Peter Ryan's Blurty
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Peter Ryan's Blurty:
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| Friday, April 15th, 2005 | | 11:59 am |
Campaign cruises.... This week, I have to admit, the UK election has moved into a cruising speed, and is getting boring. No one will dispute that this campaign is actually getting to be somewhat dull, but what is being seen is that Labour seems to be moving ahead. New polls from the BBC seem to show Labour solidifying at around 38-39%, with the Tories stuck somewhere in the low 30s, while LibDems hover at the 20%-mark. Charles Kennedy has not gotten the 'baby-bounce' that many predicted a few days back, but time will tell. Lord know, he made a cock-up of his election manifesto launch yesterday, when he could not explain his tax provisions. But, due to the fact that he is a new dad, many are cutting him some slack, given the lack of sleep associated with a newborn baby in the house. On the ground, the LibDems were outside Richmond station this morning, pumpimg up their transport policy. I was acosted by a middle aged North American whom I quickly learned is the husband of the LibDem candidate. The candidate, incidentally, used to run th Chicago transport network, so she may know something about how to fix the mess of a privatized rail network. Needless to say, her husband certainly knew more about this than the Tory candidate did last week. By the way, sorry for no post yesterday. The news was rightly dominated by this: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2-1569915,00.html | | Wednesday, April 13th, 2005 | | 9:53 am |
Active day in UK election campaign..... Well, the past 24 hours has been quite exciting in the election. Most of the media coverage was dominated by Gordon Brown and Tony Blair's 'side-by-side' roadshow of strained friendship. The two attacked the Conservative platform as unworkable, and did a credible job, if I do say so myself. They were not verbose, but spoke to the facts as they saw them. If I was an undecided voter who paid litle attention to politics, it could have swayed me. But, I like to think I am more informed than that......;-) Michael Howard had an interesting day canvassing in the rain. The news showed him at a campaign rally attended by a lot of gray-haired pensioners, where he railed against immigration and crime. He made the cardinal mistake of engaging a lone Labour heckler in the crowd, which looked terrible on TV. Finally, on a brighter note, Lib-Dem chief Charoles Kennedy presented his newborn son, Donald, to the world yesterday morning. You could feel the pride in his dad, and rightly so!! http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2005/04/13/nelec413.xml&sSheet=/news/2005/04/13/ixhome.htmlCharles will take paternity leave from the campaign, and hand the reigns over to deputy leader, the very credible Menzies Campbell. Finally, today, two stories from the ground..... One - I called the Lib-Dem MP for my area to find out what their party will do to address the awful state of public transport for commuters who live in the Southwest of London. As expected, I was promised some literature, and maybe a phone call..... I am not holding my breath. Two - one of the most interesting races in the Uk looks to be Bethnal Green in the east end of London. This is where incumbent 'Blair-babe' Oona King is taking on deposed Scottish Labour MP, George Galloway, a one-time cheerleader for Saddam Hussein and now leader of ultra-socialist alliance called Respect. This riding is turning into a complete circus, and I am attaching some links below, which explains why. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/vote_2005/england/4438529.stmhttp://politics.guardian.co.uk/election/story/0,15803,1456883,00.htmlhttp://news.scotsman.com/politics.cfm?id=387462005 | | Tuesday, April 12th, 2005 | | 9:21 am |
Tories gamble and Lib-Dems get a new member Well, Tory leader Michael Howard has made a huge gamble in the launch of his new, slimline, abridged election manifesto. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/vote_2005/frontpage/4432243.stmIt is a one-pager that is handwritten (presumably in Howard's own penmanship), and covers six basic themes, which are more cops, cleaner hospitals, lower taxes, school discipline, controlled immigration and accountability. Bit of motherhood, methinks! I have serious doubts that this tactic will work for the Tories. UK voters are supremely angry at Tony Blair, but simplistic slogans are not going to cut it. I have found it very tough to get Tory activists and candidates to provide solid answers to straightforward questions over the last couple of weeks, and with a manifesto like this, it is clear why. It is interesting to note that Michael Howard has employed the Australian Liberal guru, who has succeeded in electing John Howard for a third term. For their sake, I hope they are confident in his abilities, as the polls still seem stuck a few points back from labour. And, on a lighter note, congratulations are in order to Liberal Democrat leader, Charkles Kennedy, whose wife had a baby boy! A new Kennedy dynasty has been born. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,19809-1566006,00.html | | 9:21 am |
