spygun

China has closed and so will the USA. Ireland has closed schools and banned large gatherings, Italy is in the process of closing everything. Meanwhile, Spain has also closed its schools and banned some more stuff. Here in the United Kingdom, unlike Johny Foreigner, we have the rather jolly CheltenhamRead More

  The attempted Brexit is a prime example of the saying ‘A Camel is a Horse designed by a Committee’. We were sold the promise of a graceful and sleek thoroughbred ready to jump out of the starting gate but what we have instead is a broken-down old camel withRead More

It is very surprising that so many mistakes have been made during our negotiations to exit the European Union, when you consider how many ‘experts’ we have on the subject – and I am not including any politicians in that statement. Today, the media big boys are all very wiseRead More

  There is a very important question which no-one is asking: “Why did David Cameron’s government do nothing about Britain’s Exit from the European Union?” All that Cameron managed to achieve was several months in a very fetching  hard hat/high- viz jacket combo, doom-mongering whilst being ably assisted by his sidekickRead More

I have been studying the decision-making and initiative delivery record of Theresa May’s government and as far as I can see, she manages by delivering statements of intent , plus a very clever device which appears to be problem-solving action but in fact, is totally meaningless. It begins with threeRead More

Remember Hale and Pace when they were funny?  This isn’t about them – but it is about Management, Organisation and Decision Making – with maybe a quick nod to Leadership. The context? The ramshackle mélange of lawyers, doctors, local government employees, lecturers, teachers, journalists, farmers, political organisers and city typesRead More

Without sounding disingenuous or racist, I was very disappointed that Mrs May chose her new Home Secretary with an all-too-obvious reference to the Dulux Autumn Shades Colour Chart. Sajid Javid is only average but of course, he does have the advantage of being of Pakistani extraction. He was quite atRead More

Kim Philby achieved the professional distinction of being ordered to catch himself. Theresa May is the only politician to have achieved the same status through her fumbling of the Windrush mess. The only difference is that non-one knew about Philby but everyone knows that Mrs May has been the rootRead More

Many (including several of the United Kingdom’s most senior Government Ministers) may be surprised to hear that Новичо́к or as we say ‘Novichok’ is NOT the name of a substance. The word itself means ‘New Kid on the Block’, ‘New Guy’ or even ‘Newcomer’. ‘Novichok’ refers to a series ofRead More

Power, authority, legitimacy, trust and dependence are the five base ingredients and starting point for creating exactly the right environment, or recipe, for sexual exploitation of the vulnerable to take place. It is no coincidence therefore that the hot beds of child molestation and sexual exploitation are to be foundRead More

In the last few years there has been a growing interest in leadership and leadership theory –  in the wake of the appearance of political leaders whose election seems to be something of an anomaly. For instance, Donald Trump is widely regarded as an incompetent (possibly certifiable) loose cannon and the UnitedRead More

The Brits have a curious and unique obssession. The Royal family.

One of the most misused and least understood words in the English language is ‘psychopath’. Thanks to the media, as well as the arts, the word is confused with ‘violent psychopath’. Many years ago when I was still cavorting on the corporate stage, I asked one of my American ‘matrix’Read More

Here are a few snippets which confirm what have always been my biggest fears about politicians – Incompetence, xenophobia, racial bigotry and the triumph of bullshit over substance. These two lovelies are among the finest exponents. This is a must watch video: (Conservatives and Libdems to follow!!)   (With thanksRead More

Beijing Fashion Week reminds us that today’s Chinese designers are very much in demand, both at home as well as all over the world, notably the West, where they are being increasingly recognised by both American and European fashion houses as being totally ‘on-trend’ and pointing the way forward forRead More

  Apparently, the #EU Summit is opened by President of the European Council , Donald Tusk who always begins the meeting with a prayer, then asks for the lights to be dimmed as he invites the spirits to join the circle. He then asks everyone present to join hands andRead More

No Hinkley Decision! Gatwick, Heathrow, HS2, Brexit and the latest – a French built Nuclear Power Station at Hinkley Point. What do they all have in common? They are all examples of British politicians’ inability to take a decision without YEARS of meetings, inquiries, meetings, Royal Commissions, debates followed byRead More

AP video of French CRS emptying their magazines into the Nice maniac.

