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The Brexit Circus just goes around and around in circles getting us nowhere. The Prime Minister Theresa May and her clown, David Davis, seem to have no idea at all of how to negotiate with the EU. All we seem to be seeing from Theresa May is her abilities to annoy the EU with her misguided arrogance and insistence that Britain will dictate the terms of it’s departure from the EU, whilst the EU seems equally insistent that it will not submit to our demands. Pretty much everyone else with an ounce of sense in this Country knows that we just cannot dictate the terms of our departure and insist that we get everything that we want: it just does not work like that. The EU is also telling us the same message that Britain cannot dictate terms to them and insist that it gets all it wants. In reality we have a very weak hand to play whilst the EU holds a much stronger position. They have more to gain and less to loose from all this. Membership subscriptions bring rewards and privileges enjoyed by members and outside of the club you loose these rights and privileges and benefits associated with membership. It’s plain and simple and quite simply the message that the EU wants to send to other member countries that may think of leaving: that they should beware of what lies beyond the boundaries of the Membership Circle. Britain will no doubt suffer as a consequence of leaving this Membership Circle and the EU will be keen to reinforce this message. Any Leave Campaigners that had the notion that we could leave the EU and retain or cherry pick our terms of departure leaving in it’s place an arrangement that was more favourable to Britain was simply: delusional, misinformed or simply misguided.

Continue reading Theresa May manoeuvres to escape blamelessly for Brexit debacle

Brexit should be having a profound effect on football if we apply the same logic to football matches as we have done to the Brexit Process! This sounds pretty daft and vague doesn’t it but if you think about it there are similarities and if we applied to same rules then football might be quite a different game. The process is about winners and losers and how we determine which is which. The Brexit process is being taken forward based on the fact that the Leave Campaign managed to secure a 3.8 % majority over the Remain Campaign.

So lets apply this to a Football Match situation and say that despite what happens on the pitch the outcome and final result will actually be determined by the relative amounts of fans present from each of the respective teams. Footballing skills and reasonable argument caused by the scoring of goals on the field of play become meaningless. Also a draw is impossible to achieve. Success is simply measured by the amounts of fans participating/attending. The Team with the most fans in attendance wins no matter what takes place on the field of play. If your team has the most fans it wins. There is no competition to see which team is the most determined or skillful, these have no consequence on the outcome of the game and do not figure in the assessment. The majority will always win in this situation and logic and reasonable argument based upon gameplay and skillfulness can be disregarded. The same applies to Brexit, where reasonable argument and consequence have been ignored in favour of Majority Rule.

So next time I want to make a decision that effects me and my family should I go and consult a cross section of the public which takes no notice of their educational background, occupation or abilities to make choices based on the information that I provide to them. Should I then base my final choices and decisions upon what may be their very unlearned opinion about matters of which they have no understanding or knowledge but of which instead they may just have an opinion? Is majority decision the right choice to make simply because it is based on numbers? We elect Governments to make learned choices for us. Our democratic system elects those that we choose through a majority voting system but the difference here and after that is we elect them in a contest but then we expect them to make the right choices after that and not to have to consult us and seek a majority. We empower them to make choices on our behalf that which we would hope represents our best interests and the interests of Britain as a whole. What we can learn from the recent EU Referendum in 2016 is that Majority decisions do not always work in our interest and our democratic system is not supposed to act in that way either.

Brexit will be bad for Britain yet many of our politicians are still intent upon scuppering the British Economy by steering a course for a head on crash with this iceberg. Others are so worried about popularity and opinion polls that are unable and unwilling to raise the alarm even though they are supposed to represent the best interests of Britain.

Brexit will be bad for Britain

Yesterday saw Boris Johnson desperately rallying in front of press conference to gather support again for his cause, with sound bytes in response to the gloomy admissions made by the Government last week that Brexit will be bad for Britain. Rather than be a responsible politician who cares for Britain and it’s citizens by facing the facts, BoJo’s response is to further attempt to mislead, beguile and appeal to the right-wing sentiment that has placed us all in this stupid predicament. His rallying calls are now just a desperate attempt to brainwash and persuade his army of followers to charge into battle ill-equipped for the battle ahead. Sentiment alone will prove to be inadequate armour for the challenges of our exit from the EU. Here we are again with the age old British problem of a handful of toffs believing that they have God given rights to sacrifice ordinary Britain’s in their ill-thought out schemes and battles. It’s now high time to face facts Boris, that Brexit will be bad for Britain. It’s high time that his followers started to realise what a comic book pillock he actually is and started to put Britain first rather than believe in the lunacy of a egotistical politician that cares more for his own persona than he does for Britain.

