BB & the Union

Back to the grindstone again. I've been in London on business for a few days and saw Anthony and Cleopatra with Harriet Walters and Patrick Stewart. Staggeringly good production and acting in a play that has some of Shakespear's finest poetry. It's not particularly well know ( not like " To be" or " The quality of mercy") but in it's own way quite beautiful.
And the weather has simply got worse over the last week, we now have snow and wind as opposed to rain and wind.
However, the heading of this musing is "BB & the Union".
You may think there is little in common, but I would aver that there is. Despite the rantings from all parts about racism in BB, from what I have read, it rather sounds like good old fashioned playground jealousy. On the one side, relatively ugly, unintelligent boors, on the other beauty, brains and culture. It was ever thus. Your different from us so we hate you. Granted the difference may include colour, but I'm willing to bet if the beauty was a ladette they would all be pals together. Jealousy is apparently the second strongest emotion after what is called "flight & fear."
So maybe now you see the connection with the Union. The Scots are getting more than the English , and, let's be honest, Scotland has enormously better quality of life in most areas.
If NuLabour ( who have famously let the Genii out of the bottle with devolution) in the guise of Bliar want to secure TB's "legacy", all they need to do is stop Scottish & Welsh MPs voting on devolved matters at Westminster.
That, of course, won't happen, because that would be the end of Labour. But the Tories just might promise it in their manifesto.

Har Har

Oh, Gawd, it's back to the wind and rain.
But on the other hand I watched " In the Thick of it " last night. The feeling of dying days of an administration, the PERFECT Glaswegian insults delivered by Peter Capaldi and his sidekick, made me rock with glee.
And the namby pamby moronic MPs on both sides perfectly encapsulate why we the public - if we are still allowed to exist - don't trust ANY politicians.
I quite liked the Steve Hilton character - I don't know him personally, but I'm sure he is MUCH more intelligent that this - who, again, perfectly captured the NuTory ethos.
On a real note, it looks like the Tories have £20million or so to fight an election, with Labour in deep trouble financially. Watch out for Brown doing his best to smooze potential donors, which will be like watching a nail-biting rictus from Discworld trying to articulate. As the DT says, he has no conversation.
But then, I have said before elsewhere that I know someone who was on holiday with him years ago for 4 days. Brown took no part in any of the household chores ( shopping, cooking, washing up) nor did he do what such boors normally do as a contribution, which is to entertain everyone with witty repartee and sparkling conversation. He sat reading in silence most of the time, glowering and biting his nails for the remaining few minutes of his day.

Orders in Council

Iain Dale had a very good bit about the above, and the ( perrenial) government cockup.
So, OK, I'm getting a bit obsessed with this - BUT:
PART III.
Which government in a two year period handed out over 800 decrees but only enacted a total ( I think) of 22 laws passed by parliament?
Which government fabricated justification to invade another country? And whose leader then said - and here I paraphrase - " You can trust me with the fate of our country and people. If we don't invade, what would you say to me when we are being attacked?"
Which leader said quote " When I go through it all again, I am convinced that it has been given to me to lead our common cause (against our enemies) to a victorious end."
Which government abdicated it's belief in the consensus of a council of nations in order to pursue it's own ends?
Which Party Leader said " Wherever I am and wherever I go, whatever the outcome,I will be with you always"?
And finally for now, which deputy party leader said " The rational political view has prevailed"?
And tomorrow you can have part IV.

On a lighter note..

.. we have sunshine today and little or no wind. This may not necessarily sound like a cause for rejoicing, but to those of us in the West of Scotland, this is just about the first day in about three months that work outside could be continuous.
We can pour concrete!
We can clean gutters!
We can fix holes in roofs!
We can build walls!
Hallelujah!

Which is which? Part II

I'm sorry that was so easy. Here's the second part.
Which government used fear of internal revolution to abolish rights which were previously enshrined in law, sanctioned house and personal searches without due legal process, allowed wire-tapping,and arrest on mere suspicion of terrorism ?They then filled the prisons so much that army barracks, ships and police stations had to be used to accommodate the criminals.
Which government brought in laws abolishing centuries old rural practices, discriminating against certain categories of farmer?
Which government massively expanded employment in the state sector before it's second term elections, which we call gerrymandering, but which they call increasing public services?
And finally, this one is a bit more difficult: Which government hounded a senior civil servant to death when he departed from the party line and told the truth - then had an inquiry which exhonorated the government. I want both names please.

