Ashley Giles

The arrogance of small nation in Europe

2011-03-07T23:24:00.000Z

Of course for decades, Britain was the one and only real super power in the world. We had a sprawling empire and any of the planet's resources at our beck and call. An advantage of this domination was the ability to control any situation, in pretty much any country in the world. Over the past century, this physical status had quickly diminished. But rather arrogantly, the mental thinking that Britain still has such power has continued. We are far from what we once were and the sooner many realise this, the healthier our foreign relations will become.

The British Government's appalling handling of the current situation in Libya is only one of many examples of this arrogance. David Cameron et al really took to this very offensive plan to halt Colonel Gaddafi's attack on his people and remove him from power. Almost out of nowhere. I don't think Cameron had even mentioned Gaddafi while Prime Minister before this. Although Cameron fairly began by simply 'deploring' Gaddafi's actions, the tirade of orders that followed was embarrassing for Britain. Most notably, in Prime Minister's Questions was Cameron's announcement that he "does not rule out the use of military assets" and that he had asked military chiefs to work on a 'no fly zone' over Libya. This is just the UK government making judgments and decisions alone. The United States nor any European nation had been consulted about such plans. Although Cameron had to play down these ideas after being rebuffed by the US, he would of very much liked to have carried them out. Britain are no longer in a position were we can dictate global diplomatic issues, we are an active part of a wider continent. Europe has to be the channel in which the UK voices its opinion, the EU has very strong ties with Libya and we should be making decisions multi-laterally and in cohesion. If we don't, we are only setting ourselves up for costly blunders. The idea of a no fly zone, I think could be effective, however, it must have American support.

The recent WikiLeaks scandal revealed what the parts of the world, notably Hillary Clinton, really thinks of Britain. It's time to stand up and get counted for the country we are today, not act alone in the corpse of the country we used to be. It's time we as a country are realistic about our standing globally, continue to lead on the things we do well but begin to cohere on things we are just not man enough for anymore.

The Referendum

2010-09-15T09:57:00.000+01:00

Next year, probably on May 5th, the UK will once again go to the polls. Not to decide the outcome of an unwinnable election but to indeed decide how we go about such elections. The referendum to decide our voting system, which was a key factor in the coalition agreement, is supported by our default Prime Minister, but not by his secretary/deputy, Nick Clegg. I'm not sure how this is going to work. The Government as a unit is proposing this electoral change and I suppose will publicly push for it, however, it is well documented that Cameron and most of the Conservative contigent of the cabinet are against changing to the Clegg-preferred, AV system.

Voting reform: the options explained

The same questions will arise as we approach the next general election, if the coalition lasts that long, both Clegg and Cameron will campaign for their own parties whilst defending the same Government. Until the point when the cabinet have to get serious about the referendum, they will continue to use the 'It was in the Labour manifesto and now their against it' gag. This is of course true, although where the majority of Conservatives are against the switch, it is only a minority of Labour MP's who a similarly adjacent to the idea. As far as I know, all of the Labour candidates are supportive of changing the system and my view is similar but not at the same level of Nick Clegg or indeed his Yellow Tory Party.

In truth, the UK parliamentary system is archaic; leader of the Greens, Caroline Lucas recently compared it to the Brussels-based, super-contemporary, European Parliament and stated that as we are one of the most developed countries in the world, the UK should be moving with the times and modernising our system as needed. This is one of the few points I will probably ever agree with her on. This is the key. Not changing the literal way in which we elect our government but the way in which parliament runs. I believe that if the Houses of Parliament and the system its working under was actually modernised, all parties would be able to function better and get their views heard in the Chamber. This of course includes the smaller parties who are more in favour of switching our voting system, if they could interact in'direct politics' without the 'motion to solve a query about a bill which was revised in the Lords under another motion about a different bill proposed by an EDM' - that's just stupid, but's that's how it is. The UK are basing politics on the sentiment of keeping our tradition in place. We need an urgent revamp of Parliament, I think changing the voting system is the least of our worries. Direct politics, that's what we need.

The rise of the state comprehensive

2010-08-04T18:33:00.000+01:00

1970's Britain. The state education system was not exactly benefiting from a good reputation and as John Crace rightly points out in his recent 'G2' article, many schools featured rapidly decaying Victorian buildings and other more 'modern' structures were coated in asbestos. These schools continued to endure hard lives as the UK embraced the 80's and another 18 years of Conservative rule. Of course, these Tory rulers were subjected to slightly more privileged surroundings while they were educated.

Eton, Westminster, Winchester and Harrow. Just a few of the schools that have educated Prime Ministers, London Mayors and Royals. But I think that their prestigious reputations of creating the egos to fill the top positions is coming to an end. John Crace compares two schools; Eton, former school of David Cameron, Boris Johnson and Princes William and Harry, with North London comprehensive Haverstock, alma mater to the Miliband brothers, 2012 London mayoral candidate Oona King and Liverpool football player, Joe Cole. And the article makes the obvious point that although Eton has produced some illustrious names; Haverstock could soon boast both the Labour leader and the Mayor of London.

Now, in May, I left the comprehensive school that has taught me for the past five years and taken me through my GCSE programme; Noadswood. It like most other state schools in the UK benefited hugely from the 13 years of Labour who rightly invested huge amounts in education. Noadswood has not quite seen a complete rebuild but has definitely seen huge refurbishment and development; as has Haverstock; which now boasts contemporary buildings with modern classrooms and wide corridors. An age of austerity for the less privileged but not for the more privileged, which will inevitably occur while Tories are in government, will only bring down the continuing success of many state schools whose GCSE results are ever improving as a direct result of this extra investment.

