Portillo and the EU referendum

Michael Portillo on BBC's This Week had an interesting take on the EU referendum. He is, of course, a Eurosceptic.He thinks that no Government is likely to take the UK into the Eurozone (or agree to any substantial transfer of powers to the EU) without a referendum; and in any case there is now a legislative "referendum lock". He also thinks a referendum on joining the eurozone would - not just now but in the future - produce a "No" vote. But he thinks that in an in/out referendum on the EU, it is likely that voters would vote to stay in, and then that a future Government (of whatever stripe) would use that as a "green light" for further integration, even joining the Eurozone, without another referendum. As a Eurosceptic he wonders whether the strategy being pursued by Conservative Eurosceptics is wise.

As a pro-European Politaholic thinks a referendum is probably now inevitable. It may not be a bad thing (if it produces a "Yes" vote). This festering xenophobic Eurosceptic boil needs to lanced. And once it is, as Portillo fears, the Eurosceptics won't have a leg to stand on. Risky, for sure; but it may be the way to go.

Personalities in Politics and the Pint Test

It is sometimes said there are no characters - no large personalities - in politics. But there are a few: Boris Johnson, Ken Livingstone, Alex Salmond. And even Nigel Farage seems affable on a personal level. Interesting that with the exception of Boris they are all outside the established parties. Within the main parties it is more or less a personality-free zone. Marina Hyde in The Guardian on Saturday discussed the "pint test". Who would you go for a pint with? Boris, certainly. Ken also. Alex Salmond, yes I think so. Even Farage. But Clegg, Cameron, Miliband? Dear God. Like Marina Hyde "... I would cross continents to avoid taking even a fluid ounce". It wasn't always like that. Politicians of the past (and recent past) who pass the pint test are  John Prescott, Denis Healey (not Tony Benn who, apart from not drinking, has always been a bit too unctuous for my liking). Not Roy Jenkins (too pompous and self-important) or David Owen (ditto). As for Tories that is tougher. Ken Clarke, perhaps. What about PMs who pass the pint test? Can't think of any since 1945 except perhaps MacMillan (not a pint man, I should think) and Wilson. Definitely not Heath. And absolutely not, in any circumstances, Thatcher. I'd rather have my fingernails extracted (her friend Pinochet could have arranged that).

That funeral invitation list....

Terry Wogan
Joan Collins
Jeremy Clarkson
Jim Davidson
Freddy Starr
Bob Monkhouse
Hughie Green
Green Hughie
Augosto Pinochet
Adolf Hitler
Martin Bormann
Jean Marie Le Pen
Jimmy Saville
Spit the Dog
Emu
Pierre Poujade
Osama bin Laden
Nick Griffiths
Ian McEwan
Frank Josef Strauss
Kevin Keegan
Nav from the pub
Bernard Manning
Norman Tebbitt

Hadji Abdul Haq

Rupert and James Murdoch
Rebecca Wade/Brooks
Duran Duran
Cliff Richard
Dick Cheney
Ku Klux Klan
Andrew Lloyd-Weber
P.W. Botha
Oswald Mosley
Eoin O'Duffy
James Anderton
Lester Maddox
Richard Littlejohn
Ruth Dudley-Edwards
Paolo Di Canio
Pol Pot
Pope Benedict
Mary Whitehouse
Tony Blair

A great idea

Former Prime Minister's Funeral

The former Prime Minister was buried at a "simple, even austere" ceremony at the Temple Church, ending with the singing of Jerusalem. Fewer than 150 people were in attendance.

The former Prime Minister?

Clement Attlee, who died in 1967.

A far cry from the vulgar display planned for next Wednesday.

(see Martin Kettle in The Guardian 11/4/13).

