POLITICS CORNER

[Stanley]

Do you know what's really bugging me? The police must now have all they need to apply fixed penalty notices to Johnson and a lot of his staff but will be holding back because of the 'national emergency'.
They are wrong, this is just the time to get rid of the trash and excess baggage.

[plaques]

Remember the answers given to Susan Gray were not under oath and the answers could have been a bit ambiguous. But the police now have 300+ photos plus the replies which must be truthful. Consequently even more e-mails are going out implementing more people. This could go on for ages.

Great fleas have little fleas upon their backs to bite 'em, And little fleas have lesser fleas, and so ad infinitum.

[Tizer]

Spooky. Before seeing the above posts I had just asked in the Seen in the News thread `Where is Sue Gray?'

Do they [the Tory Party] think we are stupid?

Yes, and it's confirmed by the Gavin Williamson story.
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There's a BBC article this morning titled `Ukraine: How might the war end? Five scenarios' BBC and I was interested to see this...
And what of Vladimir Putin himself? When he launched his invasion, he declared: "We are ready for any outcome." But what if that outcome was him losing power? It might seem unthinkable. Yet the world has changed in recent days and such things are now thought about. Professor Sir Lawrence Freedman, Emeritus Professor of War Studies at Kings College, London, wrote this week: "It is now as likely that there will be regime change in Moscow as in Kyiv."

Why might he say this? Well, perhaps Mr Putin pursues a disastrous war. Thousands of Russian soldiers die. The economic sanctions bite. Mr Putin loses popular support. Perhaps there is the threat of popular revolution. He uses Russia's internal security forces to suppress that opposition. But this turns sour and enough members of Russia's military, political and economic elite turn against him. The West makes clear that if Putin goes and is replaced by a more moderate leader, then Russia will see the lifting of some sanctions and a restoration of normal diplomatic relations. There is a bloody palace coup and Putin is out. Again, this may not seem likely right now. But it may not be implausible if the people who have benefited from Mr Putin no longer believe he can defend their interests.

[Whyperion]

Erdington (Birmingham) By Election Results, Broadly Turnout 25% down from about 49% , and Lab share of vote +50%, up a bit from last time. Conservatives second, TUSC beat Lib Dems in the 2% share scramble at the bottom. I get the feeling the local elections are going to be low turnouts this year

[Stanley]

Speculation about the end game in Ukraine is all that's happening at the moment Peter. I have no idea, we shall just have to wait and see. The news media are so cash-strapped they are reduced to broadcasting long monologues by 'citizen journalists' in Ukraine and homing in on sob stories instead of doing proper investigation and analysis. This is why domestic politics and scrutiny of Parliament has virtually ceased. The result is that bad politicians have carte blanche and are getting away with dodgy practices and lies, there is nobody to hold them up to the light.
That's why the Erdington by-election had such a low turnout and minimal reporting. Our media, particularly the BBC has been gutted by staff cuts and 'rationalisation'. In the end we will suffer for this.

[plaques]

Telling lies outside Parliament is 'de rigueur' for Tory MPs. Some, (I think you know who I am referring to), do it inside Parliament. This has degraded the trust in our political system to a point where nobody believes anything they say. Promises that are never fulfilled or that are that far in the future they move out of living memory. Actions which momentarily claim headline status have minimal substance to them often only scratching the surface leaving the bulk of the problem buried by the initial hyperbole. The country is being run by snake oil salesmen led by a circus clown.

[Tizer]

For anyone who thinks the Ukrainian civilians are simply being asked by Putin to keep quiet and let the Russians in - have a look at this video showing a block of residential flats being shelled deliberately by Russian artillery. It's just one block out of many being destroyed in Ukrainian cities...
`Ukraine: Apartment block just outside Kyiv shelled' LINK

I see Russians are now fleeing over their border with Finland because they fear the introduction of martial law by Putin. I hope this might be another sign of Russian concern that their leader has become a psychopath. Something will have to be done about him very soon. Putin has told Emmanuel Macron that he `won't stop until he has occupied the whole of Ukraine' - and a French official who listened in on their phone call said, afterwards, that `things could get a great deal worse'. I won't be surprised if we end up having to raise the stakes by setting up that much discussed no-fly zone or even sending in Western military to support the Ukrainians. Putin has no scruples about how many civilians he kills or how much he destroys a country to get what he wants. And then he'll want to move on to the next country on his western borders. We've shown ourselves to be weak and slow to respond. It could boil down to a case of war now or war later.

