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(Shamelessly "borrowed" from Steve Green's Daily Referendum Blog)

An Eye-Opening "Must Read" Book

I make no secret of the fact that I think the UK would be better off making our own rules and decisions and letting Europe get on with messing itself up but even for me this book was an eye-opener.

The book is written in two parts, one putting Britain's membership of the EU in historical context, along with statistics as to where the money goes and how much being in the EU is costing each and every one of us (pretty shocking statistics even for an already convinced Eurosceptic like myself).

The second part describes several  accounts of how people and industries in different walks of life have fared in a fictitious Britain in 2020, having left the EU 10 years previously. It doesn't make out everything would be plain sailing if it happens but the benefits all seem realistic, and , in many cases plain, common sense. The conclusion seemed to be pretty much what I have always thought which, in my own non-political type speak is, if we make stuff they want to buy, the EU will still trade with us whether we are members or not, and vice versa, but without us having to be ruled by them.

Clearly I am going to enjoy a book which not only agrees with but actually enhances my own views, but having an open mind would like to read an account offering an alternative view, if one exists. At the moment the only benefit of EU membership or the UK that I can think of is if I went on a road trip around Europe I'd only have to change my sterling into one single currency.

The book is published by the Taxpyers Alliance, who are dedicated to ensuring we receive value for money for the taxes we pay , whether they be UK or EU imposed. They sent me it totally free of charge, order yours from HERE now, and open your own eyes to how much extra in taxes and shopping prices that you are paying to be a member of something that previous generations fought and died to keep us out of.

Nick Griffin on BBC Question Time

This country allows a right of free speech. Those protesting that the BNP should not be heard are far more dangerous to our society than the BNP will ever be. They like anyone else should have their say, then the public, who have more intelligence than the UAF give them credit for, can vote as they see fit.

The BBC were right to have Nick Griffin on, he is the legitimate leader of a legitimate party. They were wrong to treaat the programme as a lesson in character assassination, it is not what that programme is about.

Having said that I thought he done himself no favours, came across as nervous, unsure of himself and even weaker as a leader than Gordon Brown if that were possible. It was Griffins perfect opportunity to dispel some of the myths about his party and give a reasonable argument as to why they believe some of their policies are necessary - he had his chance and he blew it. By the way why are they referred to as far right? their views on immigration may be but if you take the time to actually read their policies instead of just those publicised by others with an axe to grind, in most other areas they are the furthest left party we have.

I heard the answer to the one question I was hoping to hear last night and it came from the Tory Sayeda Warsi  (love her accent, what is it Islamcashire?) on immigration, basically they will have set numbers (could be none) each year depending on many factors such as discussions with industry leaders as to how many employees are needed. (Not sure if this meant we could refuse other EU immigrants though). I don't want to see minorities repatriated, just recognition that this is an Island with finite space and resources and can not support an infinite population.


But the having said all that about Griffin, Jack Straw still managed to come across as the biggest knob on the panel.

A Picture (in this case a Video) Is Worth A Thousand Words

I was going to post my disgust at the blatant propaganda, selective use of "facts", scare-mongering and brain-washing tactics of this government funded (for funded read our money wasted) television advert.

Then I realised there was no need. The following video sums up my feelings far better than any words I write could possibly manage.

Improved video courtesy of The Londn Fog

Bye Bye Brown

The present parliament MUST expire no later than Midnight, May 10th 2010.

Can it come quick enough ?

Gordon Brown - Has He Finally Lost The Plot ?

Has Gordon Brown finaly lost it completely?

I'm happy to admit that I've never liked Labour, and I dislike Gordon Brown as a person even more. But even putting such bias aside, I can't help but wonder has this country ever had such a rude, arrogant, delusional, incompetent, self-contradictory, out of touch and out of his depth leader in it's history? 

Just like I'm starting to feel sorry for a few Portsmouth supporting friends who are already resigned to relegation this season, I am actually starting to feel sorry for the rank-and-file grass rots labour membership. They must already be asking themselves what is the point of campaigning once the next election arrives with such a buffoon undermining any efforts they put in.

