'Geoff Hoon spent nearly £560,000 of MOD money on modern art while British soldiers were dying in Iraq and Afghanistan through lack of equipment'

The Mail reports that:

'Geoff Hoon spent nearly £560,000 of Ministry of Defence money on modern art while British soldiers were dying in Iraq and Afghanistan through lack of equipment.

The former Defence Secretary wasted the huge sum on 15 pieces of abstract art to hang on the walls of his department between 2003 and 2005.

Meanwhile, the Labour government faced criticism for putting servicemen and women in danger by scrimping on essential kit such as helicopters, radios and night goggles, and forcing their families to live in rundown military homes.'

Has there ever been a worse Secretary of State for Defence than Hoon? Well Bob Ainsworth maybe... When will ex-Labour Ministers be made to account for their crimes?


Thaks to My Thoughts, My Country for the spot.

The Shadow Cabinet and their pasts (postscript and preview)

It is odd that if a politician or opinion former is discovered to have been a supporter of a "far right" party during their youth then they are forever tarred with the brush of "racist" or "fascist" and yet those who dallied with the equally vile politics of the extreme left during their formative years are allowed to pretend this daliance is of no concern. Either mistakes made in one's youth are unforgivable or they are not, but let us at least be consistent. In my mind allying ones self with racists and fascists is wrong, but no worse than allying oneself with the murderous creed that killed more people than fascism, kept on killing them after the Second World War and enslaved & killed many millions after the war had ended. The Marxist creed was responsible for around 20 million deaths in Stalin's Russia, 40 million in Mao's China, and millions more in Cambodia and elsewhere that Marxists decided they could improve their countries by imposing the will of the collective good.

Thus the last Labour cabinet had four senior members whose background includes well documented dalliances with the extreme left of British politics; namely Peter Mandelson, Alistair Darling, Jack Straw and Alan Johnson. Yet I never heard their extremist backgrounds ever mentioned by the BBC. It is odd that Peter Mandelson's former membership of the youth wing of the Communist Party of Great Britain is never mentioned, whilst David Cameron and George Osborne's membership of the less relevant socially exclusive student dining club at Oxford University, The Bullingdon Club, is frequently brought up. It is odd that the former Chancellor of the Exchequer's former support for the International Marxist Group, the British section of the Trotskyist Fourth International is never mentioned despite the group, at the time Alistair Darling was a supporter, having completely rejected parliamentary politics and being found to have made "vicious, violent and unprovoked attack on the Police". Surely it is interesting that the man, allegedly, in charge of the UK economy was formerly a Trotskite, a member of an organisation which wanted to destroy that economy. Surely similar comparisons should have been made about Jack Straw and Alan Johnson, the men who headed the UK's government departments responsible for law and order & justice.

I wonder if the latitude given by the BBC to the "ex"-Communists of the Labour party has any connection with the number of people of a similar background within the BBC; now that would be interesting to find out.


In June 2009 I blogged about the political and working pasts of all the Labour Cabinet members and discovered that whilst just one, Liam Byrne, had had a previous job in the real economy, the background of the others was illuminating:

'ex-Marxist or extreme-Socialist backgrounds:
Peter Mandelson
Alistair Darling
Jack Straw
Alan Johnson


Only ever been in politics or related:
David Miliband
Alan Johnson
Hilary Benn
John Denham
Ed Balls
Ed Miliband
Andy Burnham
Baroness Royall
Jim Murphy
Yvette Cooper
Peter Hain
Bob Ainsworth


Media then politics:
Gordon Brown
Peter Mandelson
Jack Straw
Shaun Woodward
Andrew Adonis
Ben Bradshaw


Lawyer then politics:
Alistair Darling
Harriet Harman
Jack Straw
Douglas Alexander


Various third sector jobs before politics:
Tessa Jowell


Jobs in the real world before:
Liam Byrne'

