Northern Ireland…

One of the achievements of the peace settlement in Northern Ireland is the setting up of a new divolved parliament for the province, that the different parties have come together to govern and deal with the real everyday issues and problem solving that the citizens of the province desire.  The Provisional IRA has had to put its weapons beyond use and other paramilitary organistions have stood down. It is right that now the Army is ending Operation Banner in Northern Ireland. The province remains part of the United Kingdom.
The province needs now to overcome the sectarian bitterness on which extremists fed, end social divisions and become just like any other part of the United Kingdom.

Elections in Zimbabwe - complete waste of time…

Elections are due in Zimbabwe next year, presidential and parliamentary. How many times have we seen elections in Zimbabwe fixed by the “ruling party” - Zanu PF?

Yet, here we go again, Tsvangirai the MDC leader is already preparing to contest: time and again we have seen elections manipulated, we have seen reports from South African observers fooling themselves and others that such farcical elections are fair and free.

What is it with Zimbabwean opposition leaders that they have so much faith in something as farcical as fixed elections, voters rolls are way out of date, election officials open polling stations when they wish, electoral rules are disregarded.

The only way forward in Zimbabwe is rebellion, a national uprising and the armed struggle against a rotten corrupt regime.

Zimbabwe - year zero…

Zimbabwe has reached year zero…inflation is said to be 13,000%, the government no longer publishes inflation statistics; there is no food on the shelves of supermarkets except in Mugabe’ s local store in Borrowdale, police thugs are filmed beating demonstrators in Harare; businesses have been forced to cut prices; the currency is totally worthless; the economy and society are in ruins.

Mugabe and his Zanu PF government have managed or mismanaged within a few years to bring disaster to Zimbabwe.

Where is the leadership of the opposition?

Why is the leadership of te MDC factions not appealing for an uprising?

Where is the dynamism and courage that Zimbabweans need?

Floods - foolish to blame the government…

I have been reading some of the bitter postings on a BBC News web site, no doubt many are by habitual critics and cynics accustomed to blame the government of the day for anything from lost bus tickets to the poor results in sporting events. I am sure that many are genuinely angry and bitter and don’t know who to blame and the government seems an easy option. If any organizations are to blame for the floods at all, given it is a natural event, then blame the water and sewerage companies for enjoying fat profits, failure to update infrastructure and imposing high prices.

Do the water and sewerage companies need any government to show them the way; they should be aware that floods in certain areas of the UK are not new events. Surely, the privatized water and sewerage companies must be aware of the need to modernize our old infrastructure and spend money in doing so, the aim was to spend £4.5 billion but they are not spending that, they are spending less than that.

Builders, developers, planning authorities also need to share the blame, for they have also failed the general public.

We need now to think, plan and redevelop our infrastructure, the cost should be born partly from the profits of the water companies and government funding and E.U. assistance should be sought.

Time to re-nationalize the water industry…

It is clear that the privatized water and drainage industry has failed consumers, given the challenge that flooding is now causing perhaps the time has come to take water and drainage companies into public ownership.

Baroness Young of the Environment Agency has recently warfned consumers will foot the bill for flooding and flood protection policies, yes, we probably will, the water companies were supposed to spend £4.5 billion on modernizing infrastructure so far only £3.5 billion has been spent.

The water indstry has regularly imposed higher charges for consumers over the years and £2 billion in profits a year is in the light of their failures - obscene.

So the government should now consider that it’s time for these water corporate spivs to go and take water and drainage compabnies back into public ownership.

Heavy rainfall coming…

The news that yet more heavy rain may fall soon will bring some concern to residents in Gloucestershire and Oxfordshire, who have already endured so much, as indeed those in Yorkshire did not long ago. We hope extra resources will be made available to assist those that need practical help.

It seems there is going to be a considerable bill to pay for infrastructure repairs, let alone insurance payouts which will reach record heights, all of us should understand the need for flood protection measures being speeded up. Likewise, the need for extra supplies of water and fresh food should be on the list, the E.U. should now be asked for assistance.

