Koran Burning Provocateur
There is a species of person that loves to provoke hatred.
They will do anything to get people angry.
The worst way to respond to such people is to let them get you angry, because you are giving them exactly what they want.
Such an individual is the Florida pastor Terry Jones. He aims to whip up anger and hatred across the globe by burning the Koran.
After years of chaos and slaughter and mayhem in Iraq and Afghanistan following Bush and Blair's invasions, and hundreds of years of western interference in the destinies of peoples across the Middle East deep tensions have been stored up between Moslems and the West.
Even the threat of such an act could be the spark for huge anger.
My next door neighbour is a Moslem. Across the road live Hindus. We have Polish Catholics further down. We live together in peace. We do not need religious bigots like Jones using nazi-style book burnings to stir up hatred.
Another source of division in Preston is the youth gangs that are springing up. Kids from one estate are set against another. They insult each other on Facebook, then those insults turn into tragedies on the streets as gangs single out people for reprisals.
Preston people, whether they are Christian, Moslem, Hindu or secular, whether we're from Avenham, Broadgate, Kingsfold or Ribbleton are overwhelmingly sensible, tolerant people. What we really need to do in response to people who try to stir up divisions and bigotry between us, is find ways to build links and friendships, bonds that are strong, so that when liars spread rumours, or bigots carry out provocations, when stupid kids post insults, against no matter what community, we stand together against them.
The old socialists called this 'solidarity', and we need to rediscover it fast.
The first thing we must all learn is not to rise to the bait.
Published Date:
09/09/2010
Modified Date:
09/09/2010
Work Till You Drop
The government moves to raise the state retirement age are bringing back the days of 'work till you drop'. In 8 years time it will rise to 66, by the time our kids get old it will be way up in the 70's.
It's clearly wrong that employers can force people to retire at 65. If people are capable of working and wish to continue, then it's right that they should be encouraged to do so.
But it's also clearly wrong that people's right to a state pension at 65 is being whittled away - this is a cost cutting measure that will disrupt people being able to plan for their retirement in a way that makes sense to them and their families.
There are jobs where working past a certain age is unrealistic - can nurses be expected to be turning people in their beds at the age of 60?
And what about all the people who live in those poorer, more deprived areas of our country where life expectancy is actually lower than in many third world countries? In these areas the raising of the state retirement age literally does mean 'work until you drop'.
Life expectancy is a big issue in Preston, When life expectancy in Preston is benchmarked against the other local authorities in the country, Preston is ranked 338/354 for males and 330/354 for females, a rank of 1 having the highest life expectancy.
A civilised society would enable a more flexible approach so that people can have a planned happy retirement. The fact that this is no longer possible for millions of people in what's meant to be an advanced capitalist country is an indictment of our political and economic system.
Published Date:
25/06/2010
Modified Date:
26/06/2010
Liam Pennington's Resignation Means Riversway By-E
The resignation of Liam Pennington, the Liberal Democrat councillor for Riversway ward means there will soon be a by-election there.
Liam has said he's resigning for personal reasons, and because he doesn't wish to be an 'accidental councillor' after Labour had a catastrophic mess up with their logo, that enabled him to slip in, just 4 votes ahead. There may be a couple of political reasons too. Liam was a strong supporter of keeping the existing bus station, even though the LibDems (along with both Labour and Tories) back the Tithebarn scheme that would mean the destruction of that iconic structure.
Liam also did not seem to fit in with the suits, ties, grey hair and coat-tailing of the Tories of the other Lib/Dem councillors.
I know a few people who voted LibDem in Broadgate. They are already absolutely livid with that party for going into an unholy coalition with the tories, and supporting them in implementing the most vicious programme of public spending cuts in British history.
Liam's resignation, whatever the motivation, means that voters in Broadgate could soon get the opportunity to show that anger, by voting for a genuinely anti-cuts candidate.
Published Date:
26/05/2010
Modified Date:
26/05/2010
Protest on Bloodbath Budget Day
The £6 billion of public sector cuts already announced will be chickenfeed compared with the cuts that are coming.
The people did not vote for this, but the Con-Dem coalition (now nicknamed the Con-Dom coalition because of the way they're planning to screw us, and because we all expect them to split), are going to bring in cut after cut after cut in the precious services that hold our society together, services depended on by the old the sick and the poor.
That's why there should be protests held all over the country on 22nd June, the day that the bloodbath budget is announced, followed by a massive national Trade Union demonstration.
Published Date:
24/05/2010
Modified Date:
24/05/2010
Scrap the NWDA Now!
The government is considering shutting down many of the quangos that have so much power in our country.
This includes the North West Development Agency, which has become one of the most politically powerful institutions in North West England, an organisation that elected councils go to cap in hand in the hope they will share the £millions in public money they can dispense.
Despite this immense power, the NWDA is unelected, and is closely interconnected with property developers, who are over-represented on its board.
We can thank the NWDA for the mad plans to build a barrage across the Ribble, and the idea of building thousands of houses in the RIbble floodplain (now thankfully scrapped for now, thanks to the sterling work of the 'Save The Ribble Campaign')
We can also thank them for the ridiculous ideas that will ruin Winckley Square, as well as the threat of demolishing our iconic bus station, and replacing it with a downgraded substitute further away from the markets.
