Lansbury's Lido

I've decided, after a long deliberation to stop posting at this blog, and also at another one I author. For good or bad I'm not stopping posting, just doing it at another platform. Both of these have been merged at lansburyslido.posterous.com. Unfortunately some of the comments seem to have been lost in the merge . But they will remain here for posterity. Please update your bookmarks.

Image by Tess.McGill via Flickr Full employment - Was it a myth or did we at one time have 'full' employment? And by full employment I don't mean no unemployment but that whoever was able and wanted to work could find a job within a reasonable time frame. There will always be some unemployment with even the most 'benign' capitalist system. (If such a thing exists!) Back in the mists of time in 1979 I left school with my clutch of CSEs and GCEs and I had a choice - go to college or get a job. For good or bad I chose to get a job. Looking back I don't remember any time where me or my friends did not have a job, nor do I remember anyone signing on the dole. There was always work, especially for the youth. Some of my friends used to start a new job on a Monday, get the sack on the Friday and somehow have a new job to roll into the following Monday. Certainly for the first 4 or 5 years of my working life I never had a problem getting a job. I don't rememb...

 When I was a member of the Labour Party the membership card (which was indeed made of card) had the text below, known as Clause IV emblazoned across it. To secure for the workers by hand or by brain the full fruits of their industry and the most equitable distribution thereof that may be possible upon the basis of the common ownership of the means of production, distribution and exchange, and the best obtainable system of popular administration and control of each industry or service. Sounded good in 1918, sounds good today. Unfortunately Blair came along and in 1995 managed to get it rewritten as the waffle below: The Labour Party is a democratic socialist party. It believes that by the strength of our common endeavour we achieve more than we achieve alone, so as to create for each of us the means to realise our true potential and for all of us a community in which power, wealth and opportunity are in the hands of the many, not the few, where the rights we enjoy reflect the ...

So says the headline from the BBC. BBC News - IMF backs coalition spending cuts It does beg the question though as to what would happen if the IMF didn't back the government's financial plans? Wikipedia describes the IMF thus: It is an organization formed with a stated objective of stabilizing international exchange rates and facilitating development through theenforcement of liberalising economic policies [1] [2] on other countries as a condition for loans, restructuring or aid. [3] It also offers highly leveraged loans , mainly to poorer countries Which really sums up what the IMF is about. It's not concerned with the well-being of people, of humanity but the well-being of the financial system it is part of. Capitalism. Especially the nasty neo-liberal type. So if the IMF didn't agree with an elected sovereign government's financial plans then we can assume it would take action to register it's unhappiness. And there are many and varied ways it can d...

I did a post a few months ago about how encouraging Dennis Skinner, the Beast of Bolsover was. You can read it here . Someone commented that Dennis had become all mouth and no trousers so to say. I was surprised by such a comment. Now over at Left Futures it's been highlighted that Dennis has put his weight behind David Milliband for the leader of the Labour Party. There's a report of Dennis justifying his position by saying “the big question is who are the Tories afraid of”. What a disappointment to discover that a hero from my youth now considers the future for the working man and woman and the left best decided by 'who the Tories are afraid of'. Not about fighting for a better way, not about fighting against injustice and a system that heaps misery after misery upon the worker and the poor. But about 'who the Tories are afraid of'. Methinks Dennis has become parliamentarialised if he thinks this is going to change anything. Time to pocket the fat pensio...

Tory MP weeps over discovery that his Brazilian wife is £70-a-time suburban prostitute The shame of finding out your husband is an MP. How will she live it down?

So 'Honest' Tone's cash cow book signing tour seems to be coming off the rails. Protests by those dastardly lefty types seem to be causing problems with his security so he may curtail any more book signings. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-11197376 However, a little snippet from the site caught my eye. But Mr Blair, prime minister from 1997 to 2007, said: "To be frank about it, I am concerned. I do not want to put everyone through a lot of cost and hassle on this Wednesday's signing so I am thinking about that." The Metropolitan Police were "fabulous and they will do whatever we ask them to do" but should not be asked to commit resources unnecessarily, he added. Given the moaning that certain sections have given to the state visit by the Pope, especially the costs, I've yet to see the same reaction given to Tone's security being provided by the boys in blue. Wonder who's paying? And if you've had the misfortune to part ...

