tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8835134290813597372024-03-05T09:22:15.904+00:00Peoples Republic of HoveA place to discuss happenings on the Hove (and Brighton) political scene and further afield.Andy Richardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01441557191138845101noreply@blogger.comBlogger375125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-883513429081359737.post-2099427923129774642013-05-09T01:04:00.001+01:002013-05-09T01:04:53.705+01:00The barbarity of the bedroom tax - the victims speakThe testimony below comes from real people living in Brighton and Hove, who are hit by the bedroom tax. It is taken from a speech made by Brighton Benefits Campaign in a deputation to Wednesday's City Council Housing Committee.<br /><br />Thanks to their campaign, the committee voted not to evict any tenant in arrears because of the bedroom tax.<br /><br />Photos are from the lobby of the meeting by anti bedroom tax campaigners.<br /><br /><br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/108046173078757542821/BloggerPictures?authkey=Gv1sRgCKnAyf3N85ONugE#5875763815676483826'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxOa1V5fJ2TumngFGD6P2MGkvFfYcNNIhNHrg1YSDXuzRllTee2vI11Id1M7t3remat1upWlCMSPYIB58qeUTg4GEmGUWzZmWtjQLDkBQki2hVRvznUkA2ep95nBLYHusW54fOpIc6s655/s288/0.jpg' border='0' width='281' height='210' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br />Imagine......<br /><br />You’ve invested a lot of time and effort in improving your council house over the years. You’ve always paid the rent on time. Your family have flown the nest successfully. The grandchildren are a joy.<br /><br />Then tragedy hits. Your daughter dies...and suddenly, in mid-life, you are pitched back into the work of full-time parenting again, looking after two young granddaughters. NOW you are told that despite your poverty, and despite your enlarged household you must pay a penalty for under-occupying, when in fact your teenage grandson comes to stay for half the week to be with his sisters and sleeps in the box-room It’s a painful reminder that how real families live doesn’t count for anything, when it comes to the bedroom tax.<br /><br /><br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/108046173078757542821/BloggerPictures?authkey=Gv1sRgCKnAyf3N85ONugE#5875763845446349490'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUmZ9O42x99B8sBFMbrcF9r_2Dh-4dd5Yrs4O3Hkh06n43yEtaSjK-XpQSWyTnsJcK84KAO7Mx4d2LgZj7L9bL5yQLHDtsmuFutpd8hkIMvFbth0-YL1SGhlR3vnjgisVpc2uhGlbDZ9A4/s288/1.jpg' border='0' width='210' height='281' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br />Or........<br /><br />You are seriously ill, constantly tired and in pain. You’ve had to give up so much of the life you had before. But at least your flat is above the neighbourhood shop. At least it is adapted - in so many ways - for your needs. At least you have long-standing neighbours who support and look out for you. It’s your home. Now you are told that you must move, and the stress and disruption is more than you can even bear to think about.<br /><br /><br />Or......<br /><br />Your children no longer live with you...but they are all close by. One is a single parent and you try to help out by having the grandchildren to stay occasionally. Your own health is not good, but you’re an active person in the community despite it, and your home there is your bedrock. Paying the bedroom tax will reduce your income so far below the breadline that you just don’t know how you’ll manage. You cannot eat peioperly and you’ve lost the energy to help other like you used to. It’s now a daily struggle not to just sink into despair.<br /><br /><br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/108046173078757542821/BloggerPictures?authkey=Gv1sRgCKnAyf3N85ONugE#5875763879194785026'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhX-asBU8AQmy2OzbKPnU-5omP09T8Tj3_tqE7mYr0U4hAszyiLAPfg6jAz2OdJajxaumaaebvhFGUXJqhE0KcezK-p2nPse3fTfGErStcZu72TWwsbLKS-Jh09WwsJk9Mi5xpW8dcBSB0/s288/2.jpg' border='0' width='281' height='210' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br />Or.....<br /><br />You have both serious physical and mental illnesses, and you have carers coming in every single day. You feel safe with the good neighbours around you, and are so glad that your garden lets you keep your beloved pets. Moving is unimaginable. New people and new situations are just too much to cope with alongside your illness. A discretionary housing payment seems to offer hope, but then you are told it’s only for people who agree to move and you’re refused it. you think: how can they get away with telling me to pay the bedroom tax from money that’s not supposed to be for housing, but for the extra costs I have because of my disabilities. You wonder what will become of you with cuts in the real value of social security benefits for years to come, and council tax to pay, and now this. it’s so heartless that you wonder if the intention of it all is to drive you to suicide...Then, no doubt, the money that was supposed keep you alive will come in handy for tax cuts for the well off.<br /><br />Why is the housing benefit bill blamed on us? We’re not the private landlords that central government is happy to see making a killing out of the housing shortage. Where are the rent controls?<br /><br />We, the least well off are blamed, when we live in a country stuffed full of private half-empty mansions, second homes and holiday homes.<br /><br />The government is ducking and responsibility for this housing crisis and refusing to invest in social housing, which would create desperately needed jobs as well as homes.<br /><br /><br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/108046173078757542821/BloggerPictures?authkey=Gv1sRgCKnAyf3N85ONugE#5875763901608528034'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_fKDBslco0wAsv_r4d_sYO00IBXPRGw8WilolotcdLvOgYE8lhyRlnA8DiINXOZTRE4c2OvbL8KcnHNQnaontuNt463yy0HB0a4UWgV_duPO21f20-5yU7occRAOrngU6PLQY2Nw133j5/s288/3.jpg' border='0' width='210' height='281' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br />- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad<br />Andy Richardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01441557191138845101noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-883513429081359737.post-64222834348580966582013-04-13T00:00:00.001+01:002013-04-13T00:00:28.091+01:00The Tories' relentless war on the poor<br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/108046173078757542821/BloggerPictures?authkey=Gv1sRgCKnAyf3N85ONugE#5866099023385781730'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBnbpDkHfD4n-0KLSjckG1H5QkDTFLghlqoSfK91BON8BjRrcufhby0BtxPU3wyuSrhZ2Dw_bGcrxMkpO4aSw7Y0lg6plD-VC4eerajYKizPbJR9m15PIo7ajgGKAR47MQ5x-zG364boBS/s288/0.jpg' border='0' width='200' height='281' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br />The attack on the poor<br /><br />There is an old ruling class saying,”never let a good crisis go to waste”. It refers to the way in which economic meltdown and social breakdown can be used to make public opinion malleable to ideas which they would never normally countenance.<br /><br />Nowhere is this more true than in the current debate on the Welfare State. The ruling class, with its willing helpers in the media, has created a toxic atmosphere of hate, by zeroing in on a tiny number of untypical cases, spreading lies and disinformation, and culminating in the blatant use of of an horrific tragedy to denigrate and demonise people who rely on benefits. <br /><br />The Philpott case was a gift to the tabloids who were able to use it as an example of the “welfare culture”. After a week of media exposure, I still find it hard to work out the actual line of reasoning here - does living on benefits really make you more disposed to kill kids? As other commentators have pointed out, we don’t blame the NHS for Harold Shipman, nor the road haulage business for Peter Sutcliffe. No-one called for a cap to be placed on inherited wealth when a man called Stephen Seddon murdered his parents to get his hands on their fortune. But when it comes to benefits, the right-wing dog whistle is so strong the “logic”, it seems, doesn’t even need explaining.<br /><br />It is true that this narrative has found some level of public support, although as the TUC has found, this is largely based on completely false ideas about how the benefits system works and how much people actually get. The picture of public opinion changes when people are given the correct information.<br /><br />The TUC research showed that the public had a completely exaggerated view of <br />how much benefits actually are<br />how easy they are to get<br />what proportion of benefit goes to unemployed people<br />the level of fraud in the benefit system<br /><br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/108046173078757542821/BloggerPictures?authkey=Gv1sRgCKnAyf3N85ONugE#5866099056164677042'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv0VYg3P6rfNwSRpXnj4snto9_67nV1kcRl6fkLcScthx6m-xzYXlDKvoVvc_Sk2gZKXYjHmTMLi4Wy1awMF_I8qwyM0Jtl1jglkE0jHYp7MkhfJxBBHw4PDAt5cJgRoXdoPQVbs8R0RjE/s288/1.jpg' border='0' width='281' height='198' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br />The true statistics<br /><br />In 2011-12, the total benefit spend in the UK was £166.98 billion, slightly higher than the total spending on the NHS - a useful soundbite for politicians in itself. But if we look at this figure more closely, we find that -<br /><br />42% of that money went on the state pension and other benefits for pensioners<br />20% goes to people on a low income (usually in work)<br />16% goes to disabled people<br />Just 2.6% actually goes to unemployed people.<br /><br />In terms of fraud, the DWP’s own figures give the proportion of “fraud and error” as 2.1%. Fraud and error are of course different things, though politicians usually wilfully conflate them. But even so, compare that with the public notion that it runs at 30 to 35%.<br /><br />Fraud has been coming down for years, as improved technology makes it more detectable. In their terms, you might think that the DWP would trumpeting this success, but instead they continue to perpetuate the idea that the benefits system is riven with fraud.<br /><br />The cuts from April 1st<br /><br />The latest cuts to attract the headlines are - <br /><br />The bedroom tax - a reduction in housing benefit in the social rent sector if you are deemed to have too many bedrooms in your home. It is estimated that 660,000 households are affected and the cut could be 14% or 25%. Disabled people and people needing extra rooms for carers will not be exempt. It is estimated that potentially displaced tenants outnumber available smaller dwellings by a factor of 10 to 1.<br />The cut in council tax benefit - the effect of this varies across the country, as local councils have been given the responsibility for it with 10% less funding, but the net effect leaves the poorest having to find council tax payments from benefit payments which were never designed to cover it. Millions of households are affected by this, and 450,000 households are affected by both this and the bedroom tax. The average loss of income for this latter group is £16.90pw.<br />1% uprating of benefits - in reality this represents a massive cut with inflation at nearly 3%. Benefits have always gone up with inflation but in a classic bit of divide and rule, Osborne and Duncan Smith argue that this is “unfair” as wages are lagging behind. What this overlooks is the pitifully low level of benefits; indexing at least helped to ensure that the position of people reliant on benefits did not get any worse. This cut, taken with the others, represents a “perfect storm” for hundreds of thousands of people.<br />Abolition of Disability Living Allowance - to be replaced by Personal Independence Payments. The new benefit, with stricter criteria, will drive thousands of disabled people into poverty.<br /><br /><br />Divide and rule, demonisation and the tax swindle<br /><br />One of the tactics used by the ConDems most effectively has been to set the interests of people in work against those of the unemployed, whereas the reality is of course that those interests are the same. We have had the rhetoric of “strivers and skivers” and those drawn early-morning curtains.<br /><br />But many of the benefits being cut are claimed by the working poor, who need those benefits to survive. <br /><br />People in work will be hit by the bedroom tax and council tax benefit reductions. For example a council tenant paying a rent of £80pw in low paid employment and perhaps receiving £10pw in housing benefit will lose that money if they have a “spare” room.<br /><br />Tax credits are also being squeezed, with more hours needing to be worked in order to qualify and the amounts payable being cut in real terms. Help for childcare is being cut while childcare costs spiral.<br /><br />All of this will more than cancel out any rises in tax allowances, and increases in net earnings will simply cut housing benefit entitlement, as that is worked out using net income. Working people on means-tested benefits already suffer an effective marginal tax rate of 85% on rises in earnings because of the loss of benefit. But Osborne’s budget has given the 13000 richest people a tax windfall of £100,000.<br /><br /><br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/108046173078757542821/BloggerPictures?authkey=Gv1sRgCKnAyf3N85ONugE#5866099084045932114'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvIdIbpvquGA40rcqZ8F1Uj6DCUqj4OJg20B_OG6zlHT_Ti9qYDh2EdDHVMRDVmBwFwm36hTTKE6c7oJYWANfbk3Rl-CsOyFozmUSXlvsCmsZRN0tFx-OtBUIweDqGSxOYZekTSY95H7bC/s288/2.jpg' border='0' width='191' height='281' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br />The government continues to expand Workfare, but the evidence is now clear that it really is just a cheap (actually free) labour scheme. The “work experience scheme” is being touted around Homebase stores as a way of “avoiding payroll costs”, and workers in these stores are having their overtime cut as Workfare placements are brought in. It is clearer than ever that workers have no interest in seeing unemployed people being brought in to do their jobs for no wages.<br /><br /><br />Universal nightmare<br /><br />Later this year, all of the main means-tested benefits will be merged into Universal Credit. This will mean cuts for large numbers of people, with people needing to keep in work to derive any small benefit. Payment of UC will require people to meet ever tightening “commitments” to seek work, with the threat of complete loss of benefit if they are judged to be not trying hard enough. Alternatively, if they are claiming on grounds of illness or disability they face ever more medical tests from ATOS, an IT firm, most of whose staff have no medical training.<br /><br />UC will rely on a sophisticated interaction of IT systems, and everyone claiming it will have to do so online. Around 40% of likely claimants lack the means to access the internet. There is already evidence that there are implementation problems and the project is behind schedule. There is therefore the very real prospect of chaos for claimants.<br /><br /><br />Labour’s inadequate response<br /><br />New Labour buys into much of the Tories' rhetoric on benefits. They support the bedroom tax "in principle" and they also back workfare. It was Labour who brought in and then privatised the assessment of sick and disabled people. They do little to challenge the demonisation of the unemployed and disabled because they fear the effect on what they see as their core "respectable working class" vote. That Osborne's cynical exploitation of the Philpott case was too much even for them to stomach isn't really saying very much.<br /><br />Now Labour has come up with the idea of higher benefits for those who have worked and paid tax into the system, although when in power they did little to protect or promote the contributory principle. In any case, there will always be some people who have not paid in - young people or people (most likely women) who have had long-term domestic or caring responsibilities. How will they be protected? There is also the question of disabled people who may never have worked.<br /><br /><br />What the Left should be campaigning for<br /><br />A basic Citizens Income for all<br />The abolition of Workfare and a complete labour movement boycott of it<br />Take benefits delivery away from the failed private sector predators<br />An end to discrimination against young people in the benefits system<br />A real Living Wage, which would reduce the subsidy to employers from the benefits system<br />Rent controls - to reduce the amount of housing benefit ending up in private landlords’ pockets<br />An end to council house sales and investment in housebuilding<br />Abolish the bedroom tax and demand that council refuse to evict tenants because of it.<br />Support those who cannot pay rent or council tax as a result of the cuts<br /><br /><br /><br />- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad<br />Andy Richardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01441557191138845101noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-883513429081359737.post-46205821817904447732013-04-07T23:44:00.001+01:002013-04-07T23:44:09.198+01:00Hundreds march for the NHS and say "Get stuffed Kershaw!"About 500 people marched on Saturday to oppose the threats of cuts and privatisation declared by Kershaw, the Axeman of Lewisham.<br />
