And the group have organised a public meeting, to be held at 7.30pm on Thursday 3rd May at St Mary’s Church in Broadwater, Worthing. Any concerned parents of existing or prospective pupils at Worthing High are particularly urged to attend.
The bid to turn our schools into corporate-run 'academies' is part of the ongoing 'shock doctrine' of privatisation begun by new Labour and accelerated by the Tory/LibDem coalition.
The West Sussex Anti-Academies group is composed of teachers and support staff, West Sussex Teachers Association (NUT) and other teaching unions, UNISON West Sussex and local parents groups and individuals. This follows a unanimous vote by staff on 17th April to reject the proposals (see Worthing Herald 19/04).
A spokesperson for the group, James Ellis from UNISON said “the basis for conversion made in the school’s proposals is both weak and misleading. By offering new staff different terms and conditions, a two-tier workforce will be created in Worthing High raising the prospect of strike action, instability, and long-term decline.”
Warning – contains obscenities!
The article in The Ecologist can be seen online here.
As the well-researched piece reveals, the group is planning a summer of resistance, with anti-militarists encouraged to come to the factory and express ‘outrage as creatively as you like’. A rolling programme of actions is planned starting with a MayDay protest and culminating in a Bank Holiday, June 4 mass demonstration.
The Worthing talk is part of the 'No to war! No to fascism!' special meeting of Worthing Alliance on Thursday March 29.
As well as the guest speakers from Smash EDO! campaign there will be an anti-fascist speaker calling for people to come out on the streets of Brighton and stop a fascist march on April 22. The event is at the Beechwood Hall, Wykeham Road, Worthing, at 8pm. All welcome. A poster can be found here or here
But living there, it seems, is one of the architects of the extreme right capitalist regime currently being imposed on this country.
The cat was let out of the bag this week by an article in the West Sussex County Times which revealed how Tory councillor Andrew Dunlop had been cheating on his car parking, parking his Jag at the official Horsham council car park, while nipping off on the train to work for David Cameron on a hush-hush basis.
Says the article: "He has always had a broad range of interests - but not all of them without controversy. Mr Dunlop’s declaration in Horsham District Council’s Members’ Register of Interests, dated May 10 2011, states that he was a trustee of the Atlantic Bridge education and research charity.
"Atlantic Bridge was subsequently dissolved by its trustees, on September 30 2011, following criticism from the Charity Commission.
"The commission had demanded that its 'current activities must cease immediately' because 'the activities of the charity have not furthered any of its other charitable purposes in any way'.
"Atlantic Bridge described its own aim as 'to provide a forum for the generation of debate and ideas on effective ways to strengthen the "special relationship" by promoting a close and strong relationship between the United Kingdom and the United States'.
"It attracted scrutiny from the media last year because it was set up by former Secretary of State Liam Fox and run by his friend Adam Werritty."
The national media have picked up on the story, with the Express revealing Dunlop was involved with the Thatcher government's introduction of the hated poll tax.
Dunlop's links with Atlantic Bridge are particularly telling for a party that likes to present itself as 'patriotic'. The USA link, which was so obvious during Cameron's cringe-making visit this week, is so strong as to suggest the Tories are nothing but puppets of US interests.
Atlantic Bridge was also linked in to the Zionist lobby group the British Israel Communications and Research Centre (BICOM), which may help explain the British government's lack of interest in the war crimes committed by Israel against Palestinian civilians...
If members of the ruling political party in any country are found to be working for an agenda set by foreign powers, where does that leave democracy?
That was the helpful warning from Microsoft that popped up when one of our readers tried to open our latest email.
Have you experienced anything like that? Or, if you're not already on our email list and would you like to dice with danger and join it, contact us at porkbolter@eco-action.org
Massive bombardment overnight by tanks, plane and drones resulted in damage to infrastructure, injuries and at least 13 fatalities. Further 3 deaths occurred when very cynically a mass funeral was targeted by drones. On top of all this, Gaza currently has an acute shortage of electricity and cooking fuel. And now an urgent appeal has gone out for emergency medicines.
This is an appalling case of the most belligerent army in the world, financed by the most powerful state in the world attacking an impoverished, broken people already enduring one of the longest sieges on one the most densely populated places on the face of the earth. And our Con-Dem government and the EU are simply turning their faces away from the carnage.
Bill Bonner, publisher of the magazine, writes: "Hillary Clinton calls up Egypt, Syria, Libya, and China to 'democratise'. But democracy, as practised by the US and other developed countries, is a fraud. It is just a way for the insiders to scam money and power from the outsiders, by pretending that the voters are in charge."
The interesting thing, of course, is that Bonner is not one of the 'leftists' that Cameron et al keep claiming are the sole critics of their corrupt regime, but a self-professed 'capitalist', who somehow failed to spot that if you weld power to money this is how it all inevitably ends up.
The important thing is that he, and others like him, can see what is going on and are prepared to spell it out.
There is definitely a mood for revolt in the air, which can only be encouraging.
If you want to comment on stuff that we say, you can email us at porkbolter@eco-action.org
"Virginia Bottomley also happens to be a director of the private hospital, health insurance and care group BUPA."
And an anagram of 'I'm an evil tory bigot'!
Not only does workfare demolish the minimum wage, but it deprives other workers of hours of work, denies jobless people paid jobs and makes the taxpayer subsidise Big Business’s wage bill so they can get even richer at our expense. As firms started to pull out under the spotlight of bad publicity, a propaganda counter-offensive was launched, with ministers and their chums in the likes of the Daily Mail and Daily Telegraph descending to McCarthyite-style smear-mongering of dangerous “hard left” activists daring to scrutinise their activities.
Then on Wednesday this week there seemed to be a U-turn from the Government, presumably designed to halt the bad publicity.
But Boycott Workfare has released this statement: “It is reported that sanctions have been removed from the DWP’s ‘Work Experience’ scheme, which is one of five workfare schemes which compel people to work without pay on threat of welfare sanctions. But surely this is another example of the DWP’s willingness to mislead the public? “There is no sign that sanctions have been lifted in the DWP’s press release which states: ‘The sanction regime remains in place.’
“Chris Grayling seems to be painting a murkier picture in TV interviews. Speaking to Sky, he first claimed ‘If somebody sits down with [the employer] after a couple of weeks and says “‘This really isn’t working out, I don’t want to carry on”, they wouldn’t be sanctioned. I was happy to agree to that.’ But by the end of the interview, he offers an example which suggests that it will be in exceptional cases only that sanctions won’t be applied.
“With workfare, the devil is in the detail, and until the DWP publishes some we’re inclined not to trust a department which this week has edited official documents to remove references to workfare being mandatory.
“If DWP Work Experience were no longer compulsory on threat of benefit sanction, then this would be a big step in the right direction. But it does not seem that this is the case and either way we should beware that George Osborne said of the scheme: ‘Young people who don’t engage with this offer will be considered for mandatory work activity’.
“Thousands of people of all ages are still forced to take part in workfare schemes that compel people to work unpaid. 850,000 people are expected to be referred to the Work Programme, which can include six months of workfare, by the end of this year alone. Another 24,000 people have already been placed on Mandatory Work Activity, and the Community Action Programme criminalises the unemployed by sentencing them to six months of unpaid community service. It is not at all clear whether today’s news affects the Work Experience component of the Sector Based Work Academies, a fifth mandatory scheme.
“Importantly, today DWP also reported that they would expect people on ESA – a benefit for sick and disabled people – to begin on the Work Programme within 3 months. People placed in the “Work Related Assessment Group” by ATOS can face unlimited workfare placements.
“Most people have two problems with workfare: that it is forced and that it is unpaid. There is evidence that workfare replaces paid work and no evidence that workfare schemes have created a single new job. The companies who continue involvement with the government’s schemes can afford to pay the people doing the work but they choose not to.
“In fact, businesses should beware that legally they may owe jobseekers working in their stores the minimum wage. Until the last week’s cover-up, the government advice for Work Programme providers stated: “Where you are providing support for JSA participants, which is work experience you must mandate participants to this activity. This is to avoid the National Minimum Wage Regulations, which will apply if JSA participants are not mandated.” (See the chapter 3, point 14 of the guidance before and after.)
“The government is clearly under pressure: in the last two weeks, thousands of people have taken action to end forced unpaid work in the UK and the campaign continues to gather momentum. Workfare affects all of us: it is replacing paid work and undermining the minimum wage. That is why this issue will not go away.
“Thirty actions against workfare are taking place across the UK on Saturday 3rd March. Asda, Barnardos, British Heart Foundation, Holiday Inn, Pizza Hut, Savers and Wilkinsons are companies using workfare through the Work Programme. There are hundreds of others. Take action with us!”
And for all the crowded development along our South Coast conurbation, at least they can’t build on the water.
Or can they?
Plans are now well underway for a massive 195-turbine wind farm off the coast, stretching all the way from here to Seaford in East Sussex.
