EXPENSES-MORE LIKE EXPENSIVE

Yes, I know, boring, everyone is talking about it and we are all angry. BBC NEWS

But the “expenses” fiasco hides a deeper problem in politics, Jacqui Smith is an MP, she has been elected by the people, she has a salary of £60,000 per annum, and claimed £157,631 in total in 2007/08.

Bugger the ten quid claimed for a couple of porn movies, it was wrong and is probably more of an embarrassment to her regarding her relationship with her husband, the problem is the “second home allowance” mind set of MPs, it is the let’s screw as much as we can out of the country while we are in power policy.

The Prime Minister has backed the Home Secretary, because “this was a "personal matter", which ought not to "detract" from her "great" work.” Sorry Gord you are wrong, this isn’t a personal matter this is a matter for the people who elected labour into Government, because if we can’t trust MPs to be honest over expenses, why should we trust them to run the country for our benefit?

The answer is that we can’t, we have seen the economy destroyed, our boys being killed because of lack of equipment in a war which we didn’t want, the NHS crumbling, because of piss poor management, and lack of common sense and endless admin, the eviction of thousands of people from their homes because they have lost their jobs and can’t afford to pay their mortgages while Billions are poured into banks, unemployment at its highest for years, mental illness at its highest for years, while the government carries on ripping us off.

The word ethical comes to mind, is it ethical of MPs to believe they have the right to claim our money to fund their second homes, what is the problem with these people?

We all commute to work, whether it’s 10 miles or 100 miles, we pay for the fuel, and road tax and insurance, or for train tickets from our salaries, if we need to stay away for a night we put in a claim form, MPs don’t, they have a second home so that they can go to “work” without having to commute, and we are expected to finance those homes.

The Government is amoral at the moment it doesn’t give a rats’ arse about the millions of struggling families, maybe it says it does on the surface, and in the spin that vomits from the press office, but deep down it doesn’t care, the “ME” culture spawned by the Thatcher Government has dragged on into a Government that doesn’t know if it’s labour, Conservative or Monster Raving Loony, personally I would go for the last.

When Labour can prove to us that it is trustworthy then perhaps Gordon Brown will have the respect of the people who mistakenly voted labour into power.

When.


"Honesty is the first chapter in the book of wisdom." Thomas Jefferson



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NAUGHTY, NAUGHTY

Going for the obvious today BBC NEWS Home Secretary Jacqui Smith is facing fresh questions over her future after "mistakenly" claiming the cost of two adult movies on Commons expenses.

Opposition backbenchers say the matter has undermined the credibility of Ms Smith, who did not see the films but is said to be "mortified" by the error.

The films were watched by her husband, Richard Timney, who has apologised.
Ms Smith is already under scrutiny for claiming second-home allowances for her constituency home in Redditch, Worcs.

BBC political correspondent Reeta Chakrabarti says Ms Smith will have to deal with the political fallout after the embarrassment of Sunday's revelations.
The Opposition leadership has so far held back from criticising ministers too strongly on expenses, aware that there are potential embarrassments on both sides, our correspondent says.

But while the government is acutely aware of the damage the incident is doing, Labour sources have suggested there could be a Tory mole at work in the Commons office that processes expenses - and even a dossier listing damaging details of other MPs' claims, our correspondent adds.

Her husband has apologised, sorry I thought it was for being married to a Pratt.

Couple of points: I think I would rather watch porn than have to sleep with the Home Secretary, and of course it isn’t Labour’s fault it is all down to a “mole” in the Commons expenses office-I can’t wait for the next instalment.


“Pornography exists for the lonesome, the ugly, the fearful...It's made for the losers.” Rita Mae Brown


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STILL THROWING MONEY DOWN THE DRAIN

BBC NEWS An aviation repair project ended up costing the taxpayer £113m and failed to deliver thousands of jobs, an official investigation has found.

Project Red Dragon at St Athan in the Vale of Glamorgan, floundered when the Ministry of Defence (MoD) decided to switch work to other RAF bases.

The report by the National Audit Office and the Wales Audit Office criticises both the MoD and Welsh authorities.

But ministers said the move had saved money and "offered better support".
Lessons had been learned from the project, Defence Minister Quentin Davis said.

"However, the decisions taken in 2004 to transfer fast jet repair work to RAF frontline bases from St Athan resulted in savings worth more than £1.4bn," Mr Davis added.

