Thursday
On this day in 1805, a famous signal was sent in the context of the struggle against an earlier iteration of pervasive European Union.
The EU rules the waves now:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X0xHU7029LQ
Posted by ukipwebmaster at October 21, 2010 04:44 PM
Back in Nelson's time, this country took defence of the realm quite seriously.
William Pitt the Younger was then, now we have iDave. Not a great progression.
Posted by Johnathan Pearce at October 21, 2010 05:32 PM
I always thought that it was, EU Waves the Rules... For itself.
Second hand Aircraft Carrier anyone?
Three years old, never seen an aircraft.
Features: Cobbled and gravel runway (well it might as well be) flourishing flowerbeds, ipod charging points every 50 yards, featherbedded sailor and sailoresses.
Deficits: Radar?, (sort of, to stop us bumping into things). Anti surface to surface and air to surface protection? Er why? we are a Peacekeeping force?
Sheesh!
Posted by RAB at October 21, 2010 07:12 PM
Are you in Britain allowed to celebrate all things Nelsonian, or is that now considered confrontational? Not in the spirit of European harmony, and all that?
Posted by Nuke Gray at October 22, 2010 03:08 AM
We're all one big happy family now.
As my dear Marxist aunt sweetly said to me: "British Lion? I thought it was now a pussy cat!"
Posted by John B at October 22, 2010 09:14 AM
I know how we can get out of the carrier farce.
PM Nick: "Hiya! that the CEO of BAE?"
CEO: "Yes PM, how do you want us to squander a few more billion?"
PM Nick: "Well, you recall when the last government called off the SFO looking into the al Yamamah deal..."
CEO: "Yeeess..."
PM Nick: "We've been having a think about how as a new government we need to clear out the skeletons from Mandelson's closet - we need space for our own after all and we were thinking of getting on the phone. Scotland Yard is Whitehall 1212 still - it was in the days of Mr Holmes... Or..."
CEO:"... but PM... National interest, jobs, high-tech skill base..."
PM Nick: "You'll probably serve most of it in an open prison and only get bummed in the showers every second Wednesday..."
CEO:"OK, OK... I am tearing the carrier contract up right now [sounds of tearing] is that OK PM".
PM Nick:"I think we have an understanding? Yes? You wouldn't want to come round your HQ with the refuelling probe of a half built Nimrod MRA4 now would you? It would certainly make the annals or should that be anals of medical research. At 3.5 billion it would be the most expensive buggering of all time..."
CEO:"Yes PM, oh and we'll chuck in an extra squadron of Typhoons as a goodwill gesture because..."
PM Nick:"Yes, I know. National interest, jobs, high-tech skill base... Nice doing business with you. I knew you were a reasonable chap".
Seriously. BAE Systems are the worst of all possible worlds. They are now very multinational. They have strong interests in the USA (they supply MRAPs to the US that are built in Brazil) but pretend (when it suits them) to be British and have therefore got a stranglehold on all the heavy metal the British military buys (apart from 'copters) whether it floats,sinks, flies or trundles it's BAE. No defence review can be complete without taking them down a peg or two. And they have enough bodies buried from shady dealings to fill Highgate cemetery thrice.
Posted by NickM at October 22, 2010 12:32 PM
The post and comments say it all - I can think of nothing to add.
Posted by Paul Marks at October 23, 2010 11:53 PM
