End Parliament

this whole issue is now getting out of control. Where is the Prime Minister in all this, he has gone into hiding again. When will he learn that he is the Prime Minister and not some sort of lowly functionary, I demand a formal statement from Gordon Brown, next we will be told that it is the fault of a tea lady that this has happened, she did nothing to stop this.

My most inspirational character is the Roman slave Spartacus, he stood up against the tyranny which was Rome. It is time for a new Spartacus, I'm Spartacus should be the chant. Our freedoms are being eroded by a demonic despot who goes by the name of Gordon Brown, he is not a paternalist, he has not been elected by anybody other than the small number of Scottish voters. If he has show me the voting papers.

The Speaker is going anyway after the next election, it would be a phirryc victory, there is no point in him saying sorry. It will never happen again, well there is the problem, because what if it should have to happen again, that an MP does act in a way detrimental to the national interest by revealing details of troop withdrawls from the war zones, or details of army equipment supplies which gives succour to 'our enemies'. The naming of our war dead does nothing for our morale, so this should also stop. I know let's abolish parliament altogether, I mean they either on holiday, or the Prime Minister has an urgent meeting saving the world's economy. Anything to avoid being asked any awkward questions.

Damien Green

I thought that I would let others have all the glory this time. One thousand up and counting. Trouble is this is such a serious issue, what next Nick?

The trouble is they are now talking about an inquiry, well we can wait until after the election before this comes back. All they will do is to say that we don't want to cause any problems for the inquirers, so we will stay silent.

Before then we will have to await the decision of the police until we even set-up the inquiry and we must not prejudice the police, you know how independent they are. They have a job to do and must get on with it.

In the meantime I am listening to the Today programme and they make reference to 'grooming' of the mole by Mr Green. This is disgraceful, especially with the connotations with seizing computers and child images.

This is not acceptable, the word should never be used in connection with the arrest of Mr Green. I sincerely hope that the police are not going to announce that they have found unacceptable images on Mr Green's computer.

Nick, we have to ask why they have used this word and who released the information to the media. It is only through the BBC that I now know this, so where has it come from, who told the BBC the nature of the questions asked of Mr Green. The whole 'case' is being prejudiced with every passing minute.

We must all try to find out

I too listened to Home Secretary this morning on the Andrew Marr show. Did she or did she not, or did one of her juniors, authorise the possible bugging of Damian Green's communication systems. I say possible because we do not know if he was bugged or not.

Did the Home Secretary have any knowledge that the mole had become known and that allegedly the person was then involved in any conversations with Damian Green after the mole had been 'outed', where the police were effectively trying to entrap Damian Green. I would ask readers to remember Colin Stagg, where there was a Police set-up using one of their own in an attempt to get Stagg to confess to something which he had never done.

The position of the Home Secretary becomes more and more untenable especially when she hinted at the treatment of labour officials during the cash for honours police inquiry. I still remember Gordon Brown again knowing nothing about the whole affair even though he is a senior member of the labour party.

The serious question that has to be asked is why nobody seems to know anything, we do not have a government anymore, I don't know what we have in its place but it sure is not a democratic representative government as I know it. The whole system has just become a process, nothing must get in the way of the process, the process is everything.

It is not good enough that Brown and Smith say they know nothing, and seem to be saying that they don't want to know anything. Well I have to repeat, with reference to Germany during the terror of Adolf Hitler and his henchmen. The people in control pleaded their innocence saying that they knew nothing about what was going on in their name. Not good enough. They should know, that is their job, to know. The people of Germany did not know anything either, they should have known, ignorance of the law is no defence, ignorance of things being done in our name is no defence, it is our job to find out, do not stay ignorant of what is being done in this country.

Just like Gordon Brown knows nothing about the falsity of the weapons of mass destruction, it was all Tony Blair, just as he knows nothing about anything other than the economy. The one trick pony strikes again.

Womens Rights

isn't it amazing what is said, and what is not said. For example take the emergency budget, and the pre-budget statement.

One expense which industry could not afford was the Sex Discrimination Act and the extension of rights for women.

Now the first thing which Lord Mandelson did when he returned was to slip out a little known comment about, the aforementioned extension of womens rights. Industry is much too concerned about the economic crisis, we should not burden industry with any more additional costs. So, women of Britain forget it, it is to be no more.

I am absolutely amazed that this has not been more widely reported, is the silence of some of the main stream media being bought by exclusives. Toe the line and here is your exclusive. Don't report those silly stories about the war until we have sanitized them.

Be Afraid

you just don't get it do you.

When a soldier is injured in Iraq or Afghanistan, sure he is compensated, only he must not say anything without clearance from the MoD. If he does then the compensation may well be withdrawn.

The same applies to the family of any soldier killed. Yes there is compensation, however, all we be put at risk if you say anything.

They now have effectively forced Special Forces to sign confidentiality contracts prohibiting any disclosures on the basis that they may make money from such disclosures. If they do not sign then they will not be able to join Special Forces.

If they make any comments then the MoD takes out injunctions preventing any disclosures. Why do you not hear of any, I mean any former soldier, making any negative comments about the war. Because they have been silenced, that is why. That is unless they are a general or high officer who has got permission from the MoD to publish sanitised versions of the war in Iraq.

The arrest of Damiian Green is not news, it is not news because so much has happened before the arrest of Damien Green concerning freedom of speech, and what is allowed into the media. You do not have a clue as to how many injunctions are in place preventing free speech.

The role of the media in the Prince Harry in Afghanistan story has set a precedent. The media, not only the BBC, have failed the British public. You are just as guilty as this shameful governmnet because you have not gone public. You, the media should have spoken out. They are soon going to be knocking on your doors, be afraid, very afraid.

Time to Go

I think that it is like a certain former king of ours who is alleged to have said 'will nobody rid me of this man' and we know what happened next.

Of course nobody told the four knights to kill Thomas a'Beckett, just like there is no evidence to link Adolf Hitler to the extermination of the jews. There is no evidence.

It is extra-ordinary that nobody told the PM not the Home Secretary.

When will Gordon come on to the media telling us that he is a straight sort of guy and that he really must get on with running the country, and writing letters to the X-File actors, telling them the truth is out there

What is the point

listened to somebody from the labour party on the Radio 4 Today programme this morning. We must let the police continue with their investigations, investigations are ongoing and we really should not be doing a running commentar.

So what is the point of the BBC news service any more. You might as well close this site, forget your job, pick-up your pension and go off into the sunset.

Economic War

I think that we are almost in a state of emergency over the economy, part of an economic war being fought against our enemies. Should the Stock Exchange not be closed because surely divulging information useful to the enemy should not be allowed. Share prices collapse harms morale. In fact all statistical information should be discontinued with immediate effect. The Retail Price Index is too important to come into the public domain. There is actually too much information, think of all the civil servants who should lose their jobs if all the information did not have to be collected and collated and issued to us the public.

How many armoured vehicles are going to be sent to the army for use in Iraq and Afghanistan, 700. That is information useful to the enemy, I should not know this. How many soldiers in the war zones, seven thousand odd, what equipment do they have Prince Harry, what body armour. All of this is useful to the enemy. Get your finger out Gordon.

Spartacus

it is time to impeach the Prime Minister, both this one and the last one. They are both up to their necks on the War in Iraq, one ordered it the other paid for it.

There must be an urgent inquiry into the War in Iraq, and the ocupation. There has been a cover-up in Downing Street, both in No 10 and No 11. Our soldiers have killed and been killed based on lies, they followed orders, it is the men giving the orders who must be prosecuted. This is not the country I thought I lived in, this is just so sad for all those people who have fought and died to bring us democracy, they seem to have died in vain. All my illususions are being shattered with almost every passing day.

I am a mature student studying Politics with the Open University, and as I write my essays I look around me and I feel like crying. So very sad, at this rate I may actually be driven to go on to the streets, much against my natural inclinations. I have always been a conformist, but where is Spartacus.

Be Afraid

whilst all this is going on Lord Mandelson has a list of companies which he regards as being strategic and must not be allowed to fail because they are key employers.

This list must be published and in the public domain. I want to know that the firms I am dealing with will not fail, if Mandelson and some civil servants know then how can we rely on that information not being spread amongst 'friends'. A bit like do not go on holiday to some place or other, or don't fly on that plane, because there is strong evidence that something might happen.

Others as well as myself are astounded that more protection seems to be given to the media than to MPs. Your colleague Robert Peston must reveal the source of his 'exclusive' about where he was getting his information from. His actions over that period were totally unacceptable, and must be investigated. Why have they not been, why is he still employed by the BBC. Consider what happened to Andrew Gilligan and Dr David Kelly, as well as some senior BBC executives. Hounded, and one ends -up committing 'suicide'. Again any inquest on Dr Kelly.

As for Mr Green having his computer conviscated can we expect a visit from the police in respect of anybody he has been in touch with. A family member has had to hand over his computer as part of a court judgement, be afraid everybody, very afraid.

Finally, I seriously hope that there are absolutely no images on Mr Green's computer which could be used as some sort of child protection investigation. I fear that people can send through images that the recipient does not want, but which get on the hard disc without the recipient knowing anything at all.

Piffle

just to say the moderators have done well. I'm off to bed now because I am so tired, well done, Nite Nite. Sleep the sleep of the innocent, because I don't think that Gordon will sleep well tonight, not if he has any conscience left.

