On Blair's Last Day Met Police Fly Courtney Coventry to London to take Statement In Cash for Honours Scandal

On Blair's last full day in office the Met Police attempted to secretly fly the Beautiful American girl Courtney Coventry into London to take her statement in the Cash for Honours Inquiry.

From the Sun:

"A STUNNING American was flown by cops to Britain yesterday to be quizzed in the cash for honours probe. Californian actress Courtney Coventry, 25, was grilled over her links to Labour’s chief fundraiser Lord Levy. Lord Levy introduced Courtney to Tony Blair and Labour’s high command at a swanky fundraising bash.They were invited for tea at No10 the next day and taken on a tour of the House of Commons and House of Lords where Lord Levy — dubbed Lord Cashpoint — wooed them.

Courtney flew to Heathrow yesterday morning( flights arranged by the met police at the expense of the British taxpayer) from Nice to meet cops investigating allegations peerages were awarded for £14million in cash loans used to fund Labour’s 2005 general election campaign.She was met from her British Airways flight at the arrivals lounge in Terminal 1 and whisked away in an unmarked car.

Courtney, wearing a calf- length emerald green dress with plunging neckline, covered her face when The Sun asked her what help she could be to the police. Her reply was: “No comment”. She was hustled away clutching her Louis Vuitton handbag by a plain clothes woman officer with two uniformed cops in tow.

The actress was driven to the Hilton Hotel in Green Park, around the corner from the chain’s flagship Park Lane Hotel — where she was photographed with Mr Blair three years ago at the gala for rich donors. Later last night, Courtney told The Sun at the hotel: “I have spoken to the police. They flew me in. I cannot say anything else.” Asked if she had been of use to the inquiry, she replied: “That’s up to them to determine.”

The Met refused to discuss her interview yesterday. "There was no intention to cause the Prime Minister any embarrassment on his last day."

The mail apparently was given a different comment by the police. According to the mail the police source said: "We spoke to her in person but we decided she did not have anything of interest to say so she was not formally interviewed. In effect, she was time wasting."

So let me get this correct. The police fly her to London, meet her at Heathrow and give her a police escort and driver to her hotel with no knowledge of what she was going to tell them? From the sound of it they attempted to secretly bring her into the country to formally take her statement and have her out again before anyone was the wiser but it didn't quite work out that way. From the photos in the Sun in seems the press were not only at the airport waiting but also sitting outside her hotel room. Far more likely is that the police panicked when they saw the press as they have done everything in their power to keep the details of the case and witnesses underwraps. It was a nice try but I don't think anyone would believe they had no idea what she was going to say. I would bet money that they knew exactly what she was going to say , had evidence to corroborate it and that it was very damning. Otherwise why go to the trouble and expense to fly her into the country? I am certain that we will find she is interviewed but without the knowledge of the press. If not and the police are giving away free flights and drivers if you call and say I have information on xyz I'm sure there will be a line around the block and a lot of angry taxpayers.

"They did not intend to cause Blair any embarrassment on his last day in office" - Of course they didn't as nobody was supposed to know she was there.

"Further Inquiries" Demanded in Cash for Honours Scandal

Despite receiving a 216 page file from Scotland Yard, the Crown Prosecution Service has demanded additional evidence from the police and that they "undertake further inquiries" before deciding whether there should be criminal charges in the cash for honours investigation. It appears Prime Minister Blair may be interviewed by the police for a third time. This time however, it is highly possible that he will be interviewed under caution as detectives were ordered to again question the key players .

Although thus far Blair has only been interviewed as a witness, he was the first Prime Minister ever to be questioned by the police as part of a continuing criminal investigation. Once he leaves Downing Street at the end of the June if he is interviewed it could take place under caution, technically making him a suspect.

There were 2 comments left last week in the Herald relating to Cash for Honours which I posted previously. If you didn't get a chance to read them you may find them interesting. Whether they are accurate or not I don't know but in light of the CPS demanding further investigation it makes you think. Click HERE for the post and to read the comments.

£1m To Be Spent Training Muslim Imams at University

A new report by Academic Ataullah Siddiqui says teaching of Islam in English universities is based on "out-of-date and irrelevant issues". It concludes that more emphasis should be placed on Islam in a modern context.

