Another fine mess for poor Charles Clarke

THE Home Office is responsible for asylum, nationality and immigration matters for the whole UK. It's boss is Charles Clarke, the man who's taking the rap for a policy breakdown nightmare which has seen overseas murderers, drug dealers, rapists...

In bed with John Prescott

JOHN Prescott doesn't look the great romantic, but here he is, today owning up to a two year fling with Tracey Temple, one of his diary secretaries.   Mr Prescott, the former steward on a liner who looks more like Jabba the Hutt, is 67. His secretary...

Tory list manipulation and that juvenile chameleon makes an appearance on a Labour card

WHATEVER the result of the next General Election, it seems the Tory benches will have more women and minority ethnic MPs sitting on them. Conservative leader David Cameron says he's won his battle to get more women and ethnic minorities on his party's...

The Dines family discovers Ikea!

IT was on Saturday that for the first time I ventured into an Ikea store. The Swedish company has opened within the past few months a branch in Edmonton and as Mrs Dines and I were in the vicinity to celebrate Greek Orthodox Church's Easter, we decided...

A Greek Orthodox Easter

THE Greek Orthodox Church celebrated Easter this past weekend and once again it was a privilege to share the festivities in north London with the Greek Cypriot family of Xenia, my daughter-in-law. Easter is a deeply religious occasion for the Orthodox...

Openness of the Conservatives

WHATEVER anyone thinks of the Conservative Party, at least they are open in one respect - their prospects in next month's local government elections. I've been e-mailed their latest briefing document, which goes into great detail on the mechanics and...

Dave the Chameleon

ANYONE watching tonight's Labour Party local election broadcast will be able to meet Dave the Chameleon for the first time.   It seems that Labour is so worried at the possibility of the Tories doing well in next month's local elections that it...

Living with bronchitis

I'M not one who generally "enjoys" poor health, but I do fall victim every year to bronchitis - coughing up lovely coloured phlegm, giving me a sore chest and making me short of breath. Thus I've been off work for five days with my annual affliction,...