And he means it most sincerely

Successful leadership demands character

Trust me, I'm a politician

Sarkozy: Don't we turn left here?

Adviser: Ah non, Monsieur le President, we turn left further on.




 

                                   

Learning the old goose-step

"Back To the Army Again"



Rudyard Kipling


I'm 'ere in a ticky ulster an' a broken billycock 'at,

A-layin' on the sergeant I don't know a gun from a bat;

My shirt's doin' duty for jacket, my sock's stickin' out o' my boots,

An' I'm learnin' the damned old goose-step along o' the new recruits!



Back to Army again, sergeant,

Back to the Army again.

Don't look so 'ard, for I 'aven't no card,

I'm back to the Army again!



I done my six years' service. 'Er Majesty sez: "Good day --

You'll please to come when you're rung for, an' 'ere's your 'ole back-pay:

An' fourpence a day for baccy -- an' bloomin' gen'rous, too;

An' now you can make your fortune -- the same as your orf'cers do."



Back to the Army again, sergeant,

Back to the Army again.

'Ow did I learn to do right-about-turn?

I'm back to the Army again!



A man o' four-an'-twenty that 'asn't learned of a trade --

Beside "Reserve" agin' him -- 'e'd better be never made.

I tried my luck for a quarter, an' that was enough for me,

An' I thought of 'Er Majesty's barricks, an' I thought I'd go an' see.



Back to the Army again, sergeant,

Back to the Army again.

'Tisn't my fault if I dress when I 'alt --

I'm back to the Army again!



The sergeant arst no questions, but 'e winked the other eye,

'E sez to me, " 'Shun!" an' I shunted, the same as in days gone by;

For 'e saw the set o' my shoulders, an' I couldn't 'elp 'oldin' straight

When me an' the other rookies come under the barrik-gate.



Back to the Army again, sergeant,

Back to the Army again.

'Oo would ha' thought I could carry an' port?

I'm back to the Army again!



I took my bath, an' I wallered -- for, Gawd, I needed it so!

I smelt the smell o' the barricks, I 'eard the bugles go.

I 'eard the feet on the gravel -- the feet o' the men what drill --

An' I sez to my flutterin' 'eart-strings, I sez to 'em, "Peace, be still!"



Back to the Army again, sergeant,

Back to the Army again.

'Oo said I knew when the troopship was due?

I'm back to the Army again!



I carried my slops to the tailor; I sez to 'im, "None o' your lip!

You tight 'em over the shoulders, an' loose 'em over the 'ip,

For the set o' the tunic's 'orrid." An' 'e sez to me, "Strike me dead,

But I thought you was used to the business!" an' so 'e done what I said.



Back to the Army again, sergeant,

Back to the Army again.

Rather too free with my fancies? Wot -- me?

I'm back to the Army again!



Next week I'll 'ave 'em fitted; I'll buy me a swagger-cane;

They'll let me free o' the barricks to walk on the Hoe again,

In the name o' William Parsons, that used to be Edward Clay,

An' -- any pore beggar that wants it can draw my fourpence a day!



Back to the Army again, sergeant,

Back to the Army again.

Out o' the cold an' the rain, sergeant,

Out o' the cold an' the rain.

'Oo's there?



A man that's too good to be lost you,

A man that is 'andled an' made --

A man that will pay what 'e cost you

In learnin' the others their trade -- parade!

You're droppin' the pick o' the Army

Because you don't 'elp 'em remain,

But drives 'em to cheat to get out o' the street

An' back to the Army again!

The shortest way with dissenters

EDL leader sentenced for headbutting fellow protester

Stephen Lennon given 12-week term suspended for 12 months for common assault and judge rejects asbo application

Helen Carter

3 November 2011

The leader of the far-right English Defence League has been given a suspended jail sentence after he assaulted one of the group's members at a rally.

Stephen Lennon, 28, from Luton, was given a 12-week term, suspended for 12 months, at Preston magistrates court.

At a day-long trial, the court heard that Lennon launched a tirade against Alan McKee, 33, calling him a "degenerate mug", at a rally in Blackburn in April.

McKee later confronted Lennon, who stepped forward and headbutted him.

McKee refused to give evidence against Lennon, but the court heard from two police officers who said they clearly saw the incident.

An attempt to prevent Lennon from organising or attending rallies outside Bedfordshire was rejected by the district judge Peter Ward at the sentencing hearing.