Of course, cuts need to be made, we all acknowledge this, but halting the Building Schools for the Future Programme, then ring fencing the International Development budget is not the way. The need for cuts, I believe, is met equally by some schools with the need for redevelopment. There are schools in this country falling to pieces, literally. Just 3 months in to a coalition, a great mistake has already been made. This doesn't bode well for the next five years of this parliament. If sustained spending can be kept at schools then perhaps the cases of Noadswood and Haverstock can be the cases seen across the UK, I can't see it happening though, not while the coalition is in place. Before the election, the Labour needed the country, now, the country needs Labour.

A stark Miliband bias.

2010-08-01T18:49:00.000+01:00

Up until last night both my 1st and 2nd preferences for Labour leader were taken up by the Miliband brothers. However, last night I watched a replay of the BBC Radio 5 Live debate with Victoria Derbyshire. Now, as every debate has done so far, it completely reaffirmed my support for my 1st preference, Ed Miliband. But it also knocked the David quarter of that family off of his 'Ashley Giles 2nd place perch'. He reminded me of Blair, not that that is an entirely bad thing, but it is not going to give Labour the different direction we need. On the front of David's leaflet his team sent out recently, it tells us on the front cover that he believes ''we need to change the way we do politics'' - very true of course, but his performance suggests that he is more of the same, juts not listening really. Going off on a tangent on questions, so different to Ed though, he quickly referred back to audience members and it seemed like he was really engaging, that is what we need, that is how we should 'do politics'. I also found him quite annoying at times as well and dare I say it, felt like he was talking and remarking like he was somehow better than the rest. That is of course a huge public turn off. I don't doubt his ability however, he was an excellent Foreign Secretary, actually, an outstanding one. And I think he will be again, but under his brother's leadership.

So, on the back of that 'performance' and the other debates, I currently have a top two made up of Ed Miliband and Andy Burnham. First and Second respectively. People talked of the Miliband's being too alike to fight against each other, but I have found that couldn't be more untrue. In personal terms, I find Ed to have his priorities right more so than David, the fact this isn't about one person be elected by many, but many electing one person.It's just about the one leader and what they will do. But it's about how they are going to engage the membership and increase it so the movement is big enough for the new leader to be able to do the things they are suggesting. The factor of the people and the use of the word 'you' is much more prominent across Ed Miliband's campaign who I believe will recreate the people's party.

Support Ed's campaign, click here.

A leader you can depend on, a wage you can depend on

2010-06-16T23:54:00.000+01:00

The Office of National Statistics (ONS) today announced that unemployment in Britain has soared by 20,000 up to 2.47m. However, the most shocking statistic outed was a 29,000 people strong rise in those who were deemed 'economically inactive' meaning they are contributing absolutely nothing to the economy or similar to what a 7 year old would offer. This, of course was layed out to us by coalition clown Chris Grayling, who was quickly demoted from his Shadow Cabinet role of Home Affairs to Employment Minister in the Government. But of course, a Conservative being a conservative preached that the jobless would be back to work soon and they would endeavour to get unemployment levels as low as possible. So, how are you going to do that Mr Grayling? By cutting the Future Jobs Fund, like your coalition have done? No. I don't think so. It is obvious that the new government are taking an attitude of disregard to the threat of mass unemployment and we look set to be once again Con/Dem-ned to the Tory toils of the 1980's.

You cannot reduce unemployment by scrapping grants from the Future Jobs Fund. If anything, the government should be ring fencing such initiative in times like these and supporting Ed Miliband's campaign for a living wage. It was a great thing that the past Labour government set up a minimum wage, but that was only the first step to a truly fairer, living wage for those whom, when it comes down to it, usually work harder in worse conditions. The lowest paid in shops and banks as well as councils need their wage increased, so they can live. The word 'live' is often derived harshly away from its true meaning. But in this case, a LIVING wage doesn't just mean it pays to keep a person from entire subsistence, but it means a person can LIVE their life without having to scrape by, a wage where a person can treat them self every so often, a wage where a the stresses of final demand letters become a thing of the past. A living wage. So I am asking you to support Ed Miliband for Labour leader, he can be a strong realistic leader who can fight against the likes of Chris Grayling and Cameron himself and once again stand up for fairness, equality and social justice that was being built up over the past 13 years under Labour, that in stark contrast, is now in danger of being completely dismantled by an elitist Government.

Support Ed's campaign HERE.

Ed Miliband on the BP oil spill

2010-06-13T19:58:00.002+01:00

Thought I would sort of 're tweet' this statement as he has echoed exactly my view, but in better words:

The Prime Minister and President need to say loud and clear that the most important lesson of Deepwater Horzion is that we need to be serious about weaning ourselves our chronic dependence on oil and the other old ways of providing energy.

We all – not just America – must dramatically reduce our voracious appetite for oil, so that we are not forced to keep drilling ever more deeply under water. If we are serious about alternative energy sources, not only can we create thousands of highly skilled jobs, but we can avoid another disaster like the one that is still going on off the Gulf Coast.

On the immediate crisis, rather than pointing fingers, a proper investigation must establish the responsibilities of BP, the other private companies involved and the American regulatory authorities. Regulators and corporations must act responsibly to protect the public interest.

Ed Miliband

Lost election, new leader!

2010-06-11T20:54:00.001+01:00

I'm in the middle of my GCSE exams at the minute so there is likely to be a few more breaks in my posting. Sorry. To keep the whole thing fresh, I have also given the place a makeover! Hope you like!

Onto the politics, I haven't actually posted since before the Election, so after reading my last post you'll realise how very wrong I was. In fact, I couldn't of be any more incorrect. And although, for obvious reasons, I don't want to dwell on the election, it was very interesting watching how the country didn't take to Nick Clegg as much as the poll said they would and how good, old Gordon finally conceded defeat.

