POLITICS CORNER

[Stanley]

See THIS report on the state of our libraries.
The number of services and activities on offer at Woolwich Centre Library in south-east London is a bit dizzying. There are IT lessons, chess clubs, coffee mornings, baby rhyme times, arts and crafts, English classes and knitting groups There are Amazon lockers where you can collect parcels, a "library of things" where you can borrow jet sprays and a pink cabinet full of free period products. You can even borrow books. "We basically have everything except beer on tap," says library manager Tatayana D'Souza.
The question that is being asked is 'Can super libraries survive?'
I suspect that this is the wrong question. The real question is 'Are we willing to finance institutions that lend books and promote study?' I suspect the answer is no because libraries are seen as a frivolous option when compared with the shortfalls in funding in crucial services like social care and even basic policing. As we have seen this week, there is a real danger that local council funding is on the brink of total collapse. Libraries are not going to come out of this too well. That's the state of Britain today, we have been managed into a situation verging on national collapse by 14 years of failed policies.
Please will someone argue against this perception of the situation! I would love to be proved wrong.

[Tizer]

The real question is 'Are we willing to finance institutions that lend books and promote study?'

Only if people are willing to borrow books and want to study. Like you I've used libraries since I was a child and so did Mrs Tiz. We always have a row of borrowed library books at home, both fiction and often non-fiction. I also borrow books via my online account from other libraries in the south-west of England (£1 a go) which are delivered to our local library. But when I talk to other people about using the library they're not interested. If they want to read they buy the books and others aren't interested in reading books. They don't want library membership. Sad, but that's the reality.

[Stanley]

I have the same thoughts about the library service Peter. But then I recognise that I don't use the library, I buy books and read what I have. Am I part of the problem?
Should I place any credence on THIS?
The latest round of strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen are "not an escalation" of the conflict, Defence Secretary Grant Shapps has said. The Ministry of Defence confirmed that three sites were hit by RAF Typhoon jets on Saturday night. More than 30 targets were struck in the third wave of joint UK and US attacks on the Iran-backed group.
Would Grant Shapps be able to recognise 'escalation' if it jumped up and punched him on the nose? I watch these US actions and us trying to prove we can 'punch above our weight' with a couple of sorties from Cyprus and wonder where common sense and recognition of what war-mongering looks like goes out of the window. The root of the present problems is the Israeli actions against the Palestinians in Gaza which look remarkably close to genocide to me.
Or am I an old pessimist and should keep my thoughts to myself?

[Stanley]

See THIS for what leads political thought this morning.
The prime minister has hailed a "special opportunity" for Northern Ireland as he began a visit marking the return of power-sharing government. Rishi Sunak said Northern Ireland politicians can now "focus on delivery for families and businesses". Devolved government returned in Northern Ireland for the first time in two years on Saturday.
This is being hailed as a victory lap for Sunak, he needs all the positive reporting he can get, but I fear everyone is clapping hands too soon. We have seen these fresh starts before and every one has ended in the same political stalemate. Call me an old pessimist but I don't see any reason why this one should be different.

[Stanley]

I was surprised to see that THIS is in the political news.
Asked by TalkTV's Piers Morgan if he would bet £1,000 for a refugee charity that deportation flights would take off before the next election, the PM shook hands with him. Labour said it showed he was "totally out of touch with working people". The SNP said it had reported Mr Sunak for a potential breach of ministerial rules over the "grotesque" bet.
If this is true, what on earth was Sunak thinking? It seems that today's politics is played out in the studios of friendly media organisations and is divorced from the real world. Still, I suppose that if you are as wealthy as Sunak a £1,000 bet is small beer.
Labour's shadow paymaster general Jonathan Ashworth said: "Not a lot of people facing rising mortgages, bills and food prices are casually dropping £1,000 bets."

