Currently there’s no strike and no reason for queues at the petrol pumps! However we’ve petrol stations running dry, motorists queuing onto the streets as the public takes the governments advice!

The greater the extent to which people have fuel in their vehicles, with maybe a little bit in the garage as well in a jerry can, the longer we will be able to keep things going. Cabinet Minister, Francis Maude.

So now the Tories have created a problem that wasn’t there. Yes tanker drivers have voted to strike, but they haven’t yet and talks are still on-going the tanker drivers union, Unite isn’t due to meet the conciliation service, ACAS until Monday for talks. Once talks break down seven days notice must be given before a strike can take place, it seems unlikely that any strike action will take place until late April or early May! So what’s the point in topping up your tank today?

Why anyone would trust the Tories to run a country is beyond me!

Respect Party candidate, George Galloway has taken Bradford West from Labour with a majority of over ten thousand, which has surely set alarm bells ringing at Labour Party HQ! With the Tories plummeting in the opinion polls Labour has failed to capitalise and more tellingly Ed Miliband’s team failed to spot the threat posed by Galloway!

With hindsight Galloway’s victory isn’t quite so surprising the Bradford West constituency has a large Pakistani Muslim community for whom Galloway’s anti-war stance calling for the immediate withdrawal of British Troops from Afghanistan was going to be well received. Added to that Galloway is also something of a cause célèbre within the Muslim community, his meeting with Saddam, support for Palestine, the Mariam Appeal and as I wrote his opposition to the war.

Galloway has something of a reputation as a champagne socialist although he’s tee-total but who can forget his performance on big brother? Dressed in a leotard pretending to be a cat licking cream from the cupped hands of Rula Lenska. How he found time to appear on the show whilst being a sitting MP tells us something about Galloway’s need for publicity, in fact his record as a sitting MP is pretty appalling he struggled to make 10% of the divisions/votes in parliament. Galloway much prefers controversy and the glare of publicity to the actuality of parliament.

Galloway’s involvement in Iraq being his most controversial, in 1994 Galloway greeted Saddam Hussein thus:

Your Excellency, Mr President: I greet you, in the name of the many thousands of people in Britain who stood against the tide and opposed the war and aggression against Iraq and continue to oppose the war by economic means, which is aimed to strangle the life out of the great people of Iraq. I greet you, too, in the name of the Palestinian people, amongst whom I’ve just spent two weeks in the occupied Palestinian territories. I can honestly tell you that there was not a single person to whom I told I was coming to Iraq and hoping to meet with yourself who did not wish me to convey their heartfelt, fraternal greetings and support. And this was true, especially at the base in the refugee camps of Jabaliyah and Beach Camp in Gaza, in the Balatah refugee camp in Nablus and on the streets of the towns and villages in the occupied lands. Source: Wikiquote.

In 1999 he spent Christmas with Tariq Aziz and didn’t take kindly to Johann Hari’s question on how many people have been killed by Tariq Aziz responding Why don’t you go and take some more drugs, you druggie? Source: Wikiquote.

Galloway has been dogged by allegations over his personal and financial behaviour from his first election campaign in 1977 right up to today, He’s been accused of living the life of luxury at the expense of War on Want whilst Galloway was the charity’s General Secretary. Galloway sees these allegations as politically motivated and without a conviction who can argue otherwise! He’s even defended himself in the US senate over accusations that the Mariam Appeal was used to conceal oil payments from Iraq.

The one thing not in doubt about Galloway is his love of the stage, inexhaustible self belief and sheer ability as a public speaker.

In the end I can’t do better than this:

Galloway’s a slimy creature who will use you to channel his own perverted views. He is without backbone, without care for social progress. He is Kilroy with a Keffiyeh. He is making fun of the UK and its parliament. Don’t let him be dignified. raincoatoptimism.

The newspaper headlines are dominated by petrol and pasties have we forgotten the more important stuff? Like the NHS being sold off or the fact the Tories have fucked the economy?

David Cameron claims to know nothing about Tory Party Co-Treasurer, Peter Cruddas’ hawking of dinners at no 10 for cash. I can’t be the only one who finds that odd? Just how do dinners at Number 10 work? Did Cruddas ring up and tell Cameron you’re having these people over to dinner and Cameron just agreed no questions asked? A case of ask me no questions and I’ll tell you no lies, allows Cameron to deny something he knows but hasn’t actually been told.