Having now seen the coaliton agreement, I can say that I can broadly support this government and am convinced that it will be an improvement on the bunch of authoritarian war criminals who have been replaced.
Here are the parts of the agreement that to me constitute a radical change for the better in the political possibilities for our country:
Civil Liberties
Scrap the ID card scheme, the National Identity register, the next generation of biometric passports and the ContactPoint Database.
Outlaw the finger-printing of children at school without parental permission.
Extend the scope of the Freedom of Information Act to provide greater transparency.
Adopt the Scottish approach to stopping retention of innocent people’s DNA on the DNA database.
Defend trial by jury.
Restore rights to non-violent protest.
A review of libel laws to protect freedom of speech.
Safeguards against the misuse of anti-terrorism legislation.
Further regulation of CCTV.
Ending of storage of internet and email records without good reason.
A new mechanism to prevent the proliferation of unnecessary new criminal offences.
End the detention of children for immigration purposes.
Add to that a fully elected House of Lords under PR, and fixed term parliaments, and this does represent real truly important change for the better.
The full coalition agreement is here.
Lifting the basic tax allowance towards £10,000 and restoring the state pension link to earnings are also major changes.
Hang on a minute!!!!
“fixed term parliaments”?????!!?!?!?
For this shower?
Does it not look self-serving at all that a fragile minority government of the Tories would say, “Well to stop our government from falling in six months lets make it THE LAW that it cannot fall for five years!”?
If I were in England now, I’d be descending on parliament with a pitchfork and a board with a nail in it.
Tony, I don’t think that Lost is a soap. It’s a fantasy drama.
As for being true to life, Patrick Moore said Eastenders was true to life but so is diahoreah but he didn’t want to see diahoreah on TV.
Well William Hauge is already talking about atttacking Iran
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3888870,00.html
Will you broadly support WW3 as well
Not quite what he said though, is it?
“Unlike the Liberal Democrats, we don’t say you rule out for ever any military action. However, we are not calling for that. The way I usually put it is that Iran getting nuclear bomb may be a calamity, although military action may be calamitous. This is why we need peaceful pressure. But to simply take all military efforts off the table is reducing the pressure on Iran.”
He’s called Hague the Vague for a reason.
The drumbeats for war grow louder and ever louder.
The simple fact is Iran does not and cannot have a ‘nuclear bomb’ for ten years even IF it wanted to have one. There is no evidence of Iran wanting to, or building a ‘nuclear bomb’, source: IAEA.
The west wants control of Iranian oil wells just like they wanted control of Iraqi oil wells and are using the same tactics to achieve their goals. Only the weak minded are being taken in again, there seems to be many off them.
Venezuela next on list.
Drumbeats for war are growing louder and so are the voices of our young unemployed.
And mine for that matter. I will not take the assurances of those who call themselves our representatives, with their talk of bringing power back to the local, both of them, if they can not have the decensy to give us a choice of options that includes proportional systems. That is absolutely outrageous jibberish.
To go straight back to self serving after this election and see the good and best interest of oneself and one’s carreer, first and foremost, before we, the cashcows who will be battered with service cuts and rising taxes, will get any benefit from their horse trading and mongering, is enough to make me revolt.
Don’t know about you, but this continuous whipping of the public has to stop, whats good enough for the Scots and Irish should be good enough for us.
PS CRAIG, SEND THAT KEY BACK BEFORE YOU LOOSE IT.
Technicolour, I’d like to think – in fact, I pray – that you’re right that the British people wouldn’t allow their govt to launch another war. However, the British people were overwhelmingly and vociferously opposed to the last one (Iraq) – millions marched, remember – and sadly this did not stop the govt from proceeding regardless.
The only potential difference this time around might be if the unions engineered a general strike, it being a Tory/LD Govt rather than a Labour one. Unfortunately, many of the union leaders are likely to be aligned with the interests of the security state – nothing new there, if one thinks of (allegedly) Vic Feather and (allegedly) Joe Gormley, etc. – and so are unlikely to engineer such a measure. People do not have enough ‘solidarity’ to strike en masse – with or without unions – on their own. The Govt would send in the militarised police and even the Army (disguised, as in the Miners’ Strike as police officers) – which they did not do with the hauliers in 2000 (as the hauliers are big business and so were treated with kid gloves). But it would be a spectacle and might tilt the benefit ratio against war. Only such militant action has any chnace of stopping another war in such circumstances. The hard state needs to be induced to crack down so hard, the majority of people become politicised against the hard state and its barking, lapdog media organs.
The Poll Tax Riots, muliplied tenfold – rocks raining-down on the roof of Parliament and the Army with plastic/rubber-bullets – is the only tactic of any use in that situation.
Their pals in the media will re-commence the drum-beats. Can you hear the drum-beat? Put your ear to the ground, close your eyes and listen carefully…
I hope that I’m completely wrong. I will be the first to raise (not doff!) my hat if I am.
And Jack Straw the biggest cheat in Blackburns electoral effort, the electoral law breaker is throwing his bone into the leadership stew, so he says with lost of gooble di gook and slimy eel talk this morning.
