Chilcot

[Lazy Lob]

Well ladies n gents tomorrow is the big day when Pinnocchio gives his "evidence". I`'ll be a good one. It starts at 10:00 hrs GMT.

The Telegraph will be running a lie detector vote.

http://img11.imageshack.us/img11/1142/tonyblairliedet1568043f.jpg

[Mr Gently Benevolent]

Well ladies n gents tomorrow is the big day when Pinnocchio gives his "evidence". I`'ll be a good one. It starts at 10:00 hrs GMT.

The Telegraph will be running a lie detector vote.

http://img11.imageshack.us/img11/1142/tonyblairliedet1568043f.jpgWhy do you hate freedom so much. God bless Tony Blair and Mr Bush and long live a free Iraq. p-)

[CMNot]

Why do you hate freedom so much. God bless Tony Blair and Mr Bush and long live a free Iraq. p-)

Without a single hint of irony.

How much do you reckon he's charging for the talk? p-)

[Mr Gently Benevolent]

Without a single hint of irony.

How much do you reckon he's charging for the talk? p-)I think this is a freebie but with a whole series of spin-offs at £100.000 a pop thereafter.

[Thumpsquid]

Without a single hint of irony.

How much do you reckon he's charging for the talk? p-)
Nothing. For tax reasons, all the money HAS to be paid to Cherie

[Lazy Lob]

Tony is having a bit of a sweat.

[Mr Gently Benevolent]

Tony is having a bit of a sweat.I reckon he will breeze it and come out of it none the worse.

[Lazy Lob]

I reckon he will breeze it and come out of it none the worse.

You're probably right, but I do hope de doesn't.

[Atlantic Friend]

Tony is having a bit of a sweat.

Dr Kelly's adopted son, you mean?

[kkbou]

Adrian Hamilton (The Independent) "The truth is that Blair and Brown went to war because they thought it was easy"

As good as any other explanation for this mess.

[kkbou]

I reckon he will breeze it and come out of it none the worse.

dunno, there were moments he looked a bit shaky. This was made all the more sweet with the snide twitter remarks on BBCi.

[Lazy Lob]

Bollocks, I wanted to see a lynching. Yaaaaaaawn. Gorgeous George should have been the chief interogator. Box office hit.

[Mr Gently Benevolent]

I was wondering what effect Blairs appearance and testamony would have on Labours position in the polls but it would seems more likely we are heading towards a hung parliament in June with the Conservatives possibly taking only 8 more seats.

http://uk.*******.com/article/idUKTRE60U04120100131

[CMNot]

If we enter into a hung parliament come June I'm going to speed through my Australian citizenship application :lol:

We need someone to come in and slash the public sector by ~40%. Although a hung parliament would all but guarantee the death of some of New Liabours more ridiculous ideas (ID cards, anti terror "legislation").

[Mr Gently Benevolent]

Cameron is already in policy reverse on many things, and at Davos he stated that there would be still be cuts but any indication where how deep the cuts would be were ambiguous at best. Bit of a flip flop from “there will be pain”. I think the safe path for Cameron will be law and order but until they have a something like a clear lead I would not expect promises to be honoured. I reckon it’s going to be a hoot watching the Tories attempts at a coalition with either the Unionists or the Libs.
CMN any cuts will have to be savings rather the usual Tory privatise and pay even more for the service.

[CMNot]

Savings, privatise...it's all irrelevant. Cuts need to happen. Deep, searing slashes. We've thrown billions at health/education/rail/banana republics etc. and on no front are we anywhere close to approaching world class (unles you count some of our private schools and two univercities). Our models are broken, and if I can be thankful to Labour of anything, it is that they have proven that to be true.

A country that is uniquely placed to whether global recession (keep the lie big, keep it simple, keep saying it) should not recover last, should not have the financial position of Greece, and most definitely should not be lauding 0.1% growth (which could still yet be revised down) as a green shoot of recovery when the equally uniquely placed yanks are seeing 5.7% in the same period. Anecdotally speaking, what I see with my eyes is times getting worse outside of London, regardless of who tells me different.

If someone asked me to paint a picture of middle England towns today, you'd see a whole ****load of hardboard sheets. Tomorrow I'd paint the same picture, just with more hardboard. I'm willing to bet timber merchants are what is underpinning our astonishing 0.1% growth p-)

[Mr Gently Benevolent]

Savings, privatise...it's all irrelevant. Cuts need to happen. Deep, searing slashes. We've thrown billions at health/education/rail/banana republics etc. and on no front are we anywhere close to approaching world class (unles you count some of our private schools and two univercities). Our models are broken, and if I can be thankful to Labour of anything, it is that they have proven that to be true.I am in favour of cuts and there is much fat to be trimmed but to privatise one function only to pay the exact same or more for the service it provides is not a benefit of any kind and I fear this is what is going to happen. Tories will not tackle the thick fatty layers of bureaucracy as it’s keeping a good chunk of their key and target voters in style they have grown accustomed to.