The public consultation which starts this month is pretty much a box-ticking exercise before the rubber stamp is briskly applied to the E.On scheme.
It may be unlikely that environmentalists will be up in arms against the Rampion project (Ahhh… how sweet! They even named it over Sussex’s county flower!).
It’s obviously preferable to another coal-fuelled power station or, heaven forbid, a nuclear plant and seems a relatively benign way to generate energy.
Bt there will be environmental impacts – not least on the sea bed, sealife and the birds that fall foul (or fowl?) of hundreds of massive rotating blades.
And it does raise again the question of what exactly we need all this increasing amount of electricty for.
For powering factories that make things nobody really needs? For shops that sell people things they don’t really want? For trains to take people to work in places like that so they can earn enough money to buy the useless stuff that’s produced? For all the infrastructure and service industry that keeps the insane clockwork turning as we tick towards the inevitable hour of environmental oblivion?
When are we, collectively, going to have the courage to declare that enough is enough?
*The Worthing ‘consultation’ exercise is on Saturday February 25, 10am to 6pm at the St Paul’s centre in Chapel Road.
http://www.eon-uk.com/generation/rampion.aspx
Prime Minister announces new initiative to mend broken Britain!
by Tim Hart 2nd February 2012
At a packed Prime Minister’s Questions (PMQ’s) yesterday (Wednesday) Mr Cameron announced that he was dispensing with: “political correctness to launch a wake-up call to those anti-social elements in our society.”
Mr Cameron paused at this point and said with a wry smile: “it is not often that I get the opportunity to thank a member of the Labour Opposition for being the inspiration behind a new aspect of government policy.”
He went on to pay tribute to the Rt. Hon. David Lammy, the Labour MP for Tottenham, whose constituency was one of the focal points for last summer’s riots in London.
He praised Mr Lammy for his courage when, in a speech last week, he blamed the street riots on the inability of parents to legally smack their children. To cheers from the Tory benches, the Prime Minister invited Mr Lammy to stand up and acknowledge the gratitude of the House. Instead Mr Lammy glanced down at his papers and shuffled awkwardly in his seat.
Tory MPs continued to jibe and heckle Mr Lammy, urging him to: ‘to get up and take a bow.’
Noting Mr Lammy’s reticence, Mr Cameron went on to explain the details of the government’s initiative. He said that there would be an emergency Bill introduced into parliament next week entitled: ‘The Smacking and Social Regeneration Bill.’ He explained that the Bill will have a number of key provisions which are intended to: “mend broken Britain” starting with the reintroduction of the right of parents to smack their children.
Mr Cameron exuberantly proclaimed that: “this will not only sweep away the fear of further riots on our streets, it will also encourage a lot more of those lazy little blighters to get out of bed in the morning and go and find a job.”
In addition to re-establishing the rights of parents to smack their children, Mr Cameron unveiled additional new smacking measures including: the right of teachers to smack their students and the right of employers to smack their workers.
As Mr Cameron unfolded these controversial proposals the noise in the House of Commons built into a crescendo, with cheers and shouts of: ‘hear hear!’ from the Tory benches and jeers from the Labour side. The Liberal Democrats sat in stunned silence, caught by surprise at the Prime Minister’s announcement; the initiative apparently having been hatched over the weekend at an impromptu meeting of COBRA, the Cabinet’s Emergency Planning Committee.
Mr Cameron, egged on by his colleagues, and sensing that he had the Labour opposition on the ropes, waded in with jibes at Mr Miliband, who by this time was sitting with his head in his hands being consoled by his Shadow Chancellor, Ed Balls. To raucous laughter Mr Cameron invited Mr Miliband and his colleagues to: “come and join the government and we can make it a threesome!” and then with a contemptuous sneer: “after all, there is hardly a cigarette paper between the Labour Party’s policies and good old Conservative values.”
The roar from the Tory backbenchers was by this time deafening and the Speaker of the House, John Bercow, rose to his feet, in an effort to be heard; threatening to abandon the sitting unless: “Honorary Members calmed themselves.”
As the noise subsided a little, Mr Cameron took a further swipe at Mr Miliband, suggesting that: “we could form a Government of National Unity.” Adding: “I’m sure our Liberal Democrat colleagues will make room for you on this side of the House;” gesturing with his hand for the Liberal Democrat MPs to move over.
Mr Cameron then handed over to the Home Secretary, Theresa May, who outlined specific measures in relation to the police which will be contained in the Smacking Bill. These will include specially trained officers in the Met. Police’s Territorial Support Group (TSG) - and equivalent units in other police forces around the country – who will be permitted to smack demonstrators and, as Theresa May put it: “any other errant members of the public who might benefit from a little corporal punishment.”
In response to a question from Ann Clywed, Labour MP and veteran human rights campaigner, about the circumstances in which the police will administer such smacks, Theresa May said that it would be at the discretion of the individual police officer to: “use his or her common sense and, in normal circumstances, it will entail several slaps with the palm of the hand.”
She went on to explain an exception, in that when the police are deployed to deal with public disturbances, a special device will be issued to each of the Met’s. 700 TSG officers - and to similar riot control units in other police forces - which the police have dubbed; ‘The Slap-happy-Stick.’ This will comprise a yellow flexible plastic moulded arm with over-sized hand.
Theresa May disclosed that this was the idea of the Metropolitan Police Commissioner, Bernard Hogan-Howe, who thought that this rather comic item would help diffuse the tensions between the police and the demonstrators and give the events – demonstrations, rallies, and riots etc. - a more carnival atmosphere.
Then, adopting a rather more sombre tone, the Home Secretary said that in special circumstances, where there is a serious risk of public disorder, the TSG Commander is authorised to issue an electric Slap-happy-Stick to his officers, which will be battery operated and able to deliver a charge of 50,000 volts, similar to a high powered taser gun.
Theresa May revealed that 4,000 taser style Slap-happy Sticks have been ordered, adding to the existing 10,000 taser guns currently stocked by police forces; which were issued in 2009 under the authority of Jacquie Smith, the then Labour Home Secretary.
At this point a backbench Labour MP intervened, stating that a friend of his in the Metropolitan Police had told him that a chart had already been stapled to the wall of the TSG staff room at Scotland Yard, depicting a graph measuring height in feet and inches, with small flags stuck at various positions on it.
The flags are apparently bets placed by TSG officers predicting how high a demonstrator will jump when the taser style Slap-happy Sticks become operational. Theresa May dismissed this story as: “highly implausible” stating that: “I have every confidence in the professionalism of the Metropolitan Police to deploy the taser style Slap-happy Sticks with appropriate restraint and with due regard to public safety.”
To support her assertion of the care to be exercised, she explained that police officers will be instructed not to use the taser style Slap-happy Sticks when demonstrators are standing within ten feet of the public highway in order to avoid ‘collisions’ with moving traffic.
Mr Cameron then stood up and implored Honourable Members to be patient, following a number of attempted interventions from the Labour Benches. The Prime Minister indicated that: “there is just one final part of the smacking policy to convey to the House, which affects the conduct of Members of Parliament.”
Mr Cameron explained, citing by way of example the MPs rowdy behaviour of the day, that the public’s respect for parliament was being eroded by the unruly conduct of some MPs: “therefore, following discussions with the Speaker, from next Monday it has been decided that the Speaker will have the authority to smack unruly MPs, if they persistently refuse to conform to expected standards of behaviour.”
Adding that: “it is only fair and right that MPs are subject to the same smacking regime as that which is applied to ordinary members of the public.” At this juncture John Bercow, Speaker of the House, reached under his chair, pulled out a Slap-happy Stick and enthusiastically waved it in the air; making the rather impudent remark: “I don’t think it is one of the taser style sticks, but I’ll leave Honourable Members guessing on that one!”
At this point the veteran Labour MP, Dennis Skinner, chirped up expressing his view that smacking, contrary to acting as a deterrent, would prove to be an enjoyable experience for some MPs on the government benches and thus encourage unruly behaviour.
Mr Skinner was presumably referring to the penchant for sado-masochism of Tory MPs in the past. Notorious cases have occurred under previous Conservative Governments, include that of Tory MP Harvey Proctor - when he was accused of spanking under-age male prostitutes and later pleaded guilty to gross indecency - and the former Tory MP for Eastleigh, Stephen Milligan - who was found dead in his flat in a state of autoerotic asphyxiation, his body bound and dressed in women’s clothes with an orange in his mouth.
Mr Cameron was overheard muttering into the ear of the Chancellor, George Osborne: “I wouldn’t mind subjecting Skinner to a bit of S & M one of these days.” Mr Skinner delivered a final broadside by yelling: “I bet all you old Etonians will love it!” as he provocatively turned around and slapped himself on the backside.
