Can We Trust Anything Nick Clegg Says?
Did Nick Clegg know the hornet’s nest he’d stir up by his temporary tax on the rich?
If he didn’t then he must be rather stupid and can we trust anything else he says?
But then politicians in this country, are often pilloried for simple statements. Remember, Norman Tebbit and getting on your bike and Harold Wilson on the pound in your pocket.
If we need to raise more money there are other ways to do it.
For instance, you could put a black box in every car and charge per mile. The Dutch government proposed this and promptly lost an election.
The only true statement is that from Dieter Helm, who said “Ministers who try to pick winners should remember that losers tend to pick governments.”
I wonder how many bright brains and successful companies are rethinking their future because of Nick Clegg’s statements.
Let’s say you are a small hi-tech Internet-based company, writing say apps for smart-phones. You can do this anywhere in the world, so perhaps if you fancied working in say Barbados, you might go.
If Nick Clegg had kept quiet, he wouldn’t have given anybody the idea to go.
Politicians seem to forget that most of our successful developments could be done from anywhere. They should make sure that they don’t encourage people to relocate. Except of course to the UK.
God Gives Her Verdict On Romney
It would appear that God is throwing everything she can at Tampa to try to stop the Republican Convention picking Mormon Mitt as their Presidential candidate. Read all about it here.
If Scotland Votes For Independence, Where Do Orkney And Shetland Go?
Only now, with the referendum on Scottish Independence now being seen on the horizon, do people start to think about the real problems of the vote and what happens afterwards.
This article in the Guardian lays out the problems of the northern islands. This quote is given.
All the Shetland ever got from Scotland was dear meal and greedy ministers.
It may be true and I have heard something similar all over Suffolk, as people always feel that other areas of the UK get better treatment. In Suffolk’s case that usually means Norfolk.
Somehow, we must find a better way to spend taxes all over the UK.
Romney’s Sin
Coffee, as is alcohol and cigarettes is banned to Mormons. However this didn’t stop Mitt Romney from having a scoop of coffee flavoured ice-cream.
When You’re In A Hole Stop Digging
Mormon Mitt seems not only to have a lack of diplomacy, but also the common sense, one needs to avoid trouble. Just read this piece by the respected BBC correspondent, Mark Mardell. Mark also questions whether his wife’s horse will go down well with blue-collar Republicans.
It is safe to say that dressage does not have the same place in the heart of the American blue-collar worker as Nascar racing or baseball.
It would appear though that the wags out there are already having great fun. Just type “moron Mitt” into your preferred search engine.
I particularly liked this one.
The size of the hole gets bigger every minute.
So make sure you’ve got a few hours or even days to spend. It will be an ideal pastime for sport-phobics in the next couple of weeks.
Back to the Eighties
In The Times today, Lord Mandelson is reported as saying that the Unions are taking the Labour Party back to the 1980s.
It certainly seems to me that the two organisations are not singing from the same hymn sheet.
I doubt in this country, there has ever been any strike, that has ever achieved all its objectives. Some small ones might, but in most cases the threat of strike action ends up with a positive result and usually for all parties concerned.
Bye! Bye! Russia
I can’t say I’m sorry to see the Russians go home!
What price now that the Greeks vote for no austerity tomorrow? They will be backing on two miracles in a week.
Who Do the Young, Liberals and Women Vote For in Egypt?
The BBC in this report describes the two candidates thus.
Mohammed Mursi, head of the Muslim Brotherhood’s political wing, is up against Ahmed Shafiq, former President Hosni Mubarak’s last prime minister.
In the UK, it would be the equivalent of choosing between a Catholic Archbishop and Len McCluskey of UNITE or Bob Diamond of Barclays.
We’d certainly be on the streets protesting.
John Major at the Leveson Enquiry
This is an extract from the BBC’s report on John Major appearing at the Leveson Enquiry.
Rupert Murdoch warned John Major to switch policy on Europe or his papers would not support him, the ex-prime minister has told the Leveson Inquiry.
Sir John recalled the exchange from a private meeting in 1997, which he said he had not spoken about before.
Later that year, his Conservative party lost power to Labour, with the Sun backing his rival Tony Blair.
Sir John said he was subjected to some “hurtful” press coverage while he was PM, but was “too sensitive” at times.
In about 1997, I was at a meeting, when John Major gave his view on the world. At that meeting, he said that “The Times, which used to be a newspaper, had accused him of dying his hair.” He then pointed to his grey hair and said. “Would anybody die it this colour?”
A Referendum for the Falklands
This seems to be a good idea, although I don’t think it will come to any agreement acceptable to Argentina.
It does seem though that referenda are all the rage at present. We may have one about EU membership, but I think it would be better if we concentrated on getting all of the countries in Europe sorted first. We could all start with balancing the books.
The Anonymous Widower 