Tory Heaven feels obligated to thank Cherie Blair for providing the public with the biggest laugh they will have had in ages, viz: Cherie's latest comment on her husband's time as P.M. - "he'll be up there with Churchill".
Does she *really* believe utter claptrap of that sort, or has she finally just lost the plot?
Tuesday, 30 September 2008
Thursday, 25 September 2008
Once again the EU's laws fly in the face of the facts
Today the BBC website reports as follows about deaths on British roads last year:
"Road deaths have fallen to their lowest level since records began in 1928, according to figures published by the Department for Transport. Last year a total of 2,946 people died - a 7% reduction on the previous year when 3,172 died."
Good news. But not news the European Union is interested in, as today's Daily Telegraph reports that:
"All cars will have to be fitted with automatic headlights under plans announced by the European Union. The European Commission has resurrected plans for "daytime running lights", despite fierce opposition from car manufacturers.Under the plans, which were announced by Günter Verheugen, vice president of the European Commission, all new cars will have to be fitted with this equipment in three years."
And why is the EU forcing us all to do this? "The introduction of Daytime Running Light for cars, trucks and buses makes them more visible, which will increase road safety. This will make a positive contribution to our goal of reducing fatalities on European roads whilst being more fuel efficient then existing lights," said Mr Verheugen.
So, in other words, at a time when deaths on British roads are already falling dramatically, the EU, blindly ignorant of what is happening in the United Kingdom, is going to force us all to accept another of its unnecessary, one-size fits all laws, for a reason which ignores what is happening in reality.
The simple fact of the matter is that the EU is staffed by those with the socialist mentality that they know better than we do how to run our lives. Until this mentality is smashed we will continue to be subject to ever increasing interference with our freedoms.
"Road deaths have fallen to their lowest level since records began in 1928, according to figures published by the Department for Transport. Last year a total of 2,946 people died - a 7% reduction on the previous year when 3,172 died."
Good news. But not news the European Union is interested in, as today's Daily Telegraph reports that:
"All cars will have to be fitted with automatic headlights under plans announced by the European Union. The European Commission has resurrected plans for "daytime running lights", despite fierce opposition from car manufacturers.Under the plans, which were announced by Günter Verheugen, vice president of the European Commission, all new cars will have to be fitted with this equipment in three years."
And why is the EU forcing us all to do this? "The introduction of Daytime Running Light for cars, trucks and buses makes them more visible, which will increase road safety. This will make a positive contribution to our goal of reducing fatalities on European roads whilst being more fuel efficient then existing lights," said Mr Verheugen.
So, in other words, at a time when deaths on British roads are already falling dramatically, the EU, blindly ignorant of what is happening in the United Kingdom, is going to force us all to accept another of its unnecessary, one-size fits all laws, for a reason which ignores what is happening in reality.
The simple fact of the matter is that the EU is staffed by those with the socialist mentality that they know better than we do how to run our lives. Until this mentality is smashed we will continue to be subject to ever increasing interference with our freedoms.
Tuesday, 23 September 2008
Britain's Top 12 postwar Prime Ministers
BBC's Newsnight is running a poll of the top 12 post war Prime Ministers (there have been only 12, so coming twelfth means your also the worst). Tory Heaven's view? Here it is:-
1. Margaret Thatcher - No contest. The most effective leader we have had in peace time. She saved the nation from bankruptcy and from being ruled by the Unions. She reduced taxes and the size of government. She's the man (as it were).
2. Winston Churchill - Self-evidently the greatest PM ever, but not the greatest in peace time. His glory days were 1940-1945, not 1951-55, by which time, although still a principled Tory who believed in personal responsibility and low taxes, his intellectual powers were on the wane. I'd still have had him rather than any of the PMs below him in the list however.