Tories gamble and Lib-Dems get a new member Well, Tory leader Michael Howard has made a huge gamble in the launch of his new, slimline, abridged election manifesto. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/vote_2005/frontpage/4432243.stmIt is a one-pager that is handwritten (presumably in Howard's own penmanship), and covers six basic themes, which are more cops, cleaner hospitals, lower taxes, school discipline, controlled immigration and accountability. Bit of motherhood, methinks! I have serious doubts that this tactic will work for the Tories. UK voters are supremely angry at Tony Blair, but simplistic slogans are not going to cut it. I have found it very tough to get Tory activists and candidates to provide solid answers to straightforward questions over the last couple of weeks, and with a manifesto like this, it is clear why. It is interesting to note that Michael Howard has employed the Australian Liberal guru, who has succeeded in electing John Howard for a third term. For their sake, I hope they are confident in his abilities, as the polls still seem stuck a few points back from labour. And, on a lighter note, congratulations are in order to Liberal Democrat leader, Charkles Kennedy, whose wife had a baby boy! A new Kennedy dynasty has been born. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,19809-1566006,00.html | | Monday, April 11th, 2005 | | 10:18 am |
Week Two - Manifesto Launches.... The Papal funeral and royal wedding are officially out of the way, so now the three main parties vying for power can forget the distractions and go forward to polling day on May 5. The big news this week is the launch of the Labour and Tory manifestos. The Conservatives have been all over the news the last 24 hours promising a crackdown on immigration, linking it to national security. Note that Michael Howard does his speeches on this subject with a background of ethnic minorities to denote that neither he, nor his party, are racist. I don't think that Howard, nor the vast majority of Tories are racists. But, I would be very cautious of hot-buttoning what is indeed a very serious issue that needs to be addressed in the UK (Those in Canada will remember Preston Manning's no more Québec Prime Ministers campaign from 1997). Labour is supposed to be kicking off their manifesto launch, as well, with the focus on education. This will be a non-event, with the usual buzz-words about opportunity and investment. 8 years 'too little-too late' is the likely response from the public. On the ground this weekend, my wife and I were unfortunate enough to have been stopped by local Tory canvassers outside the St. Margaret's train station. When I asked the stooge with bad teeth what the Conservatives would do for public transport, which is approaching third-world conditions due to Tory/Labour privatization, he just ranted about Tony Blair. Sorry, mate, but the public are tired of finger pointing. Come see me when you have some serious alternatives. Also, the polls are conflicting right now.... some are putting Labour 5-6 points up on the Tories, while The Telegraph says that Blair and Howard are tied at 36% each. Guess we will have to wait for a bit to see what shakes out. On a completley different note, please do yourself a favour and DO NOT RENT THIS MOVIE!!!!!!!! http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0368008/It is the biggest load of trip I have seen in years. | | Friday, April 8th, 2005 | | 11:28 am |
Day three..... quiet!
Not much happening today, due to the funeral of Pope John Paul II. However, on an interesting note, the BBC has highlighted a poll done for the Conservative-leaning Telegraph, owned by one disgraced Lord Conrad Black of Crossharbour.
Apparently, Labour leads with 36%, one point up from the Tories who have 35% support. The Lib-Dems are well back at 21%. The minor and regional parties are on 8% combined.
Now, if this holds, Labour will achieve a majority of 58 seats, which will be a huge drop of 51 incumbents, and will all but ensure a quick exit by PM Blair. Gordon Brown's ascension to the big chair will be practically ensured.
Interestingly, the poll numbers seem to be staying consistent since the outset of the campaign, so it will be interesting to watch next week when the campaign gets into full swing, what with Charles/Camilla and the Pope's funeral fading into the past.
