As Home Secretary Jacqui Smith kept us all entertained with her joke expense claims and her husband’s liking for naughty films, now as a back bencher she is making a bit of a comeback with her confessions of an MP show. Basically she has admitted to being entirely unsuited to the high office which she accepted, she had “never run a major organisation” before becoming Home Secretary.

Compare that remark to the continuous message we get from the Labour government, ‘we are best suited to the task of running the country’. Er, does anyone see a problem? The truth is that a significant number of MPs are career politicians who’s only skills are avoiding answering questions and avoiding the truth. Those who have spent time working in the real world have been lawyers or academics and never been near a factory floor or taken responsibility for the success of commercial enterprise.

If MPs are going to be successful in running the country they need to have been through the experiences of life most of us have to face day to day. If ministers are going to run efficient and effective miniseries they need have successfully managed significant enterprises and dealt with complex problems. The problem is that prospective parliamentary candidates are selected for their political views and ability to woo the selection panels. As anyone who has interviewed applicants for job vacancies its easy to be misled and pick the wrong person.

Jacqui Smith is a crook. She is a crook and she needs to be brought before justice to answer charges. Jacqui used to be the Home Secretary of this morally bankrupt Labour Government. When Jacqui Smith was Home Secretary she was one of the most Orwellian, draconian Home Secretarys in living memory. Jacqui Smith is also a hypocrite.

Jacqui Smith broke the law, now you can help make sure that she is prosecuted. The Sunlight Centre for Open Politics have launched a private prosecution against this odious woman, you can help by donating money here – they need £100,000, and already today have raised $20,000. I personally have donated £10, if we all give that or less then we’ll get Justice for Jacqui.

Spare a few bob and get Jacqui Smith before the beak.

If this isn’t a shocking indictment of Gordon Brown’s inability to appoint cabinet members and hold together a stable government then I don’t know what is.

How far must this charade, this fucking insult to the British people go before we stand up and tell Gordon Brown once and for all…

Dissolve Parliament. Call a General Election. Piss off and never come back.

I am of course referring to the unimaginable declaration by the former Home Secretary Jacqui Smith.

Asked if she had worried she was not up to it [her job], she said: ‘Well, every single time that I was appointed to a ministerial job I thought that. I didn’t sleep for a week in 1999 when I got my ministerial job.’

How can we trust these people when they don’t even trust themselves?

We should be rioting in Parliament Square.

Leon Pannetta is now aware that this ‘covert surveillance’ has been going on for seven years? They pay a fee to anyone who bring them info regarding ‘alledged terrorist activity’ – this means recruiting vulnerable or impressionable young men at the mosque, to listen in and report back any antiamerican sentiment…some of these informants think they are doing a public service, or worse, using this just to get back at people/make money…as the Govt pays a fee for sometimes false info. Someone submitted false info about me, a Latin dancer from Chicago USA, its been a helluva ride that nearly killed me.

This blog allows me to see who looks at my blog,….this tells me who currently feels the need to cover themselves just in case any non-corrupt party decides the events detailed in my blog warrant a true and honest investigation…Lets remember, I was a housewife, who worked in a bank, waiting for her greencard in the US, for 20 years…and then I was falsely arrested twice at my home, they nearly killed me, held me in jail for four months, kept from legal and medical help, and then dumped in the UK…so I set up this website to document this insane but true story.

I can only guess someone, somewhere, is Very pissed off at me for speaking out about what has happened since I requested assistance from the US and British Govts, …most of whom have just ignored this situation, or directed me elsewhere, just hoping it will go away….

Thanks to the FOIA, yesterday I received a copy of my file from the FCO, the lies in it told by US Immigration to the British Govt are staggering, they were told that I was a fugitive, also that I faked illness on arrest on May 9, (I had a massive seizure, I wonder if agents Navarro, Youssif and Hatchett are willing to perjure themselves to please their bosses; in court will it be assumed that the paramedics are lying?) – and the most amazing thing is the sheer willingness of the British Govt to believe it all, because they absolutely are paralysed by their need to ‘go along with’ the US Govt.
What they don’t understand is that within the US Govt, are different warring factions, each will use a situation to their own end purpose. So, I dont imagine they are done screwing with me yet.

On the journey back to America, finally, there were Homeland Security people (two) at the UK end, (how unusual), and at the US O’Hare end the guard came straight over before the Immigration agent had a chance to summon him, she said ‘I didn’t press the button’ and he said ‘you will’ and she then acknowledged it from whatever was on the screen about me….and I was then escorted to the little pen, where they check people’s backgrounds. They then had a good laugh reading about the absolute hell this stupid Govt has put me through, because of their own incompetence, and then they acknowledged that my papers were legitimate, and had the nerve to tell me to keep my nose clean….

Also someone decided to write in the FCO notes that I seem mentally unstable, (thank you, my countrymen for your support as I went through this completely unnecessary hell) if that was the case, why did I not receive any treatment, in jail or since being in UK for ten months? you can’t have it both ways, either I am sane and telling the truth or this is all baloney…it is well documented that 80% of people incarcerated in US Immigration jails show signs of mental disorders, caused by their unnecessary incarceration. See the docs at www.immigrationdetaineestories.wordpress.com

The US failed to inform the British Govt that they had arrested me, they then told porky pies to cover the fact that they falsely arrested me, and have since told the British that I am a threat to national security, but not why they think that…so Great Britain was/is watching me, so is the US…all paid for with my 20 years of tax dollars. That’ll teach me to be frugal and careful with my money, or to save for a family that I can’t have now. They wasted about 700K so far, if they had given me the money, I would have got my tits done and gone elsewhere, taking my dancer friends with me!! Its tough being sane in an insane and paranoid world.

I wonder how many cops will again come trooping thru wherever I live, stumbling over my dance shoes again and again, in the quest for Osama Bin Salsa…which I am not.

I WAS LIED ABOUT: It was either my husband in his sheer greed to have the house bought with my money, or more likely, based on that dream I had, an upset ex-boyfriend (he was an indian muslim and getting a bit hinky in his views, he seemed very vulnerable, and perhaps was being brow-beaten at the mosque I think…) who lied to the US Govt, trying to make me public enemy number 1, to hurt me, because I broke up with him.

During this past year, I learned all of the filthy things the US Govt does and what happens to people in power, they become mad. Demented prison guards and pencil pushers…..and possibly that a boyfriend with a broken heart can be extremely dangerous; its all about power and control.
It’s all beneath contempt.

Former Home Secretary Jacqui Smith is embarassed. Say it with me – ‘awwwwww’:

Reflecting on this period, Smith said: “Having to fight your way out through TV cameras when you go out of your house in the morning, having press photographers outside your house for weeks on end is a real intrusion. It’s horrible”.

She added: “I could have coped with it on my own but my oldest son was doing, has just finished in fact, his GCSEs … and I just felt that it was not fair on all of them.”

