Seen in the News

[Big Kev]

I listen to Sunak banging on about numeracy and agree with him for once.

Having read a lot of the posts on Facebook they should be concentrating on literacy too.

[Stanley]

I saw THIS and thought 'serves them right' as I have never understood the need to set fire to food at the table. Then I thought better of it of course because nobody deserves to die like that. But there is something ironic about the incident. I wonder if it will reduce the incidence of flambeed food?
Later, I hear that our government 'are looking at ways of evacuating diplomatic staff from Khartoum'. I would have thought that the organising would be done by now and the scheme ready to start. Including the evacuation of British Nationals. Sounds like the tragedy of Kabul all over again.

[Tizer]

Something lighter from the BBC - I like the first pic! ....
`Your pictures on the theme of 'on the edge'' LINK

[Stanley]

See THIS account of the extraction of diplomatic staff and families from Khartoum. Several things strike me. First is that the French seem to be the only ones who have extracted civilian nationals and seem to have done it by air. There is a picture of various foreign nationals disembarking in Amman from an RAF transport early this morning.
US authorities said they had airlifted fewer than 100 people with three Chinook helicopters on Sunday morning in a "fast and clean" operation. The US embassy in Khartoum is now closed, and a tweet on its official feed says it is not safe enough for the government to evacuate private US citizens. The UK government managed to airlift British diplomats and their families out of the country in what was described as a "complex and rapid" operation. Foreign Minister James Cleverly said options to evacuate the remaining British nationals in Sudan were "severely limited".
Does this mean that UK citizens, (and others), have been abandoned?
A confusing report about a confusing situation.

[PanBiker]

Does this mean that UK citizens, (and others), have been abandoned?

Apparently yes according to reports I have read. "Abandon Ship" situations should follow the accepted course as on the sea. Nationals and all other dependants out first then the captains, (diplomats) that would focus the efforts better I reckon.

[Tripps]

Couldn't quite believe this - looks like Monty Pythons Flying Circus. Is this what net zero policing will look like?

Best viewed without the sound . Not sure of the context, but it's good to see the Police on the beat again.

[Tripps]

Not like the old days is it?
Check out Major Rory Walker (SAS) and the Jakarta British Embassy attack in 1963.

On 16 September 1963, an organised mob of several thousand demonstrators formed in the city of Djakarta, they sacked the Malaysian Embassy before marching on the British Embassy where Becke and Walker were on guard, they tore down the Union Jack and burnt the Ambassadors car, then threw stones and pieces of concrete through the fence breaking all the embassy windows. In what is now a legendary act Walker strode up and down in front of the building, dodging the missiles and relentlessly playing his bagpipes despite pleas from the police and the leader of the demonstrators, eventually the mob broke up and the battle was won.[2]

Two days later however the mob returned and broke through the fence besieging the building and eventually setting it on fire, Becke, Walker and the Ambassador Sir Andrew Gilchrist bravely stood their ground taking a stand on British sovereign soil and defending the embassy strong room.

Gilchrist's life is worth a look I'd say.

[Stanley]

Nothing is like 'the old days' David. I think the bloke in the Twitter account was near the truth when he shouted that Sunak is scared of the voters.
Looks like personal protection on the cheap as regards transport but dear as regards numbers of police.
Ridiculous!

[Tizer]

`Recent, rapid ocean warming ahead of El Niño alarms scientists' LINK
....El Niño will likely disrupt weather patterns around the world, weaken the monsoon and threaten more wildfires in Australia. But there are more fundamental worries that as more heat goes into the ocean, the waters may be less able to store excess energy. And there are concerns that the heat contained in the oceans won't stay there. Several scientists contacted for this story were reluctant to go on the record about the implications. One spoke of being "extremely worried and completely stressed."...

[Stanley]

I saw that and noted that one of the possible contributory factors was the lessening of pollution over the ocean as a result of enforcing lower levels of sulphur in the fuel used by large merchant ships. I thought it ironic that a measure that cleaned up the atmosphere increased another problem!

