Twat of the week

Newsquest and GMG lost the plot

2009-05-19T11:48:00.002+01:00

Newsquest is allowing the BNP to take huge banner adverts on its websites (paid for by who, I wonder?)

GMG's contempt for local readers has ruined the Accrington Observer, according to (former) readers. Local flavour sucked out on 'cost' grounds. The cost of what? The editor's gone asll well.

With Newsquest now gone Accrington's without a locally based newspaper. 250k funding needed for a 'proper' startup. Email me osato.mr@gmail.com.

Twitter 0 Mainstream media 1 (AET)

2009-04-29T16:02:00.004+01:00

So, I followed my first ever big piece of breaking news via Twitter yesterday. Ok, I used Facebook too. And found out about the whole thing through the comparitively 'two cans tied to a piece of string' technology of MSN Messenger.

The momentous even, of course, was the great South Lakes Earthquake of 2009. Lorne Greene is already signed on for the movie, apparently.

So, within moments - well, instantly c/o messenger, I knew there had been shaking rooms across western Lancashire. Twitter and Facebook were full of 'ouch did you feel that?' messages and speculation that there'd been an earthquake.

All interesting stuff. But no facts. It could have been a tremor, it could have been Heysham Nuclear Power Station going boom (an event which may be more likely in future), even an outbreak of Poltergeist activity.

But it wasn't until 20 minutes or so later that any facts emerged. The Blackpool Gazette told me it was an earthquake, as confirmed by the British Geological Survey; the Lancaster Guardian revealed it was magnitude 3.7, while the Morecambe Visitor told me it was centred on Ulverston.

Interestingly, the BBC was late on the scene. So much for the 'menacing threat' of their local news services.

So while Twitter, Facebook and the rest added colour, it was mainstream media who provided the facts. Another victory for the 'dead tree press.'

Revelling in misery - Greenslade goes way, way too far

2009-03-12T06:07:00.003Z

Posted this earlier in response to this nonsense by Prof Roy Greenslade, a semi-answer to this piece of news about the Guardian Media Group's deeply disturbing behaviour in Manchester.

Offensive, snobbish, ignorant, mealy-mouthed bullshit Roy. Seems like a hand-wringing excercise in not criticising one's own employer after the rape of the highly profitable Greater Manchester weeklies in order to keep Guardian staff in cappucinos and maintain the Titanic-sized disaster that is Channel M (for merde), one of the most criminal acts in the history of British regional journalism, and I'm fairly sure that rumbling is the sound of CP Scott turning in his grave.

The free newspapers (use of the term 'freesheets' tells its own stories) which are being closed, normally after years of being subtllely undermined by their owners, ARE the good ones. They were set up in what had, for years, bee one-horse towns. They offered an option to advertisers who had for years struggled with cartel pricing and limited availability from the established papers. More importantly they offered a voice for people who couldn't get a word in edgeways as the local paid-for became the voice of the establishment, with editors who would rather have an agreeable beer with the council leader or local MP rather than hold them to account.

The journalism could rarely be considered crusading, but it was often lighter-hewed, more involving and more people-focused than the alternative. Incredibly hard-working, motivated staff who've been battered for years by a drip-drip-drip of cutbacks and office closures now find the door slammed in their faces.

Ironically, the really harmful, low-quality freesheets, the ones owned by established newspapers and used as a defensive weapon against undercutting competitors, are thriving more than ever. A whole slew of new launches over the last couple of years under names like 'Community News' and 'Weekender' offer content which has already appeared in the 'main' paper and a second tier of defensive freesheet. Advertisers are conned into paying over the odds for packages - but the smarter ones just take the cheap option in the hope of being spotted at the bottom of the cat litter tray. And, while in theory they require no editorial control (because the content's recycled, innit) their production does place a strain on newsrooms, especially newsdesks and the perennial cutback victims on the subs desk.

Ironically this is the very failed model the Guardian Media Group has chosen for its Manchester papers, some of which have a history stretching back more than a century.

And what of the people of Accrington, who now see their local weekly moved to central Manchester only a couple of years after their local daily, the Lancashire Telegraph, recalled staff to its bunker in Blackburn?

But there is a solution. If every one of the Guardianistas earning more than £50k a year took a 20 per cent pay cut they could save more than a few jobs. So the people of, say, Stockport, could enjoy reading their local newspaper, the one they've enjoyed since 1889, rather than recycled MEN garbage.

