Members of the Metropolitan Police Authority (MPA) say it is “extraordinary” that Scotland Yard officers were not punished for hiding their ID’s during the G20 protests in June (pictured above, with officers displaying some relish as they wade in to protestors). The MPA said senior officers are not taking the issue of ensuring frontline colleagues can be recognised seriously enough. They claimed a rogue officer could repeatedly get away with acts of violence if bosses do not clamp down on those who fail to follow the rules. During the protests, newspaper seller Ian Tomlinson died after being violently pushed to the ground by a police officer. Senior officers said formal discipline was probably not appropriate as “badges can fall off or officers may forget to attach them as they change clothing”. Yeah sure – at the risk of offending Caledonian Comment’s many Muslim readers, I’ve just seen a pig flying over Scotland Yard.

The UK Attorney-General has fired her Tongan housekeeper after claims were made that she was an illegal immigrant. Baroness Scotland of Asthal (pictured above) was said to have taken on Loloahi Tapui 6 months ago, believing that she was entitled to work in this country. The law on hiring illegal immigrants imposes upon employers a duty to verify the status of their workers. To employ an illegal worker knowingly carries a 2-year prison sentence and an unlimited fine. To employ an illegal immigrant unknowingly carries a £10,000 fine. I’m surprised the Baroness didn’t investigate this employee more thoroughly – after all, as a black Attorney-General she’d hardly have been accused of racism. Do you think the Baroness will end up being found guilty ? Do you think she will end up in jail and/or pay a fine ? She might – but don’t hold your breath. That kind of sanction’s for ORDINARY people.

UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown (pictured above, looking both evangelical and nauseatingly mock-sincere) will declare this week that Britain is emerging from recession and that the economy is on the “road towards recovery”. The PM will deliver this extraordinarily upbeat assessment (a.k.a. bullshit) in a speech to Trades Union leaders exactly one year on from the start of the credit crunch and the worldwide financial crisis. His claims will come as he faces a fresh challenge to his authority from the leader of Britain’s biggest union, who yesterday warned Brown that he must ”get rid of” Business Secretary Peter Mandelson and Foreign Secretary David Miliband or face “slaughter” at the general election.

The rapidly ageing and increasingly irrelevant Prince Charles, accompanied by his former mistress, now wife, the rapidly ageing and totally irrelevant Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall (pair pictured above), toured their local Waitrose supermarket yesterday morning in a bid to publicise the Prince’s struggling “Duchy Originals” range of organic foods. The couple strolled among the plebs to announce a commercial tie-up between the up-market retailer, who will have exclusive rights to sell Charlie’s organic swill. Sir Michael Peat, Charles’ principal private secretary, insisted the joint venture was not a case of the retailer “bailing out” the Prince’s company but rather “Duchy Originals” was “moving on to the next level”. Yeah sure, Charlie.

London’s Stock Exchange

London’s Stock Exchange (above) leading market index closed above the 5,000 barrier for the first time in 11 months yesterday, apparently due to ”continuing hope” that an economic recovery was under way. The FInancial Times Share Index (FTSE) of Britain’s top 100 companies hit over 5000 points – the first time this has happened since October last year. Traders were reportedly talking about a ”feelgood factor” and the positive mood was being helped by brokers upgrading a range of stocks, allegedly “bullish UK consumer confidence” and a giant oil discovery off Brazil by BG Group. The price of oil continued to rise, to above $72 a barrel, as signals from an OPEC meeting in Vienna indicated that demand was still growing strongly and a revival in the appetite for corporate takeovers also boosted the positive sentiment.

So once again we’ve got the “Green Shoots” brigade in the Stock Market talking the talk. Where the hell do they discern the “feelgood factor”, other than in the closed world of investors where some of them hope to make quick killings by talking up oil prices and takeovers ? Where are they seeing “bullish UK consumer confidence” when half the population is getting their arse kicked by the bank manager, worried about paying the mortgage, shit scared about keeping their job and fighting to keep their financial ship afloat ? How can they enthuse about “corporate takeovers” which in reality are the result of the crisis and will mean more “efficient” job losses ? And how can they look the millions out of work in the eye, with more set to join the dole queues, as these fat-cat spivs try and engender a false dawn to justify the fat bonuses they’re doubtless lining up for themselves and their greedy banker friends in the City while the rest of us continue to pay the price ?

In the UK The average cost of dying (remains resting in quiet repose above) has soared to £7,098 this year and is expected to rise by another third over the next 5 years, according to a survey which warns that many bereaved families will struggle to cover all the expenses. The cost of a “standard” funeral in Britain has risen by 7.2% to £2,733, but additional and often “hidden” costs such as venue hire, catering and flowers can push the overall average cost much higher, research suggests. Which perhaps highlights the only good thing about snuffing it – if it’s you who’s unlucky enough to be the dear departed, you don’t give a toss how much it costs. If the expense means you’re dropping your relatives in it, you might even die happy.

And according to official figures, one of the major causes of death in the UK is booze. Doctors have demanded a complete ban on alcohol advertising and an end to the sponsorship of music and sporting events by drinks companies. The British Medical Association (BMA) claims that tough legal measures are needed to tackle the growing cost of drink-related harm and binge-drinking (example above) in Britain. Children are “groomed” from an early age by aggressive marketing to get a taste for alcohol, these experts say. In their report, “Under The Influence”, they also renew calls for a minimum price to be set per unit of alcohol, for drink to be taxed at a higher rate than inflation and for a ban on two-for-one drink offers. Calls for increased taxes – the government will just love that. As for the rest of us, it will probably drive us to drink. Until of course government policy on multi-culturalism reaches its logical conclusion and we’re all being frogmarched to the Mosque, after which the issue will become irrelevant.

That epitome of inexperienced banal incompetence, even by the inane standards of New Labour, UK Foreign Secretary David Miliband (pictured above), is set to describe the prospect of warmer world, with alligators basking off the coast of Sweden, a vast desert surrounding most of the Mediterranean Sea and a largely uninhabitable mainland Europe, when he heads up British attempts to persuade rich countries to put climate change at the top of their political and economic agendas. Arch climate-whinger Miliband, doubtless supporting his equally banal brother, Climate Change Minister Ed Miliband (nothing like New Labour for keeping it in the family) will address EU, French, Swedish and Danish foreign ministries in the next 48 hours.

