Agenda 2019

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/sep/02/nick-clegg-george-osborne-cut-welfare-poorest-boost-tory-popularity Austerity is a myth says Alex Deane. Alex Deane. Meet Alex Dean, a British writer, political commentator and consultant. He served as Chief of Staff to David Cameron and Tim Collins during their respective periods as Shadow Secretary of State for Education . Alex Deane is another of these newspaper "previewers", so favoured by Sky Television News, because presumably they agree with the Sky News version of truth and news. Thus so it was that last night (2nd September) Alex Deane found himself on the sofa of the Sky studio previewing the (following) morning papers. The front page of the Guardian provided the highlight of the programme with its story under the headline "Clegg: Osborne casually cut welfare for poorest to boost Tory popularity". As Cameron's former Chief of Staff, and clearly not an admirer of Nick Clegg,...

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2015/may/08/and-then-there-was-one-miliband-clegg-and-farage-quit-as-party-leaders#comments Nick Clegg resigns as Lib Dem leader    May 8th 2015 Liberal Democrats were decimated and they got what they deserved. It was only "tactical voting" which saved Clegg from the same fate as that which befell his colleagues. They paid the price for his duplicity. As one Liberal Democrat voter said about the 2010 election, he voted Liberal democrat to keep the Tories out of 10 Downing Street, and the first thing that Clegg did was to jump into bed with Cameron and form a coalition to give the Conservatives power in this country. It seems that this view was held by hundreds of thousands of voters across the United Kingdom, who deserted the Liberal Democrats resulting in a loss of 49 of their 57 seats.   Only five years ago   Even up to the eve of polling day, Clegg and his other Liberal Democrat colleagues, w...

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/c1b121e6-f184-11e4-98c5-00144feab7de.html Cameron and Clegg prepared to ‘move quickly’ to form coalition The conspirators The pencil marks are not yet on the ballot papers, but here we have Tweedle Dumb and Tweedle Dumber plotting their next moves in their war against ordinary people in this country.  On the one hand, the man with the vicious cabinet intent on attacking the sick, disabled, the pensioners and benefit claimants all in the name of "austerity" to "reduce the deficit and balance the books".  On the other hand the unprincipled hypocrite who doesn't really care who occupies 10 Downing Street, as long as he can retain the title of Deputy Prime Minister, the inflated salary, the ministerial car, the additional perks of office, the seat at the cabinet table and all the kudos to satisfy his over inflated ego and perception of his own importance. Until yesterday, these two lying cynics, were tearing lumps off each...

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2015/apr/30/camerons-question-time-performance-smooth-smiley-but-unconvincing#comments A televisual reminder of why this election is the worst thing ever Career politicians I watched "Question Time " last night and at the end of the 90 minute programme, my opinion, that the politics of the traditional parties of this country has become nothing more than a patronising appeal for votes, was vindicated. Moreover, even at the last live televised exchange, the "Party leaders" could not bring themselves to depart from the negative "don't vote for him" rhetoric that has plagued this campaign (and many others before, it just happens that this was the worst one) from day 1. At one point, a member of the audience, clearly exasperated by the endless negativity from the parties asked why the candidates would not explain what they were going to do and why people should vote for them, rather than trying to ru...

  http://www.theguardian.com/society/2015/apr/22/food-bank-users-uk-low-paid-workers-poverty  More than a million people have used food banks in past year figures showing a 19% rise year-on-year is just the ‘tip of the iceberg’   This story should provoke outrage and shame, that in the first quarter of the 21st Century people are forced to use charities to feed their families.From some of the posts in the comments section however, it is clearly obvious that the policies of this govevernment and the associated propaganda, have suceeded in promoting an atmosphere of demonisation of foodbank users and divisions within our society. The bile and venom of many posters against those, many of whom are working but still qualify for benifits, who rely on food charites, is appaling, spiteful and ill informed. The place of foodbanks in our society is sadly a necessity and will not go away anytime soon. In fact it is clearly obvious that the numbers of our p...

  http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/generalelection/general-election-2015-tesco-chairman-john-allan-slams-tory-plan-for-eu-referendum-10187367.html Tesco chairman John Allan slams Tory plan for an EU referendum       I am getting very fed up with "business leaders" or other pundits banging on about what may (or may not) be "Bad for businesses" in a referendum on our membership of the European Union and any subsequent decision about leaving, if that is what the outcome might produce. The only question which should be considered is what is good for the British people, be that remaining as a member or leaving. Politicians of all parties should get away from their obssesions with "business" and concentrate on the best interest people they were elected to represent.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/generalelection/general-election-2015-lib-dem-plan-for-danny-alexander-to-keep-cabinet-post-if-they-forge-another-coalition-with-tories-10187353.html Danny Alexander could retain his Cabinet post in a second coalition government even if he loses his seat in the Scottish Highland Lord Danny of Aviemore? Danny Alexander, Chief Secretary to the Treasury, has demonstrated over the last 5 years, the performance of a man promoted far above the level of his abilities. He has also been less than impressive during interviews and his dealings with the media generally and until very recently been an obediant puppy for Osborne. According to the latest predictions, Danny Alexander will loose his seat on May 7th. Master and man Hopefully, only the Liberal Democrats can dream up a proposal to elevate this lacklustre failure to the House of Lords in order to retain his "abilities" in a futre coalition with ...

  http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/one-million-britons-using-food-banks-according-to-trussell-trust-10186142.html  Food banks: One million Britons will soon be using them, according to Trussell Trust   The figure of 1 million people relying on food banks is now almost reached. It has arrived rather sooner than many people predicted only months ago and is indicative of a scandal which indicates poverty in this country is increasing no matter what Osborne, the coaltion and the IMF may try to convince us about the economy is improving and that government economic policy is on the right track and that things are getting better. No matter what government statisiics, graphs, fig ures, "finacial organisations" or other experts may try to deceive us with, the reality is that more and more people are falling victim to the pernicious,vindictive and divisive policies of this wretched government and its idealogical campaign against ordinary peopl...