He has increased his vote byall the dirty tricks in the book and the electroal commission jokers do not want to know about it. One third of postal ballot applicants never send their votes back, why did they go through the bother to make an application, tut tut.
The problem with distant drumbeats is you can imagine them. I see no sign at all the neo-cons who want to attack Iran have the upper hand on this issue either in Washington or London just at the minute.
‘just at the minute’
That could all change in just a ‘minute’.
There are two articles on the BBC World News webpage today about Afghan opium production. Both mention the Taliban, ne1ther mentions Karzai’s brother.
When the call comes to No.10 that the US and Israel are about to bomb the sh*t out of Iran, how do you think the UK Con/Lib coalition will cope?
My guess is that Hague and Cameron will say ‘OK then’ and head to the Club for drinkypoos and dinner. Clegg will have to face an army of LibDem MPs and supporters who will have very major concerns.
How will the numbers work out then? The LibDems would not allow themselves to abstain to wave the Tories through.
I bet 5,- that Iran will be attacked before the year is out, with or without drumbeats.
‘New Scuds for lebanon’ was just one of those destabilising notes that have eminated form Mossad of late, absolutley in the same mindset and paranoic frame than the 45 minute claim.
The drums are also beating in Pakistan, were the IsI is far more in control of affairs than the US would ever let us know, they are far better at looking after their nukes, a contingent Israel fears and hence is training pilots and other forces in Kashmir and India.
Norwich elected a Lib Dem Simon Wright and Conservative Cloe Smith, as yet the two have not been seen together, but will hopefully sort out some of the local discrepancies that exist between the two parties. Lets see what happens to the unitary status of Norwich, just agreed before the election, will the Lib dems be still in support of it? the coming weeks will make us all aware locally that this national ‘breakfast to Cameron’ might also translate to a local derisory attitude, it might worsen local politics, rather than support it.
Playing at coalitions, when the electoral basis for them to grow still comes from unfair FPTP bias, is all very well. Indidcations are that this relationship was based on buttering up an inexperienced partner, with nothing in the offing for us at all.
Should have had you in the negotiating team Craig.
PS KEY…..
Speaking of neo-cons, Douglas Murray (any relation, Craig?) is outraged that “A party of nutty conspiracy theorists has just been brought into government”
http://tinyurl.com/2b9bpf7
Craig
The reason that neocons in London didn’t have the upper hand is because Brown didn’t allow them to have it!
But well-known progressives Hague and Fox are upping the ante for military action, the very first moment they get into govt.
And Hague is going to Wash DC to tell the Americans off for not doing enough.
I wonder who is pulling Hague’s string. Clearly there are those in London who want to put pressure on the US.
I wonder what Clegg thinks about all this. He has a responsibility to ensure those other progressives he’s supporting don’t regress…
Indeed well-known progressive Liam Fox says that 2010 is the year in which Iran must be confronted.
“In an interview with today’s Sunday Telegraph, Shadow Defence Secretary Liam Fox warns that 2010 is the year in which Iran’s nuclear ambitions must be confronted. Unlike the Government which rules out force, Dr Fox says that the military option must remain on the table.”
http://conservativehome.blogs.com/thetorydiary/2010/02/liam-fox-says-military-force-must-remain-an-option-in-2010s-confrontation-with-iran.html
Clegg must be in agreement. Collective responsibility and all. He’s both in cabinet and on that national security committee Dave dreamed up
As I say, I hope you’re right, Craig. I see Liam Fox as a particularly suspicious character – but perhaps it’s because of his name, his Parkinsonian demeanour (no disrespect to those with Parkinson’s Disease) or the fact that I’ve watched his inexorable rise through the ranks of demonic host. He’s a Glasgow hard-man a la John Reid.
Angrysoba, it looks as though Douglas Murray is attacking the Lib Dems in an entirely predictable manner in order to begin to undermine and call into question confidence in their ability to wield power.
Dougie Murray really ought to look long and hard into a mirror before he accuses anyone of being “crazy”, “nutty”., etc. He specifically attacks Jenny Tonge and assumes a overtly pro-Israeli state stance in his Daily Telegraph piece.
This represents a statement which is indicative of the beginnings of a jostling for power and influence in this Coalition Govt.
We should expect much more of this type of dynamic.
Craig you say you can’t here ht drums of war with Iran. They have been played out for the last 6 years and are getting louder. Hilary Clinton and Robert Gates are bloodthirsty hawks. And the fascist Avagdor Lieberman is now trying to expand any war to include Syria and North Korea as well as Iran
http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=10621598
Ron Proser came to St Andrews University last week ans was given a big spread in the Courier to repeat Israeli propaganda and again beat the drums of war http://www.thecourier.co.uk/output/2010/05/05/newsstory15001569t0.asp
As you can see no counterpoint was allowed and no letters answering him back have been printed.
When war starts you can’t say you didn’t know
I would suggest Craig you resign from the Fib Dems and join the Green Party. If not your will become like Ian dale and Guido Fawkes just another propagandist for the Tory party whether you admit it or not.
