Cack-handed Uncles

The decision by Mr Uncles to solicit support from Sinn Fein won't go away, however hard the English Democrats might try to dismiss it.

The Chairman of the English Democrats, Robin Tilbrook e-mailed a former party member as follows:

Personally i think it is highly unlikely that most English people quite frankly care tuppence about Northern Ireland and since many Northern Ireland protestants who are politically active are now working with Sinn Fein,which is after all in Government in Northern Ireland and getting close to the point where they may get into Government in southern ireland,it would be quite bizzare if any sensible English National Party wasnt prepared to talk to them.

Nevertheless the view of the National Council of the party was that the way in which Steve Uncles had gone about it was very cack-handed and was wholly unauthorised by our party.Consequently his resignation from the National Council was accepted.There has however since been a election in the South East region of our party and he was elected as South East Chairman.
Since the BNP have been making a big issue of this non-event I can only assume that most members of the English Democrats in the South East simply did not care about the Steve Uncles and Sinn Fein issue.

The ENGLAND Facebook page had this to say recently:

ENGLAND Whether you like it or not Sinn Fein is in government in Northern Ireland, the British Queen shakes hands with Sinn Fien Mayors and the Lib-Lab-Con all have "Tea" with Gerry Adams - Grow Up.

What Tilbrook does not address is the issue of self-determination for Northern Ireland, which is not part of Uncles' agenda, nor that Sinn Fein is dedicated to a policy of a united Ireland. Uncles is off-message as far as official EDP policy is concerned, yet all Tilbrook refers to is process. His fatuous claim that Northern Ireland is of no interest to English people is not borne out by Uncles result in Dartford last May.

Those of us in Birmingham the night the IRA bombed the city will never forget.

As long as Uncles remains on the National Council of the EDP and continues to support the English Passport blog, this issue will not go away. 

'Political debate' hits all time low, or goes 'tits-up' if you prefer.

My avid reader is in for a shock when he clicks on the links below. The three articles are from the English Passport' blog which supports English Nationalism. The articles deserve exposure as they reflect what a tawdry bunch the promoters and writers of the blog are, in particular Steve Uncles.

http://englishpassport.org/2011/10/14/whos-that-bnp-girl-nick-griffans-new-bnp-girl-friend-claudia/
http://englishpassport.org/2011/10/15/get-it-on-the-moment-when-bnps-nick-griffan-and-claudia-clicked/

http://englishpassport.org/2011/10/16/congratulations-to-nick-claudia-who-are-due-to-announce-their-engagement-shortly-bnp/

The English Democrats, a serious political party??

BBC take on eurozone/bank crises and a German spanner

Two articles of interest from the BBC:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-15333792

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-15287057


A potential German spanner in the works:

http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/0,1518,792159,00.html

'Political debate' hits all time low, or goes 'tits-up' if you prefer.

This post has moved to my new blog: The Uncles File


http://theunclesfile.blogspot.com/2011/10/political-debate-hits-all-time-low-or.html

Decisions, decisions (2)

Clearly the USA has rattled few cages if the report (see link below) is correct.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/financialcrisis/8830553/Lack-of-ECB-firepower-weakens-Europes-Grand-Plan.html

From the article:

Josef Ackermann, head of Deutsche Bank, said plans to leverage the EFSF may be illegal. “We cannot allow a rescue fund of this magnitude. The (constitutional) court would’t permit, and nor would the people,” he said.

See also:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/comment/ambroseevans_pritchard/8830072/Europes-lost-decade-as-7-trillion-loan-crunch-looms.html

I assume 'would't' is a typo!

Another excellent article, has a dig at the politicians who advocated the euro -

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/comment/rogerbootle/8830079/Unravelling-an-economy-with-an-interlinked-crisis.html

Board changes at TW Regeneration Company.

It is a sensible decision to remove the Chief Executive of Tunbridge Wells Borough Council from the board of the Tunbridge Wells Regeneration Company (TWRC), indeed the only pity is that a second officer remains on the board.  The company is a joint venture between the council and Laing.

The boundary between councillors, who make decisions for which they are answerable at the ballot box, and officers who advise and carry out the decisions of the councillors is not impenetrable. Officers have delegated powers to make decisions on planning applications, but they have to work within the parameters of the delegation.

In the case of TWRC it would appear that the council officers and councillors had equal rights.  What if they disagreed on a matter?  Could pose difficulties.

There is also the major issue of conflict of interest to be considered. An example.  A local authority appoints councillors to the board of an housing association.  Case law on this is clear: the councillors must make decisions at board meetings which are in the best interest of the housing association.  However, as happened in Tunbridge Wells some years ago, the housing association and the council might disagree on an important policy. Councillors on the board were caught between the devil and the deep blue sea.

Councillors need to be very careful should they join an outside organisation, whether it be a company or a charity.  There first duty as a director or trustee is to the organisation they join, not to the council, and this applies both to being a nominee of the council or as an independent act by councillor.

A councillor who, of his/her own volition becomes a trustee of a charity would have to be excluded from a council meeting if an issue concerning that charity is being debated - for example the award of a grant.  Indeed he/she might have to be excluded from all grant application decisions as, if there are more applications than money to go round, he/she could be accused of deciding against making some grants to ensure money was available for 'his/her' charity.

When I was vice-chairman of West Kent Council for Voluntary Service it was decided that we would have no councillors on our management committee for fear of conflict of interest issues.

A former leader of Tunbridge Wells Borough Council was keen to extricate councillors from outside organisations to which the council had a power of nomination arguing, rightly in my opinion, that a council should be 'at arms length' from outside organisations.

Decisions, decisions

The link below takes you to an interesting article on the options available in dealing with the banking/sovereign debt/euro/economic crises bedevilling Europe and the eurozone.  Not pretty.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/comment/8829493/Putting-an-end-to-the-euro-would-be-better-than-yet-another-bail-out.html

See also:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/financialcrisis/8829980/German-foreign-minister-hits-out-at-US-over-debt-crisis.html

Euro crisis: short-term and long-term measures

As the G20 finance ministers meet, with the euro high on the agenda, I have provided links to two articles which set out the short-term measures the G20 will be pondering over and an article on potential lasting solutions to the crisis. 

The latter proposes a move towards far greater integration.  Europe will come back to haunt the Conservatives, particularly as they are in a coalition with the Liberal Democrat pro - EU fanatics

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/financialcrisis/8828165/G20-has-three-weeks-to-solve-eurozone-debt-crisis.html

http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/0,1518,791914,00.html

Futher comment:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/financialcrisis/8828720/Europe-under-pressure-as-G20-ministers-meet-in-Paris.html

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-15319026

Latest position 15th October:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/financialcrisis/8829413/Europe-in-2-trillion-rescue-bid.html

Paul Carter wins KCC Leader contest.

Easy win for Paul Carter today. Details on my other blog:

http://johnhopkinsonconservative.blogspot.com/2011/10/paul-carter-holds-on-to-kcc-leadership.html

Paul Carter holds on to KCC Leadership

There was never much doubt that Paul Carter would remain the Leader of KCC, nor was the paucity of the opposition vote much surprise.  Chard and Ferrin slink off to lick their wounds whilst Paul Carter  can bask in an overwhelming victory.