How is it that it has come to this, the revolution is closer than many think. Gordon cares not for the sanctity of life, so why should he have any for the commons. A few more names to read out on Wednesday, wilof course no PMQs again is there. Too much information may come into the public domain. Brown will probably have the stupidity to go on playing politics with national security if asked anything about Green, or we must await the results of the police inquiry into the case. Piffle.

The Shame of Brown

could the BBC please repeat the comment made by a very young Gordon Brown with regard to leaks. The grin on his face was just so natural, like the cat that had got the cream. The Newsnight report was brilliant for that alone.

I do not trust Gordon Brown. There is something I regard as being seriously flawed in his character, I do not think that his father would be very proud of him. Not proud at all, in fact if I had acted the way that Gordon has been, then I think that if my father was still alive, he would be ashamed of me. Sometimes I am glad that my father is not alive to see all this.

I wonder what tales Gordon tells his children as they go to sleep, what deeds he has done, how proud they should be of him. I would give up now Gordon, you are not a very good father, if this is an example which you wish to set your children. You are meant to be our Prime Minister, well shame on you Gordon, shame on you.

Hoon

listened to Geoff Hoon on Radio 4 this evening. There was a perfectly proper inquiry by the police into leaks from the Home Office. Confidence, integrity of government, vital trust between civil servants and ministers, civil servants sign up to Official Secrets Act, yeah like they could work without signing it.

By questioning this we are impugning the integrity of the independent police. Hoon is just so wrong, this is the man who has made his career from taking this country into Iraq. I believe he was Defence Minister when we attacked a sovereign state.

If there is a leak from a ministry, damaging to the national security then it must be investigated, yeah but who decides the national security. This is so undemocratic, an MP must be free. The police are operationally independent, strong support for those who are to protect us. The timing of all this is a disgrace. However, we must not disturb Gordon because he is probably too busy watching some TV programme and getting ready to write a letter to the contestants congratulating them on their achievements.

Aaghhh, I continue to both very sad and angry.

Questions Questions

no doubt that there is a problem.

I always thought that even the police have to receive a complaint before they take any action. Can they instigate any action without a complainant, so who, if anybody has complained. If there is a complainant then who did they talk to before complaining, or did they do it purely spontaneously.

Interesting that the Chief of the Met retires today, on a huge pension, and that parliament is nt sitting. How strange is that. Also, did the governmnet want a serious debate on the emergency/crisis budget.

No doubt labour will say that people were arrested as the cash for honours case was being built. Surely, nobody can have forgotten about questions asked of Tony Blair, so easy to question an MP. Was the lovely Tony actually arrested or was it the case that he just answered some questions.

I bet the questions were not put quite as robustely as they were to Dr Kelly. Shame on the MPs that day, shame on them.

This is so beginning to stink. As I said before this is our Watergate. There is going to be another huge cover up, well there must be no cover up in Downing Street.

Psycopaths

can we say that the people who are committing these acts of terrorism are not mad, they are not terrorists, they are just, plain and simple psycopaths who have got 'permission' to commit their evil acts because they have joined a cause.

This I am afraid extends to those who join any military force which enables them to kill people. I extend this comment to include my own son, but I am so proud to say that he would not be part of state sponsored terrorism, that he signed to defend Queen and country, not American foreign policy, and not politicians who lied, who have the blood of innocents on their hands. I was just following orders is the mantra. Not good enough.

Get out now

I think that there is a need for the truth to come out. I have been saying before many became aware of the economic crisis that I could see it all coming, because of knowledge of financial markets and being a mature student, also working both in the UK and overseas.

If one stays silent, then under the twisted logic of this government, then you agree with what they do or say. Well, I as usual refer back to comments about the Germans in Nazi Germany who either knew what was being done and stayed silent, or did not know what was going on but took no effort to find out what was going on.

Now we all live in fear of the knock on the door, and the imposition of injunctions keeping you quiet. Apparently, Ministers did not know in advance, if they didn't know then they should have, or at the Home Secretary and the Prime Minister should have. This is going to be the governments Watergate, I want full diaries of who saw the PM and the Home Secretary, who said what to whom. I smell a rat.

In the meantime there is the beginnings of a terrible disaster in Zimbabwe, now they have Cholera, please do something Gordon, or don't you have the time because you are watching the X Factor, or writing letters about it. You do have a serious problem, I thoght you were dealing with the economic crisis 24/7. Yeah, to the exclusion of everything else happening in the world. He's a one trick pony ad should be on the stage, the one that leaves town, give us our general election, in the spring.

The 'X Factor'

I have just read my early morning copy of the Daily Mail, yes I know, but I do not mind revealing the source, am I to be arrested.

What is my point. We have a Prime Minister who as chancellor paid for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan who now seems to be able to send letters to the finalists in the 'X Factor' yet we are told that he knew nothing about the arrest of Mr Green until it had happened.

Why does he do it, he names the dead soldiers every week, bar one, yet what are we to make of this man. Are the soldiers no different to the contestants in a light entertainment competition. Why does he allow himself to be demeaned.

What does he think, that somehow a vote for the 'X Factor' is a vote for him. I pointed out earlier in comments when referring to John Sargent that surely it can be seen that voting come election time, if there is an election, will be like people voting in a beauty contest, or a talent show, oh this is just so sad.

I have absolutely no compassion for a man who keeps referring to being a son of the Manse, of a man who, to this commentator anyway, shares our pain. I know that he has lost his own daughter, sad, but my compassion does not extend to emotional blackmail, that I think I know when I am being manipulated.

Arrest of an MP

Can you start a new Blog. The Damian Green arrest and subsequent questioning demands one of its own. This is about diversion tactics, no more talking about the budget.

We have Sir Ian Blair, why a knighthhood, surely they will not be sending him to the unelected, but very necessary House of Lords. I personally regard the man as totally unaccpetable to be in a position to be part of parliament.

We have a certain Lord Mandelson, unelected in parliament. We have a Prime Minister, who does not represent me. A man who supposedly leads the country has had nobody vote for him, apart from the electorate in his insignificant Scottish constituemcy.

And now the shock, yes shock, of an elected MP being arrested for trying to tell the voters what is going on. There is a fundamental inconsistency, we criticise social workers when they don't tell their colleagues if they suspect some form of abuse. We criticise doctors who allowed Shpman to get away with his murders, we criticise people for not realising what Fred West was doing. Yet Dr David Kelly is hounded to death, to his own 'suicide' because he dared to go public.

I am so angry, I have a family member who is prevented from speaking about something close to my heart. I have seen what 'they' can do. We must all be afraid, when will there be the next knock on the door, this is so important, Cameron, go for these awful people, what sort of society have we become. Be afraid, be very afraid, because the truth is out there. We do not live in a free society anymore, this is becoming a police state. Or should I not even say 'becoming'. This is shameful, what sort of people are running this country, we are all slaves.

Mr Green

what a disgusting country this has become.

There is certian information which must come into the public domain. I regard the arrest of Mr Green as being symptomatic of a government which rules by the abuse of the law. I want answers to cash for honours, I want answers to questions about the death of Dr David Kelly, Weapons of Mass Destruction, the death of Mr de Menezes. I want answers to the question marks over loans to political parties.

I personally regard this now as a fascist government, that the ends justify the means, well they never do.

For a country which I now regard as also being guilty of committing a war of aggression, of being complicit in the illegal detention and subsequent torture of innocent people, I think that the arrest of Mr Green is well, shocking actually.

as for anybody who justifies our war against Iraq as being at all justified, then hold your heads in shame. We are no different to the terrorists who attacked Mumbai, how are we different if you think we are. It is state sponsored terrorism, we have killed innocent women and children, we have brought terror to the streets of Iraq, we do nothing to protect the cilvilians in an occupied country, but worst of all the lives of our soldiers have been wasted, the guilty must be brought to

Britons will be slaves

I reiterate my point which I now understand is being picked-up on 'he who pays the piper calls the tune'.

I think there must be more discussion about what conditions are being demanded by the lenders, namely China and Saudi Arabia, before they lend us money.

In the same way that we have kow towed to America for the last century, now we are to have new masters. Is there not a line in a somewhat famous tune 'Britons never will be slaves' or words to that effect. May I humbly suggest that we are soon to become slaves, or at least we are on the road to serfdom. Who are the new masters.

Not in my Name

to those who say that were on the streets in the'not in my name' protests, one soldier has stood up and spoken at public meetings saying why he disagreed with the war in Iraq. What has happened, this lousy good for nothing governmnet through the MoD has taken out an injunction preventing this one brave courageous man from speaking out. Just what are they afraid of. The truth is out there.

Why are people so silent baout these wars. In Nazi Germany people stayed silent whilst terrible things were done. Well the same is happening throughout the world, in our name.

The Rule of the Mob

so we have lost Woolwoths and MFI, despite the attempts apparently by a certain nameless somebody to 'save' the companies.

What has been saved is parliament having to debate the demise of such well known companies. Strange how they have gone just as parliament goes on one of its little breaks again. Don't they know that there is a crisis.

I think that there must be more discussion about the appalling events in the commons yesterday during the debate into the emergency/crisis budget. It would appear that labour just do not want to listen to anybody on the opposition benches without baying about the eighties.

I think that amongst the socialists there is a great deal of self loathing because just as the conservatives can be said to be the do nothing party, which I disagree with, then surely the guilt amongst socialists should be that they did nothing for the working class and public sector workers during the Thatcher period, and the Tory victories at the polls. Where were the socialists during this period, what were they actually doing for the working classes then. They were the do nothings that they now accuse the conservatives of being.