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Speakers included Caroline Lucas, Mark Steel and local GMB and Unison activists. In the video below. Steve Maclean makes an impassioned demand for the TUC to pull its finger out to take action to defend the NHS and all public services.<br />
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<br />Andy Richardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01441557191138845101noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-883513429081359737.post-77951282439175841822013-03-31T17:10:00.001+01:002013-03-31T17:10:26.246+01:00Defend our NHS! Protest April 6th Royal Sussex County Hospital<br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/108046173078757542821/BloggerPictures?authkey=Gv1sRgCKnAyf3N85ONugE#5861540402446645234'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5NpKmB1PfZLKBkDkOvbtjlidb7sFFLv-oAEEdNNP0qR3s7sYIlWJiyB31JKiVvKOi6SpgFOyaIY1IGaV7qyYg4fD-SemFSSU9BJQiv02xnJfPM1BzYXWa_cGPdv_7y0PZFIIoo30ekjP-/s288/0.jpg' border='0' width='281' height='205' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br />Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals Trust has a new Chief Executive; Matthew Kershaw, the man responsible for cuts and privatisation in South London's hospitals. He has already revealed some of his plans for Sussex - to implement £30 million in cuts and he is willing to make people redundant to do so.<br /><br /><b>Protest<br /><br />April 6th, 11am<br /><br />Royal Sussex County Hospital</b><br /><br />Join Mr Kershaw's welcome party and show him what we think of his plans to cut staff and service, and privatise the NHS.<br /><br />Called by GMB, Defend our NHS and supported by Brighton and Hove Women Against the Cuts<br /><br /><br />- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad<br />Andy Richardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01441557191138845101noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-883513429081359737.post-79684823216542169302013-03-26T08:15:00.001+00:002013-03-26T08:18:45.996+00:00Massive anti privatisation protest at Sussex University<br />
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2000 students and trade unionists demonstrated in support of the occupation on the campus yesterday. The occupation has now been extended beyond the area originally occupied.<br />
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Their statement is printed below. Video <a href="http://youtu.be/O5kVlK2zoFA">http://youtu.be/O5kVlK2zoFA</a><br />
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Today marks an important and momentous day in the history of resistance at Sussex University and in the United Kingdom. At 1pm today, students from across the country stood alongside academics, university staff and others in a mass display of solidarity, to express their anger at the Management of Sussex University. At present, a National General Meeting is taking place to discuss and plan the future of the national campaign.<br />
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We have been joined by over 2000 people, including coachloads of students and faculty from Universities such as UCL, Exeter, Manchester, Warwick, Bristol etc. This is on top of countless supporters from the University and local community. In the general meeting following the demonstration, over 20 universities were represented.<br />
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Today saw the launch of the ‘Pop Up Union’, an innovative, horizontally organised trade union, run by staff on campus. Workers at the University of Sussex have formed the new union in a bid to halt the outsourcing of 235 campus jobs. The initiative comes from rank-and-file members of the three recognised campus trade unions, with the support of students from the now six-week old occupation of the University’s Conference Centre.<br />
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During the announcement of its formation today, a member stated “The Pop-Up Union is a result of management’s refusal to engage meaningfully with staff, students, and the recognised trade unions for over 10 months. We are now taking things into our own hands. We are urging all Sussex staff to join the Pop-Up Union so that we can stand together against the attack on workers terms and conditions that outsourcing represents.”<br />
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The demonstration began with inspirational speeches and rallying calls from Alfie Meadows, Katy Clark, Michael Chessum, Dr Maia Pal, Greg Paterson and others. This support from across the United Kingdom is indicative of the significance of the campaign that is taking place at Sussex. An EDM has been tabled in parliament, senior politicians are writing to the Vice Chancellor, and the campaign is the focus of a growing movement. Today also saw the delivery of a petition signed by 5000 people demanding a halt to the privatization plans, and the discussions of industrial action being mounted.<br />
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Today saw the emergence of a reinvigorated community, both at Sussex, across other universities, and throughout public sector institutions bearing the brunt of… Students and faculty met during the demonstration to plan and discuss how we grow and support each other in this united struggle.<br />
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In occupying all cafes on campus, we have provided staff the opportunity to join our demonstration at 1pm. Moreover a clear message is sent to Sodexo that they are not welcomed to our campus, and action will continually be taken to stop this. In taking over and occupying Sussex House, the University’s management building, the campus community have reclaimed the space from which these unilateral, detrimental and indefensible decisions have been made.<br />
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Today has seen action taken by the police force that has once again demonstrated restrictions on the right to protest. The decision to call scores of riot police onto campus to inhibit the action by staff, students, faculty and guests is further evidence that management are on the back foot, and that the community is set to win. Police lines were attacking students prior to the occupation of Sussex House. In the past, management have tried to divert successful campaigns focus away from its aims into protecting the rightful actions of victimised staff and students. We will adamantly defend all who joined us today, but we pledge not to be distracted from what we are fighting for. We will not let management rip apart our community, our education, and the future of universities.<br />
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All plans for today’s demonstration were peaceful. Once again, repeated excessive brutality of the police force has led to clashes. Hearing Alfie Meadows speak at the rally encapsulated this. The police force made no arrests today, a telling sign.<br />
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We once again reiterate the demands of this campaign and the current occupation:<br />
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1. A complete halting of the ongoing bidding process and end to the entire privatization program, effective immediately.<br />
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2. A commission of students, staff and lecturers to be formed. With full remit to re-evaluate procedures and channels for holding management accountable as well as reviewing and extending student and workers’ say in these decisions.<br />
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3. An end to the intimidation that senior and middle management have used to deter students and workers for airing and acting on their concerns.<br />
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPadAndy Richardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01441557191138845101noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-883513429081359737.post-51865666478263940772013-03-07T01:53:00.001+00:002013-03-07T02:00:01.912+00:00Cameron's lies about the bedroom tax<br /><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/108046173078757542821/BloggerPictures?authkey=Gv1sRgCKnAyf3N85ONugE#5852413553025292626'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiush1WCN-xVsuys8CxIMhLDE2txAGVGjQHS9-ux7jYjXq2fXXZxBhhA7nJC4th7ACaqT4EqUBNEQIsBEbXmimKoBK4uCKBDJujzTFI5u0eORBN6oUDwZAE40JUKNxfaqNwU7fedsqF7I7n/s288/0.jpg' border='0' width='281' height='198' style='margin:5px'></a><br />Cameron flat-out lied yesterday about the disabled being "exempt" from the bedroom tax. There is no such exemption. In fact, his government is currently OPPOSING several attempts to get such an exemption in the courts. Almost all of the mainstream media and HM Loyal Oppposition failed to pick up on this. <br />Months ago the Appeal Court ruled (in relation to similar rules in the private rented sector) that it was a breach of human rights to force two children to share a bedroom if at least one of them was seriously disabled. The government is fighting this in the Supreme Court. <br />Earlier this week an application for judicial review of the effect of the bedroom tax was lodged on behalf of 10 children who are either severely disabled or are abuse survivors. Again these cases are being resisted by the Government.<br /><b>If disabled people are "exempt", why the need for legal proceedings in the first place, and why would the Government be resisting them?</b><br />- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad<br /><p class='blogpress_location'>Location:<a href='http://maps.google.com/maps?q=Cameron's%20lies%20about%20bedroom%20tax&z=10'>Cameron's lies about bedroom tax</a><br /><br />Andy Richardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01441557191138845101noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-883513429081359737.post-75783341446404647312013-03-07T01:41:00.001+00:002013-03-07T01:41:34.354+00:00Blogging resumed! After too long away I am going to start blogging again. Watch this space!<br /><br /><br />- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad<br />Andy Richardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01441557191138845101noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-883513429081359737.post-73771761521351885112012-12-10T09:22:00.001+00:002012-12-10T09:23:31.723+00:00Three Brighton Starbucks shut in UKUncut action-but where was the Left?<br /><br /><br /><center><a href='http://photo.blogpressapp.com/show_photo.php?p=12/12/10/134.jpg'><img src='http://photo.blogpressapp.com/photos/12/12/10/s_134.jpg' border='0' width='255' height='257' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br /><br /><br /><center><a href='http://photo.blogpressapp.com/show_photo.php?p=12/12/10/135.jpg'><img src='http://photo.blogpressapp.com/photos/12/12/10/s_135.jpg' border='0' width='210' height='281' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br /><br /><br /><center><a href='http://photo.blogpressapp.com/show_photo.php?p=12/12/10/136.jpg'><img src='http://photo.blogpressapp.com/photos/12/12/10/s_136.jpg' border='0' width='210' height='281' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br />Yet again UKUncut showed us how direct action is done in its campaign against corporate tax dodging. In Brighton they did not manage to occupy any shops ...because management closed them! Something of an own-goal methinks!<br />We leafletted outside the shops and people queued to sign the petition. UKUncut have a way of connecting with people's concerns that the organised left could learn from. <br />Speaking of which...where were they?<br />I have noticed before that UKUncut actions consist of a different set of people from the usual activists, but on Saturday (apart from a couple of Socialist Worker sellers) there was a complete absence of the Brighton Left. <br />Why this should be the case I don't know, and maybe it was only a Brighton phenomenon, but it seems like a missed opportunity to me. <br /><br /><br /><center><a href='http://photo.blogpressapp.com/show_photo.php?p=12/12/10/137.jpg'><img src='http://photo.blogpressapp.com/photos/12/12/10/s_137.jpg' border='0' width='211' height='281' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br />- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone<br /><br />Andy Richardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01441557191138845101noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-883513429081359737.post-54541149726588423302012-12-05T23:59:00.001+00:002012-12-05T23:59:05.284+00:00Protest against Osborne's cuts - pictures<div id="dE_H" style=";width:100%; height:100%; ;"> <img id="imgb557e8e8-5306-4f43-b8eb-aec4ad860092" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-f4G4T9_r5ZM/UL_fnRa6QUI/AAAAAAAACVI/UUPSJbgp6GQ/%25255BUNSET%25255D.jpg" style="height:375px;width:500px;opacity:1;left:310px;top:247px" class="" mvc="false"><br><div><br></div><div><img id="img6db12720-bef5-4879-9f1c-9045a08fcc03" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-I7YrxbyT1X8/UL_fqce2k6I/AAAAAAAACVQ/mkZdP-dYUa8/%25255BUNSET%25255D.jpg" style="height:667px;width:500px"></div><div><br></div><br><div><img id="img9ad11a5d-a52c-4d5a-8b35-922435db135e" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-9Wr2Mp7Mu2Q/UL_ftmRueJI/AAAAAAAACVY/FMYHlpIIzfA/%25255BUNSET%25255D.jpg" style="height:667px;width:500px"></div><div><br></div><div><img id="img472e2579-812e-4b8d-a5e3-a25ae46ff8e5" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-zx1Oz6bq4GU/UL_fw2gOjKI/AAAAAAAACVk/7Fyq9XjTAgw/%25255BUNSET%25255D.jpg" style="height:667px;width:500px"></div><br><br></div>Andy Richardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01441557191138845101noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-883513429081359737.post-30693485146044541182012-12-01T11:20:00.001+00:002012-12-01T11:20:32.015+00:00Rally against Osborne's cuts- December 5th<div id="dE_H" style=";width:100%; height:100%; ;"> <img src="webkit-fake-url://4B74556D-54F8-4FDC-9EED-D055C865721C/imagejpeg"><div><br></div><div><div><b>Rally in defence of public services, the NHS and the Welfare State</b></div><div><b><br></b></div><div><b>Wednesday 5th December</b></div><div><b>5.45 pm</b></div><div><b>Clock Tower</b></div><div><b>Brighton</b></div><div><br></div><div>Speakers from NHS and Council Unions, and campaigners for public services.</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div>Why are large corporations and wealthy individuals able to avoid tax while our services are slashed?</div><div>Why do bankers get bonuses while we get wage and benefit cuts?</div><div>Why are millions unemployed while employers are allowed to use workfare schemes to avoid taking people on and paying them a decent wage?</div><div><br></div><div>Austerity isn't working!</div><div><br></div><div>Join the Budget Day protest</div><div><br></div><div>Supported by</div><div>Brighton Hove and District TUC</div><div>Brighton Stop the Cuts Coalition</div><div>GMB</div><div>Unite</div><div>Unison</div><div>BMA</div><div>Brighton Benefits Campaign</div><div><br></div><div>In his Budget statement on December 5th, Osborne is announcing more misery for ordinary people. This is in addition to the cuts in benefits already announced and the selling off of the NHS. Brighton and Hove City Council is facing a deficit of £25 million next year alone. This will decimate local services and destroy jobs.</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><b>NHS Act set to destroy health service</b></div><div><br></div><div>The Coalition has passed an Act that will -</div><div><br></div><div>encourage private health companies to cherry pick the profitable services away from the NHS</div><div>force hospitals to compete with each other, threatening hospital bankruptcy.</div><div>allow hospitals fill up to half of all beds with private patients; before there was limit on private patients, but that’s been scrapped. You and your family will go to the back of the queue.