Mr Miliband belatedly joined in the fray by denouncing the proposals as “barbaric” and “and contrary to European Law.” Mr Cameron responded: “if you are referring to that wayward institution, the European Court of Human Rights, (ECtHR) let me assure you there is no need to worry. We have that little matter covered.”
Mr Cameron went on to confirm the Coalition Government’s intention, during the UK’s current chairmanship of the Council of Europe (the body overseeing the ECtHR) to drastically reform the Court so that it stops operating: “like a small claims court, wasting its time on trivial cases like corporal punishment and torture.” Adding indignantly: “if we jolly well want to re-introduce corporal punishment, who are those Namby Pamby busy bodies in Europe to tell us any different!”
The Speaker of the House, John Bercow, drew the session to a close by saying: “I look forward to conducting proceedings, under the new regime, in a much more orderly and disciplined House than has hitherto been the case.” Adding: “I may well find it advantageous to introduce smacking to the Bercow household to deter my spouse from engaging in any more of her embarrassing publicity antics.”
by Tim Hart 26th January 2012
This afternoon (Thursday) the employment minister, Chris Grayling called a press conference to announce that the Work Programme was, in his words: “on track” and: “going like an express train.”
Also in attendance was Nick Buckles, CEO of G4S, the global security company with 625,000 staff around the world. G4S is one of the contractors for the Work Programme in several regions of the UK; including Sussex, Surrey and Kent. Completing the panel was Tony Collins, CEO of Virgin Trains.
The meeting was held in the conference hall of the corporate head office of G4S in Crawley, West Sussex. From the ceiling were draped large twirling yellow banners with the corporate slogan: ‘SECURING YOUR WORLD’ printed in red on them. The banners were encouraged to spin by huge electric fans mounted on the back wall of the room.
Before the meeting got underway one reporter asked that the fans be switched off because the banners were spinning at such a rate he was worried that they might trigger an epileptic fit.
Mr Buckles, of G4S, begrudgingly gestured to one of his staff, standing at the back of the room, to switch off the power to the fans. A novel part of the proceedings was the deployment of some 200 G4S security guards who stood encircling the room with their backs pressed against the wall.
The guards were dressed in yellow florescent jackets and wore helmets with visors snapped down over their faces and large pink badges pinned to their lapels with the words: ‘HERE TO HELP’ written across them.
Mr Buckles opened the meeting by welcoming those in attendance. He took the opportunity to explain that the guards were not in attendance in a security role, but instead were on hand to direct guests to the toilet facilities and to serve the tea and coffee.
Despite Mr Buckles’ assurances the presence of the security guards had an unsettling effect on the assembled press and media and led one reporter to remark that it felt like they were being ‘kettled.’ Mr Buckles, after completing the formalities of introductions, handed over to the employment minister, Chris Grayling.
Mr Grayling began by outlining the extent of the problem of unemployment. He said that the UK currently has five million people of working age receiving out-of work benefits: “this is far too many and we intend to use the Work Programme (which will involve compulsory unpaid work experience for unemployed people under the threat of loss of benefits ) to drastically reduce the numbers by getting these people into jobs.”
When a young reporter, sitting in the front row, pointed out that research into similar schemes in Canada, the United States and Australia had found no evidence that unpaid work experience leads to paid employment, Mr Grayling dismissed the research as being: “flimsy and insubstantial”.
When the reporter commented that the research had been commissioned by Mr Grayling’s own department, the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP), he retorted rather perversely: ”that proves my point!”
The young reporter, exasperated by Mr Grayling’s dismissive response, waded in with another gratuitous remark: “the Work Programme is merely providing free labour for employers and displacing paid jobs and paid overtime.”
Mr Grayling snapped defiantly at the reporter: “Exactly! Improving profitability of our companies makes perfect economic sense; except, that is, to economic illiterates like you!”
The reporter became even more animated following this insult and demanded that the DWP release the statistics on the Work Programme so that people could judge for themselves.
This was a reference to the refusal of the DWP to respond to a recent Freedom of Information (FOI) request; citing section 22 of the FOI Act which exempts from disclosure ‘information intended for future publication’.
Mr Grayling said that the statistics will be made available to the public: “when the time is right.” The young reporter continued to bait Mr Grayling, quoting a National Audit Report (NAO) which said that there was a: ‘significant risk that ministers’ assumptions about the numbers who can be found jobs may be over-optimistic.’
Mr Grayling replied that: “the NAO were simply plucking figures out of thin air.” The reporter responded mockingly by asking: “how is that different from what the government is doing?”
Before Mr Grayling could come up with a reply, the reporter delivered another broadside shouting: “the Work Programme is nothing more than forced labour!” Mr Grayling, clearly having had enough of this provocative line of questioning, snapped back: “a bit of forced labour never hurt anyone!”
He then glanced nervously over to Mr Buckles of G4S who quickly came to the rescue and suggested to the young reporter that he was in need of some fresh air, at which point two security guards, one on each arm, led the young man from the room whilst he continued to yell out: “what about the Soviet Gulags? What about the Nazi Concentration camps? What about Mao’s Cultural Revolution? what about Pol Pot’s Killing Fields in Cambodia?
The reporter’s voice drifted into the distance, as he was wrestled down the stairs and out of the building. The Employment Minister quickly resumed his composure and handed over to Mr Buckles.
Mr Buckles explained that his company’s involvement in the Work Programme is that of a ‘primary contractor.’ G4S does not undertake any of the work itself, but rather sub-contracts it to what Mr Buckles rather pompously termed: ‘Job Brokers,’ Knowledge Bank Providers, and In-Work Partners.’
Mr Buckles explained that their Work Programme contract was separate to the slice of the £200 million government money that his company has received to help the ‘most troubled families’ in Greater Manchester, Cheshire and Warrington.
When he was asked what relevant experience G4S had in this aspect of social provision, Mr Buckles replied rather immodestly: “our company has been proud to deliver services in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Israel providing security and combating terrorism. In the process we have dealt with many violent and disabled people (disabled as a consequence of the fighting and bombing.) This experience equips us perfectly to deal with ‘troubled families’ in Manchester and disabled people in Sussex.”
Adding: “as a global security company our involvement in the Work Programme is a natural extension of our corporate mission of: caring for the community.” Asked to comment on rumours that G4S was in talks with the American based bank, Goldman Sachs, about packaging the details of groups of disabled people, that had been placed into work, into a financial derivative which could then be traded to hedge against the risk of the individuals losing their jobs in the future (G4S are paid a ‘sustainment bonus’ of up to £13,700 for each person that maintains a job for 2 years) Mr Buckles said that the rumours were: “ludicrous.” He then paused briefly to scribble a note on the pad in front of him before handing over to Mr Collins, CEO of Virgin Trains.
Mr Collins said that Virgin Trains had successfully launched their Work Programme earlier this morning (Thursday) on Euston station. He described it as a modest scheme involving 50 young disabled people.
Mr Collins said that: “not only would the young people be provided with free work experience and free training they would also be providing a vital contribution to improving the punctuality of Virgin trains.”
Although Mr Collins did not refer to it, he presumably had in mind a report out this week - produced by Network Rail - showing that Virgin Trains were the worst performing train operator over the Christmas period, with only 80.6% of trains running on time; although this was an improvement on the same period last year, when only 65.1% of Virgin trains ran on time. Mr Collins, for the benefit of those who had not attended the launch at Euston earlier in the day, went on to give details of the event saying that: “if the trial is successful it will be rolled out at station stops along all Virgin Train routes, under the title: ‘Employing disabled people – a step towards better train punctuality.”
Mr Collins went on to explain the details of the scheme, beginning with the rather cryptic comment that: “busy commuters, arriving at Euston this morning on Virgin trains, will have been surprised to find a rather softer dismount from their train than normal.” The scheme has involved selecting 50 disabled youngsters, many wheelchair-bound.
Following induction and training, the young people were made ready for their first operational trial today at Euston. This involved positioning the young people along the platform at intervals, adjacent to where the doors of the train would open on arrival.
The logistics of the operation had apparently been particularly challenging due to the variability of the gap between the platform and the train. This meant that the gap at each stage along the platform had to be calculated and a disabled person carefully selected with the correct waist and chest measurements, so that each one fitted snugly into the gap between the train and the platform.
As the train pulled into the station the disabled people were helped from their wheelchairs as necessary and, lying prostrate on the ground, were rolled into position by specially trained platform staff; so that they were wedged between the platform edge and the base of the train.
In tests the provision of this ‘additional step’ had been found to improve the speed of disembarkation of passengers by up to 20%; the rate of disembarkation being a major factor in the determination of train punctuality; especially during busy commuter periods.
Conscious of some of the rather bemused expressions on the faces of the people in the room, Mr Collins assured the audience that: “the safety of the young disabled people was of utmost importance.”
Adding that: “specially adapted body armour, similar to that developed by the MOD for use by troops in Afghanistan, was provided and full training given to the young people to help avoid the risk of injury; plus a member of St John’s Ambulance will be on duty at every station in the event of first aid needing to be administered.”
