Recrord numbers leaving the UK

Firstly, apologies for the lack of recent updates. Its been a busy time with much going on in my personal life.

BBC

More people left the UK last year than in any year since current records began in 1991, statistics show.

Figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) indicate that some 385,000 people left the UK for the long term in the year to mid-2006.

Is it any wonder?

This bastardised nation is a shadow of its former self in every respect. People don't give a shit about each other. Greed is good, criminals operate with virtual impunity and its no longer ok to be British.

We're dictated to by a little political elite - usually right on tossers who think they're superior to the rest of us.

This country has brought it all upon itself.

Heads must roll at the Royal Mail

I'm sick and tired of this company.

I'm forced to use their service yet am held to ransom by their workers.

According to the BBC the CWU is planning more strikes over coming weeks.

Is this the 70's? Why are we allowing these people to dictate and hold us to ransom.

If they don't like their conditions, do what the rest of us in the real world do - get a new job.

If it were up to me I'd sack every last one of them on the spot.

Workshy, self centred, greedy bastards.

Fuck you Royal Mail and fuck you CWU.

A national disgrace.

This is the face of 21st Century Britain

This vile scumbag is typical of many teenagers and adults who infest the streets of the UK.

It is reported that he was personally responsible for 40% of crime in his town until his father reported him for damaging the family home.

Sadly, this type of vermin are common in the UK.

Most days of the week I see these types of people damaging property, physically attacking passers by, urinating in public, intimidating & shouting abuse at anyone they feel 'deserves' it.

On public transport they damage infrastructure, assault passengers & staff, play loud 'chav' music on their cheap mobile phones.

In their homes they play music to all hours irrespective on how many times they've been warned by the police or local authorities.

I grew up in one of the (officially) most deprived parts of the UK during the 80's/early 90's. Times were tough, unemployment was high & crime was endemic. Rarely did it include unprovoked aggression or rampant destruction of property.

The scale of this behaviour is worrying - now many parents and children are as bad each other - they've behaved this way unchecked so its natural their offspring follow in their parents footsteps.

What do we get in return? ASBO's and community service.

It would be a joke - if it was funny.

I don't claim to have the answers. How exactly do you deal with a sub working class feral group of people?

For starters, perhaps if the police didn't humour them as much as they do (friendly chats, on street warnings), maybe if the courts started handing out real sentences (not just a slap on the wrist) so that both deterrent and punishment can be understood by these people? How about people (usually people who don't have to live in areas infested by these vermin) stop making excuses for unacceptable behaviour?

We also have to enquire as to why we tend to be paying benefits to these workshy yobs. There is a job out there for every able bodied person. No excuse for not paying their own way.

Its time for a REAL CRACKDOWN on these people. They ruin the lives of countless honest hard working people.

More can be done - why do we accept that it isn't already happening?

This post is probably an extensive rant rather than a well formed arguement but I'm pig sick of these bastards!

Al-Qaeda condemns UK

That right-on paragon of virtue Ayman al-Zawahiri has released an audio tape condemning the UK for honouring Salman Rushdie.

I have already passed comment on this blog but do feel its worth reminding him of a couple of key points:

1). Not being a British citizen it is absolutely none of his business.
2). Not everyone in this country supports this particular honour (or the system in general).
3). Rushdie is a no-mark, a nothing, an inconsequential hack about whom most of us couldn't care less.

That said, I take issue with his threats. Who the hell does he think he is dictating to us?

Being a religious nutter does not give him carte blanche to discuss internal decisions of a sovereign nation - in the same way that other fanatics had no right whatsoever to harass and intimidate the Danes over cartoons posted in their newspaper.

Of course, the Foreign Office have spoken for 'us' -

The government has already made clear that Rushdie's honour was not intended as an insult to Islam or the Prophet Muhammad

Not sure what offends me most, Zawahiri's comments or the limp wristed response from the Foreign Office. Personally, I'd have requested they tell him to rot in hell.

Update on the Cannabis Granny

Back in March it was announced that Milecastle Housing were taking cannabis granny Patricia Tabram to court in order to evict her should she use, cultivate or deal the drug from their rented property.

Mercifully, a judge has decided that there will be an order but only to prevent Mrs Tabram if she cultivates or supplies the drug. This means she will be able to continue to use cannabis on the premises and can only be sanctioned by the police.

More

As an aside, It would appear that Milecastle Housing are paying attention to the negative publicity on this subject.

On the day of the judgement (Friday) I recieved the following hit to the previous entry -

Referring Link http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&q=cannabis granny milecastle&meta=
Host Name mail.milecastlehousing.co.uk
IP Address 84.12.252.114
Country United Kingdom
Region England
City London


So, If you're reading this Milecastle, leave the old dear alone. She's doing harm to no-one. If the state is so backwards as to not supply appropriate pain relief to those who need it, it isn't your place to operate as an moral guardian.

Alan Johnston Freed

BBC:

BBC correspondent Alan Johnston has been released by kidnappers in Gaza after nearly four months in captivity.

He said it was "fantastic" to be free after an "appalling experience". Mr Johnston, 45, was seen leaving a Gaza City building accompanied by armed men.

He said he had been unable to see the sun for three months, and was once chained for 24 hours.

Fantastic news for a change!

Welcome back Alan!

President Bush: Serious abuse of Power

US President George Bush has commuted the sentence imposed on former Chief of Staff for Dick Cheney.

Scooter Libby was convicted this year and sentenced to 30 months in prison with two years probation.

Bush has now formally commuted the sentence.

At the time of his convction, Juror Denis Collins said -

"said he and fellow jurors found that passing judgement on Libby was 'unpleasant.' But in the final analysis, he said jurors found Libby's story just too hard to believe: 'We're not saying we didn't think Mr. Libby was guilty of the things we found him guilty of, but it seemed like ... he was the fall guy'. Collins said the jury believed Libby was 'tasked by the vice president to go and talk to reporters.

If nothing else, doesn't this indicate Bush and Cheney know they have something to hide? This isn't one for conspiracy theorists, its one for Congress. They should impeach Bush and Cheney now.

Quote of the day

There is currently a documentary on ITV about the departure of Tony Blair.

Talking to people in a soup kitchen, one of those 'benefiting' from his social reforms -

I voted Labour - until i was made homeless

Not a hint of bitterness, cynicism or anger.

Hmm. The true intellect of a Labour voter.

Goodbye Blair

I'm not a fan of Blair, I never have been.

Just seen his speech in Parliament this afternoon.

Over the years I've said my bit on each of his plans, policies & actions.

He's made some poor decisions which have cost us all dearly. He's lied to us (intentionally or not) and he's took us into a number of wars. Some valid, some not.

That said, I do admire the way he bowed out today. It was odd to see him going after all this time. I was pleased to see the applause from all sides of the house.

I have a bottle of Glen Morangie here and I think a drop is in order. Not as a celebration more to toast the end of an era.

The question is of course, what happens now? What is Brown going to do now he has his prize?

I'm not a fan for various reasons but will judge him (as I suspect most will) on what he does. Lets hope its for the better.

Hundreds trapped by flooding in Sheffield

June. A time when we can expect warm weather, blue skies and little rain.

June 2007. Hundreds trapped by flooding in Sheffield

Emergency services are mounting a major rescue operation after hundreds of people became trapped in their workplaces by rising flood waters in Sheffield.
People stranded inside buildings told Sky News how they had watched helplessly as walls were pulled down and cars swept away by torrents of water raging outside.

There seems to be an increasing number of these "freak" weather events around the world.

Welcome to climate change.

[Update 20:49]About an hour ago I saw one of the Sea King Helicopters flying over, presumably to aid in the rescue. It was an ominous sight. The more information that comes out, the worse the effects of this sound. Sky News are reporting that these floods are far more widespread than first thought and could affect other areas of that region.

I wish everyone involved all the best. These aren't areas you would expect to have problems with flooding.

$54 million claim for lost trousers dismissed

Strictly speaking, this isn't a UK story but It does highlight the dangers of the litigation culture which has found its way across the Atlantic in the last few years.

A US judge has lost a $54m (£27m) claim against a South Korean dry-cleaning firm which lost a pair of his trousers.

By refusing to pay him $1,000 (£500) after losing his trousers, they failed to honour a pledge to provide "Satisfaction Guaranteed", he argued.

But a Washington judge dismissed the case, which drew international attention, awarding the cleaners costs.

Legal groups have said the case, which has dragged on for two years and involved thousands of hours of legal investigative work, has damaged the image of the US judicial system.

BBC

I think the worst part of this story is that the suit was launched by a JUDGE

Coverup

Not sure I buy the bullshit they're selling about the Iran Sailors affair.