#Boris on Africa in 2002 (Telegraph) “What a relief it must be for Blair to get out of England. It is said that the Queen has come to love the Commonwealth, partly because it supplies her with regular cheering crowds of flag-waving piccaninnies…. They say he is shortly off toRead More

The Cameron-Osborne Mantra If there was ever a Prime Minister fully entitled to bang-on incessantly about “the mess left behind by the previous government”, it is Mrs May. The Cameron-Osborne ‘mess’ has not been immediately apparent because of the veneer of spurious statistics applied to it like icing over aRead More

Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer, John McDonnell: “Anti Jeremy Corbyn plotters are fucking useless.” Eloquent and Concise.

It’s becoming a bit of a craze….. The highest office in the land being passed on like an old pair of trainers. Gordon Brown tried to rule without a proper democratic mandate and now , not to be outdone, the Conservatives are about to crown Mrs May as our nextRead More

d   Judging by all the searingly emotional and often savage reactions to Tony Blair as a result of the invasion of Iraq, the continuing death toll and the Chilcot Report, purely for balance, I think it would be interesting if there was more understanding of Blair’s decision-making process. SuchRead More

Anarchy in the UK? What with both Cameron and Osborne exposed as no more than bad second-hand car salesmen, the Labour Party Leadership Revolt, those doctors telling Jeremy Hunt where to get off , the Southern Train people not having enough trains to tell people to where, when or evenRead More

    I have trained and coached some very senior people all over the world and at one stage (many years ago) I was hired by Angela Rumbold to train a few individuals at Conservative Central Office in Smith Square. Unfortunately, I found that they all knew far more thatRead More

      SOMME – “The Old lie” Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori: mors et fugacem persequitur virum nec parcit inbellis iuventae poplitibus timidove tergo.   Dulce et Decorum Est, by Wilfred Owen Bent double, like old beggars under sacks, Knock-kneed, coughing like hags, we cursed through sludge,Read More

  One of the great constants in recent Tory leadership elections has been the sudden emergence of Michael Hestletine from his earth-filled coffin. The man who shafted Margaret Thatcher and who by doing so, not-only failed in his own ambitions to become Prime Minister but single-handedly established the modern dynastyRead More

Footsie Looks as if those equity screen monkeys have had their fun. This morning, the FTSE100 is up to 6130. #Brexit

Brexit process Do not be surprised if those European Union negotiators ‘stonewall’ the United Kingdom delegation for the next two years in order to force them to walk away without any trade deals in place…..as an example to other EU members with exit ambitions.

It would seem that former England Manager Roy Hodson was most likely delivering his half-time motivational team talk to England’s pointless prancing prima donnas with a pre-written resignation letter in his pocket. He didn’t, by any chance,  also write those suicide notes that Cameron and Osborne kept reading out beforeRead More

Leadership Pass the Parcel We have no idea why the Labour Party is becoming so vexed about Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership. As usual, they have the leader they deserve.  🙂 Meanwhile, the Tories are shaping up for their SIXTH leader in twenty years because the current leader can only administer projectsRead More

  Yes, all you Corbyn supporters – he is a decent man. Unfortunately, decency is no substitute for competence and unfortunately, Corbyn is to leadership what Osborne is to fiscal credibility. Let us hope that Jezza does not suffer a protracted political death but a surgery that is swift and clean.Read More

Carney…..Taxi! Government lackey and ex-Goldman Sachs director, Mark Carney, who was hired as Governor of the Bank of England by Chancellor Osborne has little choice but to resign. He has badly compromised the Bank of England’s impartial status by clearly attempting to influence the outcome of the referendum through blatantRead More