It may be over 25 years since I tore up the yellow folded card with Clause IV printed boldly on it but it seems I still have a vote to influence the choosing of the next leader of the Labour Party. Got an envelope from the Electoral Reform Services today with details on how to vote together with some bumph from Unite. I had quite forgotten about my opting in to the union's political fund. So what rag-tag buch have put themselves up for 'the job'? Diane Abbot Pros: Seems to talk some sense. Cons: 'That' school issue. Ed Balls Pros: Not David Milliband Cons: Stinks of New Labour Andy Burnham Pros: Promises to refocus the Labour Party away from being London-centric. Cons: Previous govermental positions means he's got a whiff of New Labour about him. David Milliband Pros: Erm? Cons: Iraq, torture allegations, stinks of New Labour Ed Milliband Pros: backed by toss-pot Kinnock Cons: backed by toss-pot Kinnock So there we go, so who should I be voting...

More media misinformation from the Daily Mail about the poor old banks. Apparently the banks are writing off debt from struggling families to the tune of £40M a day. The paper goes on: Between April and June banks and building societies were forced to 'write off ' £3.5billion, around £40million every day, the largest amount since records began....... ........The largest chunk of write-offs - a record £2.1billion - was credit card debt, with many spending more on the High Street in a day than they earn in a month. A further £1.2billion came from overdrafts, personal loans and hire purchase agreements. Just £184million was from 'bad' mortgages. Before you reach for the hankies it might be a good idea to consider the Mail's steaming pile of misinformation and downright lies a bit further. Firstly, it's only in the case of bankruptcies that debts get 'written-off'. If it's just that you can't afford to pay then the debt will remain with you. Th...

I just got an email from Compass Online telling me about their campaign to put a cap on the rate of all forms of credit. In reality it's an attempt to protect the poorest members of society from what's become known as legal loansharking. This is where short term loans are offered with a very short repayment period ( which is why they're also known as payday loans ) which also have incredibly high interest rates which kick in should the loan not get repaid on time. A noble cause I'm sure. But who is this going to benefit? Let's look at why people use these services. In fact go back maybe a hundred years and you would find the same practices going on. In fact you would find this going on as long as our society has been going down the road of consumerism. There is a need within all of us to belong, to be part of something. In our society it expresses itself in conformity or a desire to share in goods or services, many of which aren't essential to life but promise t...

From the BBC News website. BBC News - Liam Fox defends call for ban of Medal of Honor game I'm left virtually speechless after reading that. To think this bloke is considered capable enough for a government job. Not even a humble whelk stall would be enhanced by his presence.

Image by Oxfam International via Flickr An interesting page on the BBC News website asking some 'experts' and the public on why donations to Pakistan relief are slow. Some very good points, and some very predictable ones, especially from the public. BBC News - Who cares about Pakistan? I believe donations from the West will perk up when we read that it has been confirmed that Muslim nations such as Saudi Arabia have donated sizeable sums. You bet. Perhaps it's the same sort of scenario when a stranger falls ill in public. Nobody wants to go to their aid, but as soon as one does then others follow. So be the first. If they can afford to be a nuclear country and boast about it, then they should be able to look after their own people. What's the betting that the poster of the comment above won't apply the same logic when the ConDem government start chopping his health service and welfare system, or the services that he relies upon? I don't think it's necessary...

A heartwarming story from the BBC regarding a man who remained in his car for 30 hours to stop it being towed away after being pressured to pay £365 to remove the clamps. A man sat in his car for 30 hours to prevent it being towed away after it was clamped. Haroon Zafaryab began the protest in Wembley on Wednesday when he returned from Ramadan prayers to find his car clamped and was asked to pay £365. He said that, as he sat in the vehicle, all four wheels were clamped and about 40 tickets were stuck to its window, amounting to £3,565 in fines. Haroon Zafaryab, nice one! Details of the incident emerged as ministers announced plans to ban clampers from all private land in England and Wales. Home Office minister Lynne Featherstone said the move would be introduced in the government's Freedom Bill in November, and could come into force early next year. So the question to ask Labour Party members is why has it taken the election of a ConDem government to s...