Poor her. This is someone who thought that it was ok to tread on the constitution and allow the Metropolitan Police to investigate an opposition MP on political grounds. This is someone who thought that it was necessary to tag the entire population with an ID card and fine them for not updating them. This is someone who thought it was a clever idea to tap every single text, email and web access made by every single person in the country. This is someone who thought it was alright to send a gay asylum seeker back to Iran as long as he was ‘discreet’. And she has the nerve to say she was embarassed at press intrusion after her parliamentary expenses were made public? Disgusting. We’re well rid of her.

The Pig Sty House of Commons has finally published details of MPs’ expenses claims - more than a year after the High Court ordered their publication and weeks after they were leaked to the Daily Telegraph.

Revelations about their claims have forced some MPs to announce their resignations and yesterday junior Treasury minister, Kitty Ussher became the latest MP to quit the Government following allegations that she avoided paying capital gains tax by “flipping” her second home.

The list of MPs expenses includes printed documents and receipts relating to claims made between 2004/05 and 2007/08 for a series of parliamentary allowances, but it seems they are still a bit coy about telling the public the whole truth - many details have been blanked out or have been left out altogether.

These include claims under the £24,000-a-year Additional Costs Allowance, which reimburses MPs for the cost of having to maintain a second home while serving at Westminster; the £22,000 Incidental Expenses Provision, which pays for running an office; and the £10,400 Communications Allowance, which covers the cost of newsletters and websites to inform constituents about their activities; as well as details of expenditure on stationery and postage.

Many of the expense claims and supporting receipts feature large blacked out areas where it’s not always clear what has been obscured or why.

The list does not include the addresses of MPs’ homes, which means it’s virtually impossible to identify so-called flipping - where MPs switch the designation of their second properties to maximise their claims and avoid paying capital gains tax.

Also blanked out are the details of people and companies to whom payments were made using expenses and correspondence between MPs and the Commons Fees Office have also been removed.

But despite this cover up it seems our local MPs have well and truly had their snouts in the trough, CLICK HERE for details of Jarrow MP, Stephen Hepburn’s expenses and HERE for details South Shields MP, David Miliband’s claims.

Binyam Mohammed, I cant quite believe this. Except, I must because of what I myself experienced and witnessed.

Finally….

I know it is possible to be stuck in jail with no crime, no charges, and no end in sight. I spent my time in jail talking people out of committing suicide, teaching english, salsa, stretching and self-empowerment. I helped to write appeals, asylum applications, personal letters and poetry for families. I learnt Kick-boxing -thanks Patti! and I learned that others have had it much, much worse along the way……

I thank Maria Aceves Dolores Santos, for her insight, who may still be stuck in jail for no reason, and Leticia Garcia, for keeping us going. I pray that Pong Young and Susamma Matthews are still alive. and officers B and F, for having some humanity.

Norman Stanley Fletcher – “Don’t let the screws grind you down!”

Late on Wednesday night, British officials received a telephone call from the Obama administration informing them that four Uighurs – Chinese Muslims – were about to board a plane at Guantanamo Bay bound for Bermuda.

It was a fait accompli, arranged directly between the Obama administration and Ewart Brown, the Bermudan premier. The UK had no choice – it was too late for any debate about the issue. The Uighurs (lucky them, for the alternative was Albania) would be on Bermudan soil by Thursday morning.

From the BBC: “In a highly unusual move, a senior US official said Washington opted to keep details of the deal from London until the last minute to enable Britain to deny all knowledge of the deal and thus avoid China’s anger.” Oh, that’s OK then. Ignoring Britain was actually designed to help Britain out. Yeah, right.

Toby Harnden, Daily Telegraph
June 13, 2009
06:38 AM GMT

and so that is what happened to me, they kept all knowledge of this prisoner from her family and her country, who when notified of my treatment in jail (hello, never had a parking ticket, should never have been in any jail ever) all the FCO did was piss and moan about having to drive five hours to identify me from a passport picture from 20 years ago….they NEVER RESPONDED to my written complaint regarding my arrest and detainment, and have since sent me a letter signed by Bill Rammell that basically translates to ‘we have no power to help you, we must believe whatever the Americans tell us’ – which is how these guys are going to Bermuda. Wish they had sent me to effing Bermuda! !
www.josieg6.wordpress.om
If I ever go thru this S..T again I am going to demand Bermuda. and the friggin Hilton.

if falsely arrested, detained and tortured, can you sue?

The bruTAliSER

Jacqui Smith™ to arm Police with Tasers™

Jacqui Smith in the Trough

Jacqui Smith’s troughing in the news

White Supremacists: Most likely only a danger to themselves.

Man and teenage son held after ricin found – Times Online

A teenage boy and his father are being held under the Terrorism Act over a suspected Ricin poison plot by white supremacists.

Question is, how on earth did the police know that it was ricin in the jam jar without opening it? Personally if I am unsure what is in a jar, I open it and sniff.

hyperbole

Whilst I understand the seriousness of this case, I do think that the police may be building up their part just a tad.

Senior police say they believe the two could be part of worldwide terror plot targeting ethnic minorities.

Something tell me that the term World Wide may be a little bit of an exaggeration, what with whites themselves being ethnic minorities everywhere outside of Europe and North America.

International perhaps, but World Wide? I don’t think so.

That isn’t the end of the justification round however:

Durham’s assistant chief constable Mike Barton said: “This shows that the terrorist threat in the UK is real and present.’

Well, that makes all these years of anti-terror laws, after anti-terror laws, the evaporation of our civil liberties, the further encroachment of the police and state into our daily lives, the extensive databases of DNA and personal information, all worth it.

None of them were used in this investigation, the ricin was discovered by accident and the ‘real and present’ threat that it posed had been languishing in a kitchen cupboard for two years.

stroke of luck

The fact is the police tripped over this ‘terror plot’ and couldn’t believe their luck. A pair of idiots had created ricin (no easy feat), perhaps plotting the rise of the white race over a pint or two, or in an armchair but just never figured out how to deliver, or, more likely, that they wanted to.

The pair of idiots are probably even now kicking themselves for not having gotten rid of it. Idiots they may be, but the best quote of this investigation again come from Mike Barton:

“White supremacists seem to hate an awful lot of people.”

Ethnic minorities, as the name suggests, are a minority of people, so it would be fair to say that the supremacists hate a lot less people than say, radical Muslims or the likes of Harriet Harman, Jacky Smith and Caroline Flint, who hate all men.

He added: “This will spawn an awful lot of intelligence which will then kick start other criminal counter terrorism inquiries elsewhere.”

Again demonstrating that the Police cannot believe their luck with having this fall into their lap!

As for the ricin itself, it is 6,000 times more powerful than cynaide, just an amount the size of a grain of salt is enough to kill an adult. A most potent and lethal substance.

“It was in a sealed jam jar that has been kept in a kitchen cupboard – apparently for up to two years.”

How are they still alive? What a bunch of half-wits!

by Tony Grew

MPs discussed the possibility of an immediate general election yesterday after the SNP and Plaid Cymru tabled a motion calling on the Prime Minister to seek a dissolution of the present Parliament.

Angus Robertson, the SNP leader at Westminster, told MPs:

“The case for the dissolution of the House of Commons is urgent, compelling and of greater importance than any party political interest.

“It is clear that the public believe that this Parliament is without legitimacy, credibility or trust.