Chancellor Gideon, who referred to the Brexit campaigners as economically illiterate and ill-informed (probably in a vain attempt to establish some common ground with them), has added: “It’s not the outcome I wanted but I respect the decision of the British people and will do all I can to makeRead More

Brexit – the Highlights There were only two highlights: Cameron and Osborne in their now customary Bob the Builder fancy dress of hard-hat and high-viz jacket, dispensing their fabulously entertaining post-Brexit comedy “facts” designed to scare the crap out of the British public. Priceless! Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn reciting hisRead More

President of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, who appears to see himself as the King of Europe has begun his bullying campaign because HE wants Great Britain to begin the EU-exit process ASAP. There is absolutely no provision in Article 50 for any sort of time limit or exit standard.Read More

I am still shocked! Not by the fact that Great Britain is leaving the European Union, which, in spite of all the post-referendum whinging, was definitely the correct result …..but by Cameron’ reaction.

“Pournelle’s Iron Law of Bureaucracy“ states that  in any bureaucracy, the people devoted to the benefit of the bureaucracy itself always gain control…… and those dedicated to the goals the bureaucracy  will gradually have less and less influence and often will be eliminated entirely. The #EU administration in Brussels andRead More

    As a UK taxpayer, ask yourself whether you are happy with continuing to contribute so very generously to the salaries and pensions of the 85,000 (and counting) unelected employees temps, contract staff, family and friends within the #EU bureaucracy as well as subsidising their homes, offices and vehicles.Read More

Writing in the Guardian, currency speculator George Soros has said sterling would “decline precipitously” if the Leave camp won Thursday’s referendum vote. Once again, he is talking as if sterling will be throwing itself over a cliff. Nothing could be further from the truth. In effect what he is doingRead More

The  EU Remain campaign has received a boost from the tragic death of the Member of Parliament for Batley and Spen. Since the Jo Cox murder, there has been a swing of up to 5% (depending on the poll) in favour of David Cameron’s Remain fantasists. http://bit.ly/24VkGaW

We are all fed up with political hypocrisy – so after listening to parliament’s well-meant but in some instances self-serving words of condolence, appreciation and tribute, here is Jo Cox delivering her very last House of Commons speech on May 3rd 2016…… to surprisingly depleted government benches:

Loving the way that Forex and Equity screen monkeys all over the world are blaming a probable BREXIT for market uncertainty. The real culprits, chaps …… are too much debt, not enough growth and clueless politicians.

I find it terribly sad (but not surprising) that so many senior British politicians feel themselves incapable of governing our country without the ‘support’ of the 85,000 Brussels Bureaucrats who are bleeding-dry an organisation which began as such a great concept. Our politicians’ blind panic is all too evident in the wordsRead More

By nominating themselves as the main spokesmen for the EU referendum  IN-vote, Cameron and Osborne have made a gross error of judgement. Not for reasons of personality or presentation skills – those are abundantly evident  🙂 – but because they have come to believe their own publicity. Let’s spell itRead More

What is it with Chancellor George Osborne and bankers? This morning, when he issued his ultimatum to the British public with threats of tax increases if they voted in favour of Brexit , he was standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Morgan Stanley director Alistair Darling. Yes, they’re all at it….. For instanceRead More

The Conservative government looks as if it will soon implode as a result of Chancellor George Osborne’s latest EU referendum-related threat. In spite of winning the last general election on a “no income tax increases” ticket, he has said that he will have to slash public spending and increase taxes inRead More

  Have you ever wondered HOW the handling of the EU referendum by Cameron and his Cabinet is perceived in Europe….and indeed, by many in the United Kingdom? (See above) Sadly – it’s quite justified. Now that the experts have finally realised that every TV appearance by Cameron OR OsborneRead More

What Cameron et al have been indicating by their prophesies of doom and gloom, if we should democratically opt for Brexit, can be summarised as follows: The EU and its 90,000-strong Brussels bureaucracy have us by the balls and we can NEVER leave…. even if we wanted to. There are salariesRead More

OK – we accept that Cameron does not feel capable of managing the UK if we vote to exit Die Europäische Union (EU). What with a post-brexit economic collapse, rising interest rates, falling house prices, a collapsed currency, no export market and being overrun with unwanted migrants – it wouldRead More

The strain of the EU Referendum debate and the spectre of a Mad Max Brexit future beginning to take its toll? Mind you, six years of meetings, announcements and inquiry commissioning are quite stressful!

