A cold blast from the north

The last few days have seen a chill coming down from the north making life difficult for some people, and I don't mean the weather!

Having clung on to his position by his fingernails Cllr Neil Semple stood down earlier this month and has now turned on his former colleagues in Lewisham's Labour administration. His "observations" are particularly damning because they confirm what almost all the residents that I speak to are saying. Labour pretend to listen but actually care little about what local people think.

The Labour hierarchy who were so eager to tell us that Neil was doing a great job from Scotland and that there was no need for him to stand down are now saying that he wasn't around enough to understand how the council worked. So which is it?

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Oh, the weather has been pretty chilly too.

I see now that Ken can't see his own hypocrisy

The Mayor complains about press intrusion in his life, he berates the media for intruding on what he claims is his private life, he then calls a press conference to tell us that he hasn't changed his mind about apologising. Not a press release or a letter or a statement but a very well publicised press conference.

It has now occurred to me that Ken cannot see the hypocrisy of all this, he really believes that he is in the right.

He claims that the Daily Mail group which owns the Evening Standard would have collaborated with the Nazis had they invaded Britain and that asking him questions while leaving a party was in the same continuum as ethnic cleansing and the holocaust. This would be farcical on its own but it comes from a man who was paid by that very paper for many years.

It worries me that someone in Ken's position can be so blinkered and self-righteous, if he can't even see why his actions at the moment are wrong what chance is there that he will be able to see the other side of a more subtle argument.

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Michael Howard launched the Conservative's tax plans for pensioners. Slashing the level of council tax for millions of over 65s will help to redress the appalling imbalance caused by John Prescott's council tax rises and Gordon Brown's tax raid on pensions.

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911 happened over three years ago, why rush terrorism laws through now? - Telegraph

Just say sorry Ken - Telegraph

After years of telling us we're wrong they now admit we we're right

The new education secretary wants to make exams harder. This intrigues me, for years the Conservatives have said that the exam system is becoming increasingly devalued and that it needs to be looked at. For years we were told that exams were just fine as they were, that teachers were more effective and that we were just trying to undermine the hard working kids.

Now, just a few months before an election, everyone is told that exams need to be overhauled and made harder.

Now where have I heard that kind of thing before?

For years we were told that the UK's immigration system was just fine and that we should just shut up complaining. Then, just a few months before an election, the government says that it needs a radical overhaul.

What next? For years we were told that there is nothing wrong with the numbers or utilisation of police officers. For years we were told that there is nothing wrong with our relationship with Europe. For years we were told that there was no fiddling of waiting list figures.

Watch this space.

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When will this government realise that what is good for their trendy friends in Islington is not good for everyone. Cannabis for example, they probably thought that there is little wrong with a quick puff after a dinner party and that it is silly to have it as a class B drug. Downgrade it, stop worrying about it and feel a little bit more like a cool, with it, modern politician. No problem!

Not for you mate, but for the kids who are now a lot more likely to get involved with drugs it is! Downgrading cannabis has caused an increase in its purchase, this means more people interacting with drug dealers, the same drug dealers who will try to push them towards harder drugs with a greater profit margin.

I don't like to say we told you so, but we did tell you so.

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I spent the day yesterday looking after Freddy, Rupert and the dog on my own, with no help, alone. It was very, very, very hard work. I have always been very grateful to Susie for letting me have the free time to do the canvassing and campaigning which fills much of my life, I realise now that I have underestimated how much she has to do to let that happen. Thank you.

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Drug surge - Observer

Tough new exams, just like the old ones - Telegraph

I never thought it was a problem for the Navy - Times

Don't think that the public will give you an easy time

Dear Mr Blair,

Richard & Judy and June Sarpong were the easy introduction, the tough test was talking to real people and it isn't that easy.

You may not have spent much time knocking on doors recently so you will be unfamiliar with the practicalities of dealing with the public. You should have asked me, I would have told you how unpopular you, your government and your policies are.

Doesn't it get frustrating when everyone thinks you are wrong but you know that you are right and they just don't realise. You know that if only they would stop complaining and just listen to how great their lives are everyone would be happy.

Why oh why do judges and barristers get in the way whenever you want to lock someone up without trial or reinvent the whole legal system?

Don't worry about the result of the next election I am sure that you will get all the votes that you deserve.

Kind regards

James.

PS. Your smug smile is really annoying.

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Why bother listening to anyone else - BBC News

Tell me something I don't know - Guardian

Falling apart

The cracks in the Labour party are starting to come to the surface. The ongoing feud between Tony and Gordon is old news but when the newly appointed Home Secretary publicly contradicts the PM they need to worry.

The fact that Clark has completely undermined Blair's immigration policy shows that it was cobbled together at Number 10 as a reaction to the Conservative plans rather than coming out of the Home Office, ooops.

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When will Londoners realise that they are represented by a truly odious man. Ken's outburst would have been unacceptable in any circumstance, being made to someone who had identified themselves as Jewish made it worse, being made by the Mayor of London makes it worse still and not apologising makes it truly unforgivable.

Don't apologise Ken, just leave.

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Blair vs. Clark - Telegraph

Doing damage to Liverpool - Telegraph

6 pledges

Here are the pledges made today by Tony Blair (or near enough).

