In defense of Sir Fred Goodwin

 

The Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, today proclaimed to the nation that he would pursue every legal means possible to claw back the £16 million pension awarded to the former Chairman of failing bank RBS, Sir Fred Goodwin. 

This is a prodigious waste of time. If the Government are successful in pursuing this man’s pension through the courts, which is highly unlikely, it will take years and will probably cost a considerable amount more in legal fees. 

But aside from the practicalities, I refuse to accept the moral argument that the Prime Minister and others have made. Vince Cable has said that Goodwin ‘obviously has no sense of shame’. 

This is nonsense. No shame for what exactly?

At the time that Goodwin’s £16 million pension deal was struck, the Government was not a share holder in the Royal Bank. While it is true that the board of directors were not contractually obliged to award Goodwin the full amount they did, they were under no obligation to pay him the ‘minimum’ legal amount which the Treasury have since claimed they assumed had been paid to the former Chairman. 

The Royal Bank was a private enterprise, and you cannot go around demanding money that was paid to its former employees. 

Not that this worries the gutter press who scent blood, or the politicians who clamor to join in on the hunt. Gordon Brown, of course, is desperate to deflect from the fact that he either failed to notice or ignored the vulnerability of British banks, despite IMF warnings. 

In 1930 W.B Yates wrote on the fall of civilisation that “The best lack all conviction, while the worst are full of passionate intensity.”

This is true now, with envious commentators baying for a scape-goat and tired Ministers lacking the conviction to hold them back.

‘Margaret’ BBC 2 Tonight

The long awaited BBC Drama series ‘Margaret’ which charts the final days of Margaret Thatcher’s turbulent premiership will be shown on the BBC tonight. I urge all of you, lovers or loathers, to tune in to what promises to be a dramatic and interesting programme.

Condolences

It is incomprehensible for us as students to imagine the impact of losing a child of our own. The loss of life is the most traumatic experience a family has to endure, never more so than when the vitality and promise of youth is cruelly diminished. 

Our sincere condolences go to David Cameron and his family today, and hope they find the spiritual strength during this sad period to regain purpose and happiness.

BUCF Suspends Blogging

WE WILL BE SUSPENDING OUR BLOGGING FOR THE NEXT WEEK DUE TO DISSERTATION DEMANDS/DEADLINES FOR A MAJORITY OF THE COMMITTEE. NORMAL SERVICE SHOULD BE RESUMED IN A WEEKS TIME.

- BUCF COMMITTEE

Keep ‘em coming…

I have just been informed that a number of senior government advisors are preparing to defect to the Conservatives. Tonight David Freud, the first of what I am told will be a series of defections, announced his intention to join the Conservatives and take the Conservative whip. The Sunday Telegraph states that David Freud, a leading welfare reform expert, will join the opposition front bench work and pensions team. The former investment banker was hired by Tony Blair in 2006 to review the welfare system and has been more recently working for James Purnell, the Work and Pensions Secretary. His key recommendation – putting long term unemployment schemes in the hands of private companies – became a political football in a battle between the former Prime Minister and Gordon Brown. He will now sever all links with ministers. Also I am intrigued to see he is the great grandson of Sigmund Freud… it seems common sense runs in the family :P

Happy Valentines Day!

“There were three of us in the marriage”

Hamas Exposed

It has been a while since I commented on the Israeli/Palestinian situation and so after reading an article in the Guardian (of all papers!) I have decided to speak out once again. In the aftermath of the Gaza offensive one would be forgiven for thinking my views had softened, after all hindsight is a wonderful thing. However you’d be wrong. I am as committed to my position now as I was then. Of course there were mistakes made in the intervention and many civilians tragically lost their lives. War is never a case of who wins rather its who loses least however the justification and motivation behind the Israeli assault I feel now as I did then, is entirely justified.

New evidence has emmerged from Amnesty International that Hamas’s behaviour before, during and after the recent conflict with Israel was nothing short of abhorrent and a blatant abuse of human rights. Amnesty says Hamas forces and militias are involved in a “campaign of abductions, deliberate and unlawful killings, torture and death threats against those they accuse of ‘collaborating’ with Israel, as well as opponents and critics”. It said at least two dozen men had been shot by Hamas since the end of December and “scores of others” shot in the legs, kneecapped or beaten. They gave detailed accounts of some of the cases and said there was “incontrovertible evidence” that Hamas security forces and militia were “responsible for grave human rights abuses”. If this is what they are doing to their OWN people, imagine what they would do to Israelis?!

