2007 ends with the cowardly assassination of a most courageous woman who inspired so many people in her country. I hope that 2008 is a much better year for Pakistan than 2007 has been, but there is nonetheless a gaping void left by her murder.
Benazir Bhutto 1953-2007
Whilst I realise it is common practice to blog over the Festive Season, I’m going to give it a miss so I do not indulge my (currently recovering, I think) addiction to Blogging.
I am sure that, although Parliament is in recess, the Labour Party will make many a faux pas over Christmas and the New Year, especially with their higher than usual alcohol intake. I am proud to admit to being a teetotaller so I could be the model politician with no alcohol-related indiscretions. Other examples include Alistair Campbell and — er — oh, maybe not a good role model …
However, despite the temptation I will not be blogging until the new year.
So Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you all …
… although, remember, 2007 ends with the planet being a lot less wonderful due to the loss of one of the greatest ever tenors …
Luciano Pavarotti 1935-2007
Posted by Mountjoy 5.41pm
This blog has been quite critical of the Bank of England, in fact having a tag ‘Bank of England buffoons’. However, they are not quite so buffoonish as the Government ministers, especially the likes of Alistair Darling, who along with Brown appeared to be a ‘golden boy’ prior to this summer.
However, it is time for the Bank of England to own up that it was wrong – in fact, downright stupid and cruel – to raise interest rates in the past.
It is time to cut rates, for the sake of the economy, jobs, housing market, you name it…
Cut interest rates from 5.75% to 5% today to save our economy. Nothing less will do.
Someone needs to take drastic action to offset the damaging Brownite and Darlingite Economic Policy of the past 10 years.
Posted by Mountjoy 10.57am
Tartan Hero, Bid for Freedom! and others have blogged more effectively than I ever could on the disgraceful situation in Scottish Labour, where a cheque for £950 from a Jersey resident (non UK voter) has been donated to Wendy Alexander. There is even a letter in the public domain addressed to him in Jersey thanking him for the donation.
Some have called for her resignation, others have simply said that she is casting a dark shadow on politics.
It is time, for the sake of her Party and for democracy, for Ms Alexander – like Harman and others – to resign. There is a worrying trend amongst the money-sleazebags of the Labour party not to resign but it’s time they accepted their responsibility and resign.
The problem for Labour, of course, is that all the big beasts from Labour politics in Scotland are in London – in the meantime – so there is no obvious successor.
However, after the Labour wipeout in Scotland at the next General Election, the likes of Alistair Darling, Nigel Griffiths and Des Browne will no doubt be looking for seats at Holyrood to replace their lost Westminster constituencies…
Posted by Mountjoy 11.11am
Armchair Sceptic
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