PM “appalled” that Aung San Suu Kyi’s appeal has been denied

The Prime Minister has expressed his disappointment on hearing that an appeal against Aung San Suu Kyi’s sentence has been denied. Burma’s Supreme Court rejected an appeal to end the opposition leaders’ 14 years of house arrest, according to her lawyer. Gordon Brown said the sole purpose of last year’s “show trial” has been to prevent Aung San Suu Kyi from taking part in elections later this year. Read the PM’s statement I am appalled and saddened that Aung San Suu Kyi’s appeal against the sentence imposed by the regime has been denied. That failed appeal is sadly no surprise. From start to end, the sole purpose of this show trial has been to prevent Daw Suu Kyi from taking part in elections. In my open letter to Aung San Suu Kyi in December, I said that this should be a historic year for Burma. Free, fair and genuinely inclusive elections would...

via blogminster.com

The Nobel Prize winner's ongoing internment is a crime.

But....

Free, fair and genuinely inclusive elections - how about for the UK and Hexham? Make a change?

Posted via web from Hexham Matters

Robert Peston takes Lloyds to task

In a 25-year career of taking an unhealthily close interest in banks, I have very rarely encountered results as appallingly bad as those published by Lloyds this morning.

The bank says the loss was £6.3bn - which it sees as marginally better than the notional loss of £6.7bn that it would have reported in 2008 had it owned HBOS for the whole of that year (it in fact acquired battered HBOS at the turn of 2009).

Arguably, however, the loss for 2009 was almost double the number highlighted by Lloyds at £12.4bn: there is a case for ignoring a £6.1bn credit taken by Lloyds from a revaluation of some of HBOS's assets and liabilities.

But the big horror, of course, was the charge for loans and investments that have gone bad: an awe-inspiring £24bn, up from a merely horrific £15bn in 2008.

Lloyds' implied excuse is that the bulk of these losses stemmed from the insanely-poor loans to companies - especially property companies - that were made by HBOS.

But - to coin a phrase - you are what you eat. And Lloyds did not have to swallow HBOS: the bank, led by the chief executive Eric Daniels, chose to buy it.

Daniels remains chief executive.

via google.com

Posted via web from Hexham Matters

'What's happening to Day Care in Hexham and Northumberland?' - David Black in the Journal

UNION officials have condemned a controversial plan to close seven council-run day centres in Northumberland – branding it a retrograde step in care for the elderly and vulnerable.

Officials of Unite, Unison and the GMB – who represent the 51 care workers at the threatened centres – are demanding there should be no compulsory redundancies if a decision is eventually taken to shut them down.

The unions are the latest to voice opposition, anger and concern over the county council proposal to close the day care centres in Amble, Bedlington, Blyth, Ponteland, Prudhoe, Hexham and Haltwhistle, which are used by about 370 elderly people a week.

Care chiefs are launching formal consultations on introducing a new system which involves giving older people ‘personal budgets’ which they can spend on getting out of the house and taking part in social activities of their choice.

The plan involves closing the seven traditional day centres, where clients are taken by minibus to spend time with people of their own age, have lunch and take part in group activities.

via journallive.co.uk

I know how much day care means to those who use it - cut the salaries of the fat cats at the top of NCC and keep the centres open!

Posted via web from Hexham Matters

Hexham asks not only 'who is the leader' but 'what does he stand for'

It's said that if you show a picture of a high-profile Opposition spokesman like George Osborne or Chris Grayling to the person in the street, they'll have trouble identifying them. This could well be true. And if it's true of the second biggest party, the Tories, then just think what a problem the smaller parties have with 'recognition factor'.

The Liberal Democrats took a humorous approach to the problem a few years ago when they realised that they had just enough MPs for a pack of cards. Their current leader Nick Clegg is probably worrying in private about losing a few of his Aces to his fellow players next time round... (By the way, what is he doing in that photo? Fans of FlashForward will find it very disturbing indeed.)

What about the minority parties - the Greens and UKIP, for example? Would you know the leader of UKIP if he walked up to you in the street? Probably not. Fair enough, really, as Lord Pearson has not been as high profile as his, ahem, colourful predecessor Nigel Farage.

via facebook.com

Check out 'X Marks the Box' - he's offering you a free copy of his soon-to-be-published book!