Irrespective of that, I take issue with -

On the decision to allow two sailors to sell their stories, there had been a "collective failure of judgment".

Armed forces personnel would be banned from selling stories in future he said.

Collective? No. Its the fault of the person who made the decision - who was it and do they still have a job? If so, why? Simple I guess - because it was a snide attempt at propaganda which failed miserably.

In addition - "banned in future" err.. aren't they already prohibited from doing this? Didn't this "collective" take the decision to make an exception?

As the gran on Catherine Tate would say - "...what a load of old shit"!

Queen's birthday honours: Bottom of the barrel

BBC

Salman Rushdie and Ryan Giggs have been 'honoured' this time around.

Fuck me! Talk about the dregs of society - a washed up author and a footballer.

Time to abolish the corrupt honours system. Whilst we're at it, time to get rid of the monarchy.

BBC's Alan Johnston about to be released?

I've just caught a report on Fox News that Alan Johnston is now 'with Hamas' and that his release could be imminent.

Lets hope so.

Saudi Prince 'paid' by BAE

BBC

A Saudi prince received secret payments from the UK's biggest arms dealer, a BBC investigation has revealed.

BAE Systems made regular payments of hundreds of millions of pounds to Prince Bandar bin Sultan for more than a decade.

The payments were made with the full knowledge of the Ministry of Defence.

Prince Bandar would not comment and BAE systems said they acted lawfully at all times. The MoD said information about the Al Yamamah deal was confidential.

Well there's a surprise, eh?!

And what did our corrupt government do? Scuppered the investigation.

Why does nobody get angry about this? Why do we let it happen?

Despicable

BBC

A mother has been fined for abandoning her two young children alongside a busy dual carriageway on a winter afternoon.

The 44-year-old left her daughters, aged six and nine, on Northumberland's A69 after an argument.

Police were called by concerned motorists who had spotted the children at the roadside in January.

The woman admitted two charges of abandoning or exposing a child to unnecessary suffering and was fined £2,000 by Hexham magistrates.

What kind of a mother does this to her kids?

I don't know what I find most offensive - the action or the punishment.

Doesn't work in a punitive way nor does it work as a deterrent for other terrible parents.

I'd have locked her up for life. The risks she exposed these children to in such a way indicate she's clearly not stable enough to raise them and who knows what happens behind closed doors.

Another portion of 'justice' served by the state.

John Prescott:

I've just seen a brief report about John Prescott on BBC News 24.

It said he has Pneumonia and was now in a high dependency unit.

This doesn't sound good.

I'm about as far from a Labour supporter as you are likely to get but I've never really had an issue with Prescott.

Ok, so he had his affair, something I don't approve of. He's also supported New Labour, something I also don't approve of, he's also held on to the Deputy PM position when he should have resigned/been fired.

That said, He's one of the few senior Labour politicians I would wish well in these circumstances.

He's a character and doesn't seem like an arrogant prick (unlike most of his colleagues). He also gave the idiot who threw an egg at him what he deserved.

Here's hoping he recovers.

London 2012: Logo unveiled

This travesty is the London 2012 Olympics logo.

What can one say about this crap?

According to Seb Coe -

"It's not a logo, it's a brand that will take us forward for the next five years,"

And guess what? This monstrosity actually cost £400,000!

Apparently, this logo will be 'the image he wants the London games to deliver to the world'.

Jeeezz! If this is the best they can come up with, god only knows what a farce this Olympics will turn out to be.

US Quarantine 'Super TB' victim

Reuters

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States has isolated a man who may have exposed fellow passengers on two transatlantic flights to a strain of tuberculosis that is extremely hard to treat, officials said on Tuesday.

It was the first time the federal government has issued such an isolation order since at least 1963, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

CDC Director Dr. Julie Gerberding said authorities were trying to notify passengers who traveled aboard Air France 385 from Atlanta to Paris on May 13 and back to the United States from Prague on Czech Air Flight 0104 on May 24.

They may have been exposed to the patient, who has a strain of tuberculosis that resists virtually all antibiotics called extensive drug-resistant TB, or XDR TB for short.

"This is an unusual TB organism, one that's very, very difficult to treat. And we want to make sure that we have done everything we possibly can to identify people who could be at risk," Gerberding said at a news conference.

Authorities did not identify the man, but said he voluntarily entered a medical isolation facility in New York City.

"The passengers most likely to be at risk would be the passengers would were seated in seats immediately close to the patient," Gerberding said.

"And consistent with the World Health Organization guidelines, CDC is recommending that those passengers be notified by their health officials in their responsible country or state, and that such persons then have a test for tuberculosis to determine whether or not they were in fact exposed."


Some years ago I was on a flight from Singapore to Australia. As the plane landed in Sydney, we were informed a child had been 'ill' during the flight and there was concern it was SARS and that they might want to quarantine all passengers and crew.

Thankfully, they didn't detain us.

UK Citizens should get priority

BBC:

The Industry Minister Margaret Hodge has said UK families should be given priority over immigrants when it comes to receiving council housing.

Well DUH!

Just goes to show what a sorry state of affairs this country is in when this is put out as something we 'should be doing' - it should never have been any other way.

Essentially, until we have homes for everyone born in this country we shouldn't entertain giving foreign citizens anything.

We're a soft touch and it MUST STOP!

The report goes on to say -

Nancy Kelley, head of international and UK policy at the Refugee Council, told the paper: "The way to counter some of the views put forward by far-right parties is not to follow their lead."

She also pointed out that people who are confirmed as refugees in the UK are entitled to council housing but on the "same basis as a UK national, on the basis of need".

Firstly Nancy, some of these right wing parties actually have a point. Its left wing idiots like you who are trying to stifle legitimate views held by a significant number of the population.

As for the "same basis as a UK national" - UK nationals MUST always have priority over everyone else.

A great [Legal] alternative to Cannabis

I've always enjoyed a smoke. Find it a good way to wind down and far less harmful than alcohol.

Last year, there was quite a drought in the UK so rarely smoked any after that.

Instead, I found a legal alternative. Been smoking it on and off for a few months now.

I know many people who just don't believe in the legal options, they feel it is unlikely to have an effect. On the whole, this is true.

This stuff bucks that trend, Its called Spice and can be bought online or in local 'headshops' in the UK.

The regular version is less potent than Spice Gold but still produces a powerful relaxed, stoned feeling.

It doesn't mimic the taste of cannabis (resin or green) but it is rather pleasant (perhaps a little sweet for my liking).

Only downside I've found is that you still feel quite stoned the following morning and need plenty of water to get rid of a very dry mouth!

[NB: This is not an advert, just worthy of a mention - other suppliers are available - i have no affiliation with the link]

Gordon Brown is a cunt

Firstly, no posts about the language in this post. Go read some wishy-washy PC claptrap blog if you don't like it.

BBC

Gordon Brown has rejected calls to block a controversial move by MPs to get out of freedom of information laws.

MPs pushed the plan closer to becoming law earlier in what critics called a "shameful day for Parliament".

The MPs say they want to protect private letters from constituents - but critics say the move would also allow them to keep their expenses secret.

Mr Brown, who takes over as Labour leader and prime minister next month, has pledged more "open" politics.

A spokesman for the chancellor said he had also promised not to dictate to MPs.

"Gordon has also spoken about the sovereignty of Parliament. If MPs have voted this measure through then that is a matter for them", his spokesman said.

So this is how its going to be with the unelected Brown?

I wasn't sure what to make of him, he's been so quiet in public in the last decade its been difficult to identify him against the background noise of New Labour/Blair(ism). Now its becoming clear what he's like - weak & arrogant.

For starters Brown, you are also an MP and are entitled to express an opinion on this. By implication you obviously support this move meaning that you believe in one rule for MP's and another for everyone else.

People can talk about his raids on pension funds and all the rest of his poor judgements but he'll be remembered most for what he does between now and the next election. He better buck his ideas up or the loss he will suffer at the next General Election could be unprecedented.

And where is this moron? Nowhere to be seen? Funny how this spineless toad disapears when the going gets tough.

Brown; Go fuck yourself.

Wolfowitz to resign from World Bank

I've heard reports this evening that Paul Wolfowitz, President of the World Bank is negotiating his resignation with the board.

This corrupt neo-con scumbag abused his position to obtain a payrise for his girlfriend.

This is the bank which is supposed to help developing nations. He should be strung up.

More on the scandal on Wikipedia

Catalogue of Errors!

The Dun Cow Inn, Sedgefield is familiar to many of us. In 2003, Tony Blair took George Bush to 'his local' for lunch.

To commemorate the occasion, a plaque was installed on the building.