Hamas officials have admitted hunting for suspected collaborators, but they have denied this campaign of attacks. Of course they would…  I suppose they were just hunting these ‘collaborators’ down for a chat were they? Similarly earlier this month Hamas militias attacked a UN compound with food aid and blankets destined for the people of Gaza who are suffering in the aftermath of the attacks. The UN has even said that Hamas is undemrining their efforts in the region. This all legitimises my, and the Israeli claims, that Hamas are the architechts of their peoples continued suffering. The argument is that Hamas’ support has actually ebbed away since the conflict. Palestinians are disillusioned with both parties and yearn for peace that they are beginning to realise Hamas cannot provide.

Thus Hamas are desperate. They are resorting to their usual tactic of coercion and intimidation to get their way. The fact remains for us outsiders that if we agree that a peaceful two state solution is the way forward then we cannot allow these wicked human beings one iota of political legitimacy. We need to stop treating them like they are  aviable political alternative because they aren’t. They are radicals, extremists and terrorists exploiting the hopes and fears of the Palestinian people. They do not want a two state solution. They want a one state, a radical Islamic one, and they will put their people through hell to achieve it.

Ultimately there is no easy solution to this problem and im afraid the old paradox ‘If you want peace you must be prepared for war’ never looks more legitimate than today. I feel that we will have to be engaged in an all out war with Hamas in order to finally achieve freedom for Palestine. More will suffer, more will die but the alternative is not much better. Until Hamas are excised like the cancers they are the region can never find peace. Israel are not perfect, they have made mistake but don’t try to kid me that Hamas have their peoples interest at heart like Israel do because they don’t. Extremists never do. We have to pick the lesser of two evils and fight for the freedom of the Palestinian people. That means we must back Israel.

On This Day…

30 years ago today Prime Minister James Callaghan reached a deal with the TUC to end the abhorrent strikes that had crippled the country in the ‘Winter of Discontent’. I believe it is important to mark this date and remember just how bad the country was at this time whilst looking at how close Brown is to dragging us back to those terrible days.

That ordeal was inflicted upon the nation by the Labour governments, and on occasion Conservative governments, inability to bring the unruly unions in to line. Industrial strife hit record levels and with unemployment creeping past the two million mark, on its steady course to 3+ million, industrial strife is likely to continue. Mr Brown, a keen historian, will be well aware of all the negative comparisons between 2009 and 1979.

He’ll know that Mr Callaghan decided to play long, waiting until he called a general election. He could have gone to the country in October 1978, but decided to give his economic policy time to work – knowing that he could wait until October 1979 until he had to call a poll. But in the end events moved away from him, and he lost a confidence vote in the Commons in March 1979, meaning he had to call a general election. The rest as they say is history.

We can consolle ourselves with on thing: As bad as this recession is were it not for a certain Prime Minister the unions could be ripping this country apart as they did in 1979. Thank god we have legislation restricting their action because without it what is already a bad situation could be turned in to a living hell as it was in 1978-9.

A response to Brown’s recent apology

PRIME MINISTER FINALLY APOLOGISES …

The BBC has the exclusive the news that the Prime Minister has finally apologised for something??

Destroying our pensions system? … NO

Destruction of Civil Liberties? … NO

10p tax? … NO

‘Sorry’ has indeed been the hardest word for Mr. Brown to say since well coming into power.

He has finally apologised for Woolworths going bust.

Maybe it will have a London bus effect . . . gold reserves? top up fees? Iraq war?

The possibilities are truly endless …

BUCF Meet Michael Gove

On Monday BUCF held an event with Michael Gove MP, Shadow Secretary of State for Schools and Children which resulted in a great turnout. Michael in his renowned easy going and informal way, captivated the audience with his careful and considered responses to questions put to him which ranged from the Carol Thatcher debarcle to the British education system. The future Secretary of State (touch wood!) has an undeniable ability to engage with his audience which was confirmed by the members remarks following the event. I certainly hope everyone ejoyed the event as much as I did and we look forward to welcoming Michael back to BUCF in the non too distant future.

YBF trip to America

The Young Briton’s Foundation is once again travelling to the United States this summer, and they have now begun to open up applications.

They travel to Washington to the Leadership Institue where you receive the very best in political training, including more media training!

Moreover, they spend some time in California at the Reagan Ranch. I attended the Washington D.C. section of the trip last year, and I have to say I found it incredibly enjoyable. I am hoping to be able to attend the whole trip this time, as a post graduation, pre job reward!

Email Christian@ybf.org.uk to apply or with any questions you may have.

Michael Gove vist TODAY!

Michael Gove, the Shadow Secretary of State for schools and children, is visting BUCF today at 4pm.

