The Sun Ain't Going To Shine Anymore! Labour loses The Sun's support!

The Sun has been leading up to this moment for sometime now, so it is no surprise that it has withdrawn its support for Labour. For them to stick the knife in now must mean that Gordon Brown has seriously upset Murdoch and Co. I expect the paper to give the Government an even harder time over Afghanistan.

The Labour Party Conference: Lord Mandelson & Gordon Brown

Well, well, well! In its hour of need who comes riding to the rescue of Labour? None other than the man they all love to hate, Peter, nay, Lord Mandelson, a man of so many titles he must have to write them down lest he forget. When all around him were weeping in despair, pre-conference, up he pops across every medium, telling all and sundry that Labour could still win and calling the Conservatives and Cameron, in particular, all sorts of naughty names. And then came his speech. Oh Lordy! A work of sheer brilliance on par with the best of Laurence Olivier. It was fantastic, like a pantomime dame, egging the audience on to hiss and boo at those bad men, who want to take away their toys, cars and modest expenses, to keep for themselves. He had his audience spellbound and, as he spoke, it crossed my mind and possibly his, that he was far too good for the bunch of losers in front and behind him! But he carried on, his performance convincing them that yes, they could indeed vanquish those toffs from Toryland. Of course, the Lord himself won't have to worry if Labour win or lose. He will have a job with his mate Tony Blair in Euroland or, if not there, then David Cameron will be sure to forgive and forget and offer him a position within his own lavish court. Not that dear, dear Peter ever applied for it. No, that was the papers misquoting him, as always. Blinded by his words, even some of those delegates who mistrusted, even hated him before, were minded to like him, not a lot, but just enough to make him feel wanted.
High on the Lord's words, conference awaited Gordon Brown today and the man did not disappoint. Introduced by his wife, Sarah, to emphasis his connection with humankind, the Prime Minister gave a rousing speech and for a brief moment one truly believed that Labour has all to play for when Election time comes. As he spoke, those doubters in the audience, actually his own senior team, must have felt embarrassed and ashamed of their negative remarks in recent days.
Is the Lord's continued support for Brown a condition of the PM's backing for Blair's bid for the Euro presidency? If so, Mandelson will continue to provide succour for Brown in the months ahead and David Cameron will have to produce more than nuggets of spin to defeat him. The battle of the spin doctors is about to enter a very serious phase.

Gordon Brown: Withdrawal from Afghanistan?

Tony Blair and George W. Bush took us into the war in Afghanistan, but there is no record of Gordon Brown raising any objections at the time. As we have said before, it is now possible that it is this war and not the economy, which could end his premiership. The Americans would dearly love to cut and run and there is talk in the United States of plans to do just that when the appropriate moment arrives. Here in the UK, in the battle to win the next General Election, Gordon Brown may be forced into naming a date for the withdrawal of British troops. So, one wonders why he doesn't do so now?

If the PM waits too close to the election to announce a withdrawal he will be accused of putting his self-interest and that of Labour before the lives of British troops. If he announced a strategy for withdrawal now, even if it is years away, the country would feel that there was an end goal. At present UK voters and the family and friends of serving soldiers haven't quite grasped why our troops are being killed in a faraway country, run by a bunch of crooks, no better than the Taliban. Is our presence there really helping the war against terror? Are we over there with the support of the people of this cruel land and will democracy ever really establish itself in such a place? If our troops are making a positive contribution, instead of being just martyrs for a lost cause, then we need to be told by someone in the Government who has conviction, credibility and an understanding of the anger across the land. Is there such a person in the current administration? The message should be heard load, clear and often, not just at moments of tragedy, when the coffins return. As it is, the war is being lost in Afghanistan and the Government is losing the propaganda war at home. Our PM needs to get a grip.

Victoria Beckham: Too posh to eat?

