Flash, sorry George, we love you but we only have 14 hours to save the world (banking system)

Flash, sorry George, we love you but we only have 14 hours to save the world (banking system), originally uploaded by Teacher Dude's BBQ.

Drink for Queen and Country

Drink for Queen and Country, originally uploaded by Teacher Dude's BBQ.

Government keeps wine cellar contents under wraps

Foreign and Commonwealth Office claim full disclosure of £864,000 collection could 'influence the wine market'

The Guardian

PRESS - Do Not Swallow May '- 68 Revisited

PRESS - Do Not Swallow May '- 68 Revisited, originally uploaded by Teacher Dude's BBQ.

Nicolas Sarkozy: A life in pictures

Although French media have been quick to cast doubt on Nicolas Sarkozy's claims to have been present at the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 photographs have now emerged that definitively prove that the French leader has a Zelig like ability to be present at the 20th century's most important events.



As a Fullbright student Sarkozy manages to find his way into high society during his stay in the United States during the early 60's. He becomes a regular feature in the Kennedy's compound in the years leading up to JFK's term in the White House.



Later, with Sarkozy's drift to the right his presence in the American capital comes to the attention of Ronald Reagan who is quick to mentor his young French admirer.



As an ardent supporter of US foreign policy in the Middle East the future president of the French republic feels that his country's interests are best served by him taking a hands on approach to the invasion of Iraq and the overthrow of Saddam Hussein.



However, as his political career starts to wane in the early 90's Sarkozy decides to return to his first love, football as a result he is instrumental in helping the country's national team achieve international success during his brief stint as goalkeeper.

Sarkozy is history

Sarkozi is history, originally uploaded by Teacher Dude's BBQ.

A young Nicolas Sarkozy addresses the masses in St Petersburg on the eve of the October Revolution. However, in the years that follow Nicholas attempts to play down his youthful transgressions.



Later Nicolas through force of personality and determination managed to reach the very highest circles of international politics to give his personal stamp to events shaping the world.

Siemens is proud to sponsor New Democracy

Siemens is proud to sponsor New Democracy, originally uploaded by Teacher Dude's BBQ.

"The warrant for Christos Karavellas, Siemens' former financial manager in Greece, was issued after he failed to appear in court as scheduled on Friday. Karavellas' lawyer claimed his client was abroad and sought to postpone the testimony, the source added.

German industrial giant Siemens is accused of bribing local politicians and officials from Greek telephone operator OTE to bag a multi-million-dollar contract before the
Athens Olympic Games in 2004.

An arrest warrant was also issued on May 20 for the group's former Greek operations director Michalis Christoforakos, who is believed to be in Munich. Greek officials are labouring to have Christoforakos extradited.

Two more suspects, former Siemens executive Ilias Georgiou and OTE's former telecommunications general manager George Skarpelis, who are scheduled to testify in mid-June, have been barred from leaving the country.

The paybacks scandal rocked Greece for months and both the ruling party of Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis and the main opposition PASOK socialists are accused of taking bribes.

A former PASOK official admitted in June to having accepted 1 million German marks (around €510,000 $720,000) from Siemens in 2000, on behalf of the party when it was in power.

The Siemens scandal erupted in late 2006 and shook the group to its core. The sprawling conglomerate has acknowledged that millions of euros were funnelled into various funds used to obtain foreign contracts, and that the practice was widespread across its numerous divisions."

http://www.thelocal.de/money/20090529-19599.html

MP expenses fraud - If you suspect it, report it.

MP expenses fraud - If you suspect it, report it., originally uploaded by Teacher Dude's BBQ.

"Lembit Opik, the Liberal Democrat housing spokesman, was forced to pay £2,499 for a 42” plasma television himself after he bought it at the worst possible moment.

Mr Opik, who is renowned for his high-profile relationships, bought the television in his constituency of Montgomeryshire, Wales, on April 24. Twelve days later, he was re-elected with an increased majority, but by then it was too late.

His claim for expenses for his flat in south-east London, which he bought in 1997, was reduced by £2,499.

An official in the Commons fees office annotated his claim form with the words “NOT ALLOWED (purchased during dissolution)”. Mr Opik has claimed a total of £68,031 for the flat since 2004. Last year, he claimed £12,655 for extensive renovation work. This included a new kitchen, repainting throughout and the installation of wooden flooring in his bedroom."

www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/mps-expenses/5314613/...

