Linking to Me Will Mean More Hits For You

Thank you to everyone who has a link to me on your blogroll. If I haven't added a link to your blog yet, please let me know and I will do so. If you'd like to use the above image to put in your links section you just need to add a little bit of HTML code into your template.

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Or if you fancy a slightly different design...

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What this will achieve for your blog is a higher ranking in my monthly referral rankings and therefore more visitors to your own site. And then we're all happy!

And thanks to Theo Spark for square images and idea. And to Blue Torch Solutions who gave me the first image and the last one.

Top Ten Signs John Prescott is On His Way Out

10. Junior Minister at the Department of Health resigns for mysterious reasons
9. Quango Chief Executive resigns for mysterious reasons
8. Prescott stages sit in at Number Ten
7. Iain Dale spotted buying bulk order of "I Got Him in the End" T Shirts
6. Alan Johnson caught ordering "Deputy Prime Minister" business cards on the Internet
5. Stephen Pound MP gives Prescott his full support in Newsnight interview
4. Stephen Pound MP withdraws support in Newsnight interview the following night
3. Prezza does a Hezza and walks out of Cabinet
2. Guido Fawkes outs two other Prezza conquests
1. Colin Brown writes "Prescott About to Quit" story in the Indy

Tomorrow I'll be Mostly Blowing Bubbles

Those of you who know me will know how excited I am about tomorrow. It's the first of my pilgramges to the Academy of Football that is Upton Park. After the fantastic year West Ham had last year, it's difficult to imagine that this season will surpass the last one. But at this stage in the football calender we live in hope - even Watford fans can do that. Tomorrow West Ham take on Charlton. There are usually a few goals to be seen in this fixture. I;m mildly concerned that Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink is playing for the Addicks. He's scored 12 goals against the Hammers in recent years. Sadly we'll be without the very unlucky Dean Ashton and also Matty Etherington. But otherwise we're pretty well full strength.

So far, 126 teams have signed up to my Fantasy League. Quite amazing. If you still haven't entered a team but would like to do so, you have until 11.30am tomorrow (Saturday) to do it. I'll put up a prize of £100 worth of books and CDs for the winner. To enter a team (there's no charge!) click HERE. When you've registered your details, follow the instructions to select your team. When you've done that you need to join the Iain Dale League by typing this code 239252-43069 into the relevant box.

More 4 News Debate on Freedom of Speech: Dale v MPAC

Prepare for a Mrs Merton style heated debate this evening when I go on More4 News to debate the Inigo Wilson situation with someone from the Muslim Public Affairs Committee. Feel free to use the Comments section to suggest succinct lines of attack/defence I might usefully deploy. Perhaps Verity might be encouraged to abstain though...! More4 News is on at 8pm.

UPDATE: 23.22pm Thanks for all the suggestions. Very helpful. I reckon it was a score draw. Ashgar Bukhari was a lot less excitable than his previous media appearances, but with only 4 minutes how is it possible to develop a real debate? I made some of the points I had intended to, but didn't get the first or the last word. Message to self: must do better.

More media tarting this weekend...

Saturday: BBC News 24 paper review 11.45pm
Sunday: Sky News Sunrise feature on blogging
Sunday 8.15am BBC Asian Network
Sunday 10.45am Sky News Sunday with Adam Boulton taling about John Prescott with...Steve Pound MP!

Well Done to the Daily Telegraph

Hats off to the Daily Telegraph (this is becoming a bit like Glenda Slagg in Private Eye!) where Toby Helm picks up my "John Prescott/George Bush is Crap" story below today in their story HERE. Slightly fewer hats off to the Independent who didn't name this blog as their source.

UPDATE: James Chapman of the Daily Mail also picks up the story, as does Gabriel Milland in the Daily Express HERE.

