Category Archives: Current Affairs

Housing Abuse

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Reports of lottery winners and other wealthy people living in state-subsidised housing have at last encouraged the Government to pass legislation to prevent it from happening in the future. It is now proposed that all prospective tenants will be means tested so that if they earn more than £60,000 a year they will either have to leave their council-owned and housing association properties or pay the full market rent.

Whilst this is no more than common sense isn’t it crazy that  it was allowed to happen in the first place? Why should the taxpayer subsidise people who have the means to pay for their own accommodation? Particularly whilst others, with a genuine need of state assistance, remain on seemingly never-ending waiting lists.

Those found guilty of abusing the system can have no complaint if they are named and shamed by national newspapers. The Sunday Times, recently revealed that Bob Crow (proud communist and General Secretary of the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers) lives in a subsidised home in North East London despite the fact that he earns £90,000 per annum (nearly four times the national average) and Frank Dobson, former Labour Health Secretary lives in a council flat despite his  MP’s annual salary of £66,000.

Sadly, we are now used to politicians of all parties fiddling expenses and screwing the system but it particularly grates when we are told of champagne socialists ripping us off whilst proclaiming equal rights for all. Perhaps they need to be reminded that the welfare state exists to help and assist those in genuine need of assistance – not to make fat cats fatter still. It’s fortunate, to say the least, that we still have a free press able and willing to expose such iniquities and bring these public figures to account.

 

Rock Steady

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This dispute with Spain over Gibraltar seems to be getting a little out of hand, what with the Spanish threatening to charge car owners 50 euros (approx £43) each time their vehicles exit or enter Gibraltar from Spain and our Prime Minister holding late night talks with his Spanish counterpart. The trouble started when the Gibraltarian authorities started dumping materials in the Mediterranean to construct, so they said, an artificial reef. The Spanish took offence and say that it’s just a clumsy attempt to thwart their fishermen and prevent them from carrying out their God-given right to remove the last remaining fish from the world’s oceans.

Whatever the reasons for the current spat, it is only one in a long series dating back to when the British gave the Spanish a spanking in the War of the Spanish Succession and were rewarded with ownership of Gibraltar by the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713. So we British have been there for two hundred years and during that time the Rock (as it is affectionately known) has served us well, acting as an invaluable base to control the mouth of the Mediterranean and allowing us to safeguard our various commercial and military interests.

Times have changed however, we no longer have an empire and we certainly have no need of a naval base in Gibraltar, or anywhere else for that matter. To need a naval base you presumably need a navy and we’ve barely got one these days, so stringent have government cutbacks been since the end of the last war. So let’s do a deal.

Let’s sit down with our Spanish colleagues and try to come to an agreement. After all, we are both a part of the European Union – at least for the time being. Let’s be sympathetic and say, that after 200 years of British ownership, we recognise their hurt and we now want to try and make things better. Many British people spend large amounts of time holidaying in the Canary Islands, which of course belong to Spain. So popular are those sun-kissed islands with rain-soaked Britons that there are in fact far more of us living there than in Gibraltar. How about a swap? We give Gibraltar back to Spain and in exchange we get the Canaries! Simple.

Incredible?

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It’s been quite a week for babies, although, of the 1.8 million or so born worldwide since the start of the week (an estimated 370,000 each day), one in particular has captured the world’s attention like no other. It seems that everybody wants to share in the happiness of Prince William and his wife Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge, over the birth of their son, Prince George, the third in line to the throne. And why not? The birth of a child is always a very special event, whoever the parents may be.

 

What I find amusing about almost any child birth, Royal or otherwise, is the reaction the event evokes in many people. Comments witnessed on television this week such as “It’s a boy! Incredible!” or “They’ve had a boy? Amazing!” are standard, as though there were multiple choices and the lucky couple just happened to have hit upon the right one!