Ministers will now label Islamic studies a "strategic subject" because of its role "in preventing extremism". Education Secretary Alan Johnson is expected to announce a £1m cash injection later to plug gaps highlighted by Dr Siddiqui's report.

I find it absurd that Blair seems to find money to "update" Islamic Studies and train foreign Imams, provide exercise facilities to prisoners, install all kinds of spy toys and spend a million pounds on his "farewell tour" (only to name a few unnecessary expenses) and yet can not find the funds that our schools and the NHS desperately need. I would love to know how Blair justifies spending a million pounds on updating Islamic studies instead of spending it on our children's education. Is it really more important to teach Islamic studies at university than it is to teach maths and reading to our children?

One more note on the report:
The report also concludes that Islamic studies syllabuses should focus on aspects of Islam "relevant to contemporary practice of faith". Students should be able to learn parts of the syllabus from Islamic scholars, it adds. It calls for more recognition of the importance of campus Islamic societies and more prayer facilities.

Somehow I don't think adding additional Islamic Societies and prayer facilities will miraculously enlighten potential terrorists and convince them to change their ways.

Blair's £1million Vanity Trip

The Conservatives have accused the Prime Minister of authorising a "self-indulgent" waste of public funds to promote his reputation at home and abroad. Nine official and political visits have been scheduled by Blair since announcing that he is to step down on June 27 and there is the possibility of more to be added. The Conservatives claimed last night that the total cost of the trips planned for the six weeks between his announcement and his departure will exceed £1million.

I can think of much better ways to spend £1million than on Blair's "farewell tour." Education, Health care .....

Government Considers Increasing Police Powers Under the Pretense Of "National Security"

The Government's newest proposal in their campaign against freedom is to give the police the power to stop and question at random without reason. Big Brother is becoming so prevalent in our country we should issue the following disclaimer to anyone entering:

WELCOME TO THE UK. PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING DISCLAIMER. "Welcome to the fastest growing Police State in the World. You WILL be caught on CCTV hundreds of times a day and you may see spy planes flying above. Do not be alarmed if a CCTV Camera yells at your child for littering. Please be advised that the police may stop and question you for any reason. No probable cause is required. Finally please be aware that you may be profiled as a potential criminal if you have a too many drinks at the pub."

In the past weeks this Government seems to have been on a mission to take away the small amount of freedom we have left under the guise of "National Security" and "Anti- Terror" laws.

According to the Home Office, the government is now considering giving police officers across the UK the power to "stop and question" individuals without probable cause under new anti-terror laws. Police elsewhere have to have "reasonable suspicion" a crime has been committed before they can stop people. According to the Sunday Times anyone who refuses to co-operate, even if they were doing nothing wrong, could be charged with obstructing the police and fined up to £5,000. Greater powers to remove vehicles and paperwork for inspection are also believed to be part of the measures.

After it emerged Thursday that three men suspected of wanting to kill UK troops had disappeared, Mr Reid criticised his political opponents and judges for stopping the use of tougher measures against terror suspects and promised new anti-terror measures within weeks. It has been suggested that the new laws were to be rushed through before Tony Blair steps down as prime minister on 27 June, however The Home Office refused to comment on this. Campaign group Liberty Director, Shami Chakrabarti, reiterated this suggestion when she said, "This looks like political machismo, a legacy moment."

Blair has said the disappearance of the three suspects under control orders was a symptom of a society which put civil liberties before fighting terror. " The prime minister described this as "misguided and wrong" and said prioritising a terror suspect's right to traditional civil liberties was "a dangerous misjudgement".

The solution is not to penalise the whole of the British people for the error made by the courts. One of the three terror suspects who went missing while on control orders was granted bail by a senior district judge on at least two occasions. On both dates, prosecutors asked for him to be jailed, but were refused. If there is sufficient evidence to show suspects pose a serious threat they should not be allowed bail or more closely monitored if they are. Rather than take away the civil liberties of society as a whole penalise those who are reasonably suspected of planning or committing crimes. Why should our freedom suffer because of the legal system's incompetence.

