Alistair Darling, George Osborne & Vince Cable: The TV Debate

Alistair Darling, George Osborne & Vince Cable had their TV debate and it was the latter who came out on top. Alas, Mr Cable hasn't a hope in hell's chance of becoming Chancellor of the Exchequer, so he can say and promise anything he likes, most of the time without any real challenges from the pundits and media, as happened the other night.

However, if his party do link up with the Tories, he will likely be part of the Treasury team in some way or another. I can't help feeling though, that behind the reasonableness of the LibDems, there is an intolerance fighting to get out and real power can be both depressing and corrupting. Doing and saying are two different scenarios.

The other two are under enormous scrutiny and it does appear that, against all the odds, Boy George did a good job in presentation, style and a hint of substance. Mr Darling, who has gained in confidence since Gordon chickened out firing him, didn't do too bad either, although his delivery at times did sound like the man the MOD employed during the Falkland war.

It is still astounding that Labour are in with a chance of winning the battle and the reluctance of voters to wholeheartedly back David Cameron and his team, could prove difficult for a Conservative government to make unpopular changes. Unlike Gordon & Co., who appear to do it without blinking.

A Cameron administration will have enormous problems in tackling the mountain of debt and one wonders how it will cope when the focus groups and private polls tell them they are veering towards the unpopular. Will David Cameron hold firm? In addition, which member of the Tory team will be strong enough to stand up to the Unions, who are already muscle-flexing?

There is a concern that, although change is what's required, Cameron and his team do not understand or share the aspirations of the majority of people within the country. The fear is that decisions, especially economic ones, will be made without realising the impact on those who don't have a bank account, never mind the skills or opportunities that an Eton education brings.

True or not, the perception is that once in power, a Conservative government will quickly gravitate towards the establishment institutions, especially financial. Then, there is the spectre of the Daily Mail and its born-again ally, The Sun, being fed ammunition on a regular basis to attack the less fortunate, over and over, followed by some minor law to deal with the situation.

Simplistic maybe, but on such thoughts are votes cast.

Pope Benedict: Crucified in the media

Like so many brought up a Roman Catholic, I no longer consider myself a member of that universal church, but even so, I am somewhat taken aback to see Pope Benedict, any Pope, being crucified in the media, as if he was the leader of just another religious cult.

"Religion is the opiate of the masses", Marx was quoted as saying and the church has provided solace and happiness for many, who would otherwise have found their life devoid of worth. Sadly, in countries across the world, the Church has been implicit in controlling the people in exchange for enormous power and wealth.

In Ireland it abused its position of power, by running the country with fear of God and acquiescence to authority as a command to the faithful. The Bishops in Ireland ruled beside the governments of the day, but ensured that the Papacy in Rome was the true Master of the Universe.

The Catholic Church in Ireland, was responsible for the excellent education of many and, so what, if some of their own were deviants, as eyes were averted and ears closed, to the abuse and cries of children in orphanages, schools and behind the altars of churches across the land.

The abuse of children is now threatening the Church's moral authority and the personal criticism of Pope Benedict is unprecedented in its disrespect for one of St. Peter's successors. To place the blame for generations of abuse on his shoulders alone does appear to be unfair, but the Church has been slow to deal with its wayward priests and sadistic nuns, just moving them on to pastures new and more victims, whenever it got too hot for them.

Not all members of the religious are paedophiles and most of its clergy do great work in the name of God. Unfortunately, the Church has also been hypocritical and cruel in upholding some of its teachings, whether about gay rights, contraception or divorce. Better to stay married to a brute who beats you and rapes his daughter, than, heaven forbid, leave him and find happiness with another!

At a time when the Church needs the leadership of a communicator, it has, in Pope Benedict, a man more at home with books and dogma, when what is needed is a Good Shepherd to lead his flock through the current trials and tribulations.

The Catholic Church is shrinking into exclusivity, with the religious extremism of the African continent, mainly providing the majority of the new congregation. Unfortunately, the message it espouses is one of intolerance and hatred for those who have alternative lifestyles or beliefs and when the day comes that a black Pope stands on the balcony of St. Peter's, it will be to the intolerant his message will be addressed. And children will continue to suffer.

Tories: Knocking on M&C Saatchi's door

Oh boy! With the election only weeks away and having had years to prepare, it is worrying that the Tories are knocking on M&C Saatchi's door in a bid to rescue their election campaign, following a big slump in the polls. Slogans, not policies, seem to be the new strategy, although it is perhaps a lack of the latter which has caused the problem in the first place.

The brothers, Maurice and Charles Saatchi, are widely credited with helping Margaret Thatcher win in 1979, with the "Labour isn't working" poster campaign.

It is interesting that when things get tough, David Cameron rushes back into the arms of the past and now stands accused of attempting to align himself and his party with the politics of Lady Thatcher, who, over the past few years, he has kept at a distance.

