Tories increasingly incoherent on Northern Rock
Read the latest garbage from Cameron as reported by a clearly incredulous Bloomberg, linked here.
Perhaps the party should employ a straightforward, plain speaking economist as frontman on this crisis, pity Vince Cable is not available!
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Shadow Chancellor, George Osborne in donations enquiry
Unsurprisingly another senior politician comes under the microscope, read the Telegraph report, linked here.
Unsurprisingly another senior politician comes under the microscope, read the Telegraph report, linked here.
London Mayoral Election
The English Democrats choice seems a far more lively candidate than UKIPs Batten (dropper)!
PRESS RELEASE
Fathers 4 Justice founder Joins English Democrats as Candidate for London Mayor
The founder of direct action group Fathers 4 Justice today confirmed that he is formally entering the London Mayoral race with plans to create what he describes as ‘a New London - a city of hope, opportunity and unexplored horizons.’
Matt O’Connor, who orchestrated stunts such as the powder-bombing of Tony Blair in the Commons and Batman on Buckingham Palace , has vowed to bring “theatre and drama” to the campaign and is standing for the free thinking English Democrats Party, a party that means to change the face of dry two party politics once and for all.
O’Connor has already accused London Mayor Ken Livingstone of failing in his duty of care to protect Londoners from gang violence and a systemic failure of leadership. O’Connor referred to comments Livingstone made last week where he blamed Hollywood for the deaths of teenagers in London, deaths O’Connor says have stemmed from mass fatherlessness and the
creation under Labour of an alienated and broken society.
He plans to focus on three key issues including the flow of taxes from London to other parts of the UK and the breakdown of communities and families in London , which he believes is behind the huge number of teenage murders in London – 27 last year and two already this year; and to campaign for Justice for England which is denied by the existing political Cartel.
Said O’Connor today, “I’m alarmed by the state of our political discourse and a democracy that is failing Londoners on such a spectacular scale. We have to review the amount of taxes that flow from London to other parts of the UK including Scotland , so that London ’s taxes are spent on London , not just Edinburgh or Cardiff . Londoners pay £13.1 billion in taxes that are exported out of the capital - that’s £2,500 for every adult living in the capital.”
“But we must also place families and communities at the heart of our agenda. 27 teenagers died last year in a bloody harvest of bullets and blades on the streets of our capital city and absent father’s, lack of youth facilities and general urban decay are all contributing to London’s family and community breakdown - I believe that by standing as Mayor and becoming a real agent for change, I can restore and repair our broken city.”
“The English Democrats will bring to London the same commitment to encouraging thriving stable families as I have strived to achieve with Fathers 4 Justice. In my new political role, I recognise the need for a new kind of politics which moves direct action into the mainstream, within a party committed to justice and equality. London needs a Mayor for “all of the people” and I intend to be that Mayor.
His official campaign for a ‘ New London ’ will launch on 14 February 2008. His full London Mayoral statement is shown below.
Garry Bushell, our previous prospective candidate, is sorry to have to withdraw due to work commitments, but remains a keen supporter of the English Democrats and is organising a star-studded St George's Day evening show at the Circus Tavern on the 23rd April 2008.
Garry said:- “I urge all patriotic London to vote for the English Democrats candidates across the board. If you love our country, act now to save it.”
FULL MAYORAL STATEMENT
Matt O’Connor, London Mayoral Candidate 2008, English Democrats
The English Democrats are pioneers of individual liberty and freedom, Londoners charged with energy, conviction and commitment; agents for change united by a common bond - the innate emotional attachment we place on our capital’s shared heritage, language, identity, cultures and traditions - regardless of race, colour or creed.
I want to change the language of politics and reawaken the cradle of our democracy. But most importantly I want to offer Londoners a choice. A choice between the politics of hope and the politics of hate and discrimination. Between the politics of “belonging” and the divisiveness of segregation and alienation. Between the politics of the future and the politics of the past. A new pathway for London that refashions our identity, fusing together elements of the past with an eye to the future and what is possible, to create a confident, respectful and civilised city we can be proud of.
Unlike any of the other parties that represent the old order, I want to break the paralysis that grips our political discourse. To restore the democratic deficit in the Union of the United Kingdom . To stop the disproportionate flow of taxes from London to other parts of the UK including Scotland and Wales , so that London ’s taxes are spent on the needs of London , not automatically the needs of Edinburgh or Northern Ireland . Five of the ten most deprived local authorities in the UK are in London and they urgently need economic support.
Finally we need to tackle the social disease of family breakdown. We are creating a dysfunctional city, a city of children without fathers and without stable families, Labour’s failure to respect family life has exacerbated many of London ’s problems. It is unacceptable that 27 Mothers lost their children in a violent harvest of bullets and blades. Gang crime is running out of control and we have the highest rate of young offending in Western Europe, as well as the highest rate of teenage pregnancies in Europe .
