http://www.blueidea.co.uk A Conservative-supporting thinking blog. Thu, 11 Mar 2010 08:45:00 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en ASDA are my hero of the day. In response to the SNPs nanny state proposals to crack down on cheap alcohol, they have declared: There is nothing to stop companies looking at expanding their home shopping network or opening up depots just south of the border and delivering to homes in Scotland. So ... http://www.blueidea.co.uk/2008/06/asda-alcohol-and-the-snp.html A storm has risen up over MPs having investments in Zimbabwe. Or, rather, as the facts actually are, in companies which have a presence in Zimbabwe. The Independent On Sunday proclaims that: Three of David Cameron's frontbenchers are among six Conservatives – and one Liberal Democrat – with investments together worth more ... http://www.blueidea.co.uk/2008/06/zimbabwe-investments.html Pundit Kitchen http://www.blueidea.co.uk/2008/06/baby-planes.html With growing inflation, it's no surprise that the Royal Family have spent more this year than last year. They've cost the taxpayer £40million in the past 12 months - an increase of £2million. Or, to put that another way, 66p per person instead of 62p. Personally, I think that represents outstanding value ... http://www.blueidea.co.uk/2008/06/66p.html One by-election was just a month ago. Another held its vote yesterday. And the candidate list for one more has just closed. They think it's all over - but it isn't yet: A Labour MP is set to resign forcing another potentially embarrassing by-election for Gordon Brown in the wake of his ... http://www.blueidea.co.uk/2008/06/yet-another-bloody-by-election.html Today the Labour Party is humiliated. The Henley by-election was an even worse result than Crewe and Nantwich. The results are as follows: John Howell:  Conservatives, 19,796 (56.95%, +3.46%) Stephen Kearney: Lib Dems, 9,680 (27.85%, +1.84%) Mark Stevenson: Green, 1,321 (3.80%, +0.54%) Timothy Rait: BNP, 1,243 (3.58%, -) Richard McKenzie: ... http://www.blueidea.co.uk/2008/06/humiliated-in-henley.html The rules covering MPs expenses are being tightened. But not by much, and not really properly. It's a bodge of a compromise. MPs will no longer be able to use taxpayer's money to improve their homes by buying new kitchens, bathrooms, or furniture - and they will have to produce receipts ... http://www.blueidea.co.uk/2008/06/tightening-mps-expenses.html Certainly that will be the case if this happens: Unions are to demand new rights to strike as the price for keeping the cash-strapped Labour Party afloat. Repealing the ban on secondary industrial action is among a swath of left-wing policies that unions want to see in the Labour manifesto. The pressure ... http://www.blueidea.co.uk/2008/06/money-for-labour-strikes-for-everyone-else.html Discrimination is wrong, in every way. This is something we all agree on, right? So how is tacking the word "positive" on to it making it any better? What Harman is proposing is utterly disgusting. The very idea that firms should discriminate in favour of female and ethnic minority job candidates ... http://www.blueidea.co.uk/2008/06/positive-discrimination-theres-no-such-thing.html   "We The People" is a column written for the Wardman Wire. This blog post can also be seen here.   The attitude of politicians today to democracy can so well be summed up by the cartoon below, by Peter Brookes in the Times. All for democracy - except where it might adversely affect ... http://www.blueidea.co.uk/2008/06/democracy-today-we-the-people.html