On reading the Liberal Democrat’s Manifesto

Of the main points, two when juxtaposed caught my eye:

and then I thought Europe needed to be mentioned:

I’ve been wanting to do something with this screen saver of Tweety Pie for a while and thought I’d use him as the LibDem “Avianatar” just to bang home the Euro issue:

Here’s a useful poster to cut out:

A map used by the Lib Dems for the last European Elections, with a little embellishment:

A History of the Labour Party

Old Labour:

Pre 1997 Labour Party "Old Labour"

Then in 1997:

1997 Labour Party "New Labour"

and now in 2010:

2010 Labour Party

Margaret Thatcher’s made infamous quote “there is no such thing as society”

Often quoted as “There is no society” (sic)

The following from Wikipedia. If any of this is wrong I’ll remove it

“They’re casting their problem on society. And, you know, there is no such thing as society. There are individual men and women, and there are families. And no government can do anything except through people, and people must look to themselves first. It’s our duty to look after ourselves and then, also to look after our neighbour. People have got the entitlements too much in mind, without the obligations.”

and a related quote:

“I came to office with one deliberate intent: to change Britain from a dependent to a self-reliant society — from a give-it-to-me, to a do-it-yourself nation. A get-up-and-go, instead of a sit-back-and-wait-for-it Britain.”

• Speech to Small Business Bureau Conference (8 February, 1984)

and not related; I spotted this recorded exchange:

In an interview with George Negus for the Australian TV program 60 minutes, the following exchange occurred [2]:

Negus: Why do people stop us in the street almost and tell us that Margaret Thatcher isn’t just inflexible, she’s not just single-minded, on occasions she’s plain pig-headed and won’t be told by anybody?

Thatcher: Would you tell me who has stopped you in the street and said that?

Negus: Ordinary Britons…

Thatcher: Where?

Negus: In conversation, in pubs…

Thatcher (interrupting): I thought you’d just come from Belize

Negus: Oh this is not the first time we’ve been here.

Thatcher: Will you tell me who, and where and when?

Negus: Ordinary Britons in restaurants and cabs

Thatcher: How many?

Negus: …in cabs

Thatcher: How many?

Negus:I would say at least one in two

Thatcher:Why won’t you tell me their names and who they are?

The Cabinet Room at 10 Downing Street

The Cabinet Room at 10 Downing Street, 13 December 2009

Who’s who: Clockwise, from left, Lord Adonis, Transport; Peter Hain, Wales; Yvette Cooper, Work and Pensions; Gus O¿Donnell, Cabinet Secretary; Gordon Brown, Prime Minister; Jack Straw, Justice and Lord Chancellor; Hilary Benn, Environment; Ed Miliband, Energy and Climate; Shaun Woodward, Northern Ireland; Lord Drayson, Science and Innovation; Jim Knight, Employment and Welfare Reform; Nick Brown (end of table), Chief Whip; John Healey, Housing and Planning; Jim Murphy, Scotland; Andy Burnham, Health; Harriet Harman, Leader of the House; Alan Johnson, Home Secretary; David Miliband, Foreign Secretary; Alistair Darling, Chancellor; Peter Mandelson, Business and Innovation Secretary; Douglas Alexander, International Development; Ed Balls, Children, Schools and Families; John Denham, Communities and Local Government; Liam Byrne, Chief Secretary to Treasury; Pat McFadden, Business Minister. Missing are Bob Ainsworth, Defence and Tessa Jowell, Olympics

This photograph was taken less than two hours before the Chancellor Alistair Darling gave his crucial Pre-Budget Report.

The room is shut off from the rest of No10 by sound-proofed doors, framed by two large Corinthian pillars and a little ante-room.

The main space is dominated by a 40ft boatshaped table (1), commissioned in 1959 by Tory Prime Minister Harold Macmillan. Designed so that the Prime Minister gets a clear view of all

his Ministers, it has a modern mahogany top on George IV tripod legs. The table is accompanied by 23 carved, solid Victorian mahogany chairs but only the Prime Minister’s has armrests.

To the left (2) is a portrait by the French artist Jean-Baptiste van Loo of Sir Robert Walpole, the first Prime Minister. Nicknamed Sir Blustering, he served 20 years and 314 days from April 1721 until February 11, 1742, longer than any of his successors.

The painting on the right (3) is View From The Turrets of 11 Downing Street by George Lambert (circa 1740) on loan from The Museum of London.

The clock on the mantelpiece (4) used to annoy the Labour Prime Minister Harold Wilson, who ordered a second one (5) to be placed opposite the Premier’s chair so that he could time meetings discreetly without having to turn round.

No Minister is allowed to sit directly opposite the Prime Minister to block the view. However, rather disconcertingly, the clocks chime at different times.

Blotters, inscribed with their titles, mark Ministers’ places, each allocated according to rank. Each also has a pencil in House of Commons green and a crystal water glass on a wooden coaster (6) bearing the Downing Street coat of arms.

The room also doubles as a library, begun by Ramsay MacDonald, the first Labour Prime Minister in 1924. Each outgoing Premier donates a book to the collection.

The austere room has little natural light and heavy damask drapes (one of which appears to have parted from its runners), so the three brass chandeliers (7) usually have to be switched on. However, the two 18th Century solid-silver candlesticks on the mantelpiece (8) are purely for decoration.

There are four bowls of Fox’s Glacier Mints (9) and coffee from bone-china mugs, bearing the Royal coat of arms. Only Welsh Secretary Peter Hain (10) seems to want just water.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1235388/The-wider-view-Whats-whos-Cabinet-Room.html

President Obama and his entourage meet Gordon Brown and his Cabinet

Saatchi Posters

Sometimes you just have to tell it like it is. If the king/leader is running around naked then somebody should tell him he has no clothes. Yes its gloves off and personal but on the pensions issue Brown just grabbed a load of cash to fund his client state. Nobody elected him as PM and on his track record as chancellor alone he should be voted out this time round.