The Cost of a Vote in Belize

Is Lord Ashcroft getting value for money?

I found this interesting analysis on the election campaign in Belize, where Lord Ashcroft would really like to be domiciled.

"The price of a vote varies country wide. But there are reports that in the Corozal South Division, a vote is worth a $1000? But in Corozal town a vote is only worth $300 and in Belize City a vote can be bought for $20 by the incumbents. Why the big difference in the price of vote buying, is not known? But obviously the port of Belize City voters are being treated as dumb cheapskates and not worth much?

"The last two elections show a growing maturity among the nation's 115,000 voters."

Maybe the £4-5 million he is spending here would get him far better results in Belize.

Big Ian Steps Down

The first politician I met in the flesh was the Rev. Dr. Ian Paisley. It was in downtown Bangor in the lead up to the 1986 By Election following the mass resignation of the Unionists. He was shaking hands and got to me in the crowd and asked "Can Jim (Kilfedder) count on your vote?", I actually replied firmly "Even if I were old enough my answer would be no, because I disagree with you over rejecting all links with the Republic."

My late Grandmother I've learnt had a similar experience and response with him on her doorstep in Londonderry. I've also since written to him on a number of occasions as one of my MEPs disagreeing with him.

Now we learn that the man most associated with the words 'No' and 'Never' in Northern Irish politics has finally decided to step down from Westminister. Yet who has learned that never doesn't always mean never when he set up the current historic power sharing executive. In 2005 his 25,156 votes in North Antrim gave him a majority of nearly 18,000 for Westminster.

The 83 year old has been an MP for most of my life first being elected in 1970 before forming the Democratic Unionist Party the following year. From 1979-2005 he also served as one of Northern Ireland's three MEPs, his most infamous intervention in Brussels was shouting out calling Pope John Paul II "The Anti-Christ" as the Pope addressed the Parliament. He also often held a triple mandate being returned top of the list for North Antrim in any devolved Assembly, Forum, Parliament elections over that period.

He stepped down as the first leader of the DUP in 2008 and as Moderator of the Free Presbyterian Church, which he also founded in 2007.

Jim Allister the leader of Traditional Unionist Voice who had succeeded Paisley to the DUP's Euro seat was to challenge in North Antrim and it is expected now that the name Ian Paisley may carry on for the DUP in the area with his son standing in the big man's place.

Non-Doms - In the Tories Own Words

"I think it time to pass a law that says that if you want to be in the Houses of Parliament, if you want to be a legislator, you need to be or be treated as a full UK taxpayer."

"There are members of the House of Lords whose tax status is unclear. If you want to sit in the House of Lords or Commons you have to be a fully resident UK taxpayer.

"We would pass that law if we get elected. We would pass it straight away, we would bring it into force as rapidly as we could. I think that would put the situation beyond doubt."

So said David Cameron in a Sky news interview on 12 December last year.


So what have the Tories said about non-dom status of MPs and Lords over the years? Especially over the status of major donor Lord Ashcroft.

David Cameron

1 December 2009 "[Zac Goldsmith]'s obviously going to end this status and become a full UK taxpayer and he needs to do that as rapidly as can be done." Adding that all candidates for Westminster should do likewise.

2 December 2007 "I am satisfied that the undertakings [Lord Ashcroft] gave are being met and I've reassurances.....that he is resident in the UK and pays taxes in the UK."

5 February 2008 "[Lord Ashcroft] gave assurances, I've sought assurances about them. I've been given them and I'm happy to leave it at that."

Lord Ashcroft

Statement before enoblement

9 December 1999 "Mr Ashcroft has told The Times that he recognises the concern about foreign funding and that he intends to reorganise his affairs in order to return to live in Britain."

William Hague

Apparently saying it was a done deal. Letter to Number supporting his peerage 1999.

"This decision will cost him 9and benefit the Treasury) tens of millions a year yet he considers it worthwhile."

George Osborne

On 14 February 2010 was asked in a Sky interview five times about Ashcroft's status, the best he could come up with about someone who's donated more than £4 million to the Tory war chest was, "Lord Ashcroft's tax affairs are a matter between him and the Inland Revenue."

Eric Pickles

5 December 2009 When asked about Ashcroft's tax status: "He'll be very happy to tell you."

9 February 2010 "This obsession with Lord Ashcroft is ridiculous."But refusing to mute such obsession. He claimed that the "scandal deep at the heart of politics" was not whether or not Lord Aschroft paid tax in the UK, but the extent of the reliance of the Labour party for funds on the trade unions.

Year of the (not so) Nearly Blog - Month Foxtrot

I'm keeping the slight title change from last month. The reason being that the Wikio rankings lifted to number 4 Lib Dem last month.

Considering February has three days less than January I'm quite happy about stats. Last month I had 3,816 absolute unique visitors up from 3,753 in December up 2.5%. They made 5,623 (5,419) visits +3.8% and 6,980 (6,798) page views +2.7%. All of which are new records for this blog. My busiest day was the 15th February although both the 14th and 24th were just behind. The 24th was when for some reason google images in Australia started to hit my number one blog of the month.

But that's enough of the procrastinating on with what you're all waiting for my top 11s* for January.

