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The whole world's gone mad.............. 

 

Most of us like to have a moan about something from time to time and, let's face it, the way the world is changing, gives us plenty to moan about. We know we're unlikely to change anything but to quote these, unauthenticated, lines from Edmund Burke, the 18th century Anglo-Irish statesman, orator, author, philosopher and political theorist -

" All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing".

'Evil' might be an exaggeration but it's often difficult to understand the mind of the sort of person that says things, does things and puts in motion, things that the majority wouldn't even consider. Power certainly changes people beyond recognition sometimes and many will blindly do anything in the self-interest of their career and future.

This page seeks to highlight life's injustices and to give prominence to the idiotic changes that are being made to the commonsense approach to life that we were once allowed to take and to the seemingly unstoppable advance of the Nanny State.

From the European Union down to the local council 'jobsworth' there will be examples of nonsensical rules and regulations that the majority will never understand but which the majority is meant to comply with unquestionably. Daily Mail columnist and author, Richard Littlejohn, can be guaranteed to bring many such items to our attention so I make no apologies for repeating some of his column here from time to time but welcome your own contributions to this page.

If you see something here that you actually agree with, be brave, let us know why, and I'll print that as well. This is not a page for my opinions alone but I'm happy to share them and hope that, whether you agree with them or not, you'll feel a desire to express your own. Occasionally you'll see a piece that isn't a moan but, instead, shows eveidence of someone fighting back against injustice. It will be good to look back at this page in years to come to see whether we've actually made any progress.

Obituary for Common Sense:

Found on the Internet, the following represents a view often taken by we Brits when looking at the society we've helped create. It just about covers what this page is all about:-

" Today we mourn the passing of a beloved old friend, Common Sense, who has been with us for many years. No one knows for sure how old he was, since his birth records were long ago lost in bureaucratic red tape. He will be remembered as having cultivated such valuable lessons as:

Knowing when to come in out of the rain.
Why the early bird gets the worm.
Life isn't always fair.
Maybe it was my fault.

Common Sense lived by simple, sound financial policies (don't spend more than you can earn) and reliable strategies (adults, not children, are in charge). His health began to deteriorate rapidly when well-intentioned but overbearing regulations were set in place. Reports of a 6-year-old boy charged with sexual harassment for kissing a classmate; teens suspended from school for using mouthwash after lunch; and a teacher fired for reprimanding an unruly pupil, only worsened his condition.

Common Sense lost ground when parents attacked teachers for doing the job that they themselves had failed to do in disciplining their unruly children.

It declined even further when schools were required to get parental consent to administer sun-lotion or an Aspirin if their children needed them; but were unable to inform parents when a pupil became pregnant and wanted to have an abortion.

Common Sense lost the will to live as churches became businesses and criminals received better treatment than their victims.

Common Sense took a beating when you couldn't defend yourself from a burglar in your own home and the burglar could sue you for assault.

Common Sense finally gave up the will to live after a woman failed to realise that a steaming cup of coffee was hot. She spilled a little in her lap and was promptly awarded a huge settlement payment.

Common Sense was preceded in death by his parents, Truth and Trust, by his first wife, Discretion, by his daughter, Responsibility, and by his son, Reason.

He is survived by his four stepbrothers:

1) I Know My Rights.
2) I Want It Now.
3) Someone Else Is To Blame.
4) I'm A Victim.

Not many attended Common Sense's funeral because so few realised he was gone. If you still remember him, tell others. If not, join the majority and do nothing.

* * * * * * * *

Poem, "We want our England back". Author unknown.

Goodbye to my England. So long my old friend.
Your days are numbered, being brought to an end.
To be Scottish, Irish or Welsh, that's fine
But don't say you're English, that's way out of line.

The French and the Germans may call themselves such.
So may Norwegians, the Swedes and the Dutch.
You can say you are Russian or maybe a Dane
But don't say you're English ever again.

At Broadcasting House the word is taboo.
In Brussels it's scrapped, in Parliament too.
Even schools are affected, staff do as they're told.
They must not teach children about England of old.

Writers like Shakespeare, Milton and Shaw,
The pupils don't learn about them anymore.
How about Agincourt, Hastings, Arnhem or Mons?
When England lost hosts of her very brave sons.

We are not Europeans, how can we be?
Europe is miles away over the sea.
We're the English from England, let's all be proud.
Stand up and be counted. Shout it out loud!

Let's tell our Government and Brussels too,
We're proud of our heritage and the Red, White and Blue.
Fly the flag of St George or the Union Jack.
Let the world know - WE WANT OUR ENGLAND BACK!

 * * * * *

On the theme of 'political correctness', Australian comedian Steve Hughes has the right idea. He simply says,

"If something offends you, be offended! Nothing happens to you. Just deal with it!"

ALL THE FOLLOWING HAPPENED, OR WERE WRITTEN ABOUT IN 2010:-

07/03/2010:-

A bee in my bonnet has long been the ridiculous job titles that organisations have come up with to justify recruitment of another member of staff at an equally ridiculously inflated salary. In the past week the BBC has said it is going to ban this use of loony job titles. Unfortunately, their website tells a diferent story, as these jobs advertised there shows. To enable me to apply for any of them, I would be grateful if you would send your explanations of what they actually mean, on a postcard, to CONFUSED, BANSTEAD ASYLUM, SURREY -

Business Development Manager, Media Solutions:_

Job description: Identify and deliver new business opportunities across media handling industries and services. The role also requires the successful applicant to 'support the commercial and operational teams within the pillar ensuring robust commercial processes and resources to deliver excellent customer service'.

Head of Audiences, Vision Multiplatform:-

Job description: Will be charged to 'embed audience understanding in the creative process' and 'interrogate and find new, interesting audience insights and creative stimulus, resulting in inspiring and focused creative briefs'.

Learning Manger, BBC Proms and BBC Symphony Orchestra:-

Job description: To 'define and implement Learning Strategy' for Proms and orchestra's 'outreach programme' and to 'write and maintain policy documents'.

Change Management Lead:-

Job Description: To take responsibility of all aspects of change management concerning the 'Futureworks' Business Transformation Programme'.

Solutions Architect, Global Web Properties:-

Job Description: 'Technical assurance and guidance of development teams and 3rd party suppliers for all technology deliverables'.

07/03/2010:-

The House of Lords has just lifted a ban on same sex couples being allowed to marry in religious premises. Their is now little distinction between marriage and civil partnerships.  This amendment to the Equality Bill does not force churches to accept civil partnership ceremonies, but it does lift the barrier that prevented homosexual blessings and also the ban on religious language being used in such ceremonies.

It wasn't long ago that the Government introduced the purely secular civil partnership ceremony but, in their usual weasel way, there will undoubtedly come a time when they will compel churches to 'marry' same sex couples. Whatever changes they make to the ceremony, in my eyes, it can never be called 'marriage'. Though dictionary definitions of marriage have been altered over recent years, it is still a union of 'spouses', i.e. man and wife, and not two people of the same sex.

I have always believed that we have no control over who we are when we come into this world, and recognise that homosexuality has as much right to an accepted, open existence as heterosexuality. I also believe them to be two very different sides of the same coin. 

28/02/2010:-

Pat Condell may not be to everyone's taste, but he speaks for me and, I'm sure, many of you. He's not afraid to air his views, and whether or not you agree with them is up to you. At least he keeps the debate going and ensures that views alternate to the ones that are rammed down our throats these days and which we're expected to blindly accept, are given an airing. Long may we exercise our right to free speech. Click on this link to see and hear what Pat has to say -

http://dotsub.com/view/84f5c72d-b0ba-408c-ace3-8cc40995e011

21/02/2010:-

Coventry City Council have become the latest in a long line of idiots to cite 'Health and Safety' as an excuse for the introduction of yet another ludicrous practice. Their dustmen have been told they shouldn't empty wheelie bins if the lids are completely closed, in case the contents spill out and injure them! Ever eager to ensure they don't do more work than they should, the dustmen are even using tape measures to ensure the gap between lid and bin is no more than a quarter of an inch before they decide to empty it. It doesn't seem to have occured to the council that householders of all ages, shapes, sizes and ability are having to move these bins to the collection point but the men who are paid to do it aren't being allowed to.

21/02/2010:-

Police called to a school playground scuffle (Why?!) are having to fill in as many as 50 incident report forms. These include arrest forms, confidential information forms detailing the strengths and weaknesses of the evidence, a list of all witnesses and their addresses, any previous convictions forms, requests for doctors reports, DNA analysis requests and a summary for the Crown Prosecution Service. In the days when commonsense prevailed, a 'ticking off' was all that was necessary before everyone went on their way. Even a simple matter such as the distribution of leaflets requires the policeman involved to log how many people he spoke to, who they were, and how many leaflets they received. It's no wonder 'real' crimes go unpunished when most of the Force are sat at their desks filling in forms for a bureaucracy obsessed Government intent on recording as much information about us all as they possible can. 

14/02/2010:-

Stefan Bremner-Morris actually alerted me to this last year but, with one thing and another, I've only just got around to mentioning it. Stefan does a fair amount of selling on eBay and wanted to advertise a small, antique silver penknife but thought he'd better ask them their stance on this sort of thing, given the current climate. As he said to them, it is hardly a dangerous weapon compared to a steak knife, for example. This is the response he got. I've left it as it was written, so the grammar and spelling are all eBay's representative's -

"Hello,

Thank you for your email in relation to listing  penknife on eBay.

