Your Republic, you pay for it!

Right....

The Treasury should guarantee some financial support over the next 25 years even if Ireland is united, the SDLP said.

Why?
If the majority within Northern Ireland and the Republic were to vote for "Unity", then then they should take the financial consequences of that decision. The day after that vote our financial welfare would no longer be the concern, legally or morally of the British taxpayer...

Meanwhile, in probably completely unrelated news:

The Republic of Ireland's credit rating has been cut yet again in a sign of fading belief that it will repay idebt.

The credit rating agency Moody's has marked the country down two notches on the scale to a status just one notch from "junk".

Unionist control of information-outflow now total in Scotland

A typical nationalist response as to why younger Scots are disconnected from the political process:

Maybe if the MSM gave a balanced account of what was truly going on instead of the one trick Unionist pony the kids would show more enthusiasm.

You Prof and the other London luvvies in "Scottish" Media distort things so much it is little wonder kids are not interested.

Ah right, the old "Unionist MSM lulling the Scottish Youth into a British false-consciousness" theory.
How many under 24s do you know now rely on the MSM for their news, "balanced" or otherwise?
Exactly.


I think the fact that Unionist Junta has also banned access to the internet for all Scots has much more to do with the lack of enthusiasm for Scottish independence and politics generally amongst the younger generation.

Aintree- the Separatist Connection?

This week's most gratuitous grab of a sporting event for purely partisan reasons?

Plaid Cymru has marked Grand National Day by urging people to back a winning future for Wales and vote for ambition. Plaid Cymru is the only party that has put forward ambitious policies to tackle the cuts being imposed on Wales from Westminster by the Conservatives and Lib Dems.

The curse of living in interesting times

The ancient Inka Prophecy has predicted a time of shocks, upheaval and turmoil in the world round about this point in history.

In the UK we are beginning to see disturbing outworkings of that prediction:

1. Man City are currently third place in the Premiership.
2. An item of woman's intimate (black!!) apparel being flashed in a DUP PEB (50 seconds in if you're, er...interested in checking).
3. And now this from Scottish Unionist.


No.3 could a cybernat hacking attempt I suppose.... but what if it is genuine?

Oh daarlings, you just have to vote AV...

Really think this is a load of silly nonsense:

Celebrities have thrown their weight behind the campaign for electoral reform – writing to voters urging them to support the cause.

Colin Firth, Joanna Lumley and Stephen Fry are among those endorsing the campaign in a Yes To Fairer Votes leaflet sent out to householders.

On May 5, Britain will go to the polls to decide whether to keep Westminster’s historic first-past-the-post system – or replace it with the Alternative Vote system. Famous faces in favour of reform are keen to drum up support.

The leaflet includes an endorsement from actress Miss Lumley, who says: ‘I hope the Yes Campaign is successful. It will really help our democratic voices be more fairly heard.’

Oscar winner Colin Firth says: ‘This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to change our clapped-out voting system for good, so I’m voting Yes.’

Other supporters of the AV campaign include actresses Helena Bonham Carter, Honor Blackman and comedian Eddie Izzard.

And not forgetting Stephen Fry, which should give the campaign that final required push...

Alex Ferguson is the greatest ever football manager the United Kingdom has produced but that doesn't necessarily make him an expert on the subject of Scottish politics; similarly winning the odd Oscar doesn't give an actor any greater insight into the workings of British democracy than, for example, my postman.

More Devolved Dysfunctionality and this time not at Stormont!

There was something puzzling me about this comment...

Plaid Cymru has criticised Labour's handling of education policy...

... oh yeah, I know what it was:

within the Welsh Assembly Government run by the two parties.

Plaid education spokeswoman Nerys Evans said:

"How did Labour allow standards to slip so far? They have been in government for more than a decade - what have they been doing?”

Again you get the impression Ms Evans is missing something rather relevant here...

Leighton Andrews AM, Education Minister:

"This is a spectacular own goal by Plaid Cymru.

"For the past four years Nerys Evans and Plaid ministers have voted in favour of each successive education budget, presented by the One Wales government in the assembly."

"On the issue of the grading of schools, Nerys is either unaware or has forgotten this was an announcement made on behalf of the One Wales Labour / Plaid Cymru government," he said.

"Nerys likes to claim credit on behalf of Plaid Cymru, for every announcement made by Labour education ministers that she approves of. She can't have it both ways."

Brilliant.
*Whistle* "There are very real concerns about whether AMs and Ministers are up to the job" *Whistle*

Quote of the day

Ha! Ha!

