Labours best ever by-election

"People vote tactically in by-elections and clearly there was a move here to vote anything but Tory."
Hazel Blears
.

The Apathetic Party win Bromley and Chislehurst

If ever you needed an example, that the people are turned of politics, then it was the turnout at the Bromley and Chislehurst by-election.

The turnout for the Bromley and Chislehurst was 40.5 % - a marked reduction from 64.9% in 2005.

The Apathetic Party 17,085
Conservative: 11,621
Liberal Democrat: 10,988
UKIP: 2,347
Labour: 1,925
Green: 811
National Front: 476
Indepen 1: 442
English Democrats: 212
Raving Looney : 132
Indepen 2: 65
MRP: 33
.

Mood Music

Blair fiddles with Africa whilst democracy in Britain burns

Tony Blair has announced, that Kofi Annan, Bob Geldof and Nigeria's President Obasanjo are to sit on a panel set up to track aid promises made to Africa.



"There is an enormous amount of work to do," said Blair in a speech in London. "I am under no illusions that we set very ambitious goals for Gleneagles. "We have made good progress but it is going to take an enormous amount of work in years to come to alleviate poverty in Africa and tackle climate change."

Yes, the time has come for a 'change in the climate'. Dear Mr Blair, here is some advice
.

Fear no more the frown of the great

.

Cameron wants home-grown LAWS

THE RIGHT APPROACH

"So I believe that the time has now come for a new solution that protects liberties in this country that is home-grown and sensitive to Britain's legal inheritance that enables people to feel they have ownership of their rights and one which at the same time enables a British Home Secretary to strike a common-sense balance between civil liberties and the protection of public security.

The Conservative Party, under my leadership, is determined to provide a hard-nosed defence of security and freedom".
David Cameron's Speech to the Centre for Policy Studies, London today

Well David, does this mean, that when you are in power, you will repeal the European Communities Act 1972 For it was the European Union's Amsterdam Treaty and not the ECHR that abolished Trial by Jury and Habeas Corpus.

I am not sure if it is home-grown, his hard-nosed argument looks half-baked to me.
.

table d'hôte or a la cartarum

Section 11 of the Human Rights Act 1998
A person's reliance on a Convention right does not restrict-
(a) any other right or freedom conferred on him by or under any law having effect in any part of the United Kingdom;



(Hansard, 21 July 1993 column 352), There has of course been no amendment to the Bill of Rights…the house is entitled to expect that the Bill of Rights will be fully respected by all those appearing before the courts.'

"The Rights of the people had been confirmed by early Kings both before and after the Norman line began. Accordingly, the people have always had the same title to their liberties and properties that England's Kings have unto their Crowns. The several Charters of the people's rights, most particularly Magna Carta, were not grants from the King, but recognition's by the King of rights that have been reserved or that appertained unto us by common law and immemorial custom."
(Sir Robert Howard, a member of the Committee's which drafted the Bill of Rights).

Confirmatio cartarum [25 Edw. I][29]
"No Freeman shall be taken, or imprisoned, or be disseised of his Freehold, or Liberties, or free Customs, or be outlawed, or exiled, or any otherwise destroyed; nor will we pass upon him, nor condemn him, but by lawful Judgment of his Peers, or by the Law of the Land." Note: in the 1354 version, "by the law of the land" was changed to "by due process of law." We will sell to no man, we will not deny or defer to any man either Justice or Right.
.

David Cameron is an Arse Hole

and what is more, he thinks we the voters are too.

David Cameron has said, The Conservatives would consider getting rid of the Human Rights Act and establishing Britain's own bill of rights. BBC

He said a panel of lawyers and constitutional experts would be set up to examine the issue to ascertain whether a bill of rights could be given legal status instead.

Dear DAVE

You may be surprised to learn that we already have a Bill of Rights and what is more it is still Law in England. Yo may also like to know, that all of the rights expressd and set out in the european convention of Human Rights, were already writen into English Law.

Read your Oath, which you gave on becomming a privy counciler and then act within the LAWS OF ENGLAND

Privy counsellors Oath;
You do swear by Almighty God to be a true and faithful Servant unto The Queen's Majesty as one of Her Majesty's Privy Council. You will not know or understand of any manner of thing to be attempted, done or spoken against Her Majesty's Person, Honour, Crown or Dignity Royal, but you will lett and withstand the same to the uttermost of your power, and either cause it to be revealed to Her Majesty Herself, or to such of Her Privy Council as shall advertise Her Majesty of the same. You will in all things to be moved, treated and debated in Council, faithfully and truly declare your Mind and Opinion, according to your Heart and Conscience; and will keep secret all matters committed and revealed unto you, or that shall be treated of secretly in Council. And if any of the said Treaties or Counsels shall touch any of the Counsellors you will not reveal it unto him but will keep the same until such time as, by the consent of Her Majesty or of the Council, Publication shall be made thereof. You will to your uttermost bear Faith and Allegiance to the Queen's Majesty; and will assist and defend all Jurisdictions, Pre-eminences, and Authorities, granted to Her Majesty and annexed to the Crown by Acts of Parliament, or otherwise, against all Foreign Princes, Persons, Prelates, States, or Potentates. And generally in all things you will do as a faithful and true Servant ought to do to Her Majesty so help you God.