I love Victoria Beckham! It doesn't matter which A-lister she is competing against, when it comes to hogging the front pages, she's the one! She has her critics, but in the tough world of fashion, her clothes are being talked about and worn by a host of celebrities. Victoria has done more to establish Brand Beckham than she's been given credit for. It is unlikely David's balls would ever have been featured in those Armani briefs if she hadn't teased, waxed and groomed him in the first place. We have to remember she was more famous when they first met and it was his association with the Spice Girl that gave him the platform to go from footballer to International Icon.
Those pictures of her, over-dressed for every occasion, are a joy to see, but the latest ones of her looking dangerously under-nourished, kind of spoilt the fun.
Sadder still were her protests that there was nothing wrong with her eating habits and that she never felt healthier. Sorry, but someone who cares about her should sit her down and tell her that she has a problem. David, maybe?

Simon Cowell: The man with the X-Factor

The X-Factor is back on our screens and the tabloids are ensuring it receives the maximum publicity, with daily stories about its wannabe stars and its panel of judges, who can't believe their luck. Love him, or hate him, Simon Cowell has been the driving force behind the resurrection of weekend television here in the UK and he is making millions out of it. It looks like he is about to make even more, £50 million a year more to be precise, when the show is exported to the USA. It will compete with American Idol, the top-rated series in the States, made by Simon Fuller (of Spice Girls fame), with one Simon Cowell on the panel. According to The Independent both sides are negotiating a deal which would allow Cowell to appear on both shows, pushing his appearance fees even higher.
Meanwhile,here in the UK, the publicity juggernaut goes on for the latest X-Factor series, with two of the current contestants featured prominently in the newspapers. One, who got a second chance on the show after a bout of stage fright, turns out to be an experienced stripper and the other, a sixteen year old with attitude, is already well-known in his hometown of Redditch, Worcs, as a knife-wielding thug. Of course, with a nudge from The Sun, they have declared themselves reformed characters. Shouldn't we be so proud that the children of Great Britain are spoilt for choice when it comes to role models?

Gordon Brown: No snub from Barack Obama

The story that Gordon Brown has been snubbed by Barack Obama, the President of the United States, does appear to be a load of codswallop. According to reports, during the current visit of both to the United Nations, Mr Brown's team requested a formal meeting FIVE times and on each occasion the message back was a resounding "No!" The reason put forward is that the Americans are still seething over the release of the Lockerbie bomber. However, judging by pictures of the two at the United Nations, the snub appears to be one whipped up by the UK media. Gordon Brown and the President have met informally on several occasions in the past few days and their friendship appears to be relaxed and genuine, even if Mr. Obama is said to have described the prime minister as "Dull".
Now, we may have our own grievances with Mr Brown, but I would hate to think that anyone outside the country, President or not, would snub OUR leader. I mean, isn't that the job of UK voters at the next General Election?

Illegal Immigrants: They seek them here, they seek them there

We moan, we groan, we bitterly complain about our lot, but living in the UK is an ambition so many beyond these shores aspire to. The clearing of the shanty town in Calais, known as The Jungle wasn't a pretty sight and some of the scenes of devastated, sobbing migrants were heartbreaking. Its inhabitants, mainly young men, have left family and friends in places like Afghanistan, to seek a new life. For most, the stories they have heard are of London streets paved with gold, so it is in this country they want to settle. Of course, they can't all come here and immigration has to be controlled, but it was a pity that some papers were almost gloating in their reporting of the camp's clearance. Its closure was done at the expense of even more suffering and fear for its former inhabitants. The problem of the migrants has not been solved and another camp will be set up on the site within weeks. In fairness, it is a problem not just for the French, but for the wider community, including the UK. These people are seeking to escape a life of hardship and in some cases threats of death. Of course, also amongst them are vagabonds and thieves. The plight of the migrants deserves to be better addressed than steamrollers moving in to wreck havoc on their miserable place of refuge.
One should never be beastly to the French, but could their act of destruction be vengeance for the migrants wish to settle in the UK rather than over there? Just an uncharitable thought!

Baroness Scotland: If the law is an ass, what about the law-makers?

