Showing newest posts with label party. Show older posts
Showing newest posts with label party. Show older posts
Thursday, 4 June 2009
Tuesday, 19 May 2009
Parliamentary Reform
Now that Michael Martin has more or less jumped ship from Westminster a radical reformation of the entire parliamentary system is drastically needed;
1) First of all the speaker of the house should either be directly elected by the people or should be an independent figure of no party political background.
2) MPs salaries should be taken into account when claiming for further expenses, how many houses they own, cars, staff etc.
3) An online database of expenses claims should be made available for the public to view.
4) A Parliamentary Covenant should be drawn up and MPs made to sign it, if they fail to abide by it they'll automatically be deselected for running for further election.
5) Those seeking election should be forced to make personal projections, based on their individual circumstances, of what essential expenses they might likely need to claim for.
6) A points system based on MPs performances during the year should be made available.
Basically any abuse of office that brings parliament into disrepute should be met with swift action.
1) First of all the speaker of the house should either be directly elected by the people or should be an independent figure of no party political background.
2) MPs salaries should be taken into account when claiming for further expenses, how many houses they own, cars, staff etc.
3) An online database of expenses claims should be made available for the public to view.
4) A Parliamentary Covenant should be drawn up and MPs made to sign it, if they fail to abide by it they'll automatically be deselected for running for further election.
5) Those seeking election should be forced to make personal projections, based on their individual circumstances, of what essential expenses they might likely need to claim for.
6) A points system based on MPs performances during the year should be made available.
Basically any abuse of office that brings parliament into disrepute should be met with swift action.
Saturday, 16 May 2009
The Lady’s Not For Turning
The pact between the Ulster Unionists and the Conservatives was seen as a positive step for unionism, indeed I believe it still could be, but the prospect of being a Conservative was too much for lone UUP MP Lady Sylvia Hermon, a devotee of New Labour at Westminster; she dismissed her party’s coalition with the Tories arbitrarily.
“If my party chooses to move to call themselves by a different name, I’m terribly sorry and terribly disappointed by that, but I remain an Ulster Unionist,”
She cut the feet from under her own party and her words quite rightly upset party colleagues who are still Ulster Unionists by name and deed even if they are supportive of the move. Personally I feel her opinions on the matter should have been expressed to her fellow Ulster Unionists privately and not in the press.
Lady Hermon has a substantial support base in North Down were she is a respected representative, but her recent petulant behaviour is in the same vein as Jeffrey Donaldson. A democratic decision with full cooperation from her colleagues should have been respected even if she felt unable to agree with it. Grandstanding in the press isn’t justified, especially when the election affecting her position isn’t until next year and with the Euro elections in June.
“If my party chooses to move to call themselves by a different name, I’m terribly sorry and terribly disappointed by that, but I remain an Ulster Unionist,”
She cut the feet from under her own party and her words quite rightly upset party colleagues who are still Ulster Unionists by name and deed even if they are supportive of the move. Personally I feel her opinions on the matter should have been expressed to her fellow Ulster Unionists privately and not in the press.
Lady Hermon has a substantial support base in North Down were she is a respected representative, but her recent petulant behaviour is in the same vein as Jeffrey Donaldson. A democratic decision with full cooperation from her colleagues should have been respected even if she felt unable to agree with it. Grandstanding in the press isn’t justified, especially when the election affecting her position isn’t until next year and with the Euro elections in June.
Friday, 15 May 2009
Question Time Performance
Last night’s Question Time performance by housing minister Margaret Beckett and ex-LibDem leader Sir Ming Campbell was nothing less than disgraceful. Mrs Beckett was clearly in over her head when the just anger of the audience greeted her pathetic excuses and attempts to squirm away from her own and her colleagues lack of moral judgement. It was clear she held the electorate in complete contempt for daring to question MP’s morals.
She tried everything she could to deflect the annoying questions; denial, feigning anger, attacking the Daily Telegraph by vaguely threatening fellow panellist Benedict Brogan. She tried every political trick in the book to try and deflect the awkward truth that she and her fellow MPs had disgraced themselves and the country. But it didn’t work; her face was red with embarrassment and underlying anger, not directed towards the trougher's in parliament, but at us the people.
