* What on earth was Gordon Brown doing alongside Heads of State on the Rugby World Cup platform? I was outraged of Tunbridge Wells! Why are you not surprised by that? The sight of Johnny Wilkinson pushing past Gordon Brown and ignoring him was a joy, though.
* It was inevitable I suppose that Lewis Hamilton would fail too.
* Still, at least the Happy Hammers won! Albeit somewhat fortunately...
* Chris Huhne seems to have made the more impressive start in the LibDem leadership stakes.
* Antony Seldon's new book on the Blair/Brown feud looks to be a cracker if the Mail on Sunday extracts are anything to go by. Our Prime Minister is psychotic.
* Looking forward to watching Episode 1 of new series of Spooks later. Love it.
62 comments:
It's the Sopranos for me tonight. The plots don't seem that far fetched given the revelations in Seldon's book. Gangsters vying to be top dog, foul language and plenty of back stabbing.
Wilkinson, Hamilton, Cameron: never any realistic chance of winning, but they have to report something, and gallant losers always deserve Enid Blyton-esque credit for being plucky. Don't they?
Of course, there is a difference: it would actually have been quite nice if England had won the rugby, or if Lewis Hamilton had won his grand prix. Whereas a (psephologically impossible) Cameron victory would keep things in precisely their present baleful condition.
The Doom of Broon strikes again in Brazil, having been on display in Moscow on Wednesday and Paris last night.
Pray to God Iain that he never starts supporting the Hammers. (I think he has been a Forest fan for about the past decade...)
I thought Gordon Brown looked absolutely delighted that England had lost the rugby...
freaky...
David: Congratulations on reproducing your own blog's post word for word within the comments section of another. I am sure it's only a matter of time before you secure syndication in the Sundays. I hope you have a good agent.
It's great that you can show yourself to be both deeply wrong, exceptionally pompous and also downright lazy in one fell swoop. Saves heaps of time.
I watched the match in a pub in Bristol. I was in a bit of a scrum at the bar trying to get a round in before kick off and the national anthems came on. Hearty singing all round. Then boos!
I was disgusted, booing the national anthem? Rugby fans? Then I saw the screen - Brown. Eurgh. Louder boos greeted his every appearance.
I'm pleased to hear the same was true of pubs in London, with one in Tooting rocking to the shouts of W****R every time the Scottish misery cropped up.
re: Antony Seldon
So the "Thick of It" appears to be pretty accurate, what with all the foul language and shouting.
"Chris Huhne seems to have made the more impressive start in the LibDem leadership stakes.."
Well, yes, from a Tory perspective, as he is clearly ready, willing and able to use devious cunning and guile to stitch up his opponent without any reference to rules of fair play...
And since he can't play the gay or alkie cards he may just opt for calling Nick Clegg a metrosexual multi-lingual European.. Oh hang on, they like that sort of thing in the Liberal party..
Talking of foul language in the political arena - Do get a ticket to 'Whipping it Up' with Richard Wilson if you are able. It is now on tour, and has some quality jokes and quality swearing ! An absolutely f===ing brilliant night out, in my opinion..
By the way, there was no way Lewis Hamilton was going to win. FIA would ensure that Ferrari do well, and keep people glued for number of years before Lewis is 'allowed' to win. Too many people would switch off if he had won in his first season.
It is almost as predictable as the wrestling, I'm sorry to say...
So what is the plot to this week's Spooks? Let me guess for a change the baddies are Jews & Americans?
That show lost all its credibility because its biased against Israel and Americans. The episodes with the Israelis trying to start an inter-arab war were just disgraceful. Further reading here.
Brown is itching for the day that England is carved up into small Euro regions attached to other small EU states! Think it cant happen? think it wont happen? When our chance of a general election consists of voting in a regional government and whatever the result the central commisars keep their places, I hope the trolls are happy!
The UK is now at the mercy of a franco/German/Italian voting block and there will be NOTHING that a powerless regional government can do! If Spain can get a Franco/German/Spanish voting block to demand the handover of Gibralter then Gibralter is fucked! If that same voting block demands that we hand over our oil reserves then goodbye oil reserves! The self amending and auotomatic nature of the CONstitution means that ANY power the EU needs it gets! NO VOTE and NO REFUSAL!
