It's all Posh Dave's fault

Like me, perhaps you've wondered how David Cameron could have been stupid enough, what with Eton and all that expensive education, to think that a referendum on the EU would somehow pour oil on the troubled waters of  the civil war in the Tory party between the people like Ken Clarke, Anna Soubry on the one hand, and the-former-disgraced-minister Liam Fox, the-yet-to-be disgraced-former-minister Boris Johnson, Jacob 18th Century and Michael Gobby Gove, on the other. The most rudimentary intelligence would have concluded that bringing the argument, kept bubbling under for 40+ years, to the forefront of political life, was only likely to add oxygen to the fires of discontentment in his party. Now it seems that Donald Tusk, the President of the European Council, has released information about conversations they had which may throw some light on his motivations.

It appears that our esteemed ex-prime minister failed to realise how being associated with his toxic party had damaged the Liberal Democrats and that, as a result, their seats in parliament were so diminished that there was no coalition. In fact, a small majority for the Conservative party, and thus no coalition partner was available to stop the folly and take the blame. Just in case you've forgotten, a small majority which his successor would manage, unbelievably, in an even more incompetent style, to lose. Remember the mantra 'strong and stable'?

He did all this, not because of any consideration of national interest but because he worried about splitting the party and imagined that was the likelier hazard than Britain actually leaving the European Union. When it turned out he was wrong, he shrugged and left the stage, humming a little tune (clink the link to watch) with the jaunty gait of a man who has never had to clear up his own mess; whose tables have always been laid before he arrives and cleared by the staff after he leaves.

And now, nearly two years later, he tells us he thinks he made the right choices. Now we know that former prime ministers aren’t generally in the business of trashing their own legacies and, since the Brexit plebiscite is certain to be Cameron’s biggest contribution to the history books, he doesn’t have much incentive to think of it as a monumental blunder. Just as Blair presumed his silver tongue would seduce the UN into backing that legality-conferring second resolution, Cameron blithely expected to charm fellow European leaders into doing his will. He had the public-school arrogance to believe that he could negotiate a deal with his EU partners so good that he would win a subsequent referendum… a huge miscalculation.

And as a result of his misjudgement, the Tory party, which he thought he could bring together with the referendum plan (and then blame the Liberal Democrats when it all fell apart) is now engaged in what seems to some may be a terminal civil war. Oh well, if nothing else good comes out of Brexit, the damage that it will have done to the toxic Tories is a small chink of light in the darkness.

Nice one, Dave. Be careful what you wish for. It may come back and bite you on the bum.

'Tis a time to be merry.........and hypocritical.

The Xmas Messages put out at this time of year are generally a collection of pretty harmless platitudes but Posh Dave's has something extra: a festive helping of hypocrisy.

Amongst other things he said:
“Millions of families are spending this winter in refugee camps or makeshift shelters across Syria and the Middle East, driven from their homes by Daesh [Isis] and Assad."
"Throughout the United Kingdom, some will spend the festive period ill, homeless or alone."
“If there is one thing people want at Christmas, it’s the security of having their family around them and a home that is safe.”

"We must pay tribute to the thousands of doctors, nurses, carers and volunteers who give up their Christmas to help the vulnerable — and to members of the armed forces who are spending this season even further from home.”
"As a Christian country, we must remember what his birth represents: peace, mercy, goodwill and, above all, hope. I believe that we should also reflect on the fact that it is because of these important religious roots and Christian values that Britain has been such a successful home to people of all faiths and none." 

Isn't it a pity his actions, and those of his government, do not match his words or the sentiment presumably behind them. Have we have ever had a government that least reflected Christian values?

Which 'Christian Values' include covering up a report showing thousands of terminally ill people being found 'fit for work' days before dying? Which 'Christian Values' subjects the poor to cruel sanctions and delayed benefits? Or condemns thousands of families to homelessness, temporary accommodation or hostels?

He talks of coming together with his loved ones in safety and security. But what about those whose work is often temporary or casual with an income that will not support a family or provide a home?
 

And it's a bit rich paying tribute to those working over Christmas while cutting public services and pay to the bone and leading a government whose actions have caused NHS staff, and most other public sector workers, to feel taken for granted, in spite of their dedication. Perhaps he should show his gratitude by paying nurses and other health workers a decent wage?

