"What A Pathetic Legislature We Are"

Chris Bryant Labour MP tweets the following:

A sentiment that applies on so many levels.

It's also worth noting that Mr Bryant has voted "very strongly" for more EU integration.

A Very Gallant Gentleman

100 years ago today Captain Oates sacrificed himself to try to save his friends, with his last immortal words - the ultimate example of English understatement:

"I am just going outside and may be some time"

The Many Not The Few

A week ago I purchased Dr Richard North's new book on the Battle of Britain which is a tribute to the 'many'. I reproduce my Amazon review here:

As Napoleon once noted: "history is a set of lies agreed upon". Historical events are often portrayed in nice neat categories with a large dose of `good old days' nostalgia chucked on top.

The reality much more often than not turns out to be very different. And so it proves with Dr North's superb very readable book here. The Battle of Britain conjures up evocative images of long hot days, soaring Spitfires and the bravery of the few repelling an anticipated German invasion. The truth though is somewhat more complicated and as a consequence far more fascinating. With rigorous research and analytical clarity this book redresses the balance away from the myth and towards the `many' who all played their part in the war; the RN, the Army, the Merchant Navy and notably the civilian population.

One of the main themes throughout the book is that the civilian population was in fact fighting a war on two fronts - against the Germans and against their own Government and Establishment. Many of the criticisms at the time would not look out of place today, the London centric newspapers (ignoring the rest of the UK, like Hull, which was being bombed relentlessly) an incompetent Government, the authoritarian nature and pettiness of Magistrates as over-the-top punishments were handed out for `dubious' non-offences, the reluctance to provide decent public shelters and the refusal to allow the use of Underground stations as refuge until the people took matters into their own hands.

This book is less a criticism of the `few' narrative, more a tribute to the millions of unsung heroes without whom we would have lost. It's also a reminder that the real enemy then (as is now) is in fact our own Government.

A very worthy addition to any bookshelf.

Deluded

From Benedict Brogan at the Daily Telegraph:

To the Prime Minister’s mind, when the voters delivered an inconclusive result in 2010, they expressed a desire to see less politics, not more. What they wanted was for politicians to put country before party and to devote themselves to solving the nation’s problems, not to compete to score points off each other. Mr Cameron has a clear sense that his duty is to stay clear of politics as much as he reasonably can.

Whatever drugs Mr Brogan's on, I'll have some too...

Parish Notice

Blogger Governmentitus is back - at a new home. Well worth following.

Another Broken Promise

In his own inimitable style, Witterings from Witney sticks one up David Cameron. As he rightly points out Cameron has broken more promises than you can shake a stick at. He argues:

Some may say that it is unfair accusing David Cameron of breaking promises and that is, to a certain extent, true as all politicians break promises they make - one has only to look at the record of the last government. But Cameron is the 'politician du jour', he is the Prime Minister, he is the one talking about keeping promises - but he lies or, in parliamentary terms, he is being economical with the actualité. But then, aren't all politicians?

What's more damning though is more and more Cameron is being compared to Ted Heath. That's not a legacy I would be proud of if I were leader of the Tory party, but it's one that Cameron thoroughly deserves.

Well Chuffed?

If you're going to get a tattoo done as a tribute to your own football team, as pictured above,

Bit sore at the minute but well chuffed...

...at least get the year that your club was founded right

Founded 4 September 1867

License To Be Free

For quite a while now I've not wanted to pay the BBC license fee. For reasons that are undoubtedly obvious to my readers, it's biased, unaccountable, and hits the poorest the most:

Yesterday in Hastings, a young single mother was tried for the same offence as mine. She had a baby in a pushchair, and I agreed with the clerk to let her case go first, so that she could get out in time to fetch her other children out of school. I can see no justice and no humour in a situation where people like her are punished, so that people like Ross can get his £6 million. 

I've long not wanted to pay it, I hardly watch much TV anyway, and as Witterings from Witney illustrates the BBC is no different to the rest of the MSM who can't get enough of constant daily nanny-style 'watch what you eat bollocks:

A diet high in red meat can shorten life expectancy, according to researchers at Harvard Medical School.

Despite the contradictions in an earlier article:

Iron is essential for our bodies to function properly, so it's vital to ensure you have an adequate intake from your diet.

The most concentrated dietary sources of iron are red meat and offal such as liver. Smaller amounts of iron are also present in chicken and fish. 

It often amuses me that the defence of the license fee is that it enables the BBC to produce quality programmes that would not otherwise be made. While the point about quality is debatable, it goes without saying that good television will always attract subscribers, if the quality is so good then why does it need the law to force people to pay for it?

Anyway the deterrent for me has never been the law nor the intimidation but Mrs TBF who, understandably, was reluctant to start an avoidable fight with authority.

But due to the purchase of a new Idiot's Lantern, and the imminent move to a new property that legal obstacle no longer exists - to Mrs TBF's satisfaction. I have now become a non BBC license payer.

Good riddance.

Intermission

Apologies for the lack of posts recently - I am in the process of changing TBF towers. Meanwhile here's a spoof of the legendary computer game - Goldeneye 007 on the Nintendo 64, based on the James Bond film of the same name.




As anyone who's played it will appreciate, it's spot on in its satire.

Please Sir Can I Have Some More?

That we don't really run our own country as members of the EU is hardly a secret, nor particularly a conspiracy but a fact that is hidden out in the open - with bells and whistles on. Instead the subject of the EU is treated by the MSM and MPs rather like Voldemort from Harry Potter - he who cannot be named - it's better to avoid the subject because it's a little too inconvenient to tackle the truth and fight the problem.

Nothing illustrates this better today than Cameron in the Telegraph, first he was ignored:

And then he was 'heard':

Ah bless, poor Dave whinges that the EU ignored him and they had to reassure him that no they really did listen to him - and then told him to go do one (as the Treaty he supposedly 'vetoed' was signed anyway)

And so in a single day the whole concept of 'UK influence in the EU' and 'in Europe not been ruled by it' is comprehensively torpedoed below the waterline - the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland reduced to begging on his knees - please sir can I have some powers back? Yet still the MSM nor the Tories will see it - the impotency of our own country there in plain sight.

But, apparently we have more important matters to attend to like whether Cameron rode a horse or not. I note the horse in question has died and (probably) been sent off to a glue factory. I would suggest the same fate should befall Cameron, but given his history on promises the subsequent adhesive qualities probably won't come up to standard.