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by Paul Scully | Apr 19, 2008 | News |
Is it just me or is the spectacle of a series of Labour Ministers not quite resigning over a policy that they were cheering about on its announcement over a year ago faintly ridiculous and unedifying?
In the last budget that he delivered, Gordon Brown announced a headline ‘tax cut’ to great cheers from the Labour benches. Cutting the headline rate by 2p was paid for by scrapping the 10p tax bracket payable on the first £2,230 of taxable earnings. Of course commentators saw further than the back-slapping backbenchers, understanding that this would have a disproportionate effect on the less well-off. 5.3 million families will be affected by this change that has just come into effect with one in five families being worse off by anything up to £464 each year. Gordon explained it away as simplifying the tax system, despite the fact that he had introduced this extra tax bracket himself a few years before.
Smug Labour MPs looking forward to an autumn election have turned into a cynical bunch of politicians staring at the abyss. Seventy of these people have signed an Early Day Motion objecting to the move, some junior ministers have taken the commanding step that must make their constituents proud, of writing to the Prime Minister. Angela Smith, PPS to Yvette Cooper, resigned, spoke to Gordon who interrupted his photoshoot with the various presidential
hopefuls in the US and promptly caught the bottling bug explaining that ‘resigning her position was not envisaged.’ I love hate to say “I told you so!”
We are standing on the edge of an economic precipice. Trust Gordon Brown to want to push us forward. See you at the bottom.
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by Paul Scully | Apr 19, 2008 | News |
Following the mystic mayhem reported in a post yesterday,
there’s a real stink coming from the European Union.
This time it’s not from Brussels. Many newspapers have reported a stench carried on the winds from continental Europe to places as far west as Swindon. Apparently the culprits are German farmers spraying liquid manure. This has put paid to the original Gallic-sounding nickname of the phenomenon, Le Whiff.
by Paul Scully | Apr 18, 2008 | News |
The EU often come under some deserved stick for the rules, regulations and laws that it comes up with. However, when you have to spend your time legislating to prove your worth, occasionally you hit upon gold.
According to the Daily Telegraph, Britain’s 1951 Fraudulent Mediums Act is to be repealed next month and replaced by the EU Unfair Commercial Practices Directive, which comes into force on May 26. Under the outgoing legislation, the prosecution had to prove that a medium or spiritual healer had intended to be fraudulent in order to secure a conviction. But under the new European consumer protection directive, it will be the psychic’s responsibility to prove they did not mislead or coerce credulous consumers.
This reminds me of the old joke about the psychic fair that had to be cancelled due to unforeseen circumstances.
Note: Only UKIP members with a sense of humour may post a comment here:-
by Paul Scully | Apr 18, 2008 | News |
by Paul Scully | Apr 16, 2008 | News |
A few weeks before his trip to Carshalton, Boris timed a walkabout up Sutton High Street perfectly, missing the snow flurries that gusted down the hill. The response from members of the public was phenomenal with people coming to shake his hand, have a picture taken and wish him well. He is a celebrity without doubt, but remember he is still a politician, so this treatment is testament to the refreshing approach that he takes; a sensible appraisal of the problems that Londoners face with a cheeky smirk sufficiently visible to remind us of someone that does not take himself too seriously, unlike the incumbent who has finally begun to believe his own propaganda.
The highlight for me was the impromptu ska anthem by local band the Dualers. Whilst the lyrics “New Mayor of London, Boris Johnson” won’t be winning any BRIT awards any time soon, the sheer spontaeity of the occasion was excellent.
You can see this on the video which I have only managed to lay my hands on a couple of days ago, hence the delayed post. It’s a little rough and ready but, like Boris, not everything needs to be perfectly polished to be effective.
Is it just me or is the spectacle of a series of Labour Ministers not quite resigning over a policy that they were cheering about on its announcement over a year ago faintly ridiculous and unedifying?