#G354* - Robert HALL is Tired of It ALL - Cursed by The Free Loades & The Socialist

#G354* - Robert HALL is Tired of It ALL - Cursed by The Free Loades & The Socialist

I'm 65 and even more tired!  I too feel for Gen Y and the Milleniums - some of them might rise to the challenge and sort out these infernal liberals once and for all!

Subject:: 63 and I'm Tired... all who receive this should read it to the end and remeber it's similarity to RSA This should be required reading for every man, woman and child in the United States of America, Australia AND much of Europe being trashed by the crass lack of morality, ethics or values of The EU, because we are all headed down the same path. 1965! “I'm 63 and I’m Tired"  by Robert A. Hall   I'm 63.  Except for one semester in college when jobs were scarce and a six-month period when I was between jobs, but job-hunting every day, I've worked, hard, since I was 18. Despite some health challenges, I still put in 50-hour weeks, and haven't called in sick in seven or eight years. I make a good salary, but I didn't inherit my job or my income, and I worked to get where I am. Given the economy, there's no retirement in sight, and I'm tired. Very tired.   I'm tired of being told that I have to "spread the wealth" to people who don't have my work ethic. I'm tired of being told the government will take the money I earned, by force if necessary, and give it to people too lazy to earn it. I'm tired of being told that I have to pay more taxes to "keep people in their homes." Sure, if they lost their jobs or got sick, I'm willing to help. But if they bought McMansions at three times the price of our paid-off, $250,000 condo, on one-third of my salary, then let the left-wing Congress-critters who passed Fannie and Freddie and the Community Reinvestment Act that created the bubble help them with their own money. I'm tired of being told how bad  America is by left-wing millionaires like Michael Moore, George Soros and Hollywood Entertainers who live in luxury because of the opportunities  America offers. In thirty years, if they get their way, the United States will have the economy of  Zimbabwe, the freedom of the press of China, the crime and violence of Mexico, the tolerance for Christian people of Iran, and the freedom of speech of Venezuela. I'm tired of being told that Islam is a "Religion of Peace," when every day I can read dozens of stories of Muslim men killing their sisters, wives and daughters for their family "honor"; of Muslims rioting over some slight offense; of Muslims murdering Christian and Jews because they aren't "believers"; of Muslims burning schools for girls; of Muslims stoning teenage rape victims to death for "adultery"; of Muslims mutilating the genitals of little girls; all in the name of Allah, because the Qur'an and Shari'a law tells them to.   I'm tired of being told that "race doesn't matter" in the post-racial world of Obama, when it's all that matters in affirmative action jobs, lower college admission and graduation standards for minorities (harming them the most), government contract set-asides, tolerance for the ghetto culture of violence and fatherless children that hurts minorities more than anyone, and in the appointment of U.S. Senators from Illinois.   I'm tired of being told that out of "tolerance for other cultures" we must let Saudi Arabia use our oil money to fund mosques and mandrassa Islamic schools to preach hate in America, while no American group is allowed to fund a church, synagogue or religious school in Saudi Arabia  to teach love and tolerance. I'm tired of being told I must lower my living standard to fight global warming, which no one is allowed to debate. My wife and I live in a two-bedroom apartment and carpool together five miles to our jobs. We also own a  three-bedroom condo where our daughter and granddaughter live. Our carbon footprint is about 5% of Al Gore's, and if you're greener than Gore, you're green enough.    I'm tired of being told that drug addicts have a disease, and I must help support and treat them, and pay for the damage they do. Did a giant germ rush out of a dark alley, grab them, and stuff white powder up their noses while they tried to fight it off? I don't think Gay people choose to be Gay, but I damn sure think druggies chose to take drugs. And I'm tired of harassment from cool people treating me like a freak when I tell them I never tried marijuana.   I'm tired of illegal aliens being called "undocumented workers," especially the ones who aren't working, but are living on welfare or crime. What's next?  Calling drug dealers, "Undocumented Pharmacists"?  And, no, I'm not against Hispanics. Most of them are Catholic, and it's been a few hundred years since Catholics wanted to kill me for my religion.  I'm willing to fast track for citizenship any Hispanic person, who can speak English, doesn't have a criminal record and who is self-supporting without family on welfare, or who serves honorably for three years in our military.... Those are the citizens we need.  I'm tired of hearing wealthy athletes, entertainers and politicians of both parties talking about innocent mistakes, stupid mistakes or youthful mistakes, when we all know they think their only mistake was getting caught. I'm tired of people with a sense of entitlement, rich or poor.   Speaking of poor, I'm tired of hearing people with air-conditioned homes, color TVs and two cars called poor. The majority of Americans didn't have that in 1970, but we didn't know we were "poor." The poverty pimps have to keep changing the definition of poor to keep the dollars flowing.   I'm real tired of people who don't take responsibility for their lives and actions. I'm tired of hearing them blame the government, or discrimination or big-whatever for their problems.   Yes, I'm d--- tired. But I'm also glad to be 63. Because, mostly, I'm not going to have to see the world these people are making. I'm just sorry for my granddaughter..   Robert A. Hall is a Marine Vietnam veteran who served five terms in the Massachusetts State Senate. There is no way this will be widely publicized, unless each of us sends it on! This is your chance to make a difference.

"In politics, stupidity is not a handicap." Napoleon Bonaparte (1769-1821), 
Regards,
Greg L-W.

for all my contact details & Blogs: CLICK HERE  

British Politicians with pens and treachery, in pursuit of their own agenda and greed, have done more damage to the liberty, freedoms, rights and democracy of the British peoples than any army in over 1,000 years.
The disastrous effects of British politicians selling Britain into the thrall of foreign rule by the EU for their own personal rewards has damaged the well-being of Britain more than the armies of Hitler and the Franco - German - Italian axis of 1939 - 1945.

Make your vote count vote:

INDEPENDENT Leave-the-EU Alliance

or Write on YOUR ballot Paper 

LEAVE-THE-EU

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• British households pay £440 a year to be an EU member ... but don't get it back (telegraph.co.uk)

#353* - Are Banned Light Bulbs Better for Your Health Than Low-Energy Alternatives?

#353* - Are Banned Light Bulbs Better for Your Health Than Low-Energy Alternatives?

Image via Wikipedia

Are Banned Light Bulbs Better for Your Health Than Low-Energy Alternatives?


Ever since the 1st September 2009 and until the 1st September 2016, the first day of September means the end of yet another type of old fashioned light bulb.


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


PRLog (Press Release) – Sep 30, 2010 – Ever since the the first day of September means the end of yet another type of old fashioned light bulb. The list of banned bulbs grows each year: first it was incandescent bulbs of 100W or over, this year it was incandescent bulbs of 75W or over, remaining incandescent bulbs will be banned by 2010 with C-class retro fit halogen lamps following in 2016. This has caused controversy, with some people claiming that the low-energy bulbs can damage our health. Ryness (http://www.ryness.co.uk/) looks at whether banned light bulbs are better for your health than low-energy alternatives.


The EU directive on banned lightbulbs has been controversial for a number of reasons. First, because many people dislike the cost and quality of the low-energy replacement bulbs and second because there are claims that they can harm our health. Campaigners claim they are damaging at best (causing migraines and skin rashes) and could even be dangerous, bringing on epileptic fits (in sufferers of epilepsy) and aggravating conditions such as lupus and autism. It is claimed that the health of at least 3 million people in the UK could be affected in an adverse way when forced to use only these energy efficient type of light bulbs.


Chief Executive of The Skin Care Campaign Andrew Langford, speaking to the Daily Express, said “There are massive health implications, and not just for people with skin conditions. The bulbs can also affect those with no pre-existing health problems. Its mainly down to the intensity of the UV light which is vastly more intense than traditional light bulbs. The effects range from a bit of soreness, right through to burns.” He added: “They’ve simply not been properly checked out for health and safety - and the little research there is, is linked to the light bulb industry.”


