Gurkhagate for Brown

Just as the prime minister is getting over Smeargate, he now has to think about Gurkhagate. The good-old BBC regards the vote in the House of Commons today as a 'shock defeat.' What! You could see this coming a mile off.

Putting party politics to one side, the issue of Gurkhas being allowed the right to reside in the UK is an emotive subject. No matter what your political persuasion is, there is a moral case for allowing brave men who risk their lives for this country the right to settle here. It is the correct thing to do. Nick Clegg was right to choose this issue as the topic for an opposition debate.

Getting back to party politics, is you were a disgruntled government backbencher (and there are many of those around), today was a perfect opportunity to put the boot in. Today's vote was not binding on the government - although I am sure Brown will back down. The problem Brown has is that once disgruntled backbenchers draw blood, they will come back for more. Tomorrow will be the perfect time to do it again over the issues of MPs' expenses. 

It is interesting that the last time a government lost an opposition day division was 1978. The prime minister was Jim Callaghan and he didn't have the luxury of a majority. Gordon Brown has lost his moral compass - if he ever really had one - and his government is disintegrating in the same way Callaghan's did. An interesting year in politics in about to unfold. 

The Gurkhas

The Gurkhas are a wonderful group of men. I have had the privilege over the years to teach some of them to drive. It is hard work, as many of them have never seen a car until they were on the way to the airport to come to the UK. They are courteous, generous and very brave. It is an honour for them to be admitted into the British Army and are extremely proud that they serve Her Majesty. 

The government's treatment of these brave men is disgusting. Nick Clegg is right. If they are willing to die for this country, then we owe them the option of settling in this country. Anything less than that is reprehensible. 

Tories on the March

I have mentioned here on a number of occasions how this Labour government will implode. This weekend should be remembered as an important part of this process.

After the disgraceful budget delivered by Darling in Wonderland, it was very appropriate the Conservative Party should hold its Spring Forum. This enabled the Shadow Cabinet and David Cameron to unleash an all out attack on Brown and prepare the country for what lies ahead under a Conservative government. Brown is now more embattled than he was after Smeargate.

The prime minister thought he could bully Cameron and Clegg on the issue of MPs' expenses. He was proved wrong and now he faces his own backbench rebellion. He is looking more out of touch and bereft of ideas than he has done during the term of his premiership.

The Conservatives are setting out their stall. It is looking like a Tory landslide next year and the media are more interested in the future cabinet than they are in the current batch. The next year is going to be brutal and very difficult to watch if you are a Labour supporter. Look out for a repeat performance of 1978/9. We are about to watch a government press the self destruct button.

We're going to have a Ball

Light blogging for the next couple of days. Becky and I are off to Leeds this afternoon for a University Spring Ball this evening. I'll post a picture tomorrow.

New Phone

I have upgraded my phone today. After searching on the Internet, and acting on advice, I have got myself a Nokia E71. First impressions are good and I am writing this post on it. It seems I am finally getting into the latest technology!

The Budget - my thoughts

I called Alistair Darling's pre-budget statement  as 'Darling in Wonderland.' It was and so was his economic forecasts today. In 1945 we had just helped defeat Nazi Germany. The country was - understandably - in tatters. What is Brown and Darling's excuse in 2009? All we hear are the usual mantras: global recession, unprecedented times, global response, the UK is in an advantageous position to weather the recession, etc. What we heard from the Chancellor of the Exchequer today was nothing to help the British economy. It was tired and lacked imagination, just like the rest of government policy. 

Already the IMF has stated it disagrees with the Chancellor's predictions. How a serious politician, holding one of the great offices' of state can stand up in the House of Commons and say in two years' time the UK economy will move from negative growth of 3.5% to growth of 3.5% is amazing. It is a ridiculous statement to make and is purely designed as a political gesture; vainly hoping the electorate can be conned into giving this shower a fourth term in office.

Assuming the Chancellor's predictions are incorrect - which is a safe assumption to make - what will the actual level of borrowing be in a year's time? He is predicting 12% of GDP for this year. What will it be? Probably more like 14-15%. And where is he getting the money from? Who will want to loan the government this money? How long will it take before he has to go cap in hand to the IMF? 

