Schisms between Left and Right in the Coalition

Happier times, but now is there a drift?

As the Coalition continues to trundle forward it appears that limbs of the two parties, the Libdems and the Conservatives, are trying to pull the fabric apart. On the right of the Conservative party we have Europsceptics and those who are frustrated with the Human Right's act and Abbu Qatada's release. On the left an army of angry Libdems who are getting more and more angry over Austerity cuts and the worrying drift to the right that has happened within the party.

The Conservative right, who have never really liked the idea of the Liberal Democrats being in Government with them, in fact if anything a necessary evil to help prop up their majority in May of 2010 and now a parasitic symbiont that is passing through their policies under a bigger party's guise and blocking them from doing what they want or feel needs to be done.

The case of Abu Qatada is a prime example of our two parties not agreeing. The case is being used as an extreme example of the problems of the Human Right's act.
The Right cannot see why the man cannot be held for an indefinite period of time or be forcibly deported to Jordan. To add salt to the wound the Government's efforts are being thwarted by the European court of Human rights.

Although the Qatada case is fairly extreme, I find myself agreeing with the courts.

Should Qatada be deported to Jordan he faces possible torture, as do witnesses in any trial. On top of that he has not actually been charged with anything and under law you cannot hold a person in prison without charge. Control orders, likewise imprison someone in their home and restricts movement, whom they speak to, police can make unannounced visits - basically you are owned by the state and your freedoms revoked which is just wrong. If they are guilty of an act and there is sufficient proof to have them found guilty by a jury of their peers then fine if not - I'm sorry - but they should be freed.

The state, wanting to control its citizens, to hold them indefinitely without trial or conviction, forcible deportation and removing their freedoms is, to me reminiscent of a certain far right German Government from the middle of the century. If you open up that box, even a little, you sacrifice the very freedoms and ideals that you are trying to protect, and it is a slippery slope to the Nacht und Nabel laws.

The European Court of Human rights, separate of course from the European Union and Common Market, is there to assist Governments making decisions that effect Human rights and therefore are a force for good. In this case torture can never be condoned.

Another source of tension is Sarah Teather. Peter Bone MP, asked at PMQs this week why she was still a government minister as she did not turn up to the pivotal vote on Welfare reform. Sarah Teather had always objected to the bill and when she was held up in Sheffield, by design or, as she has told everyone, by work the Conservatives have seen it as a slight.
True, under normal circumstances, a Government minister should vote with the Government - however this is a Coalition, and in the agreement no one needs to vote a certain way. If Ms Teather was strongly opposed to the policy, as many Libdems are, how could she vote - in good conscience for it?
If anything absentia from the vote is preferable for the Government than voting against. The point is she is a Libdem, and she stuck by her principles in the same way as those Conservative Eurosceptics who voted for a referendum did despite the whip.

On the Libdem side, there are left leaning Liberals who are horrified by the extent that the party seems to have drifted to the right and even become a diet Conservative party. Others believe that Clegg et al have sold their souls for their Ministerial positions and that the Coalition is truly pulling the party into the Darkside.

I must admit, there are times I agree.

However, I take solace in the good work that the parliamentary party are also putting through and the ends that justify some of the means. The nation is in a dire state and working with the Conservatives is the only way for improvement as Labour still seem entrenched and blameless.
Yes, there are bitter pills to be swallowed, and these aren't the decisions or policies that we would put through on our own but we're in Coalition and we're going to have to do things we don't want to do and agree with things we don't always agree with in the same way they are.

This is for the benefit of the country and both parties will need to rein in their respective wings to keep the Coalition on course.

Bonus' injustice on the Railways

As commuters across the country are being squeezed by increasing fees absurd bonuses are being handed out to Railtrack bosses.

Sir David Higgins was due to get £336,000's as a performance bonus this May which is 60% of his current wage of £560,000 PA!  This is a staggering percentage when commuters across the country are paying up to a third of their annual income on train travel.