"Sir Michael Spicer, the Conservatives’ most senior backbench MP, claimed £5,650 in nine months for his garden to be maintained. In December 2006, he submitted a detailed invoice which included “hedge cutting ... helipad”, although he claimed last night that the “helipad” was a “family joke”. The Conservative grandee successfully claimed for the costs of hanging a chandelier in his main manor house. "

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/mps-expenses/5310200/MPs-expenses-Paying-bills-for-Tory-grandees.html

"Douglas Hogg, the former agriculture secretary, submitted a claim form including more than £2,000 for the moat around his country estate to be cleared. The taxpayer also helped meet the cost of a full-time housekeeper, including her car. The public finances also helped pay for work to Mr Hogg’s stables and for his piano to be tuned."

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/mps-expenses/5310200/MPs-expenses-Paying-bills-for-Tory-grandees.html

The most worrying aspect of this whole scandal is not the way that those on nearly three times the UK average wage abused the expenses system to pay for everything from bath plugs to moat cleaning on their country estate. The worst part is that such widespread abuse meant that huge swathes of the House of Commons were, at least in theory, open to the threat of blackmail and intimidation by anyone with access to the information. What better way of getting leverage than the possibility that juicy details about your lavish publicly funded lifestyle would find their way into the public domain?

On the other hand those in charge of the parties must have been rubbing their hands with glee knowing that party discipline could always be ensured via the use of veiled threats that such and such outlay might become the subject of investigation by the people back in their constituency.

"Yes, while I agree with your courageous moral stance on ........... I think that they fact that you are claiming for a second home despite living less than 30 miles away from parliament may look a trifle odd to the voters back home, don't you think? So, let's hear no more of this backbench rebellion nonsense, shall we?"

Average (UK) MP's expenses cost taxpayer £118,000

Average (UK) MP's expenses cost taxpayer £118,000, originally uploaded by Teacher Dude's BBQ.

The average MP cost taxpayers £118,000 in allowances and expenses last year, it was revealed yesterday when the House of Commons opened its books in an attempt to counter accusations of fiddling and sleaze.

MPs are paid £57,485, but figures published for the first time show that the additional total allowances have climbed to £78m, an increase of more than £20m within two years.

Amounts paid out for housing, constituency offices, staff, travel, computers and other items, released as part of the move towards freedom of information, varied widely between neighbouring MPs in the same political parties, the figures show.

The Commons figures were made public as a report by the senior salaries review board recommended a particularly harsh deal for MPs and ministers, pegging salary rises next year to a below inflation 2% and increasing by 1% contributions to an admittedly generous pension scheme.

Peers, however, are in line for a boost of up to 20% under proposals to raise daily atten dance allowances by £11 to £75, overnight expenses from £128 to £150, and daily office awards from £53.50 to £65.

MPs have enjoyed a number of sizeable pay rises and holding down next April's award will avoid a possible controversy before an expected general election in May.

Sir Archy Kirkwood, the Liberal Democrat MP who speaks for the Commons commission which published the expenses figures, said: "This is a significant step towards openness and accountability and I welcome it. The taxpayers can really see how their money is being spent."

Sir Archy, MP for rural Roxburgh and Berwickshire, may have been relieved to discover he claimed several thousands of pounds less than the average in 2003-4.

MPs are meant to produce receipts for bills of more than £250 and publication of detailed figures follows a series of disputes over expenses claims, culminating in £90,000 repaid by Michael Trend, Conservative MP for Windsor, for a London home he did not possess. Mr Trend is to stand down at the election.

The bulk of claims cover staff costs, although MPs from the Speaker, Michael Martin, down have been criticised in the media for employing relatives.

An out-of-town allowance up to a maximum £20,033 open to all MPs except those representing inner London constituencies has also proved to be controversial, with some parliamentarians buying flats from which they keep any capital gains when they retire or lose their seats.

The £80,836 claimed by Tony Blair put him in the bottom 10 MPs. But the prime minister, who has accommodation in Downing Street and Chequers provided by the state, was still able to claim to run his Sedgefield constituency home, which doubles as an office, as were other cabinet ministers with grace-and-favour apartments, including John Prescott, Margaret Beckett and David Blunkett.

The Tory leader, Michael Howard, claimed £126,658 and the Liberal Democrat leader, Charles Kennedy, £121,630 in 2003-04.