Could it be that despite all its problems, Labour is seen as the more capable, although it is now more than likely that the election will produce a hung parliament, with the handsome Nick Clegg playing footsie at No.10.

The LibDem leader was vicious in his criticism of Alistair Darling's budget, so their differences on economic strategy might lead to a very short period of co-operation. I just wonder if Nick Clegg has already decided, despite misgivings, to hang his hat in the Conservatives' cloakroom.

The election has yet to happen and already some commentators are blaming George Osborne for the negativity surrounding the Conservatives poor performance in the polls. He does come across like a gentleman of the upper-classes and the impression he gives is that whilst the rest of us may have to suffer the pain of future tax rises and cost cuts, he will not.

George can't help who he is, but a rich man preaching to the poor man that he needs to contribute more to the Treasury because the rich man's friends in the city have screwed up the economy, might not be the right image to present at election time. Envy is an awful thing at times.

David Cameron is being panicked into even stronger personal attacks on Gordon Brown and Alistair Darling, which can backfire and best left to his supporters at The Sun. I am more impressed with the promise to halt the increase in NICs due to take place in April. But then, I am just being selfish and thinking of myself, as are most of us.

Alistair Darling & His Budget: What will be, will be....

As soon as Alistair Darling stood up to deliver his Budget speech, one immediately got the impression that it was going to be a case of what will be, will be...the future's not ours to see...

Most of what he said today will not matter after the next election, because even if Labour wins, only some of the measures announced today will have been rushed through prior to the General Election, the remaining proposals will either be adopted after the new government comes to power, or quietly forgotten.

David Cameron was in personal attack mode in his reply, his strategy not to dwell on the budget details, but to direct rage and venom towards the Prime Minister and his Chancellor, Mr. Darling.

The country is in deep economic trouble and it will only be after the election that we will get to know how close we are to Greece in the ranking of problem nations. So far the country has escaped relatively lightly in the worldwide recession, but is it likely our expectations of an economic and employment upturn will be sadly dashed in the coming months, regardless of who is in power?

There is talk that the markets are giving the UK the benefit of the doubt at present. But if, after the election, there is no movement to eat into the vast debt, or tackle public expenditure, then the very same markets could be very brutal in their verdict.

Sleaze and Greed: Stephen Byers, Patricia Hewitt, Geoff Hoon and Margaret Moran

It is a sad state of affairs when you read about Stephen Byers, Patricia Hewitt, Geoff Hoon and Margaret Moran and realise that we are talking about sleaze and greed in the United Kingdom, not some third-world country we can look down upon. In years to come, will their activities be seen as the real legacy of the Tony Blair / Gordon Brown premierships?

Is the behaviour of the loathsome foursome the final nail in the coffin for Labour's chances of winning the next General Election? One wonders how loud are Gordon Brown's cries of anguish and despair in No.10? The recent polls were suggesting he still had a chance to be an elected Prime Minister, despite the awfulness of actions and events within the Labour Government in recent times, but this latest scandal can only benefit the Conservatives.

Hot on the heels of the announcement that David Cameron and his wife Samantha have arranged a new addition to the family come September, it all seems to be working out nicely for the Conservatives. The BA strike will not benefit Gordon Brown either and is just another reminder of how the Labour government has lost control of events.

Over the years, the activities of politicians have suggested that being caught, not the action itself, is the greater sin and although Labour has done some good during its terms in office, its governance over the past years will go down as a golden era in sleaze and greed.

David Cameron: So what focus group decided his missus should join him on the election trail?

One wonders which of the many focus groups made David Cameron decide his Missus should join him on the election trail? What is it supposed to do for his image? Make him more manly? A better family man? We will soon be hearing that he too worries about where the money will come from to pay the next electricity bill! Samantha is far too posh to appeal to the working-class voter and so I guess nice middle-class girls, looking for a strong female role model, are expected to identify with her?

This whole business of wheeling the wife out is a little nauseous. Labour did it to convince the voters that Gordon Brown doesn't descend to a cellar and into a coffin last thing at night and Cameron will do anything to appease those important focus groups. There's even talk Nick Clegg will do likewise, just to remind us of his heterosexual credentials.

David Cameron is quoted as saying: "I think you are about to see, in the election, probably a lot more of Samantha as the trail gets hotter. She's one of those secret weapons that will have a pretty clear view how she wants to be deployed."

He makes her sound like a bitch being readied for display at some Kennel Club event. And why is she suddenly on show? She's his wife, not a future Foreign Secretary, so stop patronising us Dave.

Celebrity: No aspect of a person's life is sacred....