The plus side of these bulbs of course, is the minimised environmental impact: it is thought that phasing out 100 watt lightbulbs could slash carbon emissions by around five million tonnes a year. The quality of the bulbs is continually improving and while the initial purchase cost of these bulbs is higher than for traditional bulbs, they last for so much longer that they end up saving money in comparison. Furthermore, although the potential health hazards of using the new bulbs could well cause concern, a spokesperson at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has publicly stated that all energy efficient bulbs are essentially safe, although “We’re aware of some anecdotal evidence the use of these bulbs could have adverse effects on some people’s health and are working with the lighting industry and the Department of Health to resolve these issues.”


Ryness Lighting and Electrical is committed to customer service which is why it carries one of the widest ranges of low-energy lightbulbs available anywhere in the UK, while also providing customers with the banned lightbulbs while stock lasts. Find out more at http://www.ryness.co.uk/.


--- end ---


Last Updated : Sep 30, 2010
Shortcut : http://prlog.org/10965319


"In politics, stupidity is not a handicap." Napoleon Bonaparte (1769-1821),
Regards,
Greg L-W.
for all my contact details & Blogs: CLICK HERE

British Politicians with pens and treachery, in pursuit of their own agenda and greed, have done more damage to the liberty, freedoms, rights and democracy of the British peoples than any army in over 1,000 years.


The disastrous effects of British politicians selling Britain into the thrall of foreign rule by the EU for their own personal rewards has damaged the well-being of Britain more than the armies of Hitler and the Franco - German - Italian axis of 1939 - 1945.

Make your vote count vote:

INDEPENDENT Leave-the-EU Alliance

or Write on YOUR ballot Paper 

LEAVE-THE-EU

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#G352a* - KIPLING, Rudyard - The English Way

The English Way

1929

After the fight at Otterburn,
Before the ravens came,
The Witch-wife rode across the fern
And spoke Earl Percy's name. 

~~~~~~~~~~~

"Stand up-stand up, Northumberland!
I bid you answer true,
If England's King has under his hand
A Captain as good as you?"

 ~~~~~~~~~~~

Then up and spake the dead Percy-
Oh, but his wound was sore!
"Five hundred Captains as good," said he,
"And I trow five hundred more.

~~~~~~~~~~~
"But I pray you by the lifting skies,
And the young wind over the grass,
That you take your eyes from off my eyes,
And let my spirit pass."

~~~~~~~~~~~
"Stand up-stand up, Northumberland!
I charge you answer true,
If ever you dealt in steel and brand,
How went the fray with you?" 

~~~~~~~~~~~

"Hither and yon," the Percy said;
"As every fight must go;
For some they fought and some they fled,
And some struck ne'er a blow.

~~~~~~~~~~~

"But I pray you by the breaking skies,
And the first call from the nest,
That you turn your eyes away from my eyes,
And let me to my rest."

~~~~~~~~~~~

"Stand up-stand up, Northumberland!
I will that you answer true,
If you and your men were quick again,
How would it be with you?"

~~~~~~~~~~~

"Oh, we would speak of hawk and hound,
And the red deer where they rove,
And the merry foxes the country round,
And the maidens that we love.

~~~~~~~~~~~

"We would not speak of steel or steed,
Except to grudge the cost;
And he that had done the doughtiest deed
Would mock himself the most.

~~~~~~~~~~~

"But I pray you by my keep and tower,
And the tables in my hall,
And I pray you by my lady's bower
(Ah, bitterest of all!)

~~~~~~~~~~~

"That you lift your eyes from outen my eyes,
Your hand from off my breast,
And cover my face from the red sun-rise,
And loose me to my rest!"

~~~~~~~~~~~

She has taken her eyes from out of his eyes-
Her palm from off his breast,
And covered his face from the red sun-rise,
And loosed him to his rest.

~~~~~~~~~~~

"Sleep you, or wake, Northumberland-
You shall not speak again,
And the word you have said 'twixt quick and dead
I lay on Englishmen.

~~~~~~~~~~~

"So long as Severn runs to West
Or Humber to the East,
That they who bore themselves the best
Shall count themselves the least. 

~~~~~~~~~~~

"While there is fighting at the ford,
Or flood along the Tweed,
That they shall choose the lesser word
To cloke the greater deed.

~~~~~~~~~~~
"After the quarry and the kill-
The fair fight and the fame-
With an ill face and an ill grace
Shall they rehearse the same. 

~~~~~~~~~~~

"Greater the deed, greater the need
Lightly to laugh it away,
Shall be the mark of the English breed
Until the Judgment Day!"
~~~~~~~~~~~
"In politics, stupidity is not a handicap." Napoleon Bonaparte (1769-1821),
Regards,
Greg L-W.
for all my contact details & Blogs: CLICK HERE  

British Politicians with pens and treachery, in pursuit of their own agenda and greed, have done more damage to the liberty, freedoms, rights and democracy of the British peoples than any army in over 1,000 years.

The disastrous effects of British politicians selling Britain into the thrall of foreign rule by the EU for their own personal rewards has damaged the well-being of Britain more than the armies of Hitler and the Franco - German - Italian axis of 1939 - 1945.

Make your vote count vote:

INDEPENDENT Leave-the-EU Alliance

or Write on YOUR ballot Paper 

LEAVE-THE-EU

Related articles by Zemanta

• Poetry Analysis: Rudyard Kipling's "If" (brighthub.com)

#352b* - KIPLING, Rudyard - The River's Tale

#352b* - KIPLING, Rudyard - The River's Tale

The River's Tale

Prehistoric

Twenty bridges from Tower to Kew--

(Twenty bridges or twenty-two)--

Wanted to know what the River knew,

For they were young and the Thames was old,

And this is the tale that the River told:--  

"I WALK my beat before London Town,

Five hour up and seven down.

Up I go till I end my run

At Tide-end-town, which is Teddington.

Down I come with the mud in my hands

And plaster it over the Maplin Sands.

But I'd have you know that these waters of mine

Were once a branch of the River Rhine,

When hundreds of miles to the East I went

And England was joined to the Continent.

"I remember the bat-winged lizard-birds,

The Age of Ice and the mammoth herds,

And the giant tigers that stalked them down

Through Regent's Park into Camden Town.

And I remember like yesterday

The earliest Cockney who came my way,

When he pushed through the forest that lined the Strand,

With paint on his face and a club in his hand.

He was death to feather and fin and fur.

He trapped my beavers at Westminster.

He netted my salmon, he hunted my deer,

He killed my heron off Lambeth Pier.

He fought his neighbour with axes and swords,

Flint or bronze, at my upper fords,

While down at Greenwich, for slaves and tin,

The tall Phoenician ships stole in.

And North Sea war-boats, painted and gay,

Flashed like dragon-flies, Erith way;

And Norseman and Negro and Gaul and Greek

Drank with the Britons in Barking Creek,

And life was gay, and the world was new,

And I was a mile across at Kew!

But the Roman came with a heavy hand,

And bridged and roaded and ruled the land,

And the Roman left and the Danes blew in--

And that's where your history-books begin!"

"In politics, stupidity is not a handicap." Napoleon Bonaparte (1769-1821),

Regards,
Greg L-W.

for all my contact details & Blogs: CLICK HERE  

British Politicians with pens and treachery, in pursuit of their own agenda and greed, have done more damage to the liberty, freedoms, rights and democracy of the British peoples than any army in over 1,000 years.

The disastrous effects of British politicians selling Britain into the thrall of foreign rule by the EU for their own personal rewards has damaged the well-being of Britain more than the armies of Hitler and the Franco - German - Italian axis of 1939 - 1945.

Make your vote count vote:

INDEPENDENT Leave-the-EU Alliance

or Write on YOUR ballot Paper 

LEAVE-THE-EU

#G352c* - KIPLING, Rudyard - The Roman Centurion's Song

The Roman Centurion's Song

Roman Occupation of Britain, A.D. 300

LEGATE, I had the news last night--my cohort ordered home

By ships to Portus Itius and thence by road to Rome.