The law is an ass, but alas, so are the law-makers. Baroness Scotland, the Attorney-General, no less, is responsible for the law that states anyone who employs an non-UK citizen needs to ensure they have a right to work in this country. Now, wouldn't you think that she would follow her own instructions to the letter and show an example to the rest of us? No! She employed a cleaner, apparently checked her documents, but fell foul of her own law, through her failure to photocopy the paperwork. She showed her loyalty and compassion by firing the woman on the spot and then compared her own £5000 fine to a "technical breach" on par with being caught out for not paying the congestion charge. With her massive salary and expenses she will have no difficulty paying the fine, but what about the small business, struggling to survive, who makes the same mistake? If you have checked the required papers and they appear correct, what more can you do? So, the Baroness was caught out, by her own flawed law and frankly should resign out of embarrassment if nothing else.
Of course, her boss Gordon Brown, says he wont fire her, but frankly every time he utters such support, the opposite happens. Two things spring to mind about this whole affair, one being Labour's love for titles and two, the PM has no interest in upholding the integrity of Parliament or that of his failing Government.

Alesha Dixon stomps on her critics!

The BBC should never have fired Arlene Phillips from Strictly Come Dancing, although it is only since her departure that all and sundry anointed her the most important person on the show. She was pushed out in a fit of ageism and a pathetic attempt to woo the youth market and in her place came the young and beautiful Alesha Dixon, singer and worthy winner of one of the series. It was always going to be tough for her and naturally the critics have been out in force to bitch and belittle her ability as a judge. I did say in an earlier piece that she had to be nice to the contestants or she would be accused of getting too big for her boots, but on the first show she struggled to walk the line between meaningful comment and being sympathetic towards them.
She has now hit back, blasting her critics and announcing she was not going to quit, adding that, although she had never been a professional dancer, as a show winner she had even more right to be there than the other judges. She has a point, as Simon Cowell or Piers Morgan wouldn't recognise a tune in a bucket if it was placed on their heads, but it hasn't stopped either from passing judgement on the singing talents of others! Also, Alesha did prove a really superb dancer and she will know the stresses and strains the contestants are under.
She herself has said that the criticism is a "storm in a teacup" and, sassy as she is, it might be better if she just ignored the sniping. She didn't personally fire Arlene and if she hadn't accepted the job, a few hundred others would have.
Arlene's profile is higher than ever and she is making more money since being dropped from the show, so it isn't like she has been reduced to selling matches on a street corner. She's even writing for The Sun!
Alesha has become the story because the majority of the dancers are not recognisable to the mass public.

Labour, Tories & Lib Dems: The first cut is the deepest?

Hang on boys! There is a touch of "mine is bigger than yours" about the sudden round of announcements from the political parties that yes indeed, there will be spending cuts whoever wins the next General Election. Ed Balls seems to relish the notion of making £2 billion in education cuts; manly Nick Clegg says that if necessary, he would ignore the party's manifesto to scrap tuition fees for University students and further more, he and Vince Cable would even place a levy on those living in houses above £1million. George Osborne, well, in his deepest voice, he is accusing Labour of lying and cheating and....keeping his own plans very close to his chest, but promising a macho response when required.

We all know the country is in a bad way and there will be a price to pay. Most likely Labour, under Gordon Brown, will lose the election, but there are those who are bold enough to suggest that the Conservatives will not win outright and that the Lib Dems could end up holding the balance of power, almost by default. There are a lot of people in his own party, including Charles Kennedy, who are not happy with Clegg's stance on fees. Could this be an own goal, as many of the Lib Dems natural supporters are from the student population?
In the coming months we will see more and more machismo on display, as the parties fight to convince us that it is their cuts, their taxes, which will make the difference and pull the country out of the mire.