[Tripps]

The Tories led by Liz Truss (yes she's back) have formed an internal group, which they have christened 'Popular Conservatives' or 'Popcon for short'. This shows an amazing lack of self awareness. Even I can see the problems with this. Perhaps they couldn't afford the usual £50k fee from a branding company, to run a rule over it. I'll do it briefly for them free of charge.

At the moment' Popuar Conservatism' is an oxymoron - a major contradiction in terms. (That's tautological but included for emphasis !) They've never been more unpopular.
This will divide the party - people don't vote for a divided party.
Popcon is too similar to Popcorn - traditionally eaten on the internet whilst witnessing the discomfort of others.
Liz Truss and Jacob Rees Mogg are founder members. Only a wooden stake and garlic will get rid of them.

I liked Lee Anderson's joke though, that both he and Mogg were born on estates. Jacob on a 'country estate', and Anderson on a 'council estate'.


What do we want?
When do we want it?

[Stanley]

Yes, HERE'S the BBC take on the rise of the living dead.
On matters of finance, while Hunt talks about tax cuts HERE'S what is happening in the real world.
The government has quietly dropped a commitment to increase the amount of money that disabled people in England can claim to adapt their homes. The Disabled Facilities Grant is used to fund alterations aimed at easing living at home, such as installing wet-rooms or stairlifts. The maximum amount a person is entitled to claim has been capped at £30,000 since 2008. But in real terms, that means it's now worth around a third less. The Local Government Association told a committee of MPs that £30,000 was "now insufficient for most major building work costs". The government said it had put an additional £100m towards the grant over two years, so that "more people can benefit".
Note that last sentence. Typical weasel words in response to the criticism. Problem is they cannot be attacked on the grounds of being untrue. This is why we need programmes like 'More or Less'.

[Stanley]

See THIS BBC report on the row Sunak has got himself into because of what appears to be an insensitive remark.
Rishi Sunak is facing calls to apologise after joking about Labour's position on trans people when the mum of murdered teenager Brianna Ghey - who was transgender - was in Parliament. During Prime Minister's Questions, Mr Sunak ridiculed Sir Keir Starmer for U-turning on "defining a woman". No 10 said it was "legitimate" to question the Labour leader's position. But Brianna's father, who is among those calling for an apology, said the PM's comment was "degrading".
The question is, does Sunak care? He is beset on all sides by challenges to his policies, his 'pledges' are all in trouble and now he is worrying about the possible effects of a US Presidential Election in November on his General Election campaign here in the UK. No doubt he has noted Popcon as well.
Meanwhile the global scene is disturbing to say the least but our leaders seem to be involved in trivial pursuits.....

[Stanley]

Have a look at THIS BBC report on a matter which horrifies me.
The number of no-fault evictions by bailiffs in England surged by almost 50% last year, compared with 2022. Under Section 21 notices, people who rent their homes can be removed without landlords having to provide a reason. The government has promised its new Renters (Reform) Bill will ban Section 21 evictions in England and Wales. But campaigners have warned the bill is "on life support" and have accused ministers of "deprioritising" the reforms. The number of households repossessed by bailiffs after receiving a Section 21, or no-fault, notice rose by 49% last year from 6,339 to 9,457. Housing charity Shelter says only the most desperate tenants are evicted by a bailiff. Most leave before the end of their notice period when they receive a Section 21 order. In addition to the sharp rise in bailiff evictions, the total number of no-fault notices has risen to a seven-year high.
Give some thought to this report. Imagine that you are one of the evicted families. I can't imagine the grief and stress and the effect it must have on children. And yet it seems to be regarded as low priority by our caring Conservative Government. We are looking at shattered lives here and untold consequences further down the line when the children grow up.....

[Tripps]

There's a lot more to it than that. I'll tell you about it (with 'worked examples') one day.

The issue of the competence of President Biden is interesting. It is clear to any disinterested honest party, (me) that he should stand down, and the idea of seeking re- election is plainly ridiculous.

