Books and Cardinals

Nadine Dorries brings our attention to Keith Simpson's Easter Reading List. I'm just pleased, but admittedly slightly amazed, that she can read. Anyone has read her anti-abortion rants would imagine her as some crayon-eating loon rather than a Member of Parliament. She often makes Jackie Baillie look like a picture of lucidity. Which is, as you may know, some fucking feat.

Talking of book lists, Grandmother Goose has published his top 75 political books. And now, in an incredibly ropey link (smooth - ed.), we move from good books to the Good Book. Or more correctly, Cardinal Keith O'Brien's take on the Good Book. (I have form attacking this character).

Just a couple of things:

''The government has no mandate for these changes: they were not in any election manifesto, nor do they enjoy widespread public support ...''

Fuck off, sunshine. You've got no idea whether this has widespread public support - I haven't seen a poll backing your stance, it is not as if the public are forming huge marches or taking up arms. And as we learnt recently manifesto commitments (and therefore lack of) are not subject to legitimate expectation. Seriously though, does he think that this would have been the issue that swung the electorate away from Labour toe-raggery? Or does he think that Brown and Blair realising this was so important that they hid this measure away from the manifesto because they knew the nation would rise up against the measure?

In some other European countries one could be jailed for doing what we intend to make legal.

That's why there are these things called countries you see, Cardinal. You might have come across the concept. There are about 190 or so in the world. You are probably in one right now - Scotland is one as is Ireland (so is Italy). In these sovereign territories, the government makes laws which the people in have to obey. In one country, x may be against the law. In the next country, x may be legal. So abortion is effectively illegal in Ireland but it is legal in Scotland - see it is all quite easy really. The fact that something is legal or illegal in one country should really have next to no bearing on whether it is legal or not here. Just as a note, for future reference Cardinal, fucking choirboys is illegal in just about every country... these fucking legislators eh, whaddya going to do?

You could always move to another country if you preferred the laws of that country to the laws of the UK. You know, just saying...

Many excuses are being made for this present legislation, particularly that cures will soon be found for various diseases which afflict mankind through this legislation.

The Catholic faith promoting measures that actively hinder the curing of diseases or actively maintain the spread of a disease. Surely that is the first time that has happened... (cough) french letters in Africa (cough).

RS