Ming Campbell’s performance wasn’t much better than Mrs Beckett’s, his attempts at deflection were just as hard and as futile as Beckett, his worst excuse was simply “they were guidelines”. But Ming the Merciless went even lower in attempting to insinuate that the expenses row was deflecting attention from the plight of our troops in Afghanistan, i.e. if you’re angry about the MPs thievery you’re not remembering the soldiers; don’t our armed forces personnel pay taxes? Should they not be upset that their MPs were stealing their money while they are fighting for their country? Mr Campbell is a disgrace.
But at least they’re sorry, eh? Sorry they were caught! These people don’t deserve our trust and respect until they have taken radical actions that completely alter the system and rules they created.
Until then the facts are clear
She tried everything she could to deflect the annoying questions; denial, feigning anger, attacking the Daily Telegraph by vaguely threatening fellow panellist Benedict Brogan. She tried every political trick in the book to try and deflect the awkward truth that she and her fellow MPs had disgraced themselves and the country. But it didn’t work; her face was red with embarrassment and underlying anger, not directed towards the trougher's in parliament, but at us the people.
Ming Campbell’s performance wasn’t much better than Mrs Beckett’s, his attempts at deflection were just as hard and as futile as Beckett, his worst excuse was simply “they were guidelines”. But Ming the Merciless went even lower in attempting to insinuate that the expenses row was deflecting attention from the plight of our troops in Afghanistan, i.e. if you’re angry about the MPs thievery you’re not remembering the soldiers; don’t our armed forces personnel pay taxes? Should they not be upset that their MPs were stealing their money while they are fighting for their country? Mr Campbell is a disgrace.
But at least they’re sorry, eh? Sorry they were caught! These people don’t deserve our trust and respect until they have taken radical actions that completely alter the system and rules they created.
Until then the facts are clear
Thursday, 14 May 2009
The Jim Allister Show
I'm not sure if the TUV is a political party or the lone voice of Jim Allister, I haven't seen his team nor any colleagues, all I've seen is the Jim Allister Show
Allister is good on traditional unionist sabre rattling and moralising, but offers no real alternative, his "plans" appear to be taken from Ian Paisley circa 1999 and offers nothing constructive or any viable alternative, just vague notions of principled "traditional unionism".
As an MEP he has a sound grasp of the issues, on his European record he might win alone but in turning it into a referendum on the assembly he has perhaps set himself up for a fall.
It would be a breath of fresh air for one MEP from our wee country to tackle the issue of freedom and sovereignty in Europe, the rights of small nations, democracy and independence. Jim appears to be distracted:
"This will be the first time that right across this Province people have the opportunity to give a verdict on terrorist-inclusive government."
That's good, but 10 years out of date. What principle is there in opposing the assembly and creating an excuse for Sinn Fein to blame unionists for "wrecking the peace process", how many would die if the Provo's went back to their old tricks? Do the 32CSM need more pissed off ex-Provo recruits?
Its time to keep your friends close and enemies closer.
Wednesday, 13 May 2009
Politician Expenses Solution
Sack all the abusers and every shadow cabinet MP, labour minister or backbencher, who acted like a moral vacuum hovering up taxpayers money for horse manure, porno’s or whatever!
Oh wait...we can’t! If we did that the sky would fall down, volcanoes would erupt, meteorites would fall from space and the terrorists would destroy us.
Oh wait...we can’t! If we did that the sky would fall down, volcanoes would erupt, meteorites would fall from space and the terrorists would destroy us.
Tuesday, 12 May 2009
Party Website Homepages Rated
Being slightly bored I decided to rate the local party websites purely in terms of their aesthetic appeal, use of colour, design and functionality. I numbered them 1 to 7; 1 being the best, 7 the worst.