Continue reading Brexit may be good for Boris but it’s bad for Britain

Here is a copy of the details from a recent complaint email that I sent to the Hull City Council regarding the improvisation of a new pedestrian crossing system in Newland Avenue in Hull.

hello – I a writing in to complain about an issue in relation to the new road surfacing that is taking place on Newland Ave. In particular I am concerned about the markings made on the road on Newland Ave. There seems to have been an attempt to put in new crossing points for pedestrians. However there does not appear to be any legal precedent in the Highway Code 2007 for these markings to appear. Drivers are confused, as these are not pedestrian crossings nor pedestrian rights of way and there is no evidence of such crossings or road markings in the Highway Code I believe that this matter of confusion is therefore putting both pedestrians and drivers in danger because of the confusion. It is already difficult enough with the numerous crossings that do exist and the road furniture that already exists in Newland Avenue without adding to the chaos and confusion. We already have people walking out into the road when in drink and we certainly do not need any more hazards of the Council’s creation. Please could you respond with how these markings are documented in the Highway Code with reference to the exact numbered item in the Code where it mentions this type of crossing. Otherwise I suggest that the Council stick to the binding authority and letter of that said Code and refrain from this type of dangerous improvisation by getting rid of these nuisance crossings forthwith before someone gets killed in an accident.

Pedestrian Crossings

I would like to hear from anyone else who has thoughts on this matter

24/10/17 Update

The Hull City Council have still not satisfactorily responded to my complaint and questions as to the legality of these crossings still remains unclear. What the Council did say is that they want me to contact the actual contractor- Wright’s Engineering- to find out for myself. This is simply not good enough since Hull City Council has the ultimate responsibility to oversee the work of any contractor that it hires to do work on it’s behalf to make sure that it fits and complies with the legal framework. So they have basically tried to dodge the question by asking me to find out the answer myself to something that they should already know before the work was passed off as completed. This obviously has not been done in this case and the Council is therefore negligent in it’s responsibilities in this area. You would think that on works of such importance to public safety that they would be more careful – they may be putting lives at risk.

I recently had issues with fuel purchased from this garage and took this up with Morrisons but they refused to acknowledge my complaints or investigate the matter. They simply said that they had not received any other complaints however this reasoning left me unsatisfied and I have not returned to purchase any more diesel fuel since and I have to say that neither have I had any further issues. Let me explain more as to why I believe that there are problems with fuel from this retailer.

I am currently a taxi /private hire driver and as such I use a great deal of diesel. I used to purchase nearly all my diesel from Morrisons until I had these problems. It appeared that I was experiencing a fuel blockage. This happened once after I filled up at this Morrisons garage. Thinking it may be the fuel that I had put in the next time I went to a different garage for my fuel. I experienced no further problems. I did this for a week without any further problems after which I returned to Morrisons to fill up again . Then after leaving the garage forecourt and driving only a half a mile or less I got a repeat of the fuel issues that I had experienced earlier. I decided to complain to Morrisons but they took some persuading. They sent it to someone higher up the head office and approximately a week later I go a standard disclaimer from some jobsworth. I have never gone back to use Morrisons fuel from that garage on Holderness Rd in Hull nor will I. It has been some months now since all this took place and I have experienced no further fuel starvation symptoms in my vehicle. I have made up my mind and I believe that you would also come to the same conclusion.

I would like to hear from anyone who has similar issues with this garage/ fuel retailer.

Despite not winning the General Election of 2017 outright there was only one real winner on that night and that was Jeremy Corbyn.

In a very understated way Mr Corbyn has shown that the Labour Party can be a real contender again if it sticks to what it has always been: a Party which represents fairness for all not just the few in other words a real Socialist Party. It is time to dismiss and bury the embarrassing Blair/Brown years and time to go forward with Mr Corbyn’s vision of a true to itself Labour Party Movement. For putting the Labour Party back on track again I will always be indebted to Jeremy Corbyn. Let’s finish the business now Jeremy and lets get Clause IV re-instated back into the Labour Party Constitution in a meaningful way.