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2015/apr/16/miliband-sturgeon-final-tv-debate-anti-tory-coalition   Miliband tells Sturgeon in final TV debate: I won't do a deal with you      Miliband has been deflected from the real and only issue. The real enemy to working people in this country is not Sturgeon and the SNP. The enemy is Cameron, Osborne, Iain Duncan-Smith,Sourby and the hundred or so other Conservative MP's who have plagued working people in this country with punative and divisive policies aimed particularly at the sick and disabled, the unemplyed (and I include those on zero hour contracts) anyone claiming benifits, and certainly those 1 million people who are reliant on Foodbanks and other charities to feed their families. It is the prime responsibilty and the duty of the Labour party (at least a Labour party that I would recgognise) to oppose with every means at their disposal the pernicious excesses of capitalism and the Con...

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2015/apr/16/miliband-sturgeon-final-tv-debate-anti-tory-coalition Labour leader rejects SNP leader’s offer of an anti-Tory coalition, saying risk to the UK is too great Ed Miliband says that the risks in an Anti Tory coalition "are too great" ! This bacon sandwich munching cartoon chracter is clearly not on the same planet as the benifit claiming people on zero hour contracts, or the disabled who have had their beifits cut,or the people "sanctioned" by the DWP gestapo or the people forced out of their home by bedroom taxes or the thousand of people deserted by the Labour party over the last few decades and the 1 million people plus who are now reliant on foodbanks and other charites. Ed you are wrong. It is the risks of the Tories that are "too great" to the British people that you should be considering. A coaltion, arrangement, understanding call it what you will against t...

  http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2015/apr/15/lib-dems-only-alternative-coalition-snp-or-ukip-nick-clegg#comment-50468320 Lib Dems are only alternative to 'coalition of grievance', says Nick Clegg  Party leader says Liberal Democrats would offer conscience and stability in coalition after 7 May     . He has said his party is the only stable choice at the election.     The comments of a man desparate to retain the position and priviledges he has enjoyed over the last five years. The ministerial car, the inflated salary, the title of "Deputy" Prime minister, the expenses, the seat at the cabinet table and the perceived kudos would all be lost unless Clegg can weasle his way into another coalition with whoever would be prepared to take him. He is one of those people who would be prepared to prostitute themselves and every principle they may once have held in exchange for their perception of power. The problem of course is that Clegg was...

 Has David Cameron really created 1,000 jobs a day? We don’t endorse Miliband, say firms quoted in advert  Nick Clegg pledges improvements to mental health care     On the first full day of campaigning for the General election, the three main parties trotted out the usual headline grabbing “policy statements” to add to the headline grabbing policy statements which they have been trotting out for the past months. There are others of course The arrogance of Conservative, Labour and Liberal Democrat politicians who claim that they and only they have the solutions to all of the UK's problems, and promise "vote grabbing" fixes. How many times have we been told during the last few weeks that either Cameron or Miliband will be the next Prime Minister of the United Kingdom ? As it happens, with our unique and unfair “First Past the Post” voting system, it is probably correct, but it leaves us with the awful prospect that we shall have on...

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/generalelection/general-election-debates-2015-broadcasters-to-go-ahead-with-programmes-despite-prime-ministers-absence-10091669.html Tories go to war over BBC's 'institutional arrogance' Election 2015: Seven-party TV debate plan Cameron and the Conservatives, demonstrating all too clearly how holding political office generates and perpetuates arrogance and contempt for any who disagree with them. As someone once said in a different context, "Who does this guy Cameron actually think he is?" The "final offer" from the Prime Minister implies he believes that nothing can take place unless it is on his terms, in his timescale and in his format. At the end of the day, during election campaigning and on the hustings, Cameron is no more important than a couple of thousand other men and women, many of whom are seeking to satisfy their own ego's by attempting to enter the House of Commons as MP...

  http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2014/oct/08/nick-clegg-lib-dem-conference-speech Nick Clegg makes case for power sharing role in future coalitions Nick Clegg  Clegg and the LibDems making their grubby little bid for another coalition. It seems that these political opportunists will go to any lengths and make any promise necessary to hang on to their seats around the cabinet table, their ministerial cars (and other perks of the job) and of course their over inflated ministerial salaries.When it comes to hypocrisy and self interest, the LibDems have few equals. Herbert Asquith My grandfather, a life long Liberal since before World War 1, must be spinning in his grave. Thankfully he did not witness the duplicitous behaviour of the LibDems over the past five years and even before, since the "marriage" of Liberals and SDP.  

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/scottish-independence/scottish-referendum-secures-glorious-future-for-gb-gordon-brown-that-is-9746502.html Vote secures glorious future for GB (Gordon Brown, that is) Gordon Brown vows 'powers will be delivered' Brown seems to be jockeying for some sort of position within the Labour Party, perhaps even usurping Miliband and installing himself as leader! It does sound rather conceited of the man to assume that he, as a backbench MP, is in a position to "make sure that these promises that have been made will be upheld." and that the " the timetable we set out will be delivered." Ed Miliband addresses supporters in Manchester   He may have resigned as Leader of the Labour Party, and lost an election as Prime Minister, but he has certainly managed to hang on to the delusions of grandeur which drove him, Blair, Mandelson and Campbell in their mission to destroy the Labour Party. Is it conceivabl...