Agenda 2019

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/oct/30/syria-us-deployment-troops-obama-special-operations#comments   Obama orders US special forces to 'assist' fight against Isis in Syria White House press secretary Josh Earnest. In 1950, Truman sent "military advisers" to assist the French in their fight against Viet Minh forces. In the 1960's newly elected Kennedy sent more "advisers" to assist (prop up) the Saigon government in their fight against the Viet Cong.  Now, Obama sends US special forces into Syria to “Advise and assist” rebel armies in the northern Syria who are fighting Isis. This western generated mess becomes even more complex with the North FSA/Turkish/Kurdish/Isis conflict with the American advisers supporting 3 of these factions all fighting each other! Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it. This time however, the United States is making a complete mess even more insoluble.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/tory-mp-philip-davies-speaks-for-90-minutes-to-stop-carers-getting-free-hospital-parking-a6715641.html Tory MP Philip Davies speaks for 90 minutes to stop carers getting free hospital parking Philip Davies MP. The bill would have given carers free parking at hospitals   What could possibly motivate these "MP's" to block a bill which would be of benefit to thousands of people all over the country, particularly when the benefit applies only to carers? Already, the parking charges imposed at hospitals around the country are extortionate and represent a significant cost to patients attending for appointments particularly when such appointments may be part of an ongoing treatment. Some hospitals do operate a "waiver" system where an additional parking charge is not applied if there are delays in the waiting time for patients to see doctors, but even these are discretionary.  Hospital trusts a...

http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2015/oct/30/corbyn-backs-calls-for-scottish-labour-to-vote-against-trident-renewal Corbyn backs calls for Scottish Labour to vote against Trident renewal Kezia Dugdale  Scottish Labour leader It is beyond belief that in a week which saw impassioned speeches against cuts to Income Tax Credits, and equally passionate speeches from supporters of the cuts, arguing how the country cannot afford to continue to support families who rely on the "top up" to their income, that there can be any debate surrounding a replacement for the existing Trident "deterrent". In 2014 Working Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit had a combined cost £30 billion per year. However, the high cost of this benefit is predominately due to more firms taking the option to pay lower salaries and even offer even more "Zero hour" contracts, knowing that the government will subsidise the low pay with taxpayers money. This is not an argument for cuttin...

      http://www.msn.com/en-gb/sport/formula1/dont-compare-lewis-to-greats/ar-BBmwrSZ       'Don't compare Lewis to greats' (says Sky Sports)     Lewis Hamilton: F1 world champion 2008/2014/2015         An inane article but typical of Sky. Schumacher was not a "great" driver. He had, at that time, a car which was unbeatable and streets ahead of any other team on the F1 circuit. Had you given me that Ferrari, I would have won the world championship.    Michael Schumacher     In contrast, Senna was a "great" driver as was Mansell, and both deserved to be recognised as such. In respect of Hamilton, he may not be particularly likable as a person but he has also achieved the right to be recognised as a "great" driver.       Ayrton Senna     Nigel Mansell              ...

http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/the-corbyn-quote-at-pmqs-that-silenced-his-critics-once-and-for-all-a6712001.html The Corbyn quote at PMQs that silenced his critics once and for all Not very happy Cameron, he is the Prime Minister one with the snake like tongue, who sits next to Osborne the Chancellor one, who sneers when he is not rolling around in hysterical laughter at the effects of working tax credit cuts on ordinary people,  had the usual (but now well worn) response about “transforming the UK economy”,  and "all would be made clear in the Autumn Statement". I ask him for the 6th time  It is, after all Questions to the Prime Minister. It does not imply that he has to answer any. Except that is, the "planted" questions from those baying snarling morons sitting behind him. Cameron seemed uncomfortable, but Osborne looked very angry and upset. With any luck their subsidised meals in the Parliamentary restaurants will have cau...

