The right thing for the wrong reasons

January 21st, 2009 § 0 comments § permalink

Just as I’m posting about MPs’ plans to exempt their expenses from the Freedom of Information Act, this comes through…

The Guardian:

Gordon Brown made a dramatic retreat from plans to exempt MPs’ expenses from the Freedom of Information Act.

The surprise announcement made during prime ministers questions follows the collapse overnight of a bipartisan agreement between Brown and David Cameron, the Tory leader, to back a parliamentary order exempting MPs’ expenses from the act. The move came after he was challenged by Tory backbencher Douglas Carswell over why he was in favour of keeping them secret.

Fucking good. It’s good that it’s been, how can I put it…? Ah, postponed. But it’s not a victory for Teh Good, because look at that. The two leaders had an agreement.

Brown told MPs: “We thought we had agreement on the Freedom of Information Act as part of this wider package,” he said. “Recently that support that we believed we had from the main opposition party was withdrawn. So on this particular matter, I believe all-party support is important and…

Translation: ‘We had a pact, but something upset them conservative buggers and I’m not gonna do anything silly unless it makes us all look shit.’

we will continue to consult on that matter.”

See? Postponed.

The PM said proposals for reforms of MPs’ expenses would provide “more transparency” than in most other parliaments around the world.

This is the bit that really flumoxes me. I’m not sure what the rest of the reforms are but surely, making expenses exempt from FoI enquiries does exactly the opposite. Shit, I was forgettin’. Enclosing something in quotes makes it the make the words mean the opposite.
Jesus, these politicians are “really clever”, aren’t they?

Cameron made a late decision to order his MPs to oppose the move after learning from Alan Duncan, the shadow leader of the Commons, that Labour MPs were being whipped to back it. But Cameron’s action in turn became the catalyst for Brown’s U-turn. It left Labour, despite the chance of winning a three line whip vote, in danger of being isolated and blamed for imposing secrecy on MPs’ expenses, which is very unpopular with the electorate.

That means that Cameron was fine with the obfuscation of their expenses as long as no-one is coersed into approving the law (or whatever the fuck it is). If people do something of their own free will, they’re less likely to break away, and in this situation that means leaks. Really. Fucking. Embaressing. Leaks.
And that fucker Brown? Yes, the move is unpopular. Wonder fucking why? It’s ok to impose secrecy and be unpopular as long as it’s not just Labour that are hated. Even more. As long as politicians as whole are reviled and hated, it doesn’t matter does it.

That’s enough it’s winding me up too much, I’m just starting to swear uncontrollably.
Cunts, the fucking lot of them.

Bring on the Revolution.

Hiding MPs’ expenses

January 21st, 2009 § 1 comment § permalink

A heads-up from Justin on something MPs’ want to keep to themselves:

Unlock Democracy:

On Thursday, the Government sneaked out the draft of the innocuous sounding “Freedom of Information (Parliament) Order.” This “statutory instrument” (not an act), if passed, will

“…change the scope of the application of the [Freedom of Information] Act in relation to information held by the House of Commons and House of Lords regarding expenditure in respect of Members of both Houses. This includes information held by either House about expenses claimed by and allowances paid to Members. Such information is no longer within the scope of the Act.”

In short, they intend to exempt the expenses of MPs and Lords from the Freedom of Information Act and thereby close them to public scrutiny. This is to be passed almost a year to the day after the Derek Conway scandal erupted, when it emerged that the MP had been paying his sons as research staff while they were at university, despite not being able to demonstrate that they had actually done any work for him. If the Government gets away with this, scandals such as this will be allowed to continue and we will not be permitted to find out about them.

It is completely outrageous that the Government should seek to do this at all, let alone in such an underhand manner. The Government is planning to put us all on a national identity database, force us to carry identity cards, keep the DNA of millions of innocent people on a database and to read all our emails, phone and internet records regardless of whether we are supposed to have done anything wrong. Their argument is always “if you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to fear.” Why, then, is it one rule for us and another rule for politicians?

What’s more, when Gordon Brown became Prime Minister, one of his first acts was to publish the Governance of Britain Green Paper which asserted that “It is right that Parliament should be covered by the [Freedom of Information] Act.”

