Assisting The Electorate To Wake Up To The UK Government's Discrimination Against The People Of England.

Saturday, December 12, 2009

CEP Press Release: No smoke without fire: secrecy over devolution (The Jack Straw Veto)

Yesterday (10 December), Jack Straw vetoed releasing the minutes of a 1997 Cabinet Ministerial Committee Meeting on Devolution to Scotland and Wales and the English Regions. He stated that releasing the information would be against the public interest, citing the doctrine of collective responsibility, although the disclosure had previously been approved by the Information Commissioner on June 23rd 2009.

According to the Ministry of Justice, this is only the second time since the Freedom of Information Act was introduced in 2005 that a request granted by an Information Tribunal has been vetoed � out of 160,000 requests. The previous occasion on which the veto was imposed was in February 2009 in respect of the disclosure of the minutes of two cabinet meetings leading up to the Iraq war.

What are Jack Straw and the Ministry of Justice so concerned with concealing? What was said in a meeting about devolution that was so dangerous that it can‘t be made public? What deals were done to break up England and preserve the dominance of Scottish politicians? The English public deserves to know.

This meeting, twelve years ago, led to an asymmetric devolution settlement which is to the great disadvantage of England. The Campaign for an English Parliament believes that action must be taken to deliver a fair and democratic constitutional settlement for England. Lift the veto, Jack, and let us in on the decisions you made.

Unison Union - More Interested In Implementing New Labour Supporting People Policy Than Representing Members' Interests...

From Scotland comes this fascinating article about the in-the-Government's-pocket trade union Unison:

"...corrupt union full-timers more interested in implementing New Labour policy than defending the pay and conditions of their members."

This seems particularly relevant to me at the moment as, under the auspices of the odious Supporting People quango, another round of horrendous cutbacks and redundancies is being carried out in the social care sector. Under orders from and "in cahoots" with Supporting People, the giant axe is swinging again.

A dear friend of mine, who has a front-line job in the care sector which brings in a very meagre salary, faces redundancy, or, possibly, a large drop in salary. No fat cat this. In fact, my friend would have difficulty in affording to keep a domestic cat!

Others are similarly affected and, as usual, the vulnerable adults who are the service users have not been consulted.

And Unison simply waves it all through.

Not a word.

Not a murmur.

Think how they would have behaved if such things had happened in the 1980s!

Hypocrites.

Unison is useless. If you are a member, I think you'd be better off spending your monthly membership fee on chocolate teapots.

Friday, December 04, 2009

Climategate - Boring - Exactly How To Disengage Interest...

God I'm sick of "Gates"! After Sharongate in EastEnders I thought people might drop it at last, but here we are again - "Climategate". I spoke to my sixteen-year-old nephew about it tonight.

"What IS Climategate?" he asked.

"Have you seen the headlines?" I asked.

"Yeah - sounds boring," he said.

"Well, do you know about Watergate?" I asked.

"No," he said.

Surely it would engage far more interest if headlines were a little more descriptive, and did not depend so much on what the younger generation regard as ancient history? I mean, for God's sake - I'm in my forties and I was only eight at the time of Watergate!

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Department For Children, Schools And Families: Anti-England Bias Seeps Out - Even Though It Is Supposed To SERVE England

Gareth has received a reply in answer to his freedom of information request regarding the Department of Children, Schools And Families (which covers England only) and its sudden removal of the name of the country it covers from its mission statement.

Remember? From this (emphasis is mine):

"The purpose of the Department for Children, Schools and Families is to make England the best place in the world for children and young people to grow up."

To this (emphasis is mine):

"The purpose of the Department for Children, Schools and Families is to make this the best place in the world for children and young people to grow up."

Extract from Gareth's reply:

Mr Young

Thank you for your email of 11 November asking why the word 'England'
has been replaced with the word 'this' on the Department's website.

You made your request under the Freedom of Information Act 2000. As you
are not seeking access to recorded information I have not dealt with
your request as a Freedom of Information request.

The Department's overall purpose was set out in the Children's Plan,
published in December 2007. In that document the Secretary of State made
clear that 'our aim is to make this the best place in the world for our
children and young people to grow up.' The words set out on the home
page of our website are intended as a close match to the original
expression, and were adjusted as part of routine editing of the website.

This doesn't make sense at all. The extent of the territory covered should be explicit somewhere on the Department's home page. And where better than in the mission statement?

And that territory is England.


A very strange reply indeed.

Looks like awful Ed Balls might be involved... Read Gareth's latest here.

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Department For Children, Schools And Families Erases England - We Are Now Called "This"!

Gareth Young has discovered political and racist goings-on at the Department for Children, Schools And Families.

This "department" covers England only, and its mission statement used to read (emphasis is mine):

"The purpose of the Department for Children, Schools and Families is to make England the best place in the world for children and young people to grow up."

Nice and clear, eh? A nice, clear statement with a commendable goal.

But now the statement reads (emphasis is mine):

"The purpose of the Department for Children, Schools and Families is to make this the best place in the world for children and young people to grow up."

This is worrying on two fronts:

1) It makes the area covered by the department unclear. Where on earth is "this"?

2) It opens up a whole can of worms about the New Labour project - including devolution, the West Lothian Question, anti-England/English racism and the Barnett Formula. The mission statement of the Department for Children, Schools And Families is now unclear. Somebody has been in there, muddying the waters, simply by "cleansing" out the word "England". And that also would seem to be a prime concern of "our" Government in its attempts to delude the people of England.

Gareth has sent a Freedom Of Information request -

http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/why_has_the_word_england_been_re

Read Gareth's report here:

http://toque.co.uk/blog/?p=2548

Saturday, October 31, 2009

Supporting People - "Floating Support" - More Care Cutbacks In England...

"Floating Support" - the notion is based on an American model and is one the odious Supporting People UK Government agency is now enforcing in England. It basically means withdrawing on-site staff support for vulnerable adults in the community - the elderly, the mentally ill, etc.

There has always been a level of "floating support" - think of the home help/community care assistants/district nurses. But now Supporting People has decided that most people in the community require nothing more than floating support - often against the advice of mental health professionals - and so many of those people who are more physically and/or mentally vulnerable will now see their on-site support go. This is not about encouraging independence. It is about cruelly cutting back. It is often about flying in the face of the views of consultants, doctors and other professionals.

THINK ABOUT THE DOSH! that's all Supporting People care about. Well, we won't see any of it. Where the fuck does it go?

Sooner or later these cuts, this withdrawal of essential suppport, is going to bite the public. You simply can't leave vulnerable people to fend for themselves in this way.

And, as usual, the service users themselves are not truly consulted. They are given several options, but never the status quo.

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

CEP Press Release: England To Dance To Scotland's Tune, Says Salmond

England to dance to Scotland's tune, predicts Alex Salmond at his SNP conference in Inverness, and Westminster will dangle from a Scottish rope, Well. we will see, replies the Campaign for an English Parliament.

Giving a battle-rousing Leader's speech at the conclusion of the SNP conference in Inverness last Saturday, October 17th, Alex Salmond gleefully rattled off the prizes he would be looking for from the next UK government in the event of a General Election result in May, which handed the SNP enough MPs to hold the balance of power. He spoke of Westminster dangling from a Scottish rope. He described how he and his party's MPs would influence legislation and financial measures to Scotland's advantage. To Sky News he shamelessly stated that he would use his and his members' voting power exclusively in Scotland interests.

Well, we will see, says Scilla Cullen chairman of the CEP in an email to the Campaign membership. What Mr Salmond fails to realise is that there should be in all human relationships, both individual and collective, a thing called justice. All talk of England dancing to Scotland's tune and dangling from a Scottish rope is not just silly but unwise and unjust. It is silly because England with ten times the population of Scotland is just too big to push around. His is the language and the posturing of the petty bully who really does not know what he is dealing with, who only sees a little part of the playground, and will only learn the facts of life when he has made a complete fool of himself.

