Agenda 2019

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2017/jan/24/what-happens-next-with-article-50-and-brexit Parliament alone is sovereign. Brexit Supreme Court ruling on Article 50 vote In an historic judgement yesterday (24th January 2017), the Supreme Court ruled that government executive prerogative powers do not take precedence over Parliament, and that Parliament shall debate Brexit, prior to the triggering of Article 50. There are those who will still argue that the judiciary are interfering on the question of United Kingdom membership of the EU and there are elements of the media who continue to contend that judges are attempting to overturn the decision of the British people as expressed in the Referendum result of 23rd June 2016. Their argument either by accident, or more probably design, fails to address the fundamental issue involved in this controversy , which has been raging since the Prime Minister announced that Executive powers would be used to trigger Article 50 and co...

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/nov/15/supreme-court-judges-views-on-article-50-legislation-anger-leave-campaigners Judge hints at legal hitch that could seriously delay Brexit With a curious piece of “double talk”, Iain Duncan-Smith argues that Parliament rather than judges should decide in respect of triggering Article 50, but goes on to say that Government must use its “executive powers”, to commence the process. Not for the first time in his checkered  political career, IDS is confused and seeks to bully his views onto others as he did during his infamous period as Work and Pensions Secretary at the DWP. His confusion arises either by accident or more probably design, in his belief that “government” and “parliament” are synonymous terms used to describe the mechanism of administering the country. They are not. For the benefit of Iain Duncan-Smith, and any others who may be under such a delusion, Parliament is the House of Lords and the House of Co...

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/jeremy-corbyn-theresa-may-brexit-without-delay-a7399101.html May must set out Brexit plan 'without delay’ Before the referendum there was always a belief that the result would be debated in Parliament. What completely threw this government was that no one expected the result and Cameron had no plan for the possibility that that the people would vote leave. Theresa May is now faced with a referendum result, (a referendum which of course is "advisory") which she believes might be overturned by Parliament. In order to appease some elements of her party and other vested interests, she has chosen to use "Royal Prerogative" to pass the necessary legislation to trigger Article 50 without debate in Parliament. I believe that she is wrong and that the High Court judges are absolutely correct. I also believe that it would be a very brave or very foolish MP who would completely igno...

http://www.newstatesman.com/politics/media/2016/11/new-low-uk-newspapers-most-hysterical-frontpages-brexit-court-ruling A new low for UK newspapers: the most hysterical front-pages on the Brexit court ruling Reading the headlines on much of yesterdays front pages,it crossed my mind how reminiscent they were to the hysterical rantings of The Sun in the 1980's and 1990's particularly during the "reign" of the now discredited editor Kelvin MacKenzie. Kelvin MacKenzie Perhaps this odious "journalist" has been cloned, and now numerous facsimiles of him are distributed amongst the editorial offices of the Telegraph, Mail, Express, and (of course), the Sun.These, and other "newspapers", either by accident or more probably design have intentionally taken hold of the wrong end of the stick and covered the "story" in layers of spin in order to suit their particular agenda on membership of the European Union. ...

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/both-houses-will-have-to-trigger-article-50-says-davis-a7396016.html Upholding  the pre-eminence of Parliament and its members. Leaving aside individual views on whether or not the United Kingdom should leave the European Union, the High Court ruling made yesterday, that the matter of triggering Article 50 must be debated by Parliament, was the right one. Frequently in the past, Parliament, Lords and Commons, has been bypassed by a small clique of government ministers, an "inner cabinet" in fact, led by the Prime Minister of the day, who have taken decisions in isolation, and presented Parliament with  a "fait accompli". Thus it was with Prime Minister Theresa May's decision to commence "Article 50" negotiations by the use of "The Royal Prerogative" and thereby prevent Parliament from debating an issue of momentous importance to this country now and for generations to c...

  http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/david-cameron-10-pay-rise-offers-mps-opportunity-to-be-more-charitable-10394801.html David Cameron: 10% pay rise offers MPs opportunity to be more charitable MP's have been awarded a salary increase of more than 10%. This award has been granted by the "independent" pay review body and consequently MP's are unable to do anything about it. They may of course as individuals, refuse to accept the increase or alternatively pay the extra cash into some charity or other deserving organisation. The extra money on their payslips, amounts to somewhere in excess of £7000 per annum, which is in excess of the money many people receive as income. Put another way, this figure amounts to around £135 per week. 10% increase for MPs was confirmed with salary now at £74,000.PA It is then ironic that not too long ago, some Public sector workers, nurses, NHS workers and other essential workers were awarded, ...

