Always forgive your enemies-nothing annoys them so much- Oscar Wilde
Scottish Labour- Breath of Fresh Air

Scottish Independence has "complicated" politics rather a lot, hasn't it? SNP in limbo, Labour in limbo and the thread of the General Election next year in the balance. So, watch this space...

Upon the announcement Lammont had resigned as Scottish Labour Leader, Miliband and co were left in a very dire situation, especially because it was over the lack of influence Scottish Labour had over the country. So finally, some sense has been drummed into the heads of Labour electorates, and they chose their most popular candidate, step in Jim Murphy.
A prominent figure amongst Labour supporters for supporting the No party for Scottish Independence, however it hasn't bothered anyone by the slightest. Having been the favourite from the start, Murphy won by a 50% majority, and actually has promises worth listening to, unlike his colleagues *cough* Miliband *cough*
With an apparent lose of identity amongst Labour and Scottish Labour in particular, Murphy has reverted back to the traditional red Labour that Miliband doesn't quite know. By promising a 50p income tax for those who earn over £150,000 a year, he is theoretically redistributing money from the rich to the poor... WELCOME BACK LABOUR!
This couldn't come at a better time for a failing party, an identity crisis, a leader looking like a Muppet (literally), and a General Election round the corner. Promising devolution for nationalists, lower taxes and more public spending for socialists, and a smile that you can actually trust. Win, win, win for Labour. Being a Tory, it may be surprising for me to be congratulating Labour on this appointment, but there's only one reason I support this, and that's purely down to "Bottler Brown". As Alex Salmond prompted, the one man promising the Scottish devolution reforms has resigned, Gordon Brown choked... Where have I seen that before? So with Murphy, I believe the Scottish will finally have a leader who might actually fufill his promises and keep the United Kingdom; United.
Jordan Ifield (congratulating Labour is a

Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt- Abraham Lincoln
Labour- EU Following Suit (and also failing)

Every week I seem to find a problem in Labour policy/politicians/promises, and this week, is by no means any different. This weeks culprit: Yvette Cooper.
Immigration will be one of the major factors in determining the next government next year, we've all known that since UKIP actually gained some popularity. And ever since, the scramble to see who's actually prepared to kick out illegal immigrants has started, and so Labour were natural to pounce, with Cooper stating that "stronger checks" would be placed under a Labour government in immigration, proposing checks on previous criminal record in their native country. Now this sounds all well and good in a vague way, stop criminals gaining entry gaining to the country. We all want that, however; it doesn't take long for some scrutiny to demolish it.
Take Labour's previous immigration promise for example: 1000 new immigration officers if we're in government. Cooper used this as justification for their new promise of new checks on criminal records. But as far as i can see, 1000 new officers in a country as big as the UK won't make a difference, especially if it's 1) only against criminals (small minority) and 2) only for those outside the EU. It's a bit like discovering you have a water leak, and cover it over with paper, point at it with a big neon sign to the public saying "LOOK AT WHAT WE'VE DONE!"
Labour, and all the other "big" parties, seem to be overlooking the big picture. For the public, you and me, the biggest problem regarding immigration is how many people are coming through our borders. Not racist, it's just there are too many. Labour are promising more staff, Tories are promising reforms, Lib Dems are still imploding, its only UKIP that (unfortunately) have a strong immigration policy, with policy and conviction, just that it's a bit racist for my liking. UKIP have sounded out the EU for all our immigration issues, and I agree with them on that, and only the Conservatives have got close enough to that by promising an EU Referendum. Apart from that it's been a shambles ever since Britain became exploited by the EU. Bailing countries out, lending it more money just because our economy is better than everyone else's, and more importantly we still need to stay. The trade and relations we grow from it are outstanding, so when Cooper suggests anymore reforms in England, someone donate her a "Dunce" hat and remind her that the main immigration problem doesn't come from us, but the EU.
Jordan Ifield (spoken like a true Tory)



If I am pushed I will push back, that is the way I am. I am very British. We don't like to be pushed around. When the chips are down we might have to step into grey areas- Damon Hill

Star Wars Episode VI- Revenge of the Salmond

It was only just last week that I wrote a blog on someone who's not wanted... But thankfully, he had the good sense to retire (thank you Brown). However, Mr. Salmond is now making a return, and an unpleasant one.

