Welcome to Rue Britannia.
Everything you see here is done by (Paul Toner) and everything means from site design to ideas, illustrations and cartoons. More, such as working drawings, stuff about me and downloadables is being added when he has time.
Help build an audience by:
Thanks for your help.
Lloyds HBOS Merger... Who's being saved?

I'm going to taking my time before I send my thank you letter to the government for negotiating this particular solution... I think I'll wait until I have a clearer idea of exactly who's being rescued here.
Again, don't forget to recommend RueB to your friends.
Click here to see a larger version of the cartoonLabels: Alistair Darling, caricature, editorial cartoon, HBOS, Lloyds, political cartoon, TSB


Thursday, 18 September 2008 posted by Paul Toner at
Ian Paisley to quit as first minister

Ian Paisley, until recently the long standing face of intransigence and bigotry in Britain, now stands down as Northern Ireland's first minister and leader of the DUP, thinking his work done. What does he leave in his wake? Certainly NOT a more united Britain. He congratulates himself on the quieting the demands for a united Ireland, but this is the result of the passage of time and the ascendancy of the European Union but no victory of his.
For many, his was the face of British Unionism. Is it any wonder that Britain disintegrates into smaller and smaller assemblies, when to call oneself a British Unionist, one feared association with this angry, blinkered and bellicose man?
I am grateful to have watched a softening of this man's tone as he approached old age, but I shall not be looking back on his times with any fondness or nostalgia.
Again, don't forget to recommend RueB to your friends.
Click here to see a larger version of the cartoonLabels: British Unionism, caricature, cartoon blog, devolution, editorial cartoon, Ian Paisley, Ireland, political cartoon, Ulster


Wednesday, 5 March 2008 posted by Paul Toner at
God gives Gordon Brown a breather

I guess Gordon needed a bit of a breather. That’s exactly what God has granted him while the press and the chatterati get their knickers in a bunch over the Archbishop of Canterbury Dr Rowan Williams’ seemingly feebleminded whitterings on Islamic Sharia law and its impact on the future of the British legal system.
I find it hard to believe that the good Doctor didn’t know exactly what would ensue following his pronouncements. I’d like to know what his real agenda is. I doubt it’s simply that he wants to bring the issue of religion’s relevance to today’s legal system into the arena of public debate... that’s too obvious... isn’t it?
Again, don't forget to recommend RueB to your friends.
Click here to see a larger version of the cartoonLabels: Archbishop of Canterbury, British legal system, caricature, Dr Rowan Williams, editorial cartoon, Gordon Brown, Sharia Law


Thursday, 7 February 2008 posted by Paul Toner at
Gordon works to preserve Liberty

Gordon Brown has backed the limited use of intercept evidence in court, after an independent review. In parliament he spoke of the dilemma we face as a free society: "that of preserving our liberties and the rule of law, while at the same time keeping our nation safe and secure".
Will the patient survive the treatment when it threatens so many liberties?.
Again, don't forget to recommend RueB to your friends.
Click here to see a larger version of the cartoonLabels: caricature, cartoon, civil liberties, editorial cartoon, Gordon Brown


Stiffing the taxpayer the Con Way

Tory MP Derek Conway tells us he's no crook and gets the Tory whip withdrawn and a damn good ticking off for himself. (exactly WHERE does David Cameron withdraw the whip from?)
That'll certainly stop any similar Parliamentary hanky panky in future.... not!
Click here to see a larger version of the cartoonLabels: caricature, Conservative MP, Derek Conway, DWP, editorial cartoon, Sleaze, Tory


Monday, 4 February 2008 posted by Paul Toner at
Prince Harry and the hawks
Labels: caricature, cartoon, Fancy Dress, humour, Prince Charles, Prince Harry, Royal Family


Wednesday, 7 November 2007 posted by Paul Toner at
Musharraf's imposition of emergency rule in Pakistan

To an old soldier facing the job at hand, all this talk of the judiciary and democracy must seem like so much intellectual posturing, but he's not the first old man that thought he knew better.
Click here to see a larger version of the cartoonLabels: Benazir Bhutto, caricature, cartoon, emergency rule, extremists, judiciary, martial law, militants, Pakistan, political blog, President Pervez Musharraf, terrorists, War on Terror, world news


Monday, 5 November 2007 posted by Paul Toner at
The 'Saudi Arabia Mantra"

Do I need to say why King Abdullah is over here and receiving a reception not offered to leaders of other and more savoury Middle Eastern regimes
OK everybody! Fingers in ears and repeat after me: "LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA"
Click here to see a larger version of the cartoon
Recommend a friend to get the cartoons by email. Labels: caricature, David Cameron, editorial cartoon, Gordon Brown, Human Rights, King Abdullah, Oil, Rue Britannia, Saudi Arabia, Sharia Law, War on Terror


Tuesday, 30 October 2007 posted by Paul Toner at
Can y'tell waddidis yet?

