Seeking justice is counter-productive, US tells terrorised Palestinians

USA and Israel are the pariah states which should be before the International Court of Justice.

Labour Party – the biggest bedroom tax incompetents – IT COSTS MORE you idiots!!

Both main political parties, Labour and Conservative have only one mandate, to enrich the already rich. Both parties have shown their incompetence in office, their failures to address climate change, tax avoidance and evasion, and of course the continuing failure of our banks. It is time, those who do not vote, got out their and vote for any other (preferably the Green Party), to rid us of these fools. Your vote (which people died for) is totally useless, if you do not use it. This coming General Election, get out there, encourage family, friends and neighbours to vote, anything but Labour and Conservative. Labour = Conservative = A continual cycle of failure.

Does the Upper Tribunal says EVERY bedroom tax decision was unlawful? Yes!

Iain Duncan Smith, has been a failure and a liar, most of his life. Despite this, he has been put in charge of a department, and pursues a draconian regime against the less fortunate of the UK’s population. This is only possible, because we do not have a true democracy in the UK.

Austerity is a scam but green growth isn’t the answer either.

There is a Global movement calling for the end of ecocide: https://www.endecocide.org/en/. Something I think Mark Burton is striving for with Steady State Manchester. Manchester City Council, under Richard Leese and Howard Bernstein, have been pushing a policy of build, build and build more. This is offices, retail units, hotels and home-to-buy, when what is needed, is investment in front-line services and council housing. And as Mark points out, there are those, who are supposed to be ‘Green’, also wanting to follow the policy of build, build and more build. Which would would only drive climate change and inequality.
That is why I was to come across the European Trade Union Institute pursuing: Social innovation and equality keys to social ecological transition. At the bottom is a link to a presentation, showing how austerity has driven inequality. One change I would make to the presentation, is slide 5. I would change the box with ‘Inclusive Growth’ in it, to ‘Inclusive Prosperity’.

The Steady State Manchester team's avatarSteady State Manchester

Yesterday, 3rd December, 2014, The UK Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne, made his autumn statement in which he set out the government’s plans on the economy.

He confirmed that a Tory government will continue to cut public spending in the years to come. Indeed it turns out, “you ain’t seen nothing yet”. As the Office of Budget Responsibility puts it, the government’s plans mean that

Between 2009-10 and 2019-20, spending on public services, administration and grants by central government is projected to fall from 21.2 per cent to 12.6 per cent of GDP and from £5,650 to £3,880 per head in 2014-15 prices. Around 40 per cent of these cuts would have been delivered during this Parliament, with around 60 per cent to come during the next. The implied squeeze on local authority spending is similarly severe.

http://cdn.budgetresponsibility.independent.gov.uk/December_2014_EFO-web513.pdf

For a sound analysis of where these cuts will fall, see Richard Murphy’s piece, accurately…

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A Living Wage, a Viable Economy, a Liveable City Region

Whilst Manchester has some of the worst deprivation, all Richard Leese does, is blame others. He has been behind the push to get rid of council services, by outsourcing them. This is especially true of council housing and the council’s housing staff. One social housing provider in Manchester, Places for People, has the highest paid CEO in the sector. The council outsourced a number of services to G4S, which is renown for paying less than the minimum wage

benjaminirvinepress's avatarSteady State Manchester

The difference between the NMW and the Living wage is around £50 per week and £2'000 per year. Which has something to do with why over 50% of those in poverty are in-work. The difference between the NMW and the Living wage is around £50 per week and £2’000 per year. Which has something to do with why over 50% of those in poverty are in-work.

This week was Living Wage Week. The new Living Wage rate, uprated in accordance with increases in the cost of living, of £7.85ph outside London was announced. At least 21.8% of people in Greater Manchester currently earn less than it, and this is similar across the UK. To mark the event SSM, along with signatories from other Campaign groups including GMB Union, the GM Living Wage Campaign and the Green Party sent an open letter to the leaders (and city mayor) of the Greater Manchester Local Authorities.