Our elected politicians have failed in their duty of care to protect the public and to tackle the breakdown of large parts of our capital city. By promoting family and community cohesion, radical family law reform and unlocking the potential of young people in our communities, we can begin to stem the catastrophic social effects of family breakdown.
Together with you, I am committed to repairing our broken city, rebuilding fractured families and establishing strong, prosperous communities. I hope you will work with me in creating our New London ; a city of opportunity, hope and unexplored horizons.
Matt O’Connor, London Mayoral Candidate 2008, The English Democrats
The English Democrats choice seems a far more lively candidate than UKIPs Batten (dropper)!
PRESS RELEASE
Fathers 4 Justice founder Joins English Democrats as Candidate for London Mayor
The founder of direct action group Fathers 4 Justice today confirmed that he is formally entering the London Mayoral race with plans to create what he describes as ‘a New London - a city of hope, opportunity and unexplored horizons.’
Matt O’Connor, who orchestrated stunts such as the powder-bombing of Tony Blair in the Commons and Batman on Buckingham Palace , has vowed to bring “theatre and drama” to the campaign and is standing for the free thinking English Democrats Party, a party that means to change the face of dry two party politics once and for all.
O’Connor has already accused London Mayor Ken Livingstone of failing in his duty of care to protect Londoners from gang violence and a systemic failure of leadership. O’Connor referred to comments Livingstone made last week where he blamed Hollywood for the deaths of teenagers in London, deaths O’Connor says have stemmed from mass fatherlessness and the
creation under Labour of an alienated and broken society.
He plans to focus on three key issues including the flow of taxes from London to other parts of the UK and the breakdown of communities and families in London , which he believes is behind the huge number of teenage murders in London – 27 last year and two already this year; and to campaign for Justice for England which is denied by the existing political Cartel.
Said O’Connor today, “I’m alarmed by the state of our political discourse and a democracy that is failing Londoners on such a spectacular scale. We have to review the amount of taxes that flow from London to other parts of the UK including Scotland , so that London ’s taxes are spent on London , not just Edinburgh or Cardiff . Londoners pay £13.1 billion in taxes that are exported out of the capital - that’s £2,500 for every adult living in the capital.”
“But we must also place families and communities at the heart of our agenda. 27 teenagers died last year in a bloody harvest of bullets and blades on the streets of our capital city and absent father’s, lack of youth facilities and general urban decay are all contributing to London’s family and community breakdown - I believe that by standing as Mayor and becoming a real agent for change, I can restore and repair our broken city.”
“The English Democrats will bring to London the same commitment to encouraging thriving stable families as I have strived to achieve with Fathers 4 Justice. In my new political role, I recognise the need for a new kind of politics which moves direct action into the mainstream, within a party committed to justice and equality. London needs a Mayor for “all of the people” and I intend to be that Mayor.
His official campaign for a ‘ New London ’ will launch on 14 February 2008. His full London Mayoral statement is shown below.
Garry Bushell, our previous prospective candidate, is sorry to have to withdraw due to work commitments, but remains a keen supporter of the English Democrats and is organising a star-studded St George's Day evening show at the Circus Tavern on the 23rd April 2008.
Garry said:- “I urge all patriotic London to vote for the English Democrats candidates across the board. If you love our country, act now to save it.”
FULL MAYORAL STATEMENT
Matt O’Connor, London Mayoral Candidate 2008, English Democrats
The English Democrats are pioneers of individual liberty and freedom, Londoners charged with energy, conviction and commitment; agents for change united by a common bond - the innate emotional attachment we place on our capital’s shared heritage, language, identity, cultures and traditions - regardless of race, colour or creed.
I want to change the language of politics and reawaken the cradle of our democracy. But most importantly I want to offer Londoners a choice. A choice between the politics of hope and the politics of hate and discrimination. Between the politics of “belonging” and the divisiveness of segregation and alienation. Between the politics of the future and the politics of the past. A new pathway for London that refashions our identity, fusing together elements of the past with an eye to the future and what is possible, to create a confident, respectful and civilised city we can be proud of.
Unlike any of the other parties that represent the old order, I want to break the paralysis that grips our political discourse. To restore the democratic deficit in the Union of the United Kingdom . To stop the disproportionate flow of taxes from London to other parts of the UK including Scotland and Wales , so that London ’s taxes are spent on the needs of London , not automatically the needs of Edinburgh or Northern Ireland . Five of the ten most deprived local authorities in the UK are in London and they urgently need economic support.
Finally we need to tackle the social disease of family breakdown. We are creating a dysfunctional city, a city of children without fathers and without stable families, Labour’s failure to respect family life has exacerbated many of London ’s problems. It is unacceptable that 27 Mothers lost their children in a violent harvest of bullets and blades. Gang crime is running out of control and we have the highest rate of young offending in Western Europe, as well as the highest rate of teenage pregnancies in Europe .
Our elected politicians have failed in their duty of care to protect the public and to tackle the breakdown of large parts of our capital city. By promoting family and community cohesion, radical family law reform and unlocking the potential of young people in our communities, we can begin to stem the catastrophic social effects of family breakdown.