 

As virtually any parent or prospective parent will tell you, whether the baby is a boy or a girl is not important. The most important, and in fact the only, issue is the health and well being of mother and child. Thankfully, in this most high profile of births, that particular box was ticked with a positive and that, in truth, is all that matters. Wonderful, certainly but hardly incredible.

 

 

Paying the Price

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The brutal and savage hacking to death of a non-uniformed soldier in broad daylight on a London high street  has sickened and shocked all of us. Viewing Wednesday’s news coverage was like watching something from a grotesque horror film. The fact that one of the two murderers, literally dripping with the blood of his victim, spoke clearly and calmly into the smart phone camera of a witness made it all the more surreal and chilling.

The fact that he went on to state that none of us are safe firmly rammed home the threat of Islamic terrorism far more than any amount of televised footage of atrocities in Afghanistan or Iraq could ever do. This was far more shocking than the anonymous planting of bombs in the London attacks of July 7th, 2005. This demonstrated, for all to see, just  how far those who hate our country and our way of life are prepared to go.
The welfare of its citizens is the top priority of any civilised state and our Prime Minister must surely be aware of that. He must abandon his brazen attempts to court popularity and win voters, such as his recent promotion of gay marriage, and concentrate his mind instead on dealing with the real issues  facing the country.
For too long the United Kingdom has been too tolerant of alien cultures, welcoming into our midst religious bigots and fanatics who have no place in a civilised society. Our liberal rulers have told us to accept and even embrace cultures and religions that, in truth, are a throwback to the Dark Ages. Cultures, for example, where women have no rights and are treated as mere chattels. If we have raised any objection we have been dismissed as reactionary or intolerant. Well, we are now paying the price of that foolish and misguided tolerance. Now the chickens have come home to roost.
We are threatened by an enemy blinded by fanaticism, devoid of morality and unhindered by the restraints that are an integral part of decent normal human beings. We must confront and eradicate that enemy or, like a latter day decadent Rome with the Barbarians at the gate, we will suffer the consequences of our neglect. 

Another Rip-0ff

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I sold my car recently and naturally rang up my insurers, Performance Direct, to request that the insurance cover be ended forthwith. In response they kindly informed me that they were not going to request any further money from me for cancellation. What? I thought, of course you’re not! I’m cancelling the policy and you are required to do nothing further since you are no longer at risk! I don’t expect to make a payment to my local supermarket simply because I decide I no longer wish to buy my fruit and vegetables from them. However, it doesn’t work like that, does it?

No, these days, where stifling bureaucracy and incompetence reign and common sense takes a back seat, it’s not a simple case of putting a line through the policy or noting that it is cancelled. It has to be far more elaborate than that. They told me that there is a standard £50 cancellation fee – just for making a note that cover is no longer required!  Surely just one word written on the policy would do –“Cancelled”!
When they sent me written confirmation they indicated that there was a refund due of £64 but of that, £50 was a cancellation fee and the remaining £14, referred to as “insurance return premium” was retained as “clawback commission”. I could have kicked up a fuss but I have no doubt that the small print covers it perfectly in their favour. Besides, why waste energy banging my head against a brick wall.
I sold my motorbike recently too and the response of the nationally based brokers, Bennetts, was similar. I was made to feel grateful that instead of receiving a refund of £40, or whatever it would be, I should be grateful that I’m not going to be charged – for cancelling my own policy! It really does take the breath away!
Of course, I can understand their reluctance to make refunds, in the same way that I can understand why insurance premiums are on the rise year after year. Honest folk are simply paying the price for the culture of cheating and dishonesty where, each year, hundreds of thousands of policy holders make false or inflated claims against their policies. I understand it but it still leaves a bitter taste in the mouth.

Time for a Change?

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Now that the dust has settled on UKIP’s spectacular success in last week’s local elections the major parties must be wondering about the significance of  that success. Many will explain that it was simply a protest vote against the Government, a regular mid-term occurrence, of course. Maybe it was, but that doesn’t explain why the official opposition, Labour, did equally badly? Maybe this time, it was something more than a simple protest vote.

