The Guardian newspaper has announced it has been gagged from reporting parliamentary proceedings, on legal grounds, for the first time in living memory. It has said in its report: Today’s published Commons order papers contain a question to be answered by a minister later this week. The Guardian is prevented from identifying the MP who […]
journalists
Sympathy For MPs? – Not Even Slightly!
OK..Ok it’s time to own up…aren’t you feeling just a little bit of sympathy for that dysfunctional group of society called MPs? After all, they have just returned from weeks and weeks on an expensive summer vacation (working in their constituencies, of course, and not holidaying in their second homes or travelling the world) to […]
Support World Mental Health Day – You Would Be Mad Not To!
Today, is World Mental Health Day. It has been organised to try to stimulate discussion on what seems to be one of the most stigmatised areas of modern medicine: mental illness. Most people would rather own up to having a serious sexual disease than admit they suffer from the most common form of mental disorder […]
London’s ‘Mayor Boris’ Tries to ‘Stuff’ Paxo
I have only just caught up with this interview between London’s somewhat eccentric Mayor, Boris Johnson and BBC Newsnight’s ‘Rottweiler’ frontman Jeremy Paxman. It was recorded at the Conservative Party conference in Manchester on October 5th. I am not sure if it is really about politics or is just an audition for the lead roles […]
Is Harriet Harman More Equal Than Anyone Else?
“I’m Harriet Harman, you know where you can get me.” Those are the words of Labour’s deputy leader, Harriet Harman. They were not the reassuring words of an MP to a worried constituent but, instead, are alleged to have been made to a witness, who saw a parked car hit by Ms Harman’s vehicle, while […]
Don’t Predict The Next Government Just Yet!
Six months is a long time in politics and we have even longer than that until the next general election takes place. Of course, all the parties are now, unofficially at least, campaigning to capture the imaginations of the voters and predictably, the Conservatives are the most popular party in the polls at this moment […]
Andrew Marr Angers PM’s Aides
Aides to PM Gordon Brown are said to be furious that he was sandbagged, during an interview with Andrew Marr, on BBC1, when asked whether he is taking prescription painkillers. Marr said: “A lot of people in this country use prescription painkillers and pills to help them get through. Are you one of them?” The […]
BBC Bans The Word ‘Butcher’
I am irritated! Tonight, while travelling home from work, I was listening to the excellent Eddie Nestor who hosts the drivetime programme on BBC London 94.9FM. Eddie is one of the few broadcasters who has the rare gift of being able to discuss any subject, however sensitive, in a fair and amiable way, while still […]
Is Our Prime Minister Depressed Or Just Useless?
There has been an increasing level of discussion in the ‘world of blogs’ over the last week about whether Gordon Brown, our Prime Minister, is suffering from depression and whether he is being treated with medication. To my knowledge, the mainstream media have not, so far, made reference to the theory but I am sure […]
Calling Time On Alcohol? – Mine’s A Large One!
We have a habit in the UK of punishing the majority for the sins of the minority. The latest attempt to deprive us of choice comes from the British Medical Association (BMA) who are campaigning for a complete ban on all alcohol related advertising and to bring an end to the supermarket special offers and […]