I've marched the companies aboard, the arms are stowed below;

Now let another take my sword. Command me not to go!

I've served in Britain forty years, from Vectis to the Wall.

I have none other home than this, nor any life at all.

Last night I did not understand, but, now the hour draws near

That calls me to my native land, I feel that land is here.

Here where men say my name was made, here where my work was done;

Here where my dearest dead are laid--my wife--my wife and son;

Here where time, custom, grief and toil, age, memory, service, love,

Have rooted me in British soil. Ah, how can I remove?

For me this land, that sea, these airs, those folk and fields suffice.

What purple Southern pomp can match our changeful Northern skies,

Black with December snows unshed or pearled with August haze--

The clanging arch of steel-grey March, or June's long-lighted days?

You'll follow widening Rodanus till vine and olive lean

Aslant before the sunny breeze that sweeps Nemausus clean

To Arelate's triple gate: but let me linger on,

Here where our stiff-necked British oaks confront Euroclydon!

You'll take the old Aurelian Road through shore-descending pines

Where, blue as any peacock's neck, the Tyrrhene Ocean shines.

You'll go where laurel crowns are won, but--will you e'er forget

The scent of hawthorn in the sun, or bracken in the wet?

Let me work here for Britain's sake--at any task you will--

A marsh to drain, a road to make or native troops to drill.

Some Western camp (I know the Pict) or granite Border keep,

Mid seas of heather derelict, where our old messmates sleep.

Legate, I come to you in tears--My cohort ordered home!

I've served in Britain forty years. What should I do in Rome?

Here is my heart, my soul, my mind--the only life I know,

I cannot leave it all behind. Command me not to go!

The Pirates in England

Saxon Invasion, A.D. 400-600

WHEN Rome was rotten-ripe to her fall,

And the sceptre passed from her hand,

The pestilent Picts leaped over the wall

To harry the English land.

The little dark men of the mountain and waste,

So quick to laughter and tears,

They came panting with hate and haste

For the loot of five hundred years.

They killed the trader, they sacked the shops,

They ruined temple and town--

They swept like wolves through the standing crops

Crying that Rome was down.

They wiped out all that they could find

Of beauty and strength and worth,

But they could not wipe out the Viking's Wind

That brings the ships from the North.

They could not wipe out the North-East gales

Nor what those gales set free--

The pirate ships with their close-reefed sails,

Leaping from sea to sea.

They had forgotten the shield-hung hull

Seen nearer and more plain,

Dipping into the troughs like a gull,

And gull-like rising again--

The painted eyes that glare and frown

In the high snake-headed stem,

Searching the beach while her sail comes down,

They had forgotten them!

There was no Count of the Saxon Shore

To meet her hand to hand,

As she took the beach with a grind and a roar,

And the pirates rushed inland!

The Dane-Geld

A.D. 980-1016

IT is always a temptation to an armed and agile nation

To call upon a neighbour and to say:--

"We invaded you last night--we are quite prepared to fight,

Unless you pay us cash to go away."

And that is called asking for Dane-geld,

And the people who ask it explain

That you've only to pay 'em the Dane-geld

And then you'll get rid of the Dane!

It is always a temptation to a rich and lazy nation,

To puff and look important and to say:--

"Though we know we should defeat you, we have not the time to meet you.

We will therefore pay you cash to go away."

And that is called paying the Dane-geld;

But we've proved it again and again,

That if once you have paid him the Dane-geld

You never get rid of the Dane.

It is wrong to put temptation in the path of any nation,

For fear they should succumb and go astray;

So when you are requested to pay up or be molested,

You will find it better policy to say:--

"We never pay any-one Dane-geld,

Nor matter how trifling the cost;

For the end of that game is oppression and shame,

And the nation that plays it is lost!"

The Anvil

Norman Conquest, 1066

ENGLAND'S on the anvil--hear the hammers ring--

Clanging from the Severn to the Tyne!

Never was a blacksmith like our Norman King--

England's being hammered, hammered, hammered into line.

England's on the anvil! Heavy are the blows!

(But the work will be a marvel when it's done.)

Little bits of Kingdoms cannot stand against their foes.

England's being hammered, hammered, hammered into one!

There shall be one people--it shall serve one Lord--

(Neither Priest nor Baron shall escape!)

It shall have one speech and law, soul and strength and sword.

England's being hammered, hammered, hammered into shape!

"In politics, stupidity is not a handicap." Napoleon Bonaparte (1769-1821),
Regards,
Greg L-W.
for all my contact details & Blogs: CLICK HERE  

British Politicians with pens and treachery, in pursuit of their own agenda and greed, have done more damage to the liberty, freedoms, rights and democracy of the British peoples than any army in over 1,000 years.

The disastrous effects of British politicians selling Britain into the thrall of foreign rule by the EU for their own personal rewards has damaged the well-being of Britain more than the armies of Hitler and the Franco - German - Italian axis of 1939 - 1945.

Make your vote count vote:

INDEPENDENT Leave-the-EU Alliance

or Write on YOUR ballot Paper 

LEAVE-THE-EU

#G352d* - KIPLING, Rudyard - Norman and Saxon

#G352d* - KIPLING, Rudyard - Norman and Saxon

Norman and Saxon

A.D. 1100

"MY son," said the Norman Baron, 

"I am dying, and you will be heir

To all the broad acres in England 

that William gave me for my share

When we conquered the Saxon at Hastings, 

and a nice little handful it is. 

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~




But before you go over to rule it 

I want you to understand this:-- 

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~




"The Saxon is not like us Normans. 

His manners are not so polite.

But he never means anything serious 

till he talks about justice and right. 

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~




When he stands like an ox in the furrow 

with his sullen set eyes on your own,

And grumbles, 'This isn't fair dealing,' 

my son, leave the Saxon alone. 

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

"You can horsewhip your Gascony archers, 

or torture your Picardy spears;

But don't try that game on the Saxon; 

you'll have the whole brood round your ears. 

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

From the richest old Thane in the country 

to the poorest chained serf in the field,

They'll be at you and on you like hornets, 

and, if you are wise, you will yield. 

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~




"But first you must master their language, 

their dialect, proverbs and songs. 

Don't trust any clerk to interpret 

when they come with the tale of their wrongs. 

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~




Let them know that you know what they're saying; 

let them feel that you know what to say. 

Yes, even when you want to go hunting, 

hear 'em out if it takes you all day. 

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

"They'll drink every hour of the daylight 

and poach every hour of the dark. 

It's the sport not the rabbits they're after

(we've plenty of game in the park). 

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Don't hang them or cut off their fingers. 

That's wasteful as well as unkind,

For a hard-bitten, South-country poacher 

makes the best man-at-arms you can find.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~




"Appear with your wife and the children 

at their weddings and funerals and feasts.

Be polite but not friendly to Bishops; 

be good to all poor parish priests. 

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~




Say 'we', 'us' and 'ours' when you're talking, 

instead of 'you fellows' and 'I.'

Dont' ride over seeds; keep your temper; 

and never you tell 'em a lie!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"In politics, stupidity is not a handicap." Napoleon Bonaparte (1769-1821),

Regards,
Greg L-W.

for all my contact details & Blogs: CLICK HERE  

British Politicians with pens and treachery, in pursuit of their own agenda and greed, have done more damage to the liberty, freedoms, rights and democracy of the British peoples than any army in over 1,000 years.

The disastrous effects of British politicians selling Britain into the thrall of foreign rule by the EU for their own personal rewards has damaged the well-being of Britain more than the armies of Hitler and the Franco - German - Italian axis of 1939 - 1945.

