How do we cure our sick society?
Events during the last couple of weeks have left me depressed as I have come to realise just how sick is the society in which we now live. Every day we are confronted by yet another example of the deplorable sub-culture of anti-social behaviour that is slowly pervading our lives.
Binge drinking, rampant drug taking, burglary, shop lifting, threatening behaviour, vandalism, swearing in public and the verbal abuse of anyone who has the audacity to upbraid the perpetrators, are simply different sides of the same coin; lawlessness, and the most worrying aspect of this disorder is the seemingly unstoppable increase in the incidence of unprovoked violent attacks on innocent people.
The ghastly murder of 11 year old Rhys Jones, allegedly shot by a 15 year old youth on a BMX bike, is the latest high profile crime to hit out national TV screens. But such crimes are not confined to Liverpool, Leeds or London; locally we have our seen more than our fair share of violence, indeed not a week goes by without yet another appalling story appearing in our local newspapers.
Who can ever forget the senseless killing last year of 16 year old Michael Chapman as he walked across a Sittingbourne playing field, or, the more recent vicious attack on a Sheppey pensioner, which left him battered, bruised and hospitalised?
At the weekend my depression deepened because of a very minor incident, but one that I believe is hugely significant because it epitomises the problem that is ripping the heart out of communities up and down the country. It is the lack of respect many youngsters have for authority, for older people, including their own parents, and for their fellow citizens.
The incident happened as I finished clearing all the litter out of our front garden; I looked up just as two teenage girls walked out of the alley opposite my house. As they made their way down the road one of them simply threw an empty crisp packet over her shoulder. I was incensed and shouted at her to pick it up. She looked at me as if I was mad, laughed and walked away.
Thirty years ago I would have chased after her, grabbed her by the scruff of the neck, marched her back to the crisp packet, made her pick it up and put it into the nearest litter bin. Today if I had taken such action I would have been arrested for physical, and, quite likely, sexual assault.
What can we do on such occasions? Call the police? Hardly! They are not going to be interested in a single crisp packet when they are so short of manpower that they cannot even respond to calls about a burglary if the culprit is not still on the property!
Contact the girl’s parents? Not possible, because I had no idea who the girl was and she was unlikely to tell me even if I had asked her name, anyway, if I had discovered her identity it is very unlikely I would have received a sympathetic hearing from her parents!
The truth is that in today’s Britain we can do nothing but fume about such insolence. No wonder decent citizens are becoming so frustrated and losing respect for the law and those who are charged with upholding it.
Now you might well ask what that crisp packet has to do with the shooting of an 11 year old in Liverpool or the murder of a 16 year old in Sittingbourne. There is a clear link.
The problem is that if people get away with dropping litter without fear of punishment, some of them will believe the same goes when they bend a car aerial, daub graffiti on a garage door, throw empty beer cans at somebody’s window, urinate in the street, or even “do a bit of shoplifting”. And, unfortunately, too often they are right, because even if they are caught, the police increasingly refuse to prosecute for such a “minor crime”.
But often those “minor crimes” lead the perpetrators to more serious crimes. The problem is that failing to punish people for the little things makes them feel they can do what they like, including attacking those to whom they take a dislike. And sadly, our current sentencing policy is such that they almost certainly will get away with little more than a slap on the wrist for even the most vicious assault. Just remember, young Michael Chapman’s killer was sentenced to a derisory four years in prison!
So what can we do to reverse this increase in lawlessness? In two words: Zero Tolerance. I know this is a concept that has been talked about on and off for years, ever since Mayor Juliano used it so successfully to bring crime under control in New York City a few years back, but we have never really embraced it in this country. I believe the time has arrived for us to practice Zero Tolerance.
If we crack down on the minor criminals such as litter droppers and graffiti writers then we might just discourage them from progressing to more serious crimes.
Of course, schools have a big role to play in teaching our children the right way to behave, but over the years we have slowly reduced the avenues of discipline open to schools and now teachers have to enforce rules and regulations with both arms tied behind their back!
Some schools do have good discipline, however, teachers in those schools would tell you that they only have pupils in their care for a relatively short time; the rest of the time they are at home, where very often all the good work of our schools is lost because of indiscipline or disinterest by parents. That is another problem. Some parents simply refuse to accept responsibility for their children. Those parents must be brought to book and should be prosecuted for the misdemeanours of their children.
In my opinion, the breakdown in social cohesion and the increase in anti social behaviour began the day that Parliament voted to abolish Capital Punishment. Doing away with the ultimate deterrent sent out entirely the wrong message and undermined the whole sentencing system. That particular decision was further exacerbated when corporal punishment was banned in schools. Of course, there are some who are now trying to have corporal punishment banned in the home. God help us!
I know there will be many who disagree with me on this, and I respect their right to differ. I hope they respect my right to hold an opinion different to their own, without trying to brand me as some hang and flog ‘em monster!
Indeed, I would simply say to my critics that it cannot be a coincidence that the increase in anti-social behaviour and violent crime has happened at exactly the same time that we have done away with capital and corporal punishment.
In Singapore anyone caught dropping litter is caned, which could have something to do with why it is one of the cleanest cities in the world! These days, schools cannot use the cane or the slipper; the maximum punishment that can be metered out is “exclusion”, but what sort of punishment is that to a teenager who doesn’t want to be in school anyway? It is hardly surprising that the current level of truancy in our secondary schools is quite scandalous, with one local school having an appalling 25% truancy rate. 25%! That means that on average one pupil in four is absent every day!
Perhaps the time has come to set up special “detention” schools to which pupils who are excluded from their current main stream school, or, who habitually play truant, are sent. Those schools could offer a robust secure disciplined environment, with a properly structured educational day, but a tough regime of physical recreation once the academic day was finished. I suspect that discipline levels in our secondary schools would soon improve and truancy rates would drop dramatically!
Now such a scheme might be impractical, or, politically impossible, but at least we should have the debate about how we are going to combat the current lack of discipline in schools. I know that many teachers are frustrated with the lack of support they are given when they try to solve this problem.
Similarly, the police are frustrated when they see criminals for whom they have spent a lot of man hours to obtain a conviction, being released early because the Government simply has not built sufficient prisons. And on the subject of police, so bogged down are they with the paper work needed to obtain that conviction, that they simply have no time to do what they should be doing, which is preventing crimes form happening. Which leads me to another problem; when was the last time that you saw a policeman on foot patrol in your area?
We are told repeatedly that foot patrols are not the best way of using police time and that car patrols are more efficient. I am not convinced because the facts simply do not support this argument. Once again, it cannot be a coincidence that incidence of anti-social behaviour has increased as the number of foot patrols has reduced. Certainly, residents would sleep better in their beds if they knew that their local streets were being patrolled regularly by a policeman.
I believe we have reached a watershed; unless the decent majority start to fight back with determination and firmness, our country will become an intolerable place in which to live. To succeed in that fight we need to increase the number of police on our streets and bring discipline back into our schools and homes. Such measures will cost a lot of money, but that is a small price to pay if it means saving Britain from the anarchy that David Cameron spoke about last week.
Gordon Henderson
Conservative Parliamentary Spokesman
Sittingbourne & Sheppey
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
SWALE A DIRTY BOROUGH?
PRESS RELEASE
Date: 27th August 2007
Release date: Immediate
Subject: Gordon “frustrated at the way in which the level of tidiness and cleanliness is rapidly deteriorating across Swale”.
The director of the Swale Community Action Project (SCAP), Gordon Henderson, has written to Kent Highway Services to complain about the poor service being provided to the residents of Swale.
In his letter Gordon highlighted a number of issues including:-
· The poor standard of road sweeping, particularly on Sheppey.
· Blocked drain culverts that cause flooding.
· Overgrown and litter strewn alleys.
· Badly overgrown roundabouts and verges on the A249, which are unsightly and a hazard to motorists.
Gordon said:
‘I am becoming increasingly frustrated at the way in which the level of tidiness and cleanliness is rapidly deteriorating across Swale.
‘As the director of the Swale Community Action Project (SCAP) I am doing all I can to encourage members of our various communities to take ownership of their areas and help keep them clean and tidy. But it would make my task much easier if those agencies with a statutory responsibility for keeping our highways, verges, alleys and footpaths clean, set a better example by fulfilling their obligations with more diligence!
‘The situation has certainly become noticeably worse since the highways agreement with Swale Borough Council was ended a couple of years ago. Perhaps it is time to revisit that decision!’
In his letter Gordon also raised again the problem of speeding in Queenborough Road and Minster Road, and the lack of proper white lines in the area.’
….ends….
Enc: Copy of letter to Kent Highway Services
Date: 27th August 2007
Release date: Immediate
Subject: Gordon “frustrated at the way in which the level of tidiness and cleanliness is rapidly deteriorating across Swale”.
The director of the Swale Community Action Project (SCAP), Gordon Henderson, has written to Kent Highway Services to complain about the poor service being provided to the residents of Swale.
In his letter Gordon highlighted a number of issues including:-
· The poor standard of road sweeping, particularly on Sheppey.
· Blocked drain culverts that cause flooding.
· Overgrown and litter strewn alleys.
· Badly overgrown roundabouts and verges on the A249, which are unsightly and a hazard to motorists.
Gordon said:
‘I am becoming increasingly frustrated at the way in which the level of tidiness and cleanliness is rapidly deteriorating across Swale.
‘As the director of the Swale Community Action Project (SCAP) I am doing all I can to encourage members of our various communities to take ownership of their areas and help keep them clean and tidy. But it would make my task much easier if those agencies with a statutory responsibility for keeping our highways, verges, alleys and footpaths clean, set a better example by fulfilling their obligations with more diligence!
‘The situation has certainly become noticeably worse since the highways agreement with Swale Borough Council was ended a couple of years ago. Perhaps it is time to revisit that decision!’
In his letter Gordon also raised again the problem of speeding in Queenborough Road and Minster Road, and the lack of proper white lines in the area.’
….ends….
Enc: Copy of letter to Kent Highway Services
Friday, August 10, 2007
Planning is a Nonsense!!!
BEFORE AFTER
The two photographs attached have been taken on the land next the Swale Martial Arts Club in East Street Sittingbourne. Photo no 1 shows a long lean to shed where the club houses some of its equipment, it a very neat affair with recently refurbished roof, painted front and parts decked with hanging baskets. SMAC decided to keep this ground in reasonable good order because it was the first thing people who come from Faversham side see of Sittingbourne. It seems that the planning authorities at Swale Borough Council did not like our shed as a few weeks ago they sent an enforcement officer ( who was in all fairness very pleasant and helpful) to SMAC telling us that the Sheds and our bird aviary did not have planning permission and had to come down. It was true that the big shed and aviary did not have planning something I did not realise I needed the club had no option but to agree.
The questions one must ask oneself are as follows:
1) Why did we have to knock them down, planning departments answer was no planning, yet the sheds were more attractive then what is left, they did not ruin the look of the area, they were not affecting anyone in terms of a hazard, they were not a danger to anyone and not in a state of disrepair. Surely common sense can prevail when this sort of things happen or is that beyond the remit of planning department?
2) Is it necessary to send a Planning Contravention Notice with fine of £1000 if you do not reply in 21 days?
3) A 8ft x 6ft garden shed is also part of the order, yet this stands in the garden of one of the flats on land that has been residential and in continual use as such for over a 100 years, in that time there must have been scores of garden sheds. So why now is it that contravenes planning regulations could it be planning are flexing their bureaucratic muscles it will not be the first time SMAC has been singled out someone, years ago we were taken to court because we had a banner which did not have planning permission yet all the major stores had banner adverts without planning, for nearly 100 years there has been a roadway to what used to be stables and a barn at the rear of the buildings, when the new roundabout was erected our entrance from the road was taken away so we were told to use another route from the road after doing this for 20 years some KCC officials tell us we are breaking the law and must cease. Are the SMAC being harassed by some at the council or is it we are not one of the big companies and an easy target?
4) The planning department tell me you need planning permission for a garden shed and do this you must have proper drawings so for an 10ft x 8ft shed you will have to have a set of drawings which will cost £100 or more. So if you have had a shed erected in less then 4 years you could be breaking planning laws.
Local Councillors seem to have less and less powers and in reality we are governed and administered by a unelected autonomous organisation, Councillors must start clawing back control of Council affairs and return power to the people.
The two photographs attached have been taken on the land next the Swale Martial Arts Club in East Street Sittingbourne. Photo no 1 shows a long lean to shed where the club houses some of its equipment, it a very neat affair with recently refurbished roof, painted front and parts decked with hanging baskets. SMAC decided to keep this ground in reasonable good order because it was the first thing people who come from Faversham side see of Sittingbourne. It seems that the planning authorities at Swale Borough Council did not like our shed as a few weeks ago they sent an enforcement officer ( who was in all fairness very pleasant and helpful) to SMAC telling us that the Sheds and our bird aviary did not have planning permission and had to come down. It was true that the big shed and aviary did not have planning something I did not realise I needed the club had no option but to agree.
The questions one must ask oneself are as follows:
1) Why did we have to knock them down, planning departments answer was no planning, yet the sheds were more attractive then what is left, they did not ruin the look of the area, they were not affecting anyone in terms of a hazard, they were not a danger to anyone and not in a state of disrepair. Surely common sense can prevail when this sort of things happen or is that beyond the remit of planning department?
2) Is it necessary to send a Planning Contravention Notice with fine of £1000 if you do not reply in 21 days?
3) A 8ft x 6ft garden shed is also part of the order, yet this stands in the garden of one of the flats on land that has been residential and in continual use as such for over a 100 years, in that time there must have been scores of garden sheds. So why now is it that contravenes planning regulations could it be planning are flexing their bureaucratic muscles it will not be the first time SMAC has been singled out someone, years ago we were taken to court because we had a banner which did not have planning permission yet all the major stores had banner adverts without planning, for nearly 100 years there has been a roadway to what used to be stables and a barn at the rear of the buildings, when the new roundabout was erected our entrance from the road was taken away so we were told to use another route from the road after doing this for 20 years some KCC officials tell us we are breaking the law and must cease. Are the SMAC being harassed by some at the council or is it we are not one of the big companies and an easy target?
4) The planning department tell me you need planning permission for a garden shed and do this you must have proper drawings so for an 10ft x 8ft shed you will have to have a set of drawings which will cost £100 or more. So if you have had a shed erected in less then 4 years you could be breaking planning laws.
Local Councillors seem to have less and less powers and in reality we are governed and administered by a unelected autonomous organisation, Councillors must start clawing back control of Council affairs and return power to the people.
Friday, August 03, 2007
Immigrants Must Adapt "take it or leave it" veiw from Australia
Muslims who want to live under Islamic Sharia law were told onWednesday to get out of Australia , as the government targeted radicals in abid to head off potential terror attacks.
A day after a group of mainstream Muslim leaders pledged loyalty to Australia and her Queen at a special meeting with Prime Minister John Howard, he and his Ministers made it clear that extremists would face a crackdown. Treasurer Peter Costello, seen as heir apparent to Howard, hinted that some radical clerics could be asked to leave the country if they did not accept that Australia was a secular state, and its laws were made by parliament. 'If those are not your values, if you want a country which has Sharia law or a theocratic state, then Australia is not for you', he said on NationalTelevision.
'I'd be saying to clerics who are teaching that there are two lawsgoverning people in Australia : one the Australian law and another Islamiclaw that is false. If you can't agree with parliamentary law, independentcourts, democracy, and would prefer Sharia law and have the opportunity togo to another country, which practices it, perhaps, then, that's a betteroption', Costello said.
Asked whether he meant radical clerics would be forced to leave, he saidthose with dual citizenship could possibly be asked to move to the othercountry. Education Minister Brendan Nelson later told reporters that Muslimswho did not want to accept local values should 'clear off. Basically peoplewho don't want to be Australians, and who don't want, to live by Australianvalues and understand them, well then, they can basically clear off', hesaid.
Separately, Howard angered some Australian Muslims on Wednesday by saying he supported spy agencies monitoring the nation's mosques.
Quote: 'IMMIGRANTS, NOT AUSTRALIANS, MUST ADAPT. Take It Or Leave It. I am tired of this nation worrying about whether we are offending some individual or their culture. Since the terrorist attacks on Bali, we have experienced a surge in patriotism by the majority of Australians.'
'However, the dust from the attacks had barely settled when the'politically correct' crowd began complaining about the possibility that ourpatriotism was offending others. I am not against immigration, nor do I holda grudge against anyone who is seeking a better life by coming to Australia.' 'However, there are a few things that those who have recently come to ourcountry, and apparently some born here, need to understand.' 'Thisidea of Australia being a multi-cultural community has served only to dilute our sovereignty and our national identity. And as Australians, we have our own culture, our own society, our own language and our own lifestyle.'
