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Politics - Page 2

  • Election 2015

    Reasons not to vote UKIP...

    many many reasons, short sighted policies on Europe, a fake leader who for an ordinary bloke had a jolly good upbringing and banking job (EXPOSING NIGEL
    ) farage_2921024b.jpgand of course as you can see from THIS article, despite what they say an awful lot of their members and candidates just use this means as a continuation from the National Front and the BNP. DON'T VOTE FOR RACISTS, DON'T VOTE UKIP

    Reasons not to vote Lib Dem..


    I understand why people voted Lib Dem in 2010, they wanted a change from labour and still didn't trust Torys. They got into the coalition and subsided to the Tories. 1363971190878.jpgThey wanted to reduce tuition, it went up three-fold, they wanted to get rid of trident, now they back it? They are spineless and will do it again! And they are treating this election as a joke. They uploaded THIS VIDEO OF NICK CLEGG SINGING UPTOWN FUNK to their official YouTube account during the election campaign (it has since been removed) 

     

    Reasons not to vote Conservative..


    This one is simple, they are ruining the country!

    There are traditional Labour arguments such as the NHS which they are first killing off, there are now longer waiting times than in 2010 and less nurses and then they are selling it off bit by bit so that their friends can make profit.

     

    Welfare cuts are unfair and unreasonable, they have promised another 12 billion in cuts but as the graphic bellow from the HMRC, it is probably Dave's mates and the tax avoidance that should be cut first. tax_evasion_v_benefit_fraud_-_full_size.jpgWhy bring in the bedroom tax that hurts the most vulnerable and drop inheritance tax which the very richest benefit most from? Dave's mates again. And all the time stealth taxes such Boris' transport fares, who do they hurt most? The big city bankers who earn millions or working families on the minimum wage (note the minimum wage is less than the Living Wage)

     

    The Tories are also failing at the bits that they claim to be proud of, the Economy and Employment, they claim to have reduced the latter but this is largely due to an increase in zero hours contracts that benefit? Dave's mates, it allows companies to give workers no stability whilst knowing they can call on the work when it suits them. Then the final blow the Economy, they promised to cut the deficit by 2015, here we are and it hastumblr_lkx9anMVID1qjjgbro1_500.jpg INCREASEDthey can shout all they like about economic growth but at the end of the day their austerity package isn't bringing it down.

     

    There is plenty more I could and should say but I know that the majority who will read this already know. DON'T VOTE CONSERVATIVE UNLESS YOU WANT WORSENING LIVING STANDARDS AND POLICIES THAT BENEFITS DAVE'S MATES AND NO ONE ELSE.

     

    Reasons not to vote Green..

     

    Natalie-Bennett-gr_2327342b.jpgThis one I write with a heavy heart, I like the Greens, ideologically they are very similar to myself, save the world, treat everyone equally, remove tax evasion and end war. Unfortunately they have no chance of winning and any vote for the Greens (apart from in Brighton and a few others) is a vote that helps Cameron back into power. A friend of mine has helped create a website voteswap.org to help Green voters make their votes count in constituencies where they have a shot at success. 

     

    And Finally, WHY VOTE LABOUR?

     

    3278254236.jpg1. Because Labour will stand up for everyone, not just the privileged few

    2. Labour will raise the minimum wage to more than £8 by October 2019 and promote the living wage.

    3. Labour will ban exploitative zero-hours contracts so that anyone working regular hours for more than 12 weeks can get a regular contract. David Cameron said he couldn’t live on one. If he can’t, then no one should have to.

    4. Labour won’t give tax breaks to millionaires (the Tories did in 2013, and they’re likely to do it again if they win). They'll cut tax for millions of people on low and middle incomes instead.

    5. Labour will clamp down on tax avoidance and ban ‘non-dom’ status (which was created in 1799 and a lot has changed since then…).

    6. Labour will cut the deficit every year and balance the books, sensibly and fairly, without the extreme spending cuts the Tories are planning to make.

    7. Labour will scrap the Bedroom Tax (from day one) that hits the disabled and most vulnerable in society.

    8. Labour will control immigration with fair rules and make it illegal for employers to undercut wages by exploiting workers.

    9. Because Labour are the party that will save the NHS.maxresdefault.jpg

    10. Labour founded the NHS in 1948, it is one of the party’s proudest achievements, and they have saved it from crisis before.