Anyway, moving very swiftly on, to the new leader of the Labour Party! Miliband, Miliband, Burnham, Balls or Abbott? Well, i'm going for Miliband, Ed that is. I don't want to tempt fate but I do believe he is the best option and I do believe he will become our leader. Although I wouldnt begrudge any of the other candidates the leadership, except maybe Ed Balls, but David M is fantastic on foreign affairs and the other three, I believe just don't have the spark needed to salvage Labour, which apparently, is no longer New and the New Statesman-organised leadership debate outlined that, although, Diane Abbott spoke very well on the main talking point of the event, immigration, Balls & Burnham preached the usual "power to the people" talk and David, I'm afraid to say, seem to do a lot of sucking up to various factions who are supporting him, such as young people. Put simply - EM4Labour. Support him now.

And that really has been the hot political topic since the election...oh, except the, ahem, cuts. The cuts devised by George Osborne and David La- Danny Alexander. As unclear as they were, what stood out was a repulsive decision to scrap the Child Trust Fund; an initiative introduced by the former Labour government to support children, financially, once they turn 18. Just another sign of the Conservative minded way in which the finances of the country look set to run over the course of the next Parliament. £6.2 billion has been taken out of the budget, yes, while the economy is still trying to recover. I fear for the future, to tell the truth. £620m comes out of Education and £836m from the Communities budget, the strong infrastructure put in place by Labour, slowly being dismantled. The coalition are criticising the former government for wasting money, so what are they doing now by scraping initiatives and re branding departments?

Anyway, i'll try and keep up the posting, although, there is now the added distraction of a certain tournament taking place in South Africa...

My coalition cabinet

2010-04-24T20:42:00.003+01:00

I hate conceding defeat and I'm not doing so in what I'm going to say in this post, but, my level of optimism for a Labour majority is somewhat waning. So, as a realist, I understand that a Hung Parliament is on the horizon and equally, so is a coalition government. It is widely thought that the only possible combination in such a case would be a coalition between Labour and the Liberal Democrats. In speculation to that, I have decided to lay out who I think would hold the main cabinet positions if the coalition went ahead, drawing from the best talents in the two parties. The rules on appointments during a coalition are unclear, so I have done this clearly on my own opinion.

Cabinet as follows:

Prime Minister: Gordon Brown (Lab)
First Secretary of State/Deputy PM: Nick Clegg (LD)
Chancellor of the Exchequer: Vince Cable (LD)
Home Secretary: Jon Cruddas (Lab)
Foreign Secretary: David Miliband (Lab)
Transport Secretary: Lord Andrew Adonis (Lab)
Leader of the House of Commons: David Heath (LD)
Health Secretary: Alan Johnson (Lab)
Business Secretary: Lord Peter Mandelson (Lab)
Int. Development Secretary: Douglas Alexander (Lab)
Environment Secretary: Chris Huhne (LD)
School and Children Secretary: Ed Davey (LD)
Chief Secretary to the Treasury: Ed Balls (Lab)
Culture Secretary: Ben Bradshaw (Lab)
Olympics Minister: Tessa Jowell
Work and Pensions Secretary and Minister for Equality: Harriet Harman (Lab)
Communities Secretary: Julia Goldsworthy (LD)
Energy Secretary: Ed Miliband (Lab)

11 Labour, 6 Liberal Democrat

I believe this draws on the very best of the two parties while attempting to keep a coalition balance between the two parties. It is crucial, I think, to keep the Miliband brothers in the Cabinet due to their potential in Government. Obviously, Nick Clegg would have to be included in some capacity to avoid national discontent but I feel he does have a talent and connects well with people as does his Lib Dem deputy, Vince Cable. Gordon Brown is the only contender I feel for Prime Minster, Britain needs stability and substantial leadership and with the current reservations over the success of a Hung Parliament, Brown is a given. I am always baffled as to why Jon Cruddas has not been in the Cabinet up to now, he is an excellent candidate and had he won the Labour deputy leadership contest in 2007, things for the party may not be as bad as they are. Ben Bradshaw and Andrew Adonis have done fantastic jobs in their respective posts and should stay. In addition to that, the last thing the Olympics needs at this stage is a change in government minister, so Jowell should stay also.

Although I will only be hoping for a Labour majority come May 6th, I would settle for this cabinet.

The similarity of the salesman

2010-03-21T13:35:00.000Z

The Politics Show with Jon Sopel, today featured a Question Time-styled audience interrogating Liberal Democrat leader, Nick Clegg. Immediately, as Clegg's responses were heard, I felt the presence of a certain David Cameron. In the run up to the election, it has become obvious that Cameron is a salesman who lacks any real substance on policy, but never had I considered Clegg's real qualities as a leader until today. The way Clegg talks, his mannerisms, the smile, they are all strikingly similar to that of the Tory leader.

So, with both parties offering ''change'', they may be best placed to look across the opposition benches at one another and actually try to clarify what sets them a part as leaders and potential prime ministers. Well, only one thing sets them apart of course, policy. Thankfully for Labour, as the polls continue to suggest a hung parliament, the Lib Dems are still far from compromising on policy with the Conservatives; and as much as Clegg will deny it, they are much closer to the Labour Party than any other.

I apologise for stating some of the obvious there, but I found it quite amazing how Cameron and Clegg can be so close yet so far apart. The leader debates will highlight this once again, on personality, Cameron and Clegg may come out on top, but on policy and substance, Gordon Brown has it in the bag.