Hull the City of Culture 2017 has spent so much money promoting itself as the City of Culture that it has simply overlooked it’s main priority: keeping it’s citizens safe and providing a safe place for them to live and work. Surely this should have priority over presenting the City as something that it is definitely not. I live and work in Hull and I travel extensively in the City and I have to say that Hull has some of the worst and most dangerous areas that I have ever encountered in a small city.

Quite simply the problem is arising through a lack of community policing which has been brought about by the Police and the Council closing the majority of police stations in the localities, satellite areas and concentrating their resources in the Clough Rd area where they are simply not needed. After all what is the point in putting the main policing resource so far out of the city on a limb in an area where there is only a small population. To pay for this swanky state of the art building in Clough Rd the local areas have seen the police stations closing or being sold off to developers. To name just a few that have closed Bransholme Centre as a police station although it has some police staff working from there it is no longer a police station. Holderness Rd Tower Police Station now sold off to developers and where is any police presence on Orchard Park or Preston Rd. These are also (probably not coincidentally) the 3 areas of the city that are the worst for crime particularly from youth vandals & drug dealers.

The Deception of Hull City Council providing visitors with a false impression of the City

Delinquent Youths riding un-licensed and un-roadworthy motorcycles without lights in parks and on pavements further endangering lives: this is the reality of Hull, the City of Culture 2017, this is the reality behind the facade, behind the fiasco or spectacle that the Hull City Council are providing as a false impression to deceive the visitors to this City. I am a taxi driver and these areas are becoming no go areas to work in because of the high risk that you stand of getting missiles thrown at your car as you travel through these areas. These areas have simply been abandoned by both the Hull City Council and the Police, abandoned to youth crime and arsonists. Holwell Rd, Preston Rd/ Annandale Rd and Hall Rd all need a large contingent of Street Cameras to prevent the mindless thugs from throwing missiles at vehicles and endangering lives added to this the area needs a stronger police presence. It is no good allowing police officers to congregate around an area where they are not needed and a long way away from the areas of crime after all not much goes on around a Bingo Hall. These officers are needed on the streets and parks and wasteland areas of Orchard Park and Bransholme. As I said I am a taxi driver yet I have not seen a police vehicle in those areas for weeks. The police need to provide a daily if not hour to hour service in those areas. Believe me the criminals, thugs and drug dealers are just laughing at the police and I know this firsthand because I have witnessed it. Meanwhile people who live or work in these areas, who are decent and trying to make a living through hard work, find that their lives, their livelihood and wellbeing is being put a risk through a Council that has it’s priorities elsewhere.

It’s all well and good making the streets in the city centre clean and tidy for visitors but the real clean up is needed far and away from these areas in the areas where the majority of people actually live.

I do not wish to be too negative here but this election has probably come when the Labour Party are the worst prepared than they have ever been for a General Election Battle. Theresa May knows this well and has seized upon this as the moment to pounce. However this is not a reflection of Mr Corbyn’s leadership it is simply that the Labour Party is itself in turmoil. Corbyn although appearing strong has failed so far to take ownership of the Party or to steer it in the direction that the membership want. He has failed so far to live up to his left wing promise and is struggling to appease both the growing left and diminishing right in his Party. The Labour Party is struggling with an Identity Crisis and amidst this we now have a General Election to fight. However there may yet be a twist in the story and the election of Trump in the USA is a reminder that there are no certainties. Corbyn could still claim a victory of sorts if he diminishes Theresa May’s majority in the House of Commons and/or if he wins back the Scottish Labour Vote: so even in defeat he could theoretically win something in this battle. Would this be enough to help him retain leadership of the Labour Party well this remains to be seen and in any case who could really follow him?

In the May 2015 General Election the Tories exploited the Scottish People’s desire to get independence for Scotland. In truth Cameron was dependent upon the hope that people would vote for the SNP as a protest vote or at least to split the vote and divide what were traditional loyalties of the Scottish People towards the Labour Movement. There is some truth though that Miliband offered nothing more that a wet version of the Labour Party during this period but this is only a small part of the equation. Alex Salmond in his quest to become ‘King of Scotland’ simply took his eye off the ball and failed to grasp that he was nothing more than a Tory Puppet being used to undermine Labour’s overall position in Scotland.