Top Ten Signs the Daily Telegraph is in Trouble

10. Extensive coverage of recent fighting between the Israelis and the lesbians
9. Simon Heffer appointed Fashion Editor

8. Latest leader column begins "Well, I mean like..."
7. Alice Thomson & Rachel Sylvester in newsroom catfight
6. Kelvin MacKenzie appointed Chief Headline Writer
5. Tabloid edition plans aborted as average reader age reaches 79
4. Obituary includes list of people they wish were dead
3. Jonathan Isaby spotted in Celia Walden's lycra shorts
2. Pages 2 through 20 are corrections of previous edition
1. W F Deedes is appointed the new editor
With apologies to David Letterman

EXCLUSIVE: Prescott Caught Lying Again Over 'Crap' Comment

This morning's Independent carried a front page story with the headline BUSH IS CRAP SAYS PRESCOTT. It took Prescott's office several hours before issuing a denial that he had said any such thing. Even Labour MP Harry Cohen's appearance on the radio this morning (and just now on 5 Live) confirming he was at the "private" meeting at which Prescott made his remarks and heard him say it, didn't divert the Deputy PM from his vehement denials.

After a hard morning's travails running the country (well, sitting in Number Ten watching John Reid run the country and ringing up various political journalists on the Indy to berate them, I should have said) he repaired to the Terrace Cafeteria in the House of Commons for lunch. Sadly he made the mistake of sitting down near a couple of twitchy eared parliamentary researchers, one of whom has had the foresight to report to your humble servant what happened next...

"Prescott in shirtsleeves in Terrace Cafeteria with two male staff. Quite empty - plenty of free tables, but they sat at one within easy earshot of various other staff and spoke loudly (what if he were discussing state secrets?!). Conversation (with his mouth full - yuk) littered with plenty of swearing - then they got onto discussing today's headlines about his alleged remarks on President Bush.

Prescott: "All these people saying 'Prescott should be sacked' is rubbish - 80% of them agree with me"
Aide -"I haven't seen the polls, but I think you're right"
Prescott : "All this sh*t with the press…" [the rest indistinct, but something about meeting someone in a restaurant or a pub to avoid the media]

And, for someone "busy" (or "bizi" running the country, he had a leisurely time - they left lunch at around twenty to three!)

My source who witnessed the episode said:

"It was unbelieveable - he's publicly denied his comments about Bush, but today he was justifying them to his aides. And if he wanted to avoid being overheard, why did he choose one of the most gossipy places in Britain to talk about it loudly? Will he never learn? I was quite alarmed in the current climate to think he might talk about secret intelligence in the same careless way."

So it's quite clear that by him saying "All these people saying 'Prescott should be sacked' is rubbish - 80% of them agree with me", he is admitting that he did say 'Bush is crap'. Another day, another lie...

John Prescott's Crap Comment: The Truth

Check back this evening for a bird's eye account of Prescott admitting that he DID say Bush is Crap. His office is briefing that he never said any such thing, but he should remember that walls have ears. Full details later. Such a tease, eh?

Putting Party Political Broadcasts on YouTube

In 1998 I produced a 3 hour video of PARTY POLITICAL BROADCASTS: THE GREATEST HITS, sad git that I am. The following year I brought out AMERICAN POLITICAL COMMERCIALS: THE GREATEST HITS. It occurred to me that it would be a great idea to put each of the hundred and thirty PPBs and American Commercials onto YouTube, so they can be available to everyone. However, I haven't the faintest idea how to do it because I don't have a digital editing suite to capture them each as MPEGs. If anyone out there fancies performing a public service by helping me (I'm not profiting from it!) do email me by clicking on the icon in the left hand column. For those who can't wait for them to appear on YouTube, you can still buy the videos HERE and HERE.

Channel 4 News Morning Report Podcast

My weekly Blog podcast on Channel 4 News Morning Report can be heard HERE or via the More4 News Blog HERE.. I talk about the Ahmadenijad Blog, Guido's story of a Minister smoking a joint and my blog of the week is Slugger O'Toole. Also mentioned are Deep Stoat and Peter Hopkins.

Conservative Party Board Sells out to Blackpool (Again)

Jonathan Isaby has a story in today's Spy column in the Telegraph which will send a chilld own many a Tory's spine - including mine...