Here he is being interviewed by Adam Boulton this morning.  Watch it, and remember - this man is in charge of our country!  Gordon, there is a reason your name starts with the word GO.

So Did You Vote ?

I voted last night. After hearing all the predictions of low turn out I was surprised that the ballot box (one of 3 at my station) was so full that a ruler was needed to poke the slips right through the slot. Yet the official turnout was still only 38.29% against a previous turnout of over 64%.

I really think the time has come that voting became compulsory. What message is being sent by the 60%+ in my neighbourhood that didn't vote. Apathy? Lack of understanding? Feeling no-one represents their views? Simply too busy? Big Brother was starting? No doubt the Labour Party who still seem to be living in Cloud Cuckoo Land will claim it is simply a temporary protest and that their voters will be back when it matters for a General Election. Maybe they'd be right, I doubt it, but whatever our views we can only speculate.

We can read opinion polls untill we are blue in both the face and , hopefully, the government. But the only poll that counts is the one at the ballot box. And the only way that it can be assured that a country is being run according to the wishes of the majority of its populus - and before anyone says it, I know our first past the post system doesn't necessarily mean the majority support the winners - is to ensure that they all vote. Everybody would of course have the right to vote for "none of the above" and/or spoil their paper. Now if 60%+ of the population actually did that, then that would be sending a very strong message to all the parties that they are not listening to the man in the street.

I know that one of the many stay-aways was my 19 year old step daughter who doesn't vote because, as she puts it, "What's it got to do with me". I fear that politicians of all parties seem so alien to vast sections of society that we could have whole generations growing up with the same attitude. In years to come we could end up with our government being elected by as few as 5% or so of the population.


How it could be assured that everybody votes is a practical issue that I have no answer to at the moment but I am sure it is a problem that could be overcome if the will was really there amongst all parties.

Woolston, and similar smaller shopping areas

An interesting post from a fellow blogger

The complete works of TGR Worzel: What killed Woolston and how I would fix it...

regarding Woolston, an area in which I have a particular interest, and similarly sized shopping areas. There's an interesting discussion also growing in the comments section, views of others would also be welcomed.

Parliament & Primary Schools - The Parallel

Could Gordon Brown be more out of touch with public opinion if he tried?

The MPs expenses fiasco, understandably, has been the big topic of conversation in workplaces, pubs, and post office queues the length and breadth of the land. The impression I'm getting from conversations (held and overheard) is that it's not so much the money, but the fact that these people - the people in charge of our country - can not be trusted. So what does he propose? Make them understand the rules, stick to the rules, and accept draconian punishment if they don't ? No. He proposes in "independent body" to oversee the whole issue of MP's expenses. In other words, confirming that they can not be trusted to deal with it properly and honestly themselves, so someone else has to be appointed to watch over them.

Mrs Wurzel works in a primary school which of course has to toe Mr Brown's Government's guidelines. What happens there if a child repeatedly misbehaves and can not be trusted to follow the rules? Is the child punished? No. He or she receives "0ne on one" tuition, or in other words someone independent of the class teacher is appointed to watch over them.

Spot the parallel here?

State-ing the Bleeding Obvious (see what I did there?)

My nice shiny spanking new much anticipated government issue swine flu information booklet has finally arrived on my doorstep.A quick flick through and my only reaction is "Why?".

I wonder how much this has cost our bankrupt country to produce and distribute? 12 pages of colour print on glossy paper containing very little except plain and simple common sense.

What next? Any day now I am expecting a Gordon Brown video on YouTube showin us all how to wipe our own arses properly

A New Political Hero

Daniel Hannan

Admittedly, he doesn't offer up any alternative policies but anyone who can stand up and say this to Gormless Brown's face gets top marks in my books.




I'm surprised my good friend Snopper hasn't commented on this yet.

Our Government and The Economy

Small Fortune, originally uploaded by Wurzel.

The picture sums up the apparent current fiscal policy - try it and hope for the best.

I heard this on the radio this morning.

The privately owned banks run into financial trouble.
Government response?
To transfer part of them to public ownership.

