Good morning. Well, here we are, another week. Coups, Iranian government acting like it always does, and at home? Why, this is what we have!
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1196150/Police-right-herd-protesters-say-MPs-condemning-G20-tactics.html
“Police have no right to 'herd' protesters say MPs condemning G20 tactics: The first major review of the 7million pounds operation also said officers who work with their identity numbers hidden or missing should face the 'strongest possible' disciplinary measures”
(EDITOR: About time, too.)
http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/UK-News/G20-London-Protests-Report-Into-Police-Role-Home-Affairs-Committee-Examines-Performance-Officers/Article/200906415322364?lpos=UK_News_Top_Stories_Header_1&lid=ARTICLE_15322364_G20_London_Protests_Report_Into_Police_Role%3A_Home_Affairs_Committee_Examines_Performance_Officers
“The practice of holding protesters in one place for long periods cannot be justified, the Home Affairs Committee report said”
(EDITOR: Sky's take on this)
http://news.scotsman.com/scotland/SNP-will-block-nuclear-arms.5408959.jp
“SNP ministers last night served notice to a future Tory government that they would try to use devolved powers to block new nuclear weapons coming to Scotland”
(EDITOR: This story comes with a 'health warning' as it is written by David Maddox, often considered as a mouthpiece for the Labour Party, so anything he writes is automatically suspect!)
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/guest_contributors/article6597686.ece
“Lose Trident and win the moral war: Forget the financial, military and political arguments, owning nuclear weapons makes us hypocrites”
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/jeremy_clarkson/article6590133.ece
“Why do the police need a spy drone for hippies?”
(EDITOR: Jeremy Clarkson makes a fair point...)
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/banksandfinance/5653589/Government-lambasted-for-further-regulation-reform-delay.html
“Government lambasted for further regulation reform delay: Postponement of White Paper adds to fears that it is no closer to overhauling the banking system”
(EDITOR: “Sir, Sir! Terrible crisis, sir! We can't find they key to the deckchair locker! We can't even BEGIN to start rearranging the deckchairs on the Titanic!”)
http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23712624-details/The+danger+when+Chancellor+and+Governor+fall+out/article.do
“The danger when Chancellor and Governor fall out”
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/5663652/Commons-Speaker-John-Bercow-accused-of-profiting-from-work-as-Government-adviser.html
“Commons Speaker John Bercow accused of profiting from work as Government adviser
The new Commons Speaker has been accused of profiting from his work as a Government adviser on special educational needs: John Bercow was paid £40,000 by a health care firm which hired him after he wrote a report which led to a massive increase in special needs funding”
(EDITOR: I'd like to say that I can't believe this. But, sadly, these days I certainly can believe it.)
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/money/article-1195819/EU-scupper-Treasurys-deal-rescue-Rock.html
“EU could scupper Treasury's deal to rescue Northern Rock”
(EDITOR: No change there, then?)
http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2009/jun/28/fraud-inquiry-government-jobs-scheme
“Recruitment companies getting tens of millions of pounds of taxpayers' money to find jobs for the unemployed are at the centre of a fraud probe after staff made false claims of getting people into work. The Observer found that A4e, one of the government's biggest private contractors, is at the centre of the Department for Work and Pensions inquiries. It is understood that at least two other recruitment companies have been probed by the DWP. Last night Yvette Cooper, the work and pensions secretary, confirmed that investigations were under way and said she could cancel multimillion-pound contracts if widespread fraud was uncovered.”
(EDITOR: I'd like to say that I can't believe this. But, sadly, these days I certainly can believe it. -This opinion is a repeat of an opinion formed on a separate matter several minutes ago)
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/feedarticle/8581767
“Gordon Brown is due to signal a major expansion of private sector involvement in health provision as he fights to revive his political fortunes”
(What?? Still stealing Tory policies?)
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/guest_contributors/article6591202.ece
“Britannia shrivels under Gordon Brown”
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1196014/The-PM-Laureate--Brown-turns-poet-Andrew-Motion-liven-speeches.html
“The PM Laureate... Brown turns to poet Andrew Motion to liven up his speeches”
(EDITOR: Brown wants poems, d'you say? Here's one:
Wee Jimmy Brown,
what a clown!
He always shouts "up",
when he means "down.")
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/8123195.stm
“The editor of the Daily Telegraph has defended his coverage of MPs' expenses, saying suggestions it had irreparably damaged Parliament were "rubbish".”
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1196038/Labour-MP-Denis-MacShane-claims-expenses-laptops--just-years.html
“Labour MP Denis MacShane is facing further questions over his expenses after it was revealed that he claimed for eight laptop computers in just three years”
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/religion/5675166/At-least-85-sharia-courts-operating-in-Britain-says-Civitas-report.html
“At least 85 separate sharia "courts" are now openly functioning in Britain, almost 20 times as many as previously believed, a report by Civitas claims”
(EDITOR: Gordon Brown's Britain. More scary than ever)
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1196070/The-shocking-picture-white-boy-aged-11-converted-Islam-Choudary.html
“This is the shocking picture of a young, white schoolboy being converted to Islam by a cleric linked to a radical Muslim hate preacher”
(EDITOR: Gordon Brown's Britain. Just when you thought it was scary enough)
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/feedarticle/8581924
“Many teenagers armed 'to feel safe'”
(EDITOR: Ditto previous comments)
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1196190/Look-whos-doing-Dave-Ed-Balls-opts-casual-look.html
“Ed Balls took a leaf from David Cameron's book yesterday, adopting the open-neck casual look as he sought to boost his credentials as a Labour leadership contender”
(EDITOR: Either that or he just didn't fancy wearing a tie on a warm, muggy day...)
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article6598065.ece
“Gordon Brown is to try to win back Labour’s core supporters with a pledge to give priority on housing waiting-lists to local residents”
(EDITOR: British houses for British Workers? Sounds familiar, doesn't it?)
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/religion/5673630/Doctors-and-nurses-demand-right-to-pray-for-patients.html
“Doctors and nurses should be able to offer to pray for patients without fear of disciplinary action, a medical conference will hear this week”
(EDITOR: Exactly HOW scary can Gordon Brown's Britain become? Fear of the sack for agreeing to a request for praying with a patient?)
And on that note, I'll bring an end to this article. Though I feel there'll be more to report by teatime.