Will Germany aid Ireland or the East tomorrow?

The German government, its constitutional court permitting, has shown itself almost desperate to gain the ratification of the Lisbon Treaty. A report in the Irish Times a couple of days ago hinted that aid would thus be forthcoming to the crumbling Irish economy, whose plight within the euro currency zone is vividly illustrated by shoppers daily pouring north across the border, while businesses in the Republic stagnate or collapse. Any help pledged by Germany, however, is likely to come at great cost to the former "tiger economy", a quote from the linked article: German officials suggested yesterday that help for Ireland could be conditional on changes to its corporate tax regime, long a thorn in Berlin’s side. The Economist, once well-informed and insightful, in its Leading Article this weekend plumps for the EU problems necessary for resolution at tomorrow's unusual Sunday meeting as all being centred to the East of the single currency zone. Both are probably correct, the countries outside the euro zone are doomed to suffer grave economic problems as much as are those within. Is the EU of any relevance at all in this global crisis? Tomorrow will be a testing time for those who have sold their citizens down the river to this bureaucratic and cumbersome monstrosity. This blog will have its normal insightful analysis as and when the limited facts are allowed to trickle through to the oppressed citizenry of the EU!

Eighty billion poison pill for Llyods in HBOS accounts.

This blog stated from the start that HBOS would destroy Lloyds, it repeated the warnings throughout the long run-up to the final take-over just one month ago and noted concern at Legal and General in particular having supported the merger on 20th October last year, here, and again on 22nd November, linked here. The report that the books of HBOS contain debts of 80 billion pounds Lloyds considers unacceptable is from The Independent this morning, linked here. It hardly comes as a surprise and if anything probably still understate the situation as things continue to deteriorate at a far faster pace than Lloyds even now anticipates - witness the US fourth quarter GDP shrinkage adjusted yesterday from minus 3.8 per cent to minus 6.2 per cent. The UK media continues to be distracted by one individual's excessive pension while one opposition party leader remains in mourning having neglected his political duties for years and another even more pathetically continues on paternity leave! It is generally accepted that the nation's Prime Minister and Chancellor of the Exchequer are drowning, apparently (as illustrated above from the Anglo Saxon Chronicles blog) while atop the shoulders of English taxpayers.

Irish Government to limit anti-Lisbon fundraising for 2nd Referendum

The report of the Irish Government's plans, no doubt only considered under EU coercion, is in this morning's Irish Times, linked here.

Arrogant John Prescott demands Goodwin's pension be forfeit for arrogance

Former Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott who has gorged himself ever fatter and stupider at the public trough for decades, now demands the almost seven hundred thousand pound annual pension of Sir Fred Goodwin who ran the RBS into the ground, be seized on the grounds (amongst other things one presumes) of his arrogance. Hear it live from Listen Again of Radio 4 , from here or read about it in The Guardian here. Former Labour Cabinet Ministers with their huge perks and expenses AND PENSIONS, bearing in mind their long record of failure and incompetence growing ever greater with each passing day, should be very careful what they wish for!

Brown politically controlled the FSA

The unsurprising but politically disgraceful truth that Brown interfered with the regulation of the now bankrupt banks came out in a Commons Committee yesterday, read the report in the Telegraph, linked here. Labour MP should now have no alternative other than to depose Gordon Brown.

Telegraph insight article proves Cameron's Angst

Link At this moment in time the country, I believe, needs a full time Leader of the Opposition - not one who - it has tonight been announced - intends to take TEN DAYS OFF!!

One EU country gets "JUNK" credit rating

Latvian credit has been given junk status, read here, the Dow Jones plunges again on terrible data and a skittish looking Chairman of the Federal Reserve before the Congress. Britain, under the present Government heading towards junk status for its own once proud currency, and total lack of any effective opposition party which apparently goes off to cry crocodile tears in a corner rather than address any of the major crisis questions today facing the nation. Latvia, now confirmed as a clear basket case, will no doubt be one of the beneficiaries of the many extra billions of pounds payable this year to the EU by the near bankrupt UK., as promised by Tony Blair as part of his campaign dues to be the first EU President after the Lisbon Treaty! William Hague given a chance to query some of these multiple disasters and prove that some on the opposition benches have grasped the gravity of the crisis, walks away!!!!!??????

Another 3 Servicemen die in Helmand

While Britain's politicians indulge in another display of mawkish over-sentimentality and neglect the duties for which they extort massive amounts of unjustified expenses from a public they care little for, three more British servicemen died today in Southern Afghanistan, despatched by these same politicians, probably about the time a snivelling House of Commons took yet another time out from their duties (see my earlier postings of today below). (Times report on the latest casualties linked here).

The Lisbon straitjacket

The following is the concluding paragraph to a letter to The Times today, linked here:

Like the rejected constitutional treaty that it so closely resembles, the straitjacket Lisbon treaty has become part of the problem rather than part of the solution, a sobering truth that would by now have been accepted by bodies less self-absorbed, and less seemingly deaf to constructive questioning of prevailing orthodoxies, than the institutions of the European Union.

Sir Peter Marshall

Banking scam finalised while Brown avoids questioning

Reuters reports this afternoon, here, that the final details of the scam that will rob future generations of billions of pounds from their earnings for decades were being put in place as the architect of the disaster cleverly AGAIN avoided any questioning in parliament over the crisis he created. The Conservative Party having been conned into a rigged leadership election without complaint and tolerated a pathetically weak opposition that allowed Brown's partner in crime Tony Blair, to receive a standing ovation from the Conservative Party as he nimbly fled the House of Commons before proper questions could be raised, now blubs in the sidescreens as the country is sold down the river to the greedy and corrupt bankers who were Gordon Brown's main accomplices in this decade long scandal. Bank shares are, of course, rising on the news.

Parliamentary Disrespect Towards the Nation

Last week the MPs at Westminster were on one of their almost constant holidays and thus unable to question the Prime Minister on his decision to begin the endless printing of banknotes to inevitably destroy the economy and thus the jobs, well-being, savings and pensions of the people of Britain. Shamefully they have now suspended today's opportunity to question the Prime Minister on this and other serious matters facing the nation at this moment of crisis. Yes it is tragic for the family of the Leader of the Opposition that he has lost his six year old son who has been ill since birth. The request to suspend PMQ was apparently at Gordon Brown's suggestion, who can be surprised at that. Cameron has done enough damage by his obvious distraction over the past many months, but to now permit the Opposition to concur in the suspension of PMQ should be the last chance he is given to let the drift continue! The action of Parliament, on top of the recent relevations of the shameful abuses of MP privileges is an absolute disgrace! There will now be a three week gap between the worst Prime Minister in Britain's history being asked to account for his woeful performance. This at a time when the Bank of England is likely to be authorised to trash the economy and accept hundreds of billions of pounds worth of more unlimited liabilities on the mainly English Taxpayer.

Lisbon Treaty - Czech Senate vote deferred to May

The report is linked here the decision to defer the vote and is explained in English -GOOD NEWS!

The Cameron's Loss

This blog has been ruthless in its condemnation of the opposition leadership of David Cameron while being unaware of the critical nature of his son's illness. I extend my condolences to Mr Cameron, his wife and family on their sad loss. Mr Cameron, I trust, will now take this opportunity to put aside the heavy responsiblities of his office in working towards a solution to the crisis faced by the country to allow time for personal grief and mourning.

Britain's House Price Fall now 27%

The builders Barrett in announcing six month losses approaching six hundred million pounds stated the following: Since the peak of the housing market in June 2007, Barratt added that average prices had fallen about 27 per cent. My proposed solutions last Autumn, here and here, were predicated on the real problems beginning to arise when falls passed the twenty per cent mark so we can soon expect the kind of mass walkaways or returning of keys that will indicate we have reached the point of no return as far as prospects for any short term recovery are concerned.

