Worried? You Should Be

The unprecedented news that a leading Opposition politician has been arrested on suspicion of airing the Government's dirty linen in public should send shivers down the spine of every British citizen.

It reinforces my previous assertions that Britain is lurching ever closer towards becoming a police state. A place where the Government silences critics by misusing their own legislation.

What kind of a country uses anti-terror legislation to spy on school children, eject pensioners from public buildings, prevent legitimate protest outside Parliament and snoop through people's dustbins looking for the wrong sort of rubbish?

What kind of a country has police officers that think it's acceptable to repeatedly punch a man already well restrained on the ground? What kind of a country stores fingerprint and DNA samples from people who haven't been charged (let alone convicted) of any offence? What kind of country thinks so little of it's people that it repeated loses their personal information?

This is Britain. This is today. It's not Nineteen Eighty Four (or 1933 Germany), although you'd be forgiven for spotting the parallels.

Evil triumphs when good men do nothing.

It's time to act before it's all too late.

Top Tory Arrested for Serving Public Interests

A leading Conservative MP has been arrested on suspicion of "conspiring to commit misconduct in a public office" after making public a series of humiliating Government cock ups and dodgy deals.

Damian Green, MP for Ashford and Shadow Minister for Immigration, was questioned about information he allegedly sourced from a junior civil servant at the Home Office.

Sir David Normington, Permanent Secretary at the Home Office, requested police assistance in identifying the source of the damaging leaks.

The leaked information includes:

• That the Home Office, despite their claims to the contrary, knew about permits granted to 5,000 illegal workers.
• That illegal workers were employed in Parliament.
• The names of Labour MPs opposed to the Government's 42-day detention plan for terror suspects.
• A memo by the Home Secretary (Jacqui Smith) warning that recession could result in a rise in crime.

All highly embarrassing revelations for the Government, but not exactly information that jeopardises national security. In fact the whole event seems to have been propagated for political rather than judicial reasons. The simple fact is that this Government don't like being under the spotlight or held to account.

Both the Home Secretary and Prime Minister have denied they had prior knowledge of Mr Green's fate, but that seems highly unlikely (unbelievable) given his high profile role on the Conservative front bench.

As former Home Secretary Michael Howard put it: "I would have expected to be told. This was an investigation we know initiated by the Home Office. Are we to believe that nobody in the Home Office was told?

"If nobody knew it tells you something about the way government is working at the present time, and about the relations between ministers and senior civil servants."

Labour MP Denis MacShane said: "To send a squad of counter terrorist officers to arrest an MP shows the growing police contempt for Parliament and democratic politics.

"The police now believe that MPs are so reduced in public status that they are fair game for over-excited officers to order dawn raids, arrests and searches of confidential files held by MPs or those who work for them.

"I am not sure this is good for British democracy."

Indeed it isn't.

Science Exams are a Joke

School pupils sitting science exams are expected to answer "undemanding questions to satisfy the needs of league tables and national targets".

That's the opinion of the Royal Society of Chemistry, who have called on the Government to reverse the decline in exam standards.

The Society's e-petition has so far attracted the names of 1,600 of science's great and good.

The blurb of the petition includes some worrying information: "The RSC has powerful evidence of the decline in standards, adding to the revelation that students are able to receive a 'good pass' with a mark of 20%."

It goes on to say that the deficiencies of the exam system have left an entire generation unable to cope with the rigours of society.

I can't disagree. There's no better example than what is being churned out at Key Stage 4 in schools across the nation - Twenty First Century Science. A more fitting title would be 'Crimes Against Science' due to the farcical syntax of the course, derisory standard of examination questions and hotchpotch of inaccuracies in the teaching materials. Be under no disillusions about how unimpressive a qualification it is.

If you don't believe how bad the course is just take a look at some of the 'Higher Tier' exam papers in their back catalogue. It's all tick boxes, match up the pairs and label the diagrams - nothing that remotely requires expression or understanding. It's also nothing that remotely ressembles exams we did a decade or more ago but if you say that, however honest a statement it is, then you're undermining the 'achievements' of pupils and hard work of teachers. Bollocks.