[plaques]

I won't be surprised if we end up having to raise the stakes by setting up that much discussed no-fly zone or even sending in Western military to support the Ukrainians. Putin has no scruples about how many civilians he kills or how much he destroys a country to get what he wants. And then he'll want to move on to the next country on his western borders. We've shown ourselves to be weak and slow to respond. It could boil down to a case of war now or war later.

Above my paygrade. Wars are won on the ground. Air supremacy gives an extra advantage to the attacker. Ukraine are not part of NATO and as such we have no legal obligation to help them but if requested into their air space it may reduce the Russian ability to bomb Ukraine unhindered. I'm not advocating a full scale battle of Britain conflict but to stop them bombing as an act of aggression on an innocent country. As Tizer says. we really have no alternative only to see what happens.

[Tripps]

I'll mention this - indulge me. My first response to Ukrainians is that we knew a Ukrainian family in Oldham in the 1950's. They had reached UK after WWII - I don't know how, but they had a terrible time - first at the hands of the Germans then the Russians. My step father was a foundry foreman at Ferranti's and Mykola Swaitij (?) worked there.

He cultivated a sort of friendship with him - perhaps as a sort of defence mechanism, being a foreigner. He didn't need to - he was a good worker, that's all that mattered. This involved the occasional gift of plum vodka - presented in a medicine bottle. There was also an invitation to a christening, when Bill was delivered home in a taxi and 'assisted' to the door.

The point I make is that they were fully integrated into British life, but the kids went to a Ukrainian school on each Saturday, where their Ukrainian identity was reinforced. They were a regular feature in their national costume in Oldham life.

I have just seen a news item from such a school in Manchester. Still doing the same thing every Saturday today ! As far as I'm concerned as many of them that want to come here can do so. We'd come to no harm.

[Tizer]

As far as I'm concerned as many of them that want to come here can do so. We'd come to no harm.

I'm with you on that, 100%, Tripps. It's the least we can do.

I've just read that the ceasefire in Ukraine has already been broken, by the Russians according to Zelensky, by the Ukrainians according to Adolf Putin. I know who I believe - why would the Ukrainians break the ceasefire when they want their people to be able to escape the Russians?

Also, the BBC has just posted in its live feed on the web instructions on how people in Russia can still access the BBC services even though Putin has blocked the usual methods.

I've mentioned before how President Zelensky was called a neo-Nazi by Putin even though he's a Jew. Now I also find that Zelensky's grandfather fought against the Nazis when he was in the Soviet army in WW2. Anthony Loyd of The Times has just paid his respects at the man's grave in Ukraine. Loyd, as usual, is in the midst of it all like he was in Afghanistan and Iraq and he can confirm the killing of civilians. He also tells about Russian helicopters being shot down and Russian armed columns being driven back. There's a video on the BBC web site at the moment showing a Russian helicopter flying at low level being shot down by a Ukrainian missile.

American intelligence people say the Russian military convoys are bogged down because, besides lack of fuel and food, they don't have the engineering capability to overcome problems. Many vehicles are having to be discarded. They're pointing out that the Russians haven't been in this sort of military action for a long time, they're used to letting mercenaries and special forces do their fighting.

An anti-Russia protest has taken place in the Ukrainian city of Kherson which is occupied by Russian forces. Thousands of people out on the streets. There's a video on the BBC site's live feed.

[Wendyf]

Seeing Putin on the news making threats whilst surrounded by white roses and adoring young women....absolutely disgusting.

[Stanley]

I am reluctantly coming to the conclusion that Peter is right. The West, not only NATO, has to take action.
re. Ukraine clubs. See THIS pic of the old offices at Mons Mill Todmorden. There was a large contingent of Ukrainian workers who came over during the the "Britain's bread hangs by Lancashire's thread" campaign after WW2 and when the mill closed they took over these office buildings and used it as a social club until I think 2008.