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/chilcot-report-into-the-iraq-war-unlikely-to-be-published-for-another-year-10318410.html Chilcot report into the Iraq war 'unlikely to be published for another year' Report "unlikely to be published for another year at least"   This is the Headline from the Guardian of 26th June 2014.  "Chilcot report into 2003 Iraq conflict delayed further  Due to have been published three years ago, the Chilcot report now threatens to haunt UK politics ahead of the 2015 election"  Now, 14th June 2015, some 12 months on, it is announced that the Chilcot report into the Iraq war 'unlikely to be published for another year' and that David Cameron is under pressure to scrap the inquiry. This is outrageous and the stench of conspiracy becomes even more odious. Chilcott and his 6 year long "independent" inquiry has been effectively blocked by those individuals and organisatio...

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/may/26/queens-speech-miliband Look at the alternative Queen’s speech and wonder what might have been.   Polly Toynbee. What might have been? Lord Falconer. Prepared a Labour Queens speech  The over riding problem with these "What might have been" articles is that history has shown us, time after time, that the proposals of governments as outlined in the Queens Speech are subsequently modified, abandoned or otherwise amended to suit the changing fortunes of the incumbent government. Where proposals are implemented, they are frequently the less controversial aspects of what is often a package designed more to appeal to popular perception than to the real needs o f society. Radical? No. Aspirational? No. Perhaps Polly Toynbee and Lord Falconer could respond to a few enquiries in respect of a Queens Speech. Where is the policy to end austerity and to restore the cuts already made by the Conservative d...

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2015/apr/30/camerons-question-time-performance-smooth-smiley-but-unconvincing#comments A televisual reminder of why this election is the worst thing ever Career politicians I watched "Question Time " last night and at the end of the 90 minute programme, my opinion, that the politics of the traditional parties of this country has become nothing more than a patronising appeal for votes, was vindicated. Moreover, even at the last live televised exchange, the "Party leaders" could not bring themselves to depart from the negative "don't vote for him" rhetoric that has plagued this campaign (and many others before, it just happens that this was the worst one) from day 1. At one point, a member of the audience, clearly exasperated by the endless negativity from the parties asked why the candidates would not explain what they were going to do and why people should vote for them, rather than trying to ru...

 The faces of British politics 2015. Take your pick I have not voted for many years, since just before Blair, Mandellson, Campbell and Brown destroyed the Labour Party in fact. From being an active party member, CLP chair, Council Group Leader, PPC, and a number of other posts, I became party less, as no political group matched my views on society or any of the other issues which I considered to be essential. It was not a case of me deserting the Labour party, but more the Labour party deserting me as it lurched off to the ri ght in pursuit of perceived popularity and electoral victory at any price, rather than political belief. I never subscribed to the argument that being in politics was about winning elections at any price rather than campaigning for a fair and democratic society where people were more important than corporations and collective well being was more important than greed and self interest. There is however a political manifesto in thi...

  http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/ed-miliband-vows-towield-the-axe-on-public-services-9916560.html Ed Miliband vows to wield the axe on public services to balance books Ed Miliband will cut the budgets of most Whitehall departments A statement of intent, indicating how far away from its traditional supporters and its traditional principles the Labour party has drifted. Miliband seeks to grab power in the "centre ground" as did Blair, and to hell with the ordinary people who historically have relied on the Labour Party and the trade Union movement to provide some alternative and redress from the excesses of Conservative policies and the exploitation by businesses and business interests in this country. The "Centre ground" is populated by Tories, Liberal Democrats, business interests and others, seeking only to perpetuate their own existence by persuading everyone that they are the only ones offering a solution to a problem ...

  http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/rochester-byelection-ukip-gains-second-elected-mp-as-tory-defector-mark-reckless-holds-kent-seat-9874341.html Ukip gains second MP in Rochester by-election Nigel Farage with Mark Reckless The career politicians of all parties from the Westminster “old boys club”, still do not understand what is happening in British politics today. Already, less than 12 hours after the result was declared, our television screens have been filled with politicians from the two main parties each seeking to outbid the others in their almost dismissive attitudes towards UKIP and their election win in Rochester and Strood. Within hours of the result, leading political figures, television pundits and the media, were dismissing the result with comments such as “well everyone knew that they were going to win” or “It is only a protest vote which is usual for a by election” or perhaps the most smugly preposterous comment of all tha...