Ocean conservation

The UK government is boasting about the 31 conservation zones it created to protect marine habitats. That's just not the true story. 96 conservation zones were rejected by the UK government, meaning about three quarters of ocean-saving conservation zones will NOT come to the ocean's rescue.

The UK government’s own scientific advisors said 127 conservation zones are needed if ocean life is going to have a shot at sustainability. The 31 conservation zones the UK plans to create are just a small sliver of what the environment needs. The UK government is taking a weak stance in the face of firm scientific evidence and a crumbling marine environment.

Now is the time to listen to the experts--all of which understand that this is our chance to save species from plummeting. The UK government is taking baby steps when it should be taking giant leaps toward a thriving ocean.

Tell the UK government: Create ALL 127 ocean conservation zones!

David Beckham and restaurants

I understand that David Beckham who is apparently a good role model for young people  will be opening a new restaurant. He is not just happy covering himself up with tattoos and selling cheap nickers he will now be frying egg and chips in some establishment in central London. The power of PR ah? Next it will be Emily Bishop and Pat Butcher going on dancing on ice.. and why not? Or perhaps Anne Widicomb becoming a stripper?

Defend animals

Animals can do a lot of things. They're compassionate: Dogs will stay by our side when we're sad. They express emotions: When rabbits are happy, they jump and twist. Chimpanzees will embrace each other as a sign of consolation. They experience pain, fear and love: Elephants mourn death, are visibly upset when a baby is injured, and celebrate the homecoming of their friends.

But one thing animals can't do is defend themselves from cruelty. Poaching, trophy hunting, abuse on the streets or cruel tests in research labs: many animals are helpless against the harm humans can inflict on them.

That's why animals need your help! Join Humane Society International, one of the world's most effective animal protection organisations and become an Animal Defender today. Choose which of our life saving programmes you want

Miserable Enders getting worst

When is the BBC going to learn that they are better off sticking to making documentary programmes about what type of underpants Henry the 8 was wearing or whether Cinderella was a communist and stop producing rubbish soaps like East Enders.

The story lines on that crap programme are dull, boring and completely incomprehensible. I stopped watching East Enders a few years ago but I had the misfortune to watch it over Xmas coz the people I was spending time with insisted and what a lot of bloody rubbish it was!! Get rid of.

Fox hunting is cruel

Most fox hunting gatherings will take place today. There is an argument for reducing the number of foxes that run wild in the country side. I don't agree that this is a major problem as the animal itself is very territorial which means that their numbers are reduced by wars between themselves and that is of course what nature intended.

It is not acceptable, on the other hand, for greedy humans to pin this beautiful animal down and execute it in a most cruel way. The fox hunting 'fraternity' have managed to defend their immoral actions by getting PR firms to present the argument as one between those who live in cities and those who reside in the countryside. This is of course a clever way to divert attention on what it is that they do. Tearing up animals for sport is not morally right and it's  and it must be stopped. I know of many people in the country side who are against this so their argument is not correct.

Merry Christmas!

Merry Xmas to everyone and a happy new year!

What time is the end of the world then?

I am quite annoyed with the media in general, most of us are most of the time. But on this occasion I have got 4 tickets to go to the theatre tonight with mates and I have just heard that the end of the world wasn't on the 21st but today? Can someone let me know how I can take out an injunction to stop this as I have paid good money that I haven't got to buy those bloody tickets! What's wrong with these people? If they are going to predict the end of the world they should get it right! Whats the TUC doing about this??

Deidrie Barlow Rashid and the Xmas speech

 

Deidrie Barlow Rashid is thought, by many,  to have her finger on the pulse..

 

I understand from totally unreliable sources that the Queen may not be doing the traditional speech on Xmas day so the BBC will be using an alternative. Deidre Barlow Rashid could be asked to make a statement to the nation as it is believed this will be more relevant, down to earth and more real. The rumour started when Emily Bishop left Weatherfield last night on her way to London. Have no idea whether this is actually true or false but then no one really cares.

What happened to the end of the world then?

Not that I am complaining but we was all expecting the world to end yesterday so as a result Deidre Barlow Rashid cancelled her acting lessons, Phil Mitchel stopped his subscription to 'Bambi was a communist' magazine and Emily Bishop came out as a lesbian. All this was done as the future would not matter as it would not exists! Wonder what other nutcases will come up with next?

Religion is good as it keeps some people off the streets and Xmas is an opportunity to stimulate the economy and of course we wouldn't have Xmas without religion but apart from that am not sure it serves a great purpose? The world will end when we blow it all up not because some religious sect says so.

