Hunt at Leveson

This is what I thought merited Hunt's resignation today:

1) He did not regularly consult with his adviser as he should have done in such a case. Not do do so suggests gross incompetence given the case, but one suspects Hunt knew exactly what was going but so that cannot be proven. The incompetence charge sticks though

2) He broke ministerial code which says that ministers are responsible for their special advisers. So again, gross incompetence or gross misconduct

3) He thought that a conversation via phone with Murdoch Jnr on BSkyB bid was "Entirely appropriate"! The question is was it morally appropriate?

The real culprits though, are David Cameron and George Osborne. Cameron hired him knowing, as the evidence shows, that he was biased towards News Corp, and Osborne's texts show moral misconduct if not ministerial misconduct. The way things are going both will be toast by Christmas or early 2013 and all in all it shows Cameron's lack of judgement and if things are as stated, unfitness to be Prime Minister!

Cable at Leveson

I think he did well this morning and while Vince Cable should not have given his views in private, let alone public conversations (and to be fair he was under stress at the time), he seems to have been scrupulosly fair over an issue which it is very hard for anyone in public life to be impartial about. Certainly he seems from what we have seen so far to be fairer than Hunt on the matter and for that he should be applauded and from the evidence he seems more sinned against than having sinned

Blair at Leveson

Whilst this was a master class in political savvy and presentation it was not what was said as much as what was said! For example Blair said no deals were made or implied with Rupert Murdoch, there didn't need to be any. Murdoch made his views perfectly known over the years, not least in Sun editorials. Blair knew what Murdoch wanted, in some respects it echoed his politics and he knew what may be expected. Nothing needed to be implied even Bullying journalists by No 10 spin doctors! Well there is enough evidence to say it happened, but again Blair did not need to know, but I suspect there was a sense of disingenuousness here, as with Blair's statements on Murdoch Where Blair is spot on is where he attacks the Daily Mail. The problem there, as with a no of tabloids, and we know which ones, is that when they go for someone they go full them with full venom to the point where if they claim morality the word "Pharisee" springs to mind! So what we have here is seeing a situation where no deals are made with Murdoch because his views are known already and Murdoch knew his political views would be considered. Any criticism from other stables would be silenced through the Machiavellian machinations of spin doctors, and yet not all criticism was valid. Some of the media in general, whether in the Murdoch stable or not, are feral, viciously arrogant, and out of control. Blair is right on one count. The culture of certain aspects of the media need to change

Farewell Dirk Gently

I was rather saddened to read about this, but inevitably this is a result of the Tories freezing the BBC license fee. There are other ways of saving money and this is not a good one. In fact, given the Tories past comments about the Corporation, it smacks of ideological spite. One hopes this kind of scenario doesn't continue but I fear it will, given the time given regarding the freeze. No wonder many supporters of middle and high brow arts have been anti-Conservative, one hopes that there will come a time when the government will drop the Thatcherite aim of dumbing down for profit like a gang of second hand car salesmen

Downing Street Aide Attempting to Intimidate a BBC Journalist!

Was rather shocked by this but imagine it goes on more than we think, and hat tip to Guido Fawkes for copying it and putting it on his site.
This not only shows the pressure the PM is under, but that they are running scared and aware of the potential damage. The fact a Downing Street Tory hack dashed out of Downing Street and was trying to intimidate a BBC Journalist here shows they are trying to get a grip on the situation, albeit by going the wrong way about it!
Cameron should sack Hunt, but the fact he hasn't and had a cosy friendship with Rebekah Brooks and is getting nasty over this makes you wonder how much he has to hide!

Those Killjoy Republicans?

I can see they are frustrated and, whilst I am no Republican, do empathise! But to go for more strident action will be counter productive and damage their cause. Many people in this country (inc myself) love the monarchy and if they see anything other than approaches of gentle persuasion, then there will be a backlash and the actions of various anti-monarchist groups will be self defeating

Cameron's Apology

Further to yesterday's post at least he recognises he has a problem and he is big enough to apologise. One hopes and prays he can sustain that, because it otherwise does not bode well for a Prime Minister who is under pressure, that he cannot control his temper

An Open Letter to David Cameron

Dear Prime Minister,

In my lifetime (I was born in September 1975) there have been, including yourself, seven Prime Ministers. There have also been, (inc those who were PM obviously) six Conservative Party leaders. I am old enough, and geeky enough from a young age, to have heard of Macmillan and Douglas-Home when they were still alive, and knew enough of Baroness Thatcher's three immediate predecessors at the time to hold them in high esteem, even if I did disagree with them on occasion.
In fact I have held every Tory leader from Macmillan to Michael Howard with varying degrees of respect and as a Labour Party activist I regard holding an opponent with respect to be a fundamental part of what helps bring out the best in British politics. That becomes very difficult, if not impossible, when an opponent behaves in a way which merits both political and personal contempt. You, Prime Minister, have managed to encourage that in spades.
When you became leader in 2005, I welcomed your election as an opponent who was a breath of fresh air. I admired your willingness to modernise and your desire to see the end of "Punch and Judy politics", I deplored the attacks on your background, the most damning being your Bullingdon Club membership, on the basis that just because a person has a past doesn't mean they cannot have a future!
Of course that went out the window a long while ago didn't it! You don't just seem to engage in bareknuckle boxing matches, you seem to enjoy them in a way which makes many, inc me, think "Once a Bullingdon member, always a Bullingdon member..." You and your Party lauched personal attack after another on Gordon Brown and his fitness or lack of to hold office, and yet you frequently seem to indulge in behaviour, notably at Prime Minister's Questions, which leads many to question your fitness. I have seen footage of Thatcher and Major and other of your predecessors have off days, and yet you seem to have them often than most, engaging in abuse instead of answering questions. You may say it is the pressures of the job and lacking a majority and you may well be right in part, but Major, Callaghan, and Wilson had similar pressures and yet on most days could be better behaved at Prime Minister's Questions if nowhere else!
In the past six months you have verbally abused two elderly Labour MP's and failed to apologise, you used "Tourettes" as an abusive term at Ed Balls and only today called him a "muttering idiot" and only apologised when under pressure. In fact when you apologised today, you did so with a grin and your MP's shouting "more" with your Chancellor (who still has not apologised for calling Gordon Brown "autistic") seeming to be one of the most vocal in that regard. That seems to indicate you and your Party still "Don't get it!" You also now have a reputation, as I am sure you know, for being tardy and abusive, arrogant and rude in the Commons chamber.
I know it is tough, but many of your predecessors coped better under similar circumstances and I am asking you as someone from the opposing party to please moderate your behaviour and consider carefully your actions and learn to control your temper and seek some form of anger management, a problem obvious to many observers. Be a better man, admit your faults and try better and you'll get more support on a personal level than you dare hope for. Otherwise your behaviour will garner more contempt from not just members of my Party, but also the general public and members of your Party and you really don't want that!

With what respect I have left

Paul Burgin

Reagan's Blood

I am a bit shocked and morally appalled by this! For one thing it shows no sensitivity to Reagan's family and also  that money means a great deal to many people to the point where it overrides morality. I hope the Reagan Foundation can get it back without spending a penny and that they are able to put successful pressure on the Guernsey government as part of legal means in stopping the auction, and that there is better security in protecting such things in the first place