GORDON BROWN IS HECKLED - TWICE!

STORY FROM SKY NEWS

GORDON BROWN IS HECKLED - TWICE!

Only Fools & Horses...

Here's my contribution to Iain Dale's little bit of fluff...

Only Fools & Horses...

Another Sad Day for Wootton Bassett

Today will be an even sadder day for the Wootton Bassett and the people who care about our troops.
(Note the subtle hint that i do not include the Labour Party in that statement).



Today a C17 will repatriate the body of the above photgraphed gent.
This is Staff Sgt Olaf Schmid.

Much has been written about "Oz", but I urge many to read Michael Yons online magazine.
His passing of the most technically demanding course in the army.
His courage his skill.

And whilst the loss of any service man is a loss too much the passing of this gent who lost his life dealing with his 65th IED on his last day of his tour strikes a cord like no other.

Is it time to get them all home?
Is it winable?
Is it providing security here in the UK?

IS IT ACTUALLY WORTH IT??????

Another Sad Day for Wootton Bassett

Peter Mandelson Caught Hook, Line and Sinker

For those that missed it...



[Cross Posted from 10 Drowning St]

Peter Mandelson Caught Hook, Line and Sinker

Morland Nails It

Reproduced from The Times

Morland Nails It

Gordon Brown plugs the New World Order.

Gordon Brown plugs the New World Order.

Gordon Brown plugs the New World Order.

Gordon Brown plugs the New World Order.

Armed Forces Compensation.....A Scandal

In another example of scandalous government policy it has transpired that a young Marine is fighting to have his compensation increased as a result of injury he received in Afghanistan.

Marine Ben McBean, of 40 Commando Royal Marines, lost an arm and a leg in a landmine explosion while on routine patrol in Helmand Province in February last year.

He also suffered multiple shrapnel wounds and burns that have scarred his body.

The Ministry of Defence had offered the 22-year-old compensation for only eight of his injuries - and for six of those he was awarded the minimum tariff.

He was initially awarded £161,500, but this was raised to £281,150 after a public outcry.

Now lets put this into perspective shall we.

£281,151.00 for that level of injury.
And that after the public got involved.
6 of the injuries he received got him MINIMUM payout..........MINIMUM.
Legal experts believe a civilian court would have awarded him more than £1m if he suffered the same injuries.

Recent civil cases brought against the MoD have resulted in much bigger payouts including £2m for an Iraqi teenager paralysed by a British bullet and £484,000 for an RAF typist who suffered repetitive strain injury. Nearly twice what Ben received........TWICE.

Marine McBean's lawyer is expected to argue that the MoD only looked at his injuries individually and did not take into account the disabling affect of the sum total, nor the potential for deterioration over time.

The Royal British Legion is representing Marine McBean at his appeal at a tribunal at Plymouth Magistrates' Court.

It said there is a need for MoD payouts to be "interpreted in a spirit of gratitude and generosity, not with an anxious eye to the Treasury".

The charity's director general Chris Simpkins said: "It is terribly sad that this brave young Royal Marine should feel dissatisfied with his compensation for injuries incurred in selfless service to his country.

"We're going to do our best for Marine McBean, but we need to be realistic - the appeal tribunal's decision will be limited by the Armed Forces' Compensation Scheme and we believe this scheme is unfair."

Under the MoD's existing compensation scheme, lump sum payments for the most serious injuries are capped at £570,000, although the scheme is being reviewed.

I am stunned by this story...............I can not get my head around his award and the award to the typist.

Brown.......Ainsworth.......how the hell do you actually sleep at night......HOW?


Ben initially came to the fore as he was returned to the UK on the same flight as Prince Harry.

Cross posted from myself

Armed Forces Compensation.....A Scandal

Afghanistan: roll call of British deaths since 2001

Further to GOT's Troops tribute post, here is a roll call of the British service personnel who have died since the start of operations in Afghanistan in 2001.



2002

APRIL

:: Private Darren George. The Royal Anglian Regiment.

AUGUST

:: Sergeant Robert Busuttil, 30. The Royal Logistic Corps.

:: Corporal John Gregory, 30. The Royal Logistic Corps.


2004

JANUARY

:: Private Jonathan Kitulagoda, 23, from Plymouth, Devon. The Rifle Volunteers.


2005

OCTOBER

:: Lance Corporal Steven Sherwood, 23, from Ross-on-Wye, Herefordshire. 1st Battalion The Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Light Infantry.


