I read that thousands of people are estimated to have been given British passports even though they are criminals or otherwise quite unsuitable. A recent report lists smugglers, illegal workers and in one case someone who admitted to stabbing a man to death, as successful applicants.
I had my passport stolen a while back and for months have been in correspondence with the Passport Office, who seem to me to be what I would call, were it concerning anyone else, utterly thorough.
I now wish I had given my profession as 'Serial Killer' - I'd probably have received a replacement immediately.
12 December, 2014
10 December, 2014
Torture
Using advanced interception techniques, this blog can reproduce the interrogation of a terrorist subject.
MI5: Do you know about a plot to blow up part of the London Underground?
Abdul (not his real name): Yes, I know all about it.
MI5: When and where is it going to take place?
Abdul: I'm not telling you
MI5: Dash it! The bounder refuses to talk! Oh well, nothing for it, those innocent commuters are just going to have to die.
See anything wrong here? If we think someone knows about a plot to murder thousands of people, I want him waterboarded, surfboarded, beaten with a copy of the Independent and forced to listen to a recital of EU Directives until he spills the beans.
When you enter a war, either against another state or against 'terror', nasty things happen. Thousands of innocent people died in our bombing raids on Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya and so on, but we're not allowed to beat up a terrorist suspect in order to save lives.
That is how we should see the arguments on torture.
PS I should mention that I don't think torture should be authorised, as in the recent American case, by intelligence officers. I think it should be authorised by a High Court judge on strictly pre-determined criteria.
MI5: Do you know about a plot to blow up part of the London Underground?
Abdul (not his real name): Yes, I know all about it.
MI5: When and where is it going to take place?
Abdul: I'm not telling you
MI5: Dash it! The bounder refuses to talk! Oh well, nothing for it, those innocent commuters are just going to have to die.
See anything wrong here? If we think someone knows about a plot to murder thousands of people, I want him waterboarded, surfboarded, beaten with a copy of the Independent and forced to listen to a recital of EU Directives until he spills the beans.
When you enter a war, either against another state or against 'terror', nasty things happen. Thousands of innocent people died in our bombing raids on Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya and so on, but we're not allowed to beat up a terrorist suspect in order to save lives.
That is how we should see the arguments on torture.
PS I should mention that I don't think torture should be authorised, as in the recent American case, by intelligence officers. I think it should be authorised by a High Court judge on strictly pre-determined criteria.
27 November, 2014
New Tories
How, I must ask, has the Conservative Party sunk so low? You meet them on the doorsteps, at parties or their fundraising events and something speaks to you that all is not normal, not as it was. Has some alien force invaded? How did they enrol these new people?
We hear a Judge confirm that Andrew Mitchell, a former Chief Whip, had indeed called a policeman (a policeman!) a f***ing pleb and tried to bully him out of doing his job. This week also we hear that David Mellor, a former Cabinet Minister, has been recorded swearing at a taxi driver, and listing his achievements - broadcaster, QC etc before saying the cabbie should get an education before arguing with him.
Having a rank in society or a good education brings with it obligation, not the right to sneer. You know what I think about people who use their position or their education to bully more ordinary folk?
I think they're f***ing plebs.
We hear a Judge confirm that Andrew Mitchell, a former Chief Whip, had indeed called a policeman (a policeman!) a f***ing pleb and tried to bully him out of doing his job. This week also we hear that David Mellor, a former Cabinet Minister, has been recorded swearing at a taxi driver, and listing his achievements - broadcaster, QC etc before saying the cabbie should get an education before arguing with him.
Having a rank in society or a good education brings with it obligation, not the right to sneer. You know what I think about people who use their position or their education to bully more ordinary folk?
I think they're f***ing plebs.
06 November, 2014
The way we live now
A lesbian couple, described as intelligent and sophisticated, approached a male gay couple, also described as intelligent and sophisticated, with a view to them, the lesbians, conceiving children.
The procedure was done by in vitro fertilisation. Two children resulted. Now the two sets have been quarrelling over 'parental access'. Legal action has been taken, the parties being known as 'Mother 1 and Mother 2' (M1 being the biological mother) versus Father 1 and Father 2 (F1 being father). The children are called Child A and Child B.
The action has been going on for 4 years and cost more than half a million pounds.
Custody has been awarded to the two Ms, even though they have a history of domestic violence with each other, M1 having been treated for psychiatric disorders and M2 being described as 'controlling'.
F1 and F2 are allowed to see something of B but only write to A.