1 Green Party (NI) - Is the most visually attractive site with the use of flash as the header, changing colourful photographic backgrounds, with the party’s slogans and views highlighted - although "Change we can believe in" is an annoyingly unimaginative Obama-ism. Also their leader Steven Agnew looks like an out of shape Ronan Keating.
2 Sinn Fein - Comes in second for visual with their cloudy pastel blue header background set off by their new logo, a damn site better than the ghastly old logo. Information is easy to locate and they have the modern sign ups, YouTube, face book & Bebo etc.
3 TUV - Jim Allisters party site is very much red, white & blue, but the royal blue and white mix well together. The header features the party logo to the left on white with a sky blue cloud and faded union flag to the right. Twitter is the only sign up available. On bad thing is Jim Allisters mug plastered over the page three times, makes it look like a one man outfit.
4 Ulster Unionist - Fourth behind Sinn Fein the UUP header is a dark sky blue, with the party logo on the left and small version of the Euro election poster on the right; Jim Nicholson has a fixed Botox smile. It also has sign ups to twitter and face book. UUP get extra points for humour with a "dup pants on fire" link site.
5 SDLP - With a good use of their colours and logo is visually appealing without being OTT. Mark Durkan however looks like Harry Enfield's "Tory Boy" character. Info on policies is quick to locate, but they have no sign ups available.
6 DUP - Update: Damn DUP, they've gone all Diane Dodds crazy and set up a Euro elections site, ruining my rating. They've lost my vote anyway!
One of the plainest sites, but with good simple graphics & logo placement. The main header picture features all the DUP gang in what looks like a wedding photo. They have a YouTube sign up.
7 Alliance - Unimaginative and dull sums up the site and the party. Blue, yellow and white, it’s more of an early 90's site than 21st century....boring!
1 Green Party (NI) - Is the most visually attractive site with the use of flash as the header, changing colourful photographic backgrounds, with the party’s slogans and views highlighted - although "Change we can believe in" is an annoyingly unimaginative Obama-ism. Also their leader Steven Agnew looks like an out of shape Ronan Keating.
2 Sinn Fein - Comes in second for visual with their cloudy pastel blue header background set off by their new logo, a damn site better than the ghastly old logo. Information is easy to locate and they have the modern sign ups, YouTube, face book & Bebo etc.
3 TUV - Jim Allisters party site is very much red, white & blue, but the royal blue and white mix well together. The header features the party logo to the left on white with a sky blue cloud and faded union flag to the right. Twitter is the only sign up available. On bad thing is Jim Allisters mug plastered over the page three times, makes it look like a one man outfit.
4 Ulster Unionist - Fourth behind Sinn Fein the UUP header is a dark sky blue, with the party logo on the left and small version of the Euro election poster on the right; Jim Nicholson has a fixed Botox smile. It also has sign ups to twitter and face book. UUP get extra points for humour with a "dup pants on fire" link site.
5 SDLP - With a good use of their colours and logo is visually appealing without being OTT. Mark Durkan however looks like Harry Enfield's "Tory Boy" character. Info on policies is quick to locate, but they have no sign ups available.
6 DUP - Update: Damn DUP, they've gone all Diane Dodds crazy and set up a Euro elections site, ruining my rating. They've lost my vote anyway!
One of the plainest sites, but with good simple graphics & logo placement. The main header picture features all the DUP gang in what looks like a wedding photo. They have a YouTube sign up.
7 Alliance - Unimaginative and dull sums up the site and the party. Blue, yellow and white, it’s more of an early 90's site than 21st century....boring!
Sunday, 3 May 2009
Obama: Just Another Politician
President Obama despite all the praise, deification and outlandish claims of his cult-like followers, is nothing more than a typical politician.
All of the talk of his first 100 days as President was the usual media hype and OTT reporting. Of course beyond the hype and media coverage Obama was faffing around with his cabinet appointments, engaging in corporatist takeovers, increasing un-necessary spending and relocating US troops from Iraq to Afghanistan.