[CMNot]

The public sector is not exactly a hot bed of Conservative support. For obvious reasons.

[Mr Gently Benevolent]

The public sector is not exactly a hot bed of Conservative support. For obvious reasons.Oh your right but its a big and growing employer as traditional industries die off and our population ages. I would expect the Tories to skirt around the subject of cutting staff numbers especially middle management which always seem to represent a significant proportion of the UK's swing voters. If your David Cameron what do you cut if have a slim or wobbly grip on power and may face a leadership challenge or return to the polls a year into your premiership. All Labour have to do is carry on regardless.

[CMNot]

The growth in the public sector has nothing to do with demise of industry (which has been in constant relative decline since circa 1880s) and everything to do with Labour policy (central funding, taxing the working man at an impressive level for the party of the people).

After 13 years in opposition, I think even the Tories are smart enough to realise on what side their bread is buttered. Coupled with the blatant fact that outside of perhaps Osborne and maybe Clark (both equally as dislikeable as any Labour cabinet **** from the last decade) there is no-one on the Tory side of the House with either the gravitas or profile to offer a leadership challenge. If you think that is in the offing, with all due respect, I think you're going slightly mad. If even the lamest duck of our political generation can hold on, quite a few others could (that being said, John Major gave us economic stability and won one of those good wars and we voted him out in favour of a d:ream song and an Eton smile. I guess we get what we deserve in life).

Personally I wake up and a new economically conservative, socially libertarian party are leading me off into a lovely sunset. I know it's a dream though; what with the sun being out and all.

[Mr Gently Benevolent]

The growth in the public sector has nothing to do with demise of industry (which has been in constant relative decline since circa 1880s) and everything to do with Labour policy (central funding, taxing the working man at an impressive level for the party of the people).Never said it was the cause just stating that it’s often the largest single employer in many areas and now significant source of swing voters.


After 13 years in opposition, I think even the Tories are smart enough to realise on what side their bread is buttered. Coupled with the blatant fact that outside of perhaps Osborne and maybe Clark (both equally as dislikeable as any Labour cabinet **** from the last decade) there is no-one on the Tory side of the House with either the gravitas or profile to offer a leadership challenge. If you think that is in the offing, with all due respect, I think you're going slightly mad. If even the lamest duck of our political generation can hold on, quite a few others could (that being said, John Major gave us economic stability and won one of those good wars and we voted him out in favour of a d:ream song and an Eton smile. I guess we get what we deserve in life).

Personally I wake up and a new economically conservative, socially libertarian party are leading me off into a lovely sunset. I know it's a dream though; what with the sun being out and all.Irrespective of leadership qualities, charisma or intelligence the Tories seem more bedevilled than most parties with contenders for the throne and each challenge weakens the leadership. John Redwood was a bright thing but hardly a leader but his challenge was the first cut and nobody saw him coming up.
Just imagine young Dave having to chum up to the Ulster unionists who would bring all their infighting and baggage along to the party or the Libs who can barley come to decision amongst themselves never mind a political partner.

[Lazy Lob]

I agree with CMN, we need to slash the public sector by at the very least 40% and get rid of the management by numbers system.
I’ve just started a business and I’m just being pissed around by a load of jobsworths from the local council who want to justify their salaries. I pay their fvkin salaries through tax and I’m spending half my bleedin time fighting them on battles they know they’re going to lose. We’ve become a banana republic. These people need to join the unemployed. Tossers.

[Mr Gently Benevolent]

I agree with CMN, we need to slash the public sector by at the very least 40% and get rid of the management by numbers system.
I’ve just started a business and I’m just being pissed around by a load of jobsworths from the local council who want to justify their salaries. I pay their fvkin salaries through tax and I’m spending half my bleedin time fighting them on battles they know they’re going to lose. We’ve become a banana republic. These people need to join the unemployed. Tossers.Who is it now planning or EHO? We were just talking about that the other day as our local planning dept is brimming over with people and absolutely f*ck all is being built.

[Lazy Lob]

Who is it now planning or EHO? We were just talking about that the other day as our local planning dept is brimming over with people and absolutely f*ck all is being built.

Spot on. There's no work and they're overflowing with personel. Right now I have EHO, planning, highways and the building eforncement w@nkers. All 4. They have nothing better to do than throw as much shyte as possibe at me with the hope that with a bit of luck something may stick. It won't but it doesn't let me concentrate on business.

[CMNot]

Precisely what is wrong.

The state should support private enterprise, not exist as a barrier to it.

[Mr Gently Benevolent]

Spot on. There's no work and they're overflowing with personel. Right now I have EHO, planning, highways and the building eforncement w@nkers. All 4. They have nothing better to do than throw as much shyte as possibe at me with the hope that with a bit of luck something may stick. It won't but it doesn't let me concentrate on business.Planning are an absolute nightmare round here and they detest any industrial development our local EHO are reasonable enough and I did my Diploma with two of them and I was the only non graduate in the class so I get them on the level pretty much all of the time.