Saturday, April 21, 2012


Red Ken:  Just another Leftist hypocrite

The British Left are so attached to their dysfunctional  socialized medicine system (the NHS) that they despise private hospitals.  So when one of them uses a private hospital it is seen as letting the side down.  But the NHS is so bad that the temptation to bypass them is strong.  And the Labour candidate for Mayor of London has just done such a bypass.

The most egregious  such bypass was by "Red Queen" Barbara Castle, during the Wilson government, who was famous for saying that it was "obscene to carve your way to a hospital bed with a checkbook".  But when her son got sick, guess where she sent him?  And she sent him under a false name!

You will find no mention of that episode in Wikpedia or anywhere else much outside my writings but there is a 1975 newspaper article here which mentions her words on the matter. 

I remember the episode well personally as I had just written a book on politics at the time.  The internet has a short memory but I don't

Despite her towering hypocrisy, Harold Wilson still elevated her to the peerage


Ken Livingstone’s campaign to regain the London mayoralty faced embarrassment last night after Labour peer Lord Sugar urged voters to reject him.  Lord Sugar said that ‘no one’ should vote for Mr Livingstone, despite him being the official Labour candidate.

The damaging outburst came after Mr Livingstone was forced to admit using an unnamed private healthcare firm to carry out annual health checks unavailable on the NHS.

The revelation yesterday opens the former mayor up to accusations of hypocrisy, as he has vociferously campaigned against the Coalition’s ‘privatisation’ of the  Health Service.

Shortly afterwards, Apprentice star Lord Sugar took to Twitter to tell his 1.8million followers: ‘I don’t care if Ed Miliband is backing Livingstone. I seriously suggest NO ONE votes for Livingstone in the Mayoral elections.’  He later added: ‘Livingstone must NOT get in on May 3.’

The intervention could amount to a breach of party rules, and will trigger calls for Labour leader Mr Miliband to discipline the business mogul, who served as enterprise tsar under Gordon Brown.

Earlier this week, in answer to a comment from a journalist  that he was looking tired, Mr Livingstone insisted that he had lost a stone during his campaign against Tory incumbent Boris Johnson, and his doctor was pleased he was ‘so fit’.  He said: ‘I’ve been having an annual medical for about ten years. This is the best it has ever been.’

A spokesman for Mr Livingstone later confirmed that the medicals were carried out by a private firm, saying: ‘Like many people he has an annual check-up from an external provider – if he ever needs to see a doctor for anything it is with his local GP, or with other NHS services.’

Just a few weeks ago, Mr Livingstone wrote: ‘The people of our capital city deserve top-quality care and demand our healthcare should not be broken up, sold off or be privatised by the back door.’

Earlier in the campaign for the May 3 election, Mr Livingstone was criticised for channelling his income through a private company to reduce his tax bills, despite describing people who use these kind of legal tax avoidance measures as ‘rich b******s’.

A spokesman for Mr Johnson said yesterday: ‘This is yet another example of Ken Livingstone’s hypocrisy.  ‘Now we learn that while campaigning as a defender of the NHS he uses private healthcare.’

A Labour source said: ‘There is a long history of Alan Sugar and Ken Livingstone not being the best of friends. Lord Sugar wasn’t encouraging people to vote for any of Labour’s rivals.  ‘Lord Sugar is a Labour peer but his views have always been very much his own.’

A spokesman for Mr Livingstone – who was once expelled from Labour after standing as an independent candidate in his victorious 2000 mayoral campaign – said: ‘Everyone knows that Ken and Lord Sugar aren’t that friendly.’

Lord Sugar also tweeted that he would not consider standing as mayor himself.  ‘It’s been suggested I run for mayor,’ he wrote. ‘Not possible, too many commercial conflicts, no time, more to the point I would not know where to start.’

Two years ago Lord Sugar - or Sir Alan as he was known then - was tipped as a favourite to replace Mr Livingstone as the Labour candidate for the job.  He was thought to be one of the only people likely to be able to oust Boris Johnson from the seat.

The Apprentice star and founder of Amstrad told the London Evening Standard at the time that he was flattered by the poll, but there were many conflicts with his numerous business interests.

Last week, Mr Livingstone was accused by his own party of crying 'crocodile tears' after it emerged that a political broadcast that made him weep used paid 'supporters’ reading from a script.

The Labour mayoral candidate wept at a screening of his advert featuring 28 unnamed Londoners spelling out why the capital needed Mr Livingstone back in charge.

He had described the saccharine production as a 'real tearjerker'. Labour leader Ed Miliband even patted his shoulder to console the former mayor as he rubbed his eyes during the screening on Wednesday.

In reality, Mr Livingstone had seen the film the night before, raising questions about why he was apparently caught off-guard. Last night Labour admitted that the 'ordinary Londoners' had actually been reading from a script.

They were also paid expenses for their time after the advertising agency BETC hired people from the street.

It is also believed one of the 'actors’ is a paid-up member of the Labour Party. The advertisement was created by film-maker Johnny Maginn of Mustard Films.