Weekend will be blog-free as I take a break. | | Thursday, April 7th, 2005 | | 12:30 pm |
Day two of the campaign..... Blair backs Brown The most significant headline of the election this morning was PM Blair's enthusiastic endorsement of his arch-nemesis Gordon Brown, who is also the UK finance minister. http://politics.guardian.co.uk/election/story/0,15803,1453933,00.htmlThis is of particular note, as it does two things. One, it puts the two of them on stage in a unified show of force for Labour, which has been beset by the infighting between both men's camps. Second, it is a clear sop to the leftist votes, given Brown's penchant for putting the 'social' in social democrat. Note that Gordon Brown will not promise to keep taxes down, and avoids the question at all costs. However, this show of unity may prove a brilliant move on Labour's part. With Blair promising the heir-apparent to stay in the finmin job, he keeps many swing-voters who were looking at the LibDems potentially in the Labour camp. It should also be noted that Brown is much more identifiable with voters than Tory shadow chancellor, Oliver Letwin ( http://www.conservatives.com/tile.do?def=people.person.page&personID=4533). Look for Brown to play a huge role in the campaign, as Labour tries to keep Blair as low-profile as possible. On a funny note, enjoy this hilarious clip of the last question time for this session of parliament: http://news.bbc.co.uk/nolavconsole/ukfs_news/hi/newsid_4410000/newsid_4415800/bb_rm_4415807.stm | | Wednesday, April 6th, 2005 | | 10:17 am |
Day one - the parties set the tone..... Well, the election campaign got off to a fast and furious start this morning, with Conservative signs displayed in many front windows across Richmond and Twickenham. The Liberal Democrat MP in this area will have his work cut out for him. As well, the Tories were standing outside Richmond Station this morning trying to canvass commuters on their views regarding public transport. I have to say that if the Conservatives keep this pace up, they will be a force to be reckoned with come May 5. Leader Michael Howard has also been frantically trying to canvass support on the TV, but whoever is doing his optics should be canned.... Imagine having him speak at a podium that reads 'are you thinking what we are thinking?' That is just begging for a funny photo and caption in the tabloids. Lib Dem leader Charles Kennedy has gotten off to a solid start, too, differentiating himself and his party from Labour and the Tories. His focus on green voters and peace activists who are teed-off with Blair may yield some votes, but is unlikely to gain much in terms of dissaffeteced Conservatives - those are the votes he needs. Tony Blair performed well yesterday and is playing up the statesman card. However, voters across the UK seem to be fed up with him. A poll this morning in the urban commuter newspaper Metro shows that he has lost a great deal of support from professional urbanites who solidly backed him in 1997 and 2001. He has made an attempt at getting his backing from the working classes with a letter to traditional Labour tabloid, The Mirror, asking for their renewed support. http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/allnews/tm_objectid=15370112%26method=full%26siteid=50143%26headline=a%2dletter%2dto%2dall%2dmirror%2dreaders%2dfrom%2dtony%2dblair-name_page.htmlHowever, if Blair thinks he will win by turning this election into a left/right ideology battle, he is mistaken. Voters want pragmatic solutions, not lofty ideas. A final note - Tom Pringle, office Tory extraordinaire has led me to the Swingomitor, which calculates different scenarios for election results, and is completely interactive..... Give it a try! http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/vote2005/swingometer/html/labcon.stm | | Tuesday, April 5th, 2005 | | 5:21 pm |
And they're off!!! This morning, Tony Blair let out the worst kept secret in the UK. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2-1555776,00.htmlThis is likely to be one of the closest races in the last 20 years. Not only have four opinion polls today placed Labour's lead as extremely shaky, but Blair has also suffered a defection by a backbencher to the omnipresent Liberal Democrats. The Tories have been the main beneficiary of the good polling numbers, and seem to be closing the gap that has existed since the reigns of error provided by William Hague and Iain Duncan Smith. Look for Michael Howard to continue his aggressive tact of pushing labour on immigration, crime, taxes and school discipline. In case anyone wants to look at any links related to the UK election, I recommend the following (note that I will add more as the campaign goes on): http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/vote_2005/default.stmhttp://www.ukelect.com/Anyhow, stay tuned to this blog for regular 'on the ground' coverage of Election 2005!! | | Thursday, November 4th, 2004 | | 12:29 pm |
The next 4 years.....
I realize that my blogging has been minimal over the past few months, due in part to:
-Getting married;
-Honeymooning in Cuba (little internet access);
-Lots happening at work.