Since the figures came to light however Sir David and the other directors have said they will not take the money instead they will put the money into greater Health and Safety measures at level crossings following the announcement from the Bazlinton and Thompson case, (Olivia Bazlinton and Charlotte Thompson aged 14 and 13 respectively were hit by a train after passing through an unlocked pedestrian level crossing gate.) which is very noble of them, though I wonder if they would have done so had it not been made public, however that is neither here nor there.

The question I'd rise is this the same for Southeastern and the other Franchise holders? What are their bonuses? I know its not very liberal to pry into the bonuses or indeed to control them however with this new notion of responsible capitalism and greater fairness for the Consumer/worker it may be in the interest of overall fairness.

Rail unions have applauded the decision and TSSA union leader Manuel Cortes has said;
We said last week that it beggared belief that National Rail could be talking about a multi-million, long term bonus scheme within days of admitting criminal behaviour over the deaths.

But wait!!! The unions aren't innocent in this either. Lets turn the spotlight to the RMT, TSSA and the Underground. Personally I don't use the underground much, it is too expensive and I'd rather walk and get some exercises and see the beautiful city I work in, well the bit I work in is nice anyway but I've seen the chaos caused by the spate of one day strikes for any numerous reasons. The London press is also keen to tell us how much Tube drivers get paid and from memory it is around £40,000 pa which is a pretty princely sum but as the Olympics get closer a pay deal is again being debated. An offer of £500's was made as a bonus for working through the Olympics which is an increase of £400's on their original offer.

Other employers, notably London Overground, Network Rail and most recently DLR, have come up with serious offers and agreements and we expect LU to do the same.
It is well documented that transport will be the biggest technical challenge throughout the Olympic period with massive pressure on staff and services from moving millions of extra passengers around Greater London and the South East. says Bob Crow head of the RMT

OK I can see their point that it is going to be a nightmare. Its going to be hard enough Commuting to London as well as working in a Tourist attraction, as I do, in central London but I'm not getting any extra bonuses for doing so. The fee stands at an extra £20's a shift and the LU have offered to be as flexible as they can this is the best offer that can be given and the Unions, in my mind, are just being obtuse.  After all their pay is already pretty damn impressive and they want more? This money ultimately comes from the consumer's pocket and the costs we pay, how is this fair?
UNITE, the bus drivers union is also arguing it isn't enough for their staff and haven't ruled out industrial action! So we have to suffer that as well?

It is dis-heartening as a Commuter to see this and I'm sure that others feel the same way.

German solution to English football

Big news has rocked the nation.

Fabio Cappello has quit as England manager months before the Euro 2012 competition over a spat with the English FA over the John Terry Racism case. This leaves the English National team in serious trouble ahead of the International tournament and surely dooms them to fall at a very early hurdle.

Back in my player days for Stanmore Rovers

As a fan (not fanatic though) of Football and as someone with a deep, unquestioning love of the German national team, I have observed the English team from an "outsider's" point of view. I've seen them at the best of times... 5-1 over us in Munich. (We're still not talking about that...) and more notably the worst of times 4-1 in the last Weld... sorry World Cup.

Now, please take it on the chin when I say that England are where Germany was a decade ago. After the 98 World Cup when footballing legends Klinsman, Kupke, Eilts, Sammer all retired from international football. Only Lothar Matias trotted out for Euro 2000 and lets be honest he sucked and so did the rest of the team as we bombed out due to lack of experience, even the 2002 World Cup we were lucky to get as far as we did. Germany was no longer the force it had once been. Even in the World Cup in Germany, where I truly believe we were sublime, pundits described how it "Wasn't the Germany of Old."

Only the last World Cup has changed that opinion.

England are in a similar position, tired older players like Terry and Lampard who are no longer giving their all or, sometimes seemingly not interested at all. Then there is the Lothar Matias shaped spectre of David Beckham often being touted for a return or, y'know, just a half - he scores a blinding free kick.

NO, I say. Change is needed and change is good.

The team plays like 11 super stars when it needs to play as one team and the manager, whomever takes over, needs to ignore the press and endless speculation and take 11 players who play as a team, even if they lack the individual quality. Look at how well Germany did in the last world cup, apart from some obvious talent in the form of Ozell the majority of the rest of the team is mediocre - Podolski, Mertesacker, Metzelder all average. Indeed Klose and Podolski had only scored a handful of goals in the Bundesliga in a year but as soon as they don the White and Black of Germany they become electric. It appears to be inverse for England players who can score braces of goals in a season for their clubs but as soon as the White of England comes on nothing. The team have to be proud to don the shirt and to play representing the country they love and shine.