I am sorry to say that you cannot list penknife on the site although it is about 1 inch long.

Since 10th March 2009, there is banned on listing any kind of knives on eBay.co.uk or eBay.ie, with the exception of cutlery.

Below I have explained why we do not allowed knives on ebay.

Keeping eBay a safe place to trade is our top priority. We already had a number of security measures in place that are designed to make sure that only legal knives have been offered for sale by UK and Irish sellers on eBay.co.uk and eBay.ie.

While we're satisfied with how these matters have been working, the laws surrounding the sales of knives and the criteria for what constitutes a legal knife are increasingly complex. We've decided that the best way to protect our members and provide them with the highest safety standards is to remove and ban all knives.

I hope this helps explain our policy and why we changed it. Thank you."

Apart from eBay's ridiculous belief that steak knives will only be used for the purpose they were intended simply because they're called steak knives, no one seems to have worked out that just about anything can be sharpened to be used as a weapon. Anything wooden or plastic will have much the same effect as a knife if sharpened and plunged into somebody. 

ALL THE FOLLOWING HAPPENED, OR WERE WRITTEN ABOUT, IN 2009:-

December 7th, 2009:-

Plans have been unveiled to force political parties to make Parliament less white, less male, less heterosexual and less middle-class. All parties will be made to publicly declare how many, women, ethnic minorities, gay and disabled applicants they reject as potential Parliamentary candidates. As there is also expected to be a large number of MPs leaving Parliament at the next election, parties will be expected to replace at least 50% of them with women. As Ann Widdecombe correctly says, "The concept of merit is going out of the window. I don't care whether an MP is male or female, black or white, rich or poor, old or young. It doesn't matter. It's frankly insulting because it suggests women and ethnic minorities cannot get there on their own merit".

The introduction of this sort of policy in a number of areas of life has also led to high levels of mediocrity. Positive discrimination in favour of the less able but less represented of society's groups is totally wrong unless it is based on ability and suitability. Should please Harriet Harperson though.

December 7th, 2009:-

The common or garden slipper is now, apparently, a major threat to life and limb. Warwickshire County Council, in conjunction with Age Concern Warwickshire, is launching a scheme called'Phillis' to prevent older people (it might come as a surprise to some of us that this means the 50+ age group)falling over sloppy, ill-fitting slippers. 'Phillis' is the acronym for 'Promoting Health and Independence through Low Level Integrated Support'. I guess if you're over 50 they won't expect you to understand, or want to know, what that gibberish is all about anyway.

Warwickshire County Council's website includes a catchy press release headlined 'No more sloppy slip-ups thanks to older people's scheme'. This slipper service aims to replace old slippers for new at only £5 a pair, and to provide falls prevention advice. The press release goes on to say, "The new slippers have non-slip soles, good support and a Velcro fastening to ensure a snug and tailored fit. Wide fittings are available but it is imperative that slippers are tried on to make sure that the fit is right. Slippers will be available at all events and surgeries that Phillis service brokers attend, and a small number will be carried on the Mobile Library buses. Home visits are also available."

Unveiling the scheme, Councillor Colin Hayfield, who describes hiimself as 'Portfolio Holder for Adult Social Care', said, "This simple but effective measure is helping prevent falls and accidents around the home, and I would urge anyone over 50 to take advantage of this worthwhile scheme". He and the council he represents obviously believe anyone over 50 in Warwickshire to be dribbling geriatrics and must have more than enough funds to waste money on this insult of an idea. Is no aspect of human activity immune from official interference anymore? The Daily Mail's Richard Littlejohn adds to the humour when he asks 'Does the scheme run to novelty slippers? Are we going to see slipper 'amnesties' outside mobile libraries after which anyone still in possession of a pair of threadbare slippers will be arrested and charged under the Health and Safety Act (1975)?"

You'll have to excuse me. I think it's time for my nap.

Stefan Bremner-Morris was quick off the mark as usual with this cartoon response to the slippers piece -

December 7th, 2009:- 

Among the plethora of advertised nonsense jobs at ridiculous salaries (yes, I know I'd take one if I could get it) that cover the pages of The Guardian and elsewhere, is this little gem offered by the University of Leeds (or Leeds University as it used to be known). They are promoting a research fellowship in lap-dancing. The lucky applicant will be paid £31, 513 for for a full-time, fixed-term twelve month placement, investigating 'the rise and regulation of lap dancing and the place of sexual labour and consumption in the night time economy'. It also says that 'prior experience of conducting research in the female sex industry is essential,. What can they mean? Where do I apply?

October 29th, 2009:-

"Evenin' all"

For those who remember Dixon of Dock Green on radio and TV, and Jack Warner's opening line, "Evenin' all", it might come as something of a shock to know that Warwickshire Police's handbook, Policing Our Communities, that they issue to all staff, advises that officers should think before they use that phrase. Then again, in today's politically correct madness, it probably comes as no surprise at all. In a section entitled 'Communication, Some Dos and Dont's', it says using those words could confuse people from different cultural backgrounds, and states: "Don't assume those words for the time of day, such as afternoon or evening, have the same meaning."

Haven't these organisations got anything better to do with our money than waste it on producing such ridiculous documents?. As if this wasn't enough, in a section entitled 'Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Communities' the handbook tells its staff that the phrase 'lesbians and gay men' is likely to be satisfactory for most situations when talking about sexual orientation, but says 'homosexual' is 'best avoided' as the word is 'interpreted differently by many and relates to sexual practice as opposed to sexual orientation'. Staff are also advised to 'be sensitive to using colloquialisms or terms of endearment thet may cause offence, e.g. 'My love' or 'My dear'. they are not allowed to use terms we've been using since time immemorial such as 'black mark' and 'black day', as they would be using the word 'black' in a 'negative context'. They're even not allowed to use the word 'frequent'. They should say "often visited" instead, as frequent is often used in reference to criminals."

The world gets crazier by the minute.

October 14th, 2009:-

All this country's ills are best summed up by Richard Littlejohn in the Daily Mail. In yesterday's paper he said that,

"Britain leads the world in self-righteous, self-perpetuating bureaucracy. Government has constructed a grotesque, gargantuan punishment culture, in our faces round the clock. It is now virtually impossible for anyone in Britain to go through life without falling foul of authority. Day after day irritating new rules and regulations are churned out." 

He asks, in the wake of Environment Secretary Hilary Benn's proposal to fine householders up to £1,000 for putting waste in the wrong bin, 

"Is there another country on earth where the refuse collection regime is so petty and draconian?"

You have to say "no" to that question. A similar fine is also proposed for people who fail to keep their dogs on a leash in some parks. These proposals are preposterous and no right-thinking person would have voted in a party that included these ideas in its manifesto. The punishments that this Government want to inflict bear no relation to the alleged severity of the 'crime' and are completely out of proportion with the average weekly wage or the state pension. All this demented Government is interested in is raising revenue, and whilst most of the legislation they now implement originates in Brussels, in no other country is it so spitefully and rigidly applied as it is here. What goes through a politician's mind? What makes them so keen to push through ideas that as a non-politician they would certainly consider unfair? We are suffocating under state oppression, and the state doesn't care.

October 14th, 2009:-

Justice Secretary, Jack Straw, has announced plans to close up to twenty-nine magistrates' courts and one county court. This, at a time when crime is on the increase, is indicative of the way this Government approaches how it deals with it. Laughingly, Straw says the courts faced with closure are 'significantly under-utilised'. What he doesn't say is that they are under-utilised because more and more criminals are receiving a slap on the wrist or an 'on-the-spot' fine rather than the sentence their activities deserve. Local crimes deserve to be dealt with locally so that justice can be seen to be done. This is Labour being 'tough on crime' and 'tough on the causes of crime', is it?

September 21st, 2009:-

I came across an article by Richard Briers, in which he hits out at the 'infernal gadgets' that are ruining our lives. Whilst I accept that the mobile phone, for instance, has its uses, it wouldn't have heralded the end of the world had it never been invented. Was it a problem for us before they were invented and we never had one? No, of course not. Word may have taken a little longer to reach us, but it did eventually. If we didn't answer the phone indoors, people rang back if it was that important. Nowadays, it seems as if the majority have just discovered something they now find it impossible to put down. Richard Briers' piece says everything I feel so I'll let it speak for itself -

' Well, I'm pleased to tell you I belong to a rather elite club with a dwindling membership. I'm one of the few people in Britain who doesn't have a mobile phone. I don't possess one because I'm anti-progress and very reactionary. As an actor, I've always found that the landline in my sitting room is all that's necessary both for work and social communication. If my agent has a job for me and I happen to be out, he phones me later when I'm back at home. If he doesn't want me, the phone remains silent. We have, for the past 50-odd years, always found this to be a perfectly satisfactory arrangement. No request is so urgent that it has to be relayed  to me as I walk breathlessly along the High Street straining to hear the caller above police sirens, traffic noise and the insistent, mindless chatter of all those mobile phone users.

I particularly detest the infernal things when I'm sitting peacefully on a train reading my newspaper. I'm afraid to say, at the risk of sounding like some dreadful curmudgeon, that the older I get the less tolerant I become of the beeps, jingles, pop tunes and tinny renditions of the classics that emanate from mobile phones. Neither do I want to be forced to eavesdrop on multiple inane conversations or be regaled with strangers' life stories. I also like to think I'm an old-fashioned chap with sound values at heart. I cherish courtesy, kindness; thoughtfulness and all these virtues seem conspicuously lacking in folk who bellow ceaselessly into their mobiles."

