98th Entry Halton Apprentices

The politicians tell us that prison doesn’t work. Here is one way I would use a facility that doesn’t work. Let’s put the OAPs in jail and the criminals in a nursing home. It is not so daft as it first sounds. The OAPs would have access to showers, hobbies and walks. They’d receive unlimited free [...]

Mike, in one of your recent blogs (isn’t blog a horrible word) you mentioned the foreign aid recently given by the UK Government to India. A quick scan of this month’s Air International magazine tells us that India has just ordered 57 Hawk Advanced Jet Trainers from BAE to be built under licence in India [...]

I have been busy of late and so have not had time to think very much about blogging. All the work I am involved with is associated with the many studies and consultations going on about magistrates’ courts and summary justice. Boring stuff if you are not involved but for me it is an important [...]

Well chaps that’s Iraq sorted! The Yanks have pulled their combat forces out following our lead. Job done. We can now sleep soundly in bed at night knowing that the serious threat to our country has been neutralised. The death of our servicemen and women and hundreds of thousands of Iraqi’s, whilst much regretted, was [...]

The Telegraph has reported that the Red Arrows could be grounded by defence cuts. Asked about the future of the Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team armed forces minister Nick Harvey said “the simple answer is I don’t know.” He added: “Everything is under review as part of the government’s Strategic Defence Review, which probably will [...]

I have been on a course these last couple of days to be updated on new legislation. Now I know times are hard and we are sick to death of hearing about cut backs and higher taxes but I was astonished to be briefed on a new law brought in under the Coroners & Justices [...]

The other day we chatted on this site about crime and I said something like Crime does pay these days and gave some examples. But towards the end of last week I just could not believe what I read about what the police in Suffolk are planning.
Criminals are to be handed bikes to help them [...]

On-the-spot drinking fines ended in parts of London.
Drunk revellers may be offered ‘words of advice’
On-the-spot fines for offences including being drunk and disorderly have been stopped in parts of London.
Under a pilot scheme running in Westminster, Lambeth and Southwark, officers will use court action or “words of advice” instead of fines.
The change will also affect [...]

The Treasury idea to pay the bill for a new nuclear submarine fleet from the current budget of the MoD was described by Chancellor George Osborne like this: “All budgets have pressure. I don’t think there’s anything particularly unique about the Ministry of Defence.”  Well George, you speak like a ‘bean counter’ because you are a ‘bean [...]

Former UN Weapons Inspector Dr Hans Blix says that following his visit to the UK he has found ‘no evidence’ that Britain is harbouring an inquiry into the Iraq War. ‘I have searched the length and breadth of the country,’ said Dr Blix ‘and I cannot find anything resembling an inquiry. I did stumble across a [...]