Archive for November 3rd, 2005
Apologies to all - today there are more posts than normal. In fact there are a grand total of six (maybe to make up for yesterday?).
Anyway, comment away!
(In response to j0nz’s comment to my earlier post):
It seems to me that we should stop all this nonsense (like New Zealand). It’s not as if we’re telling people that they cannot wear a skirt as many Islamic countries tell their tourists (not that I’d want to!) We should be free in all senses of the word, not just in doing what the PC lobby thinks the so-called ethnic minorities want.
None of the ‘ethnic minorities’ I know see any benefit in annoying people and find no offense in calling lights dangled on trees during December “Christmas lights”….
The problem is with do-gooders who think they know what offends.
I was out one evening while I was at university with a group which included two people who, I noticed afterwards, were not white (I didn’t notice before because it makes no odds). At some point discussion came to the point where one girl (white do-gooder) claimed that one or two things were offensive to ‘ethnic minorities’ and she didn’t back down even when the two who fitted the apparently offended demographic shouted at her that there was no offense… She went on to say that she found it offensive even if they didn’t… I ask you.
[Technorati: Politically Correct, Political Correctness, Christmas, Lambeth, Racism]
I wrote to David Davis before the ballot of MPs using good old fashioned snail mail thinking that may ellicit a response more surely than an e-mail…
I then sent an e-mail to Davis and Cameron (post 1 and post 2) which has been responded to.
Then yesterday I received a reply to my letter with an attached apology for administration error causing the delay. I hope that’s not a portent for Davis’ would-be Tory leadership… I’m also not cynical enough to suggest that my comments about a lack of reply having any bearing on the subsequent prompt reply…
I wrote about an English Parliament and his support of it:
Thank you for your letter and I am sorry for the delay in replying, due to a clerical error.
I am grateful to you for your kind words of support. (Ed - My letter was written before I realised that Cameron should be leader)
This Government’s devolution settlement has created imbalances in the British constitution and understandable grievances among the English people. We now have a curious anomaly where Scottish MPs continue to vote in England on matters which in Scotland are now the responsibility of the Scottish Parliament and on which neither English nor Scottish MPs have a corresponding say. The Prime Minister has used his Scottish MPs to force through unpopular policies on England for which there is no majority among English MPs such as foundation hospitals or university top-up fees and which the Scottish Executive has specifically ruled out in Scotland.
The Conservative Party under Michael Howard has stopped short of proposing an English Parliament and has put forward the proposition that following a resolution of the House of Commons, the Speaker should be able to certify Bills, or parts of Bills, as applying only to England or to England and Wales. In such circumstances, Scottish MPs would not be able to vote on them. By that means you get a quasi-English parliament without the accompanying expense and bureaucracy. As a member of the Shadow Cabinet I believe in collective responsibility and therefore have no difficulty in endorsing the position the Party has taken. As events move forward and the country has to come to terms with the consequences of the Human Rights Act and the devolution settlement on its constitution we shall naturally need to revisit many issues relating to the governance of Britain in the coming years.
This fails to fundamentally understand the need for an English Parliament (previous clarifying post). An English Parliament would provide an English first minister, genuine representation for the people of England and equal powers to the Scottish Parliament.
The Conservative policy on English MPs voting for English-only matters fails to deal with the fact that Scottish MPs cannot vote on Scottish matters; fails to recognise that people vote differently depending on the body they’re voting for and fails to recognise that a different party may win elections in the English Parliament to the elections for the UK parliament thus giving rise to different legislative proposals and emphasis.
I hope you’ll join the Campaign for an English Parliament and support the English in gaining devolution.
Listed on Bloggers for Cameron
[Technorati: David Davis, David Cameron, Conservative, Tory, Tory Leadership, Engl ish Parliament, England, Positive Discrimination, News and Politics]
Following on from my rant about environmentalist’s complaints about the car without providing a viable alternative or correctly spending the tax on greener methods, I thought the two following things would be of interest:
1st: The BBC reports on a new inner-city transport device which would use the EU’s Galileo white elephant.
2nd: A couple of things that I experienced on the way home today that I think the government should tackle about driving. Please bear in mind that these comments in no way suggest that I think public transport is a more pleasant way to travel - it vehemently is not!
Cyclists. They are a danger to themselves and to driver’s guilt. On my way home tonight I saw separate cyclists ignoring traffic lights (because they could see it was free), undertaking cars indicating left at traffic lights and riding with no lights.
On the first, ignoring traffic lights, it makes sense that infrequently used traffic-light controlled junctions be replaced by flashing amber traffic lights when there is little traffic. This would tell drivers that no-one has priority (except pedestrians, who could press the pedestrian button, and buses, who must be given way to anyway) allowing light traffic to flow. Obviously these cyclists agree, but until this is done they should respect the rules like car drivers do.
On the second, if you pull up in your bicycle at traffic lights inside someone who is indicating left, there is a real chance that the car will turn across you. Cyclists, the highway code instructs, should be treated like small cars with a wide berth given when overtaking. If cyclists undertake, however, they are putting themselves in danger.
On the third, if I hit a cyclist with no lights I do not really see why I should be culpable.
The police target cars - people all over the place are convicted of speeding offences which, in themselves, hurt no-one, while violent crime is rising. The problem with speeding, if one accepts that it is a contributory factor in any significant proportion of accidents, is in the accident itself, not in it happening in the first place. The act of speeding where no accident occurs is a victimless crime. Cars are targetted, one must assume, because registration plates identify the car driver easily.
Cyclists, meanwhile, who frequently flout safe driving rules, have no identification tags and must not even register their vehicle.
The greatest peril when driving is not the risk of small children running out in the road - they are taught road safety well; nor is it hitting another car - most drivers obey the rules of the road. The biggest danger is cyclists who do not light up their bikes, wear black, jump traffic lights and undertake.
[Technorati: Road Safety, Cyclists, Politics]
I haven’t been watching the news as much recently so I don’t know how much this has been reported - but you should read this: Justify This! on “Al Quds Hate Rally, London”
[Technorati: Israel, Islam, Racism, Muslim, News and Politics, Al Qaeda]
News recently has made a turn towards everyone’s favourite whinger’s catchphrase - “it’s political correctness gone mad”. Normally, when this is said, “mad” is overemphasised and an eyebrow is raised as if it’s obviously true. And sometimes it is.
First is Lambeth Council who have contrived against the world to explain why the Daily Mail, for its faults, has material. Christmas lights are now “winter lights”.
Christmas is a dirty word and I don’t know why.
I’m not religious and Christmas is still the best day of the year! I will say more later on this subject with contributions from Miss Anon.
[Technorati: Politically Correct, Political Correctness, Christmas, Lambeth, Racism]
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