2006

MARCH

:: Corporal Mark Cridge, 25. 7 Signal Regiment.

:: Lance Corporal Peter Craddock. 1st Battalion The Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Regiment.

JUNE

:: Captain Jim Philippson, 29, from St Albans, Hertfordshire. 7 Parachute Regiment Royal Horse Artillery.

:: Captain David Patten, 38. The Parachute Regiment.

:: Sergeant Paul Bartlett, 35. The Royal Marines.

JULY

:: Corporal Peter Thorpe, 27, from Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria. The Royal Signals.

:: Lance Corporal Jabron Hashmi, 24, from Birmingham. The Intelligence Corps.

:: Private Damien Jackson, 19, from South Shields, Tyne and Wear. 3rd Battalion The Parachute Regiment.

AUGUST

:: Captain Alex Eida, 29, from Hooley, Surrey. 7 Parachute Regiment The Royal Horse Artillery .

:: 2nd Lieutenant Ralph Johnson, 24, from Windsor. The Household Cavalry Regiment.

:: Lance Corporal Ross Nicholls, 27, from Edinburgh. The Blues and Royals.

:: Private Andrew Cutts, 19, from Mansfield, Nottinghamshire. The Royal Logistic Corps.

:: Private Leigh Reeves, 25, from Leicester. The Royal Logistic Corps.

:: Lance Corporal Sean Tansey, 26, from Newcastle. The Life Guards.

:: Corporal Bryan Budd, 29, from Ripon, North Yorkshire. 3rd Battalion The Parachute Regiment.

:: Lance Corporal Jonathan Hetherington, 22, from Salisbury, Wiltshire. 14 Signal Regiment.

SEPTEMBER

:: Ranger Anare Draiva, 27, from Fiji. 1 Royal Irish Regiment.

:: Lance Corporal Paul Muirhead, 29, from Bearley, Warwickshire. 1st Battalion Royal Irish Regiment.

:: Flight Lieutenant Steven Johnson, 38, from Collingham, Notts. 120 Squadron RAF.

:: Flight Lieutenant Leigh Mitchelmore, 28, from Bournemouth, Hants. 120 Squadron RAF.

:: Flight Lieutenant Gareth Nicholas, 40, from Redruth, Cornwall. 120 Squadron RAF.

:: Flight Lieutenant Allan Squires, 39, from Clatterbridge, Merseyside. 120 Squadron RAF.

:: Flight Lieutenant Steven Swarbrick, 28, from Liverpool. 120 Squadron RAF.

:: Flight Sergeant Gary Andrews, 48, from Tankerton, Kent. 120 Squadron RAF.

:: Flight Sergeant Stephen Beattie, 42, from Dundee. 120 Squadron RAF.

:: Flight Sergeant Gerard Bell, 48, from Ely, Cambs. 120 Squadron RAF.

:: Flight Sergeant Adrian Davies, 49, from Amersham, Bucks. 120 Squadron RAF.

:: Sergeant Benjamin Knight, 25, from Bridgwater, Somerset. 120 Squadron RAF.

:: Sergeant John Langton, 29, from Liverpool. 120 Squadron RAF.

:: Sergeant Gary Quilliam, 42, from Manchester. 120 Squadron RAF.

:: Lance Corporal Oliver Dicketts, 27, from Wadhurst, East Sussex. 1st Battalion The Parachute Regiment.

:: Joseph Windall, 22, from Hazlemere, Bucks. Royal Marines.

:: Private Craig O'Donnell, 24, from Clydebank, Dunbartonshire. The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, 5th Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland.

:: Corporal Mark Wright, 27, from Edinburgh. 3rd Battalion The Parachute Regiment.

:: Lance Corporal Luke McCulloch, 21. 1st Battalion The Royal Irish Regiment.

OCTOBER

:: Marine Gary Wright, 22, from Glasgow. 45 Commando Royal Marines.

DECEMBER

:: Marine Jonathan Wigley, 21, from Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire. 45 Commando Royal Marines.

:: Marine Richard Watson, 23, from Caterham, Surrey. 42 Commando Royal Marines.

:: Lance Bombardier James Dwyer, 22, from South Africa. 29 Commando Regiment Royal Artillery.


2007

JANUARY

:: Marine Thomas Curry, 21, from east London. 42 Commando Royal Marines.

:: Lance Corporal Mathew Ford, 30, from Immingham, Lincolnshire. 45 Commando Royal Marines.

