T_i_B
T_i_B's JournalOwen Jones hits the nail on the head
Unfortunately this is the direction that political discourse in the media is heading, and it is not good. 
http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/comment/owen-jones-on-the-big-benefits-row-the-hopkinsisation-of-political-discourse-9106227.html
The producers justified booking her on the basis that she got a response; I suggested that the same could be said about a live execution, but that probably wasn't an argument in its favour. And so producers will keep ringing her agent so long as people keep agreeing to “debate” with her, and the Hopkinsisation of political discourse will continue.
And then there was Edwina Currie, best known for a scandal involving eggs and boasting about her escapades with a former Prime Minister. Hopkins has moved in on Currie territory, and so an arms race has begun. On the Channel 5 programme on Monday, Currie was put on the same panel as Jack Monroe, a brilliant writer and inspirational campaigner with first-hand experience of poverty and food banks. She began confronting Currie with facts, the one thing Currie seemed to be bereft of. And so Currie's comeback was - wait for it - to bring up Monroe's dead grandfather.
The likes of Hopkins and Currie are a fascinating aspect of modern culture, with their outrageous politically incorrect opinions they have for money, to paraphrase Stewart Lee on Jeremy Clarkson. Going on TV is not something I hugely enjoy, to be brutally honest - it's just a means to get a point across - but for the professional troll, nothing beats the limelight, even if everybody is booing. But I feel genuine pity for intelligent right-wingers out there (and yes, they do exist!). They're being replaced by pantomime villains. Personally, I relish taking someone on who knows their facts. But ratings are ratings, and so the circus goes on.
All I can say is that I'm glad I don't drink Red Bull
I can't touch the stuff as it makes me go all hyper. However, if I could drink the stuff I'd feel a boycott of Red Bull coming on over this.
http://www.edp24.co.uk/news/red_bull_in_war_with_norwich_s_redwell_brewing_over_name_1_2334168#.UgtgR6bppCw.facebook
The other is a small brewery on the outskirts of Norwich that employs eight people.
But Red Bull, from its headquarters in Austria, has written to Redwell Brewing, based at The Arches in Bracondale, near County Hall, requesting it to immediately withdraw its trademark application, because it claims the names are too similar and would confuse consumers. In the letter, Red Bull’s brand enforcement manager, Hansjorg Jeserznik, says Redwell’s application “comprises Red Bull’s earlier trademark ‘red’ as a whole, which is a prima facie for the similarity of signs.
“Moreover, all trademarks consist solely of English words and contain the common element ‘red’. The term ‘well’ is merely descriptive and therefore of no distinctive character at all.
County Council elections on 2nd May
It's that time of year when I do the obligatory thread about the local elections, that are going on at the moment.
This year it's County Council elections in England & Wales. There are also mayoral elections in Doncaster & North Tyneside. Given the train wreck that is local politics in Doncaster that might be of some interest. Will Peter Davies (who has parted company with the English Democrats) keep the Mayor's job or will people in Doncaster find somebody sensible to do the job?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Kingdom_local_elections,_2013
http://www.aboutmyvote.co.uk/default.aspx?gclid=CPf_4JGHxbYCFUzHtAodpE0AZg
Please feel free to comment on the local elections, and local politics in your neck of the woods here.
I live in Derbyshire, and Labour really need to win back control of Derbyshire County Council from the Tories this year. However, I haven't seen any political campaigning round where I live for quite some time. Daft as it sounds I would actually appreciate some election literature as most of my interest is on what goes on over the border in South Yorkshire.
Would anyone else actually want to lead the Lib Dems at the moment?
Clegg has proved to be one of the most inept party leaders in British political history. However, if he goes could somebody else clean up the mess he's left behind? To be honest I don't see any senior Lib Dem who could make the party credible again.
The root of the many gripes that I have regarding the Lib Dems apply to much of UK politics, namely a tendency to see grabbing power for it's own sake as the main objective. It's certainly the main complaint I always had about New Labour.
The Lib Dems got themselves some power, but that in itself has not made them credible. In fact the concessions they made to get that power have caused them to lose credibility quite badly.
Tories call for new media inquiry that has recommendations they agree with
http://newsthump.com/2012/11/30/tories-call-for-new-media-inquiry-that-has-recommendations-they-agree-with/Speaking in the Commons, Prime Minister David Cameron opposed the recommendations of the Leveson inquiry on the grounds that they were different to what he had in mind.
