I've had a little break from blogging and apart from yesterdays post on Turner, a few things have rattling around the fairly insignificant Flaig brain as subjects fit for discussion, honesty or lack of it has been mooted by acedemics and rather cheekily in my opinion by David Harnett boss of HMRC complaining about tax evasion when as I understand he allowed Vodafone and Goldman Sachs to side step billions in tax payments, another worry is continued British involvement in Afganistan supporting a corrupt government, fighting a barbaric opposition and with all this going on a country where primitive pea brained religious leaders imprison victims of rape apparently backed by a hostile Pakistan, still with all that, the subject which gives me most cause for concern is Scottish voters and politicians running roughshod over the democratic rights of the majority of British people.
Some time ago I predicted the break up, of the United Kingdom and now it looks to me as if within the next Ten years it will be game over for the British Nation. Now I don't have any particular grievance against Scotland or it's people, however I do object to, preferential treatment given to fellow British citizens, some of you will recall how Labour sold out England when devolving power to Scotland and Wales, for some reason Labour didn't think it necessary to allow for equality, so we have a situation where regional decisions concerning England can well be decided by Scots MP's which explains why English students pay tuition fees and Scots don't likewise with prescription fees and care for the elderly.
How Blair and Brown justified devolved government excluding England has slipped my mind or why it didn't provoke outrage in England at the time, still it's pretty much a fait accompli, I'm sure if lose weight adopt a healthy lifestyle I shall live long enough to say I told you so.
Labour were very much polished in the use or rather misuse of language, for propaganda purposes at the time Blair and Brown were encouraging the break up of the United Kingdom, much play was made of English "Regional Assemblys" to pervert the inclination of English people asking for an equivalent devolved English Parliament, however even this bone was eventually withdrawn.
So where do we stand more than 10 years on from the first meeting of the Scottish Parliament, well if your Scottish not bad, chances are you've got a cushty, job courtesy of the British taxpayer, and the satisfaction of after years of blaming the English, you currently have the upper hand.
I find being English that whether I want to or not, I feel somehow responsible for past sins of Britain, whether it's engineering the Irish potato famine, Scottish land clearances or colonisation of much of the globe, despite the reality that those responsible were as always the minority wealthy governing classes.
To summarise, I feel it's time we all took a reality check about honesty, morality Britain, as I pontificate, the United Kingdom is lets face run from the top down by cretinous politicians and supported by a bent press, rotten to the core, big business evades billions of tax, and overpaid half wits at HMRC expect us to pick up the tab, worst still although the UK has less influence than at anytime in it's history, a worrying number of this country's citizens are bent on attacking fellow countrymen and British service personnel are put at risk for what, in Afghanistan.
On the later point I'd like to see the government withdraw British forces today and instead educate communities susceptible to hostile views of anti western terrorists, of the liberties, freedoms, tolerance, equality and dare I say once acceptable customs of this nation, still I didn't mention democracy since it's the case, that Labour despite using that solid sounding term "stakeholder" often referring to the likes of you and me, have disbarred English residents from having a say on the future of the United Kingdom, the only ones who count are those residing in Scotland, since they get to vote, and you and I don't.
Even the thought of not having to see a smug Alex Salmond, explain how his dynamic Scottish economy is flourishing without mentioning the huge subsidy by British (English taxpayers) is quite a bonus but the price for both Scotland and England is I think too much, still what I think doesn't count does it.
PS I've probably overstepped the mark and I suspect that a few will have me down as a nut, something that might well be, still, my generation grew up in a time when free speech was more so than it is today. We live in a world today where sadly you cannot upset anybody and where the rich can without cause easily silence free speech with a bent lawyer.
Looking forward rather than back, what do you want the Government - in which your Party is the junior partner - to do on these issues? What expectations do you have?
ReplyDeleteWhat can they do Labour set the agenda couldn't give a toss for democracy and sold english people short.
ReplyDeleteYou maybe dont recall the rather slippery leader who these days is avoiding tax doing deals with corrupt regimes around the world also suspected of committing war crimes, matey with suspect newspaper publishers whom in any honest society would have been cuffed and cautioned some time ago.
tosh
DeleteAll very well looking forward but first one needs to look back to analyse the cause and, in that respect, Tony is spot on about devolution. Not that Tony Blair was not warned about the potential consequences at the time.
ReplyDeleteMoving on, there is not a great deal the Westminster government can do. We can hardly claim that the Falkland Islanders and Gibraltarians have a right to remain British all the time they want to yet denying other parts of our nation the right to the self determination of their choice.
My concern would be over the extent of the franchise. One of those that is likely to be trundled out in support of Scottish independence, Sean Connery, made most of his wealth outside Scotland and lives mainly in the USA. Yet it would seem that Alex Salmond wants to deny other Scots working outside the country a vote in the process.
Also what is a Scot? Is it simply someone living in Scotland or someone of Scottish heritage? After hundreds of years of union how many of us in England have no Scottish ancestry or relatives.
Strangely enough though, such polls as there have been on the issue would tend to suggest that there is more support for Scottish independence in England than north of the border. Also, what a pleasure to lose forty plus Labour seats from Westminster.
It is an ill wind!
Send me a ballot paper! forty labour MP's down the swanee
ReplyDeleteThere are several reasons for being in Afghanistan, non of them terrorism-related.
ReplyDeleteOpium is a huge 'black' money-spinner that was used to conquer China and prepare her for the corrupt communist regime that now rules the roost.
The same ploy is now being applied to western nations, with the same aim.