Christian campaigner Symon Hill is quoted as saying: “Jesus sided with the poor, called on the world to change its ways and was executed by political powers with the collusion of religious leaders. If the Tories had been around at the time, they would have labelled him a dangerous extremist and Daily Mail editorials would have demanded his crucifixion. More people are hungry, more people are lonely, as a direct result of Cameron and Osborne’s policies."

Maybe we'll see more of Dave's Christian side in 2016? But, based on what we've seen so far, that might not be a good thing.

 

Accused of being a closet Tory!

We are organising a hustings in the village for all of the candidates in the forthcoming General Election. It was in connection with my involvement in this that someone said to me recently that they expected I would be supporting David Cameron. They were being serious but, as I couldn't see that either of us would get any value from a political discourse, I just said that Cameron and I come from different backgrounds and that informs the way we look at the world.

Here's two photographs that explain why Cameron and I have a completely different perspective on things.

The first is the man himself in his Bullington Club uniform (for those who do not know this is a notorious drinking club at Oxford, the entry requirements for which seem to be loads of money, contacts and not minding acting like a knob).

The second was taken in September 1936 outside of the Workmen's Hall in Bedwas just after the colliers had heard of the success of their stay-down strike at the Navigation Colliery. The sole girl amongst the crowd is my mother and my grandfather is just about visible to the right.

They say that a photograph (in this case, two) is worth ten thousand words. Get the picture?

(If this post is familiar, you've got a good memory as it's a revamp from June 2012. Why waste a good thing?)

How do they get away with it?

Duplicitous, mendacious, devious, disingenuous - not very flattering adjectives but common parlance when describing politicians. How do they get away with it? For what they are worth, here are my thoughts on the subject.

The Great British Electorate let them.
As might be deduced from the general tone of my more political posts, I don't hold the Great British Electorate in high esteem. Gullible, comatose and disengaged, is it any wonder that the politicians know that they will never properly be held to account for what they do? We get what we deserve. Depressing, isn't it?

They are masters of the black arts of propaganda.
We all know they are but we all continue to fall for their spin. If you want to find out more about the techniques they use, let me recommend a fascinating little book called Spinfluence: The Hardcore Propaganda Manual for Controlling the Masses by Nick McFarlane. In `10 easy steps` the use of propaganda as a tool
for influencing public opinion (ie. me and you) is explained through punchy text, striking info-graphics and bold black, white and red illustrations. It covers such fun techniques and tactics as emotional hijacking, brainwashing and hysteria harnessing and shows how spin and propaganda are used to to bend the truth and control the masses (ie. me and you - again). It is written as if its target readership is crooked politicians, media manipulators and corporate big-wigs, in fact anyone interested in how to exploit people for profit or power. But, of course, it is really for anyone interested in learning how to see through the techniques. Once you've got the knowledge, it's amazing how easy it becomes to spot the subject matter being put into practice. Read the book and then watch any politician in an uncomfortable position in action. Behold, the motes shall be removed from thine eyes. 

They rewrite history. 
Sometimes the truth is very uncomfortable and wouldn't it be great if any skeletons in the political cupboards could be removed? We've seen a brilliant example of how to do this recently as the Conservatives tried to remove from the internet all speeches and press releases dating from the time before Posh Dave became prime minister. Of course, once it was realised what was happening, it naturally led to everyone on the internet reminding themselves - and us - of all the things Cameron once said, to compare them to things he had done, and to understand immediately why he would want them deleted. This demonstrates the first rule of rewriting history – it only works if people don't notice that you've done it. Posh Dave obviously hasn't read Spinfluence.

Talking of mendacious politicians.............

...........Let's not forget that Iain Duncan Smith's leaders have both been economical with the truth in the post. Remember the following?

 

 

And I really can't ignore dodgy Grant Shapps or should that be Michael Green. As well being accused of misusing benefit statistics by the UK Statistics Authority (just like his boss IDS), he's also been implicated in some very shady business dealings (he's made his money running a string of spam websites under a false name).

 

What a shower! Something to bear in mind when it comes to voting in the next General Election?

Watch Cameron being heckled over the NHS...

