World Cup Commentators Have New Lift to the High Life

Above is a photograph of the Somerset Hospital in Cape Town. On the roof of the building you can see part of the BBC's World Cup studio.

Will it surprise you that the structure in the red casing, on the outside of the building, is a new lift the BBC are building on the side of the hospital for their star presenters to access their presentation suite? Thought not.

The hospital was happy to let presenters such as Gary Lineker, Alan Shearer, Alan Hansen and Lee Dixon use the stairs but the BBC is understood to have been concerned about the hospital's reputation as a leading centre for the treatment of gun crime and other violent attacks. The building has several internal lifts but they only reach the fourth floor. By building a new lift to the roof, the BBC has ensured that its staff will be separated at all times from the public.

The cost of the new lift is tens of thousands of pounds and the pentagon-shaped glass studio on the roof is said to have cost £1 million. It is to be flat-packed and removed after the tournament ends.

The BBC is sending 295 staff - double that of ITV - to the tournament and has shipped over an open-topped bus to use outside for broadcasts. Also it has a block booking for 45 key staff at Cape Town's Mandela Rhodes Place hotel, where rooms cost up to £500 a night.

Why did I think the BBC would curtail their expenditure after the embarrassing costs of the Beijing Olympics? A leopard never changes its spots. Although I'm against privatisation in many cases, is it time for the public to demand the privatisation of the BBC?

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The British Bilderberg Attendees

Hotel Dolce, Sitges

A leaked attendee list of the Bilderberg conference in Hotel Dolce, Sitges, Spain has found its way onto the internet.

The British attendees were:

John Kerr, House of Lords; Deputy Chairman, Royal Dutch Shell plc

Peter Mandelson, Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform [should read shadow surely?]

John Micklethwait, Editor-in-Chief, The Economist

George Osborne, Chancellor of the Exchequer

Martin Taylor, Chairman, Syngenta International AG

Martin Wolf, Associate Editor and Chief Economics Commentator, The Financial Times

Vendeline von Bredow, Business Correspondent, The Economist (Rapporteur)

Edward McBride, Business Editor, The Eonomist (Rapporteur)

Iain Hollingshead gives his take on the fact and fantasy of the Bilderberg Group in an attempt to sort out fact from conspiracy theory. Certainly this elite group are not known for their belief in 'openness'.

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'Suicide' Inquiry to be Reopened

The investigation into the death of weapons inspector Dr David Kelly is likely to be reopened.

The case has concerned Attorney General Dominic Grieve and - as the highest ranking law officer in England - he is considering an inquiry to review the suicide finding. At the same time Justice Secretary Ken Clarke is considering a request from campaigning doctors to release medical files relating to the death.

Medical experts have repeatedly questioned whether Dr Kelly could have taken his own life in the circumstances described by Lord Hutton upon the completion of his inquiry.

In January, it came to light that Lord Hutton secretly classified vital evidence relating to Dr Kelly's death, including medical and scientific records, the post-mortem report and photographs, for 70 years. This information was not included in the Hutton Report. A 30-year ban was placed on 'records provided which were not produced in evidence'.

A number of doctors have worked ceaselessly to secure an inquest into this case. They deserve their inquiry.

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Brown's Final Gift to Cameron

Is it any wonder I can't tolerate Gordon Brown? His lies and obsession with his presbyterian upbringing made me realise he is obsessed with power and will do and say anything to be seen as one of the great leaders of the world. Thankfully history will not record him as being successful as chancellor or PM.

One of the final acts of Brown in his dying days in No 10 was to order the Prime Minister's salary to be cut from £194,000 to £150,000. This was done with such stealth that no formal announcement was ever made.

It would appear David Cameron had no idea that, when he entered No 10, he would be earning only marginally more than he had as the leader of the Opposition. The 5% cut he introduced - across the board cuts in ministerial salaries - during his first days as PM took his salary down to £142,000.

Doesn't this action show the devious, spiteful and calculating character of one of the worst PMs we have ever had? I certainly think so.

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Another Tidy Up On the Cards

Kenny Mac Askill, Scottish Justice Secretary (centre above) has urged police forces to share services and admitted that the police's current structures were no longer possible in the face of £35 billion cuts from the Scottish public services budget over the next 15 years.

He raised the spectre of radical reorganisation when he said that back office mergers would have to take place across forces to reduce duplication of effort. "We are a small country and we can no longer afford to do everything eight times over," he warned.

