The Telegraph Fiddles while Britain Burns

How much more expenses poison will The Telegraph drip-feed in its attempt to kill off ministers and derail the coalition Government’s attempts to sort out our economic mess? Not satisfied with getting rid of possibly the best person for the job they are now after his successor. Who next? We must draw a line under the expenses saga.

If The Telegraph has evidence of wrong doing why have they held it back? We need to move on. If there are further stories which they think the public should know about, keep them until the economy is back on its feet. Then they can try to recoup the £110,000 they reportedly paid through a middle-man to the mole who illegally obtained the stolen data on MPs expenses.

Happy to profit from their stolen goods I heard one Telegraph columnist on Sky News suggest that they couldn’t not print a good story. Why? There are precedents, the Duke of Windsor’s affair and Churchill’s drinking to name but two. This is not to cover up wrong doing but to see the broader picture. We are at war with our financial crisis but the small minded in our midst continue to look at the minutia. Let’s have a sense of proportion please.

Bedroom Farce

Pity poor David Laws, the latest victim of British stone throwing.

He sacrificed a lucrative career as a city banker for public service. In doing so has become the latest victim of the Thatcher government’s MPs Expenses scheme. The rules were open to interpretation and many MPs have already paid the price. In a statement Laws said "At no point did I consider myself to be in breach of the rules which in 2009 defined partner as "one of a couple ... who although not married to each-other or civil partners are living together and treat each-other as spouses".

Those with the great British gift of hindsight are already screaming for his scalp but here is a man with a Cambridge double first in economics and top level experience in the financial sector who was admired on both sides of the House for the mastery of his brief in the Queen’s Speech debate. In a time of severe national crisis should we sacrifice a highly competent Chief Secretary in response to another journalistic scoop by The Telegraph over a technicality? If the same attitude had prevailed during the war no doubt Churchill would have been ousted.

Any doubt over the interpretation of the rules could have been sorted out by having a quiet word to resolve the matter without its sensationalist accompaniment. In their exposure The Daily Telegraph claimed that there was no intention to disclose Mr Laws' sexuality, but in a statement issued in response to questions from this newspaper, the minister chose to disclose this fact”. How very noble of them.

The wolves are now in full cry. From Times Online: “David Laws ‘should step aside as minister’ after claiming for rent paid to lover”. The innuendo is clear when in fact David Laws is paying the price for being the model of discretion in his private life. Contrast that with the overt lifestyles of US Bps Gene Robinson and Mary Glasspool who have rocked the Anglican Communion by the open celebration of their sexuality. What people do in the bedroom is a private matter. Leviticus and feminism are no substitute for the Gospel. If the church and the media grasped that message many would be spared unnecessary heartache.

Postscript

So David Laws has resigned with honour and humility, a lesson not just for the Telegraph but for us all:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/10191673.stm

Question Time for No 10

Full marks to the BBC for not giving into pressure from No 10 to decide who should appear on the Question Time panel.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/8710081.stm

A small but welcome blow for the defence of freedom.

Whitsun Treat

Children paddling in Roath [Cardiff] during Whitsun Treat - c 1930s

Today on Whit Monday in years past children would have been off on their Whitsun treat. Intrigued to see how others spent their childhood treat I ‘Googled’ and was surprised to find just the one image (above) taken in Cardiff, South Wales, in the1930s. Asking my wife about her memories she told me that she used to go off to the seaside in a charabanc. How posh! I went on the back of a lorry to a hired field although, if I remember correctly, in later years a double-decker bus was used but the venue was always the same.

Such simple pleasures, paddling at the seaside or in a brook followed by a picnic tea, probably with a blob of ice cream from a big tub as a special treat. No paddling for us but healthy, organised sports and games. Thinking back the adults must have had a busy time planning and organising Whitsun treats. The weather was always unpredictable with Whitsun being a movable feast so a marquee was provided. Responding to the calls of nature with men, women and children of both sexes present required at least four suitably enclosed pits that had to be dug – and sorted out afterwards. Also as part of the setting up, the games had to be planned and the sporting events organised requiring the course to be marked out and starters, judges, marshals, etc, assembled. Last but not least the food had to be provided with mothers volunteering to make cakes and prepare sandwiches. Drinks were provided along with a packet of Smith’s potato crisps, with salt in a twist of blue paper – add your own or leave it, what a good idea!

Today it is different. Children are in school - unless of course it’s another day off for teacher training which for some reason can’t take place during their long summer holidays. Few will be aware of Whitsun or the feast of Pentecost let alone the descent of the Holy Spirit unless it is mentioned in passing during inter-faith studies. But not everything is lost. They will still have their day off for the Spring Bank Holiday at the end of May when, as one site puts it “For many people the spring bank holiday is a pleasant day off work or school. Some people choose to take a short trip or vacation. Others use the time to walk in the country, catch up with family and friends, visit garden centres or do home maintenance.”

What could be better than that, sat in the traffic in a hot car or sat on a square of concrete eating a greasy barbecued meal without having to bother with anyone and no community spirit?

Veni, creator Spiritus!

PC Causes Death of Humour

Do you find this funny?

“THIS WAS NOMINATED FOR BEST JOKE OF THE YEAR - WORTH SHARING

A Somalian arrives in London as a new immigrant to the UK .

He stops the first person he sees walking down the street and says ........ 'Thank you Mr. British for letting me in this country, giving me housing, money for food, free medical care, free education and no taxes!'

The passer by says, 'You are mistaken, I am Mexican!'

The man goes on and encounters another passer by. 'Thank you for having such a beautiful country here in the UK !'

The person says, 'I not British, I Polish!'