“The expenses scandal is the most recent cause of this public concern, but there are other causes that have undermined faith in the political process, including the decision taking us into an illegal and immoral war in Iraq that was based on a lie.

“We in the SNP and Plaid Cymru believe it is only by demonstrating our trust in the people through an immediate general election that we can begin to rebuild trust in parliamentary democracy.”

Mr Robertson said that the SNP/Plaid motion is not one of no confidence in the Prime Minister or the Government.

“That is why I appeal to Members from all parts of the House to support it,” he said.

“In truth, the Government’s case against an election has nothing to do with the need to pursue parliamentary reform or manage the economy.

“It is pure, naked self-preservation in the wake of the worst electoral showing by the Labour party in 90 years.”

Peter Hain, the newly-appointed Secretary of State for Wales, responded for the government.

“I thank the hon. Member for Moray (Angus Robertson) for praising the Prime Minister—we can do much more of that in the debate,” he said.

“I also thank the leader of Plaid Cymru for his earlier welcome of my reinstatement as Secretary of State—I am grateful. I apologise to him and the House for having to rush off after I have spoken to get my seals of office.

“I have to stand the hon. Gentleman up for the Queen.”

Mr Hain started by asking why David Cameron had not tabled the motion as Leader of the Opposition.

“He calls for an immediate general election every time he gets out of bed and every time he goes on television,” he said.

“He has said virtually nothing for the past few weeks, except to demand an early election.

“So why does not he table the motion instead of trooping dutifully behind the nationalists? Is he just playing to the media gallery, as usual, because he knows that the House of Commons will not back him? Is it a case of bravery before the cameras, cowardice before Parliament?”

The Deputy Speaker asked him to withdraw his remark about cowardice, as it is unparliamentary language.

“I happily do so—it was said in jest,” Mr Hain said.

“The leader of the Conservative party is allowing the nationalists to do his work for him.”

He later branded Plaid Cymru and the SNP as “the Tories’ little helpers.”

“In 1979, the SNP voted to destroy a Labour Government and usher in 18 years of miserable Tory rule,” he said.

“In the European elections, voting Plaid Cymru allowed the Tories to top the poll in Wales—albeit on a pitiful vote of just over 6 per cent. of the electorate. Voting SNP will allow the Tories to get in at Westminster.”

Mr Hain said an immediate election would be nothing more than a referendum on the MPs’ expenses scandal.

“When the time comes to call an election, we will indeed get a renewed mandate to take the country forward and to meet the challenges of the future,” he told the House.

“That will be the choice that is put before the British people at that point. They would not forgive us, however, for abandoning the job of implementing parliamentary reform and economic recovery now. “

Mr Hain then turned his attention to Shadow Foreign Secretary William Hague, who had been chosen to speak for the opposition on the motion.

“It is good to see that the right hon. Member for Richmond has found time from his millionaire speaking and consultancy contracts to be with us today,” he said.

“He has a vivacious Welsh wife, but sadly she has not managed to educate him politically. He opposed the minimum wage, which has benefited millions of workers throughout Britain.”

Mr Hain concluded:

“Let me make this plain: the Tories and the nationalists would turn their backs on the British people and walk away together. They would dissolve this Parliament because they hope it would suit their short-term political ends.

“Only Labour will stay the course to do the hard work, to reform, and to give real help to the British people. They can dissolve if they want to; this Government are not for dissolving. We are standing firm, and I urge the House to reject the motion.”

Mr Hague congratulated Mr Hain on his appointment as Secretary of State for Wales, a post Mr Hague held under John Major and Mr Hain held from 2002 to 2008.

“To hold that office is one of the greatest honours that life can bring, and to hold it twice is a piece of great good fortune,” he said.

“The question before us is whether these tasks and challenges are best faced for the next 10 or 11 months by the current Parliament, now in its twilight year, with a large and growing number of hon. and right hon. Members leaving its ranks, burdened with a serious loss of its reputation, with a minimal and diminishing opportunity to pass fresh legislation, with many decisions on hold and with a visibly divided Government, or whether they are better faced by a new Parliament, with new Members and renewed energy, with the expectation of several years of work before it, with a mandate approved by the people of the country, and with the authority that comes from demonstrable popular approval in a democracy—something that the current Government have forfeited and the Government of the current Prime Minister have neither sought nor ever received.

“One only has to ask the question to see that to most people in this country there is a clear and emphatic answer.”

Mr Hague said the voters “have been watching a bitter battle take place within the governing party about whether one unelected Prime Minister should be replaced with another one.

“It is not surprising that they should feel that the question of who leads our country is not the private preserve of a dysfunctional Government at the tail end of a Parliament, but a matter for the collective judgment of the nation.”

Mr Hague said the the Prime Minister feared chaos at the ballot box, “presumably in place of the well-ordered conduct of government that we have witnessed in recent weeks.

“The Home Secretary resigned on Tuesday, the Communities and Local Government Secretary on Wednesday, and the Work and Pensions Secretary on Thursday. Downing Street worked for 48 hours, through the night, to save the Prime Minister from being overthrown by his Cabinet. What a relief it is that there was no chaos in this country in the last couple of weeks.”

He mocked Lord Mandelson’s new title of First Secretary of State.

“In mentioning Lord Mandelson, I did not mean to send a chill down the spine of Ministers, but it is now impossible to discuss the operation of government or Parliament without reference to his opinions,” Mr Hague told MPs.

“The unelected Prime Minister has managed to produce the most powerful unelected deputy since Henry VIII appointed Cardinal Wolsey—except that Cardinal Wolsey was more sensitive in his handling of colleagues than the noble Lord Mandelson is.

“His personal retinue of 11 Ministers, six of whom attend on him in the House of Lords, is the largest in the Government.

“The growth of the unelected portion of Her Majesty’s Government is further evidence of the need for the dissolution of Parliament.

“We also need the fresh air of electoral competition to blow through the dark recesses of several departments.

“The Prime Minister who lectures us all on democratic renewal is appointing peers to positions of power on a scale unknown for decades.

“There are now more peers attending the Cabinet than at any time since the days of Harold Macmillan.

“Half the Ministers in the Foreign Office now sit in the House of Lords or are about to do so, including no less a figure than the new Minister for Europe.

“So after years in which hon. Members in all parts of the House have called for better democratic scrutiny of EU decision making, we have arrived at a situation where elected Members of Parliament will be unable to question the Minister for Europe at all and where, a week before an important EU summit, the Minister is not available to either House of Parliament.

“That is not democratic renewal, but democratic reversal by the Prime Minister.

“The Lord Mandelson, denied the opportunity to become Foreign Secretary by the sad combination of a Prime Minister too weak to remove his Foreign Secretary and, equally, a Foreign Secretary too weak to challenge the Prime Minister, has gone around instead collecting titles and even whole departments to add to his name.

“His title now adds up to, “The right hon. the Baron Mandelson of Foy in the county of Herefordshire and Hartlepool in the county of Durham, First Secretary of State, Lord President of the Privy Council and Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills”.

“It would be no surprise to wake up in the morning and find that he had become an archbishop— [Laughter]. That is exactly what happened with Cardinal Wolsey.”