'This culture has been developed over two centuries of struggles, trialsand victories by millions of men and women who have sought freedom'
'We speak mainly ENGLISH, not Spanish, Lebanese, Arabic, Chinese,Japanese, Russian, or any other language. Therefore, if you wish to becomepart of our society ... Learn the language!'
'Most Australians believe in God. This is not some Christian, right wing,political push, but a fact, because Christian men and women, on Christianprinciples, founded this nation, and this is clearly documented. It iscertainly appropriate to display it on the walls of our schools. If Godoffends you, then I suggest you consider another part of the world as yournew home, because God is part of our culture.'
'We will accept your beliefs, and will not question why.. All we ask isthat you accept ours, and live in harmony and peaceful enjoyment with us.'
'If the Southern Cross offends you, or you don't like 'A Fair Go', thenyou should seriously consider a move to another part of this planet. We arehappy with our culture and have no desire to change, and we really don'tcare how you did things where you came from. By all means, keep yourculture, but do not force it on others.
'This is OUR COUNTRY, OUR LAND, and OUR LIFESTYLE, and we will allow you every opportunity to enjoy all this. But once you are done complaining, whining, and griping about Our Flag, Our Pledge, Our Christian beliefs, or Our Way of Life, I highly encourage you take advantage of one other great Australian freedom, 'THE RIGHT TO LEAVE'.'
If you aren't happy here then LEAVE. We didn't force you to come here.You asked to be here. So accept the country YOU accepted.
’Maybe if we circulate this amongst ourselves, British citizens will findthe backbone to start speaking and voicing the same truths!*
If you agree please SEND THIS TO EVERYBODY YOU KNOW
A day after a group of mainstream Muslim leaders pledged loyalty to Australia and her Queen at a special meeting with Prime Minister John Howard, he and his Ministers made it clear that extremists would face a crackdown. Treasurer Peter Costello, seen as heir apparent to Howard, hinted that some radical clerics could be asked to leave the country if they did not accept that Australia was a secular state, and its laws were made by parliament. 'If those are not your values, if you want a country which has Sharia law or a theocratic state, then Australia is not for you', he said on NationalTelevision.
'I'd be saying to clerics who are teaching that there are two lawsgoverning people in Australia : one the Australian law and another Islamiclaw that is false. If you can't agree with parliamentary law, independentcourts, democracy, and would prefer Sharia law and have the opportunity togo to another country, which practices it, perhaps, then, that's a betteroption', Costello said.
Asked whether he meant radical clerics would be forced to leave, he saidthose with dual citizenship could possibly be asked to move to the othercountry. Education Minister Brendan Nelson later told reporters that Muslimswho did not want to accept local values should 'clear off. Basically peoplewho don't want to be Australians, and who don't want, to live by Australianvalues and understand them, well then, they can basically clear off', hesaid.
Separately, Howard angered some Australian Muslims on Wednesday by saying he supported spy agencies monitoring the nation's mosques.
Quote: 'IMMIGRANTS, NOT AUSTRALIANS, MUST ADAPT. Take It Or Leave It. I am tired of this nation worrying about whether we are offending some individual or their culture. Since the terrorist attacks on Bali, we have experienced a surge in patriotism by the majority of Australians.'
'However, the dust from the attacks had barely settled when the'politically correct' crowd began complaining about the possibility that ourpatriotism was offending others. I am not against immigration, nor do I holda grudge against anyone who is seeking a better life by coming to Australia.' 'However, there are a few things that those who have recently come to ourcountry, and apparently some born here, need to understand.' 'Thisidea of Australia being a multi-cultural community has served only to dilute our sovereignty and our national identity. And as Australians, we have our own culture, our own society, our own language and our own lifestyle.'
'This culture has been developed over two centuries of struggles, trialsand victories by millions of men and women who have sought freedom'
'We speak mainly ENGLISH, not Spanish, Lebanese, Arabic, Chinese,Japanese, Russian, or any other language. Therefore, if you wish to becomepart of our society ... Learn the language!'
'Most Australians believe in God. This is not some Christian, right wing,political push, but a fact, because Christian men and women, on Christianprinciples, founded this nation, and this is clearly documented. It iscertainly appropriate to display it on the walls of our schools. If Godoffends you, then I suggest you consider another part of the world as yournew home, because God is part of our culture.'
'We will accept your beliefs, and will not question why.. All we ask isthat you accept ours, and live in harmony and peaceful enjoyment with us.'
'If the Southern Cross offends you, or you don't like 'A Fair Go', thenyou should seriously consider a move to another part of this planet. We arehappy with our culture and have no desire to change, and we really don'tcare how you did things where you came from. By all means, keep yourculture, but do not force it on others.
'This is OUR COUNTRY, OUR LAND, and OUR LIFESTYLE, and we will allow you every opportunity to enjoy all this. But once you are done complaining, whining, and griping about Our Flag, Our Pledge, Our Christian beliefs, or Our Way of Life, I highly encourage you take advantage of one other great Australian freedom, 'THE RIGHT TO LEAVE'.'
If you aren't happy here then LEAVE. We didn't force you to come here.You asked to be here. So accept the country YOU accepted.
’Maybe if we circulate this amongst ourselves, British citizens will findthe backbone to start speaking and voicing the same truths!*
If you agree please SEND THIS TO EVERYBODY YOU KNOW
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
SCHOOL leaving age 18 you must be joking
Dear Editor
The latest idiotic idea to come from our new labour Prime Minister Gordon Brown is that we should keep children at school till their 18 years of age. One wonders if he and his government have a clue what it is to be normal or maybe because he has had children very late in life he does not know what it like to have a 15/16 year old who does not want be at school, well he should go and ask a Teacher who will have to put up with young Men and Women who would rather be working. For that what 16/18 year old are, they are not children, at 16 they can smoke, they can get married, they can legally have children (under this government rather then deal with that problem they will bring the age down to 12 so at a stroke you will have no under agemothers), drive a motor bike, at 18 you can vote and die for your country.
Now a far better idea would be to let youngsters leave at 15 years as long as they have an apprenticeship or equivalent, which will include a day release where their education can continue but in a more adult environment. I have dealt with young people most of my adult life as a Judo/Sombo Wrestling Coach and at 14/15 the youngsters move up to our Senior section where they come involved with adults, this especially beneficial for young boys. Being involved with adults made them feel more mature and they acted accordingly, obviously not every adult pastime is encouraged my Judo pupils were never allowed to drink till they were 18 they were discouraged from smoking and taught respect for other people. I know you will say that is easy in my line of work because you have pupils who want to be there and that is true but that is exactly what the old apprenticeship scheme did it put young people mainly boys working with older people, people they would be with for as little as 40 hours a week, these people would become their mentors and friends without either of them realising it. I started work at 15 years and 3 months as an Agricultural Apprentice, after being out with my mates for the weekend I came back to work on the Monday my head full of rubbish planted by other adolescents of may age group, these ideas I would start bragging about in front of older work colleagues who would soon put me straight by giving me a verbal tirade, a kick up the backside or in extreme cases a cow pat hitting me along side the ear but there would always be someone who would tell me why I had spoken rubbish. Today teenagers only mix with their own age group and sadly believe all the hype that they talk and see “the blind leading the blind”.
If at 16 years of age a youngsters doesn’t opt to got back to education, doesn’t have a job he or she would go in the Forces for a year not as front line service personnel but as back up staff doing the mundane jobs.
Jobs being the answer but yet for a 16 year old to get even a basic job is becoming more difficult as foreign labour is pushing them out of the Labour market, I have been told that most farmers and companies who want low cost labour now refuse to take on British workers, it is easy to condemn youngsters for not working but if fellow countryman do not give them the chance what are they supposed to do.
The latest idiotic idea to come from our new labour Prime Minister Gordon Brown is that we should keep children at school till their 18 years of age. One wonders if he and his government have a clue what it is to be normal or maybe because he has had children very late in life he does not know what it like to have a 15/16 year old who does not want be at school, well he should go and ask a Teacher who will have to put up with young Men and Women who would rather be working. For that what 16/18 year old are, they are not children, at 16 they can smoke, they can get married, they can legally have children (under this government rather then deal with that problem they will bring the age down to 12 so at a stroke you will have no under agemothers), drive a motor bike, at 18 you can vote and die for your country.
Now a far better idea would be to let youngsters leave at 15 years as long as they have an apprenticeship or equivalent, which will include a day release where their education can continue but in a more adult environment. I have dealt with young people most of my adult life as a Judo/Sombo Wrestling Coach and at 14/15 the youngsters move up to our Senior section where they come involved with adults, this especially beneficial for young boys. Being involved with adults made them feel more mature and they acted accordingly, obviously not every adult pastime is encouraged my Judo pupils were never allowed to drink till they were 18 they were discouraged from smoking and taught respect for other people. I know you will say that is easy in my line of work because you have pupils who want to be there and that is true but that is exactly what the old apprenticeship scheme did it put young people mainly boys working with older people, people they would be with for as little as 40 hours a week, these people would become their mentors and friends without either of them realising it. I started work at 15 years and 3 months as an Agricultural Apprentice, after being out with my mates for the weekend I came back to work on the Monday my head full of rubbish planted by other adolescents of may age group, these ideas I would start bragging about in front of older work colleagues who would soon put me straight by giving me a verbal tirade, a kick up the backside or in extreme cases a cow pat hitting me along side the ear but there would always be someone who would tell me why I had spoken rubbish. Today teenagers only mix with their own age group and sadly believe all the hype that they talk and see “the blind leading the blind”.
If at 16 years of age a youngsters doesn’t opt to got back to education, doesn’t have a job he or she would go in the Forces for a year not as front line service personnel but as back up staff doing the mundane jobs.
Jobs being the answer but yet for a 16 year old to get even a basic job is becoming more difficult as foreign labour is pushing them out of the Labour market, I have been told that most farmers and companies who want low cost labour now refuse to take on British workers, it is easy to condemn youngsters for not working but if fellow countryman do not give them the chance what are they supposed to do.
Flooding Action NOT Words
Gordon calls for flooding action, not words.
Gordon Henderson has demanded that the Government learns lessons from this summer’s floods and bans all housing developments in areas at risk from flooding, such as Sittingbourne & Sheppey, until the safety of those developments can be guaranteed.
Gordon said:
‘We have been immensely lucky in our area. We have witnessed flooding across huge swathes of north, west and south England, but we have been spared the traumas faced by so many families. However, the truth is that what has happened elsewhere could so easily have happened here.
‘It is time to call a halt on the huge housing developments planned for our area until the Government can guarantee that such developments are safe from the threat of flooding.’
Government Ministers in Whitehall are planning an inquiry into the floods; and Gordon is calling for a number of areas of concern to be taken into account:
· Who’s in charge ?: There should be clearer lines of responsibility for preventing flooding and tackling flooding emergencies. Since 2000, there have been at least 25 reports on flooding: and yet no single Government Minister, Department or Agency in charge.
· Building on flood plains: The Government’s building plans and regional targets will mean even more high-density development on floodplains, such as in Rushenden and Iwade, many of which may be uninsurable or have exorbitant premiums. Such development should not take place unless the safety of both assets and homes can be guaranteed.
· Urban drainage and gully cleaning: “Cinderella” issues such as urban drainage must no longer be neglected. Pressures on town hall budgets in recent years have squeezed highways budgets, leading to cuts in gully cleaning and more localised flooding.
· Emergency funding review: There must be a complete review of the “Bellwin scheme”, a central fund which gives local authorities financial assistance in the aftermath of large-scale emergencies.
· Climate change matters: The Government should make an annual statement on climate change adaptation, which would include evaluation of flood defences.
Gordon went on to say:
‘Across the country, the emergency services and local authorities have done an immense amount of work in recent weeks to tackle the problems of flooding – from major floods to small-scale incidents. But with a changing climate, we need to learn the lessons.
‘There should be clearer lines of responsibility for preventing flooding; we should end the neglect of urban drainage, sewers and gullies; and we must review Whitehall’s plans for reckless building on flood plains - that threaten to become the sink estates of tomorrow.’
Notes to Editors
LESSONS TO BE LEARNED FROM SUMMER OF FLOODS
The Government has announced an inquiry into why this year’s flooding was so extensive, whether its impact could have been predicted and prevented, and whether the immediate response was effective and co-ordinated. Conservatives are calling for the inquiry to consider a number of issues:
· General co-ordination: As early as 2001, the Environment Agency acknowledged: “the confusion of responsibility for managing the wide variety of flood problems” (EA, Lessons Learned, 2001). However, 25 reports later, responsibility for preventing and managing flooding is still divided among Whitehall departments DEFRA and DCLG, and the Environment Agency, drainage boards, water companies and local authorities.
· Condition of flood defences: The National Audit Office has warned that less than half of the country’s high-risk flood defences were at “target condition”. The Environment Agency has a target of 63 per cent (NAO, Building and maintaining river and coastal flood defences in England, June 2007).
· How cost overruns at the Rural Payments Agency led to cuts in vital flood defence work: After having to set aside almost £400 million to pay for RPA failures and to provide for possible EU fines, DEFRA slashed £200 million from its agencies, including £15 million from flood defence work at the Environment Agency. The Government subsequently promised an extra £200 million a year for flood defences from 2011. However, there are concerns that the money is for capital funding only, with the Environment Agency’s planning budget being slashed.
· Pressures on town hall finances mean less gully emptying: Financial pressures on councils have squeezed highways budgets, which in turn have led to cuts in gully clearing. The industry has warned, “with a continuing shortfall of funds, the backlog of work can only worsen. There is increasing concern about the deterioration of our roads and the consequences for safety... [There is] some considerable concern over problems with localised flooding resulting from reduced frequency of gully emptying. This was mentioned by numerous authorities” (Annual Local Authority Road Maintenance Survey, March 2007, pp.4, 17).
· More building on floodplains: According to the Environment Agency, 50 per cent of the housing built in Britain since the Second World War is on flood plains. Some 15 per cent of all current development is in the flood zone - as is 30 per cent of the building planned for 2016-2021. The Government’s new Housing Green Paper, published on 23 July, has signalled that even more building will inevitably be on flood plains. The Association of British Insurers has said that insurance companies would continue providing insurance “as long as it is in an area where the Government continues to invest in flood defence systems” (ABI Press Release, 11 November 2005). However, less than half of the UK’s flood defences are in target condition. This means that new developments may be uninsurable or have exorbitant premiums.
· Is the Bellwin scheme adequate?: The Bellwin scheme was introduced in 1983 to provide financial help to local authorities in the aftermath of large-scale emergencies. At present, Bellwin covers only revenue spending, not capital payments. It also only covers 85 per cent of costs, although this has been temporarily changed to 100 per cent. Even in 2001, the Government warned that “the main live issue [with Bellwin] is local authority expenditure on flood protection and responses to flooding” (DETR, Impacts of climate change: implications for DETR, 2001). There should be a complete review of the Bellwin scheme, including the capital costs of flooding, rather than short-term fixes.
ENDS
Gordon Henderson has demanded that the Government learns lessons from this summer’s floods and bans all housing developments in areas at risk from flooding, such as Sittingbourne & Sheppey, until the safety of those developments can be guaranteed.
Gordon said:
‘We have been immensely lucky in our area. We have witnessed flooding across huge swathes of north, west and south England, but we have been spared the traumas faced by so many families. However, the truth is that what has happened elsewhere could so easily have happened here.
‘It is time to call a halt on the huge housing developments planned for our area until the Government can guarantee that such developments are safe from the threat of flooding.’
Government Ministers in Whitehall are planning an inquiry into the floods; and Gordon is calling for a number of areas of concern to be taken into account:
· Who’s in charge ?: There should be clearer lines of responsibility for preventing flooding and tackling flooding emergencies. Since 2000, there have been at least 25 reports on flooding: and yet no single Government Minister, Department or Agency in charge.
· Building on flood plains: The Government’s building plans and regional targets will mean even more high-density development on floodplains, such as in Rushenden and Iwade, many of which may be uninsurable or have exorbitant premiums. Such development should not take place unless the safety of both assets and homes can be guaranteed.
· Urban drainage and gully cleaning: “Cinderella” issues such as urban drainage must no longer be neglected. Pressures on town hall budgets in recent years have squeezed highways budgets, leading to cuts in gully cleaning and more localised flooding.
· Emergency funding review: There must be a complete review of the “Bellwin scheme”, a central fund which gives local authorities financial assistance in the aftermath of large-scale emergencies.
· Climate change matters: The Government should make an annual statement on climate change adaptation, which would include evaluation of flood defences.
Gordon went on to say:
‘Across the country, the emergency services and local authorities have done an immense amount of work in recent weeks to tackle the problems of flooding – from major floods to small-scale incidents. But with a changing climate, we need to learn the lessons.
‘There should be clearer lines of responsibility for preventing flooding; we should end the neglect of urban drainage, sewers and gullies; and we must review Whitehall’s plans for reckless building on flood plains - that threaten to become the sink estates of tomorrow.’