Anyone remember the "its only a tidying up operation"? Great Britain, independent for a thousand years and now? Signed away by traitors in a few minutes!
MILLIONS of dead heroes who gave their lives to save us from a fascist Euro-empire died for NOTHING!
HM Queen, silent as the grave even though she is our ultimate constitutional protection? Why? When this evil CONstitution is waved through Parliament she will be out of a job and BLIAR will be in residence at Buck House as El Presidente! Think it cant happen? Think it wont happen?
[Huhne] is clearly ready, willing and able to use devious cunning and guile to stitch up his opponent without any reference to rules of fair play...
At last! A Lib Dem leadership hopeful with some chance of success in the political arena! Of course he won't win. It would be anathema to the Lib Dems to elect someone with any chance of getting anywhere as their leader.
i refused to watch any more spooks after the embassy hostage episode.
the "arabs" turned out to be Israeli Mossad agents in mission designed to give Israel justification to start a war.
utter bilge, worthy of the paranoid ramblings of some Islamist Imam from the Regents Park Mosque.
I just refuse to watch such crap anymore.
poohbear, you're not tapestry in disguise are you?
Anonymous 8:25 I have wondered what the hell the Queen was doing over the past decade, too. She should have sacked Tony Blair years ago, given the wrecking ball he took the our Constitution, our civil rights and our formerly cohesive civil society. Sacked him and put the Army out on the streets until she had appointed an prime minister or held an election.
In the event, she allowed the deeply insane Tony Blair to wreck our patrimony handed down to us by our forebears for at least 2,000 years and in many cases longer.
I have lost all respect for her and when I see ceremonies involving her on TV, it all feels empty because she never wielded her power on our behalf.
What's worse is, she lived through WWII. I think she was the driver of an Army jeep or similar. She witnessed close up our fight for freedom.
Verity: you are Nancy Mitford and I claim my ten bob note.
THE QUEEN IS A WONDERFUL WOMAN VERITY...not so sure about dobby Price Charles though who seems to have some childish ideas about Islam and likes to mutter go green from his fleet of Jags .He also got to build a town for vast profit on farmland which is a good trick.
So I say let the Queen retire she has been a wonderful servant and deserves to spend some time at leisure. Miss out Charles hope dopey William gets run over and go straight to Harry .
Visibly distraught at not being able to go ad fight I am certain I saw him say " Oh F--- Off " when the ref did not give out try .
Thats what we need a young Hal to lead us .A great sort ...with a nice touch in fancy dress as well.
TRue true 'Pooh bear. You should read disappearing Britain by Lindsay Jenkins
i don't quite know why, but nick clegg always reminds me of fr.dougal maguire in father ted,in the same way that ed balls IS piers fletcher-dervish.just an observation.
With the Mail on Sunday's potrayal of the Prime Macminister as a madman. I wondered just what health checks are made, and by whom, on our 'elected' and non elected leaders?
Brown effectively can order our troops into a war situation, can signal the use of the Atomic Weapons etc etc. How on this planet can we have such a loose cannon in charge?
Parliamentarians should start asking serious questions about the sanity of this scot and see if there is any legislation by which we can demand nut and gut examinations of those 'in charge'
You couldn't make it up! But we appear to have a madman in charge!
As for Blair..It does appear that the price for him to step down was the support for the 'red lines' and support for him to be President of the EU. So Brown was NOT working for the 'British Interest' he was looking after one Briton's interest...his own.
Can we have him thrown in the Tower?
What on earth were those Windsor boys doing at the rugby? Aren't they supposed to be in the army or something? The sight of them and their chinless friends carousing at the taxpayers expense was not a joy to behold.
Newmania - Why do you think the Queen is wonderful? What has she ever done for us other than attend banquets on go on world tours?
She had a decade of observing that Tony Blair was/is not a balanced individual and that he was intentionally wreaking terrible damage on our country and on our society. And she did nothing.
Admittedly, she's old, but if she stays on as Queen, we expect her to perform her duty as Queen and that involves keeping us protected from an over-mighty, unbalanced prime minister.
During the reign of terror of Blair, I have evolved from being a staunch monarchist to being someone who could watch the abolition of the monarchy and feel quite sanguine.