Mr Hague then bantered with Labour MPs. Denis McShane said:

“He can tell wonderful jokes about Lord Mandelson—I wish he could tell more, because we all love laughing at them—but what is the point of this speech? Why have the Opposition not tabled this motion? Why are they coming in on the coat tails of the Scottish nationalists?”

Mr Hague replied:

“First, I think that the right hon. Gentleman was not just laughing at my joke about Lord Mandelson; he was laughing with it.

“That is sad news for him, because it means what has in fact already been reflected in the reshuffle: however desperate the Government have been to find new Ministers, they have sadly not turned to him. That is most unfortunate.”

Betty Williams, MP for Conwy, said she was worried “for a moment” that Mr Hague was afraid of her.

“Does he agree with the boys’ club chorus from the nationalists?” she asked.

“If we call a general election and there is a change of Government, do they think that Wales and Scotland will be immune from the global economic situation in which the UK finds itself? Could he comment on that single policy?”

Mr Hague said:

“I assure the hon. Lady that I am not afraid of any lady from Wales except my mother-in-law, so she need not worry about that. Secondly, I have not indulged in any character assassination; Lord Mandelson will be most flattered by what I have said about him today—I am simply helping to build him up.”

Lib Dem frontbencher David Heath later referred to “a kind of zombie Government—deceased but not yet interred, stumbling on, uncomprehending and without vision.”

Despite Tory support the motion was defeated by 340 votes to 268.

Due to reasons beyond my control, today’s missive will be brief and to the point – like some kind of undergarment. I hope that doesn’t sound too scary.

So first up we’ve got SMT Online supremo Brian Sims with his Editor’s View. He waves a fond farewell to former UK Home Secretary Jacqui Smith. Kind of.

Then there’s the BSIA’s advice for Northern Ireland businesses: prepare yourselves for licensing. They’ve published a helpful guide. Lovely!

In addition we have an NVT Hybrid Video application guide; a deal for Bold and Crimewatch at IFSEC 2009; and an IndigoVision appointment for a man with a very excellent name: Ivo Drent.

Don’t forget to take part in our CCTV End User Survey. You could win £200 of Marks and Spencer vouchers. That’s just great!

Si: www.info4security.com, www.ifsec.co.uk

The Prime Minister has finished his reshuffle and published a full list of Her Majesty’s Government’s ministers.

Gordon Brown’s spokesman said yesterday afternoon that one Minister of State had left the Government, Jane Kennedy.

He said that the people coming in at Minister of State level included Angela Smith, coming into the Government as a Minister of State in the Cabinet Office; there was a promotion from Parliamentary Undersecretary of State for both Maria and Angela Eagle.

Joan Ruddock was being promoted from a Parliamentary Undersecretary of State to a Minister of State; Jim Fitzpatrick was being promoted to replace Jane Kennedy at DEFRA.

Ivan Lewis was being promoted from Parliamentary Undersecretary of State at DfID to replace Bill Rammell at the Foreign Office and Bill Rammell was moving over to the Ministry of Defence to replace Bob Ainsworth.

Gordon Brown reshuffled his Cabinet on Friday.

The Queen is pleased to approve the following Ministerial appointments.

The Cabinet

Prime Minister, First Lord of the Treasury and Minister for the Civil Service

• The Rt Hon Gordon Brown MP

Leader of the House of Commons and Lord Privy Seal; Minister for Women and Equality (and deputising for the Prime Minister at PMQs)

• The Rt Hon Harriet Harman QC MP

First Secretary of State, Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills and Lord President of the Council

• The Rt Hon Lord Mandelson

Chancellor of the Exchequer

• The Rt Hon Alistair Darling MP

Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs

• The Rt Hon David Miliband MP

Secretary of State for Justice and Lord Chancellor

• The Rt Hon Jack Straw MP

Secretary of State for the Home Department

• The Rt Hon Alan Johnson MP

Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

• The Rt Hon Hilary Benn MP

Secretary of State for International Development

• The Rt Hon Douglas Alexander MP

Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government

• The Rt Hon John Denham MP

Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families

• The Rt Hon Ed Balls MP

Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change

• The Rt Hon Ed Miliband MP

Secretary of State for Health

• The Rt Hon Andy Burnham MP

Secretary of State for Northern Ireland

• The Rt Hon Shaun Woodward MP * & #

Leader of the House of Lords and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster

• The Rt Hon Baroness Royall of Blaisdon

Minister for the Cabinet Office, and for the Olympics and Paymaster General

• The Rt Hon Tessa Jowell MP

Secretary of State for Scotland

• The Rt Hon Jim Murphy MP

Secretary of State for Work and Pensions

• The Rt Hon Yvette Cooper MP

Chief Secretary to the Treasury

• The Rt Hon Liam Byrne MP

Secretary of State for Wales

• The Rt Hon Peter Hain MP

Secretary of State for Defence

• The Rt Hon Bob Ainsworth MP

Secretary of State for Transport

• Lord Adonis

Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport

• Ben Bradshaw MP

Other Ministers

Law Officers

• Attorney General – The Rt Hon Baroness Scotland of Asthal QC***
• Solicitor General – Vera Baird QC MP
• Advocate General for Scotland – Lord Davidson of Glen Clova QC

Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

• Minister of State – The Rt Hon Pat McFadden MP**
• Minister of State – The Rt Hon Lord Drayson* & ** (jointly with the Ministry of Defence)
• Minister of State – The Rt Hon David Lammy MP
• Minister of State – The Rt Hon Rosie Winterton MP*** (jointly with the Department for Communities and Local Government)
• Minister of State – Lord Davies of Abersoch CBE* (jointly with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office)
• Minister of State – Kevin Brennan MP (jointly with the Department for Children, Schools and Families)
• Parliamentary Under Secretary of State – Lord Carter of Barnes (jointly with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
• Parliamentary Under Secretary of State – Ian Lucas MP
• Parliamentary Under Secretary of State – Baroness Vadera (jointly with Cabinet Office)
• Parliamentary Under Secretary of State* – Lord Young of Norwood Green (and Lord in Waiting – paid)

HM Treasury

• Financial Secretary – The Rt Hon Stephen Timms MP
• Minister of State – Phil Woolas MP (jointly with the Home Office)
• Economic Secretary – Ian Pearson MP†
• Exchequer Secretary – Kitty Ussher MP†
• Financial Services Secretary – Lord Myners CBE‡

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

• Minister of State – The Rt Hon Lord Malloch-Brown KCMG**
• Minister of State – Lord Davies of Abersoch CBE* (jointly with the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills)
• Minister of State – Ivan Lewis MP
• Minister of State – Glenys Kinnock
• Parliamentary Under Secretary of State – Chris Bryant MP
• Parliamentary Under Secretary of State – Baroness Taylor of Bolton (jointly with the Ministry of Defence)

Ministry of Justice

• Minister of State – The Rt Hon Michael Wills MP
• Minister of State – Maria Eagle MP (jointly with the Government Equalities Office)
• Parliamentary Under Secretary of State – Lord Bach
• Parliamentary Under Secretary of State – Bridget Prentice MP
• Parliamentary Under Secretary of State – Claire Ward MP