The letter urged them to take action on in-work poverty and inequality and demonstrate a commitment to the Living Wage and principles of Fair Pay. It’s below:

Living wage letter signatory logos
Dear Leaders of…

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Global tax evasion, equality and quantitative easing…

I would disagree with comment that UKIP has grown considerably. The media and especially the BBC, have given Farage and UKIP, disproportionately more publicity than they deserve. Whilst the Green Party, with an MP since 2010, a number of MEPs, control of Brighton and considerable influence in some other councils. Does not get the media response it deserves, even being denied again, a place at a leaders debate on BBC TV. It is not just Murdoch’s media empire that is an obstacle to true democracy.

Melanie McCartney's avatarMelMac Politics

The Group of twenty (G20) committed to finding a global solution for tax evasion after the financial crisis, and in 2009 it agreed to make arrangements for the exchanging of tax information between tax administrations around the world. In October this year the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the G20 officially endorsed the automatic exchange of tax information between all OECD and G20 countries as well as major financial centres that participate in the annual meeting of the Global Forum on Transparency and Exchange of Information for Tax Purposes in Berlin. A status report on committed and not committed countries or jurisdictions and whether they will start reporting information in 2017 or 2018, is to be presented to G20 leaders during the annual summit held in Brisbane in less than two weeks. Australia along with thirty-eight other countries that include China, Saudi Arabia and Hong Kong have…

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What is a bedroom – There is a minimum size and specification…from the coalition

All those affected by the ‘bed-room tax’, should read this and appeal the decision.

The Republican, Issue One

An interesting article about the Peterloo Massacre and one of the important people Richard Carlile, fighting for democracy in the UK. Something that is still, sadly lacking, due to the ‘first-past-the-post’ system.  Unfortunately, far too many middle-class, so-called socialist, think Marxism is the only socialist movement the UK had. Marx plagiarised the work of early British, French and German socialists, to produce a work of contradictions.

cobrunstrom's avatarconradbrunstrom

republican1

The Republican Issue One

The Republican was first published on this day, August 27th, 1819.  Its creator was Richard Carlile, who was one of the intended speakers  at the St Peter’s Fields reform meeting before the yeomanry transformed the occasion into the Peterloo Massacre.  Shocked by the spectacle of unarmed men women and children being cut to pieces just because they wanted to hear a bit more about democracy, Carlile wrote an account of the event for Sherwin’s Weekly Political Register which led to his instant prosecution.

The Prince Regent also put pen to paper.  He took the initiative of writing personally to congratulate the troops on how promptly and efficiently they had put the plebs to the sword.

(You see, soldiers who slaughter civilians aren’t committing a crime.  People who point that soldiers slaughter civilians are the real criminals.)

Carlile changed the name of his paper to

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Peterloo Massacre 195th Anniversary

August 16th was the 195th Anniversary of the Peterloo Massacre, and a commemoration of the event was held on the 17th August 2014, on Windmill Street on the edge of the original site.  A number of different groups had walked in from other parts of Lancashire to represent the original marches to join the Peterloo Rally. 

The Middleton contingent  walking up Southmill Street towards Windmill Street, passing, what was the Free Trade Hall.
The Middleton contingent walking up Southmill Street towards Windmill Street, passing, what was the Free Trade Hall.
A couple of the replica banners from the Peterloo Rally August 16th 1819
A couple of the replica banners from the Peterloo Rally August 16th 1819

Maxine Peake had appeared the year before at the Manchester International Festival, doing a reading of Shelley’s Masque of AnarchyDSC_0008. 

The Maxine Peake started the proceedings.
The Maxine Peake started the proceedings.
The Deputy Lord Mayor of Manchester started the reading of those innocents killed on that inglorious day.
The Deputy Lord Mayor of Manchester started the reading of those innocents killed on that inglorious day.

A number of Ancoats Dispensary Trust and supporters, were at the event. 

A number of Ancoats Dispensary Trust and supporters were at the event.
A number of Ancoats Dispensary Trust and supporters were at the event. 

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Biggest London march in support of Gaza, Palestine.

Jews against Zionism.
Jews against Zionism.

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America's 9/11, Palestine's 24/7.
America’s 9/11, Palestine’s 24/7.
Entering Grosvenor Square, home of the US Embassy.
Entering Grosvenor Square, home of the US Embassy.
Everton Fans against apartheid.
Everton Fans against apartheid.
Arsenal Fans against apartheid.
Arsenal Fans against apartheid.

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At the start of the march in Portland Place.
At the start of the march in Portland Place.