So a deal has been reached on the first stage of the Brexit negotiations. I have yet to read the details of what has been agreed, but one wonders where the compromises have been made, whether the deal represents a compromise too far for the hard line Brexiteers. Time will no doubt tell...
8th December 2017
Boris Johnson utters some nonsense that could result in an innocent British citizen being held in an Iranian jail for another 5 years. Priti Patel holds high level meetings with the Israeli government without bothering to tell anyone of her plans. The Pestminster furore rumbles on and now there is outcry over the tax avoidance schemes of the rich and powerful. But where is the uproar about the greatest injustice of our time?
Ordinary working people continue to suffer the consequences of the financial crash, leaving those least able to do so to shoulder the financial burden. Ten years after the crash and the gap between average earnings and the tax avoiding super rich grows ever wider, pensions are worthless and housing is unaffordable.
With Brexit looming on the horizon there is a need for strong and competent leadership. Sadly the events of the last few weeks simply highlight the fact that what we have politicians who are incompetent, vainglorious, self serving buffoons. They stumble from one crisis to another, more concerned with winning elections and promoting their own careers than properly addressing the problems that confront us. The future looks bleak.
7th November 2017
Following the shooting in Las Vegas, in which at least 58 have died and over 500 injured, the debate on gun control is back on the agenda.
I have always taken the view that there will always be those who want to do harm to others; murder and random killing is sadly a part of the human condition, and there is little than can be done to stop it. What Government can control however, is the consequences. A man with a knife can kill a few people. A man with a military grade rifle can kill hundreds. Surely it is not that difficult to see that if access to guns is prevented, killings on the scale seen in Las Vegas could simply not happen?
Some are suggesting that gun control is pointless. After all drug control's have not worked. Despite the laws that exist drug addiction remains a problem and thousands die as a consequence. This is a ridiculous comparison. Unlike the man with the rifle, the man with a syringe will kill just one person, himself.
I write this as an Englishman looking in from the outside, wondering why after so many mass killings in the last few decades America does nothing to control the possession of guns. The Second Amendment was included in the American Constitution at a time when soldiers used muskets, when even the best trained might be able to fire 3 or 4 shots a minute. Now a citizen can easily get his hands on a rifle that can fire hundreds of rounds in seconds, and create complete carnage in the process.
Surely it is time for the laws on gun ownership to change to reflect the realities of the modern world?
4th October 2017
It had to happen. As with most large companies, my employer has established an inclusivity policy, and the process of lecturing us on the benefits of multi-culturalism have begun.
I'm sorry boss, but this goes well beyond the scope of my job and strays deep into the realms of societal and political issues.
The need for lessons on inclusivity has arisen only because of the perverse effects of multi culturalism which has, rather than bringing all sections of society together instead deepened the divisions. As far as I'm concerned it has been a disaster for this country.
Boss, it is not your place to tell me what I should think of multi culturalism. It is not your place to compel your staff to think in a particular way on subjects which have ramifications beyond the working environment. I for one will not be participating.
Finally boss, why make the subject so complicated? The inclusivity policy could be summed up in one sentence;
Treat everyone you meet with the dignity you would expect others to afford you.
Why not leave it at that?
30th September 2017
The hashtag #CentristDad has been trending on Twitter over the last couple of days. Unsurprisingly it has gained traction with the illiberal left, but for the life of me I can't fathom why those smug and oh so clever intellectuals think it is an insult. A centrist is the very antithesis of an extremist, a dad is someone who has taken responsibility for his offspring. What could you possibly find offensive about that? I am more than happy to describe myself a centrist dad!
30th September 2017
The shortest day of the year. I am sat drinking a coffee watching as people go about their business, making their way through the pre-dawn gloom. Everything seems quite normal. You wouldn't think that in the last few days a Russian Ambassador has been assassinated in Turkey and that a lorry deliberately driven into a crowded Berlin Christmas Market. More terrorism in a year that has been peppered with atrocities. It seems like this is the new normal. I can't imagine next year will be any different. The atrocities will continue and on each occasion candles will be lit, vigils will be held, and leftist liberals will tell us Terrorism Has No Religion.
And meanwhile our politicians will just sit on their hands, doing nothing for fear of being branded Islamophobic. When our leaders are more concerned about political correctness than protecting their citizens from crazed Islamic fundamentalists, you begin to realise how far removed from reality they are. Is it any wonder the right wing nationalist groups are growing in popularity across Europe?
Merry Christmas
21st December 2016
Last night England were knocked out of Euro 2016. Beaten 2-1 by Iceland. Iceland. A country of 300,000 with no professional teams. They have more volcanoes than professional players. England were abject, I have never seen such an awful performance.
After the match Roy Hodgson resigned. He would have been sacked anyway, so it was just as well he did so. He is an honourable man who made some appalling tactical decisions. A bit like David Cameron who resigned as the PM in the wake of the referendum. Another honourable man who made some poor tactical decisions.
In the days since the vote, I remain convinced the decision to leave was the right one. I had always thought the EU was a corrupt, self serving institution. It needs reform, but it was never likely to happen without a seismic event; Britain's decision to leave may prove to be that event. Juncker, the EU President is being blamed in part for the British decision. Some of the Eastern European members are questioning the direction the EU is taking and are even arguing the treaty that binds the members should be completely redrafted.
The ramifications of the vote will be quite profound.
28th June 2016
Friday. It's the day after the referendum, and the country has voted to leave the EU. When I went to bed the indications were that Remain would win. This morning we find the result is 52/48 in favour of leaving. I voted to leave because I do not believe the EU is democratic. It is a project created by the politicians. It has become a self serving, corrupt, Byzantine bureaucracy that has become more important than the people it is supposed to serve. The way Greece has been treated is a prime example of the disdain with which the EU holds the people.
The calls for a second referendum have begun, but I would say that we do not need one. We have voted and the majority decision was to leave. The process of negotiating withdrawal will take years, which will mean years of uncertainty. Difficult times lie ahead, but I think in the long term Britain will confound the doubters, and the country will prosper.
24th June 2016