Two news stories have got to me recently. One led me to rage, the other to tears. Let's start with the rage. David Cameron announces plan to end lifetime council tenancies | Society | The Guardian It seems our ConDem overlords have decided that the destruction of state provided housing will continue unabated. The transfer of housing stock to private agencies has led to the concept of a 'life tenenacy' to all but disappear. To further bury this 'undeserved perk of the great unwashed' the government has now announced available changes to tenancy agreements. In come short term tenancy agreements to 'help increase social mobility'. Basically this means a review of a tenancy after as little as five years. Not enough people living there? Out you go. Earning too much? Out you go. Mum died and an empty room? You can sod off and find somewhere else to live. The true face of capitalism. It can't bear the thought of common people being in receipt of anything ...

That's what the BBC News headline says - 'Royal Berkshire Hospital to axe up to 600 jobs' So we'll have a hospital struggling to meet the needs of the community it serves. What's the odds on 12 months down the line our ConDem overlords will offer up private capital to come to the rescue? The dismantling of the NHS continues with renewed vigour. BBC News - Royal Berkshire Hospital to axe up to 600 jobs

I have to admit that there have been some things that our ConDem masters have done that should heap great shame upon the Labour Party. Things like scaling back on CCTV and the scrapping of ID cards. But underneath these small islands of joy the real shape of their politics remains for all to see. Now they're looking to target people who live in council or association homes. Regular means testing, getting a job, checking for pay rises or changes in family structure, all could lead to them being evicted, relocated out of where they've lived all their lives or forced to move into private accommodation. This government, both Tories and Lib Dems can't bear to see the state provide services and not see the private sector have it's hand in the pie. Family friendly this government ain't. There's only one family that they serve and that's the family of the wealthy. Every bit of progress that the post-war Labour government made in terms of health, accommodation and so...

Image via Wikipedia As the title says, from the BBC News website - 'Britons to pay more for a loaf of bread as wheat prices jump' So it seems that lucky old us will be paying more for our wheat, and hence our bread sometime soon. It's all because of wildfires in Russia and flooding in Pakistan. In Russia a drought coupled with wildfires has destroyed 20% of the wheat harvest. In Pakistan heavy rains and flooding have destroyed 15% of the crop. So because here in the UK we import all our wheat from Russia and Pakistan it's going to be scarce. Actually that's a lie. We don't import any wheat from Russia or Pakistan. As part of the European Economic Community, we as the EU are competitors with Russia with regards to wheat production. So there's no shortage of wheat and I'm sure that the rest of the world could easily accommodate this shortfall from 2 countries. That means prices shouldn't rise and this fluid 'value' of wheat should stay constant...

A bloke who threw an egg at 'Baroness' Warsi and called her 'Cameron's bitch' has been banged up for 6 weeks. As the Daily Mail reports : A Muslim convert who pelted a Tory peer with eggs was jailed for six weeks yesterday. Gavin Reid, 23, targeted Baroness Warsi as Islamic extremists shouted abuse at her, including 'Cameron's bitch', in a 'planned and deliberate' confrontation. At least three eggs were hurled at the high-profile champion of Muslim women's rights, one of which broke on her face, soiling her hair and jacket. Protester who hurled an egg at Muslim Tory minister Baroness Warsi is found guilty | Mail Online I have to say that this seems a bit much for what is often accepted as a legitimate means of protest. I can't seem to remember anyone previously jailed for this type of protest in the past, and there's been plenty of historical precedent for egging politicians. Take the odious Nick Griffin of the BNP, he was egged a few...

Image via Wikipedia Sounds good, and I expect you were surprised that access to clean water wasn't already a fundamental human right. The UN has declared that access to clean water and sanitation is a fundamental human right. About 1.5m children under five die each year from water and sanitation-related diseases. The resolution was passed with 122 nations in favour, none against and 41 abstentions. But is there more to it than meets the eye? It's one thing desiring access to clean water, it's another thing ensuring it and making it possible. So how could it be done? Well why not transfer a nations right to another organisation that would make this happen? What about the World Bank, or the IMF? Hold on, haven't those unelected organisations already been involved in liberating the water supply system of a number of countries ( cue Bolivian riots ) ? Hmm. Utopian dream or back-door neoliberalism? We shall see. BBC News - UN declares clean water a 'funda...