FEBRUARY

:: Marine Jonathan Holland, 23, from Chorley, Lancashire. 45 Commando Royal Marines.

:: Marine Scott Summers, 23, from Crawley, West Sussex. 42 Commando Royal Marines.

MARCH

:: Lance Bombardier Ross Clark, 25, from South Africa. 29 Commando Regiment Royal Artillery.

:: Lance Bombardier Liam McLaughlin, 21, from Lancashire. 29 Commando Regiment Royal Artillery.

:: Marine Benjamin Reddy, 22, from Ascot, Berkshire. 42 Commando Royal Marines.

:: Warrant Officer Class 2 Michael Smith, 39, from Liverpool. 29 Commando Regiment Royal Artillery.

APRIL

:: Private Chris Gray, 19, from Leicester. 1st Battalion The Royal Anglian Regiment.

MAY

:: Guardsman Simon Davison, 22, from Newcastle upon Tyne. 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards.

:: Lance Corporal George Davey, 23, from Beccles, Suffolk. 1st Battalion Royal Anglian Regiment.

:: Guardsman Daniel Probyn, 22, from Tipton, West Midlands. 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards.

:: Corporal Darren Bonner, 31, from Gorleston, Norfolk. 1st Battalion The Royal Anglian Regiment.

:: Corporal Mike Gilyeat, 28. Royal Military Police.

JUNE

:: Lance Corporal Paul Sandford, 23, from Hucknall, Nottinghamshire. 1st Battalion The Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters.

:: Guardsman Neil Downes, 20, from Manchester. 1st Battalion The Grenadier Guards.

:: Drummer Thomas Wright, 26, from Ripley, Derbyshire. 1st Battalion The Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters.

:: Captain Sean Dolan, 40, from the West Midlands. 1st Battalion The Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters.

JULY

:: Sergeant Dave Wilkinson, 33, from Ashford, Kent. 19 Regiment Royal Artillery.

:: Guardsman Daryl Hickey, 27, from Birmingham. 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards.

:: Lance Corporal Alex Hawkins, 22, from East Dereham, Norfolk. 1st Battalion The Royal Anglian Regiment.

:: Guardsman David Atherton, 25, from Manchester. 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards.

:: Sergeant Barry Keen, 34, from Gateshead. 14 Signals Regiment.

:: Lance Corporal Michael Jones, 26 from Newbald, East Yorkshire. Royal Marines.

AUGUST

:: Private Tony Rawson, 27, from Dagenham, Essex. 1st Battalion The Royal Anglian.

:: Captain David Hicks, 26, from Wokingham, Berkshire. 1st Battalion The Royal Anglian Regiment

:: Private Aaron McClure, 19, from Ipswich, Suffolk. 1st Battalion The Royal Anglian Regiment.

:: Private Robert Foster, 19, from Harlow, Essex. 1st Battalion The Royal Anglian Regiment.

:: Private John Thrumble, 21, from Chelmsford, Essex. 1st Battalion The Royal Anglian Regiment.

:: Senior Aircraftman Christopher Bridge, 20, from Sheffield. 51 Squadron RAF Regiment.

SEPTEMBER

:: Private Damian Wright, 23, from Mansfield, Nottinghamshire. 2nd Battalion The Mercian Regiment.

:: Private Ben Ford, 18, from Chesterfield, Derbyshire. 2nd Battalion The Mercian Regiment.

:: Sergeant Craig Brelsford, 25, from Nottingham. 2nd Battalion The Mercian Regiment.

:: Private Johan Botha, 25, from Pretoria in South Africa. 2nd Battalion The Mercian Regiment.

:: Lance Corporal Ivano Violino, 29, from Salford. 36 Engineer Regiment.

:: Colour Sergeant Phillip Newman, 36, from Coventry. 4th Battalion The Mercian Regiment

:: Private Brian Tunnicliffe, 33, from Ilkeston, Derbyshire. 2nd Battalion The Mercian Regiment.

OCTOBER

:: Major Alexis Roberts, 32, from Kent. 1st Battalion The Royal Gurkha Rifles.

NOVEMBER

:: Lance Corporal Jake Alderton, 22, from Bexley, Kent. 36 Engineer Regiment.

:: Captain John McDermid, 43, from Glasgow. Royal Highland Fusiliers, 2nd Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland.

DECEMBER

:: Trooper Jack Sadler, 21, from Exeter, Devon. The Honourable Artillery Company.

