There is in Tower Hamlets an entire PROFESSION whom I can only describe as then poverty-profession. These are person who are feeding James Purnell’s DWP with rubbish.. But Purnell does not care. Many of these poverty-professionals who are paid above average salaries to keep people in deprivation, are also praisers of Purnell’s political agenda… It is even conceivable that many of these individuals would be denying that there is any poverty at all should that sort of denial statement count as a career-enhancing action…..!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

No wonder the inner city economy is sinking.. And the Brown fronted Blairing regime is FUNDING that sinking….. As will be seen also in the significant impoverishment to be caused by  the funding of the Big Business contractors who are controlling the agenda for the £Billions of public expenditure in the name of the Crossrail  scam.

Now, over to the one off Lib Dem blogger [see below]

Welfare reform: chuck the nutter in the gutter

by  Laurie Penny

The tendency not to want to believe in mental illness festers across the Western world, and particularly in Britain, the nation that gave us Shakespeare, concentration camps and the stiff upper lip.

From the friends and families of sufferers to the upper echelons of government, the suspicion that mental health difficulties are forms of weakness – simple personality flaws that could be eradicated if more of these mentalists would jolly well buck up – informs policy and influences behaviour. We need to look this institutional prejudice in the face and call it what it is: outdated, destructive and desperately unhelpful.

The response of our government in boom times had been to quietly shunt the sick onto a government poverty package and tell us to be grateful. However, as incapacity levels continue to rise, the DWP’s new Work to Welfare policy threatens to shunt us just as quickly back to the jobcentre, telling us that we’re scroungers who were actually making it up all along. This comes in the teeth of a recession. Nice timing, Purnell.

Many of the 40% of Britain’s 2 million IB claimants who are unable to work due to mental health difficulties already have a few problems with paranoia. But, as the noted social theorist Kurt Cobain observed, that doesn’t necessarily mean that they’re not after you.
continue reading… »

4th Jan at 6:30 pm     ¦     8 comments     ¦     Permalink

UK Gaza demos round-up

by  Sunny Hundal

Israel has now launched a full-scale ground attack against the Gaza strip, which no doubt means many more innocent civilians will lose their lives over the coming days. To that extent, I think the demonstrations across the UK to express solidarity with the people of Gaza (not Hamas) were important – even if previous demonstrations haven’t had the desired effect: they send out a symbolic message, while expressing the degree of anger.

Anyway, you can read write-ups and see pictures by: Harpymarx, Derek Wall, myself, James Hooper, Lenin, Liam Mac Uaid, Shiraz Socialist, Janine, Andy D’Agorne, permanent revolution, on Harry’s Place and bigbluemeanie. [hat tip: Jim Jay for some links].
More pictures also on Flickr, and by Kate Belgrave.

If I’ve missed anyone out, please let me know below. Also, a few notes about my stance on the issue.
continue reading… »

1950   Hrs GMT London Sunday 4 January 2009: If George Galloway has been ‘traduced’ as an electoral entity in Tower Hamlets as compared with the Blairing cabal; it is perhaps timely to ask the question: what do the Blairing cabal actually DO when they do their politics?  Galloway was written off two years ago this month over his appearance on Channel 4’s Big Bother…. And there was a genuine point to some of the comments Galloway’s’ political opponents made then….

Two years on and we are in another January and there is Galloway again. Making some headlines… But the Blairing cabal from Tower Hamlets is absent… How come?

What is THEIR politics, after all?

If by next Thursday’s  scheduled appearance of the ignorant and prejudiced but Council-backing   East  London Idiotiser  the Blairing Tower Hamlets cabal manages to cook up some sort of ‘news’ of THEIR ‘concern’ around the issues that make the peripheral news on Gaza and Palestine, then they would not be making the impact, would they?

The impact would already have been made by Galloway’ s appearance at the original events   !

