Archive for the ‘Lib Dems’ Category
Fuel prices set to rocket – Highland business at serious risk Scotland UK
Business and hard pressed people across the Highlands face even greater hardship due to fuel prices that are set to soar. Some estimates suggest that the more rural parts of scotland will face prices of around £1.30 per litre.
This is totally unacceptable and as if we wern’t facing enough problems this latest bombshell may see more and more people struggling to cope. How will penshioners manage to heat their homes ? The fact that the vast majority of the cost is tax that goes straight into the Labour Governments pockets is scandalous when they can see the pressure that people are already under thanks to Labours recession.
And what of the LibDem MP Danny Alexander. What will he do ? Not much. Not much a minority party MP like him can do anyway.
This general election will give the people of the Highlands an opportunity to elect an MP who will be able to deliver.
If the country is fortunate enough to elect a Conservative Government then I as the MP for this region will be in a far stronger position to bring real help and support to the people of the Highlands of Scotland instead of the empty weak words of the Liberals who can only whine and wring their hands in helplessness.
Jim Ferguson
Petrol Price Woe For Drivers As Costs Soar
4:28pm UK, Tuesday March 16, 2010
James Jordan, Sky News Online
Petrol prices could reach an eye-watering 120p per litre later this year, the AA is warning.
The organisation is claiming that unleaded fuel could even top the price, equivalent to £5.41 a gallon, and Alistair Darling is being urged to delay the introduction of a planned 3p increase in petrol duty due to come in on April 1.
AA president Edmund King said: “The UK is barely out of recession, yet petrol prices threaten to rise to record prices seen during the boom of 2008 – shortly before the collapse into recession.
“If families, drivers on fixed incomes and those on low pay were unable to cope with record prices then, they are even less likely now.”
AA research found an average family with two cars is paying £52 a month more to fill up now than a year ago.
Motorists are being legally mugged at the forecourt by petrol companies.
Lindsay Hoyle, Labour MP on the Commons business select committee
The average petrol price in the UK is 115.9p for a litre of unleaded and 116.6p for a litre of diesel.
Even if the 3p increase is withdrawn, the price paid by drivers could soon hit 120p a litre – £5.41 a gallon – according to the organisation.
This would overtake the previous high of 119.7p of July 2008.
The AA said the price increases were caused by the rise in the price of wholesale gasoline since the end of January.
Lindsay Hoyle, the senior Labour MP on the Commons business select committee, said it was “a complete disgrace”.
He told the Daily Telegraph: “Yes, crude oil has gone up this year, but nothing like the rise in petrol prices. Motorists are being legally mugged at the forecourt by petrol companies.”
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Political correctness is damaging our society and must be stopped UK
To arms!
You probably haven’t seen this story before, but you’ve seen a dozen like it – overzealous, over-the-top prosecution of law-abiding person by authorities which chase politically correct agendas rather than target criminals.
Jim Railton is an auctioneer. He was given a lot to sell – a little wooden cabinet with some 19th century eggs in it. It was valued at £30. He put it up for sale.
He was arrested and treated like a criminal – he is now charged with two offences relating to the sale of bird eggs under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (an Act some 90 years younger than the eggs…). As Jim says,
“in retrospect, we should have just smashed the eggs. They are antique birds eggs, and all of common species, and had old paper copperplate hand-written labels on them. It was a little oak chest, which we judged to be circa 1900.
We sell butterflies, shells, taxidermy – in fact just the type of things that come from people’s attics. To be arrested for offering to sell this little chest seems absurd, and a complete waste of police time. They have interviewed me twice, taken my fingerprints, swabbed me for DNA, had RSPB specialist inspectors visit Berwick to look at the eggs…”
Name and shame time – ridiculous attitude from the RSPB, who aggressively pursued this and caused the prosecution to come about. Even worse from Northumbria Police, who really ought to know better. Let’s presume for a moment that they were right that this is an issue (which, of course, it’s not, but play along…) – consider all the steps they could have taken before getting to this stage: (a) a friendly telephone call pointing out he’d unintentionally breached this rule; (b) a letter setting out a warning; (c) an in-person visit from a constable (we’re already in OTT territory); (d) forbidding the sale; (e) summoning him for interview. But no; our masters really want to get this guy – because he’s a law-abiding normal person who has strayed over a line – i.e. the favourite target for the authorities in modern Britain.