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/oct/28/house-of-lords-democracy-accountability-reform#_=_  The Lords is a ludicrous affront to democracy and accountability.  says John Harris The House of Lords vote to kill off cuts to working tax credits  Another glaring "affront to democracy and accountability" is the notoriously unfair "First Past the Post" electoral system. You do not hear many MP's bleating about that. Increasingly arrogant and autocratic Only when the Lords (and I am no fan of that unelected and unaccountable chamber either), defeat a pernicious Conservative government plan, a conservative plan mind you, not a Commons policy (only 26% of the electorate and all that), which will make 3 million families up to £3,000 per year worse off does the government bench, Cameron, Osborne and Johnson in particular, erupt into fits of mock outrage, threatening all sorts of dire "consequences" to the House of Lords and...

  http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/jeremy-corbyns-labour-party-perceived-as-increasingly-incompetent-says-poll-a6709641.html Jeremy Corbyn's Labour party perceived as 'increasingly incompetent', says poll Jeremy Corbyn's allies insist his leadership is still in its “early days” Another "new poll" for the Independent, pouring scorn and derision on Jeremy Corbyn and the Labour party. (Who do they actually ask?) Incompetent, threat to the economy, interested only in protecting down and outs and other contemptuous statements fed to a clearly selected audience "panel" of 2,000 people given the option responses of "Agree", Disagree", and "Don't know". A less than scientific survey, carried out to produce the results that the Independent desired and probably paid for. However, the "results" of the poll have produced the usual batch of "Comments" on these pages echoing the ...

http://www.theguardian.com/money/2015/oct/26/tax-credit-cuts-halted-as-lords-vote-to-protect-low-income-earners Tax credits vote: PM accuses Lords of breaking constitutional convention      Exposed as liars   Osborne states that "the government was elected to deliver welfare cuts" Elected, yes that is true, but to extrapolate from that simple fact that the government somehow has a mandate to "deliver cuts" stretches the limits of credibility. The House of Lords exposed Cameron's pre election statements as predominately lies particularly in respect of welfare cuts and specifically in the cuts to Working tax credits. When only 24 people in every 100 eligible voters actually support and vote for the Conservative party, the resultant government do not have a "mandate from the people" to implement a programme of cuts. particularly when the pre election promises made by Cameron, Osborne and the rest are revealed to be deliberate fabrications t...

    http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2015/oct/24/jeremy-corbyn-criticised-labour-press-chief-seumas-milne#comments Jeremy Corbyn criticised over appointment of Labour's new press chief    Seumas Milne "Jeremy Corbyn criticised......." is the headline which introduces practically every item in today's media and on television. "Former business secretary Lord Mandelson believes......." is another popular cliche amongst those in the media who believe that the words of Mandelson are of any interest to anyone other than the rump "New Labour" devotees who still cling to the delusion that they are right and anyone who does not agree is mad. The Guardian is not alone amongst the "popular press", in grasping at any and every opportunity to criticise, discredit or otherwise deride Corbyn and his supporters and will adopt any means to achieve that end. Today, the Guardian uses an interview with Mandelson to instill an idea th...

I sent this message to Hermes customer services this morning. It is the 5th time that I have contacted this organisation regarding collection of this package. It is also posted on my Facebook page and on my Twitter account.   Is it just me, or are these people serial non performers. It would not be so bad if I had not already paid for it, but for all intents and purposes, HERMES could just be collecting money rather than packages. "I am having some trouble with HERMES, the courier company. This message was sent to them a few minutes ago. "Package not collected by your courier - 1071598248850488. What are you doing to collect this package? I placed the order with you on the 17th October 2015, and you were paid on the same date.You contracted to collect the package on the 20th October from my home address. The package is still sitting in the hall by the front door. I still have not seen or heard anything from your collection service. WHY? Please advise y...

http://www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/news-features/2/news-headlines/98697/labour-councillors-warned-not-to-criticise-simon-danczuk Labour councillors warned not to criticise Simon Danczuk Cllr: Richard Farnell warned Labour councillors not to criticise MP Simon Danczuk Clearly Farrell and Danczuk are amongst those elitist few in the Labour party who are able, and believe that it is their duty, to criticise, smear and undermine anyone opposed to their views and in particular criticise Jeremy Corbyn and the leadership of the Labour party. Labour MP Simon Danczuk Cllr Lambert, said  "I will not be bullied or silenced and therefore I will not stand again   The way that these individuals attempt to stifle criticism and seek to reverse the democratic decisions of the membership, is Stalinist and is unacceptable.