The reaction here is interesting - since he is a Democrat and the alternative seems increasingly to be the Antichrist Trump, many left leaning commentators are making all sorts of efforts to minimise the whole thing. Good to see this sort of shiboleth in action.

Putin's two hour interview is too long for me to watch in full, but I see he seems to have made a good recovery from his grave illnesses which had been reported over the last year. Perhaps it wasn't really him, but one of bis several body doubles? Who knows?

[Stanley]

"There's a lot more to it than that."
Of course there is David but that doesn't lessen the trauma of losing the roof over your head and being shunted into low grade B&B accommodation, especially for the children. That's where my concern lies....
Have a look at THIS report on the latest elevations to the peerage.
The government has announced 13 new peerages, including several donors to the Tory party, and the youngest ever member of the House of Lords. The list features Stuart Marks, a Conservative treasurer who has donated £119,500 to the party since 2013, and Paul Goodman, editor of Tory news site Conservative Home. Plaid Cymru nominee Carmen Smith, 27, will become the youngest ever peer. The list was published late on Friday, during a parliamentary recess. Also nominated by the Conservative party is Franck Petitgas, Rishi Sunak's business and investment adviser and former president of Morgan Stanley International, who has donated £35,000 to the Tory party.
Despite the denials we get every time the matter is raised, it is obvious that if you donate large amounts of money to a party it doesn't harm your chances of getting a peerage. The world of high finance and politics in the Westminster Village bears very little relationship to ordinary lives.....

[Stanley]

See THIS BBC report of the latest short cut being tried to alleviate the housing crisis.
Empty high street shops could be quickly converted to homes under an expected relaxation of planning laws. Michael Gove is expected to announce that a law allowing commercial buildings to be turned into homes without planning permission will extend to shops and offices of any size. It will also cut the need for them to have been empty for a period of time. Labour said the plan was an old idea and that home approvals in brownfield areas had halved under Tory rule. It comes six months after Mr Gove, the housing secretary, first flagged that his department was working on relaxing planning rules. The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities says the proposed amendments to planning law will still require buildings to be safe, uphold good standards of living space and have natural light. It added that the changes would focus on brownfield sites - areas which have already been built on - to limit development sprawling out to the outskirts of villages. Critics have previously said that such conversions are often poor quality.
Any port in a storm! Gove is desperate to find some way of improving the Tory Party's dismal record on housing. Unfortunately it's too little too late. They are wide open to attack in the General Election campaign.
Time is slipping away for the Tories. Normally I would be quite cheerful about this but I am sorry to say I can't see anything that could replace them as being any better.
(Please prove to me that I am wrong.....)

[Tripps]

The Rochdale by election is warming up.

Warning - this link leads to the Dailymail. Click only if you have an open mind, and can think for yourself.

By-election 29 Feb Rochdale.

We haven't heard from Mrs Duffy yet. I look forward to hearing her views.

PS:- Later that same day. This is getting national attention now - comparisons are being made, and I'll be surprised if he remains the Labour Party candidate for much longer.

[Stanley]

Yes, see THIS BBC reporton his statement.
Labour's candidate in the Rochdale by-election has apologised for remarks he made about Israel in a community meeting. In a secret recording obtained by the Mail on Sunday, Azhar Ali reportedly said Israel had "allowed" the deadly attack by Hamas gunmen on 7 October. He said his claims had been "deeply offensive, ignorant, and false". The Tories have called for Labour to suspend its by-election campaign and remove Mr Ali's party membership. The deadline to withdraw Mr Ali as a candidate has passed. Labour's national campaign co-ordinator Pat McFadden told BBC's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg that Mr Ali's comments "were completely wrong" and did not represent the party's view. However, he told Sky News Mr Ali would remain Labour's candidate in the Rochdale by-election.
Not very good publicity for a party that will soon be fighting a General Election....

[PanBiker]

Probably not the right bloke to say it but he holds my view also. There is clear evidence that the Israeli government had knowledge before the event as they are party to the USA surveillance intelligence from the area. Other agencies had also reported on training facilities and exercises being undertaken for months before the actual attack and not just in Gaza but in adjacent supportive countries, (all are not Palestinian).

