Blog Suspension

I've not yet fully decided what to do with this blog. My main interest currently is posting on my "A View From Middle England" blog on things that happen daily around us. This Westminster Whispers blog I'm suspending. I may get up the enthusiasm to do it again, but I haven't posted for over six months. As most bloggers know, this is something of an adrenalin rush. You get the blogging bug and go with it or you don't.

So, it's on hold for now. Not stopped or ceased. Just gives me time to think. But it may be a piece of string thing rather than a declared length of time!

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Howard Flight put to flight for "breeding" remarks

Howard Flight is what some would see as an unreconstructed Tory. He has made some remarks in his time that have not found favour with the leadership. However, that didn't stop David Cameron making him a peer last week. The former MP for Arundel and South Downs, who is yet to take his seat in the House of Lords, has been commenting on the government's plans to cut child benefit for top-rate taxpayers. He told the London Evening Standard  "We're going to have a system where the middle classes are discouraged from breeding because it's jolly expensive. But for those on benefits, there is every incentive. Well, that's not very sensible." He didn't actually refer to the poor "breeding" but he used the word in this context. However, the press have seen fit to twist it a bit to get a better negative slant.

Within hours of being reported he was offering a fulsome "apology". Interesting that he gets the Labour Party fuming but Harriet Harman could speak of "ginger" politicians. She apologised too. But should politicians have to apologise? Should we not just judge them on the words they say? Free speech should not be restrained into restricted speech. It is right that there are certain limits, such as abusive or racist language being off limits. But there now appears to be a form of censorship in the air.

Also, hypocrisy rises up on occasions. The Speaker was apparently offended at David Cameron repeating a joke that he had heard told about the speaker's height. Yet the speaker himself often refers to his height as a jokey introducton to speeches. Is self-mockery acceptable but mocking others not?

The content of free speech is not necessarily to everyone's liking, but self-righteous humbug leads to censorship and a lack of true thought and feeling.

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Lord Young fails to fend off Eagle's attacks

When eagles swoop on their prey they more often than not get their victim. Angela Eagle lives up to her name, if only in part. She's good on the attack but has failed to soar high with glory. Her favoured method is the monotone attack laced with half truths and innuendo. This morning she has been doing the rounds giving the impression of being a palsied victim in sackcloth and ashes. This lunchtime Lord Young has resigned as enterprise advisor to the government.

His "political crime" was stating the bleeding obvious. That was that despite the economic times "the vast majority are better off". That is true. Most are in employment. Most have very low mortgage rates. Most have more disposable income. However, lots of other people will bear the brunt of the cuts, will lose their jobs and will find it hard going.

The difficulty with modern politics is that political antennae have to pick up all kinds of signals. Unfortunately, Lord Young was not tuned into Ms Eagle's wavelength. Her AM band crackle was being heard loud and clear elsewhere. It got picked up by the media, never ones to enter the cerebral heights of political debate, and relayed ad nauseam.

David Cameron realised that Lord Young's remarks were politically unsustainable. However, the truth should find more favour with him. He should be pleased that so many have actually "never had it so good". If he would prefer to tell us that we have never had it so bad, let him say so.

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Vince Cable's passion is strictly a tango!

So after much lobbying and public soundings, Vince Cable is to appear on Strictly Come Dancing. There have been criticisms and many people have criticised politicians for combining television popularity with political ambition. But I think the business secretary has a point. Speaking of the dance competition, he said: ‘I am delighted to be taking part in this year’s Strictly Come Dancing Christmas special. Strictly has always been a secret, or not so secret, passion of mine. I hope that by taking part in the show I can inspire others to get up and do something they have always wanted to have a go at."

I would have thought in these straightened times we need quite a few people being inspired and doing things they "have always wanted to have a go at."



More about it here.

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Gerry Adams to stand down as MP

It's more than likely that there will be a by-election in West Belfast within the next couple of years. Gerry Adams has decided that the time is right for him to try to make a contribution to the politics of the Dail. Brian "Biffo" Cowan is having a hard time leading the country. Adams reckons the current Fianna Fail/Green coalition government is "probably the most unpopular in the history of the state". He says new ideas are needed. Maybe so, but are his the right ones?

Gerry Adams will try to be elected as a TD in Louth. If he is, he will resign as an MP and an MLA. He took part in the Assembly proceedings, but was never an active MP as he never swore the Oath of Allegiance. Latterly he functioned as an MP from an office point of view, but in a fairly voiceless capacity. A by-election in West Belfast is unlikely to change this.

Ireland is in severe difficulties. I can't see much of Gerry Adams' political philosophy attracting the great and the good of Dublin society. This might be a wake-up call for them. Get your act together or face a revitalised Sinn Fein stomping around the Dail.