The Red Dragon project was started in 2000, aimed at modernising ageing MoD facilities at St Athan along with the construction of a super hangar for fast jet repair.

It also saw an aerospace business park built, backed by the then Welsh Development Agency, which is now part of the assembly government.

The main tenant for the new super hangar was to be the Defence Aviation Repair Agency - DARA.

But in 2005, UK ministers announced they were closing the fast jet business at St Athan, with the loss of hundreds of jobs.


In addition, the auditors report published on Friday found that instead of creating up to 4,000 new jobs over a 15 year period, so far only 45 new posts have come to the site.

Nice one Gordon, millions wasted on a “Super Hangar” while our boys were dying in Iraq because they didn’t have the body armour they needed.

“Everybody gets so much information all day long that they lose their common sense.” Gertrude Stein


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THE ORWELLIAN NIGHTMARE CONTINUES

The government's proposed Bill of Rights has been criticised by civil liberties campaigners as "hot air".

Justice Secretary Jack Straw believes a written statement of "common values" will boost social cohesion in Britain.

But it is not clear if the measures set out in a green paper will be enforceable in the courts.

Unlock Democracy, which campaigns for a written constitution, warned it could become a "list of nice things" which the government would "simply ignore".

The proposed Bill of Rights and Responsibilities does not include the right to a jury trial or limits on detention without charge. BBC NEWS

In its green paper, the government argues "the belief in their fundamental nature is already so deeply entrenched, culturally and politically, and there is no fundamental threat to them".

It says it does not want to override safeguards contained in the Human Rights Act - such as free speech and fair trials - or open up "new areas of litigation".

But it says the "selfish and sometimes aggressive assertion of rights" can damage social cohesion and stability, leading to the creation of a "'me' society rather than a 'we' society".

"Key responsibilities" included in a Bill of Rights might include not claiming benefits when able to work, obeying the law, reporting crimes, co-operating with the police, paying taxes, voting and doing jury service.

They could also include parents' duty to look after children, treating public sector workers with respect and living "within our environmental limits".

The phrase that comes to mind is “pot-kettle” this Government has so far allowed the councils to “snoop” on us, has lost most of our personal information, has ignored the warnings months before the economic crash, has ignored the hundreds of thousands of decent families struggling with the recession, has allowed its own MPs to claim millions of our money in “doubtful” expenses, has banned protests within a mile of Parliament, has failed miserably in its duty to the people regarding the billions it has poured into the banks, and now it wants to ban “selfish and sometimes aggressive assertion of rights" which is a bit odd considering that this Government is the most selfish and aggressive bunch of “politicians” on the planet.

Jack Straw is not a minister for Justice, but a lackey of the “do as we say not as we do” brigade.

We don’t need a “Bill of Rights” what we need is for the Government to stop interfering in our lives and do its job.

"If you think of yourselves as helpless and ineffectual, it is certain that you will create a despotic government to be your master. The wise despot, therefore, maintains among his subjects a popular sense that they are helpless and ineffectual." Frank Herbert


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FOUR MINISTERS FACING QUESTIONS OVER SECOND HOMES

Telegraph Four Government ministers have now been dragged into the row over expenses for second homes as it emerged that 27 MPs living in London claimed £1.7 million from the taxpayer over a five-year period.

Tony McNulty, the Employment Minister, Ann Keen, the Health Minister, Gareth Thomas, the Under Secretary of State for International Development and David Lammy, the Minister for Higher Education are MPs who have made substantial claims under the Additional Costs Allowance.

More than half of the MPs who claimed the money live less than an hour's commute from parliament, which sits for just 128 days per year.
And whilst many say they need flats near parliament because of long working hours, more than 20 other outer London MPs claim nothing at all.

The massive discrepancies in the amount of money claimed by MPs with constituencies in the capital has added to the growing clamour for reform of the parliamentary expenses system, with one taxpayers' group suggesting the MPs were "insulting" ordinary working people by demanding publicly-funded second homes.

Sarah Teather, the Lib Dem MP for Brent East who does not claim the allowance, said her commute takes 30 minutes on the Tube and it was "appalling" that other MPs in a similar position claimed for a second home.

The Additional Costs Allowance, currently worth a maximum of £24,006 per year, was brought in to help MPs based outside central London to pay for second homes or hotel stays nearer parliament.

But the case of Mr McNulty, who lives in central London with his wife and uses the money to pay the mortgage on a house in his constituency where his parents live, has highlighted alleged abuses of the system.