And Remember, that the signing of all the European Union Treaties was heinous and grievous offences.

Article XXXVII of the 39 Articles of Religion.
"The King's Majesty hath the chief power in this Realm of England, and other his Dominions, unto whom the chief Government of all Estates of this Realm, whether they be Ecclesiastical or Civil, in all causes doth appertain, and is not, nor ought to be, subject to any foreign Jurisdiction. Where we attribute to the King's Majesty the chief government, by which Titles we understand the minds of some slanderous folks to be offended; we give not our Princes the ministering either of God's Word, or of the Sacraments, the which thing the Injunctions also lately set forth by Elizabeth our Queen do most plainly testify; but that only prerogative, which we see to have been given always to all godly Princes in holy Scriptures by God himself; that is, that they should rule all estates and degrees committed to their charge by God, whether they be Ecclesiastical or Temporal, and restrain with the civil sword the stubborn and evil-doers.

The Bishop of Rome hath no jurisdiction in this Realm of England.

The Laws of the Realm may punish Christian men with death, for heinous and grievous offences.

It is lawful for Christian men, at the commandment of the Magistrate, to wear weapons, and serve in the wars."

The 39 Articles, which were drawn up by the church in convocation in 1563. An Act of Parliament ordered subscription to them by the clergy in 1571. They were confirmed in and by, the Act of Uniformity of 1662, the Bill of Rights 1689 and the Act of Settlement 1701. They were consolidated, as fundamental and unchangeable by the Treaty of the Union 1707.

The Lord Chancellor (Lord Irvine of Lairg) 2d July 2002 "As to the Act of Settlement, in whole or in part, I repeat that I believe that there is no clear and pressing need for repeal or reform".

The Lord Chancellor (Lord Irvine of Lairg) 15th July 2002. Yes the provisions of the Act of Settlement 1701 where incorporated within the union of Scotland Act 1706

Let me draw to your attention to

Archbold, Section 25, dealing with "High Treason". There, the Treason Act of 1351 is cited (This of course remains good law despite the amendments to the various Treason Acts in the Crime and Disorder Act 1998). In Section 25.9, the following is a quotation from the case of Fost.C.L. (183): "High Treason, being an offence committed against the duty of allegiance, it may be proper to consider from whom and to whom allegiance is due. With regard to natural born subjects, there can be no doubt. They owe allegiance to the Crown at all times and in all places natural allegiance is founded on the relation every man standeth in to the Crown considered as the head of that society whereof he is born a member the duty of allegiance ariseth out of it and is inseparably connected with it." The commentary in Archbold continues: "The subjects of the King owe him allegiance".
.

Tony Blair's 21st Centuary Eugenics

I have just read through the Full text of Tony Blair's speech in Bristol yesterday. The one soundbite that jumped out and bit me was as follows:

But even in tackling the causes of crime, we come back to some unpalatable choices about liberty and security. The "hardest to reach" families are often the ones we need to reach most. People know what it's like to live on the same estate as the family from hell. Imagine what it's like to be brought up in one.

We need far earlier intervention with some of these families, who are often socially excluded and socially dysfunctional.That may mean before they offend; and certainly before they want such intervention. But in truth, we can identify such families virtually as their children are born. The power to intervene is another very tricky area; but again, on the basis of my experience, the normal processes and the programmes of help we have rightly introduced, won't do it.

So what powers to intervene does he want. In all honesty it is nothing more than a 19th Century solution to a 21st Century problem

When Francis Galton (1822 - 1911) coined the word eugenics and set out to promote the idea, he launched a movement based on an ideology. Different people at different times have been attracted by different aspects of eugenics — and have often rejected some pieces. There is no neat package, no central headquarters, no guiding Fuhrer. Rather, Eugenics is a social philosophy which advocates the improvement of human hereditary traits through various forms of intervention. The purported goals have variously been to create healthier, more intelligent people, save society's resources, and lessen human suffering.

More State, More Blair, Vote Labour.
.

Hoisted by his own

.

