Arrogant clerical bully Giles Fraser

There is a fundamental problem with this proposal by the arrogant clerical bully Giles Fraser to close down thousands of parish churches:  http://cw.na1.hgncloud.com/

The Church of England does not own the parish churches of England - they are owned by the ordinary people of the parish in which they are located.

And the Church of England is not supposed to be run by the current self-perpetuating stiff-necked self-righteous clique - it is supposed to be run by bishops appointed by the Crown on the advice of the Prime Minister of the day, so that there is some degree of democratic control and legitimacy.

The Church of England is one of the last institutions in this country to resist democracy (the carefully manipulated pseudo-democracy of the "synod" does not count, indeed is an affront).

ALL the inhabitants of a parish should be able to vote what happens to THEIR parish church, and also what kind of clergy they want rather than having lefties imposed on them all the time (with their messy church and their liturgical dance, and their mortifying attempts to be trendy).

Given the disconnect between the clergy and the ordinary people, is it any wonder that most people do not want to go to an Anglican service (where they will be forced to sing 1970s drivel, suffer hectoring sermons on social issues a la Corbyn, and be told they have no say on whether the pews are ripped out).

Tom Watson MP is of course a political bruiser... he doesn't care who gets hurt

Thought-provoking, indeed deeply disturbing report by Cathy Newman on Channel 4 News about how Tom Watson MP (now Deputy Leader of the Labour Party) may have corrupted the enquiry into Westminster child abuse:  http://www.channel4.com/news/uk (today's programme will be up later - for some reason Channel 4 doesn't have the technical ability to put repeats up as soon as they finish broadcasting, perhaps it is against union rules).

Tom Watson MP is of course a political bruiser.  He doesn't care who gets hurt, so long as he can score his political points.  But this time he may have gone too far. 

Using the child abuse enquiry as a political weapon represents a second violation of the victims, especially as Tom Watson's accusations have been reported as just mischief-making and without foundation.  Perhaps Mr Watson should be arrested for wasting police time.  Certainly Mr Watson should apologise to those people he has wrongly accused.

And I do not see how Tom Watson's informant in the false accusations can remain a member of the Goddard Enquiry.

CDU party colleagues, INSIST that free movement comes to an end

This statement by Chancellor Angela Merkel (reported by Reuters via Sky News) about the non-negotiability of "free movement" may well prove to be a hubristic gesture.

Frau Merkel may well find that her own countrymen, indeed her own CDU party colleagues, INSIST that free movement comes to an end.

Concentration camps indeed!  http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/angela-merkel-s-coalition-split-over-border-concentration-camps-as-pressures-of-refugee-crisis-in-a6694701.html

If Taylor Swift's Blank Space is meant to be an interpretation of The Great Gatsby

The Joseph Kahn video for Taylor Swift's 2014 Blank Space has recieved over a billion views on YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-ORhEE9VVg

The video is highly stylised ("There's a lot of symmetrical framing that's Kubrickian").

Looking at it again today, I wondered if Taylor Swift's Blank Space is meant to be an interpretation of The Great Gatsby, seen from the viewpoint of Daisy Buchanan? ("They were careless people, Tom and Daisy — they smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money or their vast carelessness, or whatever it was that kept them together, and let other people clean up the mess they had made. . .").

Far too busy talking about themselves

Guardian writer Owen Jones says "Why Labour needs to throw everything at the Work Penalty and never stop talking about it" : http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/oct/13/labour-austerity-tax-credits-economic

Some hope!

Labour MPs are entirely self-obsessed.  There is no room for them to never stop talking about the so-called "Work Penalty".  They are currently far too busy talking about themselves and how the Corbyn coup has stymied their career ambitions.

Did Caroline Lucas MP really say in the House of Commons today "you stop borrowing when you can no longer pay it back"?

What a stupid thing to say.

Presumably she thinks there is nothing immoral about borrowing and not paying back.

In layman's terms this is called stealing.

An intensely dangerous Labour MP

How smooth Chuka Umuna appeared on Channel 4 News, with his expensive-looking fawn suit and massive watch:  http://www.channel4.com/news/

And everything he said seemed to be in code.

And there was the briefest little smirk when Jon Snow said provocatively that we are supposed to be in an era of new politics and a new way of doing things in the Labour Party.

He is an intensely dangerous Labour MP.  Dangerous for the Labour leadership I mean.  He knows if Corbyn remains in place there is no future for him, and therefore he will become increasingly reckless and truculent. 

The new grouping Momentum is going down like a rattlesnake in a Lucky Dip:  http://www.newstatesman.com/politics/uk/2015/10/labour-tensions-boil-over-fractious-mps-meeting

I cannot see how Tom Watson can survive as Labour Deputy Leader.

He will try to brazen things out for a while but ultimately I think he will have to go.

Sally Bercow tried to brazen things out, but public opinion would not tolerate what she did.

What would really kill Tom Watson off would be if the family of Lord Brittan were to bring legal action for compensation for the distress they suffered due to his false claims.

And in any case we cannot have politicians of any party interfering with the police.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-34504385

Edith Cavell

Earlier this year I went to Norwich and paid my own respects to Edith Cavell.

