Question Time

There was a rumble on last night's Question Time, as populist right wing character - and QT regular - Nigel Farage, was a guest alongside popular comedian/activist/florid purveyor of lexicon Russell Brand.

The main thing anyone seemingly will remember from the set-to is Brand denouncing Farage as a "pound shop Enoch Powell." On the face of it, some zinger. Until you think about UKIP more closely.

The main financial backers of UKIP are lapsed Tories, worshippers at the font of Thatcher, who you suspect would be in the "Enoch was right" camp.

The target audience of UKIP, being bombarded with propaganda that all Britain's ills are due to foreigners - either politicians, bureaucrats or immigrants - are, due to the current economic mess, worsened by ideological austerity, people can only afford the pound shop, if they can afford anything at all. UKIP pretend that they are the answer to their problems, not bothering to say that their solution is basically the Tory party with absolutely no compassion.

Forty years of relentless lies and distortion, coupled with politicians too cowardly to confront these lies, and Britain ends up with a political party leader who could have been the antagonist in a George Formby film? Turned out shite again.

JSA not AOK

So the Irish Budget for 2014 has been delivered. Grim news if you're young - although under 5's have come out of it for the better.

One point that struck me, while listening to Joan Burton grate her way through justifying reducing the dole for young people: Ireland has adopted the same mealy-mouthed description of "Jobseeker's Allowance" as was adopted in the UK in the mid-90s.

In this age of austerity, where anyone receiving money from the Government is being ostracised - whether it be through unemployment, disability or medical problems - why haven't the right-wing restored the name "Unemployment Benefit"?

But that would admit that no jobs are available, rather than their plight being caused by ending up out of work, as businesses (and Government) race to cut costs in a self-perpetuating cycle of decline.

(And no George, the UK economy may now be - pitifully - growing, but it's from a much lower base after three years of savagery. I learnt maths at school, something that your colleague Michael is keen to put a stop to.)

Troika in town

The Troika are visiting Dublin today, checking the progress of the Irish government in taking the country back to pre-Celtic Tiger days.

How apt that a Russian word, echoing communism, should be used to describe the three-headed hydra of the EU, ECB and IMF. The solution to sovereign debt crises engulfing the eurozone is to offer a loan to pay off debts and socialise the repayments.

When did multinational agencies start behaving like the dodgy companies who advertise on the channels higher up the electronic programme guide?

Consolidate all your existing loans into one easily digestible austerity package!

The only difference between the Troika and these companies is the interest rate. Although 5% on €85bn is a bit more money-wise than 1759% on €500.

Paul Heaton - Acid Country

A wonderful state-of-the-nation address by Paul Heaton.

Twenty five years after The Housemartins, he still wears his politics very much on his sleeve.

Let's fight a war on greed

Not a war on poverty

Click here to listen: Acid CountrPauly

(Yes it goes to MySpace - listen to it while the site still exists, if only for Justin Timberlake's sake!)

(I really must go to bed.)