The CPS and Lancashire constabulary jointly applied for an anti-social behaviour order against Lennon that would have effectively prevented him from involvement in the EDL. But Lennon's legal representatives said an asbo would be "disproportionate" and claimed the police were "desperate to stop him being involved with the EDL at all costs".

Outside the court, Lennon said: "This was an attempt to silence me and take away my democratic rights. I respect the judge for this decision. If the asbo had been imposed, it would have meant me going to jail. I would have broken it and broken it."

Lennon was warned he would be brought back before the courts if he committed another offence within 12 months. He will be required to perform 150 hours of unpaid work for the common assault conviction and pay £200 costs.

Thirteen arrests were made at the Blackburn rally, which cost £500,000 to police. The court heard that Lennon had been in charge of, or assisted in the control of, 70 such demonstrations nationwide.

Guardian

Jonathan Bowden - nationalist orator

I was saddened to hear the other day of the untimely death last month of Jonathan Bowden.

I was privileged to hear him speak on several occasions. 

Although he was a man of many talents, I think it will be above all for his spellbinding oratory that Jonathan will be best remembered.

EDL 'leader' headbutts EDL member

EDL leader Stephen Lennon convicted of assault

29 September 2011


The leader of the English Defence League (EDL) has been convicted of assault after headbutting a member of his group during a rally in Blackburn.

Stephen Lennon, 28, goaded his followers during a rally attended by 2,000 EDL members in April, Preston Magistrates' Court heard.

He verbally abused Alan McKee, 33, before attacking him.

Lennon who denied common assault, was found guilty of the charge. Sentencing was adjourned to 3 November.

The bench heard Mr Lennon launched a tirade against Mr McKee, calling him a "degenerate mug", before trouble broke out.

Mr McKee was pulled from the crowd for his safety. But he later confronted Mr Lennon about his speech, the court was told.

Lennon, who was surrounded by his own security guards and EDL stewards, then stepped forward and headbutted Mr McKee.

Probation report

The EDL leader, of Luton, denied assault and said he had not targeted Mr McKee during his speech.

Lennon said the man he targeted was another man who he said was part of an EDL splinter group, the North East Infidels, intent on causing trouble.

The court heard from two police officers who told the court they were on hand when the incident happened and they clearly saw Lennon headbutt Mr McKee.

After a day-long trial, District Judge Peter Ward said that he believed the police officers and convicted Lennon of common assault.

The judge said he wanted a probation report on Lennon before passing sentence.

He said: "I don't think one can rule out a custodial sentence, but at the same time I'm keeping it open in light of the report and what is said to the court next time."

Sentencing was adjourned until 3 November when police will apply for a criminal (anti-social behaviour order) to prevent Lennon attending EDL rallies.

BBC

Wilders in the wilderness?

Wilders back on the barricades

22 April 2012

John Tyler

Early elections in the Netherlands are all but certain after negotiations on austerity measures broke down on Saturday. Geert Wilders, leader of the populist Freedom Party, dramatically walked out of the talks at the last minute, just as an agreement seemed imminent.

After one and a half years helping govern the Netherlands by supporting a minority government, Geert Wilders has had enough. Now his Freedom Party movement can go back to a more comfortable role as protest party.

Since leaving the free-market liberal VVD party seven years ago, Mr Wilders has fashioned himself into a populist, anti-establishment politician. The champion of the average working class Joe, a constituency he refers to as ‘Henk and Ingrid’.

Strange bedfellows

That anti-establishment image was severely challenged the moment he signed a governing agreement with two stalwarts of the Dutch establishment, the VVD and the Christian Democrats. Wilders did keep a modicum of distance by not actually participating in the government, merely supporting it from parliament. The Christian Democrats refusal to allow Wilders into the cabinet gave him a convenient excuse not to join the cabinet as a full partner.

Even that distance was not enough. Governing in a coalition system such as here in the Netherlands requires compromise. Mr Wilders, on the other hand, rose to prominence by ridiculing the very culture of compromise. He risked being seen as just another wishy-washy politician, willing to trade away his principles.

Lashing out

Wilders’ need to be seen as anti-establishment led to some rather uncomfortable moments for his allies in the cabinet. Prime Minister Mark Rutte was repeatedly asked to condemn various statements by his political partner. Wilders insulted the President of Turkey while he was on a state visit, the Freedom Party started a website inviting people to complain about Polish immigrants, Wilders condemned the Queen for wearing a headscarf when visiting a mosque in Oman and spoke out against Islam at ground zero in New York. Mr Rutte rose to the Queen’s defence, but otherwise refused to comment.

