Click on the link here to view my web-published satirical view of a very recent UK news story. click here

Earlier this year we were treated to the rather distasteful image of 14-stone 8 year-old, Connor McCreaddie from North Tyneside, whose mother blamed the ‘authorities’ for not helping her.
In the past we have had debt-ridden gamblers blaming banks for allowing them to run up those debts.
This month we have had council workers, disciplined in Neath Port Talbot for excessive and inappropriate use of the internet at work, Unison choosing to blame the authority for putting temptation in their way.
Recently, we have had members of the public insanely defending the actions of ‘poor teenage lads’, whose stoning of a pensioner, in South East London, led to his death. Only yesterday, a 44 year-old man was virtually let off with a 3-year Community Order - because of his mental illness - after blinding an elderly man on a tram in Croydon.
The list can go on. Many people complain that we in the UK are now living in a ‘nanny-state’. Hardly surprising, is it, when people fail to accept responsibility for their actions – seeking to lay the blame at someone else’s door ? Perhaps the ‘nanny’ will let go when we all grow up !

Some of you will be aware of the trials being conducted on the use of Voice Recognition Analysis (VRA) in the drive to route out fraudsters in Housing Benefit.
In some quarters, experts are claiming that this will also have the effect of putting genuine claimants off from making an application. One argument being that the ‘one size fits all’ is not appropriate, because clearly not all claimants are fraudsters.
Well, do any of us complain that we are all treated like terrorists at airports ? Surely the key is the outcome, the end result. In that case it is passenger safety; in the case of benefits it is claimant fairness !
As a taxpayer, I welcome any tool that can be used to prevent these unscrupulous cheats from obtaining money to which they are not entitled. Those that are not cheats need have no fear.
What do you think ?

I cannot let this weekend pass without mentioning something very close to my heart. Castleford Tigers convincingly won the League One Play-off on Sunday, to make a swift return to Rugby League's Super League. You have to earn your right to play at the highest level but, SL (and esselle !) is enriched by Castleford being there.