The two children's lives have been 'irredeemably marred' by the court conflict.
I don't really know where to start here, so I'll just report it. Bonkers parents, unnatural relationships, domestic violence, children's lives ruined.
The procedure was done by in vitro fertilisation. Two children resulted. Now the two sets have been quarrelling over 'parental access'. Legal action has been taken, the parties being known as 'Mother 1 and Mother 2' (M1 being the biological mother) versus Father 1 and Father 2 (F1 being father). The children are called Child A and Child B.
The action has been going on for 4 years and cost more than half a million pounds.
Custody has been awarded to the two Ms, even though they have a history of domestic violence with each other, M1 having been treated for psychiatric disorders and M2 being described as 'controlling'.
F1 and F2 are allowed to see something of B but only write to A.
The two children's lives have been 'irredeemably marred' by the court conflict.
I don't really know where to start here, so I'll just report it. Bonkers parents, unnatural relationships, domestic violence, children's lives ruined.
Immigration
Recent confusing figures trying to quantify the cost or benefit to the Exchequer of immigration are missing the point.
The important aspect is that a significant number of people in Britain - enough to turn an election - think that immigration has created ghettoised areas where English is not spoken and life not lived in an English way and that this leads to social upheaval.
The non-political class also recognise that these people need public services such as schools, hospitals, policing and so on, costs which don't come out in the figures.
It is not racist to discuss this and if the present politicians don't allow such discussion, either they will find themselves replaced by people who are more normal, or the hitherto silent majority will rebel.
I am just talking about discussing the matter, nothing more than that.
The important aspect is that a significant number of people in Britain - enough to turn an election - think that immigration has created ghettoised areas where English is not spoken and life not lived in an English way and that this leads to social upheaval.
The non-political class also recognise that these people need public services such as schools, hospitals, policing and so on, costs which don't come out in the figures.
It is not racist to discuss this and if the present politicians don't allow such discussion, either they will find themselves replaced by people who are more normal, or the hitherto silent majority will rebel.
I am just talking about discussing the matter, nothing more than that.
Europe
We now learn that some €7 billion of the European budget (around €150 billion in total) was paid out in error, whilst the masterminds behind this are asking Britain to stump up another €2.1billion.I am not here making the traditional eurosceptic point. We knew it was corrupt when we joined; we knew they could ask a successful country for more money to subsidise the lazy and unsuccessful; we accepted that European Law takes precedence over ours.
We should pay up without all this whingeing: this is money we owe.
Of course we shouldn't have joined in the first place. Of course we should now leave (we should have left long ago). But this was our cock-up and we must take responsibility for it.
OH NO!
It seems that the head of the European Commission, Jean Claude Juncker, has entered the pantomime season early. From a press conference to mark his new job:
JCJ: I am not the head of a band of bureaucrats
Public: OH YES YOU ARE!
JCJ: I deserve some respect
Public: OH NO YOU DON'T!
Dear me. I don't suppose we shall ever take these people seriously.
JCJ: I am not the head of a band of bureaucrats
Public: OH YES YOU ARE!
JCJ: I deserve some respect
Public: OH NO YOU DON'T!
Dear me. I don't suppose we shall ever take these people seriously.
28 October, 2014
Close encounter
My first thought was that he was probably protesting against unchecked immigration and the cost of belonging to the European Union and that it would do Mr Cameron good to meet a member of the general public.
Mr Farley - alright I'm guessing here - is not an Old Etonian.
However the truth was even better. Mr Farley, who surely has a future on the world stage, didn't know who Cameron was.
26 October, 2014
Jack Bruce
Sorry to hear of the Death of Jack Bruce. He started as a jazz musician, playing upright bass, played blues with John Mayall, pop with Manfred Mann and of course progressive rock with Cream.
Quite a cv
Quite a cv
Apology
Sorry for the lack of posting. I have been in the South of France which has a glorious warm autumn.
Whatever people tell you about France's economic disaster it is not true of the Cote d'Azur which is comfortable and expensive.
Terrible coffee, though.
Whatever people tell you about France's economic disaster it is not true of the Cote d'Azur which is comfortable and expensive.
Terrible coffee, though.
Sense of time
As usual on these occasions I got up this morning not knowing what bloody time it was. I had some recollection of having changed the time on my 'phone before I went to bed, but another recollection that I hadn't known how to do it. Turning on the computer, which updates itself automatically, was the only way to find out, and by that stage I was awake and the day had to start.
It was 5am.