Indeed any new manager has to realistically take time to build a decent squad and should be ignoring the press and the pressure they pile on for Victory because "We are England" the target should be the World Cup 2014 and beyond. Time needs to be taken and pressure needs to be taken off, I know footie is "more than just a game" for many people but like club level, national teams need to be grown and instant results are not instant. Time and effort is needed and young players cultivated and brought up with a mixture of experienced players in friendlies and tournaments.

Who could take the position? Well, I'm available I've played a lot of Championship Manager and if I can get Gillingham into the final of the UEFA cup final or Margate FC into Division 1 playoffs for the Championship, I'm sure I can mastermind England's victory over Andorra.

But seriously Harry Rednapp is an option, though I doubt he'll leave Spurs before the end of the season.
Gareth Southgate is a good choice as is Stuart Pierce, Neil Warnock or even Sven as a holding position manager until a full timer can go in. What is needed is a manager who can get the team working as a team and not as a group of "Galicticos" if they can do that who knows? You may beat us again in a serious game and one day earn your Three stars!

Conservative Letter to stop EU law integration

In 1731 Captain Robert Jenkins had his ear cut off by the Spanish Coast guard sparking off the War of Jenkin's ear that ran from 1732-48.

In 1860, during the Opium war, Private Moyse of the 3rd East Kent Regiment was captured and executed for refusing to Kow-tow to the local Chinese Mandarin causing massive consternation amongst his piers and indeed in the Realm.

Britain has always guarded the sovereignty of its citizens and their rights abroad. They are citizens of this realm and subject to the justices of the Monarch and her ministers plain and simple.

It is along this same line that 102 Conservative MPs, including Chatham and Aylesford's own Tracey Crouch MP, have written an open letter (published in yesterday's telegraph) to David Cameron imploring him to use the "opt out" over Europe's "Pan European code of crimes" - an attempt to bring in line all of the member state's justice systems.
There is also the issue of the European Arrest warrant.
We want the UK Supreme Court to have the last word on UK crime and policing, not the European Court of Justice.

It finishes with:

We should maintain our national standards of justice and democratic control over crime and policing - but let other nations integrate more closely if they wish.

This isn't a revolt. Nor is a threat merely a plea to the Prime Minister.
As a salve to the irritating problem of the pro-European Lib Dems in coalition it suggests that we as a nation can still opt in on parts of the 130 point plan that will benefit the Country with regards to combating crime and international terrorism but Britain as a Nation should be responsible for its citizens.

I've always found Crime to be abhorrent, probably because I'm descended from a long line of Police men, who have served the nation for about a century. It is for this reason that I've always found Crime abhorrent and I can agree with the idea of getting member states together to pool resources - data, finger prints and DNA of convicted felons which could help solve cases abroad.

However the State should be responsible for its own laws (Drawing up and implementation) and every state is individual in its law creation as each has been created and molded by its own history. It should be out of the hands of the European Parliament as is the sovereignty of the British Citizen.

Britain is not a non extradition country and I am sure that if the German Polizei were to request a British citizen for arrest and deportation and could provide enough evidence to support the arrest, it would happen. It would be out of the EU's mandate to be able to action this overstepping British Sovereignty over its own citizens.

In short, I agree with the letter - bet no one saw that coming - and this wouldn't be a case of Britain being obtuse. If anything Europe should be about cooperating not integrating fully.

Privatisation of Care homes in Medway Demo

Outside the Pentagon yesterday

Yesterday the Trade Union Against the Cuts (socialist Workers party) organised a march to protest against the Closure of the elderly Care homes in Medway and attracted support from the Save Nelson Court group, the Liberal Democrats, Labour, the Greens, and the most important – the public in what Councillor Maple (lab) described as;

A true Coalition, a Coalition against the cuts.