Seems those Greek workers are getting uppity again. This time it's the lorry drivers looking to spoil the party. Apparently they're upset with their industry and livelihoods being 'liberalised' on the orders of the EU and the IMF. Seems the shameful Greek government are using a law normally reserved for times of war or natural disasters to requisition their vehicles. Greek police have fired tear gas to disperse hundreds of lorry drivers protesting in Athens. The drivers are refusing to obey an emergency government order for them to end a crippling strike. The strike, now in its fourth day, has paralysed Greece, depriving petrol stations of fuel and prompting tourists to cancel holidays. Bottles were hurled outside the transport ministry as drivers tried to climb the gates and get inside. Here's to the Greek workers, standing up for their rights where their own government has caved in like a squashed apple pie crust. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/...

Take a fact, spin it through 180° and you get a Daily Mail headline. Since the banks trousered all our money to shore up their little gambling system the pension of the people has been under scrutiny. After all it's a big pot and would keep a bus full of bankers in the style they've become accustomed to. So sally forth the ConDem overlords to tell us that the chances are we'll not be able to draw our pension at 65. (Really they're hoping we'll die before drawing it). From the wings comes the Daily Mail to spin it as the government giving us the right to work past 65 years of age. Well that's ok then, you can't have too many rights, can you? Laugh? I nearly cried. Workers will no longer be forced to retire at 65 from next year under radical Government proposals to be unveiled today. Ministers want to end the idea that people are 'past it' once they hit the existing retirement age. From next October, it will be illegal for firms to get rid of staff whe...

Image via Wikipedia As reported in the Telegraph , "Even Willy Wonka might struggle to use this much chocolate. Yesterday, somebody bought 241,000 tonnes of cocoa beans." An odd story you may think but it's a fantastic example of why we need to knock this unbridled capitalism on it's head and replace it with something that serves the people of this world. Someone bought all of Europe's cocoa, and we know not why and we know not who. In the real world our reaction should be along the lines of 'why the hell should I care'. But in the make-up-the-rules-as-you-go-along world of capitalism this strange act affects everyone both directly and indirectly. Since this resource is now controlled by one person or organisation they can, if they wish restrict supply. Even the thought of it has sent the price of cocoa to it's highest level for 32 years. If they were to restrict supply then the price would go ballistic and whoever held that stock would make a ki...

It's not a website I normally frequent but there appears a peculiar story in the Brussels Journal . It's about the increasing harassment of Jews in Amsterdam. As with any harassment of identifiable people groups the Dutch Police use undercover decoy tactics to hold accountable those guilty of such attacks. It's commonly used to identify people who are considered to actively harass groups such as prostitutes, gay persons, or the elderly. And to me it sounds a pretty good tactic. Who could find anything wrong with that? Well it seems one particular party does, but only when the undercover police are dressed as Jews. The website reports Evelien van Roemburg, an Amsterdam counselor of the Green Left Party, saying that using a decoy by the police amounts to provoking a crime. But only when it's the Jews. Apparently. I would hate to think that a party that is identified by many on the left as 'of the left' in fact turns out to have such tendencies. Perish the ...

My local Tories knocked up a despicable election leaflet for the local elections earlier this year which was racist at worst and disingenuous at best. I blogged about it here . Now the local LibDems have sent round a leaflet a major part of which is refuting the claims of the Tories. And good on them. Here's a few choice items from the list: Rushmoor's waiting list is actually 2766 of which only 89 are Asian-Other.  Rushmoor housed 5 Nepalese families between April 2009 and March 10 Rushmoor council estimates 3,000 Nepalese in Rushmoor against the 9,000 the Tories claimed GP problems are nationwide and no data exists down to council level Mayfield is not the 3rd most deprived ward in Hampshire. Breaking Mayfield down there is one area which can be ranked 3rd. (likely the one I live in!) So good on the LibDems but their good work in unraveling the racism from the Tories is somewhat let down by the same leaflet highlighting their support for the ConDem government and the...

Many years ago when I took a job with the Ministry of Defence a question they asked was 'Are you or have you ever been a communist', or words to that effect. Obviously they already knew with the background checks carried out on anyone joining the MOD and signing the Official Secrets Act. Decades on I've just thought what exactly did they mean with that type of question, leading on to what makes a person a communist. I suppose it's easy to have communist tendencies or to feel broadly aligned to the aims of socialism and communism. But I expect the question really implied was did I belong to the communist party. So I did a google uk search for communist party and discovered there are more parties than you can shake a stick at. We have: Communist Party of Britain Communist Party of Great Britain New Communist Party of Britain Communist Party of Great Britain (Marxist-Leninist) The Revolutionary Communist Party of Britain (Marxist-Leninist) Communist Party of Bri...