Make your vote count vote:

INDEPENDENT Leave-the-EU Alliance

or Write on YOUR ballot Paper 

LEAVE-THE-EU

#G352e* - KIPLING, Rudyard - The Reeds of Runnymede

#G352e* - KIPLING, Rudyard - The Reeds of Runnymede

The Reeds of Runnymede

Magna Charta, June 15, 1215

AT Runnymede, at Runnymede,

What say the reeds at Runnymede?

The lissom reeds that give and take,

That bend so far, but never break. 

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

They keep the sleepy Thames awake

With tales of John at Runnymede.

At Runnymede, at Runnymede,

Oh, hear the reeds at Runnymede:-- 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~




"You musn't sell, delay, deny,

A freeman's right or liberty.

It wakes the stubborn Englishry,

We saw 'em roused at Runnymede! 

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

"When through our ranks the Barons came,

With little thought of praise or blame,

But resolute to play the game,

They lumbered up to Runnymede;  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~And there they launched in solid line

The first attack on Right Divine--

The curt, uncompromising 'Sign!'

That settled John at Runnymede. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~




"At Runnymede, at Runnymede,

Your rights were won at Runnymede!

No freeman shall be fined or bound,

Or dispossessed of freehold ground,

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~




Except by lawful judgment found

And passed upon him by his peers.

Forget not, after all these years, 

The Charter signed at Runnymede."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

And still when Mob or Monarch lays

To rude a hand on English ways,

The whisper wakes, the shudder plays,
Across the reeds at Runnymede.
 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

And Thames, that knows the moods of kings,

And crowds and priests and suchlike things,

Rolls deep and dreadful as he brings
Their warning down from Runnymede!  

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"In politics, stupidity is not a handicap." Napoleon Bonaparte (1769-1821),

Regards,
Greg L-W.
for all my contact details & Blogs: CLICK HERE
 
British Politicians with pens and treachery, in pursuit of their own agenda and greed, have done more damage to the liberty, freedoms, rights and democracy of the British peoples than any army in over 1,000 years.

The disastrous effects of British politicians selling Britain into the thrall of foreign rule by the EU for their own personal rewards has damaged the well-being of Britain more than the armies of Hitler and the Franco - German - Italian axis of 1939 - 1945.

Make your vote count vote:

INDEPENDENT Leave-the-EU Alliance

or Write on YOUR ballot Paper 

LEAVE-THE-EU

Related articles by Zemanta

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• Poetry Analysis: Rudyard Kipling's "If" (brighthub.com)

#G351* - WHEN GOVERNMENTS FEAR THE PEOPLE.....................

#G351* - WHEN GOVERNMENTS FEAR THE PEOPLE.....................

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When governments fear the people, there is liberty...(Quotation)
From Thomas Jefferson Encyclopedia
Quotation:
"When governments fear the people, there is liberty. When the people fear the government, there is tyranny."
Variations:

1."When governments fear the people, there is liberty. When the people fear the government, there is tyranny. The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government."

2."Does the government fear us? Or do we fear the government? When the people fear the government, tyranny has found victory. The federal government is our servant, not our master!"

3.“When the people fear the government, that's tyranny; when the government fears the people, that's freedom.”

Sources consulted: Searching on the phrase "fear the people," "government fear us," "fear the government," "tyranny has found victory," and "government is our servant"

1.Papers of Thomas Jefferson Digital Edition
2.Monticello website
3.Ford's Works of Thomas Jefferson
4.UVA EText Jefferson Digital Archive: Jeffersonian Cyclopedia, Thomas Jefferson on Politics and Government, Texts by or to Thomas Jefferson from the Modern English Collection
5.Thomas Jefferson Retirement Papers
6.Quotable Jefferson, ed. Kaminski (searching under "tyranny")
7.Bartleby.com

Earliest known appearance in print: 1914[1] [2]
Earliest known appearance in print, attributed to Thomas Jefferson: 1994[3]
Other attributions:
Samuel Adams, Thomas Paine
Status:
We have not found any evidence that Thomas Jefferson said or wrote, "When governments fear the people, there is liberty. When the people fear the government, there is tyranny," or any of its listed variations.
Comments: 
One source attributes this quotation to Thomas Jefferson in The Federalist.[4] The Federalist, however, was the work of Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, and James Madison; it also does not contain the text of this quotation.
This quotation is vaguely similar to Jefferson's comment in an 1825 letter to William Short:
"Some are whigs, liberals, democrats, call them what you please. Others are tories, serviles, aristocrats, &c. The latter fear the people, and wish to transfer all power to the higher classes of society; the former consider the people as the safest depository of power in the last resort; they cherish them therefore, and wish to leave in them all the powers to the exercise of which they are competent."[5]

To date however, the most likely source of this quotation appears to be a series of debates on socialism published in 1914, in which John Basil Barnhill said,
"Where the people fear the government you have tyranny. Where the government fears the people you have liberty."

To view the original article CLICK HERE

"In politics, stupidity is not a handicap." Napoleon Bonaparte (1769-1821),
Regards,
Greg L-W.
for all my contact details & Blogs: CLICK HERE

British Politicians with pens and treachery, in pursuit of their own agenda and greed, have done more damage to the liberty, freedoms, rights and democracy of the British peoples than any army in over 1,000 years.
The disastrous effects of British politicians selling Britain into the thrall of foreign rule by the EU for their own personal rewards has damaged the well-being of Britain more than the armies of Hitler and the Franco - German - Italian axis of 1939 - 1945.

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#G350* - The LEFT WING'S TOP 100 2010 - courtesy of The TELEGRAPH

#G350* - The LEFT WING'S TOP 100 2010 - courtesy of The TELEGRAPH

 To View The Telegraph Web Site CLICK HERE

The LEFT WING'S TOP 100 2010

100. (NEW) Tristram Hunt
Labour MP for Stoke on Trent Central
Smart and very good on TV, Tristram Hunt survived a backlash against his selection process to win the seat at the general election. He seems to be keeping his head down as he builds a base in his Stoke constituency but he is a key member of the new intake and will feature heavily in the future.

