Martin Rowson's coalition and City nativity – cartoon
David Cameron's EU treaty veto threatens to isolate Britain, while coalition slashes feed-in tariff incentives for solar installations
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![24.12.11: Martin Rowson's coalition and City nativity](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20120111221452im_/http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/pictures/2011/12/23/1324665349446/24.12.11-Martin-Rowsons-c-006.jpg)
Comments
23 December 2011 9:12PM
from Max Keiser i hear the uK is 600 % in debt via GDP
gordon Brown .............come back
23 December 2011 9:17PM
I'd love to know what message that smoke signal's sending, as for the 'solar panel' fiasco, the court ruling came a tad too late for a few legitimate companies forced to lay off staff.
I hope that Gideon and Dave spend the next 12 months on their knees begging forgiveness, but then I've always been wildly optimistic.
I'd like to wish you a very Merry Christmas Cartoonist Rowson, and sincere thanks for the wonderful editorials you've produced this year x
Fainche
23 December 2011 9:17PM
Hard to see why Dave is so antagonistic towards solar panels since he clearly believes that the sun shines out of his own arse.
23 December 2011 9:18PM
The greenest government ever...
End the banks bonus culture...
The broadest shoulders will ....
All in this together...
23 December 2011 9:18PM
Hear hear Fainche!
23 December 2011 9:22PM
To see if I have got this right: is Cameron going to offer the EU Consumer Rights Directive (which presumably protects, or might possibly protect, consumers from illegitimate solar panel traders) to the fat cat in the manger as a Christmas gift?
23 December 2011 9:23PM
What is the judge reference..?
23 December 2011 9:25PM
Clearly the UK Prime Minister has not islolated the UK indeed he has managed the rare trick of splitting the French / German axis, as a Dutch national I applaud his stance and can only wish my own political leaders had the same convictions to say no to the disgraceful French power grab that is currently taking place in the EU.
As for your complaints about feed - in - tariffs being slashed, guess what? , the Germans have done exactly the same thing, the Dutch have also taken steps to cut the feed-in-tariffs.
I know it does not bring much christmas cheer to some of the more myopic Labour supporters who frequent the CiF section of the Guardian, but the truth is that Cameron is doing as good a job as anyone could expect after inheriting such a mess from your previous Labour run administration.
23 December 2011 9:34PM
A perfect Tory Nativity?
The devout Call-Me and the Gideot praying to their gods of Mammon in the square mile.
23 December 2011 9:37PM
I wonder if the 'good Christians' Call-Me and Gideot read their bible?:
Luke 16:13:
No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.
23 December 2011 9:44PM
Would you want Dave on your roof, dropping his pants and squatting over your solar panel?
23 December 2011 9:44PM
It doesn't take the Tories long to screw everything up.
Bring back Gordon Brown!
23 December 2011 9:47PM
Is that Isaac Newton, once Warden of the Royal Mint, helping the Angels try to harness the power of the Sun of God to warm the stable? A little quip signifying the usurpation of the Winter Solstice by those that would make profit from believing humans.....?
23 December 2011 9:49PM
God help us, every one
23 December 2011 9:49PM
How about the judicial ruling that the precitpitous reduction in the feed-in tariff is not legal?
23 December 2011 9:51PM
Scameron would resent giving anything away without making a hefty profit......the really couldn't give a shit!
23 December 2011 9:53PM
wotever ... Judge found that solar panel companies were not given sufficient notice (6 weeks) that the gov. feed-in tariffs were to be suddenly cut off by 50%.
The 'smoke' is the greenhouse gas emissions from the burning of fossil fuels.
Martin Rowson must know cats very well... I hate the bankers but I love the way he draws them!
New Graphs by Morgan & Stanley (Think Left) show clearly that the huge UK debts are down to the financial sector. Gordon Brown's government and household debts are not the problem.
The banks would have great difficulty in re-locating as they're always threatening to do if anyone tries to control them ... no other country would be prepared to be responsible for that level of risk. Privatisation of profits and socialization of losses.
23 December 2011 9:53PM
It must be to do with Solar subsidy cuts legally flawed, high court rules but what?
Is the judge taking them down? What is the angel reference as well?
BadDog is confused, and hopes some kind person explains...
23 December 2011 9:55PM
Well, BadDog, in a metaphorical sense, that is exactly what I have had since April last year. It's a bloody sight worse than pigeons.
23 December 2011 10:00PM
Beat me to it Tim-it is what every Tory government does to anyone who is "Not one of us"
23 December 2011 10:00PM
Oh, is it a Judge? I thought it was Isaac Newton, behind the Pope.....a kind of chronology bridging the passing of power.....Sun to Angels to Pope to Isaac Newton to Fat Cats, Piggy Banksters, a kind of decent from Heaven to the Hell of having Scameron & Gideon as supplicants at this 'festive' time of year.
Nemosisster is also confused, and hopes some kind person explains....
23 December 2011 10:03PM
Going backwards is the new forwards.
23 December 2011 10:05PM
My word! Not another Rowson cartoon with 'Fat Cats' and pigs all dressed in pin striped suits. Maybe next year he'll come up with something original.
But I doubt it.
23 December 2011 10:06PM
All men are mortal and so are women.I think ideology and theology make fools of us all.
23 December 2011 10:06PM
We await the inevitable exploding cat it just gets bigger and bigger, whilst those around shrink into insignificance,
23 December 2011 10:10PM
I would like to second that and add all the best to you and the rest of our brave fellow travelers.
23 December 2011 10:13PM
Financial centres around the world are very religious places. They worship and obey G.O.D. (Gold. Oil. Dollars.) every minute of every hour, every hours of every day and every days of their lives.