3. John Major - usually condemned for being dull and/or financially incompetent. Dull he may have been , but so what? Tory Haaven would rather have a solid PM with little personality than a glitzy one with bad policies. As for financially incompetent, let's not forget he left the UK economy in a sound state in 1997 for New Labour to destroy, and as for coming out of the ERM let's also not forget that that was a decision in which all the major parties concurred at the time. Black Wednesday? Rot. Gold Wednesday, which saved the pound from taking a further hammering.
4. Sir Alec Douglas-Home: nothing especially to commend him, but nothing major to detract from him either (unlike those below him in Tory Heaven's list). He benefits from having been a PM for such a short time: there was thus not long for him actually to do anything *really* bad (Gordon Brown take note) Pity he hadn't chosen to have been PM from the Lords however as the Earl Home. Now that would have been glorious and properly Tory!
5. Harold Wilson - All right, as a socialist he's hardly going to find favour with Tory Heaven, but at least he was largely a principled man who believed in the socialist policies he implemented (even if they were barmy - I mean state planning of the economy? Come off it. It didn't work in Soviet Russia, and it didn't work in the UK). Tory Heaven can respect a man of principle, even if not of his principles. Tory Heaven cannot respect the modern power hungry unprincipled New Labour gang. Wilson's major faults? Awful economic policies, and being too cosy with the Unions.
6. Harold Macmillan - He doesn't rank any higher than number because he was too much of a compromiser with the socialist ideas of the times. Any alleged Tory PM who can seriously believe that tinkering with Labour incomes and prices policies might actually make them work was living in cloud cuckoo land. He should have listened to Enoch: a good dose of monetarism in the early 1960s could have saved Britain a lot of pain later.
7. Clement Attlee - some good ideas (state funded health care for those who can't otherwise afford it) but mostly badly executed (the state doesn't actually need to manage and provide the healthcare - end result of that is dirty and inefficient hospitals).
8. Gordon Brown - still too early to say whether he deserves going further down the list, as he hasn't actually done that much so far as a result of his being an indecisive ditherer. He certainly ranks as the worst Chancellor of the Exchequer since 1945, but the appalling damage he wrought to the Economy was largely caused before he became PM.
9. James Callaghan - allowed Britain to be brought to its knees economically. Had no desire to challenge the rule of this country by the Unions, which led us to the Winter of Discontent.
10. Tony Blair - responsible for all the constitutional wrecking of the UK that is still causing us endless problems and may yet split the Union. A man of no political principle of any kind - motivated solely by the desire for power. Misled the nation into war with Iraq through the same contemptuous treatment for the public which he showed throughout his career towards Parliament. A little man.
11. Sir Anthony Eden - responsible for the shaming of Britain in the Suez crisis. A man who abandoned our colonies to decades of corruption and misrule. Symbolises in every respect the decay of national pride and competence. A national disgrace.
12. Edward Heath - by far the worst PM since the war. He deliberately and consistently lied to the country to take us in to the misnamed "Common Market" knowing it was the end of our status as a sovereign nation state. In so doing he made himself the most infamous traitor of the last 60 years, and shackled us to the corrupt, undemocratic, socialist EU. Were that not bad enough, he was a disaster fiscally and economically - another tinkerer with socialist planning. In fact, in no ways was this man actually a Tory. Charlatan and liar.
Have different views? Feel free to comment.
1. Margaret Thatcher - No contest. The most effective leader we have had in peace time. She saved the nation from bankruptcy and from being ruled by the Unions. She reduced taxes and the size of government. She's the man (as it were).
2. Winston Churchill - Self-evidently the greatest PM ever, but not the greatest in peace time. His glory days were 1940-1945, not 1951-55, by which time, although still a principled Tory who believed in personal responsibility and low taxes, his intellectual powers were on the wane. I'd still have had him rather than any of the PMs below him in the list however.