Whilst blue blood was being delivered at a London Hospital recently, our red blood was being delivered into the hands of a US private equity firm. Posh Dave announced this week that 'we' have sold the NHS-owned blood plasma supplier Plasma Resources UK (PRUK) to Bain Capital (the company co-founded by Mitt Romney and which was subject to a lot of not-very-flattering scrutiny in the Presidential elections last year) in a £230 million deal. This was done over competing bids from companies with existing expertise in the field and who might reasonably be thought to provide a more natural partnering with PRUK. But if you are on a privatising mission, you'll look at it not as a health issue but as a simple business transaction. Health is regarded as a commodity and, from this perspective, why not sell PRUK to Bain Capital? The fact that private companies do not have a good track record when it comes to preventing product contamination doesn't come into it. No wonder this move has been criticised by many non-partisan and authoritative voices who know about these things.

Episodes such as this reinforce the reality of Posh Dave's agenda for privatising the NHS. Take a look at the short clip of him being heckled by a protester at the Olympic park over the privatisation of the health service. Unable to deny the charge that he is "privatising the NHS", Posh Dave can only offer the non-sequitur that the government is "putting more money in". What struck me about his body language here is his obvious distain for even momentary encounters with the 'plebs'. Patricians don't like it up 'em, Captain Mainwaring!

The gay marriage issue

I have absolutely no time for homophobic bigots and I agree with Posh Dave's stance on gay marriage. But he is having a hard time from some of his right wingers.  Here's a couple of well reasoned quotes from one of the loonies in his party.  As they say, with friends like these, who needs enemies?

"It (marriage) is a delicate mechanism that must not be tampered with by the ignorant and the immoral, the frivolous, the irresponsible and the venal, as you would expect someone to be who has become British Prime Minister without knowing what Magna Carta is".

"The fact that a Conservative Prime Minister can propose such an immoral and insane piece of legislation and have so much support is indicative of the degeneracy and dementia of the British".

Yet another blogging dilemma...

..and, yes, it resulted in more bread being made! There are so many things that make me angry in the political sphere at the moment and kneading bread is an excellent way of getting frustrations out of the system. Today I repeated a batch of olive oil finger rolls, this time with a little more olive oil, and added some black olives to make a few other rolls. They all look OK but what will they taste like? We'll find out on our next Dartmoor walk.

Isn't it strange how the subconscious mind works? I must have been thinking about Posh Dave and Co when I was rearranging these rolls. They just fell out that way - honest!

Why Posh Dave and I see the world differently.

Two photographs that explain why David Cameron and I have a completely different perspective on things.

The first is the man himself in his Bullington Club uniform (for those who do not know this is a notorious drinking club at Oxford, the entry requirements for which seem to be loads of money, contacts and not minding dressing up as a dick).

The second was taken in September 1936 outside of the Workmen's Hall in Bedwas just after the colliers had heard of the success of their stay-down strike at the Navigation Colliery. The sole girl amongst the crowd is my mother and my grandfather is just about visible to the right.

They say that a photograph (in this case, two) is worth ten thousand words. Get the picture?

Shock! Horror! A few words in support of a Tory.

.It's a funny old world, isn't it? Who would have thought that I'd find cause to feel sympathy for Baroness Sayeeda Warsi? I invariably disagree with her strident exposition of Tory policies but I do feel that she is being rather unfairly treated by Posh Dave at the moment. He is referring her to the adviser on the Ministerial Code for an issue over expenses. But he is not referring Jeremy 'Jezza' Hunt to the said adviser over the BSkyB bid. Spot the difference between the two of them? (I've downloaded a picture in case that helps…)

I'm not alone in thinking this is strange and the political tweet-o-sphere has been abuzzing over Posh Dave's double standards: saving “JH” while knifing the Baroness. Here's just a few to give you a flavour:

“So Cameron orders ministerial probe into Warsi but not Hunt. Is it cos she is black? Or cos she wasn’t in charge of BSkyB bid?”

“Hunt:White, Public School, Male. Warsi: Black, Comprehensive, Female. Tricky call.”