Senator Joe Lieberman, late of the Democratic party seems to think Iran needs to be nuked.
There’s definitely a campaign growing to put pressure on Obama, and it’s obvious that Hague and Fox are central to that.
On the other hand that horrible Gordon Brown ruled out military action. What a wimp!
So I suppose if you favour military action, this is progress of a sort.
http://www.newsmax.com/Headline/lieberman-iran-nuclear-attack/2010/04/12/id/355512?s=al&promo_code=9BDE-1
Terry,
Yes, and Gordon Brown stopped the Iraq war too, no doubt. We all know Liebermann is a mad Zionist nutter – so what?
Blair was still pushing for an attack on Iran in his evidence to Chilcot. Of course there are forces – pro-Israeli, big oil, the arms industry – itching for an attack on Iran. But I can tell you for sure that the Lib Dems would not support it. I do not disagree that Brown was less prone to this kind of thing than Blair – but he did not restrain Blair either.
“He specifically attacks Jenny Tonge and assumes a overtly pro-Israeli state stance in his Daily Telegraph piece.”
Well, Jenny Tonge was the person who suggested that an inquiry be set up to investigate the Israeli field hospital in Haiti along the lines of “They’re probably doing nothing wrong but shouldn’t we check just to make sure?” Just asking questions.
I think she got her information from some random guy on You Tube who had been just asking questions.
“Hilary Clinton and Robert Gates are bloodthirsty hawks. And the fascist Avagdor Lieberman is now trying to expand any war to include Syria and North Korea as well as Iran”
I didn’t realize Avigdor Lieberman was here. I don’t think he wants war with North Korea though.
Do you remember all that news when Israel blew up what they said was a nuclear reactor in Syria. Did Syria complain to the UN about the destruction of any facilities? As far as I remember they complained only that Israeli jets flew in and dropped munitions to escape.
But it seems the Israelis bombed a reactor and some say the technology came from North Korea. So, I wonder why the Syrian government didn’t get irate about the buildings the Israelis destroyed.
Terry,
I agree with your comments regarding the large number of ordinary Labour supporters that were opposed to the Iraq war and continue to oppose war, and the enthusiastic support for war by the Conservatives.
I also agree with Tony’s comment at 10:15 AM. A Commons vote supporting a US attack upon Iran seems considerably less likely with this coalition and Labour in opposition, if Labour MPs have learned anything from Iraq and Chilcot.
Terry
And it is downright stupid for you to say that Clegg must agree with something Liam Fox said in February – something Liam Fox said in February is not coalition policy, just as all the things the Tories said on inheritance tax is not coalition policy.
Craig
Brown wouldn’t have initiated the drumbeats of war.
But it’s very clear that both Hague and Fox are hyping up the possibility of a military attack. Clegg must know all about this. He’s there in cabinet. He’s on the security committee.
He’s supporting the hype. He doesn’t have to support the attack itself because Britain won’t be involved.
This is a campaign to put pressure on Obama and he is involved in that.
Craig
Liam Fox repeated all this outside the MoD building as he was going to meet his staff.
It was on the telly.
Hague said the same thing in explanation of his trip to see Hillary. Again on the telly.
This has clearly been planned. It’s almost the first thing they say and do once they get into govt.
I know about it. You can’t argue that Clegg doesn’t know about it.
He’s been in cabinet and at the security meeting.
Clark
Britain doesn’t have to support an attack on Iran in parliament. They won’t be involved.
They just have to run around hyping it up.
It’s amazing it’s the first thing Hague and Fox do immediately they receive their seals of office.
‘Lifting the basic tax allowance towards £10,000 and restoring the state pension link to earnings are also major changes.’
Maybe not?.
I am waiting for the moment when they say… ‘Oh!, my God, we have had a look at the books and its far worse then we thought, the cuts will be far deeper and more severe measures are in order. All Labours fault, nothing to do with us. You can’t blame us for this.’
Yes, we can. You are the main cause of it. Labour your willing junior partners.
‘I Will Support This Government’
What this con-dem government. The one with Michael Howard in it. He can now say…I am going to hurt you.
To be fair though, at least Clegg has been saying the right things if this rather hysterical but amusing analysis is anything to go by:
” The Liberal-Democrats, led by the new Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg, are the most anti-Israeli party among Britain’s big three. Their attitude to foreign affairs often appears to draw its inspiration from the NGO community and the likes of the UN Human Rights Council.
Clegg has warned of “saber rattling” over Iran’s nuclear program and of Britain “sleepwalking” its way into a military conflict on the matter. His party is in favor of the universal jurisdiction laws. It also contains people such as the infamous Baroness Jenny Tonge, who has gone on record as saying that if she had to live like the Palestinians she might even become a suicide bomber herself. Recently, she suggested that allegations that Israeli medical teams in Haiti were harvesting the bodily organs of Haitian earthquake victims were sufficiently credible as to merit investigation. Clegg reprimanded her for that, but did not kick her out of the party, many of whose members support her views.