Restructuring of Scotland's police forces has proved a deeply divisive issue in the past. HM Inspector of Constabulary for Scotland suggested last year the creation of a single Scottish force to meet the challenges of the economic crisis but this was fiercely resisted by the eight chief constables.

Of course chief constables will want to protect their own power base, but that's not necessarily good for the public purse or the country. As Kenny MacAskill says, "There is a need for fresh thinking and new approaches." That's fine as long as it doesn't mean civilian taking over tasks which should be undertaken by a qualified police officer.

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Scottish Government Rejects NHS Transparency

The Scottish government refuses to insist medical staff tell patients about mistakes.

Doctors and nurses in England will soon be legally bound to tell patients when they've made errors in their treatment but patients in Scotland will be kept in the dark. A Scottish government spokeswoman said: "There is no statutory duty to inform patients of mistakes or drug errors and we're not proposing to introduce one.

"General Medical Council guidance places a duty on all doctors to explain to patients who suffer harm and, where appropriate, apologise."

In Scotland NHS guidance places a responsibility on boards to let anyone know the result of the investigation, show that it has looked into the complaint and reply to all the points raised and offer an apology if things go wrong.

"The charity Action Against Medical Accidents' chief executive said: "How can patients make a complaint if they're not informed of a mistake?

It's very disappointing that the Scottish government does not appreciate the need for a statutory duty to openness and honesty with patients."

Margaret Watt, chairwoman of Scotland Patients' Association said most patients do not want to take legal action. All they want is an explanation, an apology and an assurance lessons have been learned. Doctors and nurses make mistakes. Why shouldn't they own up?

I support Scotland Patients' Association as it does some excellent work but I have no idea why Action Against Medical Accidents is classed as a charity because it appears to be only concerned with compensation claims. In fact its top sponsor is a cost consultant business.

That aside, this is a short-sighted decision from Nicola Sturgeon. We need to encourage openness between medics and patients and not the present system which requires writing lengthy letters, from both sides, and replies written in jargon only a legal expert would understand. A few years ago I complained to my local NHS and the process was horrendous. Not one reply was made within the time they stated and money was wasted sending me three letters telling me of the delays. My complaint wasn't a complex one either.

The medical profession will be relieved at Ms Sturgeon's decision but it's certainly not a good one for patients. According to a 2008 report, by Aberdeen University and Imperial College London, up to 90% of hospital errors are not recorded, including incorrect drug doses, misdiagnoses and prescribing wrong medicines leading to disability and death. Up to 50,000 patients in Scotland are affected each year, contributing to 5000 deaths.

Surely our doctors and nurses want our support, but how can we have confidence in them if they are not duty bound to tell us when errors are made? Is their concern to do with this new compensation culture which has appeared in recent years or is it the medical profession feels no responsibility for the care of their patients?

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Middle East Envoy 'Perks'

Tony Blair is responsible, along with Gordon Brown, for the mess Britain is in today. Since he left Downing Street he's become a ruthless self-promoter.

If this is true then he ought to be stripped of any job he does for the UK and also have his expensive security arrangements withdrawn.

Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, the son of Colonel Gaddafi, claims Tony Blair has secured a consultancy role, as an advisor to Colonel Gaddafi, with a state fund which manages the country's £85 billion of oil wealth.

Saif described Blair as a 'personal family friend' of the Libyan leader and said he had visited the country 'many, many times' since leaving Downing Street three years ago.

The man continues to make a fool of each and every one of us and we can do nothing about it.

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World Cup Madness

A school in England has angered parents by planning to close early to allow pupils to watch a World Cup game. The headmaster has agreed to shorten lessons and bring forward a GCSE exam to enable his 1200 pupils to get home in time for England's game against Slovenia on 23 June. He told parents in an email that the game is 'very important'. The school will close at 2pm instead of the normal 3.30pm.

The controversial decision was taken after a request from pupils who are given a say in the running of their school through its Student Voice. Teachers have previously warned of abuse of this nationwide initiative which gives pupils greater power in their schools, allowing them to rate members of staff and even sit on interview panels.

What will Michael Gove say about this? Time he stopped this 'inclusive' attitude to schooling and ensured pupils were pupils and the adults, such as the head and teachers, were those in charge.

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Afghanistan

Two more of our soldiers were killed in Afghanistan yesterday afternoon. They belonged to the 1st Battalion The Mercian Regiment serving as part of Combined Force Nahr-e-Saraj (South).