This is a detail of the larger cartoon I am currently working on. When you get into the area that I hope to tackle on this one (you'll have to wait to find out), there's a fine line to tread between too much and not enough information.
In addition, getting background on a subject can take almost as long as the drawing itself... bear with me
Unless it's a tour de force from a recognised and respected editorial cartoonist, people won't dwell on a cartoon trying to discover its meaning. The cartoon's got to be digestible in a heart beat. In this respect Khalil Bendib the Arab - American cartoonist is a genius. Whether you agree with his view or not, he has a way of seeing a situation in what seems like a screamingly obvious way, but only once he's pointed it out. This one is an excellent example
Click here to see a larger version of the cartoon
Recommend a friend to get the cartoons by email. Labels: caricature, cartoon, editorial cartoon, Khalil Bendib, Politics, sketch


Friday, 26 October 2007 posted by Paul Toner at
Ken Livingstone's Little Daydream

I wonder if Ken or Boris heard this story and what might have gone through their minds.
God forgive me, but the attack of sacred monkeys on the deputy mayor of Delhi caught my attention in all the worst ways and I just had to shoehorn it into something.
I wanted to label the monkeys but time ran out.... any ideas?
Click here to see a larger version of the cartoon
Don't forget to add my feed to your favourites or subscribe yourself or a friend to get the cartoons by email. Labels: Boris Johnson, caricature, cartoon, deputy mayor of Delhi, Ken Livingstone, Mayor of London


Tuesday, 23 October 2007 posted by Paul Toner at
Will Gordon Brown serve us up to the EU?

Having handed so many of the UK's sovereign powers to the EU already, you'd think that they might have had enough, but their appetite seems insatiable.
Things may be OK and all lovely and friendly now, but I believe a day will come when the European accord fails and more British blood will have to be spilled to claw them back and we'll rue the day we didn't fill the streets DEMANDING our EU Referendum. Read a history book for chissakes!
So as the talks start in Lisbon to reach agreement on the EU Reform Treaty, will Gordon Brown serve us up to the EU as he seems to have promised, or will he, (as a smarter guy than I suggested*) find a semi credible reason, get the arse with the other members over some perceived failing at the talks and take us off the menu? He's got those red lines to fall back on.
Or with the fuss that's still going on in the kitchen following the past turbulent weeks, will Broon tough it out and hope the electorate forgets about it all by the time he calls the next election? Let's hope not.
*They're more difficult to find than you'd imagine
Click here to see a larger version of the cartoonLabels: caricature, cartoon, cartoon blog, democracy, editorial, EU Referendum, EU Reform Treaty, Gordon Brown, Human Rights, humour, Immigration, import tariffs, Labour Laws, satire, UK Health and Safety


Friday, 19 October 2007 posted by Paul Toner at
Turkey in Iraq?

It's nothing short of laughable to see Bush's apparent concern for Iraq's stability. As the BBC put it, "US and Iraq fear any incursion could destabilise the only relatively calm region of Iraq"
Turkey wants to take military action against Kurdish separatist rebels (PKK) who they believe to be hiding in what Bush considers to be the only stable region in Iraq.
He wants the Turks to butt-out because he thinks he knows more about maintaining stability in the region... I don't think so. He has proved otherwise in shed loads. He, his allies (we in the UK being the most steadfast so far) and western business interests have brought chaos to Iraq, plundered its wealth and destroyed it's infrastructure. I think he's the last person to advise the Turks or anyone on what is good for the region.
Meanwhile, we the British, exit the whole bloody mess now and pretend that everything is OK. It is not, and we had no business there for the reasons we were given.
If things hot up, we may not get to leave quite as quickly as Brown and most of us here in the UK had hoped.
Click here to see a larger version of the cartoonLabels: British Armed forces, caricature, Defence, editorial cartoon, George Bush, Gordon Brown, humour, Iraq, PKK, political blog, satire, Turkey


Thursday, 18 October 2007 posted by Paul Toner at
Sir Menzies Campbell

I intended to only blog once a day here, but the resignation of Sir Menzies Campbell couldn't be allowed to go unmentioned, so here's a quickie.
At least once he could see the knives were out, he had the presence of mind to spare himself the ignominy that Kennedy and Thorpe were subjected to.
Lib Dem seems to be acquiring a bit of a history of discarded leaders. This business of choosing leaders that they subsequently find unsuitable seems to becoming a bit of a habit.
Click here to see a larger version of the cartoonLabels: caricature, cartoon, humour, Lib Dem, Party Leader, political blog, Politics, Resignation, Sir Menzies Campbell


Tuesday, 16 October 2007 posted by Paul Toner at
Gordon Brown's 'Great Storm'

It's 20yrs since 'The Great Storm" so famously dismissed by poor ole Michael Fish the evening before. Yesterday Gordon Brown brushed off the 'ups and downs' that he has encountered recently.
Those who forget history are doomed to repeat it.
Click here to see a larger version of the cartoonLabels: caricature, cartoon, cartoon blog, Crime, Gordon Brown, humour, Michael Fish, political blog, Rue Britannia, RueB, The Great Storm, Tories


Ministers rally round for Brown

This business of rallying around a major politician that has recently floundered is always good for a look. Let's see what sort of maneuvering behind the scenes ensues.
Click here to see a larger version of the cartoonLabels: caricature, cartoon, desert, Election Fever, Gorgon Brown, vultures


Monday, 15 October 2007 posted by Paul Toner at
Gordon Brown... Hang your head in shame.

