Even wife didn't vote for husband?

Lib Dem Voice has picked up on voting machines used in the US midterm elections, questioning their reliability after reporting zero votes for one candidate, despite him voting for himself.

The report on CNN says candidate Randy Wooten got the news from his wife who saw the results.

"She saw my name with zero votes by it. She came home and asked me if I had voted for myself or not. I told her I did," said Wooten.

Evidently then, even his wife didn’t vote for him!

It was the Tories!

Lord Levy, Tony Blair’s personal fundraiser has said he got the idea of secret loans from the Tories.

I suppose he thinks that makes it all alright then?

It seems someone needs to mention to Lord Levy that selling of peerages is what he’s been arrested and interviewed twice for.

As far as I understand it, secret loans isn’t actually illegal just outside the moral of the law. It’s the selling of the peerages that’s illegal. So no matter how much Lord Levy wants to blame the Tories, they can hardly be blamed for Labour selling peerages.

18 to leave school?

Education Secretary, Alan Johnson, is considering raising the school leaving age from 16 to 18.

I can’t decide where I stand on the idea. Whilst believing that it is important for everyone to get a good education, there is a reason why a number of people leave school at 16. If these people were forced to stay in school until 18, wouldn’t they bring down those who wanted to be there?

Raising the school age to 18 could therefore lower the overall level of education people achieve.

Surely the best way to achieve a good education for all would be to deal with the reasons why people don’t chose to stay in school. If these are addressed there would be no need to raise the school leaving age as people would chose to stay.

Beckett is still Foreign Secretary

Margaret Beckett, the Foreign Secretary has spoken about Iraq, warning of the consequences of withdrawing to soon.

It may just be me, but this is the first time in a while I have seen any news reported regarding the Foreign Secretary. Surely we should be seeing more of the Minister for Foreign Affairs, considering the circumstances British soldiers find themselves in in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Brown coronation a step closer

Gordon Brown’s coronation is step closer today with Alan Johnson’s announcement that he will not stand for the Labour leadership.

Therefore it is looking more and more likely that a credible candidate will not stand against Brown.

However Guido is reporting that rumours John Reid had done a deal with Gordon Brown are unfounded. So there is still a chance that Reid may put himself forward as a candidate.

Ministers to be interviewed

Five current Ministers have been sent letters requesting interviews as part of the cash for peerages investigation. Interview requests have been sent to every member of the Cabinet at the time of the 2005 General Election.

The investigation seems to be getting closer and closer to the Prime Minister. Surely it is only a matter of time.

Tory Councillor attacks Cameron and suggests violence

This is a copy of a letter sent to Bath's local paper The Chronicle.

It's from a Tory Councillor. I find the letter which suggests single mothers bring up kids who commit mayhem and even murder and “Thump a Thug” unbelievable to be publicly stated from an elected official.

It's good to know that David Cameron intends to come on strong with the criminal elements but I'm not sure that his 'Hug a Hoodie' and 'Love a Lout' will do much to win support from those vulnerable citizens who have fallen victim to out-of-control teenagers.Community service is a soft option and simply doesn't work and ASBOs are seen as badges of honour by thugs and are an expensive waste of time and resources.

We have the worst record in Europe for teenage crime and if politicians like David Cameron don't take the proverbial bull by the horns and really start to get tough with Britain's growing army of feral thugs the country will descend into total mayhem in a very short space of time.

My own ward - Lambridge - is beset with problems related to anti-social behaviour and intimidation resulting from the nefarious activities of feckless youths and not all of them from the local area.

Larkhall Square has now lost its public bench, dedictated to the memory of Jack Love, because yobs saw fit to destroy it. Why? What exactly was achieved by this act of mindless vandalism? Each time I suggest ways of reining in these thugs, I am castigated by the soft-option brigade and accused of being a martinet, or worse.

Sorry, but I come out on the side of respect, good manners and adherence to the law and wholly intolerant of what our society has become. If an undisciplined bunch of louts can find nothing better to do than destroy property and frighten the wits out of decent, law-abiding people, then clearly something needs to be done.

Soft options and kid-gloves have had no effect whatsoever and Britain is now over-run with vicious young thugs hell-bent on terrorising all and sundry and it has to stop - now.

