Catch the Pigeon!

The race of the year, at least for political hacks everywhere, is that for the Speakership of the House of Commons. I find the candidates an uninspiring bunch but I thought i would have a go at ranking them in order of preference. Having watched the hustings yesterday I feel a little depressed about the prospect for reform.

10 - Sir George Young - A likely winner but lacks any spark and seems to set himself out only because he came so close and lost last time round.

9 - Ann Widdecombe - The popular choice down the Dog n' Duck but her voice sends a shiver down my spine, plus she only wants the job for a year.

8 - Sir Michael Lord - Who? Has potential but again lacks zeal.

7 - Parmjit Dhanda - Complete outsider and probably a no hoper but he is engaging and at least seems to understand the need for reform. But appears to be in support of 'fixing' selections in favour of women and ethnic minorities.

6 - Margaret Beckett - I have always had a lot of time for Margaret but she has very little chance in this race and offered little fresh perspective.

5 - Sir Patrick Cormack - Has the presence to be speaker but again seems to favour the status quo and would act as a traditionalist if elected.

4 - Sir Alan Haselhurst - Experienced and has a track record of being a moderate Tory, i would imagine that he would have the support of the whole house but was caught up in the expenses row.

3 - Richard Shepherd - The local choice, he is the MP for near by Aldridge-Brownhills, has the past of bit of a Tory rebel, speaks with authority but again is a little short on radicalism.

2 - John Bercow - The Labour choice, but can he carry the Tories with him? Seems a little unreliable but at least he seems to be taking the right approach to the job i.e great change is needed

1 - Sir Alan Beith - Has experience and a track record of radicalism. He will have support from across the house. whilst I suspect Bercow will win I think that would be a mistake given Beith's record and his knowledge of the Commons. Much as it pains me to support a Liberal he is at least a man of integrity who 'gets' the problems facing our most important national institution.

Go Beith.

They never change!

Tory Students at Oxford get caught up in racism row. Glad to see the Pretorian Guard of the Tory Party remains as mad, bad and dangerous to know as ever.

What's happened to Mike?

Does anyone know what has happened to Political Betting, every time i try to visit the site i get the same page. It's the best website for political gossip in the Uk and i am starting to miss it!!!

UPDATE: It's ok everyone relax i've found the new site

RMT strike action - WHY?

Can someone please tell me on what basis the RMTs strike action is justified. Is it just an effort to wind up Mayor Boris or is it just that Bob Crows ego needs a boost after his parties drubbing at the Euro Elections. The strike will only anger normal Londoners and their pay demand of 5% is way over the top in the current climate they are little better than the bankers, just trying to get what they can whilst the rest of the country tightens its belt.

Apologies

I'm back...I can tell you care.

I feel i should apologise for being absent for the last month or so but work has kept me busy and to be honest I wasn't sure were to begin with blogging about recent events.

At least in Birmingham we remain a fascist free zone. I have never felt so miserable watching election night, not only did the Uk elect its first BNP MEPs but Labour managed to come second in Wales! Second in Wales for god's sake! Almost more worrying was the collapse of support for Labour across vast swathes of Southern England from Cornwall to Kent.

But tomorrow is another day, Brown is still PM and I welcome Bradshaw, Ainsworth and Kinnock into the cabinet all of whom I admire. Labour has no choice but to unite and support the PM as we enter a crucial year not only for GB but also for the Labour Party.

I, like many others have been disgusted by the likes of Purnell, Blears and Caroline Flint, they are cowards and can't even organise a coup. They have no support in the mainstream party and deserve to sat on the backbenches. I have a wee feeling that Cameron has still not sealed the deal with the British public, it is one thing to want Brown out but quite another to want Cameron in.

And perhaps worst of all we have to put up with Twenty20 cricket!

Good days and bad days

Down the pub the other day,during one of those great putting the world to rights conversation, i was asked was 'smeargate' the worst moment since I joined the Labour Party. On reflection i would say no but being a bit of a list addict i thought i would share my ten worst moments.. followed later by my ten best just to keep things positive.

WORST:

1 - The 10p Tax
2 - Colin Powell addressing the UN, the moment it became clear that the Iraq war was a farce
3 - The deaths of Mo Mowlam and Robin Cook
4 - This McBride-Draper affair
5 - Any time Blair and Bush appeared together
6 - Northern Rock
7 - Browns 'six tests' for euro entry
8 - Clarke & Milburn launching 2010 vision
9 - Hutton Inquiry
10 - The 2004 European Elections

BEST:

1 -That sunny day in 1997
2- Minimum Wage being passed into law
3- John Prescott punching an idiot farmer
4- The military intervention in Sierra Leone
5- Brown becoming PM
6- 'Good Friday'
7- G20 - Brown as he should have been
8- The Southall by-election
9- Iain Duncan-Smith's quiet man speech
10- Winning the 2012 Olympics

New Library - Hope Yet for Birmingham!!

Plan's outlined this week for the new Birmingham Central Library point to a massive improvement. For those who don't know Birmingham our current library is a disgrace, a bloated concret block with little natural light and architecture that would make a multi-story car park look impressive. It is ,in short, a hellish dump.




The new building appears at first glace to be a massive contrast bold, innovative but this time with windows!!! It should look decent in its suggested position so at last the people of Birmingham will get the library they deserve. So in, a rare fit of political fairness, I must congratulate the Tory Council leadership for being ambitious and creative.