If this family is to lurch on, then, like you, Newmania, I would fast forward to Harry. Not Defender of Faith (whatever that's supposed to mean in Charles's twee mind)Charles. And definitely not William, who has never had his photo taken with his mouth shut. He's always wearing a baseball cap and a slack-jawed, open-mouthed smile.
If we're to keep the monarchy, then I agree: Harry's the lad. I can't help wondering if Diana had a premonition when she insisted that he be christened Harry and not Harold.
Yeh Iain, and if Gordon Brown hadn't been there you would have been crying and ranting about the disgrace of the British Prime Minister not being there.
Honestly, one day going to find that you don't have any toys left in your pram to throw out.
Anonymous 9.15. That Nick Clegg/Father Dougal analogy is brilliant. Grey-haired Chris Huhne bears more than a passing resemblance to Father Ted. Who is Father "Feck Off" Jack among the LibDems? Father Jack is old and past his sell-by date (Ming?), fond of the bottle (Charles Kennedy?), lecherous.....I think I'd better stop now.
Verity Price Charles wishes to change his role to Defender of faith and should you be in any doubt as to what that means allow me to quote :
" My own understanding is that extremes ( of Sharia law) , are rarely practices (oh thats ok then),. The guiding principle and spirit of Islamic Law taken straight from the Koran should be of equity and compassion"
More gems ( concerning some half baked cod mysticism)
"There is much we can learn from that Islamic world view in this respect. Perhaps we should begin by having more Muslim teachers in British schools ...in the West we need to be taught by our Islamic teachers how to learn with our hearts as well as out heads ."
He has never visited Israel despite endlessly gallivanting around the Middle East. he was the prime mover behind my very own arms cache hidey hole Finsbsury Park Mosque . In the Danish cartoon controversy he criticised the " Failure to respect what is sacred"
Considering the blood curdling punishments for adulterers under Sharia law his infatuation with Islam is perhaps ill advised.
At all events should he shortly meet an entirely unacceptable American Woman (god knows what that would take now ) and be obliged to follow his heart I would applaud his submission to the commands of love.
PS
Incidentally the hold Wallace Simpson had on the Duke of Windsor was revealed in Clarissa Dixon Wright`s recent book .Her father was the royal surgeon. Apparently he had a microscopic "appendage" and she had herself sewn up to accommodate his peculiarity .True Romance, but the Queen is a Saint and Harry will save us .I may chase William on my scooter a bit ... buy his driver a beer , that sort of thing .
David Lindsay said...
"Wilkinson, Hamilton, Cameron: never any realistic chance of winning ...."
Nonsense. Hamilton was the favorite. Gearbox problems stopped him winning.
Given that the second and third in line to the throne were there in Paris, I did think that was a poor job. In constitutional terms Brown's just some bloke their granny's asked to do a job for her...
Anyway, all I need now is for the Red Socks to pip my beloved Indidans to the World Series and my sporting weekend will be complete!
Verity: er, I've no idea whether Diana had a premonition or not, but I doubt there was much risk of Prince Harry being christened Harold, given that his name is actually Henry...
Brown is awful but he's now no more than a figurehead in the newly ascendant USSE.
Of all the immense changes this will make in how we are governed, none is arguably more important, or has received less attention, than the formal creation of the European Council as the cabinet of our new government. The prime ministers who make it up are placed under a wholly new obligation to put their loyalty to "the Union" above that to their own countries.
With this treaty we shall finally be ruled by a government that cannot be dismissed, making Britain, in effect, a small part of a giant one-party state.
Yak 40 isn`t that Christopher booker
" .... was revealed in Clarissa Dixon Wright`s recent book ..."
Wish someone could get her to tell her Broon, Cherie and Miranda stories, she claims to have many but omitted them from her book :(
newmania: Yes indeed.
Also good stuff here, tho' sometimes mind numbing, as is the "Treaty" itself, deliberately so it would seem.
Given that Clarissa Dixon Wright has been a bankrupt three times, I would have thought she would have included any money spinning items in her book - unless there was more money in leaving them out.