Notes to Editors
LESSONS TO BE LEARNED FROM SUMMER OF FLOODS
The Government has announced an inquiry into why this year’s flooding was so extensive, whether its impact could have been predicted and prevented, and whether the immediate response was effective and co-ordinated. Conservatives are calling for the inquiry to consider a number of issues:
· General co-ordination: As early as 2001, the Environment Agency acknowledged: “the confusion of responsibility for managing the wide variety of flood problems” (EA, Lessons Learned, 2001). However, 25 reports later, responsibility for preventing and managing flooding is still divided among Whitehall departments DEFRA and DCLG, and the Environment Agency, drainage boards, water companies and local authorities.
· Condition of flood defences: The National Audit Office has warned that less than half of the country’s high-risk flood defences were at “target condition”. The Environment Agency has a target of 63 per cent (NAO, Building and maintaining river and coastal flood defences in England, June 2007).
· How cost overruns at the Rural Payments Agency led to cuts in vital flood defence work: After having to set aside almost £400 million to pay for RPA failures and to provide for possible EU fines, DEFRA slashed £200 million from its agencies, including £15 million from flood defence work at the Environment Agency. The Government subsequently promised an extra £200 million a year for flood defences from 2011. However, there are concerns that the money is for capital funding only, with the Environment Agency’s planning budget being slashed.
· Pressures on town hall finances mean less gully emptying: Financial pressures on councils have squeezed highways budgets, which in turn have led to cuts in gully clearing. The industry has warned, “with a continuing shortfall of funds, the backlog of work can only worsen. There is increasing concern about the deterioration of our roads and the consequences for safety... [There is] some considerable concern over problems with localised flooding resulting from reduced frequency of gully emptying. This was mentioned by numerous authorities” (Annual Local Authority Road Maintenance Survey, March 2007, pp.4, 17).
· More building on floodplains: According to the Environment Agency, 50 per cent of the housing built in Britain since the Second World War is on flood plains. Some 15 per cent of all current development is in the flood zone - as is 30 per cent of the building planned for 2016-2021. The Government’s new Housing Green Paper, published on 23 July, has signalled that even more building will inevitably be on flood plains. The Association of British Insurers has said that insurance companies would continue providing insurance “as long as it is in an area where the Government continues to invest in flood defence systems” (ABI Press Release, 11 November 2005). However, less than half of the UK’s flood defences are in target condition. This means that new developments may be uninsurable or have exorbitant premiums.
· Is the Bellwin scheme adequate?: The Bellwin scheme was introduced in 1983 to provide financial help to local authorities in the aftermath of large-scale emergencies. At present, Bellwin covers only revenue spending, not capital payments. It also only covers 85 per cent of costs, although this has been temporarily changed to 100 per cent. Even in 2001, the Government warned that “the main live issue [with Bellwin] is local authority expenditure on flood protection and responses to flooding” (DETR, Impacts of climate change: implications for DETR, 2001). There should be a complete review of the Bellwin scheme, including the capital costs of flooding, rather than short-term fixes.
ENDS
Friday, July 27, 2007
Who are these fools who support Gordon Brown?
The polls tell us that this Labour Government under the new Prime Minister Gordon Brown is 9 points ahead that would mean a complete landslide victory for the Labour Party, purely because people think we have a new government!
WE DON’T
Gordon Brown was Tony Blair’s second in command since 1997 and as such supported everything he done so lets have a look at Labours legacy:
1) Increased Taxation
2) Increased Teenage Pregnancy
3) Increased usage of illegal drugs
4) Increase in crime especially teenage crime
5) Increase in illegal immigration
6) Increase in deadly hospital diseases
7) Increase in power to the EU
8) Increase in unemployment for native Britain’s, work taken by 2 million EU workers who accept lower wages
9) Patients having to go to European Court to get the NHS to supply life saving drugs
10) High percentage of youngsters out of control
11) More money and help given to foreign disaster areas then our flood disaster
12) A massive recruitment problem for the Armed Forces
I could go on and on, so who are these people who want to vote for this treacherous, inefficient, corrupt government? I am no great lover of David Cammeron but I would rather vote for him then Gordon Brown and his henchman mid you I would rather vote for my neighbour’s dog then vote labour
WE DON’T
Gordon Brown was Tony Blair’s second in command since 1997 and as such supported everything he done so lets have a look at Labours legacy:
1) Increased Taxation
2) Increased Teenage Pregnancy
3) Increased usage of illegal drugs
4) Increase in crime especially teenage crime
5) Increase in illegal immigration
6) Increase in deadly hospital diseases
7) Increase in power to the EU
8) Increase in unemployment for native Britain’s, work taken by 2 million EU workers who accept lower wages
9) Patients having to go to European Court to get the NHS to supply life saving drugs
10) High percentage of youngsters out of control
11) More money and help given to foreign disaster areas then our flood disaster
12) A massive recruitment problem for the Armed Forces
I could go on and on, so who are these people who want to vote for this treacherous, inefficient, corrupt government? I am no great lover of David Cammeron but I would rather vote for him then Gordon Brown and his henchman mid you I would rather vote for my neighbour’s dog then vote labour
Is Gordon Brown a traitor to GB or a EU Patriot
Scandal of new EU “Constitution”.
GORDON Henderson has added his voice to criticism of the EU draft treaty that was recently negotiated by Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, accusing the Government of “scandalously undemocratic behaviour”.
The treaty, which was signed by Tony Blair just before he stepped down as Prime Minister, but was heavily influenced by his successor, Gordon Brown, is almost a carbon copy of the European “Constitution” that was so decisively rejected by Dutch and French voters less than two years ago, and on which both Mr Blair and Mr Brown promised the British People would be able to vote in a referendum.
The problem is that currently few members of parliament can make a proper judgement on the “treaty” because the only copy circulated in the House of Commons is in French!
The ludicrous situation has been highlighted by North Thanet`s MP, Roger Gale, who this week challenged the Leader of the House, Harriett Harman, to make the EU Draft Constitutional Treaty available in English to Members of the House to study during the parliamentary recess period.
Gordon said:
‘Hooray for Roger Gale! At least we have one Kent MP who believes in British democracy. It is quite scandalous that the Government has failed to provide members of the parliament with a copy of the treaty in English.
‘How on earth can they make a proper judgement about the treaty when it is French! The conclusion has to be that the Government does not want MP’s to read the treaty in English, because they will be able to prove conclusively that the treaty is simply the European Constitution under a different name!
‘Whatever one’s views on Europe, this is simply an undemocratic manoeuvre by the Government to stifle debate and avoid having a referendum that Gordon Brown knows he would lose. That is quite shameful!
‘This whole episode once again tarnishes the whole image of the European Union and simply reinforces my own view that we would be better off out of the EU.’
GORDON Henderson has added his voice to criticism of the EU draft treaty that was recently negotiated by Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, accusing the Government of “scandalously undemocratic behaviour”.
The treaty, which was signed by Tony Blair just before he stepped down as Prime Minister, but was heavily influenced by his successor, Gordon Brown, is almost a carbon copy of the European “Constitution” that was so decisively rejected by Dutch and French voters less than two years ago, and on which both Mr Blair and Mr Brown promised the British People would be able to vote in a referendum.
The problem is that currently few members of parliament can make a proper judgement on the “treaty” because the only copy circulated in the House of Commons is in French!
The ludicrous situation has been highlighted by North Thanet`s MP, Roger Gale, who this week challenged the Leader of the House, Harriett Harman, to make the EU Draft Constitutional Treaty available in English to Members of the House to study during the parliamentary recess period.
Gordon said:
‘Hooray for Roger Gale! At least we have one Kent MP who believes in British democracy. It is quite scandalous that the Government has failed to provide members of the parliament with a copy of the treaty in English.
‘How on earth can they make a proper judgement about the treaty when it is French! The conclusion has to be that the Government does not want MP’s to read the treaty in English, because they will be able to prove conclusively that the treaty is simply the European Constitution under a different name!
‘Whatever one’s views on Europe, this is simply an undemocratic manoeuvre by the Government to stifle debate and avoid having a referendum that Gordon Brown knows he would lose. That is quite shameful!
‘This whole episode once again tarnishes the whole image of the European Union and simply reinforces my own view that we would be better off out of the EU.’
Derek Wyatt betrays local pensioners
Gordon Henderson once again highlights how this government and it's MP's care very little form its own people.
Let us be quite clear; our local MP’s decision to vote against the pensions “lifeboat fund” was not only a betrayal of the ASW pensioners, but was a kick in the teeth also for many other local people who have lost their occupational pension through no fault of their own, despite repeated Government assurances that those pensions were safe.
And that latter statement is the whole crux of this issue; this was an issue of public confidence in Government information. These pensioners have been misled, deceived and now betrayed. No wonder those workers are bitter!
Our MP tells us that “the lifeboat scheme cannot work” and that any rescue plan would “hit the general taxpayer”. In addition, he persists in the deceit that this was a Tory initiative. I am sorry, that is all so much hogwash!
Firstly, this was a cross party initiative promoted by Conservatives, Lib Dems and Labour MPs, including Frank Field MP. Secondly, the “lifeboat scheme” is almost identical to the help given to Mirror Group pensioners when Robert Maxwell stole their pensions. The idea was that the Treasury would loan funds to help pensioners NOW and those funds would then be paid back over time. The money loaned to the Maxwell victims is still being paid back today, at no cost to general taxpayers!
It is true that the Government has now (at long last) agreed to pay 90% of the pensions, the problem is that nobody knows when the pensioners will actually start seeing any money. The Government’s record to date has been abysmal, with millions of pounds being spent on administration, with only a relatively few payments being made to pensioners.
The scandal is that many of the pensioners who are seeking justice will be dead before any money is paid out. If the “lifeboat fund” had been agreed then those pensioners could have started receiving money almost immediately.
I hope our MP is proud of himself!
Yours sincerely
Gordon
Let us be quite clear; our local MP’s decision to vote against the pensions “lifeboat fund” was not only a betrayal of the ASW pensioners, but was a kick in the teeth also for many other local people who have lost their occupational pension through no fault of their own, despite repeated Government assurances that those pensions were safe.
And that latter statement is the whole crux of this issue; this was an issue of public confidence in Government information. These pensioners have been misled, deceived and now betrayed. No wonder those workers are bitter!
Our MP tells us that “the lifeboat scheme cannot work” and that any rescue plan would “hit the general taxpayer”. In addition, he persists in the deceit that this was a Tory initiative. I am sorry, that is all so much hogwash!
Firstly, this was a cross party initiative promoted by Conservatives, Lib Dems and Labour MPs, including Frank Field MP. Secondly, the “lifeboat scheme” is almost identical to the help given to Mirror Group pensioners when Robert Maxwell stole their pensions. The idea was that the Treasury would loan funds to help pensioners NOW and those funds would then be paid back over time. The money loaned to the Maxwell victims is still being paid back today, at no cost to general taxpayers!
It is true that the Government has now (at long last) agreed to pay 90% of the pensions, the problem is that nobody knows when the pensioners will actually start seeing any money. The Government’s record to date has been abysmal, with millions of pounds being spent on administration, with only a relatively few payments being made to pensioners.
The scandal is that many of the pensioners who are seeking justice will be dead before any money is paid out. If the “lifeboat fund” had been agreed then those pensioners could have started receiving money almost immediately.
I hope our MP is proud of himself!
Yours sincerely
Gordon
Monday, July 23, 2007
Happy Days From The Past
Just for a minute, forget everything stressful and readthis...............Close your eyes and go back in time...Before the Internet...Before semi-automatics, joyriders and crack....Before SEGA or Super Nintendo...Way back........I'm talking about Hide and Seek in the park.The corner shop.Hopscotch.Butterscotch.Skipping.Handstands.Football with an old can.Fingerbob.Beano, Dandy, Buster, Twinkle and Dennis the Menace.Roly Poly.Hula Hoops, jumping the stream, building dams.The smell of the sun and fresh cut grass.Bazooka Joe bubble gum.An ice cream cone on a warm summer night from the van that plays a tune.Chocolate or vanilla or strawberry or maybe Neapolitan or perhapsscrewball.Wait......Watching Saturday morning cartoons, short commercials or the flicks.Children's Film Foundation, The Double Deckers, Red Hand Gang, TomorrowPeople, Tiswas or Swapshop?, and 'Why Don't You'? - or staying up forDoctor Who.When around the corner seemed far away and going into town seemed likegoing somewhere.Earwigs, wasps, stinging nettles and bee stings.Sticky fingers.Playing Marbles. Ball bearings. Big 'uns and Little 'uns.Cops and Robbers, Cowboys and Indians, and Zorro.Climbing trees.Making igloos out of snow banks.Walking to school, no matter what the weather.Running till you were out of breath, laughing so hard that your stomachhurt.Jumping on the bed. Pillow fights.Spinning around on roundabouts, getting dizzy and falling down was causefor giggles.Being tired from playing....remember that?The worst embarrassment was being picked last for a team.Water balloons were the ultimate weapon.Football cards in the spokes transformed any bike into a motorcycle.Choppers and Grifters.Eating raw jelly. Orange squash ice pops. Vimto and Jubbly lolliesRemember when...There were two types of trainers - girls and boys, and Dunlop GreenFlash The only time you wore them at School was for P.E.And they were called gym shoes or if you are older - plimsolesYou knew everyone in your street - and so did your parents.It wasn't odd to have two or three 'best' friends.You didn't sleep a wink on Christmas Eve.When nobody owned a pure-bred dog.When 25p was decent pocket moneyCurly Whirlys. Space Dust. Toffo's.Top Trumps.When you'd reach into a muddy gutter for a penny.When nearly everyone's mum was at home when the kids got there.When any parent could discipline any kid, or feed him or use him tocarry groceries and nobody, not even the kid, thought a thing of it.When being sent to the head's office was nothing compared to the fatethat awaited a misbehaving pupil at home.Basically, we were in fear for our lives but it wasn't because ofdrive-by shootings, drugs, gangs etc.Parents and grandparents were a much bigger threat and some of us arestill afraid of them.Didn't that feel good?Just to go back and say, Yeah, I remember that!Remember when....Decisions were made by going "Ip, Dip, Dog Sh*t""Race issue" meant arguing about who ran the fastest.Money issues were handled by whoever was the banker in MonopolyThe worst thing you could catch from the opposite sex was germs.And the worst thing in your day was having to sit next to one.It was unbelievable that 'British Bulldog 123' wasn't an Olympic event.Having a weapon in school, meant being caught with a catapult.Nobody was prettier than Mum.Scrapes and bruises were kissed and made better.Taking drugs meant orange-flavoured chewable aspirin.Ice cream was considered a basic food group.Getting a foot of snow was a dream come true.Older siblings were the worst tormentors, but also the fiercestprotectors.If you can remember most or all of these, then you have LIVED.Pass this on to anyone who may need a break from their grown life...I DOUBLE-DARE YOU
Thursday, July 05, 2007
Global Warming A Reply
Dear Editor
In last weeks EKG Mr Ben Murphy lambasted Miss Helmsley- Flint because she suggested Climate Changes have happened since the World was formed and you also suggested that anyone who does not believe that man is not totally responsible for Global Warming must be mad or a member of the Flat Earth Society. Now I am not a scientist and can not make any scientific judgement on Global Warning but I can read and have enough imagination not to be conned by indoctrination techniques. I started reading articles on Global Warning first of all the only information you could get was that of those who believed that Global warning is a man made problem what made me have doubts was the hypocrisy of those who preached man’s forthcoming doom and then it was all the politicians/pop stars who jumped on the bandwagon and lastly the clincher was that it was an excuse for governments to raise taxes. The main theme is that greenhouse carbon dioxide is to blame and we should cut back and the worst offenders are:
Aeroplane flights which have been taxed has this stopped people flying NO all it has done is given more taxes to the government, if Global Warming is going to destroy our planet in a few years time why have not all flights with the exception of humanitarian ones been banned? We must all cut back on electricity and use energy saving bulbs, yet our towns and motorways are lit up like Christmas trees at night, supermarkets open 24 hours what about the electricity there. Save the Planet Pop concerts which use an inordinate amount of electricity, ten of thousands of people to travel most coming by vehicles which produced carbon monoxide, how many plastic cups and bags are used at these events, World governments flying all over the world with their entourage to attend meeting on Global Warming, how much carbon is produced shipping food from all over the World to the UK, for instance why do we need apples from South Africa or Strawberries form Spain I could go on. I am not suggesting that all these things should be altered but its hypocritical for us to be lectured at for being so Naughty.