The 2017 General Election is not a vote for Devolution for Scotland: it’s about which political party governs the United Kingdom in the meantime

In truth the Labour Party need to do better in Scotland and the only way they can do is to give the Scottish people what they want: which is a referendum on Scottish Independence. This is to avoid this General Election in 2017 simply becoming an opportunity to get this referendum regarding their independence and a vote simply about regional politics/issues or devolution. The SNP are in reality a single issue Party so the Labour  Party need to blunt Sturgeon’s sword and steal the rug from under her and her Party by offering the Scottish people the very thing and only thing that the SNP can really offer. Once this is done and promised by Labour in a Manifesto Pledge then Scotland can  get to grips with the real political issues that face not only Scotland but the whole of the United Kingdom.

If this can be achieved by Jeremy Corbyn and his Labour Party then if there were to be a swing back to Labour in Scotland then even if Labour were to loose the General Election it may still be possible to increase Labour’s seats and thus reduce the Conservative’s majority in Parliament. This could be seen as a miscalculation by Theresa May and a significant loss if her majority were actually to be decreased in a General Election of her own calling. The Labour Party have a great deal to gain by stealing the show from the SNP in Scotland by playing Sturgeon at her own game. In the same way the Scots have to answer questions about why they have let the Tories in at the last General Election by taking their focus off what happens to the rest of the United Kingdom by simply focusing on their own needs in a General Election situation. General Election’s should not simply be about regional politics and attempting to get the most out of it for yourself and your locality: you need to see the bigger picture by establishing a Government that will bring about not just localised improvements but improvements across the whole of the United Kingdom, this is a given up until the day when devolution does actually occur. In the last election the focus on regional politics simply let the Tories in to have a greater share of the vote than they have historically held. This situation simply gifted the last election to the Tories and gave the a much stronger position in Parliament than they actually deserve. Scotland and the Labour Party need to get it right this time for the sake of the greater good in the United Kingdom.

The sad reflection of the Brexit Vote is that reason and intelligence have been sacrificed in favour of a Popularist Vote and Majority rule. It has encouraged the small minded section of the British Public to believe that their opinions matter. In fact the Brexit Vote has endorsed this belief. Now it seems that Britain is being run not by elected governments with the expertise to run a country but instead by a misconceived Popularist Vote. What a way to run things! This sort of thing would simply not happen in business where people are selected for various tasks and duties based on expertise and competence. Instead we have the situation where the future of Britain and it’s economic status is being decided by a vote that was composed mainly of people who: latched onto only one aspect of the argument, saw an opportunity to openly express their prejudices and right wing views and who saw an opportunity to express an extreme dislike of foreigners entering the country. I would say that if a poll were to be taken the majority of British citizens would not have the least idea about topics such as Economics, Inflation, Trade Tariffs or International Trade so why have we what is basically an uneducated majority decide what is best for Britain on these matters?

Now we all have to face the consequences of David Cameron and the Tory parties desperate bid for power in seeking to appeal to the small minded biggots that unfortunately we find today in Britain. Cameron’s gamble backfired which ultimately led him to resign. Personally I do not take well to be told what to do by people when I neither respect their opinion nor credit them with a certain amount of intelligence or competence to do the job correctly. Now my whole future will be influenced by this decision taken by a majority that I have no faith in and together with me the fate of the whole country has been decided in this fashion as well. It is a prospect I am not looking forward to at all. This choice has been imposed upon me by a section of the public that most probably has no understanding of Economics at all.

Brexit is a gamble and Britain is now officially a Nation of Gamblers

Brexit is quite simply a gamble. It’s like backing a 100 to 1 outsider. Brexit has turned the whole country into a nation of gamblers betting irresponsibly on uncertainties. Many people who voted for Brexit did so based solely on: their own personal opinions and what effects them personally; what upsets them about Britain, their own prejudices, their uncharitableness towards others in need of assistance; their own interpretation of what Brexit meant to them without considering the larger picture and the long term consequences for Britain as a whole. Many of these people most probably voted for the first time and probably have little genuine interest in politics, fiscal policy and economics nor in General Elections. How can we trust this section of the public to make the right choices for Britain? How can it be that Britain could so willingly sacrifice: reason, intelligence and it’s economic future for the sake of prejudice and bigotry.