Isn't he the fellow who said that one man's ambiguity was another man's truth? That would seem to put him well within the Labour mainstream?
Standars must be slipping in the civil service, I can't imagine Sir Humphrey carrying on like that.
If people like Sir Richard aren't listened to, then I guess that we have no chance!
Sir Humphrey would remind himself that civil servants get paid the same no matter how rampant the phallacy becomes.
A package of measures to head off a summer prison overcrowding crisis [...] has been vetoed by Tony Blair
That name rings a bell; wasn't he a Harry Enfield character?
Hmm, the only thing I can't figure out is if he's trying to stitch up Brown, or Cameron. Could easily be both, I suppose.
Speaking of weasel Scots, Brown could deport the excess lags to the Scottish 'Parliament', as it looks like it won't have any other use for the next four years. He's going to have to consider some kind of outsourcing fairly seriously, if he doesn't want to get labelled with Soft of Everything immediately after his coronation.
Personally, I predict that he'll melt down within 3 months, take the huff, and call a snap election. Anything that we can do to hasten that along would be super.
In deciding to set up this new Ministry nobody has been listened to. It appears that the Lord Chief Justice was merely TOLD it would happen. He raised serious concerns about protecting the funding for the courts. I do not know whether those concerns have been addressed. If they have, the public has not been told. It all appeared to be a move to protect the political career of Reid who, as we now know, is about to leave the government.
As I understand the structure of public funding, parliament votes funds for specific purposes, and departments are not free to switch funds from one purpose to another. If that is correct, then a reorganisation of departments has no effect on the funding for the courts.
But it seems very strange that nobody has made this point publicly in answer to the judges.
Assuming that MiniSec does try to swipe some of MiniJust's courts budget, what exactly would Parliament - this cowed and emasculated Parliament - do about it?
Each department has an accounting officer personally answerable to the Public Accounts Committee for ensuring that spending is properly authorised.
No doubt they would hang him or her by some suitable garment from the committee room doorknob until the contempt was purged, meanwhile assailing him or her with the soft pillows; or something of the kind.
Heavens, they might even end up receiving a mere CBE instead of the de rigeur KBE. The ignominy!
Isn't it surprising how robust Anglo-Saxon adds emphasis and clarity when making a point?
Then again, the archetypal glaswegian drunk slurring "I'll f---- you you f---- ing f---- of f------" can hardly be accused of clarity!
RACIALIST!
Unless said drunk is Ginger, in which case, carry on.
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