See: http://www.kentnews.co.uk/news/paul_carter_survives_leadership_challenge_1_1091038

Rusthall Parish Council Update

The parish council website continues to have material added and is becoming an excellent site.

See: http://rusthallparishcouncil.org.uk/

There is an informative article about the work of the council in this month's edition of St Paul's News, the magazine published by St Paul's Church (Church of England).  The article states that all councillors can be contacted via their e-mail address which is:

name.surname@rusthallparishcouncil.org.uk.  This information is not on the parish council's website. For a list of councillors see:

http://kentcommunityactivist.blogspot.com/2011/05/rusthall-parish-council-result.html

As far as I am aware a councillor with two forenames uses the first for the e-mail address.

The council has decided to purchase a notice-board at a cost of £973.97.  The minutes do not inform us of is its intended location.

G20 circus to meet this weekend

G20 finance ministers meet this weekend in Paris.  Top of the agenda will be the eurozone crisis, but there are other problems, not least the widening trade deficit between China and the USA.

The links are to background articles:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/economics/8825570/G20-finance-ministers-gather-as-time-runs-out.html

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/comment/jeremy-warner/8825327/Europes-grand-plan-risks-slow-death-by-a-thousand-cuts.html

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/financialcrisis/8823851/Chinas-trade-surplus-narrows-as-world-demand-cools.html

Mr Uncles and Northern Ireland

Mr Uncles had a bad press at the local elections last May:

http://www.newsshopper.co.uk/news/8988916.Under_fire_council_candidate_Steven_Uncles_on_defence_again_over_Sinn_Fein_email/

The bottom line is that he was prepared to plead for money from Sinn Fein. I am not surprised the English Democrats took a dim view of his behaviour, but he is now back in favour and was recently elected to the party's National Council.

As I wrote in a previous post,  Mr Uncles is promoting a policy which would see Northern Ireland handed over gift-wrapped to the Republic of Ireland. 

He represents a political party whose raison d'etre is to loosen the Union and  secure devolved English government.

Mr Uncles is promoting the union of Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland without any regard to the wishes of the people of Ulster.  Presumably he would scrap Stormont and Northern Ireland would be ruled from Dublin.

I note the petition the English Passport site encourages people to vote for has so far secured 7 (seven) signatures.

http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/6489

Here is another story about Mr Uncles in the local press.   Needless to say, his result was a disaster.

http://www.newsshopper.co.uk/news/8981661.Dartford_council_candidate_stands_by_jokes_about_a_Pakistani_and_suicide_victim/

Eurozone crisis lumbers on....Slovakia, Finland, Barroso

I see the Brain of Brussels has come up with a plan.  Naturally it involves great integration and more power for the European Commission.  Loved this in the Daily Telegraph (see first link below).

The “roadmap” for the eurozone sketched out yesterday by the European Commission president, Jose Manuel Barroso, was as meaningless as it was pompous. The former Maoist has no say in the matter.

The end game to the fiasco of the eurozone will be to heap more taxes on the poor bloody infantry, the citizens, and further extension of the democratic deficit. 

See the final link: an article about Finland, fiscally strong but possibility of leaving euroland?

Links below to articles which may be of interest:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/financialcrisis/8769836/Coalition-fiscal-policy-is-under-scrutiny-because-for-all-the-talk-were-no-nearer-to-the-end-of-this-economic-crisis.html
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-15279017
http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/finance/ambroseevans-pritchard/100012571/even-a-slovak-yes-will-make-no-difference/
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-15271141
http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/0,1518,791489,00.html
http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/0,1518,791717,00.html
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/comment/ambroseevans_pritchard/8823122/Mario-Draghi-fears-Italian-debt-spiral.html
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/comment/damianreece/8823138/Will-Finland-be-the-mouse-that-roars-and-be-the-first-to-leave-the-euro.html

Taken together, the articles are an excellent update of the current position.

Rusthall Parish Council: Questions to the Acting Clerk

Dear Paul

 I am seeking to access the minutes of the 18^th May meeting of Rusthall Parish Council. The minutes are listed on the Council’s website but the link takes you to the minutes of the 13^th June meeting as does the next link on the website.

I note that the Planning Committee has met twice.  Are these meetings open to the public?  I have not seen any notice of meetings or agendas for the meetings of the Planning Committee.

Not having seen the minutes of the meeting held on 18^th May I do not know is there are other committees, but if there are, are these open to the public?

Is it planned to publish committee minutes on the website?

Yours sincerely

John Hopkinson

Eurozone crisis bumps along

The Slovakian Parliament has voted against approving the 440 billion euros for the European Financial Stability Fund.  The ruling coalition tied the vote to a vote of confidence. The next step will be to form a new coalition and it is likely that the negotiations will centre on holding a general election.  The opinion has formed that now the political parties have paved the way for an election the EFSF vote will be carried later this week.

(Postscript: See: http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/0,1518,791319,00.html  )

The problem is that many in Europe believe 440bn euros is insufficient and the 2 trillion euros will be needed by the EFSF.

Matters are moving on apace.  I have provided links to a number of reports which may be of interest.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-15265987

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/financialcrisis/8821238/Slovakia-rejects-enhanced-bail-out-fund-government-falls.html

The one  below is most interesting:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/financialcrisis/8819837/Slovakias-rebel-isnt-a-nationalist-hes-the-hero-of-all-discontented-Europeans.html

http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/0,1518,791181,00.html

Below an excellent article from Spiegel:

http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/0,1518,791151,00.html

http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/danielhannan/100110211/slovakia-fetches-the-eurocrats-a-delicious-blow-across-the-chops/

Liberal Democrats destroy people power

One to put in the locker for future use:

http://conservativehome.blogs.com/platform/2011/10/andrew-boff-the-removal-of-the-clauses-from-the-localism-bill-allowing-local-people-to-originate-pol.html

English Passport and Northern Ireland (and Mr Uncles)

The English Passport blog has provided a link to one of my previous posts.

See: http://englishpassport.org/2011/10/11/how-the-kent-conservatives-are-happy-to-steal-english-money-from-kent-and-spend-in-northern-ireland/

I suppose I should feel honoured that my post is considered to be a statement made on behalf of Kent Conservatives. The reality is much more mundane. Yes, I am a member of the Conservative Party. I hold no position within the party and the idea that my opinions can be extrapolated into being those of Kent Conservatives is preposterous. Doubtless English Passport has not read my very first post which states that my blog is written in a personal capacity. Mr Uncles, (a prolific poster on English Passport) is a member of the National Council of the English Democrats. He is careful to distinguish between his views and the policy of his party. There is nothing in my post to justify the wrong-headed assertion that I speak for Kent Conservatives.

It is well-documented that I support withdrawal from the European Union and resolution of the West Lothian Question by symmetric devolution within a federal structure. However there are major pressing issues on which I support fully the policies of the Conservative Party.

English Passport states: This blog however believes that there should be a referendum in Great Britain, to see if the people of Great Britain wish to revoke the 1800 Act of Union

However, elsewhere on the same blog we read:

To the extent that it advocates the political separation of England from the (remainder of the) UK, English nationalism is not compatible with Scottish or Northern Irish Unionism, indeed modern Democratic English Nationalists, support a United Ireland, to end the subsidy from the English Tax Payer to Northern Ireland.