The highest sum claimed was £168,889, by Claire Curtis-Thomas, Labour MP for Crosby, and the least, £56,657, by Mr Trend since his fall from grace.

Top of the travel claims was a Scottish MP, East Lothian's Anne Picking, with £39,744, while Siobhain McDonagh, of Mitcham and Mordern, spent more than £40,000 on paper and postage to write to her constituents.

Stephen Pound, Ealing North MP, who claimed £111,000 in 2003-04, said it was the equivalent of 3p each year for each of his electors.

"This is not about filling our boots," he said. "This is not about trousering a lot of money. This is about the money it takes to do the job."

The senior salaries review board recommended that judges' salaries go up by 2.5% and senior military officers' by 2.8%, with senior civil servants receiving up to 9%.

Both peers and MPs are to lose their generous 57p mileage allowance for their first 20,000 miles of motoring. It will be cut to 40p a mile for the first 10,000 miles and 25p a mile thereafter.

MPs' staff allowance goes up from £66,458 a year to £72,000 and to more than £80,000 for London MPs.

www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2004/oct/22/houseofcommons.uk

England prevails - V For Vendetta updated

England prevails - V For Vendetta updated, originally uploaded by Teacher Dude's BBQ.

Honoured and humbled by the trust you have given me, I speak to you for the first time at our conference as High Chancellor of this country.

No one could have foreseen all the events that England has been through since June.

But tested again and again the resilience of the English people has been powerful proof of the character of our country.

Early on a June morning, two cars were found parked and packed with explosives in, London.

They were put there to bring terror and death to men and women who would do nothing wrong but be out with their friends, walk on our streets and visit our capital.

But from the bomb disposal experts who courageously risked their lives, to the Londoners who defiantly went on with their lives, that day the world witnessed the resolve and strength of the English people.

And when the Muslim terrorists tried to attack the country's biggest airport, they were answered by the courage of the police and firefighters and a baggage handler named John Susan. He came to the aid of a policeman under assault from one of the Islamic terrorists.

Later John told me it was instinctive, he was doing what was right.

That man, that hero John Susan is here with us today and on behalf of our country - John, we thank you.

Every citizen who answered the call of the country - policemen and women, our security and emergency services, our health services - all left their mark on this island's story by keeping us safe. They are the pride of England.


Just as our armed services with bravery and heroism every single day also make us proud. We mourn those who have been lost and we honour all those who in distant places of danger give so much to our country.

It was in these early weeks, in the wake of the worst flooding in almost 150 years, in county after county, we saw the English pull on their boots and pull out their boats to rescue neighbours and strangers.

And together they went to work to clean up the streets, sweep out the shops and reopen the schools. Long after the waters have receded the memory of their quiet strength remains.

They too showed the character of England: communities where buildings can be damaged and even destroyed but our spirit is indestructible. They too make us proud of the extraordinary resilience of ordinary English people.



And then on an early August morning in Surrey, a doctor went out to treat to his patients and what he saw terrified him, made him remember back to 2001 when all across our countryside clouds of smoke scarred the sky and for many in cities and villages, family dreams were turned to ash.

During the outbreak this summer, our health official, scientists, and public officials in SO15 cancelled their holidays. To fight the contagion doctors worked day and night. And they have done it all over again this month and continue to do so. Their actions live out our shared understanding that our world is threatened by invisible enemies surrounds, that stalk our towns and cities.


And as we saw again this summer there is no answer to the spread of infection or to Islamic terrorist attacks that can strike at any time, anywhere in any part of our country.

And sharing this same small island, we will meet our environmental, economic and security challenges not by splitting apart but when we as England stand united together.

So my sense of talking to people in all parts of these lands is that instead of leaving us pessimistic, these three months make us more optimistic about what we the English people at our best can do.

Our response was calm and measured. We simply got on with the job.

England has been tested and not found wanting.

This is who we are.

And there is no weakness in England today that cannot be overcome by the strengths of the English people.

So don't let anyone tell us England is not equal to every challenge.

Strength through unity, unity through faith.

ENGLAND PREVAILS.

For the full transcript of High Chancellor Adam Sutler's speech click here.

The sad thing is that to change these ads and speech by the current UK government into a speech straight out of V for Vendetta required me to alter less than 50 words. One hard knock, a few months of hard times and who knows what awaits us? To see the movie click here.