Our "civil liberties" in the UK are being disregarded on a daily basis. We live in a true surveillance society that is very quickly becoming more and more of a police state. There are at least 4.2 million CCTV cameras some of which talk, spy planes are being introduced, the government is considering profiling possible criminals, biometric id cards will be introduced if Labour wins the next election and now they are considering giving police the power the stop and question at random without cause. I would not call that a country that puts civil liberties before fighting terror. I can not think of any other "democratic" country that has the same amount of government intrusion and lack of civil liberties that the UK does.

Since Blair has announced the date he will stand down, it seems the government is attempting to push one measure after another through under the pretense of National Security. Is this Blair creating a legacy, or is the Labour Party conveniently pushing unpopular measures in their agenda through in Blair's last weeks so Brown does not receive the public backlash?

At least we can sleep a little easier knowing that this particular plan will not come to fruition in the weeks before Blair leaves as the House of Lords will put a stop to it.

Tony Blair's Article in the Sunday Times

I just finished reading Blair's article in the Sunday Times and have suddenly developed a headache.

Blair began with, "First let us clear away some of the absurd criticism of the police and security service over the three individuals who absconded. " He then went on to blame British society for having the desire to retain some of the few civil liberties we have left. According to Blair because of this desire 3 terror suspects have gone missing," the fault is not with our services or, in this instance, with the Home Office. We have chosen as a society to put the civil liberties of the suspect, even if a foreign national, first. "

Blair continued to write,"Over the past five or six years, we have decided as a country that except in the most limited of ways, the threat to our public safety does not justify changing radically the legal basis on which we confront this extremism.

Their right to traditional civil liberties comes first. I believe this is a dangerous misjudgment. This extremism, operating the world over, is not like anything we have faced before. It needs to be confronted with every means at our disposal. Tougher laws in themselves help, but just as crucial is the signal they send out: that Britain is an inhospitable place to practise this extremism"

The main problem (out of a list of many) with Blair's logic is that although a police state may make Britain more "inhospitable" for terrorism it will do the same for the law abiding public.

Blair ending his article with, "This extremism can be defeated. But it will be defeated only by recognising that we have not created it; it cannot be negotiated with; pandering to its sense of grievance will only encourage it; and only by confronting it, the methods and the ideas, will we win. " - I guess he has changed his view on negotiating and pandering to terrorists since he dealt with the hostage situation in Iran.

Another Embarrassing Report for the Government

Tony Blair, John Reid and Lord Falconer have claimed that too many criminals are being jailed.

Lord Falconer, the newly-created Justice Secretary, announced this month that tens of thousands of burglars and other thieves would receive community punishments instead of jail sentences. The Prime Minister signalled that there should be greater emphasis on rehabilitating offenders, tougher community sentences and crime prevention in March, and Home Secretary Mr Reid caused outrage in January by urging the courts to use jail sentences only as a last resort. Due to this paedophiles, muggers, burglars and heroin dealers walked free from court.

However, a Home Office report has concluded that stiffer prison sentences deter crime. This contradicts Labour plans to hand out softer punishments

Key Points in the Report

"Custodial sentences of at least a year are most effective in reducing re offending."

Figures showed that 70 per cent of convicts jailed for under 12 months re-offended within two years, compared with 49 per cent of those sentenced to between one and four years and 36 per cent of those serving at least four years

Men and women released from prison within a year had on average 13 previous convictions – suggesting shorter jail sentences were failing as a deterrent.

Prisoners released from longer sentences were less likely to re- offend because they were older, had time to be rehabilitated and had been convicted of more serious "one-off" offences.

Last night, the Conservatives blamed the "abysmal" situation on Labour’s failure to build enough prison places. Philip Davies, the Tory MP who uncovered the report, said: "The Government are at sixes and sevens. Because the Chancellor has consistently refused to invest in building more prisons, that has resulted in their being full. The Government now have to pretend that prison does not work after all, and that it is tougher not to send people to prison and to give them so-called tough community sentences."


A Home Office spokesman said the relationship between prison sentences and re-offending rates was "quite complex".

He said the report did not contradict the Government’s view. Is the Home Office spokesman reading the same report?

This comment is clearly the work of Gordon Brown and his "political spin" team. Rather than accept responsibility for the lack of investment in building prisons, Labour is attempting to claim that tough community sentences are best and prison should be a last resort despite the fact that their own Home Office Report contradicts them.