</div><div>Restrict the range of health services available. Your GP, formerly your health champion will now appear to become a health scrooge. GPs have been conscripted to be the government’s messenger.</div><div> </div><div>But, they can stick with the publicly-run services, so tell your GP that you don’t want your health services privatised.</div><div> </div><div>More information go to <a href="http://www.nhscampaign.org/" x-apple-data-detectors="true" x-apple-data-detectors-type="link" x-apple-data-detectors-result="0">http://www.nhscampaign.org/</a></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div></div></div>Andy Richardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01441557191138845101noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-883513429081359737.post-33822585082309336142012-11-19T22:52:00.001+00:002012-11-19T22:52:15.074+00:00Action in support of Gaza - Saturday in Brighton - photos and videoThere was a march in solidarity with the people of Gaza last Saturday. The march ended with a picket of the EcoStream store, trading on the Occupation. More information <a target="_blank" href="http://azvsas.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/ecostream-closed-down-for-morning-as.html">here</a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/108046173078757542821/BloggerPictures?authkey=Gv1sRgCKnAyf3N85ONugE#5812659961964911410'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZyyZ8h8calc-F4vLMvgYVxS4TyN7exb5Dfc3VAUXkGQBWxdSjMXsA8h_rXnDmJCQpl4mWErLz7VLn4fYUEuzBY6jkD_OjxDqtGnsq3mmDlHhuwbfy5ePPEm3B3KBwdaUQvxgvjTzDZgj_/s288/0.jpg' border='0' width='210' height='281' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br /><br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/108046173078757542821/BloggerPictures?authkey=Gv1sRgCKnAyf3N85ONugE#5812659995184618850'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5s_eHZM0pB4JClWVvT0IXazYizmS5Vl-7QYrAo48AJQG12glfIz23RtHWx_9xIP0Z-Y07LSSsjdEiM5UeMOe8d7aiJdpc1WAZXLVUf0qHqhbdeX-L4_4FSzAI3fjTQ64kVTOqbz5spkJj/s288/1.jpg' border='0' width='281' height='210' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br /><br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/108046173078757542821/BloggerPictures?authkey=Gv1sRgCKnAyf3N85ONugE#5812660033577453058'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQfRWS5aJLE3Op6iDH-mo25sECk8FCdt2O3RHpaZvmXBNPf-m75gMEF6_lboLwzD7BPmGkCiCHF3aYP3XnVnI26DpTr6c-ve4psUcL87SIw4UzQsiGaH6dMXzCmVWvscdaqg1mlflw4cqq/s288/2.jpg' border='0' width='281' height='210' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/108046173078757542821/BloggerPictures?authkey=Gv1sRgCKnAyf3N85ONugE#5812660068086907154'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsRewtgZt0Akcng7EffUGogrHi87lc-TfjtwMiXHQgXeT3DmFbECMJZfhldSRz54cu5n_016d85iW6qrMVObSElLToXiStKycQD9OYvGGUpoQlpIMP7SzncsflKngrLhw9GZqBbL0hcecO/s288/3.jpg' border='0' width='210' height='281' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br /><br /><p align='center'><object type="application/x-shockwave-flash" data="http://www.youtube.com/v/zfqWGHWw8bA" width="400" height="300"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/zfqWGHWw8bA" /><param name="quality" value="high" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><!-- Fallback content --><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zfqWGHWw8bA"><img src="http://img.youtube.com/vi/zfqWGHWw8bA/0.jpg" width="400" height="300" />YouTube Video</a></object></p>- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad<br />Andy Richardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01441557191138845101noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-883513429081359737.post-5511074670909906632012-11-07T23:38:00.001+00:002012-11-07T23:38:33.490+00:00Should socialists be happy about the re-election of Obama?<div id="dE_H" style=";width:100%; height:100%; ;"> When I woke up this morning and heard the news, I was happy. perhaps happier than I expected. Maybe I was happier at the defeat of Romney than the victory of Obama, but whatever, I was not neutral on the issue.<div><br></div><div>So what to make of this feeling of happiness?</div><div><br></div><div>Clearly, on policy issues there is barely a difference between the parties. Indeed, Obama has arguably followed a more hawkish foreign policy than many Republicans would have been prepared to countenance. But acknowledging that the parties are not very different on policy is not the same as not worrying either way about the electoral outcome. The story is the same over on this side of the pond - you need have no illusions in Labour to want the defeat of the Coalition, and in electoral terms only Labour in the short term can deliver that defeat.</div><div><br></div><div>On the positive side, the Obama victory revealed that most Americans have no time for the ultra reactionary policies of the Tea Party, despite all the hype. This can be seen in Romney's mad dash for the centre ground at the end of the campaign - which did him no good because no-one believed it. The Obama victory also represents a defeat for the Republican war on women, particularly on abortion rights, although they can still do a lot of damage through the State legislatures which they control. </div><div><br></div><div>It is also significant that Obama could not allow the US motor industry to go to the wall. He went for a bailout when Romney was advocating letting it go bankrupt. </div><div><br></div><div>The Democratic Party is still the party with which the organised working class in the US identifies itself most closely, even if not always especially enthusiastically.</div><div><br></div><div>Most importantly, Obama's victory raises workers' expectations and intensifies their demands. Of course, the Democratic Party is never going to be the vehicle for the realisation of those demands - the mass of ordinary people in the US need a new broad left party just as much as we do, and that is what socialists in the US, as here, need to build.</div><div><br></div><div><br></div></div>Andy Richardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01441557191138845101noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-883513429081359737.post-47171748865943680862012-11-01T00:09:00.001+00:002012-11-01T00:09:31.286+00:00China's rise.....<div id="dE_H" style=";width:100%; height:100%; ;"><div><div>Monday 12 November</div><div>7.30 pm</div><div>Friends Meeting House</div><div>Ship Street</div><div>Brighton</div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"><br></div>China’s rise – Strength and Fragility is the first book being jointly published by Resistance Books, the IIRE and Merlin Press. Author Au Loong Yu will be visiting Britain from 12 to 22 November to launch the book at meetings around the country.<div>The book looks at the dramatic political and economic developments in China from a Marxist perspective. It argues that to understand China today it is also necessary to study the Chinese revolution and it describes the unique social formation that exists today in China as bureaucratic capitalism.</div><div>By examining the specificities of Chinese society, and the struggles for democracy and for improved conditions, the authors show that Chinese bureaucratic and repressive capitalism is beginning to exhaust its strength. China is increasingly relying on rapidly expanding public debt. Struggles by Chinese workers suggest that they are beginning to overcome the demoralization inflicted by the crushing of the democracy movement of 1989 and that they are building up their confidence to fight against this unjust system.</div><div>It is not just the 1.3 billion people who live in China whose futures will be at the very least profoundly affected by the future of such struggles – but all of those who live on this increasingly interdependent planet. If China seems to be everywhere in the media at the minute, this speaking tour offers a unique opportunity to find out more.</div><div><br></div><div><img id="imgad916d6c-4f87-4a58-801a-7e4525ea048f" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-li-_Nt8rddk/UJG9tq7rvmI/AAAAAAAACT0/fzstOI8s3M4/%25255BUNSET%25255D.jpg" style="height: 719px; width: 500px; "></div><br><div><br></div></div>Andy Richardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01441557191138845101noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-883513429081359737.post-84985714102107481952012-10-31T23:57:00.001+00:002012-11-01T00:01:16.453+00:00Ash veterans of middle Sussex Visit them before they die<div id="dE_H" style="height: 100%; width: 100%;">
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Ash veterans of middle Sussex<br />
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Visit them before they die<br />
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Dave Bangs, October 28th 2012 dave.bangs@virgin.net Tel: 01273 620 815<br />
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Don’t let anyone tell you that Ash is a second rate tree.<br />
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To be sure, it cannot make the size of ancient Oaks, Sweet Chestnut or Beech, but it can make magnificent giants of three spans and more trunk girth (a span being the stretch of my open arms...six feet). It can make the coppice stool holes that Marsh Tits love to nest in, and the sweetness of its trunks can bear a cloak of lichen in many colours and the greatest profusion.<br />
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It is as outgrown coppice and hedgerow stools that many of its most characterful trees now manifest themselves, and a quarter of all the old Ash trees we’ve recorded in the middle Sussex Weald (between the Adur and the Ouse) are coppice stools.<br />
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Yesterday we walked along the upper greensand scarp north of West Burton and Bignor Park, partly along the green lane past the slivers of woodland marked as Grevatt Wood on the map, and partly through the scarp slope woodland north of Bignor Roman Villa.<br />
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What extraordinary Ash giants we saw !! Shortly after leaving the lane north of West Burton to walk the scarp top green lane we saw a huge Ash maiden of about three spans. Then, at top of the Brackeny slope, SU 998 147, due south of the visible, raised camber of Stane Street crossing the marshy ground below, we saw a magnificent pollard Ash, with great sprawling limbs and a coat of hoary lichen (much Parmelia perlata and others of the genus; many Pertusarias and grey crusts). It was over three spans in girth. Just westwards, at the point where Stane Street breasts the scarp top, there is another three span Ash, with a ‘geocache’ in a trunk rot hole.<br />
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On the scarp slope just west of the Bury - Bignor parish boundary there is another open wood, SU 991 150, with many fine Ash maidens – and a three span Oak. We counted four Ash giants, one over three span, and three over two span girth. There may be more. <br />
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That part of our walk was only about two thirds of a mile, yet we had found seven Ash veterans in that time, as well as abundant younger Ash and gnarled old hedgerow stools long outgrown their last plashing.<br />
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This is Ash country...as is the rest of the Upper Greensand country and the Downs...and as is the clay land of the Low Weald and the Wadhurst Clay outcroppings of the High Weald.<br />
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If we lose Ash in these landscapes we lose their clothing and character.<br />
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On the greensand bench north of West Chiltington and Thakeham there are some fine veterans, like the nearly-three-span Ash at the top of the scarp east of Woodshill Farm, below the footpath, TQ 097 196, and the huge coppice hedgerow stools of the tiny lanes, valleys and holloways.<br />
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On the shrunken greensand bench east of Wiston, at the ghost farm at Buddington, TQ 162 122, on the top of the bank, there is a truly gigantic Ash veteran of 3.5 span girth, by my crude measuring.<br />
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On the Brighton Downs I love the whopping great Ash and its daughter at the northern end of the Crooked Moon Hedge, TQ 233 072, north of Holmbush. In the mother tree a swarm of Honey Bees was emerging from a rot hole when I first visited. There is another huge Ash veteran in the scarp bottom rew east of Ditchling Beacon, and north of Western Brow, TQ340 130...and when we first found it there was a colony of Honey Bees living in its bole, too.<br />
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At Ashcombe Bottom, south of Blackcap, on the site of the ancient Bocholt, where the Battle of Lewes was fought, there is a grove of several tall Ash trees which stand together on the parish boundary in the upper valley, TQ 371 121. They are not separate trees, but linked in a part circle by their roots...They are the outgrowths of a truly gigantic old coppice stool that must have marked this boundary for centuries. A Blackbird was quietly sitting her eggs in her bough cleft nest the last time I looked.<br />
<br />
In the middle Sussex Weald between the Adur and the Ouse we have counted 36 veteran Ashes, but we have omitted many from our count because the sheer numbers of giant hedge and coppice stools make accurate recording difficult.<br />
<br />
They include the huge old coppice stool of 12 big poles east of Lower Ryelands Bridge, on the bank of the Ouse, north of Lindfield, TQ 342 272...and the three span pollard Ash in a hedgerow east of Brantridge, TQ 292 301, in Balcombe parish...and the gnarled and crumbling old Ash pollard above the gill head, south east of Great Thorndean Farm, TQ 273 255.<br />
<br />
They include the Rackhamesque three span Ash just east of Christ’s Hospital station, TQ 148 291...and the four old Ashes - all of two spans and more - in and around High Wood, in the bend of the Arun’s upper waters, south of Broadbridge Heath...and the 2.5 span Ash just between Parthings and the railway line on the south west edge of Horsham, TQ 157 297.<br />
<br />
A pox on all Condem/Libcon ministers and their corporate mates...and a pox on greedy nurseries and garden centres and their consumerist profiteering...at the expense of nature and of their grossly underpaid staff.<br />
<br />
May they rot...as these Methuselahs...these great survivors...may be doomed by their neglect to rot...<br />
<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
</div>