Home Office

• Minister of State – The Rt Hon David Hanson MP
• Minister of State – Phil Woolas MP (jointly with HM Treasury)
• Parliamentary Under Secretary of State – Meg Hillier MP
• Parliamentary Under Secretary of State – Alan Campbell MP
• Parliamentary Under Secretary of State – Admiral Lord West of Spithead GCB DSC

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

• Minister of State – Jim Fitzpatrick MP
• Parliamentary Under Secretary of State – Huw Irranca-Davies MP
• Parliamentary Under Secretary of State – Dan Norris MP*

Department for International Development

• Minister of State – Gareth Thomas MP
• Parliamentary Under Secretary of State – Michael Foster MP (Worcester)

Department for Communities and Local Government

• Minister of State – The Rt Hon John Healey MP**
• Minister of State – The Rt Hon Rosie Winterton MP*** (jointly with the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills)
• Parliamentary Under Secretary of State – Shahid Malik MP
• Parliamentary Under Secretary of State – Sarah McCarthy-Fry MP
• Parliamentary Under Secretary of State – Ian Austin MP

Department for Children, Schools and Families

• Minister of State – The Rt Hon Dawn Primarolo MP***
• Minister of State – Vernon Coaker MP
• Minister of State – Kevin Brennan MP (jointly with the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills)
• Parliamentary Under Secretary of State – Iain Wright MP
• Parliamentary Under Secretary of State – Baroness Morgan of Drefelin
• Parliamentary Under Secretary of State* – Diana Johnson MP (and Assistant Government Whip – paid)

Department of Energy and Climate Change

• Minister of State – Lord Hunt of Kings Heath OBE; and Deputy Leader of the House of Lords
• Minister of State – Joan Ruddock MP
• Parliamentary Under Secretary of State – David Kidney MP*

Department of Health

• Minister of State – Gillian Merron MP
• Minister of State – Mike O’Brien MP
• Minister of State – Phil Hope MP
• Parliamentary Under Secretary of State – Ann Keen MP
• Parliamentary Under Secretary of State – Professor Lord Darzi of Denham KBE

Northern Ireland Office

• Minister of State – Paul Goggins MP

Cabinet Office

• Minister of State – Angela E Smith MP
• Parliamentary Secretary – Baroness Vadera (jointly with the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills)

Ministry of Defence

• Minister of State – Bill Rammell MP
• Minister of State – The Rt Hon Lord Drayson* & ** (jointly with the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills)
• Parliamentary Under Secretary of State – Baroness Taylor of Bolton (jointly with Foreign and Commonwealth Office)
• Parliamentary Under Secretary of State – Quentin Davies MP*
• Parliamentary Under Secretary of State – Kevan Jones MP

Office of the Leader of the House of Commons

• Parliamentary Secretary – Barbara Keeley MP

Government Equalities Office

• Minister of State – Maria Eagle MP (jointly with the Ministry of Justice)
• Parliamentary Secretary – Michael Foster MP* (Hastings)

Department for Transport

• Minister of State – Sadiq Khan MP***
• Parliamentary Under Secretary of State – Paul Clark MP
• Parliamentary Under Secretary of State – Chris Mole MP

Department for Work and Pensions

• Minister of State – The Rt Hon Jim Knight MP**
• Minister of State – Angela Eagle MP
• Parliamentary Under Secretary of State – Helen Goodman MP
• Parliamentary Under Secretary of State – Jonathan Shaw MP
• Parliamentary Under Secretary of State – Lord McKenzie of Luton

Department for Culture, Media and Sport

• Parliamentary Under Secretary of State – Lord Carter of Barnes (jointly with the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills)
• Parliamentary Under Secretary of State – Barbara Follett MP
• Parliamentary Under Secretary of State – Gerry Sutcliffe MP
• Parliamentary Under Secretary of State – Siôn Simon MP*

Wales Office

• Parliamentary Under Secretary of State – Wayne David MP

Scotland Office

• Parliamentary Under Secretary of State – Ann McKechin MP

† paid as a Parliamentary Secretary
‡ unpaid Parliamentary Secretary
* unpaid
** attends Cabinet
*** attends Cabinet when Ministerial responsibilities are on the agenda
# Provides Ministerial support to the Prime Minister in the Cabinet Office on the coordination of Government Policy and Strategy

Peter Mandelson has been given the title First Secretary of State and will head up a new department, it has been announced.

The title, last used by John Prescott, means he is in effect Deputy Prime Minister.

Harriet Harman, Deputy Leader of the Labour party, remains as Leader of the House of Commons, Lord Privy Seal and Minister for Women and Equality and she will continue to deputise for the Prime Minister at PMQs.

Gordon Brown reshuffled his Cabinet yesterday. Geoff Hoon, John Hutton, Jacqui Smith, James Purnell, Caroline Flint, Paul Murphy, Margaret Beckett, Beverley Hughes, Tony McNulty and Hazel Blears have all left the government.

Alan Johnson is the new Home Secretary, Lord Adonis is the new Transport Secretary, Yvette Cooper is Work and Pensions Secretary.

Bob Ainsworth joins the Cabinet as Defence Secretary as does Ben Bradshaw as Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport.

Andy Burnham is the new Health Secretary.

The Chief Secretary to the Treasury is Liam Byrne and Peter Hain returns to the Cabinet as Secretary of State for Wales.

John Denham becomes Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government.

His department, Universities, Innovation and Skills, is to be merged with Lord Mandelson’s Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform to create the new Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.

Downing St said its key role will be to build Britain’s capabilities to compete in the global economy.

“The merger of BERR and DIUS brings together the parts of the government with key expertise in these areas,” according to Downing St.

“It combines BERR’s strengths in shaping the enterprise environment, analysing the strengths and needs of the various parts of British industry, building strategies for industrial strength and expertise in better regulation with DIUS’s expertise in maintaining world class universities, expanding access to higher education, investing in the UK’s science base and shaping skills policy and innovation through bodies such as the Technology Strategy Board.

“It also puts the UK’s Further Education system and universities closer to the heart of governm ent thinking about building now for the upturn.”

Glenys Kinnock, former MEP and wife of Labour party leader Neil Kinnock, is to join her husband in the House of Lords and take up the role of Minister of Europe.

Businessman Sir Alan Sugar has been appointed as the Government’s Enterprise Champion and will also take a seat in the Lords.

He will act as an adviser to small businesses and Government and and will work closely with Small Business Minister Shriti Vadera and Trade and Investment Minister Mervyn Davis.

From the Downing St website:

Friday 5 June 2009 – Full list of Cabinet members

The Queen is pleased to approve the following Ministerial appointments.

The Queen has also been pleased to approve that Lord Adonis and Ben Bradshaw MP be sworn of Her Majesty’s most honourable Privy Council.