Now, at last, we see some sense. Russia, which had turned to some sort of permanent summer time a few years ago has listened to its people, who feel their biorhythms were being played around with, and abandoned the concept completely. The clocks will no longer change in Russia but simply reflect the time nature intended.
It is high time our own so called democracy did the same.
It was 5am.
Now, at last, we see some sense. Russia, which had turned to some sort of permanent summer time a few years ago has listened to its people, who feel their biorhythms were being played around with, and abandoned the concept completely. The clocks will no longer change in Russia but simply reflect the time nature intended.
It is high time our own so called democracy did the same.
11 October, 2014
Boycott
But apparently the two go back fifty years. Shell pays Lego to make imitation Shell petrol stations, fuel trucks and so on, and the contract is worth around $100 million.
Now Lego has pulled out, persuaded by the environmental pressure Group Greenpeace that Shell are absolutely horrid.
Shell and Greenpeace also go back a long way, following Greenpeace's wholly bogus attack on rig decommissioning some years ago. Greenpeace hadn't understood anything about oil and water and supplied the media and the public with outrageously inaccurate figures.
Really, we do need a few more facts and a bit less hysteria from the enviro-loonies. This blog has long boycotted Greenpeace; it is now boycotting Lego, too.
What are those little bricks made of, anyway?
Nobel Peace Prize
Considering that the Nobel Peace Prize has, in the recent past, been awarded to the European Union, Barack Obama, Al Gore and the bogus International Panel on Climate Change, we must congratulate the organisers on awarding it to someone, Malala Yousafzai, who has actually benefitted humanity.
Spare a thought for Kailash Sathyarti, the Indian children's campaigner, who shared the prize with Malala but whose name is likely to be forgotten.
Spare a thought for Kailash Sathyarti, the Indian children's campaigner, who shared the prize with Malala but whose name is likely to be forgotten.
30 September, 2014
Offensive
All very straightforward and normal, you might think.
But the complaint was to the effect that the twelve Golden stars on a blue background was an Arabic symbol and offensive.
I have never been to Holywood, but I salute its inhabitants. 'Oh brave new world, that hath such people in it!'. Life must be bliss where you have no idea what this flag means.
But the Europe Team in the Ryder Cup has nothng to do with the EU, an undemocratic tyranny of bureaucrats.
And the flag is offensive.
28 September, 2014
Tory resignations
Cameron has been relying on his promise to hold a referendum if the Conservatives win, and it is tempting to vote Conservative just for this. But increasingly people are believing it to be a sham. Cameron will do very little to renegotiate our deal with Europe (and be allowed very little by Europe) and will then lead the 'staying-in camp', pretending his reforms are the best that can be achieved.
Reckless points to the European Arrest Warrant which Cameron at first opposed then has quietly brought back. A corrupt judge in Romania or Slovakia can order your arrest by British police without your being able to contest it. They don't have habeas corpus in Europe so you can be locked up for a long time without charge, and, except for murder, none of these countries have trial by jury.
So Reckless went. Others will too unless Cameron looks as if he isn't cheating us.
More interesting is the departure of Brooks Newmark. Firstly, what was he doing for a living? Why do we need a Minister for Civil Society? Is it as opposed to military society or to those in religious orders?
Anyway, this bogus minister, who is filthy rich and married with five children, got a message on social media from 'Sophie, 20-something Tory researcher' saying she'd like to ask his advice about becoming an MP and he, sensing the possibility of a shag at the Party Conference, purred along.
It is almost inconceivable that a grown man could be so stupid (Sophie was, of course, an undercover reporter) but he fell for it hook, line and sinker.And then, good gracious.... Ask yourself, gentlemen, how you look at your best, which outfit makes you most attractive. I have known women who favour the cords and brown shoes casual look, but most I have known think a decent suit and tie. Some women find cufflinks quite sexy.
Mr Newmark sent 'Sophie' a picture of himself in paisley pajamas, naturally with his penis hanging out. Paisley pajamas! Good grief! and this is a minister of the Crown!
Cameron appointed this man a minister, even though he had been in trouble before about stupid posts on social media and had to resign, and Cameron must take the blame.
Mr Newmark's constituents now need to hand him the pistol and the bottle of whisky. He is too stupid to be an MP.
26 September, 2014
Surely....