Andy Richardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01441557191138845101noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-883513429081359737.post-14840875352505527752012-10-22T22:27:00.001+01:002012-10-22T22:27:37.971+01:00Video of Saturday's march<br /><br /><p align='center'><object type="application/x-shockwave-flash" data="http://www.youtube.com/v/gzPU2hWauTY" width="400" height="300"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/gzPU2hWauTY" /><param name="quality" value="high" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><!-- Fallback content --><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gzPU2hWauTY"><img src="http://img.youtube.com/vi/gzPU2hWauTY/0.jpg" width="400" height="300" />YouTube Video</a></object></p>- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad<br />Andy Richardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01441557191138845101noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-883513429081359737.post-17519136384005679352012-10-20T17:40:00.001+01:002012-10-20T17:40:32.217+01:00Pictures from today's march......video to follow<br /><br /><br /><br /><center><a href='http://photo.blogpressapp.com/show_photo.php?p=12/10/20/1165.jpg'><img src='http://photo.blogpressapp.com/photos/12/10/20/s_1165.jpg' border='0' width='281' height='210' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br /><br /><center><a href='http://photo.blogpressapp.com/show_photo.php?p=12/10/20/1166.jpg'><img src='http://photo.blogpressapp.com/photos/12/10/20/s_1166.jpg' border='0' width='281' height='210' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br /><br /><br /><center><a href='http://photo.blogpressapp.com/show_photo.php?p=12/10/20/1167.jpg'><img src='http://photo.blogpressapp.com/photos/12/10/20/s_1167.jpg' border='0' width='281' height='210' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br /><br /><center><a href='http://photo.blogpressapp.com/show_photo.php?p=12/10/20/1168.jpg'><img src='http://photo.blogpressapp.com/photos/12/10/20/s_1168.jpg' border='0' width='210' height='281' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br /><br /><center><a href='http://photo.blogpressapp.com/show_photo.php?p=12/10/20/1169.jpg'><img src='http://photo.blogpressapp.com/photos/12/10/20/s_1169.jpg' border='0' width='281' height='210' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br /><br /><center><a href='http://photo.blogpressapp.com/show_photo.php?p=12/10/20/1170.jpg'><img src='http://photo.blogpressapp.com/photos/12/10/20/s_1170.jpg' border='0' width='281' height='210' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br />- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone<br />Andy Richardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01441557191138845101noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-883513429081359737.post-73845464903551729552012-10-20T00:17:00.001+01:002012-10-20T00:19:49.286+01:00No justice sell-off!<div id="dE_H" style=";width:100%; height:100%; min-height:900px;position:relative;"><div id="drlimg"><img id="imgf2b482b1-42f3-431a-a6de-b59376e80860" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-fJMttfsAcR8/UIHf-sfXS-I/AAAAAAAACTY/jH0BFeyjePA/%25255BUNSET%25255D.jpg" style="height:343.3523552417755px;width:243.15700602531433px;opacity:1;left:-11px;top:44px;box-shadow:none;position:absolute;border-style:none" class="" mvc="true" rotate="-186.04034423828125" scale="0.6"></div><br><br> <div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div>Last Monday members of PCS working for courts in Brighton demonstrated against the threatened privatisation of much of the justice system. This could see companies like G4S getting their hands on enforcement of fines and fixed penalties.</div><div><br></div><div><b>Make sure crime doesn't pay for big business</b>!</div><div><br></div><div>More at <a href="http://www.pcs.org.uk/justicenotforsale" x-apple-data-detectors="true" x-apple-data-detectors-type="link" x-apple-data-detectors-result="0">www.pcs.org.uk/justicenotforsale</a></div><div><br></div><div></div><br><div><img id="img3aeba488-8afb-49ec-9e6c-a877e5e380a7" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-V4DuKvS9Pzc/UIHgEWwcj8I/AAAAAAAACTg/84LfluGavac/%25255BUNSET%25255D.jpg" style="height:374px;width:500px;opacity:1;left:310px;top:247px" mvc="false"><br></div><br></div>Andy Richardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01441557191138845101noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-883513429081359737.post-41410824898255753482012-10-09T08:44:00.001+01:002012-10-09T08:44:04.988+01:00Some types of squatting okay by hypocrite Weatherly<div id="dE_H" style=";width:100%; height:100%; ;"><br><br /><div><img id="img35d55a01-7549-4ab1-a3a7-c365f5bcc9a8" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ_B-0sLtfekRVaseUenrbAx1BffnoRDIzTWZCrIE0tnYvqpbEOsMCafA1p_qcI-q2M66G_mnzuA_oebizS7dxzDn4xorUi73w1tS57uyXoOzWyXiqwmw7vLC5Kht_HIB6HtQ0d8SKKuuS/" style="height:405px;width:500px;opacity:1;left:310px;top:262px" class="" mvc="false"></div><div><br></div><div>Hove Tory MP Mike Weatherley likes to go on about squatters. He is quite the crusader when it comes to homeless people squatting empty unused property.</div><div><br></div><div>Strangely though he has a somewhat different attitude to organisations which squat the land of other people and dispossess those people of the means to make a living. </div><div><br></div><div>Witness his strange reaction to the regular protests taking place outside the recently-opened EcoStream store in Western Road. </div><div><br></div><div>He's even got the Israeli Embassy involved. He seems less keen on defending his constituents' right to protest. </div><div><br></div><div>Report below from Tony Greenstein</div><h2 style="text-align: -webkit-auto; margin: 0px; padding: 1em 0px 0.2em; "><font size="3"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); ">Zionists trying to avoid another Ahava-like humiliation</span></font></h2><div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px !important; float: none !important; clear: both; text-align: justify; "><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvYZqGjahKWzTByXmHCA83v3yCGSmfcXcTPNov504xgABtZ2jS_Gz49pBzlk36yIfJySnnxtolWqNm-wPNSefMWTA2am6JiQ8UeB-u0dnpr7DaPosndQwxsFg3WqSrt2pRz6MsXj8dShS5/s1600/Sodastream+picket+1.jpg" style="text-decoration: none; clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; "></a></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px !important; float: none !important; clear: both; text-align: justify; "><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6_Ok1smjmpwQ989YgcXlgxXTugr8cZsK_0PMoYHco2t6JIe0KQ1R83pUjTPO_F13HDwm09En5zRekKu7071xX930_pmQVuSAB_Sd3bT7alnU68VllSLAjytrTAu2AON0GD5TA0VqyUg7s/s1600/Sodastream+picket+10.JPG" class="fbLarge" style="text-decoration: none; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><font color="#000000"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6_Ok1smjmpwQ989YgcXlgxXTugr8cZsK_0PMoYHco2t6JIe0KQ1R83pUjTPO_F13HDwm09En5zRekKu7071xX930_pmQVuSAB_Sd3bT7alnU68VllSLAjytrTAu2AON0GD5TA0VqyUg7s/s320/Sodastream+picket+10.JPG" class="fbFirst fbLarge fbLandscape" style="text-align:-webkit-auto;border:3px solid rgb(255, 255, 255) !important;display:block;margin:12px 0px;max-width:704px !important;-webkit-box-shadow:rgb(223, 223, 223) 0px 2px 2px;width:704px !important;clear:both;height:auto;opacity:1;left:412px;top:324px" id="img03f58159-1274-022b-d293-a03c1756d9a7" mvc="false"></font></a></div><div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px !important; float: none !important; clear: both; text-align: justify; "><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvYZqGjahKWzTByXmHCA83v3yCGSmfcXcTPNov504xgABtZ2jS_Gz49pBzlk36yIfJySnnxtolWqNm-wPNSefMWTA2am6JiQ8UeB-u0dnpr7DaPosndQwxsFg3WqSrt2pRz6MsXj8dShS5/s1600/Sodastream+picket+1.jpg" class="fbLarge" style="text-decoration: none; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><font color="#000000"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvYZqGjahKWzTByXmHCA83v3yCGSmfcXcTPNov504xgABtZ2jS_Gz49pBzlk36yIfJySnnxtolWqNm-wPNSefMWTA2am6JiQ8UeB-u0dnpr7DaPosndQwxsFg3WqSrt2pRz6MsXj8dShS5/s320/Sodastream+picket+1.jpg" class="fbLarge fbLandscape" style="text-align:-webkit-auto;border:3px solid rgb(255, 255, 255) !important;display:block;margin:12px 0px;max-width:704px !important;-webkit-box-shadow:rgb(223, 223, 223) 0px 2px 2px;width:704px !important;clear:both;height:auto"></font></a></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="text-align: -webkit-auto; border-spacing: 0px; clear: both; margin-top: 12px; margin-bottom: 12px; max-width: 710px !important; width: auto !important; "><tbody><tr style="max-width: 710px !important; width: auto !important; "><td style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; max-width: 710px !important; width: auto !important; text-align: center; "><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrABaxWmbNy7Lz94eArBGISRbqscqki1wb_m7tb_cf-wj2mq6B7dEWaDztiURj5WPx5PTtvZaHAYH5UDNa1rJOWPlD4Y17lJORJrzV4LVROh5gwp5mrn_6ba8QssqmeDeqIZS2o-J5sRTq/s1600/Sodastream+picket+2.jpg" class="fbMedium" style="text-decoration: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><font color="#000000"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrABaxWmbNy7Lz94eArBGISRbqscqki1wb_m7tb_cf-wj2mq6B7dEWaDztiURj5WPx5PTtvZaHAYH5UDNa1rJOWPlD4Y17lJORJrzV4LVROh5gwp5mrn_6ba8QssqmeDeqIZS2o-J5sRTq/s320/Sodastream+picket+2.jpg" class="fbMedium fbPortrait" style="border:3px solid rgb(255, 255, 255) !important;display:block;margin:5px 24px 12px 0px;max-width:704px !important;float:left;-webkit-box-shadow:rgb(223, 223, 223) 0px 2px 2px"></font></a></td></tr><tr style="max-width: 710px !important; width: auto !important; "><td style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; max-width: 710px !important; width: auto !important; text-align: center; "><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The stall did a roaring trade</span></td><td style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; max-width: 710px !important; width: auto !important; text-align: center; "><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br style="margin-bottom: 1em; "></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px !important; float: none !important; clear: both; text-align: justify; "><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </span></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHkrsDDBTfpd64lQaVIEsbAjgtJM94IWt8_k2w0WU9W9GKuEl7556fBMxxOwp1QrrMhyphenhyphenz9NWZy9YsTC_xpyrlwrjFA_Of_iO-LuzpZK0JMGAaEZsIVd6ld1_pRur7JLHGmuOTcSqSe7iRm/s1600/Sodastream+picket+3.jpg" class="fbMedium" style="text-decoration: none; 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margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><font color="#000000"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmBfq2LxH9igFwSgzXi3oTCwO_WRvj7W_bEMVLcr2bR2TA159K6MgQA0KmkPH7hD5IhnAGn7lBJTFiVpjJKYUfN_YXnXNEsfMiK814rbHGOmlhooL-VZyflb8i2DfcYuP9v06ujVbetMbh/s320/Sodastream+picket+7.JPG" class="fbLarge fbLandscape" style="text-align:-webkit-auto;border:3px solid rgb(255, 255, 255) !important;display:block;margin:12px 0px;max-width:704px !important;-webkit-box-shadow:rgb(223, 223, 223) 0px 2px 2px;width:704px !important;clear:both;height:auto" id="img7322d3fd-5061-9884-3c16-5a05d32c5ef8"></font></a></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px !important; float: none !important; clear: both; text-align: justify; "><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN9N3OJzjDSNAFNFC2gUmMGh2A3DjI4WVP94hafYNtrLxJasHxtbE9gb30RWksEZ1rn75pUoadVjOdXmj8Ft-HwR-gh56O3qsyUYXeXDIaTiuph_t4fSVL5N0L5OgK2XVedfHVeCMKBx6A/s1600/Sodastream+picket+8.JPG" class="fbLarge" style="text-decoration: none; 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margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><font color="#000000"><br style="margin-bottom: 1em; "></font></a></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px !important; float: none !important; clear: both; text-align: justify; "><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZLRqVSZZgvdKyR6ENCRxBGwOe3KrzRUP5d0dHP2NL1lF8wgGmBlpGS-bNXITsF2nNwPrzSVcOzH-sgB7tZeRXKYMbC7dik5A4JBNj3GpWpbIdKVzRO_jyyvvXJsKZrRBCTB2bGbZ8sYmr/s1600/sodastream.jpg" class="fbLarge" style="text-decoration: none; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><font color="#000000"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZLRqVSZZgvdKyR6ENCRxBGwOe3KrzRUP5d0dHP2NL1lF8wgGmBlpGS-bNXITsF2nNwPrzSVcOzH-sgB7tZeRXKYMbC7dik5A4JBNj3GpWpbIdKVzRO_jyyvvXJsKZrRBCTB2bGbZ8sYmr/s320/sodastream.jpg" class="fbLarge fbLandscape" style="text-align:-webkit-auto;border:3px solid rgb(255, 255, 255) !important;display:block;margin:12px 0px;max-width:704px !important;-webkit-box-shadow:rgb(223, 223, 223) 0px 2px 2px;width:704px !important;clear:both;height:auto" id="imga512ddde-129b-ca96-dbe0-c8640b60e728"></font></a></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="text-align: -webkit-auto; border-spacing: 0px; clear: both; margin-top: 12px; margin-bottom: 12px; max-width: 710px !important; width: auto !important; "><tbody><tr style="max-width: 710px !important; width: auto !important; "><td style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; max-width: 710px !important; width: auto !important; text-align: center; "><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzTmI52pd86e9zyeFKhnvrnu_CCHtWnqs6_EksKzWD-YqiOfjxMwtIBgXLhA0z6VkegC-_RjZdDftarEODwHOasmM7_9zMEix5_QFyUtZbrnCUUBcvAgkPs16TDc9_vNg8VKSaRZkTliqa/s1600/stop+the+transfer+of+bedouins.jpg" class="fbMedium" style="text-decoration: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><font color="#000000"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzTmI52pd86e9zyeFKhnvrnu_CCHtWnqs6_EksKzWD-YqiOfjxMwtIBgXLhA0z6VkegC-_RjZdDftarEODwHOasmM7_9zMEix5_QFyUtZbrnCUUBcvAgkPs16TDc9_vNg8VKSaRZkTliqa/s320/stop+the+transfer+of+bedouins.jpg" class="fbMedium fbPortrait" style="border:3px solid rgb(255, 255, 255) !important;display:block;margin:5px 24px 12px 0px;max-width:704px !important;float:left;-webkit-box-shadow:rgb(223, 223, 223) 0px 2px 2px"></font></a></td></tr><tr style="max-width: 710px !important; width: auto !important; "><td style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; max-width: 710px !important; width: auto !important; text-align: center; "><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">One of the Bedouin slated for removal from the land</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto; margin: 0px; padding: 0px !important; float: none !important; clear: both; "><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br style="margin-bottom: 1em; "></span></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto; margin: 0px; padding: 0px !important; float: none !important; clear: both; "><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZp-IcR1yAMpsv_S6y1eLdJh-BcTh5_7R6zqguewvdUJUC6ZSQPzOELa6hyphenhyphen-EOuC5zCrcoGsAvwizqwFuI78ppyt10L99wQ8mPrc1MSDoHc8B0Um8m2HtrGvfuC8I-OFo-zAsS1sbz7lZw/s1600/Sodastream+picket+4.jpg" style="text-decoration: none; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><font color="#000000"><br style="margin-bottom: 1em; "></font></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZp-IcR1yAMpsv_S6y1eLdJh-BcTh5_7R6zqguewvdUJUC6ZSQPzOELa6hyphenhyphen-EOuC5zCrcoGsAvwizqwFuI78ppyt10L99wQ8mPrc1MSDoHc8B0Um8m2HtrGvfuC8I-OFo-zAsS1sbz7lZw/s1600/Sodastream+picket+4.jpg" style="text-decoration: none; text-align: justify; clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; "></a><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i style="text-align: justify; "><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><i><b>Today, was the beginning of a large picket and stall outside the Israeli shop Sodastream. A number of our opponents, including two mad Christian Fundamentalists, were on hand, but the vast majority of Brighton people passing by gave us their support and we ran out in 2 hours of over 500 leaflets. There are a number of pictures of our picket and also a video, whose quality leaves a lot to be desired but gives a flavour of the exchanges. </b></i></div></i><i style="text-align: justify; "><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto; "><i><b>So successful though was our first outing that we’ve decided that instead of mounting pickets every 2 weeks, as happened at Ahava, we are going to do weekly pickets of this Apartheid shop. </b></i></div><b><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><br></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><i><b>Its branding in Green Brighton is interesting. It calls itself ‘Eco’ stream – part of an attempt to greenwash its activities just as the Jewish National Fund calls itself an eco-friendly organisation, building all those forests and parks, even if they are on top of razed Arab villages whose inhabitants have been expelled from the West Bank! But there is nothing eco friendly about Ecostream’s base and activities. </b></i></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><br></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><i><b>As the information below shows, Sodastream is based in the Mishor Adumim industrial zone, which is part of the growing number of Jewish only settlements on the outskirts of Jerusalem, Ma’ale Adumim. </b></i></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><br></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><i><b>Amongst our opponents was a Christian Fundamentalist who claimed to live nearby, but was disturbed by our ‘offensive’ message. His neigbours described him as a 'w*****' and a mad Black female fundamentalist who seems to think Apartheid was and is ok, and 2 or 3 Zionists who repeated the same hoary lines. One of them at one point asked me ‘what about the 6 million’! As if the dead at the hands of the Nazis justify further racism, as I asked what was the logical connection.</b></i> </div></b></i><i style="text-align: justify; "><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto; "><i><b>This is Sodastream’s first <span class="fbSC">UK</span> outlet and it is rumoured they have a 6 month lease. It is incumbent upon us to ensure that it is not renewed and Sodastream get the message that stolen goods from stolen land are not welcome here.</b></i></div><b><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><br></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><i><b>Tony Greenstein</b></i> </div></b></i></span><h2 style="text-align: -webkit-auto; margin: 0px; padding: 1em 0px 0.2em; font-weight: normal; "><font size="3"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Israeli apartheid profiteer Sodastream opens new store in <span class="fbSC">UK</span></span></font></h2><span style="text-align: justify; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">August 22, 2012, Corporate Watch </div></span><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="text-align: justify; "><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">Sodastream, a carbonated beverage manufacturer, is based in the Mishor Adumim settlement industrial zone. Mishor Adumim is an industrial area attached to the residential settlement of Ma’ale Adumim, East of Jerusalem in the Israeli occupied West Bank. Israeli company Soda Club, which owns the Sodastream brandname, has opened a new store called Ecostream on Western Road in Brighton, <span class="fbSC">UK</span>.