Tribal politics won the day again in the mother(fucker) of all Parliaments as 59 Labour MPs voted yesterday to defeat the Tory motion to stop the extradition of Gary McKinnon to the US (Thus passim). 84 Labour MPs had signed the motion to review the 2003 Extradition Treaty but under pressure from the whips (read [...]
Category Archives: citizens’ rights
We have ways of making you talk, Mr Blair
June 21, 2009 – 2:35 pm
It used to be difficult to shut Tony Blair up, especially on the subject of Iraq. Remember his epic war speech to Parliament, when the phrase ‘weapons of mass destruction’ was repeated more than 15 times? Now he only speaks for $400,000 a pop to neocons or lectures the Pope on theology. He might yet [...]
It's official! Phil Woolas is a Ghurka jerka
May 7, 2009 – 5:31 pm
We have steered clear of the Ghurka Veterans campaign thus far, on the grounds that there is little to add to the clear injustice of refusing to grant permanent resident status, and indeed, full army pensions, to serving and ex-members of the Nepalese Brigade of Ghurkas. Last week, the UK government, probably the only people in [...]
Manchester's crime industry boosted by ID card decision
May 6, 2009 – 1:44 pm
I won’t rub it in (again) but we predicted (Thus passim) the release of all 12 ‘terror suspects’ arrested and detained without charge for up to two weeks for the alleged ‘Good Friday Plot‘ to blow up Manchester’s Arndale Centre. Liberal politician and human rights lawyer Alex Carlile is conducting an investigation and review into [...]
Torture scandal reveals a fatal flaw in the UK-US 'Special relationship'.
March 21, 2009 – 6:36 pm
“British policy fails because we behave too much like an ineffective old Jeeves, even when Bertie Wooster has gone berserk.” By Timothy Garton Ash. Britain’s Foreign Secretary, David Miliband, responded to my article about possible British complicity in the torture of Binyam Mohamed (Thus passim) with a reader’s letter in the Guardian, disputing its accuracy. [...]
Yes, the middle classes are revolting, but I don't predict a riot
February 25, 2009 – 4:50 pm
Riot shields ready to dodge the flying quiches. Set tasers to stun those unemployed analysts. Truncheon the bourgeois materialists. They no longer matter. We’ve bled them dry. By John J Kelly. Recently, The Guardian reported police warnings of a ‘summer of hate.’ Sources of Intelligence (in short supply in the police) ‘indicate’ that middle class [...]
British Rail Fares 50% higher than Europe – why oh why etc.
February 19, 2009 – 7:04 pm
There should be a sign upon disembarking at London St Pancras International train terminal: “Welcome to Britain, where everything’s a lot dearer and a little bit rubbish.” By John J Kelly A report by Passenger Focus has told us something we already know: British rail passengers, especially commuters, pay 50% more for our generally uncomfortable [...]
Liberty in Britain is suffering death by a hundred cuts
February 19, 2009 – 11:24 am
I still cannot quite believe this is happening to my country. It feels like a bad dream. But it is happening, and we must stop it. Now. By Timothy Garton Ash For thirty years I have been travelling to unfree places, from East Germany to Burma, and writing about them in the belief that I was [...]
Israel lobby victorious as BBC refuses to help with humanitarian appeal
January 25, 2009 – 6:21 pm
In a display of lip-curling spinelessness, the BBC has refused to air the non-aligned Disasters Emergency Committee appeal for Humanitarian Aid to the victims of the Gaza conflict. Other UK (commercial) TV channels, ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5, have agreed to air the appeal. Sky Television is considering its position. (UPDATE: unsurprisingly, Sky has [...]