He could have given an imaginative budget, instead we got what we expected. Fags go up, petrol and diesel go up, as does booze. Tax the rich  - which will not bring in that much more revenue for the treasury - and encourage entrepreneurs and innovators to go elsewhere. Maintain the status quo on the client state. The government still seems to think all public expenditure is essential, but of course we know if Labour cuts the size of the client state it is simply cutting the size of its vote at the next general election. So despite the need to cut public expenditure, this turkey was not going to vote for Christmas in his speech today. 

This government is corrupt of ideas and has lost its moral right to remain in office. The Conservative Party needs a general election next year, as it will have a bigger majority than if we went to the polls next month. The country needs a general election now, before Labour land us in even more trouble than we are already in at the moment.  

Quote of the Day

The Baptist Church on the corner of Chanterlands Avenue in Hull usually has a poster outside, giving us food for thought. The current poster is priceless:

God so loved the world that he didn't send a committee.

Wonderful!

What a load of Balls (and Mandelson)

You know when life is bad for the government when Mandelson tries to divert attention to the recession. Of course, Mandelson and Balls know nothing about the dark arts of personal attacks and political assassinations. I have one word to say to that and it is not the surname of the Business Secretary. 

Alice Mahon

Alice Mahon is very much old Labour. I disagree with her on most things, but I do have respect for her, and not just because she has resigned her membership of the Labour Party. Tony Benn categorises politicians as signposts and weather cocks. Alice Mahon is certainly the former. People like Peter Mandelson - who has dismissed her resignation today - with never understand principals; he doesn't have any. 

She is someone who feels betrayed by the party she has devoted her life to. Her decision to resign her membership will not in itself rock Gordon Brown's premiership, but it is another name on a growing list inside the Labour Party who knows he has to go. 

Wind Farms forced on the East Riding of Yorkshire

Damian Green has been cleared and Smeargate seems to be coming to an end; although it will always be bubbling under the surface this side of a general election. It has been one of those weeks in politics. Just when you think it is going to be quiet over the Easter period, you are proved wrong. 

There is one item of news that will not hit the television news. It will not be blogged about. Let me put it this way; what do you think about wind energy? I am not an expert, however, I know it is hopelessly inefficient. It can supply some of our energy needs, but it is not the answer to our energy problems. Personally, I don't mind wind turbines, but in the same breath, I have to admit where I live, I will never have to live next door to one. In exhaustive consultation with residents, the East Riding of Yorkshire Council have heard concerns and objections. The planning committee have upheld those objections only to find the government breaking its own rules to go against local opinion and inflict wind farms on communities that do not want them. 

I am not going to say anymore, other than to ask you to click here and think. Labour says it values your opinion, but when it comes down to it, they will disregard your opinions without a second thought. 

Gordon Brown's 'so-called' apology

Is anyone really falling for Gordon Brown's so-called apology? For starters, it was not a personal apology to those involved; it was a few sentences in front of a television camera. Secondly, he has timed this to deflect attention away from Damian Green. Finally, he said sorry in an attempt to con the public into thinking he had nothing to do with the smear machine.

He must be one of the most deluded men in the country if he thinks we are going to fall for this. 

Labour 'Big Guns' speak out against Brown

The Labour Party big guns have been out in force today. Alan Milburn has been disgusted with the smeargate affair and so has Stephen Byers. Here is an extract from an article he has written in the Evening Standard:

First let me declare a personal interest. I have been the victim of Mr McBride's aggressive and hostile media briefing on a number of occasions. As a result I have to admit that I made little effort to suppress a smile when I heard about his enforced departure from Downing Street.

However, this was a fleeting moment of satisfaction. Once the broad outline of the allegations contained in the email became known and the smear operation that they were to form the basis of was public then it was clear that his actions would damage politics in general and the Labour Party in particular.

To dismiss the incident as juvenile, which was the first reaction of Downing Street, totally missed the point and failed to recognise the extent of the hurt and offence caused.

If there remain people close to the Prime Minister who are thinking of fighting the forthcoming general election in a personal and dirty way then they should go, and go now.

Frank Field has also spoken out. This again is from the Evening Standard:

In a searing critique, former minister Frank Field said unfounded smears contained in emails written by a Brown aide had exposed a lack of moral leadership and policy substance under the Prime Minister.

Labour, he said, should be considering its policies for the recession. "Instead of this debate, we see the energy at the heart of No10 going into trying to smear the opposition.