[plaques]

BBC news, Johnson is urging world leaders to back up their rhetoric with firm actions. This is from a man who is behind in every measure that he has spouted. Foghorn diplomacy while hiding in the mist. Local charities are running flat out raising funds and supplies but with no co-ordinated government leadership. If these were potential Conservative party donations they would have been snatching their hands off in a flash. Probably waiting for some of their Tory palls to co-ordinate it. At a fee of course.

[Tizer]

In my last post I mentioned a video on the BBC web site showing a Russian helicopter flying at low level being shot down by a Ukrainian missile. The Ukrainians claim to have shot down 8 Russian helicopters. Then I read that three very senior Russian army officers have been killed. I suspect because of the slowness of the offensive Putin has told the senior men to get to the front and lead their troops but they've then become targets for the Ukrainians.

Our military, US and European, have been puzzled by the poor performance of the Russians. Gradually the reports have come in about the lack of fuel and food, the poor state of the vehicles, a lack of engineering backup etc. Another puzzle is why haven't the Russians used their fixed-wing aircraft? They've used some helicopters but they are probably army ones, not air force, and a number have been shot down. Is the Russian air force not willing to bomb Ukraine or is it concerned about civilian casualties? The pilots will be very different people from the army squaddies and Putin might find the air force less easy to control.

After writing that last paragraph I did a web search and found this informative article on the web site of the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI). It's long but worth reading in full and was published on Friday...
`Is the Russian Air Force Actually Incapable of Complex Air Operations?' LINK

[Tripps]

It's 'indulge me' time again - This has been on my play lists for decades. For some reason it pleases me - I just like the sound. Probably the only track I have that relates to Ukraine / Crimea. There are many versions, and it's usually sung by those, who if they came from Pendle, would be active in the Independent Labour Party.

I note that the Prime Minister of Israel personally visited Putin yesterday. Invent your own theory as to why he did so, and what he achieved. This comment is from another version also on Youtube.

The song's background is important. Jews could not own nor work the land in much of Europe, not at all in eastern Europe. The Soviet Union experimented with giving Jews the right to form collective farming communities. Zhankoye was such a community. The experiment did not last. Jews eventually succeeded by forming kibutzim in Israel. Zakhor! Remember!

[Stanley]

Pete Seeger in United Nations Square NY in 1981(?) singing in a rally to support El Salvador.

[Tizer]

`Ukraine conflict: UK charity appeal donations pass £100m' LINK
Some £100m has been donated to a British fundraising appeal to help people fleeing the conflict in Ukraine. The UK Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) says more than £1m an hour has been donated since it launched its appeal on Thursday. The money is helping to provide food, water and other essentials for people in Ukraine and neighbouring countries.'...

No progress seems to be made in shutting off the gas from Russia. We're still pumping millions into Putin's war coffers via gas payments. I know all the arguments about how serious the shortage of gas will be for the rest of us but even that is better than nuclear war. I see Liz Truss is now admitting that we "didn't act early enough or decisively enough" in response to Putin's build-up of troops on the border with Ukraine". I wonder who's fault she thinks that is?

Ben MacIntyre in The Times says that three attempts have been made by special forces and mercenaries to assassinate President Zelensky but all three were averted thanks to information provided by Russian security people who don't support Putin. Zelensky is still in great danger because there are estimated to be about 400 of Putin's Wagner group secret army in Kiev. A sad report on the BBC says near the capital, in Hostomel, the village council says Mayor Yuri Prylypko was shot dead while distributing bread and medicines. This is the sort of barbarism perpetrated by Putin's `specials'. (Incidentally Hostomel airfield is where the giant Antonov cargo plane, largest in the world was kept in its special giant hanger. It's now scrap, destroyed when the Russians attacked the airport.)

[Stanley]

I knew the Antonov had been destroyed Peter but didn't realise it was a direct result of Russian attack.
What vandalism, what a bloody waste!
See THIS report from Laura Kuenssberg on the way the Ukraine crisis has taken the4 pressure of Partygate off Johnson and given him a chance to re-invent himself. Then remember Harold's dictum, 'Events dear boy....'.

