This is the week (and a bit) that was...

In the short life of our new coalition government there has been many things I could have blogged on, and indeed I have found myself stuck in limbo about what to write about as there has been so much. Just as I get an idea of where to start I hear or read something else that makes me want to write about that too putting the previous idea on a back burner to oblivion. But I believe I have finally found something, quite extraordinarily missed by the mainstream media in their "coalition coziness" and which could have far reaching consequences. But first a run through the blogs you could've won...

a) Theresa May as Minister for Women and Equality is laughable as has been widely reported. There is even a facebook page and a petition. For those of you who have let this one get by you The Rt. Hon. MP for Maidenhead voted against lowering the age of consent for gay couples, against gay adoption and against repealing section 28 (that notorious piece of legislation that stopped schools talking about homosexuality with their pupils). Equality means everyone doesn't it? She has since said that the facebook group has helped her change her mind about these issues. Leading on from that, the new cabinet as a whole raises some issues to be sure. The one ray of hope being Vince Cable as Business Minister and in charge of the banks which were nationalised by the last government. Vince was the most outspoken of all MPs when the banks started going under. However now it looks like Chancellor Osbourne will have final say and he's a free-marketeer of the highest order so don't expect to see too much tight regulation on what is now our property. 

b) The Conservative government have embedded themselves with worrying ease into power by changing the rules on how Parliament can be broken up. Firstly there is now a fixed term of 5 years, something which was originally in the Liberal Democrats manifesto, but with some worrying amendments to the legislation, and I quote "also provide for dissolution if 55% or more of the House votes in favour" and, crucially when worked together with a rise in the number of MPs needed to call a "vote of no confidence" in the government from 50% + 1 MP to 51% of MPs. Now this may not seem much, and in truth it is only a difference of around 5-7 MPs, however and this is the crux of it. If the Liberals leave the "coalition of the cross-party cuddle-in" it would surely show a degree of lacking confidence in the ruling party but as the new rules have it, even after a vote of no confidence is won, the rest of Parliament still would not have enough votes to dissolve and hold another election. 

c) So, the Miliband brothers have both put their names into the hat for the next Labour Party leader. All very much of a muchness I think. Both are slimy weasels with far too much of the Blairite in them. Personally I'd like to see, recently announced contender, Diane Abbot get it, although I can't imagine that happening. A British political party ready for a black woman in charge??? Sadly, I doubt it. There was an interesting snippet in the paper though about Ed Miliband not vacating his office at the Foreign Office in time for the new incumbent William Hague to occupy it as he was too busy drumming support for his leadership bid. Now what does that tell you about the opposition in the House of Commons at present? Not that they are there as a safeguard or balance against runaway parties, that's for certain.

d) Looking at the policies for the new government has left me a little cold but I do not have time to go into them now, indeed this will be the topic of my next post. This isn't about any policy on it's own but the disclaimer to some of them that they are Tory policies and that Liberal MPs can abstain from the vote, but not vote against it presumably. This would make it difficult to combat any Tory led piece of legislation even if that goes against the Liberals own ideas. Most notably this is going to be used to get through more nuclear power stations and more nuclear weapons, neither of which we need and both of which the Libs said they wouldn't do in their manifesto.

well, that's all folks.... until tomorrow when I give you the amazing similarities between my views and David Camerons and how, in the wrong hands, this could lead to the possible stealth privatisation of the NHS, a many-tiered education system and a ever widening wealth gap.

please note: pictures used without permission and taken from the BBC and Google Image search.