He then travels to New York where he will meet foreign ministers from other rich countries next week to hammer out details of a major treaty on global warming ahead of UN talks in Thailand, which will conclude at a crucial summit in December in Copenhagen. A Foreign Office spokesman said using powerful climate change imagery to concentrate official minds was justifiable because the worldwide geopolitical implications of profound climate change were so enormous. Bollocks. If all these concerned politicians stopped flying about everywhere at our expense to these first class climate junkets, CO2 emissions would fall off dramatically. And in any case, as Foreign Secretary, shouldn’t David Miliband stop acting like some schoolgirl worrying about the dolphins and start concerning himself with foreign affairs ?

Another British cabinet minister visiting foreign countries to tell them how to govern while the UK itself is in a shambles. China should address human rights concerns if it wants the 20-year EU arms embargo to be lifted, UK Business Secretary Lord Mandelson (pictured above) told young officials in Beijing yesterday. Mandelson also told an audience at the Central Party school – which trains middle and higher ranking Communist cadres – that promoting human rights such as freedom of expression would help China’s economy to continue growing in the long run. Interesting that – an obsessive concentration on human rights – especially for criminals and racist Islamic clerics – and freedom of expression have done nothing recently for the UK economy.

The arms embargo was imposed following the bloody military crackdown on supporters of pro-democracy demonstrations in Tiananmen Square in 1989, in which hundreds, possibly thousands, died. Lord Mandelson is leading a delegation of British businesspeople to promote trade and co-operation in a range of areas, particularly low carbon economic development. His speech to the school focused on combating protectionism, promoting economic and financial reforms, and tackling climate change. He might have been better talking to the G20 – or the forthcoming Labour Party conference. And it’s striking that to our politicians, a Chinese massacre 20 years ago is unforgivable but a Libyan mass murderer who struck 20 years ago is an OK guy. Pity China doesn’t have oil to spare.

In the UK the New Labour government will “ot flinch” from making cuts in public spending in order to bring the soaring financial deficit under control, the Chancellor of the Exchequer Alistair Darling (pictured above) insisted yesterday. The Chancellor paved the way for spending cuts, making it clear in a keynote speech that even his party’s top priorities such as the National Health Service (NHS) could be hit. He stressed though that the Government was determined to bring public debt under control after the recession and would never risk the UK’s “fiscal sustainability”. By the way, for our overseas readers, “after the recession” actually means “after the election”.

Posted by Caledonian Jim in Daily Posts

UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown has been dragged into the continuing controversy over the early release of the Lockerbie bomber after it emerged that a key decision that could have paved the way for the terrorist to serve his sentence in Libya was approved by Downing Street. A source close to government has said that the move to include Abdul Baset Ali al-Megrahi (pictured above) in a prisoner transfer agreement in 2007 was a government decision and was not made at the sole discretion of the then Justice Secretary Jack Straw. “It wasn’t just Jack who decided this. It was a Government decision. Jack did not act unilaterally.” And of course we’re expected to believe that the Scottish government took no notice of all this in coming to its decision.

The row over the early release of the Lockerbie bomber 2 weeks ago shows no sign of going away after the Ministry of Justice indicated over the weekend that the decision to include Megrahi in a prisoner transfer agreement had been made with the possibility of trade deals with Libya in mind. “The negotiations over a prisoner transfer agreement were part of a wider agreement for the normalisation of relations with Libya as part of bringing them into the international community,” the Ministry said. It is understood that the “wider agreement” included assurances on oil, trade and other issues such as nuclear non-proliferation So in other words, a shabby deal. What a surprise. And these are the same cynical politicians that send brave, ill-equipped soldiers to die in Afghanistan, ostensibly to fight terrorism, while at the same time in the interests of cowardly “normalisation” (a.k.a. craven surrender to terrorists for financial gain) they’re concocting obscene deals to release convicted mass murderers. Jack Straw ? - this pathetic Islam-appeasing pair of governments, both in Scotland and the wider UK, have been shown to be full of men of straw. They should all face criminal charges.

Binyam Mohamed (pictured above), the former Guantanamo detainee who the UK government spent a fortune on flying back to Britain when he should have been sent back to Ethiopia, has reversed a decision to stay out of the UK’s public eye by signalling his determination to campaign for justice for prisoners at the American detention camp and highlight the “lifelong effects” of torture he suffered at the hands of his alleged interrogators. Just 6 months after emerging as a frail figure from the plane which brought him to Britain from the US military prison in Cuba, Mr Mohamed over the weekend used his first public speech since his release to explain the legacy of his 7 years in detention, which he says included his “extraordinary rendition” to a prison in south Morocco.

The 31-year-old who was born in Ethiopia and came to Britain as a refugee at the age of 16, is one of 15 one-time terror suspects who have now made allegations that MI5 and MI6 colluded in their torture abroad. Mr Mohamed is suing the Government to prove that he was imprisoned and tortured with the full knowledge of the UK authorities and intelligence services. Scotland Yard is currently investigating whether there are grounds for prosecuting any British intelligence officers involved with the case after it was revealed that MI5 supplied lists of questions to be put to him while he was being held in Morocco and elsewhere. Now call me a party-pooper, but has anyone asked WHY he was in Afghanistan when he was first arrested ? And WHY has he not been deported back to Ethiopia where he belongs instead of using UK taxpayer’s money to doubtless further his case for compensation at yet more eventual expense for the taxpayer ? It’s amazing how the prospect of financial reward can inspire miracle health cures.

All the fun of the parade as revellers at the Notting Hill Carnival (pictured above) in London yesterday enjoyed a warm and sunny day as Europe’s biggest street carnival proceeded in a blaze of colour. More than 200,000 people descended on the west of the UK’s capital city to travel the annual event’s 3.5 mile route to sound of steel bands and a background of exotic dancers and imaginative floats. And what a stroke of luck for the lady in the photo above – if she’d been at the G20 protest or a climate change rally the chances are that same police force would have left her in a pool of blood at the roadside. Instead the officer being manhandled doesn’t appear to know where to put his truncheon.