Alas, things didn't go quite to plan!

A plaque outside the pub now commemorates the visit but, unfortunately, the organisation responsible for it didn't do their homework, as it contains no fewer than three glaring errors.

Not only have they got the wrong date, they have also misspelled the Prime Minister's middle name and, incredibly, the name of the pub.

You couldn't make it up!

Blair, still spinning!

I was quite surprised to read this story on Iain Dale's Diary.

A quick Google search found proof of the allegation.

I saw a lot of the coverage of Blair's resignation speech with a lot of knowledgeable commentators, nobody else highlighted this at the time - why not? Most of the reporters and pundits simply referred to them as constituents.

Interesting to see Blair is still spinning in the dying days of his Premiership.

I guess I shouldn't really be surprised but you'd have thought he'd have learnt the lesson by now.

A good day to bury 'bad' news

It would appear that the inevitable is happening -

• The government have announced that the cost of ID cards is starting to creep up, as widely predicted by many individuals and institutions such as the LSE

• The Government are using todays big story (Blair's resignation) to put out bad news in the cynical belief that no-one will notice.

The Liberal Democrats and Tories haven't missed this but the media has.

There is bound to be more of this stuff out there so keep your eyes peeled!

Blairs Speech - Offensive before it starts

I'm watching the Sky News coverage from Trimdon Labour Club.

They've been playing two songs -

Things can only get better by D:Ream

Lifted by the Lighthouse Family

Ok, so now he's going hopefully things will get better, but as this song is associated with the start of his reign, I don't really appreciate them playing this given his legacy is a huge number of innocent people being killed.

Mr Blair, you at no point during your time as PM have 'Lifted' me or anyone I can think of.

Enough of the spin, just bow out and fuck off!

Blair to announce his next move

BBC:

Tony Blair will "make an announcement" on his future as Labour leader on Thursday, Downing Street has confirmed.

Mr Blair will tell Cabinet colleagues of his intentions on Thursday morning, before making his plans public in a speech in his Sedgefield constituency.

Party sources have told me that he will walk on water, feed the 5,000 and turn water in to wine.

At some point he will also tell us that he's finally going.

Ok Blair, begone. Don't let the door hit you on the arse as you leave.

Patricia Hewitt, Liar?

On the BBC's FOIA blog, Martin Rosenbaum reports:

It's a year since the Health Secretary Patricia Hewitt told a rowdy and dissatisfied audience at the Royal College of Nursing conference that she would work a night shift with a nurse who heckled her, and that it wouldn't be the first one.

When a neonatal nurse from South Tyneside challenged Hewitt about the level of staffing on night shifts, offering 'If you would like to come and work a night shift, Patricia, please contact me afterwards', the Health Secretary promptly replied 'Of course I'll do that, and it won't be the first one either.'

It then transpired that any 'night shift' she had worked so far lasted a maximum of 90 minutes. So has she worked any night shifts since then? The Department of Health has now told the BBC in reply to an FOI request that 'the Secretary of State has not worked any night shifts since the Royal College of Nursing Conference last year'.

Interesting. I'm sure the Nurses would be interested to read this.

Fuck the SNP

So the SNP are claiming a victory in Scotland.

Yawn.

These tedious idiots and those who voted for them are the most inane cretins the UK has produced in recent years.

We've have been one nation for 300 years. We are geographically, a tiny nation. This kind of pathetic nationalism is totally unnecessary and utterly pointless.

Do grow up.

Personally, I think we should abolish the assemblies in Scotland and Wales. You are all British, your Parliament is in Westminster.

Deal with it.

A tactical vote

Today is 'Super Thursday". Local elections are happening throughout the UK.

Today I had a choice of the big three and nothing else.

I don't feel that any party truly represents me at present but needed to register another vote against Labour.

Alas, this is a 'Labour heartland' (although they no longer control the council). The Tories will never get elected for any seat here. As a result, I had to vote Liberal Democrat.

I don't disapprove of what the Lib Dems have to say, on the whole. But don't buy everything they're offering.

Nonetheless, my right has been exercised, I look forward to the results.

For more on the elections, please take a look at 18 Doughty Street & Iain Dale's Diary

Blears humiliates herself, again

Hazel Blears has once again made a fool of herself on this evenings Newsnight.

When asked by Paxman whether people want a general election or not, she said she didn't think they did despite the poll which was part of a story before the interview -

73% of those asked favour an election after the new leader takes over the role.

More results here. (PDF)

Her response to whether or not Blair was still an asset was priceless. Not quite the same as the memorable Michael Howard interview (which is here if you want to see it again).

If you missed Blears vs Paxman tonight, it will be repeated online here until tomorrow evening.

Response to Iain Dale from Geraldine Smith

This weekend, Tory blogger Iain Dale posted an article concerning Geraldine Smith, Labour MP for Morecambe and Lunesdale.

For the purposes of balance I wrote to Geraldine to ask for her response, I have received the following email which I publish in full.

In response to a blog making defamatory allegations about me that has appeared on an Internet site. I wish to state that the versions of events described in this article are factually incorrect in virtually every aspect.

The central allegation is that on Thursday 26 April I attempted to travel from London to Morecambe on an out of date ticket and then tried to use my position as a Member of Parliament to browbeat the train manager into accepting it. This is totally untrue, on the day in question I presented the train manager with a valid in date ticket for the journey. The train manager inspected it, stamped it and returned it to me without question.

There was however an incident involving a member of my staff who was sitting across the aisle in an adjacent seat. Whilst waiting for the train manager to approach him, he noticed that the return portion of his ticket had been stamped. On closer inspection he found that it was for travel from Morecambe-London, which had been his outward journey. The outward portion of his ticket was unstamped and was for travel between London & Morecambe i.e. the journey he was making. The ticket was well in date in fact it had over 3 weeks before it was due to expire. It was obvious to him that an error had been made when the tickets were issued and the outward and return journeys were the wrong way round. My member of staff duly presented both portions of his ticket to the train manager and informed him of what had happened. He demonstrated that the date stamp on the Morecambe-London portion clearly showed that he had travelled to London on Monday 23 April (the first day that the ticket was valid from) and that he was now using the other portion to return home. To his surprise and annoyance the train manager informed that because the return part of the ticket had been used the unused ticket was invalid. He then sought to get my member of staff to purchase another ticket. My member of staff told him quite bluntly that he was being unreasonable and that he had no intention of purchasing another ticket and that he would take the matter with Virgin when he got home.

The train manager then left the carriage and I asked my member of staff what the problem was. For although I had overheard the latter part of their conversation I was not clear on how it had started. He filled me in on what had transpired and I agreed with him that the train manager’s refusal to accept his unused ticket was unreasonable.

The train manager returned shortly after armed with sizeable rulebook and a pad of invalid travel notices. He then approached my staff member and proceeded to point to a rule to justify his actions. My member of staff replied to him that whether or not a rule existed it should be applied with commonsense. He also said that no references to the restricted use of open tickets were made either on the tickets or at the point of purchase.

It was at this point that I felt that it was appropriate to intervene and I asked the train manager if I could have a word with him. I introduced myself as Geraldine Smith and told him that I was the Member of Parliament for Morecambe & Lunesdale. I imparted this information not to intimidate him in any way but simply because it was relevant to the issue. I explained that the person whose ticket he was refusing to accept was a member of my staff and that I had purchased the tickets for him using my Parliamentary charge card on Euston station on my way home from Parliament the previous week. I told him that I had asked for a 1st class open return ticket from Morecambe to London with a start date of Monday 23 April and that the ticket clerk had clearly issued them wrongly. I also informed that the whole point of purchasing open tickets at the exorbitant price that the train operators charged for them was the flexibility they afforded to people with uncertain travel arrangements. I put it to him that the all fuss was about a simple error and that it was wrong to penalise a passenger because of it. I suggested that the matter could be amicably resolved by him accepting the in date unused fully paid ticket that had been presented to him. I told him that to do otherwise would simply waste the time of Virgin and myself sorting it out at a later date.

I put these points to the train manager in a plain straightforward fashion. He for his part listened courteously and attentively to what I had to say. In fact he was courteous and polite throughout the whole thing but unfortunately he was determinedly unhelpful in equal measure.

Having listened to what I had to say the train manager asked me for my name and address. I replied Geraldine Smith House of Commons London on the basis that any payments due to be made or any refund on unused tickets would have to go through the House of Commons procedures. He responded by stating that he could not accept the House of Commons as my address and that he required my home address. I realised at point that it was intention to issue me with an invalid travel notice (even though I had already presented him with a valid ticket that he had accepted) and not to my member of staff whose ticket he had rejected. I came to the conclusion that any further dialogue with the train manager was futile and informed him accordingly. I also informed him that I would be contacting a senior manager at Virgin trains headquarters as soon as I was able to do so. He told me that he was not satisfied with my refusal to give him my home address and that he would be taking some unspecified further action.