Whilst one can distinguish between these two statements and argue they are not contradictory we then find the following post on the English Passport blog:

http://englishpassport.org/2011/09/03/referendum-of-english-residents-to-decide-northern-ireland-remain-part-of-uk-govt-and-continue-to-receive-subsidies-from-uk-taxpayers/

In the post above English Passport wants a referendum of English residents to decide if English residents wish Northern Ireland to remain part of the United Kingdom, yet in the latest post it wants a referendum in Great Britain.

However one looks at it English Passport wants Northern Ireland to be delivered gift-wrapped into the clutches of the Republic of Ireland. I have not read anywhere on the blog that Mr Uncles does not agree with the English Passport stance.

Eurozone crisis moves on a stage

The eurozone sovereign debt crisis has now become also a banking crisis.  Well, no surprise there.  The cause of this is the recognition that Greece cannot pay back its debt in full.  It has to have some debt written off - a process known as a 'haircut'.

The problem is that the losses will fall on banks and institutions that bought Greece's sovereign debt.  Can they absorb the losses?  So far two 'stress tests' have been undertaken and to the sound of howls of disbelief from the markets the banks passed them.  Self delusion.  The Dexia bank shambles is the pathfinder for other banks to follow, some outside the eurozone.

To overcome the problems Germany and France have been locked in a dance macabre.  Germany insists that the European Financial Stability Facility should not be used from the outset to save a country's banks.  A country should use its own assets first with the EFSF as a long-stop.  France insists that the EFSF should be the first port of call in any bank rescue.

Either way, the banks are going to be bailed out with public money.  It is the citizens who will suffer again. The moral of this is that the politicians make the people pay for the former's mistakes.

Below are some relevant links:

http://www.spiegel.de/international/business/0,1518,790865,00.html
http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/0,1518,790954,00.html
http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/0,1518,791007,00.html
http://www.spiegel.de/international/business/0,1518,790927,00.html

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/comment/jeremy-warner/8818937/Banque-de-France-turns-a-blind-eye-to-European-financial-crisis.html
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/financialcrisis/8819104/Key-eurozone-debt-summit-delayed-amid-political-deadlock.html

The following article summarises very well the dangers ahead.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/financialcrisis/8819195/German-push-for-Greek-default-risks-EMU-wide-snowball.html

Use it, close it, lose it

Walking along Rusthall High Street I came upon a vehicle festooned with posters proclaiming: Use it, Close it, Lose it.  The posters referred to Rusthall Club, previously known as Rusthall Workingmens' Club.

I declare an interest. Family members have used the club and been on the staff.

Currently there are four pubs in the village and the club. Two more pubs have closed and are now private houses.  Changes in drinking habits, the cost of drinks on licensed premises, cheap alcohol sold by supermarkets and the smoking ban have all contributed to a steep downward trend in consumption of alcohol on licensed premises.

'Traditional' pubs are a dying breed, the only hope for many is to morph into 'gastro-pubs' or to have 'live' music which often involves blasting the neighbourhood with unwanted noise and thereby fomenting hostility from potential customers living in the vicinity.

It is not many years ago since pubs had darts, cribbage and dominoes teams that played in local leagues. Players would turn up regularly to practice and thus a core clientele was built up. Pubs became one of the key elements in community life, along with the church, the post office, the school and the shops. Post offices have been closed in many communities, the pub has gone, the shop destroyed by the supermarket.  Schools have closed and churches merged with adjoining parishes. The result is that many people live in their own family cocoon, hardly ever speaking to neighbours and travel in isolation in their cars to buy the drink to be consumed at home.  Venues for social intercourse are being destroyed.

In some places it is not too bad - for the time being at least.  One of the key elements in a localism agenda, or a community plan, must be the development of ways to keep important meeting points alive, to find ways to ensure their sustainability. 

Some posit the proposition that the answer is to develop community centres.  However evidence suggests that this approach is not always the best solution. In Tunbridge Wells I can think of two community centres, both of which are used by only a very small number of the people in the communities they serve.

We have moved....

Our house has moved, not literally, from Royal Tunbridge Wells to Tunbridge Wells.  Prior to the formation of Rusthall Parish Council, Rusthall was part of the area of the pre 1974 Royal Tunbridge Wells Borough Council.  Now there is a parish council and, although Rusthall remains within the area of Tunbridge Wells Borough Council,  Rusthall is now on a par with Langton and Pembury. Our postal address is now Tunbridge Wells and not Royal Tunbridge Wells.

The source of my information is Tunbridge Wells Borough Council.

Does this mean that people living in Rusthall and organisations in Rusthall will no longer be eligible for membership of the Town Forum?  Has an analysis been undertaken of any changes consequent upon the detachment of Rusthall from Royal Tunbridge Wells?

Rusthall Parish Council. I would have attended but.....

As I was mulling over the comments of Councillor Watson (see earlier posts) the thought struck me that I should attend the next meeting of the parish council and ask a question concerning the budget questionnaire the council has circulated.

I perused the agenda for the next meeting and was dismayed to read that the item for public questions is at the end of the meeting.  With the best will in the world I do not want to sit through a parish council meeting.

Tunbridge Wells Borough Council takes questions from the public at the start of a meeting.  I have attended meetings of parish councils in Kent and it has been the case usually that agenda items on which people who are not councillors are to/may speak are placed high on the agenda. 

Southborough Town Council by-election; Independent standing

Southborough Town Council has the same powers as a parish council, yet it is fought over by the political parties and as a consequence politics rather than common sense  feature in its deliberations and decisions.  Fortunately parish councils are rarely contested along party lines.

The Labour Party, Conservative Party, Liberal Democrats and United Kingdom Independence Party have nominated candidates for the forthcoming by-election.

I am delighted to report that an Independent has entered the fray and I hope he performs well,  particularly if his campaign is to register a protest vote against the imposition of a Tesco store on Southborough, or any other inappropriate development for that matter.

And the euro saga rolls on....

We have three inter-linked crises:

• Eurozone sovereign debt
• Capital and liquidity issues for banks
• Economic slowdown

The French and Germans are meeting tomorrow to try and sort out the mess of Dexia bank.  See:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/financialcrisis/8815802/France-pushes-Germany-on-EU-bank-rescue-deal.html

Follow-up report: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-15226953
Inadequate thumbs in the dyke time?

The citizens are becoming more restless as the political elite who promoted the disaster that is the eurozone fail to find solutions to the self-inflicted problems.  We are but mere bystanders as the tragedy unfolds, the audience to the rotten machinations of the political class.  At least when the royal families ruled Europe there was no pretence about democracy.  We knew our place: and we do now.

English Democrats, Northern Ireland, Mr Uncles and Mr Butler: Part 2

People often betray their character/personality by the style and content of their writing. Doubtless readers of this blog have decided my character accords with the description at the head of my blog.  Or am I being devious? Does my blog reflect my character or am I writing to promote a fiction?

Which leads me to Mr Uncles and Mr Butler.