</div></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir0tg16sQuv8OFvZXs5M49iSIrp0P2GjV-LtX7c_9oWvuZ7PpgkL63LDpUcwPkDuSpq488BdHDhqCKVXtXonALdSvftCNnHcnaTLWq3x9jM6oqCdPYiufOSbBgjiYqOjUoAGRHIOCcBMUs/s1600/Sodastream+picket+9.JPG" class="fbLarge" style="text-decoration: none; text-align: justify; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; "><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir0tg16sQuv8OFvZXs5M49iSIrp0P2GjV-LtX7c_9oWvuZ7PpgkL63LDpUcwPkDuSpq488BdHDhqCKVXtXonALdSvftCNnHcnaTLWq3x9jM6oqCdPYiufOSbBgjiYqOjUoAGRHIOCcBMUs/s320/Sodastream+picket+9.JPG" class="fbLarge fbLandscape" style="text-align:-webkit-auto;border:3px solid rgb(255, 255, 255) !important;display:block;margin:12px 0px;max-width:704px !important;-webkit-box-shadow:rgb(223, 223, 223) 0px 2px 2px;width:704px !important;clear:both;height:auto"></a><span style="text-align: justify; "><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><br></div></span><span style="text-align: justify; "><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">However, Palestinians living in the villages around Mishor Adumim are prevented from building any permanent structure under Israeli military orders. Their tents and huts, and even a primary school at Khan-al-Ahmar, are subject to demolition by the army </div></span></span><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><span style="text-align: justify; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">The Israeli army<a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/80963609/Amnesty-Briefing-Paper-on-Jahalin-Bedouin-forced-relocation" style="text-decoration: none; "> plans to forcibly evict</a> and transfer 20 Palestinian communities, some 2,300 people, from their homes in the area of the Ma’ale Adumim settlement bloc in the occupied West Bank. The plan aims to relocate the communities, a majority of which are Jahalin Bedouin, to a site about 300m away from the Jerusalem municipal garbage dump. Israeli authorities have not consulted with the communities and the residents oppose the move. Military officials have said that the army will begin implementing the plan in early 2012. If carried out, this forced transfer would violate Israel’s obligations under international law and uproot some of the poorest communities in the West Bank. </div></span><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="text-align: justify; "><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">These building restrictions prevent the establishment of any Palestinian businesses, meaning that local Palestinians are forced to work in the settlements. Palestinian agriculture is limited by the settlements monopoly on land and the restrictions placed on the grazing of cattle, often leading to the <a href="http://english.pnn.ps/index.php/politics/2410-the-occupation-confiscated-cows-in-the-northern-jordan-valley" style="text-decoration: none; ">seizure of cattle</a> by the army. </div></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZp-IcR1yAMpsv_S6y1eLdJh-BcTh5_7R6zqguewvdUJUC6ZSQPzOELa6hyphenhyphen-EOuC5zCrcoGsAvwizqwFuI78ppyt10L99wQ8mPrc1MSDoHc8B0Um8m2HtrGvfuC8I-OFo-zAsS1sbz7lZw/s1600/Sodastream+picket+4.jpg" class="fbMedium" style="text-decoration: none; text-align: justify; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; "><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZp-IcR1yAMpsv_S6y1eLdJh-BcTh5_7R6zqguewvdUJUC6ZSQPzOELa6hyphenhyphen-EOuC5zCrcoGsAvwizqwFuI78ppyt10L99wQ8mPrc1MSDoHc8B0Um8m2HtrGvfuC8I-OFo-zAsS1sbz7lZw/s320/Sodastream+picket+4.jpg" class="fbMedium fbPortrait" style="text-align:-webkit-auto;border:3px solid rgb(255, 255, 255) !important;display:block;margin:5px 24px 12px 0px;max-width:704px !important;float:left;-webkit-box-shadow:rgb(223, 223, 223) 0px 2px 2px"></a><span style="text-align: justify; "><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><br></div></span><span style="text-align: justify; "><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">Palestinians working for Sodastream in Mishor Adumim are working in the context of the occupation. In January 2012 activists from Stop Sodastream Italy made the following statement in response to claims by the company that its workers were well treated: “<i>the fact remains that, as subjects of an occupation regime, these workers do not enjoy civil rights (including the right of workers to organize) and are under constant threat of having their permits to work in the settlement revoked by the company at any moment.”</i> </div></span></span><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><span style="text-align: justify; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">“Palestinian workers often have no choice but to work in the settlements, with high unemployment rates that are a direct result of the Israeli occupation. The 2011 United Nations Conference on Trade and Development report explicitly links the decline in Palestinian agricultural and industrial sectors and the dire humanitarian conditions with Israeli government policies, in particular the confiscation of land and natural resources, restrictions on movement of people and goods, and isolation from international markets. Only a colonial mindset could claim to provide jobs to the very same people whose land and freedom have been stolen.” </div></span><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="text-align: -webkit-auto; border-spacing: 0px; clear: both; margin-top: 12px; margin-bottom: 12px; max-width: 710px !important; width: auto !important; "><tbody><tr style="max-width: 710px !important; width: auto !important; "><td style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; max-width: 710px !important; width: auto !important; text-align: center; "><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgppNDDLEbYk0MLal9F1NDKBF2gW_g-QhsYySylKmUJ1oyS78gdrmmZppqB2pXw-UZhYscqUIv_EsY_5MHghqrFpwnpN6rOK_i7Q3Z_8yVY9zNqLStsc7LHJmOMzYT4Kz7ge48-6wgP22iG/s1600/tent+of+Bedouin.jpg" class="fbSmall" style="text-decoration: none; clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><font color="#000000"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgppNDDLEbYk0MLal9F1NDKBF2gW_g-QhsYySylKmUJ1oyS78gdrmmZppqB2pXw-UZhYscqUIv_EsY_5MHghqrFpwnpN6rOK_i7Q3Z_8yVY9zNqLStsc7LHJmOMzYT4Kz7ge48-6wgP22iG/s320/tent+of+Bedouin.jpg" class="fbSmall fbPortrait" style="border:3px solid rgb(255, 255, 255);display:block;margin:5px 24px 12px 0px;max-width:704px !important;-webkit-box-shadow:rgb(223, 223, 223) 0px 2px 2px;float:left;clear:none"></font></a></td></tr><tr style="max-width: 710px !important; width: auto !important; "><td style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; max-width: 710px !important; width: auto !important; text-align: center; "><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Bedouin tent slated for removal</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="text-align: justify; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">The Palestinian call for boycott, divestment and sanctions urges a boycott of all Israeli companies until Israel complies with international humanitarian law, recognizes the fundamental rights of the Arab-Palestinian citizens of Israel to full equality, the rights of return of refugees and ends the siege of Gaza and the occupation of all lands occupied in 1967. </div></span><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><span style="text-align: justify; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">Sodastream products are sold in the <span class="fbSC">UK</span> at Robert Dyas, John Lewis, Argos, Comet, Lakeland and some Sainsbury and Asda stores.</div></span><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><span style="text-align: justify; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">For more information on Soda Club see <a href="http://www.corporateoccupation.files.wordpress.com/2012/01/targeting-israeli-apartheid-jan-2012.pdf" style="text-decoration: none; ">here</a>, pages 96-102. </div></span><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto; text-decoration: none; "><a href="http://www.alternativenews.org/english/index.php/news/economy-of-the-occupation/5102-israeli-apartheid-profiteer-sodastream-opens-new-store-in-uk-.html" style="text-decoration: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><font color="#000000">Original li</font></a><a href="http://www.alternativenews.org/english/index.php/news/economy-of-the-occupation/5102-israeli-apartheid-profiteer-sodastream-opens-new-store-in-uk-.html" style="color: rgb(177, 30, 12); font-family: Georgia, Palatino, serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 27px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.496094); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgb(247, 247, 247); text-decoration: none; ">nk</a><span style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Georgia, Palatino, serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 27px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgb(247, 247, 247); ">:</span></div><div class="fbMicro" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px !important; float: none !important; clear: both; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Georgia, Palatino, serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 27px; text-align: justify; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgb(247, 247, 247); "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/640441812647446166-4522194741812091205?l=azvsas.blogspot.com" alt="" class="fbMicro fbPortrait" style="text-align:-webkit-auto;border:0px solid rgb(255, 0, 0) !important;display:inline !important;margin:12px 5px 10px 0px;max-width:704px !important;float:left;clear:none"></div><div><br></div></div>Andy Richardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01441557191138845101noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-883513429081359737.post-66201543483516744012012-10-01T00:58:00.001+01:002012-10-01T00:58:24.088+01:00Get on board the train for a future that works!<div id="dE_H" style=";width:100%; height:100%; ;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; "><br></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; "><font style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </font></p><img id="img8a0ee616-494c-4ce6-97f3-2441d1890725" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-0g-O35-Aj-s/UGjcjQxkUPI/AAAAAAAACSY/55R8z6PtxlE/%25255BUNSET%25255D.jpg" style="height:705px;width:500px;opacity:1;left:310px;top:412px" class="" mvc="false"><br><br /><div><br></div><div><img id="img8da44678-a1d8-42fe-86d9-9fa461ebb5f6" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-9gPsyikz7k0/UGjcnTcXhlI/AAAAAAAACSg/0497WMjxOGs/%25255BUNSET%25255D.jpg" style="height:549px;width:500px;opacity:1;left:310px;top:334px" class="" mvc="false"></div><br></div>Andy Richardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01441557191138845101noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-883513429081359737.post-67167319915890435752012-10-01T00:13:00.001+01:002012-10-01T00:13:20.866+01:00The war of Mick Jagger's bus pass<div id="dE_H" style=";width:100%; height:100%; ;"><img id="imga377f270-59ab-429f-bb5f-6d52cabd9b93" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-wWBvWzZrTig/UGjSDfXiBRI/AAAAAAAACR8/QZeYobiA2co/%25255BUNSET%25255D.jpg" style="height:500px;width:500px;opacity:1;left:310px;top:310px" class="" mvc="false"><br><div><br></div><div>One of the more risible announcements to come out of Lib Dem Conference was the revival of the notion that there are millions of "wealthy" people out there who should not be receiving benefits, that there are somehow shedloads of savings to made if we just means-tested universal benefits, particular those which go to pensioners.</div><div><br></div><div>Invariably , the example of some rich famous person will be wheeled out, supposedly to justify this position. Sometimes it might be Mick Jagger, or maybe Alan Sugar - super-rich older people who theoretically could get certain benefits like bus passes and winter fuel payments - you can just see Mick queuing up at the town hall for a bus pass can't you?</div><div><br></div><div>In reality, significant savings are only possible if these cuts are carried well down the income scale. So all Nick Clegg has achieved is to worry thousands of low-income pensioners that they are about to lose benefits which help to make life reasonably civilised.</div><div><br></div><div>The other point which is always overlooked is the cost of actually means-testing benefits - a whole bureaucracy would need to be set up to administer it. These benefits operate efficiently and simply - they are cheap to administer. If we want rich people to pay their way, making sure they pay their proper share of tax would be a more appropriate start - yet the Lib Dems have voted to give a massive tax cut to the richest. And of course we all know which group gets the biggest non means tested subsidy for transport and household expenses......don't we?</div><div><br></div><div><br></div></div>Andy Richardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01441557191138845101noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-883513429081359737.post-45053642512106057292012-09-23T16:25:00.001+01:002012-09-23T22:50:36.512+01:00East Brighton by-election - vote for the only anti-cuts candidate <div id="dE_H" style=";width:100%; height:100%; ;"><span style="background-color: rgb(165, 42, 42);"><font color="#ffffff"><br><font size="4" face="lucida console, sans-serif"><strong>Brighton City Council Byelection: Jon Redford selected as TUSC candidate</strong></font></font></span><div><font color="#ffffff" face="lucida console, sans-serif" size="4"><b><br></b></font></div><div><br><div dir="ltr" style="font-family: '\'times new roman\'', '\'new york\'', times, serif; font-size: 16px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; right: auto; "><img id="img3f1972f3-c074-493c-9dba-5414ea12426d" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-CvI6Ux3s73k/UF-EJ80BJwI/AAAAAAAACRo/iAOoIxOp4kE/%25255BUNSET%25255D.jpg" style="height: 162px; width: 317px; "></div><br><div dir="ltr" style="font-family: '\'times new roman\'', '\'new york\'', times, serif; font-size: 16px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; right: auto; "><span style="background-color: rgb(165, 42, 42);"><font color="#ffffff"><font size="4" face="lucida console, sans-serif"></font> </font></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="font-family: '\'times new roman\'', '\'new york\'', times, serif; font-size: 16px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; right: auto; "><font size="4" face="lucida console, sans-serif" style="background-color: rgb(165, 42, 42);" color="#ffffff">At the meeting on Tuesday 18 Sept 2012, Brighton TUSC decided to contest the vacant Brighton Council seat of East Brighton ward. This ward is a heavily working classs and council estate ward, including the Whitehawk and Manor Hill estates. It is Labour held.</font></div><div dir="ltr" style="font-family: '\'times new roman\'', '\'new york\'', times, serif; font-size: 16px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; right: auto; "><span style="background-color: rgb(165, 42, 42);"><font color="#ffffff"><font size="4" face="lucida console, sans-serif"><var id="yui-ie-cursor"></var></font> </font></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="font-family: '\'times new roman\'', '\'new york\'', times, serif; font-size: 16px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; right: auto; "><font size="4" face="lucida console, sans-serif" style="background-color: rgb(165, 42, 42);" color="#ffffff">The byelection will be held <a href="x-apple-data-detectors://1" x-apple-data-detectors="true" x-apple-data-detectors-type="calendar-event" x-apple-data-detectors-result="1">on </a><a href="x-apple-data-detectors://1" x-apple-data-detectors="true" x-apple-data-detectors-type="calendar-event" x-apple-data-detectors-result="1">Thursday 18 October</a>. Our candidate is Jon Redford of the Socialist Party. He was seleted unanimously. At the selection meeting there were 4 SP memebers, 3 Socialist Resistance, 1 ISN (Independent Socialist Network) and 1 non-aligned socialist.