political commentator * author * publisher * bookseller * radio presenter * blogger * Conservative candidate * former lobbyist * Jack Russell owner * West Ham United fanatic * Email iain AT iaindale DOT com
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
Alistair Darling: Trust Me, I'm from the Government
Ronald Reagan once said that the most frightening sentence in the English language is... Trust me, I'm from the government and I'm here to help. Never a truer word spoken, especially today. Picture credit: JamieD
Credit due to JamieD for that poster. Pretty much sums up the nightmare for Labour... How can we worry and alienate every parent in the land? Oh, I know....
Somebody better find those disks - or at least claim they have. (Excuse my cynicism)
This government has utterly lost its authority. I'm watching Jane Kennedy MP who is Financial Secretary to the Treasury on skynews. How typical. She can't even pronounce Price Waterhouse CooperS properly.
I also laughed out loud at Alistair "trust me" Darling's bold statement that the banks would pay out to anyone whose identity had been stolen and accessed their bank account as a result of this. Clearly he has never tried talking to an actual bank as an ordinary customer in such circumstances - invariably the request is met with blanket denial and disinterest by the branch and letters refusing to admit any liability whatsoever. Check out consumer websites - people often have to go to court to convince their beloved bank to settle.
What this does point a finger out though is the deplorable state of the "outsourced" civil service with overpaid private contractors offering lazy, indifferent service and running rings round the equally lazy and incompetent civil servants paid to "manage" their contracts.
alert, alert, Labour astroturfer detected @ 16:52.
Silly assertion #1: repeated demonstration that government cannot be trusted to look after people's data means nothing, and analogy is drawn between the hated ID cards that are just a tool of government control, and flying, which is a manifestation of freedom.
Silly assertion #2: competent graphic artist is incapable of filling a canvas with black, typing some text on the top, and sticking a couple of pieces of cut and pasted art, inside two hours, and it's proof of a Tory conspiracy.
alert, alert, Labour astroturfer detected @ 16:52.
Silly assertion #1: repeated demonstration that government cannot be trusted to look after people's data means nothing, and analogy is drawn between the hated ID cards that are just a tool of government control, and flying, which is a manifestation of freedom.
Silly assertion #2: competent graphic artist is incapable of filling a canvas with black, typing some text on the top, and sticking a couple of pieces of cut and pasted art, inside two hours, and it's proof of a Tory conspiracy.
This just represents the whole slip shod attitude of this Labour government that is now pevading the civil servise. I was just watching the BBC News 24 and they were saying its not Darlings fault and that they feel sorry for him. Just like they used to say when a Tory minister had a problem, I dont think. We need to get rid of this lot, They cannot run a whelk stall never mind a country
It's a good poster and fair political game but, seriously, can Alistair Darling be held responsible because a junior official in Customs and Excise (not even in the Treasury) does something stupid in defiance of regulations? I guess we'll see as more comes to light about this story but, base don what we know currently, I think calling for hsi resignation over this is holding him to an unrealistically high standard.
I agree about ID cards, though. This should kill them off once and for all.
I think Darling looks too young and almost good looking in the poster. I've been reading the BBC's Have your Say and the Daily Mail's website and the proverbial is really hitting the fan. The public is absolutely furious about this -it's not just the political anoraks squawking.
I don't think Labour will ban ID cards because of this - they never learn. But if the country is sensible enough we can stop it ourselves by voting Brown out and Cameron in.
Blair must be kicking himself that he didn't hang on for a bit longer. If Brown was still at the treasury, he may have been completely discredited by recent events and lost his leverage over Blair.
The opposition should bring a motion of no confidence in the government to the house.
I'm a floating voter too - I have no established political preference but I know that this blunder is far too serious to be forgotten about it. A change of government as a result should do much to make sure the next administration will take the appropriate care.
Peter Whale said "Has Darling got any little darlings? If so are his details on those discs? Or are MPs on a different set up to us proles?"
Certainly the proposal for the ID card databases were that 'celebrities' and politicians and their families were going to have an entirely different level of security to we proles, so that people couldn't try and get hold of their private information for evil ends. Presumably it'll be nice and easy for them to rip off Joe Bloggs details for some ID fraud then...
The only comfort I take (having two small children of my own) is that, please God, Kiltie's records were stolen too.
If I had the disks the temptation to buy embarrassing stuff - a bag of nappies and a rocking-horse, maybe - and have them delivered to his work address would be too great to resist.
Good graphic, at such short notice.
ReplyDeleteGovernment credibility crumbles. Gotterdammerung.
Credit due to JamieD for that poster. Pretty much sums up the nightmare for Labour... How can we worry and alienate every parent in the land? Oh, I know....
ReplyDeleteSomebody better find those disks - or at least claim they have. (Excuse my cynicism)
This government has utterly lost its authority. I'm watching Jane Kennedy MP who is Financial Secretary to the Treasury on skynews. How typical. She can't even pronounce Price Waterhouse CooperS properly.
ReplyDeleteIt's too easy to make Alastair Darling the scapegoat for this catastrophe.
ReplyDeleteThe blame surely lies with Gordon Brown. He had ten years to sort this out. He didn't.
At the very least there should be a Labour leadership contest - if not, the public should demand a general election.
Labour are not fit to govern this country.
Your assertion that this will kill off ID cards is ridiculous,
ReplyDeleteThat is like saying that the 9/11 attacks should kill off air travel
Came up with that poster very quick. I smell a mole at HMRC.
They just popped the disks in the post - not even recorded delivery!