A comment from a reporter that this was just exploitation, drew a quick rebuff from Mr Collins: “on the contrary this is an innovative scheme to equip young people with the skills and experience they need for the workplace. It gives them a reason to get up in the morning, it provides self-discipline and a ‘feel-good factor’ knowing that they are contributing to society and there is a high likelihood that they will get permanent jobs at the end of it. It also increases their pain tolerance; a useful attribute in any job.”
Mr Collins denied that the young people would be working for no reward. He explained that they are permitted to accept tips from grateful passengers and, if under £10 per week, the DWP has agreed that this will not affect their incapacity benefit; although the HMRC have said that such gratuities are taxable and warned that teams of tax inspectors will carry out random inspections at train stations to ensure that there is no abuse of the tax rules.
Mr Collins then handed back to Mr Grayling to round off proceedings. He began by reading a very long list of well known companies involved in the Work Programme, as their names rolled by on a large screen behind him, accompanied by what some felt was a rather bizarre choice of music, the Beatles classic: ‘We all live in a yellow submarine.’
One reporter thought the music might be intended to complement the conditions in the conference hall. With the sunlight streaming into the room - bouncing off the yellow jackets of the security guards and the twirling yellow banners - the reporter said that it felt like tripping out on LSD.
Mr Grayling went on to cite a few examples of the smaller schemes to: “encourage more small businesses to get involved.” He mentioned that the Prince’s Trust was taking on ten young people under the scheme.
The young reporter, who had earlier disrupted the meeting and who had crept back into the room unnoticed, shouted: “to brush the Prince Charles’ teeth presumably!”
Mr Grayling replied dismissively: “not that old wife’s tale!” Mr Grayling went on to explain that the majority of the Prince’s Trust placements will be for gardening experience at Clarence House and at the Highgrove Estate, but two individuals are to be attached to the personal valet team of the Prince to assist with his morning ablutions, including running his bath.
The young reporter, who by this time had once again been grabbed by a couple of burly security guards and was being wrestled towards the exit, shouted: “what sort of skills training is that?”
Mr Grayling, seeing that the reporter was being wrestled down the stairs, resumed a more composed and confident demeanour, explaining that there was a considerable amount of training required to attend to the Prince during his morning bath, including being a proficient swimmer and a qualified life saver, adding: “the Prince has a rather large bath.”
Finally Mr Grayling described enthusiastically a small scheme that is being run by the House of Commons, at the behest of the President of the Liberal Democrats, Mr Tim Farron.
This involves five young people, who are interested in going on to become speech therapists, gathering together Liberal Democrat MPs into a corner of the House of Commons tea room on Friday mornings to help them to practice repeating the words: ‘We are all Liberal Democrats!’ We are all Liberal Democrats! We are all Liberal Democrats!’
Mr Farron explained, via a written statement issued later in the day, the rationale for the scheme: “not only will this provide useful experience for the budding speech therapists, but it will help to improve the elocution of the MPs concerned and, hopefully, it will also re-establish their sense of identity, which they seem to have lost since joining the Coalition Government.
Mr Grayling ended the meeting by thanking everyone for attending and apologised for the disruption caused by what he described as: “the rogue reporter.”
But what it is, exactly? What were its origins? What sets it apart from other ideas? How does it manifest itself in current society? What is its future? Why should we pay attention to it?
There will be a chance to hear some answers, and ask questions of your own when a local anarchist speaks at Worthing Alliance’s meeting this Thursday January 26, 8pm at the Beechwood Hall Hotel in Wykeham Road, Worthing (the continuation of Richmond Road and Mill Road). Plus the usual announcements and updates from various campaigns.
A public meeting has been arranged for Thursday February 2, to which Tory Tim and local health representatives have been invited.
Say the campaigners: “We still feel that the Harness Block should be continued for use as community beds and services and not let to rot away until they decide to demolish and sell off.
“Let us put our ideas and tell them what we think of the present system of care in the community is like......NOT FIT FOR PURPOSE.
“Not everyone can be nursed in their own homes under the present system and we need good community beds also respite care and Southlands Harness block should be used.
“Patients do not want to be sent the other side of the county or put into nursing homes at huge expense to the families.
“Once the inpatient beds have gone from Southlands we will never get them back !!!!”
Public Meeting to Stop the Closure of Inpatients’ Beds at Southlands Thursday 2nd Feb. 2012
7pm
Shoreham Community Centre
Pond Road
Shoreham by Sea
WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT!
WE NEED TO KEEP THE BEDS!
The damning contents of a members-only bulletin were this week leaked to local paper the West Sussex County Times.
What starts off as a factual account of a November 30 public sector unions protest outside the party’s Horsham offices suddenly veers off into a fascistic flight of fantasy worthy of the great Jeremy Clarkson himself.
Says the Tory newsletter: “Gough House was besieged by angry demonstrators from the public service unions back in November.
“About 200 people stood in the car park at Gough House and made a great deal of noise for about fifteen minutes.
“The Agent accepted a series of questions from the demonstrators to pass to The Rt Hon Francis Maude MP.
“Luckily Gough House staff managed to fight ’em off with tasers, water cannon and baseball bats.”
A Tory spokesman said it was ‘nonsense’ to take offence at the comments which were an example of ‘ironic humour’.
Ha porkin’ ha.
Save Our Sussex Alliance, which brings together a raft of local action groups from across the county, is staging the latest in a series of protests outside Conservative Party offices.
Green MEP KeithTaylor will be guest speaker outside Brighton & Hove Conservative Party HQ,
109 Church Road, Hove, BN3 2AF. Gather 1.30pm for 2pm.
http://www.saveoursussex.com/Save_Our_Sussex_Alliance/Get_Involved.html
The event, from 7.30pm at the Subud Centre, 26a Station Street, is described as “a film, talk and opportunity to discuss the proposed fracking in Balcombe, West Sussex and why we should all be concerned with seeing it stopped”.
The proposed drilling presents huge environmental risks in both the immediate area and potentially further afield and carries implications of further drilling across the region if it goes unchallenged.
Say campaigners: “The process has caused widespread pollution and even earthquakes in areas where it has already been deployed. Please join us to help discuss the situation and how we might choose to respond.”
https://www.facebook.com/events/145159038932924/
by Tim Hart 20th January 2012
AFTER earlier denials from Downing Street, Mr Cameron was forced to admit, during Prime Minister’s Questions (PMQ’s) on Wednesday that the intelligence quotient (IQ) test scores of Cabinet members, posted to a number of Wikileaks websites late on Tuesday night, were genuine.
The Prime Minister described the publication of the IQ test scores as a: “highly provocative” and “an irresponsible act of spite,” adding: “if that Antipodean albino Pygmy thinks that this is going to help prevent his extradition he has got another think coming!”
Later in the day, following a complaint from the High Commissioner of Papua New Guinea that the comments were an unwarranted racist slur, Downing Street issued an apology, stating that the Prime Minister had not intended to denigrate Pygmies for whom he had the greatest respect and affection; adding that some of his best friends were Pygmies.
At one point, when the Leader of the Opposition Ed Miliband, suggested that the test results revealed that: “the average intelligence of members of the Coalition Cabinet is similar to that of a chimpanzee,” Mr Cameron flew into an uncharacteristic rage.
His face went bright red as he reacted angrily, demanding that the Shadow Cabinet undertake the test and taunting Mr Miliband with the gibe that: “your Motley crew would be lucky to reach a score anywhere near that of a chimpanzee!” adding: “come on, let’s have your lot take the IQ test and see how they do.!”
Mr Miliband declined to respond to the bait. Repeated attempts by a number of reporters to interview Julian Assange, the Wikileaks founder, about the disclosures failed, although later his representative issued a statement which condemned the Prime Minister for bandying around personal insults and asserted that the public had a right to know the extent to which members of their elected government were ‘intellectually challenged.’
In the statement Mr Assange drew attention to Mr Cameron’s reference to the extradition proceedings - the appeal against which is due to be heard in the Supreme Court on the 1st and 2nd February 2012 – stating that: ‘It is clear that, as far as the Prime Minister is concerned, his mind has already been made up.’
Following a severe reprimand from the Speaker of the House - for his remark about Cabinet members having the IQ of Chimpanzees - Mr Miliband issued a statement in defence of his comment which explained that it was not simply a gratuitous remark, but was a statement of fact.
The remainder of the statement went on to quote, in some detail, various academic research which demonstrated that the IQ of chimpanzees was between 75 and 80, a score that would be considered retarded for the average human being at some 20 points lower than the average of 100.
