http://www.gavinwhenman.com Because few appropriate words begin with the letter "G". The personal blog of Gavin Whenman Tue, 09 Jun 2009 21:20:00 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 en hourly 1 © gavin.whenman@googlemail.com () gavin.whenman@googlemail.com() Because few appropriate words begin with the letter "G". The personal blog of Gavin Whenman gavin.whenman@googlemail.com No no http://www.gavinwhenman.com/wp-content/plugins/podpress/images/powered_by_podpress.jpg http://www.gavinwhenman.com 144 144 http://www.gavinwhenman.com/2008/05/29/john-prescott-i-cannot-justify-iraq/ http://www.gavinwhenman.com/2008/05/29/john-prescott-i-cannot-justify-iraq/#comments Thu, 29 May 2008 21:55:14 +0000 Gavin Whenman http://www.gavinwhenman.com/?p=1158 http://www.gavinwhenman.com/2008/05/29/john-prescott-i-cannot-justify-iraq/feed/ 0 44:09 Just back from a John Prescott event at UCL. The former Deputy Prime Minister was "in conversation with Michael White", assistant editor for the Guardian. ... Just back from a John Prescott event at UCL. The former Deputy Prime Minister was "in conversation with Michael White", assistant editor for the Guardian. Perhaps the most interesting thing he said, in answer to a question on Iraq, was a denunciation of the situation in the Middle East country at the moment, with an implication that we shouldn't have intervened: "What has happened in the last ... it just cannot be justified, I mean, whatever we say about it, it's a horrific situation" Other highlights from the evening, which you can listen to below: He believes Tony Blair and Gordon Brown made a two-term agreement at Granita. He's greatest regret: Failing to persuade England of the need for regional devolution, although he thinks we'll come round as we see the benefits Scotland and Wales are drawing from it. His brief attempt at a Gordon Brown impression. He thinks a federal Europe is inevitable, but doesn't want to see it happen. He is possibly the only person in the country to believe Gordon Brown can win the next election. Admission that he consistently lied to the press during his time as DPM (Private Eye did a good piece on this a couple of weeks ago). Listen to the (almost) full Q#38;A, albeit in mega-ropey-quality, for which I apologise: Iraq,,John,Prescott gavin.whenman@googlemail.com no No http://www.gavinwhenman.com/2008/05/15/what-did-you-do-during-the-war-daddy-bush/ http://www.gavinwhenman.com/2008/05/15/what-did-you-do-during-the-war-daddy-bush/#comments Thu, 15 May 2008 13:50:48 +0000 Gavin Whenman http://www.gavinwhenman.com/2008/05/15/what-did-you-do-during-the-war-daddy-bush/ http://www.gavinwhenman.com/2008/05/15/what-did-you-do-during-the-war-daddy-bush/feed/ 1 http://www.gavinwhenman.com/2008/03/26/politalks-8-war-glorious-war/ http://www.gavinwhenman.com/2008/03/26/politalks-8-war-glorious-war/#comments Wed, 26 Mar 2008 10:20:54 +0000 Gavin Whenman http://www.gavinwhenman.com/2008/03/26/politalks-8-war-glorious-war/ http://www.gavinwhenman.com/2008/03/26/politalks-8-war-glorious-war/feed/ 0 00:01:01 Lee unfortunately couldn't do the animation for this week, so you're left with only my nasal dulcet tones and the script for this week's Politalks ... Lee unfortunately couldn't do the animation for this week, so you're left with only my nasal dulcet tones and the script for this week's Politalks (ah, just like the old days) to guide you through Iraq, Obama, the Tory surge and Parliament on Youtube Listen to this week's Politalks: The five year anniversary of the Iraq War has given lots of people in cardigans and bad body odour the opportunity to trumpet how right they were in Spring 2003 to predict disaster and chaos in the former home of Babylon. The ludicrous sight of thousands of lefty-liberals celebrating civil war and endless violence in Mesopotamia makes me so sick I want to reach down their throat, pull out their organs and beat them to death with their bleeding hearts. That side of the political spectrum has traditionally fought for the progressive spread of universal human rights and democracy, so watching them march so self-righteously against the war highlights their real reason for opposing the invasion - they don't like George W Bush. Having to go hand-in-hand into Iraq with a dyed-in-the-wool, swivel-eyed, borderline retarded conservative was too much for the sensitive oat and organic mushroom stomachs of the leftish intelligentsia. Instead they had to swallow their principles and side with the genocidal comedy dictator who does a neat sideline in poisonous gases. Let's be honest here, if Bill Clinton or Al Gore had asked them to invade Iraq they would have strapped themselves to the front of US tanks and sung "We are the Champions" quicker than a White House intern could wrap her mouth around the 42nd President's dick. Don't believe me? Then I have one word for you: Kosovo. Barack Obama [onscreen: Barack Osama crossed out and replaced by Barack Obama] has finally confessed to being black ending months of speculation that he was actually John Kerry in greasepaint. He told Americans that "Contrary to the claims of some of my critics, black and white, I have never been so naiuml;ve as to believe that we can get beyond our racial divisions in a single election cycle, or with a single candidate ndash; particularly