Whinging Aussies

Ricky Ponting throwing his baggy green capped teddy out of his pram after the first Test reminded me that i have often wondered, why it is that the Aussies talk endlessly about 'the whinging poms'? With absolutely no sense of irony at all they whine on and on about it.

When i visited Australia a few years ago i was amazed that from the Taxi driver who picked me up at the airport when i arrived, to the taxi driver who took me back to the airport two weeks later, and every single Australian person i met in between, moaned. Not little moans interspersed with warm words of welcome but endless moans and whinges about; the 'bloody slopes' (a non pc Aussie term for Asians) who 'owned' everything, the 'bloody Government', 'the bloody crap pension', 'the bloody Greek immigrants', 'the bloody Abbos' (a non pc Aussie term for real Aussies), the 'bloody whinging poms' of course and on, and bloody on, and bloody on...

Without fail every time i was introduced to any Aussie they would all say 'oh, another bloody whinging pom' before embarking on their own endless list of moans and gripes.

If the Aussies win the ashes they should wear them with sackcloth to feel more at home.

The Aussies are of course a great sporting nation - as long as they are winning that is. If they don't win then that Tasmania sized chip that they all carry on their shoulders starts to show. Hence Ricky’s tantrum over two minutes lost last week and PM Howards face like a smacked arse when he had to present the Rugby world cup to Martin Johnson in 2003.

The man is dead...

Waco Jako larger than life even in death.



The news that Michael Jackson has died aged fifty was both shocking and surprising, especially to a fellow fifty year old. The news didn't just affect myself and my wife but my 19 year old daughter and her friends as well. Which other artist would span the generations like that? We all grew up with the music of Jako.
As always in such circumstances my heart goes out to his family. It is bad enough losing a loved one but doing it in such a white hot media frenzy...i can only imagine.

Now to what next -

I am waiting for the –

Was it suicide? What if Jako knew he could not manage the 50 odd concerts or was afraid he would disappoint his fans if he went ahead - why not go out whilst ‘back at the top’, having sold out his massive comeback concerts. Then he would leave people thinking he was going to make the biggest comeback ever!

Or, his backers knew the concerts would be a disaster/not be completed so they had him killed to cash in on the massive insurance taken out on him to cover the hugely expensive O2 concerts.

Or, his death was engineered to coincide with his securing his ‘Neverland’ property again. So it can now become the new ‘Graceland’ cash cow for his estate.

Or, is he dead at all? “Jako sighted at Tokyo airport”, "Jako is living on private island in Bahrain”. “Jako is living in disguise as a gardener at his Neverland memorial themepark”.

Or even – “I swear there is a guy who looks like Jako working down our chipshop”

All i can say is ‘The man is dead’.

And the winner is...

Why is everyone getting hot under the collar about the election results in Iran? Ahmadinejad is obviously wildly popular with his people, who are themselves such enthusiastic voters that in two provinces, Mazandaran and Yazd, more votes were actually cast than there were eligible voters. You don’t get that kind of voter enthusiasm in the UK.

He is in fact now so fantastically popular that his reformist rival Mehdi Karrubi who polled 55.5% in 2005 in his home province of Lorestan, polled only 4.6% this time amongst his own tribal ethnic group. And Mehdi has the nerve to question this...

The hard line Ahmadinejad not only took all the new votes cast in the surprisingly large turnout but also apparently took all the ‘moderate’ votes from the 2005 election and even managed to persuade 47.5% of the ‘reformist’ voters who had in 2005 despised him. What a man! What charisma! What a beige jacket!

I find it hard to understand how people can describe the Iranian election and the counting of votes as in any way corrupt or flawed.
On the contrary Ahmadinejad was informed within two hours of the polls closing that he had won. How can that be seen as anything other than just being really, really, really efficient. I mean I couldn’t see that many millions of votes being counted that quickly here in the UK or US. In fact I don’t think the results are in yet for Bush v Gore from Florida 2000...

Don't vote for me, vote for you!