Posted by Caledonian Jim in Daily Posts

Posted by Caledonian Jim in Daily Posts

In the UK convicted killer Peter Bryan (pictured above) was given permission to live in a hostel in north London where he could come and go as he pleased. He had been admitted to a secure hospital after beating shop assistant Nisha Sheth to death with a hammer in 1993. But 8 years later, mental health “experts” decided he could live in the community under supervision. So in 2002 he moved to a hostel and at the beginning of 2004 social workers applied for his transfer to “low support accommodation”. So far so good - the trendy “experts” seemingly justified in their “softly, softly approach”. Until 4 weeks later Bryan murdered his best friend and cooked and ate his flesh and parts of his brain.

In a damning report into the case, it was found that while living in the community Bryan was looked after by an inexperienced social worker and a psychiatrist who had never worked with a convicted killer. These 2 alleged ”professionals” were a “supervising psychiatrist” and a ”social supervisor” ; the psychiatrist had never before had had responsibility for a patient who had killed someone, and the very inexperienced social worker had no training in mental health. Following the killing, Bryan was sent to Broadmoor Secure Facility but within 2 months he had killed another victim, a fellow patient.

Now as Bryan, after being convicted of murder AGAIN this week, resumes a life sentence that should never have been interrupted, doubtless we’ll get spin doctors spouting off about “lessons being learned” and “institutional reforms being instigated” and “resource issues being addressed” and all the other usual meaningless platitudes we get when these kinds of things happen – as they do with increasing and monotonous regularity. But it’s high time the pathetic excuses and buck-passing stopped. These silly sods, these so-called “experts”, who released a nutcase with known cannibalistic tendencies into the community, whether inspired by laziness, incompetence, naivety, stupidity, concern over a cannibal’s “rights”, political correctness or a combination of some or all of these things are as brainless as his victims now are and they should be fired and prosecuted. How many more potential killers are walking the streets at the instigation of these (un)professional cretins ?

The right wing British National Party (BNP) leader, Nick Griffin (pictured above), said yesterday that his party will have to change its current membership rules or face being “utterly crushed” in the courts. The Equality and Human Rights Commission is taking the BNP to court over its constitution, which states that only “‘Indigenous Caucasian’ and defined “ethnic groups’ emanating from that race” are allowed to join. When proceedings were issued last month the party insisted it would fight the case. But Mr Griffin, speaking after yesterday’s hearing at the Central London county court was adjourned for 7 weeks, appeared to back down, saying that the party should now change its membership rules. Which raised an interesting question – how many people who are NOT “Indigenous Caucasians or members of ethnic groups emanating from that race” would be daft enought to want to join the BNP ? And while I’m at it – and purely in the interests of even-handedness - now that the Equality and Human Rights Commission has quite rightly challenged the BNP, when is it going to take Mosques to court for blatant segregation against women ? Or is that issue not politically correct enough ?

It was claimed yesterday by the UK’s former Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott (pictured above) that Europe’s climate targets of cutting carbon emissions by 30% by 2020 and 80% by 2050 may not be tough enough to get developing countries into a worldwide global warming deal. In a newspaper interview the bloated inanity Prescott, who brokered the current climate treaty, the Kyoto Protocol, said a 90% cut might be needed in order to secure an agreement at December’s UN climate conference in Copenhagen. Countries such as India are likely to ask rich Western countries to cut back on atmospheric CO2 still further so that developing countries can continue to expand their economies and pull more of their people out of poverty, said Mr Prescott, who has taken on an influential new role as the rapporteur on climate change for the Council of Europe. What a joke – Prescott, the arch-buffoon and time-serving, taxpayer-funded expensive waste of space, saving the planet ? The best thing he can do to cut back on CO2 emissions is to shut his mouth.

Looking more like an ageing rock star than ever, Libyan leader Colonel Gaddafi (pictured above) is set to ask the UN to “abolish” Switzerland and share the land among its neighbouring countries. The oil-rich friend of Scotland has reportedly filed a motion with the UN saying Switzerland should be wiped off the map and split among France, Italy and Germany. Gaddafi is set to present his bizarre plan when Libya takes over the year-long presidency of the UN General Assembly on September 15. He first mentioned his idea at the G8 summit in Italy in July. “Switzerland is a world mafia and not a state,” he said. “It is formed of an Italian community that should return to Italy, another German community that should return to Germany, and a third French community that should return to France.” And presumably any convicted murderers there can go to Libya. Did we really do business with this guy for a few barrels of oil ?

And while we’re on about oil, British Petroleum (BP) has made what it is calling a “giant” oil discovery in one of the world’s deepest wells, drilled 35,000ft into rock on the sea floor of the Gulf of Mexico using a rig like the one above. The exact size of the find at BP’s Tiber prospect oilfield is awaiting technical appraisal, but the company estimates that Tiber is bigger than its prospect on the nearby Kaskida field, which has about 3 billion barrels of oil reserves in place. The announcement sent the group’s shares soaring by 4.26 % last night. Now do you notice that if ever there’s bad news about oil supplies, like a fire on a rig or bad weather in the Gulf, oil prices rise immediately and prices at the pumps go up right away. So with this good news, can we expect fuel to be cheaper any time soon ? Don’t hold your breath.

In the UK the National Health Service (NHS) has set up a “stress-busting” phone line for people worried about money during the credit crunch (example above). Health workers will take calls from people who are depressed by fruitless job hunting, anxious about losing work or stressed about bills they can’t pay. The service is designed to give mental health advice as well as practical help and information about debt, housing and employment. Instead of spending money this way, the government might do better to force the people causing the stress, the greedy bankers, to relieve it by lending again at reasonable rates to businesses and individuals instead of withdrawing overdrafts, repossessing homes, closing down businesses and profiteering at a time where everyone is at their most vulnerable.

