An invitation to Christmas drinks with Michael Howard at Policy Exchange / C-Change has arrived. Not at first glance the most exciting party to be invited to. Until I remember that one of the founding lights of the organisation was Dougie Smith, who the Sunday Times revealed last year to be also one of the founding lights of the up-market, posh sexy swingers Fever Parties.
Clearly he has sent me the wrong party invitation…
At last, our youth lead the way in Europe.
You know when some think tank brings out an idea ahead of its time, like nationalisation in 1945 or privatisation in 1979, which catches on and changes the world. Well that is very clever. But some ideas are just stoopid, so damned stoopid that only mad propeller head types could conceive and promote them. In the course of a week Guido tends to spot one or two from pressure groups and think tanks run by shiny, chatty people that strike me as just too far out there. So begins an occasional series…
The quirky New Economics Foundation wants to put tobacco-style labelling on SUVs, because;
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As with smoking, driving an SUV is potentially harmful not only to the driver themselves. Driving an SUV also endangers other road users, the global population and the planet. As most never leave urban roads, SUVs are an expensive indulgence for which others pay the price.
- Evidence from the development of tobacco labelling shows that in order to effect behavioural change the size of the warning, and its emotive content is critical.
Here is what they think your 4×4 should look like. Only a propeller head would believe that aspiring politicians in search of votes would actually advocate turning cars into advertising hoardings proclaiming the driver to be a baby killer. Undoubtedly NEF probably did it for publicity, so now the public will deservedly remember them as car hating cretins.
Please send any Propeller Head Wonk Spots to guido.fawkes@gmail.com
Only one front bencher has had the admirable honesty to advocate full decriminalisation of drugs – Alan Duncan, Shadow International Development secretary – yet half the shadow cabinet confess to having smoked dope. Go figure.
The four were arrested on suspicion of burglary and held overnight at Charing Cross police station before being bailed until February. Their mobile phones were confiscated and the protesters were released on bail wearing just white paper suits. (They have run out of the more trendy orange suits.) The police are checking all offices to see if any property or confidential documents are missing. The protesters sneaked by security personnel at the main entrance before donning outfits covered in blood to launch a “die in” protest against the war.
So three anti-government wimmin peace protesters wearing blood spattered outfits got into the building housing the Joint Intelligence Committee, the arm of the state that oversees security, during a high-security lock-down of Whitehall as the Queen opened parliament. Feeling safe and secure?