It’s a  bit rich when Dave ‘The Voters’ Friend’ Cameron accuses Gove and Bojo of pseudo-factual inexactitudes! That’s only because it would be unseemly for him to refer to them as ‘f*****g  lying  b******s!!’ Cameron is achieving the double-whammy of not only losing the argument but he is beginning toRead More

The United Kingdom’s EU “influence”. If you are still convinced that the United Kingdom has influence within the European Union, have a look at the latest EU Secretariat-General organogram HERE.

Caprice is the WORD The ICM survey of 2,000 people conducted over the weekend, showed 48% of Britons would vote to leave the EU. That’s up one percentage point on last week, compared with 43% who said they would vote to remain – although there other statistics which show the numberRead More

Here’s Cameron’s ‘No ifs, no buts’ on net migration. Spin that! https://youtu.be/DJRtDPOjQ7g

We referendum voters (us) prefer to debate and discuss topics which affect us directly. Unfortunately, just like the average clueless Chief Executive who talks to his junior staff about RoI, RoE, company profits, expenses overruns, fiscal drag , dividends etc., Cameron bangs on about “the economy” which even Osborne admitsRead More

Most of us have become used to the rather unedifying sight of Cameron and Osborne (often looking silver-spoon-awkward in hard hats and high-viz jackets) talking-down the United Kingdom by expressing their belief that without continental support, we are useless, worthless scum who would surely perish outside the EU. They haveRead More

Have you noticed that in the post-WW1, post-Empire era, the British Establishment’s default position in respect of any perceived trouble from a foreign “authority”  has been appeasement? Remember Edward VIII cosying up to Hitler? Chamberlain’s piece of paper? Churchill handing Eastern Europe to Stalin? More recently, the policy of appeasementRead More

It’s all Dutch to me….. Today, David Cameron, emboldened by yet another pointless meeting with Dutch PM Mark Rutte  said that leaving the European Union would “crash the economy and increase migration.” If you say so, Dave…. Rutte, by profession an HR man with a History Degree added helpfully that Brexit wouldRead More

  It’s a shame that there isn’t the same outcry about the 1000 people who drowned in the Med this week or the 1000 who are going to drown next week, as there is about a gorilla being shot in an American zoo. The United Kingdom’s wake-up call will comeRead More

It was May 31st 1916 when the Royal Navy clashed with German warships off the coast of Denmark’s Jutland peninsula. Today David Cameron led the Battle of Jutland commemoration. He hosted the ceremony in Orkney because one hundred years ago, the Royal Navy sailed from the Orkney Scapa Flow base. AmongRead More

A Guardian ICM telephone poll of a few days ago clearly shows the Brexit enthusiasts in the lead. Credit for this turnaround has to go to two people: David Cameron, George Osborne and their Comedy Statistics. Surely, all that the Brexit campaign has to do now is keep Farage outRead More

Apparently 90% of economists say that the United Kingdom should remain within the European Union. Is that the same 90% which wanted us to abandon the pound sterling in favour of the euro? Or perhaps it’s the 90% + which didn’t see the 2008 financial crisis until 2009? Maybe it’sRead More

It continues to defy belief that Cameron decided to lead the pro-Europe, ‘IN’ referendum debate. Had he taken the correct option and organised the campaign only slightly differently by remaining neutral, we would not now be hearing dark mutterings of resignation and a vote of no confidence….but as usual, heRead More

The Brexit debate has damaged MANY reputations.

