People In Glass Houses, Martin…

Under Keir Starmer, there is a moral compass in Downing Street once more. But something else has gone missing. Too often, Labour now seems to lack not a moral compass, but a fully functioning political one. It has never needed one more than it does today.

And why is that, pray tell?

The most recent evidence that Labour’s political compass has been lost is in the unnecessary and overwrought row about its role in the US election. Here, once again, Labour has allowed its actions to be defined by its critics. As such, it fits a pattern: the failure to spot the danger in the freebies-for-ministers revelations; the tangled rise and fall of Sue Gray; the peremptory cull of winter fuel payments. With a good political compass, all of these could have been avoided.

Martin seems to have forgotten the 'Guardian's' own little foray into US politics, and just how effective that was!   

"My children enjoyed the rare taste of meat. "

Last week in London, celebrities including Dame Judi Dench, Ricky Gervais, Dame Joanna Lumley and Sir David Jason launched a petition demanding the Labour government help to starve small black children in Zimbabwe.

Whoops! No, sorry. Got that a bit wrong. Or...did I? 

Last week in London, celebrities including Dame Judi Dench, Ricky Gervais, Dame Joanna Lumley and Sir David Jason launched a petition demanding the Labour government help to stop the 'cruel sport' of trophy hunting in Africa.

They are, of course, outraged that small black children have meat to eat.  

Campfire leaders are emphatic in their support for the government cull. They told us that Zimbabwe cannot cope with so many elephants and is right to 'fight' pro-animal campaigners. 'The meat will save our people,' they added.

Resource Africa, an influential organisation representing the thousands in rural Zimbabwe and other southern African countries facing the 'elephant problem', said a recent UK poll backing the import bill was prompted by British ignorance and populist virtue signalling.

Hard to disagree, isn't it?  

Touche! But the sad truth is, these bunny-huggers, like Dame Judi Dench, Ricky Gervais, Dame Joanna Lumley and Sir David Jason would almost certainly demand stag shooting be stopped too, even as they tucked into venison fillets at the Dorchester...

Yes, I’m Sure It’s Concern For The Police Resourcing That’s Driving This...

...and not at all your fears that another of your low IQ councillors will shoot their mouth off on camera, go viral and have to be suspended and charged by the CPS.

Addressing Jones in court, deputy senior district judge Tan Ikram said: 'It is alleged that using a microphone you addressed a crowd at an anti-fascist protest.

'Talking about others you described as "disgusting Nazi fascists", you said "we need to cut their throats and get rid of them".

'The Crown says that those words were capable of encouraging others to commit acts of serious violence, and further that you believed that your words would encourage violence against others.'

No fast-track justice for him, though, since he didn't enter a plea.

Ahead of the councillor's appearance in court, Jaswant Narwal, chief crown prosecutor for north London, reminded the public not to prejudice court proceedings.

Ms Narwal added: 'We remind all concerned that criminal proceedings are active and that he has the right to a fair trial.

'It is extremely important that there should be no reporting, commentary or sharing of information online which could in any way prejudice these proceedings.'

No word on what, if anything, is being done to trace the women cheering him on, including the one in the Amnesty International tabard. Or the one who turned out to be yet another Left wing rabble rouser.   

And None Of The Usual Suspects Will Complain...

...in fact, the usual anti-monarchy urbanites with 'hate racism' stickers on their electric vehicle who demand the council act when a fox shits in their garden and rips open their bins will be absolutely silent when a six-ton jumbo devastates an impoverished African's maize crop and tramples his grandma into the bargain. 

These are the same crowd that will enthusiastically back Starmer's plan to end trail hunting - because it's not love of animals that drives them, it's something very ugly. 

It Seems They Are Happy To Charge A Fortune To Stitch Up The Victims, Though...

This was Tweeted by a vet who then whined like an abandoned cocker spaniel puppy when she got blowback. 

Because if vets are crying into their cappuchinos over having to put 'Killer' down, why haven't they been raising a fuss over having to stitch up Killer's multiple victims? Is it because they can earn multiple amounts from treatment for them, when it's a non-repeating fee for euthanasia?

Either way, it's hard to see that the welfare of the animals is uppermost, isn't it?