I’m not saying that in this period of Austerity and shrinking economy that National and Local government has to make tough decisions, economise and try and save money tragically wielding the axe - I’m not question that, indeed it has to be done . What I am questioning is where the axe will fall.

In that respect I completely agree with Geoff.

In his column in Party People (Medway Messenger 3^rd February) entitled Councils must look closer to home over cuts, Councillor Juby outlines that the Medway Council is still spending money on

Holds onto its prestige positions for favoured Councillors while getting rid of front line staff.

As I understand it from sources close to the campaign, the very basic steps of inside streamlining within the facilities has not even been taken and that staff, who are concerned by the term “outsourcing” are really willing to take steps to do this. This is because “Outsourcing” is a terrifying prospect for public sector workers. Yeah it could end well and you get a good pension and employer but it could also mean the complete opposite. The only guarantee is that your current contract is honoured by the new Private company for up to a year. So even though they are motivated by the concern for the patient’s care they are also motivated to save their jobs. After all a privately run home will be trying to make a profit and will “trim the fat”, pay less, work them harder (as my Mum found when she started working for a private home) and even “tactically redeploy” staff to other owned facilities nearby.

Councillor Murray (lab) also outlines similar concerns about the Privatisation of the homes. In a recent Medway messenger report it was exposed that several of the privately run homes voicing concerns about standards in the privately run Winchester House and Friston House. She reminds the Council that there is less regulation in the Private sector and inspections no where near as regular. It is a genuine concern that standards for patients will slip – it is not a case of opposition parties starting rumours to cause problems.

As accountability in the private sector is less regulated, many private homes refuse potential clients and their families the right to drop in unplanned when trying to choose a home.

There is also the possibility that places will become limited and that prices will rise as the private company tries to make money and stay above water. Councillor Jarrett said in Party People at the end of last year that all the homes were increasingly uneconomic and that the Balfour centre was hemorrhaging numbers of users - in fact it is around a third but I think he and the Council maybe missing the point. If they followed Geoff's suggestion and cut back their expenditure "in house" (both at the homes and in Gun Wharf itself) they may find the extra money to keep them open. I have heard rumours that I cannot confirm or deny, that the Council has already pre-budgeted for a successful consultation and the privatising of these homes - I would suggest that this could make a mockery of the whole consultation process if it is true and that they will only hear what they want to hear. Lets hope it is false. They also have a duty to the elderly members of our community and to help provide for them. Yes Privatisation and Outsourcing are an alternative but surely trying to provide the best care possible is the best way and that is clearly under Council control.

As Jac Berry of the TUAC said at the demo; The Council are being short sighted in its privatisation - we are going to get old and it will be the next generation and their children that will suffer if this is removed.

 The Demonstration, petitions and voiced concerns by Medway's opposition parties and Councillors from a cross spectra of parties shows that the people of Medway are really concerned about this and their fears are grounded in reality and not just in political hype.

I hope the council follows the Conservative Leader's example stops and listens to a Big society that has voiced its concerns before thinking again and reconsiders all of its options carefully rather than plowing ahead.

Colonel Collins Vs Mike O'brien for Kent Police Commissioner?

Cllr Mike O'Brien vs Col Tim Collins

The Police Commissioner race in Kent has taken an unexpected turn today with the announcement in the Medway Messenger (3rd February 2012) in an article by Dan Bloom (entitled Tory Eyes Police Commissioner Role) of local Councillor Mike O'Brien expressing an interest in running for the post of Kent Police Commissioner.

Mike O'Brien is one of the Medway Town's senior Councillors who has served on the Community Safety Partnership and has experience working with the Police and community groups, was born in Chatham and knows the area really would be an excellent choice for the candidature.

Ignoring any Liberal Democrat, Labour or Independent (or other party) candidate the first hurdle is ex Colonel Tim Collins, yeah he's the guy you think he is - the Gulf War hero - the one who gave the inspiring Henry V style speech on the eve of battle. He announced his candidacy back in September at the Conservative Party Conference and claims that too long have the bureaucrats been in charge and he wants to get back to the basics of policing. This is not, he claims, a job for a Sunset Councillor and as a younger but heavily experienced man he has a lot going for him.