Brown to Attack Blair Over Education

Gordon Brown will attack Tony Blair's education reforms today in an attempt to further distance himself from the Prime Minister. The Chancellor will describe numeracy rates among young children as "unacceptable" for one of the world's leading economies. "It is unacceptable that we still have 150,000 children leaving primary school who aren't numerate. Both a strong economy and an inclusive society require a fully numerate population." Brown will go on to admit that the Labour Government has failed to deliver a "world class" education system.

Blair will not look kindly on this latest strategy in Brown's campaign. When Blair came to power in 1997 he claimed "Education, education, education " was his priority. Today in contrast with Gordon Brown's recent comments, he believes he succeeded. Blair recently said "Education, education, education was how I described my priorities at the outset of this Government. A decade on, this report shows we meant it".

As I said in a previous post regarding Blair's eduaction reforms, it is progress to renovate and build new facilities for students. However, the current problem does not lie with the facilities, but rather with the education they receive inside them.

Mr Brown claims he will try to shift the emphasis of Labour's education policies away from changes to school structures to core activities in the classroom.

Blair Attempts to Promote His Success in Education Reform

Blair claimed that Labour's multi-billion pound programme to renovate England's classrooms illustrated how he had lived up to his now famous promise to prioritise "education, education, and education".

A survey of local authorities in England found that since 1997 there have been 1,106 new schools, 27,000 new or improved classrooms and 2,300 new or refurbished school kitchens built. In the 450 most recently built schools, new indoor toilets had been provided, so no children have to use outside loos any more, the report said. It also said that sports facilities had been improved or provided for the first time in 2,450 schools in England.

In his introduction to the report, Mr Blair said: "The programme of renewal is truly historic. It compares to the legacy of the Victorians and the post-war generation. Generations of young people will benefit. Twenty years of under-investment is being steadily reversed."
He continued: "Before 1997, schools and colleges suffered decades of under-investment. Buildings were decaying. Thousands of young people endured shabby facilities, temporary classrooms, leaking roofs or outside toilets. "New buildings were desperately needed, but the funding simply wasn't there."

"Education, education, education was how I described my priorities at the outset of this Government," Mr Blair said. "A decade on, this report shows we meant it".

It is progress to renovate and built new facilities for students however, the current problem does not lie with the facilities, but rather with the education they receive inside them.

There was no improvement in education in 2005. This is from the Telegraph 17/05/2005 "The number of failing secondary schools has gone up despite the Government's focus on improving standards through the "reform" of comprehensive education." Today there is still no improvement. This from The telegraph 09/05/07 "Last year, one in 10 pupils - 75,000 - failed to obtain five GCSEs of whatever grade. That figure has remained the same since 1999. Of these, 26,000 pupils fail to achieve a single GCSE."

The measure of Mr. Blair's success is dependent on whether you place a greater value on the buildings in which students attend school or the level of education achieved within them.

Gordon Brown Attempts to Rebuild Public Trust

Mr Brown pledged to govern “in a different way’’ yesterday when launching his campaign to lead Labour and become Prime Minister. He promised a clean break with the Blair years as he admitted “mistakes” had been made in Iraq, hinted at a review of ID cards and vowed to end the cult of celebrity. Brown also said he would restore power to Parliament and rebuild the public trust in democracy.

Yesterday, in a low-profile launch which was in sharp contrast to Blair’s carefully-choreographed grandiose farewell, the Chancellor quickly distanced himself from the spin and obsession with image of Blair while emphasizing his own "moral compass." Brown promised measures would be taken to make government more accountable to Parliament over decisions to go to war and senior public appointments, with a new code of ministerial conduct, to be followed by a major programme of constitutional reform. When speaking about Iraq, he said: “I accept that mistakes have been made”.

Mr Brown indicated that he would stick with Blairite health reforms and a push to increase the number of affordable homes. Policies that are seen as essential to keep on board "middle Britain" voters who helped Mr Blair win three election victories.

Brown's statements sound promising however George Osborne, his Conservative shadow, had it correct when he said: "After 10 years of waiting, all Gordon Brown has given us is reheated slogans and a promise to listen - when all the evidence shows he's incapable of acknowledging his mistakes."