I then made calls to my offices in Morecambe & London to obtain the telephone number of Virgin trains chief executive’s office. I subsequently spoke to his secretary who informed me he was unavailable and she put me through to the franchise director. I attempted to explain to him what had transpired with the train manager but due to frequent loss of signal and generally poor reception this became virtually impossible. As the train was approaching Warrington we agreed to defer our discussion until I had left the train at Preston.

A short time later the train manager reappeared and presented me with an invalid travel notice. I assisted him by supplying him with the postcode for the House of Commons, which had now apparently become an acceptable address but declined his invitation for me to sign it because I felt that it would be inappropriate for me to so.

After a short and amicable discussion with the franchise director about the issue when I arrived at Preston he agreed that the invalid travel notice be withdrawn and intimated that an apology would be forthcoming. However I yet to receive the written confirmation that he promised to send me.

The foregoing accurately reflects what actually happened during my journey home on Thursday 26 April 2007. At no stage did I threaten, bully badger or belittle the train manager. Neither at any stage claim or expect any privilege to be afforded to me because I am a Member of Parliament.

Finally I fervently believe in the right of free speech within the limits that the law allows. However I draw the line at the publication of slanderous lies from undisclosed but obviously politically motivated sources, without any real attempt to establish the veracity of the statements being made.



Geraldine Smith
Member of Parliament

Things can only get better

On May 7th BBC Parliament will be showing their coverage of the 1997 General Election.

I'm pretty confident that when it gets to the wee small hours and we're watching the rendition of 'Things Can Only Get Better' by D:Ream, I might finally start to believe it!

Slightly more information here

Hero

I don't want to pass comment on the Virginia Tech shootings. There's nothing I can say which hasn't been said already.

That said, I missed this until today and think people should know about it.

Waleed Shalaan

A nation of Immigrants

A 'pamphlet' has been released claiming the UK may have reached a tipping point which may irreversibly change the character of our nation.

I think the report is right.

Before anyone makes a comment that discussion about this is racist, please, go fuck yourself, stop stifling debate!

This country is geographically insignificant with limited resources.

Its already overpopulated, crime is high, people can't afford decent homes because we aren't building enough to cope with demand.

We've always been a welcoming nation but we've been taken advantage of in recent years.

Enough is enough. Time for two things:

1). No more. Don't bother coming, to most people, I think its fair to say new immigrants (irrespective of reason) are no longer welcome. A self serving, self absorbed little 'elite' group insist otherwise - You are wrong. Its ok for you people on your high salaries with your 'bought and paid for' homes to tell the rest of us which views to take. Doesn't make you right though.

2). A purge. We should check every single 'immigrant', check their status, whether they have any involvement with criminality, whether they're a contributor or detractor when it comes to society and then decide whether they should stay or go. None of this messing around with immigration tribunals (which are a joke), either in or out. If they're out - put them on the next flight out of here.

This has nothing to do with race or ethnicity. I make no comment about a particular nation, colour, creed or religion. All i know is that I'm sick and tired of people taking advantage of our good will. I'm sick and tired of overcrowding, lectures about what I can/can't think or say.

To hell with it. This country belongs to those born here. End of.

Question Tony Blair

The BBC are inviting Questions for Tony Blair.

A 'selection' of questions will be put to him on the Politics show this Sunday, 15th April.

Blair: The man is taking the piss!

Forget whatever else we know about Tony 'War Criminal' Blair for a moment.

Lets consider his comments today about the Sailors stories farce.

Apparently, Blair thinks that -

"in hindsight" the navy's decision to allow sailors held captive in Iran to sell their stories to the media was not a "good idea".

Hindsight? What is the man talking about. Was blatant from the off that it was a terrible idea. It was condemned before the papers hit the press. Hindsight?! Give me a break!

Apparently Blair wasn't "involved in the decision". Does anyone believe him? Really.. do any of you believe a word this man says?!

Earlier, Defence Secretary Des Browne said he took full responsibility for allowing the stories to be sold.

Lots of Labour Ministers 'take responsibility' for poor decisions. How come they remain in office? Surely flawed decision making at this level should result in the sack - immediately?

Mr Blair said that he did not think such stories would be sold in future.

Were they sold in the past? Were they fuck! I'm reminded of Winston Smith's job in 1984, seems Blair thinks he can rewrite the past.

"With hindsight was that a good idea? No, precisely because people would then misrepresent that somehow the navy were encouraging people to sell their stories, which they weren't doing at all."

Err. No. That isn't the issue at all. Serving members of the armed forces should never profit from the role in this disgusting way.

As for the propaganda value, please! We look like idiots from whichever angle you look at this farce.

He said he, and the navy, were "not content" with the decision but felt they had little choice, given that the stories had to be told in the freed captives' own interests "to counteract the propaganda the Iranians had put out using them".

What absolute nonsense! If there was a good reason to get these stories out, the Sailors could have quite easily issued a statement through the MOD, without payment, without seeming like greedy, manipulated fools.

Mr Cameron responded to Mr Browne's statement by saying there should be a full Ministry of Defence inquiry, to allow lessons to be learned.

He's no better. Enquiry! As Jim Royle would say - "enquiry my arse!". If Browne made the decision, his head should roll.

Cameron - grow some balls or piss off back to your posh country pad and stay they you useless berk!

For me, this has once again shown our government to be a bunch of idiotic liars, incompetent spin merchants, propagandists and imbeciles.

What a bunch of wankers!

More propaganda: Sailors to sell stories

It was revealed today that the MOD (yeah, right, so this didn't come from Downing Street?) have allowed the captured sailors to sell their stories to the press.

What a sickening state of affairs.

The propaganda coming out of the UK for the duration of this 'crisis' was no different from that coming out of Iran: lies & spin.

What an undignified approach to this event.

I wasn't going to criticise the sailors directly, I feel that they probably took the right actions in not fighting back when massively outnumbered. I think they made a dignified (although not entirely true) statement at their Press Conference.

If they wish to get "their side of the story" out there then they should provide a statement which the MOD should release. They should not profit from this event. They should not allow themselves to be a propaganda tool for the government.

This type of thing does them great dis-service personally and plays into the hands of Iran (assuming Iran were in the wrong).

The whole situation is quite bizarre as it seems nobody has gained any strength or credibility. What it has done though is prove that the UK is a weak, banana state republic which has disgraced itself yet again on the world stage.

A message to the sailors: take your 2 weeks leave, do with it as you wish then quit or go back to work. I personally don't want to see or hear from you again. I'm sure this is representative of all but the Little Englanders at the Sun & Mirror.

More on Patientline

My thanks to Shutter for pointing out this post about Patientline.

Please take a little time out of your day to read more about this greedy vulture preying on the weak and elderly.

They were spying

Bastards.

Our government once again have went on the world stage and told blatant lies.

Are we surprised? No.

Are some of us angry? Yes.

Quite frankly its proven beyond any doubt that Iran were right to take these spies prisoner. I find the whole thing despicable.

I don't blame the servicemen for doing what they were ordered to do. I blame those at the top.

I'll say it once again, loud and clear; Bastards.

Britain now has no credibility whatsoever.

I am truly ashamed to be British

Iran release captives; time to comment

So Iran is about to release the 15 British personnel it arrested on March 23rd.

Perhaps now is an appropriate time to look back on this event and the response of the British Government.

The government insisted that these people were in Iraqi waters when they were detained.

Many people did not trust this statement due to the lies we had prior to our invasion of Iraq

People always said that the government might not be trusted in circumstances such as this in future. I firmly believe that to be the case on this occasion.

We dithered and sounded weak on the world stage

We are weak

What could we have done about this? Short of Nuking Tehran, absolutley nothing. We simply no longer have the military strength to take on this country. What with the reduction in our military capacity and the ongoing occupation of Iraq, its hardly surprising.

China and Russia crippled our lame attempt to get a statement at the UN, instead, we got a feeble comment which was laughable.

Ahh, but diplomacy saved the day

Really?! Two weeks of international humiliation for our service men & women, our nation and government is a good thing?!

Those Iranians are a bunch of duplicitous bastards

Profoundly disagree. We've been dictating to other nations for so long that when they stand up to us, we start calling them lunatics, dangerous, etc. Its not them who invaded Iraq without moral or legal justification. Its not them who've historically destroyed the character of the middle east, its not them who caused the conflict in the middle east. No, that lies firmly on our shoulders. We should learn our lesson - mind our own business. If Iran want Nukes, let them have them, if "we" don't want them to have them, destroy ours.