The European Union is languishing in a perpetual economic autumn whilst bankers, with the connivance of politicians, apply rudimentary quack remedies such as Quantitative Easing in the vain hope that somehow they’ll skip a couple of seasons and as if by miracle, an economic  summer will materialise out of the murk.Read More

The questions  and comedy statistics have all been about the United Kingdom. It’s time the debate broadened – for instance: Do we see the European Union developing into the economic Utopia that the ‘IN’ camp appears to be predicting? Germany has always been the efficiently fruitful epicentre of the EURead More

Having observed Cameron’s and Osborne’s double act, I cannot help but wonder whether they’ll soon be signed for their own BBC Christmas Show or perhaps take over from Ant and Dec! On a serious note……The “Stay in the #EU because we are totally trapped” campaign has been SO clumsily scriptedRead More

Today, our Prime Minister’s Brexit nonsense about family holidays “increasing by £230” if we left the #EU confirms his total lack of respect and utter contempt for the average British voter. Not only does he continue to destroy his own credibility and persuade more and more people to vote forRead More

  Listening to many of the Brexit-related vox pop on the news, especially from the older generation makes you realise that not only are many of the interviewees a bit thick , but that many do not appear to read past the headlines…… and that is exactly what Cameron andRead More

Always beware of any sentence uttered by a politician which contains the word “percentage” – especially if that politician is Chancellor Gideon. The latest bit of statistical fantasy saw Osborne suggesting that if we leave the #EU, “house prices COULD fall by Up TO 18 %.” (!) Obviously, he hasRead More

A recent survey has indicated that most companies based in the eurozone believe a British decision to leave the European Union would hurt the region as it struggles with a sluggish economy and a migration crisis. 79%  of firms based in the eurozone said a Brexit would be bad forRead More

If you’re lucky enough to travel to Muirfield to play golf, make sure that you remember to set you watch back 200 years. Forsooth!

Albert Einstein was asked how he thought that World War 3 would be fought. He said that he didn’t know but that he knew how World War 4 would be fought – with sticks and stones. “Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I’m not sure aboutRead More

After two years of detailed statistical analysis, the Review on Antimicrobial Resistance has been published and  concludes that superbugs will kill someone every three seconds by 2050 unless the world acts now. The rather alarmist review sets out a plan for preventing medicine “being cast back into the Dark Ages.” TheRead More

Sometimes, one cannot help but feel sorry for our Queen. She has to put on a heavy metal hat covered in bling, get togged up in fancy dress and then walk up some steps (what’s wrong with a Stannah Lift), sit on a very uncomfortable looking chair and then read aRead More

Cameron’s ‘in crowd’ has expanded offshore to include the foreign senior banking community. Here in the UK, the ‘IN’ conspiracy has now recruited some senior corporate ‘suits’. Meanwhile, Boris is looking increasingly shambolic and isolated plus, he does not appear to be appealing to the great unwashed. The two mainRead More

Good to see the Cameron #EU ‘In-Crowd’ adopting the official government policy of spouting meaningless and spurious statistics in order to try and prove that being a member of the European Union is compulsory if one is to maintain economic success , which, incidentally, is something which continues to elude theRead More

Uncontrolled immigration drives down the average wage. That in turn brings down the wealth of the individual, plus it puts incredible pressure on our social security and health systems. The United Kingdom has become a dumping ground for the European Union’s unemployed and low paid……..with lots more to come. InRead More

Great quote from yesterday’s excellent first episode of #BILLIONS: “You don’t have to outswim the shark – just your SCUBA partner.”

