CALEDONIAN COMMENT

In the UK Prince Charles has asked landowners to wipe out foreign grey squirrels (picture above) from the countryside to protect red squirrels and to save our native woodlands. Yesterday he told the Country Land and Business Association (CLA) that it was “absolutely crucial to exterminate the greys”. The alien species was introduced to Britain from the US in the 19th century and has a population estimated at 3.3 million, compared with only 160,000 indigenous reds. In a letter to Sir Henry Aubrey-Fletcher, the CLA president, the Prince blamed grey squirrels for the “immense and increasing damage” to woods and wildlife across the country. The Prince, who is patron of the Red Squirrel Survival Trust, said: “I do pray you can help me with this task as it would make all the difference not only to the survival of an iconic native species, but also to the success of all our efforts to restore and enhance our native hardwoods.” So now we have a royal answer to this crisis of nature. And after all I suppose Charlie is of German extraction – I wonder if he’ll ask Prince Harry Hewitt to don his Nazi stormtrooper uniform and head up this final solution to the grey squirrel problem.

 

UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown was dealt a devastating blow last night as the Work and Pensions Secretary James Purnell (both pictured above) quit the Cabinet and told Mr Brown to stand down in order to save New Labour from defeat by the Conservative opposition at the next general election. The sensational decision, given to the PM shortly before voting ended in yesterday’s local and European elections across the UK, left an already damaged Mr Brown in grave peril. Mr Purnell told Mr Brown to stand aside and give Labour a “fighting chance of winning”. The departure of such an (allegedly) talented minister in a crucial reforming role raised immediate questions over whether other ministers would follow, and whether Mr Brown had the authority to complete his Cabinet reshuffle. Now far be it for this blog to interfere in the internal squabbles of New Labour – but in one respect Mr Purnell is wrong. Even if Brown is replaced, they won’t have a “fighting chance of winning”. In fact they won’t have a cat in hell’s chance.

 

US President Barack Obama (pictured above) yesterday called for a new beginning in relations between America and the Muslim world. Speaking to the world’s billion-plus Muslims from Cairo, Obama pledged to pursue Palestinian statehood, said US troops did not want to stay in Iraq or Afghanistan forever and offered mutual respect in dealings with long-time adversary Iran. His keynote speech, occasionally interrupted by shouts of “we love you,” was welcomed by some for its fresh tone after George W. Bush – but some expressed frustration that he did not outline specific steps to change US policy. “We meet at a time of tension between the United States and Muslims around the world – tension rooted in historical forces that go beyond any current policy debate,” Obama said in the address that included quoting Islam’s holy book, the Koran. “I have come here to seek a new beginning between the US and Muslims around the world, one based upon mutual interest and mutual respect,” he said. “This cycle of suspicion and discord must end,” he added. Great Mr President – and after you’ve solved the Middle East, maybe you can visit places like Birmingham, Bradford, Leeds and Manchester because it’s obvious our government doesn’t have a clue on how to bridge the huge gap between Muslims and non-Muslims in those places.

 

One of Britain’s most senior Roman Catholic leaders has criticised an attempt by Parlaiment to change the law on assisted suicide. The Most Rev. Peter Smith, the Archbishop of Cardiff (pictured above), said it would be “morally wrong” to abolish laws designed to protect the most vulnerable from harm and exploitation. His comments came a day after Lord Falconer, the former Lord Chancellor, and Baroness Jay, former leader of the House of Lords and daughter of Labour Prime Minister James Callaghan, tabled an amendment to the Coroners and Justice Bill. It proposes that a person will not be prosecuted if they assist a terminally-ill patient intent on committing suicide to travel to another country where euthanasia is legal.

Now the whole issue of euthanasia is emotive and complicated. But yet again we have the Roman Catholic church sticking its doctrinal nose into affairs which are the business of our democratic institutions, not the bigotted medieval edifice which is called the Vatican. Euthanasia  - abortion – condoms – embryo and stem cell research. All these issues are constantly being interfered with by unelected, undemocratic Roman Catholic pedants who should be told to shut up. And if the Archbishop wishes to address issues which are “morally wrong” he might care to examine the rampant practice of child molestation within his own church rather than attempting to subvert British democracy, a precious thing which the Roman Catholic church has done nothing to contribute to or enrich over the centuries. And if he thinks euthanasia is wrong, let him instruct his deluded followers as he pleases but leave the rest of us – the vast majority in the UK - to make up our own minds rather than be dictated to by an international organised front for paedophiles.  

 

And more religious nonsense. Pictured above are the late Reginald and Ronald Kray, the notorious twin gangsters who headed up London’s underworld in the 1960′s. Conservative ex-Cabinet minister Lord Tebbit yesterday compared Sharia Law to the system of arbitration run by the Kray twins during their criminal heyday in London’s East End. Justice Minster Lord Bach had told the House of Lords at question time that individuals in the UK have “the option to use religious councils or any other system of alternative dispute resolution.” Also he stressed that English law would prevail if there was any conflict. But Lord Tebbit told him: “A few years ago in the East End of London there was a system of arbitration of disputes that was run by the Kray twins. Are you not not aware that there is extreme pressure put upon vulnerable women to go through a form of arbitration that results in them being virtually precluded from access to British law ?” But in usual New Labour mealy-mouthed fashion, Lord Bach replied that a problem “undoubtedly exists, but the fact is any decision made by anybody that is in fact outside English law cannot stand against English law.” How any downtrodden Muslim woman is supposed to access that legal aid in the face of possible family, religious and community pressure, Lord Bach didn’t elaborate. In other words, another craven piece of government appeasement designed to attract Muslim votes in marginal inner-city constituencies. 

 

Pictured above is the Mayor of London, Mr Boris Johnson, tripping into a river as he worked yesterday and sinking into the water during a photo-shoot to promote volunteering. He was captured on camera striding through ankle-deep water before accidentally falling into a deeper stretch and sinking up to his chest. A volunteer jumped in after him and Mr Johnson struggled to maintain his balance as he was helped out of the water, still holding on to a refuse bag and a large stick – his tools for cleaning up the river. Onlookers could be heard shouting ridicule and abuse, but Mr Johnson kept his sense of humour about the incident, later describing it as the “ultimate sacrifice” to promote volunteering. “I decided to fall in in a very spectacular way,” he said. The mayor was helping to clean the River Pool in Lewisham, south east London, in a bid to remove litter and Himalayan balsam – an invasive plant species which prevents native vegetation and wildlife from thriving – from the riverbanks. A spectacular political fall – but not I suspect as spectacular as Gordon Brown’s fall will be after the full results of yesterday’s local and European elections are in. Unless of course he follows the trend set by half of his cabinet and resigns too.

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Tags: abortion, afghanistan, barack obama, baroness jay, birmingham, boris johnson, bradford, cairo, cla, condoms, coroners and justice bill, embryo and stem cell researc, euthanasia, final solution, george w bush, gordon brown, grey squirrels, himalayan balsam, house of lords, iran, iraq, islam, james callaghan, james purnell, kray twins, leeds, lewisham, london, lord bach, lord falconer, lord tebbit, manchester, most rev peter smith, new labour, palestine, prince charles, red squirrel survival trust, red squirrels, river pool, roman catholic church, sharia law, sir henry aubrey-fletcher, uk, us, vatican

This entry was posted on Friday, June 5th, 2009 at 12:12 am and is filed under Daily Posts. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.