There is no doubting that progress has brought us some wonderful things that have made life more tolerable, but Richard Briers admits he is one of those people who doesn't want a computer, doesn't want to be able to 'text' someone, and still got, until very recently, all he needed from his small-screen TV with the wooden surround.  Good luck to him. I'm happy to have moved with the times in those fields but, and I say this as someone who uses a mobile when absolutely necessary, and with thought and consideration for others, I have to agree with him about those that don't.

September 7th, 2009:-

Frank Wilmot's response to the news about the knives (see below) was this -

They'll probably have to sign liability waivers and provide personal minders before long. Rubber woggles, leather's far too dangerous and, of course, there's the question of killing animals to get it. Mustn't sleep under canvas, of course, far too risky, might catch a chill. As for using an axe for chopping wood, it doesn't bear thinking about. All the while we have hooligans roaming the streets, carrying out crimes of violence, which even if they are detected, seem to result in derisory sentences. Sometimes I despair of what this country is becoming!



September 6th, 2009:-

Sad news today that the Scout Association has succumbed to the madness surrounding the use of knives, and have advised Scouts that they shouldn't take their penknives on camping trips, on the grounds that it will help reduce intimidation and bullying among its members. It isn't illegal to carry fold-up knives, and Scouts have been doing so for over 100 years. They have always been taught how to use them correctly and to carry them on their belts so that they would 'be prepared' to cut firewood, prepare food, carve tools and put them to a multitude of other practical uses. The first Scout Law is 'The Scout is to be Trusted', but not by its own leaders it would seem. Surely, what matters is what is in a child's head and heart, not what is in his hand.

September 2nd, 2009:-

Over the past couple of years we have seen the following happen in Great Britain - a name I'll continue to use for our country even if it no longer applies -

Some cities didn't put up Christmas lights for fear of upsetting other cultures.

Birmingham Council allowed a Muslim woman to have her picture on her driver's licence with her face covered.

A primary schoolboy, again in Birmingham, was told it was ok for him to wear the football shirt of his local Premier League team for PE, but not his England shirt in case it offended others.

These and other numerous similar examples prompted a 'UK Citizen' to write to one of the tabloids -

IMMIGRANTS NOT BRITONS, MUST ADAPT.

Take it or leave it. I am tired of this nation worrying about whether we are offending some individual or their culture. Since the terrorist attacks on London we have experienced a surge in patriotism by the majority of Brits. However, the dust from the attacks has barely settled and the 'politically correct' crowd begin complaining about the possibility that our patriotism is offending others.

As Britons, we have our own culture, our own society, our own language and our own lifestyle. This culture has been develpoed over centuries of wars, struggles, trials and victories fought by men and women who laid down their lives and, the millions of men and women who have sought freedom.

"In God We Trust" is our National motto. This is not some Christian, right wing, political slogan. We adopted this motto because Christian men and women, on Christian principles, founded this nation. If God offends you, then I suggest you consider another part of the world as your new home, because God is part of our culture. If St George's cross offends you, or you don't like 'A Fair Go' then you should seriously consider a move to another part of this planet.

We are happy with our culture and have no desire to change. This is OUR COUNTRY, OUR LAND and OUR LIFESTYLE and we will allow you every opportunity to enjoy all this. But, once you are done complaining, whining and griping about OUR FLAG, OUR PLEDGE, OUR NATIONAL MOTTO, OUR WAY OF LIFE, I encourage you to take advantage of one other great British freedom, THE RIGHT TO LEAVE.

We didn't force you to come here. You asked to be here, so accept the country who accepted you.

* * * * 

September 2nd, 2009:-

One measure I'm pleased to see being introduced, albeit in only one pub so far, is the banning of mobile phones. The Court Inn, in Durham, ushers phone users outside if they want to use there phone. The excessive, and often pointless, use of mobile phones, is anti-social and it's about time something was done about their use in other public places such as buses and trains. Before the advent of the mobile phone we managed without them. There's no doubt we could do so again.

September 2nd, 2009:-

In what seems to be a blatant reaction to revenue lost by local councils caused by the recession hitting receipts from car parking charges and planning fees, some of them are now hitting people who don't follow the already draconian wheelie-bin rules. Local authorities are abusing the powers given to them to make money out of people. Fines handed out to those who put bins out too early, take them in too late or over-fill them, are as much as £110 per every adult household member. No prizes for working out how much money this brings in for councils when a family such as mine in which four people are classified as adults for this purpose.  

September 1st, 2009:-

Health and Safety fools have banned villagers in Dobwalls, Cornwall, from planting flowers on a roundabout in case drivers are distracted and an accident is caused. Have they not noticed how many flowers there are in our beautiful countryside? "Sorry m'lud. I was distracted by the flowers, trees, grass, fields, river, birds, bees etc.," doesn't seem to me to be a plea the judiciary would hear too much of. Nature's got a lot to answer for.

August 24th, 2009:-

Are these people real? News today that proves this country is being overrun by 'politically correct' fools. Instead of abating, as I recently felt it was doing, the move to replace harmless words and phrases in our wonderful language with supposedly less offensive ones, continues apace. I'm offended that the brainless people doing this are allowed to. These are the latest phrases to fall foul of the political correctness lobby -

1) The Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission has advised its staff to use 'miserable day' instead of 'black day'. It claims certain words carry a hierarchical valuation of skin colour', whatever that means. It also cautions that the term 'ehnic minority' can imply something 'smaller and less important', so should be used with care.

2) The National Gallery believes the phrase 'gentleman's agreement' may be considered offensive to women, and suggests using 'unwritten agreement' or 'agreement based on trust' instead. It also considers 'second in command' to be more suitable than 'right-hand man'.

3)  Even Newcastle University have got in on the act by saying that 'master bedroom' can be problematic.

4) The South West Regional Development Agency has gone overboard by suggesting - "Terms such as 'black sheep of the family', 'black looks' and 'black mark' have no direct link to skin colour but potentially serve to reinforce a negative view of all things black." (Only if you're brain dead. I don't know anyone, of any skin colour, who has ever thought this). It goes on to say, " Equally, certain terms imply a negative image of black by reinforcing the positive aspects of white. For example, in the context of being above suspicion, the phrase 'whiter than white' is often used. 'Purer than pure' or ' cleaner than clean' are alternatives which do not infer that anything other than white should be regarded with susoicion."

Will the people directly responsible for all this nonsense please identify themselves so that we can take you out and shoot you. You don't belong in my world.

August 14th, 2009:-

I know it's difficult to believe but Devon and Cornwall Constabulary are piloting a 'customer satisfaction survey'. Detainees in police station cells will be handed the 41 question survey which asks for example,

How would you rate the condition of your cell?
Did staff explain to you the correct use of the buzzer.
Were you offered anything to eat and drink? Was it suitable for your dietary requirements?
Were you told how to make a complaint about your treatment if you needed to?

And the best one of the lot - "Did you feel safe in the custody suite?

The questionnaire begins by stating: "Devon and Cornwall are committed to providing the best possible service to people who are detained in custody."
One officer, who, unsurprisingly, did not wish to be named, said, "These people are in the cell for a reason, it's not like they've come here on holiday. They are starting to treat the emergency cell buzzer like a room service hotline." How long before that's what it's renamed? 

August 14th, 2009:-

Hot on the heels of the story about the three policewomen who went shopping in burqas so that they could empathise with fundamentalist Muslim women, comes the formation of the National Trans Police Association. It offers support to serving and retired police officers, staff and special constables who may have a 'gender issue'. This includes Trans men, Trans women, Transgender, androgyne or intersex, as well as people who cross dress. The NTPA also offers support to those with a force connection who deal with people with a gender identity issue. As Richard Littlejohn asks in today's Daily Mail, how long before they apply for and receive Home Office funding or a transsexual officer sues for discrimination after being turned down for promotion. Shouldn't the police really be getting on with what they're paid to do? Why this obsession with pandering to minority groups at public expense? This will also take time and effort as well as money at a time when police stations are being closed due to lack of resources. Why do nameless people feel that these minorities, some of whom seem to have developed, or are 'told' they have a need for special treatment, need their cause promoting? As in everything, recruitment and promotion should be based solely on ability and not on under-representation of a certain race, religion, gender or sexual proclivity. There is no place for politically-motivated, single-issue lobby groups, even if they are 'officially-recognised', such as the Black Police Association, the Gay Police Association and the recently formed Pagan Police Association.

August 14th, 2009:-  

Isn't it time that some common sense was applied to the way airport security is handled? You can't take a pair of nail clippers on a plane these days but you can buy bottles of beer in the duty-free shop. Has no one realised that broken glass is likely to pose more of a threat than nailclippers? A pensioner has now had a roll of tape, still in its not easily opened packaging, confiscated during a hand luggage search at Birmimgham airport on the grounds that it could be used to tie up the pilot and hijack the plane! It's laughable. One passenger, who wears a life-jacket when fishing deep waters, was stopped from taking it onboard the plane as the CO2 cannister used to inflate it could be used to fire a weapon. It's not known what the security guard's reaction was when it the passenger pointed out to him that it wasn't  going to be a problem as he would borrow one of the cannisters in the life-jackets, under every seat on every plane. 

