The Queen And Her People Are Not Amused

The future of prime minister Gordon Brown and his ruling New Labour Party hang in the balance as the people of this once proud kingdom round on the scandalous behaviour of the political elite and the Queen steps in to tell a shamed self-styled Supreme Leader she is not amused.  

As Brown fights for his political survival, with a relentless round of scandals over MPs' expenses, there are growing demands for a root and branch parliamentary purge and general election to clear the stench of corruption from air. 

Grand old Labour parliamentarian Tony Benn was asked recently what he made of these scandalous events. He doesn't say much. He looks crest-fallen. His eyes well up with tears. He looks set to cry. That's probably how Her Maj felt when Brown met the Queen at Her Majesty's displeasure. 

Has it really all come down to this? The short answer is yes. 

"Claims for lawnmower repairs, dog food, porn films and moat cleaning have angered recession-hit Britons already disenchanted with the political classes. The affair has also fuelled growing dissatisfaction with a Labour government in power since 1997," is how news wire service Reuters tells it to the world.

Parliament and democracy face one of their biggest tests. And that requires a golden bullet of trust, bold leadership and a fresh start with a thorough clean-out of the stinking commons stables to restore public faith. 

Beleaguered Brown is trying it on with a last ditch bid to salvage the reputation of his failed leadership and restore some public trust in his shamed government with a manic catch-up piece in the News of the Screws of all places, beautifully fisked by Peter Hoskins. 

Trying to claim the leadership high ground from the leader-in-waiting is a forlorn hope. Knacker of the Yard is set to set up shop launching a criminal inquiry into the expenses scandal.

It's all too little too late for bunkered Brown as he fights a belated rearguard action to stave off early general election annihilation. 

Brown can't do anything to rescue this tragedy. He cannot show leadership because his tribal instinct for party political posturing is too deep rooted. 

The Supreme Leader has made the fatal mistake of putting himself and his ruthless grip on the Party above the People.

The bad and the downright ugly have been finally forced out of the woodwork as the damaging perks scandal which has been simmering for years finally exploded. Only a few good'uns who have not milked the system for all it's worth remain, tarnished and tarred with the same brush.

But two years into his premiership and Brown is still scrabbling around as the rotten chickens come home to roost. He utterly failed to take any action against any of his cronies that cheated the taxpayer until the Telegraph and then Cameron forced his hand trying to clear up the mess from his own Party.

The outside world can only look on at the staggering hypocrisy of the political elite and their scandalous behaviour.

All political parties are left licking their wounds. All have been shown up and shamed. All part of the same conspiracy to defraud. New Labour and its rotten cabinet in particular have born the brunt. They after all have the most MPs and over a decade of power and familiarity has bred contempt and that contempt bred greed and corruption. 

The Tory opposition squirearchy revealed its feudal aristocratic colours as they packed their wellies into the Range Rovers and moved into the cushy common. Holier-than-thou LibDems have been shown up with an eye on the fat chance and nose in the trough. 

It's a plague on both your houses and both Houses as New Labour cronies in the Lords are exposed as cheating vermin dressed in weasel-worded ermine.

The expenses scandal claimed its first scalps last week. The public wants more. Political leaders are left scrabbling around to satisfy the public's blood lust for rightful vengeance. 

Bunker and blinkered, Brown holds the key but doesn't want to open the door to democracy. Without a snap election to clear the air that key may be taken out of his hands. 

Brown today promises action but the public want him to put their money where his mouth is. Restoring trust means turning our back on Brown's squalid political scheming style of brutal petty politics. 

Without strong leadership, rebellion and revolution are in the air, from both the people who are taking matters into their own hands and from parliament. The storm clouds are gathering.

For the first time, cross-party MPs, are pushing a motion of no confidence in the disgrace of a speaker and Brown's New Labour crony who's been at the centre of the scandal at every twist and turn as he waged "a reign of terror" over expenses. 

For the first time since the Rump Parliament of 1653, there are calls for the speaker to quit led by LibDem leader, Nick Clegg.

For the first time since the English Revolution the house of lords is set to suspend two New Labour lords caught a-leaping into the 'cash for laws' scandal. 

With most politicians tainted with sleaze it's now sunk to a new low of just who can you trust. A quick flick through the Telegraph and Sunday Times will show up MPs who haven't been fingered by the fiddles and show up the rest. 

Cherish the few who have come out of this with some integrity and dignity. The rest can rot in the hell of their own making. 

The scandals of MPs' expenses has rocked Westminster to its very foundations, left the public rolling with shock and disgust and threatens to wreck the once cherished democracy.

This is the last chance to purge from public life the chancers, spivs and crooks who have brought shame on themselves, parliament and democracy. In Cromwell's words: In the name of God, go!

A ruthless purge is the only solution to stop the rot in its tracks. Only a snap general election now can clear the air of the rotten stench. 

Brown's had his chance and he blew it. If he won't call a snap election to clear the air of the rotten stench, then make way for a woman who can.

This week's chat between the Queen and Brown will remain under wraps but the Mail reports, well-placed sources say the Queen is 'deeply troubled' by the scandal and had made it clear that she feared it could inflict 'long-lasting damage' to the commons.

One of the benefits of a constitutional monarchy is that Her Maj has sworn an oath to serve the people. Time to put the finest traditions of our cherished democratic process to the test. It is the monarch who dissolves parliament not the prime minister. 