    11. In five years of Tory-led government the country has seen rising waiting times, increasing privatisation and falling standards.

    12. Labour will train and recruit 20,000 more nurses and 8,000 more doctors by 2020, paid for by tackling tax avoidance, a levy on tobacco companies and a tax on the most expensive properties worth over £2 million.

    13. Labour will guarantee a GP appointment within 48 hours – and on the same day for those who need it.

    14. Labour will radically improve mental health provision, especially for young people, by prioritising investment in under-18s and making sure teachers are trained to spot problems early.

    15. Labour will stop Tory privatisation of the NHS and cap the profits private companies can make from the NHS to ensure resources are spent on patient care.

    16. Because Labour are the party that cares about creating opportunities for all young people.

    17. Labour will cut tuition fees from £9,000 to £6,000 (which will help students but is also good for our economy).

    18. Labour will make sure that there is an apprenticeship for any school leaver that gets the grades.

    19. Labour will improve technical education and careers advice in schools to help students prepare for jobs.

    11_45_3_web.jpg20. Because Labour will end rip-off prices on services that people rely on.

    21. Labour will freeze energy bills until 2017 so they can fall but not rise, and give the regulator the power to cut bills when wholesale prices fall. No-one should have to choose between heating and eating.

    22. Labour will get a fairer deal for renters by banning rip-off letting fees and capping rents so they cannot rise by more than the rate of inflation during secure three-year tenancies.

    23. Labour will freeze rail fares in the first year of a Labour Government while we reform the railways.

    24. Because Labour are determined to tackle climate change and create a million green jobs.

    25. Because the choice at this election is between a Labour government or five more years of the Tories.

    VOTE LABOUR ON MAY 7TH 2015

  • Why I don't buy Red Poppies

    For most of my life I have been buying poppies once a year from the Royal British Legion without really thinking about why. It has only been the last couple of years that I've really sat down and thought about it.

    The Poppy Appeal was originally set up as a way to help the families of those whose lives had been torn apart by the Great War. It was never intended to be something that was continuous as it was hoped, maybe naively, that it wouldn't be needed because the world would see how devastating the war was and would try to avoid it in the future. 

    But of course more war happened and more war happened and now here we are in 2014 and what has the Poppy Appeal become? Yes it is still raising money to help families but it seems to have lost its other equally important message, that war is dreadful and destroys the lives not just of those fighting but also the civilians who live in the areas invaded . 

    20141108_145224.jpg

    But it is this picture that has led me to write this message today, the picture of what I saw in Kingston town centre just yesterday. The Poppy Appeal team parading around with a military vehicle, a vehicle designed to kill and cause damage, children going up and having their photograph with it. It's disgusting, this is GLORIFYING war. "Look kids, you could grow up to drive one of these and kill some nasty foreigners"

    Why is this glorification of war allowed to happen? Rather than a symbol for death and despair of what has past, I fear the poppy is being used as a symbol of Pride for the British army, of Pride that the Brits keep attacking other countries for little to no reason, at my most cynical it is being used as recruitment for a future generation of killing machines. No war is necessary and in this country nobody is forced to join the army, no one is forced to go out and kill. The military it is a choice made by the individual and drives like this are trying to show war as a glamorous career choice.

    I am by no means suggesting that the work carried out by the Royal British Legion is not worth while and you would hope that it is, according to their website the Poppy Appeal raised £36.6 million last year and I imagine this year that amount will be far higher due to the centenary. Once these soldiers have gone to war and assuming they survive, they ruin their own lives from the trauma that they have seen, they NEED psychological help a lot of the time just to get back to living normal lives but you don't see the Poppy Appeal handing out pamphlets on Mental Health Problems. 

    And now to the Government, in raising money for the Poppy Appeal it relieves the Government from having to deal with the repercussions of the wars that they start. Imagine that £36.6 million for rehabilitation had to come from their budgets, maybe the wars wouldn't look so lucrative after all? 