Let's Have Another Round Of 'Guess The Redacted Word'...

...because it's such fun! But this one's easy, it must be 'celebrating', right?

A Norfolk MP who has been a prominent campaigner for better rural mobile phone coverage is objecting to plans for a new telecoms mast in his constituency.

Duncan Baker, the North Norfolk MP, is supporting locals who are opposed to proposals for a 30m high lattice tower on Thwaite Common, Erpingham.

Oh. Errr, why? 

...he believes the Erpingham scheme should be scrapped, arguing the mast should not be “slap bang” in the middle of the countryside. 

Where else are they supposed to put it then? 

He said: “The parish council and community want better communications, but we cannot erect this mast in such an insensitive and beautiful area in a conservation zone.

“Thwaite Common is clearly an important wildlife area and this mast is wholly unsuitable for this location.”

Hey, here's an idea, maybe the telecommunications people actually know where it's best to site the equipment? Just a thought...

H/T: Dave Ward via email

And If Anyone Should Be Able To Recognise A PR Stunt When They See One...

...it's these two!

...on Saturday, a spokesperson for the Sussexes said Meghan had not been contacted by the newspaper to apologise.

“A true apology would be a shift in their coverage and ethical standards for all. Unfortunately, we’re not holding our breath.”

Oh, please do! 

Do You Really Want To Bring 'Scolding' Back, Whitty?

People should have ‘the courage’ to tell off motorists who leave their engines running outside schools, Chris Whitty, the Chief Medical Officer said yesterday.

What..?! 

Mr Whitty said: ‘I think we should make really clear to people the downsides of doing this that they are actually causing significant problems, potentially to vulnerable people and I think almost every parent would consider someone who is idling a car outside their child’s school to be an incredibly antisocial person to have around.

He added: ‘I think this should be about people saying and having the courage to say, look, please don’t do this.’

Strange. You don't much like it when you are scolded by the public, do you? And you didn't listen to us when we said 'please don't lock us down again', did you?

In his annual report on the nation’s health, Professor Whitty said he has targeted air pollution as it is as significant a health risk as the Covid-19 virus.

In a way, he's right. But possibly not in the way he thinks... 

Remove The Plank In Your Own Eye, 'Mail'...

...before you complain about the mote in the eye of another:

This woman is not male, and her son is not a girl. So why are you pandering to their delusions?

"But Not Those Pesky Traffic Officers..."

Henry declined to answer questions outside Nottingham Magistrates' Court on whether she would resign from her position.

Henry was captured over the speed limit twice near a primary school in Daybrook, Nottingham, as well as roads in Chilwell, Beeston and on the city's A610.

Speed cameras clocked the PCC's speed as high as 40mph in a 30mph zone, with other excess speeds recorded at 35mph and 38mph. Henry was caught in 30mph zones at four locations in Nottingham in March, May and June last year.

It says a lot for the power of Mercedes and Lexus engines that they could reach those speeds with her in the driving seat...

The judge dismissed Henry's application to keep her driving licence due to 'exceptional hardship'.

Use JustEat in future, love.

Surely You Have Some Sympathy, Roger..?

The 'Mail' is in one of its fits of 'hunting BAD!' again:

Tory MP Sir Roger Gale, the APPG’s chairman, said the findings ‘kick the bottom’ out of hunters’ claims that they are conserving wildlife and shows that their motivation is ‘self-gratification of the most revolting kind’.

The Kent MP (Ed: surely a typo..?) surely should have more sympathy with hunters putting in the effort to bag that elusive trophy beast, the long hours of patient stalking, waiting for the target to present just the right shot, the crushing of hopes as once again, it slips away silently into the bush, flicking its tail in contempt?

Have a heart, Roger! You clearly relish the thrill of the stalk too! You just haven't got anything to show for it yet...

 

I Guess It's Futile To Expect Him To Know The 9th Commandment...

Justin Welby criticised online platforms for giving people ‘a very loud voice’ and creating colliding ‘waves’ of opinions.

The only voice should be yours, eh, Justin? 