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Labour had to act over Woolas

Shadow cabinet minister Caroline Flint, appearing on BBC Question Time, said Labour "had to act" in response to a court verdict banning Phil Woolas from politics for three years. She said she had known Mr Woolas for more than 20 years and believed he had been a great MP and minister, but she added, "statements were made about the Lib Dem candidate that were not only wrong but the Oldham campaign knew them to be wrong. That was the judgement and therefore Harriet Harman, representing the Labour Party, confirmed that and that is why Phil Woolas was administratively suspended." Interesting the term "administratively suspended". It now seems that many in the Labour Party, including would-be leader David Miliband, are of the opinion that Woolas is not really guilty but just unlucky. The fact that a collection plate is doing the rounds in order to get funds for him to appeal the verdict suggests that politics has some way to go before it is clean enough for voters.

Most voters are of the opinion that yah-boo politics is not very attractive. At most PMQs the Speaker has to appeal for rowdiness to cease. He keeps telling them it puts off the voters. Whilst Harriet Harman says telling lies has no place in Labour Party campaigns it has yet to settle in the minds of many Labour MPs that liars have no place in the Labour Party. Unrepentant ones, that is!

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Phil Woolas at centre of Labour Party row

Extraordinary scenes are happening in the Labour Party. At the centre of it all is the supposedly disgraced ex-minister Phil Woolas. Having been found guilty of spreading lies about his Liberal Democrat opponent in election leaflets, Woolas is now seeking to show himself as the wronged one. Is he a victim? Has he been unfairly treated? I would hardly think so.

However, on Monday night, Labour backbenchers let rip at Harriet Harman and said some quite nasty things to her face. All because she said racism, telling lies and smearing opponents had no place in the Labour Party. It should have no place in any party.

Is Phil Woolas loved by so many? Or is there some kind of feeling that the courts should not get involved? I can't understand it. Politicians make the laws that govern elections. If they are so beefed up about it, get the law changed. Make it perfectly legal to insinuate that someone is gay, doesn't live in a constituency, is a racist, has dealings with terrorists, fans extremism and is an all-round bad egg, even if none of it is true. That's the way to progress.

As it is, Woolas was found guilty of corrupt election practices. Fine for him to appeal, but let's not suggest that what he did was OK because it wasn't.

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MPs lose court appeal over expenses

The Supreme Court has ruled that three former Labour MPs should face criminal trials over their expenses claims. They are David Chaytor, Elliot Morley and Jim Devine and they have been claiming that their cases should be heard by Parliament, not the courts. They seem to think that they will get a more favourable hearing before their peers in Parliament rather than their peers in a jury. I would tend to doubt it. As they are no longer MPs, the current House of Commons, with its vast intake of new members, will want to keep them at arms length. Their best bet is to plead not guilty (as they claim they are) and put their case. It's been done before. The late great George Carman QC, in defending Ken Dodd, said, "some accountants are comedians, but comedians are never accountants".

Perhaps a similar sentiment could be put before the courts in their cases.

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Lord Heseltine's Schools' Army

Lord Heseltine was bemused to hear Evan Davis remark on the Today Programme "nice to have you back", as if the noble Tory had been politically recuperating somewhere. I think Heseltine looks far better now than when he was last in office, if "in office" is the right expression. He's raring to go, all enthusiastic and is up to his whatsits with new ideas.

One is the recruiting of retired army officers to provide school discipline for failing schools. Described as "shock tactics" by some, Lord Heseltine does not mince his words. He says that Michael Gove is doing some good things, but that if he was in charge he'd start at the other end of the spectrum. "I think the head teachers in the 100 worst sink schools in this country would have got a letter from me, or from the local council via me, which said - You've got six months and if there's no change in the way that this school is being appallingly mismanaged, your job is on the line." So enter the idea of retired army officers giving their marching orders. No drill sergeants here!

He says "boys who have had no male in their lives to give them any sense of discipline or adventure" need leadership. The thing is he got somewhat of a different message when he was in office under Margaret Thatcher. She was the political female in his life and it gave him little sense of discipline but an extraordinary sense of adventure.

We'll have to see if any retired army officers get the call.

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Phil Woolas refused judicial review

Ex-immigration minister Phil Woolas has lost his first bid to overturn a court ruling that banned him from politics. He had a bit of a brass neck trying it in the first place. The election court that ruled against him last week did the right thing. Woolas tried every beastly trick to rubbish his Liberal Democrat opponent. He insinuated that Elwyn Watkins was gay because he was said to "live with his mother". An untrue statement. Equally untrue was saying he didn't live in the constituency, that he was in league with Muslim extremists.