It's the news that thousands of Tory activists - not to mention Westminster's legion of political journalists - have been dreading: the Conservative Party conference will be returning to Blackpool next year. It had been thought that the 2005 conference was to have been the last in the tatty Lancashire resort, with party chairman Francis Maude indicating a preference for cities such as Bath or Newcastle. But I can reveal that the party's ruling board has opted to return to the land of kiss-me-quick hats, donkeys and mushy peas."We are still looking at different venues for the future, but yes, we will be back in Blackpool next year," confirms a senior party source."They want us there and always look after us."The first Tory MP I called to impart the news was unimpressed."Please tell me you're joking," he said, aghast. "God, I can't think of anywhere I'd rather go less. I'll definitely be giving it a miss."

All I can say is that the Party must have got a bloody good deal. I'm sure someone will correct me if I am wrong, but it is the Party Board that will have made this decision rather than the Party Chairman, Francis Maude himself. They must want their collective heads read. They will no doubt trot out the usual excuses of other places not having enough beds blah blah blah. Rubbish. There will come a point when people just won't attend a Blackpool conference. They are fed up with over-priced, unclean, unwelcoming hotels. They're fed up with the appalling facilities in the Winter Gardens, which despite us being told that millions have been spent on refurbishment, appear to be in the same state of appalling decor each time we go there.

Before anyone starts attacking me for having an anit-northern bias, hold your fire. I wrote THIS about Manchester in March and assumed that the Party would be looking to make a return visit for an Autumn conference. I expect that the real reason is that Blackpool was willing to subsidise the event to a huge extent, while Manchester was demanding a lot of money. Whatever happened to the £100 million that Lord Harris of Carpets promised to raise for the Party if David Cameron became leader?

Spectator Poll Shows Support for Aggressive Foreign Policy

The Spectator will today publish a YouGov poll with opinion sampled on Monday and Tuesday. Here are the highlights:-

*Tony Blair's original plan option of detaining suspects without charge for up to 90 days by three-to-one (69% to 23%)
*73% agree that “the West is in a global war against Islamic terrorists who threaten our way of life” while only 8 per cent think that “Islamic terrorism is a regional problem that poses no real threat to the West”.
* When asked whether Britain should change its foreign policy in response to terrorism, just 12% say that it should be made more conciliatory, against 53% who say it should become more aggressive and 24% who want no change.
* A majority of 55% to 29% of the public supports the introduction of 'passenger profiling' by the authorities in airports.
* Half of respondents said that most British Muslims are moderates, but 28% disagreed and almost as many said they didn't know.
* People are increasingly preparing for a long, bitter and potentially bloody struggle, with 60% of respondents saying they expect the threat from terror groups to worsen over time.
* Only 6% said they thought the conflict against Islamic terrorists would last five years or less and 18% believe that it will be over within 10 years.
* Fewer than a quarter of respondents accuse British politicians of deliberately exaggerating the threat and only a small majority think Tony Blair should have returned home to oversee the emergency. However, they do think that more should have been done by the government to increase airport security prior to 10 August.
* When offered the choice of maintaining the current close relationship with the US, switching to closer links with Europe or an unspecified third course of action (which could be an independent foreign policy), the public turned en masse against America. A mere 15% believe that Britain should continue to align herself closely with the US, against 46% who said that we should position ourselves closer to Europe instead. 29% support neither option.

Stephan Shakespeare, co-chief executive of YouGov, comments: “The British people now feel that they are in a global war with terrorism, and one that will last ten years or more. But that doesn't mean they have bought into the American 'neo-con' view of the future - even though they recognise the threat, and want a more aggressive response from the UK.”

YouGov interviewed 1,696 respondents online, weighted to be representative of Great Britain's population, on 14 and 15 August 2006.

Bush is Crap Says Prescott

And in other news tonight, Prescott says Merkel is Scheisse and Chirac is Merde...

But seriously, BUSH IS CRAP SAYS PRESCOTT is actually the headline on the front page of the Independent today. He apparently said it in a private meeting, and his office isn't denying it.