The new arrival walks further, and the next person he sees he stops, shakes his hand and says, 'Thank you for the wonderful Britain !'

That person puts up his hand and says, 'I am from Russia , I am not from Britain !'

He finally sees a nice lady and asks, 'Are you a British?'

She says, 'No, I am from Africa !'

Puzzled, he asks her, 'Where are all the British?'

The African lady checks her watch and says ...'Probably at work'

IF YOU DON'T PASS THIS ON TO ALL YOUR FRIENDS YOU WILL RECEIVE THREE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS ABSOLUTELY FREE” [Copied as seen]

In the old days we may have heard a joke like this in the Music Halls or on television. Nowadays they are circulated on the internet or by mobile phone texts.

Intrigued to discover the origin of its nomination for best joke of the year a quick ‘Google’ showed that it had been circulated widely on the internet, especially on alternative humour sites. Then I discovered a report in the Guardian that two Tory councillors had been suspended over “racist email” for sending the joke to Tory MPs. Here are some paragraphs from the report:

“Two Tory councillors have been suspended from the party after sending a racist joke to an email list including Ribble Valley Tory MP Nigel Evans, the mayor of South Ribble, and fellow Conservative councillors. Simon Farnsworth, a Ribble Valley councillor, sent the joke on to Ken Hind, his fellow councillor and a former Tory parliamentary candidate in Selby and Lancashire West at the 1997 and 1992 elections. Hind then sent it on to a long list of Tories, including Evans; DW Parkinson, the mayor of South Ribble; and other South Ribble and Ribble Valley councillors.

A Tory spokesman said: "Simon Farnsworth and Ken Hind have been suspended from the Party. The contents of this email have no place in the Conservative party." Hind said he apologised to "all those people from the nations mentioned in the joke. It was not my intention to insult their racial origins, and I deeply regret passing on this item as I recognise now that it could cause offence." He added: "In my daily life I deal with many people of different racial origins in our diverse community and in our relationships get on well with them. I deprecate those who are racist. On many occasions I have been outspoken in my condemnation of those who incite racial hatred and am committed to developing an integrated tolerant community in which all races creeds and religions live side by side in peace.

"I am privileged to name amongst my friends and associates many who are of Asian or African origin. I wish to emphasise that any apparent insult or criticism contained in the joke does not reflect my views or those of the Conservative party." Farnsworth has also been contacted for comment but had not responded at the time of publication. David Eccleston, who received the email by mistake and passed it to the Guardian, said that many people thought David Cameron "seems like a nice guy and he seems to care", but "these jokes bring you back to Earth with a bang because you realise that behind Cameron's call for 'change' are the same old nasty Conservative party – and that's not change." ”

The Guardian was not shy about printing the joke.

In the General Election, Immigration was identified as one of the main issues that bothered the electorate with varied perceptions of the benefits and problems. Humour has traditionally been used as a legitimate tool for dealing with problems but in this politically correct society we appear to have lost the ability to laugh at ourselves. When was the last time you had a really good laugh? Have you heard the one about the Scotsman, Welshman and the Irish man…..? Not anymore. Such traditional humour has been killed for political correctness and not just by having to say ‘person’. The basis of ‘humour’ these days has shifted to the use of four letter words such as ****, ****, and even ****.

What a joke.

Absolute scum

That was not thought a fair description of two 16-year-old boys who "wrote sexual and racist graffiti on prayer books and bent an ancient St John the Baptist cross causing £3,000 worth of damage" after being invited to have a look around the cathedral in Blackburn. On sentencing them the chairman of the bench said: "This court is disgusted by the mindless destruction you have caused. Normal people would consider you absolute scum."

But that was too much for the Clerk of the Court who stood up and said she objected to the description of them. Consequently Austin Malloy has been removed from his post as chairman of the bench while he is investigated by the Judicial Office of Communications even though the bench was in agreement suggesting that they at least are normal people.

However one looks at it this is not acceptable behaviour, the more so given the desecration involved. If similar acts of vandalism had taken place in a mosque rather than in a Christian place of worship the consequences would have been grave. Do we care so little for our Christian heritage that such behaviour is regarded by some as trivial?

I too regard myself as a normal person so well said Mr Malloy.

The Resurrection of TINA

It is time for the old Thatcherite mantra ‘There is no alternative’ to be resurrected given its relevance to the new Lib Con coalition Government, what the new Prime Minister likes to call a new form of politics.

The coalition is not what one would have expected given the divide between the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats but what was the alternative? The other permutations had little if any chance of success and with the benefit of hindsight (now the most widespread of British attributes) the Labour party appears to be comfortable in opposition taking a rest from the burden of government.

Many Lib Dems have been angered, some even joining or re-joining the Labour party putting principle above pragmatism but politics is about power and making the right judgement at the right time. In doing so concessions have been made by the Conservatives allowing them to ditch some of the promises they probably wish they had not made and the Lib Dems have been given the opportunity put some of their policies into practice. Added to which, the cherished dream of a change in the voting system is much closer with Nick Clegg in charge of making arrangements for the promised referendum. It would be absurd if their party were to fragment now with the possibility of change on the horizon.

More important though is the urgent need to sort out the country’s economic difficulties without causing public anger. The best options for achieving this were explored and a deal done with apparent good will on both sides. In checking reactions to the deal I noticed that Dick Littlejohn of the Mail Online with his usual lack of grace accuses Gordon Brown of dragging British Politics into the sewer. Since he spends most of his time swimming in it he must be best placed though with something large in his eye obscuring natural vision. God forbid that I should have anything in common with the odious little man or his newspaper but even he agrees that everyone has a vested interest in making the coalition work.

There is no alternative.