The Queen Mother: Gin-soaked, snobbish and spiteful

A new book* on The Queen Mother has been criticised for being a whitewash job. On the other hand, the media in general, for years slavishly devoted to her saintly image, has slowly been edging towards the view that she really was a gin-soaked, snobbish, spiteful harridan. Her lucky moment was when a German bomb hit Buckingham Palace, allowing her to rush out to assure the peasantry of the East End that she shared their pain. "I can now look them in the eye", she snivelled regally.
Over the years she milked her mumsy image with gusto, although hating the title The Queen Mother. Her hatred for Mrs. Simpson who married Edward VIII, resulting in the Abdication crisis, knew no bounds. Her husband, the current Queen's father, was a shy, stuttering man who was forced to become King. He died at the age of 56 from coronary thrombosis, but his wife blamed the stress of his unplanned Kingship for his early death.
She loved her booze, horses and a lavish lifestyle at Clarence House, supported by a retinue of servants. She is said to have disliked Princess Diana and it is a shame that the correspondence between them was destroyed by Princess Margaret. Now that they are adults, one wonders how much the Princes William and Harry have read about their late mother's relationship with the Royals? When they sit down for dinner with those members of the family who poured scorn on the late Princess, what thoughts cross their minds?
The late Queen Mother belonged to an age when the peasantry was there to serve the aristocracy and when accident of birth was far more important than ability. She and her like were also lucky to live in an era when the media was sickening in its sycophancy.
*William Shawcross: Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother

Gordon Brown: Why is David Cameron being named his natural successor?

The trouble with Gordon Brown is that even now when he is being sincere he comes across all stagey and less than truthful. For a Prime Minister who can call upon some of the best PR names in the business, he really is badly advised. Does Peter Mandelson actually speak with him, or is he quietly plotting and planning revenge on the man who made his friend Tony Blair's life such a misery? When all those ministers and advisers publish their books, what fantastic stories they will be able to tell! Pills being popped, furniture being flung! Is The Queen guarded during the weekly audience? However, it concerns me that such is the negativity surrounding our Prime Minister, that when he is written about there is almost a presumption that it is an endorsement for David Cameron. That is not necessarily the case. That old saying, it is the Government who lose elections, not the opposition who win them, will probably be more true of this next General Election than ever before. David Cameron has no natural right to govern in Gordon Brown's place. He has no real experience of Government, other than in a junior advisory role. In fact the only talent we have really seen is his ability to tell a good yarn, to spin the headlines and to capitalise on the poor demented Prime Minister's daily mistakes. How will he deal with that 3am crisis call? How will he cope when, after the election, those Euro skeptic bastards in his party come aknocking? How will he respond when the Daily Mail demands the re-introduction of Section 28, just to keep the homos at bay?
He delivers the words well, but is he capable of delivering the goods?

Jordon: Rape and the Celebrity

Jordon, aka Katie Price, certainly likes to share every aspect of her life with the Great British public. Her latest revelation, in her own column for OK magazine, that she was raped by a celebrity has, once again, got her the front pages she craves. Of course, she has come out in a hissy that we would even dream she would say such a thing for attention or public sympathy. Jordon / Katie has said she would not name her rapist, but surely she has a duty to other young girls? It is now been reported that the Police themselves have approached her to discuss the claim. If he is a serial rapist then he needs to be stopped. There are so many rumours going around as to the name of her alleged attacker that innocent celebrities are being dragged into the frame. Perhaps she owes it to them to name and shame. Or is she keeping that for another day, when she next has a craving for a little more attention?

Arlene Phillips: The Dancing Queen Fights Back

The BBC did Arlene Phillips a massive big favour by firing her from Strictly Come Dancing. You would think it was all planned because, since she was dropped for being past it, her media career has gone from strength to strength. It is she who has captured all the press coverage in recent weeks and it wouldn't surprise me if she ends up a star turn on the next Royal Variety Show. (Do they still do it, I ask?). I have watched some of tonight's programme and my immediate reaction was to ask who the hell are half the so-called celebrities? I recognise more of the professional dancers than I do their partners. You can almost foretell what the panel is going to say and that Alesha can't really afford to be other than nice to the contestants, without a public backlash for getting above herself.
The firing of Arlene brought into sharp focus the role of older women in the media, with only Anne Robinson sure of her position. For now. Her return to Watchdog hasn't been met with universal praise, but maybe that's just envy over her three-million pound BBC contract.
What I do find interesting is that it is often the ageing executive in power, male and female, who makes the decision to dump the oldies, regardless of talent and experience. It happens in companies right across the land, not just in the media. It can be heartless and grossly unfair, but let's face it, we have all been guilty of ageism.