Together with you, I am committed to repairing our broken city, rebuilding fractured families and establishing strong, prosperous communities. I hope you will work with me in creating our New London ; a city of opportunity, hope and unexplored horizons.
Matt O’Connor, London Mayoral Candidate 2008, The English Democrats
The Scottish Connection
From Jonathan Fryer's web site, linked here:
Business for New Europe (BNE) hosted a crowded reception in the Jubilee Room at the House of Commons this evening, in advance of the lengthy discussions that are going to take place in both Houses of Parliament over the ratification of the Lisbon Treaty. Jim Murphy, the Minister for Europe, gave an admirably brief and admirably on-message speech, which for once gave me hope that this government of ours might actually do what it should have done a decade ago, and make the case for Europe to the British people. Even Gordon Brown turned up and spoke positively at a BNE event the other day, so we pro-Europeans have a reason to be optimistic. Perhaps the fact they are both Scots helps; the Scots always knew better how to get on with the French and other Continentals than the English did. As if to rub it in, the LibDem speaker was Charles Kennedy, purring like a contented cat, at last enabled, as the new President of the European Movement, and unencombered by party leadership, to nail his European colours to the mast.
From Jonathan Fryer's web site, linked here:
Business for New Europe (BNE) hosted a crowded reception in the Jubilee Room at the House of Commons this evening, in advance of the lengthy discussions that are going to take place in both Houses of Parliament over the ratification of the Lisbon Treaty. Jim Murphy, the Minister for Europe, gave an admirably brief and admirably on-message speech, which for once gave me hope that this government of ours might actually do what it should have done a decade ago, and make the case for Europe to the British people. Even Gordon Brown turned up and spoke positively at a BNE event the other day, so we pro-Europeans have a reason to be optimistic. Perhaps the fact they are both Scots helps; the Scots always knew better how to get on with the French and other Continentals than the English did. As if to rub it in, the LibDem speaker was Charles Kennedy, purring like a contented cat, at last enabled, as the new President of the European Movement, and unencombered by party leadership, to nail his European colours to the mast.
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
George Osborne's Declaration of Interests.
The link is here. Sections I find fascinating are these:
=========================================
==========================================
As he mentions Mr S Robertson, not mentioning all the other donors revealed by the Mail on Sunday must be disingenuous.
======================================
6. Overseas visits
31 May-1 June 2007, to Istanbul, Turkey, to attend the Bilderberg Conference. My accommodation, ground transportation and meals were all paid for by the Turkish sponsors of the Conference. I paid for my flights and all other expenses personally. (Registered 20 June 2007)
======================================
No further comment needed.
The link is here. Sections I find fascinating are these:
=========================================
| 4. | Sponsorship or financial or material support | ||
| In my capacity as Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer, support for my office is received from Mr S Robertson, of London. | |||
==========================================
As he mentions Mr S Robertson, not mentioning all the other donors revealed by the Mail on Sunday must be disingenuous.
======================================
6. Overseas visits
31 May-1 June 2007, to Istanbul, Turkey, to attend the Bilderberg Conference. My accommodation, ground transportation and meals were all paid for by the Turkish sponsors of the Conference. I paid for my flights and all other expenses personally. (Registered 20 June 2007)
======================================
No further comment needed.
Monday, January 14, 2008
Cameron content to remain in EU with the Constitution
The full detail of the exchanges on the Lisbon Treaty and the ever shifting Conservative policy from the transcript of yesterday's show, linked here, appears below but the essence is in the following echange:
ANDREW MARR: And under any circumstances do you have in your inside pocket a gun which says right we actually, we actually come out?
DAVID CAMERON: No, I don't want to..
ANDREW MARR: Under any circumstances?
DAVID CAMERON: Well if it wasn't in Britain's interests to be a member of the European Union I wouldn't argue for it but I think it is in our interests and I do argue for it.
The entire discussion on the EU between the two slippery Scots is here:
ANDREW MARR: Can I ask you about another thing that you said you would do in power which is you said you'd give a cast iron guarantee to the British people that if you were Prime Minister there would be a referendum on the EU Treaty. Does that cast iron guarantee still hold?
DAVID CAMERON: Yes, as soon as we have an election the sooner we can have a referendum, that is absolutely the case.
ANDREW MARR: So to be clear, if it passes through, if the Treaty passes through parliament this spring, and I understand you don't want it to, but assuming it does, and is then ratified around Europe by all the 27 Member States, you would still have a referendum to re-open that issue if you come into power afterwards?
DAVID CAMERON: If it's passed through Parliament we can still hold a referendum. The difficult question, I accept it is a difficult question, is well what if it goes through Parliament, if it goes through every other country and is implemented by every other country, if no other country holds a referendum, if the election isn't till, you know, 2010, what then?
ANDREW MARR: Yes.
DAVID CAMERON: Now, obviously we will not be content to rest at that point because we think too much power would have been passed from Westminster to Brussels. But I don't want to explain exactly what we'd do in those circumstances because we've got to wait and see whether they actually take place.