COMPASSIONATE BEST WISHES – NOW PLEASE DIE SOON

The fury over the release of the convicted terrorist guilty of the Lockerbie atrocity (above) intensified yesterday over the medical advice given to the Scottish government on how long he has to live. It emerged that the prognosis that Abdel Baset Ali al-Megrahi had a life expectancy of only 3 months or less was supported by an unnamed doctor who reportedly has “no expertise” in the treating of terminal prostate cancer. The final report on Megrahi’s condition which went to Scottish Justice Minister Kenny MacAskill was drawn up by Dr Andrew Fraser, director of health and care with the Scottish Prison Service.

The 3 month time limit is important because Scottish Prison Service guidance says that compassionate release from prison “may be considered where a prisoner is suffering from a terminal illness and death is likely to occur soon. There are no fixed time limits but life expectancy of less than 3 months may be considered an appropriate period.” Apparently there’s nothing in the Scottish Prison Service guidance about grubby oil and trade deals so officials were able to make up their own minds regarding a recommendation for early release. What is supremely ironic about this whole farce is that the politicians who wanted to appear so compassionate must now be praying that this bloke dies quickly.

入室盗窃女性内裤英国市长辞职 Burglary of women's underwear United Kingdom mayors to resign

二零零九年八月二十六日下午四时四十分 At 16:40 on August 26th, 2009

（伦敦26日综合电）据英国媒体周二报道，英国兰开夏郡海滨城镇普里萨尔市的女性居民们最近陷入了恐慌之中，因为她们放在卧室抽屉中的女性内裤经常无缘无故地失踪。 (London 26, Reuters) Tuesday, according to British media reports, the United Kingdom Lancashire seaside town of Prisal female residents of the city have recently plunged into panic, because they were placed in the women's underwear in the bedroom drawer often for no apparent reason missing.

一名妇女在家中安装了摄像头，结果拍下一名男子闯入她的卧室盗走内裤的场景。 A woman at home to install a camera, the results photographed a man broke into her bedroom and stole underwear scene. 出人意料的是，这名“内裤大盗”竟是普里萨尔市现年58岁的市长大人伊安·斯塔福德！ Surprisingly, this "underwear bandit" was actually Prisal City Lord Mayor, 58-year-old Yi Ansi Stafford!

事发后，当地警方突袭了斯塔福德市长的家，搜出了至少数十条颜色不同的女性内裤。 After the incident, local police raided the home of Mayor Stafford, found at least dozens of different-colored women's underwear. 据悉，斯塔福德4年前被选为普里萨尔市市长，不久前赢得连任。 It is reported that Stafford was elected four years ago, Prisal mayor, recently won re-election. 除了履行市长职务外，他平时还兼职充当杂务工和园丁。 In addition to fulfilling his position as Mayor, he usually also act as a part-time handyman and gardener.

丑闻曝光后，斯塔福德已经辞去市长职务，并正在接受英国警方的调查。 After the scandal, has resigned from his position as Mayor Stafford, and is receiving the British police investigation.

相关照片 Related Photos

■ 斯塔福德 ■ Stafford

BRITISH GOVERNMENT BETRAYS ITS INJURED SOLDIERS

Posted by Caledonian Jim in Daily Posts

Pictured above is a wounded British soldier in Afghanistan. In a shameful move, the UK government will this week launch an attempt to deny soldiers maimed or crippled in battle full compensation for injuries sustained there or in Iraq. The Ministry of Defence (MoD) will go to the Court of Appeal on Tuesday to try to slash the compensation awarded to 2 injured soldiers by up to 70%. If the government wins, it will fuel the mounting disquiet over the relatively paltry payments some soldiers are receiving for lifelong injuries. The legal action comes as British troops are suffering their heaviest casualties since the beginning of the conflict in Afghanistan in 2001. In the landmark legal case this week Defence Secretary Bob Ainsworth, an inadequate craven hypocrite who lied only last week when he said he would “bust a gut” for British troops, is appealing against a previous court ruling that 2 soldiers should have their compensation increased.

Obviously our brave soldiers are in the wrong place at the wrong time. If they were Iraqi civilians bleating for compensation after they got involved in crossfire for harbouring terrorists – or Afghan drug lords screaming “racism” every time our troops advance across their poppy fields in Helmand – or Islamic fundamentalist fanatics spouting hatred whose financial claims cost the country millions in legal aid and social benefits – and of course if they had the benefit of the taxpayer funded services of trendy human rights lawyers who will represent any scrounger, wastrel, illegal immigrant or dopehead, they’d be much better off. But it seems to this cowardly New Labour government, ever ready to appease Islamic nutters as it denies our own soldiers proper equipment and now proper financial support after terrible injuries, to be more important to spend public money bribing inner city Muslim voters than supporting the troops. And even less important to appreciate the ongoing obscenity of politicians fiddling their expenses while injured soldiers suffer.

In the UK a woman has been awarded compensation after cosmetic surgeons left her face a “complete mess” after a series of botched procedures. Beverley Binks (pictured above) underwent an eye and jaw lift to “bolster her self-esteem” but instead claims she was “butchered” by 2 cosmetic surgeons. Mrs Binks has now been awarded an undisclosed sum in compensation after taking legal action against the surgeons. After a series of botched procedures she was left with her face appearing “too tight” and too much fat had been removed from underneath her left eye, meaning the skin would not properly connect with the eyeball. Mrs Binks, a former wine bar and nightclub owner from Hetton, County Durham, says she has lost her livelihood because of what happened to her and tried to take her life because of the stress. She said: ‘The cosmetic surgery has ruined my life and has left me looking a complete mess. I used to be such a sociable person and outgoing but now I’m like a recluse and hardly ever go out.” Now I’ve no problem with Mrs Binks getting compensation – but what really upsets me is that I bet the “undisclosed sum” she got is a damn sight more than what our injured soldiers get.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer Alistair Darling (pictured above) is to question bank chiefs over the continuing squeeze on credit and how much banks are charging companies and individuals for loans, saying he is “extremely concerned” that their rates and arrangement fees are too high. In a rare moment of lucidity for a member of the current government, Mr Darling said the cost of loans seemed to have risen, despite the UK’s record low base interest rate of 0.5%. He said that banks had a duty to restore lending levels, saying the government and taxpayer did not rescue the banking sector “out of some charitable act”. He has called a meeting with bank executives in Downing St today in order that they can explain themselves. ”The public will not understand it if the banks don’t seem to be doing their part in the current recession, ” he said. “I want them to rebuild their balance sheets – but at the same time, because of the particular circumstances we’re in now, because of the fact we’ve got this recession, we also need them to lend money,” said Mr Darling. “That’s why we re-capitalised them to do that, and that means they’ve got to live up to the promises that they made.” Quite right too, Chancellor. In fact I would only take issue with you on one point. The public DOES understand why the banks don’t seem to be doing their part – it’s because the banks are piss-taking, greedy, profiteering bastards who don’t give a toss about the economy or their struggling customers.

