. |
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17 April 2010.... The first in a series of days of action where we canvassed shoppers in Otley Market. A good response was received where our policies on crime, immigration and tax were welcomed. With UKIP you hear straight talk - not the waffle provided by the LibLabCon parties. |
This evening is the first of three TV debates from the leaders of the Tories, LibDems and Labour. Quite apart from it being unreasonable for UKIP not to be represented, especially after coming second in last year's election there is the issue of the debate being so sanitized that it became a plastic farce. There were no less than 40 pages of rules concerning the conduct of the debate resulting for example a hand picked audience that was not allowed to boo, applaud or give any other reaction to what was said. Why are these three so frightened of the people? |
On Look North the three failed old parties are in a debate wriggling over the issue of immigration and the claim that Romanians are needed on our farms. Each in turn one way or another claims to be doing something about immigration yet none of them can do anything about Romanians or anyone else from Eastern Europe because the EU is calling the shots as usual. Cut to Godfrey Bloom (UKIP MEP) who states that the farm jobs should go to British workers and if they won't do the work then no benefits. Pity our failed political class won't listen to such straight talk - as it would kill two birds with one stone i.e. reduce the dole queue, save on benefits and give a chance to cut immigration. Of course the EU would object, but then we want out of this don't we! |
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13 April 2010.... The UKIP campaign launch with Nigel Farage and Lord Pearson. Our wide range of policies are presented to the media, demonstrating that we are not just a single issue party. For more information, read our manifesto and short form mini manifesto. (note these are pdf files, you require a pdf reader and depending on your browser 'save target as' or similar). Alternatively click on the 'campaign policies' link at the top of the page. |
Today UKIP leader Lord Pearson meets Andrew Marr and talks about our policies including a fairer tax system that exempts the low paid from paying tax, our EU withdrawal policy and our plans to restrict immigration. |
Today I hope your bets are successful in the Grand National - good luck. In this election however there are some pretty old nags running in the form of the three failed old parties - Lib Dem, Labour and Tories. Don't drive them on to victory with your votes, make sure you vote UKIP instead. |
An encounter with a young lad delivering leaflets for the Tories - I did not have a go at him as he was simply doing what he had been paid to do. Don't believe that the tide of paper the Tories send you is because they have huge numbers of members trawling the streets - its clear that they can't find enough of them, so with their vast budget they are paying others to do it for them. Unfortunately we can't do this because we haven't got the rich backers such as Lord Ashcroft. If however you feel we deserve your support we would appreciate your visit to the 'Join or Donate' page (link at top of this page). |
Its suddenly open season on your doormat from both Labour and the Tories today. Firstly one from Fabian Hamilton (Labour MP) who talks about speaking up for pensioners over a lack of financial regulation, well a reminder Fabian - you have been in power for 13 years so why haven't you actually been able to say you have achieved something? I do agree about not invading Iraq though, but remember Tony Blair's infamous speeches about 'weapons of mass destruction'. Then we have a rather dubious letter allegedly from Gordon Brown, except it isn't, because his signature is just a colour photocopy so not a personal appeal for support! Makes more dodgy claims about immigration - remember the EU calls the shots Gordon, and he also tries to claim credit for recovery from a recession that is a good part his fault in the first place. Then we have the Tories, at least there is some mention of policy this time but nothing on tough issues such as immigration and the EU. And why is Matthew Lobley appearing to borrow ideas from this website - I stated nearly 6 months ago on the 'honesty and integrity' page that if elected I would publish all expense claims on this website. However, I won't complain, we will take it as a compliment that he finds my approach to expenses so good. |
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8 April 2010.... According to a Daily Express headline (and reported in other papers), 92% (i.e. virtually all) of the jobs created by Labour have gone to immigrants rather than local people. This exposes Labour's comical recent claims to be controlling immigration, especially when there is the EU in the background forcing Britain to have open borders particuarly from Eastern Europe. UKIP isn't against all immigration, but it should be strictly controlled to ensure that any new arrivals provide a positive benefit to Britain. |
More from the Tories...whilst I would agree that Fabian Hamilton's expense claims are outrageous they haven't exactly been saintly - do I really have to point out the castle moat and the duck house again? Also we get here a big photo of David Cameron and not much substance in terms of actual policy. There,s comment about rebuilding trust in our political system, well why not allow that referendum on the EU you promised Dave - then we could win an exit vote and make politicians really accountable! |