Happy Xmas

With the family...


Taking a short break from the busy fight to save the world and its oysters. Happy Xmas to everyone and remember there are no enemies just some people who don't agree with you. Don't waste your energy on negative issues the bucket is always half full and Jon of the Rogers is capable of sometimes making sense.

Meryy Xmas!

RSPCA Xmas appeal

Best way to celebrate the festive season and give presents is to make a donation of your chosen charity. It would be wonderful if you found out what a friends favourite charity was and you then made a donation to that organisation. My chosen charity is Water Aid and the RSPCA I suggest we all change the way we think and help those who need help most.

https://www.rspca.org.uk/donate/online?source=12EA070406&gclid=CNSugbWiprQCFbMbtAodqWMAFw

Pensions

Pensions progress

A new pensions industry code of conduct on communicating information about changes in defined contribution (DC) pension schemes to employers has been welcomed by the TUC.

As part of auto enrolment, many employers are required to set up a workplace pension scheme for the first time. Under the new code, providers and advisers will be required to tell companies how their staff will be affected by charges taken out of individual pension pots.

Meanwhile, the TUC has also responded positively to the publication of the Government's new reinvigoration strategy for workplace pensions.

TUC on code of conduct @

http://www.tuc.org.uk/economy/tuc-21713-f0.cfm

Appalling Remploy decision

The TUC has expressed its revulsion at the 'heartless' decision by the government to close more Remploy factories, with nearly 900 employees facing compulsory redundancies.

Many of these workers would have little chance of finding alternative employment, the TUC said. Of the first 1,000 employees made redundant during recent factory closures, just 35 had subsequently found work.

TUC response in full @

http://www.tuc.org.uk/equality/tuc-21742-f0.cfm

Do we have a responsible media?

The recent and tragic incident of the nurse at the King Edward hospital who committed suicide has seen the media falling over themselves with hysteria.

It is of course sad that an ordinary worker felt under so much pressure that she took her own life but the media deciding that the two Australian djs were to blame is wrong. The djs were definitely stupid to do what they did but they had no plan or intend to contribute to the tragedy or could have foreseen the reaction that their action produced.

What is more significant is that the nurse had left letters stating that she had been put under pressure by those managing her. The media should do more to look into this rather than convict two idiotic djs for getting involved in a prank. They should not be the victims in all of this.

Mission impossible for new Bank boss

 

Reacting to news that Mark Carney is to become the new Governor of the Bank of England, the TUC said that the Chancellor's policies had made his job 'close to impossible'.

Austerity measures had sent the economy back into recession and threatened a lost decade of stagnation, the TUC said, adding that while the Bank had been given an important new role in regulating banking, the Government wanted to water down the Vickers recommendations.

More on this @

http://www.tuc.org.uk/economy/tuc-21708-f0.cfm

Greek economy out of the woods at huge cost to ordinary people

The Greek PM Antonios Samaras annouced today that specualation around the exit of the country out of the Euro was now dead and buried. Merkel rushed to confirm this so in the usual Euro tradition all seems to be well and fiscal integration is a few weeks away. It will mean the ECB will have powers over the 17 Euro zone member states to regulate what national banks do bbut more than this it will also mean that they can tell governments what their budgets can or cannot include.

Greenfield land development

The British countryside is embedded deep in the nation's culture. But, frankly, there isn't much unspoiled land left.

That's why the Tories' plan to sell off huge tracts of what's remaining for a quick profit is so wrong.

Right now, the government wants to put 2 million "greenfield" -- read "unspoiled" -- acres up for development. Ostensibly, this plan is supposed to help alleviate pressure for more housing. But destroying untouched land is not the solution -- especially when there are plenty of previously-developed "brownfield" sites around the country that could be sustainably developed.

The government's job is to protect Britain's land and heritage, including the natural sites that are left, not just figure out how best to exploit our country's resources.

There is an immigrant in my soup!

Based on stats released by the Home Office it looks like the hysteria produced by the media earlier on in the year regarding a huge influx of Greek migrants due to the Euro crisis was all a lot of rubbish.

According to these stats there were more Brits moving to Greece in areas like Corfu and Crete buying cheap property there than Greeks moving over here.

In addition there were more Irish, Portuguese and Spanish citizens choosing to come to the UK than Greeks. Wonder why that 'fashion icon' Teresa May decided to make public statements saying she will introduce legislation ( which she obviously can't due to EU laws) to stop the Greeks? Perhaps May and the others think that Greece could be an easy target? Well she got that wrong.