In the circumstances, Jim is understandably having a think about what to do next – get it all over with, or fight these ridiculous charges. Big Brother Watch has talked with him about assisting him in this unpleasantness which is of course disrupting his business and personal life; we begin by letting you know about it and calling for your help. For starters, you might like to visit their website and, if in the neighbourhood, support the business…
We are proud to support Jim in this ridiculous case. We have had some success with cases in the past and this is a prime example of the kind of overbearing, politically correct absurdity we were created to fight.
By Alex Deane
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Pope to unleash ” hell ” on Labour and the socialist liberals
Pope could give Labour Party ‘hell’
catholic leader responds to Jim Murphy’s speech appealing for religious voters’ support
By Katrine Bussey
The Pope could give Labour “hell” over its record on family matters, the leader of the Catholic Church in Scotland said yesterday.
Cardinal Keith O’Brien hit out in the wake of a speech by Scottish Secretary Jim Murphy in which he attempted to appeal to religious voters.
Cardinal O’Brien accused the government of making “a systematic and unrelenting attack on family values”.
With Pope Benedict XVI due to visit Scotland later this year, the churchman revealed he had told Labour Holyrood leader Iain Gray that “he could really give you hell for what you have done in our country over the past 10 years”.
Cardinal O’Brien has criticised government policies on stem cell experimentation on human embryos, civil partnerships, same-sex adoption and abortion.
He said: “There’s a whole series of measures which have been legislated for over the past 10 years which are against basic Christian standards.
“I feel on behalf of my own Church and peoples of other faiths as well, that I am entering into this daily contest, fighting for the standards by which we stand as Christians here.”
Cardinal O’Brien said he had met the Pope in Rome recently and also said he had spoken to Mr Gray about the pontiff’s visit to Scotland.
He said the Labour Party had “accepted some praise” for playing a role in attracting the Pope to Scotland.
Cardinal O’Brien continued: “I said to Iain Gray ‘when the Pope does come I hope he emphasises to you the Christian teaching when he’s here, that’s what John Paul II did when he was here’.
“And in some ways I said to him he could really give you hell for what you have done in our country over the past 10 years, demeaning family and married life and these other things that have been happening over the past 10 years.”
Mr Murphy said on Tuesday night that “faith has always been important to Labour”.
The Scottish secretary, who was delivering the Progress lecture, stated: “In the US, faith has long played a central part in politics.
“Not surprising for a country where 60% of people say that God plays an important part in their lives.
“But it’s wrong to think that it plays no role in British politics.”
Mr Murphy, a Catholic, added research from the time of the 2005 general election suggested Labour support was strongest among religious people.
The Pope was invited to the UK by Prime Minister Gordon Brown during a private audience, and earlier this month the Catholic Church confirmed Scotland would be included in the visit which is expected to take place in the autumn.
Pope Benedict XVI’s visit will be the first since predecessor John Paul II’s visit in 1982.
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Lib Dem political chicanery on Inverness by-pass
I attended a meeting at the Inverness Town House regarding the debate of the Inverness by-pass. Some excellent comments were made by community councillors with some good discussion regarding the way forward.
Mary Scanlon MSP
Mary Scanlon Conservative MSP spoke particularly well and also made the point that despite LibDem MP Danny Alexander calling the meeting she had on many previous occasions petitioned the LibDem/Labour coalition in Hollyrood when they were in Government, all to no avail. Dave Thompson SNP MSP also highlighted some good points and I felt he contributed in a positive way. The fact that the LibDems have effectively done nothing for Inverness was something that had caused a great deal of frustration on this particular issue.
I also pointed out that these were devolved issues and asked Mr Alexander why as a Westminster MP he was getting directly involved in issues that did not involve him. I also asked him why he was waiting until the eve of a General Election to start to campaign on the Inverness by-pass and why he had not at any other time tried to speak up for the issues at any other point during his term of office.
I suggested that Danny Alexander was in fact using the Inverness by-pass as part of his political campaign to try and win popular support for his own personal election campaign in an attempt to get re-elected.
I asked Mr Alexander to answer these charges but not unexpectedly he refused to do so.
While a by-pass is important to the future development of Inverness it must be well thought out and take into consideration all opinions and feelings of the community that it will affect. The fact that Danny Alexander has attempted to hijack a sensitive local issue needs to be viewed with a high degree of suspicion.
Danny talks a lot but he has totally failed to deliver on this and many other issues and only now tries to save his political skin by appearing to take an interest. Once the General Election is over, Danny Alexander whether successful or not will no doubt disapear into the void only to appear again when another election approaches.