But, given the deluge of emails over the past day from friends the world over asking my views on the re-election of GWB., jr., I will make a brief return to cyber-commenting.
First off, Kerry conceded graciously, it is all over, and lets thank god we don't have the same chaos as what took place four years ago. John Kerry ran a spirited campaign at the end, but suffered from a lack of consistent vision. My pal, Adam Daifallah (www.daifallah.com) pointed out on his blog yesterday that there was too much emphasis on Kerry's Viet Nam record, and I agree.... That war does not resonate with younger voters, who by all accounts flocked to the polls this time around. Rather, their focus is jobs, education and America's place in the geo-political sphere. I know hindsight is wonderful, but I can't help thinking that if John Edwards had been at the top of the ticket, this result would have been reversed.
Second, much as I loathe Bush and the clowns around him, he ran an aggressive campaign, which mobilized his core vote. By touching on hot button issues such as abortion, gay rights & marriage and gun control, Bush pushed redneck bible-thumpers to the polls in droves. Forget not that it was the Republican goal to get the four million evangelical Christians that stayed home in 2000 to vote in 2004. Bush's margin was just under figure.
Lastly, Bush has to realize that the mess he made needs to be cleaned up. The astronomical deficit must be reigned in, and tax cuts for the sake of themselves is a policy that simply will not work going forward. Today, the USD hit its lowest point ever against the Euro, and there is an announcement that the American debt ceiling will need to be raised yet again. These are hardly ringing economic endorsements of Bush financial policy.
Second, Bush et co. need to start rebuilding America's image abroad. Due to his unilateral approach, innocent US citizens travelling in Europe and other places are at bet subjected to shunning and at worst violence due to what the Republicans have done to the previous global order (an order that his own father's administration wisely helped craft).
Bush needs to work closely with the countries that he has alienated (Canada, France, Germany to name a few) and understand that future military operations have to be justified not by a few zealots hiding behind self-important titles in the oval office, but by the wider international community. It says a lot that the major dailies in London speak today of the worry many lawmakers have of Bush prepapring to mount an invasion of Syria or Iran. Bush must work to dispell such rumours.
That's it from me in the UK on this sunny fall afternoon.
I'm Peter Ryan, and I approve this message. | | Friday, August 27th, 2004 | | 9:45 am |
| | Sunday, August 22nd, 2004 | | 4:46 pm |
| | Wednesday, August 18th, 2004 | | 1:36 pm |
No pardon for Czech Commie Prague Spring plotter For many of us, 1968 will remain the year in which RFK and MLK were shot, Tricky Dicky won The White House, Trudeau won 24 Sussex Drive, and Chicago erupted in flames at the Democratic convention. But for many in Eastern Europe, it signifies the year that freedom from communism was nearly won, only to have the candle flicker out at the last moment. For a full backgrounder on The Prague Spring, click here: http://library.thinkquest.org/C001155/index1.htmI have had the privilege of visiting Prague, and meeting its warm and wonderful people. To imagine a society such as the Czech Republic, which is the commercial gateway to the East, oppressed and held down by Soviet power-mongers is obscene. But, what is worse is a move to exonerate The Prague Spring's only convicted perpetrator: http://www.praguepost.com/P03/2004/Art/0812/news3.phpLet's be frank: Eric Honecker got away without being convicted, so why should this guy? He is 80 years old; so what? How many students were killed in Prague those fateful days who never made it to 30? I implore you to email Czech President, Vaclav Klaus (webmaster@klaus.cz), and ask him not to release Karel Hoffman. His actions must be punished! | | Tuesday, August 17th, 2004 | | 12:04 pm |
Blair, summer and Italy Ahhhh, the summer months:-) Filled with frolic, beached, and lazy evenings on the veranda of your Italian host's villa.... http://www.reuters.co.uk/newsPackageArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=566550§ion=newsI really hope Tony enjoys his holiday! After all, he has been working so hard to get the rail network functioning, controlling those spontaneous outbursts of joy at his leadership, and providing the EU with a clear and decisive vision of the UK's role in the continental decision making process..... However, I think it is time that he copped on, and got into the real-world. For instance, why is he on vacation once again, when not so long ago, he was cavorting on Cliff Richard's yacht in Barbados? For his next holiday, I suggest that TB and his clan look at this option! It is cost effective, and may help them get back to their red-Labour roots: http://www.bulgariancoast.com/hotels/detail.asp?hid=322&rid=15 | | Monday, August 16th, 2004 | | 5:10 pm |