If so many of these kids are into fast cars, go-peds and other souped-up motor vehicles, then let David Cameron instigate a scheme whereby their energies, if and when they are apprehended and hauled before the courts, are channelled into useful community work, like restoring vandalised cars, or helping to rebuild damaged walls, fences and bus shelters.

This kind of enforced activity would give them a sense of purpose and personal pride.

These kids aren't born bad, but frequently lack parental discipline in the form of a father figure, look to slovenly and oikish football 'stars' as role models, view an almost total lack of police presence on our streets as a 'go' sign to create mayhem - and sometimes murder - and end up as aimles drifters with drink and drug problems.

I can tell you now that I am tired of kow-towing to the do-gooders and refuse to yield to hoodies and other louts and know that so many others agree with me. But, what to do? Unless ordinary members of the public can actually win support from politicians, we might as well sell up and emigrate. Spare the rod and spoil the child.

Forget the latest 'Hug a Hoodie' and 'Love a Lout' themes, isn't it time to 'Thump a Thug', 'Belt a Burglar' and 'Lob a Yob'? Soft on crime, soft on the causes of crime - you bet!

CLLR BRYAN CHALKER

Quarry Rock Gardens

Claverton Down

Bath

Lord Goldsmith will 'not stand aside'

Attorney General, Lord Goldsmith has said it “would not be right” for him to stand aside if charges are brought in the cash for peerages investigation.

Instead the Attorney General has said, “my office should appoint independent senior counsel to review all the relevant material and advise on any prosecutions."

How independent would someone who is appointed by Lord Goldsmiths own office be? If it does get to the stage that the CPS consults the Attorney General, it will be very difficult for him to credibly advise against bringing prosecutions without being accused of bias.

Surely, it would have been sensible for Lord Goldsmith to of followed the Director of Public Prosecutions and the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police in standing aside from any involvement in the case.

Two other posts I’ve made on this subject can be found here and here.

New members to vote on leadership

Labour has chosen to waive its membership rule that restricts new members from voting in leadership contests. You use to have to be a member for a few weeks before you could vote.

Now even the newest members will be able to vote.

I wonder why the decision to change the rule has been made now. Possibly because Labour’s membership is in decline?

Yeah right?

Sounds like a case of a lawyer saying, "The only way you stand a chance of getting off, is to say your stupid!"

Election, what election?

Proof Dic Cheney isn’t interested in all that democracy and voting stuff.

Thanks to Liberal Burblings for pointing this out.

They say terrorism doesn't work?

A Muslim police officer has been removed from the Diplomatic Protection Group (which protects top public figures such as the PM) because two of his son’s, attended a mosque, associated with a Muslim cleric, who is linked with a suspected terrorist group.

I walked past a mosque today. Does that mean I couldn’t serve in the DPG because I could have bumped into a Muslim extremist?

Terrorism and the threat of it hasn’t made us paranoid in this country, has it?

**Special** 18 Doughty Street Election Night

18 Doughty Street will be broadcasting live coverage of the US mid term elections tonight from 8pm till 2pm in a special extended show.

Will the Iraq war have seriously damaged the Republicans? Will the Democrats take control of the House of Representatives. What are the implications for the race for the White House? Will George W Bush become a lame duck President?

A heavyweight panel of experts in US politics have been lined up including Simon Burns MP, and representatives from both the Republicans and Democrats abroad.

Make sure you visit 18 Doughty Street from 8:00pm for live streaming.

Iain Dale said,

"We'll be the first UK broadcaster on air with coverage of the US midterms – our coverage starts a full 4 hours ahead of the BBC. We'll be using US bloggers to find out what's happening on the ground in those key battleground states and analyzing the first results with a panel of well informed guests. It'll be a rolling six hour long programme and we're looking forward to hearing from Tim Montgomerie who has spent the last week in the US on the campaign trail."

The investigation deepens...

There was an interesting article in today’s Independent.

“Jonathan Powell, Number 10's chief of staff, will be interviewed later this month about e-mails and documents discovered in Downing Street offices that indicate Labour Party backers were offered honours in exchange for loans or donations.”

