What the hell is going on?

Almost every time I do a talk I point out that if you want to get people to do anything you must tap into their emotions.

Everyone agrees. Then I point out that the dominant emotion in many people today is fury.

Fury at the mere thought that bankers we are subsidising should consider paying themselves bonuses. Fury at the thought that those who saved are having to subsidise those who squandered. Fury at the way people who run things - or would if they had a clue - are so utterly, blindly removed from what we are all thinking.

Here's an example. A sociable chap called John Turnbull in North Shields has been banned from having any visitors - even his own sons.

He had been charging an entry fee to youths as young as 14 to come and drink and take drugs in his flat. The row - which went on till the dawn - was driving neighbours mad.

Now get this.

The ban was imposed last week and was going to include Turnbull himself, but as he faces eviction proceedings the council has decided to give him one last chance.

Uh? This turd on the landscape doesn't pay his rent, drives everyone mad and he needs a chance?

Of course he does. "I hope Turnbull understands he must behave if he wants to live in this community," said Inspector Geoff Cross.

Well forgive my naivety, but where were Inspector Geoff's brave stalwarts when this oaf was breaking what to the uninformed looks a like a goodly selection of laws. I seem to recall phrases like breach of the peace, corruption of minors, supplying drugs and so on that fit the book.

Maybe they were just too busy filling in forms, or less worried about breach of the peace than breaching his human rights.

If he'd been holding prayer meetings they'd have been round there like a shot to stop him offending any Sikhs, Hindus, Jains, Muslims, Druids or Rosicrucians in the area.

And imagine if a council snoop had caught him putting the empty bottles in the wrong bin. Hardly bears thinking about, does it?

What does bear thinking about is who the police ultimately report to. Yes, it's naughty Home Secretary Jacquie "Big Knockers,Tiny Brain" White, who's just been caught with her porky little snout in the trough to the tune of £116,000.

If you and I were caught trousering that kind of money on the quiet what would happen? And what will happen to her? No prizes, folks, because she's not the only one. Plenty of them have own snouts in the trough - Labour and Tory - starting with the Speaker. But the Home Secretary! Not so many years ago most politicians would have resigned for less - and did.

Now they're all busy trying to cover it all up. Four days ago the laughably named Committee on Standards in Public Life - aka The What We Think We Can Get Away With While Nobody's Looking Committee decided against launching an inquiry into MPs' allowances.

But this was only after failing repeatedly to get it made illegal for any scrutiny of what they steal looked at.

What shits.