This proposal is going to be debated in the House of Commons this Thursday – we don’t have much time. For this reason I am strongly urging you to do the following as a matter of urgency:

  • Write to your MP (use www.writetothem.com) and urge them “to sign the Early Day Motion “Freedom of Information (Parliament) Order 2009 (Jo Swinson MP)” – the text of this motion is below for your reference.
  • Phone your MP’s office (the main switchboard is 020 7219 3000) and ask to talk to him or her to ask them to oppose this proposal.
  • If you are on Facebook, join our group and invite all your friends to join – ESPECIALLY the ones not normally interested in politics.
  • Forward this article to everyone you know either by email or any social bookmarking websites you use.

Please, please do this as soon as you can. We can defeat this proposal if we put pressure on MPs this week. In 2007, a group of backbench MPs attempted to get a similar proposal passed. We beat them then and we can beat them again.

With best wishes,

Peter Facey
Director, Unlock Democracy

TEXT OF EARLY DAY MOTION [EDM 492]

Freedom of Information (Parliament) Order 2009
Primary Sponsor: Jo Swinson (LD, East Dunbartonshire)

That this House notes with concern the provisions in the Freedom of Information (Parliament) Order 2009 to exempt remove the expenses of Members of Parliament and Peers from the scope of the Freedom of Information Act’; notes that this order will single out MPs and Peers in a special category as the only paid public officials who will note have to disclose full details of their expenses; notes with concern the regressive effect of this Order on Parliamentary transparency and the detrimental impact it will have on Parliament in the eyes of the public; calls on Ministers to block or repeal the Order in the interest of MPs’ and Peers’ accountability to members of the public.

And, they’re off!

January 21st, 2009 § 0 comments § permalink

teh Guardian:

The US president, Barack Obama, looked set to suspend the controversial Guantánamo Bay military tribunals, in one of his first actions after being sworn in yesterday.

Within hours of taking office, Obama’s administration filed a motion to halt the war crimes trials for 120 days, until his new administration completes a review of the much-criticised system for trying suspected terrorists.
…
The halt to the tribunals was sought “in the interests of justice,” the official request to the judges said.

An excellent first move, I must say. Especially if he’s going to hit them targets.

No-one believes the Sun

January 20th, 2009 § 0 comments § permalink

If someone told you a lie, to try and wind you up or manipulate them, you wouldn’t be happy, would you? You’d tell them to bugger off.

If someone asked you why you had someone as a mate when all that mate did was chat shit and try and get you into fights and you replied that, it’s ok, no one believes what they say. You would be laughed at.

So why do people buy a newspaper, when to justify or counter the question of why they buy it, they respond, ‘no-one believes the Sun’ or ‘everyone knows it’s not true’?

If you know it’s full of lies or not true, why buy it?

Oh yes, the football and the racing. Fair enough, but then why not miss out all the bile, hate , contradictions and lies and just buy Shoot* or Racing Post?

If you like fictional stories, go to the library. It’d be cheaper and the stories will be better written too.

The line ‘no-one believes the Sun’ is a lie itself. Because the people behind these news agencies do.

*not being into the girly game of football, I couldn’t think of another footy publication so Shoot might not be the best example of a serious football news resource.

The new starter

January 20th, 2009 § 4 comments § permalink

Apparently someone starts their new job today.

You’ll excuse me if I don’t get too excited about it. It may be historic in that this will be the first black president of the United States, but that’s it isn’t it? What other way is this special?

Don’t get me wrong, I think Barak will be a better president that the previous effort, but I’m not really expecting anything too radical. After all, in any established political system there are vested interests that do not like change, and to get any sort of meaningful change Mr Obama is going to need more than just the support of the Democrats. the Republicans need to be in on it too. Is that going to happen.

President Obama may be a good guy, but before we all start pissing our pants in anticipation for the saviour of the free world, I think I hang on and see how much to the left he wants to go and how much he is allowed to go.