  http://usuncut.com/world/iceland-sentences-26-bankers-to-a-combined-74-years-in-prison/  Iceland sentences 26 bankers to a combined 74 years in prison     Good and reassuring news from Iceland. At least there is one country that has the backbone to defy the vested interests of some political factions and prosecute those responsible for the financial crisis rather than persecute ordinary people with pernicious cuts, reductions in living standards and crippling austerity. We could have a similar scenario here if the politicians were not in the pockets of bankers and financiers. The British people are paying the price for the "financial crisis", while the bankers continue to enjoy the huge salaries bonuses and the lifestyles that they have become used to. The banking world in the United Kingdom,  is "protected" from the consequences of its own action by politicians with their own agenda. Austerity is not an economic necessity. Austerity is a poli...

  http://www.theguardian.com/business/2015/oct/21/cameron-accused-of-misleading-steelworkers-over-80m-aid-fund Cameron accused of misleading steelworkers over £80m aid fund   Steel workers at the Tata Steel plant in Motherwell   Thatcher started this destruction of British industry and Cameron continues her evil work. Heavily State subsidised imports from abroad, this time it is steel, are allowed to flood into this country but the government refuses such support to our own industry. As a result, because our own industries are unable to compete with the cheap (on price and quality) imports, the government  allows the plants to close and the workers to be made redundant. The government justification for allowing the extinction of the industry is the fallacious lie that the industry is noncompetitive and "market forces"  must be allowed to determine the outcome. Not only does this country loose the manufacturing facility, it also loses the skills as...

  http://www.theguardian.com/money/2015/oct/20/conservative-mp-george-osborne-tax-credit-plans   Tory MP attacks George Osborne's tax credit plans in maiden speech   Tory MP Heidi Allen launches passionate attack on Osborne's tax credit raid There seems to be little media or television coverage of the maiden speech of Heidi Allen, Conservative MP for South Cambridge, who during yesterdays debate on Working Tax Credits, ripped into the government policy to cut the benefit and in consequence make more than three million families worse off by around £3000 per year. The Conservative front bench seemed distinctly uncomfortable as well they might, and perhaps even angry as M/s Allen accused them of, "betraying Conservative values" and emphasising that,  "Choosing whether to eat or heat is not a luxury" when families had "no cloth left to cut". Had a Labour MP made the same ferocious attack on their own front bench. the media would today be...

  http://www.theguardian.com/business/live/2015/oct/20/steel-crisis-grows-as-tata-unveils-job-cuts-business-live Steel crisis grows as Tata unveils job cuts Hundreds of SSI workers try to find work at a jobs fair in Redcar for steelworkers made redundant . China continues to dump its state subsidised steel onto our markets as another 1200 people at least are made redundant to join the 5000 already announced from the closures of SSI and CAPRO. Against this background Cameron begs for Chinese money for other United Kingdom projects (which will undoubtedly cause even more redundancies for British workers) by welcoming Chinese President Xi Jinping on a state visit to this country. President Xi Jinping and his wife arrive in London for a state visit to Britain The Buckingham Palace ballroom set for a state banquet This evening, the Chinese President and his delegation together with Cameron and other "dignitaries" are being entertained at a l...

http://www.msn.com/en-gb/sport/rugby-world-cup-2015/craig-joubert-under-fire-as-scotland-call-confirmed-as-the-wrong-one/ar-AAfD4wB?li=AAaeUIW&ocid=U142DHP Craig Joubert under fire as Scotland call confirmed as the wrong one Craig Joubert sees an infringement   A game of rugby lasts for 80 minutes. During that 80 minutes, incidents occur which could affect the ultimate outcome of the game. A knock forward results in the “wrong” side being given the put in at the scrum, an infringement at the line out leads to a penalty award to the innocent side, a pass which everyone in the stadium says was forward, leads to a try under the posts. “Incidents” such as these and others, happen in every game of rugby and every other team game you coul d think of. In golf, these incidents are referred to as a “rub of the green”. It just so happens that this “rub of the green” occurred in the 79th minute and resulted in a win for the Australians. Next month or next year or w...

