McBride Back In Town ?

He's back !

Just like the old times - let joy be unconfined !

The spin doctor is so snide, dear 
And he leaks to Fleet Street hacks 
Just a jack knife has McBride, dear 
And he sticks it in Blairite backs 

On the air-waves, in Sunday papers 
Lies a-plenty, causing strife 
Someone's briefing, paid by Gordon 
Could that someone be Mack the Knife? 

Gordon’s team, they had no pride, dear 
 Lies and rumours that they spread 
You can always blame McBride, dear 
So there's nothing traced back to Ed 

All those Mandys and Wegg-Prossers 
Now they’re making loads of cash 
How McBride loathes all those chappies
Could it be he did somethin’ rash? 

At Westminster on the river 
Former sidekicks of Gordon Brown 
Lie awake at night and shiver 
Now McBride is back in town! 

ND

et tu, Slovakia?

The world has come to a fine mess when a vote in the obscure Slovakian parliament can threaten to de-rail the Euro bailout.

Of course, in many ways this present an interesting dialectic; the European Union has no direct democratic mandate which is one of the main reasons it is so unpopular yet at the same time is unable to control member parliaments.

In times of crisis, the power of the periphery increases with the current model. Everyone focus's on the German Constitutional Court - yet it is the Greeks, Finns and Slovakians - collectively barley even decent German state in terms of population, let alone economic power, who have the whip hand.

Worse though is that the logical resolution is to make EU policies directly enforceable on majority voting - but there is no real institution to make this happen. The whole structure is not able to cope in times of crisis and the impetus to reform is gone (not that it was ever there, Euro elites not being obvious fans of democracy).

But now, in 2011, with the potential of a new 1930's style depression upon on us, it is a rather awkward time to discover the flaws in the process. In the next few weeks, I think we will be hearing a lot more of the True Finns (party membership 5000 in 2011) and other groups who, bizarrely, will help to decide the future of the Euro and the World Economy.

QUESTION TIME GAME RIOTS SPECIAL

"There will be an extra edition of Question Time on Thursday 11 August to discuss this week's riots. The panel will include John Prescott, Brian Paddick, Camila Batmanghelidjh, John Sentamu and Fraser Nelson."

OK, BQ is still trying to get Mrs BQ out of custody after the rioting (she just could not resist when it was Debenhams).

In the meantime for the rest of us, a summer treat. Question Time Special. Now of course we know that the questions are all going to be on the Riots. So the usual game is to guess which questions the BBC producers will allow Dimbebly to pick out at random from the live studio audience in London.

For added spice, a slightly different scoring system with a point for each correct riot question (e.g. itz all the Feds falt, innit?). We are going to be very strict, in line with new Cameronian DemoKracy so no answers like "Police", "Fatcher"

Double bonus for guessing the end question whether it be humorous or another topic. Bonus' for getting the relevant guests answers spot on (impossible with Prescott, obviously)

The panel itself if a terrible mix of mindlessness, incompetent idiots and batshit craziness. They have not even found a Government representative yet, if they even want to. At the moment it is 4:1 socialist loons vs reality so I expect much heat to be generated and little light. Maybe interesting to see whether the 'hand-picked' audience still buy all the lefty guff though or whether hang'em and flog'em gets the claps.

Get your entries into the comments before showtime.

Mapping the Spill: the Toxic Brown Stuff Spreads

Though hopes are high that its worst effects have been capped, the Brown stuff has left a stain wherever it went, and has certainly hit the UK hard.

Here's one of those handy widgets that allows you to see the extent of the spread of the toxic sludge.

It is being said that in order to deal with the fall-out from the spill, traditional payments of stakeholder benefits will need to be suspended. According to a Government spokesman:

"It is much worse than the perpetrators have admitted. Clean-up will take years, and it will change the way of life for all those affected. We are all in this mess together."

The organisation responsible for the disaster announced: "This is something that started in America". It is expected to appoint a new CEO in time for its next AGM.

ND