The 1st Battalion The Mercian Regiment is part of the 1st Battalion The Royal Gurka Rifles Battle Group and the soldiers were killed by small arms fire during engagement with insurgent forces.

The death toll now stands at 292 of our young.

More families will suffer the grief of loss for a lifetime and politicians will issue their platitudes at PMQs. There was a meeting at Chequers this week with the great and the good to discuss the Afghanistan war yet there has been little reported about it. I wonder why. Can't they make up their minds what to do?

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NIMBY

This week my local paper, the Courier, reported an 'initiative' which uses civilian volunteers to help catch speeding motorists. The idea may soon be used in Cupar, a small county town in Fife.

A Community Speedwatch Initiative, which allows residents to use handheld radar guns and pass information to police in a move which has been welcomed in other parts of the UK, has led to concern about vigilante activity.

In other places where the scheme has been tried, apparently mainly in England, volunteers are trained by police and they work in pairs in speed limit areas.

If the scheme is adopted it will run during the simmer months of July, August and September.

Why just during summer? Will the poor Righteous get cold and wet during the other months of the year? I was discussing this with friends last night and even the most Righteous of them was against the idea of civilians doing work which taxpayers expect to be done by professionals. The main objection was that some volunteers could work to their own agendas.

Who's to say that traffic police don't work to their own agendas? Nevertheless, if this initiative was adopted in this area, it would get short shrift by all accounts.

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Alors! C'est le Rab C Nesbitt Show

The television company which makes comedy classic Rab C Nesbitt has been sold to a Paris-based media giant in a £150 million deal. RDF, also the creators of Wife Swap and Location, Location, Location, has been bought by Zodiak, an entertainment conglomerate backed by French and Italian money.

The deal swallows up Glasgow-based production company The Comedy Unit, which was bought for £10 million by RDF four years ago. Boss David Frank has already ordered a 30-day internal review of the new group and some job losses are anticipated.

Does this mean Rab will get a make-over? Will the string vest no longer be his basic apparel? Somehow I can't see him strutting through the streets of Glasgow in a beret, tailored jeans and designer t-shirt.

It has to be hoped that the Glasgow side of the business will continue to thrive. We can only wait and see.

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The UN, Meat and Tipper

As an occasional meat eater I'm confused. A few months ago a representative from friends of the earth said we ought to stop eating meat and eat vegetables because that's what we're designed to eat. Of course his 'real' message was that cows and their colleagues were polluting the atmosphere more than most other processes, such as industry and vehicles and they were a real danger to global warming.

At the time I laughed, only to be struck down on the odd occasion with someone who agreed with him. Everyone's entitled to their view so I decided not to argue the point, except to say that Scottish farmers would be bankrupt within a few years if they couldn't sell their high quality meat. The issue disappeared from the front pages.

But, like all propaganda, it has returned. Strangely the Telegraph has published two articles which contradict each other, so where do we go from here?

The first article is 'Eat less meat to save the planet - UN' and the second 'UN admits flaw in report on meat and climate change'.

Are you confused too or do you think, as I do, that the UN's right hand doesn't know what the left hand is doing?

This isn't anything to do with meat, it's to do with ensuring the coffers of the 'soon to be divorced' Al Gore and his mates continue to benefit. Do you think the soon to be ex-Mrs Tipper Gore became weary after 40 years of listening to his hot air? It's a good a reason as any to live alone I suppose. In the meantime I'll continue to enjoy my odd chunk of Aberdeen Angus.

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Eddie Stobart Haulier

Eddie Stobart and an Aberdeen hoax caller. Enjoy!


Courtesy of Dark Lochnagar

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An Annual 'Sickener' for Someone

Do you know a Fifer, or maybe just someone living in Fife, who is feeling scunnered this week? Perhaps not, but if I was in this person's shoes I'd be feeling not just a little sick myself.

Among a pile of donated items at the St Andrews Cancer Research UK shop, a sharp-eyed volunteer spotted a rare comic. It was at the bottom of a big bag of donation and turned out to be the first Beano annual from 1939.

After taking advice from publisher D C Thomson, the charity had the book sold by a specialist comics auction house.

A final rush of bids saw it sell for an eye-watering £4264 - one of the highest prices ever paid for a copy of the book.

The manager of the shop said: "We're so grateful to the person who handed it in and to Matthew (the volunteer) for discovering how much it was worth."

I would like to think that the charity made a big effort to try to trace the person who donated the items, including the annual, but I hae ma doots. They possibly didn't have a clue they were putting an item of such value into a plastic bag and giving it to a charity shop.

