New Site Features

There are a few site changes I'd like to mention today.

Blogwatch

I have put a section at the top of my links for blogs that need to be watched. These will change over time. I have started with Peter Hitchens and Susanne Lamido. Up until now, Peter Hitchens (not to be confused with the Daily Mail journalist) has been one of the most prolific non-blogging commenters on political websites. He posts regularly at Guido's and Croydonian's and has strong political opinions. No blogposts yet, but expect an explosive launch. Susanne, I have mentioned yesterday in a post about Lib Dems. Remember the Conservative councillor(s) who got sacked for racist emails. Sounds like an Islamic councillor has been sending even more extreme mails. It smells like the Libs have attempted to sweep this under the carpet. Susanne is ready to tell it like it is.

Campaigns

For me a key purpose of blogging is to get involved in campaigns. I am very proud to have got involved in a number to date and have compiled a list in my links - a highlight from each month of my blogging "career". Click on each item to learn more about the scalps successful campaigns. Please let me know if you see anything that I should get involved with.

Other

In my section on right-wing blogs I've just added Cranmer, Donal Blaney, Newmania and the Waendel Journal. Have I missed you? I keep promising to rework the design of the blog, but there's always something more important to do isn't there?

Lib Dems Are A Rabble

I like many Lib Dems. For a start all the Lib Dems I link to on my sidebar seem like great guys - sure a bit more Liberal than me, but you'd expect that wouldn't you? Personally, I believe that the Conservative Party is a great place for freedom-loving individuals, but I'm sure some will beg to differ.

Squeezed between Left and Right, the Lib Dems are a Darwinian response to being the third party in a FPTP system - undoubtedly a brilliant electoral machine. To survive, they are generally disciplined, work closely with local communities cobbling support from a diverse range of sources and market themselves excellently.

Are feminists, homosexuals, anti-war Muslims, students, libertarians, apolitical people able to form around one big idea? Probably not and under both Kennedy and Campbell there has been no clear vision - I think it's a deliberate policy to avoid internal dissent. But, sometimes arguments caused by the underlying differences in values/ideology of the various factions of any party will rear their head.

Party discipline can only go so far. If you want to see what I mean, check this extraordinary comment at Coming Out From Under (good blog) which was taken from a post at Iain Dale's. Now ex-Lib Dem Susanne Lamido (pictured) from Islington describes herself on her site as a "tough, blonde cookie having her say". So for the full story as it develops, go to Suz's blog. It simply has to be a daily read. Good on you Suz for speaking your mind. Dearie me Lib Dems.

Convicted Murderers On The Loose - Who Cares?

A teacher calling a pupil a cripple is front page news on the BBC website today. The following isn't!

Two convicted murderers escaped from an open (wtf) prison and have not had their photos published.

This is worth reading, but I want to pull out the incredible statement from a spokesman for Derbyshire Police - and I quote;

"When making a decision to release any photograph, police forces must take into account numerous factors including the public interest test,

Yes 11 of the 13 escaped convicts remain on the run, duh.

whether there is a strong local policing purpose

and this is a reason not to release the pictures!!!

and, of course, the Human Rights Act

which the Tories are committed to binning

and Data Protection Acts"

Still feel like you're on firm ground Recess Monkey?

Bel covers this too. I understand that after a great deal of ducking and diving on the BBC's 1pm news, it was announced that the photos have now been published. If there's any small c conservatives out there, it's time for you to get off the fence to do more to rid ourselves of this shower government.

Tags : Biased BBC, Not Proud Of Britain, Justice

Not All FDs Know What They Are Talking About

Accountancy Age reports in a very recent survey that just

85% of finance directors believe the government is using green issues as another avenue through which to increase taxes on business and that revenue raised will not go towards green issues

One irate respondent commented

Once again industry is being hammered because of the government's inability to deal with the worldwide issue. The costs to industry are staggering to comply with current legislation

A spokesman for the Treasury said

Funds raised from green taxes would not go solely towards environmental causes, but a consolidated fund

thus proving that 15% of FDs don't know what they are talking about. Note - Tory Shadow Greg Barker needs to step up his game and sharp. I don't know what he's playing at, but I am most unimpressed with his (lack of) progress at Environment.

THURSDAY'S OPEN THREAD

I demand suggestions from the galleries on how to annoy Lefties. You may be interested to know that I have more than one or two ideas already, but I'll start the ball rolling with this one

Use the phrase "the Blearite wing of the party"

If your tactic needs an explanation, fine, give it to us. Patience is a virtue. Ideas that impress will be added to the post with a link to your site.

& from the comments

Praise Blair on his courage for invading Iraq - Danvers

Point out that Bush has trebled US aid to Africa and has a better grade degree than Al Gore. - Croydonian

and one I hadn't thought of

Point out that the BNP is also a left-wing party - bt

Special mention to Snafu, the author of Not Proud Of Britain. His site embodies the idea of this thread.

Paul Burgin has done as promised and compiled his own list.