It will be held in the Arts Building, LR2, (The building to the right of the library if you are facing it. Dan or Jimmy will be outside to meet you)

Michael’s nickname amongst Shadow Cabinet colleagues is the ‘one man think tank’, as many people believe him to be the intellectual prowess behind Cameron.

He has risen to be very influential within the Conservative Party within a short space of time having only been elected in 2005. He was announced as the 4th most influential man in the parliamentary party coming behind Cameron, Osborne and Hague: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/conservative/3088666/Top-100-right-wingers-25-1.html

Michael is a fascinating man with a background in journalism, it is bound to be a very interesting discussion, so please come along.

In Defence of Carol Thatcher

When this story first broke I was appalled to hear Carol had been sacked over something so trivial however I decided against doing a blog on it so as not to be accused of ‘Thatcher’ ranting from the Labour society. However having seen a blog published on the BULS website slamming  Thatcher and her supporters, I feel compelled to put my two pence forward. Now let me get one thing straight before I begin: genuine racism is completely unacceptable. I understand that the term which caused the furore, ‘golliwog’, would rightly cause offense to people if expressed in public and it is an ill advised choice of word. However as always I am a great believe in that little thing called context and thus I believe people need to stop being so bloody sensitive.

The context couldn’t be clearer: Carol made an off the cuff remark entirely in jest in a private conversation and not in the public domain where her comments would rightly have caused offense and where she would have been rightly brought to task. Had Thatcher said it publicly or on air then perhaps I would be more inclined to agree with her punishment. However while the Labour Party have shamelessly rushed to jump on the ‘bash Thatcher badwagon’ and spout their morally superior twoddle, I personally am more appalled by their seeming ignorance to the fact that Thatcher is being victimised. I find vicitimisation as abhorrent as racism. The victimisation Thatcher is recieving is completely unjustified and it is going almost unnoticed by the repulsively smug and unjustifiably ’morally superior’ powers that be.

The fact is the BBC, or Bolshevik Broadcasting Corporation, and others have lashed out at Thatcher not because of her remarks, although they do love to get on their little moral politically (in)correct high horses, but because of who her mother was. Those that are supportive of Thatcher’s sacking need to look at the facts. The BBC has recieved thousands of letters of complaint at her sacking and barely 60 in support. She has the support of the Mayor of London and other public figures and even people such as Michael Eboda, the black editor of the Power List, and Trevor Philips have suggested the sacking was perhaps a tad extreme and could be seen as being taken out of context. How many more times do we have to have situations like this where good and popular figures’ careers are brought grinding to a halt over comments taken completely out of context.

This whole situation is farcical. But for me the fundamental point about all this is Thatcher has already offered an apology, in the sense that she recognises the term can be offensive and regrets its use, but she has quite rightly refused to bow to political correctness and issue 3 seperate written apologies to the other individuals who were in the room at the time. How bloody sensitive are these people?! It was a private conversation and I therefore ask you to imagine how you would react if you had anything and everything that you have ever said off the cuff that could be deemed offensive brought up and thrown at you… Im sure you wouldnt appreciate it and would argue your comments had been taken out of context. Thatcher is no different.

Who ever the little snitch is needs to take a good long look at him or herself and realise just how pathetic, petty and childish they now look given the reaction to Thatchers dismisal. Incidently I am also appalled by BULS and other Labour groups suggestion that Iain Dale’s defence of Thatcher was racist. Im sure after publishing this blog I will be due to recieve the same outrageous and unjustifiable critique from BULS… Perhaps we should tell the university authorities that they are victimising people like myself and Iain, both born on the 15th of July, maybe they would have to resign their committee positions!

Sensible Sarkozy

Things just don’t get better for Gordon Brown do they? As the economy continues to collapse around his ears, the unions bein reflexing their muscles and unemployment continues its steady course to hit record highs it seems Europes leaders are turning on the Prime Minister too.

As many of you will be aware I am and have always been a great fan of Nicolas Sarkozy. This sentiment was reinforced today when he dared speak out and say what the rest of Europe and its leaders are thinking: Brown is screwing up big time. In a debate on French TV Sarkozy said the UK’s VAT cut had “absolutely not worked”. He went on to explain that “Britain is cutting taxes. That will bring them nothing. Consumption continues to decrease,”.

I have never been a backer of the VAT tax cut. For a start VAT is only levvied on luxury goods anyway so the cut, in a time of economic slump, will not motivate people to buy more luxury items but it will impact on company profits making life more difficult for the companies and government revenue. What was even more perplexing was the fact that it came in around Christmas. Now forgive me but Christmas is one of the few times of the year when people will spend a bit more, they will go for luxury items. Had Brown left the VAT rate as it was then the increase in profit for companies over the festive period and the money raised in VAT for the government would have been much higher and making us a bit better prepared to tackle the slump now.