Ash Wednesday - Very Apt

Cover yourselves with ashes, ponder on the causes in your own life for this recession/depression/slump/crash and then resolve how to survive without government help, for it is they mainly to blame and they who have squandered on the wastrel banks any resources they might once have had for the aid of ordinary citizens. Early Christians on the first day of Lent believed it was a time for penitance - we can learn from them and then perhaps begin a new start. One thought, should the markets be suspended during Lent?

Euro Supremo Sounds the Alarm

Ambrose Evans-Pritchard has the report in the Daily Telegraph, linked here, from which comes this quote:

Mr Trichet said the bank was disturbed by signs of an fully-fledged credit crunch as banks shut off lending to healthy borrowers. Credit has contracted in absolute terms for the first time in recent weeks.

"There are indications that falling credit flows reflect tight financing conditions associated with a phenomenon of deleveraging. If such behaviour became widespread across the banking system, it would undermine the raison d'etre of the system as a whole" he said.

Staythorpe Protest and Clegg's son Miguel

There will be new protests at Staythorpe Power Station continuing in Newark later today, read one report here. The fact that Nick Clegg, whose own links to Spain are not generally trumpeted, has decide with his Spanish wife to call their third child Miguel did not strike me as particularly odd when reading the news reports yesterday, but bearing in mind the refusal of the Spanish sub-contractor at Staythorpe to hire British workers and Clegg's close relations with the EU and his status as an EU pensioner it occurs to me that the choice of name for his third son might be taken with a view to getting some form of future guarantee of employment in England when the lad matures in twenty odd years time. We must face facts, I guess, after all at the present rate who will be employable in a 100 per cent EU controlled England by then? The junior Clegg will presumably not be aiming for a job as a construction worker of course, possible a career in another area of Spanish investment, such as a foot on the ladder towards running the Abbey National perhaps!

Ashcroft Inquiry gives Tories golden chance to change

(Illustration thanks to Anonemouse) William Rees-Mogg in his Times column this morning, here, comments on the threat to the Labour Party represented by the BNP. The Conservative Party riding high in the polls seems to believe that they just have to sit tight, rely on Cameron and Osborne's tailor dummy good looks and lack of thought or policies to safely garner a comfortable majority in an election which is inevitable within the next fifteen months. Nothing seems less likely to this sometimes fairly accurate forecaster. The traditional one hundred per cent reliable Conservative voter is about to take umbrage at the next phase of the banking crisis policies of the government for which Cameron and Osborne have offered no alternatives. Crowning that the inquiry into Lord Ashcroft's donations and other questions regarding his residency status, read here, are evidence of such overreaching greed, stupidity and incompetence amongst the party's present leadership that change becomes so obviously desirable that even the blindfolded mass of party members might begin to see the obvious. (The problem of the lack of obvious alternative leadership candidates is a separate issue for later consideration). Never mind the mass of voters outraged by the disastrous immigration non-policies of the present governments, those smugly and comfortably placed in their own homes in leafy suburbs with mortgages of less than 50 per cent of the already reduced house equity, are about to be outraged by this next governmental pilfering of their purses and wallets. If the Tories have no change the benefits will surge towards the UKIP or even the English Democrats. The BNP is too far left for the middle-classes, but the Tories ,it is becoming increasingly clear, are too out of touch, incompetent and corrupt to offer a realistic alternative. The early years of Cameron's aping of Blair is too recent not to be remembered with suitable prompting by opponents during an election campaign, let alone the standing ovation upon Blair's departure from the Commons chamber. If there is no election within the next 15 months, another possibility, then the eventual successors to New Labour will be the BNP or something horribly similar.

What value an "unwanted asset"?

Bloomberg has issued a report based upon Britain's Sunday press ramblings from which comes the following: Feb. 22 (Bloomberg) -- Royal Bank of Scotland Group Plc plans to divide itself into a “good bank” and a “bad bank” and cut costs by more than 1 billion pounds ($1.44 billion) a year to help it recover from the biggest loss in British corporate history, The Sunday Times said, without citing anyone. The cost-reduction measures will result in about 20,000 job losses, with more than half in the U.K, the newspaper said. The Sunday Telegraph reported RBS, the largest government-controlled U.K. bank, will establish a “non-core” subsidiary which will hold 300 billion pounds of “unwanted assets.” etc., etc. Apart from sniffily proving the price of the newspapers in Britain are again this Sunday worth considerably less than the trash they pass on as free gifts what else may we learn from this report. Possibly that the real loss of the taxpayers for RBS can at last be realistically estimated at 300 billion pounds. Consider this scenario - if I purchase a packet of plastic cutlery for one pound, find I have no use for it and store it unopened it might possibly at some future moment be worth something, how much can only be assessed were I to be lucky enough to find a willing buyer. Were I to accidentally sit on the package and break the contents, they remain unused but their future value becomes even less certain no-one would believe they were now worth the original purchase price - most would put their value at zero. So it is with all unwanted assets. The price paid is meaningless especially when preceded by the adjective "unwanted" which assigns a value of zero. Who cared what was originally paid, only the robbed taxpayer who apparently had them transferred at the original cost paid. Leave the debts in Scotland, that is where they rightfully belong! Losses should have been left with the original shareholders who at least had a limitation to their liability up to the value of their shares and to the capitalisation of the bank. Nothing more, how can the Scottish Brown and Darling have contrived to extend this to 300,000,000,000,000 pounds for mainly English taxpayers?

Is stupidity a requirement to lead the UK Opposition?

Today the papers gleefully spread the news of an inquiry into Lord Ashcroft's donations to the Conservative Party. Lord Ashcroft, his residency status and the businesses used to channel money to the Tories has been a matter of press speculation for years, just run his name through Google! And yet, incredibly, they have been so badly arranged that the Electoral Commission has found cause for an inquiry. Crass stupidity or fear? The economic crash is gathering momentum at such a pace that by the time of the election the country, if still intact, is likely to be unrecognisable possibly verging on the ungovernable. No wonder Cameron, lacking any worthwhile experience in any real field of life must be daunted. But Britain needs a thinking opposition, one able to predict and plan for the chaos ahead. Cameron seems unready to mature in time - the Tories must find a seasoned alternative! NOW!

Clever UKIP editing on EU Power Grab of "nearly" ALL UK Legislation

First EU Government Collapses from The Crash

Latvia has lost its Government, as reported in the Washington Post, here, Europe's media seems curiously quiet on this event. It is also reported by the International Herald Tribune, here.

Europe's New Fuehrer- Poetterring in full tirade!

In the video on the posting immediately beneath this one, at the very end comes a spitting tirade from the EU Parliament's President about how this anti-democratic institution now controls 75 per cent of EU legislation and then boasts that after Lisbon it will be nearly 100 per cent. If enough of the cowed and disenfranchised citizens of the EU watch this clip it will not. So here, for those who do not wish to sort through the earlier brilliant remarks of the Czech President Vaclav Klaus in the earlier video posting, is the tirade from the sickening Dr Hans Gert-Poetterring President of the autocratic and unopposed EU Parliament, fresh from having deprived a putative opposition party, Libertas, from recognition as a pan-EU Party:

Censorship of EuroParl TV - A symptom of oppression

The report of the speech by Czech President Vaclav Klaus as being broadcast by the EuroParl TV propaganda chain has been heavily cut and censored (see here). While the full speech is not yet available on YouTube, sections, uncut by the EU corporatist totalitarians, are becoming available and one such is below: Contrary to statements from some supporting the anti-democratic EU that President Klaus's Prime Minister is opposed to the statements made in Parliament the report from EUBusiness linked here, proves that in fact he agrees with every sentence. Watch through to the end of the clip to see the President of this dreadful institution, Hans Gert-Poettering boast that they now control 75 per cent of legislation within the 27 member state EU. What a dreadful statement on the complacency of the EU electorate towards their own democratic rights! Worse he then spits out that with Lisbon this will increase to "nearly 100 per cent of cases" Now the truth is proclaimed!