:: Sergeant Lee Johnson, 33, from Stockton-on-Tees, Cleveland. 2nd Battalion The Yorkshire Regiment.

2008

JANUARY

:: Corporal Darryl Gardiner, 25, from Salisbury, Wiltshire. Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers.

FEBRUARY

:: Corporal Damian Lawrence, 25, from Whitby, North Yorkshire. 2nd Battalion The Yorkshire Regiment.

:: Corporal Damian Mulvihill, 32, from Plymouth. 40 Commando Royal Marines.

MARCH

:: Lieutenant John Thornton, 22, from Ferndown, Dorset. 40 Commando Royal Marines.

:: Marine David Marsh, 23, from Sheffield. 40 Commando Royal Marines.

APRIL

:: Senior Aircraftman Graham Livingstone, 23, from Glasgow. The Royal Air Force Regiment.

:: Senior Aircraftman Gary Thompson, 51, from Nottingham. Royal Auxiliary Air Force Regiment.

:: Trooper Robert Pearson, 22, from Grimsby, Lincolnshire. The Queen's Royal Lancers.

MAY

:: Trooper Ratu Babakobau, 29, from Fiji. The Household Cavalry Regiment.

:: Soldier James Thompson, 27, from Whitley Bay, North Tyneside.

:: Marine Dale Gostick, 22, from Oxford. 3 Troop Armoured Support Company Royal Marines.

JUNE

:: Private Nathan Cuthbertson, 19, from Sunderland. 2nd Battalion The Parachute Regiment.

:: Private Daniel Gamble, 22, from Uckfield, East Sussex. 2nd Battalion The Parachute Regiment.

:: Private Charles David Murray, 19, from Carlisle. 2nd Battalion The Parachute Regiment.

:: Lance Corporal James Bateman, 29, from Colchester, Essex. 2nd Battalion The Parachute Regiment.

:: Private Jeff Doherty, 20, from Southam, Warwickshire. 2nd Battalion The Parachute Regiment.

:: Corporal Sarah Bryant, 26, from Cumbria. The Intelligence Corps.

:: Corporal Sean Robert Reeve, 28. The Royal Signals.

:: Lance Corporal Richard Larkin, 39.

:: Paul Stout, 31.

:: Sergeant Major Michael Williams, 40, from Cardiff. 2nd Battalion The Parachute Regiment.

:: Private Joe Whittaker, 20, from Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire. 4th Battalion The Parachute Regiment.

:: Warrant Officer Dan Shirley, 32, from Leicester. 13 Air Assault Support Regiment Royal Logistic Corps.

:: Lance Corporal James Johnson, 31, from Chatham, Kent. 5th Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland.

JULY

:: Corporal Jason Barnes, 25, from Exeter, Devon. Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers.

:: Lance Corporal Kenneth Michael Rowe, 24, from Newcastle. Royal Army Veterinary Corps.

:: Sergeant Jonathan Mathews, 35, from Edinburgh. The Highlanders, 4th Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland.

:: Private Peter Cowton, 25, from Basingstoke, Hants. 2nd Battalion The Parachute Regiment.

AUGUST

:: Signaller Wayne Bland, 21, from Leeds. 16 Signal Regiment.

:: Corporal Barry Dempsey, 29, from Ayrshire. The Royal Highland Fusiliers, 2nd Battalion Royal Regiment of Scotland.

SEPTEMBER

:: Ranger Justin James Cupples, 29, from County Cavan, Ireland. 1st Battalion The Royal Irish Regiment.

:: Warrant Officer Class 2 Gary O'Donnell, 40, from Edinburgh. The Royal Logistic Corps.

:: Private Jason Lee Rawstron, 23, from Clayton-Le-Moors, Lancashire. 2nd Battalion The Parachute Regiment.

:: Lance Corporal Nicky Mason, 26, from Aveley, Essex. 2nd Battalion The Parachute Regiment.

OCTOBER

:: Trooper James Munday, 21, from Birmingham. D Squadron, The Household Cavalry.

NOVEMBER

:: Yubraj Rai, 28, from Khotang district, eastern Nepal. 2nd Battalion The Royal Gurkha Rifles.

:: Marine Robert McKibben, 32, from Westport in Co Mayo. The UK Landing Force Command Support Group.

:: Marine Neil Dunstan, 32, from Bournemouth. The UK Landing Force Command Support Group.

:: Colour Sergeant Krishnabahadur Dura, 36, from Lamjung district, western Nepal. 2nd Battalion the Royal Gurkha Rifles.