We don't own the world, we aren't in charge, we're a weak, morally bankrupt, greedy, undemocratic, uncivilised country.

We should spend a considerable amount of time assessing our priorities and putting right the ills of our society without dictating to others.

As for Blair swanning around like he's a hero: Fuck you, war criminal!

Disproportionate Bank Charges: Have your say...

I'm not usually one for petitions, but in this case, I think i'll make an exception.

We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to bring in new legislation to prevent the current abuse by banks and companies in relation to Penalty charges.

Sign

In other news, the OFT today announced a review into these charges.

John Fingleton, OFT Chief Executive said: 'The UK retail banking market performs well in many dimensions, especially relative to international norms. However, the issue of bank current account charges is a matter of real concern to the banks' customers, and raises wider questions about competition and transparency of pricing. The initial scoping work we have undertaken has demonstrated to us that this is not only an issue for those people who are being charged, but also for customers who are not defaulting on their bank accounts.

'A quick-fix solution is not the answer as this might be of limited long-term benefit and could have unintended and far-reaching consequences across the whole sector and on consumers as a whole. We will look forward to co-operation from the banking sector in reaching a conclusion to this matter which is satisfactory to consumers and which will strengthen competition, efficiency and customer outcomes in the UK retail banking sector.'

For more on reclaiming your bank charges, please take a look at penaltycharges.co.uk

Ruth Kelly: You should still resign

Some time ago, it was revealed that Ruth Kelly, former Education Minister was sending her child to a private school.

Despite the rank hypocrisy in this, she went on to complain that the Mirror had breached her sons privacy.

It was bollocks at the time and is still bollocks now. We all know nobody has the slightest interest in her children. They do have an interest in a minister essentially admitting that the service they enforce on the rest of us wasn't up to spec.

Its heartening to read today that the Press Complaints Commission have rejected her spurious, arrogant complaint.

Kelly, you are in imbecile of the highest order. A true Blairite. You think you can have your cake and eat it. You can't.

Once again, if you had any sense of decency, you would have resigned then. Now its even more appropriate.

Of course, we all know that as a Labour minister you are immune from resignation so you should be sacked. Trouble with that is, Blair needs all the cronies he can get at the moment.

You're a joke, not worthy of serving in McDonalds or Burger King let alone in Parliament or the Cabinet.

So please, do us all a favour, go fuck yourself!

UK sailors captured by Iran

BBC

Fifteen British Navy personnel have been captured at gunpoint by Iranian forces, the Ministry of Defence says.

The men were seized at 1030 local time when they boarded a boat in the Gulf, off the coast of Iraq, which they suspected was smuggling cars.

The Royal Navy said the men who were on a routine patrol in Iraqi waters, were understood to be unharmed.

Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett has demanded the immediate and safe return of the HMS Cornwall servicemen.

She added that she had called for a "full explanation" from Iran and had left them in no doubt that she wanted the group and their equipment back immediately.

The frigate's commander, Commodore Nick Lambert, said he was hoping there had been a "simple mistake" over territorial waters.

Not sure what to make of this as yet but it doesn't bode well.

Cannabis Granny could be evicted

A 68-year-old grandmother who was convicted of growing cannabis at her Northumberland home is facing eviction if she does not stop using the drug.

Patricia Tabram, from Humshaugh, was spared jail at Carlisle Crown Court on 7 March after being found guilty of possessing and cultivating cannabis.

She claims to use the drug to relieve pain and depression, and has said she intends to continue "self-medicating".

But her housing association said she will be kicked out if she does.


Mrs Tabram was arrested in 2005 when police raided her bungalow near Hexham.

She was in breach of a six-month suspended jail sentence when the officers, acting on a tip-off, found the plants and growing equipment in a walk-in wardrobe.

During her trial, she claimed the drug helped relieve depression after the death of her son and pain following a car crash.

'Last resort'

Despite being warned that she faced a jail term for breaching the suspended sentence, she was given a 250-hour community service order.

Afterwards she said: "I'm going to go on medicating. The police can come to my house every week. I'll give them a cup of tea."

Milecastle Housing, the association with which she is a tenant, held a board meeting to discuss her future, and decided not to evict her immediately.


Tenant services manager Chris Scott said: "The board of Milecastle Housing has agreed to apply to the court for a possession order, suspended for up to two years.

"If the order is granted, she will be allowed to continue living at the property only as long as she observes the terms of her tenancy agreement and specifically does not cultivate, possess or use cannabis in the property.

"Mrs Tabram has been informed of the situation and that her right to remain a resident in the Milecastle property depends entirely upon her behaviour.

"We will be monitoring this very closely in liaison with Northumbria Police."

Milecastle Housing said it made the decision based upon Mrs Tabram's age, health and personal circumstances, as well as association guidelines which state that eviction should be a last resort.

What despicable behaviour from the housing association. What do they hope to achieve by evicting a pension for a little bit of pot?

I'm minded to write to them and express my disgust.

If you feel inclined to do so, their address is -

Milecastle Housing Ltd
Beaufront Park
Anick Road
Hexham
Norhumberland
NE46 4TU

Budget: Does nothing for me, screw you Brown

What a crap budget.

Trying to use this to gain some popularity? Cretin.

I would critique it point by point but I'm really not inclined to do so.

Brown: You are a no-hoper. You are a waste of space just like the rest of your party.

It does nothing for anyone.

Go hang your head in shame.

BBC: Free education isn't fair

According to The Register the BBC have suspended a free education resource portal because the EU are upset it might affect commercial providers.

Personally, I find this a sickening abuse of the power of the EC and that the BBC are out of order for bowing to this demand.

Education is one of the most important tools in our society. Profits for companies are considerably further down the list of priorities.

Quite frankly I'm disgusted with this approach and think MP's should demand its restoration forthwith.

Is Blair bovvered?

I wonder if this is how his interview about Cash for Honours went.

Israel won't deal with new Palestinian Government

BBC:

Israel has reiterated that it will not deal with the new Palestinian government of national unity that is expected to be approved shortly.A spokeswoman for Israeli PM Ehud Olmert accused the cabinet, made up of rival Fatah and Hamas factions, of endorsing the use of terror.

Time was, I didn't take a view on the Palestine/Israel issue. Was just too deep seated in historical rivalry for me to get my head around it.

Over recent years I've watched and seen Israel act in a despicable manner and get away with it.

Last year, they murdered around 1,000 Lebanese citizens yet it is they who claim the "other sides" are terrorists.

The only reasons the West haven't condemned them and imposed sanctions are (it would appear):

• They have backing from the US.
  

• Any attempt to criticise the Jewish state is referred to as antisemitism.

I shouldn't have to say this but I guess I'm compelled: I have no issue whatsoever with the Jewish faith.

Politics is a different matter entirely.

Its time the world told Israel to wind its neck in.

The government of Palestine is a mater for the Palestinian people, not some cabal in Tel Aviv or Washington.

Comic Relief

I've just got back from work.

Last year, we used some of our resources to get staff taking calls for Sports Relief.

This year we decided that it went well so we would again field calls for the event.

Was a thoroughly enjoyable evening and we raised a small fortune in a short period of time.

More than that, having taken many calls myself, it was great to find out that there are so many generous, compassionate people in this country. Not just those donating but people like us, giving up our time to help out.

Its easily forgotten when we look at the depressing stories in the media just how good the people in this country are when we want to be.

That said, I think its only right to pass some form of comment on the subject matter itself.

I think last nights episode of The Apprentice showed where things are wrong:

People were making casual decisions about spending £25,000 or £150,000 on tickets for a fairground as if it were equivalent to spending 50p on a newspaper. At the same time, billions of people around the world are in desperate need of medical treatment, food, shelter, clean water, protection from violence etc.

The inequality in the distribution of wealth at every level should be tackled. But no rich country will ever intentionally make itself poor to help raise the standards of life in another.

Its things like this which make me question the value of capitalism. It seems greedy and selfish. Thats because it is.

Ok, thats my Bono bit over. I think i'll call it a night!

Who says we aren't heading to a Police State?

Technology + Legislation + Politics + Fear = Police state.

Ok, so I'm simplifying but most people can understand the concept.

The BBC report -

Police have used new technology to trace witnesses to a crash which killed four members of a Tyneside family.

Paula Gilbert, 29, her partner Neil Jex, 37 and sons Tristan, three and Kaiden, seven months, of Hebburn, died on the A1 near Catterick on 3 March.

The only survivor, Macauley Gilbert, eight, is recovering in hospital.