What I want to do now is maximise the pressure for a referendum and while that Treaty is still being discussed, anywhere in Europe, while it hasn't been implemented, that referendum could take place absolutely no problem at all, and that is absolutely right for that to happen.
ANDREW MARR: So that is not a cast iron guarantee. That's saying that if it's all over it's all over, you don't like the fact it's all over but you've only then got two choices, you can try and re-open the Treaty and that means persuading another 26 countries to go back over this which seems most implausible, or you can hold the threatened withdrawal.
DAVID CAMERON: Let me stop you there, no, we've already said that we're not happy with the transfer of power from Westminster to Brussels, that's already taking place. We think that things have gone too far.
I've said throughout my leadership campaign, throughout the last two years, I think that it'd be much better if social policy and employment policy was determined here in Britain rather than determined in Brussels. So we're already committed to saying there are some things that Europe is currently doing that we think it shouldn't be doing. And so that is a perfectly sensible and reasonable thing to do.
ANDREW MARR: But in the old analogy - you are on board the bus, it's accelerated and the doors are locked, and what I'm asking you is what you can possibly do about that?
DAVID CAMERON: Well I think Margaret Thatcher showed in recovering the British rebate that if you have a very clear, very straightforward approach in Europe and say look, we want to be in the European Union, we believe that trade and co-operation between our countries is good, but we're not happy with the status quo and there are some things we want to change. If you're single-minded about that then there's no reason why you cannot achieve your objectives.
ANDREW MARR: You'd sort of operate guerrilla tactics to try and shake things up enough to get what you want?
DAVID CAMERON: Well it's not guerrilla tactics, it's just a question of being open and up-front and honest and saying, look, this is what we want to achieve. And right now what we want to achieve is a referendum. You know this is the European Constitution like any other....
ANDREW MARR: But you won't absolutely promise one by 2010 if all the other are ratified?
DAVID CAMERON: Well I don't know whether those circumstances are going to appear, it may be that other countries will have referendums, it may be that ratification process will take longer, we may win the vote in either the Lords or the Commons, so you're asking me to answer a question well if, if, if, if, if all these things happen, then what, and I'm telling you...
ANDREW MARR: It's not unlikely, and a lot of people are very interested....
DAVID CAMERON: Well I'm tell you that we wouldn't be happy to let matters rest there because in our view too much power.
ANDREW MARR: I'm just not sure what "letting matters rest" means.
DAVID CAMERON: If those circumstances come about then I'll come on your programme and tell you very clearly what it is that we will do.
ANDREW MARR: And under any circumstances do you have in your inside pocket a gun which says right we actually, we actually come out?
DAVID CAMERON: No, I don't want to..
ANDREW MARR: Under any circumstances?
DAVID CAMERON: Well if it wasn't in Britain's interests to be a member of the European Union I wouldn't argue for it but I think it is in our interests and I do argue for it. But unlike the Labour Party who just believe in sort of lying down and taking whatever is suggested in Brussels. And in the end saying well we have to go along with it, I think we should have a clear view. You know, Tony Blair and Gordon Brown told us they didn't want a European Constitution. What have we now got? a European Constitution.
They told us when they changed their mind about that, "well we must have a referendum". And they fought an election on a referendum. They made what Brown calls a solemn promise about holding a referendum and they've broken that. I believe you've got to try and stick to what you want to do, and that is to hold the referendum on the constitution and, as I say, if all those things you talk about come to pass then we then have to say "right we're not happy with the situation", we have to address it.
ANDREW MARR: But you won't pull out and you may not be able, and it may be too late. I'm just saying that, you know, your options may be very, very limited indeed when you, if you become Prime Minister.
DAVID CAMERON: Well you're asking me if, in all these circumstances, we'll go into that, I'm sure there'll be plenty more occasions to come on the programme and talk you through it.
ANDREW MARR: I'll look forward to that. Let's turn to nuclear power. Are you basically on all fours with the government when they, after their announcement about private companies being given the go-ahead to build more nuclear power stations?
DAVID CAMERON: Well we've taken the very clear view that there shouldn't be subsidies, so if nuclear power stations can make their case in the market and be built, then they should be able to go ahead. That been our view for a long time.
The full detail of the exchanges on the Lisbon Treaty and the ever shifting Conservative policy from the transcript of yesterday's show, linked here, appears below but the essence is in the following echange:
ANDREW MARR: And under any circumstances do you have in your inside pocket a gun which says right we actually, we actually come out?
DAVID CAMERON: No, I don't want to..
ANDREW MARR: Under any circumstances?
DAVID CAMERON: Well if it wasn't in Britain's interests to be a member of the European Union I wouldn't argue for it but I think it is in our interests and I do argue for it.
The entire discussion on the EU between the two slippery Scots is here:
ANDREW MARR: Can I ask you about another thing that you said you would do in power which is you said you'd give a cast iron guarantee to the British people that if you were Prime Minister there would be a referendum on the EU Treaty. Does that cast iron guarantee still hold?
