'What's Left': Political flotsam and jetsam

Willie Frazer on the Hook

TROUBLED loyalist serial campaign leader Willie Frazer is going all pantomime for his upcoming court appearance and says he will dress up as radical Muslim cleric Abu Hamza, complete with a hook and beard.

'Wee Willie' faces charges of encouraging or assisting offences by making a speech to Union flag protesters at Belfast City Hall.

Willie told the Belfast Telegraph:

"It's so ridiculous that I might as well go as a Muslim. That law [Serious Crime Act 2007] was brought in to deal with Muslim extremists in the UK and the first person to be charged with it is myself."

To emphasise his point, Willie plans to dress up for the TV cameras as the radical preacher. Bless.

‘Billy Boys no more sectarian than The Fields of Athenry’

JAMIE BRYSON, Willie’s one-time Robin to his Batman, has piped up in defence of unionist soccer fans singing the sectarian Billy Boys song at World Cup matches home and away.

Bryson (pictured) was once the official mascot for the North’s FIFA-recognised football team at Windsor Park.

The song comes from Glasgow and is notorious for the line “We’re up to our knees in Fenian blood/Surrender or you’ll die.” It was sung by Union flag-waving loyalists at the Six-County side’s 3-2 World Cup defeat away at ‘lowly Luxembourg’ on 10 September.

But Bryson (23) – who is on bail on charges related to the Union flag protests – absurdly claims in defence of the bellicose Billy Boys:

“Billy Boys is no more sectarian than The Fields Of Athenry.”

Jamie should tell James Galway and The Dubliners that.

Socialism for the rich

KING Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands has told the Dutch people they must create their own social and financial safety nets and stop looking to the state for help.

The King, who receives €825,000 tax-free per year from Dutch taxpayers, was speaking ahead of the country's annual budget.

Willem made no indication whether he would be applying for a job in his local Burger King, nor was it clear if the €100million used to maintain the Dutch Royal family's castles and other properties would be handed back by the House of Orange to the Dutch people.

Fired up for budget debate

IRELAND isn't the only place where politicians are gunning for each other in the run-up to the annual budget.

Following a heated debate in the Jordanian Parliament, MP Talal al-Sharif approached fellow lawmaker Qusai al-Dmeisi to shake hands over an earlier dispute. As they shook hands, al-Dmeisi slapped al-Sharif in the face who then stormed out of the building, only to return from his car with an AK47 assault rifle.

As he attempted to enter the main hall, the lawmaker opened fire at al-Dmeisi. Three bullets struck the wall and ceiling but, surprisingly, nobody was injured.

He is now facing attempted murder charges while al-Dmeisi was suspended from parliament for provoking the incident.

It wouldn't happen here.