A future fair for all

2010-02-21T14:26:00.008Z

So, there is our election slogan; "A future fair for all", quite good I think. It was officially launched today with a very good speech by Gordon Brown in Nuneaton. He urged people to "take a second look at Labour and a long hard look at 'them' (assuming he is referring to the Tories...). I think that is exactly correct, the sooner people realise what the effect of a Tory government will be, the better; not just for Labour's election results but for the country in general.

As Alastair Campbell said in his recent blog post, "The consistency of 'a future fair for all' is among its strengths. It underlines Labour's enduring values." I think Campbell hits the nail on the head there, fairness has always been a key component of the Labour Party line and is one of the main reasons I joined. It's also something we need to focus on in the run up to polling day, not just fairness, but the party's ethic and original beliefs that I think we've lost sight of. It is because of those beliefs that the public voted Labour in 1997 in the first place.

I hope this can be the beginning of the most almighty Tory, pre-election demise. We can only hope.

Shame on Moir

2010-02-18T13:37:00.000Z

The Press Complaints Commission has ruled in favour Jan Moir of the Daily Mail. The shamed journalist wrote a repugnant and poorly timed piece just days after the sad death of popstar Stephen Gately in October last year.

After it's publication, the PPC received over 25,000 complaints including ones from Gately's partner, Andrew Cowles. But the commission still decided not to uphold any claims of wrongdoing on Moir's part and said that "should be slow to prevent columnists from expressing their views, however controversial they might be".

Morals; They are something that the PPC, Ofcom or indeed anyone rarely takes into consideration and they clearly did not come into play when the Commission made this awful decision. I'm sorry, but 25,000 people should not be quietened by a isolated panel of no doubt, Daily Mail readers (and Conservatives) which often, only speaks for the minority.

Bad decision. Shame on the PPC. Shame on Moir.

New season, new points and a Russian man...

2010-02-18T12:10:00.002Z

An agreement has finally been reached on a new points system for the Formula One 2010 season which it is hoped will promote a 'race-to-win' attitude.
The new system will see places rewarded in a 25-18-15-12-10-8-6-4-2-1 sequence.
This will make the 2010 season somewhat more exciting, especially at Monaco, drivers will be forced to chase becuase of the big difference between points. This is just a small matter in comparison to all the things that are new for 2010.
The obvious case being Michael Schumacher's return with Mercedes, which is basically Brawn, which is basically Honda etc. Finally, the chance to see Lewis pitted against Schumi, possibly one of the up and coming greatest F1 drivers of all time versus the best driver in F1, ever! But, still, that's not all. Schumacher move to Merc along with fellow German Nico Rosberg creates a 'Team Germany' which will of course bring back memories of the Blitz when they face the 'Team Britain' McLaren pairing of Lewis and reigning world champion, Jenson Button. Oh, it's gonna be good..
However, I have gone through this post without mentioning the fact that there will be 26 drivers on the grid, god knows how they are going to fit them on the grid at Monaco, with the addition of three new teams and the loss of Toyota and any sign of corporate sponsor ship on the new Sauber car. Renault are in a similar position and after the cheating scandal of 2009, only fuel company Total feel the need to sponsor them; they've even handed a drive to some Russian bloke for 2010; Vitaly Petrov, who sounds remarkably like a player produced by the Chelsea academy....
Two 'nation' teams find themselves on the grid as well, Force India we know, but USF1, we do not. They have confirmed another unknown, Jose Maria Lopez as their first driver with a second yet to come and Force India have kept their 2009 line up in tact with the addition of Briton Paul di Resta as their reserve, so providing either Sutil or Liuzzi do shockingly bad, we may well see another British face on the tarmac this year.
Even though, I am now having my doubts, I had earlier predicted Felipe Massa to win the 2010 Championship with the Constructors also going to Ferrari. But with Lewis and Jenson, Schumacher and Alonso. It's going to be tight.

2010 Bahrain Grand Prix, 14th March 2010, Live on the BBC

The Good Of A Storm

2010-01-27T00:45:00.000Z

11:53 local time, 12th January 2010, just south-westerly of the Haitian capital, Port-au-Prince. An earthquake measuring 7.0 on the Richter scale blitzed through the land form of the small Caribbean island. It is two weeks since hell quite literally broke loose and since then the UK alone has raised £40 million from public generosity. This is why I feel there is always good of the storm. After every recent world disaster; be it Hurricane Katrina or the Boxing Day tsunami; they always see a huge humanitarian response.

However, Haiti has seemed different. I'm not sure why; but I think the strong celebrity following that it has attracted has had some impact. George Clooney set up a telethon, similar to that of Children in Need, for his newly found campaign, 'Hope for Haiti Now', and although I totally support his movement to give a helping to those in Haiti, I believe that for some celebrities, it may have become a case of self-promotion for their respective careers. I would call it jumping on the band wagon. But, again, that telethon broadcast in over 32 nations globally raised an additional $61 million and that doesn't include the 'Help for Haiti Now' album which has now been released. So, whether the 'storm' in the title of this post is referring to the actual quake or the celebrities pouncing on it, great good came from it.

But, of course, this 'good' doesn't quite measure up to pain and affliction being felt within in many in Haiti. But if any good can be brought from such a dire affair, that is success.

You can still help the afflicted in Haiti by doanting to the DEC appeal below.
DEC Haiti Earthquake Appeal

2010-01-06T21:00:00.000Z

Pledge your support to the Hunting Ban here

UK, US close their embassies in Yemen

2010-01-03T15:54:00.001Z

Full story on NPR

A bold and decisive move is how I would describe this action against the recent revelations of terrorism in Yemen. Gordon Brown has clearly, already taken the leading stance out of all the major world leaders on how to deal with the Yemen threat. It is clear to see that the government of Yemen have very little control of what is happening. All westerners should be glad that this hazard has been confronted in the aftermath of the 'Detroit Bomber' case and not when a recent major attack has been successful.