Mrs Keen, the MP for Brentford & Isleworth in west London, has a constituency home where she lives with her husband Alan, the MP for the neighbouring constituency of Feltham and Heston.


Despite living just 10 miles from Westminster, the couple have claimed £87,000 each through the ACA system to buy a flat near the Royal Festival Hall on London's South Bank which is now worth an estimated £700,000.

The average salary for an MP is £60,000 which is not bad, it seems that some MPs are incapable of commuting for an hour each way per day, and would rather squander our money on “second homes” in London when they already live in London.

These peole are taking the piss, they are arrogant and greedy and seem to have no conception of ethics.

The rules must be changed, any MP living within an hours commuting time of Parliament have to be excluded from this allowance, in fact it would be better to scrap the second home allowance completely, and make the MPs stay in hotels (not the Ritz) and submit receipts for payment (excluding food and drink).

MPs have had it too good for too long, and we are paying for their “nice” lifestyles, let them be like us, one home, pay your own fares and commute daily.

After all they are employed by us.


"We sell here, Sir, what all the world desires to have -- Power." Matthew Bolton

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WELFARE REFORM BILL

Pointy head James Purnell the Department of Works and pensions is pressing ahead with his “you will work” ethic.

This relates to both politics and health so I will be posting it on the Politico and the NHS blog.

Bills and Legislation - Welfare Reform Bill

The summary of the bill is:

The Bill proposes to reform the welfare and benefit system to improve support and incentives for people to move from benefits into work. It contains measures to increase personal responsibility within the welfare system. It also proposes to encourage parental responsibility by introducing a requirement for joint birth registration and by amending the law relating to child support.

Key areas:

Reforms the benefits system by abolishing Income Support and moving all claimants on to either Jobseekers’ Allowance if they are well or Employment and Support Allowance if they are sick

Aligns the contribution conditions between Employment and Support Allowance and Jobseeker’s Allowance

Introduces a regime of benefit sanctions for non-attendance at Jobcentres
Requires job search by partners of benefit claimants

Abolishes Adult Dependency Increases in the Carer’s Allowance and Maternity Allowance

Introduces work-focused interviews for over-60s

Requires work-related activity in return for receipt of Employment and Support Allowance

Introduces a requirement for births to be registered jointly by both parents
Provides additional powers for the enforcement of child maintenance arrears.


Extracts from the explanatory document are:

‗Work for your benefit schemes‘will be piloted for long-term jobseekers who have received increasingly intensive support from Jobcentre Plus and specialist back-to-work providers. They will give jobseekers the opportunity to develop their work skills through undertaking full time work-experience. Work for your benefit schemes will also be piloted for some jobseekers who are likely to benefit from the scheme at an earlier stage of unemployment.

The schemes will be mandatory and aim to help jobseekers find sustained work in the open labour market.

Some jobseekers are likely to face particular barriers due to the length of time they have been away from employment.

Work for your benefit schemes will enable them to benefit from the opportunity to develop work habits and routines that they may not have experienced for some time.

Progression to Work‘group, for whom an immediate return to work is not appropriate, but is a genuine possibility with time, encouragement and support.

18. The intention is to establish a personalised conditionality regime which is tailored to the individual‘s circumstances, so that preparation for work becomes a natural progression rather than a sudden step up. The Bill includes provision that will ensure lone parents and partners of benefit recipients in the Progression to Work group are required to undertake action planning and work-related activities. These actions and activities are broadly defined to ensure they are appropriate to the needs and circumstances of each individual. In instances where work-related activity is identified which will improve their employment prospects, for example as a result of a skills health check, individuals may be directed to carry this out.

The document is 78 pages, so if you want to red it all click on this link and then on the subject that interest you.

It seems that the Gov is determined to abolish “proper” support to the sick and disabled and move everyone onto “employment” benefits.


“Government is the great fiction, through which everybody endeavours to live at the expense of everybody else.” Frederick Bastiat


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UNFAIR ENERGY BILL PLANNED

Energy companies will be banned from charging "unjustified" prices under new rules proposed by the regulator Ofgem. BBC NEWS

Prices, including those for pre-payment meters, will have to be "objectively" justifiable under new conditions.

Ofgem started the investigation in February 2008 after all the leading suppliers imposed big price rises.