Brown is responsible for the pension disaster and his tax credit system has handed out 6 Billion in overpayment and lost a further 1.4 Billion due to fraud. If this is Brown's track record should we not be concerned that he will be responsible for running the country? As for distancing himself from Blair, it is nothing more than political spin. A package disguised in different wrapping is still the same package. It is just a little more attractive until you open it.

In Anticipation of Blair Announcing His Resignation ... Quotes to Remember Him By

In anticipation of Tony Blair returning on Thursday to his Sedgefield constituency for the long-awaited announcement that he is standing down as leader of the Labour Party here are a few interesting quotes from his time as PM.


From Prime Minister's Questions, 30 July 1997:
Sir Michael Spicer: Looking back on the past 96 days, and with the benefit of hindsight, what does the Prime Minister think has been his worst mistake--losing control over interest rates, raiding pension funds, robbing the reserves, or what?
The Prime Minister: Certainly our greatest triumph has been to remove the Conservative Government. As for my greatest mistake, that is for me to know and for the hon. Gentleman to find out.

Well Mr Blair, we have found out and there is quite a list.

Blair Quotes ...
"This party will, ultimately, be judged on its ability to deliver on its promise" ... Based on the numerous broken promises I'm not sure Blair would feel the same way today :)

"I didn't come into politics to change the Labour Party. I came into politics to change the country." From Tony Blair's speech to Labour Party conference October 1995. Blair did succeed in changing the country, however not in a good way.

"Ask me my three priorities for Government, and I tell you: education, education and education." ... I have a few quotes for Blair regarding his priority.
1. There was no improvement in education in 2005. This is from the Telegraph 17/05/2005 "The number of failing secondary schools has gone up despite the Government's focus on improving standards through the "reform" of comprehensive education."
2. There is still no improvement today. This from today's telegraph "Last year, one in 10 pupils - 75,000 - failed to obtain five GCSEs of whatever grade. That figure has remained the same since 1999. Of these, 26,000 pupils fail to achieve a single GCSE."

Speech in Paris, May 1997.
“Labour is the party of law and order in Britain today. Tough on crime, tough on the causes of crime.” Violent and serious crimes have increased. If Blair meant he would be "tough on crime" by installing "talking" cctv cameras to yell at children for littering as they walk down the street then he has succeeded at that.

"We'll negotiate a withdrawal from the EEC"(now the EU)"which has drained our natural resources and destroyed jobs". Tony Blair, before he became an MP, in 1983. Mr Blair is now an enthusiastic supporter of the EU and asserts that Britain must "be at the heart of Europe". It is very possible that Blair intends to use his final weeks as Prime Minister to in office to surrender British powers to Brussels as part of his drive for a European "legacy" irrespective of the fact that the majority of the public are very much opposed to this.

"Power without principle is barren, but principle without power is futile. This is a party of government, and I will lead it as a party of government." Blair has had his time with barren power. Soon he will no longer have power and his principles are long gone so what will be left?


In the spirit of the transfer of Labour leadership, one final quote from Gordon Brown about Tony Blair. "There is nothing that you could say to me now that I could ever believe." (To Tony Blair by Gordon Brown) That pretty much sums up the public's view on Blair. The only thing Brown didn't mention is that is sums up the public's view of him as well.

Blair's Desire for a "European" Legacy Is More Important to Him than the Impact His Actions Will Have on Britain

Senior Whitehall officials claim that Tony Blair intends to use his final weeks in office to surrender British powers to Brussels as part of his drive for a European "legacy" despite the future repercussions. Prime Minister Blair will effectively be binding the hands of Gordon Brown by committing Britain to a rewritten version of the European Union constitution days before he finally resigns at the end of June.

Mr Blair's has wanted to do forge closer links with France and Germany since coming to power in 1997. This action by Blair will dash Labour's hopes of a "stable and orderly transition" of power when Mr Blair announces his departure plans later this week. Brown will have a series of difficult and time consuming negotiations to undertake to undo any or all of Mr Blair's moves to sign away powers. These negotiations would likely dominate Brown's tenure at number 10.

Yesterday a senior civil servant said, "The concern is that the outgoing Prime Minister will take constitutional decisions which will bind both his successor and the country for years. There is a worry he believes this should be part of his political legacy and that he will be acting as an individual and not the leader of a government." This seems to be a very accurate statement.

