Saturday, May 19, 2012

Saturday Seven Up

Last week some 110,516 visitors made 323,955 visits to view 503,294 pages. The top stories in order of popularity were:

You’re either in front of Guido, or behind…

Friday, May 18, 2012

He’s Back

Snapped outside Portcullis House this afternoon…

See also: In The Thick Of It Loop

Pic via @AL1CEPERRY

The Boris Doughnut

Mehdi Hasan is “The Commentator”

On the day that Sacha Baron Cohen’s The Dictator comes out, Raheem Kassam has given the Stagger’s Mehdi Hasan the trailer treatment:

A Friday afternoon treat…

Education Pilgrim Budgets Being Slashed

Still a long way to go yet, but a sliver of good Pilgrim news in today’s Times Education Supplement:

“Despite widespread austerity cuts, local authorities still spend millions of pounds subsidising the education unions – but some cash-strapped councils are reducing their funding by as much as 50 per cent, it can be revealed. New research by TES has revealed that local authorities spent more than £8.5 million on facility time for the education unions in 2011-12. But many of the 90 local authorities who responded, out of a total of 152, revealed significant cuts to their facility time budgets.

Rotherham has, for example, cut its funding by almost half, from £112,000 in 2010-11 to £57,000 the following year. Oldham Council cut its facility time budget by £23,000 in the same period, amounting to a 29 per cent reduction. Other authorities reporting considerable cuts included Buckinghamshire (15 per cent), Hertfordshire (14 per cent) and Bolton (13 per cent).”

Where is our promised consultation please Mr Maude?

Friday Caption Contest (HoMer Edition)

News International Sources: ‘Guto Harri Starts Next Week’

City Hall have confirmed that Sam Lyons has taken over from Guto Harri as interim chief-of-spin for Boris. Speculation that Guto Harri was off to spin for News International looks set to be proven correct at any moment.  Unofficial News International sources say he has signed and is starting on Monday. Guido spoke to NI officially, who did not handle it too brilliantly:

GF: Can you confirm that Guto is joining you on Monday?
NI: I can’t really say anything about that. But can I put you on the list for it?
GF: What list? So there is an announcement coming?
NI: Errr, I don’t really know to be honest.

You snooze you lose Dave

A Literal Nanny State

Dave’s nanny-statism reaches another high today with his plans to turn the government into an actual nanny:

“…we’re also focussed on making life easier for parents day-to-day, from extending childcare to increasing the number of health visitors. The parenting classes and films we’re launching this week are an important part of that, providing clear, professionally-led advice on everything from teething to tantrums.”

Presumably we can add Dave’s 2008 promise to end “the era of big, bossy, state interference, top-down lever pulling” to the list of u-turns?

Thursday, May 17, 2012

Owen Jones: “Please Sir, I Want Some More”

Clearly not content with the royalties from his best selling book about the exploitation of the working classes, higher rate taxpayer Owen Jones wants more:

Don’t tell Laurie!

Labouring the Hollande Line

Guido is still perplexed to why Labour have got it into their heads that this Cameron not meeting Hollande line is so effective. Sarkozy was the head of state and Hollande was visiting the UK as a mere candidate out field of many others.

Dripping wet Hollande is not politically aligned to Cameron either. Should the PM have met Marine Le Pen, Stewart?



No Time to Tinker | Fraser Nelson
Cummings Slaps Unions | Speccie
It’s EU Politics That’s Killing Greece | Alex Andreou
Loony Left Weekly Round Up | Dane Vallejo
Brooks Prosecutor Got Done By Screws | Telegraph
Dave’s iPad Games | Scrapbook
No Same Sex Marriage is No Injustice | Archbishop of York
Turn Off Your iPad Dave, Deal with the Debt | Fraser Nelson
Mercer Probe Over Pass for Security Lobbyist Who Paid Him | BBC
OMG: Clegg’s Text Speak | Total Politics
Charles Hendry Sits On a Man’s Lap | ITV
Backbench Anger at Hague | Standard
No Turning Back | Dave
Evidence Suggests No Double-Dip | Hamish McRae
LOL-Factor | Harry Cole
Goodwife Brooks Gossiped With the Devil | Standard
Barker: Mad Ministerial Microwaver of Dog Cushions | Scrapbook
Being the ‘Yes’ Man of Europe Has Got Ireland Nowhere | Irish Times

Previously Seen


Peter Botting



Alexis Tsipras, leftist leader of Greece’s Syriza party, threatens…

“If they proceed with unilateral action on their side, in other words they cut off our funding, then we will be forced to stop paying our creditors, to go to a suspension in payments to our creditors.”



The last Quango in Paris says:

Mr Bryant and Mr Watson managing to make the whole hacking affair look like a farce – the more they moan the less I care about the whole subject! So partisan it beggars belief at all costs. They cannot rise above it ! If I was to call the PM a ‘liar’ I would want to be VERY sure.



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