So, next time the Blairing cabal try to claim that they were as concerned about the human rights of the people of Palestine, perhaps they will remember what they were actually up to over the past week or so and on Saturday and Sunday of this weekend…

NOT THAT any of these events in London would have saved a single life in Gaza or elsewhere in the territories being savagely attacked by the forces of the evil imperialist… But let the local records show that the cabal in Tower Hamlets that has made a huge personal fortune and career for each of its members by abusing the plight of the people under occupation, slaughter and genocide, is continuing to be absent from the lines  of at least a token defiance against injustice.………..

Let the people remember these acts of treachery by the colluders with the regime that makes pleadings to those who violate all laws of international norm and ethics and morality….

When the skies over Gaza are filled with the cries and the pleas of people denied human life, literally, let the heavens note how the so-called compassionate people of God watched and let the butcheries continue…..

Let those who claimed in 2003, 2004, 2005 that they were ‘as concerned’ as members of the Blairing regime in little Tower Hamlets as anybody else meaning other people who were and remain opposed to Blair and Blairism, show to any objective scrutiny  what   tHEY were doing this weekend if they were not seen and heard to demand that the violations of innocent people, men and women in Palestine     point

ago this month over his appearance on Channel 4’s Big Bother…. And there was a genuineiunt to some of the comments Gallwoys’ political opponents made….

Two years on and we are in another January and there is Galloway again. Making some headlines… But the Blairing cabal from Tower Hamlets is absent… How come?

What is THEIR politics, after all?

If by next Thursday’s  scheduled appearance of the ignaoarnt and prejuuced but Council-backing   East

London Idiotiser  the Blairing Tower Hamlets

c

cabal manage to cook up some sort of ‘news’ of THEIR ‘concern’ around the issues that make the peripheral news on Gaza and Palestine, then they would not be making the impact, would they?

The impact would already have been made by Galloway’ s

appearance at the original events   !

So, next time the Blairing cabal try to claim that they were as concerned about the human rights of the people of Palestine, perhaps they will remember what they were actually up to over the past week or so and on Saturday and Sunday of this weekend…

NOT THAT any of these events in London would have saved a single life in Gaza or elsewhere in the territories being savagely attacked by the forces of the evil imperialist… But let the local records show that the cabal in Tower Hamlets that aha made a huge personal fortune and career for each of its members by abusing the plight of the people under occupation, slaughter and genocide, is continuing to be absent from the liens of at least a token defiance against injustice

Let the people remember these acts of treachery by the colluders with the regime that makes pleadings to those who violate all laws of international norm and ethics and morality….

When the skies over Gaza are filled with the cries and the pleas of people denied human life, literally, let the heavens note how the so-called compassionate people of God watched and let the butcheries continue…..

Let those who claimed in 2003, 2004, 2005 that they were ‘as concerned’ as members of the Blairing regime in little Tower Hamlets as anybody else meaning other people who were and remain opposed to Blair and Blairism, show to any objective scrutiny  what   tHEY were doing this weekend if they were not seen and heard to demand that the violations of innocent people, men and women in Palesti

Editor © Muhammad Haque

1920 Hrs GMT London Sunday 4 January 2009: Another EXCLUSIVE Commentary from the community in Tower Hamlets: Bethnal Green and Bow MP Galloway is at the centre of a ‘sacking’ row about his spot on TALKSPORT radio…

Yesterday, Saturday 3 January 2009, ‘Local MP’ George Galloway made the news about his being involved in a central London incident during the demonstration against the Israeli attacks on Gaza. News reports said that Galloway had been among a group of demonstrators who had been repeatedly attacked by the Police. Galloway and a number of others were stuck in an underground tunnel in central London while travelling between locations of the day’s demons tarpons.

Today, it has merged that the managers of the commercial radio station Talksport cancelled Galloway’s slot last night, on the ground that in their view Galloway would not be able to present a neutral view of

The Israeli attacks on Gaza and on related events in the region or indeed at the demo in London…

The London      Mail on Sunday’s   Web site   has published in the last 2 hours, the following item about Galloway’s slot on TALKSPORT.