This sounds like it was said by a typically "anonymous" cowardly academic steeped in a 1970s neo-marxist mindset:

“This sounds like it was drafted by a typically cautious British civil servant steeped in an imperialistic mindset.”

However, I do believe Hain has struck again.

Quote of the day

Vote "yes" or you're an anti-Welsh monster who nicks votes from OAP heart-attack victims is the message now apparently:

If you support Welsh Self Determination – vote YES if you can; because if you don't, those monsters who hate Wales will claim your vote as their own in the same way that they claimed my patriotic mother in law's heart attack as a vote in favour of their hatred of Wales!

I do hope Miserable was drunk when he posted that.

While our back was turned, the UK has fallen

Can't imagine Alex Salmond (not to mention "I was never in the IRA, so I wasn't" Gerry Adams) would be too chuffed to find himself included alongside marching provos... but not to worry, if you like your fantasies er... raw and unsophisticated, great entertainment none the less:

Hain was misquoted! Or misinterpreted! Or just plain told porkies!

My second hmmm... of the day:

THE BBC has apologised to Peter Hain after upholding a complaint about how comments he made during an interview about the Assembly powers referendum were reported.

This was a summary of the reported comments:

Shadow Welsh Secretary Peter Hain has said the referendum on assembly powers is only happening on 3 March because of Plaid Cymru's insistence.

Mr Hain said he believes now is not the best time to hold the referendum, and warned that turnout will be low

The complaint, made by the Labour Party:

"During the programme political reporter Aled ap Dafydd said: “Peter Hain last week said on the subject of scrutiny that the Assembly has got a lot to learn in terms of scrutinising legislation.”

In his e-mail to the Labour Party, Mr Ahir added: “With regard to the second part of your complaint, relating to the line ‘Peter Hain has said this week that the Assembly has to learn lessons in terms of scrutinising legislation. It’s not mature enough’. There is a pause in the middle of this phrase and the words ‘It’s not mature enough’ are Aled’s emphasis and interpretation, as a leading question to [Yes campaigner] Cathy Owens.

Well, naughty, naughty Mr Ahir.
"It has to learn lessons" obviously cannot in any way be construed to mean it's "not mature enough".

Hain, himself, now slithers into the picture:

“Throughout the lengthy interview I was very strongly putting the case for a Yes vote, yet BBC Wales misquoted a sentence to imply that I didn’t think the Assembly was up to the job, which was absolutely not true. As Secretary of State for Wales I legislated for the referendum and for the Assembly to have more powers – I wouldn’t have done so if I didn’t believe as I always have in full law-making powers for the Assembly.

Read the direct quote from Hain in my previous post- this is yet another (the third?) rewriting of history from the Orange One in the space of less than three weeks.
If I were in the "yes" campaign, I'd still keep checking for sudden sharp pains in my back...

From the absurd to the ridiculous

How can you ever hope to compete with your opponents pressganging Colin Firth for their cause?

The No Campaign will present the fertitlity (sic) expert Lord Winston as a backer at its launch today.

This referendum is shaping up nicely, in terms of comic value anyway.

RTE causes outrage by comparing Sinn Fein to cheesy 80s teen flick

First time I've linked into the Inishowen News:

BUNCRANA Mayor Pádraig MacLochlainn has blasted as ‘silly’ an RTE sketch poking fun at Sinn Féin’s past by displaying images of guns and bombs.

The three-minute segment, aired on RTE’s 11th-hour programme on Tuesday night, showed images of SF general election candidates Pearse Doherty and MacLochlainn smiling to the sound of 1980s dance tune, 'Fame', with the words - ‘Remember our Name, Sinn Fein’.

Voters were urged to think before giving a first preference to Sinn Féin’s MacLochlainn or Doherty.

"When you're in the polling station, make sure you remember Sinn Féin,” the sketch said, before flashing up pictures of mortar bombs, Northern bank notes, a burnt-out car and automatic weapons.

Donegal North East candidate MacLochlainn said the sketch was a cheap attempt to undermine Sinn Féin.

“It is very clear that there is a huge swell of support for Sinn Féin and this sketch was a clumsy attempt to damage the party. It was plain stupid and will end up backfiring," said Cllr MacLochlainn.

Less of those "blasts" and "backfiring", Pádraig, people might get jumpy:

Pearse [Doherty] and I have articulated our policies clearly,” he added

Like this?:

“The IRA has been on a ceasefire since 1997.

Dunno, "ceasefire" seems kind of "temporary" to me, sure that's the policy you were wanting to articulate clearly? 

Tis the season to say "yes"...