EU to monitor Skype calls

The report that EuroJust wishes to monitor inter-computer communications comes as no surprise and may be read from here. There is no need for the grotesque organisation of the EU to monitor my Skype calls as I will tell them here and now what I think of their thoroughly corrupt anfd totally self-serving organisation - THE EU IS ROTTEN TO THE CORE AND SHOULD BE THE FIRST VICTIM OF THE GLOBAL ECONOMIC CRISIS! IT IS DESTROYING THE DEMOCRACIES OF 27 NATION STATES FOR THE PERSONAL ENRICHMENT OF ITS COMMISSIONERS, OFFICIALS AND MEMBERS OF ITS NON-LEGISLATION PROPOSING PARLIAMENT! IT IS A TOTALITARIAN PAN-EUROPEAN POLICE STATE UNDER CONSTRUCTION. As I blogged last week, the credit crash is nevertheless providing the EU a golden opportunity to heal itself. The EU has reached this point by conning the people of Europe into believing that it is all about mutuality of interests, a sense of community and coming to the aid of one another in a crisis. So here is the crisis, are Germany and France, the wealthiest countries helping the ones worst off in the credit crunch, sometimes unflatteringly known as the PIGS (Portugal, Ireland, Greece and Spain)? Are they heck! Is cash rich Germany rushing to the aid of the Austrian Banks now reeling from over-lending to their old Hapsburg buddies in the East? - Are they heck! Is aid to the various car industries (among the worst hit sectors after the banks) being handled on a communal basis? -You must be joking! So what IS the EU for other than to rob electors of the power to remove those who govern them on a periodic basis without bloodshed and thereby oppress them at their rulers whim, such as for example by monitoring their harmless Skype conversations. IF it does something to jointly solve the crisis and we emerge as a Community relatively unscathed from the turmoil, then perhaps AND only then should we consider whether Lisbon is the correct way forward - the answer to that of course will certainly be NO. A final point for consideration in this growing mess, if globalisation was a feasible option for world economic growth, why does the EU need all that mass of legislation to create a single market? We all, to our cost have huge trade with China, but no community of interest or single market legislation whatsoever!

Stocks Crash!

The Footsie tests November 2008 lows while the Dow retreats to levels last seen when one of the architects of the debacle was elected, namely Tony Blair, in 1997! Spend your weekend considering how to remove Gordon Brown, otherwise, quite seriously, YOU and your family are in deep trouble!

New Bill of Rights

The following is a letter, well worth reading in full, dated 18th February 2009 from Anne Palmer to Lord Onslow relating to a new Bill of Rights. ++++++

Address Removed

18.2.2009.

Dear Lord Onslow,

Re Proposed new Bill of Rights and possibly a new written Constitution.

I have already expressed my concerns about the proposals for a new written Constitution and a Bill of Rights yet I feel it important to write once more.

We already have a Constitution of our own plus a Declaration and Bill of Rights 1688/9 that has been referred to many times in the recent past. Magna Carta has been the envy of the world, so much so that others have copied it.

No new written constitution can be entrenched or dislodge Magna Carta and the Declaration and Bill of Rights 1688/1689. The Government's own Research Paper (96/82 dated 18th July 1996-available direct from Parliament, page 36) makes that clear. What Parliament does however, Parliament can undo.

The Treaty of Magna Carta is between the people and the Crown and Parliament may not alter it. See also the people's Declaration and Bill of Rights 1688/9. To get round this however, it appears that the Government may have realised that either Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II (The Crown) would have to repeal them, which she either obviously has not be asked to do, or has been asked and has refused, or perhaps the alternative is to ask the other ‘parties to the Treaty’, “the people” to repeal them by allowing a referendum on this matter. Get the people to vote enthusiastically ‘FOR’, what will be for the very first time in the history of this Country, a written constitution and a new Bill of Rights that will have been drawn up especially for the people. Regrettably this is also from the same Government that has turned our Nation into the most spied on, probably in the world, with the greatest loss of liberties and freedoms other countries once so envied. Sadly, British people, including women, children and babies died in that last war in order to keep those freedoms and liberties rather than be governed by foreigners. I pray they do not have to do so again.

Not explained fully to the people, the Declaration and Bill of Rights 1688/9 holds the Oath of Allegiance to which British Governments and the rest of us swear to the Crown. Violation of that Oath is the very essence of treason. I therefore object to any dislodging or repealing of our Common Law Constitution.

Would a new Oath be brought forward in a “yes”? To swear allegiance to “The State” to make it ever more powerful? Or, as Lisbon would have it, make us real citizens of the European Union, so our allegiance will be to the European Union in future?

The proposed new Bill of Rights spells out clearly the people’s “duties”. The Government and the EU appear to think the people have a need to know their “Duties”. The people do not have “Duties” as such because the people vote and contribute towards their MP’s pay and expenses and through them, also to the EU. Our MP’s are supposed to “speak for us” (Their duty) which they appear to have forgotten long, long ago. It is the Governments duty to instigate our Laws and to obey our own Constitution. All the people have to do is remember their solemn Oath of Allegiance is to the Crown, to protect and be true to the wearer of that Crown. The people do their Duty when and if the time comes when they are conscripted to go into battle to save the Crown, this Country and all in it from being taken over by foreign rule.

It really does not matter what is in the proposed new written Constitution or new Bill of Rights for when the next Government comes in, both can be repealed although perhaps foolish if the people actually voted FOR them. However, it must be remembered that even if the people voted for both, if Lisbon is activated those new RIGHTS and Constitution will be over-ridden straight away by the EU.

Has our Prime Minister in ratifying the Lisbon Treaty (See EU Citizenship) committed himself to eventually transferring the “loyalty” of 60 million people from the Crown of the United Kingdom of Great Britain to “loyalty” to the European Union? (See also EU Commissioners Oath) Does he and the EU expect all the people of Britain to turn their backs on their Queen (Crown), for our Prime Minister to ‘force’ 60 Million people to violate their Oaths they themselves have taken or by birth or through living here in the UK, without the people’s agreement? We read in the papers that Her Majesty was “dismayed” when SOCA through new legislation, did not swear allegiance to the Crown. I write, “force” deliberately, because the people have been denied a say on the very constitutional Treaty of Lisbon.

What is in our Bill of Rights and Magna Carta that makes me, along with so many more people, so want to keep them? I have in mind that Judges have to look to EU Treaties that Government has ratified, al-be-it remembering that our Constitution is like the foundations of a building, add to it and it still stands, alter the foundations or remove (or ignore) them as is happening now and the whole building will tumble.

I found it difficult to understand the extremely harsh treatment metered out to the three Fishermen as described in Christopher Booker's column Sunday 3rd August 2008. Apparently it was reported that, “When they were caught by a year-long agency "entrapment" operation, Judge Neil McKittrick not only imposed crippling fines totalling £42,500, with costs of £27,646, but also agreed to confiscations of their assets under the Proceeds of Crime Act, to a total of £213,461. Unless this is paid within months they (allegedly) face two years in prison”.