[Stanley]

THIS caught my attention. Ten people? No doubt things will become clear as the investigation proceeds.
See THIS for speculation about the polls and the local elections. Professor Sir John Curtice is always worth listening to.
This year's local elections, which take place on Thursday 4 May in most of England outside London, have long been billed as a tough first electoral test for Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. When he took over from Liz Truss as Conservative leader, at the end of October, the party was as much as 30 points behind Labour in the polls - and the spectre of heavy local-council losses this spring has loomed large ever since. But we need to bear in mind when the 8,050 seats being contested were previously up for grabs. And for 90% of them, that was in May 2019 - which now seems like a forgotten era...
Labour has not performed that well in any local election since 2010. Next week, we will find out whether this year it has succeeded in doing so."

[PanBiker]

The most interesting thing will be the turnout and the data on the numbers turned away with no photo ID or voting certificate. Nicely timed to boost the Tory vote.

[Wendyf]

No Labour candidate for Earby & Coates that I can see, and as we never get leaflets up here I can't find anything more than name and party for the individuals who are standing.

[Big Kev]

No leaflets here either.

[Tripps]

Is this relevant? From David Whipp's Facebook.

Whipp.jpg

[Wendyf]

Not relevant for me Tripps but thank you.
We have a much more exciting Parish Council election in Kelbrook with 7 contested seats to fill and 14 people to choose from! They are split into two opposing camps and it wouldn't surprise me if things turned nasty!

[PanBiker]

David, that's the Town Council which still uses the old parish boundaries, (slightly renamed) because of the boundary changes for borough elections. The borders are different again for the constituency parliamentary elections.

Here in West Craven the old Coates, Craven and Earby wards were changed for borough elections.Craven ward is no more and we now just have Barnoldswick ward which has been extended a little. Coates Ward which is at the northern end of town has been joined to Earby ward despite their being 1.5 miles of open fields between that end of town and Earby.

For Parliamentary elections the Constituency boundaries are changed again. Part of Brierfield has been shunted into Burnley and Pendle has inherited a chunk of Ribble Valley, again plenty of green fields between the two main areas.

The cynical amongst us which includes myself will tell you that this is effectively the same ruse the Tories used in 1974 when were ripped out of Yorkshire and shoved into Lancashire. Another exercise at the time of shifting electoral influence. It's all smoke and mirrors and done under the excuse of levelling up the number of electors in each ward and the constituency as a whole. If that is the case, why do we need three different designations for each level of administration?

While we are on the subject, there is no justification for photographic ID to claim your ballot, another ruse to ensure certain demographics, (the old and the young) have unnecessary hurdles put in the way of claiming a ballot paper.

[Tripps]

Thanks for that. It's good that someone understands it all. I doubt that most of the electorate do - or am I wrong about that? The attendance at the online meetings that I have seen would indicate that to be so.

I'd just put David Whipp in charge of everything especially potholes. When I pop in at random to a meeting, it's a shade of 'odds on' that whatever the agenda item - he will be speaking.

I'd say that anyone who can't master photo ID at the poll, or take the trouble to get a postal vote, doesn't deserve to vote. A bus pass is sufficient for the older end. I believe we are the only country in Europe which has depended on trust at the polls and not asked for ID.

Ironically most if the corruption has involved postal votes.

[PanBiker]

I'd just put David Whipp in charge of everything especially potholes. When I pop in at random to a meeting, it's a shade of 'odds on' that whatever the agenda item - he will be speaking.

Currently both Borough and County Councils are Tory controlled. David Whipp would be the first , (or the second in this case) to tell you that the County Council is responsible for road repairs and no monies from this years budget have been allocated to anywhere in West Craven for any repairs! Coupled with that he has no further direct influence since he lost his seat on the County Council at the last election.

I'd say that anyone who can't master photo ID at the poll, or take the trouble to get a postal vote, doesn't deserve to vote. A bus pass is sufficient for the older end. I believe we are the only country in Europe which has depended on trust at the polls and not asked for ID.