Mr Murphy goes on to say that our only chance is the European Union this most probably one of the most corrupt organisation their has ever been, it cannot balance its own books, it promised to get rid of corruption in its organisation something it has not done, any thing the EU says or does cannot be trusted it is like the old Soviet Union using propaganda and subterfuge to justify its existence. As for 95% of scientists agreeing that World warming is man made where he did get this information form was it just plucked out of the air was every scientist in the World asked? Mr Murphy condemned the Channel 4 documentary inferring it was a one off but there has been several articles suggesting the same as Channel 4 the latest is an article entitled “The Great Man Made Global Warming Fraud” by John Prendergast is article is supported by 43 bibliographies I suggest every one read it. Can I quote from his article
“All three major UK political parties accept man made global warming as dogma, fostered by such as Lord Rees, Al Gore, Sir David King, Sir Crispin Tickell, Sir Nicholas Stern, Nancy Pelosi, Dr Pachauri, I)avid Milliband, and Heidi Cullen. Other greens such as Monbiot and Porrit also are homo flagelists. The US Academy of Sciences is in this camp as is the Union of Concern Scientists (another Trade Union). Their focus is the UN body called the Inter governmental Panel for Climate Change (actually heavily funded by the UK Would it be cynical to say their anti capitalist target seems to be the humbling of Big Oil and pursuit of funds or are they just Mencken’s Hobgoblins?”
Do I believe Global Warming is man made I do not know but one thing is for sure I will not be bullied into believing anything whether it be by Government dictate or by order of the European Dictatorship
I do believe in recycling it makes good sense not to use up the Worlds resources, I do believe in cutting back on pollution for health reason, I do believe in making cars more efficient it will save me money and keep the limited oil stocks longer.
Oh and by the way Editor your own letter in Gazette Gossip with reference to the unusual weather conditions being a modern day phenomena can I suggest you look at your article on “Dusting of the files where in 1957 there was a freak Hailstorm and Sittingbourne High street was flooded” also do you remember the heat wave of 1976?
Martin Clarke www.sittingbourne .org
In last weeks EKG Mr Ben Murphy lambasted Miss Helmsley- Flint because she suggested Climate Changes have happened since the World was formed and you also suggested that anyone who does not believe that man is not totally responsible for Global Warming must be mad or a member of the Flat Earth Society. Now I am not a scientist and can not make any scientific judgement on Global Warning but I can read and have enough imagination not to be conned by indoctrination techniques. I started reading articles on Global Warning first of all the only information you could get was that of those who believed that Global warning is a man made problem what made me have doubts was the hypocrisy of those who preached man’s forthcoming doom and then it was all the politicians/pop stars who jumped on the bandwagon and lastly the clincher was that it was an excuse for governments to raise taxes. The main theme is that greenhouse carbon dioxide is to blame and we should cut back and the worst offenders are:
Aeroplane flights which have been taxed has this stopped people flying NO all it has done is given more taxes to the government, if Global Warming is going to destroy our planet in a few years time why have not all flights with the exception of humanitarian ones been banned? We must all cut back on electricity and use energy saving bulbs, yet our towns and motorways are lit up like Christmas trees at night, supermarkets open 24 hours what about the electricity there. Save the Planet Pop concerts which use an inordinate amount of electricity, ten of thousands of people to travel most coming by vehicles which produced carbon monoxide, how many plastic cups and bags are used at these events, World governments flying all over the world with their entourage to attend meeting on Global Warming, how much carbon is produced shipping food from all over the World to the UK, for instance why do we need apples from South Africa or Strawberries form Spain I could go on. I am not suggesting that all these things should be altered but its hypocritical for us to be lectured at for being so Naughty.
Mr Murphy goes on to say that our only chance is the European Union this most probably one of the most corrupt organisation their has ever been, it cannot balance its own books, it promised to get rid of corruption in its organisation something it has not done, any thing the EU says or does cannot be trusted it is like the old Soviet Union using propaganda and subterfuge to justify its existence. As for 95% of scientists agreeing that World warming is man made where he did get this information form was it just plucked out of the air was every scientist in the World asked? Mr Murphy condemned the Channel 4 documentary inferring it was a one off but there has been several articles suggesting the same as Channel 4 the latest is an article entitled “The Great Man Made Global Warming Fraud” by John Prendergast is article is supported by 43 bibliographies I suggest every one read it. Can I quote from his article
“All three major UK political parties accept man made global warming as dogma, fostered by such as Lord Rees, Al Gore, Sir David King, Sir Crispin Tickell, Sir Nicholas Stern, Nancy Pelosi, Dr Pachauri, I)avid Milliband, and Heidi Cullen. Other greens such as Monbiot and Porrit also are homo flagelists. The US Academy of Sciences is in this camp as is the Union of Concern Scientists (another Trade Union). Their focus is the UN body called the Inter governmental Panel for Climate Change (actually heavily funded by the UK Would it be cynical to say their anti capitalist target seems to be the humbling of Big Oil and pursuit of funds or are they just Mencken’s Hobgoblins?”
Do I believe Global Warming is man made I do not know but one thing is for sure I will not be bullied into believing anything whether it be by Government dictate or by order of the European Dictatorship
I do believe in recycling it makes good sense not to use up the Worlds resources, I do believe in cutting back on pollution for health reason, I do believe in making cars more efficient it will save me money and keep the limited oil stocks longer.
Oh and by the way Editor your own letter in Gazette Gossip with reference to the unusual weather conditions being a modern day phenomena can I suggest you look at your article on “Dusting of the files where in 1957 there was a freak Hailstorm and Sittingbourne High street was flooded” also do you remember the heat wave of 1976?
Martin Clarke www.sittingbourne .org
SWALE LAND TO BE DESTROYED
GORDON Henderson is urging Swale Borough Council and Kent County Council to object to the current proposal being put forward as part of the Medway Estuary and Swale Shoreline Management Plan which is recommending that almost the whole length of Sheppey’s southern shoreline and much of Sittingbourne’s northern coastline be categorised, in the long term, as “Managed realignment” areas.
There are four categories of shoreline protection:-
1) Hold the line, which maintains the existing defence line.
2) Advance the line, which builds new defences seaward of the existing defence line.
3) Managed realignment, which allows the shoreline to change with management to control or limit movement.
4) No active intervention, which means that nothing is done to stop land erosion.
Gordon Henderson said:
‘I am not happy with the current proposal. I know it could be worse and our shoreline could have been classified as “no active intervention”, but the proposals contained within the current consultation document are simply unacceptable.
‘The proposed “managed realignment” will see the loss of large tracts of land both on Sheppey and along the coastline from Murston to Faversham. Currently that land is not being farmed, however, it is strategically important to the country’s long term ability to be self sufficient in food.
‘I am deeply sceptical about the motives behind this policy, particularly relating to the stretch of coast from Shell Ness to Kingsferry Bridge, because from a cost point of view the current proposal to build sea defences further inland, thereby losing acres of land nearer The Swale, simply does not add up. I suspect that this has more to do with meeting European Union targets for bird habitat than it does managing our land effectively!
‘Surely it would be more sensible, and more cost effective, to simply raise the existing sea defences, rather than abandon them and build new defences further in land.
‘I believe that the Government, via the Environment Agency, has a secret agenda and I call upon both Swale Borough Council and Kent County Council to object to these plans until the public receives a fuller, and more honest explanation for the proposal to allow huge tracts of Swale to disappear under water.’
There are four categories of shoreline protection:-
1) Hold the line, which maintains the existing defence line.
2) Advance the line, which builds new defences seaward of the existing defence line.
3) Managed realignment, which allows the shoreline to change with management to control or limit movement.
4) No active intervention, which means that nothing is done to stop land erosion.
Gordon Henderson said:
‘I am not happy with the current proposal. I know it could be worse and our shoreline could have been classified as “no active intervention”, but the proposals contained within the current consultation document are simply unacceptable.
‘The proposed “managed realignment” will see the loss of large tracts of land both on Sheppey and along the coastline from Murston to Faversham. Currently that land is not being farmed, however, it is strategically important to the country’s long term ability to be self sufficient in food.
‘I am deeply sceptical about the motives behind this policy, particularly relating to the stretch of coast from Shell Ness to Kingsferry Bridge, because from a cost point of view the current proposal to build sea defences further inland, thereby losing acres of land nearer The Swale, simply does not add up. I suspect that this has more to do with meeting European Union targets for bird habitat than it does managing our land effectively!
‘Surely it would be more sensible, and more cost effective, to simply raise the existing sea defences, rather than abandon them and build new defences further in land.
‘I believe that the Government, via the Environment Agency, has a secret agenda and I call upon both Swale Borough Council and Kent County Council to object to these plans until the public receives a fuller, and more honest explanation for the proposal to allow huge tracts of Swale to disappear under water.’
GORDON ATTACKS GORDON
GORDON Henderson has written to new Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, and challenged him to make good his promise to make the Government more accountable to its citizens.
In a speech this week Mr Brown told Parliament that the thrust of his proposed changes to the constitution were all about “devolving more power directly to the people”.
Gordon Henderson said:
‘I am willing to take the words of our new Prime Minister at face value, so I have written to him and asked him to demonstrate his sincerity by turning those words into action.
‘I say to Mr Brown that if he is really serious about returning power to the people, rather than simply saying the words as a cosmetic exercise designed to gain some temporary political advantage, he should take the following steps.
‘Firstly he should hold an immediate referendum on the recent European Union amending treaty, which is a European Constitution in everything but name, to let the British people decide if it should be ratified.
‘Secondly, he should allow the English a referendum on whether they would like their own parliament, or, whether they would like to limit to MP's with English constituencies a vote on matters relating only to England. I really cannot see that such a referendum should be a problem for Mr Brown, because he was a member of the Labour Government that allowed the Scots and the Welsh a referendum about how they should be governed!
‘Lastly, Mr Brown should call a General Election so that the British people can decide who they want as their Prime Minister. That is real democracy at work!
‘If Mr Brown refuses these requests, then his fine words about democracy and making Parliament accountable to the People is just so much hogwash.’
….ends….
In a speech this week Mr Brown told Parliament that the thrust of his proposed changes to the constitution were all about “devolving more power directly to the people”.
Gordon Henderson said:
‘I am willing to take the words of our new Prime Minister at face value, so I have written to him and asked him to demonstrate his sincerity by turning those words into action.
‘I say to Mr Brown that if he is really serious about returning power to the people, rather than simply saying the words as a cosmetic exercise designed to gain some temporary political advantage, he should take the following steps.
‘Firstly he should hold an immediate referendum on the recent European Union amending treaty, which is a European Constitution in everything but name, to let the British people decide if it should be ratified.
‘Secondly, he should allow the English a referendum on whether they would like their own parliament, or, whether they would like to limit to MP's with English constituencies a vote on matters relating only to England. I really cannot see that such a referendum should be a problem for Mr Brown, because he was a member of the Labour Government that allowed the Scots and the Welsh a referendum about how they should be governed!
‘Lastly, Mr Brown should call a General Election so that the British people can decide who they want as their Prime Minister. That is real democracy at work!
‘If Mr Brown refuses these requests, then his fine words about democracy and making Parliament accountable to the People is just so much hogwash.’
….ends….
Thursday, June 28, 2007
Metric Martyrs
Can I bring to your attention about a petition calling for a “Royal Pardon for the Metric Martyrs” these were 4 men Steve Thoburn, Julian Harman, Colin Hunt and John Dove who were convicted in 2001 for selling fruit and veg in pounds on imperial scales instead of using metric? For more information www.metricmartyrs.co.uk.
The BBC particularly try and convince us that our Imperial Weights and Measures are out dated and we should use the EU metric system but even they in times of crises or moments of great achievement and joy revert back to our traditional methods i.e.
The recent floods they reported how many inches of rain fell and rivers had risen by so many feet, they usually use centimetres and meters.
The very high winds some months ago were reported at speeds of miles per hour not in Kilometres.
When a celebrity’s baby is born it is announced in pounds and ounces.
Why? Because British People can Relate and Visualise our Traditional British Measurements.
Martin Clarke Sittingbourne
The BBC particularly try and convince us that our Imperial Weights and Measures are out dated and we should use the EU metric system but even they in times of crises or moments of great achievement and joy revert back to our traditional methods i.e.
The recent floods they reported how many inches of rain fell and rivers had risen by so many feet, they usually use centimetres and meters.
The very high winds some months ago were reported at speeds of miles per hour not in Kilometres.
When a celebrity’s baby is born it is announced in pounds and ounces.
Why? Because British People can Relate and Visualise our Traditional British Measurements.
Martin Clarke Sittingbourne
Monday, June 25, 2007
Is Wyatt MP telling Porkies?
The Editor
Kent On Sunday
Via email Sunday 24th June 2007
Dear Sir
The protestations of innocence from the Labour MP for Sittingbourne & Sheppey, Derek Wyatt, in which he claimed that he voted against the cross party proposal to set up a "lifeboat fund" because he "questioned the legitimacy of seizing unclaimed assets" and because any such fund "could create a huge financial burden for the taxpayer" raises a number of interesting questions.
1) Why did Mr Wyatt sign the Early Day Motion in Parliament which supported setting up the lifeboat fund and using those very same unclaimed assets?
2) Why did Mr Wyatt in March this year present a bill to Parliament (with Labour colleague Frank Field) to, and I quote, "establish an Unclaimed Assets Agency; to confer powers on the Agency to obtain information from banks and building societies relating to unclaimed assets; to make provision for the transfer of a proportion of unclaimed assets to the Agency for distribution among certain members of occupational pension schemes; and for connected purposes"
3) If Mr Wyatt is so concerned about the poor old taxpayer then why recently did he vote himself an additional £10,000, each and every year, as a "communication allowance"? This decision is going to cost the taxpayer over £6 million a year, without any hope of a refund from unclaimed assets!
I really do hope that even at this late stage Mr Wyatt will change his mind and back the amendments to the Pensions Bill when it returns to the Commons in a few weeks time. If the amendments are passed it will ensure that the ASW pensioners, and many other people, get the justice they richly deserve.
Yours sincerely
Gordon
GORDON HENDERSON
Conservative Parliamentary Spokesman
Sittingbourne & Sheppey
Kent On Sunday
Via email Sunday 24th June 2007
Dear Sir
The protestations of innocence from the Labour MP for Sittingbourne & Sheppey, Derek Wyatt, in which he claimed that he voted against the cross party proposal to set up a "lifeboat fund" because he "questioned the legitimacy of seizing unclaimed assets" and because any such fund "could create a huge financial burden for the taxpayer" raises a number of interesting questions.
1) Why did Mr Wyatt sign the Early Day Motion in Parliament which supported setting up the lifeboat fund and using those very same unclaimed assets?
2) Why did Mr Wyatt in March this year present a bill to Parliament (with Labour colleague Frank Field) to, and I quote, "establish an Unclaimed Assets Agency; to confer powers on the Agency to obtain information from banks and building societies relating to unclaimed assets; to make provision for the transfer of a proportion of unclaimed assets to the Agency for distribution among certain members of occupational pension schemes; and for connected purposes"
3) If Mr Wyatt is so concerned about the poor old taxpayer then why recently did he vote himself an additional £10,000, each and every year, as a "communication allowance"? This decision is going to cost the taxpayer over £6 million a year, without any hope of a refund from unclaimed assets!
I really do hope that even at this late stage Mr Wyatt will change his mind and back the amendments to the Pensions Bill when it returns to the Commons in a few weeks time. If the amendments are passed it will ensure that the ASW pensioners, and many other people, get the justice they richly deserve.
Yours sincerely
Gordon
GORDON HENDERSON
Conservative Parliamentary Spokesman
Sittingbourne & Sheppey
Friday, June 22, 2007
Is Global Warming a myth
Once again reports are appearing in the Press about people may be fined and imprisoned if they put their rubbish in the wrong containers all in the name of “Saving the Planet”, we are told we will soon have a container for Glass, Paper, Plastic, Garden waste and Food Slops that 5 Bins to put out in front of your house. Why must we do this “because of Global Warming” because we evil Humans have ruined the Planet? Well I am not a scientist but I am also not stupid, Abraham Lincoln said "You can fool all the people some of the time, and some of the people all the time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time."
This Global Warning has divided the Worlds Scientists into two groups , the best funded group which are also supported by the three main political parties in the UK sate that man is evil and is causing Global Warning via mans carbon consumption. The second group think that Carbon consumption is not the cause of Global warning.
I have read both for and against. I have yet to be convinced either way. What I do know governments are making a lot of money in taxation with the excuse of Global Warning and recent surveys show that the majority of people think like me.
With regard to rubbish instead of making some abstract statement that Re-Cycling will save the World which no one believes, why not try the following
Tell people we are fast running out of Holes in the ground to put our waste, so recycling makes good practical sense and you can make money, for several year our Judo club has been collecting waste paper and drinks can which we get money for. Most sensible people want clean air, clean rivers, clean sea, clean everything, so why not convince people that what they are doing benefits them directly, rather then tell them a lot of Horror stories.