“Jeremy Hunt: son of an Admiral, Charterhouse, Oxford. Warsi: daughter of immigrants, State School, Leeds Uni”

“Warsi v Hunt. Female v male. New v old. Not part of the club v establishment. Sorry – but all inescapable thoughts of obvious Tory bias”

“BREAKING NEWS: The rest of the Cabinet finally notice that Baroness Warsi hasn’t got a winkle and the suntan’s not fading"

I don't believe that Posh Dave is racist; nor do I believe that he is sexist. But I do believe he is elitist. Once again, as John Prescott observes, we see an arrogant, out of touch Tory prime minister looking after his own, as witnessed in the budget. If you’re a rich boy, this government will thumb its nose at public opinion and go to the wall to defend you. They’re only “all in it together” with their own and if you’re one of them. Even if you’re a loyal Conservative cabinet minister, you’ll never really be one of them, one of the club, one of the team, one of Team Cameron. You can't but help get the feeling that Hell will freeze over before Cameron takes action against one of his public school chums.

Or am I being too harsh?

DC LOL

OMG!
Phrased like a true statesman.
Ha ha ha.

Posh Dave - like a rabbit in the headlights.

Just imagine: you are crossing the road. Suddenly, out of nowhere, a car swings round the corner and heads toward you. Rather than run, you do something rather silly: you just stand there and wait as you zoom towards being flattened to the size of a grease spot. Watching Posh Dave on the televison last night, it struck me that this is what he is doing now. He is standing, rooted to the spot, as the inevitable doom of his premiership rumbles inexorably towards him. Every day brings a new indignity and fresh humiliation. Last week, for example, it was the ignomy of being summoned to appear before Parliament by Labour in a manner that he is definitely more used to dishing out rather than being on the receiving end of. Today, it's trying to put a positive spin on the disastrous poll results of yesterday.

After the rout of his Councillor activist base, he will feel the pain, and receive the anger, of many Conservative MP's. He may get some cold comfort from the Boris Johnson win in London but there is a view that he needs to be cautious. Rather than emboldening and empowering Cameron, Johnson's win may give Posh Dave's critics a huge boost. They will say, not without justification, that Johnson won despite, not because of Cameron, and he did so by pushing an agenda that is clearly distinctive to that of the government. Furthermore, while many Londoners do see Johnson as a toff and a Mayor for the rich, his victory shows to Conservatives that you can overcome that stigma and still win an election. Compare this with Posh Dave's extreme difficulty in ridding himself of this Achilles Heel.

But let's not be under any illusions. The Conservative Party has proven itself to be pretty brutal over its leaders in the past and will act swiftly and decisively once the best part of it is convinced it needs too. Generally speaking, as far as most Tory members are privately concerned, they were born to govern and rule the country and will deal with any obstacle to that. By contrast, privately, many Labour Party members feel they were born to storm the gates of heaven and change the world. An unpopular leader for them therefore, is something of a challenge worth undertaking and a secretly delightful two-fingered salute to the status quo. Ed Milliband lives to fight for a while longer!

No way exists for Mr Cameron to come out of Thursday's elections a winner. Ultimately, all he can do now is watch and wait…..

David Cameron and our Christian society

In a speech celebrating the 400th anniversary of the King James Bible, David Cameron this week described Britain as 'a Christian country'. He claimed that Christian values could reverse British society's 'moral collapse', stated that he disagreed with the arguments of secularists, and argued that Britain is only welcoming of other religions because of its Christian heritage. Fine words and ones that have been pored over and commented upon by all and sundry. Far be it for me to resist the opportunity! I'm not going to go into whether or not we do have a Christian society (but, for what it's worth. I think we are good at coveting but not so good at turning the other cheek or loving our neighbours): I want to concentrate on how we should interprete Posh Dave's words.

Perhaps he didn't really mean it. After all, the boy's got form in this area. Remember what he said about the NHS? Perhaps he did not fancy getting into a fight with Rowan Williams and wanted to pacify the increasingly strident views of our more socially minded clergy (and why aren't there more of them making a noise?).

On the other hand, perhaps he did mean it. Perhaps he was implying that his government was an exemplar of Christian morals and values. I do find that a very interesting idea and I think I know the biblical passage from which he gains his inspiration. How about Mark 4:25? "For he that hath, to him shall be given: and he that hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he hath". This would explain his drive to advance the interests of the top 1% towards ever greater riches and dominance, at the expense of the truly needy - the old, the sick, the disabled and the unemployed.

What about the words of Matthew 6:24, Posh Dave?: "No man can serve two masters......Ye cannot serve God and mammon". Christian values, my ****! All I see is your support of mammon.