Also, amongst the same group of people they know that what is happening in Iraq and Afghanistan is so terrible that of course they should be on the streets demanding our immediate withdrawal. Yet what do they do, just wring their hands waiting for their inevitable defeat when they can then go onto the streets as the undemocratic mob. It will be who governs Britain again, the rule of the ballot box, or the rule of the mob.

Brown being Disdainful

we have the pictures of Gordon picking his nose, that was good. Today, however, there was a brilliant moment when the cameras flashed over to Gordon when Cameron was asking a question and Brown was caught just waving his hands in distain as the question was asked.

I personally think that this should be shown again because the man doesn't care at all about 'hard working families' or the dead in Afghanistan. He is a disgrace to the office of Prime Minister.

I thought that it was also very interesting that he didn't announce the inquiry into the terrible events with regard to the incest taking place in Britain where the man has been sentenced to jail. Maybe yet again it was the liberal democrats playing politics, or is it only David Cameron who can be accused of using emotive issues to 'play politics'. Brown actually had his answer already so why leave it Clegg to raise the issue, which exposes this country as being the terrible place it has become.

PMQs

if I was Cameron at PMQs I would go on this one. Cheshire Cat Gordon should be exposed for what he is a very weak man, he is not a leader, he is led, the only trouble is who is leading him, where does he get his orders from.

As the repercussions of the credit crunch continue to hit the retailers, two apparently in deep trouble today, then it is many poor women who will be hit the hardest. These women are probably the only earners in many families, so much for working families tax credits!

Nationalised banks

I really can't understand something. Gordon Brown keeps telling us that some of the banks have been nationalised, temporarily as well. So they are not permanent. However, even if temporarily taken into public ownership then all the employees are actually state employees anyway, including the board and all the executives.

The government can do what they like with them. Why haven't they sacked the directors, why haven't they put civil servants in control. What sort of nationalisation is this, it's a sham.

When the mines were nationalised the workers became employees of the state. Surely the same with the nationalised banks. Have the workers been forced to sign the Official Secrets Act as well. How much have the banks really been nationalised, or haven't they been nationalised at all.

Remember my favourite saying of the moment, he who pays the piper calls the tune, or is this another inglorious situation for a pathetic government. I wonder what the unelected Lord Mandelson has to say.

Early retirement

I refer to my earlier rather frivolous comment but there was a serious side to it. Consider that now a conservative MP has removed a posting because, well he was actually right.

My point is that he was looking at the effect on mental health of unemployment. May I say that there is the same problem with regard to retirement, especially early retirement, for men and women in their fifties.

Many firms will retire their older workers rather than make them redundant. I hope that they have received some form of counselling because it comes as quite a shock when you are at home with somebody all day when you previously only saw them for a short time. Not everybody will be able to spend their whole day commenting on Nick's Blog or studying with the Open University. Golf is not the answer either.

I am lucky, I planned for my retirement and my previous employer would reduce the working week by one day for every year that you were closer to retirement. This gave people time to adjust, a very good employer indeed.

Torture in Iraq

whilst all attention is on the budget I hope that people listen to the report about jails in Iraq, you know the country which we went to war with and now occupy.

Apparently the jails are overcrowded but worst of all the prisoners semm to complain of being tortured. This is totally unacceptable because I thought that one reason for our invasion was regime change and the end to terror, and torture.

Now we have been in Iraq for longer than WWII went on for, yet torture still occurs. Our soldiers must put an end to this. We must have a presence in the jails to prevent ill treatment.

We heard this morning that in Afghanistan President Karzai is quoted as saying that the people who threw acid over some girls will be executed, well sorry but no! This is unacceptable behaviour, Milliband must instruct the President that there should be no executions in Afghanistan, one will be enough to say that we are off.

My son was given an honourable discharge and now has an injunction against him preventing him from speaking in public. Well done the BBC for bringing to the attention of the public what is going on in our name. Yet more shame on the government. These human rights breaches must be stopped, immediately.

VAT Changes

with regard to the VAT changes I hope that firms realise that if they charge a fee for their services and they invoice only say every three or six months, then they must pro rata their VAT for the period up to the 1st December at 17 1/2% and for the period up to the 31st December at 15%.

Thought that I would add to the chaos because the sums are miniscule but the procedures are the same. This change should be enforced immediately, or will we see the budget signs outside the shops, buy at pre budget prices. Ha Ha Ha.

The whole VAT change announced by Darling yesterday is already turning into a disaster. Typical of Britain today, both incompetent and inept, just lie the government.

Afghanistan

just heard the report from Afghanistan that some members of the Taliban have been arrested for throwing acid into the faces of some young girls.

Now the President Karzai is quoted on the Today programme as saying that these people will be executed. Well excuse me, what sort of country are we meant to be occupying.

In my book we do not extradite anybody to a country with cpaital punishment, yet we support by the deaths of our soldiers a government which wants to hang people for throwing acid. I don't know which is worse.

I think that it is time for us to withdraw and stop any returns of asylum seekers in our country. Milliband, who is on a visit, must say to the President, you will not execute these people, they will be given a proper trial and if convicted they will be inprisoned, and not executed.

Milliband should also impress on the Ameicans that no British soldiers, of whatever type, will ever be involved in the identification and sumaary execution by Drone dropped bomb, anybody, without a fair and open trial in front of a jury.

The next election will not be just over the economy, it will the wars as well, the forgotten wars.

A Demographic Time Bomb

everybody seems to be sayig that the next election will be won or lost over the economy. This is sad, there are so many other issues but try this.

The demographic time bomb is about to go off big time. I have said before but it needs repeating, the babies born between 1944 and 1949 will be retiring over the next five years. A huge number in comparative terms.

Their incomes will fall hugely as they go from hard working to a well earned retirement. One main problem will be the women who have made very little allowance for their retirement other than to have got married to a man who has supported them throughout their working life.

Many men are going to have to explain to their wife that they will have to cut back on their spending, the money just won't be there. Furthermore, many women will get really fed up with having their husband around the house all day whereas previously he was at work earning money to support the family. He will see exactly how little she does, other than the washing, or maybe a little cooking. Caring for the home was not very efficient.

So, as the time bomb goes off there are serious repercussions, both financially and socially. I mean Harriet Harman and the Womens Institute now wanting to monitor the papaers for adverts for massage parlours, what else is a man to do with all his time?

A Vote

Re my #16

May I quote Pericles:

'the worst thing is to rush into action before the consequences have been properly debated'

May I say that of course parliament ought to debate the Pre-Budget Report, which was not a report at all but a budget. For anybody to say that it was not a budget is, to put it mildly, mad, or insane.

There must be a debate and there must be a vote. I'll tell you why because when this goes completely pear shaped I want to know who was in favour of this madness, just like I want o see who voted for the illegal war against Iraq and who voted for Gordon Brown as Prime Minister.

The Budget

notice that commentators on Radio 5 are going for the conservative MPs for baying when Darling made some of his announcements.

I am not at all surprised that they were either, I mean the gall of the two of them Darling Brown. We are in a better position than most, I mean, you couldn't make it up.

As for Brown sat on the front bench grinning like a cheshire cat. He will never learn will he. Serious man for serious times, you've got to laugh.

In the meantime a British citizen still lies dead in Pakistan, killed by an American remotely controlled Drone. Meantime the de Menezes inquest continues. Meanwhile Gordon still didn't ackowledge the death of the soldiers last week, nor did he understand about Baby P.

At least he was not picking his nose during the Darling speech. However, what he failed to understand is the fact that he is unelected as Prime Minister, he doesn't understand the real problem. We do not live in a representative democracy. We are ruled by a despot.

Finally, you have to laugh because this was not a budget, it was a Pre-Budget report, and so there will not even be a vote for the Tories to vote against. So, all the nonsense about whether the conservatives would vote for or against is well, nonsense.

The Crisis Budget

A spring election almost for sure.

This is putting money into the hands of the spendthrift, what a waste of money.

This is an absolute disaster, you were right Nick, as I was, that it is National Insurance which is the sting in the tail.

A fuller response later but who can now doubt that it is a scorched earth policy for a cut and run general election, 100 days for Obama would be consistent, Brown is going forward on his coat-tails.

Communtarianism

now remember we have to be compassionate.

May I suggest that what we are in for is not communism but something termed communitarianism. This can be defined as 'a social and political theory which rejects the individualism considered in liberal political theory, and which puts an emphasis on values and goals of a collective nature - cultural or national values, say - which are held to be inaccessible in a society concerned only to protect and promote individual freedom and self-determination'.

So, to go with we heard that 'a stitch in time saves nine' we may well hear that in this global economy 'we all sink or swim together', in other words when will the politicians get around to giving us a governmnet of national unity. I mean then we won't need to have an election in 2010 after all, for your own good after all.

So, there we have it, well I think so anyway. After all do we all not live in 'our community', as many socialists would have you believe.

Communtarianism

now remember we have to be compassionate.

May I suggest that what we are in for is not communism but something termed communitarianism. This can be defined as 'a social and political theory which rejects the individualism considered in liberal political theory, and which puts an emphasis on values and goals of a collective nature - cultural or national values, say - which are held to be inaccessible in a society concerned only to protect and promote individual freedom and self-determination'.

So, to go with we heard that 'a stitch in time saves nine' we may well hear that in this global economy 'we all sink or swim together', in other words when will the politicians get around to giving us a governmnet of national unity. I mean then we won't need to have an election in 2010 after all, for your own good after all.