Individuals can change the world - I have always believed this.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/theroyalfamily/11926429/Edith-Cavell-100-years-on-Heroine-WW1-nurse-receives-royal-commemoration.html

Carpe diem

Very astute analysis by Paul Goodman:  http://www.conservativehome.com/thetorydiary/2015/10/camerons-shrinking-renegotiation-demands-clarify-the-choice.html

What David Cameron wants is, in a sense, irrelevant.

David Cameron has one vote in the referendum, as we all do.

And is it not ironic that MPs think they are going to be calling the shots during the referendum campaign?

The whole point of Euroscepticism is that British MPs are now impotent.

It is as if they have forgotten the results of the Euro elections, when the British people last expressed their view on the EU.

David Cameron has a great opportunity before him - to lead the United Kingdom out of the European Union.  That would be a great legacy.  Carpe diem.

Stuart Rose

Stuart Rose heading the Remain campaign?

Stuart Alan Ransom Rose?

Baron Rose of Monewden?

THAT Stuart Rose?

Stuart Rose the former Executive Chairman of Marks & Spencer who presided over an unprecedented thirty per cent-plus plunge in the company's shares?

The Stuart Rose that "in December 2013 defended immigrants arriving to UK not on the grounds of the universal equality, but on financial benefits for his company and businesses in UK"?

Well at least the Remain campaign are openly acknowledging that the EU is run for big corporate business. 

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/stuart-rose-businessman-who-backed-immigration-for-cutting-wages-to-lead-campaign-to-keep-britain-in-a6688561.html 

I am in Stockton Heath and have just purchased my evening meal from the Stockton Fryer.

Brand names are always tricky.

To me "Momentum" sounds a lot like "Bibendum" (the Conran restaurant in Fulham Road).

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2015/oct/08/jeremy-corbyn-leadership-campaign-new-social-movement-momentum

They drew first blood

"Theresa May did not deserve the friendly fire she was subjected to on Tuesday":  http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/opinion/columnists/article4579296.ece

But on the whole it is good that they drew first blood.

It makes our job easier.

As Rambo said:  "In the field we had a code of honor, you watch my back, I watch yours."

And as Mr Rambo might say to Simon Walker, Heidi Allen and their backers:  "Don't push it! Don't push it or I'll give you a war you won't believe. Let it go."

"Self-serving business organisations such as the Institute of Directors should reflect on their social responsibilities..."

I commend this Times article:  http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/opinion/columnists/article4579296.ece

"...self-serving business organisations such as the Institute of Directors should reflect on their social responsibilities to the long-term unemployed in Britain before continuing to demand endless cheap labour from abroad."

And those who had a go at Theresa May on Tuesday should reflect that friendly fire is a game two can play.

Blue on blue attacks, if they are necessary, will be carried out where appropriate (and no need to worry about The Other Side - they are completely out of it while their grandad leader communes with his inner Marxist).

The speech so many of us have been longing to hear

After a long and tiring drive I am finally home.

There is no question that the outstanding speech this week came from Theresa May.

It was the speech so many of us have been longing to hear.

Perhaps, looking ahead, under a Theresa May premiership we will finally see an end to high-handed social engineering and a re-establishment of democratic control over how fast society is changed, how the change is effected, and who is given voting rights in the United Kingdom (and thus given rights to decide the allocation of resources).

Perhaps under Theresa May as leader we will finally get a chance to say "no" to globalisation (or at least a chance to say "this model of globalisation is not good enough, go away and come back with a more acceptable version").

For all who truly care about democracy Theresa May's speech was a courageous, inspiring and ground-breaking blueprint for the future.

Just as Mrs May has shown her courage, I want all of us to show equal courage in making sure she is protected in the party, and that her cause is advanced.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-34450887

This is a very inflammatory and misleading article:  http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/tories-reject-pleas-save-1700-6559488

On the whole I would like Redcar to be saved - a steel industry is an essential component of an independent nation state.

I would describe the Conservative Party as Celia Johnson in the last few minutes of Brief Encounter

"Britain does not love the Tory party" asserts this anonymous piece for the Guardian.

The writer clearly does not understand the country's complex relationship with the Conservative Party.

I would describe the Conservative Party as Celia Johnson in the last few minutes of Brief Encounter.  Since 1991 she has been having a chaste affair with liberal pro-euros, but now tellingly they are going in the opposite direction and after the referendum will be out of our lives forever.  Confused and unhappy, Celia/Laura/theConservativeParty is filled with emotional torment and briefly thinks of destroying herself, but ultimately decides to do the right thing.

The electorate, in the form of her dependable husband Fred, comforts her and says "Whatever your dream was, it wasn't a very happy one... you've been a long way away, thank you for coming back to me" and the electorate and the Party share a close passionate post-May election embrace.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hubyFqSUaGA&list=RDhubyFqSUaGA

For Conservatives it's yesterday once more

On Daily Politics this lunchtime Jo Coburn came out with the shocking statement that the last time a Conservative government held a party conference was back in 1996!

Therefore on the eve of this year's conference let us allow ourselves some quiet sense of achievement.

In the words of one of my all-time favourite songs, for Conservatives it's yesterday once more:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JfTnf4AiN4Y

If you have an invitation I hope to see you at our event, or I hope to be at the Conservative Way Forward reception at the Midland Hotel on Sunday night (if I can stay awake that late).