Cabinet

Prime Minister, First Lord of the Treasury and Minister for the Civil Service

The Rt Hon Gordon Brown MP

Leader of the House of Commons and Lord Privy Seal; Minister for Women and Equality (and deputising for the Prime Minister at PMQs)

The Rt Hon Harriet Harman QC MP

First Secretary of State, Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills and Lord President of the Council

The Rt Hon Lord Mandelson

Chancellor of the Exchequer

The Rt Hon Alistair Darling MP

Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs

The Rt Hon David Miliband MP

Secretary of State for Justice and Lord Chancellor

The Rt Hon Jack Straw MP

Secretary of State for the Home Department

The Rt Hon Alan Johnson MP

Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

The Rt Hon Hilary Benn MP

Secretary of State for International Development

The Rt Hon Douglas Alexander MP

Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government

The Rt Hon John Denham MP

Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families

The Rt Hon Ed Balls MP

Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change

The Rt Hon Ed Miliband MP

Secretary of State for Health

The Rt Hon Andy Burnham MP

Secretary of State for Northern Ireland

The Rt Hon Shaun Woodward MP * and #

Leader of the House of Lords and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster

The Rt Hon Baroness Royall of Blaisdon

Minister for the Cabinet Office, and for the Olympics and Paymaster General

The Rt Hon Tessa Jowell MP

Secretary of State for Scotland

The Rt Hon Jim Murphy MP

Secretary of State for Work and Pensions

The Rt Hon Yvette Cooper MP

Chief Secretary to the Treasury

The Rt Hon Liam Byrne MP

Secretary of State for Wales

The Rt Hon Peter Hain MP

Secretary of State for Defence

The Rt Hon Bob Ainsworth MP

Secretary of State for Transport

Lord Adonis

Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport

Ben Bradshaw MP

Other Cabinet attendees

Chief Whip (Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury)

The Rt Hon Nick Brown MP

Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office

The Rt Hon Lord Malloch-Brown

Minister of State (Housing), Department for Communities and Local Government

The Rt Hon John Healey MP

Minister of State (Business), Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

The Rt Hon Pat McFadden MP

Minister of State (Science and Innovation), Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

The Rt Hon Lord Drayson*

Minister of State (Employment), Department for Work and Pensions

The Rt Hon Jim Knight MP

Attend Cabinet when their Ministerial responsibilities are on the agenda

Attorney General

The Rt Hon Baroness Scotland of Asthal QC

Minister of State (Children), Department for Children, Schools and Families

The Rt Hon Dawn Primarolo MP

Minister of State (Regional Economic Development and Co-ordination) Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

The Rt Hon Rosie Winterton MP

The Queen has accepted the following resignations:

Cabinet resignations

The Rt Hon Hazel Blears MP
The Rt Hon Geoff Hoon MP
The Rt Hon John Hutton MP
The Rt Hon Paul Murphy MP
The Rt Hon James Purnell MP
The Rt Hon Jacqui Smith MP

Other resignations

The Rt Hon Tony McNulty MP**
The Rt Hon Margaret Beckett MP**
The Rt Hon Beverley Hughes MP**

* unpaid
** attended Cabinet
# Provides Ministerial support to the Prime Minister in the Cabinet Office on the coordination of Government Policy and Strategy.

1) MPs bend, fiddle, pochle and exaggerate their expenses.

2) The more senior ones also fail to declare capital gains tax.

3) Through this behaviour, senior government cabinet members create a crisis for the governing party.

4) They then resign citing various reasons like “I’m going to spend more time with my porn collection” or “I’m going back to my (ginger) roots in political activism ” and “Fuck you Brown”

5) They then say the governing party has no chance of being re-elected and call on the leader to resign.

Pass the sick bag.

Seems like great news from the Motherland.  The results are coming in as I type, and a quick glance at an electoral map shows  the local councils are turning a beautiful shade of blue.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/shared/bsp/hi/elections/local_council/09/map/html/map.stm

A flood of votes away from Labour is no real surprise.  What is of interest to me is the response by the Labour party. Also curious is the LibDem vote, or the lack thereof.

In recent days both Hazel Blears and Jacqui Smith (famous on this side of the pond for her refusal to grant Michael Savage entry to the UK, not the he wanted to come over or anything, but -you know – if he did, he wouldn’t be allowed.  Oh, thank-you Jacqui for protecting us British from the rants of someone we have never heard of and don’t care about, but will now seek out online to see what the fuss is about) have resigned their cabinet posts.  Jacqui Smith left due to criticism over her general ineptness, but also her somewhat fruity expenses; Hazel Blears’s expenses also forced her out, but her quite public differences of opinion with Gordon Brown (he thinks he’s pretty good, she does not) would have done for her anyway.  

The two women have been followed in the last 24 hours by James Purnell and John Hutton.  Purnell’s dramatic exit as the polls closed was somewhat predicted:  we knew someone was going, but their identity was guess work.  His was supposedly, doubtless in his mind anyway, to precipitate a rush of colleagues who would similarly declare that they were resigning for the good of the party and that Gordon should too.  Well, like the previous attempted ‘coups’ it has fizzled out.  Hutton did indeed follow – but he declared his support for Brown as he did so.  Purnell’s friends, ie David Miliband,  have reaffirmed their loyalty to the PM.  Whoops!

So, Gordon is safe to limp on for the time being.

And the reaction to the local elections?   Dawn Primarolo has given us her interpretation of the results:

  “[It] is clearly disappointing, lots of good Labour councillors have lost their seats. It’s undeniable that the voters are angry and it focused around the issues at Westminster and MPs expenses. “

Hmmm.  Unless by “issues at Westminster”  she means the dogged refusal to call an election, then she is slightly wide of the mark.  What about these issues:  ID cards, standards in education, bizarre political correctness campaigns, the economy, the Lisbon Treaty, the encroachment of the nanny state … and so forth?

And so to the LibDems.  From the results so far it (and they are by no means all in) it appears that although they have taken seats from Labour, they have also lost out to the Tory resurgence.  As the LibDems are the tradtional ‘protest vote’ this is very interesting should it continue.  It would appear that the protest voters have either protested by abstaining or by voting independent.  The latter is evident as the independent share of the vote has risen, the former is more difficult to judge. 

Is this a sign that the country is in favour of the Conservatives as opposed to merely disliking Labour?  We shall wait and see!

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/local-elections/5447195/Local-elections-2009-results-live-blog.html

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/elections/article6435563.ece

Brown: Time to call it a day?

I’m fed up with their stupid, faux-cheery grinning faces.  I’m fed up with their inability to give a straight answer.  I’m fed up with their cavalier use of public money to fund new BBQs and sink plugs.  I’m fed up with the utter mess they’ve put our country in through slack policing of the banking system and too much back slapping of its criminal bosses.  I’m fed up with daft rules and refulations, high tax bills, increased petrol prices and television adverts which treat us all like dribbling buffoons.

But most of all I’m fed up with our government’s lack of respect for the public’s collective intelligence.

Just how stupid do they think we are?  Forgetting the recent slate of MPs clamouring to get out of Westminster’s back door and instead looking back at the last few weeks of expense claim scandals, I can’t express how angry I am at these bungling, arrogant, tax-doging tosspots we’re supposed to rely on.

Pulling such stunts in any other job in Britain would see them out on their ear without as much as their pencil sharpner to keep as a momento.  It’s made all the worse by the fact that the very systems they’re dodging and taking advantage of are the systems they develop and instruct us to follow.