Martin Clarke Sittingbourne
This Global Warning has divided the Worlds Scientists into two groups , the best funded group which are also supported by the three main political parties in the UK sate that man is evil and is causing Global Warning via mans carbon consumption. The second group think that Carbon consumption is not the cause of Global warning.
I have read both for and against. I have yet to be convinced either way. What I do know governments are making a lot of money in taxation with the excuse of Global Warning and recent surveys show that the majority of people think like me.
With regard to rubbish instead of making some abstract statement that Re-Cycling will save the World which no one believes, why not try the following
Tell people we are fast running out of Holes in the ground to put our waste, so recycling makes good practical sense and you can make money, for several year our Judo club has been collecting waste paper and drinks can which we get money for. Most sensible people want clean air, clean rivers, clean sea, clean everything, so why not convince people that what they are doing benefits them directly, rather then tell them a lot of Horror stories.
Martin Clarke Sittingbourne
Thursday, June 14, 2007
Strawberries unpicked
It seems our Farmers have so much soft fruit that they do not have enough pickers; this is all because the government is pandering to the public who have had enough of foreign workers and illegal immigrants, according to the farmers.
Some of these farmers have done extremely well out of having low cost foreign workers as have the public with very cheap seasonal fruit but surely now the “birds have come to roost” and all of us must pay more. Farmers must pay their workforce more money which will encourage a more local workforce, it was not that long ago that all frit picking was done by English people but over the years we have seen the Mother with her children being thrown off farms because of Health & safety edicts and a benefit system which pays the unemployed to much and discourages them from getting work. The latter can solved very easy if the unemployed refuse to work cut their benefit. Farmers tell the English are to lazy to work, I do not believe that they will not work for a pittance and I know of occasions where English people have been refused a job on farms with preference given to low paid Eastern European workers.. Foreign workers are starting to revolt, they want more money and they want better living condition not shanty towns so the press tell us. What I cannot understand is that Farmers knew they would not get the workforce so why grow so much ?
Martin Clarke Sittingbourne
Some of these farmers have done extremely well out of having low cost foreign workers as have the public with very cheap seasonal fruit but surely now the “birds have come to roost” and all of us must pay more. Farmers must pay their workforce more money which will encourage a more local workforce, it was not that long ago that all frit picking was done by English people but over the years we have seen the Mother with her children being thrown off farms because of Health & safety edicts and a benefit system which pays the unemployed to much and discourages them from getting work. The latter can solved very easy if the unemployed refuse to work cut their benefit. Farmers tell the English are to lazy to work, I do not believe that they will not work for a pittance and I know of occasions where English people have been refused a job on farms with preference given to low paid Eastern European workers.. Foreign workers are starting to revolt, they want more money and they want better living condition not shanty towns so the press tell us. What I cannot understand is that Farmers knew they would not get the workforce so why grow so much ?
Martin Clarke Sittingbourne
4 year old on TV Talent show
I never watch any of the so called reality shows, I am also not keen on these latest fad of talents show but by chance I sat down and watched the latest talent show “Britain got Talent” this seemed to be different from all the others as it had many different types of acts. I am not old enough to have visited an old fashioned MUSIC HALL but I should imagine this programme would be on the same lines.
Yet I was disgusted by seeing some children performing, one as young as 4 years, OH I hear you say but she is cute! My problem is that as a Judo and Martial Coach I have to attend along with most Coaches in the Combat Disciplines “Child Protection Courses” all club have to have a “Child Protection Officer” we are continually told Children are not Mini Adults and they must be allowed to develop as children. In the case of Judo and Sombo Wrestling the minimum age to participate is 5 years, special competitions are organised for the 5, 6, 7 year old. Judo and Sombo coaches are very aware that some parents try to fulfil their dreams through their children, pressuring their children to enter competition and win medals. Does this benefit the child or the ego of the parents? I am not against competition as I believe it can be character building but it must be handled responsibly.
Should this 4 year old be allowed to enter a Talent Show which is mainly for adults and very high profile? Is this a form of abuse by the parents and Talent show organisers? Or are the parents giving the child a helping hand for the future in what has become this countries New Religion “The Celebrity”?
I honestly do not know? Maybe some one from the high echelons of Child protection can enlighten me
Yet I was disgusted by seeing some children performing, one as young as 4 years, OH I hear you say but she is cute! My problem is that as a Judo and Martial Coach I have to attend along with most Coaches in the Combat Disciplines “Child Protection Courses” all club have to have a “Child Protection Officer” we are continually told Children are not Mini Adults and they must be allowed to develop as children. In the case of Judo and Sombo Wrestling the minimum age to participate is 5 years, special competitions are organised for the 5, 6, 7 year old. Judo and Sombo coaches are very aware that some parents try to fulfil their dreams through their children, pressuring their children to enter competition and win medals. Does this benefit the child or the ego of the parents? I am not against competition as I believe it can be character building but it must be handled responsibly.
Should this 4 year old be allowed to enter a Talent Show which is mainly for adults and very high profile? Is this a form of abuse by the parents and Talent show organisers? Or are the parents giving the child a helping hand for the future in what has become this countries New Religion “The Celebrity”?
I honestly do not know? Maybe some one from the high echelons of Child protection can enlighten me
Thursday, June 07, 2007
My Honda Stolen
I recently took my granddaughter and her bike on my truck into the country so she could get used to cycling on roads, she enjoyed the experience so I thought I would like to join her. Because of my hip and knee injury cycling is out of the question, so an electric cycle, no not man enough so I purchased an old Honda 90 on EBay. This turned out to be a boon, instead my truck I could help save the world by cutting down on pollution, save money on fuel and get round town a lot quicker. At 6ft 2inces and weighing 23 stone I did get some strange looks and comments when I was flying about on my little moped but no matter as it was an enjoyable experience until Thursday! I whizzed down to Nobby’s Gym on Milton Regis Playing Fields to do some training something I do on a daily basis and left my bike outside of the gym by the window and you guessed 1 ½ hours later it was gone, stolen by some young hoodlum in a Burberry cap. Using my brothers van I visited all the possible places this thieving fool could have gone, so now I am back to using my environmentally unfriendly 4x4, my cheery little Honda I expect by now is raced to death across some field by some low life. Eventually I will find out who stole my little fun machine these thieves do not have many brain cells so they will brag to someone and when I find out, then I will have to give the culprit a very good talking to and make him realise the error of his ways.
Martin Clarke Sittingbourne
Martin Clarke Sittingbourne
Brian Austin YJC Tribute
Most of you will have read in the local paper that former Councillor Brian Austin has died from Cancer, you can read in the local paper the good he has done for the community has a whole but I thought fitting that their should be some mention of his support for the Young Judo Club and the Clarke family.
The most important thing I found about Brian was that he never forgot his roots; he went to School in Sittingbourne, worked in Sittingbourne, lived in Sittingbourne and knew Sittingbourne. With Sittingbourne becoming more of a commuter town and with these new people becoming more involved in the community i.e. Councillors etc he never forgot the originals who put time and effort into the town long before it was fashionable. He had helped the Young Judo Club on numerous occasions and would often be guest of honour at Club events where he would spend a couple of hours, in my attempt to make the 1980 Moscow Olympics it was Brian and the late Ernie Madgwick who stood up in Council and asked the Swale Council to support me, they refused but I will not forget his help. I like Brian shared an interest in politics but we had different points of view but he never let that effect his judgement or friendship in fact when I told him I had been approached by the Conservative Party to stand as at the local elections he said “Good we need some Sittingbourne Originals on the Council”.
Brian Austin will not be forgotten he gave his all for Sittingbourne, I am often known as the Sittingbourne Big Man in the Martial Arts World but to me Brian is the Sittingbourne Giant and I am proud to say I have stood in his shadow.
My Families and Young Judo Club sympathises and respects go to his wife Valerie and his family.
Martin Clarke
On behalf of the Clarke family and Young Judo Club
The most important thing I found about Brian was that he never forgot his roots; he went to School in Sittingbourne, worked in Sittingbourne, lived in Sittingbourne and knew Sittingbourne. With Sittingbourne becoming more of a commuter town and with these new people becoming more involved in the community i.e. Councillors etc he never forgot the originals who put time and effort into the town long before it was fashionable. He had helped the Young Judo Club on numerous occasions and would often be guest of honour at Club events where he would spend a couple of hours, in my attempt to make the 1980 Moscow Olympics it was Brian and the late Ernie Madgwick who stood up in Council and asked the Swale Council to support me, they refused but I will not forget his help. I like Brian shared an interest in politics but we had different points of view but he never let that effect his judgement or friendship in fact when I told him I had been approached by the Conservative Party to stand as at the local elections he said “Good we need some Sittingbourne Originals on the Council”.
Brian Austin will not be forgotten he gave his all for Sittingbourne, I am often known as the Sittingbourne Big Man in the Martial Arts World but to me Brian is the Sittingbourne Giant and I am proud to say I have stood in his shadow.
My Families and Young Judo Club sympathises and respects go to his wife Valerie and his family.
Martin Clarke
On behalf of the Clarke family and Young Judo Club
Wednesday, June 06, 2007
What is to be British
I am a Tory but not someone who favours David Cameron some of his policy statements have annoyed me intensely, yet today in the press he has come up with a policy I support totally, a future Conservative Government will introduce “Proper history should celebrate our nation's” this where children in Schools will be taught in a way that celebrated our positive achievements at home and abroad. Remember GB had the greatest Empire the World has ever seen and brought the rule of law, free speech, freedom of the individual, parliamentary democracy as well as tangible things like education, railways, better farming methods, medicine massive engineering projects and much more. The World would be a much worse place if Great Britain and its empire were not here, of course we have done some bad things you tell me of any nation that has done so in the past. but the good GB has done outweighs our bad by a massive amount. For the last Ten years we have seeing the sickening site of Government ministers apologising for our past, instead of saying to the World you should thank us. Knowing our Past and being Proud of our past makes us English and British any individual or religion who can not accept this should not be in this country we call GREAT BRITAIN.
One last point David Cameron also said a Conservative Government will insist that new immigrants learned to speak English to communicate with the rest of society. Nearly everyone in GB has been saying that for the last 20 years I suppose better late then never for a politician to listen to the people.
Martin Clarke East Street Sittingbourne
One last point David Cameron also said a Conservative Government will insist that new immigrants learned to speak English to communicate with the rest of society. Nearly everyone in GB has been saying that for the last 20 years I suppose better late then never for a politician to listen to the people.
Martin Clarke East Street Sittingbourne
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
GRAMMAR SCHOOLS
GRAMMAR SCHOOLS
I happened to believe that Grammar Schools are a good thing, I never went to a Grammar School nor did any of my children so I have no axe to grind. To me it makes sense that you separate those who are more academically minded, that doesn’t make those who did not go to Grammar Schools inferior, it makes them different with different needs. I have coached Judo etc for 37 years in that time I have directed pupils in different directions Good Fighter become competitors, those who can teach become coaches, those who have an eye for detail become referees and so on all those put together make up the discipline of Judo. To suggest you need to go to a Grammar school to succeed is rubbish.
The one thing I totally disagree with is the concept that you should have choice in the State education system; all that choice has done is create good schools and very bad schools. State Schools should all be good and I would welcome the return of Catchments areas. When I went to school in the 60’s if you live West side of Park road you went to Westlands, East Side St johns and Rowena and although I left school at 15 to take up an apprenticeship I came out with a good core knowledge as did nearly all my compatriots. Why? Because every school was expected to be good and no excuses.
So let us learn from the past the Comprehensive has been a dismal failure so let go back to Secondary Moderns and Grammar school under strict disciplinarian regime, with two accept ion let them control their own funding and increase the power of the school Governors.
It can not be any worse then the mess the so called liberated educational elite have left our schools in, its time the proper teachers had a voice.
Martin Clarke
I happened to believe that Grammar Schools are a good thing, I never went to a Grammar School nor did any of my children so I have no axe to grind. To me it makes sense that you separate those who are more academically minded, that doesn’t make those who did not go to Grammar Schools inferior, it makes them different with different needs. I have coached Judo etc for 37 years in that time I have directed pupils in different directions Good Fighter become competitors, those who can teach become coaches, those who have an eye for detail become referees and so on all those put together make up the discipline of Judo. To suggest you need to go to a Grammar school to succeed is rubbish.
The one thing I totally disagree with is the concept that you should have choice in the State education system; all that choice has done is create good schools and very bad schools. State Schools should all be good and I would welcome the return of Catchments areas. When I went to school in the 60’s if you live West side of Park road you went to Westlands, East Side St johns and Rowena and although I left school at 15 to take up an apprenticeship I came out with a good core knowledge as did nearly all my compatriots. Why? Because every school was expected to be good and no excuses.
So let us learn from the past the Comprehensive has been a dismal failure so let go back to Secondary Moderns and Grammar school under strict disciplinarian regime, with two accept ion let them control their own funding and increase the power of the school Governors.
It can not be any worse then the mess the so called liberated educational elite have left our schools in, its time the proper teachers had a voice.
Martin Clarke
Friday, May 04, 2007
Folkestone/Dover Appeal
WHAT A TERRIBLE APPEAL!!
FOLKESTONE/DOVER EARTHQUAKE APPEALAn earthquake measuring 4.7 on the Richter scale hit Folkestone & Dover in the early hours of Saturday Its epicentre was in Folkestone. Victims were seen wandering around aimlessly, muttering "Faaackinell"The tremor decimated the area causing approximately £30 worth of damage. Several priceless collections of mementos from Majorca and the Costa del Sol were damaged beyond repair.Three areas of historic burnt out cars were disturbed. Many locals were woken well before their giros arrived.Southern Radio reported that hundreds of residents were confused and bewildered and were still trying to come to terms with the fact that something interesting had happened in Folkestone. One resident - Tracy Sharon Smith, a 15-year-old mother of 5 said, "It was such a shock, my little Chardonnay-Mercedes come running into my bedroom crying. My
youngest two, Tyler-Morgan and Victoria-Storm slept through it all. I was still shaking when I was skinning up and watching Jeremy Kyle on the Monday morning."Apparently looting, muggings and car crime were unaffected and carried on as normal. The British Red Cross has so far managed to ship 4,000 crates of Sunny Delight to the area to help the stricken locals.Rescue workers are still searching through the rubble and have found large quantities of personal belongings, including benefit books, jewellery from Elizabeth Duke at Argos and Bone China from Poundland.HOW CAN YOU HELP?
This appeal is to raise money for food and clothing parcels for those unfortunate enough to be caught up in this disaster.
Clothing is most sought after - items most needed include:Fila or Burberry baseball caps
Kappa tracksuit tops (his and hers)Shell suits (female)White sport socksRockport boots and any other items usually sold in Primark.
Food parcels may be harder to come by, but are needed all the same.Required foodstuffs include:
Microwave meals, Tins of baked beans, Ice cream, Cans of Colt 45 or
Special Brew Or If you can help as many 1 litre bottles of White Lightning as you can afford.
22p buys a biro for filling in the compensation forms.
£2 buys chips, crisps and blue fizzy drinks for a family of 9.
£5 buys a 20 packet of Richmond cigarettes and a lighter to calm the nerves of those affected.
***Breaking news***Rescue workers found a girl in the rubble smothered in raspberry alco-pop.'Where are you bleeding from?' they asked, "Aylesham" said the girl, "wossit gotta do wiv you?"Please don't forward this to anyone living in Folkestone/ Dover - oh, sod it... they won't be able to read it anyway.
FOLKESTONE/DOVER EARTHQUAKE APPEALAn earthquake measuring 4.7 on the Richter scale hit Folkestone & Dover in the early hours of Saturday Its epicentre was in Folkestone. Victims were seen wandering around aimlessly, muttering "Faaackinell"The tremor decimated the area causing approximately £30 worth of damage. Several priceless collections of mementos from Majorca and the Costa del Sol were damaged beyond repair.Three areas of historic burnt out cars were disturbed. Many locals were woken well before their giros arrived.Southern Radio reported that hundreds of residents were confused and bewildered and were still trying to come to terms with the fact that something interesting had happened in Folkestone. One resident - Tracy Sharon Smith, a 15-year-old mother of 5 said, "It was such a shock, my little Chardonnay-Mercedes come running into my bedroom crying. My
youngest two, Tyler-Morgan and Victoria-Storm slept through it all. I was still shaking when I was skinning up and watching Jeremy Kyle on the Monday morning."Apparently looting, muggings and car crime were unaffected and carried on as normal. The British Red Cross has so far managed to ship 4,000 crates of Sunny Delight to the area to help the stricken locals.Rescue workers are still searching through the rubble and have found large quantities of personal belongings, including benefit books, jewellery from Elizabeth Duke at Argos and Bone China from Poundland.HOW CAN YOU HELP?
This appeal is to raise money for food and clothing parcels for those unfortunate enough to be caught up in this disaster.