Gordon Brown's decision to host a meeting on the Yemen threat, later this month in London, is another sign of his expert statesmanship and ability to lead the world on the big issues that face us. Personally, I can't even begin to imagine David Cameron and a Conservative government taking such definitive and bold movement on these matters. Again, I hope, for the sake of the UK's global reputation, that the Conservative's take no part in our next Government.

David Cameron, stop lying.

2010-01-02T22:25:00.000Z

"A year for change" is what the banners behind David Cameron exclaimed as he made his very tired sounding New Year's speech today. That's a lie in a nutshell, to be completely honest with you.

Everything the Conservatives propose only echo the nightmare of the Eighties. The Tories may have switched logos and leaders but every piece of rubbish that's spills out of David Cameron's gutter for a mouth sounds like something brewed up at Eton only designed to favour the privileged. ITV2's recent show 'Trinity', which portrayed the gallivants of the Dandelion Club, reminds me so much of the opposition front bench. These are people who have grown up without having to worry about financial or education problems. These are people who have had it on a plate. Not like the majority of the country who are experiencing, in some cases, the most hellish financial circumstances.

To the electorate, please don't let these jumped up, arrogant, rich Etonians into power...

Welcome to 2010

2010-01-01T16:59:00.000Z

'2K10' has arrived, or that's what all the chavs are going to call it now...There is quite a lot to look forward to. And also quite a lot not to look forward to. Personally, there is still a metric ton of coursework to do by Monday, an exam to revise for, To Kill A Mockingbird to read and a mock exam results day and that's just in January!!

Elsewhere, it's election year!! Woo! I know we are all confident of a Labour landslide :\

I think it may time for a hung parliament. I don't feel any party will have a good enough majority to form a Government. Labour will probably lose poor old Gordon...As a member, I would like to see David Miliband or Jon Cruddas as our next leader and I desperately hope the Conservatives are subject to the most almighty demise between now and May similar to the one seen at the end of John Major's tenure as Prime Minister.

Of course, there are other things that are going to happen. Formula One is back with Team Britain v Team Germany, England are second favourites to win the 2010 World Cup in South Africa and it's look as though 2010 will be a yaer of recovery from a difficult recession. The year 2000 was supposed to be a new start for the world, it was quickly followed by 9/11 and the war on terror. Terrorism isn't going to stop in this next decade but let's make a better start to this one than we did the to the last.

Happy New Year to All

Belated Christmas Wishes

2009-12-28T22:32:00.003Z

Hello Again

I would like to wish the world a very Merry Christmas, 28th December, better late than never :D

Ash :D

High Pressure

2009-11-29T18:57:00.001Z

Just a quick message to say their maybe a a lapse in posts over the next few weeks as I attempt to balance Mock exams revision, Xmas shopping and coursework....it's gonna be a bumpy ride!

Ash :D

It's time to act

2009-11-21T12:51:00.000Z

Well, the last time I was sat at the computer typing out another blog post, there was heavy rain battering the street outside, one week on, it's still here! Joy! I shouldnt complain, most of Cumbria is under some kind of puddle. Of course, Cockermouth has seen the worst of it. It again raises the point of flood defences and also with the Copenhagen Summit on Climate Change in 16 days aswell, I don't believe there will be any better time than now to act.

Sign Ed Miliband's pledge for a deal at Copenhagen here.

I really hope a deal can be done to replace the Kyoto Agreemnet, but without full support from the USA and China, I'm not so sure. However, I do admire the work Ed Miliband has been doing in the lead up to the summit. A few weeks ago, Senior Tory backbencher, Douglas Carswell MP declared that those who believe that climate change is happening are part of a "lunatic consensus". It is because of those kind of politicians, that British politics is in the state it is in. Carswell is still living in the dark ages of Conservative policies from the Eighties and with a majority of just 920 votes, it wouldnt hurt me to see him leave Parliament next year. Especially, when he has never actually voted on ANY laws to stop climate change.

Let's wait and see what happens with regards to both Climate Change and Douglas Carswell, hopefully the outcomes will both be positive.

The Worst Storm of the Year

2009-11-14T11:01:00.000Z

Overnight, last night, the UK was battered and bruised by what was officially the worst storm of the year. With flooding, gales and gusts still widespread across Southern England it could be set to carry on and at this pace it may even look like the scenes of the summer two yaers ago could be back with a vengeance. Then, of course, you can mix that in with the Swine Flu epidemic worsening once more and it does look like it's going to be a cosy Christmas for Britain....not

On the brighter side however, the FTSE closed UP on around 5,000 points yesterday and the signs of recovery in Europe should allow us to declare ourselves out of recession early next year. By that time, we will probably ahve our newly formed Briberia or Iberish Airways as a part of the merger deal (In fact, the names are staying seperate). i am jsut worried that good old BA won't lose their truly British identity, we've already sold the BAA airports to the Spanish let alone our flagship airline aswell...

Hope you like my blog's new look, it's a bit more alien like...

My new syndromic views

2009-11-13T14:24:00.006Z

As you may have noticved I have,as promised, renamed my Blog. The Syndrome, as I'm suer you'll agree is a lot better. And, it allows me to use the word 'syndromic' alot more! It effectively means 'diseased', on second thoughts, perhaps I won't use it that much...

....so has the 'fightback' promised at the Labour Party Conference begun? Well, with the excellent by-election results from Glasgow North East, I think it has. It was going to be a safe seat anyway, but Labour's candidate Willie Bain still won it by quite some majority with 59.9% of the vote, a majority of 8,111.