The average IQ of the Cabinet, as revealed by the Wikileaks disclosures, was 78. The statement made special mention of Koko; a female gorilla which has lived at the Gorilla Foundation in San Francisco for the past 26 years and who has learnt 2000 English words, has exhibited its own art work, has its own personal computer - specially adapted and donated by the Apple Corporation - and regularly participates in on line chat rooms using a combination of sign language (translated by her trainer) and keyboard impressions. Koko has an IQ of 95 which, as Mr Miliband’s pointed out in his statement, was higher than any of the test scores of the Cabinet members and only 3 points lower than that of the Prime Minister, whose score was 98.
In a day when Government press statements were appearing like confetti, the Cabinet Office issued its own briefing to explain the origin and context of the IQ tests. The Cabinet Office confirmed that the IQ tests scores were genuine, but claimed that they were inaccurate having been severely deflated by cultural bias due to the administrator of the tests being from Manchester.
Apparently the idea for the IQ tests had come from the then Head of the Civil Service, Sir Gus O’Donnell, in May 2010 on the eve of the formation of the Coalition Government. Sir Gus proposed that, rather than appoint the Cabinet on the usual ‘grace and favour’ basis it might be better to use a more objective selection criteria. Mr Cameron agreed and commissioned SHL, the leading psychometric testing agency in the UK, to undertake the work. Mr Cameron sat the tests himself in order to encourage his colleagues to willingly participate. When Sir Gus received the results he realised that they were a ‘hot potato’ and immediately ordered all copies of the data to be destroyed. SHL complied with the instruction, but apparently overlooked the fact that an encrypted copy of the test scores was held on their Central Administration Department’s computer server.
A 16 year schoolgirl from Hackney Community College, on work experience in the administration department of SHL, had apparently managed to hack into the server, discovered the test scores, and decrypted them using software she had downloaded from the internet. Exactly how the scores made their way on to the Wikileaks websites is still unknown. When Sir Gus was asked to comment on the furore created by the publication of the test results he quickly came to the defence of the government saying that: “in my 40 years in the Civil Service I have served under much worse governments;” adding, rather mischievously: “in my view the present Coalition Cabinet are carrying on a long tradition in British politics by engaging half-wits, dim-wits and nincompoops in senior positions of government.”
Gus O’Donnell’s uncharacteristically flippant remark was put down to the fact that he is ‘demob happy’ after his recent retirement from the Head of the Civil Service and his elevation to the House of Lords.
The Director of Public Prosecutions is considering whether to bring charges against the schoolgirl; who has not been named for legal reasons. An added legal complication is the fact that the software, which the schoolgirl used to decrypt the test scores, was pirated from a US based website and the copyright owner has asked the US authorities to request that the girl be extradited to the United States to stand trial for breach of copyright where, if convicted, she could face up to 10 years in prison.
In an effort to head off the extradition request the Foreign Office issued a statement saying that: ‘the UK Government hoped that the United States would not invoke the provisions of the extradition treaty in this case.’ The treaty allows for any UK citizen to be extradited to face trial in the United States on suspicion of having committing an offence; without the need to be charged or for evidence of the suspected offence to be produced.
Coincidentally a debate in parliament is to be held this evening (Friday) about the controversial extradition treaty, following the recent case of a student from Sheffield Hallam University, who is to be extradited to the US to face trial for copyright breach for posting links to copyrighted material on a website that he operated when he was a teenager.
In an article by the US ambassador, Louis Susman – published in the Daily Telegraph this morning and presumably designed to head off any criticism of the extradition arrangements in the parliamentary debate - the US ambassador described the treaty as: ‘fair and balanced.’
It appears however that the pleas from the Foreign Office will go unheeded. The United States seems in no mood to compromise over the schoolgirl’s case. When asked about the extradition request, a US State Department spokesman said of the 16 year old girl: “if she is old enough to have sex, she is old enough to do time for industrial espionage and terrorism.” When challenged to justify the term ‘terrorism’ to describe the actions of the girl, the spokesman said that: “publishing the IQ tests of members of government was a grave breach of national security and a perfect recruiting tool for terrorists.”
Adding: “God knows what would have happened if these IQ scores had been published on our Senators here in the States!”
In a thinly veiled threat, the spokesman ended by indicating that if the UK did not honour its commitments under the extradition treaty, the US military would: “come in and take her.”
This last comment being a reference to the National Defense Authorisation Act, passed into law by President Obama before Christmas, which allows the rendition of any person in any country in the world into US military custody for an indefinite period if suspected of terrorism, without the need for charge, evidence, or a trial.
Not only did the publication of the IQ test results create significant political and diplomatic fall-out, but it has also had repercussions in the personal life of at least two Cabinet members.
The wife of Mr Gove, the Education Secretary, has announced that she intends to commence divorce proceedings for breach of trust. Apparently in a pre-nuptial agreement Mr Gove stated that he had been a long-standing member of MENSA. To gain membership of MENSA a person has to achieve an IQ score in the top 2% of the UK population – around 145 or above. The test results indicate that Mr Gove scored 83.
Mrs Gove responded angrily to the suggestion that she had been rather gullible to have believed Mr Gove’s MENSA credentials given his track record – citing by way of a recent example his proposal - in a letter sent to the Culture Secretary, Jeremy Hunt this week - that the hard-pressed British public should gift a new Royal Yacht to the Queen at a price tag of £60 million for her Diamond Jubilee later this year.
A reporter asked about rumours circulating of another letter that Mr Gove had drafted to Vince Cable, the Business Secretary - suggesting that the public gift a new yacht to Fred Goodwin, the former CEO of Royal Bank Scotland (his yacht is still in service but is apparently several years old) as a gesture to make amends for the brow-bashing the bankers have suffered in recent years and in view of the announcement that the Honours Forfeiture Committee are considering removing his Knighthood. Mrs Gove said that she knew nothing about such a letter.
The Prime Minister has acted swiftly to dismiss Mr Gove’s suggestion of a new yacht for the Queen. However, the Culture Secretary was understood to be more sympathetic to the proposal.
A source close to Mr Hunt claimed that when he read the letter he had remarked that: “if the public are gullible enough to buy lottery tickets to fund the Olympics to the tune of over £2 billion it seems to me that they would not even notice if we skimmed off another £60 million or so for a new Royal Yacht.” Another Cabinet member in the firing line from his spouse was the Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne. Mrs Osborne, in a provocative move, posed for press photographers with a photo, which she said was hung in the hall of No. 11 Downing Street, which showed Mr Osborne receiving a certificate from the chairman of MENSA with a caption at the bottom saying: “congratulations upon having an IQ of 148.”
The leaked documents show that Mr Osborne has an IQ of 89. The chairman of MENSA has denied ever meeting Mr Osborne and said that the organisation has no record of Mr Osborne having been a member.
During a news conference held to discuss the Euro crisis one reporter from the back of the room yelled out to Mr Osborne: “have you taken any numeracy tests lately.” The reporter was quickly escorted away by two security men and the news conference ended soon afterwards.
Tim Hart
Well, the bad news is that we have got some of these nutters right here in Worthing!
Pro-Choice activists in Brighton, where the fundamentalists have been staging protests, are already on the case and organising to oppose the bible-bashing reactionaries.
Obviously it would be good if people here in Worthing also wanted to get involved!
The Jubilee Community Church is actually based at The Gateway Centre, Unit S, Dominion Way, East Worthing Industrial Estate, Worthing BN14 8NW.
But for some reason it is allowed to hold its weekly Sunday services and other meetings at Worthing High School in South Farm Road. http://www.jubilee-church.co.uk/
The protests at a Brighton abortion clinic have involved intimdating women visiting the premises.
Brighton Pro Choice is holding an open meeting to discuss the situation with regard to the Jubilee Church and there will be a wider discussion about reproductive freedoms as they stand in the UK.
This is from 6pm to 9pm on Monday January 30 at The Cowley Club at 12 London Road, Brighton.
If anyone in Worthing wants to help organise locally, please get in touch via porkbolter@eco-action.org
Save Our Sussex Alliance, which brings together a raft of local action groups from across the county, is staging the latest in a series of protests outside Conservative Party offices later this month.
This one is just a short train or bus trip down the road from Worthing, in Hove, and we urge you to get along there and support it –and spread the word to other people in the area.
Saturday 28 January 2012 @ 2pm outside Brighton & Hove Conservative Party HQ, 109 Church Road, Hove, BN3 2AF with guest speaker Keith Taylor, Green MEP for South East England. http://www.saveoursussex.com/Save_Our_Sussex_Alliance/Get_Involved.html
300 people – including 100 standing – packed Balcombe’s Victory hall to hear the Cuadrilla CEO expound on the company’s controversial Hydraulic Fracturing technique, scheduled to take place a mile from the village.
Miller, a US citizen, struggled to finish his presentation amid catcalls of ‘get out’ and ‘stay away from here’ broke out through the audience.
Chairman Charles Metcalfe repeatedly asked for calm, but an increasingly angry crowd continually interrupted in an emotional meeting unheard of in the quiet Sussex village. Mr Miller – attempting to explain the company’s track record of causing earthquakes in Lancashire – struggled to make himself heard as questions and derision were thrown thick and fast.