Which is which?

Just a little test.
The first government I'm talking about won power with about 25% of the electorate voting for them. It's first edict was that it would maintain the status quo. It's second was to downgrade the Upper House, dismissing most of it's sitting members. It then did away with the nation's chief legal officer and replaced him with a close friend of the head of government - who then said unless the lawyers toed the line they would not get any more funding from the state.
The second government won power with about 25% of the elctorate voting for them. It's first edict blah blah blah.... they would not get any more funding from the state.
Compare and contrast.

The Teddy Bears

Unless you are in Scotland the present spat about Walter Smith, the SFA and Rangers will not have bothered you too much. To many Scots, this is THE critical event of 2007 ( and so early in the year too).
Walter was an extremely succesful Rangers manager in the 90's who left for greater things - ending up as Scotland manager after the unlamented Bertie Vogts. I'm afraid I regard this position now as merely an old folk's home for worthy ex-footballers.
However, the one thing Walter would bring to the Teddy Bears is belief in the shirt. This - in case you don't know - is the thing all managers try to instill. Martin O'Neill has it, Alex Ferguson has it ( remember what he did with Aberdeen with no money), and Steven Gerrard has it, along with many others to a lesser or greater degree. LeGuen does not have it. Wee Eck had it, but lacked lots of other skills. It is perhaps the single most important factor in winning or losing a game of football, and makes the picked eleven play as a team - and substitutes slot in unselfishly to WIN. It applies in business and politics as well, and I hardly need say, Mrs.T had it, although I am more than unsure about the preasent government.
Glasgow, of course, is well known for its humour.
The present story doing the rounds is two Jimmys in a bar.
" I hear that Gordon Ramsay is going to be the 'Gers new manager" says one.
" What? says the other " because he used to play for them and can cook?"
" Naw - it's because he's got a great way with mince."
( For those who don't know, mince is Glasgow slang for a bloody load of rubbish."

Ya big jessie ye!

Nice piece about Marr interview and GB at the weekend on several blogs. A local Kircaldy man was quoted as saying he remembers our Gordo as a " a big jessie". Apart from the fact that I seem to recall the Gordo was a comic book monster in my youth, this expression is Scots for gay - cf a big girl's blouse which merely means "feart".
What I think this says is that he is NOT - as the West Wing would have it -" The real thing". And despite whatever we may now think, very large sections of British society in 1997 definitely thought TB WAS the Real Thing.
And what is the definition of THIS phrase. Well, Jed Bartlett admitted, on screen, he screwed up. Way to go!

Education again

For some reason I have been unable to read Cobbett Rides Again! over the last week or two.
Imagine my delight to pick up this gem today.
"Education goes forward to the past.The Telegraph is reporting that the most gifted pupils are to be given vouchers to enable them 'buy' additional tuition. Don't I recall a similar system which featured something called an 11+ exam and Grammar Schools in the bad old days before comprehensives. There are a couple of other innovative wheezes I've just this second thought up. How about apprenticeships where young people can learn practical skills on the job, and what about turning all those new universities into polytechnics and teaching science and engineering instead of psychology, social science and media studies. No, probably too revolutionary."
I couldn't agree more.

Scotland the What?

This used to be the name of quite a funny trio of Aberdonians, who were virtually incomprehensible to anyone south of Dundee.
However, the " what" above refers to what might happen after the May 3rd Scottish elections.
Best guess so far is 7 extra seats for SNP and 6 less for Labour. As an aside, I happen to know that Alex Salmond and the SNP bank with Clydesdale Bank, as I met him there the other day.
But what might happen? Well, the most interesting thing is the new party being launched by Archie Stirling - to be called Scottish Democracy by the looks of it. There is no doubt that many people want the Union to remain, and - the Scots actually being deeply conservative - any referendum would almost certainly vote to retain a near relation of the present situation ( we get more money than the English, and we are not turkeys voting for Christmas).
I always say we do not know we are born up here. We have nothing approaching a traffic jam, as long as you are not trying to cross the Kingston Bridge when Rangers are playing at Ibrox. We have three international airports within 30 minutes of Glasgow ( one of which is about 10 minutes from where I live). OK it rains a lot in the West, but the East is as dry as the South of England, and actually has more hours of sunshine. Add to that what is generally regarded as stunning scenary, world class sailing and outdoor pursuits etc etc, and lots of people ( especially from England) are prepared to take a huge drop in salary to lead a better life than being stuck on the M25.
My own view is that the Scots are actually playing this quite cannily. By telling pollsters that they are going to vote for the SNP, they are ensuring that NuLabour will throw scads of benefits and money at them before the elections. Then they will vote in a parliament that is effectively hung, and not much will get done for a few years, which, as every student of political philosophy knows, is the best way forward for any country.
I do know several people who - the minute the referendum result on the Scottish Parliamnent was known - sold up and left for Suffolk. Very much a laissez-faire county.
And lots of major businesses ( down from 108 to 52 at last count, 1997 - 2005) have moved their headquarters south, or been sold to English or foreign companies.
But at the end of the day, what do we ALL want?
Myself, I want to be left alone, be able to earn enough to live on, and enjoy myself when I want to.
Any politician who could deliver that would have it made.