Coca Cola in Colombia seems to have a track record of bad working relationships with unions in Colombia. I mean really bad! Now it seems the story is repeating itself in Pakistan. Since forming a union at Coca-Cola's bottling plant in the southern Pakistan city of Multan in June 2009, members have met with death threats, abduction, firings, extortion, forgery and fraud. Management's vicious response to the workers' fight for a union is a story drenched with violence, corruption, sleaze and escalating criminality. Read more at the IUF Website  Time to roll out a classic track by David Rovics called Drink of the Death Squads. 'Seems you American workers get downsized, us we just get shot' H/T Jemmy Hope

So the bankers and the media are gushing over posh boy George's rich man's budget. They've softened us up over the past few weeks with negative superlatives on the economy like dire, tough, bloody, unavoidable and now they praise it as a job well done. There some data from the Office for National Statistics that shows that the richest 10% spend £1 in every £25 on VAT whilst at the poorer end £1 in every £7 goes towards VAT. So posh boy's knee-jerk reaction is to up VAT as it hits the poorer more than the richer. But wait, haven't we heard mention of upping VAT before? As a reminder here's some posters from not so long ago. First off the Tories with their nightmare scenario of Brown upping VAT. Then there's one from posh boy Clegg's little grouping about the Tories upping VAT. Spot the difference? No, of course not. There is no difference. This current ConDem coalition shows the Liberals for what they truly are. Where we hoped that they would ...

The Guardian has an article looking at the views of nine leading 'left-wing' thinkers. You can read it here . This is reported as the 'left-wing' of the Labour Party so there should be some radical ideas knocking about. Let's have a look. Well, I was going to go through it but I think it's easier to just list the items. If you want to know more then follow the link above. proper voting reform an Apollo-style declaration to turn Britain into the Saudi Arabia of offshore wind families and work-life balance job share in the shadow cabinet a non-selective school entrance system deciding what is the right size of the public sector move on tax avoidance scrap inheritance tax, introduce a French and Swedish-style wealth tax regulate the market democratise the state introduction of modern capital controls European-wide minimum wage and tax on bonuses and high pay directly elected education boards a 35-hour week a big examination of family law a carefu...

I'm in the market for some new reading material so if you'd be so good as to help then you can find my 'looks interesting' feed from Goodreads.com in the sidebar. If you have a Goodreads account then feel free to add me as a friend. And if you have anything else to recommend then I'd like to hear it! ** Update - just ordered these two: The Revolution Betrayed by Leon Trotsky Global Justice: Liberation and Socialism by Ernesto Guevara

Phil at A Very Public Sociologist: Birthday Song Meme is asking what was the #1 single when you were born. So here's mine, Gerry & The Pacemakers - How do you do you do it?

Nowt as encouraging as Dennis in full flow.

So Osborne and Laws, the dynamic duo at the Treasury have announced plans to knock Child Trust Funds (CTF) on the head. For those who don't know CTF are savings accounts set up to provide a cash fund when a child reaches 18. The Government puts in £250 when a child is born. When the child reaches 7 then the Government shells out some more cash. Parents and relatives are encouraged to add money when they can afford it. For some it seems a good deal - providing a handy nest egg for University or house buying. Others deride it as giving money away to the poor and undeserving. Ian Cowie in the Telegraph is certain that pulling the plug on the CTF was the right thing to do. Here and now, unpopular though it may be to scrap the CTF, it is undoubtedly the right thing to do at this stage of the credit crisis. The reason is that these payments were gifts from a government up to its neck in debt. This scheme was an egregious example of Gordon Brown’s Great Debt Delusion. And Kate Green MP, ...

Just been reading the paper on the 'Big Society' put out by the Government of all the talentless. It's not pretty reading. http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/media/407789/building-big-society.pdf Running through it all is the theme of offloading services from local and national government to so called 'local' initiatives. It doesn't take a genius to understand why. Take people's taxes and instead of redistributing them via local councils and national initiatives you pass the loot over to local organisations. And of course all these local organisations will need 'managing'. From Secretaries to Treasurers to Committees, all posts that will undoubtedly come at a price and can be filled by men and women of good upstanding, of course. 'Jobs for the boys', the 'old school tie network', it's not what you know it's who you know. Unelected as well, no doubt. There's talk of local people being able to start up their own schools if enou...

