He admits it at last!

At last! This week we had official confirmation of what we knew all along. The Prime Minister admitted that he had misled the Chilcott enquiry with his answers about the funding of the Iraq war. There is a more direct term for this, but convention prevents me from calling a spade a spade…


The fact is that the Prime Minister, when Chancellor, broke the military covenant and sent our soldiers into a war without the necessary equipment. That was unforgiveable! Whether or not we may agree with a war, we must never betray our soldiers in this way again.

Just recently, a mother told me that her two sons, who are in the army have had to use their own money to buy the use of extra bullet proof vests as there were not enough to go round in Afghanistan.

The Labour Government has betrayed our country, betrayed our soldiers and betrayed the people. They should go!

I don't think you really need me to tell you that our country's finances are in a mess. Over the last twelve years Gordon Brown has consistently overspent at a time when most countries were reducing their national debts.

In an article for the Centre for Policy Studies, Conservative MP and opposition whip Brooks Newmark shows the apalling reality of Gordon Browns irresponsibility.

He says: “The Government claims that Britain’s debt stands at an already shocking £805 billion, equivalent to 57.5% of GDP. This is a significant underestimate. In truth, Britain’s public debt is an astronomical £2.2 trillion, equivalent to 157.2% of GDP. This means that, in addition to grappling with the effects of the recession and credit crunch, every single British household is being hobbled by the ball and chain of public debt to the tune of £85,610”

The reason for this huge discrepancy is the extensive use of off balance sheet PFI schemes and huge unfunded pension liabilities.

Brooks goes on: “This black hole in the finances would cause most responsible governments to act with honesty and prudence. But not this profligate Prime Minister. At the recent Labour Party Conference, Gordon Brown showed no sign of ending his spending spree when he announced yet more spending commitments – all unfunded. At a time when the level of debt is rising at almost £1 billion a day, or a staggering £700,000 a minute, this is economic irresponsibility, plain and simple”

“The Chancellor has slammed the banking sector for doing exactly what they have done:

“I agree with… the need for far greater transparency. There also needs to be stricter rules in relation to off-balance sheet activity, which has enabled some banks to get around their regulatory responsibilities. That is clearly not a satisfactory position.”

To demand transparency and accountability in the private sector is a fine aim. But, to refuse to apply this in the public sector stinks of hypocrisy and double standards.
It is our children and grandchildren who will be left to pay this debt off for generations to come”.
Unless we have a change of government, and soon, there is no telling what further destruction will come to our country. Only the Conservative party are willing to bring the necessary financial discipline to bear in order to restore our country to financial and economic stability and strength. To achieve this we need a Conservative MP in Edinburgh West. Will you help us achieve this?
As your candidate, I offer a strong voice for change in Edinburgh West and will fight to restore our
economic strength once again.

Reflections on the party conference

In the aftermath of or very successful party onference last week, I thought I'd share some of my thoughts on the themes.

Overall there was a sense that we, the Conservatives, are the government in waiting. We are facing an awful task of rebuilding our shattered economy after twelve years of Labour mismanagement.

Gordon Brown and his pals really have been like little boys in a sweetie shop. They have spent our money without regard and even in the good years when you would have expected some saving to take place, they increaed the overdraft.

Now all they can say is that our debt is, proportionally similar or less than others... As if a debt of £22,000 per head of population didn't matter. Well, it does. That debt is costing the country more than we spend on Defence and Education. It must be reduced.

These reductions will be painful. The public at large know this and also know that Gordon Brown has been irresponsible in his spending. That is not to say that cuts will be popular, they wont, but as history shows, it is the conservative party who have to clean up after Labours spending binges.

If we are to make that difference, we need a Conservative MP in Edinburgh West. Let us be under no illusion, that to win this seat is a challenge that will only be overcome with lots of hard work, but it can, and will be done.

No reward for failure

I note that John McFall MP seems to love the phrase "no reward for failure". Indeed his boss Gordon Brown seems to be keen on it too. Especially when they have been using it to give Bankers a metaphorical kicking.

Of course I agree with them, there should be no rewards for failure. It will be interesting to see therefore if Mr McFall, Gordon Brown and all the members of the Government will stand by their cry and accept no rewards for failure either.

After all their stewardship of the economy cannot be described as anything other than an abject failure by any measure you care to use.

Naturally, I expect this failure to be confirmed by the general public at the ballot box, sometime in the coming year.

If there are to be no rewards for failure, then none of the government MP's should be paid any pension and there certainly should be no peerages either.

Will they do the honourable thing? No I don't think so either.

Who do you think you are kidding?...Mr Darling

You couldn't make it up!

Here we are in the mother and father of all recessions. The country is bankrupt and billions of pounds in debt, you'd think that the government would be worried and would be taking steps to reduce the debt so that we don't become a bankrupt state.

No, Gordon Brown and Alistair Darling continue fiddling while Britain burns. There is no attempt to reduce government spending other than some vague mention of efficiency savings. There is no attempt to raise more money from taxes. Yes, we see some increases in excise duties, and yes we see a new top rate tax of 50% for high earners.

Except that those high earners have been given a year's notice, during which time they can rearrange their finances. Chances are a good number will leave the country thus reducing the tax take when the time comes. The new higher rate isn't scheduled to come in until after the next election.

You would have thought that given the crisis we have, and according to Alistair Darling it's the worst in 60 years, that putting the finances on an even keel would be a priority. So why not introduce the higher rate tax charge now?

Could it be that it's nothing to do with the government finances and everything to do with partisan politics? Yes, setting a trap and inviting the Conservatives to repudiate the tax opening them to charges of aiding and abetting the rich.

Great! Class warfare at its best. The politics of envy lives on in New Labour.

Frankly this Labour government have completely lost the plot. It's time for them to have the courage of their convictions or get out of office and allow a new government to come in and sort out the mess, as we have in the past and as we will in the future

I'm sorry (well sort of)

Gordon Brown is reputed to have said today regarding the smeargate affair ....

"I am sorry about what happened... I wrote to those people affected, expressing deep regret, and the person responsible went immediately... I take full responsibility for what happened. That's why the person who was responsible went."

Interesting comments these. Note that he says he is sorry about what happened (translated - I'm sorry my right hand man got caught).

He takes full responsibility (does he? What has he done to take responsibility? Sack someone else, someone he appointed and who he has had as a trusted advisor for almost ten years?)

That's why the person responsible went (Went? Went where? It is not clear that he has left the civil service.)

The fact of the matter is that while Gordon Brown may well be telling the truth when he says he did not know about the emails, those around him acted in the way they did because of the tone set by the leader, Gordon Brown.

What this affair has brought to light is that far from bringing a new spin free regime to politics, he has been exposed as scheming double dealing bully and completely lacking in any sort of moral compass.