The fact that so many of our illustrious politicians are clinging onto their jobs until they can claim a substantial pay off only serves to remind us of one thing; greed is the cancerous underbelly of Westminster.

What I can’t get my head round is what these people actually spend their money on.  Let’s be frank, they’re not exactly on the minimum wage, yet the fact they literally claim for everything from ‘gardening services’ (I wouldn’t be entirely suprised if we hear some of those services being of the uphill variety in the coming days…) to, unbelievably, an actual kitchen sink, leaves very little for their genuine wage to cover.  One minister even claimed for Sky TV, citing its 24 hour rolling news channels as an essential tool for his job.  I wonder if he’s watching them now.

It’s greed beyond belief.  The minister who claimed for a church donation of £5 should be shot.  I mean that.  I’m not a religous man but what he’s done there is wrong on just about every conceivable level.  The idiot who claimed for that kitchen sink (I can’t remember who it was exactly but I’m fairly sure it was gaffe-prone Jacqui Smith) surely, at some stage, must have thought when they filed the receipt that, one day, such an expense claim would allow the Sun’s headline pun department to leave work early.

I file expense claims every month.  It has never, and will never, cross my mind that I could perhaps slip the odd TV license or pair of flip flops through.  Like most companies, we check all receipts and so we should.  Providing a ‘floor limit’ for claims – the government’s being around £400 – is a recipe for piss taking on a major scale.

So where do we go from here?  As I write, Defence Secretary, John Hutton, has resigned.  This follows several other big name resignations including Jacqui Smith, James Purnell and Hazel Blears.  You’ve no doubt read enough superlatives about Brown’s empire collapsing around him, so I won’t embellish on it any further.  Instead, I’ll finish on a letter to our right honourable oiks:

Dear The Government

Just go away.

Yours

The Public

taken from Yahoo News, July 10, 09

WASHINGTON – CIA Director Leon Panetta has terminated a “very serious” covert program the spy agency kept secret from Congress for eight years, Rep. Jan Schakowsky, a House Intelligence subcommittee chairwoman, said Friday.

Schakowsky is pressing for an immediate committee investigation of the classified program, which has not been described publicly. Rep. Silvestre Reyes, D-Texas, the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, has said he is considering an investigation.

“The program is a very, very serious program and certainly deserved a serious debate at the time and through the years,” Schakowsky told The Associated Press in an interview. “But now it’s over.”

NO IT AINT.Josie note: 1)many psys already knew about this, that is the point of being psy, and 2)MI5 men having nervous breakdowns spill a lot of beans…..and 3)all it means is that the US will put in the appearance of cancelling this program, but will allow British operatives to do the dirty work, and trade info….

Democrats revealed late Tuesday that CIA Director Leon Panetta had informed members of the House Intelligence Committee on June 24 that the spy agency had been withholding important information about a secret intelligence program begun after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

Schakowsky described Panetta as “stunned” that he had not been informed of the program until nearly five months into his tenure as director.

Panetta had learned of the program only the day before informing the lawmakers, according to a U.S. intelligence official. The official spoke on condition of anonymity Friday because he was not authorized to discuss the program publicly.

Panetta has launched an internal probe at the CIA to determine why Congress was not told about the program. Exactly what the classified program entailed is still unclear.

The intelligence official said the program was “on-again/off-again” and that it was never fully operational, but he would not provide details.

Schakowsky, D-Ill., said Friday that the CIA and Bush administration consciously decided not to tell Congress.

“It’s not as if this was an oversight and over the years it just got buried. There was a decision under several directors of the CIA and administration not to tell the Congress,” she said.

Schakowsky, who chairs the Intelligence subcommittee on oversight and investigations, said in a Thursday letter to Reyes that the CIA’s lying was systematic and inexcusable. The letter was obtained by The Associated Press on Friday.

She said Reyes indicated to her the committee would conduct a probe into whether the CIA violated the National Security Act, which requires, with rare exceptions, that Congress be informed of covert activities. She told AP she hopes to conduct at least part of the investigation for the committee.

She said this is the fourth time that she knows of that the CIA has misled Congress or not informed it in a timely manner since she began serving on the Intelligence Committee two and half years ago.

In 2008, the CIA inspector general revealed that the CIA had lied to Congress about the accidental shoot down of American missionaries over Peru in 2001. In 2007, news reports disclosed that the CIA had secretly destroyed videotapes of interrogations of a terrorist suspect.

She would not describe the other incident.

Schakowsky said she thinks Panetta is changing the CIA for the better, adding that the failure to inform Congress was indicative of “contempt” the Bush administration and intelligence agencies under him held for Congress.

“Many times I felt it was an annoyance to them to have to come to us and answer our questions,” she said. “There was an impatience and a contempt for the Congress.”

The House is expected to take up the 2010 intelligence authorization bill next week. It includes a provision that would require the White House to inform the entire committee about upcoming covert operations rather than just the “Gang of Eight”_ the senior members from both parties on the House and Senate Intelligence Committees and the Democratic and Republican leaders in both houses.

The White House this week threatened to veto the final version of the bill if it includes that provision.

Democratic aides said the language may be softened in negotiations with the Senate to address the White House’s concern.

But Schakowsky said the wider briefings are the best remedy to avoiding future notification abuses.

Republicans charge that Democratic outrage about the Panetta revelation is just an attempt to provide political cover to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who in May accused the CIA of lying to her in 2002 about its use of waterboarding.

What Pelosi knew about the CIA’s interrogation program and when she knew it — and why she did not object to it sooner — is expected to be emphasized by Republicans during debate over the intelligence bill.

MPs from all sides have backed an Early Day Motion condemning the House authorities from banning a group of cub scouts from lobbying at the Palace of Westminster because they are not old enough to vote.

Labour MP Martin Salter, who tabled the EDM, has also written to the Speaker to complain about the ban.

A Westminster Hall booking for next week was cancelled by the Commons authorities.

The cub scouts, aged between eight and 11 years old, wanted to lobby MPs about changes to the way water companies charge Scout Groups in England and Wales for the disposal of rainwater.

In the past, organisations like Scout Groups and places of worship have not been charged for the surface water which runs into sewers.

Groups have reported an increase in water costs of between £60 and £600 a year. This represents between 1% and 25% of their overall budgets, according to the Scout Association.

The EDM, which has been backed by former Home Secretary Jacqui Smith and Conservative and Lib Dem MPs, reads:

“That this House believes that all citizens, regardless of age, should be afforded appropriate facilities within the Palace of Westminster to assist in the lobbying of hon. Members on matters of concern;

“Strongly disagrees with the decision to withhold permission from the Scout Association for a cub scout lobby scheduled to take place in Westminster Hall on 15 July 2009 as part of the Stop the Rain Tax campaign;

“Calls upon the House authorities to allow the cub scout lobby to proceed as originally planned in the interests of promoting the engagement of young people in the political process.”

Mr Salter told the BBC:

“Once again the House of Commons has shown what a deeply conservative and out of touch institution it is capable of being.

