DEM not gonna CON dis NATION: Rolling UK politics in the short-lived Cleggeron era

The Prime Minister's Programme message

It’s a huge privilege to be here alongside the Guest of Honour, Corporal Mark Ward of the Mercian Regiment. Mark recently won the Military Cross for his service in Afghanistan, where his inspirational leadership and bravery saved the lives of his men when they were ambushed by insurgents and pinned down by enemy fire.

I know we will all want to show him our appreciation, not just for his own achievements, but as a sign of the gratitude we feel towards all our brave servicemen and women who make such immense sacrifices for our safety. This is my first FA Cup Final and I’m really excited. It is Stoke City’s first Final too and I would like to congratulate them on their historic achievement. I’d also like to congratulate Manchester City on reaching their ninth Final, even though they knocked out my team, Aston Villa! There is something truly special about The FA Cup.

No other competition has quite the same history. No other competition offers quite the same drama, with its David against Goliath draws and its legendary giant-killings. And, perhaps above all, no other competition has such a magical Cup Final here each year at Wembley, the home of football.

From local parks and schools to football clubs across the land, the dream of The Cup Final has helped to inspire a fantastic legacy of grassroots football in this country. But it’s only possible because of the tireless work done by the 400,000 volunteers who give up their time each year to support football in our communities. And it’s right that The Cup Final should recognise these people. These volunteers are absolutely vital to raising the standard of our game at all levels. They find and coach many of the young people who will be the England stars of tomorrow. They help change lives.

Through football in our communities we can re-engage young people in our country who are going through hard times. Football offers them the hope and confidence they need to make something of their lives. That’s one of the reasons why the staff at 10 Downing Street have chosen to volunteer with Street League, a charity partner of The FA that helps young adults who are out of work to get back into employment or training. If you are interested in finding out more about Street League I’d encourage you to check out their website at www.streetleague.co.uk.

The FA Cup is a brilliant advert for English football and a tremendous source of pride for our whole country. I am sure that today Manchester City and Stoke City will write another memorable chapter in the history of the oldest and greatest domestic club football tournament in the world.

Enjoy the game!
The Rt. Hon David Cameron MP, Prime Minister

even though they knocked out my team, Aston Villa

Uh... what?

There's a weird thing with posh gits and Aston Villa.

... and then there's Nigel Kennedy, what have Villa done to deserve this?

The FA Cup is a brilliant advert for English football

...apart from the year when Cardiff won it of course.

Nigel Kennedy, Prince William, David Cameron - can't think of others offhand.

http://www.chortle.co.uk/images/photos/small/dadsarmy-pike.jpg

aye him and Lenny Godber - poshos

Pike more wet than posh tbh

There's a weird thing with posh gits and Aston Villa.

From a study of Henry Green's "Living":

"The novel's penultimate scene at an Aston Villa football match... The community in this scene is not so much cheering on Aston Villa but itself: the players "took no notice of the crowd, no notice" (380). Football clubs incarnate the community's vision of itself: Aston Villa was identified with a quick and electric style of play, suiting the city's industrial speed (Bromberger 72-73). Villa Park is not merely a playing pitch around which men in worker's clothes have paid 1s-about the price of a packet of cigarettes-to watch but a "sacred place" (Bale 131) where the community forms and renews its bonds. Inside nothing can break the community apart so long as it stands behind its team-differences in class, education, and manners are meaningless for ninety minutes.6 But this escape from the real forces within a community elides the paradox that the local team was not very local at all. While the supporters of The Villa are from Birmingham, the players are not."

... maybe it's an Etonian thing

I teach a kid at school whose parents are both Tory MPs and he is v.v. into football - he has three kits that he always wears - Real Madrid (Ozil), Chelsea, and Aston Villa.

I thought Godber was a Blues fan tbh

and surely Pike is a Hammer

Ian Lavender's a Brummie innit

Yeah but his character lived on the South coast?

Didn't know that about Lavender btw.

Alf Garnett was the West Ham fan, Pike was Villa to ensure balance on the part of the BBC.

Citation needed but

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lennie_Godber

In the show Godber is an Aston Villa supporter.

okay. in my head i mix him up with "Gonk" or whatever that lad was called in Nuts in May.

Cameron is William Dugdale's nephew

the glory years Villa chairman, not the 17th century academic

May 2011:

Bookmaker Betfred said it had made an offer to buy state-owned bookmaker the Tote, worth close to 200 million pounds in cash.

Privately-owned Betfred said it supported the government's pledge that 50 percent of the net proceeds from the sale would be put back into the racing industry.

Betfred also said it would make a contribution to the racing industry of 11 million pounds in 2012 and would make a contribution of at least 9 million pounds to the industry each year after that.

"Betfred's proposal ensures the government has a complete exit from the Tote, secures value for the taxpayer, delivers support to the racing industry and provides enhanced opportunities and security for the Tote's employees and other stakeholders," the company said in a statement.