August 5th, 2009:-

The way the Dat Protection Act is applied gets up most people's noses. Bank charges tend to do the same. The following, genuine letter, was written by an elderly lady to her bank. The manager, God bless him for having a sense of humour, had it published in The Times -

"Dear Sir,

I am writing to thank you for bouncing my cheque with which I endeavoured to pay my plumber last month. By my calculations, three 'nanoseconds' must have elapsed between his presenting the cheque and the arrival in my account of the funds needed to honour it. Irefer, of course, to the automatic monthly deposit of my Pension, an arrangement which, I admit, has been in place for only eight years. You are to be commended for seizing that brief window of opportunity, and also for debiting my account £30 by way of penalty for the inconvenience caused to your bank.

My thankfulness springs from the manner in which this incident has caused me to rethink my errant financial ways.

I noticed that whereas I personally attend to your telephone calls and letters, when I try to contact you, I am confronted by the impersonal, overcharging, re-recorded, faceless entity which your bank has become. From now on, I, like you, choose only to deal with a flesh-and-blood person. My mortgage and loan payments will therefore and hereafter no longer be automatic, but will arrive at your bank by cheque, addressed personally and confidentially to an employee at your bank whom you must nominate. Be aware that it is an offence under the Postal Act for any other person to open such an envelope.

Please find attached an Application Contact Status which I require your chosen employee to complete. I am sorry it runs to eight pages, but in order that I know as much about him or her as your bank knows about me, there is no alternative.. Please note that all copies of his or her medical history must be countersigned by a Solicitor, and the mandatory details of his/her financial situation (income, debts, assets and liabilities) must be accompanied by documented proof.

In due course, I will issue your employee with a PIN number which he/she must quote in dealings with me. I regret that it cannot be shorter than 28 digits but, again, I have modelled it on the number of button presses required of me to access my account balance on your phone bank service. As they say, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. Let me level the playing field even further. When you call me, press buttons as follows:

1 - To make an appointment to see me.
2 - To query a missing payment.
3 - To transfer the call to my living room in case I am there.
4 - To transfer the call to my bedroom in case I am sleeping.
5 - To transfer the call to my toilet in case I am attending to nature.
6 - To transfer the call to my mobile phone if I am not at home.
7 - To leave a message on my computer (a password to access my computer is required. A password will be communicated to your Authorized Contact at a later date).
8 - To return to the main menu and to listen to options 1 through to 8.
9 - To make a general complaint or enquiry, the contact will then be put on hold, pending the attention of my automated answering service. While this may, on occasion, involve a lengthy wait, uplifting music will play for the duration of the call.

Regrettably, but again following your example, I must also levy an establishment fee to cover the cost of setting up this new arrangement.

May I wish you a happy, if ever so slightly less prosperous, New Year.

Your Humble Client.

July 30th, 2009:-

Here we go again! 'Elf and Safety raises its ridiculous head once more. This time, swimmers using Dagenham Swimming Pool have been told they are only allowed to swim across the width of the pool rather than do complete lengths of it. This may well be a cost-cutting measure by Barking and Dagenham Council as people swimming lengths would require another lifeguard to ensure the whole length of the pool could be adequately policed. One idiot council spokesman has even suggested 'it's better swimming' and that it's "about variety, giving a whole host of swimming options."  Don't you just love it when idiots take you for an idiot?!

July 30th, 2009:-

Why is this country becoming so obsessed with youth? This is not just me having a rant because I can't find employment at the grand old age of 57 (and for some years prior to that. Stephen Glover in today's Daily Mail is concerned about the latest new MP, 27-year-old Chloe Smith, arguing that it is on the likes of her "young, untested shoulders that the future of this country is likely largely to rest." He's got a point. Where are all the experienced politicians these days. David Cameron himself is only 42. Much as we need an alternative to Gordon Brown it needs to be a party and a leader that has more to offer other than personal ambition. All parties today are overflowing with MPs who haven't even had experience of life, but what many of them may have is the media appeal that it is hoped will make them appeal to the electorate. Even the television that promotes them is misguidedly replacing experience with youth at every opportunity. As Stephen Glover goes on to say, we are "a society more preoccupied with the packaging than what lies inside." I can't agree with his generalisation that we're all like that, for I'm certainly not, but I take his point and leave the final word with him - "We are a poorly governed country, and that is the fault of an ill-prepared political class that craves power but is often hopeless at using it."

July 20th, 2009:-

A mother in Twickenham, south-west London, has been banned from the premises of her son's primary school for asking another pupil to 'please stop hitting' her son. The boy was being bullied and the school were doing nothing about it so she decided, as any parent would, to take matters into her own hands. She was told by a teaching assistant that she wasn't to speak to the bullies and that if she continued to take her son to his classroom she could face police action in future. Who are these mindless idiots in charge of our schools today? They only serve themselves.

July 20th, 2009:-

Further evidence has come to light that when it comes to so-called 'equality' and 'diversity' it only seems to favour minority groups. Some devout Christians in the Police Force (names witheld to protect the innocent) have been forced to work at Easter and on Christmas day whilst officers of other religious faith are excused duty on their holy days. A Catholic member of Hertfordshire Constabulary (who it was recently revealed grants one of its officers eight Pagan holidays a year as that's what he says he practices) has been subjected to disciplinary action and given a formal oral warning for taking 45 minutes off work to attend a church service to mark Ash Wednesday which, in the Catholic faith, is a traditional day of fasting. Rather ridiculously, Hertfordshire employs a superintendent as a 'champion of faith', but not, it seems, if it's one of this country's majority faiths.

July 20th, 2009:-

Practising Christian, Dr Sheila Matthews, has been removed from a Northamptonshire County Council adoption panel for refusing to endorse applications by homosexual couples. Her belief that it is an inappropriate lifestyle for children to be put into conflict with the council's policy and equality legislation. She says, "Personally and professionally I cannot recommend placement in a same-sex household to be in the best interests of a child, despite what politicians may have legislated for", and that she has been "made to pay for being honest and upholding her personal integrity". A letter sent to her said her 'stance went against complying with the law and would not help the council attract the widest range of suitable adopters'. 'Suitable' being the word that the majority would contest.

Her appeal against the council's decision will be heard and, if it is unsuccessful, she feels she may be forced to take it to an employment tribunal on the grounds of religious discrimination. I, for one, wish her every success. 

July 10th, 2009:-

School dinner lady, Carol Hill, has been suspended from her job at an Essex primary school after rescuing a seven-year-old girl who was tied up and being 'whipped' with a skipping rope by four boys! Mrs Hill had told the parents the full story of what had happened to their daughter after the school hadn't gone into detail. She knew the parents socially but has been charged with gross misconduct for breaching pupil confidentiality, even though the parents had an absolute right to know the full story. It would seem that honesty is now considered a crime, punishable by dismissal in this case. The school is obviously trying to cover its own back for not ecercising its duty of care towards the girl. Shameful. 

July 10th, 2009:-

A schoolboy was recently asked for ID to prove his age when he tried to buy a pencil sharpener from a £1 shop in Eltham, South London. Apparently, it's anything with a blade that can only be sold to anyone over the age of 18 now.

July 10th, 2009:-

Time for a moan about the extortionate cost of passports. Generally, a family's passports all expire at the same time. As this has just happened in our house it means renewing five at the adult rate of £77.50 each! It's a racket! Last minute renewal costs £112.50 each. How can either cost be justified for a 32 page document with a hard cover? According to the Identity and Passport Service these fees only recover the operational costs involved in processing passport applications and are not used to recover any costs of other IPS operations. What rot! Any private company trying to charge that sort of money for a document where 26 of the 32 pages are blank, would be accused of extortion. The actual cost of a passport has more than quadrupled from the £18 it was in 1997. The IPS virtually admits that it is screwing us all by saying, on its website, that recent increases are necessary because of a 'dramatic decline in passport applications experienced during these difficult economic times.' In other words, because people are poorer and travelling less, the IPS has less work to do and must get more money for its service from its diminishing customer base, to make up the loss! Not, that I want it to happen to people, but have they considered laying off a few staff in the way that private sector businesses have had to? Before 1998 your children could travel on the same passport as you until this Government saw yet another stealth tax opportunity and decided to make babies have their own passports too and they were to be renewable every five years. Babies even had to have a photograph for God's sake! don't they all look alike? Ridiculously, the Government's excuse for all this was that it would reduce the number of child abductions, of which there had been a few at the time. As Tom Utley says in today's Daily Mail, "I earnestly hope that we'll have a new goverment by next summer. If not, it'll be worth every penny of £465 (the cost of renewing his family's passports) to escape from this benighted land."

July 9th, 2009:-

The Government is considering proposals to spend up to £1million on improving conditions at a rundown Nigerian prison so that Nigerian prisoners incarcerated in British jails can be sent home to serve their sentences there! Attempts to deport them now would almost certainly result in their opposition on 'human rights' grounds so the UK Border Agency has advised that improving conditions in Nigerian jails would be a cheaper option than the £30,000 a head per year it currently costs to keep them here. Notwithstanding that this might free up a little space in our own overcrowded prisons, our own prison service is desperately short of funds and our Government should be considering building more prisons here as a priority. If they do agree to this daft idea where will it all end? We'll be building them all over the world before we know it. Human rights should never be under consideration when people come to this country, break our laws and, in so doing, deprive many others of their human rights.