</font></div><div dir="ltr" style="font-family: '\'times new roman\'', '\'new york\'', times, serif; font-size: 16px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; right: auto; "><span style="background-color: rgb(165, 42, 42);"><font color="#ffffff"><font size="4" face="lucida console, sans-serif"></font> </font></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="font-family: '\'times new roman\'', '\'new york\'', times, serif; font-size: 16px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; right: auto; "><font size="4" face="lucida console, sans-serif" style="background-color: rgb(165, 42, 42);" color="#ffffff">Paul Moorhouse is acting as election agent. Nomination papers have been accepted by the council today.</font></div><div dir="ltr" style="font-family: '\'times new roman\'', '\'new york\'', times, serif; font-size: 16px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; right: auto; "><span style="background-color: rgb(165, 42, 42);"><font color="#ffffff"><font size="4" face="lucida console, sans-serif"></font> </font></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="font-family: '\'times new roman\'', '\'new york\'', times, serif; font-size: 16px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; right: auto; "><font size="4" face="lucida console, sans-serif" color="#ffffff"><strong style="background-color: rgb(165, 42, 42);">The Election Campaign.</strong></font></div><div dir="ltr" style="font-family: '\'times new roman\'', '\'new york\'', times, serif; font-size: 16px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; right: auto; "><span style="background-color: rgb(165, 42, 42);"><font color="#ffffff"><font size="4" face="lucida console, sans-serif"></font> </font></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="font-family: '\'times new roman\'', '\'new york\'', times, serif; font-size: 16px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; right: auto; "><font size="4" face="lucida console, sans-serif" style="background-color: rgb(165, 42, 42);" color="#ffffff">We will be canvassing regularly from <a href="x-apple-data-detectors://2" x-apple-data-detectors="true" x-apple-data-detectors-type="calendar-event" x-apple-data-detectors-result="2">next Tuesday</a>. All offers of help welcome! The first canvas will be <a href="x-apple-data-detectors://3" x-apple-data-detectors="true" x-apple-data-detectors-type="calendar-event" x-apple-data-detectors-result="3">on Tuesday 25th September</a>. We will be meeting <a href="x-apple-data-detectors://4" x-apple-data-detectors="true" x-apple-data-detectors-type="calendar-event" x-apple-data-detectors-result="4">at 6.00 pm</a> outside the main entrance to the County Hospital on Eastern Road (by the bus stops). We hope to canvas two nights a week (normally on Tuesday and Thursday) and on Sunday afternoons. Leaflets are already being produced.</font></div><div dir="ltr" style="font-family: '\'times new roman\'', '\'new york\'', times, serif; font-size: 16px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; right: auto; "><span style="background-color: rgb(165, 42, 42);"><font color="#ffffff"><font size="4" face="lucida console, sans-serif"></font> </font></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="font-family: '\'times new roman\'', '\'new york\'', times, serif; font-size: 16px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; right: auto; "><font size="4" face="lucida console, sans-serif" style="background-color: rgb(165, 42, 42);" color="#ffffff">The three main issues we will be campaigning on are:<wbr> </font></div><div dir="ltr" style="font-family: '\'times new roman\'', '\'new york\'', times, serif; font-size: 16px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; right: auto; "><font size="4" face="lucida console, sans-serif" style="background-color: rgb(165, 42, 42);" color="#ffffff"><wbr>1) The threatened closure of care homes for people with learning disabilities</font></div><div dir="ltr" style="font-family: '\'times new roman\'', '\'new york\'', times, serif; font-size: 16px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; right: auto; "><font size="4" face="lucida console, sans-serif" style="background-color: rgb(165, 42, 42);" color="#ffffff"><wbr>2) The proposal by the Green council to cut council tax benefit for people of working age</font></div><div dir="ltr" style="font-family: '\'times new roman\'', '\'new york\'', times, serif; font-size: 16px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; right: auto; "><font size="4" face="lucida console, sans-serif" style="background-color: rgb(165, 42, 42);" color="#ffffff"><wbr>3) The need to build a united resistance to cuts and austerity, in particular by building for the <a href="x-apple-data-detectors://5" x-apple-data-detectors="true" x-apple-data-detectors-type="calendar-event" x-apple-data-detectors-result="5">October 20th</a> demonstration so as to build pressure on the TUC for a one day general strike, and buidling stronger links between TUSC and trade union branches in Brighton.<wbr> </font></div><div dir="ltr" style="font-family: '\'times new roman\'', '\'new york\'', times, serif; font-size: 16px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; right: auto; "><span style="background-color: rgb(165, 42, 42);"><font color="#ffffff"><font size="4" face="lucida console, sans-serif"></font> </font></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="font-family: '\'times new roman\'', '\'new york\'', times, serif; font-size: 16px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; right: auto; "><font size="4" face="lucida console, sans-serif" style="background-color: rgb(165, 42, 42);" color="#ffffff"><wbr>Regular weekly campaign meetings will be held after the Tuesday canvas.<wbr> PaulMoorhouse\'s phone number if anyone needs details is <a href="tel:07934-535-986" x-apple-data-detectors="true" x-apple-data-detectors-type="telephone" x-apple-data-detectors-result="6">07934-535-986</a>. </font></div><br /></div></div>Andy Richardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01441557191138845101noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-883513429081359737.post-19849818148675338102012-09-23T15:44:00.001+01:002012-09-23T15:44:39.696+01:00Toads Hole Valley...down the plughole?<div id="dE_H" style=";width:100%; height:100%; min-height:900px;position:relative;"><div id="drlimg"><img id="imge7b77f80-97c9-4201-b55d-0f736f6ea245" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgspjUVXywCl3uQHQvEc0vWun7cdA1Ivto1qzgvMrWSy3JUD_AEBrWFByEeXElTjm-AvLQ6IEbvq-x5v2Pg6fLq0RXBCsjUzZXZQ_z-MXQKgX2EOHveVK8XhcYBk4ZcSa9ReUQVpi47Iyu9/" style="height:156px;width:288px;opacity:1;left:-6px;top:7px;box-shadow:none;position:absolute;border-style:none;display:block;background-color:transparent;pointer-events:none" mvc="true" class=""></div><p class="s4" style="text-align: -webkit-auto; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><br></p><p class="s4" style="text-align: -webkit-auto; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><br></p><p class="s4" style="text-align: -webkit-auto; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><br></p><p class="s4" style="text-align: -webkit-auto; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><br></p><p class="s4" style="text-align: -webkit-auto; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><br></p><p class="s4" style="text-align: -webkit-auto; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><br></p><p class="s4" style="text-align: -webkit-auto; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><br></p><p class="s4" style="text-align: -webkit-auto; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><br></p><p class="s4" style="text-align: -webkit-auto; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><br></p><p class="s4" style="text-align: -webkit-auto; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><br></p><p class="s4" style="text-align: -webkit-auto; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><br></p><p class="s4" style="text-align: -webkit-auto; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><br></p><p class="s4" style="text-align: -webkit-auto; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; ">Dave Bangs writes.....</p><p class="s4" style="text-align: -webkit-auto; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </span></p><p class="s2" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><span class="s7" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-weight: bold; ">A decade ago local residen</span><span class="s7" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-weight: bold; ">ts</span><span class="s7" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-weight: bold; "> and countryside activi</span><span class="s7" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-weight: bold; ">sts </span><span class="s7" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-weight: bold; ">- including Green P</span><span class="s7" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-weight: bold; ">arty act</span><span class="s7" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-weight: bold; ">ivists - </span><span class="s7" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-weight: bold; ">campai</span><span class="s7" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-weight: bold; ">gned for the inclusion of Toads Hole Valley and </span><span class="s7" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-weight: bold; ">the rest of</span><span class="s7" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-weight: bold; ">the Brighton </span><span class="s7" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-weight: bold; ">downland</span><span class="s7" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-weight: bold; "> fringe in a new National P</span><span class="s7" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-weight: bold; ">ark of the </span><span class="s7" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-weight: bold; ">South D</span><span class="s7" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-weight: bold; ">owns.</span></p><p class="s8" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 36px; "><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </span></p><div class="s8" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 36px; "><div class="s9" style="text-indent: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; position: absolute; "><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">-</span></div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s10">Aided </span><span class="s10">b</span><span class="s10">y </span><span class="s10">Green Party councillo</span><span class="s10">r Pete W</span><span class="s10">est</span><span class="s10">, a coalition of all the G</span><span class="s10">re</span><span class="s10">e</span><span class="s10">n </span><span class="s10">and T</span><span class="s10">ory Party c</span><span class="s10">ouncillors, p</span><span class="s10">lus two pro-</span><span class="s10">downland</span><span class="s10"> Labour councillors, </span><span class="s11" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; ">won</span><span class="s10"> the full Council vote</span><span class="s10"> to recommend</span><span class="s10"> an inclusive</span><span class="s10"> boundary to the National</span><span class="s10"> Park</span><span class="s10"> right up to</span><span class="s10"> the </span><span class="s10">edge of the </span><span class="s10">built-up area</span><span class="s10">, taking in Toa</span><span class="s10">ds </span><span class="s10">Hole V</span><span class="s10">alley</span><span class="s10">,</span><span class="s10"> </span><span class="s10">Whit</span><span class="s10">eh</span><span class="s10">a</span><span class="s10">wk</span><span class="s10"> </span><span class="s10">Hill,</span><span class="s10"> S</span><span class="s10">heepcote Valley and much more..</span><span class="s10">.</span></span></div><p class="s8" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 36px; "><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </span></p><div class="s8" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 36px; "><div class="s12" style="text-indent: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; position: absolute; font-weight: bold; "><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">-</span></div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s13" style="font-weight: bold; ">Later</span><span class="s13" style="font-weight: bold; ">, the National Park Public Inquiry I</span><span class="s13" style="font-weight: bold; ">nspector </span><span class="s11" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; ">include</span><span class="s11" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; ">d</span><span class="s13" style="font-weight: bold; "> Toads </span><span class="s13" style="font-weight: bold; ">Hole Valley in his recommended </span><span class="s13" style="font-weight: bold; ">Park </span><span class="s13" style="font-weight: bold; ">boundary, submitted to t</span><span class="s13" style="font-weight: bold; ">he secretary of st</span><span class="s13" style="font-weight: bold; ">a</span><span class="s13" style="font-weight: bold; ">te.</span></span></div><p class="s2" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </span></p><p class="s2" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s7" style="font-weight: bold; ">We thought we had succeeded</span><span class="s10">...an</span><span class="s10">d so we sho</span><span class="s10">u</span><span class="s10">ld</span><span class="s10"> have...for the case was open-and-shut...</span></span></p><p class="s2" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </span></p><div class="s8" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 36px; "><div class="s9" style="text-indent: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; position: absolute; "><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">-</span></div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s10">Toads Hole Va</span><span class="s10">lley is a</span><span class="s10"> </span><span class="s13" style="font-weight: bold; ">‘pinch point’</span><span class="s10"> on the long chain of the South Downs...almost the</span><span class="s10">narrowes</span><span class="s10">t point on the whole open </span><span class="s10">downland</span><span class="s10"> chain</span><span class="s10">...which is </span><span class="s10">here </span><span class="s10">reduced to</span><span class="s10"> a </span><span class="s10">mere 2.6 miles wide</span><span class="s10">. It is the point at wh</span><span class="s10">ich the</span><span class="s10"> integrity of the down landscape</span><span class="s10"> is most threatened.</span><span class="s10"></span></span></div><p class="s8" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 36px; "><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </span></p><div class="s8" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 36px; "><div class="s9" style="text-indent: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; position: absolute; "><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">-</span></div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s10">Toads H</span><span class="s10">ole Valley is thoroughly </span><span class="s13" style="font-weight: bold; ">inter</span><span class="s13" style="font-weight: bold; ">-</span><span class="s13" style="font-weight: bold; ">visible</span><span class="s10"> with the rest</span><span class="s10"> of the </span><span class="s10">open </span><span class="s10">1.5 </span><span class="s10">mile West</span><span class="s10">Blatchington</span><span class="s10"> V</span><span class="s10">all</span><span class="s10">e</span><span class="s10">y </span><span class="s10">(of which it is a part) </span><span class="s10">a</span><span class="s10">ll the way up to the Dyke Golf C</span><span class="s10">ourse. Development </span><span class="s10">at Toa</span><span class="s10">ds </span><span class="s10">Ho</span><span class="s10">le will</span><span class="s10"> bring serious</span><span class="s10"> visual </span><span class="s10">damage to the wider National P</span><span class="s10">ark</span><span class="s10">downs at t</span><span class="s10">he point where they a</span><span class="s10">re</span><span class="s10"> most vulnerable</span><span class="s10">.