It has been looking for evidence of collusion among suppliers and to see if the wholesale markets in which gas and electricity are traded are working.


Ofgem announced last year that it would be conducting a quarterly review of the link between wholesale prices and domestic bills.

It concluded earlier this month there was no evidence of collusion between suppliers in setting prices.

Ofgem also stressed that there was no evidence that suppliers passed on increasing wholesale costs to customers, but then failed to drop prices when costs fell.

This month, energy supplier Npower is to cut electricity prices for UK households, the last of the "big six" energy companies to announce a reduction in either gas or electricity bills for customers this year.


And about bloody time too.


“God made the world round so we would never be able to see too far down the road.” Isak Dinesen


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THANKS FOR NOTHING CAMERON

BBC NEWS David Cameron has warned an incoming Tory government will have to make "tough choices" on public spending.

And he said cutting public debt - not taxes - would be his top priority, in a keynote speech on the economy.

He criticised "quango fat cats" and said he would examine the system of tax credits - as some were reaching people earning more than £50,000 a year.

Labour says the Tories would cut spending, which would be "economic madness" in the middle of a recession.

In his speech Mr Cameron said a "credible strategy" to bring the public finances under control was essential for recovery.

The Tory leader, who ditched the Conservatives' commitment to match Labour's spending plans in the light of the economic downturn, stressed that fiscal responsibility had to have a "social conscience."

As official data suggested the UK's budget deficit had widened to £8.99bn in February, Mr Cameron said an incoming Conservative government would have to deal with "the worst set of public figures in our peacetime history".

He said without addressing public debt, confidence would be undermined and it could lead to a sharp increase in the cost of borrowing - meaning higher interest payments on mortgages and business loans.

"I am a Conservative who believes in lower taxes. But in today's fiscal circumstances, the priority must go to debt reduction," he said.

"Put simply, our overriding objective will need to change from sharing the proceeds of growth, to paying down our debt."

"I want to say clearly to the British people, there are going to be tough decisions, we will take those decisions as compassionate Conservatives, not hatchet faced accountants."

He said he would not "balance the budget on the backs of the poor" and said plans to reduce public debt would be "fair for all".

Some things would have to be cut - such as the planned ID card scheme and a database of children's details.

Or in other words we got you into the brown runny stuff but you will suffer for years to come because of it, while we carry on with our large salaries, pensions and expenses, while you will have to cut back on essentials, luxuries and basic living because we couldn’t do our jobs.

Not much choice at the next election is there? Or maybe Cameron doesn’t want to be in power until “we” have put the country back on its feet.

“The reputation of a thousand years may be determined by the conduct of one hour.” Japanese Proverb


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ANOTHER FINE MESS ALI

The Government has wasted billions on "social experiments" to improve the health of the poor without any evidence the schemes work, a Parliamentary report has warned.

The Telegraph has this by Laura Donnelly.

Ministers stand accused of spending vast sums of money on "ineffective and possibly damaging" interventions which they hope will force lifestyle changes on the public, without carrying out elementary research to see if the programmes make any difference.

The excoriating (to censure severely) inquiry by the House of Commons' health select committee says that the Government failed to make "even basic calculations" about how much money they have spent on mass public health programmes intended to improve the health of those with the lowest incomes to narrow the "health gap" between rich and poor.

The inquiry says projects were designed so badly that it was impossible for them to be properly evaluated, reporting the views of one expert that documents which passed for research often amounted to "little more than propaganda".

It concludes that ministers have "spent large sums of money on social experiments to reduce health inequalities – but we do not know whether these experiments have worked or whether the money has been well spent."

Dozens of schemes were critiqued in the report. They include the £3bn Sure Start project launched in 1998 to provide one-stop childcare, educational, medical and social help for the poorest young families, and later expanded to all social groups, despite doubts about whether the initiative was effective.

Other projects include Healthy Schools, a multi-billion initiative to promote healthy eating and exercise to children, an 'expert patient' programme to teach people how to manage chronic illnesses, and most recently, £30 million pumped into creating "Healthy Towns" which promote exercise.

More than 10 years since many of the projects were introduced, there is little proof they are working, the report says.

Liberal Democrat Health Spokesman Norman Lamb said today's report exposed the Government's "slapdash" approach to the health of the nation, which had wasted billions.
He said: "Ministers have been flailing around implementing policies left, right and centre with no way of analysing how effective they were and without any idea of what was actually being done on the ground."