The publicly owned Royal Mail runs into financial trouble.
Government response?
To transfer part of it to private ownership.

Don't worry, they know what they're doing....... honest

New Zealand Copyright Protest

Join The New Zealand Internet BlackOut to protest against a law due on February 28th that calls for internet disconnection based on accusations of copyright infringement without a trial and without any evidence held up to court scrutiny.

http://creativefreedom.org.nz/blackout.html

"Sections 92A and C of the amended Copyright Act establish a guilt upon accusation principle that can see anyone accused of "copyright infringement" getting his or her Internet connection severed"

Black out your Facebook avatar, Your Myspace pages, your Twitter account, and websites to protest against the insane new law that may come into effect on February 28.

Big Respect To The Arctic Monkeys.

Tomorrow sees a series of worldwide concerts under the banner of Live Earth. Yet another cynical attempt by pop-stars to promote themselves to a world audience whilst patronising their fans with claims to support the latest cause.

It's no secret that I think the global warming/climate change theory is a load of bollix, having been measured over far too short a time scale to indicate anything other than a "blip" on the millions of years of our climate history. But that's not the argument here, it's the hypocrisy of the stars taking part that gets to me.

So how refreshing to see the Arctic Monkeys (among others) criticising the event. As they point out, they are always jetting around the world nowadays, and their latest stage show uses enough energy to power 10 houses and that's just for the stage lighting alone.

Pop stars who practice what they preach - what a novel idea. I might even buy one of their records out of respect.

Sold Out? - Clearly this is one group that hasn't.

And About F@*#ing Time!!!!

"Our tolerance is part of what makes Britain Britain. So conform to it or don't come here" Tony Blair 8th December 2006.

For possibly the first time since the smarmy faced git came to power he has made a public statement that I 100% agree with.

Firstly I do not consider myself a racist. Simply proud of my own country.I have no problem with anyone from anywhere in the world coming to live here, on two caveats. One, the country has sufficient resources to support them. The second is that if they come to live in this country they must live by the ways of this country. I have no objections to mosques and other places of worship being built, religion is a personal choice and there is no reason to restrict what an individual does in private. But there is no way our country and it's people should have to adapt our customs and daily lives to accomodate "outsiders".

Whenever an immigrant comes here they do so through choice. A few ,out of necessity have to leave their own country, but there are still 191 other countries that they could go to. They don't have to come here. Presumably they do come here because they want to, because they know that on the whole this is a good place to live. So why, untill know, has this inept government seemed hell-bent on changing things to ways that they consider will suit the newcomers. They presumably like it the way it is or they wouldn't come, if they don't then there's plenty of other places they can go to. Surely even this incompetent regime can recognise two simple facts of life, - one,you can't please all of the people all of the time so do't even try, - and two, if it ain't broke don't fix it. Let the people that want to come here come, but insist on them fitting in with our ways. If they want to lie their lives the way they did in their own country then a word of advice - stay there. Can you imagine Saudi Arabia's response to the British ex-pat community insisting on a pub on every street corner because it's what they're used to at home?

At the moment I am sure that this new rhetoric coming from Messrs Blair, Reid and Straw is just that - nothing but hot air and lip service . They have finally awoken to the realisation that a majority of their voters think enough is enough. If they don't do something, or at least sound like they are doing something, then the BNP and others on the far right will be taking a lot of their votes come the next election. One thing that they have got right is that the British are a tolerant people, we tend to take most things in our stride. But tolerance only stretches so far, and when the British tolerance finally snaps it snaps in a big way. Words are fine but let's see some action and see it now. Stop changing our school assemblies and lessons to suit a minority, tell my local council to stop printing it's literature in a dozen or so different languages, bring back golliwogs, stop events such as the Asian Games taking place, do allow people to fly the countries flag without having to go through acres of red tape, don't ban workplace decorations and stop hiding Christmas behind names like Winterval - I could go on and on. Great Britain has that first word in it's name for a reason, let's make sure we keep it that way.

Now if only Mr Blair's speech had referred to England instead of Britain he might even have swayed my vote - but that's another issue altogether.