"It is this contrast between how we should be behaving and what has been exposed, that is the real killer." Widening his attack, Mr Field said: "There is a wish among all sections of the Labour Party for the Government to start governing. We wouldn't care too much whether the ideas were Blairite or non-Blairite, as long as we could give the impression of supporting a government that was using the next year to mark out why we should stay in office."

Gordon Brown is toast. He's finished; done for; soon to be history. There may have been those in the Labour Party who still thought there was a possibility of being elected for a fourth term. The majority thought there was a chance of minimising the damage. After the weekend's event, they all now know Labour is heading for an electoral catastrophe. I was thinking yesterday that the Labour big guns will attempt to manoeuvre someone into position ready for a leadership challenge during the Labour Party Conference. I am now certain. Ye reap what ye sow. Brown has knifed too many people to get to where he is now. There are too many people who now want to return the favour.  

Michael Martin on four-day 'freebie' to the United Arab Emirates

Michael Martin is once again under fire. Speaker Martin - who is as gaffe prone as the government - went on an 'official' visit to the United Arab Emirates, as a guest of the Speaker of the Federal National Council who visited in the UK in January. Mr Martin and his wife flew business class and were entertained in a string of luxurious palaces. 

No doubt he will say this was an important visit, but I would say it was a four-day freebie. Whilst the country still regards MPs' as pigs with their noses in the trough, one would have thought Mr Martin would think this trip not advisable 

Once again the image of politics and politicians is dragged through the mud. If they won't help themselves, who is going to help them?

Hat Tip: The Daily Telegraph

What is Brown's role in Smeargate?

It's very easy to start a rumour. You can say anything your fertile imagination can create. You can mention it to the right people; those who have very loose lips. It starts to spread like a cancer. Unless there is evidence - such as the McBride/Draper e-mails - it is difficult to work out who started the rumour and of course, many people will think there is no smoke without fire.

Damian McBride and Derek Draper thought they could smear Tories and hope some of the nasty, personal dirt would stick in the minds of the voters. They wanted the voters to think the Tories were really the nasty party; the real party that is full of sleaze. Nadine Dorries is seeking legal advice and so she should. Other senior Tories are fuming, as well they might, as these rumours are highly personal attacks. Thank goodness it has backfired, but what is the prime minister's role in all of this?

Gordon Brown is a workaholic, control freak. He likes to meddle. He is ruthless, as he proved on his way to becoming prime minister. I cannot believe Brown did not know of these tactics; just as I cannot believe he did not know about the 'Tory Toffs' campaign during the Crewe and Nantwich by-election last year. His staff should be regulated by him. If they are not, he should get his house in order. If - and I suspect this to be true - he is the man behind the dark arts, he should resign. What he will try to do is retire to his bunker in true Macavity style. Today is Easter Day and the Commons' is in recess. By letting McBride go, he will hope he can draw a line under the affair and say as little about it as possible. 

The next general election is going to be dirty. This is the only way Brown knows. No-one outside his constituency has ever voted for him. The rank and file of the Labour Party watched a coronation, rather than taking part in an election. The voters will have their first opportunity in just over a year to give their verdict on his premiership. After all the years of scheming he will not give up No.10 lightly. He will ensure every possible piece of mud is thrown at the Tories. I have no doubt the campaign will tarnish the standing of politics and politicians ever more, but he is not interested. It has always been about him. His standing; his ego; his place in history is all he is interested in.

As for McBride; he has gone. Derek Draper will not be too far behind. If he loses Tom Watson - who should resign - then so be it. As long as Brown can come up smelling of roses, it makes no difference how many others have to carry the can for him. Expect more casualties and more dirty tricks.

News of the World to publish details of McBride/Draper e-mails

The News of the World will publish details of e-mails sent by McBride and Draper. There are some details on the NOTW website. 

Draper will not survive this and Tom Watson will be extremely lucky to survive. If he does, it will be Brown digging his feet into the ground, not wanting three people to go during this scandal. 

Damian McBride resigns

The government's current working majority is 63. Just over thirty years ago Labour was in government, but not in power; ruling (if you can can it that) a minority administration. 

If Gordon Brown was not sitting on the majority he has, the opposition parties would have passed a vote of no confidence in Her Majesty's government. His government is a complete shambles, stumbling from one crisis to another and from one piece of sleaze to another. 