As a foreign Obama supporter my reasons for supporting his campaign was, like many Americans, I was unimpressed with the nutty John McCain and his supposedly "folksy hockey mom" running mate Sarah Palin. Perhaps I'm too cynical but I didn't buy her routine as an "average Jane", she is as power hungry and manipulative as any Hillary Clinton or John McCain.
Joe Biden on the other hand has nothing to learn from George W Bush when it comes to bumbling about and gaffe making. Then again "The One" himself isn't immune from gaffes; is their only 50 states? And his malfunctioning teleprompter of course.
Obama is not the saviour of America or a superman president, perhaps he’s more articulate and media savvy, although it wouldn't be hard considering the last guy who was in the White House or with a media still besotted with their great black hope. Indeed the honeymoon isn't over and 100 days is nothing out of 4 years.
That said President Obama has already broken many of his election pledges and his, to be fair rather unachievable promises; indeed his ultra-liberal supporters will have a lot of overlooking to do if they want to still believe in "Yes We Can".
He promised to shut down Guantanamo because of its "inhumane treatment" of enemy-combatants.
"The Obama administration is moving toward reviving the military commission system for prosecuting Guantánamo detainees, which was a target of critics during the Bush administration, including Mr. Obama himself."
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/02/us/politics/02gitmo.html?_r=2&partner=rss&emc=rss
His agenda for a fiscal stimulus descended into 'earmarks' and corporate takeovers resulting in a tightening of free enterprise.
"Obama criticized pork barrel spending in the form of 'earmarks,' urging changes in the way that Congress adopts the spending proposals. Then he signed a spending bill that contains nearly 9,000 of them, some that members of his own staff shoved in last year when they were still members of Congress. 'Let there be no doubt, this piece of legislation must mark an end to the old way of doing business, and the beginning of a new era of responsibility and accountability,' Obama said." http://www.nypost.com/seven/04252009/postopinion/opedcolumnists/100_days__100_mistakes_166177.htm?page=0
"In this NPR interview, Lisa Jackson, head of the EPA, gives her perspective (and her boss's) on the auto industry (HT: TJ Goss). In the second quote from her, I have tried to reproduce the sounds she makes in trying to avoid telling a ridiculous lie. She tells it anyway. From the 3:35 mark of the interview:
Jackson: The President has said—and I couldn’t agree more—that what this country needs is one single national road map that tells auto makers who are trying to become solvent again, what kind of car it is they need to be designing and building for the American people.
NPR reporter (interrupting): Is that the role of the government. though? I mean that doesn’t sound like free enterprise.
Jackson: Well, ih it , it is free enterprise in a way. Umm uhh you know, first and foremost the free enterprise system has us where we are right this second (laughs) and so some would argue that the government already has a much larger role than we might have when Henry Ford rolled the first cars off the assembly line."
http://www.cafehayek.com/hayek/2009/04/the-woman-and-man-of-system.html
The old saying "be careful what you wish for" sums up Obama’s first 100 days as President. Not exactly "The One" or "like a messiah", just a regular politician in a fancy house.
All of the talk of his first 100 days as President was the usual media hype and OTT reporting. Of course beyond the hype and media coverage Obama was faffing around with his cabinet appointments, engaging in corporatist takeovers, increasing un-necessary spending and relocating US troops from Iraq to Afghanistan.
As a foreign Obama supporter my reasons for supporting his campaign was, like many Americans, I was unimpressed with the nutty John McCain and his supposedly "folksy hockey mom" running mate Sarah Palin. Perhaps I'm too cynical but I didn't buy her routine as an "average Jane", she is as power hungry and manipulative as any Hillary Clinton or John McCain.
Joe Biden on the other hand has nothing to learn from George W Bush when it comes to bumbling about and gaffe making. Then again "The One" himself isn't immune from gaffes; is their only 50 states? And his malfunctioning teleprompter of course.
Obama is not the saviour of America or a superman president, perhaps he’s more articulate and media savvy, although it wouldn't be hard considering the last guy who was in the White House or with a media still besotted with their great black hope. Indeed the honeymoon isn't over and 100 days is nothing out of 4 years.