July 9th, 2009:-

The Government has responded to 'Britain's 'highest in Europe' level of teenage pregnancies by giving them more and more sex education at a younger and younger age, the latest proposal being to start it at the age of five. When will it sink in with them. It's not working! Lowering the age at which you sexualise children will only bring it to their attention earlier, lead them to experiment earlier and place upon it an importance it doesn't deserve. British children know enough about sex already. As Yasmin Alibhai-Brown rightly says in today's Daily Mail, 'it shouts at them from billboards, whispers to them in magazines and newspapers, entices them on the iinternet and TV, and consumes them in modern books for children, too.' What they don't get as well is any guidance on consequences or morality. Handing out free condoms and giving explicit family planning lessons is akin to encouragement and to giving the nod that everything's ok. The result is that children are giving birth to children. Not only are they too immature to cope with that, they are unable to understand what effect it's going to have on their lives or what their lives could have been like if they hadn't fallen pregnant at such a young age. The family structure has changed over the years and traditional thinking has been lost because of it. We all have a part to play in getting across the message that teenage pregnancy is not acceptable unless it occurs in a stable married relationship and that the consequences of it can ruin lives. The media, that constantly promotes most things from a sexual angle, also needs to be regulated and punished heavily if it falls below what we used to call 'acceptable standards.' The thinking of the misguided Left needs a re-think and until it does the cycle of teen parenthood will repeat itself.

June 30th, 2009:-

Some time ago, Tahir Hussein built a career as a serial litigant. In three years he filed 26 claims for racial discrimination after sending false job applications to various companies, one in his own name and one in the more white-English sounding name of Kelly Muxworthy. If she received an interview and he didn't, he sued. He won more cases than he lost and won thousands in compensation. Now it seems the Department of Work and Pensions have joined in by sending out hundreds of fake applications to employers to try to establish racial prejudice.  In today's Britain it seems you are racist unless you can prove otherwise.

Isn't this entrapment? It's also a disgraceful waste of taxpayer's money. However, given my current employment situation, I'd be interested to see what the results would be if they did a similar 'survey' using age as the basis. I'm also willing to bet there are more people with 'foreign sounding' names offered an interview than others.

June 20th, 2009:-

The adoption agency, the Catholic Children's Society, headed by Britain's most senior Roman Catholic churchman, Vince Nichols, Archbishop of Westminster has declared that gay rights laws have forced it to stop trying to find potential homes for children. This agency was founded in 1859 but current legislation that compels it to assess same-sex couples as prospective parents has forced it to end the service it provided. The ludicrous Sexual Orientation Regulations, brought in under the 2006 Equality Act, have sadly brought to an end a worthwhile operation in the name of trying to enforce a political view. It depends on your own beliefs whether you agree with the Vatican's declaration that it was 'gravely immoral' to place children in the care of same-sex couples but I personally believe that it is wrong simple because it is not in the best interests of the children.

June 20th, 2009:-

Thank God for people like Judge Roger Scott, who has spoken out aginst the 'most inappropriate set of proceedings' and 'grotesque waste of taxpayers' money' that had been the prosecution of a woman accused of 'depositing controlled waste' after her 14-month-old niece dropped a sweet wrapper out of her car window. This farce has cost the taxpayer around £5,000. The woman had originally received a £75 Fixed-Penalty Notice after being reported for the 'offence' by a passer-by who took her car registration number. Due to her circumstances she was unable to pay and the cuncil sent her a summons to face Huddersfield magistrates. As is her right under British law she chose to be tried by jury. The common-sense approach of Judge Scott resulted in her not even having to stand in the dock as if she were a criminal and he accepted a caution from him, meaning she won't even have to pay the £75 fine. The judge asked the council's prosecutor, ' Can you explain to me why this charge was ever brought against this lady-she has dropped a single sweet wrapper? Is it controlled waste? I've looked it up and don't see how you could possibly argue that it was. I cannot for the life of me see it's appropriate.' Needless to say Kirklees Council didn't agree with him.

June 16th, 2009:-

The 'Equality and Diversity Panel' (ho,hum) on Sandwell Borough Council, in the West Midlands, has proposed that schools should hold 'gipsy and traveller history months' to help gipsy and traveller pupils "feel proud of who they are". Thankfully, there is opposition to the proposal from councillors and the Taxpayers Alliance. Councillor Bill Archer said there was only one official travellers' site under the council's jurisdiction and that the council "doesn't need to combat discrimination because there is none." Fiona McEvoy, for the Tax payers Alliance added, "It's not for local councils to manipulate the school curriculum based on their latest politically correct whims, especially when educational standards are flagging." Yet another  pointless new post would be created if the scheme goes ahead, that of 'Gipsy and Travel Liaison Officer'. Perhaps Bala Singh Dhallu, chairman of the Equality and Diversity Panel, is feeling guilty about the number of days already given to promote ethnic groups in schools, e.g 'Black History Week' and 'Festival of Light' days, and now feels gipsies and travellers are missing out and not being treated equally. Where will it all end? What response would I get if I insisted my daughter's school had a 'White Authors Only' day? Answers on a postcard......

10/06/2009:-

MPs debated sport yesterday and were told by MP Tony Baldry that the national cricket team would have difficulty finding future world-class cricketers as only 4% of schools, in which cricket was played, use the hard ball. They also tend to use plastic bats and tennis balls and bowl underarm. Decline in the use of the regulation equipment has been brought about, as if you hadn't already guessed, by Health and Safety fears and the litigation that might follow an injury. Add this latest revelation to the list that includes less competitive sport in schools, the sale of school playing fields and the unwillingness of teachers to supervise, and you have good reasons for the deteriorating standards in many of our traditional sports.

07/06/2009:-

I have no particular religious leanings but it was heartening to hear Vincent Nicols, the new Archbishop of Westminster, speaking at his inauguration recently, say -

"Let us be a society in which we genuinely listen to each other, in which sincere disagreement is not made out to be insult or harassment, in which reasoned principles are not construed as prejudice."

This is something we, the commonsense general public, have been saying forever and a day, but it does no harm to hear it said publicly by those in positions of high office. What a shame some of them are scared of their own shadow.

29/05/2009:-

Nice to know that there are still some principled people around, who do the right thing whatever the personal cost. Vicky Winn, a security guard at Basildon Hospital, quit her job after being disciplined for letting drivers off the extortionate parking fees the hospital charges visitors and patients. She argues, rightly, that they shouldn't be made to pay in the first place. Generally, people aren't at the hospital for a fun day out, and charging them for something that isn't an option is immoral.

25/05/2009:-

According to the British Association for Adoption and Fostering, people who have concerns about the adoption of children by gay couples, and I'm one of those, are "retarded homophobes". How dare they! We are, apparently, just "whingers". The BAAF's choice of language is appalling for a start and its efforts to justify gay adoption completely ignore the children and their future. Its comments appear in a guide to adoption for homosexual couples and were written by Nicola Hill, a former Guardian journalist and charity worker. She should be ashamed of herself, though I doubt she ever will be, for overstepping the mark. Tony Blair's (remember him?) 2002 Adoption Act made it possible for unmarried and gay couples to adopt but made no provision for the countless number of same sex, married couples who were a litttle overweight or smoked but were desperate to give children a loving home, to have the same rights. Blair's reform was aimed at reducing the number of children in state care whilst, at the same time, increasing his party's share of the gay vote. Fortunately, his plan seems to have failed as there were only 80 adoptions by gay couples last year, 30 by men and 50 by women. That's still eighty too many.

14/05/2009:-

Stores are to be forced by law to display signs warning pregnant women they must not drink, as part of the crackdown on the increase in alcohol abuse that was sparked by this Government's ridiculous extension of the licensing laws that everyone else, except the Government, knew would lead to problems. "Nanny" has also said the stores must put up posters warning of health problems, such as, obesity, heart disease and infertility, caused by binge drinking. These pathetic efforts ignore where the real problems lie and will be about as effective as the warnings on cigarette packets and beer cans, i.e no effect at all. I would be disappointed to hear that Health Secretary, Alan Johnson, had anything to do with these new initiatives. Why does this Government insist on interfering in matters that should be down to the individual's freedom of choice? Their excuse will be that it will reduce the cost of treating people who suffer from the effects of heavy drinking. If they care that much they should realise their past mistakes and re-introduce sensible drinking hours and the added bonus will be that the police will be less over-stretched as they now have to deal with the 24 hour a-day drunks instead of within the old confines of 11am to 11pm. This Government needs to stop wasting yet more money on pointless initiatives and bring some common-sense to the argument.

12/05/2009:-

Mrinal Patel, a mother living in Harrow, is under threat of a year's imprisonment or a £5,000 fine for allegedly falsifying her address on an application to Pinner Park First School, to allow her five-year-old son to be considered for a place there. The local council says she was actually living three miles outside the catchment area for that school so are prosecuting her for "fraud by false representation". Whether or not she is guilty as charged, does anyone seriously believe that this is a 'crime' in the first place or that it warrants such a punishment? Who at this Town Hall is allowing this to happen? All the Council had to do was refuse her a place but they've decided to prosecute when all she is guilty of is trying to do the best for her child at a time when most schools aren't meeting the required standards of teaching. Pinner Park received 430 applications last year for just 90 places on the back of an Ofsted report that said the school was "outstanding". This particular council seems to be among those who have been using anti-terror legislation to spy on parents they suspect of lying about where they live for the purposes of getting their children into the, all to few, better schools. These parents cannot be compared to terrorists in any way, shape or form, so this legislation should not be used for this purpose and why aren't the MPs who have been lying about their main abode being prosecuted on the same grounds as Mrs Patel?