Dr Peter Carter, General Secretary of the Royal College of Nursing, said shortages of essential staff, like health visitors and midwives, meant the health of the nation's children was becoming "a national scandal".

Public health minister Dawn Primarolo insisted the Government's programmes to reduce health inequalities were backed by "a wide evidence base and expert advice".

She said that while a target to reduce inequalities by 10 per cent remained "challenging," life expectancy in England had reached an all-time high.

Surprise, surprise, the Gov still can’t get it right!


“Three-fourths of the mistakes a man makes are made because he does not really know what he thinks he knows.” James Bryce

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SO GORD:- HOW’S IT GOING? 2

As this is the "latest" news today I thought I would leave it up.

BBC NEWS There is now an average of 10 jobseekers for every vacancy advertised in the UK, the TUC has warned.

The situation is worst in the south east of England, where the trade union body said its research found 60 people chasing each job.

TUC general secretary Brendan Barber told the Observer that the figures "were shocking", and showed the extent to which unemployment had risen.

The latest official data is due to show UK unemployment at two million.

It is due to be published on Wednesday by the Office for National Statistics.

Its most recent data showed that UK unemployment hit 1.97 million between October and December.

Mr Barber added that its figures "blow out of the water the government's claim that there are plenty of jobs available for people who are prepared to look".

Ooops, maybe I should get back to you another day.


“Anyone can do any amount of work provided it isn't the work he is supposed to be doing at the moment.” Robert Benchley


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SO GORD; HOW ARE THINGS GOING?

BBC NEWS UK recession is 'gathering pace'

The UK economy contracted 1.8% between December and February, the National Institute of Economic and Social Research (NIESR) has estimated.

The fall in GDP was bigger than the 1.7% drop seen in the three months to the end of January, NIESR said.

The level of economic activity is now 4.3% below its peak of April 2008, according to NIESR's data.

Meanwhile, data showed the UK's goods trade deficit widened to £7.745bn in January from £7.232bn the month before.

Exports to non-EU countries fell by 16%, the Office for National Statistics said, as the global downturn hit demand for UK made goods.

However, exports to the UK's main trading partner, the EU, climbed by 6% as the pound weakened substantially against the euro.

The Bank of England is to launch its quantitative easing scheme on Wednesday.

It will offer to buy up to £2bn of government bonds to help boost the supply of money and stimulate the economy.

The Bank said last week it would pump a total of £75bn into the economy, having cut interest rates to an all-time low of 0.5%.

It also has government permission to inject a further £75bn into the economy if it wishes

The NIESR said that the level of economic activity in the UK had now fallen back to that in August 2006.

It said the economy was experiencing a sharp reduction in stock levels and weak demand for manufactured goods.


Or shouldn’t I ask?

"A real leader faces the music, even when he doesn't like the tune." Anon


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BIG BROTHER BROWN IS WATCHING

From the Telegraph the travel plans and personal details of every holidaymaker, business traveller and day-tripper who leaves Britain are to be tracked by the Government, Anyone departing the UK by land, sea or air will have their trip recorded and stored on a database for a decade.


Passengers leaving every international sea port, station or airport will have to supply detailed personal information as well as their travel plans. So-called "booze crusiers" who cross the Channel for a couple of hours to stock up on wine, beer and cigarettes will be subject to the rules.

This “1984” style invasion of our privacy will also include weekend sailors and sea fishermen, the owners of light aircraft, even swimmers attempting to cross the Channel and their support teams will be subject to the rules which will require the provision of travellers' personal information such as passport and credit card details, home and email addresses and exact travel plans.

The “E-Borders” new checks are being introduced piecemeal by the UK Border Agency. By the end of the year 60 per cent of journeys made out of Britain will be affected with 95 per cent of people leaving the country being subject to the plans by the end 2010.

Yachtsmen, leisure boaters, trawlermen and private pilots will be given until 2014 to comply with the programme.

They will be expected to use the internet to send their details each time they leave the country and would face a fine of up to £5,000 should they fail to do so.

Similar penalties will be enforced on airlines, train and ship operators if they fail to provide details of every passenger to the UK Border Agency.

Gwyn Prosser, Labour MP for Dover and a member of the all-party Home Affairs Select Committee, said: "I think e-borders are absolutely necessary," he said. "Governments of all complexions have always been criticised for not knowing who is in the country. This is a very sophisticated way of counting people in and out."