SOURCE




Yet another false rape claim from Britain

Another product of  moral collapse



A John Lewis sales assistant has been jailed for crying rape after becoming embarrassed by a sadomasochistic sex session she arranged with a stranger.  Kirsty Sowden, 21, met the man she would go on to accuse of attacking her after advertising herself on a website for no-strings-attached encounters.

Although she was trying for a baby with her boyfriend at the time, she visited Andrew Boarer’s home and voluntarily participated in a sex session that involved her wearing a leather dog lead and being spanked.

Shortly after leaving the flat in Maidstone, Kent, however, she became racked by guilt and called police claiming she had been raped. She said a balding stranger in his 40s had raped her in a park after grabbing her arm as she left a gym in nearby Gravesend.

Sowden, met her victim online after advertising herself as a 'BDSM princess'  - standing for Bondage, Domination and Sadomasochism - on a no-strings attached website.

Police eventually untangled the dominatrix’s web of lies and charged her with perverting the course of justice. The investigation had already cost nearly £14,000 and wasted a staggering 376 hours of police time.  Sowden, of Northfleet, Kent, pleaded guilty and was jailed for 14 months when she appeared at Maidstone Crown Court on Monday

Sentencing, Judge Philip Statman said: 'I see little sign of genuine remorse from you or, indeed, any real understanding of just how serious your actions have been.  'Rape is a dreadful crime. False allegations of rape undermine the plight of genuine victims. The impact on your victim has been considerable.

'What occurred in the privacy of his home, however much certain members of the community may find that reprehensible, has been made public.  'He has had to move on in work. He has been made the subject of ridicule. The police inquiry involved many officers and many, many hours of police time at considerable expense.

'You are a highly intelligent, well-educated young woman. At the time you were in good, full-time employment. But at the end of the day there is absolutely no doubt this offence passes the custody threshold.'

Sowden met Mr Boarer online in March last year. He was going through a divorce at the time and the pair arranged to meet at his flat.  She agreed to strip off within five seconds of her arrival and the pair indulged in various sex acts, including intercourse. Mr Boarer also put her in a dog collar and lead and spanked her.

In evidence to the court, he described how Sowden had said her boyfriend would kill her if he found out. 'They were trying for a baby and she felt guilty,' he said.

Shortly after the shop assistant had left his flat, she contacted police claiming she had been raped.  She described being attacked by a stranger as she left a gym in Gravesend, Kent, dragged into a park and sexually assaulted.  Police arrested a man based on her description but soon realised he was innocent.

As a separate line of enquiry, police traced DNA samples which led them to Mr Boarer, who was arrested at his workplace in front of a large number of colleagues.  He was questioned and held in a police cell before being released on bail.

It was only later that the police discovered an online exchange between the suspect and Sowden and realised that she had been lying.

Speaking after the case, DC Richard Dorey said that hundreds of hours and thousands of pounds were put into the investigation.  He said: 'The sentence of 14 months in jail is a fair sentence. It should stop people making unfounded allegations and is a very serious sentence for someone so young.  'She was maintaining, up to the last minute, parts of the account. She didn’t seem to want to be completely truthful.'

Malcolm Gilbert, who works for rape charity Family Matters, today condemned Sowden’s actions.  He said: 'The position of the group is unanimous in condemning any woman, or indeed any man, who makes false allegations because of the harm to genuine rape victims, to undermine the whole business of rape.  'It condemns all false allegations and they feel it should be pursued by the police in the way it has here.'

SOURCE





Lazy British police again

Not much in the way of standards there either

When Mike Inkley discovered burglars had ransacked the pavilion at his cricket club, he immediately rang the police.  But he was shocked to be put through to a call centre and be told that officers would not come out to a ‘non-residential burglary’.

Instead, he was told, it could take up to two days before police could take the details of the crime – in a ‘telephone appointment’. To add to his anger, he was told not to go inside the pavilion and check if anything had been stolen until a scenes-of-crime officer had been dispatched, a process which could take up to 24 hours.

The response, from a force which has been told it needs to make savings of over £40million, will add to fears that property crime is increasingly being treated as a low priority.  In the end, after the 50-year-old had told the call centre worker the response was unacceptable, officers were dispatched to the ground a few hours later.

Yesterday Mr Inkley said the call centre system risked undermining public faith in the police.  ‘We want an officer to come round and tell us it’s all right and everything is under control – not speak to someone from a call centre 30 miles away.  ‘It just lowers your confidence in what they do.’

The company director was walking his dog at Walton-le-Dale cricket club in Preston, where he is chairman, when he discovered steel doors had been forced open and cupboards ransacked.

He rang the new non-emergency 101 number from his mobile phone and was informed the force did not send officers out immediately for non-domestic burglaries.

He was told he could make a witness statement to the ‘telephone investigation unit’ in the next couple of days, and to keep out of the pavilion until a forensics officer had inspected it. After a member of staff from the call centre rang back, he insisted that someone was dispatched.

A scenes-of-crime officer duly arrived four hours after he reported the crime and a police officer two hours later.

Yesterday Mr Inkley described the policy of sending an officer out only if one was demanded as ‘lunacy’.  ‘It just means criminals will continue doing those sorts of burglaries because they know they will never get caught.’