As the world prepares for war in the Middle East and the Ukraine, I see there are photos in the newspapers of Posh Spice (Victoria Beckham) addressing the United Nations.Fortunately it's 1st April
Oh
25 September, 2014
Softened up
I first began to think we were being softened up for a war when ISIS was described as 'the biggest threat the United States has faced'. That's the United States of America, with its fast jets and stealth bombers, its ships and Aircraft carriers, its drones, its hundreds of thousands of soldiers. ISIS at the time numbered 10,000 (it's probably now around 20,000) and was equipped with the sort of weaponry an American could buy in a hardware store.
ISIS are Sunni muslims and largely Syrian. They were rebelling against Bashar al Assad in their own country and we, if you recall, were trying to help them.
Then we imposed our own man to lead Iraq next door, and he, a Shia, like the majority of Iraqis, was being unpleasant to Sunnis and the Sunnis in Syria crossed the border to fight him.
None of this fighting has taken place in Kent, or New York.
Where the Sunni bandits are a threat to the West is that they might send suicide bombers to our shores. Why would they do that? Because they perceive us as being involved in what they perceive as their country. So what would be the effect of us bombing the hell out of them? Exactly: they will respond in the only way they can.
Now David Cameron has adopted the usual mantle of the Tory Right: 'If there's a fight anywhere, we want to be involved'. It is a demonstration of national and personal machismo.
Cameron has already told one porky pie to support the idea of British involvement: he said ISIS had already plotted an atrocity on British soil. That was the so-called 'toothpaste bomb' threat but it wasn't by ISIS, it was by an offshoot of al-Qaeda. ISIS have so far killed, what, four westerners? Five?
And yet Cameron has recalled parliament to discuss going to war: another war in which no way out has been suggested and none will be found and which will put not just our service personnel but our civilians at risk.
If instead of vast resources being devoted to a foreign campaign, we simply strengthened Britain's borders we would defend ourselves more effectively.
ISIS are Sunni muslims and largely Syrian. They were rebelling against Bashar al Assad in their own country and we, if you recall, were trying to help them.
Then we imposed our own man to lead Iraq next door, and he, a Shia, like the majority of Iraqis, was being unpleasant to Sunnis and the Sunnis in Syria crossed the border to fight him.
None of this fighting has taken place in Kent, or New York.
Where the Sunni bandits are a threat to the West is that they might send suicide bombers to our shores. Why would they do that? Because they perceive us as being involved in what they perceive as their country. So what would be the effect of us bombing the hell out of them? Exactly: they will respond in the only way they can.
Now David Cameron has adopted the usual mantle of the Tory Right: 'If there's a fight anywhere, we want to be involved'. It is a demonstration of national and personal machismo.
Cameron has already told one porky pie to support the idea of British involvement: he said ISIS had already plotted an atrocity on British soil. That was the so-called 'toothpaste bomb' threat but it wasn't by ISIS, it was by an offshoot of al-Qaeda. ISIS have so far killed, what, four westerners? Five?
And yet Cameron has recalled parliament to discuss going to war: another war in which no way out has been suggested and none will be found and which will put not just our service personnel but our civilians at risk.
If instead of vast resources being devoted to a foreign campaign, we simply strengthened Britain's borders we would defend ourselves more effectively.
19 September, 2014
Scotland: the fallout
The Scots have voted and the nonsense level has reached what surely must be its peak.
The Spectator (and many others): 'we are in danger of dissolving the most successful political union in history.' No, think America, think Germany, think Switzerland. If ours was so successful 45% of one of its constituent parts wouldn't have voted to leave.
Cameron: 'the Scots have voted for a new constitutional settlement'. No, Davy, they voted to stay in the UK, the old settlement. Other leaders tried the same sort of tosh, aimed to cover up their spectacular own goal during the campaign.
Now the vote is over, Britain finds itself not at ease with itself, but in a rather difficult predicament. No one who knows the man will be surprised that the source of its predicament is Gordon Brown, disgraced former Prime Minister and the man with the anti-Midas touch.
Towards the end of the campaign, when people thought the Yes vote might win, Brown announced that he had been having a chat with some of his constituents (he didn't name them and we can be sure this was a lie) and there was support for a new constitutional settlement. The three party leaders in Britain all gave it their full support. It involves what is called devo-more. At the start of the campaign we could have got away with devo-lite, a modest amount of devolution if the Scots stayed in, then the price went up to devo-max and now it's even worse than that.
The three leaders and Mr Catastrophe had no right to offer what they did - the way we do constitutional change in Britain is through a vote in both houses of parliament then approval by the Queen - and now we are in the do-do.
