What little democracy we have in the UK, is slowly being removed. Ever since the Norman invasion in 1066, the Anglo-Saxons (not the so-called Anglo-Saxons are and US politicians claim to be) have fought for democracy and equality. Slowly, multinational corporations and their political allies have been turning the clock back to the days of the Witchfinder General.
Bedroom tax decision: So Cameron has committed contempt of Parliament too
They mention a member of the Labour Party’s National Executive Committee, Peter Wheeler sending out a letter promising to abolish this tax. The Labour Party made plenty of promises during the elections which saw Blair the war-criminal becoming Prime Minister. They never re-nationalised the Railways, improve nurses and auxiliaries wages and never overturned anti-union legislation. If any think, they reinforced anti-union legislation and never signed up to the EU’s ‘working-time directive’. The Labour Party is also not a party fit to govern the UK.
In a letter to constituency Labour organisations, Peter Wheeler, a member of the Labour Party’s National Executive Committee has stated: “To win the election it is vital that we are very clear with the electorate that a Labour Government will offer real hope to people suffering under this government.
“One of the key issues will be the bedroom tax. We need to be very clear that a Labour Government will abolish this wicked piece of Tory legislation.” He went on to call for constituencies to demand that this will be a part of the Labour election manifesto in 2015.
Bedroom tax decision: So Cameron has committed contempt of Parliament too.
The Birth of a Police State: UK Police to be Granted Sweeping New Powers
Is Britain turning into George Orwell’s 1984, Big Brother?
The Birth of a Police State: UK Police to be Granted Sweeping New Powers.
A Selection Of Especially Stupid Sanctions
How do the politicians who push through these things, expect people to live?
Comment by the Rev Paul Nicholson, of Taxpayers Against Poverty via paurina.wordpress.com. I also endorse every word.
Ministers at the Department of Work and Pensions repeat ad nauseam their mantra: “It is not fair for taxpayers to be asked to pay for the cost of spare bedrooms, or housing benefit” which is high in central London because rents are high etc, etc. Therefore the poorest citizens are thrust into unmanageable debt by caps and cuts in housing benefit, possible eviction, forced migration, undue stress and misery. As a citizen who pays income and council tax, VAT and the excise duty on my evening glass of wine, I steam with indignation each time I am used by ministers to justify such draconian measures making people poorer.
I am glad my taxation is used to enable my fellow citizens, both in and out of work, to buy enough food, clothes, fuel, transport and other necessities, to pay council tax and the rent of secure homes, when they have no other means to do so; and bewildered by the short-sightedness of a policy which deliberately reduces the totally inadequate adult JSA of £67.50 a week by creating rent arrears, with debt-related mental health problems and high extra costs for a hard-pressed NHS.
The self-evident unfairness is the current policy of dumping national debt and deficit reduction on the incomes of the squeezed middle and poorest citizens, while the higher-paid taxpayers experience no financial inconvenience. Meanwhile the OECD reports that $11.5 trillion, including bonuses, is parked in overseas accounts and the Treasury is aware that£100bn of property in central London alone is registered overseas – both out of reach of the taxman. That really is unfair.
At a slight angle to the universe: How AIPAC Rules
BBC defends false claims linking Rachel Corrie to killings of Israeli soldiers
The BBC has become so morally corrupt, it is no longer a news channel favoured by those seeking impartial news. It is time it had its license to broadcast refused.
Hypocrisy, hypocrisy, ever where I look nothing but hypocrisy and not a drop of truth to quench my thirst for truth. In acknowledgement to Coleridge.
BBC defends false claims linking Rachel Corrie to killings of Israeli soldiers.
James Steele: America’s mystery man in Iraq – video | World news | guardian.co.uk
A report into the USA’s sponsored death squads which operated in Iraq.
James Steele: America’s mystery man in Iraq – video | World news | guardian.co.uk.
Will the government’s benefit raid turn us all into April Fools?
The list of changes to benefits and public services listed below, staying at home and not voting, is not an option.
Will the government’s benefit raid turn us all into April Fools?.