How very dare the hoi-polloi have opinions, especially when they are about you:

And how dare people have a voice to speak out about what you are doing to destroy Christian heritage: 

You know what to do, don't you, Justin?

The utter hypocrisy of this creature posing as a man of God proves there's no god, because if there were, he'd be vaporised the next time he set foot across the threshold.

"So I remember when we were driving, driving in your car, speed so fast it felt like I was drunk..."

A Tory Police and Crime Commissioner who pledged to crack down on speeding is caught breaking a 30mph limit...

Whoops! 

...five times in 12 weeks.

/facepalm 

The 52-year-old previously admitted the offences, which took place while she was campaigning to be the new PCC as well as after she was elected for the role, at a hearing back in February at Nottingham Magistrates Court.

What does she have to say for herself, then? 

Magistrates were told Henry, who is the wife of Broxtowe MP Darren Henry, had written a letter to the court saying she was 'very sorry, embarrassed and ashamed'.

Her defence solicitor Noel Philo said the letter was written on 'advice I did not give'.

Oh dear! Well, don't be too upset, Noel, she doesn't even follow her own advice, never mind anyone else's! 

On her official PCC website, Henry listed ensuring an 'effective and efficient' police response to speeding as one of her priorities.

By giving them a lot of practice, one assumes? 

In a written statement issued after the hearing, Henry said: 'I cannot comment on the ongoing case. I will be explaining the context of this matter in due course.'

Can't wait!

Though looking at her pictured entering court, I wonder if 'The pie shop was closing early, your honour!' is going to feature heavily in that 'context'... 

What Happened To The MoD?

It used to be the only government department that got contracting spot on:

The government has been accused of wasting billions of pounds of defence spending which could have reversed cuts to Devonport-based warships.

Plymouth Labour MP Luke Pollard claimed the lost £13billion was caused by mismanagement in the Ministry of Defence and by government ministers.

A government defence review announced last March that the two oldest Devonport-based frigates would be retired and the savings used to pay for the next generation of warships.

HMS Monmouth was decommissioned in June and HMS Montrose is due to go out of service later this year after returning from operations in the Gulf.

 But I guess the long march through the institutions got there in the end.

Labour said the lost money could have paid for more tanks, aircraft and warships and avoided cuts in the recent Integrated Defence Review.

Of course, being Labour, he'd no doubt demand they didn't do anything other than escort 'refugees' to our shores anyway... 

H/T: i.r.Jackson via email

How Many People Have Rude Words Killed, Brendan?

Brendan Cox on the Sir David Amess murder:

...terrorists and hostile states aren’t the only threat to democracy. In fact, they probably aren’t even the most potent. Polarisation, the dehumanisation of our opponents and less social contact between people with different views and backgrounds undermine democracy even more.

He doesn't seem to be in agreement with the rest of the 'An Islamic terrorist killed an MP, so let's ban anonymity on the Internet' crowd. But he's got a hard row to hoe: 

We may not be able to stop extremists from committing horrific acts, but can we strengthen our democratic culture in other ways? I think the answer to this is yes. And not only that, I think those of us on the left have a particular responsibility.

The first thing we can do is to try to see our opponent’s arguments in their best light.

 Hmmm....

Second, we should stop dehumanising and assuming the worst of our opponents.

 Ooops!

None of this will stop attacks like the one on Friday. But they are things that we on the left can do to help build a stronger democratic culture.

Looking at the Left that you're demanding this from, all I can say is 'Good luck'!... 

‘I had been under the impression that criticism of politicians was allowed in a democracy.’

I know how you feel, sweetie. 

I'd been under the impression that Cambridge academics were learned people worthy of respect, not chippy little racists who scream like stuck pigs when the methods they employ are used against them...

Last night Professor Gopal (Ed: yes, this one!) appealed to Michelle Donelan, the universities minister, saying her free speech had been curtailed. The request appeared to reference the Government’s new free speech bill, which will stop ‘no- platforming’ at universities.

She asked the minister on Twitter: ‘I’ve had a routine speaking engagement cancelled at short notice following pressure from a partisan campaign group. I know and deeply believe you to care about such gross infringements of academic freedom. Please help?’

Oh boy, and there's a HGV shortage too...