And in tomorrow's news, PRESCOTT AN EXAMPLE TO US ALL SAYS DICK CHENEY

Iain Dale & Tony Benn Agree Shock

Well who'd have thunk it. I agree with Bob Piper and Tony Benn. Jesus. Where will it all end?

Ask the powerful 5 questions
1. What power have you got?
2. Where did you get it from?
3. In whose interest do you exercise it?
4. To whom are you accountable?
5. How can we get rid of you?

Only democracy gives us that right. That is why no-one in power likes democracy - and that is why every generation must struggle to win it and keep it. Including you and me - here and now.

The difference between Tony Benn and me is that I believe that these rights should be afforded to the people of Iraq. I rather suspect he doesn't.

Cameron Unveils Built to Last Document

Newsnight will be doing a feature on David Cameron's new Built to Last document tonight. They're also blogging about it HERE. Sadly they haven't seen fit to ask me to grace Ms Wark's sofa, so I shall share my views with you now. I did a piece of Channel 4 News earlier but I forgot to watch it to see which piece they used. Bet it was the bit where I said we should be arguing the case for lower taxes (wash my mouth out!).

The new Built to Last document is a great improvement on the first version. It's still a statement of aims and values but more detailed. Apart from the fact that it only talks about flatter and simpler taxes, conveniently omitting the word 'lower', I think it's excellent. It is something that virtually every Conservative should be able to sign up to. It should also give the lie to those who claim the Conservatives are policy-lite. Of course the Party shouldn't have detailed policies in every single area at this point in the electoral cycle, but this document helps cement the foundations of a proper policy forming process.

I think the key part of the Built to Last document is the phrase the 'Responsibility Revolution'. I can't say it's the snappiest slogan I have ever heard, but it has the virtue of meaning something.

I am clear about the new direction we must set for Britain. To meet the challenges of the twenty-first century, and to satisfy people’s aspirations today, this country needs a responsibility revolution. A revolution in personal responsibility – giving every individual the
skills, the resources, and the confidence to take control of their life. A revolution in professional responsibility – giving all those who work in our public services the freedom to fulfil their vocation. A revolution in civic responsibility – giving our neighbourhoods and communities the power to shape their destinies, fight crime and improve the quality of life. A revolution in corporate responsibility – giving business the encouragement and the incentive to help enhance our environment and improve well-being. That is the mission of the modern Conservative Party: a responsibility revolution to create an opportunity society – a society in which everybody is a somebody, a doer not a done-for.

You can download the full Built to Last document HERE.

Inigo Wilson Deserves Our Support

This country has a tradition of protecting free speech. It defends those whose views may offend. So the plight of Mr Inigo Wilson (pic) is one which should concern all those who cherish free speech. Inigo wrote a piece for ConservativeHome a few weeks ago in which he exposed "Leftyspeak". At the end of his article he compiled a Lexicon of Leftyspeak, which was slightly more entertaining than his original article. Before you read on, click HERE to read his article.

Guido has already written HERE about the Muslim Public Affairs Committee demanding that Wilson's employer, Orange, sack him. Orange have suspended Mr Wilson "pending an investigation", as Guido reports HERE. I should at this point explain that I do not know Mr Wilson, have never met him, or to the best of my knowledge spoken to him. But I am going to defend him.

I very much hope that Orange won't appease the self-styled Muslim Public Affairs Committee. Click HERE to see how they have whipped this up into something far bigger than it ever should be. So let's just inject some perspective...

Inigo Wilson's critics should read the whole article. It is an attack on the left's approach to language and the way language is used to shut down debate and promote a particular world view. His definitions of "class" "gender issues" and "race issues" should make it clear to anyone that he is absolutely opposed to stereotyping people collectively but thinks that "how they think, feel or behave as individuals" is rather more important. It's also intended to be satirical. Sadly, his opponents have proved his point for him by their reaction. This is now a serious issue about freedom of speech. Inigo was acting in his private capacity. Orange have a choice - are they on the side of Hezbollah-supporting fanatics (see Athena/A Murphy's posts on ConservativeHome at the end of the thread) - or are they on the side of freedom of speech? Is it still good to talk?