Clothing is most sought after - items most needed include:Fila or Burberry baseball caps
Kappa tracksuit tops (his and hers)Shell suits (female)White sport socksRockport boots and any other items usually sold in Primark.
Food parcels may be harder to come by, but are needed all the same.Required foodstuffs include:
Microwave meals, Tins of baked beans, Ice cream, Cans of Colt 45 or
Special Brew Or If you can help as many 1 litre bottles of White Lightning as you can afford.
22p buys a biro for filling in the compensation forms.
£2 buys chips, crisps and blue fizzy drinks for a family of 9.
£5 buys a 20 packet of Richmond cigarettes and a lighter to calm the nerves of those affected.
***Breaking news***Rescue workers found a girl in the rubble smothered in raspberry alco-pop.'Where are you bleeding from?' they asked, "Aylesham" said the girl, "wossit gotta do wiv you?"Please don't forward this to anyone living in Folkestone/ Dover - oh, sod it... they won't be able to read it anyway.
Thursday, April 26, 2007
What a bunch these MP's are
With more and more councils realising the mistake of having Bin Collections changed to fortnightly will our own Swale B C keep to a weekly collection?
I recently received the item below from a friend and by God does it make you think but then again you get what you vote for, its inmates have taken over the assylum
Makes you think!
Can you imagine working for a company/organisation that has a little more than 600 employees and has the following employee statistics?
29 have been accused of spouse abuse
7 have been arrested for fraud
19 have been accused of writing bad cheques
117 have directly or indirectly bankrupted at least 2 businesses
3 have done time for assault
71 cannot get a credit card due to bad credit14 have been arrested on drug-related charges8 have been arrested for shoplifting
21 are currently defendants in lawsuits84 have been arrested for drink driving in the last year
Which organization is this?
It's the 635 members of the House of Commons, the same group that Cranks out hundreds of new laws each year designed to keep the rest of us in line.
I recently received the item below from a friend and by God does it make you think but then again you get what you vote for, its inmates have taken over the assylum
Makes you think!
Can you imagine working for a company/organisation that has a little more than 600 employees and has the following employee statistics?
29 have been accused of spouse abuse
7 have been arrested for fraud
19 have been accused of writing bad cheques
117 have directly or indirectly bankrupted at least 2 businesses
3 have done time for assault
71 cannot get a credit card due to bad credit14 have been arrested on drug-related charges8 have been arrested for shoplifting
21 are currently defendants in lawsuits84 have been arrested for drink driving in the last year
Which organization is this?
It's the 635 members of the House of Commons, the same group that Cranks out hundreds of new laws each year designed to keep the rest of us in line.
Monday, April 23, 2007
BRITISH TAKE NOTE
Muslims who want to live under Islamic Sharia law were told on Wednesday to get out of Australia, as the government targeted radicals in a bid to head off potential terror attacks. A day after a group of mainstream Muslim leaders pledged loyalty to Australia and her Queen at a special meeting with Prime Minister John Howard, he and his Ministers made it clear that extremists would face a crackdown. Treasurer Peter Costello, seen as heir apparent to Howard, hinted that some radical clerics could be asked to leave the country if they did not accept that Australia was a secular state, and its laws were made by parliament. "If those are not your values, if you want a country which has Sharia law or a theocratic state, then Australia is not for you", he said on National Television. "I'd be saying to clerics who are teaching that there are two laws governing people in Australia: one the Australian law and another Islamic law that is false. If you can't agree with parliamentary law, independent courts, democracy, and would prefer Sharia law and have the opportunity to go to another country, which practices it, perhaps, then, that's a better option", Costello said. Asked whether he meant radical clerics would be forced to leave, he said those with dual citizenship could possibly be asked to move to the other country. Education Minister Brendan Nelson later told reporters that Muslims who did not want to accept local values should "clear off. Basically people who don't want to be Australians, and who don't want, to live by Australian values and understand them, well then, they can basically clear off", he said. Separately, Howard angered some Australian Muslims on Wednesday by saying he supported spy agencies monitoring the nation's mosques. Quote: "IMMIGRANTS, NOT AUSTRALIANS, MUST ADAPT. Take It Or Leave It. I am tired of this nation worrying about whether we are offending some individual or their culture. Since the terrorist attacks on Bali, we have experienced a surge in patriotism by the majority of Australians." "However, the dust from the attacks had barely settled when the 'politically correct' crowd began complaining about the possibility that our patriotism was offending others. I am not against immigration, nor do I hold a grudge against anyone who is seeking a better life by coming to Australia." "However, there are a few things that those who have recently come to our country, and apparently some born here, need to understand." "This idea of Australia being a multi-cultural community has served only to dilute our sovereignty and our national identity. And as Australians, we have our own culture, our own society, our own language and our own lifestyle." "This culture has been developed over two centuries of struggles, trials and victories by millions of men and women who have sought freedom" "We speak mainly ENGLISH, not Spanish, Lebanese, Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Russian, or any other language. Therefore, if you wish to become part of our society . Learn the language!" "Most Australians believe in God. This is not some Christian, right wing, political push, but a fact, because Christian men and women, on Christian principles, founded this nation, and this is clearly documented. It is certainly appropriate to display it on the walls of our schools. If God offends you, then I suggest you consider another part of the world as your new home, because God is part of our culture." "We will accept your beliefs, and will not question why. All we ask is that you accept ours, and live in harmony and peaceful enjoyment with us." "If the Southern Cross offends you, or you don't like "A Fair Go", then you should seriously consider a move to another part of this planet. We are happy with our culture and have no desire to change, and we really don't care how you did things where you came from. By all means, keep your culture, but do not force it on others. "This is OUR COUNTRY, OUR LAND, and OUR LIFESTYLE, and we will allow you every opportunity to enjoy all this. But once you are done complaining, whining, and griping about Our Flag, Our Pledge, Our Christian beliefs, or Our Way of Life, I highly encourage you take advantage of one other great Australian freedom, 'THE RIGHT TO LEAVE'.""If you aren't happy here then LEAVE. We didn't force you to come here. You asked to be here. So accept the country YOU accepted." Maybe if we circulate this amongst ourselves, citizens will find the backbone to start speaking and voicing the same truths !
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
Gordan replies
Here is Gordon's reply I do enjoy a Political argument keep it up the both of you
Dear Derek
Thank you for taking the trouble to respond to my email in which I asked you to make clear where I had said, or, had written that I wanted to see 2200 houses built as part of the Kent Science Park proposal. I assume that since you have removed this allegation from your website you accept that you were wrong. It would be good to receive an apology, but perhaps that is pushing my luck!
Can I now respond on a para by para basis to your rather long reply:-
1) It is simply wrong of you to say that any housing development at the Kent Science Park has "nothing to do with Government numbers". The Government, via the unelected South East England Regional Assembly, has imposed on Kent (and Swale) thousands of additional houses. The borough council has a statutory obligation to find sufficient land within the borough for those houses. It is quite obvious that if they find land in one part of the borough (whether that be Sheppey or Bapchild) it reduces the pressure on other parts of the borough. Unlike you, I have opposed these additional houses since before the last General Election and continue to oppose them now. You, on the other hand, are on record as saying that we need an additional 5000 houses in the borough (over and above those in the local plan). Where exactly do you want those houses built? It would perhaps help the debate if you would answer this question, which I have posed on numerous occasions.
2) You once again make the allegation that I am setting one part of the constituency against the other. WIth all due respect, that shows how little you understand the battle that we are collectively fighting to stop the over development of our borough. It is a battle shared by Islanders and those living on the mainland alike. Your allegation also highlights the difference between you and me. You have opposed the Kent Science Park development, and for that I commend you, however, you have at the same time supported an increase in the number of houses being built in Queenborough. Because I happen to have consistently opposed both these developments, I fail to see how this can be construed as "setting one part of the constituency" against the other. Are you suggesting that I drop my objections to an increase in housing in Queenborough - from the 750 homes that SEEDA wanted two years ago (which I accepted), to the over 2000 that they want now? How does my support for the residents of Sheppey in general, and Queenborough in particular, detract from my support for the Five Parishes Opposition Group? Whilst on the subject of Sheppey, perhaps you would like to explain to the residents of Halfway why you want to sell off the Minster College site for housing to pay for an academy spread across the Danley, Cheyne and St George's middles school sites!
3) I have exactly the same degree of opposition (and tolerance) to the additional houses being imposed on our borough, whether that proposed development is in Bapchild, Tunstall, Iwade, Queenborough or Minster. My position is exactly the same. Enough is enough!
4) It is quite true that I have a long standing commitment to the building of an A2-M2 link, because this will be not only an important part of Sittingbourne's long term roads' infrastructure, but is vital, once the Northern Distributor Route is eventually completed, if we are to protect, and improve, the quality of life for people living in Teynham, Bapchild and the other villages to the south of the A2. However, I am happy to "state categorically" that I would never support the route proposed by KSP. I should also make clear that, because of the strategic nature of the Southern Distributor Route (A2-M2 Link), I believe this road must be funded by the Government and should not be reliant upon a Section 106 linked to a housing development. In essence, no Government funding - no road! I trust this makes my position (which, incidently, is shared by members of the Sittingbourne and Sheppey Conservative Association) quite clear!
5) I cannot answer for Paul Carter, and his colleagues on Kent County Council, who will no doubt answer for himself, except to say that the KCC has a duty to take a strategic overview of the county's future. Sometimes that strategic overview might conflict with opinions on a local level. Inevitably that leads to debate about the best way forward. That is what democracy is all about. In many ways it is no difference to your position in Parliament where on occasions you disagree with the actions taken by Tony Blair and Gordon Brown (such as over the war in Iraq).
6) Similarly, I do not intend to comment on the views of Swale Borough Council, except to point out that the Local Plan, which includes provision for the limited expansion of the Kent Science Park (with certain conditions) was agreed by all the political parties on the Council.
7) I am not quite clear why you are connecting my stance on the KSP with my views on the reorganisation of education on Sheppey. I have never tried to hide the fact that my position on Sheppey's education system is at odds with my Conservative colleagues on the KCC. It would be a poorer world if we were not able to disagree on occasions! I am even more confused about why you feel the need to drag my views on Europe into a debate about housing! The phrase "scraping the bottom of the barrel" springs to mind! As it happens I fully support David Cameron as Leader of the Conservative Party and I have no reason to believe that he does not support my position as the Conservative Parliamentary Spokesman in Sittingbourne & Sheppey. If David did rebuke me publically, he certainly failed to notify me of that rebuke!
8) For your information, I circulated my open letter to ALL the local newspapers in our area, as I did your short email (I assume to Roger Truelove, and copied to me by mistake) in which you asked for advice about what to do about my complaint! I also made clear to the newspapers that the original lie had been removed from your website. In the circumstances I felt that was only fair.
I have copied your letter and this response to our local newspapers, plus all the recipients of your email, including David Cameron.
Yours sincerely
Gordon
GORDON HENDERSON
Conservative Parliamentary Spokesman
Sittingbourne & Sheppey
Dear Derek
Thank you for taking the trouble to respond to my email in which I asked you to make clear where I had said, or, had written that I wanted to see 2200 houses built as part of the Kent Science Park proposal. I assume that since you have removed this allegation from your website you accept that you were wrong. It would be good to receive an apology, but perhaps that is pushing my luck!
Can I now respond on a para by para basis to your rather long reply:-
1) It is simply wrong of you to say that any housing development at the Kent Science Park has "nothing to do with Government numbers". The Government, via the unelected South East England Regional Assembly, has imposed on Kent (and Swale) thousands of additional houses. The borough council has a statutory obligation to find sufficient land within the borough for those houses. It is quite obvious that if they find land in one part of the borough (whether that be Sheppey or Bapchild) it reduces the pressure on other parts of the borough. Unlike you, I have opposed these additional houses since before the last General Election and continue to oppose them now. You, on the other hand, are on record as saying that we need an additional 5000 houses in the borough (over and above those in the local plan). Where exactly do you want those houses built? It would perhaps help the debate if you would answer this question, which I have posed on numerous occasions.
2) You once again make the allegation that I am setting one part of the constituency against the other. WIth all due respect, that shows how little you understand the battle that we are collectively fighting to stop the over development of our borough. It is a battle shared by Islanders and those living on the mainland alike. Your allegation also highlights the difference between you and me. You have opposed the Kent Science Park development, and for that I commend you, however, you have at the same time supported an increase in the number of houses being built in Queenborough. Because I happen to have consistently opposed both these developments, I fail to see how this can be construed as "setting one part of the constituency" against the other. Are you suggesting that I drop my objections to an increase in housing in Queenborough - from the 750 homes that SEEDA wanted two years ago (which I accepted), to the over 2000 that they want now? How does my support for the residents of Sheppey in general, and Queenborough in particular, detract from my support for the Five Parishes Opposition Group? Whilst on the subject of Sheppey, perhaps you would like to explain to the residents of Halfway why you want to sell off the Minster College site for housing to pay for an academy spread across the Danley, Cheyne and St George's middles school sites!
3) I have exactly the same degree of opposition (and tolerance) to the additional houses being imposed on our borough, whether that proposed development is in Bapchild, Tunstall, Iwade, Queenborough or Minster. My position is exactly the same. Enough is enough!
4) It is quite true that I have a long standing commitment to the building of an A2-M2 link, because this will be not only an important part of Sittingbourne's long term roads' infrastructure, but is vital, once the Northern Distributor Route is eventually completed, if we are to protect, and improve, the quality of life for people living in Teynham, Bapchild and the other villages to the south of the A2. However, I am happy to "state categorically" that I would never support the route proposed by KSP. I should also make clear that, because of the strategic nature of the Southern Distributor Route (A2-M2 Link), I believe this road must be funded by the Government and should not be reliant upon a Section 106 linked to a housing development. In essence, no Government funding - no road! I trust this makes my position (which, incidently, is shared by members of the Sittingbourne and Sheppey Conservative Association) quite clear!
5) I cannot answer for Paul Carter, and his colleagues on Kent County Council, who will no doubt answer for himself, except to say that the KCC has a duty to take a strategic overview of the county's future. Sometimes that strategic overview might conflict with opinions on a local level. Inevitably that leads to debate about the best way forward. That is what democracy is all about. In many ways it is no difference to your position in Parliament where on occasions you disagree with the actions taken by Tony Blair and Gordon Brown (such as over the war in Iraq).
6) Similarly, I do not intend to comment on the views of Swale Borough Council, except to point out that the Local Plan, which includes provision for the limited expansion of the Kent Science Park (with certain conditions) was agreed by all the political parties on the Council.
7) I am not quite clear why you are connecting my stance on the KSP with my views on the reorganisation of education on Sheppey. I have never tried to hide the fact that my position on Sheppey's education system is at odds with my Conservative colleagues on the KCC. It would be a poorer world if we were not able to disagree on occasions! I am even more confused about why you feel the need to drag my views on Europe into a debate about housing! The phrase "scraping the bottom of the barrel" springs to mind! As it happens I fully support David Cameron as Leader of the Conservative Party and I have no reason to believe that he does not support my position as the Conservative Parliamentary Spokesman in Sittingbourne & Sheppey. If David did rebuke me publically, he certainly failed to notify me of that rebuke!
8) For your information, I circulated my open letter to ALL the local newspapers in our area, as I did your short email (I assume to Roger Truelove, and copied to me by mistake) in which you asked for advice about what to do about my complaint! I also made clear to the newspapers that the original lie had been removed from your website. In the circumstances I felt that was only fair.
I have copied your letter and this response to our local newspapers, plus all the recipients of your email, including David Cameron.
Yours sincerely
Gordon
GORDON HENDERSON
Conservative Parliamentary Spokesman
Sittingbourne & Sheppey
So Derek did lie. His Reply
It seems that Derek Wyatt did lie and he has admitted that in this
----- Original Message -----
From: WYATT, Derek
To: gordon.henderson3@tesco.net
Cc: CAMERON, David ; paul.carter@kent.gov.uk ; leader@swale.gov.uk
Sent: Monday, April 16, 2007 11:54 AM
Subject: A reply to your open email letter
Dear Gordon,
I acknowledge receipt of your letter concerning housing development
and the KSP proposals.
I have had some difficulty with interpreting exactly what you meant
in a recent statement about your two "major" differences with 5POG and
in particular to "some members of 5POG appear to believe that the
answer of solving the problem of delivering the number of houses
imposed on Swale by the Government is to put them on Sheppey." Of
course, you know that any housing development in the KSP area would
have nothing to do with "Government numbers" and would only go
forward because KSP have been encouraged by colleagues in your party
to regard their ambitions as key regeneration objectives.
However, your remarks do raise some interesting issues, firstly why
a parliamentary candidate should want to set one part of the
constituency against another, but secondly as a friend of 5POG I
would like you to make public what evidence you have for making such
remarks about any of the Group.