a candidacy as imperfect as my own." [Onscreen: "Vote for Me"] And voiced the belief that "... working together we can move beyond some of our old racial wounds, and that in fact we have no choice is we are to continue on the path of a more perfect union." [Onscreen: "Show that bitch Hilary how it's done"] The Tories surged ahead in the polls this week taking a double-digit lead in two separate results. The 2010 election is now theirs to lose and given the Conservatives remarkable ability to cock things up when all is going well expect one or more of the following to happen between now and then: Heather Mills to be appointed Tory Family and Legal Affairs spokesperson. A fresh run of Conservative sex scandals culminating in William Hague being discovered dead and naked after a botched attempt at auto-asphyxiation. David Cameron found to be faking his son's cerebral palsy. Turns out he's just a bit slow. Nicholas Soames to cause West Sussex to flood when he takes his first dump after Christmas dinner. George Osbourne's secret plan to turn Britain into an Islamic Caliphate after the election is discovered. Possibly the most truly nightmarish event that could happen for the Tories is for Boris Johnson to win the London Mayoralty in May. Given how thoroughly Ken Livingstone is burning a shit-shaped hole in his underwear at this very possibility, even going so far as to renew his electoral pact with the Greens, Boris could well be the next Dick [pause] Whittington. Jo Swinson's call for Parliamentary proceedings to be shown on Youtube was swiftly rebuffed by Nick Harvey, obviously fearful that the august air of the House of Commons chamber, which during PMQs usually sounds like this: [short 3 seconds of the childish roars] Will be ruined by Lolcats, dancing babies and Chris Crocker im... Barack,Obama,,Conservatives,,Iraq,,London,,Parliament,,Politalks,,war gavin.whenman@googlemail.com no No http://www.gavinwhenman.com/2008/03/25/why-we-should-support-an-iraq-inquiry-with-the-tories/ http://www.gavinwhenman.com/2008/03/25/why-we-should-support-an-iraq-inquiry-with-the-tories/#comments Tue, 25 Mar 2008 10:50:10 +0000 Gavin Whenman http://www.gavinwhenman.com/2008/03/25/why-we-should-support-an-iraq-inquiry-with-the-tories/ http://www.gavinwhenman.com/2008/03/25/why-we-should-support-an-iraq-inquiry-with-the-tories/feed/ 3 http://www.gavinwhenman.com/2008/03/21/realpolitik-18-flabbergasting/ http://www.gavinwhenman.com/2008/03/21/realpolitik-18-flabbergasting/#comments Fri, 21 Mar 2008 10:20:10 +0000 Gavin Whenman http://www.gavinwhenman.com/2008/03/21/realpolitik-18-flabbergasting/ http://www.gavinwhenman.com/2008/03/21/realpolitik-18-flabbergasting/feed/ 0 31:31 Listen to the show: In this weekrsquo;s Realpolitik podcast with myself and Richard Holloway: Tories surge ahead in the polls, both nationally and in London, with worrying ... Listen to the show: In this weekrsquo;s Realpolitik podcast with myself and Richard Holloway: Tories surge ahead in the polls, both nationally and in London, with worrying (for Ken) second choice preferences. Jo Swinson calls for Parliament to be on Youtube (and listen out for the baby in this part). The Iraq War five years on. PMQs, China and Tibet. Obama's speech on race - good for America, bad for him? If you havenrsquo;t got the time to listen to the show now, you can download and listen to it later. The podcast was recorded on Thursday 20th March 2008 and if you want to contact us our email address is realpolitikpodcast@gmail.com. Conservatives,,Iraq,,Labour,,Liberal,Democrats,,London,,Parliament,,Realpolitik,Podcast,,USA gavin.whenman@googlemail.com no No http://www.gavinwhenman.com/2008/02/26/when-will-we-let-the-iraq-war-lie/ http://www.gavinwhenman.com/2008/02/26/when-will-we-let-the-iraq-war-lie/#comments Tue, 26 Feb 2008 19:50:45 +0000 Gavin Whenman http://www.gavinwhenman.com/2008/02/26/when-will-we-let-the-iraq-war-lie/ http://www.gavinwhenman.com/2008/02/26/when-will-we-let-the-iraq-war-lie/feed/ 1 http://www.gavinwhenman.com/2007/11/23/those-foreign-elements-in-iraq-in-full/ http://www.gavinwhenman.com/2007/11/23/those-foreign-elements-in-iraq-in-full/#comments Fri, 23 Nov 2007 11:26:00 +0000 Gavin Whenman http://www.gavinwhenman.com/2007/11/23/those-foreign-elements-in-iraq-in-full/ http://www.gavinwhenman.com/2007/11/23/those-foreign-elements-in-iraq-in-full/feed/ 0 http://www.gavinwhenman.com/2007/11/04/a-self-contradicting-sentence/ http://www.gavinwhenman.com/2007/11/04/a-self-contradicting-sentence/#comments Sun, 04 Nov 2007 11:14:00 +0000 Gavin Whenman http://www.gavinwhenman.com/2007/11/04/a-self-contradicting-sentence/ http://www.gavinwhenman.com/2007/11/04/a-self-contradicting-sentence/feed/ 0 http://www.gavinwhenman.com/2007/10/31/painted-into-a-corner/ http://www.gavinwhenman.com/2007/10/31/painted-into-a-corner/#comments Wed, 31 Oct 2007 15:12:00 +0000 Gavin Whenman http://www.gavinwhenman.com/2007/10/31/painted-into-a-corner/ http://www.gavinwhenman.com/2007/10/31/painted-into-a-corner/feed/ 0 http://www.gavinwhenman.com/2007/10/08/they-got-to-march/ http://www.gavinwhenman.com/2007/10/08/they-got-to-march/#comments Mon, 08 Oct 2007 16:48:00 +0000 Gavin Whenman http://www.gavinwhenman.com/2007/10/08/they-got-to-march/ http://www.gavinwhenman.com/2007/10/08/they-got-to-march/feed/ 0