Conservative government: What next?

 Conservative Government: What next?

Since the days of Boris Johnson and in spite of then then 80 seat majority, the Conservative Administration has been plagued by both issues that they could not possible foresee and control and by situations that arose because of measures they took that turned into yet another crisis.

The Covid Pandemic declared in March 2020 put everybody to the test and lockdown measures adopted to apparently tackle the pandemic generated a whole new series of issues, increasing divisions within the Conservative Government. It was about 'Lockdown or no Lockdown'. 

The start of declared hostilities in Ukraine was yet another test. Sanctions against the Russian Federation backfired and produced an energy crisis that destabilized the British Economy. The long standing stability with low prices and low interest rates gave way to higher interest rates and higher prices that in turn produced a series of strikes and forced the government to add more protection measures on top of the protective measures adopted during Lockdown to prevent a sudden rise in unemployment due to lack of economic activity.

Once the government started to regain control the crisis in Palestine opened a whole new can of worms. The fact that people immediately took sides reflects the tribal nature of Britain and this, unavoidably, led to yet another reshuffle to try and have some kind of equilibrium both in national terms and in terms of geopolitics.

All the way, from Covid, going through Lockdown, sanctions against the Russian Federation that led to rising inflation and the present issues involving Palestine, fractures within political parties became fairly visible. It is like walking on a high rope without a balancing pole. As the saying goes, 'keep your friends close and your foes even closer'. Loyalties are being tested to destruction. If Britain were to be involved in a real war tomorrow morning, this is a government that is struggling to survive until the next General Election due to take place in May 2024 and that will not be capable of dealing with war at home and war abroad. What would a General Election in 2024 achieve? For starters, it could be change, even if it is change for change sake. Having said that, when you look at what is happening across the home nations, political realities are much too complex to be able to foresee what the outcome of a General Election would be. 

North of the border, at times it looks like the SNP will collapse. At times it looks like any expectations about the demise of the SNP are very much an exaggeration. In Wales, the Labour administration might be unpopular, but then people might decide to stick to what they have got for fear of worse political realities. In Northern Ireland, political paralysis is a reality with Sinn Fein winning spaces and without a cross party agreement to return to the Northern Ireland Assembly. In England, the mainstream political parties are fragmented depending on what are the most important issues according to regions.

There are far too many issues that generate divisions both in terms of national politics and of international politics. You cannot promise one thing to please one side without alienating another side and you don't have the luxury of being vague in terms of where you stand politically.

Suella Braverman: Asset or Liability? There are profiles and profiles

 

Suella Braverman: Asset or Liability? Never try to outshine your boss.

The news that 10 Downing Street has not supported what was said by the Home Secretary in a controversial article might tell you that the clock is ticking for Suella Braverman. And the word 'controversial' perfectly describes Suella Braverman that has over-stepped the mark not once, but several times. The role of Home Secretary can be a poison chalice for many reasons, without adding what Suella Braverman has been adding in recent days. Her remarks about 'homelessness being a lifestyle choice' left many, from all political persuasions, scratching their heads in disbelief. She has appeared as insensitive, careless and extremely divisive. Not the ingredients for a country that faces enormous divisions caused by external events and not the ingredients for a country in which a growing number of people are struggling to make ends meet.

This happens at a time when Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is facing an uphill struggle to inspire confidence and hope not just across the country, but also inside his own Cabinet and his own political party, with cabinet ministers resigning and saying that they will not be standing at the next General Election and others not willing to stand because they feel that they will face a disastrous defeat, with MPs being forced to resign and/or being deprived of the party whip due to wide range of scandals, the Conservative Party is not in good shape. You can try to raise your profile, but you might not be doing it for the right reasons and/or in the right way.

When it comes to the media, it feels that a growing number of MPs and former MPs have been joining GB News and this includes a former Prime Minister, a former Cabinet Minister and the present Deputy Chairman of the Conservative Party. Is there enough space to include Suella Braverman as television presenter? With her statements, she has even surpassed Nigel Farage and this is an act hard to follow. 

Thirteen years is perhaps too long a time for a political party to stay in power without suffering the natural consequences. Too many excesses, too many scandals, too much division. Too much contempt for ordinary people and for ordinary peoples' needs and realities.