 I think this needs to be on permanent duty...

The wonder isn't, of course, that's she's been hastily disinvited; it's that she was invited in the first place, since she's notorious and has been for years...

Or perhaps to the civil servant who put her name forward, that was the whole point?

Another Member Of The Entitled Class Is Exposed...

The woman who has masterminded Extinction Rebellion's shutdown of Central London all this week may claim to have the solutions to the world's environmental problems.

But she has yet to convince her own neighbours in the leafy Cotswolds town of Stroud who complain about her use of a gas-guzzling car, the state of her 'eyesore' house and her overgrown gardens.

She has yet to convince 99% of the public too! 

Another local, a services veteran who asked not to be named, told us: 'She is an absolute hypocrite for telling us all how to live and then driving around in that diesel car. She's even got her green credentials on it.'

He went on: 'I help out at the community centre and I painted the bus stop and railings near her house.

'She came up to me and said 'Why bother?' 'I wasn't impressed with her attitude and had to stop myself from telling her it was none of her f***ing business.'

You shouldn't have held back. I wouldn't! 

She has previously said that she cannot afford to replace it with a more environmentally friendly electric car. Dr Bradbrook, who has a PhD in molecular biophysics, complains she needs it to ferry her two children to football and rugby because of a lack of public transport in her neighbourhood of Paganhill.

That's a familiar excuse, isn't it?

Anyone Else Would Be Out Of A Job...

Allegra Stratton, spokesperson for the Cop26 climate summit, courted controversy when she told Times Radio on Monday that she continued to use a diesel car because of taking long journeys to Scotland, Wales and Gloucestershire for family visits.

Are we so used to the utter hypocrisy from these people that no one's calling for her to be hounded out of her position? 

How did she get there, anyway? 

...she is a friend of the PM's wife, Carrie Johnson, who is said to be something of a climate change zealot herself. Come to think of it, Boris sounds increasingly that way inclined. Nor should one forget that Ms Stratton cut her journalistic teeth at The Guardian before moving to that newspaper's acknowledged finishing school, BBC2's Newsnight.

Ah! Still, she's clearly in good company: 

Britain's climate tsar was accused of hypocrisy last night for flying to at least 30 countries – and not isolating afterwards.

Alok Sharma has travelled tens of thousands of miles over the past seven months to prepare the ground for the COP26 global environment summit this autumn.

But despite visiting at least six countries on the travel ‘red list’, he has been given a ministerial exemption from hotel quarantine each time.

They are just spitting in our faces now, aren't they? 

Where's The 'Guardian' Writer Outrage At This?

A dad-of-one who forced himself on a young woman as she walked home alone late at night walked free after complaining he would lose his job if he went to jail.

Wait, what...? But I've not seen any anguished complaints from the usual suspects about this undue leniency?

Takeaway worker Javed Miah, 23...

Ah. I guess that explains it.  

Miah gave no comment in police interview.

His lawyer Saul Comish said in mitigation: ''This offence was quite opportunistic.

''He is in employment at a takeaway where he works from 4-11 PM. He is married and is a father to a four-year-old child. If you feel a custodial sentence is required, he would lose his job and he the sole earner for his family, so this would have a significant impact.

"This incident was entirely out of character. He has a low risk of re-offending.''

Miah was sentenced to six months imprisonment, suspended for two years and will have to complete 250 hours of unpaid work. He was also ordered to pay £213 in costs and sign the Sex Offender Register for seven years.

Sentencing JP David Quarnby said: "This was a cowardly and sustained attack on a young woman late at night.''

Yeah, there's a lot of that going around lately. Strangely, some stories generate furious progressive press headlines, and some...don't.

H/T: Old Holborn via Twitter

I Guess Rape Isn't A Problem Either, Then?

A 'Guardian' editorial on plans for ID to be required to vote advances an extraordinary argument:

The requirement to show photo ID in polling stations, which is expected to be introduced from 2023, looks very much like an attack on voting rights. Evidence of fraud, which the government claims is behind it, is minimal. Between 2010 and 2016, when there were two general elections and a referendum, there were just seven convictions.

Imagine if the paltry number of convictions were used to decry any other sort of social problem...