But the issue really is much more one of justice. England got nothing out of devolution. Gordon Brown, Salmond's fellow Scot, who navigated the 1998 devolution through the UK Parliament, saw to that. England got nothing except to pay for it all. Each English taxpayer pays an extra £281 per annum towards keeping Scotland solvent. Scotland does not pay its way. Its tax revenue is routinely short of its expenditure by £11billion per annum. Its land-owning and merchant class came cap in hand in 1707 to Westminster to ask England to bail it out when it was bankrupt. Thanks to devolution and both the block grant and Barnett Formula every single Scottish man, woman and child now receives £1600 more per annum than anyone in England on social expenditure. The Scottish Parliament is able thanks to English largesse -because it is England that provides 90% of the UK revenue- to fund Scottish university students who do not play tuition fees, which our students have to, to provide free personal care for the elderly, to put a freeze on water rates and council tax, and to be planning for free prescriptions and an end to hospital parting charges.

Salmond might well be hoping to goad the English to anger by his demands if his party holds the balance of power come the General Election. He might well be hoping we will then be glad to see the back of Scotland. That is as may be. But the deeper issues are justice and fairness. As long as we have a United Kingdom, the population of each member nation should be treated equally. None should get preferential treatment. And any talk like that of Salmond to use his party's voting power exclusively in the interests of Scotland is morally indefensible. Interestingly, that was however precisely what Gordon Brown himself committed himself to when in March 1989 he signed the Scottish Claim of Right -to make the interests of the people of Scotland paramount in everything we say and do.

Monday, October 12, 2009

David Cameron: FUCK England!

This makes me heave:

Family, community, country. In recent years we’ve been hearing things about our country we haven’t heard for a long time. People saying they don’t know what it is to be British, what this country stands for.

People in Scotland who want to leave the United Kingdom and people in England who say let them go.

I am passionate about our Union and I will never do anything to put it at risk. And because of the new political force we have created with the Ulster Unionists, I’m proud that at the next election we will be the only party fielding candidates in every part of the United Kingdom.


Firstly, I always thought that the UK was a union of countries? Secondly, I thoroughly dislike David some of my ancesters were "...were Scottish Empire builders - conquered all sorts of parts of India, I think" Cameron. Hateful, swine of a man - who happily ignores issues like the West Lothian Question.

Carry on dying in England for want of medication available on the higher-funded NHS in Scotland..

The incoming upper class brat at Number 10 doesn't give a shit.

Must be the "Scots blood" in his veins, as he puts it.

I'm going to dislike the probable new anti-English/anti-England PM just as much as I do the present one.

Smug, biased and uncaring git that he is.

Tesco - "Enjoy The Taste Of Scotland" And Ignore England...

Another lovely view of Tesco enjoying the "Taste of Scotland" in Scotland.

Remember, as Tesco says on its own website:

Tesco is committed to ensuring that Scottish consumers have access to Scottish produce. Currently, over 100 Scottish companies supply more than 1,000 product lines to our stores. This amounts to around £800m of goods being sourced from Scottish companies – directly into the Scottish economy.

Consulting with our suppliers, we have worked to raise awareness of Scottish food and drink companies. As well as co-ordinating a number of events for Scottish suppliers and consumers, we have created new signage to be rolled out across our Scottish stores promoting Scottish products.


Another view of Tesco absolutely ignoring England and English produce in England.

Saturday, October 10, 2009

"Celebrating Great British Food" - England Hating Tesco Continues To Suck Up To Scotland And Rams "British" Down English Throats...

In Scotland - Tesco's "Enjoy The Taste Of Scotland"...

In England - Tesco Says You Don't Exist!

Saw the placard above today in our local Tesco.

Yuck.

And what about the white lettering on the blue background?

And, as usual, Scottish saltires (white on a blue background, of course) glared at us from many other displays.

And this is interesting:

Tesco is committed to ensuring that Scottish consumers have access to Scottish produce. Currently, over 100 Scottish companies supply more than 1,000 product lines to our stores. This amounts to around £800m of goods being sourced from Scottish companies – directly into the Scottish economy.

Consulting with our suppliers, we have worked to raise awareness of Scottish food and drink companies. As well as co-ordinating a number of events for Scottish suppliers and consumers, we have created new signage to be rolled out across our Scottish stores promoting Scottish products.

Earlier this year Tesco hosted "Enjoy the Taste of Scotland", a three-day event run in conjunction with the Scottish Executive to promote Scottish suppliers. This pioneering event featured over 60 Scottish food and drink producers and offered attendees the opportunity to sample products from across the country including household names, such as Baxter’s, Tunnock’s and Mackie’s, and small speciality producers, such as Rannoch Smokery, Tilly Confectionery and Castle MacLellan.

As well as promoting Scottish produce to members of the public, Tesco also looks to build good working relationships with current suppliers and aims to provide opportunities for new suppliers to come on board. To this end, for the past two years we have run a Scottish supplier day, a practical day open to all our Scottish suppliers to help them gain a better understanding of retail operations and to assist them with technical issues.

We have also launched new Scottish lines, including a range of items which are produced and supplied locally to one or two of our stores, by businesses such as J & I Smith Bakers based in Huntly. This can lead to locally-supplied products then being rolled out across the UK, and brands such as Border Biscuits are testament to this. The success of this programme means we are now exporting some of these products to our stores abroad – further growth for Scottish companies.

At Tesco we take our commitment to Scottish producers and the communities they operate in very seriously, actively engaging with local and national stakeholders to this end. In February this year Tesco representatives gave evidence at the Scottish Parliament's Environment and Rural Affairs Committee's Food Chain Supply Inquiry and Tesco is a current member of the Agricultural Strategy Group, run by Ross Finnie MSP, Scottish Minister for Environment and Rural Development.


So, if it's good enough for Scotland, why not for England?

And, of course, Tesco is not alone. Check out Asda, the Co-op, and Sainsburys. All screeching "SCOTTISH!" all ignoring "ENGLISH".

We are second class customers.

The supermarkets wilfully discriminate against England.

And Tesco's is just about the worst of the lot.

Friday, October 02, 2009

CEP Press Release: Conservative Party Conference agenda

England ignored and taken for granted. As always. It is 60% of the Union landmass, 85% of the Union population, it produces 90% of its wealth, its subsidies the three other countries and keeps them solvent. But anyone looking at the agenda for discussion on the Union at the 2009 Conservative Party conference in Manchester this coming week would think the Union consists solely of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. England isn't even mentioned, let alone discussed.

This is the list of speakers for the discussion on The Union at the conference:

Cheryl Gillan - Shadow Secretary of State for Wales

David Mundell - Shadow Secretary of State for Scotland

Owen Paterson - Shadow Secretary of State for Northern Ireland

Nick Bourne - Leader of the Welsh Conservatives in the National Assembly

Sir Reg Empey - Leader of the Ulster Unionist Party

Not one single speaker for England. Its affairs not mentioned, its identity not recognised, its existence totally ignored.

That, states Veronica Newman addressing a meeting of Hampshire CEP members, well sums up the attitude of the UK Establishment towards England. It just refuses to give to England its rightful recognition. We are a distinct nation within the United Kingdom. We have a very ancient identity, we are the first unified nation in Europe, we have a distinct national culture which doesn't only go back centuries and includes some of the great cultural names in world history, and the greatest writer in the person of Shakespeare, but which is also vibrant and exciting to this very day.

It is time to ask why the party which might well be the UK government within nine months treats England with such injustice and bias. Love and respect for England could be a huge force for a revitalised Union. It is time the Conservative Party started to ask itself why it can be so generous towards Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, yet so negative towards England.

Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Scotland The Brave - Jingoistic Scottish Session On BBC Radio 1...

It is my grave misfortune to hear BBC Radio 1 once a week. Not my choice. During my weekly "treats", I've heard Edith Bowman twittering on about Scotland and the "bagpipes" - whilst never once referring to England. I've heard brain-dead DJs twittering on about the thrill of having jelly beans in the studio. I've heard many re-hashes of 1980s songs, and (post) modern songs that sound like they're straight from the 1960s and even, occasionally (God help us) the 1970s.

And today I heard Scotland The Brave played on the bagpipes.