On your bike, Miliband

When the male ruddy duck struts his stuff, he raises two tufts of feathers on his head, cocks his tail up, inflates the air-sack in his neck and drums on it with his bill. The result is an impressive hollow noise and lots of bubbles.

Which sounds very much like David Miliband and Geoff Hoons rant in today's Guardian



However, the ruddy duck is 'cocking a snoop' and standing up to Miliband and just a few hundred yards from his DEFRA office in London BBC listen again
.

More European Union kiddie fiddling

EU sets out lessons for students



Pupils in the UK are to be taught about European integration, democracy and cultural diversity under plans drawn up by the European Commission.

Pupils across the 25 member states would be expected to master eight "competences", under a draft document approved by the British government.

Oh yes, we all know about the EU Commissions equations EU=mc11
(where EU = European Union and mc = mass corruption, therefore 11 years of unaudited accounts)
.

Sleasy's Jet

Dubbed 'Blairforce One', sleasy Tony Blair is to get two dedicated planes to use on official trips. One is likely to be a long-haul plane with 70 seats, while a 15-seater jet will be ordered for shorter flights.


I wonder if it will be armoured to the same standard as our soldiers Land Rovers in Iraq
.

gets murkier and murkier

More news about how Tony Blair and his European Defence Procurement policy is killing our Solders HERE
.

Change your 'flip flops' to win

DAVID Cameron is facing calls from Eurosceptics within his party to recognise a parliamentary vote whereby the Conservatives declared themselves ready to tear up any European Union (EU) treaty. The Business



The debate dates back to a 15 May vote on regulatory reform, when an amendment was tabled by Bill Cash.

It called for Westminster to assert its primacy over Brussels on this issue.The text of the amendment called for the government to act “notwithstanding the European Communities Act 1972” – a technical form of words which means unilaterally overriding the EU Treaties which Britain has signed since joining the EU.

The issue appears to have taken the Tory leadership by surprise, with suggestions that Cameron may have authorised Tory whips to perform a fundamental u-turn on EU policy without fully realising the implications of the policy.
.

Tony Blair is killing our soldiers

Read why @ Dr Richard North's Blog and then take action today.
.

16-6-06

On the 16th of June my boys that was the very Day
when we Received Orders for to March Away
To face the tyrants Army My Lads then we was bound
That on the plains of Waterloo Encamped was Around.

We espied out foes Next Morning As in A wood they lay
And like Britons we Advanced to Show them British Play
Our Grape Shot flew Among them to Put them to the Route
But still those Cowardly Raskels Refused to Come Out.

When Wellington Saw their Cowardlyness he Ordered a Retreat
Which Order Was Complied With His Design It was Compleat
We Retired through the Village of Geenap As you soon Shall Hear
Followed by A Large Collum of the Enemies Lancers.

But In Our Retreat the horrid thunder began to Roar
And Rain Like unto Rivuletts upon the Ground did Pour
But our brave English heroes Endured both heat and Cold
and Caused Our foe to Rue the Day the truth I soon unfold.

The first that Charged Was the Lifeguards the Enemy to Subdue
They Charged a Collum of Lancers And Caused them to Rue
Till Half An hours hard fighting those heroes Did Endure
And Left 3 hundred Lancers A bleeding in their Gore.

When they Returned from their Work Our Regt. Was Called Out
For to face those french Dogs and Put them to the Route
But the Noble Earl of Uxbridge Some Danger Did Espie
Kings Dr Guards three about he Loudly then Did Cry.

The Cunning french 3 field Pieces had Placed in the town
Thinking As We advanced to Cut Our heroes Down
But Our brave Commander Soon Ordered us Away -
And then brought up Some English Guns And on them began to Play.

Then We Again Retired and Inticed them on the Plain
And Gained a Good position Wich we was Determined to Maintain
But the Night began fast Advancing we Could no longer see
And Neither of the Armies Could Claim the Victory

Trumpeter Samuel Wheeler
1st Kings Dragoon Guards
After Quatre Bras on the eve of Waterloo 1815


.

Role up, role up

The Council of the European Union meeting starts today, under the Austrian Presidency, and will be held at the Council's Justus Lipsius building, 175 rue de la Loi, Brussels.




.

'All parking fines invalid'

A barrister is to argue in the High Court that every parking ticket ever issued by Brighton and Hove City Council is invalid. The Argus



Read more at Neil Herron's blog

Breaking news

Request Issued to District Judge Murdoch at Northampton County 'Parking' Court to suspend all activity

Judge informed of 'unlawful' evidence supplied to the Court by local authorities pursuing parking fines

read the letter here
.

