my blog...
Like therapy, only cheaper...
This is my personal blog, filled with my personal thoughts, it does not represent the views of my employer or anyone else associated with me
- [Archives]
Wednesday, 28th May
It's Uncanny
I did promise myself that I wouldn't blog about the apprentice, but the damn thing has got the better of me! We're now down to the final five, and what a motley bunch they are; two wet rags, and a couple of feisty ones and at least one who seems, despite the editing and odd choice of head wear, almost employable.
I'm really not keen on the remaining boys, Lee seems harmless enough, albeit in a big shouty vectra driving rep way, but he's hardly top flight executive material is he? And the less said about Alex the better, lord preserve us, he really is just wet: in his head he may well be a great salesmen, unfortunately in reality he's a whiny northerner who's shirked responsibility so often it's a shame that his name doesn't rhyme with Teflon as it's clear he should have been booted right at the start.
The girls are an interesting bunch; Helene bless her seems out of her league, I'd agree with the assessment that she's probably not going to fit in having come from such a large corporate background, the ethos is so different it'd be a rough transition at best. Claire I like, despite being a gob on a stick she's clearly got not only got the nose for a sale, but an all round ability to apply herself, I like that; and it's much the same with Lucinda, who's taken a beating week after week for being 'wet', something which I'd disagree with: she's the only one out of the whole bunch who clearly knows her limits, you can't be a master of all trades, and she seems to recognise this.
It's a real shame the apprentice hasn't matured, there is no real focus on finding all round good business people, it's salesmen, deal closer's and shouty types that seem to be promoted in this program, and that doesn't actually mirror the real 'executive' level of world business, where delegation, research, tact and an understanding of when to shut one's mouth are equally important to closing the deal.
My money's on Claire to win, although I have an awful feeling Alex might sneak through if he's not booted at the interview stage for being a vacuous waste of skin, personally if it were my business I'd choose Lucinda any day, closely followed by Claire, the rest... well let's just say their CV's might end up filed in the wheelie bin.
permalinkFriday, 23rd May
Landslide!
What a night! As we watched the result pile up in Crewe & Nantwich it was pretty much expected that it would be a poor night for Labour, but in an area that's been as loyal to Labour over the years as Crewe, and with the strength of a known name, albeit the daughter of, there was the possibility that a sympathy groundswell might rock the boat.
By god, the boat rocked - fortunately to the tune of common sense as the good people of Crewe & Nantwich took their votes and voted for a better future, leaving the incompetence and cronyism of the 'new' labour project floundering in their wake; so what was the tipping point? Well listening to the people voting it's clear that this wasn't just a protest vote, this was a multi-faceted vote of utter disillusionment, people are clearly fed up with Brown (personally), New Labour (generally) and had real concerns about swingeing tax rises, the 10p debacle, the hyper-speed acceleration of living costs and the general feeling that the country is not performing the way it should; everyone has an opinion, whether it's crime, hospitals, MRSA, the NHS, the CSA, immigration, human rights, CCTV, they're all things that people genuinely believe to be problems that this government has a direct hand in, and they're really fed up.
Of course, throughout the night and indeed this morning various figures have popped up all over the media reminding us that it's a mid-term wobble, it's only a protest vote, and that Thatcher lost by-elections and still won, but the bitter tang of panic is clear – spin it how you like – last night they lost, and they lost big time, the people of Crewe & Nantwich could have easily gifted a big win to the Lib Dems candidate (ex-candidate as the poor dear's wiki entry is up for speedy deletion!), but they didn't - these people weren't protesting, they were voting for real change.
So where does it leave us? Well unfortunately not at an immediate general election, but with the unpleasant thought of at least another year and a bit of Broon's 'car crash in slow motion' style of government, rumour is rife of a leadership challenge, but it does seem unlikely, not only would someone have to garner 70 votes to challenge Brown, but they'd also need to field someone with a chance of actually winning... and that's unlikely; the heavyweight hitters are invariably linked with Blair, and would probably fair no better than Brown (although they'd perhaps do it with more charisma), so that leaves three options, field an unknown, field a loony or field a young candidate.