Yet nowhere could I find the EU pressing for such extortionate fines and loss of livelihood and or homes for these men. When it comes to punishment therefore our Constitution should have been to the fore. Our Bill of Rights 1688/9 makes clear, "That excessive bail ought not to be required; nor excessive fines imposed; nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted”. Clause 29 Magna Carta makes clear that "for a trivial offence, a free man shall be fined only in proportion to the degree of his offence, and for a serious offence correspondingly, but not so heavily as to deprive him of his livelihood. In the same way, a merchant shall be spared his merchandise, and a husbandman the implements of his husbandry, if they fall upon the mercy of a Royal Court. None of these fines shall be imposed except by the assessment on oath of reputable men of the neighbourhood". These are from our Constitution, the law above the law, the foundations upon which all other laws are or should, be built. Perhaps the Fishermen’s cases should be challenged, but the present costs to do so are often too high. That too should be looked into for is it really “Justice” not to be able to afford to “challenge”. I have only written this one case to confirm a point but the cases I could record are many, especially these type below.

Where I wonder is, ‘innocent until proven Guilty’ in this land of ours? The introduction of “Instant Fines” removes the one thing that separated us from the continental system. Was that why it was done? Especially for anyone choosing to go to Court then has to pay far more if found guilty. So much easier to pay the fine and “have done with it”. Soon, perhaps everyone will have a conviction and have a ‘criminal record’. The danger then becomes, “they have nothing to lose any more”.

I just hope and pray that these fishermen are not victims of the financial state our Country is in at present, for are the people to pay, one way or another, even to becoming "criminals" if they leave a waste bin lid slightly open? By filling it too full? Putting rubbish in the wrong container? Dropping accidentally a sweet wrapper? So many things responsible people are AFRAID of accidentally doing and a fear of even saying the wrong thing. Afraid even to go and help some-one, to even touch some-one. Too afraid to help and comfort a weeping distressed child. Afraid even of FEAR itself. All because our own Constitution has been set aside by a Government we once trusted. There is now however, a deep and repressed anger within the people that was not there before.

Is anyone going to tell the 60 million people of this Country that they have no Constitution? That it has been, unbeknown to them, destroyed/over-ridden? If that is the case, tell the people NOW. Most certainly tell Her Majesty and then tell the rest of her Majesty's Commonwealth? Tell the Judiciary who sit in front of the Royal Coat of Arms? When was it repealed exactly? Was it as long ago as 1972? Was it when the Queen too was made a citizen of Europe? Did it end in the ratification of “Lisbon”? Did a temporary British Government destroy our Constitution, our whole way of life for deeper integration into a European Union the vast majority of people do not want? Is our Government going to continue with the charade of a new Bill of Rights and a written Constitution that will be overridden by the Treaty of Lisbon? Has this Government told the people even the Crown’s Sovereign Government can be over-ruled by the European Court of Justice?

I suggest that the very constitutional Treaty of Lisbon should be withdrawn before all 27 Countries ratify it and a referendum be put before the people, rather that now than what may follow, or hope and pray that the people of Ireland reject it once more.

Yours faithfully,

Anne Palmer JP.

Copy to all on the debate. As this is about our Constitution this is an open letter.

++++++

The letter is hugely relevant to the growing threat from the Lisbon Treaty on which Britons remain cheated out of the promised referendum. Please circulate this letter as widely as possible.

Klaus at the EU Parliament

The EU version of his critical address to the plenary session of the assembled fat pigs is here. A US comment headlined EU Legitimacy Disintegrating is here.

Jacqui Smith and Darling Expenses - the final Straw? Cameron's time is up!

Surely now is the moment to clean up British politics? I was reminded yesterday of a post on the subject of donations in July 2007 when it had been announced that no prosecutions would follow the inquiries of Yates of the yard into the donations disgrace. John Redwood, MP for Wokingham and one of the ever rarer thinking occupants of the green benches, posted some ideas on limits on his blog on 20th July 2007, linked here, titled "I want more change from David Cameron". I was drawn to comment and see no reason to detract from what I said back then, quoted herewith: # Martin Coleon 20 Jul 2007 at 7:33 pm

I quote from the above, ‘We want a more honest politics’ - well said, indeed we do!

A start could be made by senior and long-sitting MPs holding true to the policies they initially stated as ‘core-beliefs’.

Cameron was and remains a nothing. Now it is obvious that actual voters have more than taken this fact on board, what will those who entered politics espousing basic conservative and democratic beliefs now do about it?

Carry on taking the money appears the answer from a brief read of this blog!

The Democratic Deficit is not now mainly in the EU, it is in the lack of a courageous and principled opposition - that seems to me the main reason why Yates has been frustrated. With Cameron leading the opposition the Brown government feels free to do as it wishes and even the most articulate members on the opposition benches appear as if gagged.

Cameron having acquiesced in the coagulation of HBOS into Lloyds and now apparently ready to permit the rolling of the printing presses to further corrupt the currency, both without re-call of parliament or apparently any debate is, with George Osborne, now equally culpable in democracy's demise as Brown and Darling! I believe that Cameron has clearly failed and in the process betrayed the country, any reform of parliament demands his departure as Party Leader.

Another sleight of hand on Britains debt.

(Image thanks to Anglo Saxon Chronicles blog). As debt rose to a percentage of GDP not seen since the dying days of the last Labour maladministration - 47.8 per cent - the Office of National Statistics has let it be known that this figure ignores the costs of the recent bank bailouts the equivalent of another 100 odd per cent of GDP which has been shuffled elsewhere for later release, one report here. The money has been spent and gone anyway, why do Brown and Darling thus try to hide the facts, merely to hang on to their salaries and perks for a few more weeks is my guess! These guys are coming down, to join their fellow islanders in the rubble of a blown economy!

Libertas loses EU funding and Pan-EU status

In a prime example of the sordid state of the anti-democratic Parliamentary Pillar of the European Union Libertas was stripped of its recognition following pressure on two of its original sponsors, read here. Update 17:40 GMT The Irish Broadcaster RTE is carrying a report on the "intimidation" of the original sponsors and the manipulations allowing a deadline for new sponsors to be obtaine, read the internet report here.

Britain's tax receipts "fall off a cliff" - IHT

The International Herald Tribune reports the disastrous fall in UK tax receipts, so far typically ignored by Britain's cowed media! Read it here. Gordon Brown is in the Vatican, I guess he has decided all he can now do is pray, but follow Blair to Catholicism too!! Wow things are desperate!!

No Justice in Britain

The following quote is from the blog of Mary Ellen Synon, linked here, on the problem of the Lindsey Refinery strike on which topic I posted extensively because of the obvious injustice. It really is not long and is best read in full from this link but the conclusion is as follows:

I share Simpson's frustration, but I blush for his ignorance of just how much power Britain has surrendered to the European Court. Even the European Commission can't overturn an ECJ decision. Nobody can overturn an ECJ decision. Nobody can sack an ECJ judge. Nobody is allowed to know the secret deliberations of the judges. No one is allowed to know if a decision of the court was unanimous or split.

So to say, 'The solution to this issue is for the EU Commission to overturn the ECJ decisions' is fantasy stuff. It can't happen.

Odd that Simpson hasn't grasped that. He still seems to think he and his trade union members have all the ancient rights and privileges of Englishmen. Nope, wrong, gone.

(My emphasis of the final paragraph).

Treasures from the threads - Number thirty-one

A critique of the repulsive Home Secretary, Jacqui Smith's expense claims in The Times this morning, linked here, brings this accurate comment:

Queen was begging for more money to upkeep her palaces. Well, we the taxpayer would offer her the money if she is prepared to send 'jackpot jackie' & her ilks to the tower.

Tim, London, UK

Surely Parliament should vote before trashing the currency?

A report in This is Money, linked here, states that the MPC of the Bank of England voted 9-0 in favour of printing money without resources thus trashing all our pensions and savings. The article states that this will proceed on receipt of a letter from the expenses fiddling Scot Alistair Darling, I quote: The minutes said: 'The committee unanimously agreed the Governor should write on its behalf to the Chancellor to seek authority to conduct purchases of government and other securities, financed by the creation of central bank money.' What is Parliament for if not to at least have a vote to prevent such a disgusting betrayal, destroying at a stroke the hard work and savings of millions of citizens?