1. Your life nicer.

2. Your garden neater.

3. Your car cleaner.

4. Your smile brighter.

5. Your weather better.

6. Your life nicer (did we mention that one?).

And here are the pledges that he didn't give but everyone thinks he should:

1. To tell the truth.

2. To waste less of your money on bureaucracy.

3. To apologise to the families of those killed by the IRA.

4. To stop being such a smug git.

5. To tackle crime rather than just talk about it.

6. To tell the truth (did we mention that one?)

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No one to produce dodgy figures for John Prescott - BBC News

Not a good day for an NHS pledge - Telegraph

A great American writer dies - Telegraph

He's only gone an' done it

Labour Councillor Neil Semple has finally done the decent thing and resigned, having come under consistent pressure for two years he has admitted that living and working in Scotland makes his position as a councillor in South East London look a little foolish. This now means a by-election in the Lee Green ward for the third time in 3 years.

I think that this is becoming a bit of a joke. The first Labour councillor lasted less than two months, the second Lib Dem councillor lasted less than a year (having been voted in to replace the Labour guy who left) and now Semple is standing down having spent most of his time as an elected representative in a different country. I think it is about time the good people of Lee vote in someone who takes the job seriously.

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Tony Blair might look back on his Richard and Judy appearance with a certain degree of embarrassment. The interview itself was fairly easy, he is much practiced in this, where he let himself down badly was appearing on the quiz section of the show.

Firstly appearing on a quiz called "You say, we pay" is not well advised when you said "no tax rises" and now we pay for 66 tax increases. Secondly he was rubbish, completely and utterly rubbish.

And he doesn't buy his wife flowers!

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These two events have got me thinking. Why has Semple resigned now after withstanding two years of criticism and why has Tony decided to appear on Punch and Judy now of all times? Could it be that there is an election more imminent than the 5th of May?

Watch this space.

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Best wishes to the happy couple - Telegraph

Stranger than fiction - Telegraph

Quangos can go - BBC News

Could it be peace?

The hand shake could be the start of something amazing.

Rereading the BLOG entries around the time of Arafat's death I realise that I probably came across as rather harsh and uncaring, I hope that the progress that has been made since the change of Palestinian leadership at least partially vindicates my stance on this subject.

There has been peace process after peace process in the middle east but I hope that this will be the start of a lasting agreement. The spread of democracy will probably be the best way to guarantee lasting world peace and it is interesting to see that two long standing enemies in the middle east can find a link so soon after a democratic election in one.

Sky News

I appeared on Sky News yesterday to discuss the immigration and asylum policies that we have put forward. The program took the form of a panel discussion with Sadiq Khan (Labour Candidate for Tooting) and Evan Harris MP (Lib Dem Oxford West & Abingdon).

Sadiq seemed a genuinely nice guy, Evan Harris was pleasant enough off camera but very aggressive once they were rolling, I rather think that he was on the back foot because the Lib Dem position on immigration is all over the place.

He fell back on the usual argument that any policy to control immigration is inherently racist, at one point he almost accused us of placating the BNP. It is interesting then that a poll on the Voice (a black newspaper) show that over 66% of their readers feel that there needs to be a limit on the number of migrants entering the UK each year. It would be interesting to see the result if Evan Harris accused the readers of the Voice of placating the BNP.

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While doing my usual trawl of the internet for Lewisham based things I stumbled across a website called "Oust Prentice". It is still in it's early stages but I thought that I would give it a plug as its success would help me.

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Kite flying over tax increases - Telegraph

No caps please - BBC News

Why Labour hate the courts - Guardian

Soon to be gone

Susie and I took the boys for a swim at Ladywell Leisure centre this evening, it is very sad to think that despite so much opposition the Mayor is still obsessed with closing it.

I received a letter today asking if I could do something about Cllr Neil Semple, the Labour councillor for Lee Green, who lives in Scotland yet refuses to stand down. Of course there is nothing that I can do.

The Labour party dominate Lewisham council and they clearly feel that they don't need to worry about who they alienate or offend. That is why Neil Semple feels that he can draw his £8k a year and not earn it and why Steve Bullock feels that he can close the leisure centre and blame everyone and everything else for it.

The answer? Get a few more Conservatives on the council.

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Having children really focuses the mind on the issue of education, Tony Blair is a family man a famously committed to "education, education, education". What a load of rubbish, rubbish, rubbish.

The Labour party has overseen a huge decline in examination standards and despite a huge amount of tax, spend and spin, the levels of truancy has stayed the same and the number of failing schools has increased.

Must try harder!

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Truancy - Telegraph

Poor results - Guardian

A war of words - Telegraph

Playing by the rules

I have said in the past that the measure of the new Home Secretary would be whether or not he was willing to distance himself from the extreme measures that David Blunkett was pushing through. It seems as though he is not willing to stand up for the legal system.

Having been forced by the Law Lords (that unelected, unrepresentative bunch of reactionaries) to play by the rules Charles Clark is now twisting and turning in an attempt to shortcut the legal process. Having been told that internment for foreign nationals was racist, Charles decided that his best option was to intern everyone.

It is remarkable that when faced with a dilemma like this the government's instinct is to dramatically increase their own powers.

There is a fundamental problem with the Nu Labour clique and this is an example of it, they are control freaks. It is the only explanation for their total distrust of the courts, the Lords, the Commons, the electorate, everyone. This distrust borders on contempt.

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You can't, you can, you can't, here is an expensive PR campaign to explain. This is a great formula, it worked so badly for the changes to the legal status of cannabis that it was used again for the legal status of home owners who defend themselves and their property.

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My wishes go out to the families of the Army and RAF personnel who lost their lives in the Hercules crash. I also think that it is important to remember the hundreds of Iraqis and Americans who have lost their lives in the conflict, irrespective of your views on the political motives of the war the soldiers of all nations are just doing a job.

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What you can do to burglars - Telegraph

A sorry excuse from the IRA - BBC News