So, there we have it, well I think so anyway. After all do we all not live in 'our community', as many socialists would have you believe.

The Speech

I am just getting so excited as the clock ticks towards the crisis budget speech. I wonder if we will be told anything that has not been trailed, what little gems have they sworn you to silence over so that you can be given the next exclusive. Your mate Andrew got it spot on, what role does parliament fulfill nowadays. Should MPs not be the first to know the truth.

As for the insane questions to conservatives, but what would you do? Nah yah boo sucks. Of course they are not going to say what they would do, Darling would immediately put it into his speech. As for trying to get the Tories to say will you vote for or against the measures, they don't even know what the measures are so how could they say what they would do based on hypothetical, that is guess work, as to what will be in 'the speech'.

Nearly there, a little bit closer to the most important speech to the commons since, oh I don't know when!

Declare an Interest

nice one on the Daily politics. Trust you not to say that you have some sort of Peston exclusive, we can take it then that National Insurance will go up with immediate effect then can we. Or from April, my sixtieth birthday is on the 7th. Remember my earlier links to the fact that I was conceived almost on the day that the NHS came into existence. Well what a great birthday present, what with my bus pass.

By the way I love that little smile of yours when you tease us. You are quite attractive when you do that, careful you may be acquiring a new fan base. I think you are quite a cheeky chappie really.

I wonder if he will also announce some help to councils over the bus pass, because even though I won't be using one, I walk a lot, they are very expensive, a four stop journey into the City centre, Exeter, is one pound sixty pence last time I looked. It is not possible to buy a return ticket because I might not actually catch the bus and therefore it would be fraudulent, taking money for a non-supplied service.

Talking of councils, we down here in Exeter are perplexed by government reorganisation at a local level, our MP wants Exeter to be a uniatry authority and every sane person can see it cannot be afforded. So, I wonder if they will instruct the Boundaries commission to stop looking into government reorganisation on the basis of the economic crisis.

I wonder if you will be effected by the increase in taxes for those on earnings over GBP150,000, should you not be declaring an interest, as should all the other BBC commentators. Or would that be some sort of bias, interesting, very interesting thought that.

Halal and Kosher Meat

some people have read my comments on the way we are going to have to borrow money from Saudi Arabia and China and even the Daily Politics made reference to my 'he who pays the piper calls the tune', without credit I will have you know. I don't know.

In the meantime you also printed my ctiticism of the treatment of birds in France, the blinding birds prior to stuffing.

May I add another issue with regard to the treatment of animals under welfare rules. And it goes to one of my core problems, why does this shameful government not ban Halal and Kosher meat. I regard the slaughter of animals under that process to be totally unacceptable. They have banned the hunting of foxes with hounds, well I demand that they also ban, with immediate effect Halal and Kosher methods of slaughter.

Or is this shameful government not going to ban these practices because they may lose votes with certain groups, or that some religious groups may be upset. well I am sorry but the government s failing in so many ways, yet they ban the hunting of foxes with hounds. Who was responsible for excluding Halal and Kosher methods of killing from animal welfare legislation.

Rules and Regulations

bet that the chancellor brings in rules and regulations to bring in minimum pricing on alcohol sold in the supermarkets, and Off Licences. Also happy hours. Rules and regulations, don't you love socialists. it's for your own good.

Killing Birds for Food

my wife listened to Andrew Marr on his Radi 4 programme this morning. To put it mildly she was very upset.
Why?

Because they started talking about the late President Mitterands last meal of a French delicacy. A little bird that had been blinded, stuffed and sauted. Now my wife gets very upset when she hears of such cruelty and they really should have announced that some people may well be distressed by the content of the programme.

The same with 5 Live this morning. They are talking about lap dancing clubs, they are talking about infidelity, they are talking about alcohol and drink fuelled drinking. Young people boozing.

I think that the BBC have lost the plot with their daytime programmes. The sort of thing I have refrred to earlier should not be broadcast at this time of the morning. As for Mitterands last meal, I am completely lost for words.

I know that I refer to adult themes on your blog because this is the right adult place for these discussions and comments, I am not in favour of censorship, as is well known, but there is a time and a place. I regard your comments as the place to talk about adult issues. Your moderators have allowed me to comment on masturbation and prostitution as well as so many other issues.

The BBC have lost the plot, I look forward to other comments from your loyal readership, if I am wrong to air this during the Budget day then so be it, but this is the problem, a good day to bury bad news.

A stitch in time

'he is a convicted terrorist of the worst kind'.

Excuse me but would you be ever so kind as to tell the world exactly which court it was that actually convicted him, of being a terrorist. Again I know of none but I have an open mind.

Is this not the problem that I actually have to read all the comments so that people do not get away with making unsubstantiated claims of this type.

Make them by all means but at least try to substantiate your claim, like by saying he was convicted of terrorism at the Old Bailey in 2003, for example. Now you can't so don't trey to bring emotional claptrap into the discussions by making unsubstantiated claims.

I can't wait for parliament to be told what we already seem to know, anybody now think any more about telling parliament first. There is no longer any point about getting a minister onto the media the day, or morning, before an announcement to parliament because should they not say I will not discuss this until after I have told parliament, which is what should happen, so they should be asked questions after they have made their announcement, definitely not before. Because I think you will find that some last minute adjustments are made based on the reaction to the interview.

Why should labour politicians not appear on the media being questioned, oh, that's right the whole of government is working so hard to save the country, yes so that they can have their extended christmas holiday, preparing for the spring general election.

Action now, 'a stitch in time' has gone then, that was not a very good quote Gordon, consign it to the waste paper bin.

Brilliant Blog

your blog has become the source of such brilliant stuff. We now know that labour party officials are scanning your comments even as we speak. Speeches rewritten right up to the point of delivery, this is brilliant, really cool.

I think that you are what is called a wind-up merchant, a bit like me if you like. Somebody has to say something so that others can comment about it. For example, some stories just die, they disappear without trace, only they don't really. They go into hibernation.

What I always will remember is the Watergate scandal with Nixon. I saw the first reports and then wondered just why it disappeared. What was going on. It was, to put it mildly, quite an interesting story that some people had broken into a room and stolen some political stuff. But it just disappeared.

Only some sort of journalists from the Washington Post would not let it go, they perservered, they eventually got to the truth and exposed the awfulness of the Nixon regime.

I like to think that you actually know more than you let on, but can't tell us. You and the BBC can only hint and leave us to get to our truths. It is the lies we were told over Iraq, they will not go away, the complicity of those now in power, I for one will probably go to my grave shouting and screaming that these politicians have blood on their hands. I can say it, you cannot. You have a job and a career.

Do you know that is why I feel so ashamed about what happened to Dr David Kelly, and Mr de Menezes, and all the soldiers who have died, because of a lie.

Oh, just to go off on a tangent for a moment, incinerators for disposal of recyclable material. They must be built, to generate the energy we will not have because of lack of power stations. Every community must have one, you produce the waste, so you must be responsible for its disposal. we are after all being told that this waste is now building up all over the country because nobody actually wants it.

Oh, and house building. How on earth can anybody complain about the destruction of the countryside if it means that there are jobs for the construction industry. Destroy the country to save the economy.

Good day to bury bad news

I listened this morning to the speech given by the chancellor to the CBI this morning. Oh, go on Terry it wasn't the chancellor it was the man who is both Chancellor and Prime Minister. What exactly is the point of Alistair Darling. What exactly is the point of the speech to that thing which passes as parliament nowadays.

What is more important? The murder of the British citizen in Pakistan resulting from a Drone attack from an American 'flown' Predator. Now, we have the appalling situation where an alleged terrorist is killed, mind you they were after somebody else, so I suppose that he is collateral damage.

Patrick Mercer, the conservative, has quite rightly picked up n this one as well, and I congratulate him. If the report on the Today programme is to be believed then for somebody to say 'this country (Britain) is a safer place today' for the death of this man is a travesty of what I know as justice.

If there is a suspected terrorist then they must go through the due process of an arrest, and a trial. Not an execution. This is turning into another day to bury bad news. Watch this space, this is not acceptable.

Mind you by murdering these suspected terrorist it gets away from the jury trials and the expense of keeping terrorists in jail. Also, they can't be extra-ordinary renditioned, if they are dead, can they? We need to know what the policy is. Where is the Milliband person telling us that he wants ptotection throughout the world for British citizens. What just like it says on your passport.

VAT Changes

when there are budget leaks should not somebody resign. Where are all these exclusives coming from, who is saying what to whom, is there a yacht moored on the Thames outside Parliament where dinner parties are being held and conversations being recorded. We must be told.

As for your namesake on the Today programme this morning, hey of course it's alright to tell us what is going to be in the crisis budget this afternoon. I mean it doesn't have any effect on the financial markets.

Also nice that he should pick-up on my theme that if you no longer pay a banker a million pound bonus then you don't half lose some income tax and national insurance, that money has to come from soemwhere.

I wonder how soon the VAT changes are meant to come in because I know that it is not easy to change any computer systems without encountering a few problems.

I hope that Alistair has checked with all the systems analysts as to whether or not they can implement the necessary changes in a timely fashion. Oh to be a consultant today, it will make the year 2000 bug a cake

Piper nad Tunes

if we are to borrow money from Saudi Arabia then there will be strings attached. Let me try this one on you.

Saudi Arabia is a strict Moslem state. So, usary, that is the banks making money through charging interest, something must be done on that.