Bravo, Glenda Jackson

See This

Thatcher's Death: Rejoice, Rejoice

There has been a lot of po-faced sermonising about how unseemly it is to celebrate someone's death. Indeed. This was the woman who after hundreds of young men died horrible deaths on board the Belgrano trimphantly chanted: "Rejoice, Rejoice". And despite the unanimity yesterday - that she was "right" - about the Falklands - that was a totally unecessary war in which about as many people were killed (and certainly more were killed or maimed) than the number of people living on the island. Each of them could have been given a million pounds to relocate to Buckinghamshire and it have cost less and avoided the carnage. But no, had a compromise been reached - leaseback, for example - it would have cost Thatcher her premiership. The war was fought to ensure her re-election.

And that it to leave asise what she did to the inner cities, to mining communities, to the most vulnerable and least advantaged people. The Camerons and Osbornes loved her, and called her "Mummy". Of course they did. The identikit, look-alike, sound-alike personality-free Blair-clones who populate the frontbenches on both sides yesterday mourned their heroine, as they will next week. The funeral next week is really a £10 million Conservative Party political rally, or perhaps an all-party Thatcherite rally. The street parties and protests are necessary to show that not everyone shares the view that Thatcher was a new Messiah, although I gather Spooks and Plods are monitoring emails, Facebook, blogs, Twitter etc and may be making pre-emptive arrests, so I may be in clink by this time tomorrow. Ah, democracy.

Iain Duncan-Smith's Days on Bread-and-Dripping

In that esteemed organ - The Daily Mail - Iain Duncan-Smith records his days of unemployment. He and his girlfriend-soon-to-be-wife were "...living in one room with a one-ring gas oven...furniture tatty, carpet threadbare...". That's Iain the ex-Guards officer with an army pension and "Betsy" Freemantle, daughter of the 5th Baron Cottesloe (and former High Sheriff of Buckinghamshire). Eh by gum lad twere tough. No shoes on their feet. Nowt but bread-and-dripping to eat and soup made from his army boots. Aye but we were happy then...

Have you noticed how he loses his rag when he is out of his depth? And poor IDS - thick as two short planks - is often out of his depth.

Hunt the ****

So, James Naughty was right about Jeremy Hunt after all...

See THIS

Osborne "shocked". Yeah, yeah.

George Osborne says he is shocked to discover - what "the dogs in the street" know - that very rich people (such as his old chums in the Bullingdon) avoid paying tax. On the other hand, Osborne is a multi-millionaire who only a week or so ago said that he did not pay tax at 50%; suggesting his own wealth is creatively managed. Osborne's shock is rather like that of Claude Rains in Casablanca, on discovering that gambling is going on at Rick's; although Osborne is a far less congenial character than Captain Renault.

See THIS

Conversation with My Accountant

I phoned my accountant this morning.

Me: Hello Rupert, It's Nigel here.

Rupert: Hi Nig, what can I do for you?

Me: You know that rather clever tax-avoidance scheme you devised for me, allowing me to channel zillions of squid tax-free to the Galapagos Islands?

Rupert: Yah, damned clever, isn't it?

Me: Yes. But you can knock it on the head now. Osborne - you know, the oik who went to Westminster - has cut the top rate to 45p. So I no longer need your services. From now on I'm going to pay my tax.

Rupert: Hah, Hah. Good one Nig, for a moment I almost believed you...

Never forget, Never forgive

The Cabinet - presumably Lib-Dems and Tories alike - banged the cabinet table to celebrate the passing of the Health Bill and the demise of the NHS.

George Osborne Tax Dodger?

On Radio 4 a few minutes ago George Osborne claimed he was not a 50p tax payer. I have just checked and the Ministerial salary falls just below the threshold at around £450,000. But is this his only source of income? The interviewer raised that question but quickly backed-off (I suspect the producer whispered in his ear). It can't be the case that Osborne has no other source of income; perhaps he has accountants to make sure he pays no tax on this additional income. It would be interesting to know. Wikipedia says this: "He has an estimated personal fortune of around £4 million, as the beneficiary of a trust fund that owns a 15-per-cent stake in Osborne & Little, the wallpaper-and-fabrics company co-founded by his father, Sir Peter Osborne". Not a 50p tax payer?

Eric Joyce

A Labour MP with fight in him. Dear God. I didn't think there were any.