Considering this Government was elected on the platform of 'education, education, education' and have done very little to try to improve standards, who can blame anyone for trying to get the best that is available?

07/05/2009:-

What planet is this Government on?! In the throes of a recession they want to charge us £30 for an ID card that nobody wants anyway. Manchester has been chosen for this year's voluntary pilot scheme and, if last year's leaked Home Office papers are anything to go by, the pilot is being targeted at Manchester because it has the largest student population outside London and students "may wish to prove their age in bars, open a bank account or take out a student loan." The ID cards will be issued alongside Biometric Passports, which contain 'Facial Recognition' to identify the holder. The Identity and Passport Srvice says the new security features are aimed at combating the rise of identity fraud. Iris and fingerprint recognition will not be compulsory - at present. How long before that becomes compulsory? I'm sure these steps will aid identity confirmation until the counterfeiters find a way round it but, what is most worrying is the amount of our personal information that will eventually be contained on chips and ultimately, on a vast computerised storage and retrieval system that, whatever the Government says, will never be safe from those who want to hack into it.

If the ID card does ever become compulsory and we are given no choice other than to accept it, then we should never have to pay for it out of our own pockets. If it's being forced upon us how dare the enforcers insist we contribute towards the 'privilege'.

25/04/2009:- 

This country's downward spiral into the realms of madness continues apace. The police have combined with an East London council to raid and close down a takeaway outlet that had the temerity to open up within 400 metres (whatever happened to yards?) of a local school. " Food Police" regulations do not permit this as it may encourage child obesity. No thought is given to the loss of business that has been suffered by the takeaway's owners or to the kids and their parents who, once-upon-a-time, had the right to decide what they wanted to eat and whether or not they wanted to put on weight. It's now a crime to think for yourself. This should be nobody's business but the individual's.

Also news that the brave Nepalese Gurkhas, who have fought for this country bravely and without complaint for almost two hundred years, have now been told that to qualify to live in this country they must undergo a 'residency test'. This comes after a High Court ruling saying that the old guidelines were unfair and should be reviewed and the result is that it will be virtually impossible for the rank-and-file Gurkhas to qualify for residence. Lawyer, David Enright said, "It's an absolute betrayal of the Gurkhas, who have been told they are not welcome in this country. It is shameful. This Government has welcomed at least 600,000 Eastern Europeans, and tens of thousands asylum seekers every year. But these men who have fought for us in our darkest hour and in the worst parts of the world, are not welcome. It is a scandal and an outrage." Colonel Tim Collins, an Iraq veteran, agreed when he said, " Those who have no love for this country are all too often allowed in, while those who have fought long and hard are left out in the cold. It is laughable that the Immigration Minister is so concerned by the numbers when the Gurkhas who could make their home here is equal to the number of illegal immigrants who enter on a quarterly basis. The key ingredient that this Government is missing is integrity."

The message that this Government is giving out is that we don't care, yet when it comes to people like Abu Qatada, the 'hate preacher' and Italian-born Learco Chindamo, the killer of headmaster Phillip Lawrence in 1995, they are free to stay in Britain as deporting them is seen as breaching their rights. The worry is that Chindamo would lose his "right to a family life" and Qatada "might be tortured if sent home." I'm not a great believer in the power of petitions but this is one cause I would support and you can join in by adding your name to the petition at www.gurkhajustice.org.uk .

07/04/2009:-

Isn't it incredible the lengths this government will go to to please and appease everyone, whether they want it or not. Their latest efforts concern Islam and feminism. Jobs that have always been done (and rightly so and better) by men, now have to be "feminised" so as not to exclude the possibility of a woman being successful at it. There will always be some exceptionally talented women who will do a job as well as any man can but this government won't be satisfied with that. They don't care how well a job is done as long as everyone has the opportunity to do it. In 1999, Jack Straw, when Home Secretary, said 15% of all women should be firefighters (you musn't call them Firemen anymore) by this year, 2009. The actual figure is just over 3%. Even the age-old strenghth and height requirements were lowered to encourage women to join. Attention has now been turned to Muslim women and a fetching new uniform, especially for them, has been designed. When, oh when, will someone realise that the vast majority of women see firefighting as a man's job that can be done better by men? How many Muslim women can you see joining the Brigade? I'd be worried silly if an engine turned up to put out a fire at my house, "manned" by a bunch of Muslim women.

There will always be jobs that men, and women, will specialise in, be suited to and choose to do. The silly determination to achieve equality in everything is expensive, unnecessary and, above all, is unwanted by the overwhelming majority of those he says it represents.

07/04/2009:-

Do you get the impression that today's Police Force are trained on the assumption that political correctness is right? If they want to get ahead, all police officers must not only adhere to the PC doctrine, they have to make it obvious that they do. This is why we have cases, similar to the most recent one, where a Wolverhampton councillor was given a dressing-down by the constabulary for making a joke about trans-sexuals. Just another step down the line that could end with us all being told what we can and cannot say and what is and isn't funny.

07/04/2009:-

There has been an increase in the number of parents who are refusing to send their children to failing schools and who are now able to teach their children at home thanks to a £10,000 State grant. The most recent cases centre around an Essex school that is, apparently, so bad that parents are refusing to name it among their six school choices for their children. I ask myself "who is to blame for failing schools?" and the answer has to be a combination of things. A succession of governments who have meddled with an education system that seemed to be working well enough when I was at school, a decline in teaching standards primarily caused by teachers not being allowed to teach or discipline in ways that have always worked, the ridiculous amount of testing and re-testing that children are subjected to and a society in which education of the child plays second fiddle to the "rights" of the child; all of these have contributed to the decline in State education. In the case of failing schools, the Government hasn't helped its own cause by setting unrealistic targets, publishing league tables and increasing the amount of paperwork that teachers and Headteachers have to produce.This situation that can only lead to unneccasry pressure on the teaching staff and its all to often results of discontent, teachers changing career and breakdowns. It's only later in life that the child will realise that his education wasn't what it should have been. Today he will be happy to enjoy the freedom he has gained because anybody who is in a position to turn things around, doesn't care enough.                        

07/04/2009:-

On the subject of political correctness once more, Dr Liam Fox, Conservative spokesman for defence, has attacked Labour's promotion of it. He argues that it undermines free expression and thought and that some are so afraid of causing offence that they prefer not to have an opinion and express nothing at all. Sadly, I believe he's right and this present generation are the more likely to be affected by it and succumb to the belief that that's the way it has to be

31/03/2009:-

Today sees the announcement of an increase in backbench MP's salaries by 2.33%. This adds £1,500, the average monthly pay for many of the public, to their basic salary of £63,266.  Yet again this increase is above the rate of inflation and comes at a time when many are experiencing pay freezes, cuts and job loss. This is tantamount to incitement to riot by this Government, as it digs its grave even deeper.

27/03/09: Sex and the Government:-

This Government's whole attitude towards contraception and sex education seems only to succeed in devaluing the sex act and its possible consequences. Instead of promoting love and commitment it promises that there will always be a way out of pregnancy by offering condoms, one pill or another and, if all else fails, tax-payer funded abortion. In the classroom they license teachers to teach that everything is normal and nothing is wrong and now they have opened up television adverts to the promotion of abortion and contraception. They tell us it's in the name of educating the ignorant but isn't it really yet another attempt to remove any ideas of morality and restraint we may still have as those ideals don't tie in with New Labour's "with it" outlook. Those who knew me as a teenager, might accuse me of hypocrisy for being as promiscuous as anyone of that age without too much thought given to the consequences, and they'd be right. The difference now is that I've got children of my own and they're my responsibility, not the Government's and I deplore this Government's attempts to try to take that responsibility away from me. Don't quote the rights of the individual to me when it comes to me wanting to know that my daughter has been given a morning after pill or has had an abortion or has been 'counselled' by a teacher. Someone, somewhere will know that those things have happened and they'll have had less right to know than me.

27/03/2009:-

Instead of teaching our children the glories of the past, or introducing them to the best that has been thought and written, ministers now want our children to "Twitter". To the uninitiated, this is a form of texting via the Internet. A leaked report this week reveals that the Government plans that teaching primary school children to "Twitter" will be central to their education plans. They have latched onto yet another fashionable fad that could lead to the three hour exams of our school days being replaced by a brief text message. The Secretary of State for what we knew as the Department of Education and what is now rather revealingly known as the Department for Children, Schools and Families, Ed Balls, appears to be talking what his name implies. These plans, from a man who was educated at Oxford and Harvard, seem to be aimed at the Left-Wingers in the Labour Party in order to secure their vote should a leadership contest soon be on the agenda. He doesn't disguise his intentions in a New Statesman article in which he talks of his desire to be Chancellor and then leader in due course. An article in which, incidentally, he talks little about education and more about himself. What he should be more concerned about are the 40% of children who leave primary school without being able to read, write or add up properly and the 20% who leave school without a single proper GCSE pass, despite their having been "dumbed down" to a level that guarantees a pass of some sort. These concerns, from all quarters, about our education system have been ignored by Ed Balls as he concentrates on his own progress within the party and neglects those he claims to be serving, i.e. our children.

