I hadn’t realised that Chris Huhne worked as a journalist for the Guardian. That explains almost everything.

He wasn’t liked by them either…

…Huhne continued to write for the Guardian and then the Independent — earning a reputation for being despised by his colleagues for his ruthless ambition and utter lack of charm, warmth or decency. When he first ran for parliament in 1983, his election campaign was sabotaged by some of his colleagues at the Guardian — a fact gleefully reported by Britain’s Private Eye magazine…

Although they had to hide his misdeeds to protect tbemselves…

In the early 1980s, while working for The Guardian newspaper, Huhne had lied and fabricated details in a story that maligned several people and a major organization. His purpose was simple. To advance his career by appearing to break what appeared on the surface to be a juicy scandal. But the facts didn’t remotely support the story Huhne had pre-sold his editor. So — like any Jayson Blair in a hurry –Huhne simply distorted the facts to suit the narrative in his story pitch. The organization, the maligned people and many other luminaries protested the lies in Huhne’s fabrication to The Guardian.

But the Guardian didn’t want to admit that its staff member was a flagrant liar and that it had been duped by its rising reporter. The exposure of Huhne’s opportunistic mendacity and tissue of odious lies was swept under the carpet. So at a point when Huhne could have been exposed for who and what he really was, he was instead coddled and protected. Which is perhaps why to this day the Guardian continues to print sympathetic pieces about the now jailed felon who once worked for the paper.

Steven

There is a really good summing up of the saga of Chris Huhne’s journey to the cells, and on the way taking down Vicky Pryce and alienating his children; on this link.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mobileweb/martin-lewis/chris-huhne-sentenced_b_2854174.html

It also goes into his character traits, his ego, and his ambition fuelled fabrications as a journalist at the Guardian.

Sample of texts between Huhne and son…

Chris Huhne: “I do hope your exams are going okay, despite everything over the last few weeks. Thinking of you, love you, Dad. PS It’s grandad’s birthday today.”
Son: “Don’t text me you fat piece of s***”
Chris Huhne: “Happy Christmas. Love you, Dad.”
Son: “Well I hate you, so **** off.”
Chris Huhne: “Well I’m proud and I love you, Dad.”
Son: “Leave me alone, you have no place in my life and no right to be proud. It’s irritating that you don’t seem to take the point. You are such an autistic piece of s***. Don’t contact me again, you make me feel sick.”

No mistaking who this car belongs to. The Gatso never lies, unlike…

It’s a fair cop, I give up!

Steven

Chris Huhne is said to have “…lied “again and again” and committed a “flagrant offence”, with no exceptional circumstances…”, so he deserves the eight months which is a typical sentence for perverting the course of justice. Vicki Pryce has been pulled into this by Huhne, but has done her share of lying too, so a custodial sentence is appropriate, but for a lesser time.

For me, the real crime is that a prospective MP, and later a government minister, thought that he was too important to be banned from driving, and that when found out, he could bluff his way out with no consequences to himself, heedless of damage to others involved. This seems to be increasingly the accepted standard position for Westminster politicians. Integrity of character is apparently no longer required.

Steven

Angela Merkel is facing a growing rise in scepticism on the Euro.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/comment/ambroseevans_pritchard/9920666/Germanys-anti-euro-party-is-a-nasty-shock-for-Angela-Merkel.html

The latest ZDF poll shows that 65pc of Germans think the euro is damaging, and 49pc think Germany would be better outside the EU. This is no doubt “soft”, yet what is clear is that the all-party consensus on EMU gives voters nowhere to turn.

A new party led by economists, jurists, and Christian Democrat rebels will kick off this week, calling for the break-up of monetary union before it can do any more damage.
“An end to this euro,” is the first line on the webpage of Alternative für Deutschland (AfD). “The introduction of the euro has proved to be a fatal mistake, that threatens the welfare of us all. The old parties are used up. They stubbornly refuse to admit their mistakes.”

The last two sentences sound a bit like our own traditional parties.

Steven

BBC’s bad advice and misdirections on global warming is very serious at a national level, and serious in another way at home.

This gardening page is full of what could be costly misadvice on what to plant for the assumed hotter, drier, future.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/gardening/basics/weather_climatewarming.shtml

Dr Andrew Colquhoun, director general of the RoyalHorticultural Society (RHS), points out: “While there will be greater opportunities to grow exotic fruits and sub-tropical plants, such as citrus and cannas, increased winter rainfall will be difficult for Mediterranean species which dislike waterlogging. ”

Gardeners will be able to grow fruit from warmer climes more easily. Your local garden centre will be stocking more grapevines, pomegranates, loquats, citrus, apricots, nectarines and figs, plus a wider range of palm trees.

I wonder how many people who took their advice have got on with their pomegranates, loquats, apricots, nectarines, figs, and palm trees, in the UK?

Steven

I can’t see that happening though, censoring the Internet would be political suicide for the EU.

The proposal is about “Eliminating gender stereotypes in the EU”, but indirectly includes Internet censorship of porn. The danger is that well meaning MEP’s may inadvertantly let the beginnings of wider censorship slip through by stealth.

Steven

MEPs to vote on EU ‘ban on all forms of pornography’

One more pressing problem for Nigel to consider…
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/news/9917189/MEPs-to-vote-on-EU-ban-on-all-forms-of-pornography.html

Steven

R
There is no 100% international agreement on:
The existence of man made climate change/global warming
The scope of man made climate change/global warming
Measures to deal with man made climate change/global warming

So, Western Govts. have succumbed to the blackmail of the environmental lobby and in so doing, are in the process of impoverishing and pauperising their taxpayers…

Meanwhile the rest of the developing, pragmatic world, proceeds on its merry way in a cloud of “I couldn’t care less!”

The EU policies are a muddle. The aviation ETS tax has been suspended amidst strong international protest. http://www.thegwpf.org/caving-pressure-isolated-eu-halts-aviation-emissions-scheme/.

The EU carbon market is collapsing. http://www.economist.com/news/finance-and-economics/21571940-crunch-time-worlds-most-important-carbon-market-extremely-troubled-scheme

The EU is burning as much coal as ever, although the UK is shutting down coal fired power stations. http://www.economist.com/news/briefing/21569039-europes-energy-policy-delivers-worst-all-possible-worlds-unwelcome-renaissance

As mentioned before, some €200billion of the recently agreed EU budget is to be poured into unnecessary climate change schemes. We should not be shackled to such profoundly damaging programmes.

Steven