In a previous post I drew attention to the fact that Mr Uncles had attempted to contact Sinn Fein by e-mail and this had resulted in a spot of bother for him.  Mr Butler had charged to the rescue and said, inter alia:

However it (the e-mail issue) is only regurgitated on a very obscure internet chat forum by opponents of the EDs. The mass of the English public are unaware and would be totally unconcerned by such issues, and people with strong loyalist sympathies (such as myself) are also unfazed by it.

What Mr Butler failed to say, as he was busily engaged in the character assassination of a former English Democrat member, was that the BBC had shown an interest in the story and had questioned the chairman of the ED on the Politics Show.

In a later blog Mr Butler had this to say:

At the time of the May elections, Robin Tilbrook the leader of the English Democrats, appeared on a BBC interview where he was questioned about the involvement of ex BNPers. As can be seen these questions were easily dealt with and there was no adverse affect. The EDs won their first two council seats in fact. This interview is interesting as Robin was also asked about the ‘Sinn Fein’ allegations that some misfits think is of great significance. In the interview Robin brushes the matter aside and the reporter was totally satisfied with his response. Why? Because apart from a few embittered misfits, no one else is interested in the story. The BBC is certainly not and the public are not. Politics is about engaging the public in what they are interested in, not obsessing about the irrelevant odds and ends.

So, in one blog Mr Butler informed us that the internet issue is only regurgitated on an obscure internet chat forum and later contradicted this by stating that the matter was raised on a BBC television programme!

Note the tone of Mr Butler's comments:

• the ‘Sinn Fein’ allegations that some misfits think is of great significance.
• apart from a few embittered misfits, no one else is interested in the story. The BBC is certainly not and the public are not.

If the BBC had not been interested, why had the question been asked?

The public certainly will be interested in the fact that a leading member of the English Democrats holds views which accord with those of Sinn Fein, namely a united Ireland: moreover that Northern Ireland should be handed over to the Republic without any consideration of the principle of self-determination.  I acknowledge this is not the official policy of the English Democrats who have declared that the future constitutional arrangements for Northern Ireland is a matter for the people of that nation.  However, Mr Uncles is a member of the party's National  Council and an area chairman.

The public is interested in people who wish to develop links with the political wing of an organisation that bombed and murdered people in England, killed British soldiers and Northern Ireland civilians and police, despite what Mr Butler might wish us to believe.

See: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/ireland/8815887/Dont-mention-the-IRA-to-Martin-McGuinness.html

In Mr Butler's opinion I am a 'misfit'.  In the context he uses it I regard it as a privilege to be so called.

Yorkshire: Bring back the Ridings

For many centuries Yorkshire was divided into Ridings: North, East and West.  The Ridings became county councils although major cities and towns  became county boroughs not subject to the county councils.  See:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_local_government_in_Yorkshire

The changes in local government involved also the historic boundaries of Yorkshire being changed, with some losses and a few gains on territory.

The English Democrats state thus:

We favour - recognition for traditional counties, which would include the reunification of
Yorkshire.

What does this mean?  Yorkshire has never been a 'unified' county, it has been divided into the Ridings for centuries. It may be that what is intended is that the pre 1974 boundaries be re-introduced along with the county boroughs.   Then again, it may not.

Shocking Report

The link takes you to a truly shocking report.

http://www.kentnews.co.uk/news/men_dying_almost_10_years_earlier_in_parts_of_kent_1_1081520

Communities Food intends to tackle food poverty: namely lack of food and lack of appropriate food.  The healthy eating dimension of our work is as important to us as the provision of food to those in need.

English Democrats, Northern Ireland, Mr Uncles and Mr Butler

In recent years power has been devolved from the Westminster Parliament to Scotland and Wales. Northern Ireland has had devolved powers for much longer, interspersed with periods of direct rule.  England does not have devolved powers. 

As far as I am aware the English Democrats' policy is for symmetric devolution to Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales and England within a UK federation or union.

However, not all within the ED would appear to agree with this policy.  A 'leading' member of the party, recently elected as the South-East Area chairman and thereby securing a place on the National Council, contributes to a blog entitled English Passport.  The member in question is Steve Uncles, and although he has denied being the blog owner, the vast majority of posts are made by him and he has not disassociated himself from the standing post on the blog's front page. This includes the following:

To the extent that it advocates the political separation of England from the (remainder of the) UK, English nationalism is not compatible with Scottish or Northern Irish Unionism, indeed modern Democratic English Nationalists, support a United Ireland, to end the subsidy from the English Tax Payer to Northern Ireland.

Note the last part of that sentence: modern Democratic English Nationalists, support a United Ireland, to end the subsidy from the English Tax Payer to Northern Ireland.

Really?  Whatever happened to the concept of self-determination?  So we have the strange position that 'modern Democratic English Nationalists' want self determination for England but deny it for the people of Northern Ireland. Instead they would hand Northern Ireland over to a foreign country.  I read no caveat about the will of the people being paramount.  Will Mr Uncles disassociate himself and the English Democrats from the statement in italics above?  Indeed why not condemn it on the English Passport blog or have it removed.

Mr Uncles has a track record of supporting a united Ireland.

Earlier this year Mr Uncles ran into a spot of bother for emailing Sinn Fein.  The Secretary of the English Democrats published the following draft press release after a National Council meeting:

On 12th February 2011 the National Council of the English Democrats unanimously voted to remove Steve Uncles (ex- South East Area Chairman) from all his official positions within the party, although he remains a party member. We have taken this action in order to ‘draw a line’ under recent events connecting our party with both Sinn Fein and some ex-BNP leaders, because Steve Uncles was both the initiator and the primary driver behind these approaches. His actions were kept from the majority of the National Council until the public revelations of an ex-party member revealed some of these matters in November 2010.

Steve Uncles took it upon himself to contact and indeed ask for support from Sinn Fein in 2009. The National Council of the English Democrats condemn this approach by Steve Uncles as an opportunistic attempt to associate us with the IRA, with whom we wish to have no association. The English Democrats are struggling to ensure that the people of England are treated fairly within the United Kingdom and we have no interest in interfering in the politics of Northern Ireland. We believe in a government for England but we also believe that it is the sole preserve of the people of Northern Ireland to determine their political arrangements, and it is not for others to interfere.

In 2010 Steve Uncles took it upon himself to contact both Eddie Butler and Richard Barnbrook who at the time were both leading members of the British National Party, although they had fallen out with Nick Griffin. Mr Uncles believed that these people would be useful converts to the English Democrats. We wish to state categorically that at no time have we attempted to initiate any political arrangements with the British National Party as we consider their political beliefs to be an anathema to the vast majority of the people of England. The English Democrats remain, as we always have been, committed to advancing the political, social and economic interests of all the people of England regardless of their race, ethnicity or heritage.

Steve Uncles, by his actions, called into questioned this commitment and that is the reason he no longer speaks for our party.

All very commendable.  However, the official press release was significantly different:

I would like to welcome the appointment of Stephen Morris as our new National Communications Director. Stephen has been doing excellent work as our North West Chairman. Since he took over he has re-energised our Party there. I look forward to working closely with him in this new role too.