99. (NEW) Sally Bercow
Tweeter
The wife of the speaker has such a high profile that she can command headlines for not sending her kids to a crèche her husband campaigned for the creation of. She is strong willed and highly opinionated and will continue to be rolled out for her views and for her position as speaker’s wife.
98. (NEW) David Aaronovitch
Columnist, The Times
Aaronovitch is back and all over party conference. Columnists seem to have periods like painters in which they suddenly become relevant again. When Aaronovitch moved to the Times he seemed to lose his edge for a while and became rather predictable. A combination of the expenses scandal, the election and changes in world politics have seen a welcome return to form.
97. (NEW) Kate Green
Labour MP for Stretford & Urmston
Coming from the campaigning world of the Child Poverty Action group, Kate Green brings a seriousness and experience to the job of MP. She has already proved effective as an opposition voice and will rise through the ranks. She has supported Ed Balls in the leadership campaign, thereby avoiding a choice between the two possible leaders and will be a key figure in the run up to the next election.
96. (-1) ALEX SMITH
Editor, LabourList
Labour List has continued to improve under Alex Smith but it has not had as much drive and energy as Will Straw’s Left Foot Forward. However, in opposition the blog might become even more important as a focus for debate. Smith backed Ed Miliband in the leadership election but the blog remained neutral.
95. (-1) CHRIS LESLIE
MP Nottingham South
A former minister in the Cabinet Office and the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, Leslie became director of the New Local Government Network (a policy think-tank) in 2005. Having lost his seat in Parliament at the general election that year, he returned to Parliament in 2010 and backed Ed Balls for the leadership.
94. (NEW) Suzanne Moore
Columnist, Mail on Sunday
Moore is a marmite columnist, even if you’re on the Left. You either love her or hate her. She stood as an independent against Diane Abbott at the 2010 election but failed to trouble the counting agents too much. She is a prolific tweeter. Her column may sit uncomfortably in a newspaper which is far to the right of her own opinions, but she would say, so what?
93. (NEW) John McTernan
A former special adviser to most members of the Cabinet at one time or another, McTernan ended up as a special adviser to Jim Murphy. Now a newspaper columnist, he knows the Labour Party in Scotland and England inside out, his column is essential reading.
92. (-12) KEITH VAZ
Chairman, Home Affairs Select Committee
The most influential backbencher on law and order, he is an essential feature of smooth legislating in the areas he cares about and remains a key fixer. Despite the change of government he clung onto his place of chair of the Home Affairs Select Committee.
91. (NEW) Tony Benn
National Treasure
With the tragic death of the great Michael Foot in 2010, Tony Benn has been elevated to grandfather of the Left. His diaries are a publishing institution, his public appearances sell out and though he did more damage to the Labour Party during his active political career than virtually any other individual, he has now become a national treasure and much loved in the home counties.
90. (NEW) Stella Creasey
Labour MP for Walthamstow
The second of the 2010 intake to make the list, Creasey is young, energetic and is a star of the future in the PLP.
89. (NEW) Carwyn Jones
First Minister of Wales
Jones is the most senior Labour politician in terms of elected office in the UK. He manages the coalition administration with skill and has adopted an open-minded attitude to negotiations with the other coalition in London.
88. (-2) IEUAN WYN JONES
Leader, Plaid Cymru
For now content to sit in coalition, Wyn Jones remains an ambitious politician. 2011 is an election year so we can expect to see a more radical and critical line from Wyn Jones towards both his Labour partners and the coalition.
87. (-90) CHARLIE WHELAN
Former Political Director, UNITE
Unite now largely own the Labour Party and Whelan has been a key figure. In the year that was there was not much he or UNITE could do to save the government. He has fallen along with his old master, Gordon Brown. He resigned his position with UNITE a few weeks ago and is now said to be writing his memoirs.
86. (-51) NEAL LAWSON
Chair, COMPASS
Lawson played a role in the demise of the Labour government with his stream of attacks on the government and he looks much more comfortable as an opposition politician than he ever did when Labour were in power. His personal wealth allows him the time to devote to political activism and he positioned Compass behind Ed Miliband in the leadership election.
85. (NEW) Martin Bright
Journalist
Bright is the political editor of the Jewish Chronicle after being forced out of the New Statesman. He is never frightened of speaking truth to power and is one of the most outstanding political journalists of his generation. This combined with pressure group, a New Deal for the Mind, of which he is CEO, which is a cross party group that seeks to boost employment in the creative industries, has brought him into our list.
84. (-14) BEN BRADSHAW
Former Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
The MP for Exeter since 1997, Bradshaw has made the transition to the backbenches with relative ease and is being an energetic figure in the leadership election supporting David Miliband. Some have questioned his long term commitment to politics but for now he will be a leading figure if Miliband senior wins.
83. (-18) BARONESS HELENA KENNEDY
Labour peer
A barrister born and raised in Glasgow, Kennedy is a staunch campaigner for women, human rights, social justice and civil liberties. Often described as ‘The nation’s favourite Portia’, Kennedy is also a well-known writer and broadcaster, and has been chair of both the London International Festival of Theatre and the British Council.
82. (-6) KEVIN MAGUIRE
Associate Editor, The Mirror
The Mirror remains the only mass market newspaper that supports Labour. Its political line is determined by Maguire and the paper backed David Miliband for the leadership. Maguire’s closeness to Brown might have suggested that one of the Ed’s would be the papers pick but what the Mirror likes best is a Labour government and they judged Miliband senior as most able to deliver that.
81. (NEW) Fiona Millar
Educationalist
Education is at the centre of the coalitions reform programme and remains a key political issue. The champion of the State sector, a darling of the teaching unions and a highly effective operator, Millar’s status will go up and up as this debate becomes more intense.
80. (-3) HILARY BENN
Former Secretary of State for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs
Hilary Benn’s descent down this list began when he dismally failed to win the party’s deputy leadership in 2007. At one point he had even been considered a successor to Tony Blair (see Chris Mullin’s diaries) but his lack of killer instinct and all round nice guy image led people to think that he wasn’t decisive enough. He was widely thought to have been a successful minister both at DEFRA and DFID.
79. (NEW) Gillian Duffy
Housewife
Mrs Duffy’s name will live on in the political and electoral history of this country like few others. Her face became the symbol of the 2010 election. She almost singlehandedly derailed Labour’s campaign without quite realising it.
78. (NEW) Oona King
Former Labour MP for Bethnal Green
King ran a surprisingly good campaign in her bid to win the London Labour mayoral nomination. It was unlikely she would ever have beaten Ken Livingstone, but just by taking part she has thrust herself back into the limelight. She is expected to take on a key advisory position in the new Labour regime and there will be many pushing her to stand for Parliament again.
77. (NEW) Tony Lloyd
Chair, Parliamentary Labour Party
Former minister Tony Lloyd has managed to steer the Parliamentary Labour Party through some choppy waters over the past twelve months, and for that alone he deserves his place in this list.
76. (-12) BILLY HAYES
General Secretary, Communication Workers Union
Though he has slipped down the rankings, Hayes could be the key player in the confrontation between the coalition and the unions. His union represents the Post Office workers and privatisation will be a defining issue for this government, as failure to privatise was for the last.
75. (NEW) Nick Pearce
Director, IPPR, former head of policy unit, 10 Downing Street
Pearce has returned to the IPPR after his stint in the lion’s den. One of the great mysteries of the Brown years was how someone as decent and nice as Nick stayed alive in Brown’s number ten. He did and he returns to his natural habitat with the challenge of reinventing the IPPR for the Coalition age. New ideas will define the speed of Labour’s return to power and the best are likely to come from Pearce.
74. (-17) Iain Gray
Leader, Scottish Labour Party
Despite an unflamboyant approach, Iain Gray has impressed in his two years as leader of the Scottish Labour Party. His unassuming but reassuring appearance has helped his party in Scotland outperform its English counterpart. It is by no means certain that he will be able to oust Alex Salmond next year, but if he does he can be guaranteed a top 20 place in next year’s list.
73. (NEW) Rachel Reeves
Labour MP for Leeds West
Seen as one of the brightest of the new intake of Labour MPs, Reeves is expected to gain preferment very quickly. Having worked as a Bank of England economist and for the think tank Demos, she is widely respected for her economic expertise. She can be formidable in debate and her Pat Butcher-esque voice is somewhat of a contrast to her sweet and innocent looks.
