Free Pussy Riot

Three alleged members of the feminist punk band Pussy Riot, Maria Alekhina, Nadezhda Tolokonnikova and Ekaterina Samucevich, charged with "hooliganism", have been remanded in jail, facing up to 7 years criminal punishment for allegedly participating in the punk-prayer Virgin Mary, Send Putin Away that publicly demonstrated for human rights and against the current oppressive regime under Putin. The case illustrates the gross level of violations against human rights in Russia and requires immediate attention. The detained activists now need the support of the world's community.  (From Free Pussy Riot page)

Please sign the following two petitions calling for these political prisoners to be relased:

Amnesty International

Change.Org petition

Read more about the campaign at freepussyriot.org

Israel, Iran and the bomb

Reading this week's Time magazine I was quite surprised by the interview with Shimon Peres in the 10 questions segment. [http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,2109787,00.html]

Question: Remind me, does Israel have nuclear weapons?

Answer: Look, Israel doesn't intend to introduce nuclear weapons, but if people are afraid that we have them, why not?

To me this reads as a claim that Israel does not hold nukes, which is a stronger refutement than usual as usually Israel spokerspersons take a stance of ambiguity.

More surprising is that this contradicts a press conference in Jordan 1998, reported in the Jerusalem Post [http://www.jpost.com/LandedPages/PrintArticle.aspx?id=44774]  where Peres stated that Israel had:

"built a nuclear option, not in order to have a Hiroshima but an Oslo."

Not many people really believe that Israel does not have a nuclear weapon programme, and it seems rather futile trying to deny it any more.

So why does Israel continue to deny the existence of WMDs.  Could it be that it makes it very difficult to question Iran's nuclear intentions?

I don't like the prospect of Iran holding WMDs but it makes it difficult for any country to take an even handed approach on this if they don't at the same time question Israel's nuclear programme.  And it certainly isn't acceptable for any western country to support an Israeli attack on Iran when both countries are allegedly carrying out nuclear programmes.

Further reading - Israel's weapons of mass destruction - May 2005

Lies, damned lies, and statistics at the Budget and why Osborne decided to rush the 45p rate in

Ever since the 50p tax rate was introduced the Tories have been obsessed with trying to lower it.  Digging a bit deeper it becomes clear why George Osborne chose this year's budget to remove it, as this would be the only year when the statistics would support his case for scrapping it.

He states in the budget that the rate only raised a third of the expected £1bn originally expected. (BBC News).  When you look into this there is a very clear reason why this is the case.  The HMRC report into The Exchequer effect of the 50 per cent additional rate of income tax states:

The analysis shows that there was a considerable behavioural response to the rate change, including a substantial amount of forestalling: around £16 billion to £18 billion of income is estimated to have been brought forward to 2009-10 to avoid the introduction of the additional rate of tax.  (Page 2 of the report).

The true effectiveness of the 50p rate will not show until the end of the 2011/12 tax year next month, as this will be the first year when it will not have been possible to move income into a year with a lower rate.

And how is he paying for the scheme.  He is lowering the 40p tax rate to £41,450, attacking child credits and pensions.

There is no getting around the fact that this budget was a budget by the rich for the rich,

Update

Someone has set up a petition on the government website calling for the 50p tax rate to be re-introduced.  Sign here http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/31663 

Charlie Brooker on the NHS reform bill

Tomorrow's Daily Mirror front page

The front page of tomorrow's Daily Mirror sums up the position we now face with the ConDems voting the Health & Social Care bill through its final stages of parliament.  Tomorrow I will post details of which way MPs voted so you can remember at the general election in 2015, when the NHS is likely to be in a lot worse position than it is now.

Letter to The Press on NHS Drop the Bill petition

In today's Press

ON Tuesday, Conservative and Lib Dem members of the Parliamentary back bench business committee decided to vote against the Drop the Bill petition against changes to the NHS being discussed in Parliament.

This new e-petition site was launched with much fanfare claiming that petitions with more than 100,000 signatories could launch a debate in Parliament; as of today the petition has more than 163,000 signatories.

It is amazing that the Tory-led government continue ploughing on ahead with this misguided Bill despite the mass opposition from NHS professionals and the public. This latest move just shows the disdain the Government has for public opinion, with minister after minister claiming that we just don’t understand the Bill. In reality many people do understand the changes and this is why we are so vehemently opposed.

We are now moving into the final days of the Bill going through Parliament. Please take the time to make your opposition known before it is too late. You can also pledge to take part in the online rally against the Bill on March 7 at goingtowork.org.uk/

We're all scroungers in ConDem nation

I do not blog much at the moment as it is quite painful typing due to nerve problems in my arms, but I was so outraged this morning when I learnt about the latest Tory attack on benefits that I was moved to comment.

A Tory backed review has called for patients on sick notes to face independent assessment after being off work sick for more than 4 weeks.  Judging by the welcoming noises the government have made they are keen to follow this through.

Already the government have been attacking those on long term disability support, with rhetoric which infers that many of those on benefits are bogus and don't need support.

In my 21 years of work I have been written off as sick for over 4 weeks on a couple of occasions.  Once was for a serious break to the arm which resulted in being in a cast for 6 weeks, the other time involved 2 discs in my neck pressing on nerves causing serious pain in my back and arm which made in near impossible to sit down at a desk or use a computer, which is 95% of my job.  These are just two examples of justified absence from work, there are hundreds of other genuine examples such as cancer, serious injury, major operations to name but a few.  Why should the thousands of people in this position be forced to face an inquisition to see if their illness/injury is a valid case for absence.  Your own GP is in the best position to judge this.