Lisbon ratification is the greatest threat to European Unity

The manner of the Treaty passing into law must be the worst possible event for the communal co-operation of those living within the present crisis-torn EU. Everywhere the Treaty is opposed by the majority of voters which is why referendums have been avoided like the plague....Everywhere the economic conditions are at crisis point, yet the same leaders, heads mainly in the pig trough, will force through a democracy destroying treaty that neuters 27 parliaments. The passing of the Treaty by only five votes above the minimum in the Czech Lower Parliament today is a tragedy, but it is cowardice for the bulk of Europe's people to expect the small nations of Ireland and the Czech Republic to carry the entire weight of the anti-totalitarian cause!

Complaint against Troughing Home Secretary finally accepted

One of the Cabinet recently revealed for their disgraceful abuse of parliamentary expenses seems about to be investigated! Why has there been such delay, that in itself is an outrage against decency! Jacqui Smith is a disgrace to her sex and her country, she should resign immediately! The BBC report is here.

Czech Lower House approves Lisbon Treaty

The BBC report is linked here. The margin was depressingly large in favour, democracy it seems is to be a thing of the past for Europe. President Vaclav Klaus has issued a statement hoping that the Upper House of the Czech Parliament will show a more responsible attitude, read here. Hear, hear to that! Britain's signed Lisbon Treaty, never graced by the promised referendum, remains in Rome with no moves from any authority in Britain to rectify this outrage. Fittingly the Bank of England is about to start printing unresourced sterling banknotes. Next stop governance under the Civil Contingencies Act?

Royal Navy removed to Far East

The departure of 3,300 Royal Navy service people and their vessels at this difficult time, considering their already heavy commitments in Iraq and Afghanistan I find rather worrying. The BBC report is linked here. My posts touching upon the Royal Navy over the recent past are linked here, here, here, and here .

EU Solidarity and Communality to face sternest test.

I have been what the European federalist fanatics label a euro-sceptic for many long years. Yet even in my novel written in the mid nineteen-nineties, which revealed all kinds of underhand dealings, skull duggery and being fiction even murder, at its conclusion the British hero, nevertheless, headed off to the EU headquarters in Brussels to bring democracy to the entire tyrannical construct. (To clarify the book was set in 2014). Apart from the obvious lack of democracy, initially essential to construct the goal of unity from disparate communities who previously looked to nations to guarantee and underwrite their freedoms, what else formed my deep euro-scepticism? The answer of course lies in my having come from an island nation where the diplomatic double-speak and centuries long deliberate deception of land-bordered nations is not part of the continuing necessity of daily life. Continentals in my view use words like community and solidarity to smooth the reality of double cross and dirty dealing they believe is essential for the survival of local interests in a Continent of ever shifting borders. It has been Britain's political leaders inability to grasp this basic fact at each Treaty advancement that has left their country bankrupt and now mostly owned by foreigners. What Britain has bought for this enormous financial loss, empty coffers and mountainous debt is a call on the solidarity and community spirit of their EU neighbours. Can they now call upon it and will such a call be answered? Early signs are not good. Yet this has been the difficulty in warning against the dangers of authoritarianism and tyranny so evident in the structures of the present EU! It has all been done in the name of communality which humankind so deeply desires and wishes to be true. Hence the lack of success of we euro-sceptics in alerting our fellow Europeans of the dreadful dangers that now so clearly lie ahead. The truth will soon be tested! The following quote is from a Bloomberg report of yesterday: The difference between what Germany and Austria pay to borrow for 10 years widened to a record, while the gap between Greek and German 10-year yields increased to the most in a decade. Lenders from Austria, Italy, France, Belgium, Germany and Sweden account for 84 percent of western European bank loans in eastern Europe, Moody’s said. Will the richer EU countries now aid the poorer ones, can the euro currency survive? It appears we will soon find out. If my fears regarding the next steps of the EU are proved wrong, then I will revise my stance on the Lisbon Treaty and indeed push for democracy to be moved to a European rather than a national level. If my earlier fears are proved correct over the next few months, such that solidarity and EU communality proves the chimera I always suspected, then I will push for localism far below the UK former national divides as the best means for individuals to survive this disastrous Depression.

Obama falters

This blog wished President Obama good luck on the day of his inauguration. Today in Denver, speaking live at this moment, he will sign a huge 787 billion dollar package, no doubt full of the normal Democratic pork spending, which makes hardly a nod towards the real cause of the credit crunch - a solution for the non-financed debts, best represented by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, spreading their poison up through the housing market - even to those sitting in homes once valued in the millions of dollars. In that respect he joins the blindfolded British Government who have done nothing to address the credit crunch problem where it began - in the over-inflated housing market!

Will Brown finally GO or even say sorry- Gold surges

Gordon Brown MP., as Chancellor of the Exchequer and fresh from raiding and ruining Britain's pensions industry and condemning millions who had invested for their old age to spend their final years in penury or slaves to the odious state, then went on to sell the nation's gold at a knock down price, partly caused by his alerting the markets in advance. Surely with Gold today at around $970 an ounce and set to surge through the $1,000 a troy ounce barrier ... surely now he will have the decency to resign?????

Moody's warns on Euro Banks East Europe exposure

The report by the credit rating agency Moody's is bad news for the Euro, IHT coverage here. It is not clear where this will leave the Euro currency, but as ever Ironies Too will be covering developments with its own unique insights and forecasts! Latest Reuters on currency moves, here and Market Watch here on the Euro 1.53 billion loss at Mercedes. Gold has now risen 10 per cent since the beginning of the year just over 6 weeks ago!

Is the tide on the turn, but now the right way?

Two Navies Come Together!

In the three dimensional vastness of the Atlantic Ocean it seems incredible that the most sophisticated weaponry known to mankind on board the pride of the fleets of the Royal and French Navies could so come together at this particular moment of peril. In earlier more superstitious times such an event might be taken as a sign by our forebears, particularly by one such as a distant ancestor of mine who had the honour to rise to the rank of Admiral. He commanded the Leeward Island and later the North American Squadrons, on board the 84 gun HMS Salisbury, (captained by a less distant ancestor and husband of the Admiral's daughter) named after that splendid Cathedral City, now twinned with a French Cathedral City, namely, Saintes, (lying on the Charente River, upstream from Rochefort, home of the French Navy) in the ancient region of the Saintonge, from whence my ancestor's own family on his mother's side had come. Myself as a product of the modern age must doubt such portents, but coincidentally having watched the First Lord of the Admiralty on television both yesterday and the day before and having recently finished reading the brilliant book, "To Rule the Waves- How the British Navy shaped the Modern World" (here), it strikes me that the First Sea Lord Admiral Sir Jonathan Band, might himself see something odd about this event, coming as it does as the Royal Navy's creation, as described in Arthur Herman's carefully researched book, seems on the point of collapse.

Media blitz to advance Irish Referendum rerun

As the economic crisis mounts and the threat of Euro currency meltdown grows the urgency of the federalists to push the Lisbon Treaty through gets ever more intense. This link to Euronews is an example. Britain must get the wrongly royally signed Lisbon Treaty back from Rome, if not we will truly learn what it means to be right royally screwed!

What happened? No Brown on TV today?

Has Gordon gone? This is the first weekday for months where the sickening sight of Gordon Brown has not dominated the news channel screens....... could he be going?????? Has Lord Turner (the Hard Talk self-styled "technocrat") done for his buddy? We can but hope!

Brown guilty on four fronts!