23/03/2009:-

Figures released under the Freedom of Information Act show that 1 in 4 of all primary schools has no male teachers. Their could be a number of factors that contribute to this but whatever they are, you'd have to be very shortsighted not to see a connection between this and the lack of discipline in our schools. With less and less homes having a 'father figure' the need for one in school is immense. One child psychologist has suggested that the situation had been brought about, in part, by the misplaced fear of leaving men with children. It's also indicative of the soft approach to everything today for fear of hurting a child's feelings and 'damaging them for life'. Can't say it ever did any of us any harm.

23/03/2009:-

MPs Expenses Scandal.

Labour MP Tony McNulty, is the latest in an increasingly long line of ministers and other MPs accused of abusing his position and House of Commons rules. Since he became an MP in 1997, he may well have claimed up to £100,000 in second home allowances. Commons rules allow him to claim our (public) money to help pay the mortgage on a second house he owns but which his parents live in. The Commons rules allow MPs to claim for the cost of a second home if they have to travel a long way from their constituency to Westminster. Mr McNulty's constituency, Harrow East, is all of 11 miles away from Westminster and he lives with his wife, also a government employee, at their main home in Hammersmith, which is around 3 miles from the Commons. Neighbours say they have hardly ever seen McNulty at his constituency home. When will government come clean about the expenses claimed by Ministers and when will they conduct a survey into whether they are actually necessary for people on that level of income? If MPs are 'only doing what the rules allow', those rules need to be changed and need to be made clear to the public, who wonder whether MPs haven't lost all sense of what it means to be a public servant. Their actions show contempt for the electorate. As public servants their behaviour should be accountable and transparent.

With MP's allowances, it appears that just about anything is permissible. Why are they allowed to be classed as self-employed when it comes to taxation but as employees when it comes to pensions and other benefits? They can claim a mileage allowance for travelling to work, which is unlikely ever to be checked and which is a perk that is denied the genuinely self-employed. MP's are voted in by us and they choose their career path knowing that the basic salary of an MP is around £63,000 per annum. If it's more money they're after they should look elsewhere. The fraudulent allowance claims of many were a sackable offence when I was a public servant with the DTI and the police were often called in. Why do MPs seem to be playing to different rules?

Gordon Brown says he has "complete confidence in Tony McNulty despite a number of policemen coming forward to say they believe him to be guilty of what used to be called 'obtaining pecuniary advantage by deception' and is now covered by the section of the Theft Act about misappropriation of public funds.

Bill Givens, was once a New Labour advisor, before leaving, as he puts it, to work for a man with integrity, Martin Bell MP. Both Blair and Prescott had drawn him to New Labour with their "I am my brother's keeper" passion. He now believes what they actually meant was MPs picking up expenses for the good of their families. He also became disillusioned with the "gradual erosion by New Labour of democratic principles, the growth of state controls and dilution of our freedoms." He goes on to describe New Labour as "control freaks" and a Government whose "state-sponsored political correctness and political greed, sleaze and self-interest" concerned him greatly. In 2001 he was party to the sending out of a "citizen-focused Code of Conduct" being sent to all 659 MPs for their endorsement.  Only 26 of them signed it.

11/03/2009:- 

A neighbour of mine turned up at the local swimming baths the other day with her three grandchildren, intending to take them for a swim. Because all three of the kids were under the age of eight she was refused entry because their rules now state that one adult is only allowed to take two children under the age of eight for a swim and for every two children above that number a separate adult is needed for "health and safety reasons". When will those who bring in these ridiculous rules stop interfering in the rights of everyone to decide for themselves what constitutes a risk? In a number of pools it's also been years since you were allowed to dive in. You are now expected to "lower yourself in gently". Is it any wonder pools are closing due to lack of use?

11/03/2009:-

This September schools will be expected to provide compulsory sex education from the age of five. How dare this government decide that this is a decision they, and not the parents, should be making!? Five-year-olds are incapable of understanding what sex is all about and all this will succeed in doing is put the idea into their heads that this is something new and potentially exciting that they can look forward to doing as soon as they are capable. Teenage pregnancies have increased to a level that is now higher than it was in 1995, so the £300 million spent trying to reduce teenage pregnancies in the last ten years has not borne fruit, if you'll forgive the expression. These latest moves will make no difference either, whatever the next set of doctored figures tells us. The more we advertise the more likely we'll see an increase in sales. The causes of the increase lie elsewhere and need to be addressed. It's true that parents have the right to withdraw their children for sex and/or religious lessons in school but there's evidence to suggest that schools are getting round this by disguising what they teach by calling it 'history'. For example, they now 'celebrate' Gay, Bisexual and Transgender History Month as a way of force-feeding young children homosexual propaganda. I'm all for the teaching of tolerance and acceptance of things that are outside the considered 'norm'. We are what we are, and it's usually not our fault if we're not part of the majority, but I do object to others telling me and my children what we 'must' believe. It's the right of everyone to make up their own mind and they've got a lifetime to recognise that differences do exist.

11/03/2009:-

Far be it from me to poke fun at people but when they set themselves up for it they deserve what they get. This past week has seen a story in the papers about PC Javid Iqbal who is suing Bedfordshire Police, who sacked him on the grounds that he wasn't "cut out to be a police officer", for the depression he suffered, brought on by racial abuse, which included colleagues laughing at his beard. Is it any wonder?! Have you seen that beard?! Commentators have likened it to that sported by Captain Pugwash's adversary, Cut-Throat Jake, with Richard Littlejohn saying the last time he saw such a beard it was sitting on a toadstool, holding a fishing rod. He may be entitled to wear a beard as part of his religion but he should have chosen a more sensible design. I guarantee he'll make money out of his claim.

10/03/2009:-

In a effort to challenge so-called 'homophobia', this government intend to push through Parliament legislation that will make it a serious offence to use language that could be construed as offensive to gay men and women. This new law will even override the basic requirements of freedom of speech. As Christopher Biggins says in today's Daily Mail, this new law, if it comes into being, will stifle creativity and restrict the scope for humour. No more repeats of Carry On films or Round the Horne with the camp Julian and Sandy, no more hearing the late John Inman say "I'm free". He also worries that his yearly venture into the high-camp pantomine world will come to an end as characters such as Widow Twankey will be seen as stereotyping of gay life. "Widow Twankey might have to be performed in secret locations to groups of brave dissidents", he goes on to say. Rowan Atkinson had already joined the debate in the House of Lords last week when he warned that if the legislation became law, then writers and performers would start adopting a form of self-censorship to avoid falling foul of the authorities. Biggins already experienced the sort of censorship that might take place when, in 2007, the BBC showed a repeat of a Porridge episode he appeared in, playing the effeminate Lukewarm. The repeat was minus one of the original written passages where Ronnie Barker's Fletcher, in a response to a remark that Lukewarm always kept his cell clean, said, "Well, that sort do, don't they?"

It's utterly insulting to the gay community to asssume they are too feeble to take a joke. In fact, the majority love self-deprecating humour and the exaggeration of stereotypes. You've only got to look at how drag acts are received in gay clubs. This misguided and ill-advised Government are acting like killjoys at a time when we need every piece of humour we can get and more to the point, it is legislation that is being forced upon us in the name of 'protecting the gay community' when, if those it seeks to protect had been asked, they would almost certainly have said, "We don't need it".

23/02/2009:-

The ridiculous compensation culture has succeeded in putting money in the pocket of yet another undeserving case. A gay man, who claimed his feelings had been hurt when a female colleague wobbled her breasts at him, has been awarded £62,500 after an employment tribunal ruled that he had suffered discrimination on the grounds of 'sexual orientation', whatever that means. In fairness, other issues were involved but, whatever the reason, is a £62,500 payout justified?

On the other side of the ocean, four San Diego firemen have been awarded the equivalent of £23,000 in total after being subjected to lewd comments and sexual advances upon being ordered to attend a gay pride march. This is in contrast to the Glasgow firemen recently suspended, demoted and forced to attend 'diversity' training for refusing to hand out leaflets at a gay pride rally. It would be interesting if the whole Fire Brigade went on strike in support of their colleagues and to demand a return to the norm of doing the work they were employed to do.

23/02/2009:-

Why are these greedy companies allowed to get away with it? A company who provide bedside television and telephones for hospital patients has raised its charges for the television hire from £2.90 to £7 per day. Patients are also charged 10p a minute for using a phone to make outside calls and anyone who phones them is charged 49p a minute. Daylight robbery! The increases have coincided with the ban being lifted on mobile phone use in hospitals. Let's provide televisions and phones free of charge to hospital patients. So long as the provision is monitored to prevent abuse of it, surely we can make this concession to people who will already be suffering distress and who, in many cases, will not be returning home.

23/02/2009:-

Why on earth is Abu Qatada, described as Osama Bin Laden's man in Europe, allowed to stay in this country? He arrived, on a false passport, in 1993 and has lived here at taxpayers' expense ever since. He, along with many others who entered the country using the same method, should have been deported straight away. To add insult to injury, Qatada and ten other foreign terror suspects have just been awarded damages, by a European court, for time spent in prison after the 9/11 tragedy. These people were free to leave the country at any time but preferred to stay and we let them. They will no doubt stay here for ever or until, and we can only live in hope, Britain amends the Human Rights Act so that it applies only to those it was intended to help in the first place. At the moment it seems that the 'rights' of the terrorist take precedence over the rights of the law-abiding citizens of this country.

