A Referendum On The Lisbon Treaty After All?

England Expects: A Good Day to Bury Bad News?

Ever since the Lisbon Treaty (Constitution) was ratified it was clear that something would have to be done about the extra MEPs that it had created (but without actually allocating them 'seats'). In order to sort this out, changes will have to be made to the Lisbon Treaty soon. This will require all 27 member states to ratify it again.

Any chance Mr Cameron (for it seems likeliest he will be PM by then) will honour a previous promise to give us a referendum on whether to sign it or not?

No, thought not.

The Black Hole We're Going Down

Burning our money: Tackling Our Fiscal Black Hole - People Ain't Dumb

Unfortunately, they are. Just like our politicians.

Care of Burning Our Money, a disturbing presentation of the UK's financial wasteland.

What we've had for the last year and a half is like the Phoney War: everyone knows the shit is coming but is pretending it won't. Here it comes.

Election Winner To Be Out Of Office For A Generation

According to the Governor of the Bank of England whoever wins the next election will have such a tough time enforcing austerity that it will be out of office for a generation.

Except if it's Labour, of course, because if they get in they'll make sure they can never be removed by election again. You better believe it.

How Gordon Brown Fucked Your Pension

The man who stole your old age: How Gordon Brown secretly imposed a ruinous tax that has wrecked the retirements of millions.

Labour to create veterans' ID card

Defence Management

No end to Labour's authoritarian wastefulness, it seems.

The Labour Party have pledged to provide free ID cards for forces' leavers if re-elected to government.

The pledge was made in the party's manifesto, launched on 12 March.

"A veterans ID card will help veterans access their improved benefits and will be free to service leavers," says the manifesto. "We will continue to strengthen mental health provision in partnership with the Combat Stress charity, and roll out our Welfare Pathway to give personnel and their families better support and advice."

The manifesto also reiterates promises made during the last parliament, including pledges to cut waste within the Ministry of Defence.

"We are reforming defence procurement," states the manifesto, "making further reductions in civilian staff, and cutting lower-priority spending on headquarters costs, travel and consultancy."

'Free' to service leavers - I like that. 'Free', as in 'free - until it becomes necessary'.