Alcohol, Saudi Arabia is a Moslem state, so what do you think they want, they know that prohibtion does not work, so what better than to tax our love for alcohol. So, we must disguise the increase as a way to stop binge drinking, but increases in the tax on alcohol, we can't give the masses a tax decrease if they spend it on drink.

Something must be done about gambling, this is also anti-Islamic, and tempts the oil rich play-boys to be naughty boys, so something must be done about that. As well as prostitution, so Ms Smith has already made her announcements on that, can't have women being paid for their favours.

As for China, well we must do something about solving the problems of over production of goods in China, so we must ensure that the money we give back to people is spent on cheap Chinese produced goods, and not those expensive goods from Germany and Japan.

Our employment is now so distorted by public sector workers and those working for Quangos that we really don't register as a real economy anymore. We are all 'whores and pimps' to a labour government.

Compassion

the new buzz word, this is a 'compassionate' budget. We must be compassionate towards those who have gotten into debt, that is, spent too much, who have over-extended themselves.

You'll notice how yesterday Gordon Brown was slightly hesitant before he used the word compassionate because I will bet that Alistair Darling will use the word a lot in his speech. Darling will be angry because compassion could be the only justification for this crisis budget. How could anybody be so heartless as to throw pregnant women and little babies onto the streets. I bet Darling wanted to be the first to use it, or should I be more compassionate about the Brown motives.

Compassion, now who but a heartless wicked Tory could argue with that. I can see the speech being rewritten already, that T A Griffin has sussed us again.

Sentient Animals

If a terrorist was to kill your daughter in a suicide attack on a tube then who exactly would you 'slot'. That is the whole point of a suicide attack, they take the 'enemy' with them. They have no intention of surviving.

They don't have access to the same sort of weaponry we employ against them so they do suicide missions. Bit like the Kamikaze pilots in WWII.

Bit like when our soldiers went over the top in WWI into a fusilade of machine gun bullets, but they kept walking forward until they were mown down and left to die in some rat infested shell hole. At least a suicide bomber takes some of the enemy with them.

In the same way that you would 'slot' the terrorist they want to 'slot' you, your daughter and everybody else responsible for invading their country. Remember, it is the west who brought in borders into the middle east, not the Arabs. if it were not for their oil do you seriously think we would give a fig for them. Of course not.

Oh, and who exactly was it that dropped a nuclear weapon on a defenceless City in Japan, now that is terror. Who used agent orange leaving thousands of children born with deformities. Answers on a postcard please to the usual suspects.

The west has an awful lot to answer for. We must try to adhere to International Law, without the law we are not sentient animals at all, we are just animals.

Is Nick and SME

what transpires over Ross is that he has his own production company, and therefore Ross is not paid by the BBC but the company is. Ross is not employed by the BBC, this I believe to be true, but by his production company.

Now I think we ought to be told if you are actually directly employed by the BBC, or are you effectively an independent contractor through a separate company, hired by the BBC to perform your analysis, and to do this blog.

It might help some people to understand how the BBC has changed, furthermore are you really therefore a SME, and not a person at all.

We are the Terrorists

you guys can look back as far as you like and what have I been saying, before Cameron and the rest.

Taxes and interest rates must rise. Will nobody listen. look at the early twenties when there was an economic crisis. what do you do, you let it go, let asset values find a new base level.

Let wages fall, they are going to soon anyway. By huge amounts. How do I know, quite simple. Lots of people are going to retire over the next five years, more than ever before. What happens when you retire? Duh, you're income falls greatly. Pensions are nothing but deferred pay, so wages, and income fall.

So, if people want to hear the truth, here it is, asset values must be allowed to fall. Interest rates must rise. Taxes must rise. I am not content to leave huge debts to my sons and grandchildren so that I can maintain a standard of living which cannot be sustained.

We must exit Iraq and Afghanistan, this is not a war against terror, this is terror, we are the terrorists. We are the war criminals. we are the Nazis, fascist thugs, killers, murderers, torturers, we are the bad guys.

The Old Contemptibles

Is there not a problem because of the way we are manipulated in respect of the Great War. The 'Old Contemptibles' were soldiers who went to war under orders. There was absolutely no need for Britain to enter into the war. It was absolutely none of our business. We were the first to mobilise, Churchill and the non-dispersal of the Navy after a review.

We somehow managed to mobilise an army to go to France so quickly after the war was declared, almost a Dunkirk in reverse, yet this was meant to have been a war which came from nowhere.

Of course we must not forget that the British army was ready to mutiny in Dublin over Irish freedom. We had the war mongerers on the streets stoking up pressure for war.

We had agreements where we would send the Navy to protect the coast of northern France because the French navy was meant to look after our interests in the Mediterranean. It was Churchill who put in place the blockade of Germany after he had seen how it had worked in the American civil war.

The 'Old Contemptibles' should not even have been sent to the war, it was because we got involved that the Great War went on as long as it did. It would have been over by christmas if it wasn't for us. Only trouble is was that Germany would probably have won, and we couldn't have that could we. Especially with their allies the Turks, how different would the middle east be today!

Banks are awful?

as far as I know the government has bailed out RBS or Royal Bank of Scotland as it was known. They are the bank which is following the government attitude towards loans.

As far as I know neither HSBC nor Barclays has taken any money from the government. The only other high street bank is LloydsTSB, the TSB standing for Trustees Savings Bank sold off by the Conservatives.

Can somebody who is not insane please let me know why either HSBC or Barclays should do anything under the instructions of the government. What further measures will be taken against them by a vindictive Prime Minister. Surely they are international banks of very high standing and any idea that they should make commercial decisions based on a government, which will not be in power for very much longer, should be of concern to any sane individual.

Football Clubs

I live in Exeter and my local labour MP is Ben Bradshaw. Now then Exeter schools were in a terrible state and Ben made representations to get all five rebuilt under the PFI scheme and the contracts were given to Mowlem, who subsequently went out of business. The capital cost was about GBP98 million, but the cost over the the twenty five years will be GBPabout 310 million.

We also had a football club, Exeter City, which went into administration with massive debts. Now then our Ben also made representation to the Inland Revenue to have the club's debt either massively reduced or written off completely. This is an appalling state of affairs. The inland revenue should not have allowed this debt to accumulate and it should not have been treated in the way that it was. It was done to give our MP a good feel to the electorate.

We have always to look at what an MP does in his constituency. I regard this type of affair as what I would call pork barrel politics.

Based on a lie

May I say that those might be your thoughts but my son was in the army and he sign-up to defend Queen and Country. This he did with great courage and bravery. However, he did not sign-up for American Foreign Policy and so was given an honourable discharge from the army. Not because he was a conscientous objector, but you do not kill people based on a lie, nor for an American President.

You might, and others might do so as well, kill innocents based on a lie, but there comes a time in all our lives when you have to make a decision based on your moral beliefs, my son did that. Gordon Brown, I am ashamed to say did not, and will not. He should have resigned over Iraq, the war would then not have happened, he shamefully went along with it so as to keep his job. That is why I hold him and other members of the government with such total contempt, they are the old contemptibles of today.

Angry with Brown

Sounds to me like an excuse as used by some Germans at the end of WWII. I didn't know what was going on, I couldn't be bothered to find out and I wasn't affected so I don't see what the problem is.

Thousands of women and children have been killed in Aghanistan and Iraq. It is part of the job of an occupying force to protect the local population, we with our American allies have manifestly failed in that role.

We have allowed hundreds, if not thousands to be tortured and killed. Not all illegal activity took place in Cuba, it happened all over the world. Britain has been complicit in this, and it has been officially accepted by the Foreign Secretary although you may have chosen to ignore the comment with regard to Diego Garcia.

We have had the deaths of de Menezes and Doctor David Kelly. We have had the courts martials of soldiers for crimes, most of these charges have been found to have been not proven, even with the evidence of a dead person being found to have been roundly beaten, by whom, did he beat himself up to the point where he died.

We are as guilty as America because we have detained some of the prisoners who have been handed over to be tortured, referred to as extra-ordinary rendition. The ends do not justify the means, we must go through due process of law.

We are no different to the terrorists by our actions, and Gordon Brown, oh he feels angry with the banks. I feel angry with Gordon Brown, the banks, nor bankers, do not, as far as I know, kill people. Soldiers, and the mercenaries who work for the private contractors as security, do!

Blood on his hands

You are of course quite right. But what if peoples (unwritten) orders are that they should not deport people who outstay their Visas. What if everybody is told not to follow the rules.

I do understand your position. However, think about what you have written.

One 'rule' is that if a woman says no to having sex with a man then she means no. But if she does not say no then that is ok, even though the man has got her drunk or persuaded her to take drugs. So, you will agree that it is not quite so simple as following rules.

It is the same with Smith and her new rules on prostitution. If a man asks a woman are you doing this sex act with me as a free person or are you being forced to do this. Well the woman says I am free to do this, and the pair then have intercourse. Now, it transpires that the woman was not free, that she had been trafficked illegally into the country. The man apparently will be guilty of rape. Should the woman be forced to carry an ID card, so that the man can verify her situation.

Of course if everybody does their job then there will never be a problem, but I ask is Gordon doing his job. Because if he is then he has an awful lot of blood on his hands.

Shadow Economy

we are hearing on the news about the possibilty of Woolworths going into administration. Is this not a sympton of the current economic crisis, which Darling hopes to solve with his emergency budget, rather than a pre-budget report.

How do stores work, they borrow money from the banks to enable them to purchase goods which they then sell for a profit. The banks lend them money on the basis that the loans can be repaid.