Woolas was once a darling of the Labour Party for being a streetwise political terrier. That was then, and now is now. Now meaning that Harriet Harman has given him a public drubbing and said he is no longer wanted. But she screeched not a word when the offensive leaflets flooded Oldham East and Saddleworth. If anything there are other guilty types, but with election law the buck stops at Woolas. His agent, his party leadership and all those in his local entourage are what we long suspected. Hypocrites!

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Baby boy for Ed Miliband

Ed Miliband and his partner are celebrating the birth of his second child, a baby boy. This takes his mind off politics, that's for sure. “Ed and Justine are overjoyed at the birth of their second child and can't wait to introduce the new arrival to his big brother, Daniel,” said a spokesman for the couple. “Both are keen to pass on their thanks to the NHS staff at the hospital.”

This is all very modern, isn't it? He is the first leader of a major party not to be married in such circumstances and he will be taking paternity leave. And it means that all three leaders of the main parties have young children at home. Maybe the next modern thing they can do is get every MP home by six o'clock. No overtime and double shifts!

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Thirsk and Malton election (postponed)

The Thirsk and Malton election is an interesting side show to the main event. It was even mentioned yesterday by the two leaders. Nick Clegg suggesting that they got out of opposite sides of the car which they would both be using to save on petrol. I feel a tad sorry for the candidates. If the Conservatives lose votes how will this be interpreted. If the LibDems do, what will people make of it? It will be more roundabouts than swings.

The candidates are -

Anne McIntosh - Conservative
Howard Keal - Liberal Democrat
Jonathan Roberts - Labour
Toby Horton - UKIP
John Clark - Liberal Party

I can't find a proper campaign site for Anne McIntosh. Has she got one? She may think she's home and dry. Hope not. I did find this article on the Daily Mirror website. The Mirror's no fan of the Tories, of course, but this sort of incident isn't very good. She was reportedly left soaked in beer following an angry exchange with an irate voter during a constituency meeting in a pub in March. This was probably just before the election was called. From the report there is at least one local issue that is causing concern. It remains to be seen what the voters make of the national topic of the day - the new coalition.

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Sood far and no further?

Manish Sood is the Labour candidate in North-West Norfolk. To hear him speak, one could be forgiven for thinking he was the Tory candidate. He describes Gordon Brown as "the worst prime minister we have had in this country" adding that Mr Brown was "a disgrace". Mr. Sood called Labour ministers "corrupt" and said the party had allowed immigration to get too high. He also said the PM should apologise to the Queen. Wow!

If he carries on like this he might get elected!

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Illegal immigrant on Hazel Blears team!

When Gordon Brown says immigration is a problem he means a problem for him to understand it. He doesn't connect with the people of England over the issue, he doesn't know how many come and go, he doesn't know who has what status. In fact, all he can do is shrug his shoulders.

Being a politician suggests you have one thing going for you. An ability to think about issues and any problems that might arise from them. Hazel Blears has just been caught out having an illegal immigrant working as a volunteer on her election campaign. I don't blame the immigrant except to say "What on earth were you thinking about trying to get "that woman" elected?". (That woman being the new political buzzword). No, I blame Hazel Blears. Surely she hasn't lost all sense of political common sense and nous? Look, if a person she doesn't know, who is from Nigeria (could be anywhere outside the EU), and who sounds eager to help, it beggars belief that it wouldn't pass her brain to think first. "Hey, could this person be an illegal? I'm in enough shit as it is. Better ask her first, before she starts stuffing envelopes".

Hazel never thought for one minute. Kind of cabinet minister you want, really, isn't it? Hazel burbled, "I had absolutely no idea of this woman's immigration status until she informed me... yesterday afternoon. As soon as I was made aware, I took immediate action to instruct her to leave the campaign and I got in touch with the Borders Agency and told them about it (sneakily, no doubt). Neither I nor any candidate from any other party would be in a position to vet the immigration status of the hundreds of people who come in through the door to offer to stuff envelopes or deliver leaflets. I had never met this person before she came in and offered to help. She was not a campaign worker, she was a volunteer and she was not paid."

Poor answer, Hazel. Shows you up as incompetent politically. Immigration is an issue. Your rehabilitation as a politician is an issue. This shows an insight into your rapidly failing political skills. All you had to do is ask the Nigerian woman. Simple, really! It's not racist, it's just practical. If you hired a gas fitter you didn't know, would you just let him get on with the job or ask to see his credentials? This is not about vetting or entering into convoluted correspondence with the Borders Agency. Just ask to see her passport and papers. If you had, you wouldn't have seen her the next day!

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Wishful Thinker Blair thinks.....