A reasonable interpretation by any independent reader would be that
you have a lower tolerance level for housing development in the
Bapchild and Tunstall area than you have for Sheppey. However if you
are prepared to say that you cannot envisage any circumstances in
which you would support any housing development of any kind in line
with the KSP proposals, then I would welcome that.
Moreover if you (along with other Conservatives) want to reserve the
right to support an A2/M2 link road, something with which I
disagree, then it would be most welcome if you could state
categorically that you would never support the route proposed by KSP.
It is the Conservatives' lack of clarity on the road, plus the
positions taken by the Conservative Leadership on KCC about the role
of KSP in County Regeneration aims, plus the position of
Conservative controlled Swale, that makes it clear that there is a
divide between the Conservatives on the one hand and the 5POG and
myself on the other.
It does seem to us in the Labour Party that you frequently seek to
isolate yourself from the consequences of decisions made by your
elected colleagues in local government. You must surely be aware that
Paul Carter has said openly in full Council Chamber at KCC that Kent
Science Park is a key part of the Conservative administration's
regeneration policy. You will be aware that the Leader of Swale
Council is also a Conservative County Councillor, is therefore signed
up to this policy, and certainly does not publicly disagree with Mr
Carter on the KSP issue. You will surely have seen press coverage of
visits by Mr Carter and Mr Bowles to Kent Science Park and the
supportive comments they are reported to have made.
You must surely be aware of the Economic Policy position of the
Conservative administration on Swale Borough Council too, which also
gives key priority support to KSP.
It is absolutely absurd for you and other Conservatives to pretend
that the vaulting ambitions of the KSP proposals have nothing to do
with signals given by leading Conservatives in local government.
Your position on this seems a little akin to the Sheppey education
issue, where you seek to attack the decisions and actions of the
Conservative administration at KCC, but imply that they are not really
in control and that the officers should take the blame. You will know
too that we have noted Mr Cameron's rebuke to you for supporting the
UKIP inspired BOO campaign. This was reported in the Daily Telegraph
and you have never sought to make any public comment on it.
However, you have asked me to withdraw the statement on my website
about a precise number of houses that you might support in the KSP
area, and so I have done so. (This is the apology for the lie)
I note that in your letter to me, you copied in a journalist on the
Kent Messenger Group. I wonder why you did not also include the East
Kent Gazette. However, I assume you want the press to be involved in this exchange
and so I will be releasing this reply to the local press and to David Cameron, Paul Carter
and Andrew Bowles.
Yours sincerely
Derek Wyatt MP
----- Original Message -----
From: WYATT, Derek
To: gordon.henderson3@tesco.net
Cc: CAMERON, David ; paul.carter@kent.gov.uk ; leader@swale.gov.uk
Sent: Monday, April 16, 2007 11:54 AM
Subject: A reply to your open email letter
Dear Gordon,
I acknowledge receipt of your letter concerning housing development
and the KSP proposals.
I have had some difficulty with interpreting exactly what you meant
in a recent statement about your two "major" differences with 5POG and
in particular to "some members of 5POG appear to believe that the
answer of solving the problem of delivering the number of houses
imposed on Swale by the Government is to put them on Sheppey." Of
course, you know that any housing development in the KSP area would
have nothing to do with "Government numbers" and would only go
forward because KSP have been encouraged by colleagues in your party
to regard their ambitions as key regeneration objectives.
However, your remarks do raise some interesting issues, firstly why
a parliamentary candidate should want to set one part of the
constituency against another, but secondly as a friend of 5POG I
would like you to make public what evidence you have for making such
remarks about any of the Group.
A reasonable interpretation by any independent reader would be that
you have a lower tolerance level for housing development in the
Bapchild and Tunstall area than you have for Sheppey. However if you
are prepared to say that you cannot envisage any circumstances in
which you would support any housing development of any kind in line
with the KSP proposals, then I would welcome that.
Moreover if you (along with other Conservatives) want to reserve the
right to support an A2/M2 link road, something with which I
disagree, then it would be most welcome if you could state
categorically that you would never support the route proposed by KSP.
It is the Conservatives' lack of clarity on the road, plus the
positions taken by the Conservative Leadership on KCC about the role
of KSP in County Regeneration aims, plus the position of
Conservative controlled Swale, that makes it clear that there is a
divide between the Conservatives on the one hand and the 5POG and
myself on the other.
It does seem to us in the Labour Party that you frequently seek to
isolate yourself from the consequences of decisions made by your
elected colleagues in local government. You must surely be aware that
Paul Carter has said openly in full Council Chamber at KCC that Kent
Science Park is a key part of the Conservative administration's
regeneration policy. You will be aware that the Leader of Swale
Council is also a Conservative County Councillor, is therefore signed
up to this policy, and certainly does not publicly disagree with Mr
Carter on the KSP issue. You will surely have seen press coverage of
visits by Mr Carter and Mr Bowles to Kent Science Park and the
supportive comments they are reported to have made.
You must surely be aware of the Economic Policy position of the
Conservative administration on Swale Borough Council too, which also
gives key priority support to KSP.
It is absolutely absurd for you and other Conservatives to pretend
that the vaulting ambitions of the KSP proposals have nothing to do
with signals given by leading Conservatives in local government.
Your position on this seems a little akin to the Sheppey education
issue, where you seek to attack the decisions and actions of the
Conservative administration at KCC, but imply that they are not really
in control and that the officers should take the blame. You will know
too that we have noted Mr Cameron's rebuke to you for supporting the
UKIP inspired BOO campaign. This was reported in the Daily Telegraph
and you have never sought to make any public comment on it.
However, you have asked me to withdraw the statement on my website
about a precise number of houses that you might support in the KSP
area, and so I have done so. (This is the apology for the lie)
I note that in your letter to me, you copied in a journalist on the
Kent Messenger Group. I wonder why you did not also include the East
Kent Gazette. However, I assume you want the press to be involved in this exchange
and so I will be releasing this reply to the local press and to David Cameron, Paul Carter
and Andrew Bowles.
Yours sincerely
Derek Wyatt MP
Monday, April 16, 2007
Why Vote for 5POG?
Letter sent to EKG & KM
Monday, 16 April 2007
Dear Editor
It has just come to my attention that the Five Parishes Opposition Group (5POG) is putting up a candidate in West Downs at the forthcoming Swale Borough Council Elections with the LibDems and Labour candidates withdrawing to support 5POG. I can understand that these two parties would want to withdraw from the contest as 1) It is an un winnable seat for either of them as West Downs has a very good Conservative Councillor 2) They can save money and resources by not entering 3) they can redirect man power no other wards 4) by withdrawing they may get an independent and so cost the Conservatives a seat.
I wonder if Labour and LibDems voters in the ward will happy to vote against the Conservatives just because the party they normally support has refused to enter, most electors are getting fed up with political parties treating them like sheep
What is most fascinating is why any sensible person would vote for a single issue party? A councillor is their to represent all people in their wards in all matters not just one, single issue groups will spend 100% of there time on that issue that’s what they would have been elected on so what happens to all the other issues and what happens if an elector has a problem who is against their views? The advantage of being a member of a political party, you have the organisation machine behind you, if you are new councillor you have the experienced councillors in your party to guide you but most importantly you have the weight of numbers when it comes to voting. No matter how right a lone voice is it is still a lone voice. When 5POG where a focus group they were affective because they could utilise all the political parties but making an agreement with the LibDems/Labour they are direct opposition with Conservatives who are the governing party on SBC.
Monday, 16 April 2007
Dear Editor
It has just come to my attention that the Five Parishes Opposition Group (5POG) is putting up a candidate in West Downs at the forthcoming Swale Borough Council Elections with the LibDems and Labour candidates withdrawing to support 5POG. I can understand that these two parties would want to withdraw from the contest as 1) It is an un winnable seat for either of them as West Downs has a very good Conservative Councillor 2) They can save money and resources by not entering 3) they can redirect man power no other wards 4) by withdrawing they may get an independent and so cost the Conservatives a seat.
I wonder if Labour and LibDems voters in the ward will happy to vote against the Conservatives just because the party they normally support has refused to enter, most electors are getting fed up with political parties treating them like sheep
What is most fascinating is why any sensible person would vote for a single issue party? A councillor is their to represent all people in their wards in all matters not just one, single issue groups will spend 100% of there time on that issue that’s what they would have been elected on so what happens to all the other issues and what happens if an elector has a problem who is against their views? The advantage of being a member of a political party, you have the organisation machine behind you, if you are new councillor you have the experienced councillors in your party to guide you but most importantly you have the weight of numbers when it comes to voting. No matter how right a lone voice is it is still a lone voice. When 5POG where a focus group they were affective because they could utilise all the political parties but making an agreement with the LibDems/Labour they are direct opposition with Conservatives who are the governing party on SBC.
So Derek Wyatt did lie
Please read email I recieved it seems Derek Wyatt MP did lie
Dear All
Following my earlier open letter to Derek Wyatt, I have today received the following email (I assume by mistake!) which appears to have been sent by Mr Wyatt to Roger Truelove ("Christine" is Roger's wife and the Swale Borough Council candidate in Woodstock).
If you doubted who is the real puppet master behind our local Labour MP just read the last sentence!
Obviously, Mr Wyatt received sound advice about what to do because the "lie" has been removed from his website.
I await a response and an apology, but I won't hold my breath!
Best regards
Gordon
----- Original Message -----
From: WYATT, Derek
To: Gordon Henderson
Sent: Sunday, April 15, 2007 8:26 AM
Subject: RE: An Open Letter to Derek Wyatt
I’ve looked at what I have written; where did he say he wanted the housing as haven’t we repeated this in Christine’s leaflet.
How should I respond I thguht the housing issue was on his web site but no longer.
Derek
Dear All
Following my earlier open letter to Derek Wyatt, I have today received the following email (I assume by mistake!) which appears to have been sent by Mr Wyatt to Roger Truelove ("Christine" is Roger's wife and the Swale Borough Council candidate in Woodstock).
If you doubted who is the real puppet master behind our local Labour MP just read the last sentence!
Obviously, Mr Wyatt received sound advice about what to do because the "lie" has been removed from his website.
I await a response and an apology, but I won't hold my breath!
Best regards
Gordon
----- Original Message -----
From: WYATT, Derek
To: Gordon Henderson
Sent: Sunday, April 15, 2007 8:26 AM
Subject: RE: An Open Letter to Derek Wyatt
I’ve looked at what I have written; where did he say he wanted the housing as haven’t we repeated this in Christine’s leaflet.
How should I respond I thguht the housing issue was on his web site but no longer.
Derek
Sunday, April 15, 2007
WHAT IS EASTER
Easter Weekend proved to be a very sunny weekend as a friend of mine said a good holiday break but I did feel a certain amount of guilt as I sat in my caravan enjoying the sun. Why? Well as someone who was brought up a Catholic, fervently believing in Christ, and importantly I believe in the Christian Ethic and Morals, yet I never attended Mass. My excuse to myself was that I did not need to attend Church to believe in God or was I just lazy? As I began some serious navel gazing I started to look at the world as a whole and England especially and it relationships with Easter.
Most English people believe Easter is just a public holiday where they can enjoy themselves and go shopping but surely it is more then that?
Easter is the most important period in the Christian Diary it emphasises the core belief of Christianity “That Jesus was the Son of God, he suffered death on the cross to save mankind and rose from the dead” I am not trying to preach but want to put in perspective why we an Easter Break as I believe most people think it is a “Chocolate Egg Festival” Although I can understand Easter Sunday when he rose from the dead can be treated as a joyous occasion a time to celebrate, Good Friday should be a very austere day a day of great sorrow that Jesus had to suffer crucifixion. Yet on Good Friday lots of shops, cinema, tourists attraction was open, what few laws there are to govern trading on Good Friday were abused with some shops moving there tills outside claiming they were an out door market.
England is a Christian country its laws, morality and ethics are based on Christian beliefs for over thousand years so therefore why cannot this country and its government honour its core beliefs. Easter has become nothing more then a commercial excuse to make money and if you make MONEY your God you will be heading for disaster.
To finish on a more topical note if you lived in a Moslem country would you be allowed to do what we do on Easter on an important Moslem festival?
Martin Clarke
Most English people believe Easter is just a public holiday where they can enjoy themselves and go shopping but surely it is more then that?
Easter is the most important period in the Christian Diary it emphasises the core belief of Christianity “That Jesus was the Son of God, he suffered death on the cross to save mankind and rose from the dead” I am not trying to preach but want to put in perspective why we an Easter Break as I believe most people think it is a “Chocolate Egg Festival” Although I can understand Easter Sunday when he rose from the dead can be treated as a joyous occasion a time to celebrate, Good Friday should be a very austere day a day of great sorrow that Jesus had to suffer crucifixion. Yet on Good Friday lots of shops, cinema, tourists attraction was open, what few laws there are to govern trading on Good Friday were abused with some shops moving there tills outside claiming they were an out door market.
England is a Christian country its laws, morality and ethics are based on Christian beliefs for over thousand years so therefore why cannot this country and its government honour its core beliefs. Easter has become nothing more then a commercial excuse to make money and if you make MONEY your God you will be heading for disaster.
To finish on a more topical note if you lived in a Moslem country would you be allowed to do what we do on Easter on an important Moslem festival?
Martin Clarke
IS DEREK WYATT MP A LIAR?
Please read this and make your own descision, hopefully Derek Wyatt will answer if he does I will post his reply
Martin Clarke
An open letter to Derek Wyatt MP
14th April 2007
Dear Derek
You have today posted on your website the following statement in relation to the Kent Science Park:-
“The Tories support an extension of the footprint outside of the current park and their spokesperson Gordon Henderson wants 2200 extra houses. The houses would support the funding of the southern ring road.”
I know that you are worried about losing your seat at the next General Election but is it really necessary to tell such outrageous lies to try and blacken my name in the hope of gaining an advantage?
As we have made clear in all our literature, local Conservatives support an expansion of the Science Park inside its existing boundaries, but oppose any expansion outside those boundaries. That is the position also of the Five Parishes Opposition Group.
On a personal level, I have made clear my opposition to any housing development attached to the Kent Science Park proposal. I have also made clear that although I support the Southern Distributor Route (the A2-M2 link) my support is conditional upon the road being built in a location acceptable to local communities and being funded by the Government. The A2-M2 link should not be reliant upon a housing development to fund it.
As you are well aware this is a very sensitive issue in the area and misrepresenting my position in this way borders on the libellous. I would therefore be grateful if you would provide details of exactly when and where I said, or wrote, that I wanted “2200 extra houses”.
If you cannot provide this information please remove this statement from your website immediately and refrain from repeating these false accusations in the future.
Yours sincerely
Gordon
GORDON HENDERSON
Martin Clarke
An open letter to Derek Wyatt MP
14th April 2007
Dear Derek
You have today posted on your website the following statement in relation to the Kent Science Park:-
“The Tories support an extension of the footprint outside of the current park and their spokesperson Gordon Henderson wants 2200 extra houses. The houses would support the funding of the southern ring road.”
I know that you are worried about losing your seat at the next General Election but is it really necessary to tell such outrageous lies to try and blacken my name in the hope of gaining an advantage?
As we have made clear in all our literature, local Conservatives support an expansion of the Science Park inside its existing boundaries, but oppose any expansion outside those boundaries. That is the position also of the Five Parishes Opposition Group.
On a personal level, I have made clear my opposition to any housing development attached to the Kent Science Park proposal. I have also made clear that although I support the Southern Distributor Route (the A2-M2 link) my support is conditional upon the road being built in a location acceptable to local communities and being funded by the Government. The A2-M2 link should not be reliant upon a housing development to fund it.
As you are well aware this is a very sensitive issue in the area and misrepresenting my position in this way borders on the libellous. I would therefore be grateful if you would provide details of exactly when and where I said, or wrote, that I wanted “2200 extra houses”.
If you cannot provide this information please remove this statement from your website immediately and refrain from repeating these false accusations in the future.
Yours sincerely
Gordon
GORDON HENDERSON
Friday, April 13, 2007
Life On Mars? No Pet, it's life on Venus
Richard Littlejohn wrote this great article
Life on Mars? No, pet, it's Life on Venus
09:57am 13th April 2007 Comments (40)
The second series of the BBC’s time-travel cop show, Life On Mars, ended this week, watched by seven million viewers. For the uninitiated, it featured a modern policeman, DI Sam Tyler, who fell into a coma and woke up in 1973. He was horrified by the crude racism, sexism and casual brutality of Seventies DCI Gene Hunt, of the Manchester CID, who stole the series.
But what if a 1970s copper was transported forward in time? What would he make of New Scotland Yard 2007?
More....
Teachers blame Life On Mars for homophobic bullying
(SCENE ONE: Hunt wakes with a raging hangover to find himself slumped over a desk. He reaches into his pocket, pulls out a packet of Kensitas and lights up.)