The rot set in during Tony Blair's premiership. There was a muddying of the waters. The traditional, impartial civil service became politicised. Today, Damian McBride resigned. This is welcome news, as his job is to give impartial advice to the prime minister; not to do the grubby work of the Labour Party. Tom Watson should also resign or be fired. He is the Minister of State responsible for the Civil Service. Conspiring with or turning a blind eye to the actions of McBride is blatantly wrong. As for Derek Draper... well, he is complete and utter embarrassment to the Labour Party. Many Labour activists - the foot soldiers of the party - must be holding their hands in their heads today. If he wasn't a mate of Peter Mandelson, he would have gone off the radar by now.

Now cast your mind back to 1997. Tony Blair told his new MPs' they had to be whiter than white. It didn't take them long to prove they weren't. And to think, we have over a year to watch this government unravel. It won't be pretty and although I will enjoy the death of this Labour government, the country is suffering the worst recession since the 1930s. During the next year Labour will spend, spend, spend and ensure the Conservatives have the hardest task of any incoming government. The sooner Labour go, the better, but we know Brown will ensure the general election is not called until next spring. 

Easter Saturday or Holy Saturday?

Perhaps I am being pedantic, however, I am tired of people saying today is Easter Saturday. It is not. Today is Holy Saturday. Easter does not start until tomorrow. Follow the links and you will see why. 

Jury Team

Sir Paul Judge's political movement, Jury Team has hardly been heralded with a rapturous fanfare. It seems as if it has become a car crash already; which does not surprise me.

Although I believe in direct democracy and open primaries, the way to get you views known is to lobby existing political parties. The power of new media means our political leaders can no longer completely disregard our opinions. High profile bloggers, such as Guido and Iain Dale, are now in appearing on our television screens with increasing regularity. Mainstream media regard bloggers as representing the views of the rank and file membership and the man on the Clapham omnibus. 

A couple of weeks ago I looked on the Jury Team website to see the candidates I can vote for in an open primary for the Yorkshire and the Humber region in the European elections. Six candidates are needed. Currently there are three. One of them caught my eye. There wasn't a picture of him and he is seemingly incapable of writing in correctly punctuated sentences. As I have sympathy with the aims of Jury Team I wrote them an e-mail, pointing out if they want to be taken seriously, they should vet the profiles of potential candidates before they are posted on the website. I also told them I would not blog about this, contact another blogger or write a letter to the press. They replied, suggesting I may want to stand and informed me they would contact the candidate in question and pass on my suggestion he puts a picture on his profile and also suggest to him he looks at his spelling and grammar. 

Twelve days later, nothing has changed, so I am going to show you part of the profile for Mitchell Moore. If he cannot be bothered to look at it again, I don't see why I shouldn't highlight his unsuitability to become an MEP. 

Why would you like to represent your region?

i belive that the truth should be told in politics and that a politition should represent the constituants and not themselves or the political party they represent. there is at the moment no in government who is prepared to stand up and say this is what the people want and that this situation is wrong. the meps mps have to go with what their party leader says no matter if they agree to it. this is wrong they were elected to represent the people and go with what the majorty of people want

It does get worse, or at the very least, it doesn't get any better and it looks as if this man is going to go on the ballot paper and seek election as an MEP. Oh dear! 

UPDATE: Iain Dale will be on the BBC News Channel after 2.00 pm. 

Steph Booth to stand for parliament

Cherie Blair's stepmother is standing for parliament, but don't get too excited; she won't win. Steph Booth has been selected as the Labour PPC for Calder Valley, in West Yorkshire. The current Labour MP, Ms Chris McCafferty, is standing down. No doubt she has lost her bottle as she sees the writing on the wall. She won the seat at the last general election with a majority of 1367. This should easily be a Tory seat next year. 

Hat Tip: The Daily Telegraph

Updating Blogrolls

It has been quite some time since I last updated my blogrolls. If you link to me and I haven't reciprocated, please leave me a message. 

The Pakistani terrorist threat to Britain

You will not hear me say this very often - if at all in the run-up to the next general election, but I agree with Gordon Brown. His message to the Paksitani government to get its house in order after the arrest of 11 Pakistani men in anti-terror raids today was correct. If Pakistan does not, then sanctions need to be put in place. Quite what those sanctions should be and how the will be enforced is another question, however, the British government is right to challenge Pakistan in such a way. 

