POLITICAL RENEWAL

This beautiful picture was taken last weekend by my four year old niece in my garden. The camera was much too heavy for her but she delighted in taking pictures of everything and everyone in the garden with impressive results. Nobody looking at this picture would guess it was taken by a four year old, however the campaign run labour in the Crewe and Nantwich might easily have been dreamed up by one of that age. It was childish in the extreme of them to believe that the electorate could be so easily manipulated using the old "Tory toffs routine". The country is finally waking up to Brown's perfidy - stealing from us all to fritter away on useless initiatives and reviews.

EURO COPS MILITARY STYLE

If you thought my last post was a little far fetched click on the link below to see the European Gendarmerie force that the UK cannot join as it is only open to EU countries with a military police force. The five initial participants are Italy, France, Netherlands, Spain and Portugal.

According to its own website the "EGF responds to the need to rapidly conduct all the spectrum of civil security actions, either on its own or in parallel with the military intervention, by providing a multinational and effective tool. "

http://www.eurogendfor.eu/

I'd like to say "I ain't bovvered" but I am.

GORDON BROWN'S EURO FUTURE

The year is 2020.

David puts down his papers and sighs, why oh why didn't I bite the bullet and tackle the problem in 2009. He glances at his screen, the news in on, pictures of Euro cops dragging protesters into vans flash up. Christ what a mess. Little Englanders want England back and the trouble is getting out is much harder than getting in. Damn Gordon Brown for his lies, at least he's stuck back in Scotland struggling with the same riots and with even less prospect of banishing the Eurocrats.

The question is sanction the plan, allow the army to take out the Eurocops and risk an all ports blockade by the Euro army or allow English protesters to be dragged off to jail in Brussels. Not much of a choice really but then we never really thought it would come to this.


FAR FETCHED, AN EXAGGERATION, MAYBE BUT I BELIEVE THIS IS THE COURSE GORDON BROWN HAS SET US ON. I truly hope that David Cameron won't duck the issue when he wins the next election.

RESULTS OF PARISH POLLS ON THE EU REFERENDUM

This week sees the start of the Parliamentary debate on the EU reform treaty, it seems that Gordon Brown is going to try and divide the Conservatives to distract attention from his own perfidy.

Even the Labour dominated foreign affairs committee has accused ministers of deliberately playing down the consequences of the treaty. Their report concludes there is no difference between the foreign policy provisions in the rejected European constitution and those in the new EU Reform Treaty (Sunday Telegraph). The I Want A Referendum campaign are planning to poll half a million people in marginal constituencies, the results will make interesting reading.

GOOD QUESTION NON-COMMITAL ANSWER

I receive an email from Theyworkforyou.com every time my MP asks a question or speaks in the house. This one amused me today.

QUESTION

David Heathcoat-Amory (Wells, Conservative) Link to this Hansard source
On Members' pay, does the Leader of the House agree that if the proposed Lisbon treaty is ratified more powers would be transferred away from this House, and it would therefore be right for our pay to be reduced? Will she ask the Senior Salaries Review Body to recalculate its proposals in view of that reduction of powers? It would obviously be wrong for us to be paid more when our control over legislation and policy is reduced. The same thing should apply to ministerial salaries, particularly those of the Foreign Secretary and the Prime Minister.

ANSWER

Harriet Harman (Lord Privy Seal, House of Commons) Link to this Hansard source
The right hon. Gentleman will have a chance to raise those points in debate either on Monday, on Second Reading of the European Union (Amendment) Bill, or on Thursday, when we debate the SSRB's recommendations, or he can again synthesise the two points on Monday or Thursday.

QUESTION TIME

Is the failure of politicians to understand and follow the law relating to political funding symptomatic of a wider problem faced by the whole population relating to the massive increase in new criminal offences introduced since New Labour came to power?

CHARLIE DOG TO STAND FOR PRIME MINISTER

Charlie dog has today announced that he is prepared to take on the role of Prime Minister after successfully recruiting a suitable double.

DAVID CAMERON FOR EU REFERENDUM

David Cameron gave an assured performance on this morning's Andrew Marr programme. He said the Conservatives will continue to press for the referendum promised by Gordon Brown but shamefully withdrawn.

GORDON WANTS YOUR BODY

Not content with running every aspect of our lives Gordon Brown believes the state should control our death as well. We should not have to opt out of the organ donor register, our bodies belong to us not the state. If the state believes it is desirable to increase the number of individuals who are prepared to donate their organs then they must persuade them that it is the right thing to do.

SARKOZY, VIVE LE DIFFERENCE!

The French is seems are rather scandalized by their Presidents behaviour, not because he is cavorting with a beautiful woman (that is of course to be expected and encouraged) but because he didn't stay decently married and have an affair (openly behind closed doors). It is strange but true that if the same situation arose in this country the opposite would be true.

DECISION FIRST CONSULTATION SECOND

I arrived home from work today to find one of Somerset County Council's delightful self congratulatory news letters waiting for me. Now in my capacity as the official household small print reader I thought I'd better cast a beady eye over it. Under the heading "Are you throwing hard cash away" I read such gems as "When cooking for a family, get the right portion per person" and "Check what's in your cupboard or freezer before you shop for more".

