Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Nothing Yet From Nick Clegg

Being a bit of a geek, last week I was reading the Liberal Democrat manifesto and I noticed that it did not have a Northern Ireland section. The next British PM will govern 1.7 million people in N.I. but unlike Labour and the Conservatives we have no clue what the Liberal Democrats are going to do to us because Nick Clegg wants to keep it a secret. Ironically although I'm a mystery novelist I'm not keen on suspense so I emailed Nick Clegg and the Lib Dems to ask what nefarious scheme they are cooking up for Ulster. I have not yet received a response and meanwhile doubt has grown in me like a phytophthora infestans fungus on a potato; I've begun to think that maybe I'm missing something. You dear reader are more observant than I, see if you can spot the Northern Ireland section in the index to the Lib Dem manifesto below:
N
National Audit Office ...............................17
National Border Force .............................75
National Bursary Scheme ........................39
National Crime Reduction Agency ...........72
National Curriculum ................................36
National Grid ............................... 23, 58-59
National Health Service ......... 33, 40-44, 99
National Insurance ..........................97, 100
National Lottery ......................................46
National museums & galleries .................45
National Parks ........................................82
National Policing Improvement Agency ...72
Neighbourhood Justice Panels................17
Network Rail ...............................54, 78, 88
Night Buses ............................................73
Non-Doms ........................................14, 89
Northern Rock ........................................28
Nuclear Power ........................................59

BTW their plan for night buses is this: (and I'm not kidding, you can look it up) drivers of night buses should be required by law to drop every person on the bus at their door instead of at the stop; so if you're taking the night bus from say Belfast to Carrick, you're going to have wait while every single drunken hood in Rathcoole Estate gets dropped at his house - if he can remember where it is - before you go on to Greenisland Estate and finally Carrick itself: what a bloody nightmare, it wouldn't do to be desperate for the bog or anything, although you could always take those other night buses that drop you at your door, you know, the ones called taxis.

39 comments:

seana said...

Did you look under Ireland, Northern?

That night buses idea is terrible. I used to come back from the airport on an airporter system that worked this way and sometimes it took longer than the flight.

Just happened to start the morning with this piece on Clegg at Slate.

Nick Clegg said...

Thanks for your email, Adrian.

I would have thought that even a stupid Irish clodhopper such as yourself would be capable of recognizing a simple political fact. Our party doesn't run candidates in NI, so why should we give a toss what you think of us?

You're from Northern Ireland. Nobody over here likes you people. You're a pack of ignorant, irritating spongers who live off the English taxpayer to the tune of 6 billion sterling a year and expect to be respected for it.

And what do we get in return for our largesse. That you don't send your Catholics over to bomb our cities? That your Protestants don't shoot the first Papist that comes into view whenever they get a chance?

Your decision to move to Australia does at least show a smidgin of good sense. Now if only the remaining 1.7 million would follow suit, wouldn't that be great?

Regards,
Nick

seana said...

Hmm. I'd expected Nick Clegg to sound a bit more, well, genial.

adrian mckinty said...

Seana

Tried that. It could hours and hours to get to the end of the route.

Interesting thing in Slate.

adrian mckinty said...

Nick

You make a lot of good points.

But wait a minute, dont you even like that nice Eamonn Holmes? Surely you've been impressed by his choice of jumpers over the years?

adrian mckinty said...

Seana

Well, I find his candor bracing. I might change my vote now.

seana said...

Wait a minute--how many votes do you have, anyway?

adrian mckinty said...

Seana

I'm still registered in the Oxford constituency but the last time I actually voted was 2001. To do a postal vote you have to go to the British Consulate which might be an interesting scene, I dont know...

seana said...

This seems like an election you might want to risk it for. Although which of them does actually have the interests of Northern Ireland at heart?.

Not to give Nick Clegg here more fuel for his truth telling, but I know you've said you voted in the U.S. elections. Can you vote in the Australian ones as well? I mean, where does the extent of your political power stop?

adrian mckinty said...

Seana

Yup I'm a dual citizen. British-American. I cannot vote in Oz. It doesnt seem fair though as I seem to remember Commonwealth citizens including Australians were allowed to vote in UK elections if they were residents.

seana said...

Yeah, that's why I was wondering if you were some kind of triple-threat.

Anonymous said...

Well Adrain ,if you had a vote who would you vote for?

The problem with the American style tv debate is that it makes people think they are voting for the leader but we live in a parliamentary system, not a presidential one and we are not choosing a president.Voters elect a local MP, and the party with the largest number of seats forms the government. The leader of that party then becomes the prime minister.

So what local MP would you be voting for??

seana said...

Thanks for the clarification anonymous. I did know that, but this three way debate thing has gotten my head all going in circles.

adrian mckinty said...

Anon

I am NOT really a Green. I think the Greens have overhyped their case and the Greenland ice sheet will probably take half a millennium to melt, however I do like Chris Goodall and I read his second book so I'd probably vote for him in Oxford West.

seana said...

I am not really a Green either, at least by Santa Cruz standards. But forget about Greenland--what about those Andes Mountain ice caps that Bolivian Evo Morales has been bringing up so much lately?

Philip Robinson said...

OK you guys - if you're admitting you're not really Greens, then I will too, but don't tell my friends as I haven't come out of the closet yet. In fact roll on global warming till we get a bit of sunshine in this miserable cold and wet forgotten corner of the UK, and then maybe the Clegs will appear in swarms.

Anonymous said...

Chris Goodall seems like a decent man. I approve.

I'll just throw this out there
Is it acceptable to shun friends who are going to vote Tory? as I cant see anyway of getting past it.

