Agenda 2019

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2017/nov/26/theresa-may-under-fire-mishandling-damian-green-enquiry Prime Minister May refuses to say when report will conclude or if findings will ever be published. As recently as 18th November last , I wrote a piece asking "What h as happened to the Damian Green Investigation ?" It seems that we now have the answer. The sound of closing ranks and doors slamming shut in Downing Street, together with the refusal of Theresa May to direct that the cabinet office investigation led by Sue Gray be concluded forthwith and that the findings of the investigation be published without further delay, is in direct contradiction to the assurances that May gave in a previous commitment to full transparency. The way in which Green is apparently immune from investigation and protected from any consequences in respect of his (alleged) offences, is outrageous and an insult to the public perception of justice. What is even worse however, i...

http://www.independent.co.uk/money/spend-save/budget-2017-details-hidden-positive-negative-personal-finance-tax-household-costs-prices-living-a8072821.html How the Budget will affect ordinary people  Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond is not of this world. His budget delivered to a noisy House of Commons on Wednesday, presented the usual give away to landlords in the form of tax breaks for those who offer longer-term secure tenancies , an additional £3 billion for Brexit planners, a change to t he “millennial travel card” extend ing the 30% discount to those under 31 , an immediate £350 million to the NHS for this winter followed by £1.6bn more next year, and the immediate abolition of stamp duty for first-time buyers on properties worth up to £300,000 . The observer may be excused for believing that Hammond had presented a budget where everyone in the country was a winner and that all was rosy within the United Kingdom economy as the conservative ben...

https://paper.li/f-1346065353#/ G ood morning everyone. Meanwhile, back in Jersey, a story caught my eye which actually caused me to chuckle. I suppose I should not laugh as it was a "crininal" act, but there was something about the events which grabbed my probably warped sense of humour.  A member of staff at the Old Court House, a hotel and restaurant in St Aubin, saw a man sitting alone in the upstairs bar area and told him that if he wanted to stay in that area he had to eat.  It transpired that the man was in fact homeless, but never the less ordered a Prawn cocktail, Rib eye steak with vegetables, wine, a bottle of Dom Perignon and a room. Producing a driving licence as identification, the man did not pay but later was seen by staff wandering off to his £150 per night room, clutching two further bottles of wine. The following morning it was discovered that  there was no sign of him and  his bed had not been slept in . He was later arrested and ch...

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/budget-2017-latest-housing-council-homes-building-hammond-boost-numbers-a8061551.html Hammond set to announce badly needed boost to council housebuilding In next week's Budget, Chancellor Hammond will propose "lifting the strict borrowing caps imposed on local authorities", in order to boost council house building. Empty rhetoric from a bankrupt government, devoid of any intention of actually getting to grips with the nationwide housing crisis, but seeking some headlines with soundbite and spin. The Hammond "initiative" pre supposes that those councils actually allowed to "borrow money" will take up the privilege and moreover will allocate the "new money" to the provision of social house building. The historic evidence of easing restrictions on Council borrowing, tells us that such councils invariably resort to projects which are most likely to increase council balances in the...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-42001259 What has happened to the Damian Green investigation? Any other person, in any other job, would, by now, have been sacked for gross misconduct and misuse of company facilities. (The porn Green was allegedly viewing on a daily basis became illegal just a few days after the discovery). Damian Green remains in position and the "investigation", being carried out by Sue Gray, one of the most powerful officials in Whitehall, seems to have ground to a standstill. Could it be that as Damian Green is effectively the Deputy Prime Minister and one of the few remaining close allies of Prime Minister Theresa May, it is deemed to be more important to keep Green in his position at the cabinet table than to conclude the investigation? The stench of political expediency has often wafted around Downing Street and Parliament, but the clear demonstration that one set of rules applies to Green and other people ...

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2017/nov/15/theresa-may-conservatives-broken-housing-market-housebuilding-budget Theresa May vows to personally take charge of the UK’s housing crisis Theresa May vows to personally solve the housing crisis in the United Kingdom. One of the first measures she announces is to remove housing association debt from the government's balance sheet, meaning it will no longer qualify as public borrowing and effectively remove Social Housing from the public sector and hand it to the private sector as a "give away" which, she tells us will " free up associations to build more homes". Complete nonsense. The reality is that it makes "the governments books look better" and gives the private sector another avenue of opportunity in their quest to make even more profits from the housing crisis and its victims.This is against a background of the fact that the number of council homes in Britain has fallen to a new reco...