Easily offended

January 16th, 2009 § 2 comments § permalink

BBC:

A Christian bus driver has refused to drive a bus with an atheist slogan proclaiming “There’s probably no God”.

Ron Heather, from Southampton, Hampshire, responded with “shock” and “horror” at the message and walked out of his shift on Saturday in protest.

You small minded, petty, shit stirring little fucker.
How the fuck did you, Mr Heather, get through to the ripe old age that you have by being shocked and horrorfied by statements that differ from your opinion?

“I felt that I could not drive that bus, I told my managers and they said they haven’t got another one and I thought I better go home, so I did.
Mr Heather said he was shocked at the “starkness” of the advert

“I think it was the starkness of this advert which implied there was no God.”

Starkness? Fucking Starkness? You Ron, I can call you Ron, can’t I? I feel I know you so well already, are a twat. That is not a stark message. It’s not even asserting for definate that there isn’t a god. It’s saying that there’s a possibility there is no god. If that message was said to you by a person, that person would be looking at their feet, shuffling nervously and mumbling under their breath.

Do you stop non-christians from travelling on your bus, incase they turn believers away from the one true faith? Do you think that the anti-god message is going to leave you a sitting duck for the anti-christ? Once you’ve left the bus station the evil sprirts will think you’re one of them and take control? You’ll lose you sense of moral decency and stop buying the Mail for the Guardian and start voting LibDem?

Let me reassure you, Ronny, about what will happen if you drive that bus:
You will drive it out of the bus station, some people will get on, some people will get off. Some people will see the advert and think “heh”. Others will think “hrumph”. Most others will not even notice it. You will return the bus to the station and go home to await the next thing to offend you. The world will carry on as it was before, not having had Lucifer unleashed on us all.

I am just flabbergasted that someone can be so fucking precious that a statement so unsure of itself can give theman excuse to fuck off home in a sulk.

You’re not offended, Ron. You’re just workshy, aren’t you.

via

Big it up!

January 15th, 2009 § 2 comments § permalink

LabourList:

Jag Singh is Chief Information Officer at the online campaigning agency, MessageSpace, which aims to connect the public with organisations by harnessing the new participatory processes taking place on the web.

So what exactly is the new particapatory process being harnessed when Messagespace, ahem, campaign on behalf ofNorwich Union, HSBC, Toilet Duck and Channel 4?

Carry a few political ads too and an ad agency can call itself a campaigner in the new way of doing thing s on teh internets. How very grand.

Heathrow expansion gets go-ahead

January 15th, 2009 § 2 comments § permalink

The Guardian:

“The opposition is overwhelming but the government has decided to side with big business rather than listen to the people who put them where they are and the people can remove them again,” said Geraldine Nicholson, chair of the No Third Runway Action Group. “This is the biggest environmental disaster we’ve ever known in this country.”

Gathered in the King William IV pub, some local residents were in tears but most said they were not surprised and would redouble their efforts to save their historic village, which was first recorded as Sibwineston in 1150.

Gutless

January 15th, 2009 § 0 comments § permalink

The Guardian:

The foreign secretary, David Miliband, today declared that the use of the phrase “war on terror” as a western rallying cry since the September 11 attacks had been a mistake that may have caused “more harm than good”.
…
Edward Davey, the Liberal Democrats’ foreign affairs spokesman, said today: “If the British foreign secretary had said this to President Bush many months, if not years ago, then it would have deserved some credit. Mimicking President-elect Obama’s lines days before his inauguration does not show leadership.”

It’s just like sticking your fingers up at the school bully when he’s left the room.

The truth? You can’t handle the truth!

January 14th, 2009 § 2 comments § permalink

Craig Murray has a new book out, The Catholic Orange-Men of Togo and other conflicts I have known.

This time though, he is self publishing, due to Schillings sending letters scaring publishers on behalf of people like Tim Spicer, a mercenery of the British in Iraq, who don’t like to have their questionable actions questioned, and don’t want to go to the courts when they are.

Anyway, the book is available for free (who says you never get anything for nothing , eh?), or in hard back, direct from Craig or from Amazon.

Ten Percent has a review and it’s fair to say, it’s good one, too.

Via

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