In this celebrity-obsessed age, no aspect of a person's life is sacred, no pleasure or pain too personal to exploit, whether you be Simon Cowell, Cheryl Cole or Mark Owen from Take That. Part of the ritual of fame is a contract with the media-devil, who build you up and can just as easily tear you down. Max Clifford has made millions out of the process, not because he is a bad person, but because he is fantastic at what he does playing the concerned middle-man.

Mark Owen was forced into confessions about his affairs, because one of the women he bedded was hawking her story around the papers. (Just like Stephen Gately was forced to come out before he was outed by someone else). The papers, of course, present it like they are doing a favour by tipping the celebrity off and then suggesting it would be better they confess their misdeeds themselves, through a vale of tears and remorse.

The result is still the same, maximum drawn out publicity on the dirty deed, when sometimes a dignified silence might be preferable. The female columnists will be sharpening their nails and advising Mrs Owen to leave her cute but now tainted husband. It wouldn't surprise me if a deal with OK or Hello has already been negotiated, with pictures of the couple together or not, depending on her decision to stay or go.

Nick Clegg: Who's that knocking on his door?

These days the Lib Dems Leader, Nick Clegg, must wonder who's that knocking on his door and, more important, if it is Gordon or Dave, which of the two suitors will meet his requirements and win his support should there be a hung parliament.

The leader of the third party, is handsome and articulate and the forthcoming TV debates will do him a power of good in improving his personal public profile. Whether it gives him and his party any extra precious seats is another matter.

If a hung parliament does materialise, the Lib Dems will have an opportunity to influence the political landscape and, despite the bluster, Nick and his cohorts will be unable to resist the temptation to savour even the smallest crumb of power. The Lib Dems must know, however, that whichever party they climb into bed with, it will want to use and abuse them just long enough before it is decent and opportune to call another election. Get too deeply involved and the relationship could prove a poisoned chalice for Nick Clegg, who might find himself supporting one unpopular policy too many and, along the way, even blamed for the need to hold another costly election.

Of course, what happens if Labour or the Conservatives get the required majority to form a government and worse, the Lib Dems are returned with even less seats than now? That would really be a nightmare for Nick Clegg, who could find that no one will be knocking after all.

Northern Ireland Assembly: The transfer of policing and justice

The politics of Northern Ireland looks like finally to have matured, with a vote to transfer responsibility for policing and justice to the Northern Ireland Assembly

Even more important than the transfer itself is that it has happened despite the complete agreement of everyone involved. In the past this would have brought the whole Assembly crashing to the ground and it nearly did a few weeks ago. It is a pity that the Ulster Unionist Party failed to back the agreement, ignoring calls from George W. Bush and David Cameron to do so. But that is its democratic right within a grown-up democracy, although it has been accused of cynical behaviour, withholding its agreement in an attempt to win concessions in other areas. Again, name a party who does not adopt this stance when the opportunity arises. Nick Clegg has just issued his own demands to Labour and the Conservatives should a hung parliament be the result in May.

The problems in Northern Ireland have always been the bigoted views of the various parties and their refusal to agree to disagree, without the ultimate embargo of riots and death. Although this latest development has resulted in political rancour and behind the scenes arm-twisting, we should celebrate that this transfer of power has happened, by a majority democratic vote and not because of a terrorist gun.

Alistair Darling: The most political budget ever, or a suicide note

On March 24th Alistair Darling will stand up in the House of Commons and deliver the most political budget ever, or a suicide note that will take Labour down the long road to years of opposition.

It will be interesting to see how much of the budget will be his, or, as suspected, bear the marks of Gordon Brown, with hidden meanings and little substance, not quite outright lies about the pain to come, but so darn close.

We all know there is a painful period ahead, with cuts deeper and more deadly, than any party, Conservative or Labour, is prepared to lay bare to the electorate prior to a General Election. What we, the voters, want is that when it is time to brace ourselves for the medicine, it should be injected with a sweetener that makes it less sour and hurtful. When it comes to our standard of living, sophisticated we ain't and pain is acceptable so long as it the fellow next door taking most of it.

The problem for the Conservatives as they go into an Election, is that to the ordinary member of the public, on benefits or still in work, the financial meltdown, mostly passed them by. For the Conservatives to spell out too clearly the message of doom, gloom and the pain to come, would not prove a vote-winner. Especially when, as now, Gordon Brown is almost messianic in his delivery that only he can deliver us to the promised land.

It was a noisy and exhilarating PMQs today, with the Prime Minister and David Cameron, the man who could be, seemingly enjoying their exchanges. The next few weeks will be important for both men. For Alistair Darling, when he stands up to deliver the budget on March 24th, it will be the defining moment of his political life.

Hollywood & The Oscars: Cutting people down to size

Hollywood & The Oscars: Cutting people down to size. We think our politicians are ruthless but they are pussycats compared to the members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences who vote for the Oscar nominations. James Cameron just shrugged his shoulders when he did not win the Best Picture category for his movie "Avatar" at the Baftas, but with his power in Hollywood, I bet he thought that his Oscars for Best Director and Best Picture, were signed, sealed and almost delivered to his home.