| | Sunday, August 15th, 2004 | | 12:40 pm |
Some items for Sunday...... Well, I wake up today, fresh after a £35 taxi fare home last night from Waterloo Station, and am confronted with this: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/newspaper/0,,176-1217432,00.htmlI would personally like to thank the Islamic clerics in the UK for helping to do their part in the war against terror. The Muslim community is a large and dynamic one in this country, and an integral part of British society. Their contribution in keeping England safe is welcomed. Then, I see this: http://icessex.icnetwork.co.uk/news/tm_objectid=14533170&method=full&siteid=53340&headline=blunkett-tight-lipped-over--affair--name_page.htmlApparently, Britain's Labour-come-Tory Home Secretary has been dallying with a married single Mom. Gee, a politician into some funny business!?!?!?!?!? I am so shocked..... Finally, this: http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/1092486073228_70/?hub=TopStoriesCanada's national parks are being held hostgae by greedy public sector union bosses. Forget that it is summer, and tourists from around the world are coming to enjoy Canada's considerable wildlife (No, not the wildlife on 20th Street in Saskatoon every welfare-cheque day). I can recall many summers our parents drove us to the Rocky Mountains for camping and hiking; Truly fond memories. I just feel sorry for the kids who will have to forego such fun this summer, all because a few union bosses seem to feel that they are so hard done by. Canada deserves better than this, and so do the people who choose to visit and spend their hard-earned money. Remember, this is a global economy, and tourists do have a choice where to go!! | | Saturday, August 14th, 2004 | | 8:56 pm |
John Tory -Premier? For those among you interested, John Tory is running for Premier of Ontario: http://www.johntory.ca/I have one question..... How can a guy who has never succeeded at anything cintemplate such a move? Oh yes, he is following the example of this individual: http://www.whitehouse.gov/president/gwbbio.htmlLet's be frank; John Tory, during his 'stellar' career, has screwed up several projects, including: -Rogers Cable -The CFL -His mayorlty bid to head Toronto -And,oh yes, last but not least, the worst electoral defeat of any party in Canadian history (Save Richard Hatfield in 1987): http://www.craigmarlatt.com/canada/government/campbell.htmlJohn Tory is the worst kind of Toronto-Upper-Crust poncer...... He and the current White House occupant have a lot in common.... Lets hope that Ontario Tories say 'NO' to John Tory!! | | 10:42 am |
Bush question and answer session Just caught this by chance on Google: http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2004/08/20040811-6.htmlI am just wondering why Bush is using the government web site for partisan politics!?!?!?!? Look at all the references to Kerry and Edwards.... This should be on his campaign site, not that of the White House. But, I think we all know that ethics and standards are not part of Bush's limited lexicon. | | 10:33 am |
London spiralling out of control...... You know, I really think that living in one of the so-called centers of the world is great! But, it is stories like this that are helping to shove London's reputation in the toilet. It is already plagued with pollution, overcrowding, unaffordable houses, and awful public services. But, imagine you are coming in off a flight at Heathrow, looking forward to getting into the city to check into your hotel, grab a beer or some chow, and this is what you are faced with: http://www.4ni.co.uk/nationalnews.asp?id=32173This is repugnant! I mean, its not like the police in this country will actually do anything about it, anyhow.... The other day, 2 seniors were gunned down gangland style in their own home, and the cops took SEVEN HOURS to show up! I am not a backer of Michael Howard and his Tories, but lord knows that they are the only party even starting to address crime and punishment in the UK. Blair had best watch his back in the run up to the next vote. | | Friday, August 13th, 2004 | | 1:04 pm |
Some great stories here.... For those of you unfamiliar with Val Sears, he is a warhorse of Canuck political reporting. He was a classmate of John Turner at UBC, and a longstanding member of the press corps in Ottawa. Here is a hilarious piece with some excellent tales of politicians from days gone by: http://www.canoe.ca/NewsStand/Columnists/Ottawa/Val_Sears/2004/08/02/566800.htmlHave a great weekend, all!! |
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