Im not saying reversing the VAT tax cut would have halted the economic crisis. Of course it wouldn’t. What I and leaders like Sarkozy are getting at is that it was nothing more than a costly publicity stunt that has been proven to fail dramatically and other Europeans shouldn’t follow Brown’s lead. Sarkozy now joins the leaders of other European countries like Holland and Germany who have expressed their lack of faith in Gordon Browns plan to tackle the economic crisis. Suddenly the Prime Minister seems that bit more isolated.

Are you a feminist?

 Feminism, like most ideologies, is a broad school of thought. From Radical Feminism to Liberal Feminism, there are different approaches to gender-related issues and it has a different meaning for different people.

What does feminism mean to you? What is its purpose? Do you find it does any good? Is it a fascist ideology? Do we need it to ensure the fair and equal treatment of women? So tell me, are YOU a feminist?

Frost/Nixon

Having just returned from a fantastic screening of ‘Frost/Nixon’ one couldn’t help but be reminded, as Frost ‘tamed’ Nixon, of a leader he most certainly did not tame in one of his infamous interviews. A full synopsis of the ‘Frost/Nixon’ film will be made available shortly but for now enjoy an interview with a leader that Frost most certainly did not dominate. Enjoy…

Lessons of 1979

1979 was the last time the country saw anything like this crisis. Indeed in recent weeks I have had a creeping feeling of deja-vu as Brown goes double or bust on the bank bailout package and a formerly dosile creature begins to rear its ugly head. In this light the paralells that can be drawn between Brown and Former Prime Minister James Callaghan grow greater by the day. We always knew the similarities between the two were stark; both inherited the crown after years in waiting (although Callaghan concealed his ambition rather better) and both knew that they might be in for a very short time and both men turned down the option of having an early election they were favourites to win, which as we know resulted in Callaghan losing in 1979 to Margaret Thatcher as Brown is likely to do to Cameron in 2010.

However one sleeping dragon which we believed to be slayed under the premiership of Margaret Thatcher seems to be waking up once more: the unions. Callaghan was chiefly troubled by the trade union strikes of the 1970s, which resulted in the famous ‘winter of discontent’. That crisis in no small way cost him the election. Brown now has the mother of a recession and as the dormant union dragon looks to be stirring once more Brown is in deep trouble. Brown’s crisis with the unions as you will be aware by now is over jobs for foreign workers at the Total refinery in Lincolnshire (Total is a French company) which has fueled wildcat strikes all over the country from workers who feel helpless in face of the faceless threat called globalisation.

In another contrast Callaghan and Brown have been undone by their own words, although to be fair Callaghan didn’t deserve to be whereas Brown most certainly does. In early 1979 Callaghan returned from an economic summit in sunny Guadeloupe to a Britain with everybody apparently on strike, from dustmen to the council workers who were supposed to bury bodies. When asked by a hack at the airport what was going on, ‘Sunny’ Jim said, “I don’t think other people would share the view that’s there’s mounting chaos in the country.” The Sun newspaper subbed this down a bit to: Crisis, what crisis? And Callaghan was doomed.

By contrast speaking to the Labour Party conference Brown, at his most bombastic, promised “British jobs for British workers”, which was an insult to all the useful foreigners working over here and Im afraid not in his gift to deliver anyway as there’s free movement of labour within the European Union. And it’s exactly what’s not happening in Lincolnshire, as numerous angry British workers have reminded him. To compound the felony Brown is grandstanding at Davos, trying to make it look as though Britain is leading the world through the economic crisis (a bit reminiscent of Guadeloupe apart from the weather) and the minister deputed to deal with this crisis is trade minister Pat McFadden, who no-one’s ever heard of and was trying to move house at the same time.

In the years since Mrs Thatcher’s slash and burn war on the unions workers have tended to keep their heads down when things have got tough, hoping to keep their jobs. But now, when they think they’ll probably lose them anyway, things could get extremely nasty, as they have in cities such as Paris with riots in the streets. Brown, currently 15 points behind in the polls, has no answer to this. He can’t keep on blaming American bankers. One of the biggest difference between Brown and Callaghan however is that Sunny Jim recognised one thing that seems to escape Brown. So in close I shall leave you with a quote from Callaghan himself which Im confident will serve as Gordon Brown’s epitaph:

“We used to think that you could spend your way out of a recession and increase employment by cutting taxes and boosting government spending. I tell you in all candour that that option no longer exists, and in so far as it ever did exist, it only worked on each occasion since the war by injecting a bigger dose of inflation into the economy, followed by a higher level of unemployment as the next step.”