We hope builders and developers will in regions where flooding is a constant threat ensure new homes are built to withstand the worst flooding scenarios, naturally I doubt if any builders or developers are bothered at all in regard to the kind of housing that needs to be constructed.

Positive measures for youth…

Interesting statement from 10, Downing Street, we have reprinted it below; good to see at last some constructive proposals in regard to youth.

__________________________________________________________

Youth Cabinet marks major investment in youth services

26 July 2007

Gordon Brown hosted a Cabinet meeting with a difference this morning to highlight the Government’s new ten-year youth strategy. Most of the other members were teenagers from around the country who were given the opportunity to question the PM about facilities and opportunities for young people.

Mr Brown, who gave up his usual seat at the Cabinet table to allow the 16-year-old “youth mayor” of Lewisham, Wilf Petheridge, to take charge, listened to the young people’s suggestions for activities and things to do.

The PM told them:

“Young people contribute an enormous amount to society, and the views of young people have had a big influence on the Youth Strategy we are publishing today.

“Now we want to hear from young people themselves. What are your priorities, where do you want to take this over the next few months, and how do we get the message out across the country that something’s actually happening?”

Children’s Minister Beverley Hughes, who also attended, said:

“One of the things we want to start to do is call for people to stand up for young people and cut through all this negative stereotyping.

“It’s about saying to the British public, look, we have got fantastic young people in this country and it’s time to start celebrating them.”

Ms Hughes later outlined the Government’s strategy on positive activities, which she described as “the most ambitious commitment to all our young people for decades”, in Parliament.

It promises major investment in an “exciting, modern, up to date place for young people in every community”. Working alongside young people themselves, local authorities will lead public, voluntary and private sector partnerships, to develop new facilities and ensure all young people can reach them. The Government will particularly target the most excluded young people in the most deprived communities.

There will also be a new fund to develop a national institute of youth leadership and older teenagers will be supported in setting up social enterprises in their communities.

The strategy additionally sets out a ten-year workforce reform programme to ensure “stronger leadership, and more skilled and creative people working with our teenagers - good role models who can relate to and inspire young people from all backgrounds”.

The National Archives…

Recently, we had to visit the National Archives at Kew for research purposes, quite an amazing site, staff very helpful, very well organised and well worth the trip, another visit panned next month.

A matter of language?

Gavin Esler last night on the BBC 2 Newsnight programme introduced an interesting topic on the failure of islam to experience a reformation. I do find though, that the recent habit of speaking of muslims and “non muslims” is irritating, Esler is using the sort of language fanatics use: how much simpler it would be to substitute “non muslims” with: Christians, Jews, Hindus athiests etc, the use of the phrase “non muslim” implies islam as the only religion and therefore is offensive.

I’m not sure it was wise to have Bakri, the expelled expelled fanatic on the show but it was interesting to some extent as the moron stated he wants to return to some sort of medieval paradise, Bhutto and another participant were struggling to make themselves coherent, having accepted some of the language Bakri used.

The expression “non muslim” is vulgar and should be consigned to the rubbish bin.

Floods & photo opportunities…

BBC TV News at 6pm, we see Gordon Brown in Gloucester with the local MP, a woman seeing the media scrum starts to chase Gordon Brown wanting answers he is seen scuttling away fast; were his minders over reacting; was the woman a nutter; was she a Tory or Lib Dem plant; was she a genuine citizen, suffering and wanting answers.? Well, we just don’t know, at the time of writing.

It is not good to see this kind of evasive action, Gordon Brown should have stopped and chatted to the woman concerned and listened - aren’t we supposed to be listening?

Gordon Brown’s minders should think and be ready to respond at least allow the viewers to judge by what she has to say. One hopes that in the future we will not see such a repeat of evasive action: to the voters and to the suffering people in Gloucestershire and Oxfordshire such prime ministerial visits will look like photo opportunities.