Whatever the truth of the matter the IDF response is totally disproportional and has to be suspect, as they told everyone from the North of Gaza to move South, because Hamas was holed up in the North of the strip. They levelled that and have now changed their mind and have turned their attention to the South where over a million displaced families are seeking shelter. Various foreign democracies have been calling for a permanent ceasefire and the IDF have been accused of genocide which in my book is also warranted. I firmly believe that there is an agenda to reclaim the entire area as Israeli territory, they have already stated that when hostilities cease they will take over the administration and security of Gaza. The current regime will also not support a Dual State solution. They do not recognise that Palestine has a right to exist.

[Tripps]

I surrender.jpg

PS Simon Webb (as usual) has some interesting things to say, and the link he gives is 'worth a look' too.

Clicking the link is entirely optional. Rochdale

[PanBiker]

Struck by the number of anonymous comments, some openly racist etc, amazing how they come out of the woodwork. I contemplated asking what an Englishman is but thought it may confuse them too much.

[Tripps]

and I'll be surprised if he remains the Labour Party candidate for much longer.

It took a little over 24 hours.

If I was the Minister who loyally and repetitively, spouted the 'line to take' and defended the candidate all day on the media - Nick Thomas Symonds - I'd be resigning tonight. He won't though. Galloway is now favourite at 1/2 with the unfrocked 'Labour' man at 6/4. (Opened at 1/10) Gorgeous George's agent says he backed him early doors at 16/1! Still two and a half weeks to go yet though , and that's a very long time in this unpredictable heated atmosphere.

Fascinating.

Poor old Rochdale. They didn't deserve the politicians they got in recent years.

[Stanley]

Yes David, you were on the money. See THIS BBC report this morning on the matter.
Labour has “withdrawn support” for Rochdale by-election candidate Azhar Ali over comments he apparently made at a meeting. The Daily Mail published a recording apparently of Mr Ali blaming Jewish media figures for fuelling criticism a pro-Palestinian Labour MP. The BBC understands Labour have suspended Mr Ali pending an investigation. Mr Ali has been approached for comment. It is too late for the party to replace Mr Ali as its candidate. Labour's decision means that Mr Ali will remain on the ballot as the party's candidate for Rochdale, but if he is elected he will sit as an independent MP or join another party. Withdrawing support for Mr Ali will come as a blow to Labour, who had initially stood by him as the candidate to take over as MP for Rochdale after the death Sir Tony Lloyd. It is also highly unlikely that Mr Ali - a Lancashire County Councillor - would be selected by Labour to fight the forthcoming general election
You are right David, Rochdale has had some bad luck with MPs. During the decade I was associated with the town the biggest purely political scandal was the Tory reaction when the Council named the main administrative block in the town Mandela House. I'll bet my Labour Councillor friends would have some interesting opinions.

[PanBiker]

It is also highly unlikely that Mr Ali - a Lancashire County Councillor - would be selected by Labour to fight the forthcoming general election

No chance of that now Stanley. Azhar has stood in the past as PPC for Pendle. I have known him for 40 years and would vouch for his character any day. He started as a Nelson Borough Councillor and then worked his way up. He is the leader of the Labour Group on Lancashire County Council but will now have to sit as an Independent.

Interesting to note that the straw that apparently broke the camels back as far as the Labour Party is concerned is not the major one that the media has latched on to. It's comments he made at a meeting before he was selected as the candidate for the Rochdale by-election, where he commented on the witch hunt being prosecuted by the Jewish Labour Movement against a sitting MP claiming anti Semitism when he made remark against the disproportionate response prosecuted by the Israeli government. Railing against Zionist policy which is a choice made by the Israeli regime is not an attack on Jews. Someone has obviously been sitting on that and have picked their time to launch their attack.