Balcombe is scheduled to be Cuadrilla’s first fracking site outside Lancashire. The company received planning permission in June 2010, and planning documents reveal the company intends to frack at this test borehole. The fracking depth is 2660 feet – 6000 feet shallower than in Lancashire.
The breadth of Balcombe’s interests was also revealed – a risk insurer asked why Cuadrilla had not performed risk assessment prior to drilling. A geologist pointed out that Cuadrilla’s own documents show potential leaks of fracking fluid coming within 400 feet of the surface at the Balcombe site.
Also present for Cuadrilla was Nick Sutcliffe, representing Cuadrilla’s lobbying firm, PPS Group. Sutcliffe is a Guildford District Councillor, and has facilitated Cuadrilla’s planning applications – much to the disgust of the audience present.
West Sussex County Council and Balcombe Parish Council were not spared the meeting’s wrath. A WSCC councillor braved the audience to explain that procedures had been followed, while a Balcombe parish councillor explained: ‘we were asked about this two years ago. Who knew about hydraulic fracturing then?’.
http://frack-off.org.uk/caudrilla-boss-mauled-at-west-sussex-public-meeting/
http://frack-off.org.uk/bad-guys/
https://www.og.decc.gov.uk/information/bb_updates/maps/landfields_lics.pdf
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2012/jan/12/fracking-oil-west-sussex-caudrilla
http://www.schnews.org.uk/stories/NOT-IN-MY-FRACK-YARD/
It is being shown from 7pm to 9pm at the Quaker Meeting House, -rear building, 34 Mill Road, Worthing.
The film describes a world moving simultaneously in two opposing directions. On the one hand, government and big business continue to promote globalisation and the consolidation of corporate power.
At the same time, all around the world people are resisting those policies, demanding a re-regulation of trade and finance—and, far from the old institutions of power, they’re starting to forge a very different future. Communities are coming together to re-build more human scale, ecological economies based on a new paradigm – an economics of localisation.
Suggested donation £3.
http://transitiontownworthing.ning.com/events/film-the-economics-of-happiness
Also don't forget Green Drinks this Sunday, 15th January 2012, 7-10pm, at the Charles Dickens pub on Heene Road.
Come along for an informal get-together in warm, comfortable surroundings, to debate some of Worthing's most significant, engaging and controversial environmental and political topics...!
NOTE: If you are attending the screening of 'Economics of Happiness' on this evening, then feel free to pop along for a drink afterwards and share your thoughts on the film!
Now compare and contrast with the fate of celebrity chef Antony Worrall Thompson.
He was also caught stealing from a supermarket, Tesco, - but it was not just a one-off like Nicolas’ offence.
Staff at the store had reportedly spotted him taking stuff on five occasions in just over two weeks and set up a camera just to catch him at it.
Punishment? Let off with a caution and an apology via the media.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2012/jan/09/antony-worrall-thompson-sorry-shoplifting
One law for them…
http://www.schnews.org.uk/stories/HEAVY-WEATHER/
Meanwhile, American writer Derrick Jensen explains why industrial civilization must be dismantled: “This culture must be undone completely. That’s an absolute necessity. Humanity lived without industrialism for most of its existence. And industrialism is killing the planet. Humans cannot exist without the planet. The planet (and sustainable human existence) is more important than industrialism.”
http://deepgreenresistance.org/faq/tippingpoint/
Olympic Opening Ceremony to be revamped
by Tim Hart 13th January 2012
On Monday (8th January) the Prime Minister held the first Cabinet meeting of the New Year at the Olympic Park to mark the countdown of 200 days to the Opening Ceremony of the Games.
The meeting was held in the main swimming pool of the Aquatic Park. Members of the British Olympic Diving Team had kindly agreed to act as lifeguards for the day.
There was a short delay whilst Cabinet members got changed into their swimwear. They wore bright blue briefs embroidered with the purple Olympic motif (the logo designed by the advertising agency, Wollf Olins, at a price tag of £400,000) across the front and rear and, in the case of Theresa May the Home Secretary, a smaller discrete motif on each of the cups of her bikini top. Eric Pickles the Local Government and Communities Secretary was heard to remark that: “Theresa looks ravishing!” She did not return the compliment.
The Cabinet Members slipped into their rubber rings (which acted as a substitute for the standard life vest) and rather tentatively climbed into the swimming pool.
Michael Gove, the Education Secretary, was the last to enter the pool; pleading with the Prime Minister that he had always been afraid of the water since he was a child. Mr Cameron impatiently gestured to one of the Olympic Diving Team standing close by who then crept up behind Mr Gove and pushed him in. After surfacing Mr Gove scowled at the Prime Minister, before taking his place with the others around the inflatable Cabinet table which had been specially made for the occasion.
By means of harness straps each of the Cabinet members clipped themselves on to the metal rings built into the table. Despite being tied-in the Cabinet members tended to float around in their own limited volume of water; prompting one reporter to remark that it was like watching astronauts on a space walk.
In place of the usual meeting papers, laptops were suspended on wires so that Cabinet members could follow the agenda. On the back wall a huge television screen played a continual loop of the Olympic advert, with the sound muted. In a break with tradition, and in recognition of the special occasion, invited guests and selected members of the media were allowed to attend the meeting, but were not permitted to swim in the pool for security and hygiene reasons.
Instead members of the media stood at the deep end and the various dignitaries congregated at the shallow end. These included Lord Coe, chairman of the private limited company, LOCOG, the (London Organising Committee of the Olympic – and Paralympic – Games) and his Chief Executive Officer Paul Deighton. Also amongst the guests was General Sir David Richards, Chief of the Defence Staff.
Mr Cameron opened the meeting by saying that it had been decided to take a fresh look at plans for the Opening Ceremony in order to boost its revenue generating potential: “given that the British people are having to tighten their belts in the face of austerity in the coming years it is only right and proper that the Olympics pay its way like everybody else.” Adding his now familiar refrain: “We are all in this together.”
Mr Cameron said that he had discussed the new ideas with Danny Boyle; the film director tasked with designing the Opening Ceremony. Mr Boyle has directed such movies as ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ and the TV films: ‘Strumpet’ and ‘Vacuuming completely nude in Paradise’; the latter rumoured to have been adapted as an artistic feature for the Opening Ceremony.
Mr Cameron then handed over to the Olympics minister, Mr Hugh Robertson, who began by defending the decision to increase the Opening Ceremony budget from £41 million to £80 million; the whole of the increase to come out of public funds. He said that it would generate an additional £5 billion in advertising revenue. When questioned about how this revenue estimate had been arrived at, he admitted that he had done the calculations on the back of a cigarette packet whilst travelling in a taxi from Victoria Railway Station to Westminster.
With regard to the £271 million increase in the security budget to over £1000 million, (£1 billion) he confirmed that: “the increase is not in response to any new or specific security threat.” By way of excusing the fluctuating budget Mr Robertson said sardonically: “when I started being Olympics minister there was no Arab Spring. No one really knows whether that's going to have a beneficial or adverse effect on our security.” Adding “you may as well pluck a figure out of thin air and so that’s what I have done.”
Mr Robertson confirmed that the current cost, out of public funds, of staging the Olympic Games was estimated to be £9.3 billion (up from its original budget of £2.37 billion).
He explained that the commercial arm of the Olympics, in the form of the private limited company LOCOG, is planning to recoup its £2 billion costs from sponsorship - from companies such as British Airways, McDonalds and Coca-cola - and from TV and merchandising deals. Mr Robertson glanced over to Lord Coe for confirmation of this. Lord Coe returned a rather nervous smile and remained silent.
However Mr Deighton, CEO of LOCOG, was more forthcoming and exuberantly intervened in defence of the benefits of private sponsorship: “Sponsors use it (the Olympic Games) as a huge motivational tool for their workforces. People literally skip to work when they find out their employer has signed up to sponsor the games. The excitement would stagger you and it really translates itself into productivity improvements and people staying longer in the companies.” (Yes, apparently he really did say this!)
Mr Robertson confirmed that of the £9.3 billion, £6 billion had been provided by the general taxpayer, £1 billion from the Council Taxpayers of London and £2 billion from the National Lottery. He thanked everyone for their contribution in such difficult times; singling out for praise what he described as: “the millions of ordinary working people who loyally queue at lottery outlets throughout the land on a Wednesday and Saturday to generously hand over their hard earned cash to ensure the Olympics are a success.”
Mr Robertson then handed proceedings back to the Prime Minister. Mr Cameron began by thanking Danny Boyle for his work to date but said that: “we need to think out of the box in these challenging times to ensure that the country gains a lasting legacy from the Games.”