5 things

Everybody with a blog is doing " 5 things you didn't know about me". Every time I tell my youngest daughter something about myself in my youth, she says I am lying , so here goes.
1. I used to play the trumpet quite well.
2. Whilst living in Germany as a boy, I won the USAAF open golf competition.
3. I also won the USAAF pistol AND rifle shooting competitions.
4. When I was sent home aged 12 with a line from school saying I needed glasses, my mother told me to behave myself.
5. I was embroiled in huge controversy at school, when I won a French prize whilst NOT doing French, and all the members of the French A level set went on strike, as they had been studying for the prize for 18 months.
My point about all this is that - despite the fact that I think of myself as cheerful, kind, caring etc - in reality I piss people off.
Especially the USAAF, who promptly banned me from entering ANY of their competitions.

Did I say under 40?

I have predicted the Lib Dems will be below 40 seats at the next election. The latest poll, whisked through some sophisticated box of tricks, actually puts them on a potential 14. Looks like Ming is NOT going to make it, but Tories should steer clear of giving him a push. And wait for the defections to come across to DC

Happy New Year!

Yes well I've been away, as all the people who read this blog will already know.
I had a lovely time, and just wanted to share three small things with you.
They were in a motorway service station in France.
There was a sign saying that they were responsible vendors and did NOT sell anything of more than 18% alcohol in their restaurant.
Next a lady sitting at the next table ( clearly taking pity on an old git) offered me a glass of her wine. Noone's ever done that anywhere before, and I certainly don't see me being offered a slug of somebody's cola in Newport Pagnall.
Finally - and compare with my view that grandparents' brain's immediately turn to mush at the first wail of the little one - a smart with it granny ( French) was looking after two small ones on the other side from the drinks lady. One of them dropped it's bottle which I picked up and returned to the lady.
She looked witheringly at the child and said " Grandmothers should NOT have to look after their grandchildren!"
No mush there then!

Truly uplifting

I had an experience today which pointed up how lacking in common sense and what used to be called " bottom" the politicians who now run the madhouse are.
I met with a lady called May Nicholson. May runs the Preshal Trust in a seriously deprived area of Glasgow called Govan. It wasn't so deprived until the ships started being built in the far east and the 60's Labour Council in Glasgow knocked most of it down in anticipation of "regeneration". Fortunately, they never got around to it, and only now are things happening - mostly from private investment. Govan has more "A" grade listed buildings than anywhere else in Britain. But the population has dropped from about 80,000 to less than 6,000.
May is about 60, but for the first 30 years of her life she was an alcoholic and drug addict. For the last 30 she has tried to help the sub-normal and deprived to lead a useful life. She has an unshakeable belief that the Lord will provide, and she has never been proved wrong yet.
And what are the things she attempts to give people?
Dignity. A sense of worth.A clean environment. And education.
To do this, everyone who comes to her has a job, even if its sweeping the floor. They get a certificate for doing a good job, and she doesn't hand those out lightly. She makes sure that they get praise for a job well done, but a badly done job will lead to a dressing down - mild but truthful, and about the job not the " You're a waste of space" type. She makes sure where they live is properly looked after, and she makes sure there are mentors and neighbours to help with that. She makes sure they get a sense of achievement, that they as a person are worth it. They learn and expand their knowledge whilst in her care. To describe her as a dynamo is completely to mislead. She is a frail, soft-spoken rock, who gave me a hug and blessed me before I left.
She works in a rotting shed, which her people are doing up.
But she leads, and gets things done, and literally hundreds of people bless the day they met her.
My point in all this is the Blair/Brownite belief that if you throw billions at something, somehow it will get better. It won't. Like any school, what counts is the headmaster and teachers. In the hospitals, it's not the admin people, it's the charismatic doctor or surgeon who inspires and uplifts his staff, it's the good copper that works away and again, gets things done.It's the person in a job who tells the truth and shames the Devil.
There's an old adage " Cometh the hour, cometh the man"
In 1997, I have to say I thought it might be.
The only man coming now is Yates.