So Prosser the tosser thinks it’s a”very sophisticated way of counting people in and out” does he, couple of small snags there Gwyn:

The Gov has no idea how many people are here illegaly, and they are not going to “fill out your form”.

The Gov can’t even stop the illegal immigrants now.

What if you don’t have acces to the internet or no email address?

The history of Gov data security is abysmal at best, they manage to lose our details on a daily basis.

How are they going to check every, boat, plane, ferry and train for people who haven’t complied, will there be “security” at every port, railway station, small cove, large and small airport and ferry port to interrogate each passenger?

It seems that the Police State is expanding in our green and pleasant land, what next?

Will we have to fill out a travel plan every time we go to the shops to see if we are spending too much on credit?

Or submit a “fight plan” if we want to fly from London to Birmingham?

The last point is of course, who can afford to fly to far and distant places now that the Government has totally destroyed the economy and millions of peoples’ lives?

“For my part, I travel not to go anywhere, but to go. I travel for travel's sake. The great affair is to move...” Robert Louis Stevenson

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BROWN’S RED NOSE DAY

BBC NEWS Gord has taken time out from the rigours of politics to “meet” the Kilimanjaro celebs, Mr Brown told them they were "inspiring a generation of kids who would never have thought about these things" and added that they were "nine heroes".

He also announced the government would give £2m towards fighting malaria.

Ahead of the visit, speculation had mounted as to how the prime minister might mark the occasion after his spokesman was asked if he would wear a red nose.

He replied: "Wait and see." But, in the end, Mr Brown did not wear one.
Instead, a large red nose was placed on the door of Number 10.

Very apt.


At the last Comic Relief event in 2007, Mr Brown's predecessor Tony Blair performed a comedy sketch opposite impersonator Catherine Tate.

In it, he used the catchphrase employed by one of her best-known characters, petulant schoolgirl Lauren, repeatedly asking: "Am I bovvered?"

It is not thought Mr Brown is planning to do anything similar for this year's Comic Relief show on BBC One on Friday

I must admit that I enjoyed Tony’s skit last time but can you see Gord doing anything “human”?

“Humour is a spontaneous, wonderful bit of an outburst that just comes. It's unbridled, it’s unplanned, it's full of surprises.” Erma Bombeck


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GORDON BROWN STILL DOESN’T GET IT

BBC NEWS our Gord has defended his appointment of “Sir” James Cosby the ex- HBOS chief.

Gord was Chancellor at the time but denies he knew about “problems” at HSBOS and blames an independent panel for recommending “Sir” James-“Mr Brown told MPs he appointed Sir James on an independent panel's recommendation and had not known at the time the FSA had concerns about HBOS.”

Mr Brown, who was giving evidence to a panel of select committee chairman in his twice yearly appearance before the Commons liaison committee, insisted whistleblower Paul Moore's allegations had been investigated by the FSA and found to be without substance.

He added that the problems alleged by Mr Moore were not the reason HBOS fell: "It was because its whole business model was wrong."

HBOS and Sir James have both denied Mr Moore's allegations, but it emerged on Tuesday that the FSA had warned the merged Halifax/Bank of Scotland group about its business model.


So we have a chancellor that doesn’t listen to warnings about the financial sectors greed and mismanagement, who then becomes Prime Minister and doesn’t listen to anyone about anything, because it is all “someone else’s fault”.

Do we really want a Government unwilling to take responsibility and a PM who won’t apologise?

I don’t.

“The ultimate priority of humanity should not be to savour the power given to us, but rather to account for the according responsibility.” Harrison Christian

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I DO LIKE AN OPTIMIST

BBC NEWS Gordon Brown has said he believes the credit drought will "start to ease" in the next few months as banks increase their lending to businesses.

Mr Brown said recent agreements with RBS and Lloyds Banking Group meant they now had a "duty" to lend more freely.

Ministers were working "night and day" to fix the banking system whose failure was "rather unique", he told the BBC.

Mr Brown said he took "responsibility" for the state of the economy but said the crisis was global, not domestic.

In an interview with BBC Radio 4's You and Yours show, Mr Brown said he would not "shy away" from any of the decisions he had made over the last 11 years as chancellor and prime minister.

"I take full responsibility for what happens but what I can't say to people is that the cause of the crisis is something that happened within Britain alone," he said.