72. (+25) Peter Hain
Former Secretary of State for Wales
Hain has returned from exile after resigning his office in 2008, when it emerged that he had not declared some £100,000 of donations made while he was campaigning to win the Labour Party’s deputy leadership the previous year. A proud man, his return to the Cabinet in 2009 saw him back in the front line and he is expected to remain a key player in the future as Labour recasts itself in opposition.
71. (+17) Ray Collins
General Secretary, Labour Party
The former TGWU man was a key element in the formation of the mega union UNITE and is a managerial trade unionist. The role of Labour Party General Secretary takes on a new significance in opposition, hence his rise this year. His main challenge will be to keep the party’s finances afloat, as donations from the private sector have all but dried up.
70. (+5) Nicola Sturgeon
Scottish Deputy First Minister
Has the highest public profile of any SNP politician apart from Alex Salmond. Feisty in debate, she is tenacious in interviews and doesn’t suffer fools gladly. First elected to the Scottish Parliament in 1999, she remains the only realistic successor to Alex Salmond.
69. (-9) Richard Wallace
Editor, Daily Mirror
Wallace continues to preside over a declining newspaper, both in influence and readers. His journalists’ political reporting is seen by Westminster as far too shrill and unquestioningly pro-Brownite to have any influence outside Labour circles at all. But as editor of the only pro-Labour national newspaper, Wallace must remain in the list.
68. (-23) Jackie Ashley
Guardian Columnist
The left wing columnists again plummet down the rankings this year because they have had an unedifying twelve months. Few have flip-flopped more than Jackie Ashley. One week Brown was the Labour Party’s saviour, the next he had to go. She was far from alone in failing to understand which way the electoral wind was blowing, but she is still struggling to regain her previously untarnished credibility.
67. (-43) Nick Brown
Chief Whip
Nick Brown’s tenure as chief whip will surely come to an end within the next week or two and with that his influence will almost disappear. Second only to Ed Balls as a leading Gordon Brown acolyte his tough-guy reputation masks a genuinely kind man. His memoirs would certainly be worth reading as he is one of the key players of the Blair/Brown era who really does know where the bodies are buried.
66. (NEW) D J Collins
European Communications Director, Google
The cherubic D J Collins has been a key, behind the scenes, adviser to the Labour Party for more than a decade. He started out in the trade union movement before becoming Head of UK Communications for Google. Various Labour politicians tried to tempt him back into full time politics but he has so far resisted, although he took on an advisory role during the last election campaign. He was a vocal supporter of David Miliband.
65. (NEW) Lisa Tremble
Making the switch from James Purnell’s SPAD to head of media for the David Miliband campaign, Tremble has made an impact. If Miliband senior had won, she would have played a key role in the future of the party, but she is too good to lose and the party would do well to find a role for her. Though not in the photography department as she was at the heart of the photoshopping incident during Purnell’s ministerial career.
64. (NEW) Polly Billington
Chief of Staff to Ed Miliband
The former Radio 1 political correspondent and Today programme reporter shocked everyone when she left broadcast media to be special adviser to Ed Miliband when he joined the Cabinet in 2007. She tried for a seat in the North East at the last election but failed to get selected. Fiercely loyal to Miliband, she is expected to play a key role in his team for some time to come.
63. (NEW) John Hannett
General Secretary, USDAW
USDAW is the main union in the retail sector and is modern and campaigning in outlook. Hannett is a modern leader and has tried to push USDAW in new directions. Unlike other Unions he backed David Miliband for the leadership which suggests a more centre focused approach.
62. (NEW) Caroline Flint
Labour MP for Don Valley
Caroline Flint disappeared from last year’s list after her flouncing resignation from Gordon Brown’s Cabinet. But since then she has worked hard at her media profile, abandoned her rather robotic pro-Blairite image, and could be a leading player in Labour’s revival in opposition.
61. (NEW) Neil Kinnock
Former Leader of the Labour Party
Kinnock has become much more personally involved in Labour politics in the leadership campaign than he was for many years. He endorsed and campaigned for Ed Miliband and his influence has helped to connect with large sections of the party who were never completely reconciled to the new Labour “project”.
60. (+7) Peter Tatchell
Human Rights Campaigner
Peter Tatchell, a civil rights activist, has worked for decades at raising awareness of gay rights issues in the UK through direct action and a good eye for publicity. His influence rests in his ability to get often ignored issues talked about by the media, for example human rights in Zimbabwe. Tatchell is a Green Party candidate in Oxford at the next election. He has had a typically tireless year of campaigning, especially against the visit of the Pope and in favour of gay marriage.
59. (-5) Paul Kenny
General Secretary, GMB
The brutal politics and financial weakness of the Labour Party were made plain when Kenny endorsed Ed Miliband. He implied that if Ed did not win then GMB would withdraw its money from Labour. It was a bluff but it was also the moment at which Ed’s campaign became deadly serious. Kenny has also warned the government that cuts will mean strikes. He will be in a key player in the winter of discontent to come.
58. (+5) John Rentoul
Chief Political Commentator, Independent on Sunday
Rentoul gives lectures on contemporary history, is a former Independent leader writer, and has also written well-received biographies of Tony Blair. His blog has become a must read for political aficionados of every hue. If you want to know what Blair is thinking, chances are Rentoul is the man to tell you.
57. (-13) Alan Rusbridger
Editor, The Guardian
The Guardian has had a difficult year in some ways, often appearing schizophrenic in its attitude to the Brown government and with its columnists regularly performing U turns on a weekly basis. It smacked of a lack of firm editorial leadership, which was also apparent when the paper decided to come out for the Lib Dems in opposition to the views of many of its leading political journalistic lights.
56. (+24) Chuka Ummuna
Labour MP for Streatham
Ummuna has already been touted as a future Labour Party leader at the tender age of 30, while tentative comparisons with Barack Obama have also been drawn. Purportedly a very impressive lawyer, he is expected to be fast-tracked into a junior shadow ministerial post by the new Labour leader. Has spent the months since the election trying to live down his ‘star of the future’ billing.
55. (+18) Ken Livingstone
Former Mayor of London
Ken Livingstone’s rehabilitation in Labour circles was completed on Friday when he was selected as Labour’s candidate to fight Boris Johnson for the London mayoralty in 2012. Many Labour insiders question whether he has learned the lessons of 2008 when he and his campaign team completely misjudged the strength of the Johnson persona.
54. (-4) Phil Collins
Columnist, The Times
Blair’s former speech writer has successfully transformed himself into a leading new Labour opinion-forming columnist via a stint as a leading light in the think tank, DEMOS. Having been vocal critic of Gordon Brown he is establishing himself as a man of ideas which leading Labour politicians would do well to take up.
53. (+2) Matthew Taylor
Director, Royal Society of Arts
Taylor left a hole in the centre of the politics of the left which is yet to be filled. A deeply serious thinker he has energised the RSA and his analysis of contemporary society and politics remains acute and influential. If the Labour Party is to revive then it’s people like Taylor who need to be brought back on board.
52. (-42) Derek Simpson
Joint General Secretary, Unite
The Union barons are back and their potential to rock the government has been clear over the last year as public expenditure cuts loom large. The reason for Simpson’s dramatic decline in the list this year is that his term of office is about to come to a close.
51. (+12) Bob Crow
General Secretary, RMT
Crow calls strikes where others consider talks. He has challenged the government over and over again. He will continue to do so. The most effective left wing union leader in the land. And the one with the biggest mouth. Some are wondering, though, if he has met his match in Boris Johnson.
50 (NEW) Jason Cowley
Editor, New Statesman
Jason Cowley had a hard act to follow when he was appointed to replace John Kampfner as editor of the New Statesman. Better known for his cultural writings, Cowley was viewed with deep suspicion by many NS readers and contributors, but he has overseen a successful redesign and recruited a new political team in Mehdi Hasan and James Macintyre, whose respective columns and interviews have become required reading across the political spectrum.
49. (-3) Steve Richards
Chief Political Commentator, The Independent
Steve Richards has bucked the trend of his colleagues this year and managed to keep writing interesting, well-sourced and considered pieces. He is not slavishly anti-government which gives him an edge on many of his colleagues and he has never gone in for the hysteria of others about a Conservative government. A fine journalist, at the top of his game.
48. (NEW) Christine Blower
General Secretary, National Union of Teachers