Bill Jamieson puts his finger on the complete government and regulatory fiasco in The Scotsman, linked here a quote: What an appalling, blame-dodging, question-begging mess is now unfolding with new items almost every day. Yes indeed, but who is going to finger the two leading Tories who took their party along with all this, and in spite of his supposed Lords Crossbench and SDP credentials, who is going to nail the dreadful abomination that is Lord Adair Turner of Ecchinswell over his Cambridge Conservative Party past at Cambridge, as given prominence on his biography on the FSA web site linked from this blog earlier today. Take a close look at his Lordship's career as detailed on Wikipedia, then consider this biography when he was looking at the UK Pensions industry in 2002, the very years in which it was being terminally destroyed by his buddy Brown. There is no circumstance the state of Britain today is not in large part the fault of this worm and others very like him. Watch the Andrew Marr interview yourself if you consider this harsh! How can he continue in his job up to the close of business today?

The incredible admissions of Lord Turner of the FSA

I abstained from comment on the extraordinary appearance of Lord Adair Turner of the FSA on the Andrew Marr Show yesterday morning in fear that the BBC puppets of the non-elected Prime Minister Brown would doctor the record. Nevertheless it is now out and copied herewith, read it, be amazed and await further comment and developments on subsequent postings on this blog: On the amazing revelation that the FSA forecast the losses announce by Lloyds on Friday

++++++++

ANDREW MARR:

Would you accept that the Lloyds/HBOS conjuncture was a disaster?

LORD ADAIR TURNER:

The situation, I think we've got to deal with the situation as it is at the moment. The losses which are being…

ANDREW MARR:

(over) Disastrous.

LORD ADAIR TURNER:

…revealed this week, I would point out are not huge surprises to the FSA. Remember what we did last October was run stress tests which were considerably worse than what was then in the public domain in order to work out how big the capital subscription had to be. And the figures that came out - we're checking them, we're looking at them closely - are not order of magnitude different from what we thought was going to occur back in October.

ANDREW MARR:

So you predicted this. Were you actually consulted before this merger took place?

LORD ADAIR TURNER:

The FSA was not directly involved in the process of the merger, which was fundamentally driven by the parties concerned. I mean that was…

ANDREW MARR:

(over) But if the Treasury or somebody had come to you and said, "Look, this is going to happen. What do you think?"…

LORD ADAIR TURNER:

(over) Well let's, well let's be clear.

ANDREW MARR:

(over) Would you have warned them?

LORD ADAIR TURNER:

No, I mean I think to be fair, we were part of the debates at that time in general terms. And at that time - and again hindsight is a wonderful thing in this process - at that time that seemed to be a sensible way of buttressing HBOS, which was clearly by then a weak bank. There could have been a different way of directly supporting HBOS and keeping Lloyds separate…

ANDREW MARR:

(over) You knew what was going to happen, or you suspected what was going to happen?

LORD ADAIR TURNER:

Well, as it happens, I personally…it happened in the precise week before I joined, but the FSA, I won't deny it, the FSA was obviously involved in the discussions. Our concern was to make sure that there was a way of making sure that we did not have banks which actually went bankrupt, and when you are in those situations…

ANDREW MARR:

Okay.

LORD ADAIR TURNER:

…you have to make pragmatic decisions.

++++++ Then on the amazing cheek even disgusting gall that the employees of the FSA, who have overseen the destruction of so far roughly half of Britain's banking sector, will soon be receiving bonuses averaging 15 per cent. ++++++

ANDREW MARR:

Finally, this whole question of bonuses. As you know, there's huge public anger about it. Should they not simply cease for the time being across the banking sector but also in your own institution, which is going to pay bonuses at the moment?

LORD ADAIR TURNER:

Well we are going to pay bonuses and I want to explain why and I want to explain why and I want to also explain one important detail of it. The FSA has developed a process of having an element of variable pay. People have joined on that basis. They could have joined other institutions like the Treasury or the Bank, which have less variable pay but wider pensions. If you're saying we should now cut the bonuses, you're saying you should cut their pay by 15%. That's the scale of our business pool. And that's against the background where we're being told by Vince or David Cameron or others that we need better people. That's not the way to go. We think it is appropriate to pay bonuses to our people. But I will say one thing. Hector Sants, our Chief Executive…

ANDREW MARR:

Very briefly.

LORD ADAIR TURNER:

…told me on Friday that he personally does not want to take a bonus. That is the same approach which the Permanent Secretaries are using in the Government and I think that is the appropriate way forward.

++++++

++++++ Would he, given his total avoidance of any blame , either on his own behalf or that of his employees say SORRY

ANDREW MARR:

You're relatively new running the FSA, as you pointed out, but do you…would you say sorry on behalf of the FSA to all those people who've lost huge amounts of their savings and are very, very angry and very worried now?

LORD ADAIR TURNER:

I'm certainly sorry that across the whole world, there was…

ANDREW MARR:

I'm talking about the FSA.

LORD ADAIR TURNER:

…there was a failure to focus on these systemic risks. And it was an intellectual failure. If you actually look…Let me give you, let me give you an example.

ANDREW MARR:

(over) Just before you do, can I just say you inserted "all around the world" there and I'm asking about the FSA.

LORD ADAIR TURNER:

(over) No, no, no, but…Well, I think actually it's really not for me to answer that question, given that I was not there at the time..... ++++++ Read the Wikipedia entry on this bastion of New Labour's British Establishment, from here.

Kingmaker asks why Brown is still in post!

Many believe, including this blogger, that Britain would not have suffered the New Labour scourge for as long as it has without the malign influence of the Murdoch media empire. I am also of the opinion that such control has largely been exercised through the influence at The Sun of Trevor Kavanagh, read here today's column, under an extraordinarily lurid cartoon which begins as follows: Brown took risk... he must pay for it WHY is Gordon Brown still Prime Minister?

After the events of last week, why has he not resigned? And if he won’t go of his own accord, how long before he is hounded out by voters whose homes, pensions and jobs he’s put in peril?

Czech Deputy PM for Foreign Affairs in Ireland

The danger is now that the anti-democratic forces behind the EU will force the March EU Council to go back on the pledge to give the Irish until October for their second referendum. The meeting in Cork today, read here, throws little light on that possibility but the Presidency statement before the meeting was perfectly clear, as may be read from this quote at the conclusion of the linked statement: The conclusions of the December European Council state that work on the guarantees should be concluded no later than mid-2009. If the Government are fully satisfied with the outcome of this work, it will seek ratification of the Lisbon Treaty, by way of a further referendum before the end of the term of the current Commission, which is due to leave office at the end of October. No decision can be taken on the timing of any referendum until the commitments made by the European Council have been delivered upon to the Government’s full satisfaction. Note the inclusion of s statement that it is a sovereign Irish decision (of their government one presumes as the sovereign Irish people have already spoken - assumptions as to their reasons are simply that- assumptions).

Some Scottish money for Scotland's Bankrupt Banks

Instead of talking about nationalisation and making what are in the present situation totally loony proposals to raise the inheritance tax threshold to a million pounds on the Sunday Politics Show why does David Cameron not donate his own families and his wife's Scottish estates to meet some of the bad debts - after all he publicly supported the merger of Lloyds to save HBOS. George Osborne is worth a bit too, he could donate any expected inheritance to Northern Rock, as he went live on TV several times to support the merger with the Scottish basket case banks without a mention of consulting Parliament!. Alistair Darling is also a bit of a wealthy toff happy to rip off the taxpayer as revealed in today's News of the World, here, his properties in London and Scotland maintained at taxpayers expense would also be best used to meet the expenses of his own mismanagement together with any other wealth his family might possess. Let's begin to make politicians truly responsible. This blog has earlier proposed that basic State Old Age Pension only should be paid for any Members of Parliament serving in the Major, Blair and Brown incompetent regimes. Gordon Brown himself has no prospect of offering the nation any meaningful compensation for his dreadful performance. What his fate might best be will clearly need further very serious consideration

Moronic Minister for Higher Education re-assures graduates on jobs!