I suppose that pretty soon I must wade through the biographies of such as Meg Hillier to see what lurks in their pasts... However here's a reminder of the political pasts of some of the people who have worked so hard to destroy Britain and its economy over the last 13 years (or maybe longer): 'Peter Mandelson - "in 1971 left the Labour Party Young Socialists (LPYS) to join the Young Communist League, then the youth wing of the Communist Party of Great Britain. This move was partly a result of disagreements with the Trotskyist Militant tendency that had just won a majority in the LPYS nationally.... director of the British Youth Council in the late 1970s. As BYC director, he was a delegate in 1978 to the Soviet-organised World Festival of Youth and Students in Havana, Cuba, with Arthur Scargill and several future Labour cabinet colleagues........"


Alistair Darling - "Before joining the Labour Party at the age of 23 in 1977, Darling was a supporter of the International Marxist Group, the British section of the Trotskyist Fourth International... He became a solicitor in 1978, then changed course for the Scots bar and was admitted as an advocate in 1984. He was elected as a councillor to the Lothian Regional Council in 1982 where he supported large rates rises in defiance of Margaret Thatcher's rate-capping laws and even threatened not to set a rate at all..."

Jack Straw - "Straw was elected chair of the Leeds University Labour Society at the 1966 Annual General Meeting, when the Society changed its name to Leeds University Socialist Society and withdrew its support from the Labour Party..."

Alan Johnson - "Johnson joined the Union of Communication Workers, becoming a branch official. He joined the Labour Party in 1971, although he considered himself a Marxist ideologically aligned with the Communist Party of Great Britain... A full-time union official from 1987, he became General Secretary of the newly-formed Communication Workers Union in 1993 following a series of union mergers... Just three weeks before the 1997 general election, Johnson was selected to stand for Parliament in the safe Labour seat of Hull West and Hessle when the previous incumbent, Stuart Randall, stood down suddenly. Randall was subsequently elevated to the House of Lords."

Peter Hain - "In 1972, a private prosecution brought by Francis Bennion in regard to his leadership of the illegal direct-action interference with the tours resulted in a ten day Old Bailey trial with the jury failing to agree on three charges and hence he was acquitted on those charges, but Peter Hain was found guilty of criminal conspiracy and fined £200. He appealed against the conviction in 1973. The Court of Appeal dismissed his appeal with costs. As reported in the Daily Telegraph of 23 October 1973, the court said his conviction was "fully justified". Lord Justice Roskill said Hain had not elected to give evidence, adding that "He gave no explanation of his part over the incidents with which he was charged."

Bob Ainsworth - "He first became active in politics as a trade unionist at the Jaguar Cars plant in Coventry, where he worked from 1971, and served in many capacities within the Manufacturing, Science and Finance Union there, including four years as the Branch President. During 1982 and 1983, he was a candidate member of the International Marxist Group, but he was never a full member of that organisation.


Analysis of the new Shadow Cabinet next weekend...

Another ex-Minister recants

I see in The Sun that :

'EX-DEFENCE chief Bob Ainsworth launched a scathing attack on Gordon Brown yesterday - branding him "impossible".
Mr Ainsworth said he never got on with the former PM while heading Britain's campaign in Afghanistan.
...
"Gordon and I are not each other's biggest fans. I found him very difficult to deal with, impossible really."

Mr Ainsworth said Mr Brown's biggest failing was his refusal to listen to others.'

Odd how all these ex-Ministers never mentioned Gordon Brown's faults at the time...

What about the seriously injured

The long term injured who to this day bear the scars of the 7/7 terrorist atrocity get little or no attention form the UK media, likewise those seriously injured in Iraq and Afghanistan. So I was pleased to read Trixy's thoughts and you should read them too. Here's a well written extract:

'The summer of 2009 will be etched in the memory of many as we heard of the loss of so many young men and, as these men were flown home and buried with their deserved full military honours, the wards at Selly Oak and Headley Court were packed to bursting with wounded and limbless men. In total there were 158 serious and very seriously injured soldiers in 2009; an average of 13 per month.