“On the one hand we have an excellent Parliamentary Education Unit which actively encourages the engagement of schools and young people.

“However, yet another arm of this arcane bureaucracy appears to be doing all it can to slam the door in the face of the young people from the Scouting movement who simply want to press their case with their Members of Parliament.”

Last month Sir Stuart Bell, Commons spokesman for the Church Commissioners, told MPs that surface water charges by area will cost the Church of England “at least £5 million and a further £10 million for highways drainage contributions.”

On väitetty, että kannabis aiheuttaa tietyn tyyppisiä mielisairauksia, erityisesti skitsofreniaa ja psykoosia. Paljon on tehty väitteiden tueksi valtamedian ja muiden toimesta.

Yksi huomattavampia hetkiä oli 28. heinäkuuta 2007 lääkärilehti Lancetissa julkaistu erään tutkijaryhmän rohkea väite, että kannabiksen polttaminen voi kohottaa psykoottisen episodin riskiä 40 prosenttia tai enemmän. Luonnollisesti tällainen varoittava ja pelotteleva retoriikka sai median täydellisen huomion, ja se julkaistiin myös Suomessa kaikissa valtamedioissa. Joissain jopa toiseen kertaan muutaman kuukauden päästä.

Vielä huolestuttavampaa on se, että väitetty kannabiksen ja skitsofrenian yhteys oli yksi pääsyistä  kannabiksen uudelleenluokitteluun (sanallisesta tai kirjallisesta huomautuksesta rikokseksi, josta voidaan tuomita jopa viideksi vuodeksi vankilaan). Se oli myös pääministeri Gordon Brownin, sekä kuluskandaalin vuoksi eroamaan joutuneen entisen sisäministeri Jacqui Smithin ja muiden selvästi eniten käyttämä väite. Ehkä itse kiihoke koko uudelleenluokittelun aloittamiseen Isossa-Britanniassa?

Paljon ehdittiin Lancetissa julkaistun tutkimuksen nimissä tehdä, mutta siinä oli perustavanlaatuinen argumenttivirhe.  Sellainen, josta kummallista kyllä, yksikään massamedia ei viitsinyt mainita. Empiirinen aineisto itsessään ei tukenut tutkijoiden hypoteesia siitä, että kannabiksen polttaminen olisi yhteydessä lisääntyneeseen skitsofrenian määrään tai muihin mielisairauksiin yleisessä väestössä. Fakta, jonka jopa tutkijat vastahakoisesti myönsivät, kun he  myöhemmin julistivat: “Odotettujen skitsofreniatapausten trendi ei ole samankaltainen tai yhdensuuntainen kannabiksen käytön trendin kanssa.” Tämä jäi kuitenkin täysin ilman päättäjien ja median huomiota.

Tämä tuo meidät vuoteen 2009.

Kaksi vuotta Lancetissa julkaistun kaameita ennusteita kertovan tutkimuksen jälkeen ryhmä tutkijoita Keelen yliopiston Lääketieteen osastolta on koonnut todella kattavan aineiston pohjakseen, ja he laittavat kannabiksen ja mielisairauksien väitetyn yhteyden todelliseen testiin. Pian julkaistavassa Schizophrenia Research -lehden artikkelissa he vertaavat kannabiksen käytön ja skitsofrenian ja/tai psykoosien esiintymistiheyden trendejä Isossa-Britanniassa. Mitä he havaitsivatkaan?

Arviointi kannabiksen käytön vaikutuksista diagnosoitujen skitsofrenioiden määrään Iso-Britanniassa vuodesta 1996 vuoteen 2005.

Frisher M, Crome I, Martino O, Croft P.

Department of Medicines Management, Keele University, Staffordshire, ST5 5BG, United Kingdom.

Tuore systemaattinen arviointi päätteli, että kannabiksen käyttö lisää psykoottisten lopputulosten riskiä itsenäisesti hämmentävistä ja hetkellisistä päihtymysvaikutuksista. Edelleen kannabiksen käytön ja skitsofrenian assosiaatiomalli näytti, että skitsofrenian esiintymistiheys ja levinneisyys lisääntyisivät vuodesta 1990 eteenpäin. Malli perustuu kolmeen osatekijään: a) lisääntynyt suhteellinen riski psykoottisiin lopputuloksiin säännöllisellä kannabiksenkäytöllä verrattuna niihin, jotka eivät ole koskaan käyttäneet kannabista välillä 1.8 ja 3.1, b) huomattava kasvu kannabiksen käytössä Isossa-Britanniassa 1970-luvun puolesta välistä eteenpäin ja c) kohonnut riski 20 vuotta ensimmäisestä kannabiksen kokeilusta. Tämä tutkimus tutkii onko tämä tapahtunut Isossa-Britanniassa tutkimalla vuosittaisia levinneisyys- ja esiintymistiheystaulukoita skitsofreniasta ja psykooseista, mitattuna diagnosoituina tapauksina vuodesta 1996 vuoteen 2005. Takautuva analyysi tietokannasta (General Practice Research Database, GPRD) kerättiin 183 praktiikalta Englannista, Walesista, Skotlannista ja Pohjois-Irlannista. Tutkimusjoukko käsitti lähes 600 000 potilasta joka vuosi, edustaen arviolta 2,3 % Iso-Britannian ikävuosien 16–44 välisestä populaatiosta. Vuosien 1996 ja 2005 välillä skitsofrenian levinneisyys ja esiintymistiheys oli joko vakaa tai laskeva. Perusteluja muulle kuin aidolle vakaudelle tai laskulle harkittiin, mutta pidettiin epäuskottavina.
Yhteenvetona, tämä tutkimus ei löytänyt mitään todisteita skitsofrenian tai psykoosien lisääntymisestä yleisessä väestössä  vuodesta 1996 vuoteen 2005.

Voimmeko odottaa anteeksipyyntöä – tai edes muutosta politiikkaan – Gordon Brownin hallitukselta piakkoin? Tai edes vähintään jonkinlaista “oikaisua” aiemmin näkyvästi uutisoituihin väitteisiin valtamediassa? Tai sentään tälle  uudelle tutkimukselle jotain näkyvyyttä mediassa?

En pidättäisi henkeäni…

Lähteet:

Tutkimuksen abstrakti englanniksi: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19560900

http://blog.norml.org/2009/07/01/study-debunks-claims-that-pot-smoking-causes-mental-illness/
http://www.norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=6798
http://norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=7326
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article3156255.ece
http://norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=7595

Katso myös uutisemme: THC voi parantaa skitsofrenian oireita, Kirkleen huumeasiantuntija: Ei todisteista kannabiksen ja mielenterveysongelmien välillä ja Tutkimus selventää kannabiksen ja skitsofrenian yhteyttä

A MAN found shot dead is believed to be missing millionaire City banker Huibert Boumeester.
Mr Boumeester, who vanished from his London home last week, was said to be down after losing his £600,000-a-year job.

The dad of two, 49 — axed from ABN Amro, the group at the heart of the disastrous takeover by Royal Bank of Scotland — is said to have shot himself in the head.

The body may have been in woods near Winkfield, Berks, for some time.