In the meantime the suppliers of the goods give the stores the goods to be sold in return for the money which the stores receive when they sell the goods to the public.

Now this is very simple.

Only problem is that with the internet there really is no need for the stores anymore. They have had their day. What I do when I want to buy a camera is to go to my retailer, get all the gen on the product, which is the best has the highest specification etc, then say thank you very much, then go on to the internet and buy it directly from the producer.

Just thought I would tell you this so that Gordon Brown does not live in ignorance of the real world, you know like Gordon Brown not knowing that there was a shadow banking system. There is a shadow shopping suystem as well as something called the black economy.

Where is Harry

As you ask I am retired from working in the City and working as a consultant setting up investment banking custodial and custodial systems thoroughout, well more places than I care to mention.

I was also responsible for ensuring that the assets held on behalf of our clients was fairly vaued, this job I did very well.

Why I am angry is that I cannot understand how people who should have been doing a certain job have failed so miserably. The problem is that we seem to live in a society where people do as they are told without question, that they follow orders and ignore the implications. Why did people working for the banks authorise laons which they knew the reipient could not afford, because they were following orders and if they didn't they would get the sack.

Why is that de Menezes was shot, because people were following orders, why did Dr David Kelly die, could it be because somebody was told to release his name into the public domain, that they followed orders?

I am beginning to detest this government, all government, because people are doing things that they know are wrong, because they are following orders. Who is giving these orders?

The BBC know all about people following orders or being over-ridden on their decisions because somebody else has the money, or power, to give those orders. Do as you are told, by the way where is Prince Harry, oh that's right watching the Rugby, what a great war he is having.

Politics Show Gordon Brown

I saw the politics show this morning with the interview with Gordon Brown.

He really does not seem to understand that he is the Prime Minister not the chancellor. Will somebody tell him that he was responsible for the the overthrow of the Prime Minister who led the labour party into the last general electionon the basis that he would serve a full term. He also had a manifesto committment to hold a referendum on something about Europe.

Gordon seemed to be saying that the world is listening to him because of his experience. Umm.Ok. But does he not have a problem. He said he was angry with the banks, ok. because they were not open and pransparent, so his experience over many years in government as chancellor, he was not able to know what the banks were doing?

As Sopel pointed out he did not see the banks, formerly the Building Societies, offering 125% mortgages. So much for experience, he seemed to be a slow learner. He seemed to be saying that there was some sort of shadow banking system which he did not know about, again, ummmm!

So the definition of boom and bust is 15% interest rates, is what he seemed to be saying, well, can he be sure, because look at Iceland, riots starting to happen in the streets, how long before they have hyper-inflation. How long before riots in our streets again?

Sorry Gordon, at least he admitted that the banks are important to the financial system, well you could have knocked me over with a feather!

Thank you Nick

You use the word 'forced' in respect of workers and work.

Excuse me, but what sort of society do you actually want. Let's force young men with poor education to join the army, you've seen the adverts, so it seems an interesting life.

Yes, join the army, jump out of planes, going skiing in Norway, go to the jungle to learn how to survive in a post apocalypse world, oh and let's learn how to 'fly' a drone and kill people remotely. Yes, let's force people shall we? Let's force them by giving them no options other than to do as they are told.

Let's live in a a country based on East Germany with your next door neighbour writing reports on what you said, who you saw, what you did. Check that bin for contraband, for putting the wrong materials in it, too many bottles, you must be an alcoholic.

Oh yes, like Gordon, I am angry all right, not like him for not knowing about what is going on though, I am angry because I do see what is going on, and I can do nothing about it other than to tell the world through the BBC and your comments faclity Nick, thank you. Oh and the moderators, who let me say it.

Borrowed Money

there is going to be a huge problem which is beginning to be picked-up on. If we, as a country, are going to have to borrow money who are we going to borrow it from?

I do want to be in debt to either Saudi Arabia nor China. 'He who pays the piper calls the tune', that's the one, be afraid Britain, very afraid.

In an historic context, look at World Wars I and II. The only way that Britain could keep fighting, with our soldiers killing and being killed in huge numbers was because we had access to borrowed money, money which we borrowed from America. That is what Europeans mean when they refer to victory of the Anglo-Saxons.

Consider that America was meant to be neautral at the beginning of WWI, they immediately had a problem because they lent money to Britain, but not to Germany, explain to me how neautral that was? Anybody!

They Shoot Horses Don't They

I think that there is another film which should be shown on natio al TV so as to get people thinking about where we are.

The film? 'They Shoot Horses Don't They' an absolutely brilliant film which captures exactly where this country is nowadays. Please show it, people may learn something

A Phyrric Victory

Now I hope that you watched a certain Lord Mandelson on the Andrew Marr show this morning.

Now I used to be employed by a mercant bank in the City. Therefore I was not a bank I was a banker, how interesting that the labour politicians continue to refer to calling in the banks for conversations. A bank is a financial institution, with a building known as a bank. They cannot have any conversations with anybody. You have conversations with people, not banks. So, get it right please.

As for Mandelson, sorry Lord Mandelson of somewhere or other, what a small minded person. He was almost threatening the bankers with a re-education programme, you will do as you are told. Scary, is that really the sort of society we want, run b unelected people like Mandelson.

As for Cable, who came over as rather threatening towards the bankers. Well I wonder if people would like to nationalise the oil industry in this country, because they are making even more money than the banks are. Do remember that Mr Cable used to work for I believe Shell Transport and Trading, which is the old real name of Royal Dutch Shell. Now why not nationalise the oil companies, like Churchill did effectively with British Petroleum when they were given contracts to supply oil to the Royal Navy when they transfrred form using coal. Oh, and let's not forget it was Shell which misrepresented it s oil reserves, any comment on that one Vince.

Whilst we are about it, let's not have any doctors working as independent cotractors within the NHS, and let's nationalise the drug companies whilst we are about it. We are on the road to serfdom, somebody has to stop this, come on Cameron., this is a crisis budget and if there is any sanity left then the package has to be voted against. The first person to tell the people in the real world the truth will win the next election, even though with the mess we are in it will be a phyrric victory.

Stop the war

So you really have become a terrorist. As I have said in earlier comments this is wrong, we are not at war with Pakistan, we, and it is we, cannot just keep going around the world killing people. There is the rule of law, or does that not matter anymore.

Just continue to read up on the de Menezes inquest. And whilst you are about it have you read up on the Dr David Kelly inquest, because if you have then tell me about it, because there never has been one, that I know of anyway.

There is the rule of law, and there is the law of the jungle. Well you can forget the rule of law, and justice, but I won't. These killings must stop. If you want to make it legal then declare war on Pakistan, but not the justice of the drones bomb load.

The war in Iraq was illegal, the occupation is just that, we are occupying a foreign country and to put it mildly we are no different to the German Forces of Occupation in France in 1940.

I make no apology for saying that the soldiers flying these drones from their secret bases in America, where we also have some operators learning to kill remotely, so who are the war criminals.

Don't get me wrong acts of terror have been committed by individuals, but this is not the answer. This is World War III only the weapons are not as was expected, and the enemy is not a country as was expected, but this is war so let's declare it a war, a real war, no quarter asked and none given.

Yeah, let's go and nuke them, whoever they are, get it over with, stop messing, lock and load. Why prolong the agony, make my day, you know you saw the film, you read the book, you wear the t-shirt, so what's the problem. Just kill! Forget justice, forget the law, let's be animals again, thousands of years just gone, just like that.

Tunes of Glory and Fame is the Spur

may I suggest that Gordon go to his local library and get out a couple of films which may help him on his journey, 'Tunes of Glory' and 'Fame is the Spur' go on Gordon you may learn something useful.

Oh, but not as useful as reading my comments on Nicks Glorious Blog.

Fame is the Spur

we know that Gordon likes ancient sayings from his dad, 'a stitch in time saves nine' well with our need to borrow ever ncreasing sums of money may I give him another one which he may like to refer to 'he who pays the piper calls the tune'. If you look at the film where I remember it was quoted in 'Tunes of Glory' then I don't think Gordon is in a very good place.

Furthermore, if we are going to have to borrow money from Saudi Arabia and China, which I think is the case, then I don't want to be in thrall to either country thank you very much.

Another film from a book which Gordon may also wish to look at is 'Fame is the Spur' well Gordon is going to be famous alright but for the wrong reasons.

He who pays the piper

we are all on the road to serfdom. I know that some people are saying let labour win the next election so that they will then be exposed as the chancers which they are. They have no policy they have no philosophy other than to stay in power, they want to be the leaders only they aren't. Labour must not win the next election, if they do then abandon hope, seriously!

The only solution to this 'downturn' is to let it go, let asset values collapse, let them go until they find a new lower level, they will, trust me.

It is only in the recent past that we have actually repaid the final tranches of the debt accumulated from America in WWII. Now we want to et into even more debt, but now with some very unpleasant people, you know who I mean. Well I don't want to be in debt to these people, why, because my father used to give me good advice and this one is more appropriate than a stitch in time, it's 'he who pays the piper calls the tune', think about it, China a dn Saudi Arabia, you seriously could not make it up.

Andrew Neil Blog

why are labour politicians being able to get away with calling the 'economic crisis' a downturn, so when we get inflation and improved job prospects will that then be the upturn, so avoiding the Tory 'boom and bust' jibe. Brown did after all say that there would be no return to 'Tory boom and bust' well there won't there will be labour 'upturn and downturn'. 1984 is alive and well!

