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Will there be a vote in Parliament on renewing our nuclear deterrent? Des Browne gave a one-word answer. "Yes." But, Danny Alexander followed up, would it be a vote on a substantive question? That didn't get a one-word answer. A proper vote on the actual issue? That was a different matter altogether. Des got a round of laughter when he said, I haven't decided on the question yet." It made him look up, startled with a comic expression denoting: "What? What did I say?'

There was much analysis to be done first. Des said he had to commission a Risks-Options-Threat analysis. Yes, it seems that only after the ROT analysis that "the question will emerge".

Ian Lucas asked what information specifically would be made available to the public and parliamentarians. The answer was ROT. Crispin Blunt said there were cheaper options and more expensive options; wasn't it important to have all the options debated? Des Browne's answer relied heavily on ROT. Des also said that "almost every day I get a raft of questions to tease out information" on the issue. But then, why doesn't he just tell us everything he knows so we can have this "full debate" he keeps on about? Instead of giving us ROT?

And how about ROT in Iraq? Progress has been made, he vigorously told us "but it isn't always reported in the media". It's true. The country is progressing towards disintegration. Civil war is breaking up our century-long construction into three constituent parts. Iraq could be kept as one country, but then we'd need a swarthy strongman prepared to suppress dissent by rape, murder and torture. There's no pleasing us, is there?

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		2006-07-26 DES THE DEFENCE OFFERS MORE ROT THAN WE CAN COPE WITH Will there be a vote in Parliament on renewing our nuclear deterrent? Des Browne gave a one-word answer. "Yes." But, Danny Alexander followed up, would it be a vote on a substantive question? That didn't get a one-word answer. A proper vote on the actual issue? That was a different matter altogether. Des got a round of laughter when he said, I haven't decided on the question yet." It made him look up, startled with a comic expression denoting: "What? What did I say?' There was much analysis to be done first. Des said he had to commission a Risks-Options-Threat analysis. Yes, it seems that only after the ROT analysis that "the question will emerge". Ian Lucas asked what information specifically would be made available to the public and parliamentarians. The answer was ROT. Crispin Blunt said there were cheaper options and more expensive options; wasn't it important to have all the options debated? Des Browne's answer relied heavily on ROT. Des also said that "almost every day I get a raft of questions to tease out information" on the issue. But then, why doesn't he just tell us everything he knows so we can have this "full debate" he keeps on about? Instead of giving us ROT? And how about ROT in Iraq? Progress has been made, he vigorously told us "but it isn't always reported in the media". It's true. The country is progressing towards disintegration. Civil war is breaking up our century-long construction into three constituent parts. Iraq could be kept as one country, but then we'd need a swarthy strongman prepared to suppress dissent by rape, murder and torture. There's no pleasing us, is there? PAINFUL QUESTIONS Is it possible for Tony Blair to pay off his £3 million mortgage without a successful lecture tour of America? Is it possible to have a successful lecture tour of America (having alienated the left) if he alienates the right? Is British support for a strike on Iran influenced by the prime minister's wife's sense of property values? The Runes of Presco What did the Deputy Prime Minister mean in his AM intervention? Normally, his meaning is perfectly clear despite his linguistic problems (as opposed to Blair whospeaks perfectly-formed sentences that change their meaning as he chooses). The most important thing is: Presco has taken the pressure off himself. He has suggested that there will be elections sooner rather than later and that preparations are imminent. This tells the deputy candidates (Hain, Harman, Hewitt and Straw are the agitators we know about) to back off. If Blair goes, Presco goes too; Blair is going. Therefore there is no point in persecuting Presco. This should end the line the Ultras have been spinning, that Blair will be around "for a year and a bit" (as Alastair Campbell put it to Boris Johnson). Blair always produces a wonderful surprise for his conference speech, but Presco has rather spoilt it, hasn't he? Maybe there is a Plan B. What would make a surprise Conference opener for the PM would be . . . the bombing of Tehran. That would reorganise people's expectations. If Blair fails to organise that eye-catching initiative (with which he would be very much associated), he will surely announce his date. When might the leadership election happen? Shortly. The New Year. The only moot point is whether Brown wants to take over before the disaster of the Scottish elections in May (Blair's 10th anniversary). But then Brown will be remembering the last time he was offered a takeover and delayed (Blair got a second wind). And there is always the thought that Tehran going up in smoke might keep Blair going a little bit longer (national emergency, terror plots discovered in London, a Critical alert). THE CONSUALISTS ENGAGE IN POLITICAL FROTTAGE OVER THE CSA The trouble with us English (just recently, in the last decade), is that we have to appear reasonable. So, no one can tell the truth (the truth isn't reasonable any more). John Hutton presented a statement on the Child Support Agency: "the most radical reforms any minister has presented to the House". He has abandoned the half-billion pound reconstruction plan in favour of a new solution. Take the analogy of bankruptcy. He's declaring the whole shooting match thing bankrupt. He's closing it down and is starting up the same business, with the same staff in the same premises doing the same thing - but with the debts written off. Oh, and he's cunningly leaving behind in the shell of the old structure the difficult customers who can't pay/won't pay. They're left to be the responsibility of private sector debt collectors. He is acquiring new powers. To confiscate the passports of defaulting fathers. And to impose curfews on them! Last time, it was confiscating their driving licenses (11 have been confiscated in four years). But before Hutton does this thing that isn't doing anything, he needs an other period of consultation and debate. As David Laws pointed out: it started with a review, leading to a redesign which led to a consultation which led to a report which will lead to another consultation before leading to a White Paper. The strongest part of the White Paper will be "an ambition" to see "some aspects" of the report. After 11 years of rubbish this seemed inadequate to Mr Laws. Alastair Burt thought there was a good deal too much consensus and that the lack of constructive criticism in the previous Bill had led to poor legislation. Frank Field helped: he pointed out that £50 billion (buh-buh-billion) had been spent on lone parent benefit in the last six or seven years. The more generous the "disregard" (you need a degree in this) the bigger the bill to the taxpayer. It was a stronger Tory point than any Tory dared to make. Also, that we were all wiser now about the extent of fraud and that access and payment should be considered together. More substance there in one supplementary than in the whole ministerial statement. Here's something unreasonable. If one parent absconds and the other parent can't cope . . . let the grandparents be responsible. If the mother is left holding the baby let her go and live with her parents. Or her in-laws. This will re-introduce very different values very quickly. The illegitimacy rate will collapse in three years. NB: ID Card activists should note one ministerial remark: "The problem is not just organisational or administrative, it is much more fundamental than that." He didn't say exactly what the problem was, but it must have had something to do with not knowing where these absconding fathers are. I feel sure they will be adding defaulting fathers to the list of problems ID Cards would solve.	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DES THE DEFENCE OFFERS MORE ROT THAN WE CAN COPE WITH

PAINFUL QUESTIONS

The Runes of Presco

THE CONSUALISTS ENGAGE IN POLITICAL FROTTAGE OVER THE CSA

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