As well as the physical examples of injury mentioned above, many ask their GP for time off work due to depression and stress.  What worries me is that this is exactly the sort of condition these measures are aimed at attacking.  The result will mean that many people will feel intimidated into returning to work before 4 weeks so that they don't have to face this assessment, even when they are not well enough to be returning to a work environment.  This could result in a worsening of their condition, and could even contribute to an increase in severe mental health conditions and suicide.

I hope the Labour Party see this aggressive approach for managing health problems for what it is and oppose any such bill which is put before parliament.

Leonard Nimoy and a bit of silliness for Sunday morning

40 things to do before I reach 40

I reach forty in 2 1/2 years so have decided to draw up a list of activities and achievements to reach before then.  So far I have:

1. Visit Scandanavia
2. Learn a foreign language

Hopefully I will have drawn up a list of 40 by the end of the month.  I will keep a blog of my achievements over at http://40thingstodobeforeireach40.blogspot.com/

Suggestions for my list of 40 welcome, although nothing too dangerous and physical please.

Do you want this racist representing you in Europe?

Original message at https://twitter.com/#!/nickgriffinmep/status/100135489859895296

If Trade union votes are being looked at so should the MP/MEP block

The Guardian reported recently that Ed Miliband is looking at changing the rules to reduce the influence of trade unions at conference and in the leadership election.

I am not going to argue that the place of unions within the party shouldn't be looked at, but they should be revised alongside all other power bases and groupings within the party.

Many argue that if it wasn't for the trade unions Ed Miliband would not have won the leadership election.  This is true under the current leadership rules, but it is also true that because MPs and MEPs hold a third of the vote and their votes boosted David Miliband's vote.  If the perceived unfairnesses are to be addressed it should be to bring in a genuine one member one vote system where every members vote has the same weighting on the basis of being a member of the Labour Party, and that member should only have one vote, not up to 5 based on how many other groupings that person belongs to such as The Fabians, The Co-Operative Party etc.  Only then can we say we have a truly democratic means of electing the leader.

The dangers from Chinese lanterns

Over the past few years the use of Chinese lanterns has increased considerably, but many users are unaware of the risks they cause to the countryside.

Many of these lanterns can end up landing on farm land where they have found to be eaten by farm animals, particularly cattle which can suffer a slow agonising death, as the write can puncture the stomach lining..  Animals and wildlife can also get entangled in the wire.  Although not quite as dangerous bamboo framed lanterns can still cause problems for animals, as they can become entangled in them or get injured from the bamboo.

There is also a risk from fire, as the fire has not necessarily extinguished when the lantern lands.  They can cause serious fires if they land on hay stacks or fields.  A quick search of Google will provide evidence of numerous fires caused by them.

They are also beginning to cause a problem with litter in the countryside, with many landing miles away from the area they were lit, instead landing in the countryside.

Therefore, please think twice.  Chinese lanterns may look beautiful in the sky, but they can cause serious risks to animals and farmland.  If you are going to use them please ensure they are securely tethered to the ground.

Further reading:

NFU information leaflet
NFU article
BBC News article
Guardian news article

If Rupert Murdoch hadn't been born - Classic Fry & Laurie

Is it such a bad thing to drop shadow cabinet elections?

I am a strong supporter of bringing in more accountability and democracy to the Labour Party, but the shadow cabinet elections are a rather problematic arrangement and I can understand why Ed Miliband would want to get rid of them.

The leader is elected by a 3 way split of MPs & MEPs / Trade Unions and Labour party affiliates / Ordinary Members.  Ed just scraped in with more votes when all 3 constituents were taken into account, but David Miliband had a clear lead in the parliamentary labour party.  This means that many in the shadow cabinet are supporters of his brother David.  In total there are - members of the shadow cabinet who supported David:

• Douglas Alexander
• Angela Eagle
• Tessa Jowell
• Caroline Flint
• Ivan Lewis
• Jim Murphy
• Mary Creagh
• Meg Hillier
• Shaun Woodward
• Liam Byrne

If you also take into account those who supported campaigns for the other candidates it only leaves a few cabinet members who actually campaigned for Ed to be leader.

While I am not for one minute suggesting any of these people are being disloyal, it is possible that there are some people who feel that Ed is taking the wrong direction.

It surely makes more sense for a leader to pick his/her own cabinet which more strongly represents the general thinking of the leader.  It also gives the leader the opportunity to put a shadow cabinet together who will continue in those roles once Labour are re-elected, rather than the leader having to carry out a re-shuffle of places once in government.

Withdraw Brian Souter's Knighthood

In the recent Queen's birthday honours list it was announced Stagecoach co-founder Brian Souter is to be awarded a knighthood.

I could not think of a more unsuitable person to receive such an honour.  Souter personally bank-rolled a referendum in Scotland campaigning to keep the homophobic law Section 28, which stopped the "promotion" of homosexuality in schools.

I urge people to sign the following petition:

We the undersigned are deeply offended that Brian Souter has been awarded a Knighthood in the Queen's Birthday Honours 2011.
Mr. Souter ran a campaign of fear and misinformation which was deeply hurtful to the LGBT community in Scotland.
The Keep The Clause Campaign increased hatred towards an already victimised group and saw a corresponding increase in violence against LGBT people.
We believe that it is wrong for such a person to be given such a high honour by Her Majesty The Queen and call on HM Government to withdraw this award.

Click here to sign http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/notosoutersknighthood/

The petition has already attracted over 3800 signatories in two days.