Letters From A Tory Daily views on British politics and the Conservative Party from a centre-right thinker who writes letters on his blog to politicians, journalists and many others.

Welcome to ‘Letters From A Tory’, covering British politics from a conservative perspective. Please leave a comment if you have any thoughts about today’s letter, and don’t forget that you can CLICK HERE to get my letters sent to you by RSS every morning.Dear BBC,
It appears as though your organisation has now been compromised [...]

I know many motorists around the UK are constantly irritated by speed restrictions, parking fines and lots of other Government initiatives aimed at screwing more money out of drivers.  Luckily for you, I think I may have found the perfect way to get some revenge.

ONE YEAR AGO:
“It’s a Rudy Romp” (New York Post)
* A Fox News poll of Jan. 30-31 shows the former mayor jumping out to a significant lead among Republicans – 34 to 22 percent.
* A Gallup poll taken Jan. 25-28 shows Giuliani is better liked by Republicans than McCain -74 to 21 percent and more trusted to [...]

I am very much of the opinion that the NHS is an absolute disaster and should be completely overhauled if we truly want to set up a world-class health service.  However, it does make me feel a little bit better about our health service when I read about what happens in other countries.

Dear Derek Conway,
I am genuinely disheartened by the events of the last 24 hours with regard to your abuse of taxpayers’ money.  Anyone who thought that the Conservatives were immune from scandals of their own was clearly living in a dreamland, but for a senior MP to show such disregard for MP’s expenses and to [...]

Of all the ways to save our education system from the slippery slope that it is already on, I find it hard to believe that the most effective solution to this crisis is allowing McDonalds to offer A-levels.

Dear Chris Bryant,
Evidently the desire to release stupid initiatives is spreading like a nasty virus through the Labour Party.  It now seems that you honestly believe giving sex education to 9-year-olds is a good idea – a truly chilling thought.
It is quite clear that the Labour government has no idea how to prevent teenage pregnancies.  If [...]

“You see, what Peter should have done is hide his list of third party donations in one of these, like I did”

If you ever get into trouble with the law, I think I may have found the solution.  The BBC website has just published a few famous cases of financial fraud after what happened in France, and I strongly suggest you read the defence used by Peter Young – which is absolutely sensational and may well get you out of [...]

Dear Jacqui Smith,
You really are having a bad time, aren’t you.  As if the sad situation about police pay wasn’t enough to damage your reputation, I know read that police numbers are falling at their fastest rate in seven years.
Apparently there is still money coming into to police forces around the country, but the Government [...]

“Jérôme has done nothing wrong”
- mother of Jérôme Kerviel , former trader at Société Générale, who cost France’s second largest bank almost €5bn (£3.7bn)

Dear James Purnell,
Not sure if I should offer congratulations or commiserations on your appointment to the Department of Work and Pensions.  Your brief for Culture, Media and Sport was without doubt one of the cushy numbers as far as ministerial posts go, but I wonder how well this promotion will work out for you.
Let’s be [...]

“I personally regard him as an excellent colleague and a good friend”

- Harriet Harman on Peter Hain, shortly before an investigation begins into her own financial irregularities

Dear Andrew Lansley,
You really have to tear the Government to pieces over the outrageous proposals to pay people to lose weight.  This is going to have disastrous consequences for people’s physical and mental health and I urge you to turn this against the Government.
Apparently, even the Conservatives have ‘healthy lifestyle reward vouchers’ in the pipeline, [...]

Dear readers,
This is Gordon Brown.
 
Actually, this is Gordon Brown.

The reason this is interesting is because the top photo is cut and paste from a Government report released yesterday, and I think you’ll agree that Gordon Brown is looking remarkably thin and young with considerably less grey hair than we are used to seeing.
…which becomes more [...]

And there I was thinking that American politics never sunk as low as ours in terms of name-calling and childish taunts.  How wrong I was.

“Well I think I might be a policeman when I grow up but my mummy says you don’t get paid very much”

Dear Daniel Finkelstein,
You certainly put together an interesting argument in today’s Times.  With the stock market looking decidely shaky, voters will probably have their attention deflected away from the Government, at least for a short while.   However, I don’t agree with your assessment of where this will all end.
In hard times, I agree that voters [...]

As time rapidly runs out on stopping the EU Treaty getting through Parliament, I wonder if this might offer a final glimmer of hope for those of us who oppose it.

Dear Ken Livingstone,
Nice try, but I don’t think you are seriously going to follow up your complaint about Channel 4’s Dispatches programme.  You can stomp your feet as much as you want, but your disgraceful behaviour has not gone unnoticed.
You were accused of “financial profligacy, cronyism and links to a Trotskyite faction conspiring to transform [...]

“The House of Commons has a certain rude logic to it. But it’s a pathetic way to run a democracy with grown men and women shouting at each other”
- Nick Clegg takes a swipe at Prime Minister’s Question Time

As the Northern Rock crisis and the EU Treaty look like dominating the headlines for the next week or so, I suppose this was a good time for Gordon Brown to start panicking and sneak this through without anyone noticing.

Dear Richard Branson,
Unsurprisingly some of the papers today are already trying to portray you as the ‘bad guy’ in the mess that is Northern Rock.  Yet again, their logic misses some rather salient points.
Northern Rock has already become one of the biggest financial disasters this country has ever seen.  For the taxpayer to be exposed [...]

Dear readers,
Hope you like the new look for this blog.  Please feel free to email me with any comments you might have, positive or negative.
Also I’ve updated the blogroll with the following new additions: Daily Referendum, Boulton and Co, Paul Linford, Englishman’s Castle, Shane Greer, Mike Rouse, Newmania, Tim Worstall, Mars Hill, Bob Piper, Harry’s [...]

“You can shamelessly rake in all the blood money in the world but if you have still got to wake up each morning next to Cherie, then you retain my sympathy, not anger”
- Piers Morgan on Tony Blair