In the battle ground of education the NUT has already scored a major hit at the Lib Dem conference through the boycotting of “Free Schools”. Blower will take the fight on to the heart of one of the Coalition's flagship policies.
47. (+12) Yasmin Alibhai-Brown
Columnist, The Independent and Evening Standard
Regarded by some as the best radical voice in word and broadcast, she has had a relatively quiet year but remains essential reading. Guaranteed to raise the blood pressure of anyone vaguely on the right, Alibhai-Brown is a popular guest on most current affairs programmes, largely because she will invariably provoke a row.
46. (-20) Frank Field
Labour MP for Birkenhead
Field matters less now that many of his ideas are enshrined in Coalition politics but he still matters. His John the Baptist personae apart, he could still help shape policy in the areas he cares about.
45. (-44) Lord Mandelson
Former First Secretary of State
Few could question Lord Mandelson’s premier position in last year’s list but as the Brown government cranked towards inevitable defeat, the good Lord was unable to work his magic. In the end he appeared to recognise that there was little that could be done. Without his bestselling memoirs Mandelson may have fallen further in this year’s list, but no one can deny that whenever he speaks, he can be guaranteed that his words will be reported. His interventions in the Labour leadership campaign were telling, but did they have real influence? Some think he will become Labour’s Norman Tebbit. A more likely option is that he will take a high profile private sector job and earn real money.
44. (-23) Tony Woodley
Joint General Secretary, Unite
Woodley’s prominent role in the Unite dispute with British Airways has given him a high media profile this year, and he has begun to move out of the shadow of his colleague Derek Simpson, with whom he is said to have a fractious relationship. But like Simpson, he is on his way out, and as such his influence on the wider labour movement will continue to diminish.
43. (-27) Jack Straw
Former Secretary of State for Justice
Jack Straw suffers the ignimony of being beaten by his blogging son in this year’s list. One of the mainstays of New Labour he managed to switch his allegiance from Blair to Brown with no one really thinking it was odd, which demonstrates why he was one of the great survivors of British politics. As he moves away from the political limelight it will be interesting to see what niche he can now carve out for himself.
42. (+41) Pat McFadden
Former Minister of State for Business, Innovation and Skills
A leading member of New Labour’s Scottish mafia, Pat McFadden moved seamlessly from being an apparatchik in Number Ten under Tony Blair to being an MP and middle-ranking Minister under Gordon Brown. He was given the poisoned chalice of the Post Office to deal with and handled it with skill. His rather dour image is unfair, but if he is to progress he needs to develop a more powerful media persona.
41. (-1) Dave Prentis
General Secretary of Unison
The troubles with Unison’s own pension scheme have plagued Prentis for some time but his influence among his fellow trade unionists and within the Labour Party remains undiminished. He didn’t overplay his hand with the Brown government but his union is ready to start flexing its muscles now that the Coalition’s cuts agenda is about to be implemented.
40. (+9) Jim Murphy
Former Secretary of State for Scotland
One of the better performers in Gordon Brown’s final cabinet it is inconceivable that Murphy won’t be elected to the new Labour Shadow Cabinet. The question is whether the new leader will want to move him from the backwater of Scottish politics into a more mainstream portfolio.
39. (-16) Polly Toynbee
Journalist
Once seen as the doyen of leftish commentators, Polly Toynbee’s halo has slipped this year a little. Like her colleague Jackie Ashley, she indulged in a bout of flip-flopping on Gordon Brown before settling on the position that he was quite useless. She was, however, unhappy with the decision of her paper to back the Liberal Democrats.
38. (+5) Amartya Sen
Philosopher
Sen remains the key thinker in Labour’s development policies and is an important influence on David Miliband. His books, speeches, articles and personal advice have shaped policy on both sides of the Atlantic and his ideas will continue to be heavily influential on the left globally.
37. (-19) Lord Adonis
Head of the Institute of Government
One of the most competent ministers in the Brown government Andrew Adonis played a key role in the abortive Coalition talks. He had intended to write a book on the experience but was then appointed chief executive of the Institute of Government and abandoned the project.
36. (NEW) Diane Abbott
Labour MP for Hackney
The idea of Diane Abbott influencing anything would have provoked hollow laughter in Labour Party circles six months ago. But not now. She knew she wouldn’t win the Labour leadership but she has skillfully used her campaign to promote her own agenda and increase her political profile throughout the media. It was rumoured she might be dropped from BBC2’s This Week after a fallout with Andrew Neil, but happily for her the rumours have turned out to be false.
35. (+13) Brendan Barber
TUC General Secretary
Barber has positioned the TUC well for the future and has tried to avoid the more confrontational attitude of some of his member unions. He comes across as a professional conciliator and his mellow personality means that he can easily be misjudged as a soft touch. He is far from that.
34. (+8) Mark Serwotka
General Secretary of the Public and Commercial Services Union
With many civil servants already having lost their jobs, no sector is more frightened of the impact of public expenditure cuts than the public sector. Serwotka is the cheerleader for his members who fights through the media and on the detail of every attempt to reduce his potential membership. He comes across as eminently reasonable in broadcast debates and is a doughty defender of his members’ interests.
33. (+6) GEOFF MULGAN
Director of Young Foundation and Chair of INVOLVE
For the real ideas of progressive renewal, though without the over ideological or party posturing of Neal Lawson, there is Geoff Mulgan. His fertile mind remains the best source of new ideas that the Labour Party has and whether Labour is in or out of government, Mulgan remains the policy wonk's policy wonk. He may fancy a full time return to help the new leader craft some philosophically-sound policy.
32. (-) Sunder Katwala
General Secretary of the Fabian Society
The Fabians continue to play a role in the battle of ideas within the Labour Party and Katwala is everywhere. The combination of hard research and political analysis has pushed the Fabians up to the top of the Labour think tanks table. Katwala’s Next Left blog manages to be non-tribal but deeply partisan at the same time – a feat in itself. He denies any political ambition of his own, but the new Labour leader would do well to get him onside. He’d make an ideal Head of Policy.
31 (-) Deborah Mattison
Managing Director, Britain Thinks
Mattinson stays at number 31 for the third year in a row. Had she not written her book TALKING TO A BRICK WALL, she would have undoubtedly fallen in this year’s list due to her being frozen out of the Brown inner circle way in advance of the election. But her proposals on how to reconnect Labour with the electorate have been a focal point of discussion in Labour circles for some time now, and as a consequence her media profile has risen.
30. (NEW) Will Straw
Editor, Left Foot Forward
The undoubted rising star of the left of centre blogosphere, Will Straw’s site, Left Foot Forward, has, within two years become the number three political blog in the UK according to Total Politics Magazine. Unassuming and transparently pleasant, Straw has become THE Left of centre go-to blogger for the media. Sounding uncannily like his father Jack, he is an articulate exponent of left of centre views and it will be interesting to see where his career takes him next.
29. (+64) TOM HARRIS
Labour MP for Glasgow South
Probably the best known and best regarded blogging MP, Tom Harris is an unavowed Blairite who ‘gets’ why Labour lost the election and what it must do to regain popularity. He skillfully uses his blog to bolster his own political profile. Inexplicably sacked as a junior transport minister by Gordon Brown, the new Labour leader would do well to make use of his media and communications talents.
28. (-8) ALASTAIR CAMPBELL
Former Government Director of Communications
Alastair Campbell falls in this year’s list but not by much. He played a key strategic role in the election campaign and the Coalition discussions, but that would appear to signal the end of his involvement in frontline politics. However, his ongoing diaries mean that he will remain in the political limelight for some time to come. His blog continues to generate comment and his personality means he is unlikely to stay silent for long.
27. (NEW) Margaret Hodge
Chairman, Public Accounts Committee
Margaret Hodge has made more comebacks than Lazarus. She owes her high ranking in this year’s list in part to her emphatic defeat of the BNP is her Barking constituency, but also to her surprise election as chairman of the Public Accounts Committee, which guarantees her a voice on news bulletins in the years to come.
26. (NEW) Mehdi Hasan
Senior Editor (Politics)
Regarded by many as the brightest new light in political journalism, Hasan has made a name for himself in a very short space of time. In addition to his New Statesman job he has become an important voice in the left wing ‘punderati’. Keen to be seen as a journalist who happens to be a muslin rather than the other way around, he is set to go on to bigger and better things.
25. (NEW) Baroness Ashton
EU High Representative