Also, can anyone tell me why Recess monkey continues to break the law?

5 Things

Uber-blogger Iain Dale has tagged me to write five things you probably didn't know about me.

1. I'm an eldest child and an eldest cousin (there are 10 siblings/cousins looking up to me - ;-))
2. In 1992 I stood in school elections as the Conservative candidate beating Labour but losing to the Lib Dems. It still serves as a handy excuse to explain why I didn't become a prefect, I think.
3. I have represented England at chess (at under 16 level and I lost)
4. In my youth I snogged a girl out of Byker Grove (please don't ask for names, but it wasn't Spuggy)
and
5. On the Kremlin theme (following on from Iain's list), I bribed my way in when I found out all the tour tickets were sold. The guard told me not to grin like a Westerner and I would be OK.

I tag Shotgun, Danvers, Don Paskini and the indomitable Paul Newman.

Rewards For Not Being In The System - Part 3234

When I return to the UK, it will make sense for me to buy a car registered on the continent. This car can probably be purchased, taxed, insured and serviced at a cheaper cost on the Continent than in the UK. I imagine that I would be insulated against further road tax rises, escalating British insurance premiums (mainly due to lack of enforcement/action against uninsured drivers) and the annual requirement to have an MOT. I might also benefit from the fact that speed camera traps photos and fixed penalty parking notices that fell from the windscreen and blew away wouldn't be followed up on.

I've always been UK insured, taxed, serviced etc in the past, but the benefits of being outside the system seem much greater - and judging by the number of Polish registered cars I see when I'm in the UK, I'm not alone in making this judgement.

Right-Winger Goes To War

Sticking with the theme of war, I was delighted to come across a signed copy of the pictured book "Sam Coates Bobby Fischer Goes To War" the other day. This book is widely regarded as one of the best and most accessible chess books. It tells the tale of the 1972 world chess championship clash between the champion Spassky and the challenger Fischer. This clash is regarded as the match of the century and not only did it develop into a chapter of the Cold War (set in Iceland), but it was also the number one sports event as New York bars ignored baseball to follow the encounter.

Bobby Fischer is famous for quotes by and about him. My favourites by Bobby are

"I don’t believe in psychology. I believe in good moves."

"When I was 11, I just got good"

"I love the moment when I crush the other man's ego"

and about Fischer

"When you play Bobby, it is not a question if you win or lose. It is a question if you survive." – Boris Spassky

"Fischer is Fischer, but a horse is a horse." – Mikhail Tal (upon hearing Bobby Fischer’s claim that he could beat any female player in the world giving her knight start)

Indeed Fischer won and Spassky survived, but both Cold War warriors were never to return to their homeland. Nevertheless Fischer received a congratulatory telegram from Richard Nixon.

My question to the crowd assembled gathering. Is arrogance ever justified?

An Incredible Candidate For Labour Leader

As I have blogged recently, I think it would be good for Labour if Gordon Brown was challenged for the leadership of the party by a credible opponent. To date there is only one Labour MP who has publicly put himself in the frame. Below are seven policies that Labour leftie John McDonnell is campaigning on at his John4Leader website:

1. The withdrawal of British troops from Iraq and Afghanistan.
2. The end to privatisation of public services.
3. A Real Living Minimum Wage of at least £7 an hour.
4. A green energy policy based on renewable power sources
5. An increase in the Basic State Pension from £84.25 to £114 a week.
6. Defence of comprehensive education and the abolition of student tuition fees.
7. The restoration of trade union rights and civil liberties.

None of these policies look anything like those on offer from Labour or any of the mainstream parties, but I did think of one British political party where his policy ideas would be well received. Sure enough, on my first visit to the BNP's main website a look at their policies and articles confirmed to me that John's stance on the emboldened items are broadly similar to the BNP's although I couldn't confirm one way or another on points 4 and 6.

Judging by the details of Kerron Cross' startling account, John has no problem with using jackboots. So I would like to know at what point John becomes embarassed to represent a party whose policies are so massively differently from his? Maybe he should join the BNP and try to change them from within. But would they take him?

Let's see who gets more offended by my comparison - John and his fellow travellers or the BNP. All contributors to the debate welcome.

The Best Thing I Did In 2006

The other day I listed the top 7 things I did in 2006, but stopped at 6 because one thing stands out head and shoulders above the rest. On Christmas Eve, my girlfriend of four years accepted my marriage proposal. She is a beautiful person inside and out, but obviously I can't put a picture of her on this site whilst I maintain my anonymity.

All the people we have told are delighted at the news and it feels great that we are both so welcome in each others' family.

With my girlfriend fiancee having a full-time job and week-end university study commitments I have promised to take the lead in organising the wedding which I think will take place in Prague (but with an additional service/celebration in Slovakia/UK at some point).

The wedding preparation adds to a rather long list of new and exciting projects personal and political that I have lined up for 2007. I don't think I've ever looked forward to a year with as much as optimism.