Maverics with dodgy politics

It always amazes me when those on the very hard left (and I mean hard as a rock left) criticise those of us who belong to mainstream parties.

There is of course a selection of about 32 versions of the hard left and the majority of the activists in these little groups believe in what they say and most of the time do good things. But they take the biscuit when they go around dishing out criticism to the rest of us who are involved with parties that can at least have some chance of forming a government. The best thing for these few people to do would be to join the Labour party ( if they would have them ) and try and influence real life politics in real time? Time to grow up?

Austerity is failing

Earlier in November, the TUC said that an analysis by the Institute for Fiscal Studies showed that the Chancellor's economic strategy is failing 'on all counts'. The IFS warned that the Chancellor may have to abandon his fiscal target on falling debt and announce more spending cuts after 2015.

In other economic news last month, the TUC reacted cautiously to news that the Bank of England is to transfer the excess cash from its quantitative easing programme - worth some £35bn - to the Treasury. The TUC said it was little more than an accounting sleight of hand.

TUC on IFS study @

http://www.tuc.org.uk/economy/tuc-21701-f0.cfm

Regional pay - partial retreat

The TUC did however welcome the Government's retreat from plans for regional pay for many public sector workers, which was announced in the statement.

The groups saved from the postcode pay lottery include workers in the NHS, prisons and civil service. But the decision to press ahead with plans to set teachers' pay at the level of the individual school was roundly condemned.

'Unfortunately we've not seen a complete u-turn, and now teachers are to be singled out, selected to become the guinea pigs in the Chancellor's ill-advised public sector pay experiment', said Brendan Barber.

More on this @

http://www.tuc.org.uk/economy/tuc-21738-f0.cfm

Pain without purpose

 

The TUC condemned the main thrust of Chancellor George Osborne's Autumn Statement, delivered on 5 December, as lacking any vision of a future economy that could deliver decent jobs and living standards.
'When you are self-harming you should stop, not look for better sticking plasters', said TUC general secretary Brendan Barber. 'With the economy still scraping along the bottom, unemployment set to rise and the Chancellor missing his own debt target, we need a fundamental change in direction, not more muddling through.'

Has PASOK had its chance?

The results from the last general election in Greece in June speak for themselves. The Socialist party appears to be in crisis as it has only managed to come third after the Tories and the hard left Syriza. The question must be whether this is a temporary phenomenon or whether the outcome in the summer is a clear indication that the country has swung towards the two opposite extremes? PASOK is very similar to New Labour with policies that could almost definitely have been translated from English into Greek.

My opinion is that the summer result reflects the anger of those who have been hit by the severe austerity measures endured by the whole country and that the electorate will soon move back to embrace the Socialist message?? I won't hold my breath though!

Incomes under pressure

Reacting to official figures showing a huge drop in household incomes, the TUC said that an over-reliance on the housing bubble and personal debt exaggerated income growth in the run up to the recession. High-quality jobs and a fairer distribution of decent wages needed to be at the heart of a plan for economic recovery.

Meanwhile, last month's inflation figures - showing CPI falling to 2.2 per cent and RPI falling to 2.6 per cent in September - would not make up for sluggish wage growth, the TUC said in response. Although the fall in inflation was welcome, the latest data had to be seen in the context of continuing real wage reductions, meaning families continued to get poorer.

More on household incomes @

http://www.tuc.org.uk/economy/tuc-21556-f0.cfm

United left and Regional Council

I admire the United Left in the London region for putting up a motion to go to go to regional Council asking for a reduction in the numbers required to hold  meetings.

I also agree that branches have a duty to send a full delegation to these meetings but it all goes very wrong when the stats show us that those urging branches to mobilise are rarely in a position to have all their delegates in attendance? I can be forgiven for thinking that this does not make much sense?
Call me old fashioned but this does not make sense??

Insulating homes would boost growth

The TUC has welcomed a report from Consumer Focus saying that the best way to boost growth and create jobs in the UK is to make the homes of low-income households more energy efficient.

'The financial case for insulating the homes of low-income families across the UK is overwhelming', said Frances O'Grady. 'It would bring thousands of new, highly-skilled green jobs, reduce energy bills for the UK's poorest households, and give an economic boost to the UK that would far outweigh the cost of public investment'.

Further information @

http://www.tuc.org.uk/economy/tuc-21625-f0.cfm

World Aids day 2012

Remember those suffering and encourage wider testing

http://www.worldaidsday.org/