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View Poll Results: Is Tone Blown? Feelings are mixed - as a distanced observor, what's your view?
Tony's our man - no one could replace him 0 0%
Tony's made some mistakes - a change might be a good idea 1 20.00%
Tony's now become a liability - let the MPs decide his fate 2 40.00%
Tony shouldn't waste time - he should publish a timetable to step down 0 0%
Tony's well past his sell-by date - he should resign now - period 2 40.00%
Voters: 5. You may not vote on this poll

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Old 05-24-2006, 02:40 PM   #46
Cyclefrance
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Not often that John Reid (Home Secretary) gets my sympathy, but no sooner does he bare his soul and say he's going to kick some butt, than a couple of immigration managers let him down. They were involved in the way a convicted murderer on the one hand and a rapist on the other, and even a paedophile on a third hand, that had just been apprehended, should be treated by the courts in terms of their immigrant status. They failed to respond with the necessary information, and this had the result that the courts by law had to allow these persons to go free on bail....

If Reid had any hair left he would be tearing it out, that's for sure. The managers concerned have been moved from their posts (not easy to sack civil servants... nigh on impossible...)
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Old 05-26-2006, 05:50 AM   #47
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The George and Tony show ran last night - interesting outcome

If we are to believe the feedback from US journalists then it seems that Tony's performance left his standing with the American public high. On this side of the pond, however, British critics view this further confirmation of support for Bush on Iraq as damning proof that the invasion was completely wrong.
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Old 05-26-2006, 07:05 AM   #48
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The Attorney General, Lord Goldsmith relented to pressure from Information Commissioner Richard Thomas, and finally published details behind his decision to judge the proposed (at the time) invasion of Iraq as being legal - he had changed his mind within 10 days of coming to the oppoiste conclusion.

He has always argued that his change of view was not the result of political pressure - the informnation now published leads one to a different conclusion.

This was the basis for Blair going to war and commiting British forces to undertake action. Dissentors and sceptics were looking for evidence of impartial advice, perhaps even consultation with experts on international law. They were left wanting. The only extra advice came from sources who had an interest in the decision going the way of supporting invasion. His additional sources turn out to have been Jack Sraw (Foreign Secretary and supporter of invasion), Sir Jeremy Greenstock (British Ambassador to the UN), the US government and even Tony Blair, all of whom advised that for invasion a further UN resolution was not necessary - what a surprise!.

Needless to say the British government comment that there is little new in his statement - one can almost hear the carpet being lifted as the broom moves rapidly towards it....
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Old 05-26-2006, 09:24 AM   #49
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We can always count on British Respect Party MP George Galloway to liven things up. You may remember him. He came over to the States last year to face a Senate Committee and steamed into Senator Coleman with guns blazing.

Anyway, this week, apart from visiting Fidel Castro, he also managed to stir things up in an interview for GQ magazine. When asked if a suicide bomb attack on Blair would be justified, he concurred saying it would be the equivalent of Blair ordering Iraqi deaths - but, clawing his way back up out of the deep hole he had just dug for himself, he added that he would tell authorities if he heard of any such plot to bump of Blair, and that he wasn't advocating the murder of the PM.

Well, it is Friday....
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Old 05-27-2006, 07:09 PM   #50
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Galloway - it's not every day you see a pile of shit in a clown costume.
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Old 05-28-2006, 07:45 AM   #51
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So glad you agree on that one Jag!
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Old 05-28-2006, 09:54 AM   #52
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jaguar
Galloway - it's not every day you see a pile of shit in a clown costume.
You don't see much American TV news, huh?
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Old 05-29-2006, 03:45 AM   #53
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Saying vs. Doing.... (or why we find it hard to take our politicians seriously).

You'd find it hard to believe that our government politicians take seriously the way their electorate has turned off them, and also that they are really aware of the state of their departments, judging by three headlines in The Sundays and also repeated in today's nationals:

1. John Reid, having pledged last week to do everything within his power to put the Home Office right (including a commitmemt to work 18 hours a day on the task), slipped away last Friday for a week's holiday in his Provencal villa.

He should be back by next Thursday - in time to put in a few hours before the weekend - must get those conviction rates up again as they've dropped 10% according to figures from the official British Crime Survey. Oh, and to get to grips with the fact that 'serious woundings' have increased 55% in a year (up from 12,500 to 19,500).

2. John Prescott has managed to get caught on camera playing a hard-fought game of croquet on the lawn of Downeywood, his 'grace and favour' country residence that many feel he should have given up, having been stripped of most of his responsibilities when Tony did his cabinet reshuffle two weeks ago.

The photos of JP playing the mallet and hoops game were bad enough, but they were made all the worse when it transpired they were taken on Thursday afternoon. All part of a hard day's work for the estranged MP. Still, it encourages the unsheathing of knives that are being widely drawn by a host of labour MPs keen to hasten his departure from the front bench of government, and to help slice great chunks off his £130,000 salary + the additional perks he gets that increase this figure to something close to £1 million pa.

3. The PM even fails to to 'Tone' down criticism of his domestic standing and authority, as he disappears for a week to take yet another freebie family holiday in Italy in a Tuscany palace - the 16th century property of one Prince Girolama Strozzi - this will be the Blair's fifth stay there.

Not only a free holiday, as Tone's quick to combine it with a Papal audience and other business matters (such as a meeting with the old Italian PM, and Tony's mate, Sylvio Berlusconi) so that British taxpayers pick up the bill for his Italian travels.


