Just when you thought it was safe to ride your bike quietly through the gates of Downing Street he’s back! Yes, Andrew Mitchell former Government Chief Whip has re-surfaced through the smoke created by his unplanned departure from office. He, and his buddies in the Conservatives are relying on CCTV footage, supplied by 10 Downing […]
government
Moral Multi-Nationals, Politicians and Tax
When politicians use the word ‘moral’, the hairs on the back of my neck start tingling and I get a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach. And so it was when Margaret Hodge MP told executives from Starbucks, Amazon and Google: There is a growing anger among ordinary people who pay their taxes […]
Leveson Law Lacks Logic
The Leveson inquiry into press standards was long, laboured and often laborious. Many gave their evidence but the most revealing were those from the world of celebrity. Several had built their careers on publicity granted by the press, but didn’t like the attention shown towards them once they had become famous – or in some […]
When a Good Idea Takes Its Toll
The trouble with having a good idea is that sometimes you don’t discover the consequences of its ‘goodness’ until much later on. A prime example of the above is giving the drivers of lower emission cars the benefit of paying either little, or no, road tax as an incentive for running a more environmentally friendly […]
BBC Newsnight Saga Takes Another Turn
The BBC Newsnight saga has taken another new and uncharted turn this weekend with the resignation of George Entwistle, its director general, and the ‘stepping aside’ of director of news, Helen Boaden, and her deputy, Stephen Mitchell. This has hugely pleased certain tabloid editors and executives in the Murdoch publishing empire. It has, also, bought […]
Gary McKinnon And The Extradition Of U.S. Aliens
It’s only taken ten years for our government to say ‘no’ to the US but finally Home Secretary, Theresa May, has done it. Her announcement, on Tuesday, that Gary McKinnon will not have to face extradition to America was a shot in the arm for the right of all UK subjects to a fair hearing. […]
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Is Jimmy Savile The Smoke Hiding A Fire?
As the Jimmy Savile revelations enter their third week, it’s very easy to get carried away by the stories in the media. However, nothing we have either read or heard, so far at least, has been anything more than heresay or allegation; there hasn’t been any concrete proof of the accusations made against him. Of […]
Mitchell v Police – Who Do You Believe?
Tonight, The Telegraph has been handed the full police report of the Andrew Mitchell incident in Downing Street. It was released as Government officials were trying to convince us all there should be no further action taken against Mr Mitchell. The officer's report states: Whilst on duty at *** tonight (Wed 19th Sept) on a […]
It Must Be Apology Season For Politicians
It must be apology season for politicians of all parties. First, last week, we had the heartfelt apology of shadow Northern Ireland minister, Stephen Pound, who denied he had fallen asleep during a commons debate, but who then made his apology, claiming he hadn’t realised it was him who had been spotted dozing (yawn). Next, […]
Online Porn, Politicians And Puzzling Petitions
Even on a normal day, I must admit to finding life very puzzling. The people who make up the human race I find to be even more puzzling than the puzzling life in which we all live. For instance, I am puzzled why over 100,000 puzzling people signed a petition, handed in to Downing Street […]