In the first two months of this year we have seen 24 serious casualties: 17 very seriously injured and 7 seriously injured. Thats an average of 12 without counting those who were injured from the rifles battlegroup recently. That's almost the same and yet nothing.

I wonder why these figures haven't hit the headlines? I wonder why Bob Ainsworth and Bill Rammell haven't been talking about assistance for these men and their families? Those whose lives are changed forever rather than those who are squabbling, policy-less, to grip onto second homes and lavish expenses at our expense.

But don't hold your breath to hear the stories of those who have suffered and turned their lives around. For the MoD control what they can and can't say to the national press. And that means Bob Ainsworth and Bill Rammell. And do you think they want you reminded of these injured soldiers when they're trying to win your vote?'

The injured should not be forgotten, especially when their injuries are as much the fault of Gordon Brown's under-resourcing of the UK's armed forces as are the more headlining deaths of servicemen.

True, untrue or 'mischief'

There was an odd item on the BBC Radio news last night about the army and Conservative claims that the number of new patrol vehicles for British troops in Afghanistan was cut from 400 to 200. It ended with Bob Ainsworth being asked if the story was true and replying that the Conservatives were just causing 'mischief'. I thought it an odd choice of word at the time, not denying the story just attacking the Conservatives, of course the BBC just left the quote hanging.

General Election set for 6 May (update)

Further to my posting of yesterday, the BBC did manage to write about this story with this piece headlined "Cabinet minister 'hints' at May date for election". The article was briefly linked from the BBC's main news page but this morning neither appears there or on the main politics news page. For the BBC it is a non-story although if challenged they will point to the page to show they reported the gaffe.

As to whether this proves that the date of the general election has been fixed as 6 May? Part of me thinks that this could be part of a clever disinformation campaign by Peter Mandelson and Al Campbel but then would they really pick Bob Ainsworth for such an important role?

General Election set for 6 May

It seems that the woeful Defence Secretary, Bob Ainsworth, has let the cat out of the bag re the date of the General Election and it's 6 May. The Mail reports the story here, Sky here :

""I think the British public will wake up and rue the day if they wind up with a Conservative government in charge of this country after May 6," Bob Ainsworth said.

Bookmaker Coral suspended betting on date of the election.

Spokesman David Stevens said: "The month of May had been the odds-on favourite prior to Bob Ainsworth's comments on Sky News, and his mention of May 6th as the crucial date was enough for us to close the book."

Mr Ainsworth is not the first minister to appear to give away the date of the election.

Earlier this month Europe Minister Chris Bryant told diplomats discussing recent tensions between Britain and countries including Venezuela: "I hope that by the time of the general election on May 6, relations will have improved."

Later, he told Sky News that he had "no idea" when the election would be."

Of course on the BBC, not a word; there the pretence that Gordon Brown has options persists.

Her Britannic Majesty... without let or hinderance

The inside of your UK passport states that

"Her Britannic Majesty's Secretary of State requests and requires in the name of Her Majesty all those whom it may concern to allow the bearer to pass freely without let or hindrance and to afford the bearer such assistance and protection as may be necessary."

This seems not to have filtered through to the Royal Navy who let Somali pirates take Paul and Rachel Chandler hostage. It is alleged that the 100 or so crew of the RFA Wave Knight were ordered by the MoD not to open fire on the highjackers.

This would have been bad enough as two British citizens are now hostages of less than pleasant Somali pirates but it also seems that the MoD tried to hide the fact that the crew of the RFA Wave Knight saw the hostage taking and the truth has only emerged because one of the crew leaked the story. If it is true that the MoD tried to hide the truth then if he has any sense of honour then Bob Ainsworth must resign as Secretary of State for Defence... Hold on I think I see a problem, honour from this Labour rabble?

Bob Ainsworth showing his skills in mastering a brief back in 2007

Now I can see why Gordon Brown promoted Bob Ainsworth. Convincing isn't he?



Thanks to Political Betting for the spot.