</span></span></div><p class="s8" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 36px; "><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </span></p><div class="s8" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 36px; "><div class="s9" style="text-indent: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; position: absolute; "><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">-</span></div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s10">The A27 bypass</span><span class="s10"> – remarkably - does</span><span class="s10"> NOT constitute a major </span><span class="s14" style="font-style: italic; ">vi</span><span class="s14" style="font-style: italic; ">s</span><span class="s14" style="font-style: italic; ">ual</span><span class="s10"> intrusion to this</span><span class="s10">downla</span><span class="s10">nd</span><span class="s10"> valley...and the whole </span><span class="s10">do</span><span class="s10">wn</span><span class="s10">l</span><span class="s10">a</span><span class="s10">n</span><span class="s10">d</span><span class="s10"> </span><span class="s10">valley is protected</span><span class="s10"> from the </span><span class="s10">visual </span><span class="s10">intr</span><span class="s10">usi</span><span class="s10">o</span><span class="s10">n of the </span><span class="s10">built up area by the spur of </span><span class="s10">S</span><span class="s10">n</span><span class="s10">ak</span><span class="s10">e</span><span class="s10">y</span><span class="s10"> H</span><span class="s10">ill</span><span class="s10"> (King George</span><span class="s10"> V1 Avenue)</span><span class="s10">.</span><span class="s10"></span></span></div><p class="s8" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 36px; "><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </span></p><div class="s8" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 36px; "><div class="s9" style="text-indent: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; position: absolute; "><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">-</span></div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s10">Toads Hole Valley had long been judged as of National Park </span><span class="s10">quali</span><span class="s10">ty</span><span class="s10">,</span><span class="s10"> because it was part of the S</span><span class="s10">us</span><span class="s10">sex Do</span><span class="s10">w</span><span class="s10">n</span><span class="s10">s AONB (Area o</span><span class="s10">f Outstanding N</span><span class="s10">atural Beauty) in wh</span><span class="s10">i</span><span class="s10">ch landscape standards are the same as National Par</span><span class="s10">ks</span><span class="s10">.</span></span></div><p class="s8" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 36px; "><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </span></p><p class="s2" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s7" style="font-weight: bold; ">HOWEVER</span><span class="s7" style="font-weight: bold; ">,</span><span class="s7" style="font-weight: bold; "> a second National P</span><span class="s7" style="font-weight: bold; ">ark</span><span class="s7" style="font-weight: bold; "> Public Inquiry to re-add</span><span class="s7" style="font-weight: bold; ">ress b</span><span class="s7" style="font-weight: bold; ">oundary issue</span><span class="s7" style="font-weight: bold; ">s</span><span class="s7" style="font-weight: bold; "> (chiefly in the western Weald)</span><span class="s7" style="font-weight: bold; "> </span><span class="s7" style="font-weight: bold; ">reversed the deci</span><span class="s7" style="font-weight: bold; ">s</span><span class="s7" style="font-weight: bold; ">ion to include Toads Hole V</span><span class="s7" style="font-weight: bold; ">alley.</span></span></p><p class="s2" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </span></p><p class="s2" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s7" style="font-weight: bold; ">NOW</span><span class="s7" style="font-weight: bold; "> the Valley landown</span><span class="s7" style="font-weight: bold; ">ers and </span><span class="s7" style="font-weight: bold; ">Green Party </span><span class="s7" style="font-weight: bold; ">developmentalist</span><span class="s7" style="font-weight: bold; "> coun</span><span class="s7" style="font-weight: bold; ">cillors are having a field day</span></span></p><p class="s2" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </span></p><p class="s2" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s10">T</span><span class="s10">h</span><span class="s10">eir mad plans</span><span class="s10"> make</span><span class="s10"> NO MENTION that Toads Hole Valley was judged to be of National Park standard a</span><span class="s10">nd is </span><span class="s10">a critical </span><span class="s10">par</span><span class="s10">t of that wider, inter-visible National P</span><span class="s10">ark landscape.</span></span></p><p class="s2" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </span></p><div class="s8" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 36px; "><div class="s9" style="text-indent: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; position: absolute; "><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">-</span></div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s10">The </span><span class="s10">pl</span><span class="s10">an</span><span class="s10">s</span><span class="s10"> cram </span><span class="s10">built development </span><span class="s10">all up the most h</span><span class="s10">ighly inter-visible pa</span><span class="s10">rts of the valley</span><span class="s10">...on</span><span class="s10"> th</span><span class="s10">e</span><span class="s10"> higher ground of </span><span class="s10"></span><span class="s10">the </span><span class="s10">Snak</span><span class="s10">e</span><span class="s10">y</span><span class="s10"> Hill spur</span><span class="s10"> and up by Court </span><span class="s10">Farm.</span></span></div><p class="s8" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 36px; "><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </span></p><div class="s8" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 36px; "><div class="s9" style="text-indent: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; position: absolute; "><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">-</span></div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s10">They</span><span class="s10"> put new </span><span class="s10">greensp</span><span class="s10">ac</span><span class="s10">e</span><span class="s10"> (in</span><span class="s10"> the school grounds and next to the SNCI slope) down in the most sheltered (vi</span><span class="s10">s</span><span class="s10">ually a</span><span class="s10">n</span><span class="s10">d aural</span><span class="s10">ly) pa</span><span class="s10">r</span><span class="s10">t</span><span class="s10"> of </span><span class="s10">the valley...th</span><span class="s10">e reverse of </span><span class="s10">any rat</span><span class="s10">ional policy of amelioration</span><span class="s10"> of the wider landscape damage</span><span class="s10">.</span><span class="s10">..which would keep all</span><span class="s10"> the higher </span><span class="s10">g</span><span class="s10">r</span><span class="s10">ound</span><span class="s10"></span><span class="s10">open.</span><span class="s10"></span></span></div><p class="s2" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </span></p><div class="s8" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 36px; "><div class="s9" style="text-indent: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; position: absolute; "><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">-</span></div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s10">They cram a major road along the bottom of the T</span><span class="s10">o</span><span class="s10">ads Hole SNC</span><span class="s10">I slope an</span><span class="s10">d</span><span class="s10"> shave of</span><span class="s10">f</span><span class="s10"> its</span><span class="s10"></span><span class="s10">sout</span><span class="s10">hern tip to accommodate that roa</span><span class="s10">d</span><span class="s10"> –</span><span class="s10"> and shove in</span><span class="s10"> a mess of cycle ways,</span><span class="s10"> </span><span class="s10">zig-zag</span><span class="s10">paths, and a funicular railway</span><span class="s10">. </span></span></div><p class="s8" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 36px; "><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </span></p><div class="s8" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 36px; "><div class="s9" style="text-indent: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; position: absolute; "><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">-</span></div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s11" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; ">AND</span><span class="s11" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; "> THEY CRAM, CRAM, </span><span class="s11" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; ">CRAM</span><span class="s11" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; "> !!!</span><span class="s11" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; ">...</span><span class="s10">700 houses, an industrial estate, a school, a community hub, </span><span class="s10">and </span><span class="s10">an e</span><span class="s10">ven longer version of the busy </span><span class="s10">Snak</span><span class="s10">e</span><span class="s10">y</span><span class="s10"> H</span><span class="s10">ill road,</span></span></div><p class="s2" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </span></p><p class="s2" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s7" style="font-weight: bold; ">Why all thi</span><span class="s7" style="font-weight: bold; ">s </span><span class="s7" style="font-weight: bold; ">madness ?</span><span class="s7" style="font-weight: bold; ">...</span><span class="s7" style="font-weight: bold; ">What is the wider context ?</span><span class="s7" style="font-weight: bold; "></span></span></p><p class="s2" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </span></p><div class="s8" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 36px; "><div class="s9" style="text-indent: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; position: absolute; "><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">-</span></div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s10">A</span><span class="s10"> hyper-</span><span class="s10">developing south e</span><span class="s10">astern regio</span><span class="s10">n, where</span><span class="s10"> the best rural landscapes and the greatest</span><span class="s10"></span><span class="s10">national biodiversity are threaten</span><span class="s10">ed with destruction</span><span class="s10">,</span><span class="s10"> </span><span class="s13" style="font-weight: bold; ">PLUS </span><span class="s10">a low wage economy</span><span class="s10">,</span><span class="s10"> </span><span class="s13" style="font-weight: bold; ">PLUS</span><span class="s10">severe housing stress exacerbated by</span><span class="s10"> inter-regional migrat</span><span class="s10">ion of the well-off </span><span class="s10">in</span><span class="s10"> search o</span><span class="s10">f pleasure and the poor in search of jobs</span><span class="s10">...</span><span class="s13" style="font-weight: bold; ">WHILST</span><span class="s10"> the peripheral regions and poorer c</span><span class="s10">ountries suffer under-develop</span><span class="s10">m</span><span class="s10">e</span><span class="s10">nt and regression.</span></span></div><p class="s2" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </span></p><div class="s8" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 36px; "><div class="s9" style="text-indent: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; position: absolute; "><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">-</span></div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s10">These patterns of uneven development are an inherent fe</span><span class="s10">ature of capitalism</span><span class="s10">, and bring with them misery and enviro</span><span class="s10">n</span><span class="s10">m</span><span class="s10">ental destruction.</span></span></div><p class="s2" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </span></p><p class="s2" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s7" style="font-weight: bold; ">They must be </span><span class="s7" style="font-weight: bold; ">chal</span><span class="s7" style="font-weight: bold; ">len</span><span class="s7" style="font-weight: bold; ">ged and not </span><span class="s7" style="font-weight: bold; ">pandered t</span><span class="s7" style="font-weight: bold; ">o.</span></span></p><p class="s2" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </span></p><p class="s2" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s7" style="font-weight: bold; ">A sustainable future for both Brighton and the South Downs depends on</span><span class="s7" style="font-weight: bold; ">r</span><span class="s7" style="font-weight: bold; ">edistri</span><span class="s7" style="font-weight: bold; ">bution </span><span class="s7" style="font-weight: bold; ">and the strictest environmental pro</span><span class="s7" style="font-weight: bold; ">t</span><span class="s7" style="font-weight: bold; ">ec</span><span class="s7" style="font-weight: bold; ">tion, NOT</span><span class="s7" style="font-weight: bold; "></span><span class="s7" style="font-weight: bold; ">developmentalism</span><span class="s7" style="font-weight: bold; "> and cosmetic environmentalism...</span></span></p><p class="s2" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s10"></span> </span></p><div class="s8" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 36px; "><div class="s15" style="text-indent: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; position: absolute; font-style: italic; "><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">-</span></div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s10">60% of this development</span><span class="s10">’s housing is to be </span><span class="s10">not affordable...</span><span class="s14" style="font-style: italic; ">and </span><span class="s14" style="font-style: italic; ">most</span><span class="s14" style="font-style: italic; "> </span><span class="s14" style="font-style: italic; ">‘</span><span class="s14" style="font-style: italic; ">affordable</span><span class="s14" style="font-style: italic; ">’ housing is not</span><span class="s14" style="font-style: italic; "> truly affordable.</span><span class="s14" style="font-style: italic; "></span></span></div><p class="s2" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </span></p><div class="s8" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 36px; "><div class="s9" style="text-indent: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; position: absolute; "><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">-</span></div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s10">Yet </span><span class="s10">100% of this development will be environmenta</span><span class="s10">lly damaging</span><span class="s10">.</span></span></div><p class="s8" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 36px; "><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </span></p><div class="s8" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 36px; "><div class="s9" style="text-indent: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; position: absolute; "><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">-</span></div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s10">Over twenty years ago </span><span class="s10">Hove </span><span class="s10">planners</span><span class="s10"> rejected the idea of housing on Old Shoreham Road </span><span class="s10">at the bottom of Benfield Valley</span><span class="s10"> because o</span><span class="s10">f the roa</span><span class="s10">d’s noise and air pollution..</span><span class="s10">.NOW the Green Party proposes hous</span><span class="s10">ing next to the Brighton Bypass with m</span><span class="s10">uch greater traffic levels, nois</span><span class="s10">e and </span><span class="s10">fumes...</span></span></div><p class="s8" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 36px; "><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </span></p><div class="s8" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 36px; "><div class="s9" style="text-indent: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; position: absolute; "><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">-</span></div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s10">Organise the</span><span class="s10"> community take-over and clean-up </span><span class="s10">of the </span><span class="s10">neglected and abused </span><span class="s10">V</span><span class="s10">all</span><span class="s10">e</span><span class="s10">y. We</span><span class="s10">first </span><span class="s10">did </span><span class="s10">that</span><span class="s10"> nine years ago.</span><span class="s10">..and were pra</span><span class="s10">ised by the National Park Public Inquiry Inspector fo</span><span class="s10">r our efforts.