Also, the Daily Mirror have today published a Labour advert that shows the gruesome twosome of David Cameron and George Osborne sporting hairstyles similar to those of the X Factor twins, John and Edward. But the tagline warns: "You won't be laughing if they win." I think that's genius, certainly a sign of positive fightback.

It will be interesting to see the next polls when they are published....

Hello Again. Remember me?

2009-09-26T12:53:00.004+01:00

You may have noticed my distinct lack of posts since the start of September, but the start of the school year has been so hectic and busy (and expensive!!). I also promised a new blog title, as you can see, I haven't managed that either...

Currently I have a kind of check list I need to go by..

1. Plan something for my damned Drama/English assessment
2. Finish my Geography coursework and Science homework
3. Read more than a chapter of To Kill a Mockingbird (Even if it is incredibly boring)
4. Go to sleep before midnight, at least one day a week.
5. In some way help Labour's doomed election campaign.

There is more, but I find reading checklists become tedious after about the first five. However, at least it is the weekend and I have football watching and the Singapore GP to look forward to and maybe even a BBQ (Probably the last one until next summer). It's sunny and it's September (I think that's a oxymoron), ishouldnt moan too much! England match and Thorpe park too look forward to next month!!

My blog title

2009-08-27T16:59:00.000+01:00

Most other blogs I read have some kind of snappy, memorable and random names, and mine, well, doesn't. So, I have begun to try and think of a new one ready for the new academic year (Which i'm really looking forward too!!, not. I'm dreading results day!! So afraid of failure. Anyway, the blog title might change soon...

England win the Ashes!

2009-08-23T18:04:00.001+01:00

Congratulations to the England Cricket team who beat Australia to win the Ashes!

Always good to get one over on the Aussies!

The UK Summer 2009 - Cricket, BBQ's and Gaddafi...

2009-08-22T14:49:00.000+01:00

What would a British summer be without annoying disappointment? While the country are off enjoying a burger and a glass of lime cordial with the Ashes Tests on the TV, the unfortunate and unfair embarrassment of our very own Gordon Brown continues. When the Scottish government come out and say that they are "releasing the person responsible for the Lockerbie bomb attack", you just know somebody is going to face the wrath of humiliation. Barack Obama has come out and said that the UK have made a 'mistake' and if that wasn't enough, jolly old Colonel Gaddafi has 'thanked' Gordon Brown for 'encouraging' the release of Abdelbaset Ali al-Megrahi, the bomber I mentioned earlier. Of course, as with most things Libya-related, this infuriates me. Gaddafi said; "the UK prime minister had "encouraged" the Scottish Government to take what he called a "courageous" decision. Others went on to suggest it was linked to a trade deal with Libya! A trade deal?! What the hell do we have to trade? We don't make anything and their economy is in freefall, well, come to think of it, so is ours. But they do have a large amount of oil and gas... The Foreign Office have gone on to strongly deny those allegations. He is just generally annoying, Gaddafi, I mean. He knows what affect comments such as his could ahve on British politics and on the Labour Party. But who knows maybe, secretly, he's a raging David Cameron fan! Let's hope not, eh?

F.Y.I

2009-08-22T00:03:00.000+01:00

I thought some peeps might not know what the hell this blog is even going on about (Bad Times)....so I thought i'd enlighten you (Good times)...On occasion, I use my blog to write about my own life, but to be honest, that can be quite boring at times, so mainly I use it to vent my anger over a prospective Conservative government.

I hope you feel enlightened and enthused to read more.... :D

The election is emerging on the horizon...

2009-08-18T12:45:00.000+01:00

As Parliament is recess, nothing has really happened. Newsreaders persist on claiming what a slow news month it is with nothing to talk about but a 11 year old girl crashing her grandfather's car off of a cliff. With all this quiet, it gets you predicting how the start of the parliamnetary year will begin. Not just a new parliamentary year but an election year, by this time next year, parliament could be in recess with a certain David Cameron in charge of Britain (God forbid). But you never know, there could be a very drastic change in fortune for Labour, and Gordon Brown could win his first elected term in the top job. But in the words of Mr Obama himself, we need change and we need it fast. We need some fresh impetus for Labour and for British politics. A fresh impetus to get the public back an interested in the workings and goings on of Parliament, and that certainly does not mean electing a Conservative government. Enthusiasm is something Westminster has been lacking since the election of 1997. I am sure Gordon Brown can deliver given the chance, but to do this he must use the talents of David and Ed Miliband, Peter Mandelson and Andy Burnham, the first and the latter of those names, I feel, are the future of Labour, maybe even the future Prime Ministers of Britain. Election 2010 will be an interesting one, certainly for the younger generation who only vaguely remember the 1997 election when there was a change in government, from that you can probably tell I expect a change in premier as much as I hope against it.

R.I.P Harry Patch and Henry Allingham

2009-07-25T19:39:00.000+01:00

I would like to dedicate this post; one, to Harry Patch and Henry Allingham, the final two British First World War survivors who died today and last Saturday respectively and two, to the recent soldiers who have died in Afghanistan in combat.Gordon Brown's quote today says it all; "The noblest of all the generations has left us, but they will never be forgotten. We say today with still greater force - 'We will remember them'."

Lest We Forget.

I recently visited the battlefields of World War One in Southern Belgium and Northern France. I found the trip immensely fascininating while deeply moving, it brought the horrors of the front line to my own eyes. I hope you find the pictures below of interest to you.

The above photo shows the Menin Gate in Ypres, Belgium on which are listed the thousands of names who died without a recognised grave.

The above photo shows a close up of an Australian Memorial, erected after the First World War and then sustained this damage seen when it was come acroos in the Second World War,therefore explaining the bullet holes.

I may post some more photos from my trip, although my computer is taking its sweet time to upload them.

