Francis Maude Loves Jerrys

The government, wounded by the poor response to its pasty taxing budget and the Cruddgate scandal, is seeking ways to divert the voter's attention.

What better way than to stir up fear of a petrol shortage, caused by the looming petrol tanker drivers' strike?

Therefore over the past few days government minister shave been upping the ante, and trying to cause fear and alarm in the general public; by training troops to drive petrol tankers, advising people to fill up, calling a Cobra meeting and now step forward Francis Maude who is advising people to keep a jerry can full of petrol at home.

Aside from the fact that encouraging panic buying is irresponsible, and will cause unnecessary shortages at the pumps, to advise people to store petrol in cans at their homes and in their cars is dangerous.

Does Maude not remember last summer's riots?

Does he really want there to be unguarded cans of petrol sloshing around the place?

What would the HSE say?

Cruddgate - Cameron Changes Tack

Despite initially resisting pressure to publish the names of those who have dined with him in his flat at Number 10, David Cameron has now changed tack and said that he will publish details of all donors he has had dinner with in his Downing Street flat.

Given that this was inevitable, why on earth the the Tory party spend so much time resisting this?

Cruddgate - A Question of Privacy

The government is currently refusing to disclose details of private meetings between David Cameron and Conservative party donors, following the Cruddgate debacle.


Francis Maude, the Cabinet Office minister, has stated that demands for lists of visitors to Cameron's flat in Downing Street are unreasonable. The Tories are sticking to the line that Cameron's flat is used as his family home and the prime minister foots the bill, not the taxpayer, therefore these dinners etc are private.

That is fair enough IF the people who visit Cameron in his flat are visiting him as David Cameron "friend/acquaintance", rather than as David Cameron leader of the Tory party/Prime Minister.

It's not just what you do, but what your are seen to do and who you do it with that counts.

BTW, who paid for the renovation of the flat that Cameron and family occupy rent free?

Oh yes, that would be the taxpayers!