This region needs real leadership and effective planning and not politicians who simply use issues to further their own attemps to cling on to office. I have no doubt that the majority of people attending were of the same opinion as me.
The time for real action has come and lets hope that it does move forward in a positive way with a cross party consensus on what needs to be done but the political grandstanding needs to be left out.
Jim Ferguson
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Some MP’s expenses are legitimate but are they worth it?
Danny Alexander LibDem MP
MP’s and their expenses are under ever greater scrutiny than ever before and rightly so. Some are legitimate expenses and others are bordering on outright fraud.
I found it interesting to note from the article in the Press and Journal the amount of expenses claimed by a number of Scottish MP’s which were well into the top 50 as far as amounts actually claimed.
Danny Alexander is among the highest expense claims of MP’s at Westminster. It led me to wonder if all that money for these MP’s was money well spent. While the likes of Danny Alexander claim a large geographical area as the reason for such huge expenses claimed we cannot forget the fact that its not all fares.
Not so long ago he was approached as were all the local parties to make a contribution to the Blythwood food bank appeal that was trying desperately hard to assist the poor who had no food to eat here in the Highland capital of Inverness and the surrounding area.
I had raised close to £1000 of food aid which had also come from donations from Conservative Party members and I had thought that a cross party effort would have gone a long way to helping those in need.
Danny refused to help and stated that he thought it more important to talk about the situation than to donate anything to it.
Ofcourse at that time few of us knew that every piece of food that Danny put in his mouth was paid for by the taxpayer from expenses he claimed. All legitimate ofcourse. At least as far as the law was concerned.
I am wondering what actual worth some of these MP’s actually bring though. Sure they can appear in the newspapers and opine on this and that on a regular basis.
Danny talks a lot but in my opinion and many others actions speak louder than words.
Are MP’s like Danny Alexander worth the investment ? With a bit of luck we will find out soon enough once people here in the Highlands look at the real worth of those who claim to be working so hard on our behalf.
Jim Ferguson
North and north-east members in top 50
Chairman of Scottish affairs committee was most expensive in 2009-10
Published: 05/02/2010
NINE MPs representing seats in the north and north-east were revealed last night to be among the 50 most expensive at Westminster in the last financial year.
The MP with the highest expenses for 2009-10 was Glasgow East Labour MP and Scottish affairs committee chairman Mohammed Sarwar, who is retiring at the general election – expected in May.
He racked up £192,986 in second homes allowance claims, travel expenses, office costs, computer costs and staff pay.
But his example was closely followed by MPs north of the central belt.
Moray MP Angus Robertson, ranked third most costly, last night defended his £188,164 claim. He said it was partly caused by the extra expense resulting from opening a second constituency office at Keith, and partly high travel costs.
He said: “Given the unpredictability of parliamentary schedules, weekly commuting arrangements often have to be made at short notice, which sadly adds to the travel costs.
“Constituents rightly expect you to attend to issues and events locally as well as with matters at Westminster on a weekly basis.”
He added: “The biggest cost saving from Westminster will come when Scotland is independent and we don’t need to send MPs there at all. I am focused on making that happen as quickly as possible.
At just £539 a year lower, Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey Liberal Democrat MP Danny Alexander, also blamed travel costs, driving round one of the biggest constituencies in the UK and commuting back and forth between Inverness and London.
Linlithgow and Falkirk East Labour MP Michael Connarty and Falkirk Labour MP Eric Joyce, at fourth and fifth, were only a few pence less.
Mr Joyce — frequently at or near the top of the expenses league — also cited travel between his home in Falkirk and London as the reason his expenses remain high, pointing out that MPs have to fly on expensive open tickets because they do not know their arrangements very far ahead.
Aberdeen North MP Frank Doran came in at No 12 in the table, claiming £182,139.
Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross Lib Dem MP John Thurso, at No 22, claimed £178,689, Dundee West Labour MP Jim McGovern, 23, £178,597, and Gordon Lib Dem MP Malcolm Bruce, 24, £178,230.
Perth and North Perthshire SNP MP Pete Wishart was 34th with £175,896.
The cheapest was First Minister Alex Salmond, also SNP MP for Banff and Buchan, 533rd, but he rarely appeared in Westminster, claiming £131,316, mainly in staff costs. Western Isles SNP MP Angus MacNeil was 431st, claiming £141,583.
