The EU budget deal’s screwed again: “”In its current form, the parliament would have to reject the common position of the council, as it does not secure a budget guaranteeing prosperity, security and solidarity for European citizens.� So, that would … Continue reading →

Chris Who-hne?

It’s been a few years since I read it, but Blair evoking Leviathan (from his perpective as effective sovereign) would tend to suggest that he wants absolute power over every aspect of society. There is, however, a qualifier in Hobbes … Continue reading →

Mark Mardell’s latest Europe diary is up at the Beeb, along with a glimpse of the Austrian presidency’s barcode-like logo (which I’d have thought would have been more suited to Blair, but still…)

If one belives the government’s own statistics (the recording methods for most of which have been changed since Labour came to office to make them look successful for electioneering purposes increase accuracy), since a peak in 1995, crime in this … Continue reading →

Promising new Euro-centric political discussion fora, courtesy of Der Spiegel. Launched yesterday, so hasn’t quite kicked off yet, but could be worth a look.

1) “Man gets life for raping 12-week old baby” 2) “Thugs used broken bottles to cut off a man’s eyelids and ears while robbing him of just �1.50… The boys are believed to be 13 or 14.” (From this morning’s … Continue reading →

The UK Today is back up and running, noting that, thanks to clutching at fame on Big Brother, that knobber George Galloway will miss the Crossrail Bill debate on Thursday – despite it promising to have a major impact on … Continue reading →

Ukraine parliament sacks government? According to the BBC’s ticker-tape, at any rate, but no details as of yet. Either way, after Prime Minister Yury Yekhanurov defended the Russian gas deal earlier today, it looks like the MPs haven’t bought it. … Continue reading →

After yesterday’s nonsense about “community calls to action” (formerly known as “dialling 999”), New Labour appear to be turning into the Daily Mail. From their latest email propaganda missive: “In my local shop, at the bus stop, I would rage … Continue reading →

The end of anonymous blogging in the US? – “Last Thursday, President Bush signed into law a prohibition on posting annoying Web messages or sending annoying e-mail messages without disclosing your true identity.” Yes. Really. “Whoever…utilizes any device or software … Continue reading →

Tony Blair proposes yet another pointless waste of time and resources in a platitudinous attempt to gain favourable tabloid press. “Face the people sessions”? “Community calls to action”? A “national parenting academy”? What the pissing hell? Please also note the … Continue reading →

Nosemonkey elsewhere: A bit of speculation on what 2006 may hold in store for the EU over at The Sharpener. I was going to post it here as well, but it got a bit out of hand length-wise…

That’s one more decent, respectable former Labour minister gone then. Good man, Tony Banks. Wrong on a lot of issues and had an irritating voice, but a good man nonetheless. Utterly unrelatedly, the Britblog Roundup is up.