So how about it? Time to reinforce your egalitarian principles chaps. If not, I hope you choke on your lattes.

Thing is, Greenslade's often right, has a sound reputation and history in journalism. He's also a wind-up merchant. But this is no time for wind ups.

We've got a bigger problem now

2008-11-02T18:17:00.004Z

Time, I think, for a rewrite of one of the greatest politicial songs of all time. Could you imagine Jello Biafra belting this baby out?

I used to be mayor of a small town
I always smile
And never get down
Soon I will be president....

Obama power will soon go away
I will be Fuhrer one day
I will command all of you
Your kids will slaughter moose in school
Your kids will slaughter moose in school

[Chorus:]
Sarah Palin Uber Alles
Sarah Palin Uber Alles
Uber Alles Sarah Palin
Uber Alles Sarah Palin

God says I'll control you
100 per cent moose stew
You will snowmobile for the master race
Forget abortion if your daughter gets raped!

[Chorus:]

Close your eyes, can't happen here
You've got nothing left to fear
The god squad can't come back you say
But for your rape kit you must pay
But for your rape kit you must pay!

Never forget 2004
Knock, knock on the White House door
It's the Karl Rove secret police
And they've won, so forget about peace!

[Chorus:]

Christian right can't get enough of this tramp
I'l like an Oval-shaped base camp
Don't worry I'm as pretty as a flower
We'll get drilling' as soon as I'm in power

Choke on all that greenhouse gas
Big oil's plan already hatched
McCain must have been advised by a clown
When he picked the mayor of a small town
When he picked the mayor of a small town!

[Chorus:]

And here's the original

CentreRight gets it so wrong

2008-10-21T18:18:00.003+01:00

ConservativeHome is quite simply the most useful blog on the British political scene, regardless of your views. Its in depth, incisive coverage has contributed much to that party's revival. But it's getting it so wrong with its CentreRight strand, which has become a cheerleader for the most despicable aspects of America's neocon excesses. There's even a post about loving Sarah Palin, and you can't get much more wrong than that. Worst of all is this despicable exercise in racism and sexism disguised as a political point - and a cackhanded point at best. Ok, it's not their video and if you tilt your head at just the right angle you may be able to see an ounce of humour in it. But it's a poor choice and brings all the things people hated about the Tories in the 80s and 90s sharply back into focus. You expect the frothing-at-the-mouth idiot brigade (viz, Melanie Phillips) to turn into an expat Fox News but when you've got a dyed-in-the-wool Tory like the inimitable Boris Johnson realising that Obama is exactly what America and the world needs right now you'd hope Tim Montogmerie and his people might wise up, or at least reign in the silliness.

Shit headlines are really annoying - and potentially dangerous

2008-10-13T12:18:00.004+01:00

The Daily Telegraph - once the best newspaper in Britain, despite its odious politics and odious owner. Then the Barclay brothers moved in and started hacking away, helped by some over-zealous young henchmen from The Mail. I suppose when you cut corners you end up with headlines that don't make sense; take today's

Homeowner told to take down fence he repaired due to planning laws

Surprisingly not about a homeowner who repaired a fence due to planning laws and was subsequently forced to take it down. A little comma goes a long way. In the old days I'm sure the sub-editor would have been taken out and shot for such an error. We'll see how long it takes whichever techno whizz-kid put this up to realise his mistake. The Telegraph has recently been culling its sub-editors and, according to the blog of Justin Williams, who seems to be the chief apologist for the Telegraph's multi-meejah revolution, the whole position is due to be replaced by computers who can check libels, put garbled copy into style, come up with a witty and incisive headline and wipe the editor's arse while they're at it. Presumably this is just the kind of mistake they should be avoiding, then.

But it's not nearly as (potentially) serious as the cock-up at another newspaper which is axing staff, The Mirror.

Sarah Palin found guilty of abusing power while Alaska governor

No she wasn't 'found guilty' of anything - nor charged with anything. She's undoubtedly a slimy waste of humanity, an insult to her gender, an associate of terrorists, a scumbag who charges women who've been raped for the privilege then tells them they can't abort their kids. Lovely woman. But not a criminal - not yet anyway. This is the result of an investigation, it isn't a finding of guilt. Even the most wet-behind-the-ears sub would pick that up. The pimply teenage web geek in charge of upholding the reputation of one of Britain's greatest and most famous newspapers obviously didn't. But would Justin Williams' sub-bot? We wait with baited breath...

