1. Quaequam blog on incumbency and the abuse of MPs' communications allowances.
2. Devil's Kitchen makes the case for legalising drugs.
3. Liberal Burblings joins the ever-growing Chris Grayling fan club.
4. Norfolk Blogger reckons the Countryside Alliance supports the Tories. And in other news, the Pope admits to Catholic tendencies.
5. Conor Ryan (Labour) tells Labour MPs that faith schools are a good thing.
6. Matt D'Ancona is impressed by Nick Clegg's Tory language.
7. Suz Blog reviews the London mayoral debate.
8. Gavin Ayling deliberates on the meaning of the word 'change'.
9. Donal Blaney defends the Clintons. Blimey.
10. David Davies is a tart and a piece of 'scrotal waste' says Bob Piper. He should know.
11. The ten best bookshops int he world, courtesy of the Guardian. OK, I know it's not a blog.
12. Bryan Appleyard on incest.
17 comments:
Re the Guardian's list of the best bookshops, I just bought the Almanac of American Politics from Hatchards and they have started using lovely sturdy bags with their Royal Warrants on them. For my money it's better than the Waterstones a few doors down in Piccadilly.
Lists are a refuge of the clueless.
Re Brian Appleyard's thoughts (and his commenters' thoughts) on the twins who unwittingly married, there is a universal revulsion, running across all countries, clans, tribes, and small communities for incest. I think it is because all of our ancestors in the long, long ago of thousands of years gone by noted that children conceived by close relatives, especially generation after generation, tend to be defective, thus unable to contribute to the wellbeing of the tribe/clan/country/community and become a burden. As little as 150 years ago, it was all hands to the pump and in the US - and probably Britain and everywhere else, little boys of 10 were walking behind horses ploughing fields. There was no room for passengers. (Today, passengers are earners through tax transfers to their families.)
Everyone in the world has observed this fact except the Pakistanis, who marry their first cousins for generation after generation. Bradford MP Ann Cryer has been a lonely but courageous voice trying to get this creepy habit outlawed.
Pakistanis in Britain, comprising around three per cent of the total population (it doesn't tell us the proportions in child-bearing years), account for 30 per cent of treatment for newborn genetic defects on the NHS. (Daily Telegraph somewhere. Do a search.)
Yes stop it with the lists!
Iain: is there anything you would disagree with in The Devil's post?
Me oh my nothing about that lovely Mr Osborne? All those figures, so confusing, sometimes they just dance around in front of ones eyes don't they. Money is just so confusing, how much better to leave it to ones butler to deal with.
Verity, have to disagree on your historical point about inter-familial relationships.
The Ancient Egyptian royal family had a tradition of formal incest, most of the Royal families of Europe continued in-breeding until quite recently, historically speaking; for example, the Spanish Royal family were going bonkers by the late middle ages (Juana the Mad, Don Carlos anyone?). First cousin marriages, uncle/niece marriages - you name it, they did it, for the same reason the feudal Pakistanis do it: land and influence.
Perhaps they still do it oop North, which would be the explanation for Bob Piper.
Come on then lets here your reasons why what Osborne has done isn't anywhere near as bad as what Harman, and Hain did
Come on be consistent, call for his resignation. i dare you
Faith schools - What about those of us who are good teahers but do not believe in a god. We cannot get promoted to top posts and have to either pretend to worship or opt out and look odd/difficult. I have never believed in a god and I have spent my whole life being made to conform to practices that I do not believe in, and at times find rather offensive. In short I cannot be who I am.
As a gay man Iain thought you would have understood this feeling.
Anti Claire Ickle, I don't wish to sound harsh, but has it ever occurred to you to leave and go and work for a different school? You presumably knew it was a faith school when you took the joB!!!
What on earth this has to be with my sexuality I can't quite work out.
See the Labour astro-turfers out across the blogs on Osborne so:
Were all the donations made in a transparent manner - Osborne's = Yes, to the Conservative Party, an actiove organisation a couple of centuries old, Hain's = No, through a inactive and unknown "think-Tank" set up after Hain said he would stand
Were the donations checked in 30 days then registered in 30 days with the Electoral Commission as legally required - Osborne = Yes Hain = No; law broken Osborne = No, Hain = Yes
Was the Registrar of Members Interests advised of the donations and asked for guidance - Osborne = Yes, Hain = No; HoC Rules deliberately broken Osborne = No, Hain = Yes
Good summary Ted. I've had them all on here too - all anonymous of course. I have deleted them all and will continue to do so.
Sorry Iain,
I don't work in a faith school - but if we insist on more faith schools my school could become one!
My worry is that there will be more faith schools and so more staff and students will be forced into working in a school where they have to be religious if they want to fit in.
Why should a person, either student or teacher have to move from their school because of their religion? Why should a Catholic or Anglican get a job just because of their faith. Is this the 18th century.
Sorry again that you don't seem to see the link back to your sexuality. I take it that you have never had to pretend not to be gay or that you have never faced discrimination. Think about it - why has a top class politico like you not been snapped up by a safe seat?
Please believe me, I am being genuine here.
BBC spinning on NuLabs behalf GB re osbornes non story
Just glad to see it's not just me who can see the relative nothingness of this Osborne incident. Labour are chucking everything out there to deflect from Hain, including reheating this donor policy. I bet they'll be delighted with the BBC's coverage of it as well. Marr this morning pretty much put the two isses on the same level.
"Norfolk Blogger reckons the Countryside Alliance supports the Tories"
It will be interesting to see if Norfolk Blogger is prepared to publish the comment I've left on his blog which draws his attention to the the Board of the CSA
President - Baroness Mallalieu QC
Chairman - Kate Hoey MP
Board Members include Baroness Golding
Forgive me, but aren't they all Labour Party Members?
Lakelander said...
"President - Baroness Mallalieu QC
Chairman - Kate Hoey MP
Board Members include Baroness Golding
Forgive me, but aren't they all Labour Party Members?"
Most of the other members of the board are Conservatives.
Mallalieu and Hoey are only nominally Labour. On most issues they support the Conservative position.
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