It seems that the BBC cannot report on the Conservative plan to devolve power and accountability closer to the people via elected Mayors without, in the same sentence, mentioning the words “Thatcher” and “Poll tax!” I listened to an item on Today early this morning circa 6.40am and essentially the discussion instantly turned away from what Cameron proposes to do and focused instead on Margaret Thatcher taking power away from “loony left” councils, the poll tax and monkeys getting elected as Mayor in Rochdale. I know that Caroline Spelman will be on later, I don’t fancy her chances! Expect to hear the BBC interviewer blurt out “Thatcher – poll tax” before the interview is concluded.
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Why would TOADY invite Spellman on? Could it be that the anticipated plan to deflect the Smith/Darling sleaze stories is starting, TOADY will obviously frame the interview to push the ‘Tory sleaze’ agenda, its all about perceptions isnt it? The newlabour mudslingers cannot find any recent Tory sleaze so its going back to the last example that they flogged to death!
Remember how the BBC went to town with Spellman and how it covered up and protected Smith/Balls/Mandlson and all the other sleazy socialist bootfillers, no bias there then eh?
Its not sleaze untill its Tory sleaze!
Here’s another valuable piece of ammo worth memorising if you want to challenge a leftist.
Full transcript,including the context, of Mrs T’s “no such thing as society” speech:
“I think we’ve been through a period where too many people have been given to understand that if they have a problem, it’s the government’s job to cope with it. ‘I have a problem, I’ll get a grant.’ ‘I’m homeless, the government must house me.’ They’re casting their problem on society.
And, you know, there is no such thing as society.
There are individual men and women, and there are families. And no government can do anything except through people, and people must look to themselves first. It’s our duty to look after ourselves and then, also to look after our neighbour. People have got the entitlements too much in mind, without the obligations. There’s no such thing as entitlement, unless someone has first met an obligation.”
Oddly I didn’t hear any mention in the Caroline Spelman interview of Tory sleaze. However there was an unhealthy obsession with blaming Thatcher.
Wasn’t it Hartlepool that elcted the monkey? (The people of Hartlepool being known as ‘monkey hangers’ since the Napoleonic wars when they hung a monkey which had been washed up on the shore, thinking it could have been a French soldier).
Didn’t he then turn out to be a very effective, pragmatci and popuklar mayor who was subsequently re-elected?
I commented on this last night. The BBC just look for any angle to dig up old Tory stories.
I’d like to see Police chiefs and Judges elected. Perhaps then we might finally get on top of crime in the UK.
If the Islington wet liberals want to go soft on crime that’s fine. They can elect some soft Police chief and some wet judges. Where I live we want a crack down on criminals. A Police chief that cracks skulls would be a good idea. Oh and one that doesn’t let his officers run away from lunatic Muslims would be nice as well.
Im a tory but i dont respect Caroline Spelman either – because of nannygate-she shouldn’t even be in the tory cabinet.
Secondly im generally a fan of thatcher but she did cock up local government centralising it to unprecendented levels.
Labour is finished for a while. The priority now should be on ensuring that the next Tory government frees the BBC from the licence fee.
Dunno on this – Councils have been a law unto themselves. Sex Worker Outreach Diversity Officer – ‘yup, two Swedish lasses & a brunette please’ err… no, seriously tho – it’s about time local government got onto the agenda – however quietly.
I don’t think any local government oik would vote Tory – they bloody well should be afraid. Tossers.
Send Eric Pickles in once he’s assholed Labour. Put the fear of God into them.
Centralisation and localism is the wrong argument – empowering professional standards and accountability are more relevant.
Sorry to seem OCD but you’ve got to take your hat off to Labour – how to take a perfectly good education system with the wealth of an Empire’s knowledge and make it worthless is quite an achievement. Any normal person would have struggled with that but it only took Labour about 7 years – now that’s pretty darned slick manoeuvreing.
Thatcher had to do something about the corruption by left wing councils, which people seem to have forgotten about.
Red Ken and Derek Hatton are two that spring to mind.
Pete: Spot on. The first term for the Tories they will be able to do what they like. People won’t care as they will be just glad to be rid of the corruption of Liebour.
Here is my 100 days priority
1. Scrapping of the TV tax. Those that wish to pay for the BBC have to pay on their Sky or other digital subscription provider, if not the BBC is blocked on your decoder box. The BBC is then totally self sufficient.
2. Kicking out the jocks from Westminster.
3. Scrapping the Barnet formula
4. Get out of the EU
5. Cut Council Tax by at least 50% and force Councils to sack the Guardian readers from their 5 a day or nappy co-ordinator jobs
6. Kick out all the bushy bearded halfwits and stuff their ‘uman rites’
7. Scrap the Government jobs section in the Grauniad
8. Get our troops out of Afghanistan.
That should keep Cameron busy for a day or two.