"This is something which happened right round the world. We can't find a solution unless we know we have got to sort out the banking system right across the world."
Responding to accusations that banks were still not lending despite getting billions in taxpayer support, Mr Brown admitted the amount of credit available was not "enough".

The lack of credit was a "real, real problem" and was affecting all areas of industry.


Oh, well that’s alright then.

“Men are in numberless instances qualified for certain things, for no other reason than because they are qualified for nothing else.” William hazlitt


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ANOTHER POKE IN THE “EYE” FOR GORD

BBC NEWS Foreign Office minister Lord Malloch Brown has said the government and opposition parties should say "sorry" for mistakes made over the economy.

He told BBC Radio 4's Start the Week such a move was "incumbent" after the failures of "light regulation" of banks and other financial institutions.

He also said "I just cannot get over the fact that British politicians don't know how to say sorry,"

I’m not, the arrogance of the prime Minister and his cabinet is akin to the arrogance of Mrs M Thatcher and her bunch of “liberals”.

Politicians don’t know how to say sorry because they always think they have done nothing wrong.

“Treat with utmost respect your power of forming opinions, for this power alone guards you against making assumptions that are contrary to nature and judgments that overthrow the rule of reason.” Marcus Aurelius

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LEVY DOESN’T THINK TONY IS UP TO IT

Not really “politics” but interesting, BBC NEWS Lord Levy has told the BBC he thinks Tony Blair should consider whether to continue his job as an envoy for the Middle East Quartet.

The former prime minister's ally said he should examine if he had "the time and tools" to help the peace process.

Tony obviously has the time, but the interesting bit is “the tools”, does he think that our Tone doesn’t have the diplomatic skills or the intellect to make any difference?

It must be nice to have friends like “Lord” Levy.

“Diplomats are just as essential to starting a war as soldiers are to finishing it. You take Diplomacy out of war and the thing would fall flat in a week.” Will Rogers


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NHS Behind the headlines

NHS-THE OTHER SIDE

CABLE ATTACKS THE FAT CATS

BBC NEWS Vince Cable has called for highly paid executives in the private and public sectors to be named and shamed.

In his speech to the Lib Dem spring conference, the party's deputy leader demanded full disclosure of salaries more than £194,000 - what the PM earns.
The move would ensure "fat cats have nowhere to hide", he told delegates.

Good idea, sadly it won’t work, I tried to obtain the salaries of CEOs and Medical Directors in the NHS through an FOI request, the answer I got was “we do not hold that information”-this is from the Dept of Health.

The other point is will Vince Cable’s idea include MPs?



Second topic today BBC NEWS Two die in 'barbaric' Army attack two soldiers have been shot dead during a gun attack at an army base in County Antrim, the Ministry of Defence says.

A spokesman said "four other personnel" were injured, one of them critically, in the attack at Massereene army base in Antrim, 16 miles north of Belfast.

No one has said their gunmen carried out the attack, but it is thought to be the work of dissident republicans.

WHY?

“No tree has branches so foolish as to fight among themselves.”- American Indian proverb


Angus


Angus Dei on all and sundry

NHS Behind the headlines

NHS-THE OTHER SIDE

ANOTHER POKE IN THE “EYE” FOR GORD

BBC NEWS -We underestimated risks - Balls Cabinet minister Ed Balls has admitted the government "underestimated" the risks to the economy from not having stronger regulation of the City.

He said the regime in place had not been "tough enough", but added that it was "not about apologies".

Mr Balls, a former economic adviser to Gordon Brown, told the BBC they had strengthened regulation - moves opposed in the City and by the Conservatives.

In his BBC interview Mr Balls, the children's secretary, said: "This is not about apologies. This is saying very clearly we strengthened regulation in our country in the last 10 years.

"We set up the Financial Services Authority, legislated against Conservative opposition to have stronger regulation.

"I look back and I'm happy to say it wasn't tough enough... The truth is regulation wasn't tough enough.

Mr Balls added: "So I don't apologise at all for being tough on regulation, nor does the prime minister.

So the wild eyed Balls doesn’t think the Gov should apologise, what do you think?

“The conduct of men depends upon the temperament, not upon a bunch of musty maxims.!” Benjamin Disraeli

Angus

Angus Dei on all and sundry

NHS Behind the headlines

NHS-THE OTHER SIDE

SEIZE THE MOMENT-ONLY TEN YEARS TOO LATE

Gord has given his speech to the American Government, and he got a standing ovation, after he spouted the usual bollocks, “There is no old Europe, no new Europe. There is only your friend Europe”, "rules and standards for accountability, transparency and reward" in banking”. “And let me say that you now have the most pro-American European leadership in living memory. A leadership that wants to cooperate more closely together, in order to cooperate more closely with you.”

