Cameron loses plot in gay interview

David Cameron, a Tory leader, got himself to a bit of trouble during an interview with a British magazing called "Gay Times". He became very flustered at multiple times during the article and eventually had to ask for the cameras to be turned off. He didn't really know where his party has stood or stands on current gay issues and it's been an embarassing ride for him.

"(From 1.25 on this video – Mr Cameron is left staring at the floor, shaking his head and muttering to himself)"

Hahahaahahahahahaha. This is simply further proof that the British are way more interesting than we are. YAY.

http://www.economist.com/business-finance/displaystory.cfm?story_id=15580696

Bailouts seem to be the biggest trends for banks, due to the nearly world wide recession. The Royal Bank of Scotland is no exception. The bank is still suffering, and reported an "underlying £8 billion ($12.5 billion) pre-tax loss for 2009, bringing its total since 2007 to £16 billion." And with taxpayers owning 70% of the bank, the public is concerned about having their $46 billion investment sitting underwater.

The process to follow is one that mirrors what has occured in some banks in the U.S. A rebuild of trust and assets, and for the Royal Bank of Scotland, a change of leadership. RBS plans to be leaner, and in profit by 2011.

Mr. Hester has taken the helm and is said to be tough and knows exactly what he's doing when it comes to bringing RBS back from the edge.

Britain vs. Argentina over the Falklands

By Elizabeth Cutbirth

Beginning on the 22 of February a British oil company, Desire Petroleum, began drilling off the shores of the Falkland Islands. There is estimated to be 60billion barrels in this area. This action has inflamed Argentina and Britain in a debate over sovereignty of the Falklands.

32 Nations in Latin America have backed Argentina in the Rio Group Summit stating that Great Britain is neglecting international law by permitting drilling to begin. During the summit, it was decided that this regional body would exclude the U.S. and Canada as well. Argentina has made appeals to the U.N to facilitate talks.The U.N however, would have little to no power in intervention without the security council because the U.K can make significant vetos on resolutions. Some of the Latin American countries have expressed their frustration with the U.N, and the West's power within the international organization.

the UK's permanent representative to the UN, reiterated British claims to sovereignty over the Falkland islands, South Georgia and the Sandwich Islands.

We may be seeing a repetition of history, because Argentina and Britain fought over the islands in a short war of 1982 which cost more than a thousand lives. Thatcher's U.K won the war then, and gave the islands self-government and devolution has occurred since.


The U.S. wants to imrpove relations with latin american countries without alienating Britain so it is fairly neutral on this issue. It is committed to having both the two countries peacefully resolve the issue in discussion.




http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/falklands

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/mar/02/clinton-us-britain-argentina-falklands-oil

Conservatives' Poll Lead Shrinks

The Conservatives' lead in the polls for the upcoming May, 2010, election has shrunken. The Conservatives', long ahead in the polls, have seen their lead gradually shrink as they fail to effectively win over the British electorate.

According to the latest ComRes poll, the Conservatives' lead over Labour has contracted to 5%; they now stand at 37% nationally, with Labour at 32%, the Liberal Democrats at 19%, and all other parties at a combined 12%.

Despite their the lead, if the election results mirrored the poll results than the Conservatives would still have less seats than Labour in Westminster due to complexities in the country's first-past-the-post electoral system., with Labour at 294 seats (32 short of a basic majority), the Conservatives at277, the Liberal Democrats at 46, and all others at a combined 33.

While Gordon Brown's reign as Prime Minister (and Labour's longer dominance of the top seat) has not been without its faults, the majority of the British public do not hold the reining government as responsible for the recession as the citizens of other countries do their leaders. The polled population reports a split belief concerning the party leader most able to bring Britain back to economic health, with the Conservatives (under leader David Cameron) earning 43% of voter confidence and Labour (under Gordon Brown) just behind them at 42%.

While Labour might retain a plurality in the Commons after this year's election, they have fallen into disrepute. If a hung parliament is formed after May, there is a still greater chance that Labour, who control the Prime Minister's chair, will be blamed for the country's legislative incompetence. We still must see how the British electorate's allegiances change in the two months leading up to the election, a time that will be marked by desperate attempts from both of the major parties to claim a greater share of the vote.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/hung-parliament-looms-as-tory-poll-lead-cut-to-5-points-1914288.html

FURY OF LABOR! OH NO!

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article7046477.ece

Lord Mandelson has been recently much upset by the fact that there will be no formal inquiry into whether Lord Ashcroft broke important promises in order to get peerage, despite Mandelson's vehement urgings.

Lord Ashcroft engaged in some dubious, yet not really illegal actions, by avoiding taxes.

This kind of behavior is generally looked down on by his fellow Torries.

"Lord Ashcroft is bringing the House of Lords into disrepute by continuing to dodge in the way that he is," said Lord Mandelson.

It's all very up in the air at the moment.