Tony Blair is back! He thinks Labour has "every chance of succeeding" on 6 May. New crystal ball for Tony, please. I can't think what this spivvy ex-politician can do to help Labour. He'll just resurrect memories about how he took us into an illegal war, etc, etc.

News comes that the Charity Commission says it is considering claims that e-mail databases held by Mr Blair's charities have been used to canvass voters. No, not Tony's charities, surely? I don't hold out much hope that the Commission will test his mettle much. It's headed up a New labour luvvie.

Blair says, "I think, once people get back to the question of what does the future really hold for me, is it more of what we have here or is it not, then I think that Labour's got a far better chance." Is he for real? He definitely needs a new crystal ball. If I ever question what the "future really holds for me" I'd volunteer for remedial therapy if the answer came back "VOTE LABOUR!".

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SNP fails in BBC debate court bid

It was bound to be. Lady Smith, judge at the Court of Session in Edinburgh, through out the SNP's bid to be in the spotlight. Alex Salmond in a Prime Ministerial Debate? Laughable at best, I'd say.

Scottish Tory campaign manager David McLetchie sums it up rather well. "The SNP knew the UK leaders' debates would get significant press coverage but Alex Salmond waited till now to go to court to ensure maximum coverage during the campaign. His use of the legal process, for what has been no more than a £50,000 SNP campaign stunt, is desperate stuff. The ruling just proves this point."

I hope Salmond puts the £50K in the accounts for the Electoral Commission to peruse!

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Tories attack Labour over leaflet 'lies'

Gordon Brown is talking about truth in the leaders' debates but he is also stimied by his recent bout of untruthfulness. He told six lies in six weeks, one of which was a real deception in front of Sir John Chilcott.

Now he is distancing himself from the lies being told about the Conservatives and their welfare policies. Gordon Brown was confronted by a very annoyed David Cameron last night, but he just responded by providing his caninus muscle grin, which I am beginning to see is a cover up for "I've been caught out again!".

Gordon Brown may not have "authorised" the leaflets, but he doesn't seem to want to say that such deceptive electioneering is wrong. Makes a paragon of virtue look decidely amateur in comparison I think. He should try a bit harder in his truthfulness quest.

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Joe Hall - Independent - Luton South

Independent candidates are contesting this election in their droves. Not only that they are also in various groupings and some constituencies are getting more than one serious Independent standing.

Luton South is one consituency in particular. Esther Rantzen is contesting this seat as is Joe Hall, a Luton born and bred charity professional. That makes two charity professionals in the field. Given the electoral system only really recognises a voter as being either "a little Conservative or a little Liberal", crowded fields tend to give skewed results. That said, the electorate currently is in a "plague on both your houses" mood and Joe Hall has as much chance as Esther in achieving a good result. It may not be a win, but it will be interesting to see who the eventual winner is in Luton South. Must be a bookmaker's nightmare and a pollster's conundrum.

I give Joe Hall's Campaign Site a Voter Friendly 6/10 for Election Information

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Clegg says suspend Goldman Sachs contract

Goldman Sachs should be suspended as an adviser to the government until fraud allegations are investigated, Nick Clegg has said. This is the first reaction to this troubled topic of toxic banking. It is a step in the right direction.

The Liberal Democrat leader referred to US allegations that the investment bank had defrauded investors. He said it was a reminder of the "recklessness and greed" that had "disfigured" the banking industry and said the allegations were "extraordinarily serious". They are and such activity in the financial markets is not only wrong on a criminal point but are a source for destabilising trust in the banking industry.

Nick Clegg said today, "We believe that Goldman Sachs should now be suspended in its role as one of the advisers to the government until these allegations are properly looked into." Vince Cable added, "The Goldman issue is not simply an issue for the US, it is emerging that the British taxpayer may have lost something in the order of £500m, perhaps more, as a result of the guarantee for the complex derivatives that were given by ABN Amro, which of course is now part of RBS, so there is a very strong British interest in this."

Slowly but surely getting to the bottom of the banking crisis? Hopefully so.

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Ross Grant - Conservative - Leicester South

I'm slightly miffed all the Conservative candidates are getting their campaign sites through Central Office. This tends to give the same touch to each. I'm looking at Ross Grant's site and he comes across well but nothing too exciting about Ross himself. Seeing as he "conducted research for a variety of industry sectors including public sector, international post services, retail and wholesale banking sectors" he could have given himself a really snazzy site.

That's where this "on message" stuff gets in the way of proper campaigning. By the time a real gem from Ross has done the rounds, been sanctified, sanitised and specially sanctioned, his electioneering message has lost its shine. Pity. He seems to have lots going for him. My advice is - read between the lines to get the real message.

I give Ross Grant's Campaign Site a Voter Friendly 4/10 for Election Information

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