:: Marine Alexander Lucas, 24, from Edinburgh. 45 Commando Royal Marines.

:: Marine Tony Evans, 20, from Sunderland. 42 Commando Royal Marines.

:: Marine Georgie Sparks, 19, from Epping, Essex. 42 Commando Royal Marines.

DECEMBER

:: Lance Corporal Steven 'Jamie' Fellows, 26, from High Wycombe. 45 Commando Royal Marines.

:: Sergeant John Manuel, 38, from Gateshead. 45 Commando Royal Marines.

:: Corporal Marc Birch, 26, from Kingsthorpe, Northamptonshire. 45 Commando Royal Marines.

:: Marine Damian Davies, 27, from Telford. Landing Force Support Party, Commando Logistic Regiment.

:: Lieutenant Aaron Lewis, 26, from Rochford, Essex. 29 Commando Royal Artillery.

:: Rifleman Stuart Nash, 21, from Sydney, Australia. 1st Battalion The Rifles.

:: Corporal Robert Christopher Deering, 33, from Solihull, West Midlands. Commando Logistic Regiment Royal Marines.

:: Lance Corporal Ben Whatley, 20, from Tittleshall, Norfolk. 42 Commando Royal Marines.

:: Corporal Liam Elms, 26, from Wigan. 45 Commando Royal Marines.


2009

JANUARY

:: Serjeant Christopher John Reed, 25, from Plymouth. 6th Battalion The Rifles.

:: Royal Marine Travis Mackin, 22, from Plymouth. UK Landing Force Command Support Group, operating as part of 45 Commando Royal Marines.

:: Captain Tom Sawyer, 26, from Hertfordshire. 29 Commando Regiment Royal Artillery.

:: Corporal Danny Winter, 28, from Stockport. 45 Commando Royal Marines.

:: Acting Corporal Richard Robinson, 21, from Saltash, Cornwall. 1st Battalion The Rifles.

:: Corporal Daniel Nield, 31, from Cheltenham, Gloucestershire. 1st Battalion The Rifles.

FEBRUARY

:: Marine Darren Smith, 28, from Fleetwood, Lancashire. 45 Commando Royal Marines.

:: Lance Corporal Stephen Kingscott, 22, from Plymouth. 1st Battalion The Rifles.

:: Acting Lance Corporal Paul Upton, 31, from Looe, Cornwall. 1st Battalion The Rifles.

:: Corporal Tom Gaden, 24, from Taunton, Somerset. 1st Battalion The Rifles.

:: Rifleman Jamie Gunn, 21, from Monmouth. 1st Battalion The Rifles.

:: Marine Michael Laski, 21, from Liverpool. 45 Commando Royal Marines.

MARCH

:: Lance Corporal Christopher Harkett, 22, from Pontardawe in Swansea. 2nd Battalion, Royal Welsh Regiment.

:: Corporal Graeme Stiff, 24, from Grimsby. Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers. 1st The Queen's Dragoon Guards.

:: Corporal Dean John, 25, from Port Talbot. Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers. 1st The Queen's Dragoon Guards.

APRIL

:: Lance Sergeant Tobie Fasfous, 29, from Bridgend, South Wales. 1st Battalion Welsh Guards.

MAY

:: Corporal Sean Binnie, 22, born in Dublin. The Black Watch, 3rd Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland.

:: Rifleman Adrian Sheldon, 25, from Kirkby-in-Ashfield, Nottingham. 2nd Battalion The Rifles.

:: Sergeant Ben Ross, 34, from Bangor, Wales. 173 Provost Company, 3rd Regiment, Royal Military Police.

:: Corporal Kumar Pun, 31, from the Parbat district of Western Nepal. 1st Battalion The Royal Gurkha Rifles.

:: Lieutenant Mark Evison, 26, from Dulwich, south-east London. 1st Battalion The Welsh Guards.

:: Marine Jason Mackie, 21, from Oxfordshire. Royal Marine Armoured Support Group.

:: Fusilier Petero ''Pat'' Suesue, 28, from Fiji. 2nd Battalion The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers.

:: Sapper Jordan Rossi, 22 from West Yorkshire. 25 Field Squadron, 38 Engineer Regiment.

:: Lance Corporal Martin Richards, 24, from Betws-y-Coed, North Wales. Armoured Support Group Royal Marines.

:: Lance Corporal Kieron Hill, 20, of Nottingham. 2nd Battalion The Mercian Regiment (Worcesters and Foresters).