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Conservative Government will back householders in defence of property and families
I was delighted to see David Cameron taking a stand for common sense and ordinary people when he pledged support for householders who take a stand in defending their properties and families.
For far too long we have seen soft touch justice by this Labour Government who seem more interested in trumpeting the human rights of evil criminals along with support from their Liberal partners in crime.
I hear all too often of people exasperated that the law does not seem to be on their side. There are countless examples of people who quite rightly have stood up to people who damage their property within the bounds of common sense and restraint but who have found themselves reported to the Police and then hauled in and questioned and sometimes arrested and charged just because they either tried to apprehend someone or told someone off for damaging their property.
Ofcourse its not the fact that the law is not on peoples side. The Police simply enforce the law. The problem lies with the Government and the legislators who interpret the law and who apply pressure on the respective Police forces. I have a high regard for the Police in particular Northen Constabulary but over zealous Police officers such as Officer Stuart Gray (Shiny Buttons) simply brings the reputation of the Police down.
We need common sense at every level and a serious resistance mounted in not only limiting political correctness but abolishing it altogether.
David is right to speak out for people all across the country and the nonsense of human rights legislation must be done away with to ensure our courts and law enforcement agencies are free to operate and function properly.
Labour has let the people down in so many fundamental ways that we simply cant go on like this. Its time that ordinary people were put first and a Conservative Government will ensure that justice is restored to the people.
Jim Ferguson
Tory leader pledges backing for people who take on intruders they find in their own homes
Raiders have forfeited their human rights, says Cameron
By Gavin Cordon
Published: 01/02/2010
People who break in to people’s homes “leave their human rights outside” the moment they do, Tory leader David Cameron said yesterday.
He said that Conservatives would strengthen the law to protect householders who exercise their “legitimate” right to self-defence when confronted by an intruder.
“It’s to make sure that fewer cases, frankly, are taken to court, that fewer people are arrested for doing what I think is perfectly legitimate, which is to defend yourself in your own home,” he said.
“The moment a burglar steps over your threshold, and invades your property – with all the threat that gives to you, your family and your livelihood – I think they leave their human rights outside.”
Mr Cameron has previously spoken out on the issue after TV presenter Myleene Klass complained that she was cautioned by police for waving a knife at intruders who entered her garden.
He said that under the Conservative proposals, householders would only face prosecution if they used “grossly disproportionate” force against a burglar.
Business Secretary Lord Mandelson dismissed the suggestion that burglars should forfeit their human rights as impractical.
“It’s a wonderful soundbite but that’s all it is. You know it’s not a practical policy,” he said.
“It’s not a practical principle of law that you can operate when you say that anyone who is attempting to burgle another house, thereby renounces all their rights under the law. What sort of country is he trying to create?
“Of course it will receive short-term public applause from those who want to get tough on burglars, as we do in our government, but where’s the practical commonsense policy thinking?” added Lord Mandelson.
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Labour and LibDem MP’s throwing in the towel in face of Tory victory
There are no guarantees as to the outcome of the General Election although the indicators are there for a Conservative win. However it seems that a large number of Labour and LibDem MP’s see the writing on the wall and are not even trying to fight their corner at the next General Election. They have lost the will to fight it would seem.
Jim Ferguson
The Labour and Lib Dem MPs in Tory target seats who will avoid the electorate’s verdict at the general election
With several more Labour MPs in marginal seats having announced their intention to retire at the election in recent days, below is a list of the 46 Labour and Lib Dem MPs (so far) in the most winnable seats for the Conservatives who have opted not to defend their seats at the general election.
There are of course some who have retired on grounds of old age or ill health and several who are not standing again in the wake of “Expenses-gate”, but one has to wonder how many have merely concluded that they are staring defeat in the face and want to avoid that spectre.
I have restricted the list to the Tories’ top 200 target seats (the party needs to gain 117 seats to get a majority of one in Parliament) and the numbers refer to where they appear, on paper, on that target list (based on the Rallings and Thrasher figures). I am grateful to Anthony Wells at UK Polling Report for his comprehensive list of MPs who are retiring.
NB For the purpose of making the list comprehensive, I have included those whose health I understand to have dictated their decision, but I have marked them with an asterisk and make clear that I am in no way seeking to cast aspersions on their motives.
