'Too close to call' Cameron.

 

It's not a defeat, it's humiliation.

David Cameron's judgement this morning was that it was 'too close to call.' Only if victory is guaranteed should the Prime Minister and Heir to the Throne be exposed to hawking the country's wares. Cameron is guilty of bigging up a national defeat. The expected dead heat with eleven expected votes turned out to be a single non-English vote for our bid. 

The carefully posed scenes of national jubilation at Tower Bridges had been prepared with painted faces and banners to wave. Cameras were ready to record the hugs and leaps of ecstasy. Then, phut, shrugs, boos and a bad tempered shuffle away from the scene.

The Government are responsible for creating the expectation of victory.  They are damaged along with national pride.

 

Snow easy

It was daunting prospect this morning to travel from Paris to Newport - dropping into the Commons  on the way  for a quick speech.

 

Eurostar were great. Two trainloads of passengers were packed into a single train. Information was immediately provided for the several stops and the reduced speed. The passing scene in France was light snow. In Kent it was deep snow.

 

The smudge in this photograph is a rabbit (honest). They are dangerously exposed by the weather. For the final part of the journey I drove from Westminster. The road was dry and the temperature dropped from 2 degrees   to minus two degrees. 

An entirely relaxing journey.

 

Gratitude

Today's Wikileaks on Afghanistan will dishearten and anger the relatives of those British soldiers who fell in Helmand. 

The biting criticism of British soldiers from Karzai and the Americans will deepen their grief. Of course it's unfair and untrue. The Americans who undermined the work of our brave soldiers are now performing poorly in Sangin. We lost 99 soldiers there. The Americans are doomed to repeat the futile waste.

 

Comments

[Paul Flynn]

If a comparison is to be made it is between the successful UK bid for the Olympics and the failed one for the World Cup. The charge is Cameron is that he hopelessly mis-read the situation and dragged royalty in to share the humiliation. If failure is likely, the technique is to talk down the importance of he result. Sending Prince William out boosted the eventual failure. It's an almighty cock-up-by Cameron

[Patrick]

I'm British KT. That'll be the joining together of Wales, Scotland and England.

England put in a bid for the World cup and expected it to succeed and as we know it failed.

Maybe a British bid would have stood more chance?

"You're all for independence until you want something"

Don't be too hard on the English, they have to get water, gas and oil from somewhere.

[Kay Tie]

"He might of made it a British bid and included Cardiff and Glasgow as venues."

You're all for independence until you want something. How does it go in Welsh? "Rydym am gael ein gacen a'i fwyta."?

[Kay Tie]

"Can you honestly say that Gordon Brown (or whoever would have been PM if labour had won the election) would have done any different with regards to the World Cup Bid?"

Different tribe. Different rules. Apparently.

[Patrick]

He probably would of Darren.

He might of made it a British bid and included Cardiff and Glasgow as venues.

But let's face it, England are always going to win every competition known to man.The media hype it up for financial gain and then rip them to shreds and the public (want to and do) believe the hype every time.

You could be excused for thinking England had a cabinet full of trophies like Brazil by the noise and rubbish talked by the media.

The reality is that England the inventors of Association football have won exactly one more competition than Wales or Scotland in the entire history of their sport.

Now remind me when you last heard the BBC/ITV/SKY/5LIVE etc bigging up the Welsh or Scottish World cup chances?

[Darren Midgley]

Can you honestly say that Gordon Brown (or whoever would have been PM if labour had won the election) would have done any different with regards to the World Cup Bid?

[Jane]

This is a difficult issue. Gordon Brown started the process - he is a football fan. It is now expected that a PM will present themselves to support a bid for a world sporting event - Spain and Portugal's leaders also attended. The Russian PM did not but this was manoevring as Russia already had the votes. I will leave it to others as to how this happened but suffice it to say that we may have lost but our integrity remains intact. FIFA is a discredited organisation - always has been. Astonishing that the votes went to the countries who presented the greater risk in holding a successful competition. We are in good company - the USA and Australia were also hammered - they too are not corrupt countries and have a free press.

I am a football fan and believe the PM lent weight to the presentation. He is an excellent speaker. I also think that he was acting in the best interests of the country and to be honest, I found your remarks churlish. I say that as there will be many disappointed people today at how our excellent bid was rejected.

[Kay Tie]

What a day for the courts. A Labour MP finally admits he did enrich himself illegally, and another one gives up trying to wriggle out of spreading racist lies.

Next up: two more Labour MPs to face the courts for fraud.

(Technically, neither are Labour MPs now - the courts had to bring them to account because their sheep-like electorate wouldn't).

[Richard T]

I could not help but notice that the next Prince of Wales (ceteris paribus) styled himself as English in his remarks to the 'judges'. Necessary no doubt in the context.

[Kay Tie]

"The Government are responsible for creating the expectation of victory.  They are damaged along with national pride."

Is there any level of tribal whining you won't descend to? If this is how you serve your constituents they'd be better off if you stepped down and slapped a red rosette on a pig. At least they could make sausages.