Month: March 2023

The Guardian has apologised fornte role played by its founders in creating the money to start the paper (via sugar cane plantations). Now the UN has called for the British Government and the Royal muckers to investigate the role of slavery in the past.

I know there will be shouts of derision from the right wing. I am not sure an apology is worth tuppence, but knowledge of the past is surely sensible. Knowing half the truth means that the full perspective of events in the past is possibly a lie, or at least incomplete.

i have not looked into my family history and doubt there is much of real interest – if however I was rich with inherited wealth that was accrued through the pain and suffering of others it would make me very uncomfortable. In many ways the wealth of the UK is based to a large extent on the suffering of others across the world. Our capacity to inflict sufferering stretches from the satanic mills and mines of this country to every continent in the world.

Loke I said it makes me feel uncomfortable. That is why morally we should do more to help former colonies and those still. sufferong from our past misdemeanours. King Charles yesterday laid a wreath to commemorate those civilians killed in bombing raids by the RAF in WWII, some of the raids were already been seen as pointless, but a wreath does help acknowledge the wrongs of the past.

I have heard many say, as indeed I think I have done so myself, that slavery was the norm for the time. It was only the norm for the small ruling class. It has always been seen and cruel by large nubers of people (if they had time to escape their own enslavement in factories). Other countries were also notably sadistic when it came to the colonies – Belgium, Spain, Portugal, Netherlands, France. That is no excuse either. Slavery has and does exist across the world – the Arab World was renowned for it – and Qatar paying security agents 30p/hour maybe a midern example of it – but again no excuse for not recognising our not inconsiderable role in slavery.

The buffoons who rule this country believe it is acceptable to accept £10000 a day, Sunak making millions, or $500000 for an after dinner speech by a liar, whilst refusing NHS staff a pay rise in line with inflation. That is the mentality of the ruling class in this country. Why does the Telegraph and Mail so hate the acknowledgment of slavery and the benefits we have gained? It does not fit their culture war – there must be a counter to their sordid attempt to undermine British Culture.

Angela Raynor does Raab!

How embarrassing for Raab! He should resign asap!

It looks like there will be a deluge of appointments to the over. stuffed upper chamber. Labour will be unlikely to rock. the boat of they win the next election – but they should, and fast. Immediate action should be to limit admittance to 3 or 5 years. That would thin out the numbers and create a great discussion. Obviously hereditary peers would be gone. There maybe a case for some judges to be appointed for longer to ensure the legality issues are properly dealt with – but this could be worked out with caveats to ensure neutrality. There would also need to be some 4 nations issues addressed.

But for sure we do not heed 700+ lords of whom many are wasters.

The United Kingdom desrves a House of Lords (better names?) that can continue to advance the leagality and fairness of future legislation without partisan voting. I have been impressed by debates I have heard in the HoL – intelligent nuanced comments that did not rely on the need to appease bigoted voters. It should not be abolished!

Look at what the Conservatives have done. NHS at breaking point – in 2010 we were highly regard around the world for our health service – the tories have (deliberately?) run it into the ground increased privatisation. Education is being pushed the same way. Libraries and swimming pools shut. Councils are running up debts.

At the sasme time the nations finances have been trashed. By leaving the EU they have lessened our prestige abroad. By promoting the incompetent to the Cabinet and higher they have undermined the whole political system.

They should call a general election before they do anymore damage.

The retirement of Nicola Sturgeon is a gift for Labour. The SNP is in disarray and after 5? winning elections complacency had grown. And it is rather ironic that the vote for Yiusaf was 52-48, a figure which John Grace has called a nemisis for the nation.

With the Conservtives in Scotland dwindling in numbers the opportunity is there for Starmer to strengthen Labour in the Central Lowlands. If Sunak says he will fight to retain the union it means there is no battle to be had anymore – he can do nothing and claim a victory as the SNP self-implode. For Labour there is the opportunity to win possibly tens of seats. They could also do better in NI in the form of the SDLP if it can win those not polarised by sectarian nonsense.

As we come out of what has been a fairly dull and miserable winter – spring will be here soon, although winters departure is that of a begrudging teenager being told to go to bed – we enter a spring and summer when light and hope should be poured upon us by the opposition parties.

The Conservatives are showing their colours early – culture wars, tough on crime, tough on migrants. All policies that seek to divide and encourage hate. The tough on crime bit I have not commented on before. Most, if not all of Sunaks blathering, was already illegal. The police and the courts cannot cope with the legislation they are supposed to enforce already. More bullshit about police numbers will not help, how many will be sacked if proper review of policing takes place? What vetting of new recruits will take place? Nitrous oxide consumption is already illegal, so new words will make squiddlydo difference. Graffeti and fly tipping are alreasdy illegal and common! House parties, although annoying, are surely less important than solving theft and burglary. Will the tories be able to say by the next election “WE HAVE ……” Rather than “WE WILL….” . They have had 13 years to sort things out how they would like them and have screwed up badly – time to let others have a go.

Who do they invite to their focus groups? I think it is people who would be annoyed if “**” happeneded to them, even though it is highly unlikely! Why would anyone here care about the poor refugees risking their lives to get here without the media winding them up. They will tell people to be offended about the football team taking the knee – when they have never seen a fooitball game in their lives. They will be offended by … oh shut up Parish!