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6 April 2010.... They are off! At last Gordon Brown has fired the starting gun having kept the world waiting for so long. We will be ready for the campaign, with our headline policies of clamping down on crime, restricting immigration, fairer tax and of course quitting the EU. |
Happy Easter from UKIP. Whilst you enjoy all that chocolate (but watch out for Big Brother government telling us not to eat it) we will point out that its only a month to the election - assuming that its on 6 May when Gordon Brown gets round to telling us. Remember that all those telly ads telling us not to eat food (with that chocolate) along with don't drink, don't use our cars and don't smoke cost around £250 million a year - why not save this money and stop patronising us? |
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3 April 2010.... Introducing our campaign manifesto and short form mini manifesto. (note these are pdf files, you require a pdf reader and depending on your browser 'save target as' or similar). UKIP have a wide range of policies as detailed, so don't believe all those slurs by opponents that we are somehow a single issue party. |
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2 April 2010.... We have been accused of always having a go at the opposition, well whilst they do deserve it here is the other side of it - a quick summary of some of what we would do if elected to government. 1) Cut out waste, such as excessive government and projects such as ID cards. (NB see also budget suggestions under 24 March). 2) Use this to reduce the budget deficit and also bring in the flat tax system i.e. a simple system of income tax whereby you do not pay if only earning the minimum wage and a level rate for everyone above that. 2) Regain control of our borders and restrict immigration to those who can make a positive contribution to the UK. 3) Get tough on crime - its criminals that should suffer not their victims. 4) Quit the EU and save money as well as giving us in Britain the right to make our own laws and scrap thousands of EU regulations. 5) Fund our forces properly - an end to excusions to Iraq, Afganistan etc without proper equipment. 6) Many more - just refer to our policies as detailed on our national website - click on the link at the top of the page. |
Its April Fool from Alistair Darling on all you motorists out there. First of all we have the extra tax on petrol, as if prices haven't already gone up enough recently. Then there is the new first registration tax, loaded against British built cars such as Land Rovers rather than imports. Its all another eco con - environmental issues such as fuel consumption being used to justify yet more taxes. |
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27 March 2010.... Gordon Brown gives five 'key election pledges' but whilst they are items not many would disagree with they are completely vague in description. Rather than give a concrete promise we have general statements of intent that don't commit to anything in particular. More style rather than substance, do Labour really regard the voter as that gullible as to be taken in by waffle? |
Some output from Labour this time - they claim we are exiting a recession that they themselves caused in the first place, yet any improvement is built on the shaky foundation of huge national debt that they neglect to mention.We will remind you that Labour signed up to the Lisbon Treaty (aka the EU Constitution) without a promised referendum, meaning that much of their policies are dictated by the EU e.g. they cannot restrict immigration meaningfully because the EU calls the shots. |
On the expenses front this time its Tory David Curry who is required to pay back £28000 for a second home he rarely used. Not quite in the duck house class of contempt for the system, but its YOUR pockets these people are picking via your taxes to pay for their lifestyles. |
| 24 March 2010 ..... Its Budget Day! In today's annual assault on our wallets and purses we get such nuggets as more petrol increases (petrol already costs almost a record price), more tax on your pint (well they will shut down even more of our pubs) and a meaningless increase in stamp duty exemption for first time buyers (well how many first time buyers do you know that can afford £250,000 for a house?). In the case of the pubs issue it would have been better to target the mass produced mega cheap drink sold in supermarkets and then give our pubs a break for once. And of course for petrol duty they will have the cheek to use 'eco' issues as an excuse for ever more tax, but watch out for the extra petrol tax planned by the EU on top - see item on 5 March. All in all though, a pre election ostrich budget whereby nothing drastic is done to upset pre-election voters despite the huge budget deficit created by this government. Some suggestions - a) Cut the ID cards scheme, cost £15 billion, b) cut the advertising/propaganda budget, approx £250 million/year, c) cut back on the NHS database that apparently still doesn't work, cost £12 billion, d) cut the direct cost of the EU, cost £16.4 billion/year, e) cut various quangos, assumed cost £6 billion/year. This is just for starters, but would make a dent in that deficit and be popular too. NB the EU cost of £16.4 billion is just the direct cost, the independent group Taxpayer's Alliance estimates approx £120 billion/year (!!!!) if you add in the cost of all those regulations that affect us all. |
