Agenda 2019

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/dec/29/theresa-may-john-kerry-comments-israel-palestine-un-resolution Theresa May  has distanced the UK from Washington over John Kerry’s condemnation of Israel . I am not a fan of John Kerry, or of any American administration or "Secretary" which over the years, has given unqualified support and diplomatic protection to the state of Israel. However, after the United States refused to exercise its veto on the question of Israeli settlements in the occupied territories of Palestine, and Kerry's subsequent speech defending the Obama administration’s decision to allow the UN Security Council to declare Israeli settlements illegal, I was inclined to believe that America was now moving towards accepting that the building of settlements is a major obstacle to peace in the region and the creation of a "Two State" solution.                        Kerry condemns gr...

https://paper.li/f-1346065353 Good morning everyone and a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you all. As promised (or threatened last week), I am "slipping in a quicky" on Boxing day, to mention just a couple of events which have occurred over the festive week. More names on the 2016 listing of "names" who have passed away this year.(And there are still 5 days of the yer remaining!) Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou  (25 June 1963 – 25 December 2016), known professionally as George Michael, was an English singer, songwriter, and record producer who rose to fame as a member (with Andrew Ridgeley) of the music duo Wham! George Michael R I P Richard John Parfitt , OBE (12 October 1948 – 24 December 2016) was an English musician, best known for being a singer, songwriter and rhythm guitarist in the rock band Status Quo. R I P The Status Quo guitarist Rick Parfitt has died at the age of 68 after suffering from a severe ...

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/dec/24/israel-rejects-shameful-un-resolution-amid-criticism-of-netanyahu Israel rejects 'shameful' UN resolution  In a fit of furious outrage and pique, Benjamin Netanyahu throws his toys from the pram and immediately recalls Israel’s ambassadors to New Zealand and Senegal in addition to stopping all current aid to Senegal.  Settlement in Jerusalem The building of settlements on Palestinian lands occupied by Israel after the 1967 war, has for many years been condemned by the "International Community" and the United Nations as bein g illegal, but Israel has been supported in its defiance of international opinion by successive American administrations. United States abstains Now with no veto from the United States, Netanyahu is absolutely furious today. For probably the first time, the USA has (even if by default) been critical of Israel.They should have gone ...

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/dec/21/corbyn-critic-jamie-reed-quits-labour-mp-byelection-copeland Corbyn critic quits as Labour MP, triggering tight by election race Jamie Reed A labour MP leaves the party to take up a lucrative position as Head of Development and Community Relations with Sellafield Ltd, a private limited company owned by HM Government, a position which pays, "not that much more than" his £74,962 MP’s salary. A Labour MP who publicly resigned from the shadow cabinet in June This is the same Labour MP who, when calling for Jeremy Corbyn's resignation said, “In the short time you have been Leader, along with the shadow Chancellor, yo u have sought to inject an unprecedented poison into our party,” adding, “You have actively worked to divide Labour MPs from the Labour Party membership…you have repeatedly incited you supporters on social media to confront Labour MPs; without doubt you are not fit to lead our great party.”  Jamie Reed, ...

519,342 three day emergency food supplies distributed in just 6 months. On December 22nd 2012. I wrote under the heading, " In 2013 F ood banks will feed more than 200,000 people in the UK " . (http://new-agenda2012.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/in-2013-foodbanks-will-feed-more-than.html) T oday , it is the 22nd December 2016 and there have been a few changes over the years since then. Between April and September 2016, Trussell Trust F ood banks alone distributed 519,342 three day emergency food supplies to people in crisis compared to 506,369 during the same period last year. 188,584 of these went to children. The total number of people who are now reliant on Food bank charities now stands at over 1.2 million and the figure rises each month. This is what I wrote in 2012. " This is 2012 soon to become 2013 and F ood banks have doubled in number over the past 12 months. In 2013 foodbanks will feed more than 200,000 people across the country, do...

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/theresa-may-suggests-mps-will-be-denied-a-vote-on-the-final-brexit-deal-a7487046.html Theresa May suggests MPs will be denied a vote on the final Brexit deal Theresa May again shows arrogance and contempt for Parliament, by suggesting that MPs will be denied a vote on the final Brexit deal instead stating that "MPs would be able to influence Britain’s new relationship with the EU with the passing of the so-called ‘Great Repeal Bill’, by 2019". Whichever side of the European Union debate you happen to be on, Brexit or Remain, the fact remains that this government, particularly the current Prime Minister and her "government by executive powers" philosophy are destroying Parliamentary democracy in this country and replacing it with an almost dictatorial administration with power concentrated in a sinister and unaccountable cabal within Downing Street. The examples of "the Executive" undermin...

https://paper.li/f-1346065353 Good morning everyone. More name to add to the list of "celebrity" obituaries during 2016. Ian McCaskill (born John Robertson McCaskill; 28 July 1938 – 10 December 2016) was a BBC weatherman . Zsa Zsa Gabor ( February 6, 1917 – December 18, 2016) was a Hungarian-American actress and socialite. Quote: I am a marvellous housekeeper. Every time I leave a man, I keep his house. Michael Nicholson OBE (9 January 1937 – 11 December 2016) was an English journalist and former ITN Senior Foreign Correspondent . I noticed an article in a BBC News magazine, asking the question "Have more famous people died in 2016?" It seems that it is not only me seeing something strange about this year. S trictly Come Dancing has gone for another year! Ore Oduba (who?) and his dance par tner Joanne Clifton (again, who?) won the "Glitter ball" trophy, and ended the evening wi...

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/dec/17/unite-leader-under-attack-puppet-master-jeremy-corbyn Unite leadership challenger Gerard Coyne says Len McCluskey has put Labour infighting above members’ needs Gerald Coyne Len McCluskey Gerald Coyne, another of the Quasi intellectuals so much in favour with the Guardian and other "centrist" media who will grasp at any opportunity, now matter how small or how unclear such opportunity may be, in their incessant campaign to remove Jeremy Corbyn from the leadership of the Labour party. In his bid to replace Len McCluskey as General Secretary of "Unite", Coyne accuses the Unite general secretary of meddling too much in Westminster politics , a comment which in itself is reason enough for members to re elect McCluskey for another term. Had the TUC generally and other specific Trade Union leaders in particular , spent more time over the last 18 months "meddl...

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/dec/15/vladimir-putin-personally-involved-in-us-hack-report-claims Vladimir Putin 'personally involved' in US hack, report claims I have been called many things over the years that I have been involved in politics, ranging from "Commie b******", through to "Corbynista" (and all stops in between). The latest label comes from the pen of a Carl Maltby, responding to a comment I made on the "story" headlined "Vladimir Putin 'personally involved' in US hack, report claims"  (my comment: " This almost daily hysterical nonsense is becoming very silly. The western media and many politicians on both sides of the Atlantic, seem convinced that the general public is naive enough to believe this drivel. It is a sad reflection on the media and on those people peddling this absurd rubbish." ). Carl Maltby: in reply Dec 2016 05:29 6   Recommend ..as opposed to the s...