The thieves who broke in last week are thought to have been searching for keys to the club’s lawnmowers.  In the end they left empty-handed, though not before causing £200 worth of damage.

Rachel Baines, chairman of the Lancashire Police Federation, said she sympathised with Mr Inkley.  ‘Whatever the incident is, people want to see a police officer and I totally understand that,’ she said.

Lancashire Police said the telephone investigation unit had been introduced last November to resolve ‘less serious’ crimes more quickly.  A spokesman said the employee had been wrong to tell Mr Inkley that it would not be possible to send an officer immediately.  ‘If a victim of crime wants us to deploy to the scene then we will,’ he said. ‘We are investigating this burglary.’

He added that the call centre worker who told Mr Inkley an officer would not be available has subsequently been ‘spoken to’.

SOURCE





Australia:  Prayer rooms at football?

HAVING succeeded in convincing the AFL to introduce prayer rooms at all venues, Bachar Houli was unfazed last night by a stinging backlash sparked by former Victorian premier Jeff Kennett, who called the idea "stupid" and "political correctness gone mad".

Football fans took to websites to condemn and ridicule the move, but at his home in Melbourne the AFL's first Muslim player told The Australian: "The main thing is we've got what we want, and you can't change that.

"At the end of the day, people want to go and enjoy the footy as well as continue with their beliefs, and if it means they have to pray once a day at the footy, we're not asking for much."

Mr Kennett said the move was "ridiculous" and complained that political correctness had replaced "the great days" of football, when there were few stands, mud on the ground, meat pies sold for sixpence and fans braved "the smell of the urinal".

Describing Australia as "a Christian society of many faiths", the former Liberal premier and former Hawthorn club president said communities should not have to change their "very fibre" to accommodate multiculturalism.

"To put prayer rooms into sporting venues is not part of the Australian lexicon, it's not the way in which we've behaved," he said.  "I think it's an overreaction, I think it's political correctness, I think it's absolute rubbish. It's not practical, it's stupid, it's political correctness gone mad."

Houli, who plays at Richmond, where he prays before and after games, pressed for prayer rooms to be introduced at grounds in his capacity as the league's multicultural ambassador.

He said devout Muslims, who pray five times a day, were forced to pray in carparks or stairwells during games, and said more Muslims would come to the football if they had a place to pray.

Multi-faith prayer rooms have been introduced at the MCG and Etihad Stadium in Melbourne, and Sydney's ANZ Stadium. The AFL intends to press for prayer rooms at all other venues, including the SCG.

The move was welcomed by Muslim leaders, including Muslim Australia vice-president Ikebal Patel, who said the AFL deserved full marks.  "What is the harm?" he asked. "What's the problem in someone enjoying a game of footy and at the same time being mindful of their religious obligations, whatever they may be.

"Full marks to the AFL for being inclusive when we have people from different backgrounds and faiths. It's not only Muslims who might like to pray. It is engaging with God, and they might even be praying for Hawthorn to win."

The AFL's newest club, Greater Western Sydney, backed the move last night, saying: "Western Sydney is a culturally diverse region and the Giants welcome all people regardless of their background. We are proud of the contribution clubs like Muslim AFL team the Auburn Tigers have made to growing the game in Western Sydney, and the Giants would be happy to support any initiative which makes the game more accessible for all people."

AFL chief Andrew Demetriou said the league had an obligation to make venues welcoming to people of all cultures.

Many football fans took to websites to condemn the move. "What next, the Adhan over the loudspeakers instead of the final siren?" posted one Richmond fan. "Or . . . half-time breaks to coincide with mid-afternoon prayer? Or designated women-only areas at the ground on the top deck completely out of sight and earshot of any men? Actually, that one's not a bad idea.  "Seriously though, I don't like this decision at all and it's just another example of how this country is changing."

Others posted: "This is OUR game and I'm sick of all this multicultural crap that is dividing our country"; "The last bastion of Australian culture to be stripped away from us in the name of Islam"; and "Football should be football. It's a religion in itself. Let it be."

SOURCE

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Political correctness is most pervasive in universities and colleges but I rarely report the  incidents concerned here as I have a separate blog for educational matters.

American "liberals" often deny being Leftists and say that they are very different from the Communist rulers of  other countries.  The only real difference, however, is how much power they have.  In America, their power is limited by democracy.  To see what they WOULD be like with more power, look at where they ARE already  very powerful: in America's educational system -- particularly in the universities and colleges.  They show there the same respect for free-speech and political diversity that Stalin did:  None.  So look to the colleges to see  what the whole country would be like if "liberals" had their way.  It would be a dictatorship.

For more postings from me, see TONGUE-TIED, GREENIE WATCH,   EDUCATION WATCH INTERNATIONAL, FOOD & HEALTH SKEPTIC, GUN WATCHAUSTRALIAN POLITICSDISSECTING LEFTISM, IMMIGRATION WATCH INTERNATIONAL  and EYE ON BRITAIN (Note that EYE ON BRITAIN has regular posts on the reality of socialized medicine).   My Home Pages are here or   here or   here.  Email me (John Ray) here.  For readers in China or for times when blogger.com is playing up, there is a mirror of this site  here.

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