Whoever dreamt up that one really does need shot.

Do hop across and sign the petition if you have a moment.

5th Dec Edit: Now almost 5,000 names of science's great and good. So many of them I recognise/know too.

PBR - Giving With One Hand to Take With the Other

Speculation is rife about the contents of tomorrow's pre-Budget report.

It is thought Chancellor Alistair Darling will immediately slash the standard rate of VAT from 17.5% to 15%, giving shoppers a welcome boost in the run up to Christmas.

The BBC is suggesting tonight that a new top rate of income tax could be imposed on the highest earners. The new 45% rate would be applied to earnings over £150,000, which contradicts a 2005 Labour Party manifesto promise not to increase either the basic or top rates.

Other gimmicks is Darling's box of tricks could include a freeze on vehicle excise duty and boost in the pensioners' winter fuel allowance.

But don't be fooled into thinking Darling is full of festive charity - when the country's broke you can't afford to give away billions in tax. Expect the Government to claw back their pound of flesh when the economy settles in the new year.

Shadow Chancellor George Osborne has stressed that the Government's giveaway and borrowing binge would signal tax hikes for everyone.

Mr Osborne said: "However Gordon Brown wraps it up, it's still a Christmas tax bombshell. He is taking the British people for fools if he thinks they can't spot the difference between a tax cut and a tax con."

Otters Reach the Farnes

Otter tracks have been found for the first time on the Farne Islands off the North-Northumberland coast.

The tracks were found on Brownsman Island, which recently hosted the BBC's Autumn Watch series who were filming the native grey seal colony.

National Trust warden David Steel called the discovery was a "rare event" and said he was surprised the creature could swim the 3-miles from the mainland.

"It is staggering that an otter could survive the perilous journey out to the Farne Islands, especially Brownsman, which is a long way from the mainland.

"We've recently had force nine gales and it can be tricky to reach the islands even on a relatively calm day, which makes this otter's journey a little bit special."

Mr Steel speculated that the otter might be a youngster, fresh from leaving the family fold.

"There'll certainly be plenty of food, plenty of crustaceans and fish to feed upon, but unfortunately, unless another animal swims out here, it might have a lonely existence.

"But there's no reason why we can't get a second or third animal. They are obviously exploring this area so, who knows, maybe in the future might have a small breeding population."

As romantic as the idea of Farne Island otters may be, the new carnivorous inhabitants could cause problems for nesting birds in the summer.

Making Amends

A Bristol shopkeeper has received an unusual letter of apology.

Imran Ahmed, 27, who runs Raja Foods in the Easton area of the city awoke one morning to find the remorseful letter on his doormat.

The letter reads as follows:

"Dear Sirs, I am writing this letter to make amends to you for something I have done in the past.

"About seven years ago I was walking past your shop late one night when I noticed that someone had broken into it.

"I used this opportunity to enter your shop where I stole 400 cigarettes. The money enclosed (£100) is to pay for those cigarettes which I stole from you.

"At that time I was heavily using drugs and my life was in a mess, now I no longer use drugs and I strive to lead a decent and honest life.

"As part of my ongoing recovery I try to put right all of the wrongs I have done in the past, at least where I can, and this is why I am giving you back the money which I stole from you.

"I regret the harm I caused you in the past and I sincerely apologise to you for it.

"I was very wrong to do this and I hope that returning the money will make up for this harm, at least in some small way."

Touching. Let's hope the reformed crook is well on the road to recovery and better fortunes.

Toilet Humour

A man needed hospital treatment after finding himself in a sticky situation while using a public toilet.

The unnamed 35-year-old visited the toilet in Brierley Hill in the West Midlands. Unfortunately he got more than he bargained for when he sat down and found his posterior firmly glued to the seat.

Firefighters were unable to free the man from the toilet seat, so the entire assembly was taken to hospital for chemical removal.

An ambulance service spokesman said: "He appeared to be none the worse for his ordeal other than being understandably somewhat embarrassed."

Very witty.