Beleagured, bedraggled and exhausted UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown (pictured above) appealed yesterday for discipline within his New Labour Party amid fresh criticism of his leadership following the government’s humiliating by-election defeat in Norwich North last Thursday. The PM used a newspaper interview to insist there was work to be done over the summer as members of parliament and ministers headed off for their summer break . He didn’t however elaborate on HOW work was going to be done with politicians taking an unprecedented 82 days off ! Lucky for some during the recession.

Brown went on : “We’ve got to show that we are a disciplined party getting on with the work of government. I think people are very clear that we’ve got a task ahead. We’ve got work to do to prepare for the autumn.” The PM said he was determined to spend plenty of time with his children during his break from Westminster. That should I suppose stand him in good stead when he has to deal again with his juvenile Cabinet. He also stressed that during his holiday he would remain focused on the country, currently facing the challenges of swine flu and recession. ”My attention is focused on what I can do for the country. I will not be diverted,” he said. Shit – we’re doomed then.

The British government is facing fresh calls to open contacts with the militant Palestinian Hamas movement (above) in bid to “inject new momentum into the Middle East peace process”. The House of Commons foreign affairs committee says the current policy of non-engagement with Hamas – which controls the Gaza Strip – appeared to be “achieving little”. The committee repeated its call of 2 years ago for the government to “urgently” consider ways of engaging politically with “moderate elements” within the group. Currently, the government refuses to talk to Hamas until it accepts the principles of the international Quartet – the UN, the US, the EU and Russia – of non-violence and acceptance of the existence of the state of Israel. I’ve got 2 questions for this committee : (a) What “moderate elements” are there in Hamas ? - and (b) What the bloody hell is the British government doing getting involved in Gaza with Hamas anyway - or indeed Israel for that matter ? Leave them to it – we’ve got enough problems of our own.

Some Muslims living in Britain are refusing to use alcohol-based hand gels (above) to combat the spread of swine flu because they claim it is “against their religion”. Some of those employed by St Albans Local Authority in Hertfordshire have complained about the antibacterial lotion, which is considered a key strategy in containing the virus. Officials were concerned because the Koran bans Muslims from consuming alcohol, so local authority chiefs issued them with non-alcohol hand gels, which studies have shown to be less effective in killing bugs. But the Muslim Council of Britain has criticised the local authority’s decision to change the gel, pointing out that Islamic teachings allow Muslims to use alcohol for medicinal purposes. The Muslim Council said: “We would advise people to follow the medical advice so we would, of course, encourage people to use alcohol-based hand gel. People need to find ways to accommodate their beliefs.” Credit where it’s due – some common sense instead of ignorant doctrinal bullshit.

THE LORD GETS THE CHOP FOR MENTIONING CHOPPERS

Posted by Caledonian Jim in Daily Posts

A British government minister inflamed the row over logistical support for UK troops in Afghanistan (pictured above) yesterday by insisting they did NOT have enough helicopters. Foreign Office minister Lord Malloch-Brown – who is standing down at the end of this week – said: “We definitely don’t have enough helicopters,” adding that mobility was crucial for the dangerous operations being undertaken. He also further angered 10 Downing Street by stating that Prime Minister Gordon Brown’s political future looked “incredibly bleak”. And all this was on the same day that the Prime Minister insisted that the troops DID have enough helicopters. Just as well the noble Lord Malloch-Brown is standing down – telling the truth never sat easy with working for the Foreign Office – or with working for Gordon Brown.

America would arm its allies and extend its “defence umbrella” across the Middle East if Iran succeeded in producing nuclear weapons, the US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton (pictured above) said yesterday. Mrs Clinton’s statement at the ASEAN meeting of foreign ministers in Thailand swiftly provoked an anxious reaction from Israel. Israel’s minister for intelligence and atomic energy, Dan Meridor, was angered at the implication that Iran’s nuclear status might be regarded as a strategic reality. “I was not thrilled to hear the American statement that they will protect their allies with a nuclear umbrella, as if they have already come to terms with a nuclear Iran,” he told Israeli army radio. “I think that’s a mistake.” Not to worry Dan – if the Israeli Air Force has anything to do with it, I’m sure it will never happen.

A party of British schoolchildren (example above) suffering from swine flu were treated like “dangerous criminals” before being kicked out of France, it emerged yesterday. The astonishing example of Gallic racism saw the 14-year-olds and their teachers being forced to wear surgical masks and shoes while being treated by medics in anti-contamination suits. ”It was if we were dangerous criminals,” said a member of the party from Lea Manor High School, in Luton, Bedfordshire, who said that official complaints were being prepared through diplomatic channels. The source, who asked not to be named, said: “We were treated appallingly. The French wanted us back across the Channel as quickly as possible. It was a horrendous ordeal. When people saw us in our masks we were sworn at and told to go home to our disease-ridden country.” A bit rich indeed coming from bloody arrogant malodorous frogs.

Former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair has said he would consider toppling Zimbabwean “President” Robert Mugabe (pictured above) if he was still in power at No.10 Downing Street. “If you can do it then you should do it,” he says in an article in a German magazine that hits news-stands today. “I think whoever has the possibility should topple Mugabe – the man has destroyed his country, many people have died unnecessarily because of him,” said Blair. It’s a pity that Mr Blair didn’t operate using the same criteria when he was cosying up to George W Bush.

Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi (pictured above) yesterday attempted to provide a simple explanation for his recent behaviour as the debate continued to rage over the release of sensational audio tapes that purportedly prove his encounters with a Bari prostitute last year. “’There are a lot of pretty girls about. I am no saint but you know that,” said Mr Berlusconi. A politician telling the truth. How refreshing.

It was announced yesterday that Google Wave (above), a new service enabling users to exchange messages, images, songs and videos in real time, will be released to 100,000 hand-picked Google enthusiasts in September. Technology correspondents are gearing up for months of speculation at the impact of yet another bold announcement from the Californian company. In this era of Twitter and Facebook, with hundreds of millions of internet users hooked on letting the world know what they’re up to, it’s Google’s belief that there’s room in the market for yet another service. I wish I understood how to use any of them !

-

An off-duty police chief opened fire in a supermarket in southern Moscow yesterday morning, killing at least 3 people and wounding another 7. “During the night Denis Yevsyukov had a fight with his wife and had a nervous breakdown,” a city police spokeswoman said. She said he then went on a shooting spree in the shop (pictured above), randomly spraying bullets at passers-by after first returning home to change into his police uniform. Russian television broadcast CCTV footage from inside the supermarket showing Mr Yevsyukov calmly reloading his weapon as he walked down one of the food aisles. A prime example why it’s probably preferable for officers to not normally have access to firearms. And just as well especially that the UK police aren’t normally armed, because if the’d behaved like they did at the G20 with guns in their hands nobody would have left the recent London demonstrations alive.

WHY DO RELIGIONS GET SO HUNG UP ON CRAPPY CARTOONS ?

Posted by Caledonian Jim in Daily Posts

In the US a Jewish human rights group has denounced a political cartoon as anti-Semitic, comparing it to Nazi imagery of the 1930s that led up to the Holocaust. The syndicated cartoon published by Pat Oliphant recently (reproduced above) in newspapers across the US depicts a goose-stepping uniformed figure wheeling a fanged Star of David that menaces a small female figure labelled “Gaza.” The Los Angeles-based Simon Wiesenthal Center, a Jewish rights group with more than 400,000 members in America, said the cartoon is meant to denigrate and demonise Israel. “The imagery in this cartoon mimics the venomous anti-Semitic propaganda of the Nazi and Soviet eras,” Wiesenthal Center officials said in a statement. “It is cartoons like this that inspired millions of people to hate in the 1930s and help set the stage for the Nazi genocide.” The centre called on the New York Times and other online outlets to remove the cartoon from their websites.

Now this blog has no truck with Hamas or Islamic fundamentalism. But the Simon Wiesenthal Center can’t have it both ways. If a similar cartoon was produced depicting Islamofascists victimising Jews, would they be demanding its removal from newspapers and websites ? I doubt it very much, so Caledonian Comment won’t be removing the above cartoon any time soon as a result of any burst of selective outrage. Perhaps a well placed protest from the Simon Wiesenthal Center to the Israeli Army about the uncontrolled use of phosphorous bombs against Gazan civilians might be a constructive way of ensuring that Nazi techniques aren’t emulated in 21st century Israel. And in order to maintain balance and to complete the circle of hypocrisy that seems to surround all these religiously-inspired conflicts, I don’t hear any Muslims protesting about the use of THIS cartoon either, as opposed to their inane bleatings about some obscure Danish effort a couple of years back. They’re all as bad as each other, seeking justifications for ongoing bigotted atrocities and mutually assured destruction rather than any real joint push for sanity and peace. It seems they all pray to their God for licences to kill, not humanity.

Globetrotting “save the planet” UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown’s efforts to broker an £80 billion bailout for world trade while on a trip to Brazil hit a stumbling block yesterday when the country’s President lashed out at “white, blue-eyed” bankers for bringing the world economy to its knees. Mr Brown watched on uneasily as his host, President Luiz Inacio Lula de Silva (both pictured above), launched what was effectively a racist tirade in which he warned that next week’s G20 summit in London would be a “‘spicy”’ affair. President Lula said it was completely unfair that the poorest people in the world were suffering most for the mistakes of wealthy, Western financiers.

“This is a crisis that has been fostered and boosted by the irrational behaviour of people that are white, blue-eyed, that before the crisis looked like they knew everything about economics,” he declared. “Now they have demonstrated that they don’t know anything about economics.” He could be talking about Gordon! He went on : ”No black man or woman, no indigenous person, no poor person” had been in any way culpable for the global banking crisis. He sounds like a bit of a nutcase. Then he lavished praise on Mr Brown’s role in trying to rebuild world economies. He IS a nutcase.

In the UK condom (multi-coloured examples above) manufacturers will soon be permitted to broadcast advertisements at any time of the day or night. In addition, abortion clinics are to be allowed to advertise on TV and radio for the first time. At present they are banned from advertising before the 9 pm watershed except on Channel 4, where the cut-off is 7.30 pm. The proposals by the Broadcast Committee of Advertising Practice (BCAP) will give Britain among the world’s most liberal broadcasting regimes on sexual health services. The watchdog claims it is responding to Government calls for action to combat rising teenage pregnancy. Now whether such a scheme will work, I don’t know – perhaps encouraging parents to take responsibility for the sexual awareness and welfare of their adolescent kids might be a start.

But predictably of course, the plans have been condemned by the usual dreary retinue of (Roman Catholic) family campaigners and MPs. In a display of perverted logic equalled only by the recent insane blatherings of former Hitler Youth and Nazi anti-aircraft gunner Pope Benedict XVI during his recent tour of Africa, they claim TV adverts for abortion clinics and condoms will lead to greater levels of promiscuity among young people – that’s if there COULD be greater levels of promiscuity among young people . So once again we have the Roman Catholic church directly and indirectly attempting to interfere with UK domestic policy, advocating nonsensical, bigotted “solutions” to pressing problems. We had all the parliamentary debates about abortion and contraception (and stem cell research) last year – and the Vatican’s views were decisively dismissed in our democratically elected parliament. So all the deluded luddite Roman Catholics who want to waste more time and public money debating such issues yet AGAIN should be told to sod off.

