Let men serve on the front line and only men...

For many, many years men and women did not serve on the front line in military campaigns. Apart from the obvious reason that women are not as physically strong as men, another reason comes from Afghanistan.

Ten British servicewomen on operations in Afghanistan have been sent back to the UK in the past six months after becoming pregnant.

A number of the soldiers may have become pregnant after having relationships with their colleagues.

When are the buffoons who run the country going to realise that political correctness has no place in military life?

Blair not wanted in Europe either...

So it looks as if Tony Blair's ambition to become the first president of Europe is going to hit the (gravy train) buffers before he even buys a ticket.

Nicolas Sarkozy, who was initially one of Mr Blair's most vocal supporters, declared that there would be a joint Franco-German candidate for the post.

Of course it will, because as I have often said the EU is a Franco-German stitch-up with the Germans doing politically and economically what they couldn't do militarily twice last century and the French doing what they do best - collaborating with the Germans.

All crimes are equal - despite what the police think

A trainee young policeman has been beaten up in Liverpool.

Detective Chief Inspector Tim Keelan is leading the investigation.

He said, ‘People who commit crimes can expect the full attention of the police and we will not rest until the offenders are brought to justice. We have stepped up high visibility patrols in the area to reassure the public and we would urge the community to help us with our enquiries and find those responsible.’

Except that is not quite the full story. James Parkes, 22,the trainee cop in question is gay and what DCI Keelan actually said was, ‘We are treating the assault as a homophobic hate crime and this incident shows there are still some people who have not learnt that crimes of this type are completely unacceptable. People who commit hate crimes can expect the full attention of the police and we will not rest until the offenders are brought to justice.’

I sincerely hope the police catch the attackers quickly and that they get banged up for a long time. However, why is this attack being treated with more seriousness than if a heterosexual trainee copper had been beaten up? Surely all crimes should ‘expect the full attention of the police’ and they should keep at it until ‘the offenders are brought to justice’. Surely all crimes especially those of violence are ‘completely unacceptable’ not just when the victim is gay.

The police should put all their efforts into solving every crime not just the politically expedient ones.

In the meantime, I wish Pc Parkes a speedy recovery.

Griffin was not a success on Question Time

Nick Griffin's poor performance on Question Time last night came as a surprise to many who expected him to be well-briefed, articulate and "on-message".

In the end, he was none of those things. Perhaps if the programme had been a normal Question Time then he might have fared better but the questions were all about the BNP apart from one about a newspaper report on a dead gay pop star.

Too much time was wasted on asking Griffin if he had said certain things and he either denied them or blustered.

If Neil Kinnock was on the programme, would they have spent much of the time asking him if he had wanted Britain to leave the EU? And they made great play of the fact that Griffin had shared a platform with David Duke of Ku Klux Klan but Ken Livingstone, endorsed by the Labour Party, has shared platforms with IRA terrorists and a Muslim cleric who advocates killing Jews and homosexuals.

It would have been much better to have a normal Question Time but then the liberal elite feared that Griffin would espouse views that would resonate with much of the country i.e. two men kissing being creepy.

Much better to spend the whole programme attacking Griffin.

Gordon give the money back...

Tomorrow all 646 will received a letter from civil servant Sir Thomas Legg about their expense claims over the past five years.

Some will be cleared, some will be asked to pay back money and some will be asked for clarification about their claims.

It seems simple to me. MPs should be able to claim for travel to and from their constituencies, food for legitimate purposes (entertaining constituents or matters pertaining to their work as an MP) and accommodation where their constituency is more than 50 miles from Westminster and no more. No televisions, no computers, no laptops, no digital cameras and no Sky TV (yes, that means you Gordon Brown).

Okay to ask Cameron about drugs... but not Brown?

The Labour Party is up in arms after the BBC's Andrew Marr had the temerity to ask Gordon Brown if he was on the happy pills.

Former leader Neil Kinnock told Five News: "The BBC is one of the greatest institutions in the world. They demeaned themselves, they cheapened themselves and the judgement of the journalist who asked the question has to be questioned."

So it is okay to ask David Cameron if he has taken drugs (twenty years ago) but not okay to ask the leader of the country if he does?

As usual, one rule for one...

What if Helen Goddard had been a pederast?

Teacher Helen Goddard, 26, has been sentenced to 15 months for having sex with one of her 15-year-old pupils.

The court heard trumpet teacher Helen Goddard used sex toys and fluffy handcuffs on the "vulnerable" child, helped weave a web of lies so the girl could stay in her flat overnight, and took her on a dirty weekend in Paris, where they joined a gay pride march.

Goddard is slim and attractive and has had boyfriends in the past so many have been quick to defend her. One man on The Sun's website even says that he hopes Goddard's career has not been too damaged!

I offer three alternative scenarios - would they have defended her if Goddard had been a stereotypical lesbian - all dungarees, sensible shoes, cropped hair and tattoos?

Would they have defended her if Goddard had been a 26-year-old man seducing a 15-year-old girl and finally would they have defended her if Goddard had been a 26-year-old man seducing a 15-year-old boy?

Brown's cowardice comes to the fore again

Once again Gordon Brown demonstrates his innate cowardice.

He announces that he would not ask Colonel Gaddafi about compensation for victims of the IRA financed by Libya when he met Gaddafi.

Now, back home he announces that British diplomats would now help in lobbying the Libyan government for compensation.

Funny he didn't do that when he met Gaddafi - Brown is a coward through and through.

What benefit have gypsies ever brought to the UK?

I thought long and hard before posting this because I just know some illiberal will call me a racist or Little Englander.

