Good News

UK 'not ready' for euro

Chancellor Gordon Brown has concluded the UK is not yet ready to join the euro, the BBC has learnt.

Prime Minister Tony Blair has accepted the chancellor's view, though the finer details of an official announcement - which could come as soon as next week - are still being worked on.

But Mr Brown's ruling is that the UK has not passed his five economic tests for joining the currency.

A further key decision - when to assess the tests again - has yet to be reached.

It's a half-assed, almost-maybe win...but I'm damn glad the UK didn't take this step.

Oh, and welcome back, Ms. Thatcher:

BARONESS Thatcher returned to politics last night with an attack on the French, whom she accused of collaborating with “enemies of the West” for short-term gain.
In a one-off comeback speech in New York, which broke a medical ban on speaking in public, the former Conservative Prime Minister attacked those who use environmentalism, feminism and human rights campaigns to fight capitalism and the nation state.

She praised Tony Blair, but above all President Bush, for overriding the “rot” that “paralysed” the United Nations.

I wasn't expecting her to start speaking up in public. Since I'm only 22, she was always one of those people I heard about, but never actually witnessed any current events unfold while she was in power or the spotlight. I bet this'll both piss off Labor and send them laughing.

Lady Thatcher said: "For years, many governments played down the threats of Islamic revolution, turned a blind eye to international terrorism and accepted the development of weaponry of mass destruction. Indeed, some politicians were happy to go further, collaborating with the self-proclaimed enemies of the West for their own short-term gain — but enough about the French. So deep had the rot set in that the UN security council itself was paralysed."

She spoke of her pride at the way Britain stood by America over Iraq: "Our own Prime Minister was staunch and our forces were superb. But, above, all, it is President Bush who deserves the credit for victory."

Lady Thatcher said that she had "drunk deep from the same well of ideas" as her great ally, the former US President Ronald Reagan. Both instinctively knew what worked, she said, including low taxes, small government and enterprise. "We knew, too, what did not work, namely socialism in every shape or form. Nowadays socialism is more often dressed up as environmentalism, feminism, or international concern for human rights. All sound good in the abstract.

"But scratch the surface and you will as likely as not discover anti-capitalism, patronising and distorting quotas, and intrusions upon the sovereignty and democracy of nations."

DAMN. She's laying it on, and with a clarity so few politicians can muster the balls to bear. Yeah, she may not be Prime Minister anymore, but maybe it'll light a much-needed fire under the Conservative Party's ass.

Posted by Drizzten at May 14, 2003 11:56 PM