Next year, there are major electoral contests: the General Election and the Greater London Assembly Elections, elections of the devolved authorities in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The outcome of these elections is by no means guaranteed. The two major political parties have crisis of their own to deal with. Life has not been easy for a growing number of ordinary people and political uncertainties threaten to make life even harder. The time of moderate prices and predictability is over. 

Devolution: has it worked?

In 1997, Tony Blair and the New Labour Administration came up with Devolution. The solution to all problems ended in nightmare. The Welsh Assembly controlled by Labour has made a mess of things. The Scottish Parliament has been the source of a never ending series of scandals and bad governance. 

Standards in terms health and education have fallen steadily and division within the ruling SNP have led to the SNP losing support and even to SNP MPs tempted to change sides to the point that just a few days ago a SNP MP joined the Conservative Party.

In Northern Ireland, things are not better. Once again, the Northern Ireland Assembly seem destined to be non operational with Westminster have to exercise what to all effects is direct rule, something that the Good Friday Agreement involving shared power sought to avoid.

We now face various sets of elections in coming May 2024. General Election in the United Kingdom, London Assembly Election and elections involved the so called Devolved Authorities, apart from other local elections.

May 2024 could be a whole set of changes within the United Kingdom, but the political realities might be somewhat different of what many have come to expect. In spite of the fact that many will still be voting on the basis of their political allegiances, many will be willing to change sides and vote for parties that they have never supported before.

There is dissent between parties, but also dissent within political parties. The purge carried out by Keir Starmer may come to haunt him. Many traditional Labour voters do not like Keir Starmer at all. In fact, they seem him as the enemy within. For certain regions, certain issues will take priority and they have proven that they are more than willing to vote for a specific issue and against the political party that they used to support. Immigration will be a huge factor in the coming elections. Anybody promoting open borders will find herself or himself cut off from public opinion.

10 Downing Street: If you talk the language of war, you need to prepare for war

 

Inconsistencies when dealing with geopolitical situations will get an unnecessary number of people killed simply because of complaisancy.

We heard harsh words coming out of the lips of Western European politicians including British politicians, but they do not reflect reality. It is absolutely shambolic.

Britain is open. It cannot even control the number of illegal immigrants entering the country. It has an NHS that almost collapsed under the weight of a Covid pandemic. None other than the Metropolitan Police Service is now run under special measures because of systemic failures that led, among other things, to the resignation of its chief commander Cressida Dick. Police officers are more interested in kneeling down and in joining every single cranky demonstration of political correctness than in doing their work properly.

For many years, both Labour and Conservative governments neglected the Armed Forces to the point when they were found wanting more than once and forced to play second fiddle. Pomp and Circumstance and posturing will not protect Britain let alone win any wars. 

We are now in an impasse. The country does not have a Prime Minister and does not have a government. We cannot call Prime Minister a man that has been backstabbed by his own political party and a government in which members of the goverment don't see eye to eye. Boris Johnson himself has said that no fundamental piece of legislation will be put forward until there is a clear definition of who is actually in control of the British government and there is a return to a debate of all issues that were already decided. This is like fighting a war on several fronts or to put it in very straightforward manner it is a recipe for disaster. In times of danger, politicians are simply driven by their own fatal habits and nothing good can come out of it.

A country facing war should not be divided. Nicola Sturgeon cares more about her own agenda than she cares about the survival of Britain. In fact, she does not give a damn about the survival of Britain and she is playing right into the hands of the enemies of Britain. The Americans, as usual, are poking their noses in internal matters of other countries and creating a mess. Northern Ireland, once again, does not have a working Assembly and at a time when 10 Downing Street is a mess and Parliament is a mess, short of having direct rule in Northern Ireland, the people of Northern Ireland are stranded with a non working Assembly and a British Parliament that is not just limited by Devolution. We are travelling on a rudderless ship. All Devolution has achieved is the creation of platforms to destroy the United Kingdom: a Northern Ireland without governance, a Wales controlled by the Labour Party, a Scotland controlled by SNP, a Westminster Parliament that has become a political circus and a Prime Minister defeated by his own political party.  

 

Lots of money for war, but thousands of people in the UK are left without legal support in court

Democracy and Justice? What Democracy and Justice?

