42 days and all that jazz

Wow. Its been a long time since I have posted on here, but I'm back baby!!

Anyway, down to business.

42 days is wrong because it represents an assault by the state on an individuals abilty to face criminal proceedings with confidence that his rights will be protected and that the system is impartial. 6 weeks is a long time to spend being interrogated in a jail cell, separated from your family, made to look like a criminal in front of your community.

Beyond that, it contravenes all the principles of ancient English liberty set down in the Magna Carta, fought for in the Civil War, reaffirmed in 1688 and 1832 and 1968...

Time and time again the executive of this country, thinking itself above the law, has sought through panic or cynicism to constrain the liberties of ordinary people. Time and time again the people have stood up and claimed their rights. In the words of Shelley, 'we are many and they are few'.

Thnking about, the current climate probably means that I should point out that neither I or Shelley was proposing insurrection or violence. Just dissent, protest and demonstration.

The Shameful Visit of The Saudi's

It is disgraceful that the Labour government, with Conservative acquiescence, is parading the Saudi monarch around on a state visit. The Saudi regime is a corrupt, misogynistic, fanatical dictatorship. There is no freedom of thought or conscience or religion. It's monarch should have no place here. I applaud Vince cable's boycotting of the whole event.

To be a woman in Saudi Arabia is to live under the boot of one of the most oppressive systems on earth. Women are denied even their basic humanity. They have no rights. They cannot go out alone in public, they cannot drive, they cannot learn. They are caged like birds and savagely beaten if they object. Saudi Arabia's preachers encourage this, and it's state condones it- though they are not separate but are the same thing.

This is a state which has even raped and tortured British citizens. It has made no apology and no restitution, yet because they have oil we allow them to mock justice and cravenly play to their every whim, as in the BAE corruption enquiry. That is not an ally, it is an exploiter.

Saudi Arabia is a medeival state that tolerates only one culture, one ruler and one religion. It shares no value or goal with multi-cultural, pluralist Britain.

Finally, we need to realise that when you shake the hand of them all. By meeting like this with King Abdullah, Gordon Brown has lost any moral authority he has in dealings with Zimbabwe or Sudan.

This state visit makes fools of us all.

Ming Quits

Well, he has done it. Ming has just resigned. I wish him the best, I'm glad he has finally done it and I hope he can become shadow foreign secretary as soon as possible. Now lets make sure the next 2 months are not too bad and that the successor is leader for a decade.

Simon 'Loyalty' Hughes

Well, Simon Hughes is at it again and once more he has ensured that the only media coverage about the Lib Dem's is questioning Ming's leadership. But there is a problem. He is right.

Ming's leadership and mistakes, for whatever the reason, have become the story and that cannot be allowed to happen. Inside the Campbell Bunker, instead of simply reacting to Simon Hughes with fury (which he does indeed deserve) should take a long hard look at their man and decide whether Ming will ever truly be able to turn round the bad opinion polls and the bad media coverage. My feeling is that he can't and he should resign, now, with a minimum of fuss.

And as for Simon Hughes washing our dirty laundry in public, he needs to strongly consider his position, his conduct and his likely future.

Time for an Election...

Well, Yellow Saturday has given us two important things: an overdue sullying of Brown's reputation, and a reprieve for the Lib Dems. Because lets face it, we were not going to have good results on the 1st of November. I feel that we would have lost some seats, maybe 8 or so.

Now that we have breathing space, its time for us to do a brave and distasteful thing and pressure Ming to step down. Not because he is incompetent, not because he is old but because of the very simple fact that he fails to embody the radical, liberal, dynamic presence that Paddy Ashdown and Charles Kennedy exhibited in different ways and that we need to get ahead and fight for our corner and our policies in this 21st century, media driven political atmosphere.

Ming's mantra has always been the maximum number of votes, the maximum number of seats. In order to serve that mantra best, sadly he has to go.

Gordon Brown loses on points to Cameron

David Cameron failed to knock out Brown at PMQ's today, but his allegation's of moral cowardice certainly stick. Meanwhile Ming asked a good and concise question, which recieved (of course) a deceitful and incorrect answer. I should add that Vince Cable was as ever exemplary yesterday during the pre-budget debate.

However, Cameron still looks like the braying arch-Tory he really is, and for all his clever words I doubt if he will really be all that popular when the election finally comes, whilst Gordon Brown looks utterly stupid by failing to go to the country. He is either a coward who doesn't want to submit to the people's view, or he has no control over his advisors and spin doctors. Neither of these is an appealing prospect. It's looking like its going to be a tough 2 years, folks.

Stop Press: Bush Evil Selfish Bastard

Not exactly news, but the announcement that the President of Evil will veto the Child Health Care Bill in America that would extend health care to 10 MILLION kids is further proof, if it were needed, that Bush is a ranting ultra right wing idealogue who cares only for the approval of his corporate masters.

For pity's sake, nearly half the Republicans in the Senate voted for it! Jan 2oth, 2009 can't come soon enough. Bring on President Obama!