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2015/oct/19/labour-no-longer-credible-party-lord-warner-resigns-whip Lord Warner resigns Labour whip, saying party is 'no longer credible' Lord Warner, who wanted to charge people £10 to use the NHS, steps down   Before everyone gets too excited about Lord Warner (Lord who?) becoming the first Jeremy Corbyn era Labour parliamentarian to resign the whip, perhaps we might examine the background and “political” credentials of the now "new" cross bench peer. A career civil servant from 1960, the Life Peer held offices in the Blair government, being a Parliamentary Under Secretary in the Department of Health from 2003 to 2007, and a Minister of State in the department of Health from 2005 to 2007. he has also been “adviser” to a number of “consulting” companies. He was appointed by the Coalition government as Chair of the Social Care Funding Commission in August 2010. This unelected and unaccountable civil serv...

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/david-cameron-seeks-chinese-support-6654559#ICID=sharebar_facebook   David Cameron seeks Chinese support to bomb Syria in talks with president    This is bloody incredible. The British Prime Minister seeking support for intervention in Syria, from the President of a torturing regime, steeped in the blood of hundreds of thousands of people, serial abusers of human rights and civil liberties. Seeking support when the House of Commons has not debated the issue of UK intervention. Seeking support when the Chinese dump steel onto the markets and cause thousands of British workers to be made redundant. The Prime Minister of this country. leaning over backwards in the hope of getting some financial benefit from China in the form of a few more contracts, which will eventually lead to even more British workers being made redundant. A pathetic Prime Minister demonstrating all of his Tory philosophy where money is the ...

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/oct/18/egypt-parliamentary-elections-shore-up-sisi#comment-61687268 Low turnout as Egyptians shun elections designed to shore up Sisi    "President"Abdel Fattah al-Sisi   This is what happens when a despot conspirator instigates an illegal coup against a democratically elected President, then with the backing and financial support of the "West" and Israel, imprisons any opposition, stages sham show trials and executes political opponents. In May of 2014, I wrote "Polling stations empty, few voters but still only one pre determined winner. No doubt the final figures will show that "99% of voters" cast their ballots and of these the "vast majority" chose al-Sisi. A sham election, with a sham outcome. The coup of (last year) 2013, (no matter what the Americans may call a military take over), which overthrew a democratically elected President has completed the circle and installed ...

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2015/oct/17/tory-mps-at-risk-tax-credits Tory MPs in 71 marginal seats at risk from cuts to tax credits Always see the funny side Working Tax Credits are a subsidy paid by the tax payer for business to pay low wages. The government bleat that the cost of this "benefit" has increased substantially over recent years and has to be cut. The only way to reduce the level of these tax credits, is to force employers to pay wages and salaries which are adequate to meet today's living costs. The "minimum wage" or "living wage" call it what you will, is a government confidence trick designed to indicate that the g overnment is "doing something" to assist lower paid workers where in fact it does nothing of the sort. In April of next year, hundreds of thousands of families in this country will be up to £3000 per year worse off due exclusively to a combination of government fiscal policies...

  http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2015/oct/18/britian-has-made-visionary-choice-to-become-chinas-best-friend-says-xi Britain has made 'visionary' choice to become China's best friend, says Xi   We, the United Kingdom that is, seem to have a most bizarre collection of "friends". China, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Israel, India, UAE and Thailand rate amongst the more repressive regimes around the world and have an appalling record of human rights abuses. Yet, these countries, along with a few African republics, seem to be favoured to a greater or lesser extent, as "valued customers" by sections of the United Kingdom business world, particularly in the defence sector where we have large markets for riot and civil disorder equipment, and certainly by British governments who welcome these unsavoury administrations as "great friends and allies". Certainly over recent years, where the "war on terror" has provided justification...