Choosing the top 100 most influential Left-wingers 2010
The highest ranking Labour politician on the world stage enters at number 25. She survived a great deal of briefing against her in the dog days of Brown and is said to be earning respect from his colleagues in Brussells despite experiencing an horrific press in this country.
24. (NEW) Stephen Twigg
Labour MP for Liverpool West Derby
The grin that did for Portillo in 1997 is back. He used his period out of the commons to become an expert on foreign policy and nurse his seat. He was a key figure in David Miliband’s leadership campaign and will feature heavily in the front bench team in opposition under the new leader because of his talent.
23. (-17) Jon Cruddas
Labour MP for Dagenham
The leader of the left has time and again ruled himself out of challenging for the top job and this year he fell in behind David Miliband. He might rally but even some of his strongest supporters have lost patience with him. A prince across the water too long, the political world has moved on and under Ed he will feel left out in the cold.
22. (+6) Caroline Lucas
Leader of the Green Party
The Greens have arrived on the national political scene with a smart and articulate MP who is spreading her message to a much broader audience since the election. She might have greater influence still if the Coalition falls apart but for now she is doing well to keep the Greens alive in the public mind.
21. (+71) Tom Watson
Labour MP for West Bromwich East
Watson has made the transition to Opposition with ease and has lead the charge on a number of key issues, each letter and press release reproduced on his web site. He is a model of the energy needed to sustain the critic of a government and his stock will continue to rise so long as he keeps hitting the targets.
20. (+16) Andrew Rawnsley
Chief Political Commentator, The Observer
Rawnsley has had an amazing run over the last two years and his book on the Coalition will be essential reading. At the heart of Labour politics, this will be his swansong unless Labour make a shock return next year. Though his political analysis remains personality centred, the quality of writing and the seniority of his sources have made him the top political journalist of the new Labour age.
19. (-10) Alan Johnson
Former Home Secretary
Many still believe that Johnson could have been crowned leader of the Labour Party this week if he had held his nerve. But he is from the wrong generation to take on the Coalition and made it plain so often that he did not want the job it became impossible to even give it to him. He will fade fast into the background because Labour usually has only one working class hero at any one time and John Prescott has the job, and because he was so blunt in his dismissal of his new party leader.
18. (+4) John Denham
Former Secretary of State for Communities & Local Government
Denham looks increasingly like the safe pair of hands that the shadow cabinet will need in the trials to come. He is stubbornly popular in the party and well regarded at Westminster.
17. (+2) Tessa Jowell
Former Minister for the Olympics and Minister for London
Jowell remains one of the more thoughtful members of Labour’s team and does not need changes to the gender balance of shadow cabinet to be a key player. She navigated with skill between the Blairs and the Browns and will have a key role as the party rebuilds.
16. (+82) Sadiq Khan
MP for Tooting
Sadiq Khan had an excellent leadership campaign, and has continued to raise his profile. He will emerge as a force in opposition: a key figure to watch. He is close to Ed Miliband and will be a key figure in the new regime.
15. (-10) Alistair Darling
Former Chancellor of the Exchequer
No other politician on the Labour side has retained their dignity quite as well as Darling. He defended himself as Chancellor and emerged from the wreckage as a substantial politician. He will slide quickly from this list but as he does so he will become an elder statesmen in the party, his reputation largely intact.
14. (+3) Lord Prescott
Former Deputy Prime Minister
Prescott had a good campaign in his usual style, remains active online and has tenaciously tried to win the party’s treasurership. For the time being he will be loyal to the leadership but his potential to mobilise the membership and rock the boat remain immense. There could well be clashesbetween him and Ed as the process of modernisation begins.
13. (+2) James Purnell
Chair, DEMOS
A comeback based on ideas is rare in British politics but Purnell is doing it. Having resigned from office in principle he has now set about redefining the left and its ideology. It is an exciting project and may well come to shape the future of the left.
12. (-11) Gordon Brown
Former Prime Minister
So what now for Gordon? The book will be big and important, the equivalent of Nigel Lawson’s “View from Number 10”. And then, who knows? This must have been the worst year of his political life personally. His frustration was evident, as was the grace with which he finally let go of power and we finally saw the human being within. Never write him off, he will be back on the world stage in a big job before very long.
11. (+19) Liam Byrne
Former Chief Secretary to the Treasury
Having recovered from the memo he left his successor saying that all the money had gone, Byrne has emerged a major player in opposition. He is one the few Labour politicians capable of independent and original thought. He will be key to shaping the policy of the future.
10. Simon Hughes
Deputy Leader of the Liberal Democrats
The leader of the internal opposition to the Coalition, Hughes is now a key figure on the left. Labour watch him carefully and wait. At some point the internal contradictions of the Coalition will explode, as they do in all Coalitions. How Hughes then behaves will be key.
9. (+24) Douglas Alexander
Former Secretary of State for International Development
By backing David Miliband, Alexander has brought unity to the churches of Blair and Brown. His position will reflect this in the new regime and he will flourish under Ed. Never destined for the top spot, he is young and experienced enough to have a bright ministerial future ahead of him if Labour get back in.
8. (+17) Andy Burnham
Leadership candidate
Burnham has done himself a lot of good during the leadership campaign. Many on the left voted with their hearts for him, knowing that he could not and should not win. The qualities have been as obvious as the limitations, but this is a work in progress, and there is much more to come from Burnham.
7. (+6) Ed Balls
Former Schools Secretary
Towards the end of the leadership campaign, Ed Balls suddenly began speaking like a human being. His intellect and passion seemed to meet for the first time before coming out of his mouth and those watching finally saw what has propelled him to the top of new Labour. He has worked hard to get himself so central to the outcome of the leadership election. But he lost. His fate now lies in Ed Miliband’s hands.
6. (+6) Alex Salmond
First Minister for Scotland
As he prepares for the 2011 poll, Salmond is the most senior left of centre politician in the UK. Having had a good start with Coalition, everything will now depend on the outcome of the spend review and the impact of the cuts on Scotland. The Labour revival is a worry but he will still have a few cards up his sleeve between now and the election.
5 (+24) Yvette Cooper
Former Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
By not running, Cooper has had a better leadership election than her husband. With Ed’s victory expect to see Cooper rise. She will do well in shadow cabinet and having weathered the expenses storm, will become a front bench fixture. Some tip her to beat her husband to the shadow chancellorship, but that would leave Balls on the outside looking in – it is one of the first tough decisions Ed will have to make.
4. (+10) Tony Blair
Former Prime Minister
Just when you thought it was safe to go into a bookshop: he is back. Hogging the headlines, intervening in the leadership election, failing to make peace in the Middle East, raking in the money across the globe, Blair is the first ex-PM franchise. For now he is back and in the frontline. It cannot last. But then that is what his critics said in 1997.
3. (-) Harriet Harman
Deputy Leader of Labour Party
Harman will be a key to the transition to the new generation of Labour leaders. She is key to the future of the party and moves to the position of elder statesperson with ease. She will slip down this list over the next year but she has earned the gratitude of the party and is now regarded with much more affection than she once was.
2. (+6) David Miliband
Leadership candidate
There was no coronation, no acceptance that all that is needed is more new Labour and no victory for the big donors. Miliband snr lost the argument during the campaign and lost the vote in the union section. He had created the expectation that this would be a coronation and when it was not he had only himself to blame. He will need to rebuild a relationship with his brother and with the constituency his brother represents. Or we may see him make an early exit from front line politics altogether.
1. (+3) Ed Miliband
Leader of the Labour Party
Ed Miliband won the leadership vote and the campaign. He has transformed his personal position in the party and redefined the politics of Labour in opposition. It is a huge mistake to suggest he represents a swing to the left, rather his campaign and the power he now wields within the party represents the view that what worked in 1997 will not work again. He will determine if Labour moves in a new direction or is defeated as a lukewarm version of new Labour mark 2. The challenge he faces is immense but the Conservsatives should not underestimate him. He is not in the pocket of the Unions, nor is he throw back to the militant tendency. He has the potential, like Blair before him, to be the great political communicator ofthis generation. He has already proved he is a great tactician.

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"In politics, stupidity is not a handicap." Napoleon Bonaparte (1769-1821), 

Regards,
Greg L-W.
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