What is happening in Britain is absolutely shambolic. While politicians and mass media are focused on geopolitical nonsense, people in the UK are suffering and suffering ever more and not just because of rising interest rates and rising living costs, waiting lists in health services and almost impossible access to decent housing.

Ministry of Justice has announced that is cutting funding court support service for thousands of people who have to attend court sessions without legal representation and forced to represent themselves. Since legal aid cuts were introduced in 2013 the number of those who cannot afford to pay for a lawyer has skyroketted. By the end of June 2022, a service that has offices in 20 civil and family courts across England and Wales will be left without funding.

It is one of several charities working with unrepresented people in court whose funding is in doubt after the government ended its litigants in person strategy earlier this year. They have been told there will be grants they can apply for in future but given no idea of how much these will be, or what the timescales are.

Left with a £400,000 shortfall in its budget, Support Through Court is about to launch an urgent appeal for funds, without which it faces the prospect of redundancies and the closure of some of its offices.

Eileen Pereira, the chief executive of the charity, said: “Every day hundreds of people who can’t access legal aid walk into court buildings in need of support and guidance and this is only set to rise as the cost of living increases. Without the funding we’ve received for eight years, we’re facing the real possibility of closing the doors on the support we provide to these people.

“To end up closing any of our services would have a devastating impact, not just on the clients we support but on the whole court system.”

Legal aid was taken away in most civil cases and almost all private family law in 2013. Since then, the proportion of private family law hearings where both parties have a lawyer has almost halved to one in five.

In some family hearings it is not uncommon that just one of the litigants is assisted by a solicitor and this happens in 42% of all cases heard in courts across England and Wales. This creates all kinds of injustices as it generates an uneven playing field when it comes to disputes regarding access to childrena and separation of finances. 

While 81% of all those bringing civil claims – such as companies chasing debts – have lawyers, only 44% of those defending them are represented.

The Law Society of England and Wales President, I Stephanie Boyce, said: “Cuts to legal aid have left more and more people having to represent themselves in court as litigants in person. What they most need is legal advice and representation, but Support Through Court provides practical and emotional support that can help them through stressful court hearings. It would be another blow to people trying to navigate the justice system if state funding were removed for this important service.”

The funding shortfall faced by specialist legal and advice support services is £17.5m for 2022-23, according to data collected by the Community Justice Fund.

Look at the numbers. How much money is being diverted to foreign countries and how much money is being withdrawn from critically important services in the United Kingdom. 

A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said: “We want access to early legal support to be available to those who need it most and charities will soon be able to bid for new grant funding so even more people can benefit from their services.”

But the fundamental question is how it is possible that people in England and Wales are forced to attend court hearings without legal support simply because they cannot afford legal support and this goes to the core of the very definition of a justice system in the United Kingdom as a whole. Democracy? What Democracy? 

 

United Britain: the task ahead

United Britain: the task ahead

After Brexit, the task is to reinforce the unity of the United Kingdom by putting in place policies that show regions of the United Kingdom - apart from the Southeast - that they do matter.

The rise of the SNP didn't happen overnight. Firstly, the Conservatives lost Scotland in 1997. After that, Labour and Liberal Democrats lost Scotland. But then Scotland was not alone. North/South Divide is a reality and then we reach Northern Ireland that has been treated as the poor cousin.

London/Southeast centric United Kingdom cannot go on. Unless the new Conservative government manages to do something extraordinary to create opportunities for all,  

When Boris Johnson suggested the construciton of a bridge to unite Northern Ireland and the UK mainland, many jumped in to criticize the British Prime Minister.Well, soonafter Crime rejoined the Russian Federation, the Russian President Vladimir Putin embarked on the construction of a bridge to join Crime and the mainland of the Russian Federation. The construction of a bridge would send a direct message to every nation of the United Kingdom and to the world as a whole. 

Will the Conservative government have the sense and the stamina to carry out such a task without repeating the same mistakes that Conservatives, Labour and Liberal Democrats made that led to the present status quo?

