A loser, methane & Thursday's elections

It's been a bad week for Gordon Brown and the footage shown of him on last night's Bremner, Bird and Fortune indicates that the setbacks have taken their toll on him. The Prime Minister, unlike his predecessor, isn't particularly photogenic at the best of times but the clips of him at Prime Minister's Question Time when not at the dispatch box, showed a man who know he's in trouble . . he looked like a loser.

Having spent ten years in the shadow of Tony Blair, suddenly all this limelight doesn't suit Brown. His shortcomings are going to be ruthlessly exposed and with the media pack already on his trail, he could be in for a torrid time in the coming months. There was an inkling that Brown might not be as cautious and clear thinking as he likes to portray back in February when commenting within minutes of Nick Griffin and Mark Collett's acquittal on race charges at Leeds Crown Court. He was on the TV news bulletins advocating reviewing again the just reviewed and strengthened Race Laws while Nick and Mark were still being interviewed outside of the court. It was an ill-thoughtout soundbite to placate the ethnic minorities and this lack of judgment was even seized upon by one of the establishment newspapers which pointed out that Brown couldn't yet have seen the transcript of the trial, didn't know the particular points of law that the jury had seen fit to clear the defendants on, and that his instant call for a change in the law sounded like 'if we couldn't get them this time, we'll get them next time' sour grapes.

I would like to bet that the European Union is behind the latest move by the Labour Government to phase out fresh milk and replace it with UHT milk. According to a discussion paper, the move is in our best interests because of global warming caused by the carbon emissions from our dairy herds and the refrigerators that keep our milk cold. Almost all of the rest of Europe drinks only UHT, which lasts forever in vacuum packs, so the discussion paper wants to see a cull of Britain's dairy herds reducing them by 50%.

It is not only bad timing to announce such a scheme when our farmers are suffering with foot and mouth and bluetongue, but the whole idea smacks of the EU wanting to snuff out Britain's milk drinking habits because they happen to be different from the rest of the member states. And to claim it's all about global warming is a despicable con-trick typical of this Government. Our cattle herds have been pumping out methane for centuries and haven't caused any climate change, so why should it be different now? If Brown and Co are really worried about Britain's carbon footprint they should place an immediate ban on all flights to and from India & Pakistan. Maybe we should put an e-petition on the Downing Street website . . . "We the undersigned would like to cut carbon emission by banning flights that take 'British' Asians to and from their home country and adopted one, and not by culling our dairy herds'.

There are two local council elections involving British National Party candidates this week in Epping Forest and South Derbyshire. The BNP already has six councillors on Epping Council but it will be something of a political earthquake if Peter Cooper becomes the seventh. Last time the ward was contested we polled just over 20% coming third behind the Tories and Lib-Dems. It might be difficult to actually improve on that percentage with a Labour candidate standing this time around but the local BNP group will be hoping to put the squeeze on the Lib-Dems in what looks the main focus of the campaign - the battle for second place.

Father of four Richard Fallows, is the British National Party's candidate in the Church Gresley ward by-election for South Derbyshire Council. Last time this ward was contested it was a straight fight between Labour and the Tories, but with the added choice of the BNP this time for voters, it could provide an interesting result. Labour candidate Gordon Rhind, is focusing his campaign on saving the local Post Office. What his election leaflets conveniently forget to mention is that it is his Party - the Labour Party - that is actually closing the Post Offices down across the country. Hopefully voters will see this as another example of Labour treating voters with contempt, just like Gordon Brown's 'British Jobs for British Workers' quote at the Labour Party conference. I'm going to stick my neck out on this one and predict that we can come from nowhere and push the Tories into third place in Church Gresley.

The candidates

South Derbyshire Council
Church Gresley Ward
Thursday 18th October 2007
Beatrice Eaton (Con)
Richard Fallows (BNP)
Gordon Rhind (Lab)
Last Time: Lab 798, 770, Con 397, 389.

Epping Forest District Council
Waltham Abbey Honey Lane
Thursday 18th October 2007
Christine Akers ((Lib-Dem)
Jonathon Collier (Con)
Peter Cooper (BNP)
Patricia Sumner (Lab)
Last Time: Con 636, Lib-Dem 240, BNP 225.