Do also check out THIS Wikipedia entry for the Muslim Public Affairs Committee which is behind the complaint to Orange. Even that bastion of free speech (not), the NUS has banned it from its platforms, apparently.

Let's wait to see what Orange do before we condemn them, but if you are an Orange customer and would like to vent your views to their Media Relations Director Stuart Jackson, here's his email - stuart.jackson@orange.co.uk.

UPDATE: The Muslim Public Affairs Committee describes itself on its website as "the UK's Leading Muslim civil liberties group, empowering Muslims to focus on non-violent Jihad..." Now call me old fashioned, but am I alone in finding the use of the word 'jihad' a little alarming? Perhaps Orange do too...

The Appeasement of Islamic (And Indeed Any Other) Terrorists Must Stop

I came across THIS article by Nile Gardiner titled BRITAIN MUST REJECT APPEASEMENT OF ISLAMIC TERRORISTS. Gardiner is a Fellow of the Washington based Margaret Thatcher Center for Freedom. He writes...

Britain needs a new generation of Muslim leaders who are untainted by association with, or sympathy for, Islamic extremism and who are proud of their British identity. They must be willing to condemn terrorism unequivocally and help root out extremists from Muslim communities. Their role in helping defeat Islamic terrorism will be invaluable.

Read the full article HERE.

Just What Has Prescott Been Doing?

Martin Rosenbaum of the BBC's Open Secrets Blog reckons John Prescott has been doing bugger all for the last two weeks, while supposedly in charge of the country. See HERE.

UPDATE 6.50pm: I am delighted to share with you an email I have just received from the Deputy Prime Minister...

You've said this too much Iain and I know it I've been working oh yes so bloody hard at working and now theres all sorted out I mean we've had terrorists oh yes but the islamic church I mean of course we know and we don't like Islamics who we do like and if Sadiq Khan wants to go round blowing things up and a Labour MP I mean staying an MPs difficult like that but not impossible don't interrupt Jeremy I'm on top of briefs mine are OK oh yes totally in charge only yesterday I went to see Mr Khan and he told me what to tell the press and I have there's nothing at all to worry about my civil servants assure me and it's over a game of croquet or is it cricket oh bloody hell anyway they assure me that all is well the airports are coping British Airways is wonderful doing a wonderful job just terrible and Tony's on his way out oh yes John bloody Paxman and now we know why Ismailis are bombing yes someone told me I think it was that bloody Mandleson bloke anyway as I was saying before you bloody interrupted Jeremy I'm the bloody Prime Deputy Minister and theres nobody (contd page 94).

Health and Safety, You See

Yesterday I visited ITN in Grays Inn Road. When I entered the building I was asked if I minded having my bag searched. No problem, I said. It's a large briefcase type bag, which has a lot of pockets and carries my laptop. I undid the two clasps and expected the man to have a good 'rootle' (as we say in Essex) but he just stood there and looked inside - not that he could see much as it was crammed full. I asked him if he wasn't going to search the bag. Oh no, he said. He couldn't put his hands inside - health and safety, you see. And then came the clincher. "You never know what might be in there!" There's not a lot you can say to that, is there?

Telegraph Urges Cameron (Not) To Attack

The words 'Simon Heffer is away' normally cause my heart to leap with joy when I read the Daily Telegraph nowaways. But his ghost still seems responsible for writing the editorial today which criticizes David Cameron for attacking the Government yesterday. But just when I thought things couldn't get worse the Telegraph I see they have hired Bruce Anderson to write for them. Still, I suppose it will be a novelty for the Telegraph to have a pro Cameron columnist on their books. However, his article today is headlined NOW IS THE TIME FOR CAMERON TO ATTACK, which is the very thing the editorial on the next page criticises him for doing! The Telegraph is rapidly losing its way. It's time for them to appoint a new editor who can give it the direction it sorely needs. I just pray it's not Simon Heffer (who is still away).

UPDATE: Further to my piece below about Cameron's speech yesterday, I was talking to a Labour friend earlier who made this observant comment: "Cameron must have got something right in his speech if Prescott has attacked it."