Being the leader of the failed "Yes" campaign of the Scottish Independence Referendum was never going to be a good thing. Neither was resigning because of it. But because of that resignation from Alex the Salmond, his dignity was left partially intact... Until now. Yes, he has decided to enter the running of MP (the UK one! What a shocker...) in the constituency of Gordon. Let there be fireworks...
Now, as it turns out, this is a disastrous move by Salmond, because it will only gain him and his party, the SNP, more critics. Its only been 2 months since his "noble" defeat at Holyrood in the Independence Referendum, and whilst the English couldn't vote, as a whole, we were against independence. So I don't see the SNP getting many votes, especially when 1) they don't prioritize English issues in an English Parliament! And 2) Salmond has already stated that they have no intention of running Government, defeating the point of their running in the General Election, and wasted votes as a result... Poor logic is evident.
However, I can give Salmond some sympathy, firstly, he lost the Independence Referendum (although was a sore loser) and secondly, the one man to guarantee the reforms promised for Scotland if the Yes party lost the election, (Bottler Brown) has lived up to his name and bottled it by resigning. So, promised reforms without any due date, good luck Scotland. And with all attention in politics turning towards the General Election next year, whilst everyone hisses at UKIP for anti-feminist views, it seems increasingly unlikely we'll ever see any Scottish Political Reforms in our lifetime.
What now then? Before next years election, we can predict what the result will be, and with almost certain credibility, I can say: I have no idea who will win. If you take the results of the previous MP elections in Gordon, you'll find that ever since it joined as a Member of the UK Parliament in 1983, the Liberal Democrats have won every time. However, this possibility is looking increasingly unlikely next year, with the combination of the Lib Dems virtually imploding, and the gain in popularity for the SNP, Labour and the Conservatives in Scotland, it's anybody's game. And if Alex Salmond loses... Well, he is stuffed. Can he risk failure again? No is the simple answer, he'll disappear into a history textbook in 50 years time as a Key Figure in why the Scottish didn't gain their independence in 2014.... That'll be the day!
Jordan Ifield (that would be a good textbook)

I always wanted to be somebody, but now I realize I should have been more specific- Lily Tomlin

Gordon Brown Resigns as MP- HALLELUJAH

The day has finally come, whether you love him or hate him (me), Gordon Brown has finally decided to throw in the towel. Having been MP for Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath (where the hell is that?!) for 31 years... 31 years... How can they cope? He has resigned, or at least will, after the 2015 General Election. But what does this leave for Brown? And what reputation has he left behind?

Bias is something that is strong for me when it comes to Gordon Brown, 1) because I have only lived to have seen or known about his huge mistakes in the 2008 World Economic Crisis, and 2) I live in a deeply Conservative South East constituency... You can see where this is going...

But where do I start? Back in the day, before I was born, Labour needed reformation or a renaissance, and the Blair-Brown co-op offered this in 1997, and much more. It offered the Labour Party a new lead on socialism, and being a keen economist and nerd, Brown virtually walked into the role of Chancellor of the Exchequer in 1997. That was an achievement, a huge one, which he capitalized on by using his mathematics and graphs to reform our economy, with public spending being prioritized, and with living standards increasing, Mr Brown hadn't done bad in his first term.. But this allowed him to get ambitious... Too ambitious.

Anyone for a pint of failure?

It had been long speculated that Gordon had wanted to be Prime Minister, from a young age. I'm not sure about that, maybe an astronaut, or in the case of Gordon Brown, probably Mickey Mouse, but not Prime Minister. But in 2007, having seen Labour's popularity drop with the Iraq War-"miraculous" disappearance of Weapons of Mass Destruction and the warning alarms on the economy going off, Blair wisely jumped ship, leaving his colleague (Brown) to fill the shoes of a clown in a fire of economic disaster. That was precarious enough, and I feel some sympathy for him... But I'm afraid the next few years of his life were dotted with incompetence and stubbornness.

Firstly, having gained leadership of the country, without a General Election, he should've naturally caled one. Just to gain public backing, and with his ratings and Labour's on the infamous "Brown Bounce", it seemed he would've won... But then he done the also infamous, "Bottler Brown" and decided to let his ratings to fall, and this became a recurring theme for the next few years... 3 words: Economy, Boom, Bust. 2008 wasn't exactly the brightest year of his life... And will be forever remembered as the year, Brown cocked up. He saved the banks, which was valiant enough, but not his bacon. The again, infamous, recession occurred, and the rest is history. Because of this incident. Brown and Labour were predicted to lose the 2010 General Election, but because this was Brown behind the reins, it was natural that he was going to go out spectacularly. And not only did he do so, but he also managed to nail the coffin of defeat, by calling a deep Labour supporter a "bigot"... Even at the young age of 12, I knew that the word bigot was not a nice word... So because of Brown, I have remembered the most pleasing memories in history: the moment Gordon Brown put his hands in his head upon hearing the news... Thanks for the legacy Brown!

Jordan Ifield (Now let the discussion begin!)

For the powerful, crimes are those that others commit- Noam Chomsky


Ed Balls- Hypocritical, he is

I know I am biased in such a rant against Labour, but never have I seen such a huge flaw in a statement since Gordon Brown called a Labour supporter a "bigot". But with George Osborne releasing news of an extra £2 billion to the NHS, it can be nothing but good news. Can it, Labour? After all, you did mention nearly exactly the same proposal in your 2014 party conference.

But no.... Out comes Ed Balls... And I thought Ed Miliband didn't know what he was talking about. The Andrew Marr Show today gave another perspective to Labours' position as Leader of the Opposition... Hypocritical without justification. That's how low they have gone. Ed Balls heavily criticized Osborne's proposal, for not saying where the money is coming from, fair enough, until you realise that he's going to do so on Wednesday.... If that's not enough hypo criticism for you, check out what he said next...