Mr Cameron went on to say that: “rather than being shy about the involvement of our armed forces in the Olympic Games we should use it to demonstrate that Britain is still a force to be reckoned with in the world and to show our enemies –such as North Korea, Iran, France and Germany - that Britain will not be pushed around. We should use the Olympics to showcase the best of our armed services!”
The Prime Minister went on to cite the provision of banking and financial services as the second area in which Britain excels and which is intended to feature prominently in the revised Opening Ceremony.
At this point Mr Cameron took the opportunity to introduce Mr Paul Deighton, CEO of LOCOG, and acknowledged Lord Coe’s ability to see ‘the bigger picture’ in his inspirational choice in appointing Mr Deighton in the face of considerable criticism.
One of the critics to whom the Prime Minister was presumably referring was the recruitment agency which was given the task of head-hunting for the position. When Mr Deighton, a senior partner in Goldman Sachs, put himself forward for the job, the head-hunter, charged with short-listing the candidates, allegedly told Mr Deighton that: ‘the last thing we need is some testosterone-crazed investment banker.’ Lord Coe immediately appointed Mr Deighton.
Mr Cameron said that he had already met with Mr Deighton, who had come up with a number of new and innovative derivative and hedge fund products - in conjunction with his former employers Goldman Sachs and Bank of America - for launch at the Games.
It was understood that our own Royal Bank of Scotland is also keen to become involved. Mr Cameron exclaimed: “the Olympic Games will be the backdrop for the biggest investment banking conference ever held!”
Mr Deighton said that he wanted to keep the details of the specific choreographed events for the Opening Ceremony under wraps, but did disclose that one artistic slot would involve a contingent of girl guides, drawn from groups in the Home Counties, covered in nothing but £50 notes and dancing to the tune: Money! Money! Money!
The Prime Minister went on to explain the benefits of the revised arrangements for the new Opening Ceremony: “by showcasing our two most important export generating industries, armaments and banking, we expect to gross an additional £300 billion in export earnings over the next 10 years which will easily justify the £10 billion - or perhaps £20 billion - cost of staging the Olympic Games.” Asked by a reporter for a breakdown of the revenue projections, Mr Cameron said that these were in the process of being prepared by the independent Office of Budget Responsibility and would be available in due course. It is understood that the procurement teams and high value investors from the 205 countries attending the Games will each be allocated one of the 4,000 brand-new BMW 3 and 5 series vehicles being shipped in from Germany for use by the attending dignitaries.
Finally it was left to Philip Hammond, the Defence Secretary, to outline the role of the armed forces in the opening ceremony. He was similarly coy about the detail, but robustly defended the recent criticism from the United States which had expressed concern that security for the Games was inadequate: “We will deploy our two largest navy ships, the HMS Ocean and HMS Bulwark, on the Thames; fully armed and battle ready. In addition Lynx and Puma helicopters will constantly patrol the venues from the air; armed with air-to-air missiles and high velocity machine guns and carrying army snipers (fresh from their campaign in Iraq) equipped with Barrett ‘Light Fifty’ rifles, which are able to ‘take out a target’ at more than a mile.
“There will be 13,500 British soldiers on the ground. There will be 10,000 private security guards from G4S, 12,000 police officers, 1000 US FBI agents, 300 MI5 agents and several hundred troops from the SAS regiment, plus many 1000’s of intelligence agents and security personnel from each of the 205 participating countries, plus the private security guards contracted directly by McDonalds, Coca-cola and others to ‘look after their corporate interests.’ In all there will be around 40,000 security personnel for the 10,500 athletes competing in the Games; all of which, I believe, demonstrates that we are taking the security of the Games very seriously indeed!”
Mr Hammond went on to explain that, in order to get the disparate security factions working as a team, selected groups will compete in an ‘It’s a knockout competition’ as part of the Opening Ceremony. Stuart Hall has agreed to come out of retirement to host the event. Guns and other weapons will be surrendered for the duration of the competition.
Mr Hammond explained that the role of the armed forces will not only be to provide security at the Games, but will also play a key role in the Opening Ceremony itself. He said that he was reluctant to give the game away and spoil the surprise, but added: “you can be sure that the guns of HMS Ocean and HMS Bulwark will be in action, together with a display by Apache Attack Helicopters. A formation display of Cruise Missiles (with the nuclear warheads disarmed) was also being considered.
He confirmed that fireworks would definitely not be part of the ceremony saying that: “fireworks are old hat and we do not intend to repeat the same tired formula used by the Chinese in Beijing.” He said for the night display the use of phosphorous munitions was being considered, but admitted that safety issues were proving problematic.
Then, relenting from his previous tight-lipped approach, Mr Hammond, provided details of one part of the Opening Ceremony in which the armed forces will participate.
This will involve 200 army snipers who will form a circle inside the main stadium, rifles pointed skywards, to provide a demonstration of precision marksmanship; shooting as many pigeons as possible in the 3 minute timeslot allocated.
The gunshots will be synchronised and amplified over the stadium’s loud speakers in a coordinated symphony to the music of Swan lake by Tchaikovsky, culminating in a 30 second burst from the weapon of choice for the British Army, the L1A1 12.7 mm Heavy Machine Gun firing up to 650 rounds a minute, mounted on a fleet of army Land Rovers circling the arena.
Mr Hammond explained that: “not only will this provide a spectacular display for the assembled audience but it is estimated that it will ‘down’ around 5,000 pigeons which will considerably reduce the prevalence of this pest in the stadium.”
Boris Johnson’s Mayoral Office has arranged for local primary school children to be on hand in the stadium to collect the dead pigeons; after which they will be placed in cardboard boxes, with a selection of fresh organic vegetables and a recipe for Pigeon Pie – courtesy of the celebrity Chef, Antony Worrall-Thompson – to be distributed to the poor of the London Boroughs in the surrounding area. When asked by a reporter whether the choice of celebrity chef would be reviewed following last week’s arrest of Mr Worrall Thompson for repetitively shoplifting from Tesco’s, Mr Cameron quickly stepped in and responded curtly: “Mr Worrall-Thompson has apologised and accepted a caution and said that he will seek the treatment necessary to rid him of his dishonesty.” Adding: “I believe in giving a person a second chance!”
Questioned about the safety of using live rounds in a stadium packed with 80,000 people, the Defence Secretary explained that the snipers were under strict instructions not to allow their guns to deviate more than 20 degrees from vertical; a requirement made possible by the sophisticated gun sights utilising GPS positioning. Mr Hammond stressed that it would be essential that all mobile phones are switched off during the shooting display to avoid interference with the GPS gun sight technology.
The Prime Minister closed the proceedings by thanking everyone for their attendance and for their efforts to ensure that the Olympic Games will be a success. The Cabinet members were then helped out of the pool by members of the Olympic diving team and wrapped in aluminium foil to guard against the risk of hypothermia.
Major breakthrough in mental health diagnosis and treatment!
by Tim Hart 7th January 2012
AT A PACKED news conference yesterday (Friday) the President of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, Professor Sue Bailey announced, what she described as: one of the most important breakthroughs in the diagnosis and treatment of mental health for a generation.
Professor Bailey was flanked by: the Deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg; the new Metropolitan Police Commissioner, Mr Bernard Hogan-Howe; the CEO of Glaxo Smithkline, Mr Andrew Witty and, completing the line up, Prince Charles, in his capacity as President of the National Trust. The high profile panel sat behind a long trestle table, bedecked with white linen table cloth, against a backdrop of a banner with the Royal College of Psychiatrist’s motto: Let Wisdom Guide, emblazoned across it in large red lettering.
The media representatives packed the room, the numbers being swelled, no doubt, by the event being flagged earlier in the morning on BBC Breakfast TV and Radio Four.
Professor Bailey thanked the panel members for attending, singling out the Deputy Prime Minister for particular praise for what she described as his: personal support and assistance with the research project.
Nick Clegg smiled modestly and, with his index finger, gestured at his face, which was covered in some 20-30 small round medical plasters; mimicking the words: all will be revealed! Professor Bailey went on to explain the origins and context of the research, the catalyst for which had been an early initiative by the Coalition Government in commissioning the Office of National Statistics [ONS] to develop a ‘happiness index’ by including self rating questions on the annual population census.
The new questionnaire will not be in census forms until April 2012, but a large pilot was undertaken by the ONS during 2011, in conjunction with laboratory work at Surrey University on a group of volunteers from the general public, together with an undisclosed number of last summer’s rioters, who were apparently promised early parole in return for participating in the study. Professor Bailey announced that: the results of the research had led to the spectacular discovery of a new mental illness called Chronic Despair Syndrome [CDS]
Professor Bailey went on to talk about the details of the project. The research found that a significant percentage of the pilot group scored ‘extremely low’ on the ‘happiness index’ and were in a generally depressed state, yet failed to respond to any of the standard drug or counselling therapies used to remedy the condition. (The class of drugs normally used to treat depression are Selective Serotonin Re-uptake Inhibitors.[SSRIs]
These include citalapran and fluoxetine; the latter more commonly known under the brand name, Prozac. ) However the researchers found that administering the drugs to the study group of CDS sufferers over a continuous period of six months had no beneficial effect.