An unknown just wouldn't happen in the Labour party, it doesn't work like that; a loony is far more likely and could perhaps garner enough support to look serious with the party already dangerously sitting on a tipping point between a lurch to the left and a gentle slide towards being a 'new' labour opposition on a significantly reduced number of seats, and then finally the young candidate; all of whom seem to have the sense to see that they're better off keeping their heads down and saving what's left of their political careers in the short term.
It'll be interesting to watch from the sidelines to see if this flat spin is recoverable, I doubt it, but there will be ministers who will fight to the bitter end – perhaps not at their own advantage – to try to save what's left of Blair's vision for the new labour project. I'm of course delighted by all of this; a strong socially aware conservative party for the future is what I think we need, it's just a shame that we've got to wait through a damaging couple of years for the country before we're going to get one.
permalinkTuesday, 13th May
We're Doomed!
So the cat has been let out of the bag, not that it wasn't already obvious, the "economic prudence" which ended the cycle of boom and bust has ended up in what's looking increasingly like a bust, as Caroline Flint carelessly left her files open to the prying lenses of the political paparazzi, showing the world just how worried they all are that we're heading for a 10% drop in house prices and potentially a corresponding slump in the rest of the economy.
This is, of course, especially bad news for Brown, who's entire reputation has been built on his financial 'genius' as if he didn't have enough to cope with at the moment worrying about the ten pence tax debacle, his chancellor frantically giving away money the government can't afford to lose, while all at once embarrassing Britain in the eyes of the liberal world by not inviting the Dali Lama to Downing St when even the knuckle dragger in the White House managed to keep his appointment with the Tibetan spiritual leader at the big house.
Add to this the stress of watching his back at all times from the press, the opposition, and his own (rightfully) livid backbenchers, but from former colleagues and acquaintances in Blair (Mrs), Levy (Lord) and Prescott (Two Jags and a bucket of lard) all revealing semi-salacious memoirs of their time in and around Number 10, all of which don't paint a favourable picture of dear Gordon, he must be counting the days until he can quit this job.
It's been interesting watching the various media channels today, the tone has swung from quiet resignation to outraged and shocked in the announcement that the economy is probably screwed. I don't think anyone will be able to keep up outraged and shocked for too long, no matter how much damage they might wish to inflict on Brown, simply because anyone with half a brain has been able to see that you can't continue to inflate the countries economy with ultra-cheap credit propping up all retail and property spending, let alone the state spending that was coming out of coffers unknown, we've been in a bubble for some time; we can now only hope that the landing for most will be softer than predicted.
Photo borrowed for a spot of Tuesday afternoon photoshopping from The Times.
permalinkMonday, 12th May
It's very telling when even the urban graffiti turns against you
I've always thought that graffiti is one of the most telling yardsticks of general feeling, so it was with no surprise that I spotted this in The London Paper...
A solemn message from the baby-buster generation to Mr Brown (i'm not listening la la) and the wider world. it's not before time that my generation, who are currently lucky if they can rent something in central london for less than 300 quid a month, finally speak up about the broken property ladder in the capital...
permalinkSunday, 11th May
Just why don't you vote liberal democrat?
Reading the cringeworthy extracts from Brian Paddick's mayoral race diary I was left wondering just where the Liberal party went so wrong, why in this permissive, integrated, socially accepting age are the party that should stand for what most of us aspire to wallowing in third place; and why are people who by all rights should think the Liberals are the place to be instead following the Conservatives into the centre ground, and, as someone asked me only a few weeks ago: "Just why don't you vote Liberal Democrat?".
From my perspective it's a lack of real policy, don't get me wrong the Liberal's have some appealing ideas, a 4% cut in income tax would be nice, opposition to the war in Iraq from the start was commendable and their views on minimising state interference in your personal affairs hits my small government happy buttons every time, but what else do they offer? Where are the real killer policies, where are they clearly defined as the party that will make your life better or easier and your business more profitable?