23/02/2009:-

Allan Stewart, a white actor due to open as the lead in a new musical based on the life of singer Al Jolson, will not be able to act the part wearing the 'blackface' make up that Jolson himself wore. The show's producers are worried in case it offends diversity-conscious members of the audience. The show is not being put on with the intention of insulting black people, it is being performed as an historically accurate portrayal of a real-life performer whose make-up was an integral part of his act. Jolson himself was Jewish and championed racial equality when discrimination was endemic. This fear of giving offence has got to end before, as Richard Littlejohn says, Barry Humphries has to play Dame Edna dressed as a man, to avoid presenting a negative stereotype of transvestites. 

04/02/2009: -

Carol Thatcher was sacked from her role on the BBC programme, The One Show, yesterday. Her 'crime' was to compare, off air and in what she thought was a private conversation, a tennis player to a Golliwog. Would she have been sacked for comparing co-presenter, Adrian Chiles, to a Cabbage Patch Doll? Unlikely. The tennis player wouldn't have been offended as the remark wasn't broadcast. Would he have been offended had he heard it? That would be his choice and no business of anybody else, especially those who see themselves as the self-elected speakers for everyone.Someone needs to explain to me why stating a fact can be termed an insult and, in this case, racist. Carol is not a bigot and what I find more offensive is the BBC's reaction. If they are not careful, and if they are to treat everyone equally, they could soon find themselves without any staff at all as more and more people snitch on colleagues who, in the course of a, perhaps overheard, private conversation utter something that might be termed offensive if it were said in public. Want to clear the path and rise up the corporate ladder a little faster? Snitch on someone. It will help your case even further if you take it out of context and distort the truth a little. Freedom to speak openly in public, a freedom we have always seen as a cherished right, has all but been eroded, now it seems we will soon lose the right to speak freely in private for fear of upsetting other than those our remarks are directed at. A few days ago a nurse was suspended for offering to pray for a patient. The patient hadn't complained (why would she?) but had declined the nurses's offer. It was apparently a colleague of the nurse who brought the subject up with management as it was deemed to have 'transgressed codes of equality and diversity'. Political correctness now seems to pervade every aspect of our lives and is being driven by a governing class who seek to change society for their own ends. To be successful they need to change human nature. Melanie Phillips, in today's Daily Mail, puts it perfectly when she likens what is happening in Britain to what happened in Communist countries. Create suspicion among people, get them to inform on others and destroy the trust which is the basis of relationships and you gain control. The police have urged people to inform on those who has the temerity to express an opinion that the 'disadvantaged sector' might find offensive. An energy company has invited children to report family and friends who leave TV sets on or commit other heinous 'climate crimes'. This country needs stronger government but not one that is taking us down this road. Is their really anything we can do about it?  

28/01/09:-

The grandparents of a five - year- old boy and a four - year - old girl whose drug addict mother (their daughter) has been undergoing rehabilitation (as if her opinions should be held against her because of that) and is unable to care for them, have been refused the right to raise the children because, at the ages of 46 and 59, social workers have deemed them 'too old'. They have been forced to agree to the children being adopted after two years of fighting to be allowed to give the children a loving home with members of their own family, because the legal costs are crippling them. The children themselves and the children's mother, want the grandparents to care for them. Effectively, the children have been 'stolen' by social workers, whose identities should be revealed so they can be reviled. They are likely to have been carrying out policy and will have come closeer to meeting one of their 'targets',  but how they can live with themselves for supporting that policy, is beyond me. The children have been fostered while this has been going on. To rub salt into the wound, the couple chosen to adopt the children are gay men, who have been chosen despite several heterosexual couples also wanting them. How can these men, desperate for a child or not, not see that this decision is wrong and not in the interests of the children? If they are decent men then they should decide against the adoption.

I try to keep this page as impartial as possible and let the reader choose their own standpoint but gay adoption has always been a bee in my bonnet. We all know that being gay has made life difficult for people over the years, and through no fault of their own, but the right of gay couples to adopt, should never have been allowed. It isn't normal. it isn't natural, and, above all, it gives no consideration for the feelings, now and in the future, of the child. These views have nothing to do with homophobia, whatever that means, and anyone who knows me will confirm that. These are the views of someone who instinctively knows what is right.

26/01/2009:-

Plans were revealed today for an army of food police, charged with cutting down waste. A pilot scheme involving £8.50 an hour inspectors will see them visiting our houses to give advice on what we eat and what we throw away. If successful, the scheme will go nationwide. Since no one can remember councils ever declaring pilot schemes to have been a complete waste of time and money, you can bet your life the pilot will be declared a resounding success. The chosen busybodies will be given the power to turn up, unannounced, on our doorsteps, to sift through our pedal bins and fridges and to ask questions about our eating habits. This crazy and impertinent idea was dreamed up by the same quango which wants every household to install a slop bucket under its kitchen sink. It's no business of anyone, least of all the Government's, what we eat, how much we eat or what we do with any leftovers. We should all have the right, as we all once did, to eat as much fatty food as we want. If that contributes to an early death then that's our choice. Unfortunately, this Goverment seeks to justify its existence in whatever way it can, to the extent that they now believe they have the right to tell us how to live our own lives and to interfere in it and regulate it. This scheme is not going to content itself with offering 'friendly' advice anyway. If we don't all comply you can bet your life the next step will be fines for non-compliance. It will go the way of recycling. Initially we were 'encouraged' to recycle, then we became subject to fines for putting the wrong materials in the wrong coloured box or for leaving our dustbin lids slightly ajar or putting them out a couple of hours too early. This Government has a problem dealing with the big issues so chooses to meddle in the more personal areas of every individual's life. Give power to anyone in authority and they will always abuse it.

Richard Littlejohn (Daily Mail), 13/01/09, points out - (with a little help from Mark Foulsham) -

The Prime Minister has announced plans to spend £500 million creating jobs for those made redundant in the credit crunch. If he must add to the public payroll, how about hiring thousands of staff to sort our rubbish into different piles once it gets to the dump? He should then be able to get local Councils to scrap those ridiculously expensive and vindictive recycling regimes that are less about environmental care and more about finding yet another way to cream even more money off the householder.

* * * * * * * *

A Leeds couple have been refused the right to adopt a child because the husband is considered too fat. I doubt his weight would have mattered as much had he been one of a homosexual couple.

* * * * * * * *

Among the plethora of, ridiculously unnecessary, 'created' jobs advertised by Councils, have been those aimed at finding 'Street football Co-ordinators'. It seems this job is designed not to encourage kids to play football, but to ban it. Communities Secretary, Hazel Blears, has sent out a 53 page departmental memo ordering local authorities to carry out risk assessments before allowing ball games on municipal property. She tells them, " If not planned properly, football can be divisive and trigger conflict. Passions can get high and physical conflict can easily lead to confrontations." This all seems to be part of the plot to eliminate risk and spontaneity from every aspect of our lives.
How long before they legislate on the use of jumpers for goalposts? There's a chance you won't be able to use jumpers bought from budget retailers because they're made by slave labour in the Third World (aka the UK). All teams will have to reflect the gender, ethnic origin and sexuality of the surrounding area and there will be no winners in case it traumatises the losers, who will be told they need counselling, the cost of which will be borne by the taxpayer.
By the time Hazel Blears has finished, there'll be so many risk assessors, diversity monitors, anti-social behaviour counsellors and elf 'n' safety advisers on the touchline, there won't be room on the park for anyone else. Perhaps that's the whole idea.

* * * * * * * *  

More evidence that proof of identity is 2009's elf 'n' safety. Tesco have recently refused a sale to a few people who, apparently, didn't look their age. The items in question were: - 

A 49 year old man, forced to prove he was over 18 before Tesco would sell him a bag of party poppers. They must have felt he was likely to blow himself up on the way home.

A 23 year old policeman refused a bottle of wine, even after producing his warrant card, because the woman with him, his partner, was only 18. To make matters laughingly worse, the store told him that the police had asked them not to sell alcohol to anyone under 21. The legal drinking age is 18.

A 48 year old woman unable to buy a cut-price t-shirt until she showed proof of her age. The reason? The shirt had a Guiness logo on the front.

* * * * * * * *

Tiresome as they can be, it now seems that being a Strippagram can be a criminal offence. Male stripper Stuart Kennedy, aka Sergeant Eros, has been arrested six times since March 2007, and has appeared in court, at a cost to the taxpayer of £170,000, twenty two times, without once being convicted. He is being persecuted by Grampian Police for his 'crime' of Impersonating a Police Officer. On one occasion he was also charged with being in possession of a offensive weapon. I'll leave that to your imagination. If you hadn't already guessed, he wears a uniform resembling that of a policeman for his Strippagram work. Real policemen are, apparently, doing this sort of work to subsidise their wages but how on earth could anyone confuse a Strippagram with a real policeman in the situation he is working as a Strippagram?

* * * * * * * *

Elf 'n' Safety and insurance companies are now forcing ridiculous precautions on theatrical production companies. It seems that producers are so scared of being sued by musicians for loss of hearing that they are insisting that, during performances, the musicians wear earplugs, strap-on decibel meters and noise reduction headphones - hopefully not all at the same time. It's, apparently, now a criminal offence to play a saxophone without wearing noise-reducing headgear. Since members of orchestras who conform will no longer be able to hear  each other, the sound produced could turn out to be interesting. How long before piano concertos will only be allowed if played on a silent keyboard and the Minute Waltz will have to be finished in 30 seconds to avoid unnecessary exposure to the public?

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