This song has left me absolutely gobsmacked. Getting to my age and never knowing about Phil Ochs - inexcusable!

There's a certain cartoon in the Morning Star archives by the excellent Martin Rowson. It goes something like this: Who's that in the window?

Call centre workers at one of Britain's biggest energy companies, E. ON, have had their pay slashed while their bosses have escaped from any wage cuts.At least 2,500 of the lowest paid staff at the gas and electricity firm have been told their pay will be cut by about £2,000. The announcement comes just a day after the business, which is owned by a German company, had increased its profits six fold in Britain thanks to keeping customer bills high, despite enjoying substantial falls in wholesale prices. It comes to something when a Tory paper like the Telegraph posts a damning item on corporate greed yet the party that claims to represent the workers is woefully complicit in this sort of activity by refusing to repeal the repressive anti-union laws brought in by the Tories. Any party with balls would have been vociferously condemning this sort of industrial activity. I can only conclude that the Labour Party is for all intents and purposes defunct. To be honest it has ever since...

Rummaging around for some David Rovic songs I came across the Riot Folk Collective at www.riotfolk.org. A collection of folk musicians whose aim as the website says is "Making folk a threat again!" Here's Ryan Harvey.

That's what I'll be asking my local Lib Dem councillor should I have the misfortune to bump into him. Mind you, the way the Lib Dem councillors have behaved in the past I don't expect to hear a peep from him until the next council elections. I put my hands up and admit to voting for Lib Dems in the national poll. There was no chance of them getting elected in Aldershot, even less of Labour but there was hope, however miniscule that Howarth could be given the heave-ho. I mean, could it be so bad? After all, the Lib Dems are a progressive party with some policies to the left of Labour. In the end Howarth increased his percentage of the vote. So I suppose I can wear the badge that says "I voted Lib Dem but all I got was a stinking Tory/Lib Dem Coalition Government". Now Clegg must be old enough to remember the last Tory administrations under Thatcher and Major, how the poor, the weak, the disenfranchised, the minorities were treated, how unemployment was a "...

So the UK is in a state of flux because of the situation of being in a hung Parliament. Good and bad news for those on the left. But bad news for the Tories and the Lib Dems. The Tories have failed to capitalise on 13 years of right-wing Labour government which has given us 3 foreign wars of dubious legality,  a massive encroachment onto civil liberties with calls for 90 days detention without trial, ID cards and trial without jury on the mainland. Even with the Cashcroft coffers they just can't muster the support of the people. We've seen numerous business talking heads talking bullshit with no sign of the media bringing on board the trades union leaders to give a balance. But still the Tories flopped. The Lib Dems were given a totally unjustified equal platform with TV debates amongst the leaders yet we see no increase in the number of MPs. What a farce, pure media hype to try and spin some viewer interest. On the left the good news is that left leaning Labour MPs have ...

Image via Wikipedia So who wrote this? "England is the land of justice." Nine in ten of the comfortable classes take this for granted. Yet it is false. Where is justice when, in times of slump, two million unemployed are restrained by force from access to land, machines, and tools with which they could be profitably employed, and condemned to eke out a miserable existence in enforced idleness and dwarfing poverty? Where is justice when, in an age of potential plenty, millions live in needless want; and half Britain is paralysed by fears of sickness, old age, or the other insecurities and vicissitudes of life ? It is taken from a publication called " The Socialist Sixth Of The World " by The Very Reverend Hewlett Johnson who was commonly know as the Red Dean. He was the Dean of Canterbury from 1929 to 1963 and was infamous for his support of the Soviet Union from the October Revolution until his death in 1966. He died in 1966 but it's only now that his fami...

Image via Wikipedia

Just received a local election leaflet from the local conservative candidate Lucy Kurjeza for my ward, Mayfield in Farnborough, Hampshire. I think she's received her encouragement from Gillian Duffy and 'Bigotgate'. Let's have a look at what's splurged on the page: ...many in Mayfield are alarmed at the increase in the number of Nepalese.. ...Borough of Rushmoor has 2nd highest number of Nepalese in England... ...local schools unable to cope... ...GPs' surgeries unable to cope... ...not able to keep up with the relentless influx of not only the Nepalese, but also those from mainland Europe... All the usual stirring you'd expect from a party like the BNP. Except that it's not the BNP but Cameron's Tories. And with quite a high level of BNP support in this ward perhaps it's what you'd expect. But with such a tactic comes the message of dividing a community and encouraging racism. Perhaps a true reflection of how the Tories care about what she s...