Dear God, a headline to make the heart truly sink:

Alternative vote yes campaign hitches itself to royal wedding

Campaigners for voting reform argue that the referendum on 5 May will take place during a more optimistic period

The yes campaign in the referendum on introducing the alternative vote for Westminster elections is planning to capitalise on the royal wedding, six days earlier, by arguing that it is "a time to be optimistic and say yes".

Campaigners for change have been struggling with the impact of Prince William's wedding to Kate Middleton on 29 April, before the referendum on 5 May. That week also includes a bank holiday. But now they think they have a solution: proclaim it the season for saying yes.

"We will put all the arguments, but around the wedding it will be a coming-into-summer, more optimistic, more of a yes mood," a campaign source said.

So, we'll be changing our voting system because we feel all... like... summery, romantic and fluffy stuff like that??!!!

A spokesman for the yes campaign last night said it would not seek to exploit the royal wedding in any way.

How about instead you go away and please take your silly referendum with you?
Thanks.

Delivering Irish "Unity" in 140 characters

Gerry Adams exhorts his sheep to adopt the wonderous constitutional status-changing power of the new media:

"Twitter for Irish freedom, text for Sinn Féin,"

The 32 County Nirvana is but a key-tap away...

It's certainly part of the story...

Further Education funding and tuition fees is rapidly taking over from health provision as not only the Devolution Experiment's biggest inequity, but also one almighty cock-up.

I received this yesterday from the Campaign for an English Parliament:

If it's Monday, then it must be time for another Spring Bank Holiday

Bethan Jenkins AM has written to the Prime Minister, urging him to give people in Wales the choice to pick and mix their Bank Holidays:

The Plaid Cymru AM for South Wales West is arguing that while many people will want to mark the marriage of Prince William and Kate Middleton, many more have no interest in the royal family and would instead prefer to take March 1 off, particularly as it has been the focus of a campaign in Wales for several years now.

So, "many more" would want to take 1st March off rather than April 29th and Bethan has the statistics to prove it.....

Leaving those "statistics" quietly to the side, in the letter to David Cameron, Bethan says:

He said what???!!!

Thanks to DW and borthlas for pointing me in the direction of this:

Carmarthen west and Pembrokeshire south's Conservative MP Simon Hart said he voted for the proposal (to increase university tuition fees)

He said "Bearing in mind it's not going to affect Welsh students, I think this is going to be a better deal than the current one."

I can't believe the representative of what is allegedly a Unionist party would have said something so parochial.
And he's wrong of course- it does and will affect Wales. Idiot.

The British mixed bag

Bagshott:

The current British mood is unusually lethal: to simplify, it mixes Sicilian levels of cynicism with a Swedish rage for transparency, in a country that no longer does deference. That is a combination that has never been tried before.

I'd throw one ingredient in; the belief that a Norwegian style welfare state can be paid for by Swiss level of income taxes.

More devolution means no more excuses... yes, of coursssse it does.

From the BBC:

The chairman of the campaign for a Yes vote in March's referendum on further powers for the Welsh assembly says he believes it will create a "no excuses culture" for Welsh politics.

Following in the footsteps of their Northern Irish counterparts obviously.

"Another year of wasted human rights' opportunities" incorporating "Oligarch Update: Patricia, Monica and the next generation"

Before we get down to the main business, this, which I received by email last week, made me smile:

New York’s all-inclusive St. Patrick’s Day parade, St. Pat’s for All, recently announced Patricia Lewsley and Jim Cullen as its 2011 parade Grand Marshals, with Co-chairs Brendan Fay and Kathleen Walsh D’Arcy making the announcement over breakfast at Agave restaurant in Chelsea, New York.

OK, seasoned observers of the NI Human Rights Oligarchy will recognise that first name instantly, but for the rest of you:

Lewsley, Commissioner for Children and Young People for Northern Ireland, is known for her tireless work on behalf of child protection and support programs.

Well, no, actually she isn’t.
She is best known for a cack-handed, completely incompetent and clueless attempt to legally repeal laws which allow parents to smack their children as a disciplinary measure; a cack-handed, completely incompetent and clueless attempt paid for 100%  by the UK taxpayer.
She is also well-known (for those with a genuine interest in the human rights of children anyway) for largely... what’s the diplomatic expression... "keeping her own counsel” when faced with the various church and Sinn Fein-related child abuse scandals which have erupted over the last couple of years.
She is finally pretty well-known for raking in from the UK taxpayer 75 grand a year basic salary . And that is about that on the “tireless work” front. Still, since it’s not us paying for her St Pat’s day jaunt (is it ???), then I suppose we shouldn’t begrudge her her big day out in New York.

Now, with the preliminaries over, to the latest news on the undisputed Queen of the HR Oligarchs opus: