“We all owe any success we have had in our acting careers, to varying degrees, to films supported by the UK Film Council” screamed Bill Nighy in his last doomed toe-dip into the political arena. Since then he’s become the frontman for the cute, if incorrectly named, “Robin Hood Tax” campaign that would surrender the City of London to the sinking European ship. Old Bill clearly hasn’t taken the time to think these two campaigns through though…

The Film Council lobbied the government for tax breaks and special favours, yet this seems to be fine as long as Bill can “owe any success” to it. He even appeared in films shot in the Isle of Man for tax reasons – such as Wild Target. If Nighy wants a unilateral financial tax, Guido wants a unilateral Film Transaction Tax from the man himself. Perhaps “a tiny tax” on every single box-office and DVD sale?

MacBook Pro –  £1,260

Grubby hoody from gap year – £25

Free WiFi from Starbucks so you can fight the system online – Priceless, yah!

Image via Digital Politico

Cameron told the House that Rowan Williams “speaks for the country”. A highly dubious claim..

The Mad Marxist has called on the UK to “take seriously the moral agenda of the protesters at St Paul’s”. This has been leapt on by the protesters and media, as if his backing is somehow a surprise. His silence of the last two weeks was the real shock: William’s words today fit the history of this turbulent priest.

As the Telegraph exposed not long ago, the intelligence services were so concerned with Williams that they had him on a “problem” list in the Eighties. The Prime Minister was briefed about this “subversive” and his connections to Trotskyites. He was a long standing  member of the controversial Jubilee Group of lefty clerical agitators. Are you sure about this Dave?

Guido took a stroll round the distinctly underwhelming camp at St Paul’s last night. One or two things did make him giggle though:

His face lit up by a thousand corporations…

It all go a little too tiring and emotional for one merry camper…

UPDATE: Behind the paywall The Times have some disgruntled voices:

“Zakandrew Roberts, 18, joined Occupy London on its first day, but left on Saturday after a series of incidents, including someone urinating in his tent and a friend being threatened with a penknife. He claimed that the camp had deteriorated from a group of serious campaigners intent on highlighting issues about economic equality, to “drunks and drug-takers . . . here for a laugh”. Mr Roberts, an unemployed charity worker, said: “Half the people there don’t know why they are there or what they are protesting about. I want political change, not to get high and drunk all the time.”

Watch out for that progressive punch, it’s lethal…

If Labour’s candidate for Mayor was anyone but Ken, Boris would be in some trouble, but instead their candidate for Mayor is a gift that keeps on giving. Ken has told London24 that he wants to reintroduce his bonkers oil deal with socialist dictator Hugo Chavez. In the face of raised eyebrows and stifled laughs Ken rants against the CIA for spreading misinformation about the dying Venezuelan leader. Ken was on Chavez’s books as an adviser after he lost to Boris… Does he have any interests to declare on such a deal?

UPDATE:

Warm words…

In their campaign against global greed the occupiers of St Paul’s have claimed another scalp – the Dean of the Cathedral Graham Knowles. Another victory against tyranny!

In other news the City remains unaffected by the eyesore…

Graphic via @MShapland

It’s taken the best part of a week for the protestors at St Paul’s to realise that 54% of them leaving at the end of the day is an utter PR disaster. After being widely mocked by everyone except the Guardian, (who have taken to using as yet unnamed “scientists” to back up their copy) the occupiers have begun fighting back. Three days too late…

They have made a video that purports to show that one of the tents is particularly thick and therefore doesn’t let much heat through. They can’t have spent very long in it. Given the overlap with that the occupiers have with the eco-warriors do they really expect us to take what they say about science with anything other than a healthy pinch of salt? Maybe they could ask their friends at the University of East Anglia for some help…

John Mann may be a professional rent-a-quote but occasionally he hits the nail on the head. The left’s anti-semitism problem is well documented and acknowledged by everyone except the left, so it’s good to see someone finally standing up to their own side’s dark undertones:

Early day motion 2320
OCCUPY PROTESTS
Primary sponsor: Mann, John

That this House notes the `Occupy Wall Street’ and `Occupy London Stock Exchange’ protest movements; believes the right to protest is an essential tenet of democracy; further notes concerns have been raised in America about the anti-Semitic nature of some of those protests; further believes signs referring to `Hitler’s Bankers’ and `Google Jewish Billionaires’ are offensive and have no place at such protests; further believes the verbal or physical abuse of Jews by demonstrators is unacceptable; and calls on leaders of the Occupy demonstrations worldwide to condemn anti-Semitism and act to stamp it out whenever it occurs.