:: Lance Corporal Nigel Moffett, 28, from Belfast. The Light Dragoons.

:: Corporal Stephen Bolger. The Parachute Regiment.

JUNE

:: Rifleman Cyrus Thatcher, 19, from Reading. 2nd Battalion The Rifles.

:: Private Robert McLaren, 20, from the Isle of Mull. The Black Watch, 3rd Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland.

:: Lieutenant Paul Mervis, 27, from London. 2nd Battalion the Rifles.

:: Major Sean Birchall, 33, from Guildford, Surrey. 1st Battalion Welsh Guards.


JULY

:: Lieutenant Colonel Rupert Thorneloe, 39, from Kirtlington, near Oxford. 1st Battalion Welsh Guards.

:: Trooper Joshua Hammond, 18, from Plymouth. 2nd Royal Tank Regiment.

:: Lance Corporal David Dennis, 29, from Llanelli, South Wales. The Light Dragoons.

:: Private Robert Laws, 18, from Bromsgrove, Worcestershire. 2nd Battalion The Mercian Regiment.

:: Lance Corporal Dane Elson, 22, from Zimbabwe. 1st Battalion Welsh Guards.

:: Captain Ben Babington-Browne, 27, from Maidstone, Kent. 22 Engineer Regiment, Royal Engineers.

:: Trooper Christopher Whiteside, 20, from Blackpool. The Light Dragoons.

:: Rifleman Daniel Hume, 22, from Maidenhead, Berkshire. 4th Battalion The Rifles.

:: Private John Brackpool, 27, from Crawley, West Sussex. Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment attached to 1st Battalion Welsh Guards.

:: Corporal Lee Scott, 26, from King's Lynn, Norfolk. The 2nd Royal Tank Regiment.

:: Corporal Jonathan Horne, 28, from Walsall, West Midlands. 2nd Battalion The Rifles.

:: Rifleman William Aldridge, 18, from Bromyard, Herefordshire. 2nd Battalion The Rifles.

:: Rifleman James Backhouse, 18, from Castleford, Yorkshire. 2nd Battalion The Rifles.

:: Rifleman Joseph Murphy, 18, from Castle Bromwich, West Midlands. 2nd Battalion The Rifles.

:: Rifleman Daniel Simpson, 20, from Croydon, south London. 2nd Battalion The Rifles.

:: Rifleman Aminiasi Toge, 26, from Suva, Fiji. 2nd Battalion The Rifles.

:: Corporal Joseph Etchells, 22, from Mossley, Greater Manchester. 2nd Battalion the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers.

:: Captain Daniel Shepherd, 28, from Lincoln. The Royal Logistic Corps.

:: Guardsman Christopher King, 20, from West Buckland, Devon. 1st Battalion Coldstream Guards.

:: Bombardier Craig Hopson, 24, from Castleford, West Yorkshire. 40th Regiment Royal Artillery (The Lowland Gunners).

:: Warrant Officer Class 2 Sean Upton, 35, from Nottinghamshire. 5th Regiment Royal Artillery.

:: Trooper Phillip Lawrence, 22, from Birkenhead. The Light Dragoons.


AUGUST

:: Craftsman Anthony Lombardi, 21, from Scunthorpe. Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers

:: Corporal Kevin Mulligan, 26. The Parachute Regiment.

:: Lance Corporal Dale Hopkins, 23. The Parachute Regiment.

:: Private Kyle Adams, 21. The Parachute Regiment.

:: Private Jason Williams, 23, from Worcester. 2nd Battalion The Mercian Regiment.

:: Captain Mark Hale. 2nd Battalion The Rifles.

:: Rifleman Daniel Wild, 19, from Hartlepool. 2nd Battalion The Rifles.

:: Lance Bombardier Matthew Hatton, 23, from Haxby, North Yorkshire. 40th Regiment Royal Artillery.

:: An unnamed British soldier from The 2nd Battalion The Royal Welsh Regiment.

:: An unnamed British soldier from 2nd Battalion The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers.

:: An unnamed British soldier from 2nd Battalion The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers.

:: An unnamed British soldier from 2nd Battalion The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers.

:: An unnamed British soldier from 2nd Battalion The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers.



Tragic

Afghanistan: roll call of British deaths since 2001

Gordon In The Stocks

If only it was real...

Story from Yahoo News

Gordon In The Stocks

Lisbon Treaty: Irish guarantees a fiction?