With all its current biased Scots content, the BBC needs to drop the first "B" and replace it with an "S".

It could stand for "Scottish" or it could stand for "Shit".

Either would be appropriate.

CEP: 2000 Labour Party delegates to applaud the negation of the English Democratic Tradition

2000 labour party delegates got to their feet in Brighton in the county of Sussex to applaud the repudiation by Gordon Brown of the very fundamentals of England's democratic tradition.

Yesterday afternoon the delegates to the Labour Party Conference -Cabinet Ministers, MPs, Peers, Party officials and 2000 delegates from across the United Kingdom got up and clapped and shouted their approval as Gordon Brown, MP for Kirkaldy and Cowdenbeath in Fifeshire in Scotland, announced measure after measure of new legislation for England, and only for England, in defiance of the very fundamentals of what the people of England founded their parliament for 800 years ago.

The CEP National Council has circulated its membership with a statement on this matter.

'Gordon Brown announced new legislation to place new teenage mothers in hostels rather than council houses; to provide free personal care for the very elderly in their homes, to limit pub opening hours, to control broken familes unable to control their children, to bring in additional controls on wild disruptive youngsters, to provide 250,000 free childcare places and to delay the introduction of ID cards. Very many people will indeed agree with these measures. That is not an issue that the CEP as such involves itself with. The CEP is concerned with democracy for England. When England gets its own parlament, its parliament will concern itself wholeheartedly with the welfare of the people of England.

'These measures concern matters which affect England only. The fundamental nature of English democracy as founded with the English Parliament in the 13th century and developed by the people of England over the past 800 years is that it is representative democracy. Law makers are accountable to the people who elect them. They are elected to be their representatives in their parliament. But Brown is not elected by any English voters. He is not accountable to any English voter for any of these specific measures. His action, and the conference applause for it, is a repudiation of this most fundamental aspect of the English democratic tradition.

Contact:

Michael Knowles

CEP Media Unit. Tel: 01260 271139

Email: michael-knowles@tiscali.co.uk

Friday, September 18, 2009

Cancer Research UK - Sexist And Uncaring When It Comes To Men...

Chris has just fired off an e-mail to Cancer Research UK:

I am writing to inform you that as male, I will no longer be supporting Cancer Research UK as I believe that it is a sexist, perhaps even misandrist, organisation.

As breast cancer numbers continue to fall, Cancer Research chooses to display highly sexist posters on buses in England. The one I saw today was apparently about "joining the fight for women's survival", and displayed a picture of two women hitting a man with boxing gloves. Was the man supposed to represent cancer?

What has happened to men's health issues? A small minority of men also contract breast cancer. But that highly relevant piece of information is well tucked away on your site. Surely, trumpeting breast cancer as a purely female health issue is failing in your duty of care?

Meanwhile, prostate cancer is on the rise, but there are no similar "men's survival" campaigns within Cancer Research.

WHY?

Your campaign is horrifically skewed and biased, the imagery of the two women hitting the man on the poster displayed on the bus was pathetic and I cannot make any further donations to such a sexist and uncaring organisation.

I will keep my eyes and ears open for any non-sexist cancer research campaigns, and in the meantime will be directing any further donations I may have made to your organisation to the British Heart Foundation.

Cancer Research UK joins such luminaries as that highly renowned misandrist Harriet Harman by winning our Sexist Slime Of The Month Award.

Richly deserved for an organisation which goes all out to cater for the health of the female gender, and wilfully short-changes the male - even promoting anti-male imagery as part of its feminine health awareness campaigns.

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Vince Cable - Lazy-Minded MP, Repeats Old Claptrap About The Poll Tax...

Vince Cable - Liberal Democrat MP

It always galls us to stand up for Margaret Thatcher on this blog. But when lazy-minded politicians like Vince Cable roll out old untruths, word for word, well, we really have to say something!

Momentum built up in the Eighties, especially when Mrs Thatcher made Scots the guinea pigs for the Poll Tax

Poll Tax "Guinea pigs"? Not again?! Thatcher didn't make Scots "guinea pigs" for the Tax. George Younger, Scottish Secretary of State, asked for the Tax a year early in Scotland because he didn't think the Scots should have to wait for the English!

Read more here.

Several of us involved with this blog were actually members of English "STOP THE POLL TAX" campaigns from 1988 onwards - and costly preparations were well underway for the planned introduction of the Tax in England and Wales in 1990.

Now, surely, if the Scots were to be used as "guinea pigs" for the Poll Tax, the preparations in England and Wales would have been put on hold, and surely it would take rather more than one year to prove the Tax's worth or otherwise? Wouldn't there be various wrinkles to be ironed out? Wouldn't introducing the Tax in Scotland in 1989 and holding off on any decision regarding England and Wales until around 1992 have been more logical if the "guinea pig" scenario was true?

Vince Cable's Daily Mail article is a very shoddy piece of writing. Simply recycling old claptrap is a bore.

And England comes nowhere in Mr Cable's deliberations, as usual.

Indeed, at the end of the article, there is a list of relevant people and places:

People:
Alex Salmond,
Gordon Brown,
Vince Cable,
David Cameron,
Fred Goodwin
Places:
Edinburgh,
London,
Glasgow,
Wales,
Canada,
Germany,
Libya,
Scotland,
Northern Ireland,
United Kingdom
Organisations:
Scottish Parliament

But no sign of England.

Of course.

Monday, September 07, 2009

CEP: England? No. Scotland? Yes. BBC bias strikes again

A season of programmes on Scotland's history and culture tells of the delight the BBC takes in the celebration of Scotland. It would never do the same for England.

'The default position for the BBC when it comes to anything to do with England is not to mention it, and certainly it is not to celebrate anything English if the BBC can possibly avoid it. Its default position with Scotland on the other hand is precisely the opposite. The BBC celebrates Scotland and everything Scottish at every opportunity.' That is the CEP's considered comment on the BBC's TV series of programmes 'This is Scotland' which starts this weekend.' in which the BBC will celebrate and examine aspects of Scottish culture, art, film-making, heritage, landscape and psyche.'. (BBC Press Release) .

'A Portrait Of Scotland discusses the artists and paintings that have reflected the changing face of Scotland since the Reformation, The Fighting Scots reviews the history of Scots in the British Army. Scotland On Screen celebrates classic movies and their Scottish locations, there is a programme on Touring Scotland, another on the cult of the Munros, and Michael Portillo chairing a discussion on the possibility of Scottish independence.The season also features documentaries on the legacy of Calvinism in Scotland, on Tweed, the fabric and industry, and on Balmoral, the Royal Family's most private residence and its links to Scottish traditions.

'Can anyone imagine the BBC running anything like that for England?' asks Scilla Cullen chairman in her Autumn message to Campaign membership. 'Just imagine the BBC doing a programme, for example, on Sandringham and the Royal Family's links to the English countryside. It would not as much as enter its head to run a programme on the history of English regiments in the British Army. For the BBC, as an unspoken but governing ideology, there isn't an England. There are Brits and there are the Scots and the Welsh, but there are no English as a distinct people in the same way. Every time he is on the Wimnbledon screen, Andy Murray is a Scot. Tim Henman was always and only a Brit. Edinburgh is the capital of Scotland, Cardiff the capital of Wales. But never once in all my lifetime have I heard the BBC ever talk of London as the capital of England, which it is.

'For the BBC there is the UK, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. That's it. It officially organises itself into what it calls 'the Nations and the Regions', the nations being Scotland, Wales and NI and the regions being its divisions of England into such regions as the North West, the West Midlands etc which have no roots at all in England's history and culture.

'There is BBC Scotland, there is BBC Wales, there is BBC Northern Ireland. But in letter after letter from the BBC Head Office to the CEP, the firm statement is that they will not have a BBC England.

'Instead England is balkanised into a myriad of local stations: BBC Devon, BBC Manchester, BBC Lincolnshire and so on. 'England is too big to have its own BBC station like Scotland and Wales', the Head of the Dept. of 'Nations and Regions' writes to the CEP Media Unit. Yet there is a BBC World Service. Scotland, Wales and NI each has its own Trustee on the BBC Trust Board. England hasn't any. It has an Alison Hastings representing 'the regions'.

