Let's Hire Cherie

Now that Cherie is shamlessly doing lecture tours, how about we have a whip round, and hire her to speak to New Labour Scandals.

A few ideas for question.

1. Does your husband tell you as many porkies as he does us?
2. Is it appropiate for the PM's wife to use her position to enrich herself?
3. Can she think of another PM who became several million pounds richer whilst in office?
4. If we buy you a one-way ticket to Basra, will you take it?

I'll put a tenner into the kitty. When we have fifty quid, we'll see if we can make a booking.

Road Pricing

Maybe I've got this democracy business muddled up, but didn't we just have a general election. Now, the Government is planning a radical new policy, getting rid of fuel duty, and introducing road pricing instead.

There are arguments to be made for this (weak, but arguments aldiv id="content">

 

Five Times a Night !

 

Monday, June 13, 2005

Let's Hire Cherie

Now that Cherie is shamlessly doing lecture tours, how about we have a whip round, and hire her to speak to New Labour Scandals.

A few ideas for question.

1. Does your husband tell you as many porkies as he does us?
2. Is it appropiate for the PM's wife to use her position to enrich herself?
3. Can she think of another PM who became several million pounds richer whilst in office?
4. If we buy you a one-way ticket to Basra, will you take it?

I'll put a tenner into the kitty. When we have fifty quid, we'll see if we can make a booking.

Sunday, June 05, 2005

Road Pricing

Maybe I've got this democracy business muddled up, but didn't we just have a general election. Now, the Government is planning a radical new policy, getting rid of fuel duty, and introducing road pricing instead.

There are arguments to be made for this (weak, but arguments all the same). But couldn't they have at least mentioned it last month, and allowed people to vote on it at the polls.

Or maybe that isn't how New Labour thinks things should work.

Wednesday, June 01, 2005

French Bloggers

The French 'non' vote was apparently won by bloggers. See this article from Newsweek.

So watch our Tony and Gordon. The bloggers are coming to get you.

Wednesday, May 25, 2005

Where's the growth?

To first-quarter growth figures were revised down today to just 0.5%, suggesting that Greatest Chancellor Of All Time (henceforth known as GCOAT, or Billy for short) won't meet his growth forecast for this year.

But more interesting was the breakdown of those figures. The only sector of the economy showing any significant growth was government spending, with a rise of 0.7%.

The real economy gets smaller, while the government keeps getting bigger. Even Billy will have trouble keeping that going. Soon there won't be anyone left to tax.

Wednesday, June 01, 2005

French Bloggers

The French 'non' vote was apparently won by bloggers. See this article from Newsweek.

So watch our Tony and Gordon. The bloggers are coming to get you.

Wednesday, May 25, 2005

Where's the growth?

To first-quarter growth figures were revised down today to just 0.5%, suggesting that Greatest Chancellor Of All Time (henceforth known as GCOAT, or Billy for short) won't meet his growth forecast for this year.

But more interesting was the breakdown of those figures. The only sector of the economy showing any significant growth was government spending, with a rise of 0.7%.

The real economy gets smaller, while the government keeps getting bigger. Even Billy will have trouble keeping that going. Soon there won't be anyone left to tax.

Friday, May 20, 2005

Speeding ..It's About Money!

Speeding ..It's About Money!

The Queen's Speech included a new law on speeding. To quote the Department of Transport, because "there are many more speeding offences being detected", the government "feels it is appropriate that the penalty point system is altered so that punishment takes a better account of the level of offending." In effect, they'll still fine you, but they won't take so many points off your license.

But, hold on. If speeding is as dangerous as they say, shouldn't those drivers be banned?

The trouble is, when you ban them, they don't speed any more, and you can't issue any more tickets. So the answer is simple, just keep on issuing the speeding tickets, but not the penalty points. That way they can keep whizzing along the roads…and pay money to the Government.

Very New Labour…

Friday, May 20, 2005

Speeding ..It's About Money!

Speeding ..It's About Money!

The Queen's Speech included a new law on speeding. To quote the Department of Transport, because "there are many more speeding offences being detected", the government "feels it is appropriate that the penalty point system is altered so that punishment takes a better account of the level of offending." In effect, they'll still fine you, but they won't take so many points off your license.

But, hold on. If speeding is as dangerous as they say, shouldn't those drivers be banned?

The trouble is, when you ban them, they don't speed any more, and you can't issue any more tickets. So the answer is simple, just keep on issuing the speeding tickets, but not the penalty points. That way they can keep whizzing along the roads…and pay money to the Government.

Very New Labour…

Wednesday, May 18, 2005

The Money Is Running Out (Part 1 )

Unemployment has now risen for three months in a row - this month it rose by 8,100. Modest, true, but then most trends start modestly. Don't expect it to stop climbing anytime soon. In the UK, 16% of all jobs are in retail. And, in case you hadn't noticed, the retailers have all be announcing terrible figures. When the tills are empty, you don't need so many people behind them.

At this rate, even the Poles will be going home soon.

The money is fast running out. What will the greatest Chancellor of all time do then?

Tuesday, May 17, 2005

The Nosepegs Are Twitching

All those people who decided to 'hold their noses' and vote for Tony one more time are must be feeling a bit queasy after seeing what's in the Queen's Speech. ID Cards and draconian anti-terror legislation mean what few civil liberties remain will be ended: schools will plunged into chaos with private firms bought into run them: incapacity benefit will be attacked.

The left will be mortified - although that serves them right for being fooled into voting for him on the basis that Gordon Brown would be PM by last Monday. The right, meanwhile, will have to live with New Labour stealing much of their rhetoric, whilst completely messing up the implementation, so destroying the chance for genuine reform.

As usual, Blair manages to let everyone down.

And I haven't even got to the proposed new law on speed cameras yet. Don't get me started….

The Money Is Running Out (Part 1 )

Unemployment has now risen for three months in a row - this month it rose by 8,100. Modest, true, but then most trends start modestly. Don't expect it to stop climbing anytime soon. In the UK, 16% of all jobs are in retail. And, in case you hadn't noticed, the retailers have all be announcing terrible figures. When the tills are empty, you don't need so many people behind them.

At this rate, even the Poles will be going home soon.

The money is fast running out. What will the greatest Chancellor of all time do then?

The Nosepegs Are Twitching

All those people who decided to 'hold their noses' and vote for Tony one more time are must be feeling a bit queasy after seeing what's in the Queen's Speech. ID Cards and draconian anti-terror legislation mean what few civil liberties remain will be ended: schools will plunged into chaos with private firms bought into run them: incapacity benefit will be attacked.

The left will be mortified - although that serves them right for being fooled into voting for him on the basis that Gordon Brown would be PM by last Monday. The right, meanwhile, will have to live with New Labour stealing much of their rhetoric, whilst completely messing up the implementation, so destroying the chance for genuine reform.

As usual, Blair manages to let everyone down.

And I haven't even got to the proposed new law on speed cameras yet. Don't get me started….