UK police state moves a step closer (to your door)
The Conservative Government managed to push through a bill through that threatens everyones Human Rights. The right to a fair trial in an open court, a right the Anglo-Saxons introduced and the Normans included in their laws. Now in the 21st Century, while our media concentrated on gay marriage, this backward policy slipped through unnoticed. This country has never been a democracy and is moving further away from ever being one.
Mehadrin: New evidence of mislabelled settlement produce | Corporate Watch
I wrote to a number of our North West MEPs about EU’s trade with Israel, and received in reply, what I consider patronising nonsense. That the only thing that matters is the economic benefits of trading with Israel and not the continuing criminal acts of the illegal Sate of Israel. As the article below, points out, the Israelis are still mislabelling produce, so they can sell it in the EU
Mehadrin: New evidence of mislabelled settlement produce | Corporate Watch.
Here is the response from Robert Sturdy MEP Conservative Spokesman,Vice-Chairman, International Trade Committee:
Thank you for your email regarding this subject. I have received a number of emails relating to this issue and have passed them onto my colleague Robert Sturdy who is the Vice-Chairman of the International Trade Committee and Conservative Spokesman on the same subject, therefore he has a better understanding of these issues, his response is outlined below.
Yours sincerely,
Jacqueline Foster MEP
MEP for North West England
Conservative Spokesman for Transport and Tourism
Response of Robert Sturdy MEP
Thank you for contacting me about the Protocol to the Euro-Mediterranean Agreement establishing an association between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and the State of Israel, of the other part, on Conformity Assessment and Acceptance of Industrial Products (CAA).
The EU-Israel CAA, until recently known as ACAA, is a technical framework agreement which aims at facilitating the elimination of technical barriers to trade in respect of certain industrial products, through the mutual recognition and harmonisation of technical standards. The CAA could be hugely beneficial to the EU as it could significantly reduce costs of imported pharmaceutical products into the EU and save time-to-market conditions (saving 1-3 years for every market product) for imported medicinal products both from Israel and the EU.
Although primarily an economic agreement, I think that it has the potential of not only bringing benefits to European consumers and importers of pharmaceutical products but also of helping to foster stability in the region by facilitating further harmonisation between EU and Israeli Law in the relevant areas.
From the perspectives of the Conservative members of the International Trade Committee (INTA), we believe that this particular agreement to be purely technical issue that should be judged on its trade merits alone. Furthermore it is simply a protocol to an already existing agreement between the EU and Israel.
However, this is not to say that the wider issues surrounding the Agreement are not valid. The Conservatives in the European are acutely aware of the ongoing situation in the Middle East and are supportive of peace efforts based on the Oslo Peace accords, the road map for peace and the quartet with a viable two state solution based roughly upon the 1967 borders, with land for peace exchanges taking place. Both sides need to realise their commitments to Human Rights and International Law. The EU can play a major role in bringing peace to the Middle East but it must be seen as fair and impartial. A similar agreement with the Palestinian Authority was agreed a number of months ago and I believe it would be hypocritical of the EU if it rejects this agreement.
Having said this, the Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee (AFET), which has the experience and expertise to give this issue the attention it deserves, has provided an Opinion on the ramifications vis-à-vis the situation in the Middle East which was passed on to all INTA members. Both the AFET and INTA Committees decided to submit a question to the Commission in a bid to address some of their concerns with regards to this agreement. The Commission has offered concrete assurances that the agreement is in conformity with EU legal commitments.
With regards, to the production of goods in the Occupied Territories, the EU has been clear it will not accept products originating from the Israeli Occupied Territories. This is prohibited under Community law which means that products coming from places (city, village or industrial zone) brought under Israeli Administration since 1967 are not entitled to benefit from preferential tariff treatment under the EU-Israel Association Agreement. This issue has been addressed in the INTA Committee in order to make sure that the CAA is in compliance with existing legislation.
The European Parliament voted in favour of the consent procedure concerning the additional protocol on conformity assessment on the 18th October 2012, with 379 votes in favour.
We will continue to correspond with civil society from both sides of the dispute and we will continue to monitor developments. Rest assured that the wider political situation, alongside the economic benefits, will not be ignored by the INTA Committee or by the Parliament at large.
Yours sincerely,
Robert Sturdy MEP
MEP for East of England
Vice-Chairman of the International Trade committee
patricktsudlow 