Re people booing Gordon, I've noticed more people searching under 'I/we hate Gordon Brown' finding my blog. There used to be an occasional one. Now they are a regular feature.
prime ministers have often attended sporting events. the french have an anomaly where their head of state is the executive head of their government, rather than simply being a figurehead. it's why european councils are for "heads of state and of government". come on iain, you know all this!
i didn't see wilkinson push past anyone, but i'd prefer my sportsmen to behave with dignity and good manners, whoever they are presented to.
would it have been OK for a sportsman to diss john major in the 90s? no. it would not.
sportsmen have opinions, and have a right to express them.
the picture of wilkinson shows he pushed past Gordon without looking at him. Why should he pretend he likes him when he obviously hates the sight of him, like millions of others.
Well done Johnny!
I looked on youtube for a video of Johnny snubbing Gordon but could not find one. why doesn't someone upload something? Iain? You're the sporting politico, aren't you?
Agree with anon 2.51 a.m
I can't stand Broon but there's no excuse for discourtesy to the office of British Prime Minister irrespective of whether you think the guy should be or not.
There is every excuse for the players for giving only perfunctory handshakes to Gordon without speaking, looking at or responding to him - which is what they did. He's not Head of State. The Windsors are well known rugby fans and are known to the team. He's not an Englishman. He's not elected. He's an embarrassment to the nation. He was carpetbagging. . He's bad luck.
"Chris Huhne seems to have made the more impressive start in the LibDem leadership stakes.."
Oh you are funny Iain.... Do you fear Nick Clegg that much
A challenge:
1. Brown being snubbed by Wilkinson.
2. Brown being visibly delighted at England’s loss.
Good luck to anyone who can find the following. You wont find either, sad that you are reduced to making stuff up, sign of desperation.
Now go back to Europe, Immigration, and Tax cuts for the rich, the New Conservative Right Wing Agenda. The modernisers have lost.
To think that there are nutters on this site blaming Brown for Hamilton’s failure to win in Brazil is so amusing.
Wilkinson did NOT snub Brown. For to do so, would mean that Jonny is an ill mannered, disrespectful pig. Thankfully he has none of these traits. I can guarantee a kings ransom that this notion has all the hallmarks of THQ and Caulson. How sad.
Gordon Brown was congratulating the South Africans for beating the English !
"The sight of Johnny Wilkinson pushing past Gordon Brown and ignoring him was a joy, though."
Iain, were you equally pleased that Wilkinson also snubbed President Thabo Mbeki?
We won the rights to the Olympics under a Labour Government.
Successful Commonwealth games in Manchester under a Labour Government
England Rugby Union in 2 world finals under a Labour Government.
Resurgence in British Tennis under a Labour Government
Premiership best league in the world under a Labour Government
Team GB won 30 medals in total in the Olympics earlier in 2004, nine gold, nine silver and 12 bronze, our best medal haul since the Games in Paris in 1924.
Hamilton, Murray, Beckham, all Global Sporting Super Stars.
British sport has never been so healthy.
** Sport under the Tories **
Banned from European footy competition for years.
1980 and 84 Olympics sullied by Right wing politics.
We were good at Ice dancing and Snooker….Wow.
"...our Prime Minister is Psychotic..."
No he isn't. I suspect you meant Psychopathic, but even then the allusion is poor. What you really mean is sociopathic; some traits of which would fit with the portrayal of Brown in the media.
Psychoses (usually under the banner of illnesses like schizophrenia) can be extremely distressing and dangerous for the sufferer. Health outcomes for these patients are atrocious, and their treatment in the NHS nothing short of a scandal.
Throwing about terms like that does no-one any good. If the PM were behaving oddly because he had a brain tumour, would you say he was 'cancerous' - no - probably not.
Iain - this has been overlooked. Princess Anne was in Paris, and , as a stand-in for the Queen, was technically the head of state.
Have a read of this
Quote:
"in an astonishing break with protocol - and one that gives new meaning to the phrase 'royal mail' - she sent a hand-written good luck note to the players which was handed over by her daughter, Princess Anne, minutes before kick-off."
So, therefore, protocol would dictate that Princess Anne should have been on the podium. What the hell was Brown doing up there so?
one wonders what the backroom discussions were about Brown barging in.?
Maybe Wilkinson just didn't see Brown. After all, he had failed to spot a single creative opportunity for 80 minutes beforehand
Re: Spooks
Anyone who takes it seriously - or takes umbarge at its "politicals" -
needs to get a sense of humour
needs to get a life
should stop treating soaps as real world.