With so much talk of the need for political change, and the plethora of micro democratic reform inspired groups popping up, perhaps we are moving toward the inevitable conclusion of any mature party based democracy – we each become our own party. We all then get to vote for someone who exactly espouses our views and in whom we can justifiably place our trust and confidence. Voting would be compulsory and the only name on the ballot paper would be one’s own. This would mean we all get the government we deserve and no one could complain about not being represented. There would be no minorities to complain or majorities to crow, no manifesto promises would be reneged on and everyone would have to whip themselves.
As everyone would be ‘perpetually elected’ the people who would actually sit in the House of Lords and the House of Commons would have to be selected at random in a similar manner to the current Jury Service call up. Once selected for service in either house the representative must decide on a term of service, with a minimum term of one day to a maximum of one month. This would ensure that parliament is constantly being refreshed, with no one becoming complacent or stale and may of course necessitate the installation of a revolving door.
All ministers including the Prime Minister would be selected by a secret ballot of the whole house each morning. This will not just keep each PM on their toes, but also add an entertaining level of bewilderment to the answers at Prime ministers question time. It is not expected that the daily changing of ministers will in any way affect the Civil Service’s ability to run the Ministries.
Anyone selected to sit in the House of Lords will not only get to choose their title but also get to keep it for Life. In fact all such new titles will be ‘Hereditary’, meaning that over time the numbers of those with titles will eventually end up outnumbering those without. Leading on to an inevitable point somewhere in the
future where everyone is a Lord or Lady, Duke or Duchess, Earl or... well you get the point. Of course as no one with a title is allowed to sit in the Commons this would eventually mean that the only person legally able to sit there and to simultaneously occupy all the Governmental posts would be Tony Benn.

Works for me...

Hitch up the old campaign wagon one more time...

Just signed up to 'Vote for a change'... apparently not a pro menopausal action group as i first thought...

In a nutshell...

Below is a copy of a reply i posted to a debate on the Jury Team social site.Thought it might throw some light on what the 'Jury Team' is.

http://juryteam.socialgo.com/home

Hi folks,
I admire your passion. Politics has got into this mess partly because people don’t care enough to argue anymore.
I did not sign onto the Jury Team because of righteous indignation over expenses sleaze. I like the other JT MEP candidates signed up before the current storm was unleashed by the Express. I signed up because i don’t think the Party Whip system is beneficial to the running of the nation. MP/MEP’s don’t vote in line with the interests of the Constituency they represent or even with their own conscience, but with the Party Whip. Decisions made in secret behind closed doors by a few faceless men In suits are passed into law by sheep like sleep walking MP/MEPs. As one Tory MEP told me on Sunday “I don’t have time to read all this stuff, I have to rely on the Party Whip to tell me how to Vote” – How can that be described as in any way representing the views and interests of the people he ‘represents’?

The Jury Team concept is a simple one, ‘more Independent representation’ in order to weaken or remove the Party Whip. You may have noticed that this idea had legs, with David Cameron stealing directly from the book written by Sir Paul before the Euro’s. He even talked about weakening the whip! (only talked, note). Jury Team’s reason for existing is to encourage and enable more independents of whatever political persuasion to be able to stand. Another really important point that i don’t think was brought out sufficiently in the recent campaign is that an Independent representative would by definition be more accountable to his electorate. No longer would a bad Labour or bad Tory MP be returned just because he is in a ‘safe’ seat. If an independent is not seen as working hard for his constituency then he will be voted out at the next election, with no ‘Party loyalty’ effect to save him.