That said President Obama has already broken many of his election pledges and his, to be fair rather unachievable promises; indeed his ultra-liberal supporters will have a lot of overlooking to do if they want to still believe in "Yes We Can".
He promised to shut down Guantanamo because of its "inhumane treatment" of enemy-combatants.
"The Obama administration is moving toward reviving the military commission system for prosecuting Guantánamo detainees, which was a target of critics during the Bush administration, including Mr. Obama himself."
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/02/us/politics/02gitmo.html?_r=2&partner=rss&emc=rss
His agenda for a fiscal stimulus descended into 'earmarks' and corporate takeovers resulting in a tightening of free enterprise.
"Obama criticized pork barrel spending in the form of 'earmarks,' urging changes in the way that Congress adopts the spending proposals. Then he signed a spending bill that contains nearly 9,000 of them, some that members of his own staff shoved in last year when they were still members of Congress. 'Let there be no doubt, this piece of legislation must mark an end to the old way of doing business, and the beginning of a new era of responsibility and accountability,' Obama said." http://www.nypost.com/seven/04252009/postopinion/opedcolumnists/100_days__100_mistakes_166177.htm?page=0
"In this NPR interview, Lisa Jackson, head of the EPA, gives her perspective (and her boss's) on the auto industry (HT: TJ Goss). In the second quote from her, I have tried to reproduce the sounds she makes in trying to avoid telling a ridiculous lie. She tells it anyway. From the 3:35 mark of the interview:
Jackson: The President has said—and I couldn’t agree more—that what this country needs is one single national road map that tells auto makers who are trying to become solvent again, what kind of car it is they need to be designing and building for the American people.
NPR reporter (interrupting): Is that the role of the government. though? I mean that doesn’t sound like free enterprise.
Jackson: Well, ih it , it is free enterprise in a way. Umm uhh you know, first and foremost the free enterprise system has us where we are right this second (laughs) and so some would argue that the government already has a much larger role than we might have when Henry Ford rolled the first cars off the assembly line."
http://www.cafehayek.com/hayek/2009/04/the-woman-and-man-of-system.html
The old saying "be careful what you wish for" sums up Obama’s first 100 days as President. Not exactly "The One" or "like a messiah", just a regular politician in a fancy house.
Tuesday, 28 April 2009
Gerry & Gay
"I have formed an opinion — and it’s probably a Protestant thing — that the notion of having some sort of middleman isn’t altogether necessary," he said, referring to confessions.
"I think the Methodists are the best, but I love the democratic nature of the Presbyterian Church"
"I think the Methodists are the best, but I love the democratic nature of the Presbyterian Church"
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/gerry-adams-springs-surprise-with-a-protestant-view-of-religion-1674860.html
These supposed "revelations" by Gerry Adams, made on RTE's Meaning of Life show, demonstrate just what a pandering propagandist he really is, never missing an opportunity to increase his lefty PC street cred. And this gave the que to his supporters and counterparts to say "sure wasn't Wolfe Tone a Prod" or "Henry Joy McCracken was a presbyterian", blah blah blah!
Gerrys religious views aside; the simple truth remains however that todays Irish republican movement is a Catholic Irish nationalist one, filled with anti-Brit bigots, head counting united Irelanders (waiting to "outbreed the prods)" with rarely any Ulster Protestant supporters. But then the main targets for the PIRA during the troubles came from the Ulster Protestant community, whether they were RUC/UDR, unionist politicians or civilians.
"I want to be Irish as I am, but feel that Catholics do not allow me to. They expect me to move a bit of the way to towards being 'Catholic', or at least something different from what we [Protestants] are... the obstacle [is] what I would call the Catholic community, which identifies its total ethos as the criterion of Irishness.
"Then I have to say that I see the Republican Movement of today as a Catholic movement, with negligible Protestant input and consisting of people, practising Catholics or not, who are governed by the total ethos of a community which considers us [Protestants] less than fully Irish... since the 1860s, it has concentrated on the needs of the Catholic community and ignored the Northern Protestants."
Letter written in Iris 1988 by a Protestant Irish republican.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