Top referring sites were:

1. (1) Google Organic
2. (2) Direct Hits
3. (5) SNP Tactical Voting
4. (3) Lib Dem Blogs
5. (9) Facebook
6. (-) images.google.com.au
7. (6) Lib Dem Voice
8. (7) Twitter
9. (4) Iain Dale
10. (-) images.google.com
11. (11) Google Referral

I wrote 102 new contributions to the blog down from last months exceptionally busy 153 but exactly the same umber as in December. The 11 stories that you've been reading most (by direct page views) are:

1. Chinese Deathly Whispers (for the first time being top on a month)
2. Kung Hei Fat Choy 2010
3. Further in the Nicola Sturgeon Situation
4. Comedian Jason Wood Dies Aged 38
5. ***BREAKING*** Only MP with Two Premiership Teams Steps Aside
6. Standing Down and Defection
7. So Tory Bear Describe a Typical Paedophile
8. Where's the Reader's Digest Prize Draw When They Need it
9. Green Blogger Joins Lib Dems
10. SNP Glasgow Counciller Defects to the Lib Dems
11. Future Freefall for All #LabourSlogan

Where did you all come from? There were ten less territories than January with only 72.

1. (1) United Kingdom
2. (2) USA
3. (5) Australia
4. (3) Canada
5. (4) Ireland
6. (7) Germany
7. (10) Philipines
8. (6) France
9. (8) Netherlands
10. (-) Belgium
11. (-) Hong Kong

Surprise, Surprise Ashcroft is a Non-Dom

So Lord Ashcroft the Tories biggest donor is "non-domiciled" in the UK for tax purposes. The biggest non-secret in Westminster for years has finally be admitted.

 

However, with David Cameron claiming that he wants to clean up politics is Lord Ashcroft going to become resident and domiciled as Cameron expects all peers in the Lords to be?

 

Well....not yet, the Tories biggest donor, having given at least £4 million in recent years, is going to wait until a change in the law makes him do so.

 

So I guess it isn't going to be Lord Ashcroft's 'patriot duty' to pay his full share of UK tax until such time David Cameron or some other UK Prime Minister manages to get that requirement unto the statute book.

 

Of course the Tories have been saying yes he is, no he isn't over recent months when the pressure has been on for transparency over the status of those who donate to political parties. If David Cameron really wants to clean up politics he should have started with those that either represent him or want to. Zac Goldsmith PPC for Richmond Park has only recently announced that he will be changing his non-dom tax status. It is not clear whether he has yet done this despite being urged by Cameron to do so 'as soon as possible' at the end of November.

 

It all very well saying it is a year for change and that you are cleaning up politics Dave but can we see a little less conversation, with notes or without, and a little more action please.

 

This post has been sent via email therefore spacing and fonts may not appear at my usual standard. Also there may be links to other relevant blog entries or other content added later today along with adding the correct tagging.

STV = Salmond Televion?

Is Scottish Televion (STV) truly an independent broadcaster or has the Scottish Government been manipulating it for its own PR?

The reason the question has to asked is that a letter has come to light between STV chief executive Rob Woodward and First Minister Alex Salmond. The letter gives a commitment tot STV coverage of the Scottish Government's Homecoming festival last summer and mentions plans to introduce more Scottish programmes. However a telling line is:

"I will write separately to Linda Fabiani (then the culture minister] to introduce our commercial director, David Connelly, to explore how we can incorporate our innovative thinking around television exposure to the benefit of the government."

What can the phrase 'to the benefit of the government' mean? Well The Times Scottish edition is saying that a redacted amount of taxpayers money was being used to sponsor three television series made by STV under the banner of Homecoming Scotland. The shows had an overall budget of £5 million. This from a government that is complaining that Westminister is not giving them enough money for essential elements.

I did comment that a recent SNP party political broadcast looked like a Visit Scotland advert. Is it true that three whole series have been paid from from taxpayers money to be a elongated advert for Scottishness and the SNP agenda?

As Iain Smith the Liberal Democrat Culture Spokesman said:

"Independent braodcasters aren't there to act as PR agencies for the government."

The shows in question which included Made in Scotland and Scotland Revealed replaced The Bill and Doc Martin in the schedules. The former highlighted Scottish icons and the second looked at scenery, however the first did have a over nationalistic approach in some of its subject matter and presentation.

Was this another staging post of independence by stealth?

200 Years Seems Like Just a Minute

21 years ago this summer I was heading overland from Belgium to Keiv. We had an RAC route list to get us along the way. I was too young to be insured on the minibus with the rest of the team so did most of the navigating.

As we were heading through Poland approaching the village of Żelazowa Wola I started to hum this.



The reason was that the list of directions of course indicated that we were approaching the birthplace of Fryderyk Franciszek Szopen, better known by the French version of his name Frédéric François Chopin. He was of course famous for more than just the Minute Waltz but it is a good way to pay tribute to him as it fades away to look at some classic minutes from the show that has used his music as its intro for years.

So Paul Merton, the subject on the card is Su doku.



Clement Freud as the wordsmith talking about his favourite words



But of course the show is forever remembered for Kenneth Williams so here is his debut back in 1968.