DAVID CAMERON: Yes, as soon as we have an election the sooner we can have a referendum, that is absolutely the case.
ANDREW MARR: So to be clear, if it passes through, if the Treaty passes through parliament this spring, and I understand you don't want it to, but assuming it does, and is then ratified around Europe by all the 27 Member States, you would still have a referendum to re-open that issue if you come into power afterwards?
DAVID CAMERON: If it's passed through Parliament we can still hold a referendum. The difficult question, I accept it is a difficult question, is well what if it goes through Parliament, if it goes through every other country and is implemented by every other country, if no other country holds a referendum, if the election isn't till, you know, 2010, what then?
ANDREW MARR: Yes.
DAVID CAMERON: Now, obviously we will not be content to rest at that point because we think too much power would have been passed from Westminster to Brussels. But I don't want to explain exactly what we'd do in those circumstances because we've got to wait and see whether they actually take place.
What I want to do now is maximise the pressure for a referendum and while that Treaty is still being discussed, anywhere in Europe, while it hasn't been implemented, that referendum could take place absolutely no problem at all, and that is absolutely right for that to happen.
ANDREW MARR: So that is not a cast iron guarantee. That's saying that if it's all over it's all over, you don't like the fact it's all over but you've only then got two choices, you can try and re-open the Treaty and that means persuading another 26 countries to go back over this which seems most implausible, or you can hold the threatened withdrawal.
DAVID CAMERON: Let me stop you there, no, we've already said that we're not happy with the transfer of power from Westminster to Brussels, that's already taking place. We think that things have gone too far.
I've said throughout my leadership campaign, throughout the last two years, I think that it'd be much better if social policy and employment policy was determined here in Britain rather than determined in Brussels. So we're already committed to saying there are some things that Europe is currently doing that we think it shouldn't be doing. And so that is a perfectly sensible and reasonable thing to do.
ANDREW MARR: But in the old analogy - you are on board the bus, it's accelerated and the doors are locked, and what I'm asking you is what you can possibly do about that?
DAVID CAMERON: Well I think Margaret Thatcher showed in recovering the British rebate that if you have a very clear, very straightforward approach in Europe and say look, we want to be in the European Union, we believe that trade and co-operation between our countries is good, but we're not happy with the status quo and there are some things we want to change. If you're single-minded about that then there's no reason why you cannot achieve your objectives.
ANDREW MARR: You'd sort of operate guerrilla tactics to try and shake things up enough to get what you want?
DAVID CAMERON: Well it's not guerrilla tactics, it's just a question of being open and up-front and honest and saying, look, this is what we want to achieve. And right now what we want to achieve is a referendum. You know this is the European Constitution like any other....
ANDREW MARR: But you won't absolutely promise one by 2010 if all the other are ratified?
DAVID CAMERON: Well I don't know whether those circumstances are going to appear, it may be that other countries will have referendums, it may be that ratification process will take longer, we may win the vote in either the Lords or the Commons, so you're asking me to answer a question well if, if, if, if, if all these things happen, then what, and I'm telling you...
ANDREW MARR: It's not unlikely, and a lot of people are very interested....
DAVID CAMERON: Well I'm tell you that we wouldn't be happy to let matters rest there because in our view too much power.
ANDREW MARR: I'm just not sure what "letting matters rest" means.
DAVID CAMERON: If those circumstances come about then I'll come on your programme and tell you very clearly what it is that we will do.
ANDREW MARR: And under any circumstances do you have in your inside pocket a gun which says right we actually, we actually come out?
DAVID CAMERON: No, I don't want to..
ANDREW MARR: Under any circumstances?
DAVID CAMERON: Well if it wasn't in Britain's interests to be a member of the European Union I wouldn't argue for it but I think it is in our interests and I do argue for it. But unlike the Labour Party who just believe in sort of lying down and taking whatever is suggested in Brussels. And in the end saying well we have to go along with it, I think we should have a clear view. You know, Tony Blair and Gordon Brown told us they didn't want a European Constitution. What have we now got? a European Constitution.
They told us when they changed their mind about that, "well we must have a referendum". And they fought an election on a referendum. They made what Brown calls a solemn promise about holding a referendum and they've broken that. I believe you've got to try and stick to what you want to do, and that is to hold the referendum on the constitution and, as I say, if all those things you talk about come to pass then we then have to say "right we're not happy with the situation", we have to address it.
ANDREW MARR: But you won't pull out and you may not be able, and it may be too late. I'm just saying that, you know, your options may be very, very limited indeed when you, if you become Prime Minister.
DAVID CAMERON: Well you're asking me if, in all these circumstances, we'll go into that, I'm sure there'll be plenty more occasions to come on the programme and talk you through it.
ANDREW MARR: I'll look forward to that. Let's turn to nuclear power. Are you basically on all fours with the government when they, after their announcement about private companies being given the go-ahead to build more nuclear power stations?