On 12th February 2011, I, as Chairman of the English Democrats, also accepted the resignation of Steve Uncles, who had been our National Communications Director. Steve had been a long serving and active member of the National Council. Despite Steve's many exceptional services to the Cause of English Nationalism and his innovation and drive in moving the English Democrats forward to the point where it is now the 7th largest political party in England, it was felt that the Party needed to "draw a line" under the recent false allegations of negotiations between our Party and Sinn Fein or the BNP.

As a result of the recent betrayal of Steve's trust by a former colleague, it now appears that, in 2009, Steve took it upon himself to attempt to contact Sinn Fein

On behalf of the English Democrats, we also wish to state unequivocally that at no time have we (or Steve) had any discussions with a view to any political arrangements whatsoever with the British National Party. We consider that Party's political beliefs to be anathema both to us and to the vast majority of the people of England. The English Democrats remain, as we always have been, committed to advancing the political, social and economic interests of all the people of England regardless of their race, ethnicity or heritage.

Steve, by his actions seemed, we believe unwittingly, to give unnecessary ammunition to those who wish to attack our Party and the cause of English Nationalism generally, and that is the reason why he no longer speaks for our Party

Were they at the same meeting?  The very fact contact was even attempted with Sinn Fein, along with the statement on the English Passport blog, is a cause for concern.

Although Mr Uncles no longer spoke for the party he appeared on a television programme as a representative of the English Democrats.

The reference to Eddy Butler is to the former BNP National Organiser who has expressed a desire to join the English Democrats.  His membership has to be agreed by the National Council.  Mr Butler has defended the action of Mr Uncles regarding contact with Sinn Fein as follows:

Several years ago Steve Uncles sent what I would call a rather silly and ill-informed e-mail to Sinn Fein in an attempt to establish mutually beneficial links on the mistaken basis that Sinn Fein were a party, a bit like the Scottish Nationalists or Plaid Cymru that wanted to loosen ties with Westminster. Of course most people will know that Sinn Fein actually want to do rather more than loosen ties and want absolutely nothing to do with the mainland Brits, and indeed they are the political wing of the now decommissioned terrorist group the IRA.

Firstly it must be recognised that Sinn Fein have renounced violence and they work very intimately with the ultra loyalist Democratic Unionist Party on a daily basis in governing Northern Ireland.

Secondly Steve Uncle’s e-mail seemed to think that Sinn Fein would be satisfied with fiscal autonomy and would want to be included in a new federal structure for the British Isles.

The e-mail is mildly embarrassing and somewhat ridiculous in my opinion, and was very clearly written on the basis of less than perfect knowledge of what Sinn Fein are about.

Not a very big deal. No ‘normal’ people, including fierce loyalists, think it is a very big deal. To people with an axe to grind it is of course a big deal.

There are a small number of people who post on obscure internet chat forums who think it is massive. This is invariably because they are members of tiny splinter group political parties and think that if they can portray the English Democrats as fellow travellers with the IRA then they will gain more recruits for their outfits.

Cliff Dixon says of the issue: “The email from Steve Uncles is constantly regurgitated and is not only distasteful but used by the opponents of our party to put off a section of the electorate that should be part of our natural vote.”

As I said, I personally think the e-mail was silly and ignorant. However it is only regurgitated on a very obscure internet chat forum by opponents of the EDs. The mass of the English public are unaware and would be totally unconcerned by such issues, and people with strong loyalist sympathies (such as myself) are also unfazed by it.

So, according to Mr Butler the actions of Mr Uncles were:

• rather silly and ill-informed
• mildly embarrassing and somewhat ridiculous
• silly and ignorant.

Mr Butler's attempts to downplay the silly, ill-informed, mildly embarrassing, somewhat ridiculous and ignorant actions of Mr Uncles cut no ice. As I stated above, Mr Uncles has not disassociated himself from this:

indeed modern Democratic English Nationalists, support a United Ireland, to end the subsidy from the English Tax Payer to Northern Ireland.

Now, which political party wants to see a united Ireland, indeed one of its leading members is standing for election as President of the Republic?

Mr Uncles is, or was, an administrator on a Facebook page entitled: Campaign to Get Northern Ireland out of the UK.  See screen capture below:

Of self determination, not a word: get Northern Ireland out!

Indeed on the Facebook page you will find a link to an e-petition which is referred to also in the following:

http://englishpassport.org/2011/09/03/referendum-of-english-residents-to-decide-northern-ireland-remain-part-of-uk-govt-and-continue-to-receive-subsidies-from-uk-taxpayers/

The English Passport blog encourages people to sign this petition which states that only people in England should have say in a referendum as to whether Northern Ireland should stay in the United Kingdom. Again, no word of demur from Mr Uncles.

Quantitative Easing

A polite way of saying the Government's printing presses are churning out new money.  Now if I tried printing new money I would be put inside for forgery - for debasing the currency.   Wonder if my bank would oblige if I called and asked it to QE my account by adding some new money.

Of course, no new money is printed . The Bank of England electronically creates new money which it then uses to buy assets such as government bonds, or gilts, from banks. In theory, the banks then use the cash they gain to increase their lending to businesses and individuals.  The fact is that this is not what has happened in the past.  Banks have held on to the new money in order to build there assets and with exposure to sovereign debt may need to continue to hold on to it.

I am not convinced this latest round of QE will do anything, other than increase the rate of inflation.

I like this quote from Jeremy Warner's article (link below):

By switching on the printing presses, the Bank of England, which is 100pc owned by Her Majesty's Government, is buying up a third of the debt owed by Her Majesty's Government. The Treasury is becoming ever more in debt to itself. It's as strange as that.

QE1 was in the order of £200 billion.  The latest round (QE2) is an additional £75 billion. Some economists argue that QE will reach eventually  £500 billion.  These are huge sums.

Now I am not an economist, so I will defer to anyone who can explain the following to me:

• Why not use QE to reduce the Government's deficit rather than inflict a range of 'cuts' which depress demand as jobs and services are lost?
• Why not simply use the money for major infrastructure projects rather than the tenuous route through the banks?

Links:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/financialcrisis/8812260/World-facing-worst-financial-crisis-in-history-Bank-of-England-Governor-says.html

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/comment/jeremy-warner/8812051/Bank-of-England-hits-the-panic-button.html

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/financialcrisis/8811210/Quantitative-easing-by-the-Bank-of-England-printing-more-money-wont-work-this-time.html

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/comment/damianreece/8812247/We-know-were-in-trouble-Sir-Mervyn-now-we-need-government-action.html

London-Brighton railway line woes.

Interesting article - well worth a read, as is the entire website.

http://www.wealdenline.co.uk/the-news/176-brighton-line-urgently-needs-bml2.html

Busy day today

Had a very hectic day today with the food bank project. Busy sending out invitations for our launch event on 2nd December.

For more information see:

http://communitiesfoodcic.blogspot.com/2011/10/more-on-our-promotion-day-2nd-december.html

How a good idea became a tragedy.

An excellent article from Spiegel.  I concur with the opening paragraph which echoes comments I have made in previous posts.

The Greek crisis has revealed why the euro is the world's most dangerous currency. The euro was built on a foundation of debt and trickery, where economic principles were sacrificed to romantic political visions. The history of the common currency is the story of a good idea that turned into a tragedy of epic proportions.