George Galloway axed from TalkSPORT after scuffle with police at pro-Palestinian rally

By Tamara Cohen
Last updated at 5:53 PM on 04th January 2009

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George Galloway was axed from presenting his TalkSPORT show this weekend as producers feared his anti-Israel views would be too biased.

The Respect MP was involved in a scuffle with police at a pro-Palestinian rally hours before his live current affairs programme was due to air on Saturday night.

TalkSPORT staff last night said he had been replaced by Ian Collins so the programme would provide a more ‘balanced’ view of the conflict in Gaza.

George Galloway (third from left) stands shoulder to shoulder with Tony Benn and Annie Lennox at a pro-Palestinian rally at Embankment, London

But they downplayed rumours that Galloway’s £100,000-a-year contract to present the controversial talk show could be in jeopardy.

The MP for Bethnal Green and Bow was one of a hardcore of protestors heading for the Israeli embassy in Kensington on Saturday, after attending a rally in Trafalgar Square.

There were outbreaks of violence as hundreds of angry protestors clashed with police, resulting in 15 arrests.

 

 

More…

• Israel rolls its tanks into Gaza to storm Hamas rocket bases
• Gaza invasion: Olmert defies Brown’s plea not to invade
• ANALYSIS: Israel limits its goals in hope of avoiding repeat of ill-fated Lebanon war

 

Outside the Israeli embassy off Kensington High Street, officers in riot gear had to step in as car windows were smashed, officers were dragged into the crowd and missiles aimed at the embassy building, the Metropolitan police said.

Galloway was among a breakaway group of protestors who claimed to have been surrounded by police in a Hyde Park underpass as the crowd made their way there.

Last night a spokesman for talkSPORT, where Galloway has presented his twice weekly programme since March 2006 confirmed he had been replaced by Ian Collins on his 10pm slot.

After the protest on Saturday, Galloway told reporters police had ambushed the protestors in a tunnel and ‘attacked us repeatedly’.

But a Metropolitan Police spokesman said officers had to advance into the crowd to regain control as protestors had thrown missiles and attempted to push through police lines.

Over the Christmas period, Galloway’s  programme ‘The Mother of all Talk Shows’ has been aired every day.

A source at the station said last night: ‘A decision was taken by the director of programming that we wanted to have Ian Collins, to give a more balanced view of the Gaza situation. We felt this would be in the best interests of everyone.’

A talkSport spokesman said: ‘George was at the rally during the day and a decision was taken to have Ian Collins present the programme.

‘As the Israelis invaded Gaza last night we felt it would be more appropriate to have a rolling news programme than a talk show. George’s show will be back on as normal this Friday.’

Galloway supporters were said to have bombarded talkSport with calls and emails accusing the station of bowing to pressure from ‘the Israel lobby’. The spokesman said he was ‘not aware’ of complaints being received.

On the talkSport website, the station boasts about Galloway’s extreme views and notorious friendship with the former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein.

It says: ‘Gorgeous George has also shared tea and biscuits with now displaced-despot and all round bad guy that is former president of Iraq, Saddam Hussein, and his sons Uday and Qusay, who were known to be fond of torturing footballers that couldn’t beat Barcelona blindfolded.’

During his show on Friday, Galloway had a blazing on-air row with the Times leader writer Oliver Kamm about the war in Gaza.

A Labour MP for 18 years, Galloway was thrown out in 2003 for ‘bringing the party into disrepute’. Opposing the war in Iraq, he called Tony Blair a ‘liar’ and called on British troops to disobey the Government’s orders.

He now represents the East London constituency of Bethnal Green and Bow for the Respect party.

Last night a spokesman for George Galloway would not comment on whether Galloway’s contract with talkSPORT was in jeopardy.

He said: ‘I can’t comment on that at the moment. George was told Ian Collins would be presenting a rolling news programme instead of his programme, and that’s all I can say.’

 
 

 

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Working in the community to end cycles of deprivation, complacency about deprivation; for education and social responsibility by achieving accountability from those who seek and occupy positions at all ‘elected’ public levels’ and get paid in the name of the community, the people…..