It is not an easy task with so many interests that want to break apart the United Kingdom. Some of those interests are linked to internal divisions. Others are foreign and rooted in the European Union that fears the rise of Britain as a serious competitor. The old historical divisions have not gone away. In the end, Germany is Germany and France is France and Germany and France happen to be the main drivers of the European Union. When the time comes, what is going to be on the negotiation table is not the interests of the EU but the interests of the main powers within the EU. And as long as this is the case the future of the EU itself will hang in the balance.

Britain is pulled by blocks and geopolitical realities and very often against British interests. Brexit should mean a truly independent Britain with its own set of foreing policies. The Conservative government will be judged because of its successes at national level and because of its actions in the international arena., 

Royal Family: The rift between William and Harry has now been made official

Royal Family: The rift between William and Harry has now been made official

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2020/jan/12/prince-william-harry-and-i-are-now-separate-entities

Since the abdication of Prince Edward (later known as Duke of Windsor), this is the most crucial event in the life of the Royal Family. The glamour and romantic aura are over. Now comes reality.

Reality knocks when one Labour Party contender calls for the abolition of the Monarcy and another calls for the abolition of the House of Lords - two of the pillars of the United Kingdom. The United Kingdom has been kept as one thanks to the Monarchy. Without it, it will be England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland playing separate roles. The union can survive other kinds of political upheavals, but the union would not survive the fall of the Monarchy. Centuries of common history would come to an end.

Why is this happening? Because the Labour Party is in tatters and is in denial and SNP is using the present circumstances to achieve its lifelong mission of destroying the United Kingdom.

Theresa May is absolutely right in asking the country for a clear mandate

To be or not to Be: That is the question.

When Prime Minister Theresa May was elected by the Conservative Party, many of those criticising her for calling an early election said that 'she had not been elected in a General Election'.

As soon as Prime Minister Theresa May went to Parliament to amend the legislation about fixed 5-year Parliaments and won, she was criticised for asking the British people for a clear mandate.

I am not a member of the Conservative Party or of any other political party for that matter. I vote with my conscience regardless of any party political allegiance and I say that Prime Minister Theresa May is absolutely right to call a General Election when some of the most crucial negotiations modern Britain will be engaged in are due to take place.

I witnessed the mayhem and confusion in the House of Commons, the sniper-fire and the air of division and without a shadow of a doubt a House of Commons elected after the implementation of Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty was badly needed because the one we had did not represent the will of the Electorate expressed on June 23, 2016.

We need a Parliament that is fully behind the British Prime Minister showing a United Kingdom that is truly united supporting the will of the British people who, at the end of the day, is the true sovereign of the United Kingdom.

When the new House of Commons rises it will be a House of Commons that truly reflects the will of the Electorate and not a House of Commons that was embattled in the campaign for or against the implementation of Article 50 of the House of Commons.

We hope to see the real balance of forces in all home nations and undoubtedly there is a question mark about the level of support for the Scottish National Party that constantly threatens to break up the United Kingdom cajoling, blackmailing and concocting all kinds of schemes that threaten the political stability of the United Kingdom and weakens the United Kingdom when confronted with external powers.

I will stop short of qualifying Nicola Sturgeon and the SNP as traitors but the actions of the SNP and of its leader are controversial not to say treacherous and treasonable. There was a lawful Referendum on Scottish Independence, Referendum that the SNP has asked for and campaigned for and there was a clear majority of Scots that chose to be part of the United Kingdom. So where the United Kingdom goes, Scotland goes and there is no way out of it. That was the commitment made when people were asked if the wanted an independent Scotland.

All home nations will act as one, together, when decisions are made in the negotiations with the European Union because they share one destiny as the United Kingdom.

Those opposing the implementation of Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty even appealed to the maximum Court in the land and the maximum Court in the land said loudly and clearly that it was up to the national Parliament and its elected chamber the House of Commons to make a decision and that all other assemblies including the Scottish Parliament should have no say in the matter.

The Scottish government regardless of being or not being a majority in the Scottish Parliament and regardless of the number of MPs that represent the SNP in the House of Commons have to obey the will of the majority in the House of Commons.

The General Election is about having or not having a strong government to negotiate the future relationship with the European Union. Everything else comes second place. The priority is to show a united United Kingdom with an elected Primer Minister backed up by an unquestionable political mandate to do whatever is necessary.