Posted via web from Hexham Matters

Politics Quote 1

Politics, it seems to me, for years, or all too long, has been concerned with right or left instead of right or wrong.  ~Richard Armour

Posted via email from Hexham Matters

Tory camaign - "What we've got on our hands is a dead shark"

In a house in Notting Hill earlier this week Osborne led the discussion: 

What’s going wrong? he asked. Why are we slipping in the polls, even when Brown is so unpopular?

But though all the Cameroon brains were present in the same room, and considering that everyone there had helped craft the campaign and most considered themselves experts in the dark art of political strategy, no one had an answer. Osborne, who likes to see himself as Brown’s great nemesis, ended the meeting as frustrated as he began it.

It is as clear to the country as it is to the top Tories that the Conservative election campaign is in trouble; that the party seems to be stagnating. One aide puts it like this: ‘A shark has to constantly move forward or it dies. And I think what we’ve got on our hands is a dead shark.’

via johnrentoul.independentminds.livejournal.com

Here in Hexham thousands are saying, "If only we new what they stood for."

Posted via web from Hexham Matters

'The Tory situation is now verging on critical' - James Forsyth in The Spectator

James Forsyth

Wednesday, 24th February 2010

Why has the Tory lead halved since December? James Forsyth says that Cameron and his four top men — Osborne, Hilton, Coulson and Bridges — must take the blame for the party’s dismal performance and its lack of message and purpose

One evening earlier this week a group of senior Tories gathered for a secret meeting in a house in Notting Hill. All of the most trusted members of Cameron’s inner circle were there — George Osborne, Steve Hilton, Andy Coulson, Michael Gove — but the atmosphere was not one of jubilation, or even excited determination. The predominant mood was despair. Osborne put their worries into words: What’s going wrong? he asked. Why are we slipping in the polls, even when Brown is so unpopular?

But though all the Cameroon brains were present in the same room, and considering that everyone there had helped craft the campaign and most considered themselves experts in the dark art of political strategy, no one had an answer. Osborne, who likes to see himself as Brown’s great nemesis, ended the meeting as frustrated as he began it.

It is as clear to the country as it is to the top Tories that the Conservative election campaign is in trouble; that the party seems to be stagnating. One aide puts it like this: ‘A shark has to constantly move forward or it dies. And I think what we’ve got on our hands is a dead shark.’ A senior Tory MP is blunter still: ‘There is a real danger that we might not win this.’ To win, of course, means securing a majority, and an increasing number of Tories believe they aren’t going to get one.

These fears are justified: the situation really is verging on critical.

via spectator.co.uk

Click on link to read James Forsyth article.

Posted via web from Hexham Matters

'I used to be apathetic but now I just don't care!' - Nick Clegg speaks to Hexham voters

via libdems.org.uk

Hexham has a good record on turnout - but what will get those who still didn't vote last time to get up, get out and get voting?

Posted via web from Hexham Matters

John Redwood says its time for Labour & the Toriesto unveil their messages. Hexham awaits.

It’s time for the two main parties to unveil their messages, draft their pledge cards and tell us their “narratives” for the election. Put simply, Labour are saying their storyline is “We saw you through the recession. Don’t let the Tories spoil it”, whilst the Conservatives are saying “We are in a huge mess of Labour’s making. The Conservatives will have to clear it up”. Labour have come up with some slogan or high level phrase I cannot quite remember about fairness and justice. As far as I am concerned it is higher fares for all with Labour’s one size doesn’t fit all economic policy. The Conservatives have come up with “We can’t go on like this. It is time for a change”, and may be launching more of their headlines today and next week. Beneath the headlines it has become fashionable...

via blogminster.com

What do you think a joint pledge card would say?

1 We will shovel yet more money from the middle-classes and poor to the mega-rich.

2 We will continue to spin and pretend that real change is happening when it isn't.

3 We will continue to abuse weak and vulnerable groups children, the elderly etc.

4 We will continue to allow banks to screw their customers and the country.

What other 'pledges' would you add?

5

6

7

8

9

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Welcome

Welcome to 'Who will renew Hexham Politics'.

UK politics needs to come into the 21stC and leave its 19th/20thC corruption behind.  Hexham can lead the way.