Despite Bob Quick's blunder, the raids today have undoubtedly saved many lives. Along with Pakistan, the British Muslim community needs to get its house in order too. I appreciate a Muslim leader has about as much national influence on fellow Muslims as the Archbishop of Canterbury has on Anglicans, but Muslim clerics can and should do more minimise the security risk to Britain. The government also needs to further restrict the movement of people from Pakistan to these shores. Just because you have family members in this country does not mean you have an automatic right of entry. If anyone is remotely suspected of terrorist sympathies, they should be put on the first flight back; no more questions asked. If the EU doesn't like this, they can lump it. 

Until Pakistan can effectively deal with the terrorist threat in its own borders, we have to be tough. Nothing less will do. 

Bob Quick was right to go

Bob Quick has exited Scotland Yard in a manner his name suggests. He was right to go. Too many blunders of late and this one should have been avoided. When reviewing secret papers in the back of a car, it should have been second nature for him to make sure they were hidden again before he was photographed entering No. 10. 

 He has lost the confidence of the security services and Jacqui Smith. She has managed to go from blunder to blunder and from embarrassment to embarrassment and still remains Home Secretary. What does a minister have to do these days before they are forced to quit or face the prospect of being fired? Perhaps Mr Quick should consider a career in politics. He would then be able to make major cock-ups and still keep his job.  

Town Hall Rich List

The Taxpayers' Alliance has published its Town Hall Rich List and as the recession bites for the rest of us, if you happen to be one of the Town Hall bosses, you will not be feeling the pinch. There are some bosses who earn more than the prime minister and many more who earn more than cabinet ministers. All of this money for never having to market a product, sell and increase your market share. Nice work if you can get it. 

To read the list, click here. 

RBS to shed 4500 jobs

The Royal Bank of Scotland is cutting 4500 jobs. I imagine those who will lose their jobs will take solace that the man who lead them to catastrophe will have also have plenty of time on his hands, although with £700K a year, he will be able to fill his time with pretty much anything he pleases.

There is a difference between corporatism and capitalism. Believing in the free market means you live and die by your success or failure. Corporatism seems to mean you will be rewarded whatever the outcome is. For the moment, Fred the Shred is sitting pretty, but the band of people wanting to knock him off his pretty little perch is growing larger every day. If he had owned his own business, he would have been facing a very different future. It is lucky for him he chose to wreck a business he was merely a shareholder in. What a brave entrepreneur he is!

Foreign Affairs - BNP style

One of the BNP's little supporters has been leaving comments on recent blog posts. Like most BNP supporters, he or she, will not put their name on their comments. They are not brave enough. What they did remind me to do was write a piece about foreign affairs - or rather the BNP stand on foreign affairs, as the anonymous commenter published their policy. Here it is:

Britain’s foreign relations should be determined by the protection of our own national interest and not by our like or dislike of other nations’ internal politics.

We would have no quarrel with any nation that does not threaten British interests.

We will maintain an independent foreign policy of our own, and not a spineless subservience to the USA, the ‘international community’, or any other country.

So there we have it, the BNP will not have a quarrel with any tyrant or dictator, as long as they do not threaten Britain's national interest. Splendid isolation! There seems to be a theme running through the BNP's policies.

Ethnic cleansing in Kosovo was not threatening our national interest. It lead to refugees, but, of course, the BNP would not let refugees into Britain, so I suppose it is fair to say a BNP Britain would not have lifted a finger. As I have already mentioned on a previous post, the BNP would isolate Britain by leaving NATO, so Britain could not have joined a NATO force trying to end the murder of innocent lives. Nor would a BNP Britain have had a discussion with the White House. No doubt the BNP prime minister would have told the President of the United States he would not help, after closing down American air bases in Britain. 

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland would be a political nonentity. We would not be a reliable ally. We would no longer have the respect of - what would be - former allies. Peoples of the world would no longer look to Britain to help them in their struggles against tyranny. 

Foreign policy is a delicate balancing act. We sometimes get it wrong and sometimes get it right. What I do know, is a BNP Britain will be a place where we will hang our heads in shame, rather than be proud of our achievements. Do you want Britain to become an isolationist, protectionist country?

A Victim of Spamming

This morning I became a victim of spamming. Luckily for me, it was happening when I switched on my computer, so I managed to turn on the word verification and cut it short. The comment has managed to get posted on over 260 posts. I'm not looking forward to the task of deleting them tonight.