'This hostility to the idea of England as a distinct nation goes deep into the psyche of the British Establishment, of which the BBC is a major player culturally and politically,' writes Scilla Cullen. 'It regards the very idea of England as a threat to the narrow Establishment notion of Britishness, dominant but narrow. The BBC is consciously hostile. It is holding back the growth and enjoyment of Englishness, which is as much a direct consequence of the 1998 Devolution legislation as is the Scottish Parliament and the Welsh Assembly. Over the last eleven years the English people have become aware of themselves again as a distinct nation, very aware that they have been deprived of self rule which has been granted to Scotland and Wales, whose MPs can still make legislation for England's internal affairs and have obtained immense benefits for their countries which are denied to England.

'The BBC will have to dragged kicking and screaming into running a season of programmes on England as a distinct nation with its own distinct culture and history. If and when that happens, which in due course it will, it will mean that after 300 years of being denied it has its own identity, the British Establishment has finally accepted the fact that the United Kingdom can change and still exist.

contact:

Mrs Scilla Cullen CEP Chairman Tel: 01438 833155

Email: scilla.cullen@dsl.pipex.com

Sunday, August 23, 2009

Saturday, August 08, 2009

Arthur Aughey - "Celtic"

English Parliament Online is well worth a look. And of great interest is Arthur Aughey's piece on:

Diceyean Theory (or England's Case for Home Rule)

Dicey believed that Home Rule would deliver for England the disadvantages of Celtic separatism without the advantages of Union. The CEP claims that the English are now required to sacrifice their legitimate claims to nationhood in the interests of maintaining a Union which satisfies only the needs of the Scots, Welsh and Northern Irish.

What fascinates me the most about Aughey's piece is his use of the "Celtic" word. Now, we all know that the Scots, Irish and Welsh are not Celts. I'm half-Scots, and my Scots side contains several differing (and typical of Scots) elements.

We know that the "Celtic" thing is quite a recent invention.

So why does Arthur Aughey insist in perpetuating the myth? After all, these nations hardly have much loyalty to each other, do they? Look at Ireland, partitioned by a Welsh UK Prime Minister (England suffered the IRA bombings, of course); look at the Barnett Formula - each "Celtic" nation looking after its own ends...

There seems to be something very unhealthy in perpetuating the Celtic myth.

Surely it's far better to look at what is happening to each nation of the UK, including England, without resorting to a racist ancient white tribe myth which apparently binds together three of the nations, but excludes the largest?

WalesHome.org - The Romans In... England?

I'm starting to tire of this kind of crap from Wales:

Melding’s analysis starts by focusing on the history of the Welsh identity and its political manifestation. Beginning by examining the idea of Welshness under Roman and Norman political control in England, he concludes that the ascension of the Tudors to the English crown did far less for this country than the printing of the Bible in Welsh.

There wasn't an England when the Romans were in Britain.

It's really time that Wales was left to face a few realities.

Like survival alone or as an EU region.

Either way, Wales would be free of England, free of having England to blame for everything, right from the year dot, when England did not even exist (and Wales did not exist in Roman times, either!).

And those Welsh who fancied it could continue to indulge their racist ancient white tribe myth.

And we wouldn't have to put up with it.

Sunday, July 26, 2009

Scots Are Not Celts...

Here's some bigoted twerp called Ben proving himself in a Telegraph comments thread:

How did English youth "learn" "hostile drinking" from "the Scots", Simon? Were there cells of subversive Celts hidden, mole-like, in every English pub, ready to spring into action as agents-provocateurs as eleven o'clock approached?

As usual, an interesting and sensitive article has been ruined by the inane bigotry of the Heffer-lump.

The pub is a glorious manifestation of Englishness; Hefferish bigotry is its disgusting and ludicrous dark side.


Celts? An ancient white tribe, surely? The Scots are all sorts - Anglo-Saxon, Pict, Asian, etc.

The "Celtic" ancient white tribe myth is the "disgusting and ludicrous side" to Scottish bigotry. And whilst we're at it, let's not forget Welsh and "Cornish" bigotry.

By all means defend the Scots, Ben, but the Celts were something else entirely. Largely a romantic invention of recent centuries some would say.

Friday, July 24, 2009

Lord Richard Of Ammanford And The Barnett Formula Lords Report - Is The Campaign For An English Parliament On Holiday?

From Wales Online:

Lord Richard, who led a review into the Assembly’s powers in 2003-04, is not a man to mince his words. Barnett has given Scotland and England more than they need and Wales and Northern Ireland too little.

Lord Richard of Ammanford may not be a man to "mince his words" - but he is a man to tell lies. Any clear headed, unbiased assessment of the Barnett Formula reveals that it is most unfair to England, indeed, its creator, Lord Joel Barnett, states that is so (here).

England gets the least and it shows.

That's why they have free NHS prescriptions for everybody, including the very rich, in Wales.

But where is the Campaign For An English Parliament's response to Lord Ammanford's statement? Have we missed something?

Saturday, July 18, 2009

Deliciously Yorkshire (and Humber) - Out To Destroy Historic Yorkshire - And England, Of Course

As the historic county of Yorkshire heads towards abolition and absorption into a tinpot region of the EU, we take a moment to ponder: whatever would Amos and Mr Wilks have thought?

We all know that the North East voted 78% against regionalisation in a referendum, and that they were the only area of England allowed a say.

Which the UK Government then ignored and went ahead, breaking up England into nine regions, in consultation with the EU, on the old "divide and rule" principle.

And from that has come groups like "Deliciously Yorkshire" - the "regional food group" for "Yorkshire and Humber".

That fine old EU region.

"Use the local sourcing directory to find producers from across the Yorkshire region. The directory will help you to find fresh, local food and places to dine out," burbles "Deliciously Yorkshire".

But non of the daft twits leaping on to this particular band wagon seem to have noticed the "Humber" or "region" bit. Many would profess to be "proud" Yorkshire men and women, but few seem to know much about what Yorkshire actually is - an ancient English county, part of the ancient country of England - and what it is not - a bland region of the UK and EU.

What a bunch of wallies!

But the production team of the soap Emmerdale think that Yorkshire is a region:

Martin Radmall, from the production buying team of Emmerdale, which is filmed at Harewood, said: "The Emmerdale farm shop will have similar messages to the regional food group, such as supporting local producers and products and buying seasonal, local food. We're very pleased to include such high-quality products from the region; the Emmerdale families will be spoilt for choice."

So there you are, Yorkshire is a region. Emmerdale says so.

Remember, don't buy English (the Scots and Welsh support buyers nationally in Scotland and Wales, but we don't as England doesn't formally exist). Don't support Yorkshire either - it's being dissolved into one of nine EU regions in what was formerly England. No, support "Deliciously Yorkshire (and Humber)" - another one of those groups dedicated to the abolition of the ancient country of England, and, in this case, the ancient county of Yorkshire.

Because Yorkshire and Humber is not Yorkshire.

Links:

Deliciously Yorkshire - http://www.deliciouslyorkshire.co.uk/dy/

The Regional Food Group - http://www.rfgyh.co.uk/

Friday, July 17, 2009

Lord Richard Of Ammanford: Let The People Of England Die For Want Of NHS Equality And Give Wales, My Country, More Money

The House Of Lords Barnett Formula Committee has made its report. Headed by a, we feel, bigoted, anti-English/England Welshman, the Committee comes up with some astounding cobblers:

"When the Committee considered a range of indicators of need it became clear that Wales and Northern Ireland have greater needs per head of population than Scotland and England – the current allocations made through the Formula give Scotland more funds, per head of population, than appears to be justified when compared to Wales and Northern Ireland and their needs."

And what does England get?

Health apartheid (more here) and premature deaths? We don't need medication, do we, Lord Richard?

Lower spending across the board? We don't deserve any better, do we, Lord Richard?

And what does Wales get?

Free prescriptions and lots more?

To make the English jealous, as Rhodri Morgan childishly squawked (more here).

