THIS post demonstrates why Dizzy is a must read blog.And in case you were wondering about the lack of posting at the moment, in the words of Jesse from THE FAST SHOW, this weekend I am mostly proof reading the 2007 Guide to Political Blogging. And it's taking a long time. That may be because it was supposed to be 128 pages long, but, ahem, it is now well over 200 pages...
21 comments:
I look forward to reading it!
Bob Piper should learn when it's a good time to keep quiet. Dizzy is making him look quite foolish in the comments.
Don't think anyone disputes that Dizzy is a must read.
Just cut half the Tory blogs and the jobs a good 'un Iain.
This is an excellent article by Dizzy as always, and I do hope Jacqui Smith will act on the matter of gun crime, but I won’t hold my breath.
Agree with Daily Referendum 2:53 The comments between Bob Piper and Dizzy are a great ride. What's noticeable is the way Bob appears to talk to the imaginary "Question time audience", but Dizzy won't be cowered by, as he puts it, attacks on the motives of the argument rather than the argument itself.
Bob's trick is a common Labour ploy to avoid confronting the truth - if only it was stood up to more often.
On his blog Dizzy says that:
"David Davis has written to Jacqui Smith pointing out that the Government is basically lying about the state of firearms crimes, and in particular firearms homicide."
The Home Office figures for homicides involving firearms (excluding airguns) are:
1998/1999 - 49
1999/2000 - 62
2000/2001 - 72
2001/2002 - 95
2002/2003 - 80
2003/2004 - 68
2004/2005 - 77
2005/2006 - 50
2006/2007 - 58
They are obviously unacceptably high but there has certainly not been any dramatic increase in recent years.
I don`t often comment on Dizzy but I thought this one was tremendous and said so
"That is just faultless genius Dizzy.A spellbinding post never shrill always reasonable and consequently devastating.Few people are up to this and off the top of my head I can`t think of any.You are a Gulliver strolling amongst the Lilliputians ....and I only popped in to nick some of your research.
Shock and awe old chum , shock and awe. "
Aadvark .There has been no overall improvement as they have claimed and in the broad context of global growth and the money thrown at problem areas this is highly suggestive of where Labour have missed an opportunity.
(Poor old Mr.. Piper does seem to have become quite emotional..I hope he`s not going to go off into one of sulks again I don`t know where else I`d get the entertainment. You recall his Black and White Minstrel show ....sorry business......)
Newmania,
I agree - no real improvement. Just keeping their head above water.
newmania: You are one of the last people who I would listen to as a judge of anything.
Bob Piper gave Dizzy a mauling. I remember Cameron as a Black Minstrel it was very funny.
Why are air guns excluded from the figures? They count as firearms, and the Armed Response Unit tend to blow them up in the same way that they call toy guns replicas. I think they should be included in the figures and then lets see what the look like.
So what?
What is hug a hoodie Cameron proposing or for that matter "I was born in a council house to a single mother" Davis proposing?
Gun crime/culture my arse.
bring back the rope.
jailhouselawyer 10.58 PM said...
Why are air guns excluded from the figures?
Same reason as they exclude axe homicides I suppose.
Further discussions on Dizzy
"I understand your point but the overarching logic is right which was what I was trying to move onto.
Labour Governments are elected in England overwhelmingly by inner city constituencies and especially those with high dependency , for obvious reasons. New Labour therefore have a vested interest in not solving the social breakdown that goes with benefits and family free lifestyles .
Honestly I understand what you are saying about the Councils in these areas but Labour Councils and MP`s up and down the country depend on these pockets of misery. That is why" Over the country" there has been no attempt to understand how to move forward. the fact that these particular Councils were not Labour is not the real point , there have been seventeen black youths shot in South London so far this year ( which no one seems to care about ). The wealth wordwide capitalism , oil and the citry have poured into this country should have lifted us out of this and it has not .
The inner city problem is across the country , this could have happened anywhere and Labour are maintaining the fertile soil.
