Monthly Archives: March 2010

He’s back….

Prime Minister Gordon Brown has revealed his secret weapon in the hope that he can help secure an unlikely fourth term for Labour after the forthcoming general election…. step forward, Tony Blair.

This strategy, in my opinion, has become  Labour‘s own goal, and it smacks of desperation by Brown to claw back some of the support that the party lost since he became PM. They are calling for a man, who despite securing three terms in office,  squandered by delivering a succession of poor policies, particularly on law and order. Then there is the ongoing war in Iraq, which, after seven years, continues to be a heavy millstone around the government’s collective neck. Commentators have probably wondered why the party didn’t do the honourable thing and keep him at arm’s length. He is their worst living nightmare…

The Conservative and Liberal Democrat opposition parties can hardly believe their luck. They already know that Blair is a heavy vote-loser for Labour, and they probably will intend to exploit it for all it’s worth. It may be too late for Brown to reverse his decision…a decision that could end his political aspirations.

‘The Bill’ pounds the beat no more

So, ITV have finally got the sense to axe its police drama The Bill. The show will leave our screens later this year.

It’s about time too. The Bill has long outstayed its welcome on our TV screens. I bet it probably jumped the shark when the programme was moved forwards from 9pm to 8pm and changed the format from an hour to half an hour in the late eighties. By the mid-nineties, I stopped watching it altogether.

Sorry to see it go though. RIP…

The Budget 2010: UNDERwhelming

The Chancellor Alistair Darling delivered his last Budget speech before the general election… and there were very few surprises. He knew that he had very little room for manoeuvre.

Here are some of the main points:

  • Petrol duty to go up 3p, in three stages over the next year.
  • Beer, wine and spirits duties will go up by two per cent from Sunday.
  • Stamp Duty scrapped for homes below £250,000.
  • Government borrowing is forecast to be around £167million.
  • A new £2billion investment bank to back green businesses.
  • Winter Fuel Allowance rates extended for the next fiscal year.
  • Child Tax Credits will rise by £4 in 2012.

Not much on tackling the huge national debt. Few real measures to tackle unemployment. Very little funds on repairing our potholed-filled roads. No plans to slash defence spending. Once again, this government simply didn’t get it. For the next year at least the country will be in a sort of suspended animation as real priorities on dealing with the mess this country is in will be put off yet again.

Football manager faces uncertain future

D’oh!!!

UK “Spring of Discontent”?

In Britain these days, one cannot either read a newspaper, listen to the radio or watch the TV without hearing news of some major industrial disputes happening in the country.

Cabin crew working for British Airways are currently in dispute over pay and working conditions. Civil servants working for the government are having regular short-term strikes. Senior army officers are in dispute with defence ministers over the lack of equipment for soldiers fighting a hopeless war in Afghanistan. The government is facing a fresh diplomatic dispute with Argentina over the Falkland Islands. Put in the row over rising petrol prices, and you get a classic perception of a Spring of Discontent.

This is the perfect storm. It would be ironic if any of these issues  blew up during the election campaign. It’ll be a struggle to find out who is going to be responsible for sorting this mess out. A preventable series of events turning into a collective national crisis… and these politicians who want our votes at the forthcoming general election simply don’t have a clue.