Now as you can imagine this sort of inane rubbish was hardly what I needed when tired and hungry , the last thing on my mind was wasting food, I just wanted to be tasting food. So I read on big mistake!

It seems my local council want my views on "THE POWER OF NATURE" a fun survey about "The Somerset wind Energy Initiative". Hmmm....... me thinks, Somerset doesn't seem the most obvious place for wind farms. Anyway I read on and here are the first few questions (answers - yes/no/don't know).

Do you believe the UK should develop its renewable energy potential?
Do you believe that Somerset should be developing its renewable energy potential?

Do you believe the UK should be developing its wind power potential?
Do you believe Somerset should be developing its wind power potential?

And so on.

Anyway this made me curious as to why they were really asking, so I did a quick search and lo and behold they are planning to stick some big beasties up on the County owned farms and of course get a share of the action. More details below in the Western Mercury.

This really is the worst form of pretend consultation, I will however send it back and it won't have the answers on they are hoping for.

http://www.thewestonmercury.co.uk/content/twm/news/story.aspx?brand=Westonmercury&category=news&tBrand=westonmercury&tCategory=znews&itemid=WeED18%20Apr%202007%2011%3A54%3A09%3A890

Quote

"One large turbine would be able to provide power for the whole of Wedmore. It's a small price to pay to help the planet and we all need take responsibility at a local level."

According to the 2001 census the population of Wedmore is 3145. Mind you it's not very windy below sea level either.

APPEARANCES CAN BE DECEIVING!

A BILLION - THE SCALE OF THE THING

We hear the word billion mentioned casually by politicians every day, but how often do we really stop to think about what it actually means?

Here are a few pointers.

1 Billion = 1,000,000,000
1 Billion seconds is about 31years.
1 Billion minutes ago the roman empire was in full swing, about 1900 years.
1 Billion hours ago humans were living in the stone age, about 114,000 years.
1 Billion days ago, Australopithecus an ape-like creature related to an ancestor of modern humans, roamed the African savannas, about 2.7 million years.
1 Billion months ago dinosaurs roamed the earth, about 82 millions years.
1 Billion years ago the first multi cellular organisms formed on the earth.

Okay so you've got the idea that a billion is a big number.

So here are a couple more numbers to chew on.

Northern Rock loan guarantees so far 25 to 100 billion or 25,000,000,000 to 100,000,000,000.

The EU budget for 2007 is €115 billion or 115,000,000,000 euros.
The UK contribution to the above is 8.3 billion or 8,294,200,000 euros.

So as usual New Labour is doing a grand job of spending our money, these are some very impressive numbers Gordon.

MY NEW YEAR TRADITION

I'm not sure when the tradition started but I always go out into the garden on New year's day for the first weeding session of the year. I tell myself that for every weed I pull out now there's a further ten I won't have to pull out later in the year (and that's a conservative estimate). Some years it has been a real struggle, cold weather head throbbing, today however was a joy, not too cold, no hangover (we stayed in and ate roast chicken and shared a bottle of champagne).

I love the turn of the year it fills me with optimism, the days getting longer and the warmth of summer to look forward to. The winter garden is naked waiting for its spring outfit so I like to look out for the gaps that need filling (if I don't fill them with something I like then mother nature will certainly choose something for me which may or may not fit my somewhat disorganised design).
The transformation by June is quite startling all that life waiting to spring up, my roll is one of minimal interference, if plants don't like my garden then I don't try and grow them again I just stick with the many plants that do.

I hope this year that our country can achieve a similar renewal with a change in our political landscape.

POETRY FROM DINOSAURS ETC.

Below as a couple of my Mother's poems from her blog Dinosaurs etc. - link on my blogs list.

CHERIE.

Cherie was a nifty witch and Tony was impressed,
Her broomstick came from Hogwarts she'd pinched it she confessed.
She said "Tony it's a cheap way to get from place to place
and it's really rather thrilling when the wind is in your face."
Her name was Cherie and she rode the fastest broomstick in the West.

She said "everyone's complaining about the costly jet,
The ozone layer is vanishing and Gordons quite upset.
We have to do something about our travel costs,
If we don't you know what! the next elections lost."
Her name was Cherie and she rode the fastest broomstick in the West.

Now Cherie couldn't get Tone a magic broomstick so!
She went to a local store to get one she could tow.
But when she told Tony what she had in mind
He nearly went ballistic he thought her so unkind.
Her name was Cherie and she rode the fastest broomstick in the West.

Tony was so angry he said" I don't want to cause a rift
But I think I'll go to Two Jags he'll give me a lift.
I don't think I'm ready yet, I don't want to learn to fly,
I don't want to join Wilson at that party in the sky.
Not even for you Cherie on your fastest broomstick in the West.

Jill West.

Retirement and getting ready for the American tour.

Tony said "all my packing's finished I've got all that I need,
Socks and suits and shirts and such and something good to read.
I hope you've kept your load light Cherie for I must confess,
When we get to the airport I don't want to pay excess."

Cherie said to Tony "my broomstick I must take"
And those were the words that made poor Tony quake.
She said "It's a handy form of transport, I'm 0n it in a flash,
You have to admit that I've never had a crash"

While looking at the places they shortly soon would be
he said"I would let you take it if it was up to me.
But SALEM is our first stop and to be quite fair,
If you fly in on your broomstick there'll be a riot there.

Jill West.