ReplyDeleteHow can this shower lecture us about data protection?
This is beyond belief.
Bloody funny Iain, well done.
ReplyDeleteI also laughed out loud at Alistair "trust me" Darling's bold statement that the banks would pay out to anyone whose identity had been stolen and accessed their bank account as a result of this. Clearly he has never tried talking to an actual bank as an ordinary customer in such circumstances - invariably the request is met with blanket denial and disinterest by the branch and letters refusing to admit any liability whatsoever. Check out consumer websites - people often have to go to court to convince their beloved bank to settle.
What this does point a finger out though is the deplorable state of the "outsourced" civil service with overpaid private contractors offering lazy, indifferent service and running rings round the equally lazy and incompetent civil servants paid to "manage" their contracts.
Anything and I mean anything involving computers and Government is a disaster. Sack the lot of them.
ReplyDeletealert, alert, Labour astroturfer detected @ 16:52.
ReplyDeleteSilly assertion #1: repeated demonstration that government cannot be trusted to look after people's data means nothing, and analogy is drawn between the hated ID cards that are just a tool of government control, and flying, which is a manifestation of freedom.
Silly assertion #2: competent graphic artist is incapable of filling a canvas with black, typing some text on the top, and sticking a couple of pieces of cut and pasted art, inside two hours, and it's proof of a Tory conspiracy.
alert, alert, Labour astroturfer detected @ 16:52.
ReplyDeleteSilly assertion #1: repeated demonstration that government cannot be trusted to look after people's data means nothing, and analogy is drawn between the hated ID cards that are just a tool of government control, and flying, which is a manifestation of freedom.
Silly assertion #2: competent graphic artist is incapable of filling a canvas with black, typing some text on the top, and sticking a couple of pieces of cut and pasted art, inside two hours, and it's proof of a Tory conspiracy.
Gordon Brown must be just about the unluckiest British politician of all time, forget the footie, this is ghastly.
ReplyDeleteDo you think God is trying to tell him something?
This just represents the whole slip shod attitude of this Labour government that is now pevading the civil servise. I was just watching the BBC News 24 and they were saying its not Darlings fault and that they feel sorry for him. Just like they used to say when a Tory minister had a problem, I dont think.
ReplyDeleteWe need to get rid of this lot, They cannot run a whelk stall never mind a country
It's a good poster and fair political game but, seriously, can Alistair Darling be held responsible because a junior official in Customs and Excise (not even in the Treasury) does something stupid in defiance of regulations? I guess we'll see as more comes to light about this story but, base don what we know currently, I think calling for hsi resignation over this is holding him to an unrealistically high standard.
ReplyDeleteI agree about ID cards, though. This should kill them off once and for all.
I think Darling looks too young and almost good looking in the poster.
ReplyDeleteI've been reading the BBC's Have your Say and the Daily Mail's website and the proverbial is really hitting the fan. The public is absolutely furious about this -it's not just the political anoraks squawking.
I don't think Labour will ban ID cards because of this - they never learn.
ReplyDeleteBut if the country is sensible enough we can stop it ourselves by voting Brown out and Cameron in.
Judith, Gordon Brown is turning into the Fast Show's Unlucky Alf:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jJK-G9-dLzw&feature=related
I don't think Darling can be blamed for this.
ReplyDeleteBlair must be kicking himself that he didn't hang on for a bit longer. If Brown was still at the treasury, he may have been completely discredited by recent events and lost his leverage over Blair.
Sehr geEhrter Iain
ReplyDeleteI hope that you will forgive my vulgar curiosity
However, I would like to know the cost to the Taxpayer of the Severance package for the resigning Head of the Revenue
Do you or does any of your Commenters know !!??
Presumably he will not have gone without securing his Financial Future
.... and presumably this will be paid to him in a tax-efficient way to minimise the tax he has to pay
Yr obedient servant etc
G Eagle
The opposition should bring a motion of no confidence in the government to the house.
ReplyDeleteI'm a floating voter too - I have no established political preference but I know that this blunder is far too serious to be forgotten about it. A change of government as a result should do much to make sure the next administration will take the appropriate care.
Has Darling got any little darlings? If so are his details on those discs? Or are MPs on a different set up to us proles?
ReplyDeleteI do hope all the newspapers demand Brown's head!
ReplyDeleteDon't worry, Pickles will be on hand to find the disc in a bush somewhere.
ReplyDeletePeter Whale said "Has Darling got any little darlings? If so are his details on those discs? Or are MPs on a different set up to us proles?"
ReplyDeleteCertainly the proposal for the ID card databases were that 'celebrities' and politicians and their families were going to have an entirely different level of security to we proles, so that people couldn't try and get hold of their private information for evil ends. Presumably it'll be nice and easy for them to rip off Joe Bloggs details for some ID fraud then...
The only comfort I take (having two small children of my own) is that, please God, Kiltie's records were stolen too.
ReplyDeleteIf I had the disks the temptation to buy embarrassing stuff - a bag of nappies and a rocking-horse, maybe - and have them delivered to his work address would be too great to resist.
there's a new facebook group called 'I have been affected by one of the the HMRC's cock-ups':
ReplyDeletehttp://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=7436017390
should be one of the biggest groups on Facebook if everyone affected joins it...
glad to say i was the second member!
Our Ancestors in England fought long and hard over a millenium so that inept communist anti-English Scottish MP's can misrule this country.
ReplyDeleteOr as they would prefer, the "Regions of Yoo Kay".
Enjoy.