The Yorkshire Ranter

We welcome Daniel’s Corner to the exponentially growing blogroll

Apparently our Home Secretary now wants another Terrorism Act that would permit secret trials without juries and with a reduced standard of proof. Supposedly he’d even like to keep the evidence secret from the defence. So – exactly what has happened lately that requires this vast new power grab? Isn’t it the case that the…

I gather from the newspapers that Lord Brocket is one of the people currently taking part in “I’m a Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here!”, as well as John Lydon – John Lydon? John Lydon? This reminds me of something. Now, my lord’s only claim to celebrity is that he is a convict, having done…

The Ranter has been nominated for the Guardian Best Political Blog award! This has caused a hits avalanche and a wave of comments – after all, our Technorati link cosmos page has gone from 10 inbound links to 15 since Saturday (inbound links) and the hit counter is giving off steam. After all, on the…

Russia Said Planning Nuclear Exercise (washingtonpost.com) The Russian armed forces are about to stage a major transition-to-war exercise simulating a nuclear conflict right up and including test launching several missiles and sending Tu-160 and Tu-22 bombers out on simulated mission profiles over the Arctic and North Atlantic. How very Cold War – I suppose it’ll…

I’d like to apologise about the disruption to this blog, which was caused by a missing html tag.

He’s resigned. Supposedly after the NUJ discovered that many of its members wouldn’t support him. If nothing else, this at least proves what I call the AHAB principle – all hacks are bitches. Journalists have in common with economists, psychoanalysts, bloggers and various other tribes the trait of enjoying nothing more than a good internecine…

Thar she blows! – Sydney Morning Herald A sperm whale weighing 50 metric tonnes has burst in the Taiwanese city of Tainan. It was dead at the time – but it certainly is now! The motor scooter is the feature that makes it, I think. The whole sad story remind me of the whale falling…

After the European Court ruling on subsidies from airports to the airline also known as Eire O’Flot, its chief executive and union basher Michael O’Leary was moved to quote Winston Churchill concerning his planned appeal. “As Churchill said – in defeat, defiance”. link Yes, he did. He said it as part of the “Moral of…

The BBC Director General, Greg Dyke, has resigned. Link Staff seen in tears on the steps of Broadcasting House as he read a statement. God, this is getting dramatic again. Lord Ryder, the acting chairman, has issued an apology to the government. And he was a Tory! Some backbone please, somebody? Mr. Dyke had this…