Geoff Hoon wants a debate

A new mission to explain the value of the European Union to the British public is to be announced by Europe minister Geoff Hoon today.

After years of successive Tory and Labour leaders vowing to put the nation at the heart of Europe, Baff Hoon is effectively saying it is time to put Europe at the heart of Britain.

He will use his first keynote speech since becoming Europe minister (for the second time) to set out a new agenda explaining how and why the EU is central to tackling many major concerns of the public.



But will he tell us, that the EU landfill directive is the reason why the LABOUR GOVERNMENT want to TAX you more to empty your rubbish bin.

Yes, dear reader, courtesy of the EU, the costs of one of our most basic council services is to increase three to four-fold. The Labour Government is actively considering whether homeowners should paying a second tax to meet the expense.

THE EU landfill directive currently estimated at £5-8 billion a year, on top of an investment of £10 billion to provide the alternative disposal infrastructure.

You want to debate? OK, let's have the promised EU REFERENDUM, that will give us all something to talk about.
.

Comical Tragedy

The Conservative party's flaming-torch logo, is close to being extinguished in the party's race to appear to be The Concerned A Bit Party.



comedy of errors
.

"stop moaning and take action"

The public is to be told to "stop moaning and take action" against anti-social behaviour by the Home Secretary, John Reid. Sunday Telegraph


.

Happiness Is

Enjoy your weekend, I am off, 'hic'
.

Win a Weekend in Leeds

People wanted for public deliberation event on future governance of the EU

The New Politics Network is holding a public deliberation event on the Future Governance of the EU on 2 and 3 September in Leeds. Over the course of the weekend, fifteen members of the public will have the chance to cross-examine politicians and academics on all the possible options for governing the EU and will be asked regularly for their own opinions.

The fifteen participants will be selected from respondents to our questionnaire on the Governance of the EU, which can be accessed online. Travel expenses, accommodation and meals will be provided and we can also offer a small thank-you gift of £50 to be paid to a charity or organisation of each participant’s choice.

If you or anyone you know would like to be involved in the event please fill out the questionnaire or email emily@new-politics.net.The questionnaire is open to anyone, regardless of whether they wish to be considered for the event or not.
.

Downing Street says

Asked to comment on reports that Downing Street was flouting the hosepipe ban, the PMOS said that without wishing to lose some of the non-gardening members of the lobby, this was a story of a 'bowser with a douser'.



In response to perplexed expressions from journalists the PMOS went on to say that we were fully complying with the hosepipe ban, even though as part of the royal parks Downing Street was technically exempt from the ban.

Just because The Royal Parks Agency gardeners tend to the gardens of 10, 11 and 12 Downing Street, doesn't make them a royal park Tony.
.

A finger of Fudge

William Hague will pave the way to more co-operation with Brussels, littering a keynote speech in London with phrases such as “common action” and “mutual support”.



Hague said: “Britain’s place is in the European Union. A strong player in Europe, not at the margins.”

He makes no mention of Cameron's pledge - first made when he was lagging behind David Davis in the leadership contest, and reiterated days after he won - to withdraw the party's 27 Euro-MPs from the European People's Party (EPP), which is dedicated to ever closer EU integration.
.

Enron Brown

The number of tax rises under Labour has steadily ticked up to 80, taking the UK tax burden close to record proportions. Daily Telegraph



1997
1. Council tax increased by 6.5pc
2. Mortgage tax relief cut
3. Pensions tax
4. Health insurance taxed
5. Health insurance taxed again
6. Fuel tax escalator up
7. Vehicle excise duty up
8. Tobacco duty escalator up
9. Stamp duty up for properties over £250,000
10. Corporation tax changes
11. New windfall tax on utilities

1998
12. Married couples' allowance cut
13. Tax on travel insurance up
14. Tax on casinos and gaming machines up
15. Fuel tax escalator brought forward
16. Tax on company cars up
17. Tax relief for foreign earnings abolished
18. Tax concession for certain professions abolished
19. Capital gains tax imposed on certain non-residents
20. Reinvestment relief restricted
21. Corporation tax payments brought forward
22 Higher stamp duty rates up
23. Some hydrocarbon duties up
24. Additional diesel duties
25. Landfill tax up
26. Council tax up by 8.6pc

1999
27. NIC earnings limit raised
28. NICs for self-employed up
29. Married couples' allowance abolished
30. Mortgage tax relief abolished
31. IR35: Taxation of personal services companies
32. Company car business mileage allowances restricted
33. Tobacco duty escalator brought forward
34. Insurance premium tax up
35. Vocational training relief abolished
36. Employer NICs extended to all benefits in kind
37. VAT on some banking services up
38. Premiums paid to tenants by landlords taxed
39. Duty on minor oils up
40. Vehicle excise duties for lorries up
41. Landfill tax escalator introduced
42. Higher rates of stamp duty up again
43. Council tax up by 6.8pc