DAVID CAMERON: Well we've taken the very clear view that there shouldn't be subsidies, so if nuclear power stations can make their case in the market and be built, then they should be able to go ahead. That been our view for a long time.
Sunday, January 13, 2008
Cameron will accept EU Constitution and Westminster's destruction!
Nothing could have been made any clearer than his statements on the Andrew Marr Show this morning at around 0945 GMT on BBC 1 TV.
I will place the full transcript of the exchanges on this blog once issued by the BBC, probably tomorrow.
The Conservative Party under this essentially Scottish MP now has the leaders of all three main political parties fully committed to the end of the centuries old Westminster Parliament of England.
Britain, post devolution and continuing within the EU is already doomed.
A full blown Constitutional Crisis is now underway as a result of the funding scandals involving all the main political parties who are clearly acting above the law. I will be blogging on that matter on UKIP Uncovered somewhat later.
Nothing could have been made any clearer than his statements on the Andrew Marr Show this morning at around 0945 GMT on BBC 1 TV.
I will place the full transcript of the exchanges on this blog once issued by the BBC, probably tomorrow.
The Conservative Party under this essentially Scottish MP now has the leaders of all three main political parties fully committed to the end of the centuries old Westminster Parliament of England.
Britain, post devolution and continuing within the EU is already doomed.
A full blown Constitutional Crisis is now underway as a result of the funding scandals involving all the main political parties who are clearly acting above the law. I will be blogging on that matter on UKIP Uncovered somewhat later.
Thursday, January 10, 2008
Zac Goldsmith fiasco on Al Jazeera TV
As a British Government wheels out a sensible thought through policy for the first occasion I can recall since the ousting of Maggie Thatcher, namely a much forecast nuclear power go ahead read more here, the Tory party puts on the glib but ignorant Zac Goldsmith to suggest the Tories would support no such move. The ex CNN and BBC smoothie anchorman Steven Cole made a fitting interviewer for Goldsmith as both competed in casual preening for the cameras of the Arabic TV station.
Had nuclear power plant construction continued over the past twenty odd years we would not now be held hostage to foreign oil and would have plenty of domestic gas supplies for home heating (assuming we also got some sense on hydrocarbons and banned the exports of domestic gas supplies to the EU).
Talk about spin over substance, now the Conservatives lead Labour in that as well.
As a British Government wheels out a sensible thought through policy for the first occasion I can recall since the ousting of Maggie Thatcher, namely a much forecast nuclear power go ahead read more here, the Tory party puts on the glib but ignorant Zac Goldsmith to suggest the Tories would support no such move. The ex CNN and BBC smoothie anchorman Steven Cole made a fitting interviewer for Goldsmith as both competed in casual preening for the cameras of the Arabic TV station.
Had nuclear power plant construction continued over the past twenty odd years we would not now be held hostage to foreign oil and would have plenty of domestic gas supplies for home heating (assuming we also got some sense on hydrocarbons and banned the exports of domestic gas supplies to the EU).
Talk about spin over substance, now the Conservatives lead Labour in that as well.
Saturday, January 05, 2008
The Tories and the Treaty Referendum
From: TDErikson
The problem with the Tories is that they refuse to pledge the one referendum they could have the power to hold - a retrospective referendum, on attaining office, to REPEAL the new Treaty if meanwhile they find it has been installed without one.
The reason why they refuse to pledge this is that they realise that it would not in fact be possible to unpick the latest treaty from the previous treaties which it will have amended, since the previous treaties by then will no longer exist in an unamended form. It would therefore necessarily be in fact an In/Out referendum, whatever the wording of the question on the ballot paper, and make no mistake that during any campaign this would be made crystal-clear by Brussels so that everyone in Britain was made aware of it before going to vote. Now, since the Tories' top priority is for the UK to stay in the EU at all costs (even at the cost of destroying the Tory party itself), they will never propose this sort of referendum. They will hum and haw, they will make noises that could let people believe that they are in favour of this sort of referendum. But they will never pledge themselves to it. Not really. (They might make a false pledge, like the pledge to withdraw their MEPs from the EPP, but when it came to the point they would clearly never fulfil it. This is essentially what distinguishes UKIP from the Tories.)
The fact remains that the other states (or their political elites, with really negligeable internal oppositions) are dead set on turning the EU into a state in its own right, which is what the new Treaty will do. For them the new Treaty is therefore mandatory for the continuation of the EU itself.
And while they absolutely had to pause and wait for France to sort itself out and catch up, for without its Franco-German core the EU cannot exist, they simply can't afford any longer to be held up by anybody else, and certainly not by Britain.