Blair is consumed by ensuring his legacy and will do so, it seems, even at the expense of the country he was entrusted to run.

After Blair Announces His Resignation Next Week , Will Also Stand Down as an MP?

Tony Blair is preparing to stand down as an MP after he resigns as Prime Minister, rather than remain in Parliament according to credible reports from Westminister today. The speculation about Mr Blair’s future was triggered by a Press Association report that it had learned Mr Blair was planning to make the announcement on 11 May, a day after he gives a date for leaving Number 10. He has already made clear that he is looking for a life outside politics when he leaves No 10.

Blair is known to want to cash in on his political stature as soon as possible. He has a hefty mortgage on his £3.6 million town house in London, which is being refurbished after the Blairs bought the £800,000 mews house behind it.
Downing Street has thus far denied that Blair will stand down as an MP. Mr Blair’s official spokesman said: “The announcement next week will be solely about the Prime Minister as leader of the Labour Party. He has made no decision whatsoever to stand down as an MP and very firmly remains MP for Sedgefield and proud of it. He is simply going to talk next week about his position as leader of the Labour Party. "

I am the first to support Blair resigning as Prime Minister but to stand down as an MP immediately after shows his true character. Blair is effectively saying, like a child told to give someone else a turn, "if I can't be the leader, I don't want to play." It would be a break with precedent for him to quit as an MP after leaving No 10. His immediate predecessors, including John Major, Margaret Thatcher, James Callaghan and Harold Wilson all remained in the Commons at least until the following general election. Labour MPs predicted he could tour the world lecture circuit, particularly in the United States, write his memoirs and pick up lucrative boardroom directorships. I'm sure these are far more interesting prospects for Mr. Blair than to continue to serve his constituents.

Blair To Announce His Resignation Next Week

Tony Blair promised yesterday that he would stand down in the next few weeks. He is expected to announce his resignation next Wednesday or Thursday in a last minute attempt to avoid a substantial protest vote against labour in the mid-term elections tomorrow.

Put the champagne on ice ... it's almost time to celebrate, or is it? Blair endorsed Gordon Brown as his successor ending months of speculation as to whether he wanted the Chancellor to take over or would prefer another member of the Cabinet to succeed him. The question is, do we seriously expect Brown to be any better?

It will be interesting to see the results of the election. Blair obviously has his concerns. He fears that disillusioned Labour voters intend to give Labour a "kicking" because they are angry with him over issues such as Iraq. This fear is not without basis. Blair and "new labour" have managed to create an environment in which the voting public are disillusioned, angry and have lost faith in the labour government they, at one point, enthusiastically supported.

Blair began his day of saying farewell with an appearance on GMTV where he said,"I'll make my position clear next week, I'll say something definitive then."

Approximately seven weeks after Mr Blair resigns, an electoral college will be held, almost certainly in London, attended by delegates from unions and other affiliated organisations, constituency Labour parties, MPs and Euro MPs. That timetable would see Mr Blair going to Buckingham Palace formally to resign on Monday July 2, with his successor being invited to form a government by the Queen shortly afterwards.

According to a poll for BBC 2's Newsnight programme last night almost three quarters of voters think there should be a general election when Mr Blair steps down. Those who want an early election include more than half of Labour voters (52 per cent) who took part in the poll.

Mr Brown has rejected calls for an early general election. Of course Brown has rejected calls for an early election as he knows he would not win. The British public are almost as disillusioned with Brown as they are with Blair. If Brown truly wanted to do what is best for the country he would let the voters decide. Unfortunately, Brown would much rather do what is best for Brown.

Gordon Brown and the £1 Billion "Cover-up"

The Government has been accused of covering up a £1 billion discrepancy in the finances for the London Olympic Games when Britain submitted its bid. The original discrepancy of the £1 billion difference however has now turned into a 6.95 Billion discrepancy with the current estimate mushrooming to 9.35 Billion in March of this year or nearly 4 times the original 2.4 Billion pound estimate.

This latest revelation is highly embarrassing to Gordon Brown, the Chancellor, who is poised to take over as prime minister from Tony Blair. When London submitted its bid, he portrayed himself as gatekeeper for the Games, saying the Government would act as "ultimate guarantor" of their final cost.