NotaSheep comes to the support of Bob Ainsworth

Private Eye have put Bob Ainsworth's slightly odd remark that "Let's not take our bridges before they've been erected." into Colemanballs. I can hardly believe that I am saying this but could it be that Bob Ainsworth was trying to recall an old REME saying that the army can't create a bridgehead until REME have built the bridge. I have jumped to the support of a Labour Minister, I feel somehow dirty.

What have this Labour government got against the British army?

Actually the answer to that is obvious and one that I will return to in the near future. However today I will simply point to two articles. The first relates to the Merlin helicopters that are to be delivered the theatre

"even though it is yet to be decided whether to fit armour-plating for extra protection." In fact "Fitting the Merlin Mark 3 with a layer of armour to protect the crew and troop-passengers from ground fire is not part of the basic modifications. An option has been submitted by the RAF to consider fitting extra armour to the Merlins at a cost exceeding half a million pounds. This would be a separate modification and the request would be sent to the Treasury as an “urgent operational requirement” (UOR), funded from contingency reserves. An RAF source said: “This proposal now has to go through the chains [of command]. But it has not reached maturity.”

RAF sources confirmed that the Merlins would be sent to Afghanistan by December without the extra armour. “But they will be used for the whole range of operations, including flying in combat areas,” one RAF source said. "

What sort of scum would send helicopters into a war zone without adequate protection? Maybe the sort of person that wants to be able to say that he has increased the number of helicopters in Afghanistan. Maybe the sort of person who cares more for money than the lives of servicemen.


The second story concerns the story in The Sun that:

"EIGHT Britons have died in Afghanistan while armoured trucks that might have saved them were stranded 1,000 miles away in Dubai.

The latest in a string of equipment blunders was branded "inexcusable" last night.

The eighth soldier was killed yesterday while on patrol in Babaji, Helmand.

He was in a CVRT - a 30-year-old tracked mini tank that is vulnerable to Taliban roadside bombs.

Meanwhile, a fleet of new mine-proof Ridgback trucks had been sitting on an airfield in the Middle East since July 16.

Nine of the vehicles were shipped to Dubai by sea, destined for Afghanistan.

All but one got no further, because the RAF's four C17 heavy-lift jets have been too overworked to collect them.

Eight Brits died during the three-week delay - among 22 killed in July.

One officer fumed: "It's incredibly frustrating seeing these vehicles gathering dust on a runway when guys are dying in Helmand."

Defence Secretary Bob Ainsworth told MPs in April that 157 Ridgbacks - urgently ordered 20 months ago - would start arriving in Afghanistan that month.

Four months later, 20 of the £1.5million 4x4s are there. "

This is a disgrace and Bob Ainsworth should be sacked, not even allowed to resign, but sacked over this betrayal of our servicemen. If the MOD cannot organise to get the right equipment to the servicemen who need them then the man in nominal charge should pay the price.


I am really fed-up with listening to the excuses of labour ministers for the equipment shortages. There are solutions to each of the problems, what there is not is the will to deviate from the agreed path.

A Marxist as Secretary of State for Defence

I have blogged previously about the Trotskyist background of Alistair Darling. Yesterday I read Peter Hitchens claim that:

"Mr Ainsworth attended meetings of the revolutionary International Marxist Group in his 30s"

It is interesting how so many members of Marxist/Trotskyite organisations in their youth are members (or former members) of this Labour government. According to research that I have seen: Alan Milburn was a one-time Trotskyist, John Reid was a member of the Communist Party, Stephen Byers (as well as Alistair Darling) was a Trotskyist. Looking at recent Labour leaders: Tony Blair was a member of CND (an organisation that many believe was partly funded by the Soviet Union), Gordon Brown was a student leftist with some beliefs now airbrushed from such as his Wikipedia entry whilst the probable next Labour leader, Peter Mandelson, was a member of the Young Communist League. It is odd how all these "ex"-communists deny any affiliation with these organisations once they have a foot on the gravy train and a snout in the trough. I wonder how many "ex" communists are also embedded within local government, the police, the BBC etc. Have the Marxists and Trotskyists taken by stealth what they could not take by force?