Dissolve parliament. Force a general election. Put the politicians on the spot. See just how many will stand and how many will survive. 

That's democracy. That's politics. And that is the will of the people. 

Read More...

Queen Used As Pawn In Chess Game Spin

Her Maj has been thrust into the spotlight, in a move which smacks of breathtaking spinning, as Beleaguered Brown fights for his political survival and the headlines get worse for him by the day. The Orange Party is usually happy to go along for a spin on happy fridays but this really takes the right royal biscuit.

King is running the economy, the Queen is running the State and the prime minister is just running around.

So today of all days it's revealed Brown and the Palace have discussed plans to change the rules of succession to the throne, including giving royal women equal rights.

Some MPs today launched a bid to bring in changes by reforming the 1701 Act of Settlement but the government has said time and again it would not support this particular MPs’ move, though the prime minister wants “progress” on the issue.

Back in 2005, with an election round the corner, that very issue of the monarchy was raised.

Then Downing Street told the BBC: "We don't believe in any change to the present system and this is not an issue that has been raised in any significant form during our National Policy Forum consultation process or during The Big Conversation."

Nothing much has changed, so why the big deal now? Could it be anything to do with drawing attention away from the Brown mess and his pointless trip to South America?

The tactics worked a treat. Brown's Brazillian briefing, that he's had talks with the Queen, neatly diverted the baying press hounds from savaging his deluded Save The World tour.

Meanwhile more troops are poised to be sent to the hopeless new Vietnam war in Afghanistan. There's further signs today the economy is in ruins and Brown's G20 vanity summit is turning into a pointless, expensive and increasingly dangerous charade.

There is a huge debate to be had over constitutional issues and indeed the whole future of the monarchy.

Politicians on all sides should be free to debate, particularly as some believe it is an anachronism in a modern, democratic society.

But most MPs don't want to stick their head above the parapet right now, with an election around the corner and an eye on their constituents and their seats.

There is a time to get it out in the open and have a proper discussion about a modern monarchy but now is neither the time nor the place.

Stick it in the manifesto and see how that plays out with voters.

Picture: Private Eye 1998

Read More...

Has Obama Snubbed Brown For The Queen?

Obama has finally agreed to grace this country with his presence but only after he was promised a cup of tea and a chat with the Queen, leaving Brown a back-stage bit-player. Brown or Her Maj? A hard call. There's something fishy about the whole thing. 

Right up until the last minute the White House had been tight-lipped about whether Obama would even bother to turn up for the G20 London summit next month but now it seems a visit has been set-up and dutifully leaked to the press. 

But it is the two heads of state who will take centre stage and capture the global media coverage, leaving Brown a two-bit back-stage bit-player as the Obama drama unfolds.

Brown and Downing Street are obsessed and pinning their election hope on Obama's presence at the G20 London summit in a couple of weeks time. But even while Brown was being snubbed by Obama in Washington, officials would only confirm that the president's treasury secretary would attend G20. 

Now all that has suddenly changed. In a highly unusual move which goes against all protocol, the Queen is to give Obama a private “getting-to-know-you” audience. 

But this is the president of the United States yet Obama will not be on a State visit. If he was, then Buckingham Palace and Downing Street would have to pull out all the stops, the Cinderella carriage, State banquet, the royal works. 

One of those 'sources' has justified the odd arrangements for the odd couple: “There is a wish to do these things as discreetly as possible in the first instance.”

Discreet? This thing will go global, man. 

Air Force One, with the president and first laydee Michelle is due to touch down at Stansted, neatly avoiding massive Heathrow disruption and those pesky protesters. 

Then it's all aboard Marine Force One, to the US ambassador's pad in Regent's Park. April Fools' Day will see Obama travel aboard Ground Force One for the short hop to Buckingham Palace for that private chat. 

A quick how do you do at Brown's summit then the real work when the president flies off for a crucial meeting of Nato leaders in Strasbourg.

The White House and Obama were very careful, not to give Brown the full-blown podium treatment on his hyped-up tour, conscious of the fact that this was the blatant electioneering of a dead duck prime minister. 

Instead Brown has to make do with a quick and hurriedly arranged frosty photo-op. 

The White House had little interest in making a big deal of Brown's visit. Obama is a ruthless Chicago politician used to cutting deals in the Windy City, with an eye on the chance. Unlike his meetings with Blair, there was very little media mileage in getting all cosy with Brown. 

And that was probably true for the G20 London summit where Obama was in danger of being swamped in a sea of world leaders all trying to get attention on the world stage. 

The trade-off for a visit was a meeting with Her Maj which will get blanket media coverage on both sides of the Atlantic. 

Like the Washington meeting, this has all the hallmarks of a hastily arranged trip. But despite publicly playing down the visit, the Palace will roll out the red carpet for the first meeting between the head of state and the US President.

Brown was hoping some of the Obama shine and magic would rub off on him and the president's visit was supposed to be the crowning glory to boost his abyssal popularity ahead of the election. 

Now he's reduced to being a back-stage back-seat bit-player, as Obama rains on his parade and two hugely popular heads of state, on both sides of the Atlantic, take centre stage and Obama basks in the full-blown glare of the media attention. 

The Orange Party has pointed out before that when it comes to the US, Brown and Downing Street really do not get it. This is show business.

Read More...