Having no ‘Party Line’, ‘no policies’ and no ‘manifesto’ is a bit like being pregnant. You can’t be a ‘little bit pregnant’. You either have policies or you don’t. We are either complete independents or we are not. To quote Ben “I merely suggested that if we are all to run under the same banner we need to have some kind of combined message” This to me suggests a ‘Party Line’ – if that is not what you meant then sorry, but Jury Team was never meant to be the home of ‘the combined message’.
All we are asked is to agree the following -
1. Government should be run for the benefit of the people and not for the benefit of any political party
2. Elected representatives should vote according to their view of what is best for the country and their constituents and not at the direction of a political party
3. Politicians should fully comply with the Nolan Principles of Public Life and have externally decided and transparent remuneration

If an independent of the far right persuasion stands under the Jury Team banner in my area then i might not wish to support him, in fact i might wish to stand against him, as an independent of the far left persuasion.
As i said at the beginning, i am in favor of political discussion even argument. But if we argue detailed political viewpoints here on this site then the public might well think ‘So that is the policy of the Jury Team’?
So let’s meet at an AGM, in the pub, at a ‘primary selection meeting’ online in a debating forum, in a park... and discuss politics, argue politics, fight and become friends again. But not here, please.
Remember this project, if it is to survive, has to be organic it has to grow and develop. It has to be of the people and for the people. It has to be shaped and nurtured by those already in it and by those yet to join. We might be just at the beginning of something here – or already at it’s end...

It's Alive i tell you, alive!

Just when i thought JT might be about to flatline it raises one finger to show signs of coming back to life - or was it just giving me the finger...



OK, so let’s talk primaries. Just some thoughts and suggestions.
The candidate should live in or have some strong connection to the Region/constituency they wish to stand in. Or the candidate should have some special reason for being considered in a region/constituency. Such as - a desire to stand against a corrupt, incompetent or otherwise undesirable opponent, where no better local candidate can be found (as per Martin Bell’s example).
We should have a period where we all work to increase on the ground membership. Then only the members within a given region/constituency can vote on who of those putting themselves forward should represent the Jury Team in that area.

Finally, I would suggest we consider changing the name. Any name that has to be explained is not a good name. In order not to lose any recognition factor we have gained i would suggest we drop the ‘Team’ and change to ‘The Jury Party’. This small change at least makes us sound like a political entity. This would also do away with the problem of are we a party or not. We can position ourselves as the fresh face of politics – a party of true independents standing against the tired old closed party system of vested interests.

Thoughts please?

All quiet on the Westminster front...

I now fear for the Jury Team Project. It was always a brave but possibly futile gesture. It would appear that we did not achieve sufficient critical mass to convince the founders, and funders, of Jury Team that we could seamlessly move on credibly to the General Election. No official announcement has been made yet but a web site, facebook, myspace and twitter all looking abandoned and unloved and candidates and supporters left to flounder mean you can actually feel the energy ebbing away.

I am now split between trying to organize, with others, a national meeting of interested parties to determine if the project can be kept alive and pushed forward (complete with new name?) or to move on with a sad look over my shoulder at what might have been. To be honest, i only joined to stand on a Kilroy out ticket in the Euro’s (and then the bugger didn’t stand). I never intended to stay on and fight the General election anyway.


I still however remain a big fan of the futile gesture.

When fear triumphs...

What a sad day. The Jury Teams failure to make any sort of breakthrough pales into complete insignificance when compared to the national tragedy of Britain sending two BNP/NF MEP’s to represent us in Europe. How ironic that the celebration of the part the UK played in liberating Europe from one Fascist threat should coincide with us supplying our own new fascists infiltration into Europe.
Far right extremists are something you expect from other nations not from ours. I actually feel ashamed this morning.
My two hopes now are that - as Nick Griffin has a high profile platform, his true colours will show through and that when they do the Great British public will recoil from him, his party and his ideals.

June 4th wasn’t ‘Independent’s Day’ it turned out to be ‘The longest saddest day’.
If you listen carefully you can hear the weeping of the thousands of fallen British and commonwealth soldiers who sacrificed so much in stopping the fascist threat before, only for us to hand them power and position so freely now

David ‘Shaggy’ Cameron “It wasn’t me”...