The full list is as follows:
20. *Paul Keetch (LD) – Hereford and South Herefordshire
21. *Kali Mountford – Colne Valley
24. Christine McCafferty – Calder Valley
31. *John Smith – Vale of Glamorgan
35. Tom Levitt – High Peak
37. Betty Williams – Aberconwy
44. Janet Dean – Burton
45. Des Turner – Brighton Kemptown
46. David Chaytor – Bury North
53. Mark Todd – Derbyshire South
54. Doug Naysmith – Bristol North West
60. Michael Wills – Swindon North
72. Barbara Follett – Stevenage
83. Ian Pearson – Dudley South
85. Helen Southworth – Warrington South
86. Matthew Taylor (LD) – Truro and Falmouth
87. Ben Chapman – Wirral South
94. Bill Olner – Nuneaton
100. Ann Cryer – Keighley
107. Colin Burgon – Elmet and Rothwell
108. Martin Salter – Reading West
111. Paul Truswell – Pudsey
112. Colin Breed (LD) – Cornwall South East
114. Ruth Kelly – Bolton West
117. Claire Curtis-Thomas – Sefton Central
121. John Hutton – Barrow and Furness
122. Mark Oaten (LD) – Winchester
125. Andrew Mackinlay – Thurrock
127. David Lepper – Brighton Pavilion
132. Eric Martlew – Carlisle
136. Greg Pope – Hyndburn
142. Margaret Moran – Luton South
150. Liz Blackman – Erewash
152. Paddy Tipping – Sherwood
156. Phil Willis (LD) – Harrogate and Knaresborough
166. Lynne Jones – Birmingham Selly Oak
181. Alan Simpson – Nottingham South
188. Martyn Jones – Clwyd South
198. *Tony Wright – Cannock Chase
200. Beverley Hughes – Stretford and UrmstonIn addition, there are five further Labour MPs who have opted not to contest seats which, after boundary changes, are notionally deemed to be Conservative marginals which they would effectively have to win back.
John Grogan – Selby and Ainsty
Stephen Hesford – Wirral West
Bob Marshall-Andrews – Rochester and Strood
Rudi Vis – Finchley and Golders Green
Derek Wyatt – Sittingbourne and Sheppey
Jonathan Isaby
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Recovery of Britains economy has a long and difficult way to go
Jim Ferguson
Gordon Brown’s legacy will be the Great Recession
Commenting on the news that the UK is the last G20 economy to leave the recession, Shadow Chancellor George Osborne said “Gordon Brown’s promise that Britain would lead the world out of recession lies in tatters”.
“We were one of the first in and now, today, we are the last out. Gordon Brown’s legacy will be the Great Recession.”
Not only is the UK the last G20 economy to leave the recession, but:
- The UK was one of the first countries to enter recession, and the last G20 country out.
- Some countries emerged nine months ago.
- The pound has fallen significantly against other major currencies.
Osborne added that a key reason for this was that “Gordon Brown’s decisions as Chancellor left Britain ill-prepared and his judgements as Prime Minister made the recession even worse.”
The Conservatives have published a document explaining how Gordon Brown made the recession worse – you can read it in full below.
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Lib Dems Snub Regiment
There is something almost obscene at the way certain liberal leaning people look upon our armed services.
It is highly distasteful to see the way our men and woman are being treated and almost a degree of contempt being shown by those with a liberal agenda.
They seem to forget that its the bravery and sacrifice of the British armed forces that allow them the freedoms that they so smugly take for granted.
Its time for this nonsense to stop and proper respect be shown to the brave people who put life and limb on the line in defense of their country.
Jim Ferguson
Daily Mail Dec 17th 2009
They have fought bravely in Iraq and Afganistan and count Victoria Cross hero Johnson Beharry among their number.
But the troops of the most decorated regiment in the British Army are the victim of an extraordinary snub by a council in Surrey which says they are not appropriate recipients of a public honour.
More than 2000 people in Epsom have signed a petition to hand the freedom of the borough to the soldiers of the Princess of Wales Royal Regiment which has won 57 Victoria Crosses in its 350-year history.
But a furious row has erupted after Liberal Democrats and Independent councillors united to block the move-which would not cost taxpayers a penny-because the regiment, based in nearby Guildford, is not local enough.
The regiment said it would be a huge honour to have the freedom of the borough and march through the streets of the town when they come home from fighting the Taliban.
More than 30 other councils have bestowed the same honour on the regiment, including Tunbridge Wells in Kent, 50 miles away.
Epsom and Ewell councillor Jean Steer conceded that the regiment regularly signs up recruits from Epsom but said that granting it the freedom of the borough would be inappropriate.
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