Why on earth was, what appears to be, an English-hating Welsh racist appointed head of the Lords Committee on the Barnett Formula?

And as for saying Northern Ireland, which does best of all out of the odious formula, needs more money - good grief!

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Inland Revenue: Bank Of England Out, Royal Bank Of Scotland In...

Incredibly, Gordon Brown, Alistair Darling and the rest of the Scottish Raj at Westminster are at it again:

During 2009 the Bank of England will no longer handle the Inland Revenue transactions. The bank accounts will in future be operated by the Royal Bank of Scotland and by Citibank. If you make electronic payments to the Inland Revenue, you will need to update your records to ensure that the payment goes to the correct bank account. Full details will be being issued in the near future.

Great business for the Royal Bank of Scotland, of course.

We know that Gordon Brown and Alistair Darling pledged to put Scotland first in all they did way back in 1989, but this is getting ridiculous.

Big hat-tip to the Cross of St George blog. Read it all here.

Just how much more are the sheep of England prepared to take?

Andy Mycock - Yet More Drivel About The "Union"...

Dr Andrew Mycock is co-founder of something called the "Academy For Study Of Britishness", based in Huddersfield.

Dr Mycock states in an article entitled "The Challenges of A Disunited Kingdom" over at the naffly-named "Our Kingdom":

For most public, high-profile relationships, when rumours of a rocky patch surface there is plenty of 'advice' around. So it is with that most celebrated political marriage: the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Intense debate has raged about its imminent break-up or whether Britishness can be 're-forged'. The recent publication of the Calman Report has energised such debates in Scotland though with significantly less impact in England which would appear to be more concerned about on-going quandary of whether Andy Murray is British or Scottish.

We ask: How much was the Calman Commission reported in England? And how much are devolution issues reported in England? We ask not for the first time, but these do not appear to be the sort of questions that occur to Andy Mycock.

Interestingly, he makes this comment:

If the English are finally sent packing [from Scotland and Wales].

What on earth does Dr Brit Mycock mean by that? Is he sharing in the demonising of the English? You know, like Jack Straw, the old, old tune about how the English were thoroughly nasty in UK history and "subjugated" those around them?

Mr Mycock also tells us:

Many young Asians see Englishness as exclusory, ethnicised and linked with cultural practice such as binge-drinking and sexual promiscuity. Conversely, young white youths see Britishness ‘tainted’ by multilculturalism, meaning Englishness is a more instinctive identity. For some, British identity is a looser, more flexible identity that can mean anything or even nothing. The push for independence at a time of such significant societal transition and community tensions in England could have significant implications, particularly for young Asians who may feel isolated and excluded.

Um, in recent years we have seen changes in this area as Englishness has emerged from the vaults. But of course the Government must lead. And the UK Government demonises or ignores England and Englishness all the time. New arrivals in England have Britishness rammed down their throats.

Desperate Dr Mycock also says:

If separatist nationalists seek to consistently adhere to the principle of self-determination then surely those BOTs who wish to remain part of the UK have an input in debates about its future? The conspicuous absence of policies on such issues would suggest that separatist nationalists assume that England would undertake all post-imperial responsibilities and their associated costs, though Perryman and other English progressive nationalists fail to acknowledge such complications.

We have heard such things mentioned. But there has been no suggestion that England should shoulder the burden of decision and expense alone.

Dr Mycock obviously doesn't suffer as a working class person would from the worst effects of the West Lothian Question, health apartheid, etc.

He makes us fume!

We do realise that the article covers a lot more ground, but we wanted to pluck out a few England-relevant points.

And it's quite clear to see where Dr Andrew Mycock is coming from.

He ends:

Current government approaches in reforming the UK state are piecemeal and often ill-defined, thus stimulating more uncertainty. But those who seek its hasty demise must provide a more coherent and comprehensive view of the post-Union settlement, or they might simply replicate or even intensify divisions within British society.

This makes us so angry!

Let the people be heard!

Just as they were in Scotland and Wales.

And the fact that he ends on the phrase "British society" whilst actually discussing something that would have brought about its end? Read again:

Current government approaches in reforming the UK state are piecemeal and often ill-defined, thus stimulating more uncertainty. But those who seek its hasty demise must provide a more coherent and comprehensive view of the post-Union settlement, or they might simply replicate or even intensify divisions within British society. (our emphasis throughout)

So, if Britain was no more there would still be British society, would there?

My God! We're glad we're not clever!

Monday, July 13, 2009

CEP Press Release: Racist? Illegal? Not when it concerns Scotland

RACIST? ILLEGAL? NOT WHEN IT CONCERNS SCOTLAND.

A VOICE FOR SCOTLAND? OF COURSE -A SECRETARY OF STATE AND A WHOLE PARLIAMENT.

A VOICE FOR ENGLAND? NONE AT ALL.

JOBS FOR SCOTLAND? PERFECTLY LEGAL.

JOBS FOR ENGLAND? ILLEGAL AND RACIST.

‘The past week has highlighted how differently Scotland and England are treated’, said Michael Knowles member of the National Council of the Campaign for an English Parliament. ‘A leaked memo from shipbuilders BVT revealed the possibility of large-scale redundancies on the Clyde, affecting both its Glasgow shipyards, Scotstoun and Govan (but, interestingly, not Rosyth in Fifeshire which borders on the constituency of Gordon Brown). Immediately both the UK Scottish Department and the Scottish Parliament swung into action. ‘The UK government is determined to stand by the Clyde,’ announced Jim Murphy Scotland’s Secretary of State. ‘The order book is full. Jobs are guaranteed for at least the next 7 years. We have a commitment to the Clyde, we’re here for the long-term.’ And SNP MSP for Govan, Nicola Sturgeon, deputy First Minister in the Scottish parliament waded in behind. ‘We must have a guarantee from Gordon Brown that the Ministry of Defence will not force the closure of any Scottish shipyard.’

‘Contrast all that with how England is dealt with. The shipyards of Devonport, Portsmouth, Appledore, the Medway, Camel Lairds in Birkenhead, the Tyne and Barrow in Furness, they have all either been reduced or closed, even on occasion work taken from them and transferred to the Clyde, and not one single UK minister even speaks out. There is no voice for England, there is no minister for England, there is no parliament for England. England simply has no recognition. None whatsoever. It’s lost somewhere in the bowels of the UK state.

‘When English workers demonstrated recently for British jobs for British workers at the Lindsey refinery in Lincolnshire, they were told that their demand was illegal. Even racist. But Scottish law demands that in Scotland preference is given to any workers living within 40 miles of a site. The Scottish Parliament exists for no other purpose except to get what is best for Scotland. The legislation for the Welsh Assembly even states that the whole point of the Assembly is to ‘focus on the concerns of the Welsh nation’

‘The CEP welcomes anything that can give the people of Scotland and Wales the best of everything. All it asks is that the same is done for the people of England. A voice for England. A First Minister for England. A Parliament for England. In other words, Equality within the Union for England. How refreshing it would be to hear a First Minister for England announcing in the face of the threat of job cuts: ‘The UK government is determined to stand by the Tyne or Appledore or Devonport or Barrow…We must have a guarantee from Gordon Brown that the Ministry of Defence will not force the closure of any English shipyard.’. The deep truth is that no UK minister is happy to employ the word ‘English’. That is the one taboo in UK politics that has still to be broken.

Wednesday, July 08, 2009

Isn't "Land Of My Fathers" A Fine Example Of Welsh Racism? Plus BBC Bias And Edith Bowman And T In The Park - ENOUGH!

From the Daily Mail on-line:

Opera singer Katherine Jenkins opened the Ashes today with a rendition of Land of My Fathers.

Cricket chiefs chose the Welsh hymn as they feared that the mainly local Cardiff crowd would not get behind the home team.

The soprano performed to the sold out Sophia Gardens in a striking red dress. Her performance was followed by both the English and Australian National Anthems as well as the hymn Jerusalem.