They are trying to bury the advanced intelligence that was fed to Israel by the US security satellite network and also by neighbouring countries regarding the training and build up of Hamas forces and other factions involved in the conflict. Some of the information was given two years ago. Very convenient to call it a conspiracy theory and use it as a get out of jail free card. We will probably never know as they seem to winning on this one.

Seems to me that the Israeli Government will only be satisfied when they have levelled the majority of Gaza, reclaimed it as their territory and built more Kibbutz. Matters not what happens to what remains of the Palestinian population that were forced to live there. The fact that the current Israeli regime does not recognise that Palestine has a right to exist says it all for me. No different in my view to Germany's stance in the 1930's against the Jewish people. Do we learn nothing!

[PanBiker]

Here is how Labour List sees it. Some very pertinent questions raised.

Azhar Ali candidate for Rochdale by-election - What did he say?

[Stanley]

The more I learn about this affair, the more suspicious it all looks. It makes my suspicions worse when I read Ian's opinion of Mr Ali because I trust Ian's judgement in this matter implicitly.
See THIS for another example.
Labour has suspended a second parliamentary candidate over comments he allegedly made about Israel. Graham Jones, the former Labour MP for Hyndburn, is also facing an investigation, the BBC understands. It comes after Labour withdrew support for the party's candidate for the Rochdale by-election, Azhar Ali, for apparently making antisemitic remarks. Mr Jones has been contacted for comment. Labour had selected Mr Jones to contest his former Lancashire seat in the forthcoming general election. The BBC understands Mr Jones was suspended for comments he appears to have made about Israel - but Labour has yet to identify the specific remarks.
The question arises, what crime does the Israeli government have to commit to render criticism valid and not anti-Semitic?
Does their actions against targets in Gaza meet this test?
I have been a critic for many years of the Israeli government's anti Palestinian policies. The latest right wing administration under Benjamin Netanyahu has been even more violent towards the Palestinians and their policies become ever closer to genocide. I am not anti-Semitic but I am very definitely opposed to the present Netanyahu government and the actions of the IDF. Mr Starmer should stop taking my membership dues and expel me from the Party!
I suspect that there are many Jewish members of the Labour Party who also oppose what is being done in their name.

[Tizer]

From Wikipedia...
As of 11 February 2024, over 29,000 people (27,708 Palestinian and 1,410 Israeli have been killed in the Israel–Hamas war, including 85 journalists (78 Palestinian, 4 Israeli and 3 Lebanese) and over 136 UNRWA aid workers.
On 7 October 2023, 1,139 Israelis and foreign nationals, including 764 civilians, were killed, and 248 persons taken hostage during the initial attack on Israel from the Gaza Strip.

[PanBiker]

I suspect that there are many Jewish members of the Labour Party who also oppose what is being done in their name.

Dame Louise Ellman and Dame Margaret Hodge, have both commented in support of Azhar's comments and the current witch hunt within the party.

[Tripps]

I'm not sure about how helpful a 'reference' from Dame Margaret Hodge is. (Actually I am sure. )

Private Eye has arrived, and disappointingly there seems to be no mention of this current political situation. The cartoons are much improved though. I've been doing a bit of Google research, and found enough info on the candidates for an Eye article, but none of the information, some of which sounds incredible, can be reliably checked, so I will say nowt.

"Dame Louise Ellman and Dame Margaret Hodge, have both commented in support of Azhar's comments and the current witch hunt within the party".

Twitter unusually won't give me full access - that's odd, but Dame Louise says this - which I wouldn't describe as being in support of Azhar's comments. In fact this is the 'line to take' put out by Nick Thomas Symonds on Monday, but very quickly reverse ferreted.

"I am appalled at Azhar Ali’s comments repeating outrageous and deeply offensive conspiracy theories. It is right that he has given a full apology".


I would not call that "being in support of his comments". There is still a fortnight to go before the election - perhaps Azhar Ali will win. It's not impossible.