The British economy has just gone through a period of upturn and downturn, does not involve anybody saying 'boom and bust' but does not, how shall I say, have the same sort of ring to it.

As for donor donation then Gordon is only being consistent, somebody needs an organ, well take it from somebody who won't need it anymore, and give the organ to somebody who does. Bit like money really, take it from our children and grandchildren and give it to somebody who can then spend it for them, and what exactly will they spend it on, booze and baccie if I know the underclass.

Mind you 'a stitch in time saves nine' as me old man didn't use to say. Ah, the son of the Manse again, that old chestnut, I used to stand on the terraces and watch our Jackie play football, aye I did that you know, the common man touch, yeah of course.

Killing a British Citizen

there is serious news breaking on the Today programme this morning about the death of a British, note British, citizen being killed as a result of a Drone attack by Americans in Pakistan.

Excuse me but there is no war against Pakistan, they are a free and democratic sovereign nation state. So, what ever happened to the rule of law. At least the President of Iraq went through a trial before the Americans handed him over to the Iraqis to be executed. Now we have the obscenity of a remotely controlled Drone, Reaper or Predator, dropping bombs and killing a British citizen. So, Brown what do you think of this, and before you answer remember the killing of Mr de Menezes by British armed with guns firing dum-dum bullets.

This is unacceptable but how complicit are we in this, have we given America permission to go around killing British citizens on the basis that it is part of the war on terror. Remember that Rumsfeld signed a classified order in the spring 2004 at the direction of President Bush. This order gave authority for American Special Forces (and I think British as well) to conduct operations in countries not at war with the United States.

Now, whilst he is sorting out the economy and planning for an election then this is the sort of thing our Prime Minister ought to be asked questions about. There is a stain on Britain which is beginning to smell. If you want another example remember Harry in Afghanistan with his computer screen showing the attack on some freedom fighters.

I suppose that Brown may well explain away the death of a British citizen on the basis that 'a sttch in time saves nine' another way of saying that the ends justifies the means.

Is this how it all ends

when will anybody say to Gordon you are not the chancellor any more, you are the Prime Minister. Let Darling do his job, you do yours, when Alistair gets it right stop trying to take the praise, just imagine that you were still chancellor and Blair was still Prime Minister. If you did something right and Blair had said that it was him, what would you have said, come on remember what a sulky boy you were Gordon, or have you no memory.

This is what is annoying about Gordon, he's wants to be ackowledged as being our saviour, well he isn't. Mind you I do know somebody who keeps saying I told you so, I know who reads these comments etc... oh that's right it's me, I'm becoming an Aspidistra, and I pick my nose aaagh, they've got me. Is this how it all ends?

A stitch in time

"My father used to say 'a stitch in time saves nine' and I think that's an important message." says Gordon the Great.

Could this be Gordons 'I used to go to watch Jackie Milburn when I was on the terraces moment' I don't know about anybody else but Gordon's quote is something my mother might have said, but my father, wow maybe we know why Gordon is the way he is. He's pulling the old son of the Manse bit again isn't he, who is advising the man.

If this is Gordon being sorry then you know where I'm going on this, the war in Afghanistan, the war and occupation of Iraq, get them out, bring them home, stop the killing, and accept that you were wrong, that you have blood on your hands Gordon.

As for me, tell you what my father might have said 'Don't mess with me son, just don't mess with me, now go and do as your mother tells you'. Only the mess word might be a bit higher on the not to be used scale.

This is all getting beyond parody, please put us out of our misery. As Darling might say, we are all so 'pissed off' with you Gordon.

You have so messed up, now you think by fessing up that makes it alright does it, do you really think so, well make my day punk, do you feel lucky, do you feel lucky? Lock and load!

Stupid Gordon

"My undivided attention is on the economy, I'm not thinking about anything else, it's 100% of my attention and you can just discount all these stories."

Thank you for your quote from Gordon Brown, the great leader.

What I would say is that Gordon is, I believe, totally incapable of thinking about anything else, we would like you to be capable of thinking about more than one thing at a time, only we know that you can't.

That became obvious when asked questions by David Cameron about Baby P, it is why you are totally incapable of resolving the issues of Iraq and Afghanistan. We want you to be be a leader Gordon, not to be led. That's your problem, you're actually quite stupid!

This is getting ridiculous

this is getting absolutely ridiculous.

Below is what I said in comment #142we are being misled.

'This is not a Budget, it is a pre-Budget report. Not the same.

If it is a budget then it is a crisis budget to 'solve' the problem of the Downturn, which is not a Downturn but which is a recession, was there a Great Downturn rather than a Great Depression, or was it really the Great Recession, words Nick, words, try explaining that to the person who has just lost their job and home'.

Now then I was listening to the six o'clock news on Radio 4 and guess what the headline was, more details are coming out of the Pre Budget Report on Monday, insomuch that Darling will announce changes to, well everything actually by the sounds of it.

Yet again Project Griffin strikes at the heart of government. All everybody has to do is to read your Blog and the comments. Simple really.

In the meantime I hear that wonderful Gordon is denying a June election, well let's just say that the general election will be in the Spring, just like our soldiers were to be home by christmas, only nobody ever said which christmas.

Angry

just heard the news that Gordon Brown is angry that the banks have been doing something in America which has contributed to the downturn, that is the recession.

Well I know that this gets to him and his advisers so hear this Gordon. I am angry, I am angry about what you and Tony Blair did when you got us into the Iraq War and Occupation. I am angry that our troops have died, and I am very angry about injunctions which have prevented my son from speaking in public about something which the public must know about. Not about operations but about what it feels like to go off to a foreign country and possibly kill people on lies for American foreign policy.

I am angry with you because the War was and is illegal, well that's what I think anyway, but then I am not an expert on the BBC Audience Panel am I.

I am just so very angry with you because you hold your position because of a coup, that nobody has voted for you and because you Gordon lack any moral or democratic mandate. You make me just so angry, and you failed to hold an election which would have possibly given you that authority. You are, to put it mildly, a disgrace to the office which you hold. You really are.

I am most angry that you don't really care, you previouly read out the names of the dead in Iraq and Afghanistan, and then you stop. Well what are you going to do on Wednesday. I'll tell you what! you tell the MoD to drop the injunction against my son, and stop them harassing him for the MoD legal expenses. What harm can he be to you, telling the truth as he sees it, or are you gutless as well spineless you disgrace, you total absolute national disgrace.

What have you got to fear from Freedom of Speech, you might have learnt something if you had people who listened and learnt rather than silence the innocent, the brave courageous innocents. You might even have learnt what the banks were doing whilst you were funding your boom, where do you think the profits came from you complete idiot.

Petrol and Asbestos

surely with petrol now down to under 90p per litre then the tax on petrol must rise.

Also, breaking news on Asbestos, now this is a good decision, employers are liable from the date of exposure, not the date that the employee showed the signs of any cancer.

It would appear that the judges have quite rightly, in my view stated, that as you insured the employees then you would not have taken out that insurance unless it was known that there could be a problem.

Tory Boom and Bust

can I give you a headline from the International Herald tribune from the 11th November and it is this 'An election that left the South Behind' which goes into the fact that Obama 'the South has moved from being the center of the political universe to being an outside player in presidential politics'. Swap general election for presidential and we may be seeing Gordon's new strategy.

Now, if Gordon can win without the South of England and Westcountry voting for him, then politically, the South is finished, money and largess can be spread around the Northern voters and labour will stay in power. No more Tory boom and bust, just labour boom and bust.

Injunctions

I think that you are just being ironic, because you surely cannot be serious.

I am surprised that you don't put the smilies on your comments. Please tell me you, who I regard as being just that little bit more intelligent than Peston, don't believe what you are being spun.

As for Peston why is he no longer coming on the radio, and TV, telling us that he has a scoop. Doesn't the BBC get anymore scoops, which cause chaos in the market place.

I look forward to PMQs on Wednesday, any deaths yet this week.

It has been reported that Prince William is going to the Caribean with some Special Forces, why no injunction. Will he have to sign a confidentailty agreement, and of course the media will not be able to report anything, because if they mention just one word, then should I apply to the High Court for an injunction preventing any disclosure.

Just like the injunction that prevents a member of my family from speaking in public about his being lied to, and apparently joining the army for American foreign policy, not to defend Queen and Country.

When will the news come out about our final withdrawal from Iraq and our defeat in Afghanistan.

WMD II

spring election. No doubt.

I think that the fiscal stimulus, tax credits for the poor, will not kick in until April.

The government will hold the election on the basis that the money is in your pay packet or will get into the pay packet just before or just after the election.

The pre budget report is just that, a pre budget report, or will it be the budget itself.

Hang on, just thought as I wrote that. This is a pre-budget report, so it can only report on the economy. This is an emergency budget to meet a crisis which has resulted not in a downturn but a recession, which will lead to Great Depression II.

It is all in the words, a soldier of the Great War. The war to end all wars became WWI when World War II broke out, surely all the memorials should be changed. We could not have had WWII without WWI, which was the Great War. So if we had the Great Depression, which actually was World Downturn I, then now we can have World Downturn II. It doesn't have the same ring to it though does it. How about World Depression I and WDII, all we have to do is find how to include a letter, M for Mass, so now we have WMDII. World Mass Depression II, or WMDII when we attack Iran, ie Weapons of Mass Destruction II, talk about something to take our minds off the crisis.

Funny bloke that Griffin, where is his head!

Sarkozy

let's go for the jugular shall we.

I read the International Herlad Tribune and if you are going to quote the Times then why don't you report this little gem.