My comments were regarding the stupidity that younger voters at college or university cannot use their existing photo ID's that are perfectly valid for access to their various educational establishments. There is also an identified large number of elder registered electors who do not have any form of photo ID, even a bus pass. They also don't have access to the internet to easily obtain a postal vote or indeed apply to the council for a voting authority document.

I personally would have no problem at all in asking for ID if a mandatory ID card scheme was already in place. In fact I cant see why we don't already have such a scheme. Everyone is already tracked by multiple methods but not always including photo ID. There needs to be a common denominator.

Regarding impersonation at the polling place. Since 2015 there have only been 8 or 9 arrests across the whole country. From these only 1 person has actually been prosecuted and convicted.

You are correct regarding historical postal vote fraud though. The rules in this area have been severely tightened over the last few years and as a result the incidence of fraud in that area has been substantially reduced. The most impact was in the rules regarding collection and return of completed postal ballots.

[Stanley]

I agree with everything Ian says about the identification requirements. Tory Cunning Plan. (Shades of Lady Shirley.....)
I must be thick but I don't understand how a result can be posted for an election on May 4th.....

[Stanley]

Heard actually. An NHS doctor refused repatriation because he doesn't hold a UK passport but has worked right through Covid. Who makes these stupid decisions?

[Big Kev]

Heard actually. An NHS doctor refused repatriation because he doesn't hold a UK passport but has worked right through Covid. Who makes these stupid decisions?

Home Office 'guidelines' being followed is how I read it. There doesn't appear to be any common sense applied.

[Stanley]

See THIS BBC report on the matter. It appears you're right Kev and I think it's a disgrace. If I understood correctly some Brits came out on a French rescue flight. We would have turned them away under the same circumstances. It's disgraceful.
See THIS breaking news of Richard Sharp's resignation as Chair of the BBC.
"BBC chairman Richard Sharp resigns after a report finds he breached rules while being interviewed for his role by failing to disclose two potential conflicts of interest"
Liberal Democrats leader Sir Ed Davey says: "The British people won't stand for any more of this. "Everything Conservative politicians touch turns into a mess. They are not fit to govern our great country." He goes on to says that Johnson "should never have been allowed to appoint Richard Sharp in the first place" and that Sunak should have sacked him already. We need a rigorous, transparent and independent process to appoint the next BBC Chair, including a confirmation vote by Parliament’s cross-party Culture, Media and Sport Committee."
Clear cut and Sharp made a mistake 'helping' The Buffoon.

[Tripps]

I don't understand how a result can be posted for an election on May 4th...

My post was a bit on the flippant side as it often is.

I'll leave the explanation to the expert on elections, and perhaps discover why the Labour Party (and the rest) were unable to field a single candidate.

Do you think you are a bit 'over governed' in the town ?

[PanBiker]

I agree with everything Ian says about the identification requirements. Tory Cunning Plan. (Shades of Lady Shirley.....)
I must be thick but I don't understand how a result can be posted for an election on May 4th.....

I thought I had already replied to this, I must have pressed cancel instead of post on my earlier attempt.

Six vacancies, (or possibly 7) only six candidates so no election required all elected unopposed. You only need an election if the vacancies are over subscribed so to speak. All elected on the Lib Dem ticket although David Whipp always claims the Town Council is non political.

I'll leave the explanation to the expert on elections, and perhaps discover why the Labour Party (and the rest) were unable to field a single candidate.

No real point you would be in a minority and would not get a word in edgeways. The Town Council used to be a lot more politically balanced if you will. There once was a distribution of Labour, Lib Dem and Conservative and even the odd Independent at one time. Sally was on for 13 years I think it was.



From a time when it was a bit more evenly balanced. A rare photo of David Whipp in a suit! Five Liberals, five Labour and an Independent. Photo taken in the old Town Hall formerly the Mechanics Institute I believe on Jepp Hill.