And all this comes on the day that the protesters demand show trials of bankers. Yes, they actually seem to be going down that road…

UPDATE : It seems OccupyWallSt LA also has an anti-semitism problem:

The initial demands of the Occupiers are being bandied round the press after they got upset with attacks from the right that they lack any coherent message:

A Demand For The Democratisation of ‘The City of London Corporation’

The City can no longer be tolerated as a State within a State governing above and beyond the authority of Parliament. This situation is undemocratic and unsustainable.
In the City and its anachronistic institutions our collective betrayal is writ large. The City is an anomaly in British politics – it has more power than the Scottish parliament. Democratic reform of The City Of London Corporation is urgently needed. The ancient political institutions of the City are surely unconstitutional and unfair. By permitting City firms to vote in elections the banks are afforded a disproportionate level of representation at the expense of local residents.

This is not in keeping with our Democracy.

The risk taking of the banks has made our lives precarious – they are accountable to no-one but themselves, unduly influencing government policy across the centuries both at home and abroad. This is not Democracy. Standing in the tradition of Clement Attlee we demand Democratisation of the City of London Corporation.

Reform of the Corporation’s political institutions will mean: An end to business block-votes in all elections – full democratisation of the City’s political institutions.

Abolition of the office of Remembrancer in the House of Commons.

Abolition of existing secrecy practices within the City and total and transparent reform of its institutions in order to end corporate tax fraud.

The City of London police to be decommissioned and its officers brought under the jurisdiction of the Metropolitan Police Force.

Abolition of the offices of Lord Mayor of London, the Sheriffs and the Aldermen.

A truth and reconciliation commission to examine corruption within the City and its institutions

These are our initial demands.

Guido thinks they might have been  better off just staying quiet…

Not content irritating their own country, it seems the assorted communists, hippies and misfits that are occupying St Paul’s are about to trigger a diplomatic incident. The New York Times has the first clue:

“As they have for 50 years, Americans in London packed St. Paul’s Cathedral on Thursday for an annual Thanksgiving service… Four marines from the detachment at the U.S. Embassy in London, three of them veterans of the Iraq war, carried the Stars and Stripes and the Marine Corps colors across the marbled floor beneath the cathedral’s dome and laid them before the altar. As the banners were borne out again at the service’s end, the congregation of 3,500, many of them families with small children, raised a moving crescendo for the last verse of “America the Beautiful.”

This year that could be a bit of a problem. Guido hears that concern is growing at the US Embassy about the security surrounding the event pencilled in for November 24. Given that the Ambassador and other dignitaries will be there, a full scale security operation takes place. Officially the Embassy have refused to comment on security issues, but a source familiar with the situation has confirmed that even on a normal year bags would be screened, metal barriers put in place, and armed guards stationed around the area. Obviously with the hippy encampment outside the threat level is dramatically increased. Even if these obstacles are over come, Guido isn’t sure that the occupiers coming face to face with the US Marines in their full regalia is going to do the Special Relationship any favours…

Guido put this news to City of London Councilman Alex Deane who said:

“It’s shocking to think that the presence of these squatters may mean that our longstanding allies and friends, who stood beside us when our country was in peril, may be prevented from marking their national celebration at an historic ceremony. I urge the self-appointed “protesters” to clear the site voluntarily. They’re given to mindlessly chanting that “this is what democracy looks like” – so, just maybe, it will mean something to them that we all want our American friends to be able to celebrate Thanksgiving in time-honoured fashion.”

Fellow Councilman Matthew Richardson added: “These part time squatters should hang their heads in shame that they have disgraced the memory of those who gave them the rights they so wilfully and selfishly abuse.” When the US Ambassador Louis B. Susman addressed the service last year he hammered home one point in particular:

“It is an honor to celebrate Thanksgiving, which is so special to Americans, in a place so venerated by the British people. Like many of you, I can remember those iconic images of St. Paul’s, standing dark and defiant amid the smoke, sirens and searchlights of the London Blitz, as if steadfast in the knowledge that this would pass, and victory would come.”

Not this year it seems…