Leader after leader of the Lib Dems have squandered the opportunities placed in front of them to reform the party, to bring in a party line where the most common adjective used in front of it isn't 'loony', for a party formed in 1988 they're dreadfully old fashioned bordering on plain stupid, they saw the fall of Thatcher's & Major's Governments, both riven with infighting and sleaze, they've watched the meteoric rise of the New Labour project as it blossomed into Blair's untouchable first term and then crumbled into dodgy dossiers, missing billions and finally dour Scotsmen, but it would appear they've learnt nothing.
After 1999 and Ashdown leaving they've has a series of leaders who have all been nice chaps, Kennedy, Campbell and Cable, but who didn't seem to bring direction to the party, Kennedy of course had Iraq and won protest votes because of his stance, but that wasn't going to be a lasting seat-winner and after the debacle of the alcoholism cover-up the party made the strangest decision in recent years by breaking with all convention and choosing an ageing leader at the very time that all the other parties were grooming young faces who seemed in touch with the wage-earning masses (in Cameron, Blair and to a lesser extent the next generation of the New Labour project in Milliband & Co.).
Campbell from the outset was unfairly mocked because of his apparent age, more often compared to Father Time than an effective leader, polling at less than 20& support from the party faithful his position was clearly untenable, despite admirable performances in the House he evidently didn't have what it took to lead the party forward.
And this is where the story goes from odd to just stupid, after an interesting tenure as stand-in leader with Vince Cable (who I still maintain is the man that put the first real nail in Brown's coffin) the Lib Dems decided that they're try a Blair & Cameron approach, but without the drive, speaking abilities or real charisma that both the aforementioned possess.
Nick Clegg, possibly the most nondescript party leader of any party in recent memory, a shadow of Cameron, out-manoeuvred at every move by a resurgent Conservative party firmly and fairly taking the centre-right's imagination with a new brand of socially just, liberal thinking conservatism. What's worse is until the near-election event the Conservatives were gaining this attention at the detriment of the Lib Dems while having little more than brand Cameron in their arsenal, there were no real policies just positioning of a party that would promote a greener, fairer, more competitive society led by a smaller government that didn't feel the need to interfere and legislate at every opportunity.
So while all this re-branding and re-positioning was going on, what were the Liberal's doing? Were they churning out solid policy documents and a manifesto for a better Britain? Were they looking at how they could seize the initiative and make it into official opposition? No - they were fannying about. Making a lot of noise, but nothing that could be considered even close to coherent. No grand plan, no vision for the future, just the same bunch of MPs who frankly wouldn't say boo to a goose, much like their ever dwindling bunch of remaining supporters...
I have a hearty belly laugh every time I hear a call from the stage at a Lib Dem conference to go back and prepare for Government, or even for official opposition, because there seems to be an almost autistic attitude toward the facts, they're third, and not just third, but some way behind in third, and as politics at their end of the chamber becomes increasingly fractious with smaller parties and one-issue independents stealing seats it's going to be them that take the real brunt of the seat losses long term, and that's a real shame, because not that long ago the Lib Dems looked like a party that was ahead of it's time, a party whose day would eventually come; the brutal truth is though, that the time has already passed: first Labour under Blair and since the Conservatives under Cameron realised that the power in this country sits firmly in the centre they both moved while the Lib Dems were still fighting like ferrets in a sack, and I fear that unless something spectacular is pulled out of the bag at the next election they'll lose seats as a resurgent Conservative party pull a landslide and the Labour heartland's react to pull the Labour party from the pit of oblivion into a demoralised official opposition.
But you know the really tragic thing about all this is, having said all of this I know in my heart of hearts that despite agreeing with the majority of their policies I'd never waste a vote on them, I don't think their leader is worth the skin he's inhabiting and I couldn't say that there's a shred of credibility to the latest set of party re-positioning policies that Clegg and his team have fired out. I very firmly believe that Cameron (with the help of Brown and his incompetent cronies) may have started put the final nails in the coffin of not just New Labour, but also the Lib Dems, as such robbing the political bystander of the fascinating spectacle of a liberal, of two parties that really do represent where England in the socially aware Conservative centre right having a libertarian Liberal Democrat party as an opposition - with the Labour party tearing itself apart looking for a foothold in third place.
