From Mess to Success

I agonised over how I was going to vote on Same Sex Marriage (which lead a lot of people to wrongly assume I was voting against) but that process, which has been going on for some weeks and was particularly intense on Tuesday, ended with a decision to vote for the bill.

Same Sex Mess

I’m in an agony of indecision over same sex marriage. On the one hand I’m not illiberal or homophobic. On the other I am not particularly bothered about this, think civil partnership is enough, and have concerns about the legal repercussions.

Blog from the Dead

Cameron’s revival of the Conservative’s poll ratings through his EU con has encouraged me to revive my blog. Firstly let me apologise for neglecting it so much. The truth is it had become too easy to criticise the shambolic Government and was becoming repetitive.

Olympic Mess

I’ve had my doubts about the organisation of the Olympic game staffing ever since two young friends told me what had happened to them.

Saving Private Clegg

Charles Kennedy the only Lib-Dem who deserves respect wants Labour to save Clegg from his own folly by voting for Lords reform. Sorry Charles. The second Chamber shouldn’t have an elected majority.

Knights of the order of St Emma

The Tory Party is rallying to defend Emma Harrison of A4E and Working Links by turning its boot boys loose on Margaret Hodge, Chair of the Public Accounts Committee.

BORED WITH THE LORDS

I’ll except no substitute and if my proposal isn’t offered then let’s keep the existing shambles. T least it works and can occasionally screw up the government which is its real job.

Austin's snap happy!

The latest pictures from Austin's travels, around Grimsby and London.

The EU Fear Machine

Once Europe was built by idealism. Now the drive is Fear. Don’t comply with what the Euro elite wants and the Great Fear Machine is trundled in against you.

Save Rupe

Ed Miliband and the Culture Committee are saying my mate Rupe isn’t a fit and proper person to run newspapers or Sky TV. He is.

Bovine Brits

The electoral mood is a mystery. It could easily be said it is apathy. Yet underneath the surface there’s a swirling mass of fears, grumbles, complaints and alienation which could easily turn sour. Or even UKIP.

SUICIDE AS AN ECONOMIC STRATEGY

Our piggy banker chancellor tells us he’s crucifying growth to maintain confidence in sterling and government borrowing. What he doesn’t understand is that the quickest way to destroy a triple A rating is economic failure.

Twelve rules of Osbornomics

If Tory economic policies look harsh and irrational it’s because you don’t understand Osbornomics. Here’s the basic principles.

Lords reform - Clegg Clones?

The one thing to avoid in Lords reform is domination by the same people as the Commons. Elected, senators will be duplicates of US: thick skinned party hacks devoted to fighting each other and chanting a party line written by someone else.

The Finance Bill debate and tax avoidance

Charles Elphicke (Dover) makes a good point in the Finance Bill debate. Labour allowed tax evasion by Google, Amazon etc on an industrial scale. He’s right.

Capital Cancer

Maybe it`s because I`m not a Londoner that I hate London so. London Pride hasn`t been handed down to me but there are lots of other reasons for disliking this bloated, bumptious Babylon that calls itself a capital. Dr. Johnson got it absolutely wrong. He who’s tired of London isn`t tired of life.

Mean, Miserable and Young

Sir George Young and our government of millionaires have given control of MPs salaries to the Daily Telegraph’s parliamentary arm to ensure we never get an increase. Bad move.

The House Diary

My diary for the past few weeks which appeared in the House Magazine.

Westminster Hall Housing Debate

The minister who replied to my debate on social and council housing Andrew Stunell gave the weakest reply I’ve ever heard in a long lifetime of listening to gobbledygook.