Gordon Brown - Bottom of the class as Prime Minister

The latest The Times Newspaper Opinion survey informs us that over half of voters believe they would make a better Prime Minister than Gordon Brown. Of course many of them, the males anyway, will also believe they would make a better James Bond than Daniel Craig, but I know how they feel. Gordon Brown reminds me of Richard Nixon, who wasn't all bad, but who let his paranoia overrule his wisdom and as a result his presidency ended in disgrace. As with Nixon, most of the bad publicity heaped on Brown is of his own doing. It seems every time he opens his mouth he has to follow-through with a retraction or U-turn. One day he says or doesn't say that public spending will not be cut, the next he says the same or opposite. No one can be sure anymore and that is the awfulness of the Brown leadership. The country is in dire straights and the man we were hoping would lead it through the mire has lost his way. Where once we thought he was a great Chancellor of the Exchequer, we now recognise as untrue. There never was a grand strategy. We were duped. It is now too late for Labour to replace Gordon Brown before the next General Election and who would replace him anyway? His cabinet and those surrounding it are all contaminated with the heavy scent of the damned.

Terry Wogan - The end of an era at the BBC

Terry Wogan has had one of the best careers in broadcasting, mainly due to the astute way he has managed it. At seventy-one years of age and with the biggest audience in UK radio broadcasting, he has decided to cut loose from the breakfast show. He made the decision, without being pushed and with millions of listeners still clamouring for more. He has watched them breeze in and out of the BBC's Broadcasting House over the years, looking to make names for themselves, whether they be the Director-General or the newest DJ on the block. He has always had a way with words and his programme has had the ability to recognise and break artists, including Eva Cassidy, whose posthumous career has resulted in millions of album sales, following exposure on his show. He has also been lucky to work with some sympathetic producers, including the late Paul Walters, who was regularly heard to banter with Terry live on air.
Chris Evans has been selected to take Sir Terry's place and some of the regular listeners have threatened anarchy in the UK over the decision. However, it's a done deal and Evans is a superb broadcaster, who will make efforts not to alienate the majority of the existing audience. Radio 2 may be ignoring its original remit, but is eager to lower its audiences age and employing Evans to front the all-important breakfast show is just another move in that direction. Sir Terry saw the writing on the wall and decided he was not going to be dragged out of the building, like Jimmy Young. He has even managed to get himself a weekend gig. Ken Bruce is currently negotiating his R2 contract, but it may be for the short-term. That would be a shame because he, along with Wogan and Steve Wright, provide a daily masterclass in professional broadcasting.

David Cameron - Is David Cameron for real?

So, what if David Cameron really is just the man from Bland with a nice taste in spin? What if, after winning the next General Election, he and his upper-class cronies are discovered to have absolutely nothing that resemble real policies in their inherited antique mahogany cupboards? Because of Gordon Brown's ineffectual performance, the leader of the Conservative party has had an easy ride, but it must be remembered that some of his own supporters have been the worse offenders in the MPs expenses row. It is some of his lieutenants, who ruled the roost when the worst excesses of the Thatcher/ Major eras of government were being played out, in utter contempt for the great British public.
Sometimes, we innocently forget that the main preoccupation of any career politician is to be Prime Minister and that the road to it is not necessarily scrupulous in its honesty of purpose. There always appears to be that tinge of spin about Cameron's utterances, a man for all seasons and headlines, but without any real substance. Maybe, as the opposition that can't be helped. Is it possible for him and his inner cabinet to understand the sheer despair that exists amongst sections of the community? To live hand to mouth? To be terrorised by feral kids in your own home? To be uneducated, unable to read or write?
To be a good politician or leader, it doesn't necessarily follow that you should have experience of the above, but sometimes I just wonder how much of the real world "Our Dave" understands, beyond the scripted page. He and some of his closest supporters hail from that world of the landed gentry and country mansions. What empathy can they possible have with the council estates, the deprived, the underprivileged, or those dying while waiting for treatment on the NHS? The world of the bankers, so contemptuous of Labour that it ignores its protests over bonuses, is the natural habitat of the Conservative party and those now in its highest echelons. Will David Cameron be capable of leading a fractured country, whilst mixing and mingling with the great and good during weekends in Chequers? I guess what I am really asking is....is David Cameron for real?