Adrian said...

Seana

I can only imagine what a Green by Santa Cruz standards would be: hemp clothing, only eating fallen fruit, it would probably be like that bit in Easy Rider where they visit the commune...

Adrian said...

Philip

The funny thing is that Ireland and most of Northern Europe is still doing its post glacial rising. Even if all the ice in the world melted Ireland would be completely fine. East Anglia however...

Adrian said...

Anon

I wouldnt even shun them if they voted for Sarah Palin. I would however mock them mercilessly.

Frankie said...

Ok I'll stick to mocking and blaming my friends for ruining Britain and failing that plenty of Chinese burns as my own method of Cognitive behavioral therapy.

Anonymous said...

Adrian,
I saw it right away. It was right after Non-Doms. I cut and pasted below.
Neighbourhood Justice Panels................17
Network Rail ...............................54, 78, 88
Night Buses ............................................73
Non-Doms ........................................14, 89
Northern Ireland ..................................34, 43
Northern Rock ........................................28
Nuclear Power ........................................59

By the way, kudos to my man Nick Clegg for his open and candid response. I like the man...when I judge a man, I don't look at this political positiions or the color of his tie. I look into his eyes, which is where his character comes through. Ohh we can bring on the jolly laugh lines, and squint to give that ernestly avidafit look, but the wise man know...look, I have no idea what I am rattling on about. Let me get back to my story. So I am asleep in my houseboat when I am awakened by a sound on the deck - possibly a footstep. I slid the panel in the headboard open and eased the Beretta out of the hideyhole. More later.

Bright Wind from Mountain

adrian mckinty said...

Frankie,

The Lib Dems are going to have a written constitution following a "people's constitutional convention" so I'm afraid that Chinese burns will be on their way out.

adrian mckinty said...

Bright Wind,

Ah in a perfect world it would be that easy.

I appreciate the fact that you spelled Beretta, Beretta, not Baretta which I often seen even in published texts.

Frankie said...

Only dads do good Chinese burns anyway. I have small hands so my friends won't suffer too much Dammn!

adrian mckinty said...

Franie

Dads do the best Robbie Burns as well, after they've had a few...

Frankie said...

What is one of those when its at home? I'm always looking for new methods of easy going torture.

seana said...

If you'd only posted that bit about Ireland still being there after the tides rise in your email to Clegg, I bet you and your homeland would have gotten a whole new level of respect.

Green by Santa Cruz standards? Nobody is green,truly green, by Santa Cruz standards. Although there are a lot of Greens and they do seem to have an awful lot of petitions.

Philip Robinson said...

Seana
If you look closely at my profile pic, you'll see me on a sea level watch. No change yet, so Adrian is right about the isostatic post-glacial compensation.
Hey Adrian - have you spotted that the rocks in the background are part of Muck Island off Islandmagee - the setting of the Lighthouse trilogy?

adrian mckinty said...

Frankie

Well I suppose if your Scottish accent is really terrible quoting Robbie Burns could be torture.

adrian mckinty said...

Seana

I hope those petitions are on recycled paper.

adrian mckinty said...

Philip

Muck Island - awesome!


Good phrase that isn't it?

"isostatic post-glacial compensation."

I suppose it'll apply to all of Northern Europe.

seana said...

I'll be sure to ask them about the content of their paper the next time one of them is too persistent.

Philip the problem is that I have no idea how long ago that picture is taken. For all I know, Muck Islan is underwater by now.

Philip Robinson said...

Seana,
Not all of northern Europe, or even of Ireland, is rising because of isostatic post-glacial adjustment. (Yes it is a nice phrase Adrian - one which I never thought I'd be able to use, so I'd better make the most of it)
The last ice-age only covered as far south as southern England, and so the weight of the ice-cap depressed the earth's crust most where it was deepest - further north. It's slow rise back up afterward is still happening, so we have raised stone-age beaches around the North, but the land is actually sinking relative to sea level in Southern Ireland, with flooded river valleys near Cork and Wexford. The axis of tilt is along the Valley of the Boyne River immediately south of Ulster, so I'll leave it to Adrian to explain the moral that some of our fellow countrymen might draw from this. Who said our troubles only go back 400 years?

Philip Robinson said...

Adrian
Muck Island - you will be relieved to known that the main bulk of the Island (out of shot) is still well above sea level. By the way, I loved the 'Laird of Muck' title in Lighthouse Island. And it was a lovely touch to put Blackhead Light-house there. (Did you say your sister lives near there?) That would make it a bit more accessible for a young lad without a car.

adrian mckinty said...

Philip

I'll bet the Bann Valley will flood though, so Antrim will effectively be an island wont it?

Yup my sister Diane lives just a hop skip and a jump from Blackhead Light.

I was glad to use Islandmagee though, its a special place.

seana said...

Now I suppose I am going to have to make it my life's work to try and work "iso-static postglacial compensation" into a conversation somehow.

So what all this means is that not just Ireland, but exclusively Northern Ireland is going to be the real estate out there in the North Atlantic? I'm thinking the House of Clegg will rue the day their forefather Old Nick ever committed this sin of omission and made them personas non grata in the only land left above sea level.

Philip Robinson said...

Seana
Yes, but Adrian reckons it will only be County Antrim, so I'd play safe and invest in Carrickfergus and Islandmagee. Think of the money to be made exploiting the McKinty Heritage Trail. And you could always apply for grant-aid from the Isostatic Post-Glacial Compensation Fund.

seana said...

Sounds like a good retirement plan. But I think a better near term investment might be to finally get around to those Lighthouse books.