Maybe this time it was an indication that people really are sick and tired of the traditional ruling parties, they are sick of the same old dogma, the same old posturing and the same old lies.

Maybe they are tired of the ruling liberal elite who have no idea of what is going on beyond the confines of their cosy metropolitan coffee shops and wine bars but who condescend and patronise the rest of the country as if they and only they know what is best for us all.

Maybe they are tired of the political correctness and over regulation that together stifle any attempt to succeed in business and create a better life for their families.

Maybe they are tired too of the arrogance, incompetence and corruption of the European Union and the endless delays and broken promises by our politicians in giving us a vote to decide on continued membership of that Union.

Maybe they are sick of unrestricted immigration being forced upon the country without consultation, where people with no connection to this country and who have made no contribution to its well being are given houses, state benefits and unrestricted use of the NHS at the expense of British taxpayers who have contributed to the welfare state throughout their working lives.  Maybe they are sick of being called nationalistic or racist when daring to question the wisdom of such a clearly foolish policy.

Maybe they are tired of seeing our state schools churn out hordes of illiterate, ill-educated children with no hope of a decent future.

Maybe they are tired of the fact that the NHS and all other national institutions are clogged up with incompetent and inefficient bureaucrats.

Maybe they are sick of seeing the rights of offenders being put above those of their innocent victims and of seeing criminals given ridiculously lenient sentences where, too often, they are free to reoffend at will.

Maybe that is why they voted against the Conservatives, Labour and Liberal Parties.

Maybe they have finally had enough and are ready for a change.

If the result of last week’s elections exposes one truth, it is that if politicians wish to remain in power they need to listen carefully to the needs of the people who elected them into that power in the first place. Listen to them and don’t treat them like children, to be humoured and sent away with a pat on the head and a packet of sweeties.

Benefits for All?

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Ian Duncan Smith, the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions certainly opened a can of worms last week when he suggested that wealthy people in receipt of  state benefits should hand them back if they don’t actually need them.  A non-UK citizen following this story from afar would probably scratch his head in bemusement and  wonder why it is that the State would hand out benefits to wealthy people in the first place.

As for Mr Duncan Smith, he doesn’t seem to have much knowledge of human nature if he really thinks people will voluntarily hand money back once the State has placed it in their bank accounts. Some may do but the vast majority? No chance. That said, I understand his thinking and I’m sure many people will agree with much of what he suggested.

The obvious problem with benefits for all – universal benefits – is that some people will quite clearly have no need of them. It strikes me as ludicrous that a multi-millionaire pensioner can still receive a bus pass, winter fuel payment and even a state pension when he needs it about as much as an Eskimo needs a fridge freezer! It is surely all a question of degree. The whole point of a welfare system is to ensure that the State does as much as it can to eliminate poverty and suffering among its disadvantaged citizens, drawing a line below which nobody must be allowed to fall.

I can see that pensioners, having worked hard all their lives and having dutifully paid their taxes and national insurance, should reap the benefit of that hard work by receiving benefits from the State once they have retired. Quite right too, it is they who have helped create the nation’s wealth, such as it is. It is all a question of degree and I use the example again of a multi-millionaire receiving benefits. That is not what the system was planned for.

Surely the obvious solution to this problem is to have a proper system of means testing so that no benefits are paid to anybody with a yearly income of over £100,000, for example. Something needs to be done however and our politicians need to engage in meaningful debate rather that just simply slag each other off and point score. We are in a recession and we can’t afford to waste a single penny. It’s not just politics, it’s common sense.

Screwing the System

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According to yesterday’s Sunday Times, nearly £70 million worth of injuries compensation has been claimed by police officers over the last 4 years. These figures were released by the Police Federation of England and Wales, the trade union of police officers, so they are hardly likely to be an over-exaggeration. MPs (the pot calling the kettle?) have expressed outrage at this latest manifestation of our corrupt “compensation culture” but is it really “news” in the true sense of the word?

