Another out-of touch government proposal is branded a gimmick, D'oh!

As soon as the government comes up with ideas these days, it appears that there is immediately someone who wants to rubbish them. The worrying thing however is that it isn't even the opposition who are leading the attack. It seems to be the professionals who actually work in any area that the government hatches a "catch the pigeon" style reform or proposal. Jacqui Smith was decapitated yesterday over plans for her violence against women register. It's Gordon Brown's turn to be rubbished today.

In a speech called "Working Together", he will announce later today that: "We will recruit the brightest and best in our public services - for instance, with a new fast track teacher training scheme, taking six months instead of a year, to bring career switchers into the teaching profession."

However Mary Bousted, general secretary of the teaching union, the Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL) said;

"It sounds like an employment scheme for unemployed bankers, but this may not be the best way to go about it". she added; "I'm becoming very worried about the plethora of different gimmicks and initiatives the government is coming out with - this looks very much like back-of-the-fag-packet stuff."

If in fact this is a job scheme for ex-bankers, as a parent, I would be a little concerned (and a little sensationalist acknowledged) that these people who have spent the last couple of years of their professional lives ruining the world's economy through sheer and utter greed and avarice would have any input to my child's education and upbringing.

Anyway the point is that I am finding it hard to come to grips with how out of touch and seemingly desperate this government actually is. They should be trying to actively and cooperatively solve problems with the people who are facing them and not sitting in Whitehall pushing the same old "idea peas" round the same old "manifesto plates". They're stale. They're remote and they're failing. We need a change but we won't get one because this government's too arrogant to see that what they are actually doing and suggesting is going to do more harm than good for this country...and that really makes me mad!!!

Lights are on, but nobody's in at the Home Office

This is a desperate plea for someone to switch off the electricity at the Home Office. Why? Because it will stop the light bulb on top of Jacqui Smith's head from going off every time one of her nincompoop, Baldrick-esque, what I can only imagine to be graduate scheme policy makers comes up with a cunning plan.

The latest plan; make a database of men who have been violent towards women.

The idea has been ridiculed by Refuge, the leading charity which pretty much offers what it says on the tin to women and children victims of domestic violence. Their chief exec, Sandra Horley branded it as a "gimmick" and a "useless initiative". She also accused the government of hypocrisy by trying to talk tough when it was actually doing very little.

Now call me bi-polar on this one but I think that Horley's response was both funny and deadly serious. Funny because I can only imagine the pent up rage Smith must be feeling by having her big International Woman's Day initiative dismissed so strongly. Her parade was washed away to sea in fact it was rained on so heavily and that makes me laugh. It makes me laugh because I am past rage myself on how this government comes up with hollow and poorly thought through ideas which never materialise or never solve the problems they set out to. In fact they seem to create not only fresh but worse problems that those that already existed; FSA, Human Rights Act, Access to Information are good examples.

This database would always be incomplete because the vast majority of violent men are never reported. The list would extinguish the rights of men who have spent convictions and would presumably exclude violent women (so much for sexual equality). There would be issues about who would have access to the information contained on the list and in what capacity it could be accessed; girlfriend, neighbour, employer, bank etc.

What really makes me wonder about the intelligence and perhaps sanity of those coming up with ideas in the home office is that they have a handful of charities who are working in this area already yet they haven't forged proper working partnerships to try ideas from people who are actually on the ground working in that specific area. Why? I can only assume that the ego involved here is so big as to think that someone who hasn't been elected to a position of power couldn't possibly have anything valid to contribute the the running of the country. That bloody well makes me mad!!!

What's This...Has Jacqui Smith Seen the Light?

I didn't think I would ever see it let alone have to say it but it looks like Home Secretary Jacqui Smith has had an epiphany and has finally come up with a sensible idea. She has ordered an investigation into the impact that the dependents of immigrants outside the EU are having on the economy with the possibility of introducing barriers. Hallelujah!!!

My family is a product of immigration and everyone in my family has contributed to and upheld British traditions and values over those of their own countries. This is why I am particularly strong in my arguments against those who come to this country and don't contribute and abuse the system and hospitality. It also comes as no surprise to me that Smith has had to defend her position as not being racist because there will be people who will see this as a move to deny them of their "rights" (which coincidentally they would not have the pleasure of enjoying in their own countries). They will play the race card as early on as possible because they have come to recognise the fact that the British government and her institutions are petrified by it.

By playing it early, it would presumably be hoped that Smith will forget he investigation and drop her ideas. Lets hope to god that she can defend her policies as strongly as she has defended her expense claims. It is vital to the survival of the UK that immigration is controlled like it is in every other country in the world; the US, Australia, Canada, etc. We don't have the resources to cope with the population we've got now, let alone what we are likely to have in the future. To curb immigration is absolute common sense and absolutely nothing to do with racism. The people who play the race card so readily as an attack, need to learn that just because you say it, doesn't necessarily mean it is so. Likewise, the people against whom it is played need to learn the same and stand up against these bullies. Then and only then will we be able to start to live in a sensible and inclusive society...and that would actually make me quite happy for a change!

