2005 July - Guy Fawkes' blog

Sunday, July 31, 2005

Feed Fing FAQ

Guido gets the occasional email asking why don’t you have a RSS/XML feed. I do. Those of you who don’t already subscribe to the syndicated feed are recommended to do so – it saves checking the actual blog in your browser. Guido uses Bloglines to monitor all the blogs he reads, it saves clicking from site-to-site amongst favourites, only to find them not updated and valuable click time wasted. Click on the little [SUB-BLOGLINES] subscription button in the right-hand column half way down and follow the instructions – it makes life easier.

"Appeasement" Rumour

Fatty Pollard has taken a break from writing press releases for the pharmaceutical industry to blog about this rumoured No. 10 appeasement memo on relations with the Muslim community.

Guido’s fax number is in the right hand column if anyone wants to share this (its definitely in the public interest).

Friday, July 29, 2005

Mandy’s Boy Back in No. 10

Benjamin Wegg-Prosser is to return to Downing Street to run communications planning. What exactly is Benjy’s qualification for this job?

Answers in comment section please.

Thursday, July 28, 2005

Not A Lot Going On*

So I thought a picture of Kilroy covered in shit might amuse.

*(Yes, I know the provos are giving up, but do you really believe ‘em?)

Wednesday, July 27, 2005

London Transport Advises

Seen at Notting Hill Tube yesterday.

Hot or Not?

In the spirit of the Guardian Backbencher’s political hottie feature, Guido asks is Tom Happold, the former Chair of the Young Fabians, now turned news and politics editor of Guardian Unlimited, Hot or Not?

Vote using the comments.

Incidentally whilst we’re in the Guardian’s alternative reality, isn’t it somewhat shoddy that the reader deceiving, self justifying Guardian article which slags off blogger Scott Burgess for exposing a jihadist journalist working at the Guardian, is anonymously written? So much for transparency from the advocates of Freedom of Information.

UPDATE : I give up. Backbencher includes Miss Fawkes (all of 3 months old) amongst the babes in the political hotties section this week.

Silly Season at the Daily Mail

Paul Dacre’s rants are not usually Guido’s preferred reading, but today’s caught my eye. It was almost pro-French. Lauding of a French politician even. Is it silly season?

On Sunday, France (whose Muslim population is three times larger than Britain’s) summarily deported to his native Algeria the cleric Abdelhamid Aissaoui for preaching extremism at a mosque in Lyon. He is the 11th such cleric to be expelled by the French Government in the past three years.

Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy didn’t mince words: ‘We will not keep people on our territory who issue calls to hatred, to violence and to the disrespect of our democratic values. They will leave the territory and they will leave quickly. In this area, we don’t intend to tolerate anything.’

As the shock of July 7 wears off, people will rightly start to ask angry questions about what has happened to a country that has lost control of its borders over the past 20 years. Our politicians – and our judges – will need to start listening.

Ahh, that explains it. It was a French politician saying “send ‘em back.”

Basher, Coe and Clarke Poll Highest

Interesting poll, more voters think Seb Coe should lead the Tories, rather than Basher Davis, whom most Tories think should lead the Tories, but the public would rather have Ken Clarke above all others. Proof that we live in a televisual-democracy is the popularity of Seb. Never underestimate the stupidity of the voters.

“Which if any, of the following people do you think should be the next leader of the Conservative party?”

Candidate, Voters, Tory Voters
Kenneth Clarke, 18% , 19%
Sebastian Coe, 17%, 20%
David Davis, 15%, 32%
George Osborne, 1%, 1%
Someone Else, 4%, 9%
Don’t Know, 44%, 17%

Source: British Market Research Bureau (BMRB) Methodology: Telephone interviews with 1,010 British adults, conducted from Jul. 8 to Jul. 10, 2005. No margin of error was provided.

Tuesday, July 26, 2005

Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both.
– Benjamin Franklin

Ruth Kelly Tells Chavs "Read Books"

Guido’s co-religionist and Education minister, the Blessed Ruth Kelly, is telling poor kids to read books. She is giving a speech to the wonks at the IPPR which will be full of platitudes and evidence based policy prescriptions centred on New Labour buzzwords and suchlike.

Translated she is simply saying – Stop watching Big Brother and read books you chavs. Its amazing how some homes have the latest DVD player, Satellite linked plasma screen and games box – but no books. Its not about money, its about values.

But she can’t say it that bluntly can she? Looks like a job for Melanie Phillips.