As you could tell from my previous posting on 03/10/07 - Troop withdrawal from Iraq, I'm not a great supporter of the Iraq Invasion. Mostly on account of having been given bogus information as to why we were going there and the fact that we'd (the West) collectively maintained Saddam Hussain in power in the first place.
Gordon Brown had the ear of Tony Blair at the time, so for him to now present himself as an agent of deliverance in Iraq sticks in my craw when he's as guilty as Blair himself.
I believed our going in was utterly wrong from the get go, but once we'd taken that step and opened the Pandora's Box that is Iraq, it was our duty to defend it and its population from
- The insurgents/factions that were guaranteed to come about
- Western business interests that were also guaranteed to descend and feed on the carcass of that beleaguered nation
In my humble opinion we have failed in fulfilling both those responsibilities.
So as we leave, do we do so with even the slightest hint of shame? No, we insult both our own troops and the local Iraqis who supported us in our hubris and folly; provided of course they assisted us for a full year, because everybody knows, you don't get called a collaborator and shot dead in the street until you've served a full 365 days.
Find out more about the deal for the Iraqis who helped us in this Times article
And now they've got their eyes on Iran... What the hell is the end game? Hell itself?
Click here to see a larger version of the cartoonLabels: 25% council tax discount, British Armed forces, caricature, cartoon, Defence, George Bush, Gorgon Brown, humour, invasion, Iraq, local iraqi staff, Saddam Hussain, satire, Tony Blair, troop withdrawal


Thursday, 11 October 2007 posted by Paul Toner at
Gordon and Darling's 'new vision'

Well they say all's fair in love and war, and in these days of consensus politics a good idea is a good idea irrespective of its provenance. The argument, "But I thought of it first!" may have held water in bygone days, but it has no place on the floor of the Commons.
Click here to see a larger version of the cartoonLabels: Alistair Darling, budget, caricature, cartoon, Davis Cameron, George Osborne, Gordon Brown, new vision, vision


Wednesday, 10 October 2007 posted by Paul Toner at
WYSIWYG Verdict on Gordon Brown's climb down

There’s plenty of speculation about the reasons and the wisdom of Gordon Brown’s decision to stand down from the idea of an autumn election, but he seems to forget that whatever spin he and his lackeys come up with, we the public will generally base our view on what we see.
What we saw was Gordon Brown paralyzed in either fright or indecision. Not what we look for in a leader.
Click here to see a larger version of the cartoonLabels: caricature, cartoon, Election Fever, general election, Gorgon Brown, humour


Monday, 8 October 2007 posted by Paul Toner at
Gordon Brown to end Election Speculation

Events dear boy, events.
I was saving this cartoon up for Monday, but listening to the news on BBC Radio4, I've just heard that Gordon Brown is very likely to end all snap election speculation. So I better get it out now!
Looks like David Cameron's and the Tories performance at a successful Conservative Party Conference has saved them from entering into an early election that they stood little or no chance of winning. Full marks to David and his people!
Gordon?.... LOSER!
Click here to see a larger version of the cartoonLabels: caricature, Conservative Party Conference, David Cameron, election date, Gorgon Brown, humour


Saturday, 6 October 2007 posted by Paul Toner at
Troop withdrawal from Iraq

Yeah, it's great that some more of our boys are coming home, but what the hell are they leaving behind?. The reasons we were given for the invasion were bogus and suspect from the off, and even now when they're coming home we're yet to be given a credible explanation. Brown is the last person to expect that from.
I'm stuck, so help me out. We had no business there; certainly not for the reasons we were offered. We should leave Iraq to determine its own future, but having done what we have, are we abandoning Iraq or cutting loose before we make things worse? Or God forbid, buggering off because the yanks have already had all the 'good stuff'?
Click here to see a larger version of the cartoonLabels: bogus, British Armed forces, caricature, cartoon, Defence, Gordon Brown, invasion, Iraq, troop withrawal


Wednesday, 3 October 2007 posted by Paul Toner at
Tax Cuts put Tories back in the game?

With shadow chancellor George Osborne's proposed tax measures, the Tories under David Cameron size up to Labour under Gordon Brown doing what they do best - populist economic policies.
The gloves are off... lets hope the underpants stay on!!
Click here to see a larger version of the cartoonLabels: caricature, cartoon, Conservative Party Conference, David Cameron, George Osborne, Gordon Brown, populist, Rue Britannia, RueB, shadow chancellor, Tax Cuts


Tuesday, 2 October 2007 posted by Paul Toner at
David Cameron seeks new windmill
Labels: Blackpool, Boris Johnson, caricature, cartoon, Conservative Party Conference, Davis Cameron, Don Quameron, Don Quixote, Election Campaign, Mayor of London, Sancho Panza, satire


Saturday, 29 September 2007 posted by Paul Toner at