    20141109_153527.jpgSo anyway this year I have decided that rather than giving my money to a charity that unintentionally, in my eyes, is part of the problem I have donated to the Peace Pledge Union and am wearing a White Poppy this year and showing my support for Peace! A charity that since 1934 has been tirelessly campaigning for a warless world. If you want to do the same you can donate, buy a white poppy or just read about the work they do by clicking this link; 

    http://www.ppu.org.uk/

    Even if you don't agree with anything that I have said here, I hope I have at least made you think about why it is you wear a poppy.

    END

  • Hitting mid-Twenties

    Yesterday I turned 24 years old; no longer can I parade around as a young man in my early twenties but as a gentleman in the mid-twenties. Usually I think of the age I turn as just being a number but this time it feels different, it feels like I should be somewhere important by this point in my life but enough of the deep thoughts for now, they are for later on in the blog. First I shall regale you with the Quad-tacular of events that was my 24th Birthday.

     

     

    Part 1: The Drinks

    Friday 11th February came about and due to my astute lack of any real planning we ended up in the Cock Tavern off Oxford Street. It is a wonderful pub complete with humorous name, reasonably priced drinks and is in close proximity to numerous trendy London establishments but it is not ideal as a venue to meet a large number of people as the capacity of the entire bar is about 12. Nevertheless after a good while hovering we grabbed ourselves some seats and slowly began to take over the establishment one chair at a time. We drank there telling stories 41607_53407685149_5266549_n.jpgof past times until eventually we decided to move on to the Roxy bar. Roxy bar was a mere ten minute walk down the road and provided us with much merriment into the wee hours. The music was described on the fliers as pop/disco but in truth it was far more wide ranging incorporating everything from Madonna to toots & the maytals with a bit of pendulum thrown in for good measure. I left the club reasonably early which in hindsight was a great idea as it meant I wouldn't be too hung-over for the next day. So it was to be a night bus home and then to sleep.

     

    Part 2: The Go-Karts

    Saturday 12th February I woke up surprisingly chipper considering the number of Jagerbombs amongst other drinks I had had the night before, said bon voyage to my guests and set of to Surbiton Raceway. As a group we had said that we should do GoKarting as we had enjoyed it so whilst stagging it up in the East end of the continent. The prices weren't pretty to say the least but I for one had a great time. 45 minutes of pedal to the metal thrills, well apart from Ross who I can only jon_1.jpgassume couldn't reach the pedals as he pondered around the track at what seemed like half the speed of everyone else. Saying this he didn't come last, in a race decided by track position slow and steady didn't quite win the race but it did mean that the serial crashers Blondie and Tate finished behind him. I finished comfortably in mid-table despite my fairly meager lap-times but was no where near the leading pack; both Tom and Mike were miles ahead of everyone else with Tom just pipping Mike to win by 6 seconds. A successful outing indeed.

     

    Part 3: The Gig

    On the very same evening I went out to a gig in Camden, I knew very well that this was not going to be one for the masses but I did enjoy the company of Ross as well as my little sister. We arrived at the barfly just as the 1st band was starting, perfect timing you might think? You'd be wrong what we thought were the first band were in fact the second but considering I only knew one of the 4 bands on show I wasn't particularly distressed. Hooded Fang took to the stage, a Canadian grunge-rock outfit who apart from the odd computerised noises sounded like they could have been dragged straight out of the early 90s. This isn't to say that they were bad; I enjoyed their first number a lot despite the lead singer forgetting the words half way through. As the set wore on and the clichés carried on I did grow tired of the performance though and wasn't upset when they got off stage. A short interlude ensued before the next bad appeared, first a long, greasy haired man with extremely thick glasses, then a podgy bassist with a permanent grin and nirvana hoody, shortly followed by a very young looking drummer; I was assuming more of the same. Then the lead singer came on, a man with a dirty green puffer jacket and matching beanie came on and started shouting and hollering over some distorted guitars. Usually that is the kind of thing that I would hate but the 'cleverly' named Eagulls had something about them that I quite liked, even if I couldn't put my finger on what it was. I won't lie; my enjoyment of the set definitely wasn't hindered by the overly aggressive dwarf who barged his way through the audience before grabbing the mic and proclaiming that this was the best band ever before starting a mosh pit. Needless to say he was fairly quickly removed by a bouncer who you could see had a wry smile on his face whilst asking him to leave.The-History-Of-Apple-Pie.jpg The final band of the evening and the act that I had wanted to see, The History of Apple Pie; I really enjoyed the performance even if it did take the lead woman a good half a song to get her voice in tune. To my knowledge the band have only released two singles, one of which they didn't play and whether this was through arrogance or just a lack of time I wasn't too disheartened as they did play my favourite song of theirs 'Science for the young' which I do highly recommend checking out. On the way home I bought some Orange and White Chocolate cookies, win!