3. John Major - usually condemned for being dull and/or financially incompetent. Dull he may have been , but so what? Tory Haaven would rather have a solid PM with little personality than a glitzy one with bad policies. As for financially incompetent, let's not forget he left the UK economy in a sound state in 1997 for New Labour to destroy, and as for coming out of the ERM let's also not forget that that was a decision in which all the major parties concurred at the time. Black Wednesday? Rot. Gold Wednesday, which saved the pound from taking a further hammering.
4. Sir Alec Douglas-Home: nothing especially to commend him, but nothing major to detract from him either (unlike those below him in Tory Heaven's list). He benefits from having been a PM for such a short time: there was thus not long for him actually to do anything *really* bad (Gordon Brown take note) Pity he hadn't chosen to have been PM from the Lords however as the Earl Home. Now that would have been glorious and properly Tory!
5. Harold Wilson - All right, as a socialist he's hardly going to find favour with Tory Heaven, but at least he was largely a principled man who believed in the socialist policies he implemented (even if they were barmy - I mean state planning of the economy? Come off it. It didn't work in Soviet Russia, and it didn't work in the UK). Tory Heaven can respect a man of principle, even if not of his principles. Tory Heaven cannot respect the modern power hungry unprincipled New Labour gang. Wilson's major faults? Awful economic policies, and being too cosy with the Unions.
6. Harold Macmillan - He doesn't rank any higher than number because he was too much of a compromiser with the socialist ideas of the times. Any alleged Tory PM who can seriously believe that tinkering with Labour incomes and prices policies might actually make them work was living in cloud cuckoo land. He should have listened to Enoch: a good dose of monetarism in the early 1960s could have saved Britain a lot of pain later.
7. Clement Attlee - some good ideas (state funded health care for those who can't otherwise afford it) but mostly badly executed (the state doesn't actually need to manage and provide the healthcare - end result of that is dirty and inefficient hospitals).
8. Gordon Brown - still too early to say whether he deserves going further down the list, as he hasn't actually done that much so far as a result of his being an indecisive ditherer. He certainly ranks as the worst Chancellor of the Exchequer since 1945, but the appalling damage he wrought to the Economy was largely caused before he became PM.
9. James Callaghan - allowed Britain to be brought to its knees economically. Had no desire to challenge the rule of this country by the Unions, which led us to the Winter of Discontent.
10. Tony Blair - responsible for all the constitutional wrecking of the UK that is still causing us endless problems and may yet split the Union. A man of no political principle of any kind - motivated solely by the desire for power. Misled the nation into war with Iraq through the same contemptuous treatment for the public which he showed throughout his career towards Parliament. A little man.
11. Sir Anthony Eden - responsible for the shaming of Britain in the Suez crisis. A man who abandoned our colonies to decades of corruption and misrule. Symbolises in every respect the decay of national pride and competence. A national disgrace.
12. Edward Heath - by far the worst PM since the war. He deliberately and consistently lied to the country to take us in to the misnamed "Common Market" knowing it was the end of our status as a sovereign nation state. In so doing he made himself the most infamous traitor of the last 60 years, and shackled us to the corrupt, undemocratic, socialist EU. Were that not bad enough, he was a disaster fiscally and economically - another tinkerer with socialist planning. In fact, in no ways was this man actually a Tory. Charlatan and liar.
Have different views? Feel free to comment.
Tuesday, 26 August 2008
Where was Tory Heaven when ....?
My good chum Tory Bear has nominated me for one of those "answer these questions and pass it on" things, so here are my answers to the question posed "Where were you when ....."?
Princess Diana's death -31 August 1997
Tory Heaven was lying in his bed, thinking of getting up to go to Church, when his wireless alarm clock switched on and it became obvious from the commentary on BBC Wireless 4 that the late Princess Diana had died. A sombre day followed.
22 November 1963
Pre-dates even the venerable Tory Heaven's existence, but he can add this further one which he just had the chance to watch .....
... The first landing on the Moon, 21 July 1969
Apparently (so he is told) sitting on his mummy's knee, a babe in arms, watching Mr Armstrong take his first small step for man.