That is the sense in which they would rather keep their inner city fiefdoms even if it means the deaths if boys caught in the deliberately constructed cycle of despair. Perhaps this sounds like sophistry but in fact it is the reverse .The is the shocking truth about the Labour Party is that they claim to alleviate misery and so they must have a steady supply. Meanwhile the army of fellow travellers live off the back of it preening themselves for being "Labour Coucillors " .
I `d rather admit to punching old ladies and stealing their purses than own up to living like a maggot on the rotting decay they have maintained . Everyone time there is a death a another little job springs into life and a Labour fairy smiles in heaven. "
Love Newmania
JHL -I thought Pipers Minstrel was funny but not as funny as Piper flouncing off like a tart in a trance.Frankly I`m a little nervous about over-exciting you so lets just say ...
YES OK...can I go now
I think Newmania is still a bit narky 'cos I gave him a hug on Tim's 'hug-a-tory' day. Sensitive types these folks you know.
Well Jacqui Smith has taken decisive action. Good to see that the smack of firm government is maintained under new Ministers. Continuity is all.
The announcement of 'Drop Off Points' is really going to make a difference. Right now the crims in my area are deperately seeking the location of these Points in order to hand over their armouries. They are experiencing some difficulties, however as even the local cops don't seem to know exactly where the Points are.
I understand a crack team comprising Home Office (as was) officials, consultants and special advisors is even now considering the nationwide approach with a view to targetting particular areas of high gun-crime. This process is reportedly 'well under way' so we should be seeing these Points appearing in most of our less salubrious high streets within a very few months. Gordon Brown is also in the process of instructing Treasury to provide the 'necessary' funds.
This is all terribly reassuring. I look forward to reading the White Paper on Gun Crime when it is issued next Autumn. Maybe we can look forward to a similar approach for Knife Crime, or do we already have one?
In the meantime the dealer tells me that my new uprated and armoured Humvee will be delivered next week. I'm quite looking forward to taking it on a trial run to Safeways. Of course there's always that difficult and perilous traverse from the vehicle actually into the store, but my Tae Kwon Do instructor tells me that he thinks I'm ready for that. And once inside it'll be a relief to be watched over by the Security cameras whilst making my modest purchases.
Well Mr. Aardvark, if you are going to publish statistics it would be better if you published the complete picture for non-air weapon firearm injuries, which includes fatalities:
1998/99 864
1999/00 1,195
2000/01 1,382
2001/02 1,877
2002/03 2,179
2003/04 2,367
2004/05 3,912
2005/06 3,821
This from http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs07/hosb0207.pdf
page 36.
But, hey, according to your Labour Party gun crime has got better.
Steve Horgan said...
But, hey, according to your Labour Party gun crime has got better.
I don't support Labour. In the past I have voted Conservative but I am not sure that I will do so in the next election.
I do object to the distortion and misuse of statistics by any party.
Some people seem to be concerned that airguns are omitted from the reports in the newspapers. The document to which you link shows that the criminal use of air weapons has been going down. Their inclusion would distort the general picture. In any case, the injuries from air guns are usually less severe and are rarely fatal.
The figures you quote do suggest that the firearm injuries situation has stabilised but it is really too early to tell. No cause for self-congratulation on the part of the Government since we are looking for a substantial reduction in gun crime.
more guns =less crime
America proves that point, all states that have signed up the the "must issue" concealed carry laws have had a dramatic drop in street crime. They already have a lower home intrusion rate than we do.
criminals dont like the idea of being shot dead
Let me just add
"Axes dont kill people , people kill people"
word veri
l mlud
Gun crime is clearly too high, and it has got much worse under the current government. I hope that is the words of the poster above that it has 'stabilised', albeit at more than four times the rate of injuries than in 1998, but I am doubtful. When all of the ghastly incidents of this year are folded into the statistics I suspect there will have been another sickening lurch upwards. Still, we will have gun 'drop-off points', that will do the trick, won't it?
Are you sure that picture that highlights this section is not a old photo of Boris Johnson when he was on a diet many years ago? It's frightening!
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