Does anybody know that President Sarkozy is going to hold another summit in a few weeks time in Paris, no Obama to be present.

It is to be held on January 8 and 9 and is to be co-hosted by yes Tony Blair. Only it actually not a summit, it is to bring togther political leaders and prominent thinkers to discuss issues like globalization and the values of capitalism. So it is not actually a summit but it is well like one. I wonder if Gordon Brown will attend, or send anybody.

As for Sarkozythe IHT describes a lot of what has been going on a 'posturing and preening' would you agree with that analysis Nick?

So, I think that we ought to be told, what exactly is going on.

It is interesting that apparently Bush thought that the closure of the recent summit was left with the impression that the leaders had reaffirmed the importance of free amrkets, free trade and the primacy of national regulation.

Can we hear from Gordon what he thought had been agreed, because I think we ought to be told. Can't wait for Obama to take office, American jobs for American workers!

Pericles

I have said before if politicians keep agreeing that something must be done, and this is what we will do, and agree then be afraid, very afraid. If somebody does not argue against Gordon Brown and Alistair Darling then they will say you didn't say anything and therefore you agree with us.

May I suggest that a quote from Pericles would be appropriate, 'the worst thing is to rush into action before the consequences have been properly debated' History of the Peloponnesian War.

We are told that this global recession has come from nowhere and that nobody saw it coming, I disagree but that's another story. So, if it was then the powers that be who did not see it coming, no more boom and bust, then surely they are rushing into action, unless they did of course actually see it coming but did nothing to warn us, nor do anything to prevent it.

Pain but Gain

how could anybody fall for this liberal guff.

I would never go along with the idea that that the ends justify the means. Let's collapse the pound, raising the price of imports, and lower interest rates, so as people stop saving because their return is so small it is not worth it.

The implications for inflation with a falling pound are appalling. We want to export our own unemployment. Our manufacturing base over the years has been decimated, our balance of payments would provide evidence of that. The one saving grace was our services industry, well we know what is happening to that.

As for deflation, well we need that to bring back some semblance of order. One minute we are told that inflation is bad, now deflation is bad, I agree but for who. For example, as the demographic time bomb hits then peoples wages will decline rapidly. This is on the basis that pensions are nothing but deferred wage, anybody disagree. Deafening silence.

The utilitarians are in the ascendency at the moment, the happiness principle, but there is also the harm principle, and if the chancellor reflates on monday then we are harming the future for our children and grandchildren.

I could go on but the answer is higher taxes now, higher interest rates, an increase in unemployment, a decrease in wages, lower asset values, in short a bit of pain now, but in the long run, well no pain no gain, so go for it conservatives, let's enter the real world.

Lehman

let's pretend that you have a million pounds in your bank account. Now then a friend comes to you with a sure fire money maker, you'll be able to double your money with no risk to your capital.

He says lend me the million, and I'll give you back 2 million in a years time.

You ask him how are you going to do this, what is your business plan. He explains it to and it is such a good idea that you say I won't lend you the money, I'll do it myself. Why, because if you can make 3 million with my money and give me back 2 then I will make the 3 million and keep it to myself.

I think the above would tell you why the banks are no longer lending to each other, why on earth would anybody lend money, that is lose control of it, so that somebody else can make money. I mean get real, the system is bust, it was when Lehmans went that the world changed, it was not realised at the time but you now have 9/15 to go with 9/11. Two days that have changed the world.

Afghanistan

interesting that the retail sales figures show that sales have not declined as much as was anticipated, also mortgage lending is up.

So, can we now have interest rate rises, As I have said before, and also the tax increases which are required to prevent the next boom. We are told that we are now in a bust, so we have to prevent the next boom, because either that or Gordon Brown will bring about the next unsustainable boom.

He said that we would not have any more Tory boom and bust, well first we had the labour boom so as not to have boom and bust we must not have the next boom, if you follow! Boom bang a bang boom bang a bang.

In the meantime the occupation of Iraq continues, Somalia is a failed state with pirates, DR Congo is becoming a humanitarian disaster, China is still a problem in Chad/Cameroon, Dafur, now what is happening in that place, you get my drift. Afghanistan is silent again, we must have at least one death this week, or have we now retreated there as well without anybody saying anything.

Actually, after the visit of the Afghan President it does seem to have gone quiet, I wonder if we agreed to keep the troops indoors, and that all the deaths have again been for nothing.

I was lied to

on the Daily Politics it was aid that in respect of the new laws from Ms Smith concerning prostitutes and trafficked women that men will not be able to plead 'I didn't know' even if he checked but was misled, or lied to.

I hope we can expect the same from the judges when they eventualy face Bush/Blair/Brown and others when they plead that they did not know that Iraq did not have weapons of mass destruction, or that they did not know what was going on at Guantalamo Bay, about extra-ordinary rendition.

The judges should surely respond it is not acceptable that you plead you did not know. You should have done, that is why you are the leaders and those under you are the led.

I want charges, and I want Lord Bingham and others to tell us why they remained silent. Oh, and lift all injinctions restricting freedom of expression and speech. You know who I mean.

Miss Smith

Let's legalise it all. We can then have earnings taxed, we can have regular health checks, of both parties, we can also start living in the real world where men, and women, are really nothing other than slaves, albeit wage slaves.

I mean look at the reality of the sex trade. Use of pornographic material to stimulate, look at people getting dressed up to satisfy a fantasy. Sales of fine lingerie will diminish, nursing uniforms, maybe even Prince Harry will struggle to find a Nazi uniform to wear at a fancy dress party.

Nick, you know by now where my mind takes me so I will stop here, but I think this one will be in the next labour party manifesto, then we can all laugh when they lose.

However, I will end on a serious note, the trafficking of women for sex must end, get the traffickers and the pimps. The sad women who have to sell their bodies to fund drug addiction, they are the ones who need help, and the police could do something about that, and we have to ask how women do seem to be able to operate with impunity, much to their detriment.

We also still have the serious problem of rent boys, that issue also needs addressing. However, the solution is not the one proposed by Miss Smith, the worst Home Secretary since Jack Straw.

Emasculated Men

the government is getting itself into a right old tizz over prostitution.

I would say that we should also ban the sale of sex aids. If people who wish to be sexually satisfied by having sex with a prostitute are to be criminalised, then where would it end.

It is easier for women to satisfy themselves and I would say a much more pleasant experience, from what I know from some girlfriends. They now even refer to the aids as their 'kit'. As for the top shelf, then that too should not be allowed either.

I mean men are being totally emasculated, there is no hope. I think many people are completely losing the plot. Next they will bringing in prohibition on drinking, I mean we know what happens a woman goes out, gets drunk, and then has sex. I mean it's obvious isn't it.

Hey, let's go the whole hog, no mixed schools, no men and women working together, we cannot have any contact, arranged marriages, that's not a problem either, it's for your own good.

Nick, please will nobody stop this before we all are forced into celibacy and become Puritans, now that was a great time, no more Christmas Pudding! A new rallying call to the masses, ban Christmas, how many children are born in September, we must be told.

Miss Smith

the wonderful Miss Smith explaining about a six month review and the problems of prostitution and trafficked women operating in the sex industry.

Let's put this forward shall we. A government minister is in the cabinet, the leader says this is my policy I'm going to attack Iraq with the Americans. Now then, you can all either agree with me and resign and lose everything, the power, the perks, the money, the ministerial car etc... oh, and your future promotion prospects, so choose now, are you with me or against me.

What did they do, they chose to support the war in Iraq, the illegal war in Iraq!

My link to Miss Smith? what I would say is to quote Shakespeare, but slightly misquote 'money (and power) is the universal whore, the universal pimp of men and peoples'. I think you will find reference in Karl Marx 'Money the Universal Whore'.

The whole premise of what Smith is proposing does not stand up to serious scrutiny, as per the Today programme when she was interviewed. Just ban it, I'm sure that Harriet Harman would agree with it, and women all over the country will rejoice at not being bought a drink, at not being taken to a restaurant to be fine wined and dined, and as for marriage, well! I think you get my drift. as for the economy, exactly what are men meant to do with all that money we are going to be given.

Oh, and let us not worry about sex discrimination, I want to know what Miss Smith is going to do about those women who also have use of male prostitutes, do they not have needs as well, or have labour completely lost their sex drive?

Petrol Prices

there is something I don't understand and I wonder if you could ask Gordon a question on my behalf.

We know that cars contribute towards global warming through their emissions.

Petrol in the very recent past was about GBP1.20 a litre, it is now about a pound. So, people were paying substantially more than now.

So, to help towards a reduction in petrol consumption why not put more taxes on the price of petrol and diesel so as to reduce consumption. If we were paying so much more in the recent past then surely there is not a problem!

British Leyland

we know that the three car producing giants in America are in serious financial trouble, they have been for years.

Now there is talk of a bale out from the American taxpayer. What do they say about this, why just look at a British Compant which had billions thrown at it, and it failed!

The Company British Leyland! Where exactly is it now, and what happened to all that money?

I think that we are going to assist in the bale out of the three car producing giants, in return the Americans will promise not to close their plants in the UK. I think we will give them the money, then the situation will worsen and then they wil close. Just as Brown says British jobs for British workers, then does he not see that as the worst kind of protectionism in a global economy.

Obama has been elected on the Democratic ticket, they will immediately turn on him and his Team America if factories close in America and we give subsidies to the firms in Team GB.

The same is happening throughout Europe, protectionism is spreading fast, despite Gordon and Team GB.