So even if Brown did an about-turn now and held a referendum prior to ratification, the message would come through from Brussels loud and clear "If any state fails to ratify the new Treaty, the other EU states will regroup and go ahead without it, so it will be excluded from the EU entirely." This message would come through loud and clear and during the referendum campaign. I expect they would even bluff that if the UK excluded itself from the new Treaty and therefore from the new EU, it would also suffer a cut-off of all trading arrangements with the EU (so raising the old spectre of 3m jobs at risk etc). Of course this would surely be a bluff, because of the trade figures in their favour that we know about etc, but they would try it on during the referendum campaign in the hope of stampeding the British people into panicking and voting to accept the new Treaty.
Believe me, there is no mood here on the continent to wait any longer before installing the new Treaty. No mood whatsoever. It will have to be in place by 2009, as programmed. This is perceived by all parts of the continental political spectrum as a categorical imperative. The only thing that would hold up the onward march to full statehood now would be a defection by France or Germany, but that is not on the cards any more (the French largely voted No to the constitution because in contrast to us they feared it would be too liberal and too pro-free market (!!). The French do not like free markets. Sarkozy has taken out the reference to free markets, so there will be no more back-sliding there).
So the choice for the British people is going to be between:
IN the new EU, accepting the new Treaty, accepting to be ruled from Brussels, with no possibility of reversing this in future,
or
OUT (and they will wave the bogey of "no more trade", so 3m jobs at risk etc)
It will not be UKIP posing the question in this way, as some Tories foolishly maintain.It will be Brussels. This is how the question will be posed, in actual fact, if we ever get any referendum, whatever UKIP says or does.
WE MUST BE BRACED FOR THIS.
The only way to win this choice, is to show that in fact, staying IN will mean accepting the EUROGENDARMERIE which will force on us, at gunpoint, changes so basic and radical that it will be a far worse nightmare than any prospect of being outside the EU could possibly ever be, even if 3M jobs really were at risk which is most unlikely.
And we must list what these changes would be, and explain them to the people of Britain, viz:
- Loss of rights of individual freedom from arbitrary imprisonment eg Habeas corpus, Trial by Independent Jury etc. Imposition of an alien criminal code (Corpus Juris) and civil codes which will be administered by an unaccountable career judiciary largely made up of foreigners who do not share our values, who will have uncontrolled power over the personal freedom and property of each and every one of us.
- Being policed by a centrally commanded, unaccountable, heavily armed and militarised police force - the Eurogendarmerie and Europol, made up of foreigners (even Turks are to be recruited - official, see the Treaty of Velsen), immune from prosecution whatever they do, subject to orders from Brussels only, so completely out of the control of our Queen in Parliament. They will look like, feel like, act like, and actually be, a FORCE OF MILITARY OCCUPATION, tasked with subjugating the natives (us). Jimmy Goldsmith said we would be "subjugated". This is what he meant. Getting on to be like if the Wehrmacht had successfully invaded and occupied us in 1940. Something this country has never seen since 1066.
- Increase of the hyper-regulation strangling all private economic activity to the point where all business people, from the humblest shop keeper on the corner right up to the Chairman of the biggest corporation in the city, has to go on bended knee to the politicians who control the regulators, with a brown envelope on a silver tray, simply in order to be able to operate. This is a message we must get out to the movers and shakers in British big biz, who short-sightedly still believe that it is in their business interests for the UK to remain in the EU. If we stay inside, they will find to their surprise that their own personal positions will change radically. From being the big boys who call the shots, as they are at present in the Anglo-Saxon world, they will have become the playthings of politicians, as their counter-parts are and always have been on the continent. As it is and always has been over there, so also in the North West island provinces (formerly Britain) it will be politicians - Euro-politicians - who decide which businesses succeed and which go to the wall, not the markets or the consumers. The richest man in Italy - Berlusconi - had to become a politician himself, because that is where all the power lies. If he hadn't, and he said it himself, his enemies would have ruined him.
The reason why they refuse to pledge this is that they realise that it would not in fact be possible to unpick the latest treaty from the previous treaties which it will have amended, since the previous treaties by then will no longer exist in an unamended form. It would therefore necessarily be in fact an In/Out referendum, whatever the wording of the question on the ballot paper, and make no mistake that during any campaign this would be made crystal-clear by Brussels so that everyone in Britain was made aware of it before going to vote. Now, since the Tories' top priority is for the UK to stay in the EU at all costs (even at the cost of destroying the Tory party itself), they will never propose this sort of referendum. They will hum and haw, they will make noises that could let people believe that they are in favour of this sort of referendum. But they will never pledge themselves to it. Not really. (They might make a false pledge, like the pledge to withdraw their MEPs from the EPP, but when it came to the point they would clearly never fulfil it. This is essentially what distinguishes UKIP from the Tories.)
The fact remains that the other states (or their political elites, with really negligeable internal oppositions) are dead set on turning the EU into a state in its own right, which is what the new Treaty will do. For them the new Treaty is therefore mandatory for the continuation of the EU itself.
And while they absolutely had to pause and wait for France to sort itself out and catch up, for without its Franco-German core the EU cannot exist, they simply can't afford any longer to be held up by anybody else, and certainly not by Britain.