It was the IMF’s Christine Lagarde’s turn today. She says that Brexit would have “assez mauvais to très , très mauvais” consequences but was not particularly specific. “Pretty bad to very, very bad” is once again a judgement and not a prediction….and if she wants to see “very, very bad”, she shouldRead More

The (hired by Chancellor Gideon) totally impartial Governor Mark Carney of the oh-so independent Bank of England said today that if the United Kingdom left the Bruderschaft of the oh-so economically-stable #EU, the risk of leaving “could possibly include a technical recession”……….which by implication suggests that if we stay firmly wedgedRead More

I do wish that @bbclaurak at least made an EFFORT to be non-partisan in the #EU in-out referendum debate. She’s never struck me as a #Cameron groupie….or perhaps she just has issues with that other great champion of the poor and oppressed, #IDS?

  Believe it or not, I have no particular view as to whether or not we should remain within the European Union but if we are minded to believe the sharp suited Westminster Europhiles (and Jeremy Corbyn), we should not take what is looking increasingly like the foolhardy and dangerousRead More

The fact that Jeremy Hunt was a contemporary of David Cameron’s at Cambridge compounds the problem because it is extremely difficult to rid oneself of family or friends that one has hired to do a job which is incontrovertibly so utterly above that individual’s competence level.

Terribly intrusive reportage by the Mail. They should show John “Shagger” Whittingdale a bit of respect. The fact that this unlikely knobmeister is managing to score at a rate which should at least put him on the England subs bench at Euro 2016 is obviously causing the po-faced ones atRead More

All that Chancellor Gideon has achieved by stating that if the UK leaves the #EU, MORTGAGE RATES will increase, has been to highlight his stupidity and total lack of understanding of the mortgage market. Presumably he is implying that if we remain in the EU, mortgage rates will NOT goRead More

THIS is a Tax Return:                  THIS is NOT a Tax Return:             I will say this only once! Cameron, Osborne and Johnson have NOT produced what are being referred-to as “Tax Returns”. They have produced what lookRead More

Has ANYONE noticed that David Cameron has NOT yet produced his Tax Return? In their excitement, the media appear to have accepted a very dodgy-looking and simplistic spreadsheet – the sort we could all knock-out on our PCs. The sort of spreadsheet which would be totally unacceptable to HMRC orRead More

In order to see number which give a true reflection of Cameron’s and Osborne’s incomes, their spouses tax returns should also be made public. It’s amazing how easy it is to forget having bestowed large amounts of cash on a loved one. I am not suggesting for one moment thatRead More

Remember that whatever your opinion, whether it’s the #EU hokey-kokey debate or Mr Cameron and his deep and  (so genuine!) offshore love for his father, it all depends on where you’re standing …your POV……………… For instance: Dog: ” I love the way I’ve trained that nice Dr Pavlov to smile,Read More

Now that Cameron has released a note of his tax affairs back to 2009 (yet another mistake), it won’t be long before  his income prior to that date will be demanded for scrutiny by an increasingly ferocious press. His priority now should be to sack his ‘advisers’. They have advisedRead More

Cameron spokesperson: “There are no offshore trusts or funds that the Prime Minister or his immediate family would benefit from in future.” What about the £300K that your old man left you, Dave? Do and your family not plan to spend it in the future? Have you already spent it?Read More

The question is very straightforward: Do we want to belong to a totally unaudited association of failing and near bankrupt economies, overrun by unwanted (yes!) migrants and presided over by an inward-focused, self-amplifying bureaucracy – or should we be looking outwards to the rest of the world whilst maintaining relationsRead More

David Cameroon, George Osborne and John Pullinger of the Office for National Statistics (ONS) are out hunting. Osborne shoots at a deer and misses 5ft to the left, Cameron takes a shot and misses 5ft to the right. Pullinger of the ONS can hardly suppress his excitement and yells:  ‘WeRead More

Ah…….that heady aroma of a media-generated mélange of schadenfreude and disinformation! Ian Cameron’s FUND, Blairmore Holdings was never a “Trust”. It was a Hedge Fund which invested in no more than the sort of equities etc that one finds in any other fund. Cameron Junior and his unfortunate wife, SamRead More