Voters Trash Clegg’s Failed Fairness Mantra

Tobin Distanced Himself From Robin Hood Tax Protesters | FT
Tories Must Move on From Gay Marriage | Ben Brogan
Has the Right Split Irrevocably? | Iain Martin
Dave’s Woes Stem From 2010 | Janan Ganesh
Cameron Has Trashed His Own Brand | Rachel Sylvester
Secret of Farage’s Success | Prospect
It Was Beeb Not Tabloids That Smeared Help For Heroes | Speccie
Alternatives to Business For Britain Are Muppets | Charlie Mullins
Obama Counsel Knew of IRS Claims Weeks Ago | WSJ
Bunga Bunga Trial: Dancing Girls, Nuns, Nurses & Obama | Reuters
Dave Must Learn From Conan the Barbarian | James Kirkup

TUESDAY, MAY 21, 2013

Voters Trash Clegg’s Failed Fairness Mantra

Clegg’s strategy in coalition has been to promote the LibDems as the party of fairness. Apparently with no sense of irony, he has attacked the Tories for failing to “adopt the politics of fairness”, told Martha Kearney he is the“voice of fairness” in government, and dreamt up that catchy-as-it-is-believable slogan “Building a fairer Britain”. Unfortunately for Nick, repeating something over and over doesn’t mean the public will believe him.

A YouGov poll out this morning finds only 6% think Clegg would be the most effective leader at making Britain a fairer place. Nearly double that, 11%, choose Nigel Farage as the fairest party leader. There’s bad news for Ed too, he comes second to Dave by 21% to 19%. Topping the poll is public apathy: 29% said no leader could deliver a fairer society. People might disagree about what fairness means, but nearly everyone agrees Clegg won’t deliver it…

WATCH: Bercow Announces Nigel Evans Office Searched

The Speaker has announced that with a Warrant from Preston Crown Court, he allowed a Member’s office to be searched.

“I wish to report to the House that the rooms of a Member were searched yesterday pursuant to a warrant issued by the Circuit Judge in Preston Crown Court on 16 May. The warrant related to the investigation of a serious arrestable offence.
I should remind Members, as did my predecessor in 2008, that the precincts of Parliament are not a haven from the law. In accordance with the Protocol issued by my predecessor on 8 December 2008 on the execution of search warrants within the precincts of the House of Commons, I considered the warrant personally and was advised by Officers of the House that there were no lawful grounds on which it would be proper to refuse its execution.
In addition, as provided for in paragraph 6 of the Protocol, I consulted the Attorney General and the Solicitor General who concurred in this advice. I am very grateful to them. The Clerk of the House was kept fully informed throughout, and also concurred.
The Serjeant at Arms and Speaker’s Counsel were present when the search was conducted. Undertakings have been given by the police officers as to the handling of any Parliamentary material until such time as any issue of privilege is resolved.
The investigation is continuing and it would not be right to comment further. I will not take questions on my statement.”

Nigel Evans was arrested and held at Preston Police Station at the beginning of the month…

Gay Marriage Fight Risks Diluting Credibility

Things are getting tetchy in the big gay marriage bun fight ahead of the vote later. Labour seem to have realised they risked ruining the whole Bill by playing politics and voting for Tim Loughton’s amendment, so Yvette Cooper has run to the airwaves to declare that Labour are putting down their own amendment to expand Civil Partnerships to heterosexual couples. Something they opposed in government but see a chance here to give Dave another bloody nose over.
Opportunism! Foul play, cry the Tories who point out that Labour are being cheeky: “The opposition have tabled a manuscript note to our amendment, it is not a separate amendment. Our amendment already has the provision to allow an immediate consultation, it says up to 5 years”. But when would this happen? Labour want one immediately while the Tories counter: “We hadn’t ruled out doing one immediately. We hadn’t specified when it would happen.” Confused? Guido is almost swivel-eyed with boredom… 

The Dubious Judgement of the Europhile Crowd

The Indy were rather chuffed with their “some of Britain’s most successful and eminent business leaders” having a go at Eurosceptics in their paper this morning. A little dig into who these signatories are should wipe the smile off their faces:

• Roland Rudd – corporate lobbyist for multinational firms and campaigner for Britain’s membership of the single currency which he still believes in.
• Richard Branson – non domciled, campaigned for Britain to join the Euro and wants a single European army.
• Martin Sorrell – Chief executive of advertising agency WPP – Roland Rudd’s boss who owns Rudd’s Finsbury PR.
• Dame Helen Alexander – former chief executive of the Economist.
• Lord Kerr – Foreign Office and UKREP career as a diplomat who helped draft the EU constitution.
• Sir Andrew Cahn – career civil servant and worked for Lord Kinnock at the EU Commission, who infamously with his wife Glenys received more than £10 million in pay, allowances and pension entitlements during their time working at the European Union in Brussels.
• Sir Nigel Sheinwald – non exec director of Shell, who brokered the ‘deal in the desert’ between Tony Blair and former Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi.
• Sir Roger Carr – Chairman of Centrica who criticises business for their “greed” while hiking energy costs. Outgoing President of the Euro-loving CBI.

The usual suspects and men of dubious judgement. They might as well have got Huhne to sign it…

See also: Some More “Guilty Men”

WATCH: The Loons Fight Back

Tory councillor and now former chairman of the Merton Conservative Association, Richard Hilton, is defecting to UKIP, describing loongate as“the final straw”. Five other Merton councillors are also defecting. It’s going to be a long week for Dave…

Champagne and iPhones – on the Taxpayer, Natch
+NHS England Blow £177,028 on iPhones For Staff+
+Parliament’s £280,000 Deal for Exclusive Wines+

There was plenty of your cash being artfully projected up walls in this week’s Sun column. Firstly Guido revealed that NHS England, the new public body set up to implement Tory health reforms, has blown a staggering £177,028 on top-of-the-range iPhones. 400 to be precise – enough to pay for seven newly trained nurses. Which makes you wonder about their “key aim of securing the best possible health outcomes for patients by prioritising them in every decision it makes.”

Over in Parliament, the Men in Tights have awarded snooty wine merchants Ellis of Richmond a £280,000 contract “for the supply of a global selection of quality still and sparkling wines” for the House of Commons wine list. MPs were“seeking to appoint a single supplier, who can demonstrate that they have the ability to consistently supply the best quality Wines, Sparkling Wines, and Champagnes” which “are not widely available on the High Street”.
Of course none of that ordinary common plonk would be good enough for the subsidised boozers who rule over us.

Farage Telegraph Advert Courts Tories

More defections expected this week…

Via Telegraph.