I see various media (Mail, Spectator etc) are reporting that Gordon’s deputy, Harriet Harman has been very naughtily spreading a porky-pie to the effect that Mr Brown is set to resign as PM to become full time Save the World Co-ordinator.
Number 10 is outraged and briefing against La Harperson with vigour.
There’s nothing more exciting than a split and catfight at the very top, so I hurry to the politics page of the BBC’s news website to get their take on this story.
…… tumbleweed.
stephen hoffman | 17.02.09 – 9:40 am
i dont respect Caroline Spelman either – because of nannygate-she shouldn’t even be in the tory cabinet.
But she was acquitted of any wrong doing by an independent enquiry.
Don’t you believe in due process?
A Labour minister called Healey (?) was “interviewed” by Toffy Stourton in the 8:35 slot. Maybe the Pope gets a more reverent hearing, but no democratic politician should be allowed such an easy ride. Stourton’s obsequiousness put one in mind of Widmerpool after being hit by the banana.
Never say the State Broadcaster doesn’t know on which side its bread’s buttered!
Spellman did a terrible job on Today. She basically admitted that the reason for devolving power back to local councils is that now they are -tory- councils, which means they’re ok. Whether the proposals are for the better of the country or the party in reality, she made it seem like a shallow political move.
Interesting to see that the Conservatives are proposing some of the ideas put forward by Carswell and Hannan…
BBC Snooze 24 had the same story, also mentioning Thatcher and throwing in the GLC under Ken just to warm the hearts of the unreformed trots
The people of Hartlepool elected a monkey. The people of Hartlepool also elected Peter Mandelson. I would suggest that the voters in the North-East who elect appointed Nulab placemen (Miliband) are rather stupid.
Sorry if this upsets anyone but I FULLY agree with Mrs T’s whole speech as detailed above.
“People have got the entitlements too much in mind, without the obligations. There’s no such thing as entitlement, unless someone has first met an obligation.”
As true today as when she said it.
If only Cameron was half the man she was.
Oh and in an all inclusive Muzzie style greeting….”Death to the BBC” chaps.
The people of Hartlepool not only elected a monkey (who is also a university graduate too) but they also reelected him in 2005 with an increased majority of 10,000 over, guess which party? (no prizes, sadly). I see there’s a campaign in Hartlepool to get rid of the Mayoralty – brought in by New Labour- and replace it with a council leader and a minority one-party cabinet system according to this:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stuart_Drummond
Again, I wonder which party is backing that campaign? (Again, no prizes). So if the system doesn’t work to your political benefit get rid of it and replace it with something that does. Sounds a bit Thatcherite to me.
Mike, the execution of the monkey by the Hartlepudlians during the Napoleonic Wars is also probably an urban myth as this source surprisingly testifies:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/tees/7827332.stm
I see a new poll put the Tories 20 points ahead of McSnot and his unpopularity is rising.
So expect the following from the BBC.
1. Ignore the polls
2. “The polls are all over the place” statement except of course when polls show Labour closing on the Tories, then it’s “we could be in for a shock” crap
Allan@Oslo | 17.02.09 – 11:52 am
On the subject of NuLab placemen elected in the North East • did you see this report in the Guardian?
From Hansard, a question asked by Ashok Kumar, the Labour MP who represents Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland: “To ask the secretary of state for transport whether he plans to undertake motorway widening in the Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland constituency.” And the response from the transport minister Paul Clark: “There are no motorways in the Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland constituency, and there are no plans for them in this area.” We do like a man who knows his own stomping ground.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2009/feb/17/esther-addley-diary
Spelman was indeed terrible on Toady.
Can’t we make our politicians redundant as we cannot continue to afford their mistakes?
In the news item on this story on BBC 1 news just before 7 a.m. They finished the report with…”Of course its easy to say in opposition but harder when in Government.” A nasty little phrase that was completely unneccessary. They are supposed to just report the news not give their opinion.
Those “conservative clerics” at it again (presumably the Cameron variety)
“Palestine is a legitimate theatre of operations for jihad – Mohsen al-Awajy, Saudi religious scholar”
Religious scholar? Religion? Jihad? WTF?
The BBC try to portray Cameron`s (who I dont like) proposals as wrong because there are shades of Maggie Thatchers policies in it.
They also dont like Mrs T because she closed mines and shipyards and steelworks, which “decimated communities”.
But it`s alright for their soft loan paymasters at the EU to have a worse affect on workers jobs.
Norman tebbitt might have said Get On Your Bike, but the Tories never had plans for the workers to leave the whole country, which Mandelsohn favours.