</span></span></div><p class="s2" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </span></p><p class="s2" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </span></p><p class="s2" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </span></p><p class="s4" style="text-align: -webkit-auto; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s16" style="font-weight: bold; ">REJECT TH</span><span class="s16" style="font-weight: bold; ">IS DEVELOPMENT</span></span></p><p class="s4" style="text-align: -webkit-auto; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </span></p><p class="s4" style="text-align: -webkit-auto; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><span class="s16" style="font-weight: bold; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">PROTECT THE SOUTH DOWNS NATIONAL PARK</span></p><p class="s4" style="text-align: -webkit-auto; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </span></p><p class="s4" style="text-align: -webkit-auto; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s17">....</span><span class="s18" style="font-style: italic; ">FOR EVERYONE...FOR EVER</span><span class="s18" style="font-style: italic; ">MORE</span></span></p><p class="s4" style="text-align: -webkit-auto; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="s18" style="font-style: italic; "><br></span></span></p><p class="s4" style="text-align: -webkit-auto; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><p class="s4" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); "><span class="s5">Dave Bangs</span><span class="s5"> </span><a href="mailto:dave.bangs@virgin.net"><span class="s6">dave.bangs@virgin.net</span></a><span class="s5"> Tel: <a href="tel:01273%20620%20815" x-apple-data-detectors="true" x-apple-data-detectors-type="telephone" x-apple-data-detectors-result="1">01273 620 815</a> Septem</span><span class="s5">ber 2012</span></span></p><p class="s4" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); "><span class="s5">C</span><span class="s5">o-leader Bright</span><span class="s5">on and Hove Community Wildlife G</span><span class="s5">roups </span><span class="s5">N</span><span class="s5">ational </span><span class="s5">Park C</span><span class="s5">ampaign 2002-4</span></span></p><p class="s4" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); "><span class="s5">C</span><span class="s5">o</span><span class="s5">-lea</span><span class="s5">der Brighton and Hove Defend Council</span><span class="s5"> Housing 2004-7</span></span></p><p class="s2" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); "> </span></p><p><p class="s2" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </span></p><p class="s2" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; "><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </span></p><br /></div>Andy Richardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01441557191138845101noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-883513429081359737.post-72388671981004897432012-09-19T20:21:00.001+01:002012-09-19T20:21:01.533+01:00Ruin the Lib Dems' weekend!<div id="dE_H" style=";width:100%; height:100%; ;"><div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br><span style="border-width: 0pt; "><img align="right" width="250" height="358" src="http://img2.ymlp209.net/5b1m_libdem.jpg" style="border: 0pt none; float: right; "></span></span></div><div><b style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); ">PROTEST OUTSIDE LIB DEM CONFERENCE BRIGHTON THIS SATURDAY</b></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Sat <a href="x-apple-data-detectors://0" x-apple-data-detectors="true" x-apple-data-detectors-type="calendar-event" x-apple-data-detectors-result="0">22nd September</a> Meet 12 noon at the Level to march to Conference Centre</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">THE LIBERALS DON’T MODERATE THE COALITION THEY ALLOW IT TO EXIST!</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </span></div><div><b style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Just a few Lib Dem pre-election promises….</b></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Scrapping tuition fees – TRIPLED TO £9000</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">No more top down NHS reorganisations – PASSED BILL TO PRIVATISE THE NHS</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">No frontline cuts – MASSIVE CUTS ACROSS THE PUBLIC SECTOR<br><br>Keeping VAT at 17.5% - UP TO 20% WHILE TAXES CUT FOR THE RICHEST<br><br>Keeping Education Maintenance Allowances - NOPE!<br><br>Cutting rail fares each year – EXPECTED TO BE 37% HIGHER IN 2015 THAN IN 2010</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">And UK national debt is up from 52% of GDP to 66% of GDP...</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Join us on Saturday to say enough is enough. No to Austerity!</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </span></div><div><b style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Events</b></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </span></div><div><a href="x-apple-data-detectors://2" x-apple-data-detectors="true" x-apple-data-detectors-type="calendar-event" x-apple-data-detectors-result="2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><font color="#000000">Friday 21st September</font></a></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">PCS DVLA strike</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Support the picket from <a href="x-apple-data-detectors://3" x-apple-data-detectors="true" x-apple-data-detectors-type="calendar-event" x-apple-data-detectors-result="3">8:30am</a> on Trafalgar Street</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </span></div><div><a href="x-apple-data-detectors://4" x-apple-data-detectors="true" x-apple-data-detectors-type="calendar-event" x-apple-data-detectors-result="4" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><font color="#000000">Saturday 22nd September</font></a></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">No to Austerity Government! Lib Dem Conference Demonstration</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Meet at the Level Midday then march to Conference Centre.</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </span></div><div><font color="#000000"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><a href="x-apple-data-detectors://5" x-apple-data-detectors="true" x-apple-data-detectors-type="calendar-event" x-apple-data-detectors-result="5">Saturday 22 September</a> </span></font></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Mass Picket of local Workfare Exploiters</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Following the march there will be a mass picket of organisations & business who are exploiting the forced labour of the unemployed. Details will be given out at the LibDem demo.</span></div><div><a target="_blank" href="http://t.ymlp209.net/uwhapabbusadaeujacaqhm/click.php" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><font color="#000000">https://www.facebook.com/events/496901900339013/</font></a></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">organised by Brighton Benefits Campaign / Brighton Solidarity Federation / Brighton Uncut</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </span></div><div><a href="x-apple-data-detectors://7" x-apple-data-detectors="true" x-apple-data-detectors-type="calendar-event" x-apple-data-detectors-result="7" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><font color="#000000">Monday 24th September</font></a></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Lobby Council over Care Home Closure</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Organised by Unison Meet Hove Town Hall <a href="x-apple-data-detectors://8" x-apple-data-detectors="true" x-apple-data-detectors-type="calendar-event" x-apple-data-detectors-result="8">3pm</a></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </span></div><div><a href="x-apple-data-detectors://9" x-apple-data-detectors="true" x-apple-data-detectors-type="calendar-event" x-apple-data-detectors-result="9" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><font color="#000000">Wednesday 26th September</font></a></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Protest Sussex Uni Privatisation</span></div><div><font color="#000000"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><a href="x-apple-data-detectors://10" x-apple-data-detectors="true" x-apple-data-detectors-type="calendar-event" x-apple-data-detectors-result="10">1pm</a> Library Square University of Sussex</span></font></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><a href="x-apple-data-detectors://11" x-apple-data-detectors="true" x-apple-data-detectors-type="calendar-event" x-apple-data-detectors-result="11" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><font color="#000000">Wednesday 26th September</font></a></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Organising in your Union for Co-ordinated strike action</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">National Shop Stewards Network Meeting</span></div><div><font color="#000000"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><a href="x-apple-data-detectors://12" x-apple-data-detectors="true" x-apple-data-detectors-type="calendar-event" x-apple-data-detectors-result="12">7:30pm</a> Caxton Pub, North Gardens</span></font></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><a href="x-apple-data-detectors://13" x-apple-data-detectors="true" x-apple-data-detectors-type="calendar-event" x-apple-data-detectors-result="13" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><font color="#000000">Tuesday 2nd October</font></a></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Stop the Cuts Public Meeting - What’s Wrong with Austerity?</span></div><div><font color="#000000"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><a href="x-apple-data-detectors://14" x-apple-data-detectors="true" x-apple-data-detectors-type="calendar-event" x-apple-data-detectors-result="14">7:30pm</a> Friends Meeting House</span></font></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </span></div><div><font color="#000000"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><a href="x-apple-data-detectors://15" x-apple-data-detectors="true" x-apple-data-detectors-type="calendar-event" x-apple-data-detectors-result="15">Saturday 20th October</a>.</span></font></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Mass TUC Demo, London</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">A reserved train is being co-ordinated by the Trades Council</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Contact your own union branch in the first instance to book a place.</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">If you are not a union member but would like to join us on the train email<a href="mailto:BrightonTradesCouncil@gmail.com" x-apple-data-detectors="true" x-apple-data-detectors-type="link" x-apple-data-detectors-result="16">BrightonTradesCouncil@gmail.com</a></span></div></div><div align="center" style="padding-top: 10px; padding-bottom: 10px; "><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto; "><br></div></div><img alt=" " height="1" src="http://t.ymlp209.net/xqhmtcujmyypwua/footer.gif" width="1" border="0" style="font-family: Helvetica; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; "><br /></div>Andy Richardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01441557191138845101noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-883513429081359737.post-542175579465522602012-09-13T00:36:00.001+01:002012-09-13T00:36:24.833+01:00Hillsborough - a working class tragedy caused and covered up by a venal ruling class<div id="dE_H" style=";width:100%; height:100%; ;"><br><img id="img65427e8c-e585-48f8-ba4b-82ffec7f31b5" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-5EGNijfj0iM/UFEccB4zASI/AAAAAAAACQ4/9JzLInpSpBI/%25255BUNSET%25255D.jpg" style="height: 376px; width: 560px; "><br><div><br></div><div><br></div><div>I was driving (don't remember where) when news started filtering through the car radio about what became known as the Hillsborough Disaster on that April day in 1989. In that pre-Internet age news travelled a little slower than it does now, but I remember sitting there aghast as each bulletin raised the death toll a little higher. Six....fifteen....twenty.....fifty. I remember wondering how horrendously high it would go.</div><div><br></div><div>What was almost surreal as I watched the TV pictures later, was the utter cluelessness of the police who seemed to neither know nor care about the carnage which was unfolding before everyone's eyes. These were after all football hooligans. - scousers to boot - just out for trouble. It was already known that the police regarded football fans as just about the lowest form of life, to be herded, corralled and battered at will.</div><div><br></div><div>But what followed the disaster itself was the perfect storm of all arms of the British state - media, security forces and Government - used to cover its own miserable failings on the day and then to smear and blame the victims for their own fate.</div><div><br></div><div>This one had everything - police briefing a compliant press with a story that today's report has shown to be manifestly false, the tabloids only too willing to paint the false picture in the most lurid manner. The Police Federation even had a tame MP, Irvine Patnick, to feed the media with more lies about the Liverpool fans. Until today I'd never heard of Patnick and I never want to again. Some are calling for his knighthood to be taken away, but isn't this what he got it for?</div><div><br></div><div>The whole State operation resembled nothing as much as that deployed against the miners and the News International workers only a few years before. The Liverpool fans and their families had become just another working-class community to be slandered and demonised.</div><div><br></div><div>From the Hillsborough Panel report we now know for sure that the whole phoney narrative that was built up contained not one grain of truth. There was no surge by drunken ticketless fans, no violence, no urinating on or robbing of the dead. Shockingly it now appears that nearly half of the dead could have been saved if the police had got ambulance crews into the ground instead of leaving them parked up outside.</div><div><br></div><div>But the media did its work well. The myths and the lies persisted and continued to be propagated by the media and willing politicians (including the affable bumbling Boris - see quote above). Earlier today I was reading the comments on the Guardian live blog - the <b>Guardian</b> - and even on there were people only too ready to repeat the stories that the Panel had just demonstrated to be false.</div><div><br></div><div>There are lessons for us today in all of this. Firstly, treat any police account of any event with extreme scepticism. Hillsborough and a host of other events have demonstrated that the police will lie without any compunction when it suits them. I have seen this locally in relation to anti-EDL mobilisations, where Sussex Police have knowingly and brazenly fabricated events to make themselves look good.</div><div><br></div><div>Ditto - of course - the media. If Kelvin MacKenzie really is "sorry", he could start to atone by telling us exactly to which organ grinder he was playing monkey. Who was giving the orders Kelvin?</div><div><br></div><div>Finally it is worth remembering that even as Cameron was offering his apology, he is planning a massive assault on "burdensome" health and safety regulations - despite the numerous safety failings at Hillsborough on that fateful day.</div><div><br></div><div>The Hillsborough cover-up was designed to protect the reputations of the powerful in society, but it was also about protecting their social order. And in that enterprise, those working class football fans were totally expendable.</div><div><br></div><br><img id="imgedf2ee7c-9f98-49df-bd56-280ecd88e0c4" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-RMMiuM6SPmY/UFEcdJ5e_HI/AAAAAAAACRA/RiaXzLoTAYo/%25255BUNSET%25255D.jpg" style="height: 183px; width: 275px; "><br></div>Andy Richardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01441557191138845101noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-883513429081359737.post-4079366882807110042012-09-09T13:15:00.001+01:002012-09-09T13:20:15.893+01:00Sometimes a picture tells a thousand words.......<div id="dE_H" style=";width:100%; height:100%; ;"><br><div><br></div><img id="imgd64e53b5-419a-4ca8-bdf0-0f71afc9b5a7" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-ckjUYbzN5oc/UEyJe01R4rI/AAAAAAAACQQ/NNw9ZUGJpOI/%25255BUNSET%25255D.jpg" style="height: 480px; width: 368px; opacity: 1; pointer-events: auto; " class=""><br></div>Andy Richardshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01441557191138845101noreply@blogger.com0