No-one objects in principle to our people in power taking holidays, but there is the teensy-weensy fact that, in less than 8 weeks, time all our MPs will be stopping work for their summer recess - they stop work on 21 July and return on 10 October - still, that's only a meagre 12 weeks, for god's sake!

Time enough, though, hopefully, for them all to be able to work out if their recently increased pensions will be able to finance such extravagancies when the time comes in the not too distant future, for them to opt for a life in retirement ...
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Old 05-31-2006, 05:52 AM   #54
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Need to work out how much the British NHS is costing? Well, best not ask its computer to do tyhe calculations.

So far the NHS has spent £20 billion on its new computer system just to try to get patient records right - the overall system still isn't working properly and is well set to exceed the updated £31 billion cost (revised in 2004) which even then was 5 times the original projected cost (the records part is now costed at 6 times the original budget).

The programme is getting so complex that the Health Department is having to allocate a few extra £billions to the project to take account of staff training as well. Also issues regarding the sensitivity of certain patient information intended to be stored and the security of the system are still unresolved.

Perhaps we'll reach £50 billion before it's all done....
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Old 05-31-2006, 06:11 AM   #55
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The UK government's complex system of Tax Credits as a way to address the needs of those on lower incomes is still suffering problems with overpayments.

Overpayments arose in the main because some of the commplicated rules were translated wrongly by tax officers implementing the scheme.

It is announced today that the overpayment is down in monetary terms (£1.8 billion compared to £2.2 billion for previous year), but the number of wrongly paid claimants has risen by nearly 5% (1.96 million now compared to 1.88 million).

The trouble is that the claimants believe they are being paid the correct amount and then learn only several months later that they have been overpaid. The tax department demands immediate settlement of any overpayment (often running to several £000s), which the affected claimants are generally not in a position to make.

The scheme has caused a lot of problems and is indicative of how the cost of running complex government solutions, which are frought with problems because of their complexity, all too often outway the benefits they are supposed to deliver.
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Old 05-31-2006, 06:12 AM   #56
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I'm sure the records will be perfectly secure.
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Old 05-31-2006, 08:48 AM   #57
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John Prescott clings on to his trappings for the time being.

It all seems a bit surreal that he can do so, but behind it all is the role he plays as the PM's firewall.

In the world of IT, the 'sacrificial server' is a key element of the firewall protecting the integrity of the main system. It sems that JP is fulfilling a similar role protecting Tony Blair from a virtual bloodbath - if he loses JP then his buffer is gone.

So we have the prospect that the Deputy PM is being kept on and allowed to retain his perks while having no apparent responsibilities. He's not around because of his ability to do a good day's work, but because he acts as a sort of political firewall prtecting our Tone. Take Prescott away and Tony becomes exposed to attack from all and sundry (well, that's the current thinking, anyway). This being the case, hes not going to be asked to fulfill the sacrificial role to its extreme just at the moment

Seems therefore that Prescott is not the only one trying to cling to power, and for the wrong reasons. Not to worry though, it's all part of the death knell that precedes a government's exit, brought about when the interests of the elected so blatantly assume more importance than the interests and well-being of the electorate.
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Old 06-02-2006, 09:24 AM   #58
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Not too bad an end to the week then.

John Prescott has given up his grace and favour home, Dorneywood (clearly, he lost his game of croquet!), while the Social Services department, because of a loophole in recent government legislation, has issued illegal immigrants (about 3,300 of them) with national insurance numbers which permit them to claim benefits - much better than deprting them, isn't it?

Apart from a plan to let us turn left when trafiic lights are on red (that's all your fault, of course, my US friends), there's not much more to report, so I'll sign off this entry and make your coming weekend all the more enjoyable with some nice pictures of some of the grace and favour homes our ministers enjoy - just click here
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Old 06-06-2006, 04:14 AM   #59
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Hey CF, just wanted to pipe up and say thanks for keeping this thread going, even without a lot of replies. It's comforting to remember that other civilized countries have embarassing political problems too.

Can I ask a dumb question? PM is obviously Prime Minister, but what's an MP do exactly?
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Old 06-06-2006, 05:32 AM   #60
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Clodfobble
Hey CF, just wanted to pipe up and say thanks for keeping this thread going, even without a lot of replies. It's comforting to remember that other civilized countries have embarassing political problems too.

Can I ask a dumb question? PM is obviously Prime Minister, but what's an MP do exactly?
MP - Member of Parliament - the guys who win at the elections - the party that has the most MPs gets to have the PM! Guess it's a bit like your Governor/Senator system...?

Good time to add a little more on Prescott - He's still suffering embarassments (but then he always will) - latest gaffs:

1. He used his Jaguar to transport him 250 yards from his hotel to the Conference Centre wher he was speaking on the major issue of Global warming. He claims he was trying to dodge reporters who might ask him embarassing questions about his position after demotion and recent events involving sex with his secretary and giving up his grace and favour residence, Dorneywood - just shows how useless a politician he is as by walking he could have scored a few brownie points, whereas now he just causes even more criticism...

2. On a visit to Canada where he is again attending something to do with Global Warming - he has been billed as the 'Vice Prime Minister' instead of his real title of Deputy Prime Minister - the title 'Vice' is one he would rather not see brandished, given the bonking sessions he had in his office with his secretary!
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