23 December 2011 10:13PM
Thanks for the info.
His picture on Twitter shows him with two cats plus one dog.
23 December 2011 10:19PM
Hello, bill4me.
Seeing that you dislike Martin Rowson's cartoons so much, I assume you clicked the link to it by mistake?
23 December 2011 10:33PM
Hi Bad I think bills a bit ill and has indeed lost lost its way.
23 December 2011 10:35PM
How true that would be if he actually owned his own arse.
23 December 2011 10:36PM
The solar panel tarriff gets slashed when engineers realise that the sunlight coming out of Dave's arse is more than blacked out by the smoke the right-wing media blows up it.
23 December 2011 10:41PM
It's nice to say 'you're too kind' back Mr M. In the 8 mths I found myself unemployed and treated as sub-human by various Government Departments, agencies and complete strangers, my very sincere thanks to you , LaC, Qwertboi aka 'The Cartoonistas' and other wonderful people here who in the wee small hours gave me the will to just carry on, and you can't put a price on that. So a very Merry Christmas to you and your loved ones, and also to those of Messrs Rowson and Bell x
23 December 2011 10:48PM
.
This maybe satire itself (should check) but:
http://www.pvgeneration.com/default.aspx?atk=647
Just double checked .... oh, the date... just a minute... not April 1st... it's true.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hereford-worcester-13309489
23 December 2011 10:48PM
bill4me -
"Maybe next year he'll come up with something original."
So might you bill4me.
But I doubt it.
23 December 2011 10:52PM
I seem to remember reading about a solar furnace i think in either France or Spain that could just by reflecting sunlight of the appropriately aligned mirrors punch holes in steel plate in just a few seconds....Oh for the joy of aiming something like that at the collection of piggies and fatcats and politicians in that cartoon !!!!!
23 December 2011 10:54PM
They lack vision is all.
23 December 2011 10:54PM
If every house in the country had solar panels, that would mean fewer power stations and the electricity generating companies, all of which support the Tory Party, would sell less electricity to consumers.
"Bugger that", said Cameron, "I might be claiming to be in charge of the greenest government of all time but we have to support the power generating companies. I know, let's half the subsidy we give for solar panels, that'll soon put a stop to it."
You couldn't make this up. It's a shambles but rest assured, those wise men (there should be three of them by the way - where's Clegg?) worshipping at the feet of the fat cat (Jesus el Pifco?) will make sure everything is just tickety boo ... for themselves and their kind.
Spot on Cartoonist Rowson - you are one of the few good reasons for reading the Guardian these days. And perhaps you might know exactly what Cameron has vetoed, apart from his seat at the table? No one else seems to know. Merry X.
23 December 2011 10:54PM
I wonder if the 'good Christians' Call-Me and Gideot read their bible?:
No doubt they have read a bible unfortunately it was in klingon !!!!
23 December 2011 10:58PM
Mr Bell.
Please have a look at the front cover of Private Eye to see a decent example of a political cartoon incorporating the nativity scene.
23 December 2011 10:59PM
Yes, klinging on to corporatist crap.
23 December 2011 11:04PM
Thank you, as always, cmnimo..... of course this makes much more sense.
In my daily life I really don't convolute things, but put a piece of art in front of me and I start seeing all sorts of complicated symbolic bollocks.....
23 December 2011 11:04PM
.
and a bit more ......
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/damian-carrington-blog/2011/nov/28/george-osborne-green-energy-economy-budget-report-industry
23 December 2011 11:11PM
I've just enlarged and printed this cartoon onto card to use as a Christmas card, as I did with Steve Bell's cartoon yesterday.
Both much better than the commercial Christmas cards I've been given, and both will have pride of place on my mantlepiece.
Thank you, Martin Rowson, for all the wonderful cartoons you have drawn for us throughout this year.
Best wishes and seasons greetings to you and all the readers of this thread.
23 December 2011 11:17PM
Like the proposals on the BBC and every other media outlet that they are going to stop excessive charges for using credit cards.
Total spin they have no intention of controlling the things that are destroying civilization whilst being bankrolled by the very same institutions.
23 December 2011 11:27PM
Couldn't find 3 Wise Men from the Coalition then?
Me neither.
23 December 2011 11:30PM
Your 'From the 99% to the 1%: Osborne bails out the energy fat cats' link makes alarming reading.
It sheds some light on why the government is attempting to end the subsidies on solar panels.
I hadn't realised just how much the big polluters are being subsidised. Thanks for the link.
23 December 2011 11:35PM
It is always of interest to see how many meetings the Department of Energy and Climate Change have had, with whom, and for what declared purpose.
In the US during the last decade, energy companies spent more than $2.5 billion to lobby members of Congress, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. I don't know what the sum was in the UK, but with the looks of it, it was a substantial amount.
23 December 2011 11:43PM
.
I start seeing all sorts of complicated symbolic bollocks.....
Don't be so mean to yourself.
Nothing wrong with your analysis. Without it I'd never have found the bishop. Also cartoonists rely on visual references... like fat cats. Always open to reinterpretation and all adds to the mix.
23 December 2011 11:43PM
The cartoon is by Mr Rowson, not Mr Bell.
There is a clue to this in the title at the top of the page, where it says in big letters "Martin Rowson's coalition and City nativity – cartoon"
It also has his name next to his photograph just underneath. He has also signed the cartoon.
I have the latest edition of Private Eye. This cartoon, in my opinion, is superior to one on their front cover.
As I said to to bill4me at 10:05PM