     

    Part 4: The Football

    Tuesday 14th and the day of my actual birthday came and started with a lovely fried breakfast down the local cafe before a short stint at work. Then the excitement came Sutton United vs. Boreham Wood... Again I wasn't surprised that this wasn't a highly attended part of the celebration but I, Ross, Matt and my Uncle enjoyed Sutton playing out a 2-1 victory over the Blue Square South Mid-Tablers. The quality of the football was exactly what you would expect from teams in the 6th tier of the English league, not particularly skillful but passionate. You could see both in the opening goal as Sutton's Simon Downer swung and missed the ball in his own penalty area leading to Boreham Wood's goal which was a beautiful chip over the Sutton keeper, 4032199772-04122011181215.jpgSutton's number 5 could be seen shortly after with his head in his hands sitting on the pitch. Just before half time though out of nowhere Craig Dundas took a shot from outside the area which skimmed across the pitch into the bottom corner of Boreham Wood's goal, leveling the tie. It stayed like that until about 10 minutes from the end of the match when a mistake from the Boreham Wood keeper put the ball at the feet of Harry Beautyman who took advantage and slotted the ball into the top corner and provided the mighty U's with the victory. Then that was it, the end of the match and near as damn it the end of my birthday for another year. A massive thank you to all who took part in it in some way or another as I enjoyed it all thoroughly.

     

     

    Now as promised at the start I shall go into the reasons that turning 24 genuinely feels different from the average birthday because lets face it I only write a blog once in a blue moon so I should probably get as much into this one as humanly possible.

     

    The most notable factor of my increasing age at the moment is that sudden decision of just about every couple I know moving in together. In 2011 I was lucky enough to be invited to two of my friend’s weddings which were wonderful and scary events, wonderful in that I had a great time at both, scary in that I was seeing these people that I had grown up with taking a massive leap into REAL adulthood. Now in what seems like the last two or three weeks I have found out about another 3 sets of couples who are moving in together. At this point in time I don't see myself being any closer to moving away from home than I was the day I came home from the hospital screaming in my mother's arms. Maybe if I hadn't been stupid last year I may have been in a similar position to my friends but I was and that is just something that I have had to come to terms with. Nevertheless it does feel a little like I am being left behind in youth whilst everyone around me is turning into these "real", grown-up people.

    Saying that this week I have put my application in for the CQF (Formerly GNVQ) level 3 in care. This effectively moves what I am doing at the moment from just a job to a potential career. Due to my intelligence and charm I have been able to avoid doing levels 1 and 2 and have moved straight up to level 3 which potentially will allow me to move up to become a manager or equivalent within the next year or so. I would still like to involve politics in my life at some point as it is still something I am very passionate about although now I think I will probably use that passion to campaign for the rights of people with disabilities rather than just go into the ugly world of party politics.

    And finally and less importantly I know too many people my age and younger who are becoming successful in the music business making me realise that the chances are I probably never will be a rock star considering my music career to date is a couple of demos about socks and farm animals written with my sister. Clement-Marfo-and-the-Fro-006.jpgDon't get me wrong I am very proud of "Sock Puppets" and "Farmhouse Fury" and if you look for them hard enough, they are there to be heard out there on the interweb but they aren't a patch on the quality on the recordings of people like Clement Marfo & the Frontline or DRAPER. Clement was in my class at school and has now been named in a number of the 'next big thing for 2012' lists and he has been collaborating with the likes of Kano who has been at the top of the game for a good number of years. 407168_342014912495321_173356189361195_1277300_1735477795_n.jpgDRAPER, as the name might suggest is a relative of mine, my little cousin in fact and he has been signed up by Drop Dead (A label owned by Bring me the Horizon front man Oli Sykes). His music falls into dubstep or 'liquidstep' as he has labeled it. His EP just came out and he's been played on radio 1 and all sorts. I am massively jealous. 

     

    Anyway I think that really is it. Cheers for reading. END