And there you have it in a nutshell.  Remember, the Liberal Democrats would have had us join this shambles.


http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/0,1518,790138,00.html

See also: http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/0,1518,790333,00.html

and: http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/0,1518,790568,00.html


As to: what next?  See: http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/0,1518,790352,00.html

Will Slovakia fetermine the future of the euro?  See:

http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/0,1518,790577,00.html

Excellent summary of problems in euroland.

I commend the article by Paul Mason of the BBC. It sets out the current problems in an understandable form.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-15185692

Updates on the position:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/financialcrisis/8809283/German-Chancellor-Angela-Merkel-backs-moves-to-recapitalise-eurozone-banks.html

http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/0,1518,790132,00.html

Rusthall Parish Council - a response!

My previous blog headed Rusthall Parish Council running a whelk stall has provoked a response from a parish councillor.  On the basis that one shouldn't dish out criticism if one cannot take it, here is what the councillor wrote:

As a newly formed Parish Council comprising mostly of people who have never been a Councillor before, it is expected that there will be a few hiccups in the first year, especially when trying to organise a large project such as a Budget questionnaire. After all, we are all human and for some Parish Councillors, we have the added responsibility of being a Councillor on top of our normal day job. Please don't forget that we are doing this completely voluntarily and in our own time. And, quite frankly, your comments would have more weight if you had actually put yourself forward for a Councillor position where you would be able to have more say and more power to effect change within the village rather than just moaning from the sidelines. I would hardly call yourself a Community Activist....

Yours sincerely

Councillor Kelly Watson
who by the way is still overseeing the Budget Questionnaire project whilst wearing a heart monitor and undergoing cardiology treatment. I don't think you can doubt my commitment or passion for the welfare of my village)

I point out to Councillor Watson that some of us have done our bit for the village: for example I have been:

• Borough councillor: 1996-2000
• Chairman of Rusthall Community & Youth Project
• Trustee of Melville's Charity for Molyneux Almshouses
• Governor at Rusthall Infants, Rusthall Juniors and Bishops Down schools

All this in a voluntary capacity whilst working full-time.

Quite apart from that I have been, again in a voluntary capacity:

Vice-chairman: Bridge Trust
Chairman: Number One Community Trust
Chairman: Crossroads - Caring for Carers
Secretary:  Shopmobility, Tunbridge Wells
Chairman: West Kent Council for Voluntary Service
Trustee: Age Concern Tunbridge Wells
Secretary: Tunbridge Wells Churches Social Responsibility Group
Director: High Weald Housing Association

I could continue, but you get the drift.

Currently I am a director of Tunbridge Wells Mental Health Resource Limited and working to develop a food bank in Kent.

The activity which gave me most satisfaction was chairing the independent group which produced the first Tunbridge Wells Borough Community Plan in 2004.  Again, no payment, but I did receive an acknowledgement for my efforts thus:

(At the Council meeting) you were singled out for particular recognition and praise for your Chairmanship and your unstinting commitment to seeing the Plan through to adoption and ensuring constructive dialogue with the Council throughout.

For my part, I shall continue my 'moaning'.  A careful reading of my posts will show that I have congratulated the parish council, as well as voicing my concerns.

Eurozone: not fit for purpose

The failure of the eurozone is entirely of its own making.  Strong and weak economies joined together in a one-size-fits-all strait-jacket of interest and exchange rates.  Within these constraints each country was free to do what it wished as the essential fiscal and political union was not included in the package.  The commissars of Brussels and state political leaders recognised that the citizens would not accept such a union.  However, over a period of time it was hoped that a benign world economy would lead eventually to a such union by a process of stealth, in much the same way as the EU has developed the trappings of a state.

It has all gone wrong, horribly. Siren voices within the European Commission are now demanding fiscal and political union, but it is too late, the eurozone is heading for a crash.  The poor bloody infantry, the citizenry, looks on at the political failure and is not inclined to support more power being ceded to those who are the authors of the calamity.

The eurozone is out of control, hurtling towards the rocks and impossible to stop. The EU and the politicians have no way of re-gaining control.

Catastrophes are now common place, almost too much to take in.  In the past 24 hours we have witnessed the following:

• The Belgian- French Bank Dexia is close to collapse and will be taken over by the two countries. It has massive exposure to Greek sovereign debt.
• Moody's has downgraded Italy's credit rating by three notches.
• Greece will have to wait for a decision on the release of further funding support.
• Private lenders to Greece may have to suffer a further 'haircut'.

See: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/financialcrisis/8806741/Eurozone-to-increase-private-sector-burden-in-136bn-Greek-bailout.html

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/financialcrisis/8807528/Global-markets-endure-roller-coaster-ride.html

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-15176947

http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/0,1518,789804,00.html

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/financialcrisis/8808508/EC-No-plan-to-recapitalise-banks-has-been-agreed.html
And finally, to cheer you up, an opinion from the USA on an  UK referendum on EU membership.

http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/nilegardiner/100108617/david-cameron-should-hold-an-eu-referendum-and-give-the-british-public-the-final-say-on-europe/

English Democrat drivel

The English Democrats have issued an instruction to members that the party should not be known as the EDP.  Probably because the initials are too close to EDL  (English Defence League) or could be mistaken for BNP. 

As I am not a member of any of these organisations I shall use the initials EDP as appropriate.

The English Democrats have been losing members recently, mostly people alarmed at the infiltration of ex-BNP members. One recent departee from the EDP has joined the Conservative Party and for his pains has been vilified across the EDP Facebook pages.  One criticism is that he left a party which is anti-EU and for an English parliament and joined a party which is pro-EU and against an English parliament.

Fair comment, but then why not similar vilification of ex-BNP members who have joined the EDP? Such people were, when members of the BNP, for the Union and racialist.  Now, they have had a Damascene conversion to non-racialism and  support for an English parliament!

Two-faced, hypocritical?  Surely not!

The English Democrats were, indeed still claim to be, a party promoting English civic nationalism, which translates into a policy of seeking resolution of the West Lothian Question by symmetric devolution to the nations of the UK within a federal structure. However, there has always been a sub-text of cultural nationalism within the party and it is this which makes the party attractive to ex-BNP members.

Below I quote in full an article from the English Democrats' website. Grade 'A' dross.


'Only 2 months ago parts of our cities, including parts of London were looted and burned but in seven months the people of London go to the polls in the London Mayoral elections.

We must use this period for major organisational improvements. To build for OUR future, we have now launched OUR:

'Building for the Future' initiative.

I felt compelled to write to again personally to share with you, first hand, the fantastic opportunities WE as a Party face right now... Let me explain.

Time of Decision Looming

People are now desperately looking for answers and new direction. It's not only the false concept of 'EUROPE' that is creaking under the strain but also the concept of the UNITED KINGDOM, battered by the resurgence of nationalist agendas from Scotland, Wales and NI. This could well be OUR time to come to the fore, but only if we act decisively, NOW!

We all know that the economic meltdown will totally transform the potential for a moderate progressive, anti-system Party like the English Democrats. The establishment now recognise this and they are TERRIFIED! We are now enjoying Levels of growth that were once unthinkable; such are the opportunities in these changing times.

The scene is set for an explosion in support for the English Democrats – our key job and DUTY is to be ready for it.