In the UK the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) has accused the government of wanting to “undermine its independence” by demanding one of its leaders be removed from office. The accusation is the strongest public attack yet by the MCB in its ongoing row with ministers after the authorities broke off relations earlier this month. Hazel Blears, the Communities and Local Government minister, wrote to the MCB demanding the resignation of Daud Abdullah, its deputy secretary general, after he reportedly called for violence against Israel. Yesterday MCB spokesman Inayat Bunglawala (pictured above) said that the government only wanted to deal with Muslim groups who were “stooges” and “spineless”, and vowed the MCB would resist attempts to interfere in how it was run. Refreshing to hear that a Muslim organisation wants to foster free thinking, independence and protest – let’s hope they advocate the extension of those freedoms to women and gays within their own community. If the MCB wants independence, so be it. But if it’s going to start inciting violence abroad and/or at home let’s hope this normally spineless Islam-appeasing government doesn’t cave in. If the MCB goes down this path, there should be no taxpayer support for it and if its officials break the law they must be prosecuted. But don’t hold your breath – too many inner-city Muslim votes at stake I suspect.

In the UK failed asylum seekers (above) are not entitled to free treatment on the National Health Service (NHS), 3 judges at the Court of Appeal in London ruled yesterday. But hospitals can make up their own minds on whether to treat them if they have no money, said the judges. They were dealing with a test case which will affect “a large number” (a.k.a. the million or so illegals who are in Britain that the government denies are actually here) of people seeking medical help for serious illnesses. Lord Justice Ward said: “Because most of those who suffer are invariably penniless and destitute and quite unable to pay for the treatment they need, their predicament has become a cause of widespread concern.” He went on : “Failed asylum seekers ought not to be here. They should never have come here in the first place and after their claims have finally been dismissed they are only here until arrangements can be made to secure their return.” And during that time, they should relax, because they will be treated exactly the same as those of us who are ordinarily resident – we don’t normally get any treatment from the NHS either !

Looking more like an ageing rock star than ever, Libyan leader Colonel Gaddafi (pictured above) has managed to renew hostilities with Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah by loudly criticising him for his links with the West. Gaddafi disrupted the opening Arab League session in Qatar yesterday by taking a microphone and criticizing the Saudi king, calling him a “British product and American ally.” Gadhafi has harboured a grudge against Abdullah since exchanging harsh words during a summit in early 2003 shortly before the US-led invasion of Iraq. An alternative explanation of course might be that Gaddafi got there, listened for 20 minutes or so and decided tha Arab League was as boring as it gets – so he stormed out, blaming Abdullah. And who could blame him ? But look on the bright side Colonel – at least you’re not in London listening to Gordon droning on.

-

GET BACK TO WHERE YOU ONCE BELONGED, BINYAM – ETHIOPIA

Posted by Caledonian Jim in Daily Posts

Binyam Mohamed (pictured above), the former UK resident who has been locked up in Guantanamo Bay for more than four years, has arrived in Britain. The twin-engined chartered Gulfstream jet carrying him from the US detention base in Cuba landed at the RAF Northolt airbase near London finally ending a total of seven years in custody. Mohamed walked the short distance to the airport terminal, surrounded by police officers and Foreign Office officials who had travelled with him. He is believed to be in poor health after a hunger strike that ended earlier this month. Mohamed, who for some reason has been given interim leave to remain in the UK, was detained for several hours under the Terrorism Act 2000, but was not arrested. He was later released. Mr Mohamed is an Ethiopian who initially came to Britain illegally – but as usual with our politically correct government he managed to fiddle a residents visa. No surprise there then.

Now of course we’re being regaled with stories of his alleged torture and the human rights brigade will be compiling his social benefit claims and his compensation papers as we speak. But why is it OUR problem in the UK ? Why are government ministers like David Miliband gloating over this guy’s arrival in Britain as if some sort of victory had been achieved ? And why is nobody asking this bloke WHY he was in Afghanistan and Pakistan in the first place ? He claims he went there to “kick a drug habit” - funny, but pigs flying over mosques spring to mind yet again, because cold turkey in the middle of a war zone doesn’t strike me as a particularly good idea, even if some there did hold the opinion that firing off rifles and rockets at infidels was a remedial alternative high.

I wonder how long it will be before this bloke is turning up on BBC2 bleating about his “ordeal” ? How long it will be before he’s paraded as yet another New Labour multi-cultural “celebrity” being used to coax out the inner-city Muslim vote ? How long before he’s issuing racist and sectarian bile which will go unpunished because of his “ordeal” ? Now don’t misunderstand me. I’m delighted Mr Mohamed has his freedom. I think he should now get a meaningful, rewarding and well-paid job. I think if he feels he has a case he should now sue the US for compensation, not sponge off the UK . And I think the ludicrously expensive and over-the-top private jet which was provided for him at UK taxpayer’s expense by the stupid New Labour appeasers of radical Islam should have flown him home – to Ethiopia.

In the UK Prince William and Prince Harry Hewitt joined their (alleged) father Prince Charles and the wicked stepmother the Duchess of Cornwall (all pictured above) and other members of the Royal family in London yesterday to pay their respects to the late Queen Mother. A statue of the royal matriarch, who died aged 101 in 2002, was unveiled to form the centrepiece of the £2 million monument. Prince Charles paid a poignant personal tribute to his “darling grandmother” , praising the Queen Mother’s “vitality, ‘unbounded courage and determination” and her “irresistible and irrepressible sense of mischievous humour.” Just what the UK needs during the worst economic crisis in 75 years – £2 million wasted on a statue.