I despair.. Next you'll be telling us that Bremner Bird and Fortune is disrespectful of politicians, the police and the military!:-)
"THE QUEEN IS A WONDERFUL WOMAN VERITY...not so sure about dobby Price Charles though who seems to have some childish ideas about Islam and likes to mutter go green from his fleet of Jags."
Get it right: Aston Martins.
"So I say let the Queen retire she has been a wonderful servant and deserves to spend some time at leisure. Miss out Charles hope dopey William gets run over and go straight to Harry."
Are we ready for the Royal House of Hewitt? It might be fun I suppose, they'd probably give the Grimaldis a run for their money.
Anonymous said...
Gordon Brown was congratulating the South Africans for beating the English !
October 22, 2007 9:51 AM
Some advise… I wouldn’t go on about South Africa if I were you Tory Boys, wasn’t it Thatcher who continued to trade with this nation during apartheid, while the rest of the world boycotted them. Also didn’t Dennis and his sop of a son make their millions on the back of this stance?.
RSA have come a long way, while we of course would prefer to have won, I would like to congratulate them. Afterall isn’t Rugby Union supposed to have more civilised fans. From reading this thread it seems that they are all more civilised except for those who are English Tories.
Anonymous 7:51 PM, toffs don't like Gordon Brown? Who'd have thought it!
And Anonymous 10:37 PM, "gearbox problems" - remember that one. When the Tories pile up huge majorities in seats they held anyway but make no headway at all anywhere else, and so lose another Election, the process whereby this happened (and which people on here insist does not exist) can be called "gearbox problems".
I wonder which side Cameron was cheering for in the rugby? He keeps a house in his constituency, but his two real homes are in London and on the Isle of Jura. Classic posh Scot, of course. So England, then, if anyone. But only because Scotland weren't playing.
David Lindsay, two things. You lie about Cameron's homes. His main home is in London and he has a home in his constituency. His family house on Jura is used for two weeks of the year. Pathetic smear.
Secondly, if you ever repost a story from your own blog on here again I will ban you. My blog is not here to provide you with a facility to publicise your own.
The Seldon book, which I have read, is actually rather dull. The MoS simply got a couple of the very best bits into print. A job very well done by Seldon and his PR team, though...
Oh Dear are you, as all Tories are advised to repeat to ad-nausem by HQ, “”RATTLED””. Cambo has a family holiday home in Scotland, perfectly OK. However not a day passes without him and his party slagging off Scotland the Scottish, and the PM for being Scottish
Firstly, that WAS a try!
Secondly, what was Gordo saying to the Southa Africans (for whom I bet he was rooting - like almost every other Scot I know) as he congratulated them for beating the English?
"Is that real gold - can I have it as I have given all ours away"?
Ian - what the hell do you think you're playing at, calling Brown 'psychotic'?
If you have spent enough time with him, or have seen enough of him on the television to believe that he is arrogant, or domineering, or unintelligent, or jealous of his power - all of which can be backed up - then say so directly.
But please do not accuse a man of having a severe mental illness on the basis of a journalistic hatchet-job. And please refrain in future from using words you do not understand.
Great Britain, independent for a thousand years and now? Signed away by traitors in a few minutes!
A thousand years? Jeez, I must have fallen asleep and woken up in 2700AD...
Typo - make that 'Seldon'.
In the interests of honesty and civility, I should also say two things: firstly, I am indeed a Labour supporter, though not a dogmatic one and not particularly a Brownite, and, secondly, I greatly enjoy reading this blog for its overall fairness and calmness of tone.
David Lindsay: Got your bum smacked there boyo!
Just cos Cameron's 'family' (ie parents) have a holiday home on a Scottish Island doesn't make it wrong to point out that the English are subsidising the much increased per capita state spending in Scotland over england, or that it takes more votes to get a Tory elected in England than a Labour MP in Scotland, or that Scottish MPs can influence things which affect English people, but english MPs cannot likewise reciprocate over Scottish affairs, or that England subsidises Scotland by billions a year, or.....need I continue.
If my mum has a caravan in Cornwall, would I not be allowed to criticise the Cornish?
If I had a small flat in Brussels would I not be allowed to criticise the Belgiums?
Chris Huhne 'has made the more impressive start'? Compared to Lewis Hamilton?
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