Northern exposure

2008-08-13T21:32:00.002+01:00

Where to start with the cobblers from the chinless Tory wonders of Policy Exchange who today announced that the North will be shut down and we'll all move to three million new homes sandwiched in between Oxford, Cambridge and London approximately a week after David Cameron wins the next election.

The author admits himself that the report might be viewed as 'barmy' and also admitted on Up North telly (in colour! with Gordon Burns!) tonight that he hasn't been to Liverpool in years (but had visited Preston, which might be a clue as to where his jaundiced view of this part of the world comes from).

But there are endless examples of thinking the unthinkable becoming reality - see Joseph, Sir Keith.

So we need alternatives - try this for a three point plan for the North;

1)Decent transport links. Two hours from Manchester to Euston puts it in commute distance - and why not? Metropolitan job, realistic cost of living - ideal
2) Move every Government job - except those which require regular face to face contact with people outside Government - to the regions. Within a year.
3) Move Parliament. Have at least one session of Parliament outside London every year. Ambitious? Yes, but it can be done

But will it? See Spooks Code 9 for the answer!

If this is an action plan.... I'd hate to see an inaction plan

2008-02-26T15:55:00.003Z

Poisoned dwarf Hazel Blears has come up with her so called 'action plan' for Blackpool now we're not getting a supercasino. And she's really excelled herself/

Aparently we're getting;

£82m for sea defences (which are already half-built and without which we'd end up drowning anyway)
£100m for trams (work already underway, announced last month)
and £100m for schools and higher education (announced last year)

So basically we're left with what we've already got - no new conference centre, nothing that'll create jobs, no new investment.

It's time local MPs Gordon Marsden and Joan Humble did something useful. The casino is dead - we need better conference facilities because the Winter Gardens is becoming a joke. Come on, don't just dump us into the Irish Sea, give us a chance!

Nice bottle of Sauvignon Blanc later....

2008-02-06T01:29:00.000Z

It appears the Dems race is tight as expected, although Hillary seems to be winning Oklahoma, Huckabee appears to be batting above his weight, especially in Georgia.

Things you don't see in UK elections #1

2008-02-06T00:00:00.000Z

Tornados keeping voters away from the polls in Memphis, Tennessee and parts of Arkansas. Hmph, just apathy if you ask me...

Georgia on my mind...

2008-02-05T23:59:00.000Z

There's ABSOLUTELY NO HYPERBOLE in the 'best policial team on television' claim. And we're 11 seconds away from the polls closing in Georgia

Blimey - they're projecting for Obama, what about the Republicans? Three man race, hmmm

A choice of viewing

2008-02-05T23:05:00.000Z

Sky News has been heavily flagging up its Super Tuesday coverage in recent days. Suspect the BBC will give it more than toke treatment as well on News24. But the best bets are surely the US channels. Fox News shouldn't really be a contender, but I quite like the light touch and the Democrat bashing is so telegraphed its hilarious. That should leave CNN, but on South Carolina primary night I got a bit distracted by;

A) The fact it's presented by an ewok (pictured, right)
B) Said ewok keeps banging on about 'the best politicial team on television' (say's who?)
C) Carl Bernstein looks nothing like Dustin Hoffman

It's a dilemna alright....

Live (ish) Super Tuesday blogging

2008-02-05T22:27:00.000Z

Alright, bit of a spur of the moment decision this, so I reserve the right to drop off halfway through. Already Mike Huckabee (My favourite on the Republican side - because (a) he seems like a personable chap and (b) the Dems will maul him) has won in West Virginia, with an Everybody Hates Mitt turnaround at the party convention.

The results from the Clinton/Obama bout start coming in in about an hour. Right now I'm watching Shameless. See ya

Ming and gone

2007-10-15T19:12:00.000+01:00

He's gone and done it! Ming Campbell has done the honorable thing and realised that being an elder statesman doesn't make you a leader. Quick look at the runners and riders;

Nick Clegg - young, dashing home affairs spokesman and hot favourite. On the right of the party and was the subject of an attempt to lure him to the Tory party. One of the Orange book brigade and an early favourite

Chris Huhne - Showed an opportunistic streak when putting his name forward for leader after Charles Kennedy's resignation. Been lobbying hard behind the scenes, I'm told. Bit of a wet blanket, a charisma-free zone if ever there was one. Definite possible, but can't really see him restoring the poll rating

David Laws - Another thrusting young buck and another of the Orange book (eg on the right) tendency. Probably won't take on Clegg

Lembit Opik - no, seriously

Vince Cable - surely they couldn't be that stupid again?