These radical statements have all been part of Wilders’ strategy of disguising compromises with political drama. He pleases his constituents by railing against the system, even while he is an important player in that system.

Put to the test

The recent negotiations for a new round of austerity measures proved the toughest test of Mr Wilders’ political savvy. The day after the last election, Mr Wilders said he would break his promise not to raise the age of retirement. A clear example of compromise in the interest of governing. He could not afford to openly offend pensioners again. Mr Wilders has also fervently advocated more spending on healthcare. He was being asked to compromise on both in the recent austerity package.

Attempting to explain why he walked out, Wilders lashed out at the European Union, saying the Netherlands should not blindly obey commands from Brussels. This is a popular standpoint in the Netherlands which, ever since rejecting the European Constitution in a referendum back in 2005, has shown a growing anti-Europe sentiment.

Bash away

Bashing Europe, just like bashing immigration, is a tried and tested manner for Wilders to score among his electorate. Now, freed from the burden of governing, Mr Wilders can bash away to his heart’s content. But this time, the formula may not prove as successful as it has in the past.

Wilders has taken a calculated risk by walking away. He is saying farewell to his position of power and is unlikely to get the chance again soon. But that suits him and his supporters. They are more comfortable storming the establishment castle from the outside.

Party poopers

Wilders has suffered a blow to his credibility. His Freedom Party is proving to be an unreliable partner. Having learned from the chaos that sank his party's populist predecessor the Pim Fortuyn List, Wilders has worked hard to avoid divisions within his Freedom Party, but now they seem to have caught up with him nonetheless. Nearly a dozen local Freedom Party representatives have left the party in the past few years. Last month, one of the party's most prominent MPs announced he was leaving. And last week, the Freedom Party suffered a particularly embarrassing blow in Limburg, Geert Wilders’ home province and the only one where the party was in government. The Christian Democrats pulled the plug on the coalition there, saying the Freedom Party was no longer a reliable partner.

These troubles expose the weaknesses of the party’s lack of structure and its complete reliance on one-man rule. Wilders has been unwilling to delegate authority and his party has grown too fast for him to control everything. [Emphasis mine].

Now, as the party regroups, Wilders will undoubtedly fall back on ever more dramatic gestures. Presenting his new book Marked for death: Islam’s war against the west and me in New York next week is only the start. But after his stint in the halls of power in the Hague, his old tactics may have run their course.

Radio Netherlands Worldwide

An ever stronger union

OVER TO YOU: HELP US REACH HALF-A-MILLION NAMES

Dear Marriage Supporter

Next Monday (30 April) will mark ten weeks of the Coalition for Marriage campaign and the national petition for marriage. In that time, you and over 450,000 fellow marriage supporters have already signed the petition. That’s great, thank you for your support.

Let’s celebrate the ten-week milestone by pushing the petition past the half-a-million mark. Help us reach 500,000 by next week. We’re nearly there. Just an extra push from you would put us over.

That would send a clear message to the Government that the campaign is going from strength to strength. We are already one of the fastest growing national petitions in living memory. Let’s show the politicians that there’s more where that came from. Let’s show them that the nation’s affection for marriage is strong, deep and widespread.

Practical tips

Some of you may be sitting on paper petition sheets that you have yet to send in to our office. Perhaps you are waiting for the sheet to be entirely filled before posting it to us. We like your dedication! But send it in now – no matter how many signatures you’ve got. You can always collect more signatures on extra sheets later. You can get extra petition sheets by phoning 0207 403 7879 or by downloading a copy from our website.

Some of you may not have yet downloaded our paper petition sheets. These are for your friends who can’t sign the petition online. Some of our supporters have taken the petition door-to-door to their neighbours, some have asked friends at work to sign it, some have asked their families. Download the sheet, or get copies by telephoning 0207 403 7879. Get people signed up and post the sheet back to us to the address on the sheet by Monday 30 April – or very soon afterwards.

Post the petition to Facebook. Just copy this link http://www.c4m.org.uk into your status update – and add some words to encourage people to push the petition over the 500,000 mark. Share the petition on Twitter also. If you’ve already done this, think about doing it again. We all need gentle reminders from time to time.

Perhaps you want some talking points before you speak to others about the subject. Download our briefing, that will help you to think about the issues and talk to people about why marriage is part of the common good and should not be redefined.

Together, we can get the petition over 500,000 by Monday 30 April. After that, the petition will still be there, growing bigger every day. But let’s make our ten-week milestone extra special by hitting half-a-million supporters!

Yours Sincerely

Colin Hart
Campaign Director
Coalition for Marriage