'Frenchwoody', who consistently posts well informed common sense on the LEP website left this comment there:
At last! The NWDA is a source of huge waste and indulgent spending. It was the source behind schemes for the Ribble barrage, building houses on the Ribble floodplain, the proposed ruination of Winckley Square, the promotion of the discredited Tithebarn scheme, the unaccountable Preston Vision Board and other undemocratic and arrogant plans.* It is too closely identified and inter-linked with property developers who are over-represented on its Board. Its unaccountable, undemocratic and almost colonially arrogant approach to local communities is very offensive and it's long past high time that this wasteful, inefficient and complacently patronising agency was put to sleep together with its local smug vision companies* Cut away this shamefully wasteful New Labour economic polyp as soon as possible!*
Well said Frenchwoody! These undemocratic institutions have no place in a modern democratic society, and give billionaires and developers far too much power in determining the future of local communities.
There is a need to rebalance development, and particularly jobs between Northern England and the home counties, the mechanisms that address this rebalancing however have to be community based, democratic and accountable, and put the needs of local people ahead of those of billionaires and developers.
Published Date:
22/05/2010
Modified Date:
22/05/2010
Tithebarn Inquiry
This week saw the start of the Tithebarn Inquiry, from which we've so far learned two things.
One is that the Tithebarn is 'All or Nothing'. that our council did indeed, in an incredible gamble, put all its eggs in the Tithebarn basket, and that Preston itself will sink or swim depending on the outcome of the Inquiry.
The other is that there have been even further delays. The scheme (first designed in 2002,when it was estimated to cost £450m) has now been put back to 2018, and the price now stands at £750m.
The 2018 date is a big blow to Prestonians, who in the propaganda fed to our schoolchildren were told the scheme would have started by 2010.
The big argument now for the Tithebarn scheme is the appalling state of Preston City Centre.
The problem is that the fundamental reason why Preston City Centre has been stagnating for the past decade (including in the boom years before the credit crunch), has been because of the planner's blight caused by the Tithebarn project and the uncertainty around it. It has indeed been 'all or nothing', and so far we've seen nothing.
If a more reasonable, sensitive set of proposals, that had been designed with the involvement of people living and working in Preston had been put forward all those years ago, we'd already be seeing the benefits.
Instead we put all our eggs in one overambitious basket and Tithebarn has since held Preston back for year after year after year, while all we get from the developers is delay after delay after delay. And what is the solution we're offered by our politicians to the decline in Preston that their Tithebarn scheme has caused? - The Tithebarn scheme.
It's like finding a miracle cure, then having to create an illness for it to treat.
Even if the Public Inquiry grants Tithebarn an unconditional "yes", there are still big problems ahead for the scheme:
The downgraded replacement bus station that will be built to replace the fine architecturally iconic building that currently houses our public transport will cost £25m, and about £10m of this was meant to come from the NWDA.
However the government plans to abolish this body. It's clear the developer don't want to pay out this amount, even though the bus station is being moved purely for their convenience, so if NWDA is abolished, who will pick up the final bill for this unneccessary replacement?
Published Date:
21/05/2010
Modified Date:
21/05/2010
10 Questions for the Labour Leadership Election
Following Brown's resignation as leader, Labour is organising a leadership election which will effectively decide the direction of the party for the next few years. At present the only announced candidates are Dave and Ed Miliband, and Ed Balls, 'left winger' John McDonnell is struggling to get the 33 MPs nominations he would need to stand, and Andy Burnham is hovering in the wings.
For the leadership election to effectively address all of Labour's many problems, the candidates will need to have an indepth discussion of the following questions:
1. Why did Labour lose the 2010 election?
2. Why did Labour fail so abysmally to address the gap between rich and poor?
3. Why did Labour fail so abysmally to change Tory anti-union laws?
4. Why did Labour promote PFI and privatisation in our public services?
5. Why did Labour engage in illegal wars in Iraq and Afghanistan?
6. Why did Labour attack our civil liberties so extensively - including huge restrictions on the right to protest?
7. Why did Labour imprison the children of asylum seekers?
8. Why did Labour become a puppet of American foreign policy, and at best turn a blind eye to torture?
9. Why did Labour liberalise banking and share markets, creating the conditions for the credit crunch, then bail out the bankers, while leaving the rest of us to sink or swim?
10. How can the party make the fundamental changes, politically and organisationally, required so that it never repeats any of the political crimes listed above?
Given the abject track record of the candidates that have come forward so far (with the possible exception of McDonnell), I am not expecting any of these questions to even be asked, let alone answered.
STOP PRESS 20/5/10
Just heard that Diane Abbott is standing. This might make the leadership debate slightly more interesting as Diane has spoken against privatisation in the NHS in parliament, and against the imprisonment of child asylum seekers at Yarls Wood.
Published Date:
19/05/2010
Modified Date:
20/05/2010
Less for More: Preston Bus Station
The estimated cost of demolishing and replacing Preston Bus Station with a smaller station tucked away from the city centre is soaring, according to this article in the Lancashire Evening Post.The price has now reached £25million, compared with merely £4m to refurbish the existing station to 21st Century standards.
The final cost of replacing the bus station is likely of course to be far higher.
Even more scandalous though is who is expected to foot the bill.
Yes it will mainly be borne by the taxpayer.
Lancashire County Council will fork out £7.5m of scarce public money. The North West Development Agency will chuck in another £10m from public funds. An undisclosed amount will come from Preston City Council. Only a fraction of the total cost will come from the developers themselves.
So we're replacing a fine architectural building with a smaller downgraded bus station, and being forced to pay for the privilege.
It's like being kicked out of your house because someone wants to replace it with a shopping centre, being forced to live in a shed at the bottom of your garden, then being made to pay for the cost of building the shed!
At a time when every last penny of public money is scarce, when public services are likely to face a tide of cuts, when public sector workers face redundancies and attacks on their wages and pensions, to pour £millions down the throats of wealthy developers in return for an inferior bus station is utterly stupid and immoral.
Published Date:
13/05/2010
Modified Date:
13/05/2010