Tory Heaven nominates the following to pass on the questions to:-
Monkey with a blue rosette
Dizzy Thinks
Angry Steve
Pippa Wagstaff
Princess Diana's death -
Tory Heaven was lying in his bed, thinking of getting up to go to Church, when his wireless alarm clock switched on and it became obvious from the commentary on BBC Wireless 4 that the late Princess Diana had died. A sombre day followed.
Margaret Thatcher's resignation -
Attack on the
Tory Heaven was in South Africa when a textual message arrived on his mobile phone from his mother saying "Two planes have crashed in to the World Trade Centre [she didn't bother with the silly American spelling]. Another one headed for the White House. Mum". He tried to access the BBC website, but it was crashing under the heavy demand for news, so he rushed out to a local TV sales/repairs shop and joined a stunned group of locals watching the dreadful events unfold on the TV sets in the window.
England's World Cup Semi-Final v Germany - 4 July 1990
In London, watching on the telly. What was that you were saying about a UK football team Mr Brown?
Pre-dates even the venerable Tory Heaven's existence, but he can add this further one which he just had the chance to watch .....
... The first landing on the Moon, 21 July 1969
Apparently (so he is told) sitting on his mummy's knee, a babe in arms, watching Mr Armstrong take his first small step for man.
Tory Heaven nominates the following to pass on the questions to:-
Monkey with a blue rosette
Dizzy Thinks
Angry Steve
Pippa Wagstaff
Monday, 25 August 2008
The cost, and joy, of faith
It is all too easy for those living in the United Kingdom to count the cost of practising the Christian faith cheaply. For those living in other parts of the world it is often much more costly. This past week, horrific tales have emerged from India of the way in which Christians are being attacked and murdered by Hindus. On Friday, the Catholic Herald reported how a Hindu gang attacked a priest, Fr Thomas Pandippallyil, in the state of Andhra Pradesh. The gang gouged out his eyes, before beating and stabbing him to death. Today the press is reporting that an Indian nun was burned to death by a mob attacking an orphanage. These martyrs remind us of the cost of faith which some have to pay.
In the midst of such horrific news, it is heartening then to hear a more positive story. Thirty year old Mossab Hassan Yousef, former Muslim and son of Hassan Yousef, the co-founder of Hamas, has bravely decided to convert to the Christian faith. Nine years ago, having met a missionary, the young Mossab became interested in Christianity and began studying the Bible in secret, as was necessary in a community where apostasy from Islam merits death. Now Mossab has settled in the United States and has felt compelled to witness to his conversion and to the dreadful political leadership in Palestine. Mossab knows the danger he faces from many Islamists who would gladly kill him, but he is nonetheless determined in his faith: "I'm not afraid of them, especially as I know that I'm doing the right thing, and I don't see them as my enemies. If they want to kill me, let them do it." If only Palestine was filled with such a gospel of love for one's enemies, rather than the evil cries for bloody jihad against the non-Islamic world, how much better would the future look for all Palestinians than it currently does under the iron grip of the Hamas terrorists and other violent Islamist organisations. Mossab's tale is a heartening one, and is a glorious example for those living in more peaceful countries of the liberating effects of the Christian faith. Tory Heaven wishes him well in his journey of faith.
In the midst of such horrific news, it is heartening then to hear a more positive story. Thirty year old Mossab Hassan Yousef, former Muslim and son of Hassan Yousef, the co-founder of Hamas, has bravely decided to convert to the Christian faith. Nine years ago, having met a missionary, the young Mossab became interested in Christianity and began studying the Bible in secret, as was necessary in a community where apostasy from Islam merits death. Now Mossab has settled in the United States and has felt compelled to witness to his conversion and to the dreadful political leadership in Palestine. Mossab knows the danger he faces from many Islamists who would gladly kill him, but he is nonetheless determined in his faith: "I'm not afraid of them, especially as I know that I'm doing the right thing, and I don't see them as my enemies. If they want to kill me, let them do it." If only Palestine was filled with such a gospel of love for one's enemies, rather than the evil cries for bloody jihad against the non-Islamic world, how much better would the future look for all Palestinians than it currently does under the iron grip of the Hamas terrorists and other violent Islamist organisations. Mossab's tale is a heartening one, and is a glorious example for those living in more peaceful countries of the liberating effects of the Christian faith. Tory Heaven wishes him well in his journey of faith.