And while we’re on about wasting money and inane nonentities that act like royalty, Tony Blair (pictured above) has come under attack from the Chinese media after he was allegedly paid $500,000 (£237,000) for a 3 – hour trip to a luxury Chinese housing estate. Chinese state press questioned whether the former UK Prime Minister was worth the bumper pay cheque for his whirlwind visit, and claimed that he produced little more than clichés. The controversial visit to Dongguan in China’s southern province of Guangdong happened on Tuesday. Mr Blair stopped at a luxury villa compound built by Guangda Group, a property development company which sponsored his trip, and made a speech. Well I’ve words of consolation for the Chinese people, who can’t speak English and yet heard Blair – we CAN speak English but could never understand what he was on about either. And can we assume now Tony’s globetrotting that the Middle-East peace process is back on track ?

The British Government will exercise veto powers to block publication of key Cabinet minutes under freedom of information laws, it was announced yesterday. Justice Secretary Jack Straw (pictured above) said he could not permit the release of records from 2003 discussions over the invasion of Iraq because it would cause too much “damage” to democracy. He told MPs he had signed a certificate vetoing rulings by the Information Commissioner and Information Tribunal that key records should be disclosed. Mr Straw said he had signed a certificate under section 53 of the Freedom of Information Act, “the effect of which is that these Cabinet minutes will not now be disclosed”. Allowing publication to go ahead would cause “serious damage to Cabinet government, an essential principle of British democracy”. Absolute bollocks – allowing publication would show what a shower of lying sods the Cabinet were – and are. Mr Straw is being touted currently as a possible successor to UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown. This action, effectively stifling democracy, not nurturing it, illustrates just how well suited he would be to the job.

The centrepiece satellite of NASA’s $280 million climate-change mission crashed into the sea near Antarctica yesterday after a launch failure, delivering a blow to the agency’s attempts to understand global warming. The carbon dioxide-monitoring satellite was fired on a rocket from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, but after blasting through the Earth’s atmosphere it fell short of its orbiting height and plummeted back towards the sea. The orbiting carbon observatory (OCO) satellite was designed to map carbon dioxide on Earth to provide an important step forward for scientists attempting to understand climate change. John Brunschwyler, one of the scientists heading the mission, said: “Our whole team at a very personal level are disappointed, we are very upset with the results.” Maybe they should have got the more reliable Iranians or North Koreans to launch it ! Or here’s a thought for the paranoid green eco-fascists : was it shot down ?

-

It was reported yesterday that more than half of Zimbabwe’s population, suffering under an economic and political crisis as well as a crippling cholera outbreak (pictured above),- need emergency food aid. The World Food Programme (WFP) announced on Thursday that 7 million people will need assistance in February and March. So far cholera has killed nearly 3,100 people and infected 58,993 across the country – the worst death toll in Africa from an outbreak of the normally preventable disease in 15 years. Now it’s interesting that in the UK we’ve had great arguments recently about whether TV stations should show appeal videos about Gaza – in the face of strong pressure some stations have said no on the grounds that it might be construed as taking sides in the Israeli-Hamas conflict. But for some reason the same politically correct alliance of left-wingers, Muslim activists, middle-class Guardian readers, touchy-feely media darlings and naive undergraduates who are pressing for the Gaza appeal to be shown aren’t taking to the streets demanding that appeals for Zimbabwe be broadcast. But then again, maybe criticising Robert Mugabe isn’t anti-semitic enough for their gentle sensibilities and well developed social consciences.

OPEC members need an oil price above $50 a barrel to make exports worthwhile, the head of the cartel said yesterday, adding that more production cuts were possible this year. “We are not happy with $40 or even $50 a barrel,” Abdalla Salem El-Badri, OPEC Secretary-General, told a panel discussing energy security at the World Economic Forum in Davos. Even $50 did not guarantee a “decent income for our countries”, he said, adding: “I hope that the price will pick up … a $50 price will not permit us to invest.” Mr Tony Hayward, the chief executive of British Petroleum (BP), told the panel that OPEC countries needed a price of about $60-$80 per barrel to balance their budgets and invest in social programmes. “A price somewhere between $60-$80 would be appropriate,” he said. Strange, but I don’t recall Mr Hayward expressing this same view on the desirablity of a price range of $60-$80 last year when oil was approaching $150 a barrel !

In the UK city of Birmingham a significant move has been made to modify the English language . In previous years, road signs have always included an apostrophe where necessary. But rather than read up on how to correctly use the apostrophe, the city has chosen to remove the possessive punctuation mark from its road and street signs altogether (example above). The decision follows years of debate about whether the possessive punctuation mark should be restored to place names such as Kings Norton, Acocks Green and Druids Heath, which were historically spelt with an apostrophe. To be honest though, as far as Birmingham’s concerned the whole issue is probably academic – a large proportion of the population don’t use English – and a large proportion of those that do can’t read anyway.

In the UK broadband users could end up paying for a new body to tackle music and film piracy (above) under Government plans announced yesterday. Communications Minister Lord Carter (yet ANOTHER unelected New Labour Lord) publishws his Digital Britain report, which outlines plans to boost the internet and communications industries. The sector contributes more than £50 billion to the UK economy and the Government believes it will be the backbone of the nation’s recovery in the future. The problem of people illegally copying and sharing music and films online is expected to be an important strand of the report. Lord Carter has proposed creating a body to mediate between internet service providers (ISP’s) and music and film companies which would provide information about people who repeatedly infringe copyright by copying and sharing files, and be paid for by a levy on ISPs, the paper said. Such a charge could (in other words, WILL) be passed on to broadband customers. Just what we need – another bloated taxpayer funded public body which will oversee chaos, inefficiency and make a mess as usual. Why not just prosecute the offenders ?

Ah the good old £1 coin (pictured above) . The mainstay of our British. But record numbers of fake £1 coins are being pumped into the economy threatening to undermine confidence in the money supply. Criminal gangs using specialised machinery are believed to be behind the dramatic surge of the fake coins in circulation in the past year. The rising number of counterfeit £1 coins means that one in every 40 is now worthless. The total amount of fake £1 coins has hit £37.5 million – the highest amount since the coin was introduced in 1983 – and a rise of 26% since 2007, when 30 million coins were found to be fakes. Mind you, the way things are going economically, the forgeries might end up being worth more than the real ones – and we can always pay our EU “global warming” fines with the forgeries as well !

-