[Stanley]

I have been listening to the latest accounts of our attitudes to refugees from the Ukraine. Priti Patel told Parliament yesterday that we had a dedicated visa unit in Calais ready to deal with refugees. After evidence was quoted from Calais that this 'unit' consisted of two people sat at a table who advised refugees to travel to Paris where a 'specialist unit' was taking walk-in appointments 'Wednesday to Friday'. (What's all that about, is that so the staff manning it can pop back to the UK for a long weekend? It should be open 24X7 for gods sake!) After the evidence Patel admitted that there was no provision at the terminal. She then claimed there was a unit separate from the terminal but when questioned couldn't say where it was. She was asked how refugees would find it if she didn't know where it is.
I'm sorry, but treating victims like this is simply another war crime and it's down to us. It is shameful and must be corrected immediately.

[plaques]

We now have Boris the Buffoon, Liz Truss, Priti Patel. James Cleverly and any minister that cares to stick their oar in, not to mention No 10 and the official Home Office site, all giving out contrary information that is so patently wrong that even the right-wing papers are struggling to make moss or sand of it. Perhaps the Tories think that the confused answers to the Brexit debacle, the Covid cock up, Partygate piss up and ignoring inflation effects on the poor can be applied to refugees. This government is being run by near fascist extremists that's dragging the rest of the Conservative party down with them. Meanwhile its clear the the British population are fully behind supporting these refugees in any way they can.

[Tizer]

Our Western leaders seem to lack imagination and foresight and have let Putin gain the upper hand. While we're vacillating over whether or not to cut off oil and/or gas from Russia Putin now warns that if we cut off oil there `will be terrible consequences'. Our leaders tell us that it would be too severe for us if we stop taking Russia's oil and gas. But he could turn it off at any time and won't care about his population suffering. We should have gradually reduced supplies rather than making it an all or nothing step that Putin can use to justify war.

[PanBiker]

Priti Orribles "surge" in Calais can only be described as a bloody disgrace! A bottle of water and a bag of crisps was offered to send them on their way to Brussels or Paris. I'm fairly sure that when the Polish and Ukrainian airmen escaped to Britain to carry on the fight against Nazi Germany in the early years of WWII they weren't asked to have visa's. Get on with the job, (and they did, magnificently) and we'll sort the paperwork out later. Many chose to stay as they had nothing left to go back to. Where is the humanity in this government?

The problem with the rank and file membership and the folk that support the Tories is that they don't actually realise that they are still being used as surfs by the Barons. The ones like Boris and Lord Snooty Mogg who think they still have a God given right to rule.

Sorry for the rant but I am ashamed to be represented by these bastards.

[Tizer]

Sorry for the rant but I am ashamed to be represented by these bastards.

So am I. But remember these are the ones who wanted us `out of Europe' and promised to cut back migration to the UK. Now, when we need to let those people in they are slow and inefficient at doing it and they don't want to upset the Brexiteers.

I hadn't seen anything about the effects of sanctions on Russia's civilian aircraft operations until I saw an article in the business section of The Times. Here's a report from the Guardian last week...
`Airbus and Boeing to halt supply of aircraft parts to Russian airlines' Guardian
The Times business correspondent suggests it will be a worse problem for Russia than described in the Guardian article. He thinks the lack of parts will be critical with two-thirds of their aircraft being Boeing and Airbus and they had about 70 replacement planes on order from these companies that won't get now.

[plaques]

A couple of days ago Jacob Rees-Mogg posted a chart showing what could be achieved by the banks sanctioning Russia assets. This was presented as how we were leading the world in our intended sanctions. In truth all that it demonstrated was the amount of 'Putin' money sloshing around in Londongrad. Yes. We are the world leaders but more like the Cayman Islands on steroids.

.

Moggy 1 .jpg

[Stanley]

I can understand Ian's anger and agree with him. As I said this morning the Home Office is acting disgracefully, there is now no doubt about that, they are talking about giving free transport from Calais to wherever the visa unit is.
What they should do is simply drop all talk about visas and simply get these people to safety. Johnson should stop making statements about 'protecting our borders'. (The Home Office have said that the visa unit will be set up in Nimes (I think, or was it Lisle?) 'in the next few days'....
Ian is right, the Tory leadership are acting like fascists and as Peter says, trying to appease the Brexiteers. I am ashamed to be British and will not forget this.