Shadow chancellor, George Osborne, accused the Government and Chancellor of "trying to cover their tracks". He said: "These startling revelations raise more questions about Gordon Brown's integrity and competence. It's taxpayers who are going to pay the price."

The most disturbing part is that Ministerial aides were told by accountants two months before the bid's submission, and 10 months before the capital knew it had been chosen to host the Games, that the estimated bill for the Olympics of £3.4 billion was significantly short of the mark.

Brown has attempted in the past months to distance himself from Blair and the various scandals and difficult situations Blair has been involved in. Gordon Brown can not distance himself from this however. It just goes to show that not only Blair, but his entire cabinet, are quite happy to lie to and manipulate the British public. Then ,when caught, they attempt to cover it up or make light of very serious situations. A source in Labour close to Gordon Brown attempts to brush off the entire issue by saying, "The Tories are really scraping the barrel if they are making an issue of this. [George] Osborne should stop playing partisan games with the Olympics."

This "minor" discrepancy of approximately 6.95 Billion pounds may not be an issue to this government, however I'm certain it will be to the taxpayers who will end up footing the bill. This government is doing what it does best, breaking promises, lying to the public and then attempting to cover the entire situation up. If you thought Gordon Brown would be any better than Blair perhaps now is the time to have second thoughts.

Leaked Memo of Talks Between Blair and Bush

Blair and Labour have lost the trust of the British people. Therefore it would not be surprising to find that this government has caused the rest of the world to lose trust in the UK as well.

Thankfully the leak of this memo was stopped, but what

happens next time when it is

not? All the more reason to

NOT vote for Labour at the next general

election. Whether we choose to admit it or not

the UK needs the support of our allies

and a breach in trust and/or breakdown of

communication would be disastrous for our country.

Over the past several years Blair and the Labour party have made many poor decisions, broken promises and been involved in more than a few scandals which have caused great embarrassment to the remarkable country we live in. Under Gordon Brown, or any Labour MP who has been a central part of Blair's government, do we really expect this to change?

The latest incident, the leaked memo, could have not only have "raised international tensions," according to Dave Perry QC but he also agreed that it would have"seriously damaged relations with friendly governments" as well as threatening life and public order and the "operational effectiveness of the security of UK or allied forces".

Civil servant David Keogh, 50, and MP's researcher Leo O'Connor, 44 deny three charges under the Official Secrets Act. Mr Keogh is said to have passed the record of the meeting between Blair and Bush to researcher Mr O'Connor. The contents of the memo are so sensitive that they are not being disclosed in open court and much of the trial is being held behind closed doors.

Mr Blair's foreign policy adviser Sir Nigel Sheinwald said a leak would have sparked worldwide anger. Sir Nigel described how the leaking of such a secret and sensitive document could have damaged Britain's alliances within the world and destroyed the trust needed for governments to speak openly to each other and that it would have put UK forces at risk.

David Miliband Declares He Will Support Gordon Brown as the Next Prime Minister

David Miliband, Brown's most serious rival, said publicly for the first time that he will support the Chancellor. At a Labour press conference in Glasgow for the Scottish Parliament election campaign, Mr Miliband denied that he was waiting for the results to decide whether to stand. "I'll be voting for Gordon Brown as Labour leader," he said. "He's done fantastic things for the prosperity of all British people over the last 10 years and I think he's the best qualified candidate across a wider canvas. He'll bring pride to the whole of the UK and when he does I look forward to supporting him."

However Mr Miliband, who is now expected to head an environment and energy department in Brown's Cabinet, argued in a news-paper article that success in the next general election would require the party not to go back on the New Labour project, but to offer "New Labour Plus''.

What exactly is "New Labour Plus?" New Labour was filled with broken promises, airs of corruption, scandals, an increase in the "surveillance society" we now have to endure and many public services including the NHS going downhill. Does New Labour Plus mean even more of the above? Do we now have more broken promises, scandals, and even worse public services to look forward to?

"New Labour" was the country's golden child at one time, today they are nothing more than an embarrassment.

Cash For Access Memo Leaked Days After CPS is Handed 216 Page Cash for Honours File

A strategy to "sell" Downing Street access to wealthy party donors from the very beginning of the Blair years has been uncovered. A leaked internal memo places Tony Blair, his chief of staff Jonathan Powell and Labour's leading fundraiser Lord Levy at the centre of a "cash-for-access" policy to raise millions.