2000
44. Tobacco duties up
45. Higher rates of stamp duty up again
46. Extra taxation of life assurance companies
47. Rules on controlled foreign companies extended
48. Council tax up by 6.1pc

2001
49. Council tax up by 6.4pc

2002
50. Personal allowances frozen
51. National Insurance threshold frozen
52. NICs for employers up
53. NICs for employees up
54. NICs for self-employed up
55. North Sea taxation up
56. Tax on some alcoholic drinks up
57. New stamp duty regime
58. New rules on loan relationships
59. Council tax up by 8.2pc

2003
60. VAT on electronically supplied services
61. IR35 applied to domestic workers
62. Betting duty change
63. Tax on red diesel and fuel oil up
64. Controlled foreign companies measures on Ireland
65. Vehicle excise duty up
66. Council tax up by 12.9pc

2004
67. New 19pc tax rate for owner-managed businesses
68. New tax on private use of company vans
69. UK transfer pricing introduced
70. Increase in rate of tax on trusts
71. Increase in tax on red diesel fuel
72. Increase in tax on other road fuels (including LPG)
73. Council tax up by 5.9pc

2005
74. Cancellation of stamp duty land tax relief for disadvantaged areas.
75. North Sea taxation doubled from 10pc to 20pc.
76. Zero per cent rate of corporation tax abolished
77. Council tax up by 4.1pc

2006
78. Clampdown on trusts and insurance policies commonly used to mitigate inheritance tax.
79. Increase in vehicle excise duty for SUVs.
80. Council tax up by 4.5pc
.

Freedom to Serf

During the Middle Ages peasants did not belong to themselves. Everything they owned, their food, homes, and animals all belonged to the lord of the manor. Known as serfs, peasants were required to work for 50 days for their lord and in return were allowed to farm their own piece of land. The peasants were not free to leave the manor and were required to ask for permission. To gain freedom a peasant had to save money for his own land or marry a free person.

We have come a long way since the Middle Ages

Today, is tax freedom day, you have worked 154 days for your master and what have you got in return?

It's a tribute to New Labour and particulaly Enron Brown's skill with "stealth" taxes that so few people seem to have noticed the huge rise in taxes that has overtaken them. But Tax Freedom Day is a clear measure of the total burden which he can't escape.



And don't forget that Enron Brown has been on a borrowing binge, which future taxpayers will have to pay for. Adding that burden I estimate it will push the date out to 11 June by 2007.
.

Pulling Teeth

Dear Anoneumouse.......love David

Subj: RE: I will withdraw the Conservative Party from the EPP by Christmas. (Frimley 23/11/05)
Date: 06/01/06 13:35:26 GMT Standard Time
From: CAMEROND@parliament.uk
To: Anoneumouse@aol.com



Thank you for writing to David Cameron - he's asked me to thank you and to say that he appreciated what you had to say.

David Cameron has made clear that it is his firm policy that the Conservative Party under his leadership will not remain a member of the European Peoples Party-European Democrats Group (EPP-ED) in the European Parliament, and will aim to form a new grouping which reflects more closely our views on the way forward for Europe.

The Conservative Party has a fundamentally different approach on the key institutional and constitutional questions relating to the future direction of the European Union, and it is natural that we should wish to ally ourselves with parties which share that view. But we intend to maintain close relations with other centre-right parties with which we agree on much, but not on these issues.

David Cameron has asked the new Shadow Foreign Secretary to take forward this process, with appropriate consultation of all involved. In seeking a new alignment within the European Parliament, the Conservative Party
will aim to continue to work closely with fellow centre-right parties in the European Parliament on the many issues on which we agree.

Many thanks again for writing.

Yours sincerely,

David Beal
Correspondence Secretary
David Cameron's Office
House of Commons
London SW1A 0AA


Click on the image and post your thoughts!
.

Blogburst - nominate Brian Haw as an Icon of England

Please spread the word and also visit Icon Nominations - Icons of England to nominate Brian Haw.

Brian Haw's one man protest vigil in Parliament square, whether you agreed with him or not, typified the tradition of peaceful English protest and freedom of speech.
.

Prescott Dumbs Down

John Prescott is giving up his grace-and-favour home, Dorneywood. He will now have to 'slum it' at his grace and favour home in Admiralty House.



Prescott said: "I have accepted that my continued use of Dorneywood is getting in the way of doing my job in Government"

I agree, clowning around in the Shires is not as high profile as clowning around in London.
.