I like this! Sung to the tune of "We Plough The Fields And Scatter" H/T The Episcopelican An Anglo-Catholic Socialist hymn, for May Day. Original lyrics by Charles Dalmon. Revisions by Fr. Kenneth Leech for the Jubilee Group, and Ted Mellor. 1. You faithful saints and martyrs Who fought for truth and right, We ask your prayers and blessings To aid us in our fight. Your faith shall be our watchword, Your cause shall be our own - To fight against oppression Till it be overthrown. Lift up the people's banner And let the ancient cry For justice and for freedom Re-echo to the sky. 2. In many a golden story, On many a golden page, The poets in their poems Have sung the golden age, The age of love and beauty, The age of joy and peace, When everyone lived gladly And shared the earth's increase. Lift up the people's banner And let the ancient cry For justice and for freedom Re-echo to the sky. 3. Today the tyrants triumph And bind us for their gains, But Jesu...

Image via Wikipedia As international capital seeks to strip the resources and dignity of the Greek people the KKE , the Greek Communists, have released a statement this May Day. Worth reading all the way through. Can't say I disagree with a word of it. All power to them and their cause. Comrades, workers, Greeks and immigrants, young women and men, pensioners, unemployed, KKE calls you to turn the events of this year’s 1st May in honour of the struggles and the sacrifices of our class into a new beginning of class political awareness and militant uplift in order to repel and overthrow the criminal policy of the government and the plutocracy that leads the working class, our families and children to the most savage and brutal exploitation, to permanent poverty and unemployment. It is our duty, especially towards young workers, men and women, towards the children of the workers and the people, to defend the conquests that the previous generations have shed their blood for. N...

Image by Getty Images via Daylife How to manipulate your employees and their pension. Step 1. Complain about the cost of the final salary scheme. Step 2. Close the final salary scheme to new entrants.  Do not under any circumstances admit that this act will lead to Step 4! Step 3. Introduce a money purchase scheme for new starters to reduce corporate cost. Step 4. Complain about the continuing cost of the existing final salary scheme. Step 5. Highlight the differential of the final salary scheme to the money purchase scheme employees. Show how we have 2 groups of employees. Divide and Conquer! Step 6. Ensure the aggrieved voice of the money purchase scheme employees is heard loudly. Step 7. Suggest that in the interest of employee harmony the final salary scheme benefits are reduced to the legal minimum. Result!

Image by premasagar via Flickr Headline on the BBC News caught my eye this morning - Greece crisis: investors wait on deal details. So there's a nation in trouble and investors are waiting on details. What details? The best way to aid the economy? The best way to work with the democratically elected sovereign Greek government? No. A big fat No. They're waiting to ensure that they get a good risk free return on their money at the expense of the Greek people. If Capitalism was invented today it'd be banned as immoral, genocidal and an environmental catastrophe in the making. Another headline - Greek bonds rated 'junk' by Standard & Poor's Global stock markets tumbled after Greece's debt was downgraded to "junk" by rating agency Standard & Poor's over concerns that the country may default. It makes the struggling nation the first eurozone member to have its debt downgraded to junk level. So if the artificial actions of middl...

I've created a new account on Twitter to link to this blog, wasn't really any visible link with my old identity. So I'm now lansburyslido on Twitter. Feel free to follow me, and I've been following a fair few who may be reading this blog.   @lansburyslido

So in terms of capital Greece is having problems with paying off it's creditors. The countries in the Eurozone seem to be slow putting together a 'rescue package' and now all talk is of the IMF rolling in in as the knight in shining armour with a poison chalice of loans and repayment schemes. But scratch the surface of any capitalist scheme and you'll find the real load carried - asset stripping, passing control to foreign investors, making the state dependant on unelected capital and the transfer of assets held in common to the capitalists. Oh, and the people pay with the attached 'austerity package'. There's a good article by James Meadway on Counterfire , well worth a read. In fact I'll cut and paste some items from there to make a few points as the article is so well written! It captures and puts into words a lot of the anger and disgust I feel inside. As of this morning, the effective interest rate on Greek debt, paid back over two years, stands at ...