Another angle to this is that if a politician or opinion former is discovered to have been a supporter of a "far right" party during their youth then they are forever tarred with the brush of "racist" or "fascist" and yet those who dallied with the equally vile politics of the extreme left during their formative years are allowed to pretend this dalliance is of no concern. Either mistakes made in one's youth are unforgivable or they are not, but let us at least be consistent. In my mind allying ones self with racists and fascists is wrong, but no worse than allying oneself with the murderous creed that killed more people than fascism, kept on killing them after the Second World War and enslaved & killed many millions after the war had ended. The Marxist creed was responsible for around 20 million deaths in Stalin's Russia, 40 million in Mao's China, and millions more in Cambodia and elsewhere that Marxists decided they could improve their countries by imposing the will of the collective good.

I wonder if the latitude given by the BBC to the "ex"-Communists of the Labour party has any connection with the number of people of a similar background within the BBC; now that would be interesting to find out.

How much lower can they go?

Almost every day this Labour government manages to surprise me with how low they can stoop in getting more petty, more mean or more incompetent. This time it's the news that the MOD are going to the Court of Appeal to try to significantly reduce the compensation awarded to two injured soldiers. Both had their original measly payouts increased due to complications, but the MOD is now arguing that they should only be compensated for their "original injuries".

So what are the MOD arguing over? Millions like they have wasted on poor procurement and fitting up new offices? No... the injured soldiers were initially awarded £9,250 and £8,250 respectively, but they appealed to a tribunal and the amounts were increased to £46,000 and £28,750. So this pathetic, armed forces hating Labour government, are arguing the toss over £57,250! I don't care if it might "set a precedent", these soldiers are putting their lives on the line having been sent to war by this Labour government. The awards are pathetically pusillanimous by civilian standards and it is an insult to our armed forces and the whole country to try and get the awards reduced. The fact that no minister would even come on the Today programme to defend the position shows the courage of the Labour ministers who spout platitudes about supporting our armed forces but in reality...

Please note that the Minister of State for the Armed Forces,Bob Ainsworth, featured in the recent MPs expenses scandal. He was criticized for allegedly excessive claims for repairs to his second home and in 2007-8 he claimed the maximum permissible amount of £23,083 for second-home allowances, making him the joint highest claimant. Bob Ainsworth was also one of the 98 MPs who in 2007 voted to keep MPs' expense details exempt from the Freedom of Information Act. So does Bob Ainsworth think it right that his second home allowance for one year is worth more than the partial disability of two soldiers?

The Iraq Inquiry - Bob Ainsworth didn't sound very convincing

When the BBC put up tonight's 5pm PM programme, do take a listen to the interview with Bob Ainsworth. Eddie Mair (not Carolyn Quinn as scheduled asked the questions I would have wanted asking and Bob Ainsworth tries to first defend the indefensible and then attack the interviewer "dripping with sarcasm" was, I believe, the charge laid against Eddie Mair. I did like the way Eddie Mair repeated the point that this inquiry would be in private, would not apportion blame, could not compel witnesses to intend and witnesses would not be on oath in a less sarcastic voice; a nice touch.

This Iraq inquiry is designed to try and push the Iraq issue out of the election equation and so regain at least some of the voters who have left Labour for the LibDems, to help convince the Muslim vote that Labour is still the natural home for their votes and to ensure that the real truth behind the Iraq war does not come out.

Bob Ainsworth's Newsnight interview

I note that the link from the BBC search still brings up a 404 error. Is there a technical problem or are the BBC trying to protect a pathetic ministerial performance from further publicity and ridicule?

UPDATE:
The video is now up, you can watch and enjoy it here.

I especially enjoy the repeated word "becorse".

Newsnight on the web

How long before the BBC put last night's edition on the web, I for one want to watch Paxman's interview with Bob Ainsworth.