Team UK
Alex Salmond, leader of the Scottish Nationalists, is right. There should not be a Team GB competing at the next Olympic Games, to be held in 2012. But that's as far as his good sense goes. Rather than Team GB being broken up into its constituent parts - a Team England, Team Wales, Team Scotland, and Team Northern Ireland - as Mr Salmond foolishly suggests, the Olympic team of 2012 should not only continue to represent the whole of the United Kingdom, but should be given a name appropriate for the nation it represents. What on earth is wrong with Team UK? Granted, it may not sound as elegant, but Team GB misses out a constituent part of this country. It means that medal winners such as Wendy Houvenaghel from Northern Ireland, silver medal winner in cycling, was competing for a team which did not even mention the constituent part of the nation from which she comes. If anyone needs reminding, we are the United Kingdom of Great Britain AND Northern Ireland. It is right and proper that the name we give our team should reflect the whole of the nation and not unjustifiably leave out a portion of it. There is no sense of any kind in Scotland, or any other part of the United Kingdom, competing under its own banner (as three times medal winner Chris Hoy, from Scotland, recognises). Where would the logic of such a move end? Team Western Australia? Team California? Either Olympians should compete as individuals (and there is at least a respectable argument that we should return to the model of the original Olympic Games by saying that competitors represent only themselves) or they compete for their nation state (which is the preferable option, leading as it does to a healthy sense of national competition). Anything in between would spawn multiple levels of subnational units competing, and might very well be highjacked by breakaway nationalist movements from around the globe. As for team levels above that of the UK, the idea of a European team, beloved of Europhiles like the current EU 'President' Monsieur Sarkozy, is risible.
All of this would lead, logically, to the idea that a Team UK should compete in football at the next Olympics too. This however would be politically unpopular, as opposition to Gordon Brown's recent repeated suggestions that this should happen have shown. Tory Heaven opposes such an idea purely for the practical reason that it would be the thing most likely to fuel Scottish nationalism among football supporters and further threaten the very existence of the nation for whom the Team UK football players would be competing. The sacrifice of an Olympian football Team UK is a small sacrifice to pay to avoid the constitutional damage that could be done to the Union by a football Team UK.
All of this would lead, logically, to the idea that a Team UK should compete in football at the next Olympics too. This however would be politically unpopular, as opposition to Gordon Brown's recent repeated suggestions that this should happen have shown. Tory Heaven opposes such an idea purely for the practical reason that it would be the thing most likely to fuel Scottish nationalism among football supporters and further threaten the very existence of the nation for whom the Team UK football players would be competing. The sacrifice of an Olympian football Team UK is a small sacrifice to pay to avoid the constitutional damage that could be done to the Union by a football Team UK.
Saturday, 16 August 2008
A fitting description
The descriptions now ubiquitously added to cinema titles to tell us helpfully that a film with a title like 'Texas Chainsaw Massacre' contains 'scenes of violence and gore' are mildly patronising, but a fitting exemplar of the attitude of the British Government under the last eleven years of New Labour rule: The state knows best and will protect you from all possible harm.
Tory Heaven was amused then, while browsing the listings for a local cinema on the internet, to find a description for one film ('Mr Bean's Holiday') which seemed to describe so accurately the present Government: "Contains irresponsible behaviour".
Tory Heaven was amused then, while browsing the listings for a local cinema on the internet, to find a description for one film ('Mr Bean's Holiday') which seemed to describe so accurately the present Government: "Contains irresponsible behaviour".
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