Where the hell am I?
Put that out.
What?
This is a designated no-smoking facility.
What are you bloody talking about?
Scroll down for more...
I ask the questions.
Who are you, darling?
Detective Inspector Suzi Obafemwi. And this is my squad room.
YOUR squad room? Stop messing about, petal, and get us a drink, there’s a good girl. My gob feels as if a rabid badger has crawled in there and died.
Don’t you ‘good girl’ me, you patronising bastard.
Come on, luv, stop playing games. You’re not a bloody DI. For a start, you’re a tart. And you’re coloured, unless this hangover is playing havoc with my eyesight.
How dare you call me a prostitute, you racist pig?
Don’t get your hotpants in a twist, sweetheart. When I said ‘tart’, I didn’t mean, er, it’s a term of endearment, like.
Not round here it isn’t. And I’m not ‘coloured’, I’m black.
Only trying to be polite. It took me five years to learn to say ‘coloured’.
Who are you?
DCI Gene Hunt, from Manchester.
You must be the new guv’nor. We’ve been expecting you.
Sorry, luv, I don’t mean to be rude. It’s just that where I come from, we haven’t got any black, female, detective inspectors.
What, in Manchester? In 2007?
Two thousand and what?
Seven, SIR.
You make ‘sir’ sound like a toe-end in the goolies, luv. You think I’m who?
Our new boss.
But I only came down here for a leavingdo at The Feathers. Old Barlow, firstclass thief-taker.
Who?
Chief Superintendent Charlie Barlow.
Never heard of him.
He’s a bloody legend, flower. Cracked the 1971 diamond vaults job.
I wouldn’t know. I wasn’t born then.
Eh?
This is 2007, remember?
Bloody Nora, I know this weak Southern beer doesn’t agree with me, but someone must have spiked my drinks.
You certainly stink of booze.
My head’s banging like a bloody Lambeg drum in an Orange Lodge parade. Pour us a scotch, there’s a luv.
This is also an alcohol-free working environment. You don’t want to let the Commissioner catch you smelling like that.
I thought he liked a drink.
That was the last one, Captain Beaujolais.
Captain Birdseye?
No, Beaujolais. He went off to run the Diana inquiry.
Diana Dors? She hangs around with some pretty dodgy characters. That Alan Lake, he’s a wrong-un.
Princess Diana.
Who’s she? If this really is 2007, I must have fallen into a coma.
You were certainly comatose when I found you.
Anyway, seeing as I’m here, we might as well get on with it. What are you working on at the moment?
Cash for ermine.
Someone fencing stolen fur coats?
No, the Prime Minister’s been selling seats in the House of Lords in exchange for political donations.
They’ve always done that, flower. You might as well try to stop dogs licking their wossnames. What else?
There’s been a spate of homophobic crime.
Homo-what?
Phobic. A writer went on Radio 4 and said she thought gay marriages were abhorrent.
So what? There’s no law against it.
There is, guv. It’s a hate crime.
I hate crime, too. Anyway, who ever heard of two poofs getting married?
It’s all the rage. Civil partnerships, they call it. And I wouldn’t let anyone in this building hear you using language like that.
Like what?
Derogatory terms to describe members of the gay community, sir. Some might find it offensive.
Come off it. There aren’t any woofters in Scotland Yard.
Oh, yes there are, guv, at the very highest level. There’s even a Gay Police Association.
You’ll be telling me next that there’s a Black Police Association, as well.
Correct. I’m the vice-chair.
Bloody hell. Anyway, where is everyone - down the pub? I could do with a large one myself.
Out on inquiries, or attending diversity training. At least, those who aren’t off sick.
Sick? What, sleeping off a session, you mean?
Stress, mainly. Half the Met took at least three weeks off sick last year. Cost £36 million.
Jeesus. I’ve never missed a day in my life. I’d sack the lot of them.
You can’t do that, they’d sue for wrongful dismissal on the grounds of racial or sexual discrimination.
You’re kidding. What about those who aren’t throwing a sickie?
A couple of officers are interviewing a ten-year-old boy who called another kid ‘gay’. We’ve also launched a major crackdown on hopscotch. And Simpkins has been seconded to the golliwog squad.
The what?
It’s a special unit set up to prosecute shopkeepers found to be selling racially-inflammatory soft toys.
Aren’t we nicking any real villains?
DS Harper arrested a man on the Underground for carrying an offensive weapon.
A knife or something?
No, a cricket ball. And we felt the collar of a man reading out the names of war dead next to the Cenotaph.
That’s what it’s bloody there for.
It’s inside the exclusion zone, to prevent terrorism.
Effin’ IRA.
Haven’t you heard, guv, that’s all over.
Don’t tell me - Gerry Adams is the Prime Minister of Northern Ireland.
Of course not. He’s deputy to Ian Paisley.
Are you sure you haven’t got any scotch?
’Fraid not. I can offer you a tea.
Milk and three sugars, please, treacle.
No treacle, just camomile and ylang-ylang.
If not the bog-trotters, then who?
Who what?
Terrorism.
Al Qaeda.
Who’s this Al geezer when he’s at home.
International Islamic jihadists. They’ve already let off four suicide bombs on London Transport.
We should shoot them on sight. We did, guv, only we killed the wrong man. He was a Brazilian.
So what are we doing?
We’re gathering all the intelligence we can. Some of the lads are staking out a suspected bomb factory.
Why don’t we just surround the place with a couple of hundred armed officers, steam in and take the place apart.
Tried that, too. In Forest Gate. Pulled it apart brick by brick. One of the suspects got shot.
You make that sound like a bad thing. I’d drive them to the nearest multi-storey car park and dangle them off the side by their ankles until they confessed.
Don’t quote me, guv, so would I. But the Commissioner would never allow that. You really are quite a throwback.
Isn’t there anyone at the Yard like me?
Well, there’s one officer who seems to be able to do what the hell he likes, harass women, that sort of thing.
Who is he?
Name of Ali Dizaei. He’s written a book.
A book? The only thing I’ve ever written is a bent confession. Come on, Suzi, sod this for a game of soldiers, you can buy me a drink and then we’ll go out and see who we can fit up.
You’ve been watching too much Life On Mars, guv’nor.
Life on Mars, petal? This is more like Life on Venus.
Life on Mars? No, pet, it's Life on Venus
09:57am 13th April 2007 Comments (40)
The second series of the BBC’s time-travel cop show, Life On Mars, ended this week, watched by seven million viewers. For the uninitiated, it featured a modern policeman, DI Sam Tyler, who fell into a coma and woke up in 1973. He was horrified by the crude racism, sexism and casual brutality of Seventies DCI Gene Hunt, of the Manchester CID, who stole the series.
But what if a 1970s copper was transported forward in time? What would he make of New Scotland Yard 2007?
More....
Teachers blame Life On Mars for homophobic bullying
(SCENE ONE: Hunt wakes with a raging hangover to find himself slumped over a desk. He reaches into his pocket, pulls out a packet of Kensitas and lights up.)
Where the hell am I?
Put that out.
What?
This is a designated no-smoking facility.
What are you bloody talking about?
Scroll down for more...
I ask the questions.
Who are you, darling?
Detective Inspector Suzi Obafemwi. And this is my squad room.
YOUR squad room? Stop messing about, petal, and get us a drink, there’s a good girl. My gob feels as if a rabid badger has crawled in there and died.
Don’t you ‘good girl’ me, you patronising bastard.
Come on, luv, stop playing games. You’re not a bloody DI. For a start, you’re a tart. And you’re coloured, unless this hangover is playing havoc with my eyesight.
How dare you call me a prostitute, you racist pig?
Don’t get your hotpants in a twist, sweetheart. When I said ‘tart’, I didn’t mean, er, it’s a term of endearment, like.
Not round here it isn’t. And I’m not ‘coloured’, I’m black.
Only trying to be polite. It took me five years to learn to say ‘coloured’.
Who are you?
DCI Gene Hunt, from Manchester.
You must be the new guv’nor. We’ve been expecting you.
Sorry, luv, I don’t mean to be rude. It’s just that where I come from, we haven’t got any black, female, detective inspectors.
What, in Manchester? In 2007?
Two thousand and what?
Seven, SIR.
You make ‘sir’ sound like a toe-end in the goolies, luv. You think I’m who?
Our new boss.
But I only came down here for a leavingdo at The Feathers. Old Barlow, firstclass thief-taker.
Who?
Chief Superintendent Charlie Barlow.
Never heard of him.
He’s a bloody legend, flower. Cracked the 1971 diamond vaults job.
I wouldn’t know. I wasn’t born then.
Eh?
This is 2007, remember?
Bloody Nora, I know this weak Southern beer doesn’t agree with me, but someone must have spiked my drinks.
You certainly stink of booze.
My head’s banging like a bloody Lambeg drum in an Orange Lodge parade. Pour us a scotch, there’s a luv.
This is also an alcohol-free working environment. You don’t want to let the Commissioner catch you smelling like that.
I thought he liked a drink.
That was the last one, Captain Beaujolais.
Captain Birdseye?
No, Beaujolais. He went off to run the Diana inquiry.
Diana Dors? She hangs around with some pretty dodgy characters. That Alan Lake, he’s a wrong-un.
Princess Diana.
Who’s she? If this really is 2007, I must have fallen into a coma.
You were certainly comatose when I found you.
Anyway, seeing as I’m here, we might as well get on with it. What are you working on at the moment?
Cash for ermine.
Someone fencing stolen fur coats?
No, the Prime Minister’s been selling seats in the House of Lords in exchange for political donations.
They’ve always done that, flower. You might as well try to stop dogs licking their wossnames. What else?
There’s been a spate of homophobic crime.
Homo-what?
Phobic. A writer went on Radio 4 and said she thought gay marriages were abhorrent.
So what? There’s no law against it.
There is, guv. It’s a hate crime.
I hate crime, too. Anyway, who ever heard of two poofs getting married?
It’s all the rage. Civil partnerships, they call it. And I wouldn’t let anyone in this building hear you using language like that.
Like what?
Derogatory terms to describe members of the gay community, sir. Some might find it offensive.
Come off it. There aren’t any woofters in Scotland Yard.
Oh, yes there are, guv, at the very highest level. There’s even a Gay Police Association.
You’ll be telling me next that there’s a Black Police Association, as well.
Correct. I’m the vice-chair.
Bloody hell. Anyway, where is everyone - down the pub? I could do with a large one myself.
Out on inquiries, or attending diversity training. At least, those who aren’t off sick.
Sick? What, sleeping off a session, you mean?
Stress, mainly. Half the Met took at least three weeks off sick last year. Cost £36 million.
Jeesus. I’ve never missed a day in my life. I’d sack the lot of them.
You can’t do that, they’d sue for wrongful dismissal on the grounds of racial or sexual discrimination.
You’re kidding. What about those who aren’t throwing a sickie?
A couple of officers are interviewing a ten-year-old boy who called another kid ‘gay’. We’ve also launched a major crackdown on hopscotch. And Simpkins has been seconded to the golliwog squad.
The what?
It’s a special unit set up to prosecute shopkeepers found to be selling racially-inflammatory soft toys.
Aren’t we nicking any real villains?
DS Harper arrested a man on the Underground for carrying an offensive weapon.
A knife or something?
No, a cricket ball. And we felt the collar of a man reading out the names of war dead next to the Cenotaph.
That’s what it’s bloody there for.
It’s inside the exclusion zone, to prevent terrorism.
Effin’ IRA.
Haven’t you heard, guv, that’s all over.
Don’t tell me - Gerry Adams is the Prime Minister of Northern Ireland.
Of course not. He’s deputy to Ian Paisley.
Are you sure you haven’t got any scotch?
’Fraid not. I can offer you a tea.
Milk and three sugars, please, treacle.
No treacle, just camomile and ylang-ylang.
If not the bog-trotters, then who?
Who what?
Terrorism.
Al Qaeda.
Who’s this Al geezer when he’s at home.
International Islamic jihadists. They’ve already let off four suicide bombs on London Transport.
We should shoot them on sight. We did, guv, only we killed the wrong man. He was a Brazilian.
So what are we doing?
We’re gathering all the intelligence we can. Some of the lads are staking out a suspected bomb factory.
Why don’t we just surround the place with a couple of hundred armed officers, steam in and take the place apart.
Tried that, too. In Forest Gate. Pulled it apart brick by brick. One of the suspects got shot.
You make that sound like a bad thing. I’d drive them to the nearest multi-storey car park and dangle them off the side by their ankles until they confessed.
Don’t quote me, guv, so would I. But the Commissioner would never allow that. You really are quite a throwback.
Isn’t there anyone at the Yard like me?
Well, there’s one officer who seems to be able to do what the hell he likes, harass women, that sort of thing.
Who is he?
Name of Ali Dizaei. He’s written a book.
A book? The only thing I’ve ever written is a bent confession. Come on, Suzi, sod this for a game of soldiers, you can buy me a drink and then we’ll go out and see who we can fit up.
You’ve been watching too much Life On Mars, guv’nor.
Life on Mars, petal? This is more like Life on Venus.
Thursday, April 12, 2007
Vineyard A report to the Press
I recently had a disagreement with a Local bar in the town over their conduct in dealing with illegal activities on their premises, namely drug dealing. The bars policy was to eject people for dealing drugs in the bar this in its self may on the surface seem to be correct accept I believe it is there duty to inform the police so that these dealers can be arrested or be released if a false accusation has been made through malicious accusation, I was also told that if ejected they are not automatically banned i.e. they can return the following day.
As a Licensee, Martial arts Coach to local children and an ex councillor this worried me so I contacted the manager who was very young and inexperienced this may explain his rude and belligerent manner my next course of action was to write to the management company of these chain of Pubs/Bars to ask what was their policy on illegal activity in their premises and 5 weeks later I got the standard answer we agree with our management but no explanation.
With the Local Council now being the local authority I made application to have their license reviewed but as expected nothing is to be done and the reasons are as follows “The Council cannot go the expense of conducting a review hearing if it has no prospect of success” so much for Due Process, so much for combating crime, so much for Swale B C and the Police protecting the Public, this country and this town are being flooded with drugs and when some one tries to stop the abuse they are ignored. So long as the Council do not spend money, so long as the Police can spend their time chasing people for being Politically Incorrect and as long as the pub chain can continue to make money lets turn a blind eye to drugs.
WHAT A COUNTRY! With the election on us ask your prospective councillors what they think! You can read all the letters on http://www.sittingbourne.org/letters_2007.htm
Disgusted
Martin Clarke
As a Licensee, Martial arts Coach to local children and an ex councillor this worried me so I contacted the manager who was very young and inexperienced this may explain his rude and belligerent manner my next course of action was to write to the management company of these chain of Pubs/Bars to ask what was their policy on illegal activity in their premises and 5 weeks later I got the standard answer we agree with our management but no explanation.
With the Local Council now being the local authority I made application to have their license reviewed but as expected nothing is to be done and the reasons are as follows “The Council cannot go the expense of conducting a review hearing if it has no prospect of success” so much for Due Process, so much for combating crime, so much for Swale B C and the Police protecting the Public, this country and this town are being flooded with drugs and when some one tries to stop the abuse they are ignored. So long as the Council do not spend money, so long as the Police can spend their time chasing people for being Politically Incorrect and as long as the pub chain can continue to make money lets turn a blind eye to drugs.
WHAT A COUNTRY! With the election on us ask your prospective councillors what they think! You can read all the letters on http://www.sittingbourne.org/letters_2007.htm
Disgusted
Martin Clarke
Tuesday, April 03, 2007
POLICE PC
An article appeared in the Daily Telegraph today from the Conservatives, I put a reply in the comments box:
Everything mentioned in the article may be true but two things have been at the heart of why we the public have no respect or faith in the Police
1) Senior Officers are more interested in climbing the promotions ladder, putting forward their political views and appeasing their political masters rather then policing without fear or favour
2) It is no surprise that crime detection and Police standards seems to be on the decrease since Political Correctness took over in the Police. A prime example is positive discrimination where a Police Officer is selected and promoted because of their Sex, Sexual orientation, religion and religion rather then their ability to do the job. The job of the Police is to uphold the law not represent society, falling standards in the Police are a direct result of PC.
Everything mentioned in the article may be true but two things have been at the heart of why we the public have no respect or faith in the Police
1) Senior Officers are more interested in climbing the promotions ladder, putting forward their political views and appeasing their political masters rather then policing without fear or favour
2) It is no surprise that crime detection and Police standards seems to be on the decrease since Political Correctness took over in the Police. A prime example is positive discrimination where a Police Officer is selected and promoted because of their Sex, Sexual orientation, religion and religion rather then their ability to do the job. The job of the Police is to uphold the law not represent society, falling standards in the Police are a direct result of PC.
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