The Scots can fairly say (even if it's not true) that they voted 'No' because of this offer. They will insist on it being fulfilled. But parliament won't approve it without equally generous terms for England. Of course that scuppers the timetable: it's going to take at least two years, whereas Catastrophe promised it for Burns' Night (25th January).
But if this looked like a bad night for Alex Salmond and David Cameron, think how Ed Miliband must be feeling. When Parliament insists on only English MPs voting on purely English matters, he is going to find that every time Cameron wants something done he just needs to say it's an English matter and he will have a majority. Miliband is frantically backtracking, but his Agreement to Catastrophe's plans have effectively meant the end of the Labour Party for the near future.
And while we are on the subject of who has done well or badly, has anyone in Britain come out of this feeling that our politicians and our media are fit for purpose?
I don't think so.
We have a long and difficult time ahead. The people don't like not knowing where they stand.
The Spectator (and many others): 'we are in danger of dissolving the most successful political union in history.' No, think America, think Germany, think Switzerland. If ours was so successful 45% of one of its constituent parts wouldn't have voted to leave.
Cameron: 'the Scots have voted for a new constitutional settlement'. No, Davy, they voted to stay in the UK, the old settlement. Other leaders tried the same sort of tosh, aimed to cover up their spectacular own goal during the campaign.
Now the vote is over, Britain finds itself not at ease with itself, but in a rather difficult predicament. No one who knows the man will be surprised that the source of its predicament is Gordon Brown, disgraced former Prime Minister and the man with the anti-Midas touch.
Towards the end of the campaign, when people thought the Yes vote might win, Brown announced that he had been having a chat with some of his constituents (he didn't name them and we can be sure this was a lie) and there was support for a new constitutional settlement. The three party leaders in Britain all gave it their full support. It involves what is called devo-more. At the start of the campaign we could have got away with devo-lite, a modest amount of devolution if the Scots stayed in, then the price went up to devo-max and now it's even worse than that.
The three leaders and Mr Catastrophe had no right to offer what they did - the way we do constitutional change in Britain is through a vote in both houses of parliament then approval by the Queen - and now we are in the do-do.
The Scots can fairly say (even if it's not true) that they voted 'No' because of this offer. They will insist on it being fulfilled. But parliament won't approve it without equally generous terms for England. Of course that scuppers the timetable: it's going to take at least two years, whereas Catastrophe promised it for Burns' Night (25th January).
But if this looked like a bad night for Alex Salmond and David Cameron, think how Ed Miliband must be feeling. When Parliament insists on only English MPs voting on purely English matters, he is going to find that every time Cameron wants something done he just needs to say it's an English matter and he will have a majority. Miliband is frantically backtracking, but his Agreement to Catastrophe's plans have effectively meant the end of the Labour Party for the near future.
And while we are on the subject of who has done well or badly, has anyone in Britain come out of this feeling that our politicians and our media are fit for purpose?
I don't think so.
We have a long and difficult time ahead. The people don't like not knowing where they stand.
18 September, 2014
Our NHS
David Prior, head of the Care Quality Commission, says that up to 10,000 people a year die because of poor NHS care.
Ten thousand people per year.
At the same time we see that staying with an unreformed NHS is the principal issue in the Scottish Referendum campaign. The Yes side are concerned that the evil English might allow private money and private health standards to contaminate the service they are getting.
I should have thought one of the main benefits of Independence would be that you didn't have to have the NHS.
Ten thousand people per year.
At the same time we see that staying with an unreformed NHS is the principal issue in the Scottish Referendum campaign. The Yes side are concerned that the evil English might allow private money and private health standards to contaminate the service they are getting.
I should have thought one of the main benefits of Independence would be that you didn't have to have the NHS.
17 September, 2014
Still going
A week away and I return to find the Scottish referendum debate still going on. I wonder that anyone has anything new to say, although I suppose Gordon Brown's promise to have more devolution if they say no, hastily backed up by the party leaders, is new. It is new constitutionally, that a former (disgraced) prime minister could start making promises on a constitutional settlement without reference to parliament.
Anyway, it's nearly over.
One interesting point: I saw that Bob Geldof had addressed a 'No' rally. Geldof is Irish. Is he saying that he thinks being a part of the UK is so wonderful that he'd like it for his country?
Reversing the 1922 constitutional settlement would be a change indeed.
Anyway, it's nearly over.
One interesting point: I saw that Bob Geldof had addressed a 'No' rally. Geldof is Irish. Is he saying that he thinks being a part of the UK is so wonderful that he'd like it for his country?
Reversing the 1922 constitutional settlement would be a change indeed.
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