We must do more than hope that the Irish will wake up to the con that they're being sold. We must help them to open their eyes. The EU will be throwing our money at a Yes vote, in the process, interfering with the democratic process in a sovereign state.

Let's look at what Gordon Brown said today.

Background:

About 48 minutes into the HoC Liaison Committee’s deliberations (today, from 10:00 to 12:32), Gordon Brown was asked whether Parliament would have to vote again on a protocol that attaches to the Lisbon Treaty, regarding Ireland’s ‘guarantees’.

Brown said that it would, but that whether or not the protocol was itself ratified, the Lisbon Treaty would still be ratified, if all member states did so in their respective countries.

The protocol would be attached to the next accession treaty.

Questions:

Given that the Lisbon Treaty is self-amending, requiring no agreement from member states to ratify any further treaties or amendments to current treaties, what guarantee is there that the Irish ‘guarantee’ protocol will actually be implemented?

What are Ireland’s options if, post-Lisbon Treaty ratification, the next accession treaty does not implement the ‘guarantee’ protocol?

Aren’t the Irish being asked to take on trust that this ‘guarantee’ protocol will be incorporated, as agreed with Ireland?

Are any sceptics asking these questions and ensuring that the Irish understand the implications of the pile of sh*t they are being sold?

Lisbon Treaty: Irish guarantees a fiction?

Death By A Thousand Smears

When Mandy came riding back from the European Commission to rescue Gordon Brown's sorry hide, many commentators lauded this as a master-stroke for Jonah McDoom. A real coup de grace for the British political scene which had become so one-sided in favour of the Tories that even some right-wingers of the commentariat showed real delight in the return of prince of Darkness. Who better to shake things up, right?

Wrong. Since the return of Mandelson we've had nothing, and I do mean NOTHING, but smear, spin, black-ops and lie after lie after lie. If this is what the commentariat where after, I singularly fail to see the attraction. The unending tales of corruption and scandal of our politicans has now reached a point where the left have become so desperate that they are now trying to drag the opposition leader into a story that he has only the most tenuous link to.

This is clearly an orchestrated smear campaign being run by Labour (as indicated elsewhere) and I am wondering now if we will ever know how low they are willing to stoop as they run our political system into the ground in a desperate attempt to remain in power.

Once again, we are seeing our sovereign Parliament being attacked from the enemy within. To my mind it is no coincidence that all of this started when Mandelson came back into the Labour fold and took the ermine. It's all part of the plan to sow the seeds of contempt against Parliament and, in the process, our right to self-determination as a sovereign nation. We are being taken over not by stealth, but by smear.

Welcome to the New Politics!

Death By A Thousand Smears

Would Labour Delay The Election?

Both PoliticalBetting.com and Dizzy have ran stories today on the fact that, quite legally, Labour 'could' delay the next election to 2013. My initial reaction was 'they wouldn't dare', but then I thought the same thing when many commentators were discussing the possibility that Brown would actively pursue a scorched earth policy when it became clear he couldn't win the next election, as indeed he clearly is.

So what are we to make of all this? Could Brown be so insane that he would consider putting aside hundreds of years of convention and use a technicality to stay in power way past this government's sell-by date?

Well the answer to that is a resounding yes. The plain fact of the matter is that we are now entering what is commonly referred to as 'uncharted territory'. Our banks are broken, our manufacturing sector depleted, respect for law and order at an all-time low and our country now effectively run from Brussells thanks to the treacherous ratification of the European Constitution by Brown and his socialist conspirators.

Labour have consistently shown that they are no respecters of convention. They simply don't care. So while everyone is looking to a May election next year, Mandelson and Brown may have something else in mind.

Would Labour Delay The Election?

Where I Should Be Tonight

Tonight, I should be at a meeting in York with Douglas Carswell organised by the University of York Freedom Society. I am not because the meeting was suddenly cancelled yesterday.

Meetings get cancelled all the time but this time it's a bit odd. Gordon Brown suddenly decided to visit Yorkshire this week and - guess what? He's been in York today.

It seems that the cancellation of this meeting may be innocent - Carswell couldn't make it. He has got a baby now and it's a long way to travel. Nevertheless, it being cancelled at the same time as Gordon Brown being in the vicinity made me feel very uncomfortable and led to me asking to join this blog.

