Can Clegg lose?

May 7, 2010 by shanecroucher Leave a Comment

Clegg’s said that the Tories deserve to try and form a government because they won the most seats, though they didn’t hit the majority-threshold of 326. However, it’s constitutional that the sitting PM has the first-right to form a government in the event of a hung Parliament. The Lib Dems will probably initially reject any Labour offer for a coalition.

Then, as we see the Tories unable to offer electoral reform – which is an absolute must for the Liberal Democrats – they’ll be unable to form a government, as it’s also on the agenda for some of the minor parties in parliament.

The door will open again for Labour, who will put forward electoral reform as a part of a deal for a Lab/Lib coalition.

I think Clegg knows that the Tories won’t be able to form a government, so he might as well ‘stick to his principles’ because he knows, or thinks, he won’t lose. It’s just delaying the inevitable while scoring some political points for his reputation.

Then, Labour will have to move to oust Brown and put David Miliband at the top – Clegg won’t do a deal with Labour while Brown is PM.

UPDATE — How wrong I was!

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What is Southend Borough Council hiding?

April 1, 2010 by shanecroucher Leave a Comment

The Taxpayers’ Alliance have today released a report called the “Town Hall Rich List 2010″ which gives the salaries of the higher-ups at local and county councils up and down the country. The used the Freedom of Information Act (2000) to squeeze the information out.

Southend Borough Council “refused to respond on the grounds of data protection” – why? If most other councils gave over the information, why have SBC refused? Just how much is the Chief Executive on? There are no grounds to refuse on the data protection clause. All we want to know is the name, position, and salary – which as tax-paying citizens we have every bloody right to.

Both Rochford and Castle Point councils responded. The information given for all three is as follows (click on the image to enlarge it):

As for Essex County Council…well…you can judge for yourself…but their (nameless, apparently) Chief Executive is paid more than Gordon Brown. Nice. For the list of Council Officers, see their website here. You’ll have to match up the salaries to the names, I’m afraid, as they didn’t bother doing it in their FOI response to the Taxpayers’ Alliance. Again, click to enlarge the image:

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The BNP vs the media

February 17, 2010 by shanecroucher Leave a Comment

“One man grabbed my nose and tried to remove it from my face. I was seized and shoved out of the door towards a parked car. I threw my hands out to steady myself. A BNP thug snarled: “Don’t touch people’s cars mate.” Obviously, I offered no resistance.”

Dominic Kennedy, Investigations Editor of The Times, on his experience of the BNP’s media policy.

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