For article: http://uk.news.yahoo.com/21/20090222/tuk-immigrant-families-curbs-considered-6323e80.html

Witches of Leftwick are Two Down, One Up.

Two of the three "Witches of Leftwick" who stood so united and confident last year as a defiant shield for Gordon Brown during his comic handling of the election that never was, appear to be victims of a bit of reverse voodoo.

Jacqui Smith's Home Office policies are being absolutely slated in the press, from nanny state to extremist expulsions. She's also about to be scrutinised by the standards commissioner about the dodgy goings on with her commons expenses. She'll presumably have to explain why she resembles a New York city mobster in Havana at about the time Castro deposed Batista, trying to get as much cash from his casino out of the country as he can before the rebels move in and put a stop to it.

Poor old Tessa Jowell is breaking the law by employing "local" Eastern Europeans to build the Olympic Stadium in Stratford and paying them under the National minimum wage. Everyone's moaning (except the French of course who are presently scoffing) about the cost and the financial legacy of the Olympics in light of the unexpected recession/depression. Her husband has just been sentenced to four and a half years in jail in Italy for corruption, which it should be noted also involved the Prime Minister of Italy (who is somehow exempt from trial on this issue).

The third witch, Harriet Harman, however appears to be keeping a bit of a low profile at the moment...or is she? She is conspicuous by her squeaky cleanliness. No rows over expenses, no lies about torture, no crooks in her family.... I can't even really remember the last time I saw her on the news. However, scratch the surface and it seems as though she's been a bit busy. There are in fact, it seems ripples of leadership aspirations coming from 'Arri's camp. It has been alleged that her office leaked the information about PM Brown going to work for Merkel as an international banking watchdog (It occurs to me that Brown in light of his inability to watch and regulate the UK banking system would actually be the worst choice one could possibly make...but that's a different story). She appears to be trying to upstage the G20 in April and is in fact hosting an International Woman's Conference on the same day (wonder if Hillary will be there!). She has also disrupted cabinet meetings with rants against "bonus culture" in the banks in a cynical attempt to garner support from traditional lefties.

Apparently all this activity is beginning to upset those around her a bit, presumably people like Milliband, Old Father Brown himself (of course), Balls, Darling and others. I wonder however if she's the only one in the New Labour camp that is actually thinking about the future and survival of the party opposed to self. Whilst others in the government it seems have given up on producing new ideas and initiatives let alone even trying to implement current policy; whilst others seem to be squirreling away as much cash and perks as possible and asking their mates around the world for a job...'Arri looks at face value at least to be standing up for traditional Labour ideals and values and past the confines of her offshore bank accounts.

I always assumed that she was as shallow as the rest of her piers. She may be, but unlike her piers, she seems to have maintained at least some political integrity even if her rosettes are the wrong colour. I always thought that a woman leader of the labour party and possibly country made more sense than a woman leader of the Conservatives for some reason.

Knife Crime, Boris, Ferrari and Institutional Victims.

It is impossible to escape knife crime at the moment. It seems like young men are dropping like flies and there is no suggestion or indication yet that these crimes will cease to continue. New mayor Boris has taken steps with the police and with the backing of home secretary Jacqui Smith to introduce measures for tackling the problem. Funding has been approved for more metal detectors and teenagers will be stopped and searched on the streets, at train stations and bus stops. I think that all McDonalds restaurants should also be added to the list of targets.

The scheme seems to have widespread support from the communities in which it has been introduced. The communities are largely black communities because the victims are mainly black. There seems to be a positive resolution towards trying to solve the problem at least and that is a great thing. I was listening to LBC yesterday and this was a big part of the show for most of the day. Listening to this show was what made me angry.

The show which I think was presented by Nick Ferrari was awful. Firstly, the presenter in question is obviously itching for an opportunity (probably like the rest of the media) to give Boris a hard time about something, anything. Boris would have to be divine to escape his eventual and inevitable roasting at the hands of people like Ferrari. The presenter was baiting people to call in about the stop and search tactics the police will be using to try to combat the knife problem. He was looking for people who had had racist experiences with the police who he was also quick to remind us are institutionally racist (see Macpherson Report).

I became angry for a couple of reasons. Firstly, was the presenters negativity towards what seems to be a good idea in principle which also seemed to be supported by a number of people who I think are probably a tad (Airplane definition) more intelligent than himself. Secondly was the presenters insistence that pretty much every caller had not had a racist experience but simply a bad experience with the law. Now I know that Ian Blair had accused the media of being institutionally racist and I think that this was a shining example of what he probably meant. Here was a presenter asking inviting what would have been mostly black people with bad experiences to call him and then rubbishing their experiences and refusing to accept that they were anything to do with race. Nice one Ferrari, what a gaff! Hope Boris pulls you up on it.

The thing is though, it did start to make me think a little about the whole thing. After all, Ferrari, wrong as he was to do what he was doing in the way he was doing it, was I think to a certain extent right about things. The incidents did not sound racist. In fact they sounded like incidents that I know have happened to anyone regardless of race or colour. None of the callers could say anything that made me or the presenter think that there was any racism present although that doesn't necessarily mean that there wasn't. I did however start to think that whilst the police force is institutionally racist, there is also a possibility that some members of the black community are institutionally victimised.

