Britblog Roundup 258: The no title edition

Very few nominations this week - Not very exciting - Most posts have a political slant. Well a nomination is a nomination after all so here goes....

Saying that is all well and good but about to start my spiel, I've suddenly found on my new computer with the latest version of windows Blogger is not working the way it should. Whatever next. Lets see how we get on. Might have to call the tech guys....

We start with a bit of local news which is guaranteed to run and run. A bit of a shocker last week Tuesday to hear on the national news 'Camden's Lib Dem Mayor arrested over benefit fraud'. It's in all the local newspapers - bloggers as well. Cllr Faruque Ansari has been suspended from the Lib Dem council group but he has refused to resign his seat on the council or as the Mayor.

Political parties are ruthless - not quite the case of 'off with his head' but the old adage innocent until proven guilty certainly hasn't been applied in his case.

It's actually a very serious matter for an elected politician. I'm refraining from any comment because I know him but it's disappointing to say the least.

Ian Parker-Joseph's interesting post is food for thought as they say - Was David Kelly suicided to protect Blair

The news that Lord Hutton had secretly, a year after the end of his enquiry, taken unprecedented action to ensure that the vital evidence surrounding David Kelly’s death remains a state secret for up to 70 years has many people curious as to why. What are they covering up!!!!

From Witterings From Witney, sometimes a few words say a lot - Exactly who is being led by who 'by the nose'?

From Pro-liberia this week- The cycle of liberty/ -

Interesting thought on the Historical sequence of our liberty.


From bondage to spiritual faith;
From spiritual faith to great courage;
From courage to liberty;
From liberty to abundance;
From abundance to complacency;
From complacency to apathy;
From apathy to dependence;
From dependence back again into bondage

Governmentitus writes another short but to the point post- Britains New Deal In Europe

What is it about the sight of women in public wearing burkas and face-veils that is so contentious? Do people really care - Tolerance and Approval are quite different. Many people have strong opinions about the issue. If you have something you need to get off your chest add to the comments after the post.

Fair assessment from Stumbling and Mumbling - What Apathy? Many people are disillusioned with the current political climate. For some electorate even the thought of voting is a waste of time.

Mark Pack is a political realist - Social media’s impact on politics, part one: the groups that face extinction

Welcome to a two-part series about the real impact social media (or social networking) is having on politics in Britain. In part one I look at the groups which face extinction, whilst in part two I will look at why pundits searching for the impact of social media on politics in 2010 are looking in the wrong place.

Hope next week we will be able to read part 2. In the meantime can bet my bottom dollar feisty Shami Chakrabarti will be spitting feathers.

There is no need to add anything to Alex Wilcock's post the title says it all.
New Labour’s 4,289 New Laws – Yet Blair Walks Free

From blog On An Overgrown Path - Love life and crimes against humanity. Heavy reading which the intellectuals will enjoy.

From Guido Fawkes' Guys news a video adding a bit of spice to this roundup - he thrives on dishing the dirt.




Many people are of the same opinion - Blair Getting Away With Murder

Blair just said "You would be hard pressed to find anyone who in September 2002 doubted that Saddam had WMD". We all know that turned out to be a big fat lie.

Another food for thought, James Hingham piece - add your comments Behold … the portal to a chance … a tiny chance

The Anger of a quiet man writes Utter failure of new Labour

♫ Things can only get better ♪ That was the song that heralded in the reign of New Labour, the Blairite dream team, the leftist militant tendency consigned to the ashes of history, a brand new day dawning and freedom from the corruption and sleaze of the Major government.

What we actually got was this. .....read on

A change of tempo - Charles Crawford 's apt choice of words to describe Craig Murray's, noisy misrepresentation of a former colleague. Craig Murray: drama queen

Craig Murray's vanity knows no bounds. His 'story' is soon to be dramatised on the BBC! If I can bear to listen I'll do so and give you a full and fair review.

To round off this blog Jonathan Calder diverts from politics with more on his visits to places around the country. This week it's Kibworth Harcourt and the Jarrow march. Some of his writings would make an interesting tour guide.

Well that's all for this week. Next weeks host will be Charles Crawford
Send your nominations, as ever, to britblog [at] gmail [dot] com.

Tory Campaigning in Islington

My friend Richard making a big splash in the Tribune this week.

‘It’s not where you’re from, it’s where you’re going,’ says Tory Richard Bunting

Well it is all about election strategy these days.

We share the same birthday so must remember to contact him next week.

Like a snail I'm slowing coming back

Had a break from blogging for some time. For the past few months life's been a bit chaotic - the extreme cold weather has also been affecting these arthritic old bones - have to accept age is catching me. Decided to reduce some of my community activities to reduce stress levels. I'm not standing for reelection as a Governor of the Camden and Islington Foundation Mental Health Trust. There are just not enough hours in day to take on all the committee work load as well of the Resident Forum. Even helping in the shop across the road is now only the odd hour - Need also to be available to look after the grandchildren the odd days and especially in the school hols. Easier for me to go to their house even if the journey takes me nearly two hours.

Just before Christmas I accompanied the independent inspector to some of Partners residents properties. What an eye opener. That together with some of the Residents case loads taken on by the forum really got to me - it's difficult to be hard faced when people need help in trying to resolve a problem when they feel officialdom is not listening to them. A hard slog at times but just to see the smiles on people faces and the thank you cards is enough to make it worthwhile. Keep saying I won't take on more cases but as soon the next one come ups I know I'll find myself unable to refuse.

Now that the meetings are held at the Town Hall so many residents are turning up with their problems. Makes the meetings a bit more lively, though for the last two I've had to jig the agenda around so they can have their say.

Never thought there would come a time when I would avoid shopping - find it so much easier to shop online. To add complications to my life my computer 'old friend' finally packed up. Meant I had to go out and purchase one off the shelf in hurry. Had to bite my tongue when looking at the various model specifications, young sales assistance tried to tell me what I should have completely ignoring my requirements. The look on their face when I started to ask them technical stuff was priceless. Management intervened , I ordered what I needed and they offered to deliver free of charge. Meant an additional weeks delay but it was that or looking for a taxi to lug all the boxes home.

Back up and running with one of those video cameras, early last Sunday I automatically reacted to the online bell ringing. I'm sitting in my dressing gown looking like something the cat dragged in and my cousin Richard in Aus appeared om the screen sitting in the brilliant sunshine with his swimming pool behind him and a great boxer dog jumping around. What a laugh. Took me ages to work out how to just have the voice and not the visual online screen image. Sure won't make that mistake again.

Richard bless him was concerned not having heard from me for some time - my cousin buddy who is researching his part of the family tree on the other side of the globe. The family all over the world are so excited that I finally solved the 120 year old mystery as to who was the real father of my grandfather Claud and his brother Wallace. With London Baptism records now online was able to work out who he was with the strange combination of names. So odd to think that all the Wooldridges in the family should really be Hambers. After seeing the two properties in Islington where great gran Blanche lived after her first husband died wondered how she could have afforded them. Now we know a family of Military Officers and Gentlemen going back generations - so odd these days to see profession lively on 'own means'.

Found one of the relations who confirmed all the facts - George made me laugh by saying he was doing the Hamber tree before he himself becomes an Ancestor. In his mid 80's he is wonder with facts and records.

Was supposed to my turn to write the British Blog roundup this weekend - I completely forgot. A quick swop so now I'll have to compose myself for next weekend.