Wednesday, November 30, 2005

What sort of artists run the MOD?

The MOD has admitted spending £272,000 on a couple of paintings for its new HQ. In keeping with our times the paintings are modernistic blobs of colour and a spokesman was disparaging about the idea of putting “second rate” paintings of “dead admirals” on the walls.

It is probably expecting too much to think that the MOD might want to celebrate the deeds of admirals like Nelson who saved Britain from being invaded by the Hitler of his time. But a time when soldiers are being sent of to war without the proper equipment one might have expected them to have priorities other than new paintings.

The full article from the Telegraph is on this link.

Saturday, November 12, 2005

Who's really soft on terror

I make the following observations to those who have said that the Conservative Party are “weak” on terrorists following the vote against locking up suspects for 90 days without charges being brought:

• Several Conservative MPs have lost their lives due to terrorism many more have fought against it in Northern Ireland.

• Not one shred of evidence was given to us that 90 days was required. Not one single case was sited where holding people for 90 days would have made a difference.

• Blair could almost certainly have won a compromise of 40 days but instead preferred to lose then paint opposition parties as weak on terrorism.

• Having released numerous IRA terrorists from jail Mr "Tough on terror" Blair is about to grant an amnesty to IRA terrorists on the run. Meanwhile British soldiers who served in Northern Ireland in the 70s could face prosecution for carrying out their duties.

• Labour in opposition repeatedly voted against the Prevention of Terrorism Act.

Blair has failed to do a number of steps which could prevent terrorism:
• Allowing phone tap evidence to be used by the courts.
• Repealing the Human Rights Act which Blair signed only to discover that it would prevent the government from throwing suspected terrorists out of the country or keeping them locked up until they left of their own accord.


New Labour – soft on preventing terrorism strong on preventing liberty

Saturday, November 05, 2005

The lessons of November 5th

400 years ago 70 years of religious strife culminated in the gunpowder plot. It came about because among Britain’s significant minority of Catholics were a tiny minority who were prepared to embark on treason and bloodshed.

Britain’s Catholics were badly treated. They were officially prevented from holding office or taking a degree and fined heavily for taking mass. Catholic priests faced a brutal death.

Yet despite this the vast majority of Catholics were loyal British subjects and went out of their way to show it. Prominent Catholic leaders condemned outright the Gunpowder plot because they were loyal to their country, and perhaps because they knew that bombing innocent people would create a backlash against them- as indeed it did.

400 years later our freedom is once again under threat from religious fanatics. Unlike 17th century Roman Catholics they are not oppressed, indeed the state has fallen over backwards to accommodate their needs. Whilst there are few who are willing to blow themselves up there are a significant number who appear unwilling to condemn outright their actions.

Those who govern the country should be aware that history teaches us that a country containing groups of people sharing no common loyalty is a country heading for instability and strife. Multiculturalism which encourages people to define themselves by their differences has to be replaced by an emphasis on integration and shared loyalty.

At every opportunity we should be saying to British people, it doesn’t matter if you are black white asian. Muslim Christian Hindu Sikh or Jew you are also British and with the rights that come with British citizenship also come responsibilities.

If we fail to do so, then like our 17th century forbearers we face many decades of religious strife.