Thank God we have such a squeaky clean reformer as David ‘Shaggy’ Cameron to lead us out of this mess and into a nice blue tinted future. Cameron can finally sort out all those corrupt Conservative MP’s unlike the chap who was in charge of the Party whilst all the corrupt claims were being made. What was his name? Cameron won’t suppress any investigations into allegations like the leader of the Tory party did. What was his name? Cameron won’t personally work to stop the publication of the John Lewis list like the Leader of the Conservative Party did last year. What was his name...Oh yes, David Cameron.

It’s like trusting Fagin to discipline the artful dodger and his mates.




Put simply, Cameron as leader, knew what his MP’s were doing and was therefore complicit or he didn’t and was therefore incompetent. Either way he is unworthy.

Real politic

Just got in from a really nice night in the pub – no idea what the turnout was.

When I voted at 7pm the woman at my local station said turnout was really poor she estimated 10% only so far and wasn’t expecting any late rush.

I spoke to an old friend, who had spent three hours out in the boiling sun leafleting on my behalf on Tuesday, getting sunburnt in the process. He then spent another two and a half hours handing leaflets out for me yesterday, both locally and in the city centre...He just told me he had actually voted Labour...

Gordon has a plan...

After todays news about Samantha Orobator Rumours are sweeping Westminster that a desperate Gordon Brown is to try self insemination, in one last hope that becoming pregnant might save his neck.

Wekip zzzzzzz

The leaflet they should have sent out and one that i am sure Winston would have approved of...

http://www.wekip.org/




"That's what i think of bloody Ukip"


Please pass the link on.

Why the turnout just won't turnout...

Yesterday i posted on twitter -

Hills offer even money that less than 30% of voters bother to turn out for the Euro Elections...enough to make a suffragette weep...



Today i read a post by Ahmed Khan, who is standing in the Euro's as an Independent in the North East, that the paltry return of postal ballots so far indicates there will be a very, very, low turnout.

So i formally charge Brown, Cameron, Clegg and Farage of bringing democracy into disrepute.


It was under their watch that the peoples respect for politicians has fallen so low. It is not good enough to say we will sort this out now - they were the leaders of their parties, either they knew what was going on and were therefore complicit or they didn't and were therefore incompetent.


So today i posted on twitter -



Brown, Cameron, Clegg and Farage – guilty of foul play – show them the red card on Thursday. Vote Jury Team...



Oh, and if you live in the North East please vote for Ahmed Khan - some people say individual MEP's can't change much in Brussels - They obviously haven't met Ahmed. Time to put a fox in the chicken house...

Making sure the electorate get the point...

Stories from the campaign trail...

Just thought that i would pass on these two stories.

My father in law rang me to tell me he had received his postal ballot form and that my name was there next to Jury Team. He went on to say he had put a nice big cross next to Jury Team and just to make sure he had put another cross next to my name...I did not have the heart to tell him that he had probably 'spoilt' his ballot paper. So if my Mother in law did the same thing I am actually on -2 votes before I start...

James Parker a fellow candidate told me he was handing out leaflets when two ladies asked him if we were the Esther Rantzen party? This is i suppose at least recognition - So with just a few days to go I am considering telling people 'you may know us as the Esther Rantzen party'?

MPs who rejected expenses reform...

HOW DID YOUR MP VOTE?



The MPs who voted in favour of keeping the additional costs allowance for second homes, worth up to £24,000 a year, were...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7488639.stm

(Links to BBC)

Pin the sleaze on the party...

This is your chance to pin the sleaze on the Party

http://www.playok.co.uk/juryteam/

Play, enjoy and pass the link on...

Thundering Times

My contribution to the times for their, 'how would you change parliament in 100 words or less'.

The biggest single thing any of us can do right now is to shock the ‘Westminster village’ out of its complacency. Luckily we have the means to do this immediately to hand; by voting for an independent candidate under the Jury Team banner in the European Elections on June 4th as urged by Martin Bell. Sending free minded independents to Europe instead of rubber stamping party place men will send a message to all the Party’s. ‘Take our loyalty for granted at your peril’.
Remember, if you don’t vote they get back in anyway. Together let’s make June 4th ‘Independent’s Day’

Perry Wilsher
Independent Candidate
European Parliamentary Election
East Midlands Region

Election, what election?