Um, God Save The Queen is the BRITISH, not the English National anthem - just as relevant to Wales as to England - and isn't Land Of My Fathers a rather bigoted, exclusive hymn to be sung as a national hymn for Wales? After all, we know that the vast majority of migrants settle in England, but what about those who settle in Wales, for whom Wales is NOT the land of their fathers?

Today, I had the grave misfortune to listen to BBC Radio 1, which was asking Welsh cricket spectators what they thought. One of them put forth the opinion that "Wales is better than England".

Would the BBC have broadcast an English person saying that England is better than Wales?

But I feel all this is positive. The break-up of the dis-united Kingdom is coming, this has brought more attention to the facts, and just where a lot of the jingoistic, exclusive nationalistic stuff is actually coming from. Wales, in this case, preening exclusively, with both hands buried deep in England's pockets.

Hopefully the day is not too far away when Wales will truly discover what it is like to be a proud, historic nation - when it finally stands on its own two feet.

And the same for Scotland. I suffered Edith Bowman extolling the virtues of "Scotland's biggest music festival, T In The Park" about five times in a her BBC show, which runs for about three hours. With Ms Bowman it's usually "The UK's biggest this" or "The UK's biggest that".

And to think that the vast majority of people being forced to pay for her organisation live in England. Scotland is another jingoistic little nation, with its hands buried deep in England's pockets.

But on Radio 1, it's like England doesn't exist, or the station broadcasts gross anti-English bias and brainwashing such as that heard on The Surgery - when its Welsh presenter Aled came up with the bright idea that the English were not loyal to England, but to the (imposed EU/NuLabour) regions. The whole Surgery theme was that old familiar song "Aren't the English racists one-and-all?". That show was produced by Anna Bowman. Another BBC Radio 1 Bowman! Read all about The Surgery incident here.

But despite of, or probably because of all this, England is coming back.

Good luck to Scotland and Wales in the future.

And welcome back, England!

Tuesday, July 07, 2009

CEP: Gordon Brown puts Scotland first, not Britain

"On the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the Scottish Parliament last Wednesday July 1st Gordon Brown published an article in the Scottish Daily Record," stated Philippa Cullen of Lower Froyle in Hampshire in her end-of-month message to CEP members in the county.

"It reeked with Scottish nationalism. Coming from a British Prime Minister who should put Britain first and speak equally of each nation of Britain it was outrageous. Yet it was totally consistent with his written pledge of March 31st 1989 when as 'one of the leaders of Labour's campaign for devolution' he signed the Scottish Claim of Right vowing 'to make the interests of the Scottish people paramount in everything he said and did'. His government, he says, 'has never stopped focusing on delivering for the Scottish people'.

"In the article he celebrates 'Scotland’s rich and vibrant political history'. He talks of 'the bravery and brilliance of Scots in uniform', no mention of the English who make up the vast bulk of the British Army, Navy and Air Force. He describes how he 'had campaigned for a fairer future for Scotland' and how he had made policy that 'pays off for the Scots. Our decision to build two state-of-the-art aircraft carriers at shipyards including Govan, Scotstoun and Rosyth has secured thousands of jobs in Scotland and protected Scots' hard-earned savings'. He omits to mention that the preservation of shipbuilding jobs in Scotland had been at the deliberate expense of England's shipyards, particularly Devonport and Tyneside.

"He exhibits breathtaking effrontery by saying that 'the Scottish people rightly felt frustrated in recent decades as unpopular decisions were made on health, education and policing', while knowing full well that his fellow Scottish Labour MPs in the UK Parliament have taken away English MPs' choice on foundation hospitals and university tuition fees by voting against them and imposing these against English wishes.

"Unashamedly he boasts that the Scots can enjoy 'influencing decisions in Westminster' while making no mention of the West Lothian Question. He trumpets on about 'Scottish solutions to Scottish issues on things such as free personal care for the elderly, tuition fees, free travel for the elderly and prescription charges', as if England doesn't have exactly the same issues; and as if he is unaware, which he most definitely is not, that in terms of tax revenue it is the English taxpayer who pays for the extra benefits the Scots now enjoy. In terms of tax revenue Scotland is unable to pay its own way. 'The Union Government invests billions of pounds in Scotland beyond the Scottish Parliament’s £35 billion annual budget' he writes. What he does not write is that 90% of the Union Government's revenue comes the English taxpayer.

Because of devolution, Brown writes, 'Scots could finally start taking more control of our daily lives'. Note his use of the word 'our'. He smugly says "For the first time in 300 years, Scotland once again had its own parliament’. There is no fiercer opponent of England having its own parliament and the English having 'control of their daily lives'. than him; and he is using all the instruments of the British state to try to make sure it never happens. He boasts of 'hosting a working dinner in my home in Fife for leaders from all the Holyrood parties'. Would he ever as much as think of getting representatives of the people of England together 'to focus on delivering for the English people'?

As Brown so rightly says in the article, more truthfully than he realizes: 'In short, devolution gives Scotland the best of both worlds'

Wednesday, July 01, 2009

Co-Operative Supermarkets - Good With Food, Flying The Scottish Flag And Hating England...

Ooh, the Co-op! Another anti-English bunch of supermarket bigots!

Waking Hereward reports on their latest TV ad - in which the Saltire and the word "Scottish" is used to describe some burgers, but no word at all and the Union Flag is used for English sausages.

For the "great British barbecue", of course!

Humph!

Read all about it and see the ad by popping over to Waking Hereward.

Tuesday, June 30, 2009

CEP: GORDON BROWN’S ‘PROGRAMME FOR ‘BRITAIN’ DEFIES AND DENIES THE MOST FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLE OF THE ENGLISH NOTION OF DEMOCRACY.

English democracy is representative democracy. The people who make the laws that govern a country must represent the people they govern and be answerable to them. On that basic principle England’s Parliament was founded almost 800 years ago in 1253. That same principle lies at the heart of English Common Law and the jury system. When Scotland united with England with the Act of Union in 1707, it accepted the English way of democratic government.

‘But the ‘Programme for ‘Britain’ announced yesterday by Gordon Brown in England’s ancient House of Commons is nothing less than outright repudiation of England’s way of democracy’. That is the declaration of the Campaign for an English Parliament. The main proposals of the Programme cover housing, health and education. Not one of them will apply to Scotland because Scotland through its parliament is self-ruling in all matters of housing, health and education. In these three important areas of government Brown is proposing legislation for England only.

Yet Brown is MP for the Scottish constituency of Kirkaldy and Cowdenbeath in Fifeshire. He does not represent one inch of England’s territory and not one single English voter. And he is not answerable in any election to any English man or woman. He is the principal legislator for England, yet he does not represent England in any of these very important matters and he is not accountable to any English person.

What is more, when at next year’s General Election he stands for re-election in Kirkaldy and Cowdenbeath, because he is not a member of the Scottish Parliament, he is not answerable even to his own electorate for any matter concerning housing, health and education. Our system of government has become twisted and deformed.

In terms of what is most basic to the very meaning of English democracy, to have an MP representing a Scottish constituency making legislation for England in matters on which he was not elected by and is not accountable to any electorate is not just wrong, it is politically and constitutionally perverse.

In the statement of the ‘Constitution Unit’ to the House of Commons Justice Committee in November 2007, what is ‘closest to a complete answer’ to this situation created by the nature of the 1998 devolution legislation ‘is an English Parliament?’

Contact:
Michael Knowles CEP Media Unit
Tel: 01260 271139

Email: michael-knowles@tiscali.co.uk

Daniel Hannan: "Break Up England - Problem Solved!"

Daniel Hannan, star of YouTube, and undemocratic, cheesy-arsed, gravy train-riding MEP for South East England, advances his own plan to save the UK, and break-up England. As usual, it's not devolution for England, decided by the electorate in England, it's devolution in England, the break-up of the nation, orchestrated by the UK Government and the EU that is the desired course of action.

As for the issue of devolution, this Hannan has a definite end-game. There is no power bestowed on the Holyrood Parliament under the 1998 Scotland Act that could not, in England, be exercised by counties and cities. The decentralisation of power in England is, of course, a meritorious goal in itself. But a happy consequence of English localism would be the rectification of the lopsided 1998 settlement: all Westminster MPs would find themselves on the same footing, dealing with defence, foreign affairs and immigration. Domestic questions - health, education, policing, social security- would be decided more closely to the people. All clear?