Well, it certainly isn’t news to me. I can remember, when I practised criminal law back in the 1980s, that a large number of police officers, usually in their mid-forties, took early retirement because of a “bad back”. It was so common that it became a standing joke. In Greater Manchester the police even had their own “tame” consultant surgeon who would sign officers on to the sick and/or permanent retirement seemingly at the drop of a hat or maybe something more valuable. I can still remember his name but I’d better not disclose it just in case he’s still alive and sipping cocktails in his Caribbean villa!
From what I learned, it wasn’t just limited to Greater Manchester and a fair proportion of our guardians of law and order, nationwide,  have been taking the mickey for a number years. This latest scandal is simply a continuation of a long running story and has come to the fore because a Norfolk police woman is allegedly threatening to sue a garage owner for compensation following a fall at his premises whilst investigating a suspected  burglary.
What is it about our society? They’re all at it, not just the police. We’ve got  MPs fiddling expenses, local politicians in the pockets of property developers, tax-avoiding fat-cat businessmen hoarding billions of pounds in off shore accounts, and benefit frauds screwing the system. Is it any wonder that so many of our youngsters are so disenchanted and demoralised by the world around them?
I’m afraid it’s very difficult these days to be anything other than mistrustful and cynical. The truth of the matter is that, when judging people in positions of power and authority, the default setting is corrupt until proven otherwise. How sad.

What Price Medical Care?

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Earlier this week the Shadow Health Secretary, Andy Burnham, warned that 12,000 nurses will be lost to the NHS over the next two years if redundancies and lay-offs continue at the current rate. It could well be political speak of course, and politicians regularly distort the facts to suit their argument, but what if his warning is based on truth? Can our overstretched and overburdened health service cope with these losses to its front line staff?

We all know what a clumsy and ungainly beast the NHS is and how inefficiently it is run but my personal  experiences have convinced me at least that we still have doctors and nurses of the highest standard. I really don’t believe that many countries can boast a better quality of medical care than the UK but I cannot say the same for the management of the NHS.
Recent scandals involving NHS Trusts have clearly demonstrated that many hospitals are badly run with far too many inefficient and incompetent bureaucrats clogging up the system. It is surely upon those people that the Government’s axe of austerity needs to fall and not the poor nurses who seem to me to be performing heroically under the most intense pressure. We cannot afford to lose any more of them.
One last thought. It has often been reported that some top professional footballers earn as much as £200,000 per week together with endorsements. The average nurse earns around £20,000 per year. That means that some footballers earn as much in a year (£10.4 million) as 520 nurses combined. That probably tells you all you need to know about our society and its values.

The Cupboard is Bare

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Last week the Prime Minister announced that the Government plans to restrict the handing out of welfare benefits to migrants (particularly those with no connection to the UK) and to make sure that this country is no longer seen as a “soft touch”. About time too you may say, haven’t we been demanding this for years?

Of course, there will be those who feel that this is discriminatory and that the UK should extend a warm welcome, free housing, free education, free medical treatment and cash to all comers. Fortunately, these dreamers now appear to be in the minority and even the most politically correct and altruistic realise that this country is deep in the mire and that, after all, there isn’t quite enough to go round.

For nearly five years this country (along with most of the world) has been in the grip of a recession, depression more like, that is showing no sign of abating. Austerity is the buzz word these days and newspapers are full of announcements of further cuts being made to public services, whether to the NHS, education, transport or law and order.

Of course, in an ideal world, it would be nice to extend a charitable welcome to all, but this is not an ideal world. Charity begins at home and the cupboard is bare. We cannot give what we haven’t got. Our resources are stretched to breaking point and the sooner that message is delivered to the rest of the world the better for all of us. That is not discriminatory and nor is it reactionary or racist. It is the truth.