We can but dream.
permalinkSaturday, 3rd May
Conservative's are coming home
I write this at eight minutes past one on Saturday morning, having had very little sleep, and having spent most of the last 30 hours glued to election coverage (however silly it became... I'm looking at you Mr.Vine) and all I can say is wow.
The Conservatives have had a stunning revival, taking 65 councils and a total of 3156 seats nation wide as well as Boris Johnson having just been elected as Mayor of London, it's a truly incredible turnaround from the thorough kicking that the party has taken over the last 11 years of Labour power. Translated roughly these figures would give a landslide victory to the Conservatives with a majority that would allow them to immediately set to work on there manifesto from the get go.
Now let me be the first to admit that these gains should be tempered: the mood in the country at the moment is angry, the financial world is wobbling and to top it all Brown, a man who's fought, manipulated and moaned his way into power on the basis of being a deeply academic conviction politician has in the last few months looked like a clown both nationally and internationally, moving from disaster to re-focussing to disaster with the grace of an elephant in a china shop, entirely failing to woo the electorate he's claimed to be so on the side of for so long.
All that being said, the mood of the people, no matter how much of a kicking they might have wanted to give Labour, has fundamentally changed, they're not just wanting to punish the incumbent, the people are now actively looking to the future, to a Britain not run by a government that sees the state as always knowing best, to a Britain that rewards success and encourages people to be the best they can be, not one where we can't even use the word failure - you are instead deferring your success.
The gains for the Conservatives are warmly welcomed by people like me because it's a serious step in the right direction toward a country that encourages entrepreneurial spirit, ambition and brave thought, but that's not all. These gains should also be welcomed as they are the clearest sign yet that the New Labour project is in it's final death throws, and this is a good thing for two reasons: the first being that real social conservatism can be given an opportunity to thrive, the second being that while many of the things that Tony Blair changed were good things, Blair (despite the war) did many great things as leader of 'new' labour, but was always held back in his abilities to change things by the hard left of his party, so it's good to see that with new labour now dying those politicians that want social awareness, economic stability and a drive for greater responsibility for the individual have a place to go in the reborn Conservative party, while those who still pine for the socialist utopia pandered by Labour's hard left will finally be able to throw off the shackles of spun party lines and will, after 11 years of pretending to be Britain's only centre ground, finally scuttle as far left as they want towards predictable splits and utter un-electability.
David Cameron's Conservatives are clearly the party of the future, they are ready to start taking on the challenges of this socially and economically split country, the huge national deficit, the black holes in the woefully inadaquately planned public private partnerships that have concealed government borrowing for 11 years and finally to really make changes to the lives of the populous at large, who are not quite sure anymore why they're being penalised for just living their lives by petty un-elected bureaucrats who feel entitled to meddle in every aspect of your average citizens' life. A new, leaner, more accountable, more open form of government is heading our way; and I just cannot wait for that next election.
permalinkFriday, 2nd May
the next bbc colour change perhaps?
In light of last night's thorough mauling in the Polls maybe it's time the BBC have a redesign, after all, they seemed extremely keen to do so in 1997!
It looks rather nice, even if I do say so myself.
- the next bbc colour change perhaps? (large version)
It certainly has been a hell of a night for the Conservatives so far, they're clearly communicating a message of positive change to the electorate as the feedback people seem to be giving is they're not punishing labour, they've simply (and finally) had enough of them and see the other parties, and especially Cameron's team as being where Britain needs to be going.
permalinkFriday, 25th April
Chairman Humph Dies
It's with the deepest sadness that I've just learned of the death of Chairman Humph. Humphrey Lyttelton died today at the age of 86, and we're all mourning his passing: radio four and modern jazz will never be the same again.
So as the bumblebee of time crashes into the paddling pool of fate we say goodnight to chairman humph, long may he be remembered
permalinkWednesday, 2nd April
Back Boris
Friday, 18th January
End of the week
Almost the end week three, of what's turning out to be an increasingly busy month, busy in good areas and busy in bad - work is busy, which is good, home is busy with impending house moves which is not so good, social life is distinctly un-busy, but there's really no change from the usual there.
And what a week it's been; I do look at the state of the UK in more and more of a depressed mood recently, Brown the Bottler and his incompetent cabinet of all the