The moronic David Lammy, read here, amidst reports of rapidly declining job openings for graduates, appeared on Sky News a few minutes ago, offering re-assurance on employment prospects. Unhappily as he appears never to have had a proper job and has yet risen to his present high position in government, this tends to have the opposite effect - after all if one as ill-informed as he gets on so well in the government their ruining of the entire economy is perhaps just one small example of their overall incompetence!

New push for April referendum re-run in Ireland

The Queen MUST urgently demand a repatriation of Britain's signed Lisbon Treaty ratified without the promised referendum of the British electorate! See my earlier post of last weekend on this subject... soon it will be too late!!!!!! Read the report from here.

Back to Lord Stevenson - a New Labour piece of filth!

Thank goodness it is not just this blog, read my earlier comment on the Lord Stevenson scumbag ( here, here and here) but somebody actually in Parliament and indeed actually in OPPOSITION who is prepared to tell it like it is and give some further publicity to the appalling Lord Stevenson who feigned an apology to the Finance Committee last week. Michael Fallon MP starts his article in the Sunday Telegraph with a picture of the Stevenson slime ball and the following opening paragraph: 'We are profoundly and, I think I can say, unreservedly, sorry at the turn of events” was how the former chairman of HBOS put it. “I think I can say, unreservedly”? “The turn of events”? Only somebody as deeply immersed in the British establishment as Lord Stevenson of Coddenham could get away with destroying a great British bank, taking £17 billion of taxpayers’ money, and then offering up the kind of shaded apology more appropriate for somebody caught out by a sudden cold snap. Elsewhere in the Sunday press you can read about Paul Moore in the Indy on Sunday, linked here who surprisingly for me turns out to live in the shadow of the Yorkshire Catholic boarding school Ampleforth. Sky News are reporting this morning that Mr Moore is set to release 30 documents implicating Gordon Brown in the bank bail-out, Catholic conscience perhaps? More on this also in the Indy, here. In the Sunday Times, rather than dwelling on the past you can consider the one hundred billion pound spending cuts that will be necessary in bankrupt Britain as a result of New Labour and the Opposition's incompetence, surely a strong case can be made that these costs should be shared between the City of London and Scotland? Short of time, then read the entire Michael Fallon article in the Sunday Telegraph, maybe there is one person in parliament fit to lead us from this mess, the so apt question posed on this blog only yesterday!

Huge infusion of wealth and influence for England's West Country

The proof that none in Brussels nor London could be any more totally useless cannot possibly be better proven than by the fiasco over Lloyds and HBOS. Do not forget as I blogged on the takeover on 18th September 2008: Final point on this fiasco - the shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne, was interviewed on Channel 4 News last evening and made several statements to the effect that the Government could do as they wished as he agreed with their moves showing at a stroke he, and I believe also his party leader, have no concept whatsoever as to the meaning of parliamentary governance. None in the Capital Cities or major urban conurbations of the Western world have yet fully taken on board the seismic changes now underway. People distrust money, people need meat, fish and vegetables. The West Country must prepare to prosper from its resources, it needs to identify with its neighbours who are now sitting upon similar precious assets along nearby coast lands, both in Ireland and Western France. The former urban rich are the West's new poor, the manipulated fisherman and farmers of the rural regions are the new rich. How much for a potato, sole or loaf of bread once Brown/Darling/King start their sterling printing presses rolling? When and what happens to the EU will soon become largely irrelevant as it lacks real resources. Present assumptions that following any break-up of the EU there will be a natural reversion to old borderlines, whether national or simply economic are absurd. Can Belgium now be re-united as it was before the EU? Impossible to all intents and purposes. Similar questions will surely arise in the East of the former EU, the Western regions of the Continent must also begin to discuss how they can be best prepared for the dangerous changes ahead. Is there a single figure in the Westminster Parliament any sensible person would trust with their savings or future well-being? I can think of none, but suggestions are welcome.

Drake's Drum

Yesterday was a sad moment for the real West Country of England. The last ITV regional news broadcast from Plymouth was put out last evening, co-incidentally the same day as the first arrival of Brittany Ferries new vessel the Armorique in the City from Roscoff. (Dumnonee) Any with close associations with the West Country must surely feel the enduring presence of the image of the Golden Hind and the meaning of the poem quoted below, although it is of course many years since Westward went West!. Drake's Drum (Henry Newbolt) DRAKE he's in his hammock an' a thousand mile away, (Capten, art tha sleepin' there below?) Slung atween the round shot in Nombre Dios Bay, An' dreamin' arl the time o' Plymouth Hoe. Yarnder lumes the island, yarnder lie the ships, Wi' sailor lads a-dancin' heel-an'-toe, An' the shore-lights flashin', an' the night-tide dashin' He sees et arl so plainly as he saw et long ago. Drake he was a Devon man, an' ruled the Devon seas, (Capten, art tha sleepin' there below?), Rovin' tho' his death fell, he went wi' heart at ease, An' dreamin' arl the time o' Plymouth Hoe, "Take my drum to England, hang et by the shore, Strike et when your powder's runnin' low; If the Dons sight Devon, I'll quit the port o' Heaven, An' drum them up the Channel as we drummed them long ago." Drake he's in his hammock till the great Armadas come, (Capten, art tha sleepin' there below?), Slung atween the round shot, listenin' for the drum, An' dreamin' arl the time o' Plymouth Hoe. Call him on the deep sea, call him up the Sound, Call him when ye sail to meet the foe; Where the old trade's plyin' an' the old flag flyin', They shall find him, ware an' wakin', as they found him long ago. We look like we will be needing him soon!

When Brown stops the trains!!!!!

One of the more interesting exchanges between the Bullying Brown and the various Select Committee Chairmen yesterday I thought was the one where he was persistently asked by the striking Louise Ellman: "What will happen when the trains stop running?"... Well not in so many words, but the Chairman of the Transport Committee, Louise Ellman MP had clearly heard rumblings that Rail Franchise holders were not getting a return and might consider walking away.... would the Government then meet the costs of running the rail services??? AS EVER - ANSWER CAME THERE NONE As the HBOS profit whammy based on 7 Billion Commercial loan losses hit home today this question becomes ever more pointed... What will happen when even those who think they have jobs lack the transport to go to work?

Lloyds HBOS over 10 billion loss stuns the market

As long predicted by this blog the HBOS takeover looks as though it will now take down Lloyds. The following is from The Guardian, linked here:

The new Lloyds Banking Group stunned the City this afternoon by issuing a profits warning after admitting that the losses incurred by HBOS would amount to £10bn, much larger than previous forecasts.

Its shares plunged 40% at one stage to just 54.9p.

The sharp rise in the loss is the result of a £1.6bn increase in the impairment charge to £7bn to cover loans which have turned sour largely in the corporate division which was run by Peter Cummings who has since left HBOS.

The size of loss that will now be reported by HBOS, which was rescued by Lloyds TSB to create the new bank, is even greater than the £7bn-8bn loss that Royal Bank of Scotland warned that it expected to make. The total RBS loss will reach £28bn when £20bn is written off because it paid too much for the Dutch bank, ABN Amro, and other deals.

The Times Online report on the same news is here. Strange is it not that this is reported as a surprise. More should read this blog which reported exactly this outcome on the day the merger was first announced and asked many questions all of which remain unanswered, read it here. Enter "Lloyds Hbos" in the blog search bar above to see how often these questions and concerns were repeated and ignored! The BBC reporter on business Mr Peston who has been ever verbose on this topic has added his two pennyworth here.