Let that be a lesson to us all. The more people who rake through your charity donations before they leave your possession the better.

Note: For those with a keen interest in children's annuals, there was no Dennis the Menace in 1939. He didn't appear until 1951.

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FMQs 3 June 2010

This week's questions included the allegation that Scottish newly qualified teachers could not find a job, a rural area's complaint that they do not receive 24-hour NHS care and the Scottish Investment Bank.

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Schools

Morgan Academy, Dundee today

Why is it that in the past few years the Labour party has suddenly decided every child in Scotland should be educated in a brand new school?

Yesterday the SNP published a timetable for the building of 35 schools across Scotland, with construction on the first schools due to begin later this year.

As is the norm in Scottish politics, up pops Des McNulty, Labour education spokesman: "Scotland was promised a raft of new schools by the SNP - today's announcement shows the bankruptcy of their ambition. None of the schools announced today will be completed in the lifetime of this parliament."

Of course Labour did nothing for many years about any Scottish school. They were left to decay even during the 'boom' years. A few years ago, when they were in government with the libdems, they suddenly realised many schools were uninhabitable. Leeking roofs, ancient heating systems beyond repair, unsafe playgrounds and many other major defects pushed Labour into providing new schools. It was a major fire which caused the rebuilding of my old school (pictured above) which I attended for 10 years, but that was an exceptional case because due to its history, the facia was restored although the inside of the building was mainly rebuilt.

Before the fire in 2001 it was an old building with its problems, but that did not hinder the provision of a quality education to its pupils. New buildings do not educate, teachers educate.

Once again Labour are complaining the SNP haven't built umpteen schools in the last 3 years, although they have built quite a few and refurbished even more. According to the SNP's timetable the 35 will be completed and occupied by 2015. Is that too long to wait for a brand new building when the ones they replace have been neglected for 40 years or more? I think not.

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The Labour Culture of the West

As many regular readers know I live in the east of Scotland where the politics, these days, are very different from the West.

It can be very difficult for me to understand why the west of Scotland, particularly Glasgow and the surrounding areas, continue to vote labour when they are the party which have kept so many in poverty. Yet the people vote for them.

Outlander has written his personal account of trying hard to understand why his father votes labour. Do have a read of it here. It doesn't answer many questions but where I firmly agree is in the SNP's tactics. They really must improve their skills in countering labour lies. I've suggested this for some time now yet there seems to be no progress.

It's time the SNP started practicing some tricks - dirty tricks.

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Afghanistan

This morning another soldier was been killed in Afghanistan. He too belonged to 40 Commando Royal Marines, serving as part of Combined Force Sangin.

He was undertaking a joint foot patrol with soldiers from the Afghan National Army in order to reassure the local population when he was killed in an explosion in the Sangin district of Helmand province.

His family and friends will be distraught with grief as will his colleagues who have lost others in the past few days.

I despair and have no hope of our armed services coming home in the near future.

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Take Your Pick

Calum Cashley - Holier than who?

Charlotte Bowyer - Time to rethink prostitution

ConservativeHome - Andrew Lansley rejects minimum unit pricing of alcohol

Pseudepigrapha - Hootsmon Headlines

Go Lassie Go - Economic powers or full independence?

Lallands Peat Worrier - Scottish Independence "Tomorrow & tomorrow & tomorrow..."

J Arthur MacNumpty - New appointments

Welcome to my world - Screens please nurse

A Rabbit's Eye View of the Hyperborean North - Pearl Mussel Theft in Scottish Rivers

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How Many Will Tell the Truth?

The National Institute for health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) are advising GPs to routinely quiz new patients about their drinking when they join a surgery.

Doctors are also being told to ask patients about how much alcohol they consume when medicines are being reviewed and when they are being treated for minor injuries.

The latest scaremongering information is that one in four people - a total of 10 million - is estimated to be putting their health at risk by drinking more alcohol than the recommended limits. These are the limits which a department of health interdepartmental group of officials had to admit that the limitations of the knowledge on which advice was offered to the public should be recognised.

The co-founder of campaign group Patient Concern said: "GPs seem to have to ask so many things that there is none (no time) left for what you went in about."

This is further step towards an increase in the tax on alcohol. Will a price increase make a difference to the health of those who drink in excess? No. But it will make a difference to the manufacturers' profits and of course the Treasury's coffers.

Hence the guidelines from NICE.