So, each county or "region" of England is awarded the same powers as the Scottish parliament? Completely unworkable. And undemocratic.

The people of England need a referendum on how they are governed - the same thing the Scots and Welsh were given.

Despite being last year's YouTube hit, Hannan is a wally.

In fact, the anti-English arrogance of the likes of guzzling Hannan make me sick.

Fuck off, man - let the people decide!

Cambridge City Council - Twisted Hitlers: Misinforming Abused Women and Pouncing On Cigarette Butt Droppers...

Last year we featured this e-mail from a Cambridge City resident:

"I have been married for many years, and it has been a complex and often unhappy marriage, mingled with great times and much love and support. There were elements of physical and verbal abuse on occasion, and by that I do not mean broken bones or terrible bruising, but as my husband suffered from an obsessive mental disorder, the situation is too complex to explain in a few sentences.

"Recently, I found myself absolutely at breaking point and sought help, wanting to find accommodation and support at a hostel for abused women so that I could sort my life out, and review the future of my marriage. I was terribly stressed and unhappy. My husband was oblivious.

"I was told that Cambridge City Council would help me to find a place in a hostel and went to them, to be told that I should go to the police - this would help my case greatly. I did not want to do this. My husband is not an evil man, and the situation between us was, as I wrote before, complex. But the City Council was insistent.

"I went to Parkside Police Station in Cambridge and saw a police officer there who basically cuckolded me into believing that the police would simply have to speak to my husband. This shocked me. I did not want to give my husband's name, but I was worn down so did so and gave the officer his name, description and the telephone number. I did not want to give any of this information. I simply wanted to get away. I begged the police officer not to take further action. He said "If you hadn't wanted us to do something, you wouldn't have come here.' I only went there because Cambridge City Council informed me that I should do so if I wanted to get a place in a hostel. This, as it turned out, was false information.

"My husband was arrested. I had no idea this would happen. When I arrived at the hostel, I was told by staff and management that they would have accepted a referral without any police involvement at all!

"The involvement of the police against my wishes, and the bizarre stance of Cambridge City Council in falsely informing me that police involvement would aid my getting a place at a hostel has contributed to the stress and disruption as my life has basically fallen to pieces.

"My husband has been criminalised, and is now on the DNA Database you mention, the complexity and stress of the situation has grown tenfold, and I cannot help but wonder what was the motivation of Cambridge City Council and Parkside Police Station in misleading me. Many women would be put off seeking aid if they knew they would be forced to go to the police before being granted any.

"Is this just Cambridge? Staff and management of the hostel I went to, which was many miles away, were greatly surprised at the stance taken by Cambridge City Council. I repeat, they said they would have accepted a referral without any police involvement."


We felt concerned at the Council's approach, and the fact that its officers actually lied to the woman. Damned off-putting to leave your husband if he happens to be mentally ill and then be told you must dob him into the police before you'll get much chance of help. Then to discover that you've had your husband arrested because you've been lied to by Cambridge City Council - and that you had a right to sanctuary anyway.

But Cambridge City Council knows best. Now the Council has turned its eyes on fag-butt-droppers:

A SMOKER who dropped his cigarette butt in Cambridge is facing a bill for more than £400.

Environment bosses say tobacco-related littering has soared since the smoking ban was introduced in July 2007, and pursued the case against Tom Todd through the magistrates’ court.

The court heard Todd had been challenged by enforcement officer Yvonne Mackender for discarding the butt on Trinity Street in November last year.

Todd, of Colville Road, Cherry Hinton, gave her a false name but Cambridge City Council managed to identify him.

He did not attend the final court hearing but pleaded guilty to several offences by post.

Magistrates imposed fines of £100 for littering and £150 for giving the officer a false name, plus £150 costs and a £15 victim surcharge.

When the News tracked down Todd he said the fine was a "rip-off".

He said: "I just chucked my butt and they nicked me."

But the council said it was "delighted" with the result.

Ms Mackender said that although smokers often do not realise cigarettes are classed as litter, they actually take up to 12 years to degrade.

She added: "Cigarette-related litter has increased since the implementation of the smoking ban back in July 2007, with smokers discarding their cigarette ends outside shops, pubs, clubs and restaurants."

The council says butts are difficult for street cleaners to pick up, and they can be dangerous for birds and other wildlife, which pick them up thinking they are food.

Cllr Mike Pitt, the city council’s environment chief, said taking people who drop litter to court was a last resort.

He said: "We issue fixed penalty notices only when we have to. If an individual chooses not to pay the fixed penalty notice, then we will prosecute.

"Like the rest of the team, I am delighted with this result."

And who is Mike Pitt? Some golf playing, car-driving wally who thinks that the 1970s are the new 1960s and that he's such a nice chap because his outlook fits in with the latest trends in fascist PC speak?

And my goodness - fag ends are dangerous for wildlife are they? And nothing else is? Also, fag butts are particularly difficult for street cleaners to pick up?

PURLEASE!!

Cambridge City Council is a posturing, PC little Hitler of the highest order.

Work FOR the people, you tossers, not AGAINST them!

Didn't Hitler have a downer on smokers, too? More here.

And before anybody asks - yes, I do smoke - about twenty a year! And I've worked in a cancer hospice and seen what effects smoking can have, and my mother has emphysema.

But I still believe that smoking is healthier than fascism. And so is deciding for yourself, having been versed with accurate information, whether you subject your mentally ill partner to the trauma of arrest and a lifetime on the DNA Database.

Cambridge City Council is absolutely awful - smug, lying and controlling to the max.

Is this council typical of local councils across the whole of England?

Friday, June 26, 2009

Scotland - UK Supermarkets Agree To Bolster Anti-English Scots' Bigots

And he released figures showing a 21 per cent increase in demand for Scottish food products over the past two years, despite the economic downturn.

Mr Lochhead unveiled the new retailers' charter – signed by Aldi, Asda, the Co-op, Marks & Spencer, Morrison's, Sainsbury's, Tesco and Waitrose – as he published the Scottish Government's next steps in the first-ever national food and drink strategy.


Well, that's all fine and dandy. Great for English-hating Scots' bigots who can't bear to buy English, as well as people who simply see Scotland as a country alone, with no loyalty due elsewhere. Which it is not.

And I noticed recently that Sainsbury's and Tesco have changed the packaging on their sausages in England so that you can now buy such delights as "BRITISH Pork Licolnshire sausages".

And I've also heard that Tesco is intent on cleansing Englishness out of existence by renaming the (very) few English lines they have as "British" (more here).

There are indications that the major supermarkets have refused to brand English products as English to appease anti-English Scots' bigots. Read the CEP's findings here.

When it comes to our anti-English, Scots-biased supermarkets, we personally vote with our wallets and purses.

How about you?

A big kiss to the Witanagemot Club.

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Peter Osborne - Mail Online - Woefully Ignorant About The British Parliament...

From Mail Online, Peter Osborne socks it to us:

Labour's sinister revolution will tear Britain's 700-year-old constitution to shreds in weeks

Yesterday was perhaps the darkest day in the 700-year-old history of the British Parliament. This magnificent institution on the banks of the River Thames, the scene of so many of the greatest episodes in our national life, suffered two hammer blows.

You may as well not pursue the rest. Peter Osborne, in his first sentence, has already displayed his appalling ignorance of British history.

Yesterday was perhaps the darkest day in the 700-year-old history of the British Parliament.

There was NO British Parliament 700 years ago. And "Britain" did not exist as a political entity.

My goodness, how much do these wallies get paid? And who passes work like this for publication? Thank heavens for the blogosphere!

Thursday, June 18, 2009

Lord Richard of Ammanford - Basically Says Fuck England!

Wales On-line picks up on odious New Labour toady Liam Byrne praising up the Barnett Formula (despite its creator, Lord Joel Barnett, saying its unfair to England). Wales On-line makes quite a fair fist of it, pointing out:

In 2007-08 the Government spent £7,535 per head in England, £8,577 in Wales and £9,179 in Scotland.