Over the past few years I have become an increasingly suspicious person. Today, after a radio programme Brown did for Radio Leeds, a fawning article appeared with suspicious speed on the BBC website. The House of Commons' Culture, Media and Sport Committee also met in York yesterday - a load of media professionals demanding that their companies be bailed out with government money. There is an interesting comment on the article:

The scheduled aims of this public meeting was to get the views of the public. Unfortunately the meeting was monopolised by "professional" journalists and associates, whose views however relevant highlighted their own personal and company interests.There were a few members of the public present but their views were not encouraged by the Chair, the ITV Calendar presenter Christine Talbot herself a media professional.

And these media professionals wonder why their companies are in trouble?

Where I Should Be Tonight

Where There's Smoke...

I am someone who is pretty good with numbers, I have to be for my job, but when the conversation or the public debate turns to macro economics and spending plans I am afraid I get a blurry eyed and a little left behind. I do try, but I have accepted that I will not pick all of the salient details up on the first pass, and it is best for me to sit down and slowly absorb pertinent information by reviewing it in print and the re-reviewing several times.

As such there are two invaluable bloggers who help explain what the treasury is talking about and what the hidden messages might be, they are John Redwood and Fraser Nelson.

Fraser has been following the budget numbers for a while now, and the future spending plans announced by the Government, and he has published his own analysis as a chart which he claims to never tire of putting up… so I hope he won’t mind if we share it here…

The chart shows is based on the projected numbers in this year’s budget and more importantly the numbers spelled out by Gordon Brown in the House of Commons during Prime Ministers Questions. It clearly shows that if you allow for inflation, debt interest and dole the Government is projecting a 7% cut in Government Spending.

Hang on a minute I hear you cry, that nice Mr Brown is clunking his fists against the desk and saying that investment will go up and it is the Tories that will be cutting spending. Except of course Gordon Brown is lying, and by reasonable extension that makes him a liar.

This whole situation is potentially about to get more interesting as it would seem that the newsrooms have taken note of Frasers blog and got the bean counters on it and general consensus is that Mr Browns pants are indeed ablaze; and they are ready to call him on it. So, don’t expect Mr Brown to be viewed for the next couple of weeks anywhere except the BBC. Brown has now enlisted Lord Mandleson and like Mr Wolf in Pulp Fiction, he is there to clean up a dirty mess that was completely unnecessary.

Gordon Brown is convinced his best line of attack leading into the next election is to bet the house on the dividing line being about Tory Cuts vs Labour Investment. But Brown has scored an own goal there because the Treasury has already put out numbers (see chart above) that show this is not the case, so Mandelson is now spinning that the numbers are not firm so that come the pre-budget they can be revised to paint the picture the PM wants them to paint in the final straight.

The main point is that not only has Gordon Brown been caught out by Fraser Nelson, but he has charged Peter Mandelson with spinning it back so that he can cook the books [more so] and set out the Labour election campaign on a lie. We all know about the proverbial house that is built on sand and what happens to it.

It is outright duplicity.

A second point is that for years Brown has bamboozled opponents over many years by throwing big numbers in grand statements. When these numbers are checked there is always a lot of fine print and room for manoeuvre; by the time the details is tracked down and highlighted the story, or the issue has moved. Here, we have the PM and the Treasury releasing numbers that have been crunched and are now available to be thrown back in Mr Browns face; it is a testament to how disorganised Labour has become and how adept people like Fraser have become at rooting out their dishonesty.

Mr Brown insists he has never lied, but the facts and the numbers tell an entirely different story.

Where There's Smoke...

Brown always tells the truth

…or so he would have us believe. Although the PM has obviously been learning how to present himself better, it doesn't seem to quite come off if one watches his body language in this clip from an interview (in a railway carriage) by the BBC's Nick Robinson, who was being more challenging than usual:



I recognise the frequent avoidance of eye contact, the finger actions (for which a close-up was usefully included) and the way he said "I have always told the truth", as has David Jones; but I wonder what others reading this might make of it. Comments on this would be welcome!

Brown always tells the truth

Mr Zero Percent

Courtesy of the Crown Blogspot...

Mr Zero Percent

Hello with a Gordon Brown joke!

Gordon Brown is taking a stroll around the grounds of Chequers to take his mind off his current woes, when he spots a man cupping his hand to scoop water from the lake.

Gordon shouts, "Dinnae drink thon water min, it's foo o' coo's shite n pish."

The man replies, "My good fellow, I'm English.... repeat that in English."

Gordon replies, "I said use both hands - you get more that way."

Hello with a Gordon Brown joke!