To make our hopes and aspirations a reality, I need your help. Right now we urgently need the new local and regional officials and training personnel who will form the backbone of our rapidly expanding Party, but today, I need your financial help and commitment!

Education and Training are our 'secret weapons'

We English Democrats can make big advances in the depth and breadth of our organisation, but it will require funding in order to design and roll out our NEW nationwide Education & Training programme, the 'Building for the Future' initiative, and to produce educational material including a brand new and hugely expanded literature range and publicity material.

I am planning to equip our key area organisers with a laptop, projector and other items necessary to allow us to 'cascade' training throughout the Party for everyone's benefit, and to capitalise on the flood of new enquiries, turning 'seekers' into MEMBERS, this is vital if we are to gain electoral success.

In addition, we are working on several very important improvements to our increasingly effective 'outreach' on the Internet. Just look at our new site, already this is proving to be a highly successful way of promoting our message and party to hundreds of thousands of new 'viewers 'every month. These advances are fantastic but the reality is, they all cost money and require proper sustainable funding.

Just imagine how much more effective we can be when every area is equipped with up-to-date modern technology, backed by a training programme that will deliver results we previously thought unattainable. WE CAN DO THIS, but only if you lend your support to the initiative NOW!

The People of England want change, soon WE will demand it, it's time for us to prepare the way!

Millions of our fellow countrymen and women now know that if you are an honest, hardworking decent ENGLISH family – then you are at the bottom of the heap. This is wrong, you know it and I know it.

They see the Europhiles, and big businesses and big government and other nationalists encroaching on their personal liberties, beliefs and freedom, and what's more, they know that nobody will speak up for them, except us; The ENGLISH DEMOCRATS, we cannot let our people down.

They know that they and their children are at the mercy of a politically correct regime that is becoming increasingly militant and aggressive towards anyone espousing 'English' patriotic sentiments while bending over backwards to facilitate the EU and the Scots, Irish and Welsh nationalists. It's time we, the ENGLISH had OUR voices heard!

All the English people ask for is "Parity of Esteem", nothing more but nothing less either.

Many people in England are scared of what this government intends to do – and rightly so. But being afraid won't get us anywhere, we need to get organised! I need YOUR help right now to fight for the rights of the ordinary men, woman and children of England... before there is nothing left to fight for, and let's face it, we don't have much time left ..do we?

Foreign terrorists living here have more 'civil rights' than an Englishman these days!

A convicted terrorist banned from Britain for being a risk to national security has been stopped from being deported by the courts.

The Muslim man, who cannot be named, was found guilty of terrorism in Tunisia yet; Lord Justice Pill, Lord Justice Rix and Lord Justice Lloyd backed the terrorist's right to be in Britain while he mounts an appeal. Lord Justice Pill commented that denying him access to Britain could lead to "potential injustice".

Anthony Glees, a professor of security and intelligence at the University of Buckingham, said: "The judiciary is putting the rights of terrorists and terrorist suspects above the rights of ordinary people in this country to go about their daily lives in peace.

The man, known only in legal documents as MK, was convicted of terrorist offences in his absence by a Tunisian military court. He arrived in this country in 2001 and successfully claimed asylum. Unbelievable but TRUE!

Cameron and Clegg need reminding that the people of England have never voted for nor supported mass immigration. The English Democrats support whatever measures are necessary to bring mass immigration to a complete end. It's time to put our own people first no matter what the PC brigade think or say about us. I make NO apology for putting OUR people FIRST!

A terrible Madness has descended upon our leaders

An Express columnist said "The climate of appeasement is really just cowardice". He went on to say " A terrible transformation has taken place. A mood of self loathing hangs over our institutions. Our past is seen as a case of shame rather than pride".

Throughout Westminster, Brussels, the Establishment and our public services, 'selective diversity' is aggressively promoted. Celtic national identities are celebrated and pushed where as Englishness must be derided, ignored or mocked. We need our own Parliament and our own Party, and only a strong, vibrant and successful English Democrat Party can deliver this!

It's time for we, the English, to get off our knees

Here is how England and WE English are now viewed by the ruling political elite. Institutionalised anti-English bias is now firmly enshrined within every facet of public office.

New, ethnic religious and hate crime laws force employers to bend over backwards to meet ever-increasing PC demands. But these new laws also target you and me. No longer can one voice personal views freely, whatever happened to 'FREEDOM OF SPEECH'!

Abigail Howarth, an 18 year old student who was barred from applying for a position with the Environment Agency because her ethnic background didn't fit the bill – she is white and English. She could have applied if she had been white and Welsh, Scottish or Irish, What an outrage! This is the type of discrimination only the English Democrats can stop once and for all!

This kind of anti-English bigotry has to stop and you can help us stop it by helping us to build a really powerful English democratic and patriotic party, this is the best way forward and one way which you can say "NO MORE" and mean it!

By financially supporting our new 'Building for the Future' Initiative you will be ensuring that the English Democrats can grow to new levels of effectiveness. Your actions will send a clear signal to the political elite that ordinary people are fed up of playing second fiddle in our own country. Our 'Building for the Future' initiative is an important step on our road to victory.

You know that creating an effective and electable organisation, that has the capacity to expand both rapidly and in a sustainable fashion, will send a shockwave through both the Con/Lib/Lab establishment.

Things are bad but together WE can make a difference

You can share in our victory!

It can be done. I need you to believe in the future, because we are the future. It is up to you to back the English Democrat's 'Building for the future' initiative. Nobody can do anything but everybody can do something. Right now, our campaign needs your practical financial assistance. I need you and other good patriots to dig deep and give generously to our cause. If you don't help me, who will?

We have the skill, the experience and the keen activists to build an organisation with the capacity to grow like wildfire, but how much we can do, and how fast, depends on how YOU respond. Before us lies a once in a lifetime opportunity, a perfect storm of economic collapse, social unrest and widespread chaos amongst other nationalist parties.

Will YOU help us start to build our New Jerusalem...today!

They say 'fortune favours the bold'. Are WE bold enough to get behind this initiative? If you do, we can capitalise and transform our small party into a real player on the political stage in this country. We will never have as good an opportunity as this. Please act decisively, act generously and act now. This is our time!

When you give to this campaign, you will be showing that you care and are not prepared to stand by helplessly while our country and way of life is under such ferocious and sustained attack. Your support means: YOU CARE, and want to fight for this land!

I am depending on you to recognise the opportunity that lies before us and to make the biggest sacrifice you can. I am counting on a few visionary English patriots making generous personal commitments of £1000.

No-one else will help us; it's up to us to build a secure future for OUR children and grandchildren. Are YOU with me?

Large special gifts of £1000 can achieve a lot but I am also depending on a multiple of gifts from stout hearted patriots of £25, £35, £50, £100 and £200. Please send whatever you can straight away.

Remember, we only have a limited time to get everything together to make this 'Building for the Future' initiative a success. Remember: David Cameron stated" I'll take on the Englanders, I'll fight them all the way" OK David, we accept your challenge and hope you are ready for us, because WE are coming out fighting!

Please send your most generous gift in the next 7 days. It is really crucial to set the wheels in motion immediately.

Thank you so much for your help.'

Where Canterbury leads will Tunbridge Wells follow?