Simon Hughes - Hughes is a grassroots favourite but can't seriously see the public going for him (as it where) after the truth about his sexuality was eeked out last time (was going to be much nastier, but in fact looking back at the revelations there's no suggestion he did anything a grown adult shouldn't be doing)

Probably many others. Icky about some of his views as I am, Clegg would get the Osato vote, where he a paid up party member

News haiku #2

2007-10-07T16:01:00.000+01:00

Tesco backs school sport,
but how many vouchers buy
a new playing field?

This is fun...

News haiku #1

2007-10-07T15:22:00.000+01:00

Poll talk unites Tories,
Brown blows big opportunity,
Hung parliament next

War on terror going swimmingly

2007-05-01T22:46:00.000+01:00

Apparently 40 per cent more people were killed by terrorism last year than the previous year. Hmm, it's finally making at war on drugs look good...

Bye bye Boris

2007-04-23T17:57:00.000+01:00

Interesting to note the name of the Kremlin spokesman who announced the sad death of former Russian premier Boris Yeltson.

Alexander Smirnov

Let's drink to the great man tonight!

Mail me!

2007-04-10T17:23:00.000+01:00

Get in touch, I don't have many friends!

Back again

2007-04-10T16:19:00.000+01:00

Right, haven't posted in a while and I'm in a foul mood. Who's worth venting a bit of spleen on?

Let's start with Ian Dale. Nice contribution to the Tory bid to get rid of Blackpool's pair of useless Labour MPs with his unfunny, and slightly pointless jab at the resort I'm (un) lucky enough to call home in his post on Aaah-nuld's scheduled visit. The unbelievable snobbery of the Dales of this world really takes the piss. Do they just want us to collapse into the sea or something?

Speaking of the seaside town they forgot to burn down, the pointless campaign to get Parliament to-sort-of-but-not-quite overturn the Casino Advisory Panel's decision to put the UK's one supercasino in Manchester and not Blackpool enjoyed a pyrrhic victory the other week when a couple of peers were asleep, rat-arsed or passed out in a pool of their own piss when they were supposed to be voting in the House on a 'rebel amendment.'

And doesn't that just smack of rebellion to you? What do we want? A review of the panel's decision? When do we want it? Whenever you can manage it, ta.

Anyway, I digress. The truth is that between the Chancellor and the British casino industry any chance of meaningful regeneration anywhere via a casino was scuppered a long time ago. Are you going to spend £300 million on a swish hotel and conference hall when the exchequer's going to take half the profits from your as-addictive-as-crack slot machines? Obviously not. Even less so if the rat-infested fleapit down the road is also going to be offering £1m a go slots.

But it won't stop the flat earth brigade - at least until the local election (in which all but about two of the candidates seems to be backing the casino spin) is out of the way next month.

That's quite enough for now. Back soon.

Where's Guido?

2007-03-04T02:06:00.000Z

Can't get into Guido Fawkes' site for love nore money tonight? Surely couldn't have anything to do with this, could it?

Big Frei up

2007-02-28T18:14:00.000Z

Apparently America is warming to Al Gore, according to the Beeb's man in Washington, Matt Frei.

Would this be the same Al Gore who won some 600,000 more votes than 'President' Bush in 2000? 51 million votes seems fairly warm. Perhaps if he hadn't had a VP candidate who was almost as right wing as Bush dragging him down or a Supreme Court not appointed largely by a senile Hollywood actor he'd be in the White House and the nightmare of the last seven years would never have happened.

You have to question what the point of Frei is. He might as well be in Washington, County Durham for all the insight he brings. In fact the BBC's website has been dire on US issues for years, with Newsround-like tone and a hazy grasp of foreign affairs - tipping (Canada-born) Jennifer Granholm as the next Democract US presidential candidate, for example. Only slightly less dumb than tipping A-nuld for the White House.

With the Washington Post (especially Chris Cillizza's unmissable The Fix), Meet the Press and, of course, the irrepressible Daily Show at our fingertips, do we really need a no-mark with a fat expenses account hob-nobbing across the Atlantic? Make 'em good or make 'em go away. Please.

Quick change of plan

2007-02-07T18:56:00.000Z

Was going to blog tonight about the House of Lords reforms (snooze). Why can't we have real democracy rather than the ludicrous regional list system, under which you can choose any candidate you want, as long as it' the one the party machine favours?