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24 March 2010.... Reports are that the government claims to want MP candidates to declate their tax status, work outside politics and property assets. Well, I would have thought that reasonable, however it doesn't do anything for clarity on donations, particularly those from the likes of Lord Ashcroft to the Tories, and from the Unions to Labour. For the record, I do pay full UK tax, the work outside politics is a day job as a chartered engineer (which would be given up if elected) and my only property is a small house in Leeds. |
More financial shenanigans, this time not expenses but cash for lobbying. A Dispatches programme features Steven Byers describing himself as a 'cab for hire' with regards to access. For more detail, refer here. Do they ever learn? And do YOU, the voter deserve these people, and why are voters still prepared to vote for them? We in UKIP stand for honesty, and take stiff action against anyone of our party in office who behaves in this way. |
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19 March 2010.... UKIP has been holding its spring conference to launch the election campaign. For more detail refer to the national website with coverage of the event here. and Lord Pearson's speech here.. |
Those MP expenses again. This time a file on an 'unnamed parliamentarian' has been passed to prosecutors and in a seperate incident four LibDem MPs have been referred to a commons watchdog over payments relating to an apartment block in London. They don't improve do they! |
More on climate change - this time the Advertising Standards Authority has pulled government adverts for being unrepresentative of the facts. The ads in question had for example men sailing in a bathtub - where is the concrete scientific evidence to support the idea that any flooding will be this bad or even occur at all? This is just misleading propaganda, when are we going to be allowed to hear all sides of the 'climate change' argument? Also, when is the government going to stop wasting our money on propaganda advertising - eating, drinking, smoking, driving your car, they always have a killjoy advert against it! |
Different colour of leaflet received today, this time the LibDems. Some popularist stuff, but conveniently forgets to mention that the LibDems are traditionally soft on crime, and also soft on immigration. Locally, they forget to mention that they are part of the coalition on Leeds Council that can't mend the roads, and increases the council tax yearly along with the Tories. |
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13 March 2010.... Today on the Telly its not the policies of David Cameron, or even the style issues of David Cameron (as is usual). No, its the style of his other half - to what extent has politics got to get so trivial when there are real issues such as the economy, immigration, crime and Europe to discuss. Similar criticism applies to Gordon Brown. |
Today William Hague admits that the Tories are not prepared to 'pick a fight with Europe'. In reality its what we knew all along, the Tories propose to do nothing about the EU, including their failure to keep promises over a referendum. We do not wish to pick a fight with anyone, but a UKIP government would be committed to regaining our national sovereignty, which of course means withdrawal from the EU. |
Following an admission of failure for the regulations on dangerous dogs, it is announced by the government that all dogs are proposed to require insurance and electronic microchipping. So because of the rogue few, the many have to suffer, particularly the 7 million owners who will have to pay for this. As the rogue owners who still have pit bulls and similar dogs will simply ignore these requirements, would it not be better to change the regulations to make them more enforcable so that the responsible do not have to pay? Also, as microchipping is seen as part of the solution in these Orwellian times, how long will it be before the government decides it will be easier if people are microchipped as well, perhaps to go with the hated ID card scheme that UKIP opposes? |
In the news we have the snippet that more councils than before are fitting electronic chips to wheely bins as a prelude to 'chip and bin' waste charging. In Leeds the chips were fitted several years ago, so the technology is already there. Beware of this latest tax threat! It is likely that its implementation will cause more fly tipping, smelly bonfires as well as further emptying of YOUR pockets.We of course oppose this; make sure this tax does not happen! |
| 5 March 2010 ..... Today secret plans from the EU are revealed. Apparently they are to use their new powers under the Lisbon Treaty (for which Labour wouldn't grant a referendum, the Libdems mugged opposition in the Lords, and the Tories have broken their promises) to dream up a new petrol tax direct from Brussels. We pay £45 million a day to the EU as it is without yet more. The excuse offered is that its 'green' to tax petrol. Another case of eco issues being used to create more taxes, and just when are we going to get a democratic vote on this lot from the EU? |