So even if Brown did an about-turn now and held a referendum prior to ratification, the message would come through from Brussels loud and clear "If any state fails to ratify the new Treaty, the other EU states will regroup and go ahead without it, so it will be excluded from the EU entirely." This message would come through loud and clear and during the referendum campaign. I expect they would even bluff that if the UK excluded itself from the new Treaty and therefore from the new EU, it would also suffer a cut-off of all trading arrangements with the EU (so raising the old spectre of 3m jobs at risk etc). Of course this would surely be a bluff, because of the trade figures in their favour that we know about etc, but they would try it on during the referendum campaign in the hope of stampeding the British people into panicking and voting to accept the new Treaty.
Believe me, there is no mood here on the continent to wait any longer before installing the new Treaty. No mood whatsoever. It will have to be in place by 2009, as programmed. This is perceived by all parts of the continental political spectrum as a categorical imperative. The only thing that would hold up the onward march to full statehood now would be a defection by France or Germany, but that is not on the cards any more (the French largely voted No to the constitution because in contrast to us they feared it would be too liberal and too pro-free market (!!). The French do not like free markets. Sarkozy has taken out the reference to free markets, so there will be no more back-sliding there).
So the choice for the British people is going to be between:
IN the new EU, accepting the new Treaty, accepting to be ruled from Brussels, with no possibility of reversing this in future,
or
OUT (and they will wave the bogey of "no more trade", so 3m jobs at risk etc)
It will not be UKIP posing the question in this way, as some Tories foolishly maintain.It will be Brussels. This is how the question will be posed, in actual fact, if we ever get any referendum, whatever UKIP says or does.
WE MUST BE BRACED FOR THIS.
The only way to win this choice, is to show that in fact, staying IN will mean accepting the EUROGENDARMERIE which will force on us, at gunpoint, changes so basic and radical that it will be a far worse nightmare than any prospect of being outside the EU could possibly ever be, even if 3M jobs really were at risk which is most unlikely.
And we must list what these changes would be, and explain them to the people of Britain, viz:
- Loss of rights of individual freedom from arbitrary imprisonment eg Habeas corpus, Trial by Independent Jury etc. Imposition of an alien criminal code (Corpus Juris) and civil codes which will be administered by an unaccountable career judiciary largely made up of foreigners who do not share our values, who will have uncontrolled power over the personal freedom and property of each and every one of us.
- Being policed by a centrally commanded, unaccountable, heavily armed and militarised police force - the Eurogendarmerie and Europol, made up of foreigners (even Turks are to be recruited - official, see the Treaty of Velsen), immune from prosecution whatever they do, subject to orders from Brussels only, so completely out of the control of our Queen in Parliament. They will look like, feel like, act like, and actually be, a FORCE OF MILITARY OCCUPATION, tasked with subjugating the natives (us). Jimmy Goldsmith said we would be "subjugated". This is what he meant. Getting on to be like if the Wehrmacht had successfully invaded and occupied us in 1940. Something this country has never seen since 1066.
- Increase of the hyper-regulation strangling all private economic activity to the point where all business people, from the humblest shop keeper on the corner right up to the Chairman of the biggest corporation in the city, has to go on bended knee to the politicians who control the regulators, with a brown envelope on a silver tray, simply in order to be able to operate. This is a message we must get out to the movers and shakers in British big biz, who short-sightedly still believe that it is in their business interests for the UK to remain in the EU. If we stay inside, they will find to their surprise that their own personal positions will change radically. From being the big boys who call the shots, as they are at present in the Anglo-Saxon world, they will have become the playthings of politicians, as their counter-parts are and always have been on the continent. As it is and always has been over there, so also in the North West island provinces (formerly Britain) it will be politicians - Euro-politicians - who decide which businesses succeed and which go to the wall, not the markets or the consumers. The richest man in Italy - Berlusconi - had to become a politician himself, because that is where all the power lies. If he hadn't, and he said it himself, his enemies would have ruined him.
This is how it already is in continental Europe, how it always has been. A totally different tradition to ours. They had the inquisition and the thought-police when we had Magna Carta. We had constitutional monarchy when they had absolutism and the "Sun King". They had bloody revolutions when we had reforms. We had Parliamentary democracy and fought (against many of them) to keep it while they had Nazi-Fascism and Soviet Communism. So despite some apparent similarities between us and them today and since WW2, their deep traditions and the effective values underlying their institutions are, not surprisingly, somewhat different from ours.
As we have become more and more absorbed into the EU we have seen signs of this, for us new, political/legal/economic culture developing in the UK too, which we have attributed entirely to our own politicians, attributing it entirely to their "dreadfulness", without seeing that it is the Brussels blueprint behind it that drives the creeping Europeanisation of Britain that we have so far witnessed.
With the new Treaty, all this will undergo an unprecedented acceleration, the process of transformation will be completed and it will be made irreversible.
People in Britain today are only dimly aware of this prospect, but we must tell them.
At least show them the photographs of the Eurogendarmerie. That should get them thinking.
Torquil
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