With the aid of sophisticated brain scanning and imaging technology researchers at Surrey University, working alongside a team from the Royal College of Psychiatrists led by Professor Bailey, discovered a hitherto unidentified part of the central nervous system which is adjacent to the area of the brain cortex responsible for the production of serotonin, but completely independent of it.
The visual texture of this newly discovered part of the brain was found to vary significantly between those scoring high on the happiness index and those scoring extremely low.
Professor Bailey explained that the project had been kept secret until estimates of the extent of the disease amongst the general populace had been determined and, importantly, so that an effective treatment could be developed.
Predictions of the prevalence and severity of CDS amongst the wider UK population were calculated using a formula, which comprised allocating a score, between 1 and 10, to each of the CDS sufferers in the sample, multiplying this number by the correlation coefficient of the relationship between the average of a man’s shoe size and his height (whilst the actual data for women was different the resultant correlation coefficient was the same) and finally dividing the resultant number by the square root of the radius of the moon.
The data was then standardised and the results extrapolated to produce the alarming result that between seventy and eighty percent of the adult UK population has Chronic Despair Syndrome [CDS], to a moderate or severe extent, and that the incidence is probably even higher in children.
Professor Bailey stated that: whilst anecdotal evidence of CDS has been evident for some time – as exhibited by increasing public unrest, strikes demonstrations etc. and in the behaviour of certain prominent individuals - it is has not been until now that we have obtained conclusive evidence of Chronic Despair Syndrome [CDS] as a discrete clinical condition.
When asked to give examples of the ‘prominent individuals’ to whom she was referring, Professor Bailey said that she felt that a number of leading journalists were CDS sufferers; particularly singling out for mention the editor of the Guardian Newspaper, Alan Rusbridger and its leading correspondents, Simon Jenkins, George Monbiot and Will Hutton.
Professor Bailey also said that the repeated outbursts by Mr Mervyn King, the Governor of the Bank of England, when wittering on about the Country being in the worst economic state it has ever been and the rant by Mr Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury, when likening bankers to rioters were other examples which sprung to mind: I hope that Mr King, Mr Williams and journalists from the Guardian Newspaper will set an example and come forward voluntarily to seek treatment so that they and the many other sufferers can regain a normal, balanced and healthy mental outlook.
When asked about the specific symptoms of CDS, Professor Bailey said that: anyone who has thoughts that are enduringly negative about their work, their employer, family life, politicians, the economy, or the state of the natural environment are advised to seek an early appointment with their GP.
Pressed by a reporter in the audience to explain the rationale behind the formula giving rise to the predictions of the high prevalence of CDS, Professor Bailey said that to divulge more detail might risk breaching the intellectual property rights of Surrey University who have applied to patent the formula; adding that: this breakthrough has come at the most opportune time.
After the razzmatazz of Christmas and the prospects of an austere New Year the symptoms of CDS are at their most acute and debilitating. She quipped; whilst we can’t sort out the problems of the European Union (casting a sly glance and a wink at Nick Clegg) we believe we can help people feel better about themselves and their circumstances.
Professor Bailey stated that the discovery of CDS was: a massive leap forward in the field of psychiatry, adding modestly that: any talk of my being awarded the Nobel Prize for Science is premature.
Professor Bailey then handed out a fact sheet on CDS produced by the Royal College of Psychiatrists and explained that the factsheet compliments others already in circulation on Hyperkinetic Disorder (more commonly referred to by its American name, ‘Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder’ [ADHD] – where children find it difficult to pay attention at school - and the more recently discovered condition of ‘Social Anxiety Syndrome’ – where a person is shy and finds it difficult to socialise with other people – the main treatment for the latter being the drug Paxil produced by Glaxo Smithkline.
Professor Bailey then went on to explain what she described as: the ground-breaking therapy which is to be used to treat Chronic Despair Syndrome; [CDS] the development of which involved bringing further partners to the project in the form of the National Trust and Glaxo Smithkline; nodding politely to Prince Charles and Mr Witty in acknowledgement of their presence on the panel.
Professor Bailey premised her explanation of the treatment by saying that it was: unconventional but proven to be highly effective in the alleviation of the symptoms of CDS.
The germ of the idea had come from the early results of a three year research study, funded by the Economic and Social Research Council, conducted jointly by the National Trust and Surrey Wildlife Trust which has shown that birdsong can have a beneficial effect on mental well-being.
Professor Bailey then handed the floor to Prince Charles who remarked, with a rather self-deprecating quip, that: first I was caught talking to plants and now I admit to listening to birdsong in my bath. This confirms what most people have always thought. That I must be mad! Prince Charles went on to say that for many years he had enjoyed listening to birdsong, but until now he had not fully appreciated the clinical benefits of doing so.
He disclosed that each morning his human resources director gathers the employees together in a large barn on his Highgrove Estate to listen to sparrows chirping in the rafters for 15 minutes before starting work. Prince Charles concluded by saying that: he was honoured, as President of the National Trust, to be associated with the project.
Mr Witty, CEO of Glaxo Smithkline, then took the floor to explain that his company had become involved in the project in order to provide specialist research and development skills and to provide the finance and marketing expertise to ensure that the birdsong treatment was brought to market quickly and effectively.
Mr Witty said that, following clinical trials using different kinds of birdsong - in some cases synthesised with other sounds - it had been found that a combination of the live birdsong of the robin (recorded birdsong was found not to have the same beneficial effect) played simultaneously with a recording of the Frank Sinatra song, I did it my way, provided the optimum combination to treat Chronic Despair Syndrome [CDS]. Importantly, to be effective, the robin’s song had to be during free flight (at first caged birds had been used) and the Frank Sinatra track must be played on a vinyl record on a Wurlitzer jukebox. In addition the birdsong must be listened to in an enclosed space which is sound and light proof to avoid contamination from extraneous sources.
Glaxo Smithkline is in the process of constructing aviaries at its main manufacturing sites in order to breed the robins, on what is likely to be an industrial scale to fulfil demand.
The birdsong treatment has been submitted to the National Institute of Clinical Excellence [NICE] for it to become an accepted clinical intervention provided on the NHS. The government has indicated that it would like to see the approval fast-tracked. In anticipation of this, Hospitals and GP Practices have been given special funding to purchase free-standing birdsong therapy units, which can be positioned, either in car parks - as self-contained structures, or by the adaptation of a consulting room for the purpose.
Glaxo Smithkline shares ended 12% higher at the close of trading today (Friday) following disclosure that they had secured patent rights to the birdsong treatment for a period of 30 years.
When a reporter in the audience suggested that an additional reason for Glaxo Smithkline’s eagerness to be involved in the project might be as a means of redeeming its reputation after it was revealed last year that one of its SSRI drugs - marketed under the brand name Paxil - was found to have no discernible benefit in alleviating depression and in fact increased, by a factor of 500%, the suicidal tendencies of the patients taking it. Mr Witty dismissed this proposition and added that: the studies linking Paxil to increased suicide rates were unconvincing. When the questioner pointed out that the studies were undertaken by Glaxo Smithkline’s own researchers Mr Witty refused to comment further.
It was then the turn of Mr Bernard Hogan-Howe, the Metropolitan Police Commissioner. The Commissioner said that the Metropolitan Police has been provided with funding to trial the use of mobile birdsong therapy units, which are to be run by a specialist team set up from within the Territorial Support Group [TSG].
The mobile units will attend at demonstrations and rallies where there is risk of public disorder and where many of the participants may be CDS sufferers. CDS patients will be ‘guided’ to the mobile units by ‘specially trained’ TSG officers where they will receive brief periods - 10-20 minutes - of birdsong therapy before being given a tetanus injection and a course of antibiotics to guard against infection from the inevitable pecks on the face by the robins.
By way of illustration of the benefits that these therapy units will provide, the Commissioner referred to last summer’s riots in London: if the police had been equipped with the mobile birdsong therapy units then I believe it would have been a very different story and we would never have lost control of the streets.
In a separate gesture of goodwill the TSG Commander is to arrange for mobile units to be positioned at the encampments of Occupy Groups around London on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons in order that CDS sufferers can conveniently access the treatment facilities.
It was left to the Deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg, to round off proceedings. He thanked Professor Bailey and the other members of the panel for the vital contribution they had made to the discovery of Chronic Despair Syndrome [CDS] and in the development of the treatment therapy. He cited the project as a superb illustration of public-private partnership and an example of the unique and worthwhile contribution that the Liberal Democrats are making to the Coalition Government.
Then, by way of explanation of his face being peppered with plasters, he said that he had been pleased to personally participate in the trials of the birdsong therapy, but denied being a CDS sufferer himself; adding that his medical records would be made available on request as proof that he had never had the illness.
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