Run for Cover

No, not what we need to do since the Attorney General effectively said he could do anything he liked under cover of the "National Interest", but the title of a rather good "B" movie starring James Cagney, made, I think in 1954.
It is a tale of cowboys and a few Indians, but mostly it is about people's speed to judge, their herd mentality, jealousy and redemption. Pretty average cowboy stuff. You will, however, be pleased to hear Cagney wears a white hat, the baddies all have black hats, and the townsfolk various shades of grey.
But the thing that struck me was some of the dialogue, which, I daresay, reflected the thinking of the time, and, in view of my age, probably my pre-programmed view of life.
The best example was when the deputy sherrif, to whom Cagney had shown nothing but kindness and a wish to toughen him up, turned out to have been in league with the baddies all along..
" Don't blame it on yer larning - if it hadn't been that it would have been somethin' else!" In effect, you went rotten because you ARE rotten.
I don't subscribe to that view. I have unbounded faith in education, education, education ( remember that?) but that education does NOT only come from school. It comes from parents and grandparents as well, something that has almost been forgotten until IDS spelled it out again recently.
In Glasgow - and I'm sure in other places - there are some families that are 5 generations into not having worked. We -you - other taxpayers - have supported them for more than 40 years to a greater or lesser extent. Anyone on benefit, also doing the odd night behind a bar, or a little labouring, would be entirely mad to start work to earn an extra £25 per week, and having to work for it too. And don't forget the peer and family pressure. I actually once heard a mother tell her daughter, who had come to work for us in defiance of her situation, that she was insane. The mother had come to our office, pulled the 16 year old out, and shouted at her for 20 minutes in the street.
Now I know Mr. Brown likes to control everything, and his policy of increasing the public sector, the sector on benefit etc etc is merely a sophisticated form of gerrymandering, but we are perilously close to the end. Even in France, after a certain ( lengthy) period, you don't get benefit any more.
We have to reinstate policies that bring an end to dependency. Without this, the British people will never get up off their knees. It is only the influx of Poles and others that are keeping things going. And still we have slipped from fourth best productivity to 25th.If they all decide to go home we are well and truly screwed.
By the way, the deputy sherrif saved Cagney from being shot, and so redeemed himself, shot by Cagney in the process. Quote from Cagney " Ya drew! Ya drew! an' I thought ya was drawin' on me!"
Brilliant.

State of the Nation

I watched Andrew Marr this morning when that smarmy bastard Prescott dribbled all over the place.
I read the MoS on the leaked docuement. I read Iain Dale, Dizzy, etc etc.
For possibly the first time in it's existence, this shambles ( their word) of a Government has actually told the truth.
It's crap.
I was never more sure of this than on Friday night when we were at a dinner party, two of the guests being redder than red Labourites.A naughty friend of mind wound them both up by suggesting that Pinochet was a pretty straight kind of a guy. Unfortuantely, neither of them were clever enough, and launched into furious attack, only to be shot down with the reminder that it was what Bliar had said about himself. Of course, straight kind of guy is EXACTLY what Pinochet was. He had principles ( you may not like them, but he stuck by them. There was no spin, it was all straight out) Whilst speechless, my friend continued with suggesting that what had been done in the name of the British people, particularly in Iraq, was anti-democratic and the people certainly did NOT vote for their pensions to be ruined, the NHS to deteriorate even as billions were shovelled at it, and certainly NOT for the troops in Afghanistan to have to borrow ammunition as that provided by the MOD was useless. And why NuTrident?
Both the Labourites were squirming as all this was being said, until one of them blurted out -" well, at least the country is in safe hands with Gordon Brown" -which raised a huge guffaw all round the table - .."and at least he's honest!"
I need hardly say more. If there really are people who are this deluded, the Tories will have no problem.
Like I keep saying, majority of more than 40, LibDems down below 40.

