This blog has won second prize in the Witangemot political blog awards, in the human rights/civil liberties category.
http://www.toque.co.uk/consult/results/Winners_Enclosure.pdf
As W S Gilbert once said, modified rapture. Modified because I have never heard of Witangemot, because we only came second, and because there are severe problems with some of their ideas. The ultra-right Harry’s Place blog, possibly the nastiest authoritarian site on the web (and I do include the BNP) astonishingly comes second in the “Left Wing Blogs”. How did that happen?
"…. there are severe problems with some of their ideas."
Well my understanding is that their principle idea is that England, like the other members of the Union, be treated as a country and not broken up into 'Regions'. Is there something inherently wrong with England having its own Parliament, or is that to be reserved for Scotland?
And why should the Prime Minister of the UK be able to impose his preferences on such major matters as policing, education and and health on England when they will not apply in his own constituency?
There may be problems with some Witanagamot ideas, but sure as hell they are as nothing compared to the problems and gross unfairness of the present dogs dinner of a so-called constitutional settlement.
Criky – I'm going to have to post a bit less here. I'm doing more than enough to fill a blog of my own :-))
Sabretache
Sorry, I meant ideas as in who gets which award. No idea what else they stand for.
Congratulations nonetheless to you Craig. Nice to be recognised – even if by those one might prefer not…
Incidentally, the only English King of anything reasonably identifiable as England was Harold Godwinson. The other English heads of State were Oliver and Richard Cromwell. Other dynasties all foreign. Just thought I'd mention it.
Personally I don't care what the English do. Not going to be my problem.
A bit of hyperbole here. I have just been over to Harry's Place for a verbal fight. In fact the actual posts are not really ultra-right, but some of the commenters are quite extraordinarily nasty. And certainly it is by no stretch of the imagination left.
You were way off-beam with your remarks about Harry's Place and you still are – "not really ultra-right"? Far from being ultra-right, Harry's Place is firmly of the 'Eustonian left', campaigns vigorously on a number of human rights issues and is vehemently against fascism of both the far right and far left varieties.
It is true that some of their commenters are extraordinarily nasty but that's because their policy is to allow a very vigorous and open debate with as much freedom as possible (within bounds). As a result they attract a number of trolls and morons.
Steve
The two defining characteristics of Harry's Place are unflinching support of George Bush' foreign policy, and a crypto-racist policy of attacking pretty well any British Muslim figure. The Human Rights policy is extraordinarily selective and largely confined to neo-con targets.
It is "left" in the sense Alistair Campbell is "Left". That is, not at all.
Craig
I think you're wrong on your first two points. Unfortunately I don't have the time right now to research a whole series of links that would demonstrate that but they're out there. Please excuse me. Of course all blogs are, by necessity, selective. Isn't yours?
I suggest that you visit Harry's Place more often, particularly if you plan to slag them off on a regular basis. There's nothing like a bit of truth to give weight to criticism.
PS: As for Alistair Campbell, I must confess to a certain personal blindness there. The man has the good taste to support Burnley. How bad can he be?