Liam Byrne declares the Formula "fair enough" - keep pocketing the dosh whilst you can, Liam, the gravy train's heading for the cliff - and then some English-hating racist, apparently CHAIRMAN of the Inquiry, blasts in:

Mr Byrne was challenged over his “fair enough” assessment by the inquiry chairman, Lord Richard of Ammanford, who said: “It doesn’t actually mean anything. Look at the difference between Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland – is that fair?”

So, this Lord Richard of Ammanford is CHAIRMAN of the Inquiry, but quite plainly doesn't give a shit about England? And why doesn't he mention England? Because it's not "pure" or so-called "Celtic" enough? And yet, despite not rating a mention from his Lordship, England is getting the worst deal of all!

Lord Richard of Ammanford is highly biased and certainly not committed to what's good for ALL - get him OFF!

Sunday, June 07, 2009

David Cameron - Just As Much An Anti-English Wanker As Gordon Brown...

Voting Conservative is, for many people, voting for the lesser of two evils.

And one of the things which adds to the sense of evil emanating from David Cameron's Tory Party is the not-so-great man's anti-English spoutings ("sour little Englanders!"), and Scots jingoism (like describing certain of his ancestors as "Scottish Empire builders" - who "conquered all sorts of parts of India").

And, of course, David Cameron has recently once more been up to his beloved Scotland, promising to "rule" that country with respect.

Not so, England, of course. Bugger the Barnett Formula, the West Lothian Question and health apartheid - better dead English people than a broken Union!

Whilst the Tories did very well in the local elections in England, they could have done much better. And in addressing the legitimate concerns of the electorate in England could have helped to halt the successes of the odious BNP.

On Conservatives.com, whilst relaying news about the English local elections, the site couldn't even bear to write the country's name. Read about the "local elections [UK rump, obviously] - 2009 live results" here.

David Cameron is just as much an anti-English wanker as Gordon Brown. He just talks posher.

Friday, June 05, 2009

Glenys Kinnock - Another Anti-English Appointment By Gordon Brown...

Amazing that Glenys Kinnock is to be the UK Minister for Europe.

Why? How?

We can only assume it's another of Gordon Brown's anti-English appointments. After all, Gordon signed the Scottish Claim of Right in 1989, vowing to put Scotland first in all he does, but he obviously wants to look after his other fellow so-called Celts as well ("Celt" - the ancient WHITE tribe myth, forming an, in reality, entirely imaginary fraternity between the people of Scotland, Wales, Cornwall and Ireland).

And we must remember what Glenys' hubby, dear old Neil Kinnock, once said about England in the sporting arena:

"I am pro-Britain in everything I do. I always support Britain. I support the British Lions on every occasion. I support any and every Welsh team on every occasion. And I support any and every team on every occasion when they are playing against England."

Glenys is probably of much the same ilk. She'll suit so-called "Celtic" Gordy down to the ground. Don't expect her to do a thing to advance England's interests. Quite the reverse.

Thursday, May 28, 2009

CEP: The UK establishment denies constitutional justice to England

The UK establishment avoids addressing the most outrageous constitutional injustice of all. It is the way England is being treated.

'The whole UK Establishment of politicians and media are rampaging about, like ferrets in a warrren of their own making, frothing, slavering and sweating over constitutional reform. But very deliberately they are all, every single one of them, ignoring even to mention, let alone address, the biggest political and constitutional injustice of all in the UK system of government. It is the way they are treating the nation of England.' That is the message of the National Council of the Campaign for an English Parliament which met in Holborn in London on Wednesday May 27th to discuss the political crisis now facing Britain and its implications for England.

'And not just the politicians and the media. The academic Establishment as well. The very day we met Professor Vernon Bogdanor fellow of Brazenose College, professor of politics at Oxford, former tutor of David Cameron, advisor to the House of Commons Justice Committee on constitutional matters, was writing in the Guardian newspaper that there had been 're-distribution of power to politicians in Edinburgh, Cardiff, Belfast and London'. We can only suppose that journalists and members of parliament can be excused the glaring mistakes they make when it comes to understanding the UK political system when the Oxbridge dons they consult can get it so hopelessly wrong. Likewise in the course of last week the Justice Committee itself and the Institute for Public Policy Research has produced publcations on devolution which deliberately shy away from addressing the fundamental shortcomings of the 1998 legislation.

'In the 1998 devolution legislation Scotland and Wales were given political, constitutional and legal recognition as distinct nations within the UK. Not England. They got independent self-rule through having their own parliament and assembly, Scotland got as much as 75% independent self rule. England got nothing. England politically and constitutionally does not even exist. Scottish and Welsh MPs can legislate in what is historically England's own House of Commons on every single aspect of English life. No English MP can as much as discuss Scotish matters, let alone legislate on them. Scottish MPs like Gordon Brown and Alistair Darling can make laws about education, health and social services, culture, sport, media, the list is endless, in respect of England. But the utter constitutional stupidity is that they have no say at all as MPs in those very same affairs in their own Scottish constituencies. Only Members of the Scottish Parliament have. Thanks to devolution Scottish students pay no university fees, Scottish pensioners no personal care charges, do not need to sell their houses, all Scottish council tax is frozen, the Welsh pay no prescription charges, the Scots and the Welsh pay no hospital parking charges. But the English people have to pay in every one of these instances. And worse than that, much worse, through their taxes, to the amount of £281 extra per person per annum, the English people pay for the benefits which the Scots and the Welsh receive and which they themselves are denied.

'The Guardian newspaper, just to take one example, devotes pages after page to pundits like Vernon Bogdanor pontificating on constitutional reform of government. The three Party leaders, Brown, Cameron and Clegg, are competing with each other to come up with the most sellable and vote-winning, programme. Not one of the whole lot of them throughout the UK Establishment, thinks of England. But we are thinking of England. The People of England are 80% of the UK population. Our people deserve justice. They deserve national recognition. They deserve the same degree of self-rule as the Scots have got. They deserve the same benefits the rest of the UK has been given, and given so lavishly. We will not rest from the 'mental fight' the English poet and mystic Blake demands of us, to achieve Jerusalem, the goal of justice and equality, for England.'

Contacts

Michael Knowles

CEP Media Unit. Tel: 01260 271139 Email: michael-knowles@tiscali.co.uk

Sunday, May 24, 2009

The Justice Committee On Devolution - Politicians Still Do Not Want England To Have A Say In How It Is Governed...

In its report, Devolution: A Decade On, The Justice Committee had decided that devolution for England is unfinished business, and that England is locked in a "pre-devolution timewarp".

"But England, which has 84 per cent of the population, is the unfinished business of devolution-stuck in a pre-devolution time warp, while the rest of the UK has moved on. The funding formula is also a relic from earlier times, taking no account of the current need of the various nations and regions of the United Kingdom."

The committee found there were a number of solutions presented as possible alternatives to the current system but none appeared to provide a definitive solution to the problem.

Some called for the creation of additional devolved parliaments such as an English one or several based on the English regions while others have sought to redress the problem of the West Lothian question with English-only votes in parliament or a reduction in the number of Scottish and Welsh MPs.

"Each suggested answer has its own problems and limitations, and while some attempt to address issues around centralisation, others attempt to address the West Lothian question," said Sir Alan.

"Those which deal to any major extent with the West Lothian question, like an English parliament and English votes for English laws, raise significant problems in a state where one of its constituent territories has 84 per cent of the population".

It's a bit too late to worry about that. Having started the process of devolution by respecting the existence of Wales and Scotland as nations, and giving their peoples a vote, the UK Government has no other option but to similarly respect England and extend the same right to the people of England.

It awes me that these politicians are still chuntering away, trying to decide our future, whilst in no way recognising our right to be treated in exactly the same way as the UK Government treated the Scots, Welsh and later the Northern Irish.

The arrogance of it!

Meanwhile, the findings of the committee don't appear to be widely reported at all in England.

The media is burying the devolution issue again, it seems...