Although it is the biggest-grossing movie ever, the general view is that "Avatar" is not as great as the hype suggests. It is being said that one of the reasons Hollywood royalty did not indulge the director, is that the movie's reliance on computer-generated images, terrified most of them, who looked at "Avatar" and saw their own futures - movies without the need for living, breathing actors, botoxed or not.

It was great to see "The Hurt Locker" win and for Jeff Bridges to finally get his award. The Oscars has a habit of producing surprises. Even John Wayne had to wait until he was close to death before he was suitably honoured and there is a roll-call of other luminaries who missed out.

John Major: Gordon Brown guilty of "Unbecoming conduct"

The former Prime Minister, Sir John Major, stopped watching cricket long enough to proclaim that the current PM Gordon Brown was guilty of "unbecoming conduct".

The reason for his anger was Brown's trip to Afghanistan so soon after his appearance in front of the Chilcot Inquiry. Major told a meeting: "Of course, ministers should visit our troops. But to use them as a cynically-timed pre-election backdrop is profoundly unbecoming conduct for a Prime Minister."

Some would suggest that it was cynical of the Tories to use Sir John Major to deliver such criticism at this time and, it could be said, a little silly of him to agree. By taking the moral high ground, Sir John reminds the rest of us of his own dalliances with a certain Edwina Curry.

It is also a reminder of his Back to Basics campaign for a return to old-fashioned morality. Following it's launch, ELEVEN Tory ministers or aides had to depart from government for behaviour that resulted in allegations of scandal and sleaze. Remember David Mellor and his antics with Antonia de Sancha while wearing a Chelsea football shirt?

Of course Gordon Brown's trip was a cynical exercise and the public recognise it as such. What we don't need is to hear a man who shagged another man's wife preaching about "unbecoming conduct".

Gordon Brown: Could he now win the election?

Like many others in recent times, I effectively handed David Cameron the keys to the kingdom of Downing Street. But now, I am no longer so sure that the man will win and I am even asking the question: Gordon Brown, could he now win the election?

David Cameron is now looking like an actor who has forgotten his lines, at the very moment when the country needs an assured performance. Lord Ashcroft will not have helped. Who wants to elect a party that entertains a man who reneged on a written promise? With less than eight weeks to go before the election, the Conservatives are looking like a rich man's plaything, with power the be all and end all, rather than what is right and proper for the country. David Cameron should have had the guts to deal with the Ashcroft situation, but failed, hoping to sweep it under the carpet until after he won the election. Of course, we can now assume, that even then he would not have done anything about it.

While Cameron and his crew are looking like a shifty bunch of rich amateurs, Gordon Brown is looking more and more like a statesman. His appearance at the Chilcot Inquiry was confident, the tone clear and concise. If his opponents were hoping for a bad performance from Mr. Brown, they must have been disappointed. Unlike Blair, he even marched through the front door!

Voters are worried. Until a few weeks ago, it appeared that most had made up their mind that change was required and the Conservative Party could, once again, offer the strong leadership to pull us through the recession and beyond. But instead, in recent weeks, Cameron and his team have betrayed themselves, producing too much spin, contradictions and u-turns across too many issues. There is concern that if they can't even get their policies right at this stage, how are they going to lead us out of the worst economic downturn in history?

While the Conservatives flounder, Mr. Brown has risen above the fray and looks more and more like a man who has the confidence and the guts to see the country through these hard times. It may all be an illusion, but sadly, it is also how voters currently view Mr. Cameron and when that happens then often the one you vote for is the devil you know....

Lord Ashcroft: So, only the poor pay taxes?

Lord Ashcroft doesn't pay his fair share in taxes in the UK, but instead uses the money to buy votes for the Conservatives across the land! Perhaps he, David Cameron and the rest of the rulers at the top of the Tory tree, really do believe that only the poor should pay taxes.

It is not good enough for the shadow front bench to shrug their shoulders and, in the case of William Hague, declare that he only knew in recent months the true tax status of his Lordship.

Unlike the butcher, the baker, the candlestick maker, you and I, this man is spending a fortune on buying power and influence in a country where he does not contribute a penny of his massive overseas earnings to the tax man. Lord Ashcroft appears to live in a shadowy world beyond these shores and has failed to fulfill his promise to pay more tax when he received his title, yet holds the purse strings for a party who could soon be running the country.

It is worrying that despite all his noble moralising, David Cameron allowed this man a place at the Tory top table. One can only reach the conclusion that within the rarefied atmosphere of the Conservative Boy's Club, being rich excludes you from the obligations of the peasantry...like paying taxes.