It comes on the heels of the news that some of the Romanian gypsies who had left Belfast after being beaten up had returned to the city.

One might ask why since they did nothing to engender a community spirit last time they were there. Reports had them starting a mini crime wave finally resulting in the locals taking the law into their own hands.

Perhaps the biggest irony of all was watching the gangster Martin McGuinness condemning people for being violent. Pots and kettles spring to mind.

I suppose one question that must be asked is why the Romanian gypsies came to Britain in the first place. It is hardly a direct route.

Labour Communities Secretary Shahid Malik admits that planning laws are indeed deliberately skewed to favour gypsies and travellers. He said, "Fairness does not mean treating people equally. It means addressing the different needs of different people."

That by any measure can hardly be described as "fairness".

Now comes the question: this government has defined gypsies as an ethnic minority. So leaving aside that piece of nonsense, one must ask what benefit have gypsies ever brought to the UK?

I think most people would agree that selling lucky heather and clothes pegs is not actually economically beneficial since one is unnecessary and Tesco and Sainsbury's can supply you with the other.

It is a question I would genuinely like the answer to: what benefit have gypsies ever brought to the UK?

I can make a case for the social and economic benefits of members of nearly all minorities coming to this country: West Indians, Pakistanis, Jews, Indians, Sri Lankans, Chinese, Japanese, Bangladeshis, Poles, not to mention French, Germans, Italians, Russians, Spanish, Americans - the list goes on.

All of the above have improved this country by their being here whether it is in the sporting arena, food and restaurants, constructions business, cleaning, tailoring, dry cleaning, social and cultural events or merely doing lowly paid jobs that no one else wants to do. For this they pay tax and national insurance and in many cases add to the gaiety of the nation - the Notting Hill Carnival and Chinese New Year to name but two occasions.

But what benefits have gypsies brought? It is a genuine question and I would like to know the answer.

Have I got BBC views for you?

Radio 2 DJ Sarah Kennedy has been ticked off after saying on air that Enoch Powell was the best prime minister we never had.

A spokesman for the BBC said that the corporation had received 25 complaints and that the presenter had been "spoken to" about the remark.

Would she have been reprimanded had she said Michael Foot was the best PM we never had?

If it's hot stay in the shade - you don't need a quango to tell you that!

And once again the nanny state swings into action.

The last couple of days have been a little warm so now we are given advice on the weather.

A spokesman for the Department of Health said: 'The heat is especially dangerous for the very young, older people or those with serious illnesses. Keeping the home as cool as possible during hot weather and remembering the needs of friends, relatives and neighbours who could be at risk is essential."

They usefully provide some helpful hints:

Tips of how to keep cool in the heatwave...

• People with serious health problems (for example heart conditions), should avoid going out in the heat, especially between 11am and 3pm.
• Drink cold drinks such as water or fruit juice regularly and avoid tea, coffee and alcohol.
• Stay tuned to the weather forecast and plan ahead with supplies - think of elderly neighbours who may need help.
• Keep plenty of water to hand and stay in the shade where possible.
• Identify the coolest room in the house to use as a room to cool down or sleep in.

Now, this is what I would call commonsense and doesn't need the intervention of a government department.

What these busybodies seem to forget is that an awful lot of people have been on holiday to Spain, Italy, the Caribbean and other hot places and somehow have managed to survive without being told to drink water or stay in the shade.

Perhap this is the subtle way for the global warming nutters to tell us that we won't be allowed to fly anywhere in the future.

Keep your nose out...

The BNP is back in the news after the Equalities and Human Rights Commission said it must change its rules that you can only join if you are white.

Once again, the BNP gets the oxygen of publicity but one has to ask why is it any business of the Equalities and Human Rights Commission whether the BNP only admits whites?

If an organisation or club wants to exclude some one that should be entirely at their discretion - it certainly should not be any business of a quango.

If the BNP is forced to change its rules so anyone of any colour can join, does the Equalities and Human Rights Commission really expect a flurry of applications from West Indians and Pakistanis?

So what is the point apart from as a BNP spokesman says, "an entirely politically-motivated attack"?

Does Gordon Brown know how to tell the truth?

We know that Gordon Brown has difficulty telling the truth. We know that he is unhappy in his own skin but now he appears to have lost the plot entirely.

He has now said, "To be honest, you could walk away from all of this tomorrow. I'm not interested in what accompanies being in power."

Liar.

In the interview with The Guardian, Brown also said he was "not very good" at political manoeuvring - a claim that will amaze Labour politicians whose careers have been destroyed after incurring his wrath.

And two more reasons why people vote BNP

If I was a conspiracy theorist, I could almost believe that the government is deliberately arranging things so that people will vote BNP and then introduce yet more draconian laws to assault out civil liberties.

The first story is that gypsies will be given priority over normal people at doctors' surgeries.

Gipsies and travellers should be given priority in NHS hospitals and GP surgeries, doctors have been told.

They will be fast-tracked for doctors, nurses and even some dentist appointments above all other patients.

GPs have also been told to see any travellers who simply walk in without an appointment, even if all consultation times for the day are full.

Second is the tale about the fanatic Muslim organisation Al Muhajiroun which some claim should be banned for if not espousing terrorism then at least giving it a sympathetic ear. However, the Home Office said a ban could only be implemented if there was evidence that a group was involved with terrorism. A spokesman said: 'Proscription is a tough but necessary power to tackle terrorism."

So they won't ban an organisation which called the 9/11 hijackers "magnificent" but will ban American shockjock Michael Savage?

We are, indeed, living in strange times.