Post Election Blues

There have been two things fluctuating every hour in Britain over the past few days – the volcanic dust cloud from Iceland, and the state of talks between the Tories and the LibDems, and Labour and the LibDems. Funny how a Party that came third in the popular vote and in the number of seats, can stop our Parliament from getting on with its business, cause a dip in the money markets, and ultimately even have the final say in which Bills manage to get through the Commons.

In the past couple of hours, Labour seem to have given up their wooing of the LibDems, so we’ll just have to wait and see if they (the LibDems) will crawl under the duvet with the blue brigade. The talks are cloaked in secrecy, making the election of a Pope seem like a school open day. We don’t even have the benefit of smoke being emitted, to give us some idea of how things are going. I suppose the no smoke rule is because they are so worried about the environment. It’s certainly not done me any favours, as I was hoping to make a quick buck out of my not inconsiderable number of peatbanks.

Of course, most Labour top knobs will see this as a blessing in disguise – tough measures have to be taken right from the outset if our economy is to recover, and their hope is that the electorate will clamour for an early election, blaming the other two parties for making us tighten our belts. Gordon Brown’s belongings are exiting Downing Street as I write, leaving another scramble for the leadership of the Labour Party. Many Conservatives do not like the idea of being in a coalition of their party with the Liberal Democrats, and vice-versa. Alex Salmond is bleating over his Cullen Skink that nobody seems to want to make a deal with him. As far as I can see, not many politicians in Britain today care a hoot about the electorate or how to reverse the country’s slide into poverty – all that matters to them is their own inflated egos and bellies.

If you think our politicians are bad, bickering and sniping and taking a couple of days to form a coalition government, then take a look at Taiwan - where legislators have finally passed a controversial law after repeatedly getting into physical fights in parliament over the issue. The controversial legislation - which would open university enrolment to students from the Chinese mainland - has sparked repeated bouts of fisticuffs this year. It finally passed late on Monday after legislators grabbed one another's arms and necks, in a move that is expected to bring the two main rival parties closer together - and not just so they can get more punches in. The new law would allow the admission of up to 2,000 top students every year from China, which claims sovereignty over self-ruled Taiwan. It is intended to help build people-to-people relations after decades of limited contact. But it's raised fears that it will force Taiwanese students out of the system and see them going to offshore universities. 'The Chinese mainland will attract our best students, meaning Taiwan's educational industry will go bankrupt and unemployment will rise,' opposition legislator Tsai Huang-lang said.

Meanwhile, a friend of mine across the Pond sent me the following snippet -- The outer road along Interstate 44 near St. Louis is freshly paved — with asphalt made from recycled swine manure. It is believed to be the first time asphalt has been created from swine manure. Two St. Louis County companies, road contractor Pace Construction Co. and the engineering firm Innoventor, joined together on the project. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported that Innoventor perfected the process of converting the animal waste into a bio-oil used in asphalt binder. Hog producers are optimistic that, if the project works, it will create an additional source of revenue while helping the environment. I don’t think I’d like to be driving on it in one of their sweltering hot summers, somehow.

Well-Heeled and Two-Faced Politicians

 

 

I sympathise with the Tory Party leader, David Cameron, and his wife Samantha, on the death of their 6 year old son, Ivan, which was announced a couple of hours ago. He had been suffering from cerebral palsy and epilepsy, and had been in and out of hospital for most of his short life. After Mr Cameron made his presence felt in the British political arena, newspapers carried a couple of news items about Ivan, but there was never very much, as the Camerons wished their private life to remain just that – private. Compare that with the hype over the past couple of weeks concerning the impending death from cancer of Jade Goody, so-called celebrity. Newspapers have had the story plastered across their front pages, making me wonder if some editors are unaware of Britain’s economic plight. I feel sorry for Jade as well, and applaud her for trying to make some money for her 5 and 4 year old boys. How much they actually get is another matter, after the newspapers, magazines, and her publicist Max Clifford have pocketed their share. Her case has certainly also raised awareness of cervical cancer, and has led to an increased number of women going for tests. However, there are thousands in the country who are dying of cancer, and who do not have that option of making piles of money to leave to their loved ones.

 

I mentioned the Home Secretary Jacqui Smith a few days ago, in connection with her refusal to acknowledge that there’s any problem with her £116,000 “second home” expenses. Whenever we hear a news bulletin, or read a paper, we have the same kind of stories. We find that British Members of the European Parliament can easily make £1 million in allowances over a single term in Brussels, Prince Andrew taking a helicopter to reopen a bridge – just a drop in the ocean, that one, at £4,000, Tory veteran Michael Ancram (personal fortune of tens of millions) claiming £50,000 towards the upkeep of his country retreat, and £170,000 being lavished on modern art to decorate the walls of Jack Straw’s department for Justice. This is the same John Whitaker Straw who was Foreign Secretary in 2001, and was a member of the Cabinet that decided to send our troops to Iraq. Now, as Secretary of State for Justice, he has used his power to veto the publication of minutes of key cabinet meeting held in the run-up to the Iraq war, after the Information Tribunal ruled last month that they should be published. What’s in those minutes that are so potentially damaging to him and to others? His arrogance is there for all to see, and I reckon that his cowardice calls for the saying, “Straw by name, straw by nature.”

It has come as no surprise to me that the police are predicting a “summer of rage” in Britain, as folk seek to get even with those who have been ripping them off, and duping them, for ages.