‘June 4th is Independent’s Day’
Amid all the stories of Westminster sleaze it is going almost unnoticed that we are having a European Election of MEP's on June the 4th. Whilst I completely understand that many people are being turned off Politics by the mess that the current parties have created, iIthink it is more vital than ever that we send them a message by voting for a local Independent candidate. This is the one way of effectively voting for ‘none of the above’ on the ballot paper.
Remember, choosing not to vote at all will just ensure that the same old parties keep their seats and their place on the Gravy Train.
UKIP and the BNP are not the solution; they are part of the problem. Voting Independents into the European Parliament will send a message to Brown and Cameron that they won’t be able to ignore!

Perry Wilsher
Independent/Jury Team Candidate
European Parliamentary Elections
East Midlands Region

Independent's Day: June 4th

After all the sleaze it's official -

June 4th is Independent's Day

THE JURY TEAM EFFECT

If you doubted that the Jury Team could have any effect then think again.
DAVID CAMERON
Speaking on the Andrew Marr show on BBC1.
"What I'm going to do today is I'm going to reopen the Conservative candidate list to anybody who wants to apply”
"I want to attract people who believe in public service".
Sounds like he has been watching the Jury Team?

NICK CLEGG
Speaking on Sky News on 24th May 2009.
“I really welcome a lot of independents coming in and saying – I’m going to challenge these party stooges”
“New independent candidates throw down a challenge to all party MP’s to do better”
Talking about the Jury Team?

GORDON BROWN
Reported by David Stringer, Associated Press 25th May 2009-05-25
The British lawmakers' expenses scandal spread to Europe on Monday, as Prime Minister Gordon Brown ordered his European legislators to meet stricter accountability rules amid fears that similar abuses could be taking place at the European Parliament.
Where Jury team leads...

The Jury Team is already affecting democracy in the UK, and this is only the beginning.

“When sleaze is the disease, voting Jury Team is the sure cure”

Is the Party really over?

It's not just a UK problem. This is an Australian view...

Pandemic of Westminster ‘Sleaze Flu’ sweeps country

The new outbreak of ‘sleaze flu’ currently sweeping the nation is causing great concern amongst the political classes. It is claiming new victims daily and no one knows who or where it will strike next. In an attempt to protect themselves from the devastating onslaught of this condition. MP’s are having to take such drastic measures as keeping their noses clean and their heads down, some have even resorted to working in their constituencies. Many of the victims of ‘sleaze flu’ manage to hang on pitifully, providing a sad public spectacle for a few days once infected, but all serious cases are likely to prove fatal at least as far as careers go. One such victim who did not wish to be named complained that due to the stigma attached to ‘sleaze flu’ he would find it almost impossible to find another job. “Who is going to employ me now” he said bitterly “Lords knows where will i find another job as a ‘speaker’”.
The disease, which first came to prominence in the 1990’s when it devastated the Conservative Government of John Major, was long thought to be eradicated in the UK with just the odd UKIP outbreak in Brussels. However the ‘new variant sleaze flu’ strain (which knows no party boundaries) has some very distinctive traits. It can start with very small symptoms such as a ‘bath plug’, ‘chocolate hobnobs’ or even 'two completely innocent porn films'. Then before you know it the victims are confused about exactly where they live, they forget they have paid off their mortgages and in a few very serious cases their moats have to be thoroughly cleaned out.

Remember
‘When sleaze is the disease, voting Jury Team is the sure cure!’

Perry Wilsher
Independent Candidate
East Midlands
Euro Elections

Meeting the independents champion

I really enjoyed meeting 'The man in the white suit' Martin Bell at the jury Team HQ. A really inspirational role model who passed on a few choice words of advice to the Jury Team Candidates.

German news report on MEP's expenses abuse