“Don’t get me wrong, I think it’s a brilliant report,” he said. “It’s got loads of really good words in it and it’s impressively heavy. But what it fundamentally lacks are the recommendations that I want.”
Denis MacShane faces 12 month suspension from Commons over expenses
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-20178332A Parliamentary committee found he had submitted 19 false invoices which were "plainly intended to deceive" Parliament's expenses authority. The committee said it was the "gravest case" which has come to them for adjudication.
The committee's report described Mr MacShane's false claims as "far from what would be acceptable in any walk of life" and "fell far below the standards of integrity and probity expected of every member of the House".
The false invoices related to work Mr MacShane carried out in Europe and he was particularly criticised for his use of public money for European travel.
Things Rich People Never Understand about welfare
http://lauramcinerney.com/2012/10/23/things-rich-people-never-understand/Police and crime commissioner elections November 15th
In just under a month from now we will be having elections for Police & Crime Commissioners (PCC's). Rhe below is a description of what this will involve
http://www.choosemypcc.org.uk/
A police and crime commissioner (PCC) is independent and will be elected to oversee how crime will be tackled in your police force area. Their aim will be to cut crime and to ensure your police force is effective. They will bring more of a public voice to policing and they will do this by:
•regularly engaging and meeting with the public to help set police and crime plans;
•ensuring the police force budget is spent where it matters most; and
•appointing the chief constable, and (if necessary) dismissing them if they have not performed well.
Please feel free to let us know who's standing in your area, and how the election is progressing.
Below is a very worrying article about what's going on in Lincolnshire
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/9623068/The-secret-US-lobbyists-behind-Police-and-Crime-Commissioner-election.html
Unusually for a rural local election, he has employed professional campaign staff, commissioned weekly opinion polls, opened “field offices” and is driven in a chauffeured Mercedes. He has poured tens of thousands of pounds into the elections, far more than any other candidate anywhere else in Britain.
Mr Barrett describes himself as an “independent”, opposed to “party politics” in policing. He has refused to disclose who is funding him, despite widespread local suspicions generated by the intensity and professionalism of his campaign.
However, it can now be revealed that it has been run by a team from a US-based neo-conservative think tank, the Fund for the New American Century, funded in part by a variety of corporate donors with an interest in public-sector privatisation.
Ah, Irvine Patnick
I grew up in Sheffield Hallam, and as such Patnick was my MP during my formative years.
My (VERY right-wing) parents had dealings with him as a constituency MP and rated him highly. However, looking at his record as an MP it's difficult to concur.
Conservatism in Sheffield died in Patnick's time as an MP, he was one of the last Sheffield Tories to be booted out. He lost Hallam to the Lib Dems with an 18% swing against him. I think that might have been the biggest anti-tory swing of any constituency that election (and that took some doing even in 1997 when the Tories were decimated).
For some time now there have been no elected officials at any level from the Conservative Party in Sheffield. During Patnick's time they only ever seemed to campaign in the very poshest areas of the constituency, and these days the most you ever see of Sheffield Tories is anonymous bile on Sheffield Forum.
Patnick was not exactly sympathetic to people suffering due to Thatcher's economic polices. Given how badly a northern manufacturing town like Sheffield was affected that was an incredibly bad attitude to take. It should have served as a warning to the current Sheffield Hallam MP, Nick Clegg but sadly he's currently repeating many of the same mistakes made by Irvine Patnick.
Patnick was a government whip during John Major's government when the Tory Party was tearing itself apart over Europe. I remember him mainly as a loyal party man, although right now all anybody is noticing about him on Twitter is his support of Apartheid, the death penalty and opposition to gay rights. He was knighted in 1994 and a Labour MP (John Mann) has already written to the prime minister requesting that he be stripped of his knighthood over his porkies regarding the Hillsborough.
Apparently the press are outside his house right now waiting for an apology that may or may not be forthcoming. Even that scumbag Kelvin Mackenzie has offered an insincere apology, trying to pass the buck onto Patnick.
I am increasingly worried about the debate on EU membership in the UK
It's being dominated by people who have not got the slightest clue about international trade, which is the biggest benefit we get from EU membership.
Contrary to what the likes of UKIP would have you believe, leaving the EU would greatly increase red tape and taxation in the form of import duties, which would make UK businesses much less competitive as it would be much less easy to export and would drive up the cost of imports (which would be very bad for our economy given how much we do import).
There is a lot about the EU that I dislike, but I do wish that debate on the subject of Europe could be just a little more nuanced. The "Europe right or wrong" mentality of some pro-EU types doesn't help either if I'm honest.
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