Word verifiation can be a pain, however, I will be leaving it on. I do not moderate comments before they are published, as I want a real time debate, so this the only way I can prevent the spamming from taking place. 

Today Geoff Hoon. Who will it be tomorrow?

Geoff Hoon did not act illegally when he rented out his London home, whilst living in a grace and favour flat in Admiralty House and claiming a second home allowance for his constituency home. He actions were lawful, although many would say he did not act in the spirit of the law.

He should be ashamed of what he did, although I very much doubt he will ever apologise. This revelation is another in a long list which is going to grow longer when all MPs expenses will be published next month. As I have said before; we need reform and we need it now. 

The BNP's policy on Defence

The UK's role in international defence is considerable when put in comparison to the size of the country. According to the information sheets handed out to American journalists accompanying President Obama, the UK is a country slightly smaller than the state of Oregon. Not very flattering, but I don't think 'Team Obama' wanted to make it sound flattering. Thanks to our role in the Second World War, we are permanent members of the United Nations' Security Council. We are one of the founding partners in NATO, which has helped keep some relative peace in Europe and around the world since 1945. 

Britain has a long history of offering humanitarian aid throughout the world and sending its troops to help keep the peace; even in places where we do not have any strategic interests. In Sierra Leone, Royal Marines were welcomed with open arms. Despite our blunders, Britain is still respected and our armed forces command the respect of people throughout the world.

All of this would change if the BNP's defence policy was enacted. 

DEFENCE - no more cuts!

Successive cuts in defence spending have left Britain’s armed forces perilously weak. We will boost Britain’s armed forces to ensure that they are able to deal with any emergency, and defend our homeland and our independence.

We will bring our troops back from Germany and withdraw from NATO, since recent political developments make both commitments obsolete.

We will close all foreign military bases on British soil, and refuse to risk British lives in meddling ‘peace-keeping’ missions in parts of the world where no British interests are at stake - a position of armed neutrality.

We will also restore national service for our young with the option of civil or military service.

Although I welcome any increase in defence spending - something which I have argued for many times - withdrawing from NATO, closing down US bases in the UK, removing our troops from peacekeeping duties and turning Britain into a neutral state, similar to Ireland or Switzerland, is not in our best interest. If the BNP had been in power when Hitler invaded Poland, can you imagine what the British response would have been? They would have probably supported Hitler's racial policies and thought he offered no threat to Britain. 

When you support the BNP, you are supporting their manifesto. If you want Britain to live in splendid isolation, then you know where to put you cross on polling day. If you do not, the BNP are not for you.

The true cost of the BNP's policy on immigration

I am sure the BNP likes a rigorous debate. With this in mind I thought it a good idea to have a closer look at their policies. Here is their policy on immigration:

IMMIGRATION - time to say ENOUGH!

On current demographic trends, we, the native British people, will be an ethnic minority in our own country within sixty years.

To ensure that this does not happen, and that the British people retain their homeland and identity, we call for an immediate halt to all further immigration, the immediate deportation of criminal and illegal immigrants, and the introduction of a system of voluntary resettlement whereby those immigrants who are legally here will be afforded the opportunity to return to their lands of ethnic origin assisted by a generous financial incentives both for individuals and for the countries in question.

We will abolish the ‘positive discrimination’ schemes that have made white Britons second-class citizens. We will also clamp down on the flood of ‘asylum seekers’, all of whom are either bogus or can find refuge much nearer their home countries.

If the BNP wants Britain to be a successful country - something which I seriously doubt - it would want British companies to have the finest brains working for them. It would want British companies to succeed in world markets. A complete halt on immigration to this country and deporting current citizens, would seriously undermine the competitiveness of British companies and would seriously damage the prospects of British workers getting jobs with British companies. It would also fail to attract foreign companies to these islands. It would send out the message Britain is not prepared to do business with the rest of the world. It would be an economic disaster. 

The BNP threat is huge. Fight to make sure it does not win a seat in the European Parliment

I wrote yesterday how the repugnant British National Party beat Labour into third place in the Temple Newsam by-election. This seat was previously held by Labour, and is now a Conservative seat.

