Author: Boadicea

Give Them A Chance

It would seem that not only does the UK Labour Party need to accept that it lost the election and is now the Opposition, but it would also appear that Conservatives need to understand that their party did not win sufficient seats to form a government without the aid of the Liberal-Democrats.

It would also seem to me that there is no point in calling an election immediately on the same basis as the last in the hopes that there might be a decisive verdict.  The system needs fixing. The last election was worthy of a third world country: skewed constituencies, insufficient polling stations and ballot papers, polling stations shutting early, opportunity for large-scale fraud, political leaflets ‘lost’ in the post… need I go on? Get that fixed and then see what an honest election brings.

The UK is broke and needs surgery immediately, and all I read are people complaining that there are two doctors working to deal with the problems. There is a coalition, no one party has a mandate, as understood by the UK’s quirky constitution,  to impose its cure on the country. The sooner people realise and accept that and start looking at the proposed cures the better.

Continue reading “Give Them A Chance”

On This Day – 12th of May 1994

John Smith

On the 12th of May 1994, Labour Leader, John Smith, died in St Bartholomew’s hospital in London after two serious heart attacks.

I don’t know very much about this man, since I had already left England by this time. But, I understand that he had a reputation for being a man of integrity, and was respected for his honesty and decency by those from all political persuasions. He was, so the sources say, expected to lead Labour to victory at the next general election and become prime minister.

John Smith was, as is well known, succeeded by Tony Blair who, whatever his reputation in 1994, left office with a soiled reputation and little respect from the electorate.

Continue reading “On This Day – 12th of May 1994”

Election Day Quiz

This may take a little while to load – there are lots of pictures.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Bored with the Election?  Here are pictures of all the Prime Ministers of the United Kingdom from 1782 to the present day. They are not in date or alphabetical order.  OK! So you can look them up in Wiki, but  can you match the faces to the names?

Thank you for participating – especially Papaguinea and Tocino. My apologies to those who could not load pictures.

On This Day – 5th May 2005

I look at the BBC’s  ‘On This Day’ site most days.  Today, I found one of the headlines for the 5th of May 2005:

BLAIR SECURES HISTORIC TERM

The News for the the following day reported Blair’s speech, where he said that he would “focus relentlessly” on the public’s priorities.

He was reported as saying:

I think I have a very clear idea of what the British people now expect from this government for a third term.

Britons …  do believe there are real problems in our immigration and asylum system and they expect us to sort them out and we will do so.

I want to make this a particular priority for this government – how we bring back a proper sense of respect in our schools, in our communities, in our towns, in our villages.

There would be a “radical programme” of legislation to deal with the priorities of education, health and law and order.

Well, he may have known what the electorate wanted…

Better Luck on Thursday!

On This Day – 23rd April 303

According to tradition, Saint George was beheaded in Nicomedia near Lydda in Palestine on the 23rd of April 303.

George is one of the most venerated saints in the Roman Catholic, the Anglican, the Eastern Orthodox, the Oriental Orthodox , and the Eastern Catholic Churches.  He is the patron saint of Aragon, Catalonia, England, Ethiopia, Georgia, Greece, Lithuania, Palestine, Portugal, and Russia, as well as the cities of Amersfoort, Beirut, Fakiha, Bteghrine, Cáceres (Spain), Ferrara, Freiburg, Genoa, Ljubljana, Gozo, Milan, Pomorie, Preston, Qormi, Rio de Janeiro, Lod, Barcelona and Moscow.

It is generally agreed that George was born in Cappadocia, in what is now Turkey, sometime between 275 and 281. Some believe that both his parents were Christians.

George enlisted into the Cavalry of the Roman Army at about the age of 17, during the reign of the Emperor Diocletian. He quickly reached the rank of Tribune in the Imperial Guard stationed at Nicomedia.

Continue reading “On This Day – 23rd April 303”