Under Jack Straw's plans, half the upper house will be chosen by party leaders and the other half will be, well, chosen by party leaders - with only a handful of members (those the parties aren't too taken with anyway) at risk of lsing their seats.

But then Guido's blog led me to tipped me in the direction of some telling revelations about the sad death of former MP Fiona Jones.

Now I'd never taken to Mrs Jones, she seemed like a whinger with an air of sleaze hanging over her after her arrest and subsequent convicition for electoral expenses irregularities (a conviction that was rapidly overturned on appeal).

But, having read Jane Griffiths' blog, and an excellent piece by Patrick Barkham in The Guardian, it's clear there's more to this than a sad woman turning to drink as her career is thwarted. It's yet another incident in the life of this god-awful Labour government that should have them hanging their heads in shame. Particularly shocking is the accusation over a male cabinet minister's supposed 'sex for promotion' offer.

I was going to suggest anyone concerned about House of Lords reform could post on Jack Straw's own local newspaper blog. where, apparently, this week's most pressing issue is the managerial talent of Blackburn Rovers' Mark Hughes.

Come to think of it, you might want to ask him about the death of Fiona Jones as well...

Walker, (anything but a) Texas Ranger

2007-02-06T23:10:00.000Z

The Oxfordshire assistant coroner's reward for peristence in demanding the truth from the MOD and the US junta after over the death of Cpl Matty Hull si a big fat P45. At least he didn't get the Dr David Kelly treatment....

Well done to Mr Walker and The Sun for exposing US and British hypocrisy over 'friendly fire' (or killing your own side due to your acknowledged gross incompetence and unsuitability for the role, which is what those of us who've watched the video prefer to call it).

No doubt, just like our Prime Minister's questioning in a corruption and cover-up probe, the majority of the UK population will be happier ignoring at and watching Corrie instead.

Are we missing something?

2007-01-25T18:45:00.000Z

So we're threatening to ban size zero models at London fashion week because they might provide a bad role model for our young people, the next we're handing obese brats pedometers to check that they're walking from the pie shop to the coke machine instead of taking the bus

So what do we want, fat or thin? There's a happy medium to be found somewhere...

Tone answers his public

2007-01-22T20:17:00.000Z

Just had an email in my inbox from '10 Downing Street' It reads as follows;

You recently signed a petition asking the Prime Minister to
"Resign immediately."

The Prime Minister's Office has responded to that petition and
you can view it here:
http://www.pm.gov.uk/output/Page10809.asp

Prime Minister's Office

Petition info: http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/Resign/

Sadly, the PM's response, when you get to it, is a less than sparkling

The PM has made clear that he will be leaving office before the next Labour party conference

Still, at least he's done something - perhaps recent events have prompted him to give the issue some thought?

Cards on the table at last

2007-01-22T14:30:00.000Z

Call me an old Northern cynic, but I've always felt that if something's worth having, London'll have it. How mant nuclear power stations are there in the capital? None, there's a token one in Kent but the rest are scattered around the Cumbria/Lancashire coastline and, of course, Scotland, which seems to be the victim of most of this country's wacky experiments (see the poll tax).
Conversely, the same thing happens in reverse. If something is worth fighting in London, surely it is worth fighting in the rest of the UK?
The citizens of Blackpool have had a six-year barrage of relentless pro-casino publicity, from the local authority, politicians of all parties and a variety of businesses, ranging from the respectable to those with a dubious history.

There was a degree of local opposition but, on the whole, the chattering classes didn't give a toss. After all, it's a long way away, a place they didn't have to visit (especially after Labour decided they didn't want to hold conferences there any more).

They don't care about soaring gambling addicition, the destruction of traditional local businesses, money laundering or any of the other side effects of casino led 'regeneration.'

But, last year, strange things started to happen around the 'other' main contender for the UK's first (and, hopefully, only) super casino, the Millennium Dome began to hit the headlines, thanks to Fatty Prescott's cowboy connections.

All of a sudden, with the casino heading for their own backyard, you see the London set falling over themselves to have a dig. The Observer, Channel 4's Dispatches and even Ian Dale is showing concern over the threat of gambling addication.

So where were you guys? What's good for the goose is good for the gander, after all?

Touch her bum (if you must!)