If you have been to the car park on Stairfoot Lane recently you will notice the savaging of the trees by Leeds City Council. The council claims to be 'green' but here it has been chopping down trees, all because in a severe gale (the worst for several years) one fell over. Therefore the others in this area have been given the death sentence with the site left in a mess. In the lane itself there are yet more examples of road potholes, which along with those in nearby King Lane have not been mended. Would it not have been better to send our council workers along with a bucket of tar instead of a chainsaw? |
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28 February 2010.... Today 'Call me Dave' Cameron is claiming that its our patriotic duty to vote Tory to oust Labour. Dave needs reminding that in 2007 he promised a referendum on the EU, the sprawling entity we are citizens of without being asked. However since then Dave has dropped any mention of it from his campaign and specifically stated there won't be a referendum if the Tories elected. So to do your 'patriotic duty' as he puts it, you need to vote UKIP, the only non racist party pledged to leave the EU. |
Revelations that Labour have been secretly encouraging excessive immigration. Shows that our political masters do not have our interest, or Britain's interest at heart. Its YOU that loses your job to uncontrolled immigration, or face lower pay when outcompeted for jobs. Official estimates put the number of illegal immigrants at about 1 million, and of course that does not include vast numbers of legal ones allowed in under the orders of the EU. More detail here. |
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26 February 2010.... In a week when Gordon Brown has been accused of bullying staff and there are revelations about fall outs between Gordon and Alistair Darling over economic policy, can it be said that this is a dying Government? Some come on, 'New' Labour has lost the plot, so where is this election Gordon? |
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17 February 2010.... Leeds City Council have decided to retain the tradition of conducting election counts in the middle of the night after the close of polls. I will be there looking at the count, probably in the early hours of a spring Friday morning (elections are always held on Thursdays). Pity we don't actually know which Thursday, as Gordon Brown continues to dither over the date. |
Utterances from the Tories today include claiming to be spending more on local road maintenance.... well you could have fooled us. Recent road repairs have been of such poor quality that the recent winter weather has caused the roads to simply break up, with suspension crunching potholes still not fixed a month on. They also mention that 1 in 5 are out of work, well they need a history lesson here. Twenty odd years ago I had the misfortune to graduate and spend two years on Maggie Thatcher's dole queue, when unemployment was far higher than now. Those with glass houses shouldn't throw stones! |
The Greek economy has gone into meltdown with it looking like they need a bailout from the Germans and the other countries in the Euro. It shows that the one size fits all approach in the EU does not work. For example the Germans have Teutonic efficiency about what they do, yet the Greeks are more relaxed and would probably pretend the problem does not exist until realizing that jobs may go and rioting as a result. Britain is proved to be right not to be in the Euro, since there is more room to address problems, and is not hidebound by economic policies elsewhere. Just don't let our daft politicians be drawn into contributing to the bailout - the Euro should be, and is someone else's problem. |
The expenses scandal rumbles on and on. This time 3 Labour MPs are charged with false accounting and are rumoured to be planning to use parliamentary privilege to avoid a stay in Parkhurst should the case go against them. If this proves to be the case, have they no scruples? |
| 7 February 2010 ..... Today in the Sunday Papers Peter Mandelson (Labour's arch Europhile who wanted Britain to have the Euro) has admitted that not being in the Euro has helped Britain in the recent financial crisis. It should be noted that other crisis hit counties such as Ireland who have the Euro have been able to do little about the problems. In Ireland's case there has been an artificial economic boom exaggerated by low Euro interest rates; this has turned to a worse bust than in Britain because within the euro there is no room for financial assistance moves such as cutting interest rates when they are suddenly too high. It is shown that one fiscal policy for all the euro nations does not work. |
In the football world John Terry has been sacked as England captain over his extra curricular activities with a team mate's ex. This is an action by Fabio Capello that I support, as it is a reasonable requirement that as a key representative of his country Terry should be beyond this type of tabloid criticism - but he should have acted honourably and resigned first. Don't believe though that the possibility of a player having previously been banned for not taking a drugs test taking his place is the right move. |
Those expenses again, this time a total of around 300 Westminster MPs have been told to pay back around a million pounds between them. This time its claims that are not in the spirit of the rules. when are some of them going to resign? |
Archive from January to March 2010 |
Archive from November to December 2009 |