The BNP is on the march and although I have tried to play down in the threat of the far-left party (I say far-left deliberately), I have always known it was only a matter of time before it achieves a big success. This big success is likely to occur in the European Elections in June. Thanks to the lousy voting system where small parties with limited support can get one of their number elected an MEP, there is a real chance the BNP will send one of their number to the European Parliament representing Yorkshire and the Humber. But this is just a small part of the story.

In the last European Elections, held in 2004, nationally, the BNP polled 4.9% of the popular vote. In the intervening five years though, support has increased. Misguided voters are taken in by their scare tactics, but what they don't realise is that they are voting for a left-wing, protectionist and isolationist party. A party that would damage Britain's economy by conveniently forgetting we are living in a global economy. We can't afford to be 'little Englanders.' We are not the major economic force in the world we once were during the height of the British Empire. That is obvious you may say. True; but this is the Britain the BNP thinks we can return to. Not only is the BNP a nasty, racist organisation, run by the hugely intelligent Nick Griffin, who has mastered his skills of manipulation, it is a party that would ruin our economy and send us back to the dark ages.

I urge all of you reading this to take the BNP threat very seriously and no matter if you are Labour, Conservative or a Liberal Democrat, get out on the streets and support your party. This is the only way to repel the threat of the BNP and keep its share of the vote to the bare minimum. 

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Conservatives win Temple Newsam by-election

Congratulations go to David Schofield, the new Conservative councillor for the Temple Newsam ward on Leeds City Council. This was previously held by Labour.

The most worrying aspect of the evening was Labour being pushed into third place by the BNP. The BNP polled 1502 votes, just 283 votes behind Mr Schofield.  It is becoming increasingly likely the BNP may poll a large enough percentage of the vote in June's Euro elections to get one of their number elected an MEP for the Yorkshire and Humber Region. Normally I don't get involved with Euro elections, however, results like this one in Leeds are waking me up from my comatose state. 

The full results are as follows:

Conservatives - 1785

BNP - 1502

Labour - 1476

Lib Dem - 1468

Green - 137 

The first "achievement" of the G20 Summit

I think we have it. Maybe this is the crowning achievement of the G20 summit. The wonderful leaders of the twenty richest nations on earth have... (drum roll)...  agreed unprecedented global restrictions on pay and bonuses for bankers! Wow!

Sorry to sound cynical and wholly unimpressed, but this is the way I feel. Surely banks will now realise that if their staff take risks they should be rewarded in the long term, with share options. It doesn't take a genius to work that out. Quite why governments have to get involved with the remuneration of employees of private companies baffles me; or does it? I think Sarkozy is placating the left in France; Merkel is looking to her re-election in Germany in the Autumn; Brown thinks it's great because he can exert more control and Obama... perhaps a closet socialist? I may be wrong about Obama; time will tell, but I know I am right about the other three. This has nothing to do with what is right and everything to do with what is politically expedient. Read more HERE.

I can only dream of what gems they will all come up with tomorrow. I say tomorrow, however, we all know it will have been agreed well in advance. 

The G20 Circus

The works' outing is going very well. They've all been having a little chat and President Obama has been busy having breakfast with Gordon Brown, meeting with the Russians and Chinese (and planning a visit to those two countries), meeting with David Cameron, meeting with the Queen, sitting for a photo shoot and is now tucking into dinner at Downing Street. What a hard life! I really don't know how he does it! He won't have decided anything today of course; officials will have made sure any so-called decisions and announcements as a result of today's meetings were decided in advance. 

Does anyone seriously think any good will come from the G20 meeting? All we have is a gathering of politicians who have already screwed up, screwing up the world economy even more. I'm also sure many of these leaders will have lectured us all about our carbon footprint. No doubt their flights and motorcades will be offset by planting a few trees. 

This then leads me to the protests in London today. People with very little else to do, other than cause mayhem for everyone else, gather to shout, loot, destroy and complain that the police are using unnecessary force against them. People who think it's right to destroy private property, but think it is an infringement of their human rights if the police pen them in and won't let them out until the situation has calmed down. I heard one protester on Radio 4 earlier who said, 'I'm here for the violence. I don't believe in anything.' 

If the protesters had turned up to have a rally, with speakers and then decided to disperse, I would have defended them. When we know all of this is going to turn into mayhem and violence, quite frankly, I would either prevent them from gathering or make sure we import some water cannons and douse the lot of them.

This whole circus will achieve nothing, other than more state intervention in global markets and more ugly scenes on our television sets. A most unedifying experience in all respects.