Rare earth metals, crucial to modern technology, abound in Afghanistan. These resources have been known about for quite some time, despite having recently become 'discovered'.
The Anglo-American mob, in order to maintain their grip on global geo-politics and oil prices, would like to prevent the Chinese from laying a direct oil pipeline across Afghanistan.
Are you on a diet?
ReplyDeleteYes a fairly unhealthy one
Delete7:35 If you are referring to 7:26 it is much more likely that he is on the juice or even opium himself. What a garbled version of history he uses to support his allegations. Must be a he because no woman could be that thick.
ReplyDeleteCome on then Ms. Wood, give us a laugh, why are 'we' in Afghanistan, then?
ReplyDeleteYou know you are over the target when they resort to personal attacks, 12.28
ReplyDelete12:28 Anon - Unlike you I have no idea, but presume we are there because a legendary Labour prime minister saw himself as another Alexander the Great rather than just Tone.
ReplyDeleteWhat a shame that history, logic, fact and objectivity all get swept aside by your political bias, Tom Clarke. Looking at this and one or two of your other recent contributions, are you trying to take over as the chief Tory spokesperson and apologist locally? You may have marginally different politics from Tony Flaig, but with your spin and his abject failure ever to set out the position of his Party and the Coalition, but just to bash Labour, you make an excellent team of...well I'm not sure what.
ReplyDeleteI shouldn't have to point this out, but I will my personal opinions, do not actually represent any party policy, I'm capable of thinking outside the constraints of what may or may not be party policy, yes I support Liberal Democratic values and their policies(if familiar), when publishing Lib Dem material it is fairly clear to the reader.
DeleteStill just as a quick side swipe, I'm pleased to see that your Labour Leaders have now accepted much of Coalition policy in regard to the economy, pity they didn't have the good grace to be honest from the outset, having been responsible for our recent economic calamity
Where is the political bias in questioning the extent of the Scottish independence franchise? I do not agree with Tony over the right of the Scots to hold such a vote just query who or what constitutes a Scot. Also I do not bash Labour in this instance though question the wisdom of devolution in the first place and would applaud the loss of Scottish Labour seats should it happen.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I thought you were going to ignore me in future. You just can't help yourself can you, but then, I do have that effect on people!
And I thought you weren't going to "rise to the bait". Ah well, failures all.
ReplyDeleteTouchƩ, mon ami!
DeleteOh, and I see the second Liberal Democrat Cabinet Minister caught in the lying trap - allegedly - has bitten the dust. You really shouldn't chuck around your anti-Labour swipes quite so freely, Tony. Your own high ground is on a downward escalator. Politics is very slippery ground.
ReplyDeleteThink you will find that human beings are fallible and, strange though it may seem, politicians are also human. No need to crow for your turn will come again no doubt sooner than later.
Deletewhich former Prime Minister does business with civil rights abusers which former PM pays a fraction of tax on multimillion pound earnings, also suspected of war crimes, not to forget selling his soul to one slimy media group
DeleteI have no objection to Scotland having a referendum to decide their future in or out of the UK. What I do object to is England not being given the same choice.
ReplyDeleteAs an English pesron I don't want to decide Scotland's future, I do however want to decide my own. So a referendum on English independence would be most welcome!
I was experimenting with a new comment format earlier in which individual comments could be replied to however for some reason the comments showed the wrong time, which I found distracting.
ReplyDeleteIf google sort it out I shall adopt the new style as it allows you to address a particular remark allowing my conspiracy theorist and other cranks to be side tracked a little.
I didn't realise Margaret Thatcher kept so busy, Tony. Her dementia can't be that debilitating then! I presume you're referring to her relationship with Chilean dictator General Pinochet.
ReplyDeleteAnon of 12.09, you're absolutely right; there are liars and cheats in life and in every political party. The point here, though, is that no Liberal Democrat - a party that has seen the holders of two of its four Cabinet posts resigning either because they have been proven to be a liar and a cheat, or alleged to be one - should throw "morality" accusations at other parties.
ReplyDeleteWhy, surely throwing accusations and revelling in misfortunes is what politics is all about. Haven't we had the Labour lot prattling on about drink driving and kittens at every opportunity. Then we had the Labour expenses convicts and old randy Prescott. Why shouldn't the Lib/Dems have a scandal or two. It is their turn and good luck to them.
ReplyDeleteYes, and getting your wife to take a few points is hardly in the same league for fun as getting your female assistant into the sack or funding the mortgage you haven't actually got, thus trousering a few handy quid.
ReplyDeleteActually 7.26 is quite right about the reasons for the invasion of Afghanistan as some of you would know if you pulled your heads out of the Mail/Mirror/Sun or whatever other tosh you read.
ReplyDeleteThe most important resource found in abundance there is Uranium. Worth invading a weak country for in any nuclear-imperialist book.
Oh dear oh dear. I would have thought you, Tom Clarke, with your claimed military background, would have considered perjury a rather serious offence. Clearly you are completely unprincipled.
ReplyDeleteOf course you would consider getting someone into the sack more reprehensible, wouldn't you? You disapprove of displays of affection. I forgot.
See you are at it again, 10:22, despite your declarations of ignoring me. Oh, and for the record, I really have no problem with getting secretaries into the sack,as long as they are willing, I simply would not do so in front of the window open onto a busy street. Consenting adults in private and all that.
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No uk just england scotland I was at my familys in Corby no shop in England would take my Scottish cash what a joke if is uk cash is cash no wonder scots and English don't like one and other
ReplyDelete