From DFID to UKAid...

2009-07-07T21:50:00.000+01:00

The Department for International Developement has had a bit of a movearound and is now known as UKAid from The Department for International Development. Personally, despite how much this rebranding may have cost, I like it. It gives the UK a bit more of a contemporary while patriotic look to the rest of the world. Not that the millions dying in 3rd World countries actually care where, who or what it has come from let alone the pretty new logo plastered on the side of all aid. Nevertheless, UK Aid is a bit less of a mouthful than The Department for International Development. There are many other real reasons why this may of been changed, maybe Douglas Alexander, the Secretaty of State for the department, can't spell it as it is so he has decided to shorten it or the government like this new 'corporate look'. The possibilities are endless; maybe the government will soon be known as UKGov.com and the Ministry of Defence, UKBomb? Ok, ok, on reflection perhaps I don't like it very much. But judging on previous rebrandings (Department of Trade and Industry to the Department for Productivity, Energy and Industry in 2005, then back again) it should be back as the Department for International Development by Monday...

Sorry about the delay...

2009-07-04T09:05:00.000+01:00

Apologies for the lack of posting of the last month and what a past month it has been! Since my last post; Wimbledon has been and pretty much gone, The US have announced they are leaving Iraq (Probably for a quick rest, then straight into Iran!), Sarah Palin has resigned as Governor and the King of Pop is dead. But it is bad times for UK-Iran relations, today even as I speak the BBC are reporting that "British diplomats are trying to establish whether Iran intends to act on its threats to prosecute staff from the UK's embassy in Tehran." Basically, it seems to me like Iran are trying to take the world's eyes off of Iran's obvious democratic problems and blame their own insecurities on the UK.Well, quite frankly, I don't think it is going to work if David Miliband has anything to do with it. David is currently standing defiant on al issues Iran related and hopefully is going to budge on the issue. In an ideal world, Iran should realise their misatkes, apologise and let their citizens have Facebook back, but really we all know that in a few months time, this will all fizzle out, and we will all forget about another country who are defying human rights, just like Zimbabwe. Well, That's What I Think...

The end of a turbulent week...

2009-06-06T14:09:00.000+01:00

I meant to post this message about this past week in Britsih politics yesterday (Friday), but deferred to the news of the unexpected reshuffle of the cabinet by Gordon Brown. But what an interesting but damaging (for some) week it has been. Jacqui Smith set the ball rolling on Tuesday when BBC News reported of her resignation from the Home Office. At this point a cabinet reshuffle was expected after the results of the European elections tommorow. This was just another repercussion of the Expenses scandal - she was the one who claimed for the 'adult movie' for her husband. I kinda though that her resignation was inevitable. I belive she has . As Gordon Brown said in PMQ's that day, crime is down. But I feel will be hard to erase the memory of the many stabbings of younger people in the UK. Over 100 people aged 10-19 have either been stabed or beaten since 1st January last year. Shocking facts that we will remember when we think of Jacqui Smith's time in charge of Home Affairs. The next day, the eve of the Local and European electons, Communities Secretary Hazel Blears quited the cabinet, increasing pressure on Prime Minister Gordon Brown. No great loss really, one of 'Blair's Babes', who I never thought would work under Brown's leadership. She has been been replaced by much more competent John Denham. The resignations continued, less important junior minsters came out after further expense revelations. But the big one didnt come until Thursday, the polls had closed, the votes are being counted and verified then, bang! James Purnell had resigned from Work and Pensions. This angered me greatly as you may know from my other posts. That then set the bar for Friday. After the very poor election results (for Labour). A string of further resignations including John Hutton and Margaret Beckett followed. I had thought before that Beckett would be in the Cabinet in some capacity, perhaps Health Secretary. in conclusion, I feel the week has ended with a smart reshuffling by Brown followed by a strong defence of the resignations to the harsh Fleet Street press & Nick Robinson, of course.

In a very turbulent week in Westminster, Gordon Brown can only hope next week isnt as bad but with the results of the Euro elections, who knows what could happen. Brown will hope to lie low and just do his job. I hope he succeeds. Well, that's what I think...

It's all going on...

2009-06-05T09:56:00.000+01:00

Following my post on the shock resignation of James Purnell last night, I've woken up to the news this morning of the beginning of the cabnet reshuffle. Firstly, Alan Johnson is the new Home Secretary, what a brillaint move by Gordon Brown. Alan Johnson has this week spoken of his loyalty to the PM and I could'nt think of a better person to pick up the pieces after Jacqui Smith's poor reign in charge. He is just the level-headed figure Labour needs alongside the PM on home affairs. This also quashes any rumours of Alan Johnson leaving the cabinet and trying for the leadership. The same goes for David Miliband who has again reiliterated his support for Gordon and it is very unlikely that he will leave his post as Foreign Secretary. The big news is possibly that Alastair Darling is staying at the Treasury. This decision I am unsure of, it is bad because of the revelations of Darling's exepnses, but this could be seen as a positive move as the Treasury needs stability. As I write, John Hutton, the Defence Seretary has resigned. A week of Labour resignations is still going on even dring the reshuffle.John Hutton is a so called 'blairite' and so it was inevitable that he would go. Sources say John Denham is looking at a new, bigger role which would be a another good move for a very good and hard-working minister. On an exciting day in Parliament, I think this may recoop some of Brown's authority. But will it win an election?

Damn it, James Purnell...

