http://www.blueidea.co.uk A Conservative-supporting thinking blog. Thu, 11 Mar 2010 08:45:00 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Gordon Brown has delivered a "sobering" New Year message.I'm just gonna go and get pissed! http://www.blueidea.co.uk/2007/12/1130.html Our government is putting us in danger by placing violent criminals in open prisons - against its own guidelines. By placing these dangerous people in open prisons, they are leaving us open to the risk of risk of them escaping and re-offending.They have also started doing this from the start ... http://www.blueidea.co.uk/2007/12/violent-criminal-go-to-an-open-prison.html This may seem controversial, but it doesn't really seem very much so to me at the moment. That the assassination of Benazir Bhutto has left a void in Pakistani politics shows that the political leadership in Pakistan is still weak and massively personality focused.What also makes me doubt Pakistan's devotion ... http://www.blueidea.co.uk/2007/12/is-pakistan-even-ready-for-real-democracy.html If what the Conservatives are claiming is true, then yes:The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) is to study a Tory dossier that claims the unions are “ripping off” members by asking for inflated fees that are creamed off into Labour coffers...Although union members can opt out of paying a political ... http://www.blueidea.co.uk/2007/12/another-illegal-labour-donation.html No, not the poll tax or even a tax on poles [or even Poles] - but rather a tax on pole dancers.Customers at strip clubs in Texas are facing a controversial $5-a-head "pole tax" which is intended to pay for sex crime prevention programmes and rape crisis centres.The surcharge, backed ... http://www.blueidea.co.uk/2007/12/pole-tax.html Britain is a nation of monarchists, with 80% wanting Britain to retain it's monarchy. I am not in the slightest bit surprised by this, as the monarchy is on the whole well-regarded by the people of Britain.Also, the monarchy is a good thing for this country, as it keeps a ... http://www.blueidea.co.uk/2007/12/a-nation-of-monarchists.html This morning I killed my keyboard by spilling a cup of tea over it whilst reading through my RSS reader. Very annoying it was too. And the third one I have killed in a similar manner - though the previous two were killed by beer rather than tea!The most annoying ... http://www.blueidea.co.uk/2007/12/dead-keyboard.html The Centre for Policy Studies has produced a lexicon of contemporary "Newspeak", telling us what politicians really mean. Some of the best are below:Anti-social behaviour: anything of which the Government does not approve...Britishness: any combination of values which a politician wants to promote...Celebrate (as in to celebrate achievements): to use ... http://www.blueidea.co.uk/2007/12/the-2008-political-lexicon.html This speech, made by Hugh Grant in the film Love Actually [which was on TV last night, hence this post], is one which the British people would love to hear - but that would never be made by any Prime Minister of any party. Nevertheless, it is a fantastic speech.Of ... http://www.blueidea.co.uk/2007/12/a-speech-no-prime-minister-would-ever-make.html http://www.blueidea.co.uk/2007/12/happy-christmas.html