Micturition in the same pot - by Richard... Monday, June 06, 2011

Micturition in the same pot - by Richard... Monday, June 06, 2011

Regular readers will know that I've had my doubts about Tim Montgomerie and his "Uncle Tom" website Conservative Home. Those doubts are now fully supported as we see his blog join The Guardian as a "content partner" – alongside "feminists" and the neo Marxist Left Foot Forwards.

And, to consummate the nuptials, we have a vomit-inducing piece from the self-same Tim Montgomerie, headed "Cameron must start worrying about Europe" - sitting on the Guardianwebsite. It tells us that "David Cameron already has the NHS and crime on his list of challenges. But his Eurosceptic credentials are widely doubted".

This is straight out of the muppet school of politics, the fare of the fool Oborne, and an insult to the intelligence of any reader who can muster more brain cells than Montgomerie has fingers. All together now: Euroslime Dave has no Eurosceptic credentials. He is a rabid Europhile.

However, the main news of this particular post is the marriage of The Guardian and Conservative Home. Had anyone had ventured that this might happen, even a year ago, they would have been dismissed as a blathering madman. But now, impossible things come to pass ... proving once again that the political classes are all partaking in joint micturition exercises, mostly on the rest of us.

As another one sells out, though - corrupting the word "independent" - we need our own voices, much more than ever. At least not being on the ConHome blogroll is now a badge of honour.

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Tax bandit - by Richard...

In recent months the aviation industry has suffered badly, according to Giovanni Bisignani, IATA's outgoing general secretary. Describing the the UK Government as a “tax bandit”, Mr Bisignani said Britain imposed the highest aviation taxes in the world.

Well, somebody has to pay for all those climate change officers.

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'Elf and Safety - by Richard...

Is this what our people fought and died for?

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Do it yourself - by Richard...

If one had time to do a really serous job in analysing the day's news, one would certainly pick up the warningfrom the head of Airbus that the EU faces a trade war with China and other powerful countries over plans to make international airlines pay for their carbon emissions.

Tom Enders, Airbus chief executive, has joined the region's top airlines to tell EU climate commissioner, Connie Hedegaard, that "it is madness to risk retaliation" from such influential players.

One might also note The Daily Mailstory, which has Hague and it pretend wife slumming in on a £3000 short break, proving that he is "one of us" and that we're all in this together, as we deal with approaching penury.

It would then be difficult to avoid noticing that a huge number of councils are not taking this "cuts" business seriously, and have not prepared (or had approved) proper plans for cutting spending. And we would note in passing the plans to give Huhne as hard time on his electoral expenses.

It might have been fun to do a ruminative piece about the SAAB Gripen, based on this, and wonder how it is that British and US economies (amongst others) seem to be determined spend more and more on defence equipment, to the point where it becomes unaffordable.

A quick look at Greece would be obligatory, where prime minister Papandreou is supposedly starting "a campaign of austerity" on a nation already seething over corruption and economic mismanagement. As if we did not already know, unease is growing within Papandreou's ranks about the consequences of waves of budget cuts demanded under successive deals with the European Union and IMF.

In considering this, we might look in at Roger Bootle, telling us that there has been another deal stitched up to help Greece, but "it won't necessarily solve the problem". Where would we be without these great sages, to keep us informed and to tell us what to think ... not that the Greeksare listening.

A quick glance at Chile might also be of interest, where they are having their own volcano problems (pictured) and are cancelling airline flights. It would be interesting to see how the authorities handle it there, compared with their European counterparts.

Then in the paywall Times, we see a story about "people power", where there are to be "local votes" to axe unwanted road signs. This seems a classic, clogging up the system with trivia, giving the appearance of vesting some power to the people, but in fact reserving all the real power to themselves. You won't find any rush to Referism here.

All this and more awaits ... but there is no time. Then, if you want a job done properly ...