The 200 million pounds valuation is in line with what analysts had expected the business to fetch.

December 2007:

Gala Coral, the betting, bingo and casino business backed by private equity, will be one of the leading bidders. It has already told the government it would be willing to offer £405m for the Tote, topping the £400m valuation placed on the business by PwC, the accountants advising the government.

Slightly better than being charged over phone-hacking allegations, I guess. Wonder how long it'll take this one to resign?

She saved tax through the scheme by treating her salary as “turnover” and receiving dividends rather than paying income tax on her BBC earnings.

so horrible that these fine upstanding people who are fully co-operating with hmrc were cruelly shilled by a crooked accountant.

Another pinko leftie BBC persenter I see.

presenter

When he appeared on BBC Radio 5 today, the justice secretary was attacked by a rape victim live on air.

"He [the offender] served just over a year and a half, he was released on licence and... he further reoffended and he further reoffended," she said.

Mr Clarke admitted he had not spoken to any victims about the plans.

"No, I haven't put this idea to women who've been raped because I haven't met one recently but my experience of rape trials is that contesting a rape case makes things worse [for the victim]," he said.

The justice secretary was then forced to appear on Sky News, as the media outrage over the plans grew.

"The main aim of my reforms is to cut re-offending," he said.

"I'm not actually reducing the tarrif of any crime. This is all nonsense."

"No, I haven't put this idea to women who've been raped because I haven't met one recently but my experience of rape trials is that contesting a rape case makes things worse [for the victim]," he said.

ken clarke's own brand of 'i met a black man the other day'
even within his various sub-genres of rape, that he was okay pairing up statuotory rape and daterape is just mindboggling

Well, he wasn't exactly pairing them, more giving them a grading.

A bit like the Classifications of Drugs...

Cat C) = Statutory
Cat B) = DR
Cat A) = grabbing someone off the street, etc.

Like, C=girlsaidyes, B=Girlchangedhermind..

and so on...

Statutory rape covers consensual acts between two parties where one party cannot legally consent to sex. It is not anything else.

The severity of rape revolves around the actions of the assailant, not the woman's response to it, which is covered by the 'no' principle.

i didn't hear Clarke so i don't know if he actually suggested that date rape is "rape lite" but clearly if he did he should be fired from a big cannon into the side of a dam

yeah, it does seem like that no matter how you read it.

Latest news. Clarke wandered into the Daily Politics studio, apparently uninvited, while PMQs was one, sat down and got a mike fitted in order to take part in the show, then took his mike off again and fucked off when he realised he was getting a kicking in the Commons and Cameron wasn't doing much to defend him. Nick Robinson then chased after him and got a slightly awkward interview with Ken looking even mored red-faced than usual.

"PMQs was on" not "PMQs was one"

http://www.channel4.com/news/catch-up/display/playlistref/180511/clipid/180511_CUP_MAY_18

tbh the Police Federation can go whistle. They probably only don't like May because she's a woman.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tv0ueEI4OBQ

Pretty sure if a dude was cutting jobs and pay he wouldn't get a standing ovation either.

Just ugh.

Ken Clarke got in trouble for contradicting the statement 'rape is rape' in a 'man interrupts woman' tone more than any attempts he made at explaining the gradations of seriousness in related charges.

Can't believe a bloke with a Union Jack on the header of his blog is a complete twat.

distorted low-res unionjack.gif stolen off GIS at that

always enjoy a bit of "[bad thing] is unequivocally indefensible, by the way here is a defence"

Unpleasant man is my MEP. Not that he ever comes here, far too ethnic. I always forget that he's actually a Conservative MEP and not a UKIPer. We used to have that nice Nick Clegg as an MEP, what ever happened to him?

don't forget

"Update:- Click here to listen to a Tory Radio podcast on the subject"

I've got a book of essays by Roger Helmer. I've just flicked through it again. His views on homosexuality are - inevitably - a treat.

He also believes that a top secret Marxist group has infiltrated all levels of British society.

not that secret, obviously

So I see.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-lincolnshire-12213577

If you wanted to be charitable, you could at least say that he doesn't try to hide his homophobia. In his book he actually tries to reclaim 'homophobia' as a word to describe the entirely natural unease which he feels towards homosexuals. Your friendly 21st century Tory party, everyone.

Didn't see the film but saw the trailer with Mark Littlewood *shiver* and that was enough. That guy really gives me the creeps, I can't help thinking "What would he have been doing in Nazi Germany?" whenever I see him.

― Tom A. (Tom B.) (Tom C.) (Tom D.), Saturday, November 13, 2010 3:38 PM (6 months ago) Bookmark

This plank is on Newsnight now trying to close down libraries. Hard to believe he was once a LibDem, oh wait..

http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/datablog/2011/may/25/downing-street-bookshelf-flat

Guardian readers try and make out what DVDs and books the Cams have on their shelves.