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A Patriarchal Culture (Don't watch the video on a weak stomach)

We read about 'child brides' then, for the majority of us in western countries, the thought is too hard to handle, so we try to ignore it.

Our troops have been in Afghanistan for nearly a decade in the belief, from government, that they are protecting our streets.

In Afghanistan, as in some other countries, young girls are forced into marriages with men much older than themselves.

In this video (which I'm grateful I can't embed on the blog), one young girl of 13, tried to escape a forced marriage yet was arrested by police, who knew she would be severely punished, and returned to her isolated village where men imposed the punishment of 40 lashes on each. There was another girl who underwent the same punishment. The video shows the brutality and power of men within that culture and the attempt at dignity of a young girl who would still be at school here.

Our troops can do nothing to stop this abuse. We have no influence over the corrupt Afghani government. Flogging is illegal and fortunately, in this instance, someone was able to copy the video the abusers made and send it to the New York Times.

What can our troops do when they know of such torture to young females? Nothing sadly. The Afghan government is corrupt and totally male dominated. This abuse of females will continue until women have the strength to speak out. There are few women in power in Afghanistan and like most, they speak out initially then keep quiet as they begin to enjoy the trappings of power. It is a cruel society.

Is it the responsibility of our armed forces to stop these atrocities? I think not. It's up to our politicians to say money stops right now unless the law breakers are given a lengthly jail sentence. It won't happen. Jails in Afghanistan are as corrupt as the government.

Thank you to Radio Free Britain who explains the event leading up to this hellish result.

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Edward Leigh, former chair of the Public Accounts Committee

Tory MP Edward Leigh, former chair of the Public Accounts Committee, writes in today's Express of 'The Idiots Who Waste Our Cash'. Mr Leigh is standing down as the post must be held by a member of the opposition.

He takes great pride in detailing patterns of waste within government.

I felt frustrated that for all the money pumped into administration our services appeared to be in the hands of people you wouldn’t trust to organise a village cake sale.

Military logistics spring to mind here. While our brave men were dying in ­Afghanistan eight SAS Chinooks were kept in a hangar at public expense because a bunch of second-rate bureaucrats were too incompetent to supply the techno­logical back-up they needed to fly on a cloudy day. The decrepitude of our military campaigns, social security system, NHS and education system defies belief.

Why didn't he make these details so public previously? He was in a position of power and could have had the support of the public.

I read about what good works Westminster committees undertake. From an academic view that may be quite correct, but if there findings do not result in immediate change, what good are they? Every one of us could sit down and analyse situations but if the information we produce is not used to benefit the end-user, then it is purely a paper exercise.

If this committee passed their findings onto the highest echelons of power who refused to enact any improvements, then government ministers are responsible.

For Mr Leigh to say ' Management in Britain must be improved' is fine. Most of us know that. What did he do about it during his 8 years in his post?

He concludes 'The greater the diligence of the PAC, the greater value you receive'. I don't think so. For us to receive greater value, the PAC needs to have some clout to take immediate action upon government departments who fail to use our money carefully. Otherwise this committee, along with others no doubt, is just a talking shop and a nice financial perk for a group of MPs.

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Another Extravagant Quango

Fancy attending an 'embed a culture of respect' course or a course to inspire public sector managers? No? What about a little life-coaching? We can all do with a few lessons in how to cope with life - if that's what it means - particularly if it's in some pleasant surroundings.

If any of the above appeals to you join the staff of the Audit Commission. In case anyone is unaware the Audit Commission is an independent watchdog, driving economy, efficiency and effectiveness in local public services to deliver better outcomes for everyone (taken from their website).

This quango wasted more than £3 million in one year on life coaches, hotels and driving lessons for its staff.

Officials at the Audit Commission spent tens of thousands with training firms that use techniques such as firewalking and weekend retreats.

In the year 2008-09 alone, it arranged events for staff and fellow public-sector workers in 30 four-star hotels. The most expensive event was a two-day conference at the Hilton Birmingham Metropole which cost nearly £250,000.

Isn't it time such quangos were dissolved? The AC is presented as an independent watchdog but how can it be independent when it's funded by taxpayers' money? It's a government department which tells other government organisations where they spent money unwisely.

Let's trust Danny Alexander will get his teeth into this one. Of course the unions will rant about redundancies. They don't concern me. After all, with so many staff having had life-coaching training, those who lose their jobs will surely have the motivation to set up in business for themselves.

That leads me to wonder how many of them would have skills for which anyone, other than the public sector, would be willing to pay.

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