  http://www.theguardian.com/money/2015/oct/16/david-cameron-spokesman-respond-question-time-tax-credits-complaint  Cameron responds to Question Time tax credits complaint    Michelle Dorrell: ‘You’re about to cut tax credits after promising you wouldn’t’   Only 24 people out of every 100 people who voted at the last general election, gave this lying hypocrite an overall majority in the House of Commons. The baying, howling Tories on the government benches, snarl that they have a "mandate from the British people" to carry out their pernicious "reforms" and to inflict even more austerity on this country, in order to "balance the books". They lie and cheat while filling themselves with the perks of position and office. They laug h at the housing crisis, they reject moves to ensure that rented homes in the private sector are fit for habitation, because to repair them would be "a huge burden on landlords”, they cut welfare and res...

http://www.theguardian.com/money/2015/oct/16/average-monthly-rent-hits-record-high-of-816-highlighting-housing-shortage Average monthly rent hits record high of £816     Social housing should be built to suit a range of incomes   A report which underlines the simple economic reality that, where there is a shortage of a commodity, in this case rented accommodation specifically, but emphasised by a housing shortage generally,  the price level of the available "stock" will increase. We have seen the level of rents increase significantly over recent years and with some regional variations, has increased in the past 12 months alone, by between 6.3% and 8.5% with a fall in Wales and the North of England.   Higher rents combined with the growth in property values mean that landlords in England and Wales have seen returns of 9.4% over the past year. Landlords have plenty to be happy about, suggested Adrian Gill, director of Your Move and Reeds Rains....

 “The last five years have seen a low level of house building, less than half the new buildings that are actually needed",       Median gross weekly pay for full-time employees, 2014 in West Dorset is £506 (Residency based figures) or £26,312 pa. In Weymouth and Portland the figure is £469 or £24,388 pa. These figures are taken from the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, 2014, Office for National Statistics The reason for reproducing these statistics, is an article in today’s (15th October 2015) “ Independent” under the headline “David Cameron defends 'starter homes' that only the richest can afford”. Now, admittedly he was talking about London where the average house price is £522,000 and adding that his previously quoted figure of “starter homes” at £450,000 was an “upper limit” and he would prefer to see a “starter home” at a significantly lower price. No doubt thousands of people in London would agree with that bit. However, the fact remains th...

http://www.haaretz.com/blogs/david-s-harp/.premium-1.680378?utm_campaign=Echobox&utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook Haaretz says: If the wave of violence we’re seeing now morphs into a full-fledged Third Intifada, blame it on Facebook.      No. Blame this "intifada",on the continuing occupation of Palestine by a barbaric and increasingly vicious Israeli occupation force. Blame this "intifada" on the illegal and inhuman blockade of Gaza by Israel from land and sea and daily airstrikes against the people trapped in the Gaza strip. Blame this "intifada" on the occupation and blockade of Jerusalem and the al-Aqsa Mosque and the Israeli check points every few hundred yards around Palestinian neighbourhoods in occupied East Jerusalem. Blame this "intifada" on the evil Israeli "settlers" on the West Bank and the other occupied areas who build their illegal settlements destroying, infrastructure, crops and homes, and mur...

  http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/comment/in-this-24-hour-media-age-a-divided-party-will-always-damage-itself-a6692961.html The outcry over John McDonnell’s "U-turn" reflects a potential gulf between sections of the PLP and the Labour leader and the PLP and the party membership. The media obsession with splits and divisions within the Labour Party continues unabated. The gulf between sections of the PLP and the Labour leader and the PLP and the party membership, provides the media and television, with the opportunity to emphasise, exaggerate and exploit (usually in support of their Conservative patrons) a debate which has been taking place for decades.     Since the 1908's there have always been the Tristram Hunts, Liz Kendalls, Ben Bradshaw's  and others going back to the Shirley Williams, David Owen's and the Roy Jenkins, who share the same view. They believe that they alone have the monopoly of ide...