Black people have been oppressed in one way or another for centuries, by the imperial Europeans to colonial Americans. They have been enslaved, impoverished, manipulated, segregated, ghettoised, marginalised and exploited as the world has developed. It could probably be argued that without the exploitation of the black man the world would not have developed at quite the rate it has. It seems nearly logical that having a history like this would influence the outlook of a certain number. If black people have been victims for centuries it follows that some will believe that they are still victims today especially if they are generally dissatisfied with life.

Racism for some people seems to become the reason for their frustration and failure to cope in situations which lead to mistreatment or disrespect or any unfavourable outcome. When bad things happen to some people and not just black people but Jews, Muslims etc, the issue of race is produced first as a shield and then as a sword to try to turn a disadvantage into an advantage and I think that there is something intrinsically wrong with that attitude because it induces alienation. People become frightened to say anything in case it can somehow be construed to be offensive and prefer instead to distance themselves and I think that this is part of the problem in the US and part of the developing problem in the UK.

The problem with knives is not new and I have seen programs on the TV for a good few years now about how school children and teenagers are scared because they know their classmates are carrying weapons for aggression or protection. We have also been watching the reemergence of gang culture on our streets for years. The problem is that the current government has refused to tackle the issues and reasons for the breakdown in society and have refused to do so because they are frightened of being shouted at by the small number of people who see themselves as victims. With regards to knife crime, I think part of the reason for the reluctance to act is that it would mean more police on the streets and therefore more money spent which I don't think they would be able to find. However the big reason is that they would have to reintroduce stop and search properly in the communities that are affected most heavily by this type of crime. This is a terrifying prospect for any government because it can only lead to accusations of racism, high profile mistakes in execution of the policies and maybe like the 80s clashes and riots in the streets. In short, this is a potential hornets nest but it is a nest that needs stirring if any progress is to be made. Headlines could be bad for any government making waves in this area, but the government needs to forget the headlines for five minutes and the opinion polls and actually get their hands dirty for a change. If they can do it they might actually leave a legacy other than war and maybe worth talking about.

Similarly, as a society we need to be able to stand up and talk freely and constructively about these problems and without fear of racist accusations otherwise nothing will change and the black man and those around him will be victims forever...and that's a bad thing.

Hubble Bubble, Beware the Witches of Leftwick

I just wanted to wish Boris congratulations on his victory for Mayor of London. I hope he can turn his energy and excitement into something really positive as far as London is concerned.

After years of near hatred, I have to say that I was also a little sad to see Ken Livingstone go (but not a lot). He actually seemed to take it quite well. I had visions of him attacking Gordon Brown, the labour party and the public in the same way as we have seen him attack the London assembly over the years, but he was magnanimous in defeat. I nearly got angry when I was listening to LBC and a listener suggested that he should now look to run for leadership of the labour party and then to become PM. "God, no!!!" I thought to myself before I remembered that half of LBC's listeners are as raving mad and delusional as the people they support, this poor lady being one of them.


I have also been amused over the last couple of days by the Labour hierarchy telling us that the results mean it is time for them to listen and that what we need is strong leadership through hard times or in other words, as a public we don't actually know what we want and the government has to do what they want to do anyway whilst doing it with a sympathetic look on their faces and ruffled brow.


I also think that I have spotted something very interesting as a result of the labour defeat this week. Brown had his big guns out. If you like his rottweilers of war. A trio no less who flew the red standard and charged into battle for the leader....and the interesting thing is that they were all women. I think the chaps in the cabinet were around and about but the main muscle on all of the political commentary shows I was watching on TV were the ladies. Harriet, Tessa and Jacqui were all unfazed and almost maniacal in their belief in what they were trying to say (previous paragraph) and stand for.

They actually did a very good job of taking much of the flack that was flying about and I have to say that if I were married to either of them, the last thing I would be worried about would be whether they would support me in times of trouble. These are the type of women that successful men are made of. They also showed a strength and determination I associate with another lady politician of not too long ago. Yes...the great ginger one, the Iron Lady herself, old Mrs T. Imagine three Margaret Thatchers. It is an absolutely terrifying prospect but the possibility has been brewing in the labour party for years and under our very noses.

Look (as Tony Blair would say), forget about the chaps for New Labour. I mean, seriously, who have they got? The Two Camp Millibands or Ed Balls (John Prescott II). These three women singularly could eat any of the aforementioned for breakfast whilst reciting tracts from the Odyssey in reverse, standing on their heads and gargling Champagne. If they were to unite like Gordon and Tony did, they could be great and when Gordon falls they could inherit the earth (of the UK at least). There is an outside chance that they will all shave their heads, start wearing flowery mini dresses and chanting hippy love songs round the halls of Westminster, however it is more likely that they will be fundamental and vital to the future success of their party. I don't necessarily think that they would plot Gordon's demise themselves because they seem to be too loyal for that, but when he goes, I think that rivals from within and outside new labour will all need to start watching what what these three women will do even if they are unwise enough to be ignoring them today.