Tuesday, June 08, 2010
Whats the thing with Cameron and the OU Library?
It does make for a more interesting backdrop that the Imperial Pronouncements style of New Labour conferences hosted in imposing official buildings, but why pay good money for building hire, travel and security arrangements when the Government has a perfectly good venue already paid for and secured in the Palace of Westminter?
Is there a logic behind these presentation occasions that might be explained, to coalition partners for example?
Cameron has of course been to the OU Library before (as noted in this pre-coalition posting) as indeed, to the OU Campus to launch campaigns, has one Tony Blair mumble years ago, the only time I ever came face to face with him, ghastly pancake makeup and all.
Labels: Cameron, Open University, policy launches
Friday, March 26, 2010
To baldly go where many have gone before
With his cunning plans in Northern Ireland getting as unstuck as his brilliant idea to force his MEPs to sit with assorted homophobes, the name to recall is Baldrick.
I do hope hesitations about Blackadder copyright don’t inhibit the spread of such a ‘Baldrick Dave’ meme…
Incidentally the original meaning of the word ‘Baldrick’ is ‘a wide ornamental belt’.
Labels: Cameron
Tuesday, February 02, 2010
The Cameron road to Infangthief
That is the right of a property owner to exact summary punishment on a criminal found on his property. Or even Outfangthief – the right to pursue and punish off the property. Perhaps understandable as a legal expedient when the only police force was the Hue and Cry Posse, way back in the 1300’s, this concept has rather been eroded by some centuries of the Rule of Law.
Or so one would have hoped. Once more we are reminded of the 19th century controversy over ‘man traps and spring guns’ so wonderfully recounted in E.S. Turners book ‘Roads To Ruin’. This is a book that really really needs re-issuing.
Meanwhile we might all take a look at the new book on ‘the rule of law’ by Tom Bingham, former Lord Chief Justice of the United Kingdom.
As the ‘blurb’ says:
He makes clear that the rule of law is not an arid legal doctrine but is the foundation of a fair and just society, is a guarantee of responsible government, is an important contribution to economic growth and offers the best means yet devised for securing peace and co-operation. He briefly examines the historical origins of the rule, and then advances eight conditions which capture its essence as understood in western democracies today. He also discusses the strains imposed on the rule of law by the threat and experience of international terrorism.
And, incidentally, firmly says that the Iraq war was illegal.
The reviewer in the Independent On Sunday loved it:
He proposes eight essential principles, each of which he illustrates with a wide variety of examples. The first is that the law must be available to everyone and, so far as possible, intelligible and clear….His other principles include the equality of all before the law – "Be you never so high, the law is above you," as Dr Thomas Fuller wrote in 1733 – along with the fair exercise of power by the executive, the right to a fair trial, and the application of law, rather than discretion, when deciding questions of legal right and liability. Importantly, Bingham also includes the protection of fundamental human rights. Though some people might not see human rights as a necessary ingredient of the rule of law, Bingham argues that such a view would be based on an impoverished or "thin" definition, as compared with his own preference – what he calls a "thick" definition – and his arguments are cogent and convincing.
Robert Gaisford IoS 31 January 2010
Sounds like a stinging slap-down to the pathetic Cameron ramble on the Andrew Marr show about burglars ‘forgoing their human rights…’
The rule of law and a fair society. Could that be a LibDem election theme? Against the rule of mob headlines and tax breaks for the rich which has been the mood music of New Labour and looks like being the theme song for the Tories in continuation…
Labels: Cameron, Infangthief, rule of Law
Great quotes!
Monday, September 21, 2009
Johnny Washy's Old Sloshy and the Cameron Pickle progressive con
Johnny Walker’s whisky company takes great care to crack down on people trying to pass of duff products as the real think with misleading labelling, and their museum of counterfeits has exhibits of many of these. By some weird process, this caught up an obscure brand of shampoo called Johnny Washy’s and so on, which apparently had an understandably brief career as an after-dinner drink trading on a misleading label design..
It is probable that potential drinkers had a swift reminder of the difference between whisky and hair treatment products.
Lets hope that the difference between Real Progressive Politics and Cameron’s Progressive Pickle will be as easily spotted so we can wash that man right out of our hair.
(hat tip to that excellent book ‘Almost Like a Whale: the Origin of Species updated ’ by Steve Jones for the Johnny Washee gem - se P 110).
Labels: Cameron, Nick Clegg, progressive
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
How happy are the Tory Troops over Cameron Power speech?
I was outside the building where a certain D Cameron gave his so-called Power speech – this was in the Open University Library and I turned up in all innocence to access the Library not knowing it had been privately booked*. With car parks taped off, OU security everywhere and a fairly substantial police presence I knew something was up but my first thought was of a violent emergency, an impression not lessened as the Conservative audience was pouring out of the building like it was being evacuated.
(* I was much to busy delivering leaflets over the weekend for the very effective Bedford Unitary election push to notice and clues about Tory national movements. It is a great campaign to help if you are near
Labels: Cameron, Conservatives, power
Saturday, December 06, 2008
Selfish Interests in Cameron NI initiatives?
For example the phrase ‘Britain has no selfish strategic or economic interest in Northern Ireland’ was part of the so-called Downing Street Declaration of 15 December 1993 endorsed by the last Tory Prime Minister, John Major. This implied recognition by the UK of dynamic semi-detachment was vital for the evolution towards the Good Friday Agreement of 1998. For those hostile to the Union it implied the possibility of peaceful evolution to detachment from the Union.
The Irish Times outlines some concerns about Cameron’s declaration of fundamental Unionism and the intention of the UU and Conservatives to fight every Ulster seat as one party.
We must presume that the Conservatives of 2008 have invested sufficient resources into their decision making to navigate the arguments that might arise from perceived contradictions between many interpretations of the Downing Street Declaration spirit and the declaration of ‘integrity within the Union’ in Cameron’s speech.
The Alliance Party (our NI bretheren) say the shrinking UUP dinosaur offers nothing for the Tories and point out the recent electoral deals the UUP have made with the highly sectarian TUV (Traditional Unionist Voice).
Labels: Alliance Party, Cameron, Northern Ireland