Police using Automatic Number Plate Recognition have identified 70 drivers who were in the area at the time of the crash and asked them to come forward.

They hope the letters they have sent out will jog the memories of people who may have information which could assist the investigation.


Now its fair to say this is a "positive" way of invading people's privacy but it won't bring back the dead.

Just goes to show that the technology to track people en masse and retrospectively is up and running. We all know about cell site analysis and use of other systems to track people but when they can query a database in this way then contact people just for being in an area at a given time, its cause for concern.

Just wait until they introduce ID cards. Oh, it'll be touted as the greatest thing since sliced bread but you can bet your bottom dollar it'll be hooked up to CCTV, facial recognition, the PNC and a whole host of other system.

The only thing they won't have is a camera in your home. Thing is, with profiling, is it really necessary to do that?

Be prepared to prove your innocence because it feels like the presumption of guilt is on its way in.

Something a little different

Bring back the birch

Seventeen primary school children have been shot with plastic pellets at a school in Staffordshire.

Police said 15 boys and two girls were hurt when a BB gun was fired at them in the playground at Etchinghill Primary School in Rugeley.

A 12-year-old boy was later arrested on suspicion of assault. Three boys from a different school were thought to have fired on the pupils from nearby bushes.

The youngsters suffered bruising but did not need hospital treatment.

The injured children are aged between seven and 11.

Source: BBC

Little bastard.

Don't waste my time with the irrelevant liberal crap about violence breeding violence.

Its little shits like this who need to be shown that there will always be a consequence to their actions.

Patientline: Parasitic capitalism

Most of us are familiar with the disgusting Patientline service enforced on those in NHS hospitals.

This greedy parasitic company is now facing up to the consequences of its extortionate costs.

In addition, the NHS is about to finally allow patients and visitors to use their mobile phones.

Its always been well known in the telecoms industry that the impact of these devices on equipment is minimal.

I've had cause to try and contact people in hospital over the last few years and have been charged a small fortune just to see how they were doing.

I'm sure others have too.

They also charge at least 3 x the standard rates for outgoing calls from hospital.

Of course, staff have (by and large) been totally brainwashed into believing quite the opposite.

Shows what happens when you allow people without a clue to dictate policy.

Finally, just take a look at the performance of the shares for Patientline (below):

How much more Mugabe will the world tolerate?

After the arrest and attack by Mugabe's police force on opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai, Mugabe has been quoted as saying -

When they criticise the government when it tries to prevent violence and punish perpetrators of that violence we take the position that they can go hang

The U.K & U.S want to impose more sanctions.

Not good enough. Not even close.

Its evident that the West has no real intention of helping the people of Zimbabwe, isn't it time that the people rose against this vicious tyrant?

Confession: Khalid Sheikh Mohammed

Sky News, CNN and BBC News 24 are reporting that Khalid Sheikh Mohammed has confessed to his role in the 9/11 attacks. (Link)

Funny that, I'd suspect 4 years internment in an illegal US prison would probably do that for you.

Whatever his guilt or innocence, the US Government must realise the confession is entirely worthless as its clearly been obtained under duress.

Its a strange state of affairs when the US and British Governments insist on bringing the rule of law to other nations whilst totally ignoring it when it suits them.

Trident: Independent Nuclear Deterrent

I have to say, I'm in agreement with the Commons vote on retaining our nuclear weapons.

I do have a couple of questions though:

• What exactly is independent about it?
• How can our government deny the right of self defence to countries like Iran if we are to retain our capability?

BT: Bloody Terrible

What a shambles.

This company is an absolute disgrace.

If only I could ditch them entirely.

Sept 06: Take a chance and migrate to BT Broadband. Seemed like a reasonable deal.

Dec 06: Service deteriorates. Long, convoluted, pointless process with overseas script readers.

Feb 06: Establish BT have changed the product to my detriment without any notification.

Feb 06: As per terms of contract, service finally canceled within minimum term. Migrated to another ISP. Told bill would be held, adjusted accordingly then issued.

March 06: Electronic bill arrives for £115. Being incorrect and not itemised at all, email sent to BT stating that it should be ammended as per above.

March 06: Email sent from BT saying that it was a "monthly payment plan settlement invoice". As I only pay line rental to BT, there is no chance whatsoever i will remain paying them £48 per month. Replied explaining details.

March 06: Email saying "we can't see a cease order on your account". As a customer, I shouldn't "have" to know this but they do not raise a cease for a migration.

March 06: Call BT, as per usual, massive call queue.. "ring, ring" for 20 minutes with the occasional comment from their idiotic annoucer "we'll answer as soon as possible" - If it was as soon as possible, they'd have already answered the damned call! Get through eventually, person can't help. 45 minutes into the call and have got nowhere.

What a shambles.

If only I lived in a cabled area, BT wouldn't get a look in. This archaic, capitalist nightmare just can't hack life in the 21st century.

Is Lord Levy a corrupt liar?

The Judge certainly seems to think its a possibility -

The judge who granted the injunction at the police's request said "there is a substantial element of truth in what the intended BBC broadcast was to say".

I find this paragraph of the report particularly telling -

The police requested the injunction because they did not wish certain individuals to know in advance the nature of the document that they possessed.

C'mon fat lady, this is your cue!

A valuable lesson learnt: Drugs ARE bad

For the last 5 years, I've been a frequent cannabis smoker.

It began when I first moved away from home. I'd led a quiet, normal life until that point.

I moved to an area where I knew no-one except one or two new colleagues. In particular, I grew close to one person I worked with.

Initially, I began smoking cigarettes. People were talking about "dope" and I decided to give it a try. If I'm honest, for two reasons:

1. Curiosity.
2. I guess I thought I would make some friends this way.
   

I enjoyed it and did make friends with a number of people.

Since then, I've smoked it most of the time.

Last summer there was a "drought", this made good quality skunk or resin difficult/impossible to find and increased the price.

Its been a sellers market around here since then.

Getting sick of scumbag dealers and the "hassle" of obtaining a supply, I'd began looking into legal alternatives.

I found Spice Gold. This mixture reproduces some of the effects of cannabis but does not contain the active ingredient (THC).

I've been smoking this (mainly in a bong) for the last month or two.

Last week I felt like trying something totally new. I opted to buy Hawaiian Baby Woodrose seeds. They are described as:

LSD-like effects, but less intense, with less visuals. Trip lasts 6-8 hours; tranquil feelings may last additional 12 hours. Sleep is deep and refreshing after trip, however some users may experience a hangover characterized by blurred vision, vertigo, and physical intertia.

The active ingredient is LSA.

These are legally available in the UK and cost around £3 for five seeds

I'd never taken anything of this type (or even close) before.

At 17:30 i opened the pack. I'd bought 10 but being new to these, I decided to take four (generally recommended number to 'try').

Using a penknife I removed the outer layer and scraped off the white bits as best I could.

I then gave each a quick burn with the lighter.

Again using the penknife, I crushed the seeds then split them in half.

At 17:40 I placed one in my mouth, checking i could stand the taste.

I could so I put the rest in.

I chewed then held them in my mouth for maybe a minute or two then swallowed.


This wasn't on an empty stomach and for the first hour, I thought nothing was going to happen.

As 19:00 approached I was feeling very intoxicated, similar feeling to being very drunk. I found my interest was in random things and would start laughing for no reason. I was watching TV and it felt like the programme was jumping out of the screen.


Shortly afterwards I lost most cognitive function. I guess I must have fallen asleep because the next thing I remember it was after 20:00 and I'd received an SMS message. I tried to respond but was clearly in no fit state to do so. I felt being in contact with anyone at that point was probably a very bad idea so switched the phone off and put it away.

I watched Rory Bremner and found it hilarious (to be fair, it always is anyway).

During the show, I noticed time seemed to slow down. I felt tens of minutes had passed in just a minute or two. This lasted for many hours.

I watched BBC 4 who had some shows on about 1997. I remembered many details about this time, things I've not considered for years.

I was concerned about my breathing for a short while and was concious as to whether I was breathing or not. This passed after about 30 minutes. I would also find myself one minute running my fingers through my hair, the next biting my finger nails then dropping my arms down again. I suspect this would have looked insane if someone else had seen it.

Around 23:00 I opened the window to get some fresh air. I leaned on the window ledge looking out. I felt totally detached from everything going on outside.

Around 30 minutes later, I started to feel a little more "with it" and resolved to go to bed - in a bit.

My mind drifted onto the negative parts of my life and i felt pangs of anxiety and a little fear. Then I'd feel euphoric and all would be great.

At 00:30 I went to bed. Thinking I might have been in for a long sleep, I set my alarm - I never normally do this on a Sunday.