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2017/nov/15/daily-telegraph-accused-of-blatant-bullying-of-tory-brexit-rebels Daily Telegraph accused of 'blatant bullying'  In any other forum, this atrocious front page and its subsequent "story", would be condemned as blatant bullying and intimidation.Those producing such material in print or in speech, would quite rightly, be hauled before disciplinary bodies of their respective organisations or bodies, and subjected to sanctions and other measures designed to punish and deter others. Not so with the Telegraph and the other rabid right "newspapers", who today fill their wretched pages with government propaganda to discredit and intimidate any MP's who now, or will during the future passage of the EU withdrawal bill, dare to vote against the governments ill considered and dangerous proposals. The Conservative whips will be working overtime in the coming weeks, in their quest to push through...

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/nov/14/myanmar-military-exonerates-itself-in-report-on-atrocities-against-rohingya Myanmar military exonerates itself in report on atrocities against Rohingya I find it very sad, if not tragic, how the world and its media can, quite rightly be incensed and outraged by the ethnic cleansing being inflicted upon the Rohingya people by the military and government of Myanmar and yet at the same time be completely insensible and silent on the ethnic cleansing being carried out in Jerusalem and the occupied territories of Palestine by the Israeli government. There are indeed double standards being exercised by the international community for the last 70 years concerning the plight of the Palestinian people.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/theresa-may-russia-election-meddling-warning-cyber-warfare-latest-uk-a8053161.html  "We know what you are doing. And you will not succeed". Prime Minister Theresa May, is really scraping the barrel in seeking to find any scrap of "news" with which to divert attention away from her own pathetic performance and difficulties in her government. In the usual deed of those seeking to deflect attention away from their own deficiencies and failures, May trots out the insults and venom directed toward the old chestnut of "reds under the bed". When in doubt, blame the Russians for everything from fake news, Crimean aggression, and Syrian civil war to floods and famine in Bangladesh and vote rigging everywhere. Create a Russian scare and the rest of us will not notice how she, her government and her woeful bunch of ego maniacal ministers are disintegrating every day. A pathetic tactic from a sad and wretched Pri...

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/nov/12/millions-on-brink-of-famine-in-yemen-as-saudi-arabia-tightens-blockade The largest famine the world has seen for many decades, with millions of victims. Saudi Arabia, assisted by American airstrikes are systematically killing Yemeni men, women and children in their war against the Houthi "rebels". Over 70% of the Yemeni population – are in need of humanitarian assistance that is being blocked by the Saudi coalition. Seven million Yemeni's are on the brink of famine brought about in great part by the blockade and and the constant attacks by the Saudi war machine. The United Kingdom wrings its hands, says how awful the situation is and at the same time continues to pour weapons, aircraft and munitions into the Saudi regime while banking £ billions of blood soaked money paid to the arms manufactures. The reason for this shameful hypocrisy from successive British governments is that Saudi Arabia is a close...

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknews/it-looks-like-saudi-arabia-removed-lebanons-prime-minister-%E2%80%94-and-it-may-be-the-first-move-in-starting-a-war/ar-BBEPTyH?li=BBoPRmx Saudi Arabia removed Lebanon's prime minister — and it may be the first move in starting a war Saudi Arabia is currently leading a war against the people of Yemen, killing men, women and children with indiscriminate bombing and covert land operations. The British government support this aggression from a corrupt and dangerous regime with £ billions of arms, logistics and intelligence on the basis that the Saudi's are a great ally in the West's "war on terror". The Saudi Arabian machine now seeks to start another war in Lebanon and pull in the Israeli's to fight the Lebanese government and Hezbollah. Saudi Arabia is a dangerous and aggressive nation threatening neighbours and other countries in their expansionist ambitions.   To the eternal shame of our country, suc...

         In remembrance of those who fell in the Great War 1914 to 1918.                Cy Daniel Cy Daniel was a drover, A simple cattle drover Contented with the only life he knew. By a field he lived alone In a shack that was his home, Always smiling ’though his pleasures were so few. Then one day the army came And they called Cy Daniel’s name For they needed him to help to fight a war. “Every able bodied man Has to fight the best he can, It’s his duty” said the sergeant, “and the law.” Although much averse to killing He accepted his King’s shilling But Cy Daniel felt an ache within his breast. While the people who defiled him Only rubber stamped and filed him. Now he was just a number like the rest. They also took the cattle To sustain the men in battle. Very grateful that their stomachs would...