This leak comes days after police handed over a 216-page file to the Crown Prosecution Service, which is now deciding whether to press criminal charges over the cash-for-honours affair. The document was written by Amanda Delew, the former head of the High Value Fundraising Unit at Labour HQ, shortly after the party swept to power in 1997. It proposes that the prospect of access to Number 10 and Tony Blair could help raise more than £15million for party funds. The paper insists the Prime Minister 'must continue to have private meetings' with some donors while others 'would expect to be invited' to Downing Street.

A Labour spokesman insisted last night that the document was discarded before it reached
senior members of the party and that "no one who gave money to the party is given preferential treatment and no one can buy access to Downing Street".

But Angus MacNeil, the Scottish Nationalist MP who triggered the cash for honours police investigation, said: "This document is symptomatic of New Labour and its obsession with the rich and wealthy. It is not to me, or any other politician, they must answer. It is to the highest court in the land."

Lord Goldsmith , a Labour minister who once gave money to the party and who owes his job to Tony Blair, could end up making the final decision on whether charges are brought. Complaints have been made that the Attorney General is politically compromises however Lord Goldsmith insisted he would judge the case for a prosecution "objectively, on the evidence, independently from Government".

Opposition MPs questioned his impartiality. Shadow Home Secretary David Davis said: "He is a politician and he is a peer - he was made a peer by Tony Blair. None of that is wrong but he should not be involved in this decision. It should be made independently by a members of the Crown Prosecution Service."


Yes, the decision should be made independently however I am certain that Mr. Blair will use all methods of persuasion available to him to encourage Lord Goldsmith to put a stop the the prosecution despite the fact sources close to the inquiry have described the police file as "very robust". If charges are brought, Mr Blair, who was interviewed twice by detectives, could be called to give evidence in court. That alone gives Blair motivation to pressure Lord Goldsmith.

It is quite obvious that honours were sold for donations to the party and even more obvious Levy tried to cover this up. The only remaining question is will Mr Blair's influence stop it from going to trial?

Maternity Support Workers to Replace Midwives to Cut Costs?

Ministers have reneged on the election promise which guaranteed all mothers receive one-to-one care from a midwife during labour. Health Secretary Patricia Hewitt admitted that midwives would probably not be present during the whole labour in any NHS hospital. Campaigners said that costs could be cut by using "maternity support workers" not midwives during the majority of the labour process. There is no national training program for these workers with most trusts insisting they take only an NVQ ( a qualification course lasting only 15 days) versus midwives who endure a rigorous 3 year training program. I would consider the birth of a child one of the most, if not the most, important event in a person's life. The government obviously does not agree or they would not have suggested "support workers" who are meant for jobs such as cleaning up to deliver our babies. What's next to save money... suggesting a family member take a 15 day NVQ so the government doesn't have to pay at all? Royal College of Midwives adviser Sue Jacob said it would be 'nothing short of scandalous' if support workers were left doing the job of midwives. "Women want nothing less than a midwife by their side when they are in labour. We know from all the research that's been done that continuous care from an experienced professional makes a huge difference to the safety of both the mother and the child." I would love to know how the British people feel about this latest suggestion to cut costs at our children's expense by the Blairite Government.

Beckett Doubts Swift resolution with Iran ... "We are not seeking a military confrontation"

Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett says that we shouldn't hope for a swift resolution to the hostage situation in Iran. She continues to stress that the government is not seeking a military confrontation with Iran and continuing to pursue diplomatic channels. The Iranians don't seem particularly interested as they still have not responded to a formal note sent by Britain. Beckett's comments came after new pictures of the hostages were released and as Tony Blair said negotiations to free them were entering a "critical" phase. I think we passed critical quite some time ago Mr. Blair. As far as Margaret Beckett is concerned I would love to know what she defines as a "swift resolution" because I guarantee if she was the one held in Iran or it was a family member of hers she would be a lot more enthusiastic about rescuing them by any means! Diplomatic channels are NOT working, neither is sending notes which Iran ignores. Day ONE we should have given them the option to return the hostages or face military action. Day twelve, why are we still discussing this?