2009-06-05T00:45:00.000+01:00

Why does James Purnell insist on making things worse? After he resigned yesterday, he categorically denied seeking the leadership. If you are not seeking leadership then why resign immediately after the end of major elections and before a cabinet reshuffle? Why not wait until the reshuffle is decided and decline the job offer. I feel James Purnell has shown great weakness in his political prowess. Siobhan McDonagh MP has said he is being 'brave', I think he has shown lack of judgement and lack of experience. Which strangely is leading me to feel slightly glad he is no longer in the Government. Just hours before his resignation, althougfh I am completely behind Gordon Brown, I had considered James Purnell as an outsider for leadership, behind Jon Cruddas, David Miliband and Alan Johnson. Now I realise what a mistake that would be. James Purnell couldnt lead a toddler's tea party. Don't even get me started on Hazel Blears...

A Facebook Conversation...

2009-06-05T00:16:00.000+01:00

I began this blog a couple of hours after the resignation of James Purnell. When that story broke I had BBC News on in the background whilst trying to defend Gordon Brown's leadership of the Labour Party. I thought for my first post I could show you all that converstation to just give an idea of how passionate I am about Politics and the Labour Party for that matter.

The Conversation:
(I have censored the names of the people in the conversation as they may not wish to have their names published in my blog.

Ash Giles is thinking poor Gordon...Bugger Blears!

Person 1 at 07:59 on 04 June
poor gordon? why?

Ash Giles at 20:09 on 04 June
He's a good Prime Minister with a vision fo rthe future...but every one is ganging up on him! It's not all his fault!

Person 1 at 20:12 on 04 June
Errr hello.... He was the fricking chancellor for the last gazillion years..of course this is all his fault!!!

Person 2 at 20:14 on 04 June
??? good lord, ash. he had been chancellor for god knows how long, and i hadnt seen him do anything memorable - unless of course, you can name something :P i know you cant see him as all bad... well, maybe you can :/

Person 1 at 20:16 on 04 June
Here here Cody!! Although I feel sorry because he had a child that died!!!

Person 2 at 20:18 on 04 June
blimey never knew that - how long ago was it?

Ash Giles at 20:19 on 04 June
You got me started now, just ask Liam about my political rants! When Gordon was Chancellor the economy was in a boom time. During the boom time he made sure the NHS recruited 20,000 more nurses and built 30,000 new schools.Gordon Brown presided over the longest period of growth ever, creating two and a half million more jobs, and lifting 600,000 children out of poverty. Owned.

Ash Giles at 20:50 on 04 June
Gordon and his wife had a daughter in December 2001 and she died of Cystic Fibrosis in the January of 2002.

Ash Giles at 20:55 on 04 June
I tell a lie....the daughter was born prematurely and died...he also has a son who has got cystic fibrosis though :(

Person 2 at 21:09 on 04 June
hey, i didnt say he didnt do anything memorable, just not anything that i knew of. the only thing i would say about that is in a boom cycle, there wouldn't be many who couldn't have done that and more.i understand the death of a child is very hard, and not to sound cold or anything, but around about this time (7 years laer) something like that shouldnt be something to get in the way, nor an excuse for his inability to lead a country in a crisis.the final thing i find is that as good as you make him out to be, he and his entire party have been revealed as very corrupt, and while not the sole blame can be put upon him for that, if the "scandals" or whatever they are called were not revealed, it would be likely he would have allowed it to go on.again, he cant have sole blame - but he's the one spearheading the fate of the country, if he's so wonderful it shouldnt be to hard to overcome these problems.... Read more double your post size XD and i have more if you wanna discuss single points.

Person 2 at 21:10 on 04 June
woops i ran outta post space :/ all i wanted to add was; :P

Ash Giles at 22:50 on 04 June
Firstly, I think you may find that in no way has his child's death got 'in the way', Liam's mum just happened to bring it up....Secondly, it is not only the Labour Party that has been uncovered. The scandal involves MP's from both sides of the house (primarily Conservatives). I am not saying he is the best PM we have ever had but Gordon Brown has a... Read more vision for the future of Britain, he and Alistair Darling are currently leading the world out of the recession (he has advised Barack Obama on some issues), and lets face it, anybody is going to be better than having David Cameron as the Prime Minister. Tony Blair was the best Prime Minister the UK has ever seen (Yes, better than Churchill or Thatcher!), Blair was always going to be a difficult figure to follow. Tony also left Gordon with some loose strings to tie up, for example, 3,000 British troops were still in Iraq when Tony left office, all British troops have now been withdrawn. See next post>>

Ash Giles at 23:09 on 04 June
I think any leader, be it Brown, Cameron or Clegg, Obama, Sarkozy or Merkel, would laugh at you if you told them that it quote: 'shouldnt be to hard to overcome these problems'.The challenges we face are unprecedented. These are global challenges we must combat. You can't possibly only blame our government for the state of the economy because as I... Read more said this problem is not on the British stage, it is on a global stage. As a result of the 'scandals' Gordon Brown has announced complete constitutional reform which may well include an electoral reform (This could lead to the voting age being lowered to 16) and an expenses reform to enthuse trust in Parliament. Gordon Brown is not allowed to know the content of other MP's expenses to respect the privacy all MP's are entitled to. For that reason, there is no way Brown could of prevented this from happening. But he has now acted very quickly to address the issue and prevent it from happening again. Obviously, as a member of the Labour Party >

Ash Giles at 23:23 on 04 June
I will try to defend it at all times. But I am fully behind Gordon Brown, I believe he is the best person to lead the country out of this recession and into the next general election which should be in May 2010. As I write this James Purnell, the Work & Pensions Sec., has resigned. There will be a cabinet reshuffle next week and Gordon Brown and ... Read morehis new cabinet can focus on the real issues facing Britain, something David Cameron and the Conservatives are incapable of. The Conservatives lack substance and policy.A Conservative government for Britain would be a disaster.I think that post was about 3 times your last one...