Rotary

I've just been to Prestwick Rotary Club Christmas Lunch. I hasten to add I was there in my capacity as a raiser of funds for the Gurkha Welfare Trust. As a result, I was collecting a very welcome £500, which is already winging it's way to our esteemed Treasurer.
What I had not realised was that the Rotary movement ( in the UK anyway) is almost entirely devoted to charity and good works. Although a large proportion of their work is local, they have tremendous outreach and training programmes worldwide.
I was enormously impressed with these particular people, largely retired, who now donated at least two days a week of their time to good works. I was forcibly struck by their complete lack of faith in either local, regional (= Scottish) or national government to deliver even minimum incremental improvements within communities. The message was loud and clear: if you want to get something down for a local community, do it yourselves.
One particular ( recent) project in the area was mentioned, whereby the local authority had undertaken a survey ( = consultants) had then produced a draft plan ( = more consultants) had then debated the issue ( = first direct involvement of local authority) and had concluded it was not worth while. I was quoted a cost of £35,000 to reach this stage. It was for a local drop-in club. The total cost was put at £500,000 capital cost and running it £150,000 pa.
There are 28 members of Prestwick Rotary. One of their number, incensed by a) the cost and b) the non- appearance of the centre, got his fellow members together. Over a ten day period, they a) sourced a suitable building b) put in a firm offer at £50,000 c) completed the purchase with a bank loan on the say-so of another member, and d) had a sign up asking for volunteers.
I hardly need to tell you the rest of the story. They got enough volunteers to do works required to bring it up to standard and staff the centre for the first year. During that period the centre made a profit and has already repaid some of the loan, and the rest has been repaid from their own fundraising.
And lots of children,young and old people use the centre every day.
So much for being not worth while.

Rain

No this is not the famous Graham Greene story, it is Glasgow for every day of the last 6 weeks.
Which means we have been unable to finish outside works on a building due for completion this Friday.
Which means we can't get the occupation certificate now before about January 9th 2007.
Which means the tenants can't take occupation on January 3rd.
Which means they will have to postpone their move.
Which is a mess for all concerned.

Don't get ill in February and March 2007

I've just been reading about the new rules regarding overspending Hospital Trusts. Suppose you spent £105m last year and " earned" ( what a joke that is) £100m. So you have a £5m deficit. THIS year, your budget earnings of £100m have to a) pay for everything b) pay back the extra £5m and c) make a profit of £5m ie your actual spend can only be £90m. In effect, and allowing for inflation, that is near enought a 20% cut.
So, finally, Mr. Brown's chickens are coming home to roost. The cumulative deficit will be £1.6b this year.There is no money. The coffers are empty - sorry that's wrong, the coffers have an ADDITIONAL hole of £100b over the last 5 years. And it's growing at £35b or more per year.
And just so we have it clear, this is because of targets and meddling.
I always like the example of feeding London. Nobody plans it. Nobody directs it. Yet Londoners get food and drink and people profit from it. Let Tesco run the NHS.

You'll be a man

I know it's almost certain that being a man nowadays is a) superfluous and b) certainly sexist and c) probably illegal unless you are gay, but I was most taken with some words about the son of an immigrant and a madwoman. He rose to great wealth several times, and ultimately lost it all. He despised most of his family, except one, who managed to start just a little bit up the ladder rather than beneath it.
People mostly hated him, and talked about him behind his back, but as long as he had money they took and took and took from him. He was perhaps the best true friend anyone could have, but that friendship was very sparingly given.
It takes madness in the blood to get things done. That's one of the reasons everything now is such a mess, and sooo drawn out. Noone dares have the madness. Paper shuffling to cover your backside has taken the place of forward movement. Hence the Czars and reports as produced by Nulabour. It's why the schools, hospitals, police and anything else you care to mention are not actually improving.
He is described as being " a man". It's a very old fashioned concept, but one that bears reviving. There are very few. There are lots of hard men ( John Reid's tough guy stance springs to mind) but I would never grace him with the epithet of being " a man". The French have " un homme serieux" and the Germans " ein mensch".
If you are a man, you do your uttermost for those around you - friends, family, work colleagues, people who are affected by your behaviour.
You do NOT - as we now have - people who hide behind weasel words and abrogate and deny responsibility. You carry it as a permanent burden that you overcome.
So who is this man? His name is Eugene Malou. He was a man.