Mr. Balls believes that this extra 2 billion pounds will come from savings, like the ones used to bail the country out of recession etc... Does the year 2008 ring a bell? Or does the crash of banks make a better bell? Yep, the one party that was responsible for the UK going through one of the worst recessions since the Great Depression of the 1920's, has publicly lauded the party that got us OUT OF IT, that they are spending too much.... That's too much for my mind to take. I struggle to comprehend the sheer lack of common sense in Balls' response.

Okay, back down on planet earth, I realise that as part of the Opposition, he can't commend the proposals. But as part of the Labour party, you must realise that the Conservatives have done the right thing. They have cut until the tills were going again, and then rewarded them. Positive motivation for a failing economy, and just when Labour were complaining of living standards in the UK, BAM, another 2 billion into the NHS. And whilst the Conservatives have had snags along the way e.g. EU and UKIP, but they've done a better job than Labour would've done if they'd stayed in government with the economic policies of a kid with a £50 note in Toys R Us.

Jordan Ifield ((Shut up, Ed) Family Guy reference #563)

 

 

Be warned: A person content to sit with you and criticize others will speak critically of you out of earshot- Richelle E. Goodrich


England bites back

Don't we all remember the festivities of the Scottish Independence referendum? Remember the gathering of thousands round the Christmas tree e.g. Holyrood, awaiting the announcement of their present: Independence. And they only got a tangerine and staying part of the UK. But with the promise of devolution from the Government, will the tangerine turn into an xbox one?

Well... We still don't know the answer to that.... 2 months have now passed, with no conclusive result; no law, no policy, no SNP victory. As a result, many Scots gave become agitated by the lack of reforms, and pin the blame on Gordon Brown. One, because its Gordon Brown, and two, he was arguably one of the most influential politicians in the referendum, and promised reform.... Which hasn't arrived. And even the English are getting a bit puzzled by this... And want their reforms back.




English councils, are never happy. They have the widest spectrum imaginable, between recycling your rubbish they are helping fix the national debt. So reward them why not? Even though they are arguably lousy at their jobs, there's no need to cut their funding dare I say, or even let Scots (who are not involved in any way shape or form) vote on their issues? Now that would be wrong, wouldn't it Mr. Blair in 1997? Or Mr. Cutameron?




As far as I can see, the councils have a right to be angry, Scottish councils have been largely well protected, as they have been promised reforms and devolution, and whilst it hasn't arrived yet, it's almost inevitable. Whilst English councils have been left in no mans land, with counting coppers becoming a sport in some counties, and with no new reforms for greater control, and those north of the border gaining a pot more control, I can only really see a one way ticket to a debate in the House of Commons, and Gordon Brown. Cue the canned laughter.


Jordan Ifield (because we all laughing at Gordon Brown)

In, out, in, out and shake it all about- Nursery Rhyme and Monster Raving Loony Party Manifesto

EU- Cameron given "Major" Blow

Think Blair and Brown, or Thatcher and Major, one things is always told from one Prime Minister to another before their time. Most of it is almost like a telling off, e.g. Don't cock up the economy with HUGE public spending and have no reserves, cough* Brown *cough* . But one thing that I and many others weren't expecting, was a 90's Prime Minister to have a say on modern EU politics and David Cameron. And for once, the odd ball was right!

Sir John Major, not remembered very well, maybe the creepy eyes and glasses spring to mind, and then Blair straight after him. However, he does have some brains, and some will, when it comes to the EU, and has hit the nail on the head with its issues and resolutions. Problem: Over immigration. Resolution: Reform EU and restrict immigration. Simple as that.




Well, it's easier said than done I can imagine, but it's what the UK needs. The UK's population has risen by 7% over a decade, which isn't purely down to immigration, but holds a large proportions of it. We'd run out of room and resources by then, and in contrast, in the next couple of decades, Germany is predicted to stay the same, or in some cases, go down! No wonder Merkel is opposed to any EU reforms... I can just see Germany opposing any restrictions on the EU based on democracy, but if they had the same problem of overpopulation as us, she would be begging for the same reforms we are. Unfortunately, I can only see the conservatives bottling it, we all saw their complacency with the EU Arrest Warrant, but Cameron will see the bulging puppy eyes of Merkel and follow anything she says. And only one person in British politics would dare defy her, and if I saw Nigel Farage as Britain's Prime Minister in my life time, I'd probably move to France and wear a stripy shirt and eat cheese for the rest of my life.


So, what now for the EU? Leave, reform, or stay? The only issue is, I can see only 2 options being picked if any, and those are the wrong ones. If Mr. Blunt Racist Farage gets his way and we leave the EU, despite his claims, our economy would falter due to the lack of faith in trade, and we'd lose precious allies, or lose trust. But if we stayed in the EU without reform, we'd keep loaning money for the rest of our lives to failing countries e.g. Greece. And we'd lose faith in allies due to overpopulation and Merkels conservative attitude. The UK and David Cameron are too weak to challenge anyone, and make the reforms that this country needs, to give us breathing space from immigrants, appease our population and shut Mr.Farage up for good... And then I'll be happy. Especially with a lack of Mr. Farage.


Jordan Ifield (Merkel + Garage = WW3)