Coalition dreams and tory schemes....

Clegg made much yesterday of his package of constitutional change, claiming it will be the biggest change for decades. Really? So the last thirteen years, including devolution for Scotland and Wales, new voting systems for the European parliament and so on didn't happen? Or is it just dwarfed by the plans of the new political colossus (slept with up to 30 women of course)....Clegg really needs to get a grip and realise he's not much closer to power than diddy David Steel was a generation ago when he told the libdems to "go back to their constituencies and prepare for government"....it aint what you promise in your coalition agreement Nick, its what you deliver....and you may not be around long enough to do that.

Meanwhile the real PM is concocting plans to ensure his party stays in power for a generation or two. Under the guise of reducing the number of MP's (which will save us money so it MUST be a good thing) he plans to undertake radical redrawing of constituency boundaries, the effect of which will be to reduce the number of urban, labour held seats by up to 20. The libdems, of course,want PR, as pure as possible. But the best they can hope for is AV, and the tories will be allowed to campaign against that so it probably wont go anywhere.

The coalition (or lets be honest) the slightly diluted tory government, has finally published its plans for the next 5 years. Lots of words but little detail -which is, as ever with tories, where the devil is....interesting at the launch of the document, when a clearly uncomfortable Vince Cable (who wouldn't be uncomfortable sharing a platform with Osborn?) revealed that they were 'making it up as they go along'...really? Cable should be reassured about the competence of his fellow Minsters -after all Osborne bring considerable relevant experience to the post of Chancellor having worked as a data inputter in the NHS and a supermarket shelf stacker....

More details are emerging as to why the potential Lab Libdem coalition never got off the ground. Despite the propaganda put around by the libdems, it seems clear now (see here http://www.newstatesman.com/uk-politics/2010/05/lib-dems-labour-clegg-tories ) that it was. in fact, the libdems (especially Chris Huhne and Danny Alexander) were hostile to the idea of coalition with labour. Add to this the warm relationship between Cameron and Clegg, and the deal was done. The only problem for Clegg was selling it to the rank and file - hence the spin about the abortive deal with labour.

Some good news at last when Unite won its appeal in the High Court against BA. Only by 2-1 of course, the right wing judiciary wouldn't make it too easy. And why did BA win the injunction? Because details of a HANDFUL of spoilt ballot papers weren't publicised....how tenuous, how biased, if not downright crooked! Who was the judge - a relative of Willie Walsh? or just programmed to side with management. Billy Bragg got it right years ago - "this isn't a court of justice, this is a court of law" (Rotting on Remand). The only obstacle to settling the strike is the poisonous Willie Walsh - and hopefully the BA board will realise this and sack him. Soon.

Turmoil continues on the world financial markets, following Germany's attempt to restrict some of the dodgy dealing carried out by traders. Why do we tolerate these parasites, who bet against and for european currencies? These people produce nothing of value, just exist to make profit for themselves - and in doing so cause misery for millions. And this is how capitalism works?

Final thought -I enjoy question time on BBC more since the election- nice to see both the tories AND the libdems getting hammered for anything and everything that goes wrong.....Theresa 'shoes' May and Ming the Merciless getting it this week.....