Item from BBC News:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-kent-15156229

Congratulations to the councillors in Canterbury who had the vision and determination to see this project through to a successful conclusion. 

In Tunbridge Wells we have had months of dithering, the Conservative Group falling out very publicly over the regeneration issue, a Tory councillor taking circumstantial evidence of alleged criminal activity to the police and being told there was nothing to investigate and the Liberal Democrats playing party politics with no consideration for the long-term needs of the Borough.

A suggestion that the town hall and adjoining civic buildings should be demolished as they are no longer fit for purpose has produced heated debate.

A letter writer to the local newspaper (The Courier) complained that an article in the Friends of the Common newsletter suggests that the Methodist Church should be preserved at all costs and concentrates on form rather than function as the determining factor. The Methodists wish to demolish the building which it is claimed is not longer fit for purpose and replace it with a building that will be multi-user, including worship.  The final section of the letter is worth setting out in full:

Do we really want Tunbridge Wells to be known for its collection of crumbling, dilapidated buildings?  This building may be an imposing edifice but it is not an asset in anyone's book.

As ever in planning matters, those who want to preserve the past do not want to make any financial contribution to the cost of upkeep and maintenance. Why then are we always opposed to the prospect of taking a step forward and creating new heritage  assets that will serve today's community?

I concur fully with the sentiments expressed by the letter writer, which could and should be applied equally to the issue of the future of the civic complex.

Greece's lingering death

The news that Greece is failing badly to meet the targets set for it to draw down the next tranche of financial support was not unexpected. As the country lurches into an even deeper recession, brought on in part by the austerity measures, the only answer from the IMF, European Union and European Central Bank 'troika' is 'no more concessions'.  An impossible position for Greece, unable as it is to let the exchange rate fall to make it more competitive.

See: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/financialcrisis/8805452/US-markets-hit-year-low-as-Greece-is-warned-it-will-have-no-more-concessions.html

But then: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/financialcrisis/8805446/Greece-default-not-an-option-says-Jean-Claude-Juncker.html

Apparently Eurozone finance ministers have discussed plans to increase the "firepower" of the €440bn European Financial Stability Facility (EFSF) euro-wide bail-out fund after pressure from the US, Britain and G20 to leverage it to €2 trillion.

The problem is that such a leverage proposal will test German resolve.  The German parliament and courts could yet in effect veto such a move.  The issue will then move on to the future of the EU.  Will it lead to greater fiscal and political union?  Outside of the European Parliament and the commissars of Brussels, led by the Great Dictator, Barroso, there is little enthusiasm for greater integration.  All eyes will now be fixed on Germany, and in particular the next moves of the German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schäuble.

See: http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/0,1518,789661,00.html

Desperate times.

Postscript:  http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/0,1518,789804,00.html

What on earth?

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/banksandfinance/8804058/European-politicians-plot-to-block-UK-veto-on-Tobin-tax.html

This will test the UK's relationship with the EU.

Rusthall Parish Council running a whelk stall?

No, but then I wouldn't trust the Council to run one.  Yesterday I received a copy of the the Council's Budget Questionnaire. 

Today, a visit to 'The Venture' to place the completed questionnaire in the box to be 'provided' elicited the information that there was no box and the people in the shop knew nothing about a box.

It would be a pretty poor show if a voluntary organisation failed in such a simple task, but Rusthall Parish Council is a statutory organisation making a pig's ear of things.

The economic nightmare gets worse........

Quote:  Markets did not create the euro, politicians did. And they made a thoroughly bad job of it. Now they blame the markets for spotting their shoddy workmanship.

Now read on:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/comment/rogerbootle/8802734/Financial-markets-hold-politicians-to-account-over-the-euro-crisis.html

Add to this that it is being reported that the Greek Government's projections indicate it will miss its austerity targets by a country mile.  Or, put another way, more social unrest and a disaster for the Greek people.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/financialcrisis/8802846/Banking-crisis-set-to-trigger-new-credit-crunch.html

and

http://mobile.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSTRE7900SU20111002?i=2&irpc=932

also:

http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/0,1518,789656,00.html

Myth and nightmare.

Loved this quote from the article you may read here

And in most of the German media, as well as among the country's Europe experts, it seems to be all the rage to advocate yet further European integration to get out of the mess of too much integration already. It is as if a doctor advised an alcoholic to drink more beer in order to get better.

This is, of course the remedy prescribed by the European Commission President, Barroso.

I commend to you the following article:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/comment/liamhalligan/8801314/Eurozone-teeters-on-the-verge-of-a-euroquake-if-Greek-default-is-bungled.html

Like this quote:

Europe's policy-making "elite" wants a fully-blown fiscal union and sees this crisis as a way to get there. It is simply not going to happen, because almost no-one outside of the Brussels salons, or the broader EU establishment, wants it. That is the fundamental truth that must be spoken, repeatedly, to power – whatever offence is now caused. Because this currency union experiment, essentially an exercise in bureaucratic megalomania and hubristic nation-building, is about to do serious damage that extends way beyond Europe.

This, from the BBC is worth a read:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-15147855

The Greek Tragedy

I commend the article which may be read by clicking on the link below:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/greece/8799364/Greece-is-slipping-into-the-abyss.html

Greece has a turbulent political history.  Following the Second War there was a long civil war between communist and anti-communist forces culminating in a military takeover which lasted until 1974.

As the article suggests, there is now a real possibility that the current social unrest may tip the country back into civil war or even another military takeover. Make no mistake, if it does happen it will be the consequence of the abject failure of the political elite, not only in Greece but across the EU and the eurozone.  The disconnection between voters and governments (and the commissars of Brussels) will lead to unrest across many states in Europe. The assassination 'in a far off land' in 1914 set in train events which ended with the termination of the Second World War.  Wouldn't it be ironic if the stability in Europe, so much desired after 1945, comes to an end with the destruction of the European Union empire, just as that shot in 1914 spelt the death of the Habsburg Austro-Hungarian Empire?

You may find the following article of interest:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/columnists/christopherbooker/8801261/The-EU-dream-has-turned-into-a-nightmare.html

And Portugal:

http://www.france24.com/en/20111001-thousands-rally-protest-austerity-plans-porto-lisbon-portugal-coelho?ns_linkname=20111001_thousands_rally_protest_austerity_plans_porto&ns_campaign=editorial&ns_mchannel=reseaux_sociaux&ns_source=twitter&ns_fee=0&utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

Twerp of the Year Award

The only limitation on being a candidate for this unprestigious award is that a person must have featured in a post on my blog.

There has been no shortage of candidates this year, particularly from within the ranks of the Conservative councillors on Tunbridge Wells Borough Council as they tore into each other, deposed the Leader of the Council and expressed their divisions in personal attacks on each other in the local press.

That said, the outright winner this year is Steve Uncles for the content of the blog English Passport. 

http://englishpassport.org/

The cause of English civic nationalism and the reasonable demand for an English parliament is not served by this blog.  Indeed, it has a detrimental effect and is one of the reasons I cannot support the English Democrats.   I never joined, but some believed I had. 

One of my correspondents has stated on Facebook: John never joined though some thought he had and even used his name as an excuse when arguing it wasn't just BNP that were joining these days.