Liberal Burblings

Archive for March, 2007

Despite Blair and Hain repeatedly saying that the 26th March was a final, final deadline, UTV reports that the DUP will request and probably get a six week delay before nominating ministers to the Northern Ireland Assembly.

It seems difficult to see how the British government will squirm out of this and save any “face”at all.

I know its cheap ITV tea time trash, but I thoroughly enjoy Harry Hill’s TV burp. While being a mainstream comedian, he seems to incorporate a remarkable intellectual sharpness into his comedy. As a tribute, I have enshrined one of his zanier quotes in my sidebar.

It would be undignified to enjoy reading this too much. But we have to have our little pleasures in life, don’t we?

The title, in itself causes some amusement: “Lord Snotty, his titanic ego and the strange case of a missing title.”

The vision of a blue-collar Chicago jury ploughing its way through verbose emails from Conrad Black and the details of Barbara Amiel’s “$60,000 birthday party…handbags, jogging gear and opera tickets” is a rare delight.

The question is: “Should we enjoy the spectacle of this trial?”

The answer must be: “Oh, go on then.”

The Tories seem to have chosen George Osbourne as the Defector-finder-in-chief. This is an ideal choice.

I was recently watching Mr Osbourne making some of his conference speeches. He reminded me of a particularly unpopular, smart-alec, fifth-former. He looks as though he has only recently acquired long trousers. Goodness knows how anyone can expect him to be taken seriously as a potential Chancellor of the Exchequer.

So, from my point of view, the man is ideal to attempt to get LibDem MPs to defect. They must have to swallow their laughter the moment they see him coming towards them.

The news output from Northern Ireland has been a bit quiet for a while. But the deadline of Monday, 26th March has crept up on us.

The DUP and Sinn Fein meet today. The signs are that, hopefully, the deadline will be met:

BBC Northern Ireland political editor Mark Devenport said: “Most observers believe the DUP leader, Ian Paisley, is ready, in principle, to share power.

“But his party has been looking for an eight-week delay which will put a new Stormont executive on ice until late May.”

Mr Paisley held talks with Prime Minister Tony Blair twice within 48 hours this week, ahead of the deadline.

After the second meeting, Downing Street re-iterated that Monday’s deadline stood.

Mr Paisley said a “great deal of ground” had been covered.

So it seems to be now or never. But in Northern Ireland you never know.

Menzies will launched a stinging attack on the Tories at our regional conference in Maidenhead today. I particularly like this bit:

Political parties are more than their leaders and if the Conservative Party aspires to liberalism, Mr Cameron must convince his members of it. He must ensure that they are ready to leave behind the baggage of Europhobia, homophobia, and xenophobia. Not just in policy, but in language and instinct too. The evidence suggests that he has some way to go to achieve that.

Amen to that. I hear what some grass roots Tories say in off-guarded moments. It is not edifying. Their whole outlook seems completely at odds with David Cameron’s “Hello sky, hello trees” approach.