Abdication of Democracy

The refusal by Britain to allow entry to an elected politician from our close North Sea neighbour Holland, is an error of massive proportions similar to the many being now made almost daily by this government in the realm of economics. The Wall Street Journal in a Leading Article today puts it plainly, linked here:

Barring Mr. Wilders from entering the country is not about opposing extremism but giving in to it. As insulting or offensive as Mr. Wilders's likening Islam to Nazism is, he doesn't call for violence, let alone terror. Nobody really thinks his presence will incite attacks on Muslims. Rather, the unspoken fear is that his visit will spark riots by Muslims.

Either the government is exaggerating the dangers, in which case his detention will only reinforce whatever prejudices people may have about Muslims. Or the threat analysis is correct and the free expression of Mr. Wilders's views really could have led to Muslim violence. In that case, the question is what sort of "community" would so easily turn violent, and where is the "harmony" that supposedly needs to be preserved?

Giving in to mob rule, real or imagined, is the abdication of democracy and the rule of law.

Deliberate destruction of England by Brown

The morning press do not cover the most scandalous portion of the Commons Liason Committee's questioning of the devious Prime Minister. Epolitix, here, at least mentions the start of that exchange But Sir Alan Beith, chairman of the justice committee, claimed that the impact of the recession was being felt most in "traditional regions". He questioned why the Department of Communities and Local Government had forbidden English regions to bid for European money. Not directly answering the questioning, Brown said that every job loss was a matter for "regret and sorrow". What is not thereafter detailed in this report is the fact that Brown accepted that the Scottish and Welsh Assemblies approved such payments, thus due to the deliberate policy of this Scots controlled Government England's Depression struck regions will intentionally lose 'Six hundred and seventy one million pounds' (read here from Iain Dale) which was available from EU funds to ease unemployment. Are English Members of Parliament really going to betray their voters by retaining this traitor to England in power for yet another week of treachery and like their oppressed media remain silent?

Ireland considers a June Lisbon referendum re-run

The Irish Independent has the report, linked here, the previous plan was to run the referendum in October but this leaves the appointment of the new EU Commission to be properly done under the rules of the Nice Treaty. The German Constitutional Court would be thus forced to hasten its consideration of the constitutionality of the anti-democratic Treaty and the Czech Parliament as the last non-ratifier would come under huge pressure as the sole body standing in the way of the achievement of pan-European authoritarian fascism. My call last weekend for the English Parliamentarians to retrieve the signed Treaty from Rome and grant a referendum, read here, now has added urgency.

Should John Kingman or Lord Stevenson be next?

The following is the conclusion of an article on recent senior departures of Gordon Brown's henchmen from their sponsored posts in the FT (a Pearson's publication):

Greg Hands, shadow Treasury minister, asked the prime minister to clarify whether he was planning to “ditch” Mr Moreno. “Gordon Brown himself described advising people to avoid tax as ‘unpatriotic’. Is it now the case that if the allegations are true, the prime minister is going to stick to his word and remove Moreno from the chairmanship of UKFI?”

A spokesman for Mr Brown said it was wrong to “read anything” into how the prime minister had answered the question. “The prime minister has full confidence in Mr Moreno in his capacity at UKFI,” he said. The spokesman added that at “some point” there would have to be a “discussion” over whether his role would be made permanent.

Mr Moreno was already on the board of UKFI and agreed to fill in after Sir Philip Hampton, the former chairman, took on the chairmanship of RBS, the part-nationalised bank. Mr Moreno is also chairman of Pearson, which publishes the Financial Times.

UKFI, which manages the taxpayers’ £37bn ($53bn) stake in RBS and Lloyds Banking Group, is intended to be an arm’s length body. John Kingman, a Treasury mandarin, is chief executive.

See my first posting of this morning on Lord Stevenson to fully understand these various connections, linked here. (It was noticeable that Channel 4 News this evening showing various bankers' apologising before the Finance Committee excluded any picture of Lord Stevenson, too big a fish for these minnows one must assume! No wonder the whole country has been corrupted when served by public broadcasters such as these!)

Manchester United's main sponsor under SFO Investigation

The first report of this troublesome development is in The Guardian, linked here. Britain's griseous Prime Minister, floundering before his servile inquisitors in Parliament today, whilst throwing off any serious questions about the real state of the economy as unpatriotic, must surely not welcome this stark reminder, that how ever high the fashionable fancy might climb, the day of reckoning will surely arrive.

Day two of German Constitutional Court Hearing.

The Irish Times, again has a good review of the day's proceedings, linked here.

Lord Stevenson

So now we must consider, among others, the following in all the fine words as they appear in Wikipedia: Henry Dennistoun 'Dennis' Stevenson, Baron Stevenson of Coddenham, CBE, DL (born 19 July 1945) was created a life peer as Baron Stevenson of Coddenham, of Coddenham in the County of Suffolk in 1999 having previously been awarded a CBE (Commander of the Order of the British Empire) in 1981.

Stevenson worked as a market researcher for Conrad Jameson Associates in Lower Belgrave Street, Belgrave, London around 1968.

He is a businessman who was Chair of the SRU Group of Companies^[1] from 1972 to 1996. He became Chair of Halifax plc in 1999 and when they merged with Bank of Scotland he became Chair of the merged group, HBOS plc, from 2001 to 2008. He was also Chair of Pearson PLC. He is Chair of the House of Lords Appointments Commission and Chancellor of the University of the Arts London.^[2]

On SRU a media firm the same source provides the following:

Specialist Research Unit (SRU) was a market research based consultancy formed by Dennis Stevenson and Peter Wallis in 1974. [1]

The BBC lists Peter Mandelson as having been a consultant to SRU between 1990 and 1992. [2] In 1990 a Sunday Times report on Mandelson's move to SRU described the company as "problem-solver for companies including ICI, Unilever, Marks & Spencer, BAT, Clarks Shoes, Allied Dunbar, Thorn EMI, WH Smith and Ladbroke."

In a profile on Stevenson in the Evening Standard Chris Blackhurst wrote that "while other consultancies stuck with traditional formats, SRU dared to be different. It built an enviable client list of the biggest companies and was called in to advise on the largest projects, but always remaining in the shadows, often answering only to the chairman personally." [3]

Enough background, any who watched the evidence before the Commons Committee by the failed bankers earlier this week will be fully aware of the demeanour and mannerisms of Lord Stevenson, which in my case left me struggling to digest my breakfast. Yesterday I quoted from The Times and commented as follows: Does anybody believe this statement taken from the linked The Times report: Lord Stevenson emphatically denied suggestions from one of the MPs that Mr Moore had been “subject to threatening behaviour” by the bank. He rejected Mr Moore’s allegations, saying that the bank commissioned an independent study and the matter was closed to the satisfaction of the FSA. Any who do not trust that assertion, and I suspect it will soon be shown to be false, surely will not be able to continue with Gordon Brown in Downing Street for this particular piece of filth, Sir (note that giveaway sign) James Crosby, is now a senior regulator for the ongoing wrecking activities of our demented Prime Minister. I also recall the same Lord Stevenson denying that Board Minutes had been drafted in such a manner that the warnings of unacceptable risk did not appear. Now, today, faced with the resignation yesterday of Sir James Crosby (don't you just loathe these titles when writing of New Labour scumbags) the attention must turn to the long-time Chairman of HBOS, Lord Stevenson, and his relationships to the Prime Minister who himself faces a Commons Committee of Select Committee Chairmen later today. Lord Stevenson has not been very active in the Lords, although this speech on the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Bill of July 2000 seems to imply that the businesses he ran might consider moving certain activities from the UK should the costs of the regulation become too severe.