News Of The World

[Kralizec]

Very true. POWER to the PEOPLE!

Control the coinage and the courts, let the rabble have the rest

[Pannonian]

It's been taken down now, but someone put an item up for sale on ebay. Big picture of Rupert Murdoch.

BSkyB - Re-listed due to time waster

For Sale:

BSkyB

Lots of Channels - I'll even throw in the presenters at no extra cost.

Growing company with fantastic potential.

Re-listed due to time waster.

I will need to carry out a due dilligence test on the winning bidder. If you would like to view before buying, please call my mobile and leave a message, though there is no guarantee I will get this message if other buyers get to these messages first.

Anyone with a negative feedback rating please contact me first before bidding. This includes people who have recently shown a poor record of dealing with problems that come with big business. I want this to go to a reliable and sensible owner.

Anyone with ginger hair going by the name Brooks - you are also banned from bidding. I am worried about what witches could do to this fine company.

Local pick up recommended - rather large item.

[Philippus Flavius Homovallumus]

Look it took me a long time to wake up. Politicians are the problem. Not the solution. Look around you.

Politicians are just BIG people, more to them, bigger vices, bigger energy and, actually, bigger virtues in many cases. Look at Clegg, you could describe him as the ultimate opertunist or the ultimate patriot - depending on whether being in a Tory Coalition makes or breaks his long-term political career.

[InsaneApache]

It's gone from fascinating to like watching a train wreck, Frinstance since Friday; Ms. Brooks arrested. The senior PR man at the Met, arrested. The Police Commissioner resigns. Yates of the Yard follows him 12 hours later. Now we learn that a former NoW reporter who 'ratted' on Coulson is found dead. It's like a bad Agatha Christie novel.

Well perhaps not quite as bad as that but bad nevertheless.

Mrs. Dale thinks it might bring down the government....

I can't believe I am even writing this, but it is no longer an impossibility to imagine this scandal bringing down the Prime Minister or even the government. OK, some of you reading this may think that last sentence is a deranged ranting, and you may be right. Indeed, I hope you are. But Sir Paul Stephenson launched a thinly veiled attack on David Cameron in his resignation statement and the Prime Minister is already on the ropes about the propriety of his relationship with Andy Coulson.

http://iaindale.com/posts/could-cameron-be-next

One can only wish.

[HoreTore]

Do you wish for the return of a labour government, IA?

[InsaneApache]

Do you wish for the return of a labour government, IA?

No.

I don't like 'cast iron' iDave , he's definitely the heir to Blair and we don't need another snakeoil salesman. The Lib Dems are down the bog. Labour is all over the place. I mean, c'mon they have a pair of brain melting eyes and a huge conk for a leader. Like summat from Tod Browning movie.

Elections by September. Watch this space.

[HoreTore]

So...... You don't want any of the choices you have? What, exactly, do you want then?

[InsaneApache]

I don't know what you mean. We have more than three political parties in the UK.

[HoreTore]

I don't know what you mean. We have more than three political parties in the UK.

....capable of getting the PM....?

[Philippus Flavius Homovallumus]

....capable of getting the PM....?

Only one, currently, then. Right now, the next Prime Minister is almost certainly going to be a Conservative. Labour are still all over the place and Ed Milliband, for all his performance last week, is still not a credible leader for the country.

My money is on William Hague.

[gaelic cowboy]

My money is on William Hague.

Hague are you serious you cant go an make that idiot PM.

Seriously is there no one better than that in the Tories.

[rory_20_uk]

No.

I don't like 'cast iron' iDave , he's definitely the heir to Blair and we don't need another snakeoil salesman. The Lib Dems are down the bog. Labour is all over the place. I mean, c'mon they have a pair of brain melting eyes and a huge conk for a leader. Like summat from Tod Browning movie.

Elections by September. Watch this space.

It would be in no one's interest. Labour have nothing, Lib Dems would get even more battered and replacing the Tory leader will not replace all the money Labour spent.

[InsaneApache]

It would be in no one's interest. Labour have nothing, Lib Dems would get even more battered and replacing the Tory leader will not replace all the money Labour spent.

I agree.

Though since when has anyone's interest, apart from politicians, been taken into account? Never mind noticed.

Oh if 'cast iron' iDave goes, my moneys on Clarke as an interim.

[Philippus Flavius Homovallumus]

Hague are you serious you cant go an make that idiot PM.

Seriously is there no one better than that in the Tories.

I dissagree - he's MUCH clever than he sounds, and has been unfairly lampooned and lambasted in the past. When he was last leader he said he wanted to see the Euro work in bad times as well as good before he even considered joining.

Low... he was right.

[gaelic cowboy]

I dissagree - he's MUCH clever than he sounds, and has been unfairly lampooned and lambasted in the past. When he was last leader he said he wanted to see the Euro work in bad times as well as good before he even considered joining.

Low... he was right.

Portillo


he pretty much looked, sounded, and acted like an eejit after he let Portillo back inside the house basically he was an eejit

[econ21]

It's gone from fascinating to like watching a train wreck,

One of the strangest thing about this case is that they got the police Counter-Terrorism unit to investigate the phone-hacking issue in the first place. Why that unit? I mean, if you had a choice between investigating terrorism and investigating a newspaper hacking some celebs mobiles, what would you do? I have some sympathy with the police charged with the investigation. Put the phone hacking evidence in an bag and file it away unseen. It's quite understandable.