I couldn't sleep so after what seemed like an eternity (was only an hour), I got up, had something to eat and went back to bed.

I must have finally drifted off around 02:00.

This morning, I woke around 08:45. I almost felt hungover, just without the sickness.

The whole experience has proven to me two very important things which I guess I've always know but have convinced myself isn't the case:

• Messing with our bodies and minds in such a way is potentially very dangerous. I can't help thinking what i must have looked like/been like last night. I'd never want to see anyone in that state - ever.
• On a more fundamental level, using cannabis doesn't become a problem the first time you smoke a joint. Nor is it a problem if you smoke it once in a blue moon. Regular use of this creeps up on you and before you know it, you need it. You tell yourself "I don't need it, i want it". That isn't true. I am pleased I took the seeds for this reason. It was a short time in my life showing me what I've done over the last few years and where its led to.

I have now thrown the remaining seeds down the toilet.

I will not take them or anything like them ever again.

I have no intention of buying cannabis or any substitute again.

I can sum up the experience as: enlightening but scary. I never want to feel that out of control ever again.

Before I started smoking (anything) I used to enjoy life, be full of vigour and be reasonably level headed. I feel I've thrown caution to the wind over the last few years. My career has probably not progressed in the way It would have had I not smoked it. My personal life is certainly not what It should be or what it was.

Drugs of any kind are bad.

But. As a country, its not the drugs themselves which need to be tackled, its the supply of drugs.

Cracking down on dealers doesn't work. There are always ways and means of obtaining them.

We must discuss this important subject as adults instead of being lectured to like children.

The problem for most people in the UK with drugs is the associated crime. The crime is typically one of the following -

• Drug induced crime - People committing crime under the influence of drugs.
• Dealer related crime - Violence against anyone who might cross them (turf wars, creditors, etc)
• Economic crime - Crime to obtain funds to purchase drugs.

The first you will only ever eradicate if no-one takes drugs. Quite honestly, that is never, ever going to happen - but we can reduce the numbers.

Dealer crime will go once the "dealers" are licenced chemists.

The last one is in my view, the biggest crime related to drugs use. The problem is that in a black market economy, demand is always high, supply always low. This means people have to pay a lot of money to get whatever it is they are after.

In a regulated market, you can control pricing, quality, supply & identify those in need help - intelligently directing resources where they are needed.

Dealers can't exist without customers. They will eke out a living for as long as they can, but when demand dries up, they have to move on.

I know this won't be popular with many people. But the fact is, drug use is so endemic amongst the younger generations of this country that action must be taken soon. The so called war on drugs has only managed to cause inconvenience for drug users, It has never reduced the demand.

Finally, I could go on to make a case for alcohol being prohibited due to the effect it has on the health of people and the effects on society, but we know prohibition doesn't work - Just ask the Americans!

Cameron: You are WRONG

Mr Cameron.

You are entirely wrong to accept the resignation of Patrick Mercer -

1. He said:

I came across a lot of ethnic minority soldiers who were idle and useless, but who used racism as cover for their misdemeanours.

I remember one guy from St Ann's (Nottingham) who was constantly absent and who had a lot of girlfriends.

When he came back one day I asked him why, and he would say: I was racially abused. And we'd say: No you weren't, you were off with your girlfriends again.

What the hell is wrong with that?! He's stating a opinion based on experience. He did NOT say "all ethnic minorities are lazy", that would be a different matter.

2. He is representing legitimate views held by members of the public. Whether you PC facists like or accept it or not is another matter. Its undemocratic to censure an MP for expressing an opinion or speaking about something he has seen happening.

You should not have accepted or (if this is the case) pushed for his resignation. You now appear weak, easily swayed and have reacted in a way one would expect the Labour party to respond. This does you no favours. You have a LOT of GOOD work to do if you think you're getting my vote. If there were an election tomorrow, it wouldn't go to the Tories or Labour.


Now, how about the snide, cynical opportunism of Labour with this "story"?

Labour MP Sadiq Khan said: I find these comments shocking and most members of the public will find them outrageous.

Mr Khan, you neither speak for me nor represent my view. You are doing what so many others from "ethnic minorities" do - screaming racism when it doesn't exist. To my mind, your comments are far more dangerous than those of Mr Mercer. I would suggest you resign, now.

Adam Ingram -

Racist abuse can have no place in any walk of life, and it is appalling and inappropriate for any politician, never mind a senior Tory MP like Patrick Mercer, to suggest that 'this is just the way it is in the Army'.

Get the facts right, Mercer was talking about meaningless banter between colleagues in which everyone was fair game. Its nothing as insidious as you claim.

Ed Davey

These are staggering remarks from a frontbench spokesman. Comments like this undermine all those in the Army who have gone to great lengths to ensure that every soldier is treated fairly.

Rubbish.

Jack Straw

The comments are breathtaking and dreadful and Mr Mercer's resignation is appropriate.

Wrong. They are neither breathtaking or dreadful. His resignation reflects what a shameful state of affairs we now have to put up within our "democracy".

Shahid Malik

Said the remarks showed the Tories remained the "nasty party".

Nothing nasty in what Mercer said. Again, another tosser using the race card. If the Tories are the 'Nasty Party", what the hell does that make the evil, corrupt, authoritarian, PCist Labour Party?

WHAT MERCER SAID WAS AN OBSERVATION, NOT A GENERALISATION. HE WASN'T WRONG AS HE WASN'T EXPRESSING HIS OPINION AS FACT. THE OPPORTUNISM SHOWN BY LABOUR IS SICKENING AND CAMERON HAS BEEN SHOWN TO BE A SPINELESS GIT. NOBODY COMES OUT OF THIS WITH ANY DIGNITY OR CREDIBILITY. YET, THESE MORONS RUN THE COUNTRY.

Welcome to the 21st Century.

Goodbye freedom of speech and the right to hold an opinion.

A message to all in N.I.

We're pleased you've held elections.

We're thrilled the killings seem to have stopped.

We're positive for your future.

Don't fuck it up- We aren't *that* interested.

Newsnight

I'm a subscriber to the Newsnight email service.

Somewhat cryptic comment about tonights lead story -

I'm afraid we can't yet give you any details about the story we're leading the programme with tonight but it's a shocking story and it's well worth tuning in for.

They don't mention cash for honours at all in the email.

Is this another revelation? Are we having a repeat of last Friday night at this very moment? Is it something entirely different?

Updated 07/03/07 22:26 -

Story is this -

Drunk, aggressive female chav causes criminal damage & resists arrest.

Is (allegedly*) hit by Police in an attempt to "subdue" her.

The statement by the officer concerned explains she was violent towards him.

Quite frankly, Its about time the police did give these scum a kicking again.

Perhaps they'll think again.

Of course, this means the filthy slapper is now likely to end up with some compensation.

Oh, and it gives the black supremacists (i.e. everyone else is a racist brigade) ammunition.

Thanks Newsnight but I wish you'd just explained the nature of this non story before. I could have had an early night!


*Its not at all clear that she is indeed being hit by the officer. The criminal (convicted) doesn't claim this (doesn't remember apparently, guess overdoing it on the Brandy does it for you).

Fully elected upper chamber

Parliament has now voted to make the House of Lords a fully elected part of the legislature.

From a contemporary democratic point of view, this is a good thing. No more right to sit based on accidents of birth or by virtue of large donations to political parties.

On the other hand, the upper house has recently shown its worth by rejecting bills from the Commons.

Does making the Chamber fully elected make it more likely to support the government of the day?

Is it really a good idea as it sounds?

Blair: The Inside Story

Tonight, 21:00, BBC 2:

The final part of Michael Cockerell's series tells the inside story of Tony Blair's final years in office. It is a period dominated by a range of crises: Blair's heart problems, his troubles with Gordon Brown, the aftermath of Iraq, the plots to overthrow him, cash for honours allegations and endless questions about when he would leave Number 10.

Followed by the Ten O'Clock News & Newsnight.

Mr Blair, the sand in your hourglass is getting dangerously low.

Totally Innocent

So Scooter Libby got his fingers burnt.

That's what happens when you are a manipulative, self absorbed arrogant fool working for an authoritarian regime.

They won't protect you if it means their neck is on the block.

I wonder what those involved in the cash for honours affair are feeling.

My heart bleeds.

It really does.

Serves the lot of them right. If they had any morals they wouldn't have allowed themselves to get into this position.

Two sleaze ridden governments. Two governments facing criminal charges, two governments loathed by the majority of the world.

Good to see the special relationship is still special!

Injunction: Stop messing people about

I've just been reading that a decision has been taken to "relax" the injunction on the BBC so they can name those involved in the email saga.