Well age is just a number and Mike doesn't feel he is a Sunset Councillor and says that Col Collins' comments Miss the point.

We differ in that I'm someone who has lived in Kent all my life. I was born in Chatham and I know what people expect.

So will it be a case of competency vs a name and reputation?

I fear so. Personally I think party politics should be kept out of the Commissioner post but with the spiralling costs of running a county wide campaign it was always going to be the big three running them rather than someone on their own but this definitely brings an interesting spin on the Conservative race.

Personally I'd back Mike over Colonel Collins in this particular race because he is a Local man who has dedicated a lot of time to representing his ward and the towns in Policing matters rather than someone who has been parachuted in.

Also my two grandfathers (and years of reading military History) imbued me with their opinion of British Military officers:

The British army is run by its sergeants. The officer gives a vague order like; "Sergeant take that bunker." and the Sergeant and NCOs give the orders and organise the men effectively. P.J Sams

All our officers were bloody idiots. We should have shot them at the beginning. A.J Pullen

Coalition II in 2015?

In Matthew d’Ancona’s article in today’s Evening Standard (1^st February) The Spectre of John Major is steering the PM’s EU strategy. he argues that David Cameron’s U-turn on Europe may have been in a move to placate his coalition partner Nick Clegg and that he is looking to a second term in 2015. The question is, would the Libdems want to do this again?

In Brussels, Mr Cameron took the step to agree that those states that signed up to the Fiscal Compact can indeed use other European Union institutions to push their decisions onto Great Britain – unless it was to threaten British interests including “The City” and then he would take contest it. All very sensible as the European states are trying to save their own economies, the Union’s economy and by extension our economy as well.

However the Euro sceptic wing of the Conservative party is already getting up in arms, spurned on by Ed Miliband’s taunt “The Veto that never was.”

We’re back to business as usual, ministers and mandarins cutting deals, and the people of this country ignored. If you’re a Eurosceptic, there’s only one show in town after yesterday and that’s calling for a referendum,  Douglas Carswell MP for Clacton.

However the Pro- European Libdems are over the moon with the action. It is no secret that Nick Clegg was “Bitterly disappointed” as were many of the party at what was perceived as Tory obstinace by some.  Could this new move by Mr Cameron be to placate his Libdem partners?

Maybe.

It could be that the realisation that it is better to be part of the solution than part of the problem and that the EU will need to access all it can to try and solve this massive crisis and if the Euro and the European economy collapse then Britain will take another serious knock and if our local trade partners are in serious trouble they won’t want to buy British goods r be able to afford it.

However Mr d’Ancona suggests that placating Clegg and co is at the centre of this move. According to estimates sited in his piece he suggests that a fear of the repeat of the Major years is what is pushing him. Who can forget the on going divisions of parliament and the Government being held to ransom by a handful of rebellious Eurosceptic MPs?
He suggests that some Conservative projections have them winning the election with say a 60 seat majority although others suggest 10 or 20. I agree with him that the chance of them taking points from us is pretty low as if our vote collapses, which I fear it may (especially with the Local elections at the same time) then why vote for the other half of the Coalition instead? They’re going to vote Labour.

If the majority is very low it would make sense to pitch the idea of a second Coalition to the Libdems and Clegg (if he doesn’t lose his seat next time.) and the best way to do that is to give some ground on Europe which is a central part of our ideology. 
There is plenty of work for the Coalition to do, and things that we have put in now that could be finished by the same government in 2020.

Would it benefit us though? It is hard to say. We’ve lost a lot of support over policies we’ve had to back down on; Trident, tuition fees, benefit cap – which has divided party opinion and attracted a lot of criticism from the opposite benches.  However we have put through a heck of a lot of our policies, and becoming a credible party of government with experience.
The big thing about Coalition is that it was in the National interest and we’ve sacrificed a chunk of our support for the  good of the nation, and I guess if it was necessary again in 2015 then yeah I’d like to think we’d sign on again for the good of the country, after all Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori, but we have to also look at what state the party is in in 2015 and whether or not we still have strength and support to do it. Who can predict until the results come in?