Comments on Guy Fawkes' blog of parliamentary plots, rumours and conspiracy: Guido is M.I.A. in Vietnam

just to remind yourself of the images of the heli...

2008-03-17T19:20:00.000Z

just to remind yourself of the images of the helicopters fleeing as the Americans abandoned their 'allies'.

And the shooting down of a cargo plane full of orphans by the NVA that was hushed up ..

All courtesy of a Democratic Party controlled congress that cut off all funding despite the terms of the peace agreement. Scum.

Guido has discovered that the governing Communist ...

2008-03-17T17:33:00.000Z

Guido has discovered that the governing Communist Party is privatising the provision of state-funded education

That's interesting because Stoke on Trent is in the grip of a dispute over whether the private operator Serco should be allowed to take over the city's secondary schools. The details are hazy - perhaps Gary Elsby can clarify - but the political point is that the move has been driven through by Mark Meredith, the Labour mayor of the city.

From Tribune Dec 14 2007 listed on Labour Home
Stoke-on-Trent City Council, which was forced by the government to sub-contract its children's services to the private firm Serco, is looking to close all its secondary schools as part of a £200m reorganisation programme. The plans have been drawn up by Serco and are backed by Mark Meredith, the elected Mayor of the City and a keen supporter of the government’s policies on both Trust schools and academies. Indeed in a recent letter to the city’s school headteachers and chair of Governors Mr Meredith uses Lord Adonis type language when he describes the proposals as an attempt to ‘escape the straightjacket of the traditional comprehensive school and embrace the idea of genuinely independent non-fee paying state schools. It is to break down the barriers to new providers, to schools associating with outside sponsors, to the ability to start and expand schools; and to give parental choice its proper place.’

A decade ago Stoke on Trent was a rock-solid Labour stronghold, a place where Conservatives and even Lib Dems only showed up for politeness, only ever expecting to get a handful of votes in a ward. Since then, there have been changes. The City is still Labour majority (24 out of 58), but it has to work harder with bands of Independents, Lib Dems and the BNP taking seats. Considering that there are supposed to have been ten years of Labour perfection, the voters do not seem convinced. Although Meredith is the mayor now, previously it was held by Mike Wolfe as an independent (2002-5).

Ah, must be why it is being referred to as 'Saint ...

2008-03-17T12:19:00.000Z

Ah, must be why it is being referred to as 'Saint Patricks Weekend' instead of just 'day'.

Edland - you are indeed correct - this year St.Pat...

2008-03-17T10:59:00.000Z

Edland - you are indeed correct - this year St.Patricks day was actually on saturday, because of an early holy week, - to all good paddies of course this is meely official sanctioning of a three day bender - the pope actually WANTS you to start drinking on saturday morning...

My son has just spent 6 months in Hanoi and tells ...

2008-03-17T10:48:00.000Z

My son has just spent 6 months in Hanoi and tells me that there was a wild St Patrick's night there, some of the Viets had even dyed their hair green in celebration. You just have to look around.

Beannachtí Feile Padraig!!!!Good tune for a stock ...

2008-03-17T10:39:00.000Z

Beannachtí Feile Padraig!!!!

Good tune for a stock market collapse esp considering the day thats in it ;)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xWkL1Rjs-cE

Walkden Moor - I heard that S&P had said that ther...

2008-03-17T09:50:00.000Z

Walkden Moor - I heard that S&P had said that there had been $296bn write downs on residential mortgage backed securities, which S&P reckons is half-way to where it should be, and this does not count losses due to fire sales of collateral in the scramble for liquidity. Are you just counting published losses? Fo a guide to the banks, just look at the spreads on credit default swaps - amongst the UK banks, Alliance and Leicester, Bradfrod and Bingley, HBOS and RBS are so far up shitcreek they have almost docked at Turdsville.

You must visit the old American embassy in Saigon ...

2008-03-17T09:45:00.000Z

You must visit the old American embassy in Saigon (now HCM city) - just to remind yourself of the images of the helicopters fleeing as the Americans abandoned their 'allies'.

Notice the rescue of Bear Stearns done quietly on ...

2008-03-17T09:36:00.000Z

Notice the rescue of Bear Stearns done quietly on Sunday, put's us to shame ala Northern Rock.
CREDIT CRUNCH LOSSES SO FAR:-
--------------------------------------
Citigroup: $18bn
Merrill Lynch: $14.1bn
UBS: $13.5bn
Morgan Stanley $9.4bn
HSBC: $3.4bn
Bear Stearns: $3.2bn
Deutsche Bank: $3.2bn
Bank of America: $3bn
Barclays: $2.6bn
Royal Bank of Scotland: $2.6bn
Freddie Mac: $2bn
JP Morgan Chase: $3.2bn
Credit Suisse: $1bn
Wachovia: $1.1bn
IKB: $2.6bn
Paribas: $197m

Ah, St Patrick's Day1 Despite being as English as...

2008-03-17T09:33:00.000Z

Ah, St Patrick's Day1 Despite being as English as John Bull, the old saint still brings a lump to my head as I recall, at the age of 10, being lined up by the Irish Franciscan nuns, with my garland of shamrock pinned through my chest, having to repay the debt the English owe to the Irish for centuries of occupation and the potato famine by means of sustained clips around the head, singing "Hail glorious (thump) St Patrick (thump), the Lord of our (thump) Isle...(thump thump thump...)". Some would today call it child abuse but I saw it then as a necessary toughening-up.

Guido,You've only been out the British Isles for t...

2008-03-17T09:30:00.000Z

Guido,

You've only been out the British Isles for two days and the fecking Stock Exchange has collapsed.

What has that snot-gobbling weirdo done to our once great econmy??!!

I thought that St Patrick's day was Saturday becau...

2008-03-17T09:18:00.000Z

I thought that St Patrick's day was Saturday because saint's days aren't allowed to fall during Holy Week?

The local beer is pretty good. Most of the brewer...

2008-03-17T09:12:00.000Z

The local beer is pretty good. Most of the breweries were founded at the time of the French occupation - so the beer reflects that style. If you're going to Saigon take a look at the older colonial houses and boulevards - before making your way to the fleshpots round the port area - then make your confesssion in the Cathedral (mercifully, they won't understand and nor will you).

Ho Chi Minh trail...Give you a clue - have got out...

2008-03-17T09:04:00.000Z

Ho Chi Minh trail...

Give you a clue - have got out of the hammock to do this - kids with Grandma & Grandpa Fawkes for the first time in three years...

Is this a holiday Guido or are you on the trail of...

2008-03-17T09:00:00.000Z

Is this a holiday Guido or are you on the trail of something?