Enough already!

Either its prejudicial to a possible trial or it isn't.

Censorship of this type should be ignored.

Now Downing Street are "disputing" the "story" yet none of us are allowed to hear the detail.

What a crazy state of affairs.

This country, supposed bastion of liberty and democracy is those things in name only. Men, accused of Rape for example are named, in circumstances where it is later shown the woman was a liar, these men have tarnished reputations for life.

Yet when It comes to the little elite who ru(i)n this country, its a different story altogether.

Message to the CPS, Judge, Police & Government: Take a shit or get off the pot.

Injunction Update

Since it was revealed on Friday that the Attorney General had obtained an injunction against the BBC, the blogs have been widely speculating as to the nature of the story.

The Sunday papers seem reflect this speculation, i.e. that the story centres on an email between "two of Blair's senior aides".

Which two "senior aides" have been arrested so far?

What specifically does this email say?

Are charges imminent?

Where is Blair this weekend? What about the rest of the cabinet or the usual Sunday morning mouthpieces?

There has been some speculation that this could have been leaked by sources from Downing Street to allow for a defence of an unfair trial. As a result, we don't want to give them any ammo, to that end, until this is resolved I'm turning comment moderation on this blog.

That said, I'd like more people to participate more in this blog, so feel free to leave your comments, just might take a little time to appear!

What does the BBC know?

Tory Blogger Iain Dale reported earlier this evening that "the government (or maybe it's the Labour Party) has tonight taken out an injunction against the BBC to prevent the reporting of something substantive regarding the Cash for Honours Inquiry".

Now, the BBC confirm that the Attorney General has obtained an Injunction against the BBC reporting a story they claim is "in the public interest".

So just what does the BBC know? Who does the injunction really protect?

Insane?

I'm somehow perplexed by the case playing out for who gets "custody" of Anna Nicole Smith's body.

I have no interest in the story itself but I caught this trial when I got in from work. The judge has drifted off on a number of wild tangents in the time I've been watching.

Now he's taking testimony over the phone from someone he's never met. The lawyer opposing this was quite right to "object on every possible level".

I can't decide whether this judge is insane or a genius!

Sir Hayden Phillips - Hang your head in shame

How dare you.

How dare you attempt to force me as a taxpayer to fund party politics in this country.

On every level and for every possible reason I oppose this.

Put simply Phillips, because it is not the role of the taxpayer to ensure the survival of political parties.

If they cannot fund themselves from their supporters, they do not deserve to exist.

They spend so much money campaigning because they DO NOT deal with the electorate any more, its all soundbites and billboards.

It costs NOTHING to stand on a soapbox in a town centre. It costs nothing to visit town halls or other venues.

It costs MILLIONS to put up billboards or pay for adverts to attack your opponents.

If the parties want to do this, fine, let them - out of their pockets - not ours.

You miss the fundamental points and are working to help out the corrupt institutions are the heart of our "democracy". I'm sure you would say you were working within "limited terms of reference" - how convenient.

More on this here

Please do feel free to contact him via review@partyfundingreview.gsi.gov.uk

Check out the No Public Funding website for more specifics on why this shouldn't be allowed.

Cameron smoked dope

Apparently

So?

Only thing that is slightly irksome about this is that he only spoke of legalising it for medicinal use. That said, it was many years ago and people often experiment with drugs. Doesn't mean they condone them or support their use later.

My view - Adults should have the absolute right to decide what they put into their bodies.

Barack Obama

I've just caught his speech in Illinois and I have to say, for once, I believe a politician - he seems sincere.

His views on the past, present and future are exactly what the western world needs now.

I'd normally stay out of politics of another nation but in this case, I think i'm going to be hoping he wins the nomination and subsequent election.

Nuts!

When did we all become so weak and feeble that the lack of labelling showing the possibility of nuts being in chocolate became a new story/health scare?

You hear stories "my son is allergic to nuts, dairy products, yada, yada" and just think "are these people for real?!".

I'm sure there are some people who have genuine allergies but these MUST be rare - In the 80's, when I was a kid I never heard of such a thing.

What a bunch of wimps people in this country have become.

"The company said the products were "perfectly safe" for people without nut allergies to eat"

Truly moronic state of affairs.

Snow! For crying out loud!

Don't you just hate it when it snows in the UK?
No, not the snow. Not the cold, nor the damp or any of its direct effects.

Its far, far worse than that.

Firstly it begins with the weather forecasters slowly building up the potential effects.

They always issue warnings to "drivers" and that people should "only go out if absolutely necessary".

Then, sometimes, they get it right and its snows.

A bit.

Then all hell breaks loose!

Turn on the TV and you're bound to find some gormless twat or inane bint talking about the "chaos" and "massive traffic disruption" caused by what is usually less than an inch of frozen water.

It snowed around here earlier this week. It took me a few minutes extra to walk to the train station being careful not to slip on the ungritted pavements.

Thats it.

When I hear about "massive tailbacks" or "airport disruption" I want to tell that person to -

• Shut up
• Grow up

Its just so tedious. Year in, year out.

Annoyingly, the weather isn't as bad as it was even just a few years ago but nonetheless, the reports become more sensational, the risks become greater and the coverage lasts far longer.

A reminder to the media and any irritating moron who thinks this is big news -

ITS WINTER - IT SNOWS IN WINTER SO GIVE IT A REST!

Blair caught talking bollocks!

Are you surprised?

Of course you aren't!

Tony Blair has rejected claims that the UK is a "police state for Muslims" as "categorically wrong".

BBC

THEN

A Muslim activist has been arrested in east London over allegations of encouraging terrorism.

BBC

Blair, please, stop talking shite, retire and leave whoever replaces you to start undoing the damage you have caused.

Blair: Der Untergang

We all know how in the last days of Hitler's rule of Nazi Germany he spent many weeks in his bunker, contemplating his and the nations fate as the allies advanced from all sides.

In his deluded state he tried to rally his troops for a counter attack, put his affairs in order then finally accepted the inevitable.

At this point, he and his wife committed suicide.

Now I'm not suggesting that Mr Blair should kill himself or the delightful Cherie, no, he should stick around to face up to his actions.

That said, its becoming apparent that the bunker mentality has truly set in within Downing Street.

Another poll has said Blair should go now & the News of the World report that John McTernan has been spilling the beans on the nefarious activities of the Blair regime. The report goes on to say -

Sources at the Crown Prosecution Service say they think police now have enough evidence to bring charges. Lord Levy faces two, abuse of honours and conspiracy to pervert the course of justice.

Miss Turner can expect to be charged with Perverting the Course of Justice. And Sir Christopher Evans, the millionaire who lent Labour £1million in May 2005, faces a charge under the 1925 Honours (Prevention of Abuse) Act.

And last night CPS sources said they think the Prime Minister will be questioned again, a third time, possibly under caution.


I would dearly like to be a fly on the wall in Downing Street now.

Note: The BBC appear not to have reported this story. So much for Public Service Broadcasting.

Under 18's sent to Iraq

The BBC are reporting that a number of under 18 year olds were sent to Iraq in the first couple of years of the war.

Lib Dem education spokeswoman Sarah Teather said the government had shown a "shocking level of incompetence"

BBC

It has. That cannot be disputed but in this case, I have no arguement. If people can join at 16 they should expect to be sent into battle after appropriate training, irrespective of whether they are 18 or not.

If we are to say we must never send under 18's into battle then they should not be allowed to join the forces.

Really, its just that simple.

Most Suicide Bombers Are Muslim

A supply teacher has been sacked from a secondary school following complaints from Muslim pupils.

Pupils at the predominantly Muslim school claimed Mr McLuskey said most suicide bombers were Muslim.

BBC

Why was he sacked? He was factually correct.

In this PC state is it now a sackable offence to be honest?

I can see no reason whatsoever that this guy was fired.

What a disgrace.

Terrorist plots?

Given the news over the last 24 hours, I would recommend all read this article from MSNBC. It talks about a number of "alleged" plots since 9/11 and concludes -

What you gave us a week ago tonight, sir, was not intelligence, but rather a walk-through of how speculation and innuendo, guesswork and paranoia, daydreaming and fear-mongering, combine in your mind and the minds of your government, into proof of your derring-do and your success against the terrorists.

The ones who didn’t have anthrax.

The ones who didn’t have plane tickets or passports.

The ones who didn’t have any clue, let alone any plots.

But they go now into our history books as the four terror schemes you’ve interrupted since 9/11.

They go into the collective consciousness as firm evidence of your diligence, of the necessity of your ham-handed treatment of our liberties, of the unavoidability of the 3,075 Americans dead in Iraq.

Congratulations, sir.