2006-12-19T19:13:00.000Z

No it wouldn't normally be any of this blog's concern to her that star watching Lib Dem MP Lembit Opik had copped off with Igora Kopalegova*, one half of delectable Romanian pop duo The Cheeky Girls. In fact nobody other than Mr Opik's ex, weathergirl Sian Lloyd should really give it too much thought. Strange, then, that the denizens of Private Eye magazine have made a rare detour into Hello! territory with a piece questioning the immigration status of the Pontins headliners. Has Ian Hislop gone soft or are they trying to tell us something?

* Possibly not her real name

Rugger bugger

2006-12-18T18:51:00.000Z

Now it's none of my business if Telegraph rugby hack Mick Cleary wants to write a long and pompous knocking post about rugby league on his blog. Opinionated bollocks is a perfectly acceptable way of using the blogosphere - in fact random abuse is this blog's stock in trade, although some of us would appreciate getting paid for it. Mr Dreary almost redeemed himelf anyway with an equally dull and obsequious semi-apology a few hours later.
No, what really got Mr Osato's goat was the fact that his comment fell prey to the Daily Telegraph censors. No naughty words (for once) just a tongue in cheek suggestion that Mr Cleary was pitching for the Telegraph's weekly award for attracting the most comments, in an attempt to justify their decision to get rid of all their decent hacks in favour of 'news hubs' and a multi-media brave new world including the wildly successful Telegraph PM. Unfortunately the new policy of 'interaction with the readers' doesn't seem to extend to accepting criticism. Barclay Brothers. Twats. Bring back Conrad Black.

Is Bush back on the bottle?

2006-11-20T22:43:00.000Z

Now Mr Osato is far too small time to have any contacts in Washington or the senior side of the US Government - but he is struck by the writings of the New Statesman's North American correspondent, Andrew Stephen (who is somewhat better connected.

Rumours persist here (and I have heard them repeated at a very senior level in the UK, too) that Bush has actually resumed drinking; I throw this into the mix not to sensationalise, but because I have now heard the rumour repeated at a sufficiently high level that I believe we must face the possibility that it might be true.

Of course, the rumours may not be true, but if they are, if Bush is even thinking about cracking open the Smirnoff, it's yet another sign that the American people (or, more to the point, the Supreme Court) chose a man who isn't cracked up for the job.

Fortunately daddy Bush's troops seem to be coming over the hill - top US columnist Maureen Dowd compared the situation to a parent trying to deprogramme a child taken away and brain washed by a sinister cult. Better late than never, I suppose...

Nomination #1 Reid all about tit

2006-09-18T19:35:00.000+01:00

I used to quite like John Reid. Anyone who tells it as it is about smoking is ok by me and I learn today that he’s married to a Brazilian film director (although that was on Wikipedia, so treat the information with caution!)

But the bollocks he came out with at the weekend about closing ‘loopholes’ which let the supposedly guilty off the hook.

Most of these loopholes surely come about because of the incompetence and negligence of various agencies of the Home Office, the very organisation he described as ‘not fit for purpose‘ just a couple of months ago.

So is Reid’s strategy to lower the standards of the criminal justice system to meet the level of ineptitude of the police, the immigration service and the CPS?

Perhaps if he really wants to close the loopholes he needs to make a change closer to home. If a copper, or some other official, makes an error which lets a guilty man (or woman) off the hook, sack ‘em. No fat salary, no fat pension, just give them the boot. That’ll teach them to py a bit more attention to the paperwork. Otherwise it’s a long roll back to the days of balls being ‘accidentally’ shoved into drawers and faces ‘accidentally’ colliding with nicely polished boots. Just because we beat it out of ‘em doesn’t mean they’re not guilty, right guv’nor?

Reid’s campaign to ‘put the victim first’ also saw him put the boot in to innocent people wrongly convicted of horrific criminal offences and now he’s messing about with the rape laws.

So, in supposedly putting the victim first, Reid is creating a new class of victims, men and women whose lives are destroyed because we’ve got a Home Office and a Home Secretary who are not fit for purpose.

More before Spooks - maybe

UPDATE
And he's a lying twat as well

Welcome

2006-09-18T19:29:00.000+01:00

Welcome to Twat of the week, which is going to do exactly what it says on the tin. Ever week I’ll be trawling through the world’s twats and giving some very personal reasons why they deserve this coveted accolade. By Sunday I’ll have made up my mind and decided who gets a real slating.

Hopefully I’ll collate the scores and award an overall twat of the year at a point in time to be decided - if I stay interested for that long.