It seems that Gord is now speaking for the whole of Europe, maybe he should think a bit more about the UK and the crap he has put us in by not enabling "rules and standards for accountability, transparency and reward" in banking”.

I won’t forget the abysmal Government record and attitude, and I hope that millions more won’t either, Gord is not up to the job, neither as Chancellor or as prime Minister, let’s hope we don’t forget that as well.

There is about a minute of the speech here and a minute is about all I can take.

"To what extent is any given man morally responsible for any given act? We do not know." Alexis carrel


Angus

Angus Dei on all and sundry

NHS Behind the headlines

SORRY-NOT BLOODY LIKELY SAYS GORD

BBC NEWS Gordon Brown will not run away from his responsibility for his role in the UK's economic crisis, he has told the BBC.

He told the BBC's political editor Nick Robinson Britain's financial woes were part of a wider, global problem, but admitted "humility" was needed.

But there is no sign of a “sorry”, he still blames the rest of the world for causing the recession, The Guardian “Brown, however, says this is not a typical recession caused by a government allowing inflation to rear out of control, but is instead the product of the failure of an international regulatory system to stay abreast of globalisation.”

In the Downing Street G20 agenda document, No 10 insists that the British economy was in a strong position when it was hit by the US banking crisis.

The account reads: "The global economy was growing strongly when the sub-prime crisis hit. In the UK, the economy was close to trend, inflation was close to target, public sector debt was relatively low and unemployment remained low. The US economy was the first to slow, but the crisis quickly spread to other advanced economies."

The prime minister argues that the regulatory failure was not British, but lay in the failure to have an effective international system of surveillance”

Which he was responsible for because HE de-regulated the financial system.

“Denial is the tool of the arrogant” Angus Dei


Angus
Angus Dei on all and sundry

NHS Behind the headlines

WHILE THE CAT’S AWAY ALI WILL DROP HIM IN IT.

From Ananova –Ali Darling has been gobbing off it seems, with Gord in the good old USA Ali has decided that “The Government needs to show "humility" over the problems which led to the financial crisis and economic recession,”

In an interview with The Daily Telegraph, he said there was a "collective responsibility" for the way the bonus culture in the banks had been allowed to develop, with "lots of lessons" to be learned by governments and regulators.

His contrite tone appeared to contrast with Gordon Brown who has consistently argued that the current crisis originated in the United States with the collapse of the sub-prime mortgage market.

Mr Darling told the paper: "There are a lot of lessons to be learnt by regulators, governments, all of us.

"The key thing that went wrong was that a culture was allowed to develop over the last 15 years or so where the relationship between what people did and what they got went way out of alignment, especially at the top end.

"If there is a fault, it is our collective responsibility. All of us have to have the humility to accept that over the last few years, things got out of alignment."

Mr Darling also conceded that there were problems with the way the system of financial regulation developed in recent years.

Seems it’s never too late to grow some balls.

“I believe that sometimes you have to look reality in the eye and deny it.” Garrison Keillor


Angus

Angus Dei on all and sundry

NHS Behind the headlines

BROWN: BROWN-NOSING OBAMA

BBC NEWS


“Drawing on my fine command of the English language, I said nothing.” Robert Benchley


Angus

Angus Dei on all and sundry

NHS Behind the headlines

POLYCLINICS NOT NEEDED

BBC NEWS a Kent-based GP's study of 384 practices found no difference between the range of extra services offered by standard surgeries and polyclinics.

Dr Beerstecher, who specialises in research, found large surgeries already operating were no better at providing the specialist care the government is so keen on. He is not a member of the British Medical Association, the doctor's trade union body which has campaigned against polyclinics, and said: "I am not sure why the government is pushing ahead with polyclinics.

"As the study shows, there is no evidence that they provide more services so why are we having them set up all across the country?"

The government said polyclinics would provide a valuable service to patients.
Every NHS trust in the country has been told to set up at least one polyclinic, with a whole network being created in London.

As usual the GOV is talking out of their arse.


“Persistence is a strong will. Obstinance is a strong won’t.” Anon


Angus

Angus Dei on all and sundry

NHS Behind the headlines