Apparently the unit was given the case because they were a "safe pair of hands". But still, it is bizarre. It sounds over-politicised - giving the case to the "hot shot" police unit because of the potential publicity angle, despite it having nothing vaguely to do with terrorism.

I also very much dislike Boris Johnson having the hire and fire decision over the top policeman in the land. The man seems to be a crass populist and I don't like politicians being able to fire policemen. If the police are always having to look over their back, it's scarcely surprising they get close to the organisations like News International which until recently seemed to have the politicians dancing to their tune.

[InsaneApache]

I don't like politicians being able to fire policemen.

I agree. The top coppers should be elected.

[econ21]

I agree. The top coppers should be elected.

Yes, indeed. Just like the top heart surgeons should be.

[InsaneApache]

Yes, indeed. Just like the top heart surgeons should be.

I expected a much more sophisticated strawman than that.

[Slyspy]

I agree. The top coppers should be elected.

You want more politicians?

[InsaneApache]

You want more politicians?

It sounds like it, doesn't it?

However, an elected 'Shire-Reeve' would at the very least be accountable to the electorate.

Or we could carry on appointing them,

[Philippus Flavius Homovallumus]

I agree. The top coppers should be elected.

Excuse me but, "sod that".

I'd rather have them appointed directly by Royal Commission - it's the only way to get it out of mainstream politics.

[InsaneApache]

That's worked well. hasn't it?

[Philippus Flavius Homovallumus]

That's worked well. hasn't it?

Royal Comission does not = Borris, I know he's a closer blood rlation of George I than her Maj, but it still isn't the same thing.

[InsaneApache]

Oh come on man, bloody well wake up.

The whole lot of them are corrupt. Bent as a nine bob note. I wouldn't trust any of them.

'there are none so blind as those that cannot see'

[Philippus Flavius Homovallumus]

Oh come on man, bloody well wake up.

The whole lot of them are corrupt. Bent as a nine bob note. I wouldn't trust any of them.

'there are none so blind as those that cannot see'

Well, that means one of two things.

1. We're all totally corrupt.

or

2. Anyone who seeks power is inherently corrupt.

Either way we're screwed.

The logical conclusion is that, in fact, politicians are, by and large, little different than the rest of us except that when they make a mistake the country goes bust and when they get angry a war kicks off and people start dying.

Why did Cameron Hire Andy Coulson? The answer is that he made a strategic decision that Murdoch was a necessary ally if you want to get anything done and he ws not aware of the depths of the scandal or potential scandal. If he were he would not have hired Coulson, based purely on strategic thinking - nevermind personal revulsion.

[InsaneApache]

The logical conclusion is that, in fact, politicians are, by and large, little different than the rest of us except that when they make a mistake the country goes bust and when they get angry a war kicks off and people start dying.

You actually get it. You just havn't joined the dots up yet. It took me nearly 30 years.

[Philippus Flavius Homovallumus]

You actually get it. You just havn't joined the dots up yet. It took me nearly 30 years.

Care to enlighten?

So far as I can see our politicians are just a reflection of the rest of us, writ large.

I try to pick the best of the bunch, which right now is still probably Cameron, whose major flaw at the moment appears to be not sacking George Osborne. It's worth noting Osborne was the one who pushed to engage with Murdoch et al, and Cameron was the reluctant one.

I can just imagine that conversation.

"but you want to win, David, don't you?"

And there you have it, Cameron should have chucked him OUT when he was caught on a boat with Mandy and replace4d him with Ken Clarke, who would probably have gaffed less as Chancellor.

[rory_20_uk]

Strength is always perceived to be seen as never backing down, never sacking people. It seems having the human trait of making a mistake is just not possible. That they look more weak and out of touch when they belatedly bin them seems to be a lesson they don't want to learn.

But being on a boat with someone is not a crime, is it? If front benchers think they can be booted for being in the same place as a certain person they'd either rebel or be too scared to do anything, lest they are tarred with the association retrospectively.

Politicians are there to gain power and retain power. Having principles gets you nowhere: The Labour principles of the 1970's got them thrown out for over a decade, and more recently we've had Blair's ethical trade flounder on the fact that nasty countries buy weapons and Cameron's plans for the NHS being repeatedly watered down as every interested group ensure that they are safe from meaningful change.

[Adrian II]

Having principles gets you nowhere: The Labour principles of the 1970's got them thrown out for over a decade, and more recently we've had Blair's ethical trade flounder on the fact that nasty countries buy weapons and Cameron's plans for the NHS being repeatedly watered down as every interested group ensure that they are safe from meaningful change.

Politics is the art of forcing meaningful change despite these obstacles. In that sense of the word there are only very few politicians, there always have been very, very few. In the mean time we make do.

Anyway, anyone else seen Rupert and Son of Rupert testify?

"I knew nothing, I know nothing now, and I promise I'll know nothing in the future."

"Gee Dad, thanks for that."

AII