If true and it depends very much on what is meant by “indicate,” sounds as though there will be plenty of evidence to bring a prosecution. The question is how high can be proven it goes?

In relation to Lord Goldsmith and his decision over the prosecution, from the same article:

“Lord Goldsmith, 56, who was made a life peer in 1999 and appointed by Tony Blair in 2001, is usually consulted by the Crown Prosecution Service over high-profile and complex cases. He is a former donor to the party and a close political ally of Mr Blair.”

So a Peer, who has made donations to the Labour Party could be the one to decide if people should be prosecuted for giving peerages to those who have donated money. That’s the world of politics!

Reid gets along with Brown because he has to!

Quoting John Reid from the BBC’s Sunday AM he said:

"The media seem to think there are only two states for politicians.

"One is for us to be at war, and the other one is for complete capitulation and surrender by one to the other.

"Actually there is a much more normal state, that's people working together doing the job we are paid for and expected to do by the people of this country."

Sounds to me very much like the Home Secretary is saying: I get along with him because I’ve no other choice!

Saddam sentenced to death

I don’t think anybody really expected any other result than a guilty. I’m going to leave aside the ins and outs of the trial and how Saddam’s trial was handled and just focus on the sentence.

I think a mistake has been made by sentencing Saddam to death. What better way of making a martyr of him than the death sentence. On top of this is the way it will be done, hanging. Perfect, to give him that extra stature his supporters are looking for. Lethal injection surely would have been better to knock his status, as it just doesn’t hold the same significance as hanging.

I can only see this sentence providing extra determination for Saddam’s supporters and will do nothing to quell the violence in Iraq. For the sake of our soldiers (and their families) I hope I am wrong.

Attorney General to decide on honours probe?

It seems amazing that the Attorney General, Lord Goldsmith could be the one who has the final decision over whether any charges are brought in the cash for peerages investigation.

The fact that the Government is being investigated and Lord Goldsmith is a Government Minister, who sits in on Cabinet meetings, will surely be a conflict of interest? The Attorney General could be deciding whether his own parties donors and possibly fellow Ministers are prosecuted.

It would be almost impossible for the Attorney General to remain neutral when making any decision due to the position he holds. We have already been given good reason to doubt the impartiality of Lord Goldsmith over his advice to the legality of the Iraq War. Remember him saying a second UN resolution was needed, then within 24 hours saying it no longer was.

Brown won't face any real challange...

The BBC is reporting that Brown will not be challenged by a serious challenger as they have accepted he cannot be beaten.

Ok, so it’s been clear to most of us that Brown would win any Labour leadership election but I still think a credible challenger should stand.

Look at the Conservative leadership bid. I think it did the party of lot of good to hold a credible election contest. Labour could surely benefit in the same way.

Lib Dems self destructing,,,

The Lib Dems appear to be falling apart at the moment with the resignation of Paul Rainger, the Director of Campaigns and David Norman, the Director of Policy and Communications. It is quite clear that Cowley Street is not a happy place and it is possible more resignations could follow.

Rumours are that the Lib Dems are deeply concerned they may have to pay back the £2.4m lent to them before the last election. Despite Ming Campbell’s denials last week on Sunday AM that the party would not be bankrupt, it has emerged that this would indeed be the case as the Lib Dems simply haven’t got the money.

It is also considered unlikely that they would be able to raise the funds through donations, as a number of the Lib Dem big donors are fans of Charles Kennedy and not prepared to support Ming in the same way.

Could it be due to this that people from some of the highest ranks of Cowley Street are resigning? Ming Campbell is on Question Time tonight. Could be interesting!

Speaker interrupts Cameron

Commons Speaker Michael Martin today at PMQs prevented David Cameron from asking the PM who he would back as the next leader of the Labour Party. The Speaker declared that Cameron had no right to ask the PM about a position in the Labour Party on the floor of the House.

I actually agree with the Speaker, PMQs should be used to ask the PM about Government affairs not party ones.

However this does work both ways. The PM shouldn’t be allowed to ask the Opposition about their policies. It is Prime Minister’s Questions after all. Let’s hope the Speaker lays down the rules equally for both sides, having set this precedent.