Monday, July 01, 2013



EDL leaders arrested on "suspicion of obstructing officers"

In Britain these days you can be arrested on suspicion that you might do something!  How Soviet!

Two English Defence League leaders were arrested today as they planed to visit the spot where Drummer Lee Rigby was killed last month.

EDL leader Tommy Robinson and his co-leader Kevin Carroll were detained by police on suspicion of obstructing officers in east London as they planned to stage what they claimed was a charity walk to Woolwich Barracks via the East London Mosque.

The Metropolitan Police yesterday put conditions on the march and imposed a route between Hyde Park Corner and Old Palace Yard, opposite the House of Lords.

In a statement posted on the EDL’s Twitter feed, the group said: 'Tommy Robinson & Kev Caroll arrested for obstructing the police and carted off.'

Scotland Yard yesterday said it was imposing conditions due to fears that both the march and gathering would 'result in serious public disorder and serious disruption to the life of the community' and a breach of the conditions would be a criminal offence.

The police force issued two notices under the Public Order Act based on 'current community tensions, the current intelligence picture about Saturday and recent marches and protests held by similar groups'.

It also said that attempts had been made to liaise with the EDL to facilitate the march and gathering and offered them two alternative routes that avoided Tower Hamlets, home to the East London Mosque.

Alan Green, chairman of the Tower Hamlets Inter Faith Forum, said that an open day was taking place at the mosque today.

He said: 'We are aware that there are those who are fearful of Islam and who seek to undermine the harmony that exists between the faith communities in this borough. Our unity here today makes it very clear that they will not succeed.'

Earlier this week, two American political activists who founded an anti-Muslim group were banned by the Home Secretary from entering the UK following reports they were to attend this weekend’s march.

Pamela Geller and Robert Spencer, who set up Stop Islamisation of America and run the website Jihad Watch, have been forbidden from entering the country on the grounds their presence would 'not be conducive to the public good'.

The police also banned the British National Party (BNP) from marching from Woolwich Barracks earlier this month and ordered it to move its protest to Westminster.

The event saw rival protesters clash outside the Houses of Parliament, as BNP supporters and anti-fascist campaigners came to blows.

SOURCE





British "Mohammed" jailed for swindling thousands of pounds from bogus mortgage and insurance claims

More of that lovely "diversity"



A senior police officer was branded 'thoroughly dishonest' by a judge as he was jailed for making a string of bogus mortgage and insurance claims.  Inspector Mohammed Razaq, 53, swindled thousands of pounds relating to four houses he owned or managed.

Last month a jury at Manchester's Minshull Street Crown Court found him guilty of six counts of fraud, three counts of money laundering, and a charge of failing to disclose information.

Judge Jeffrey Lewis said Razaq, who was based at GMP's Bolton division, showed 'brazen guile' when committing his crimes and immediate custody was the only option.

Jailing the officer for 18 months, Judge Lewis added: 'It's a matter of bitter regret that I see before me a police officer whose honesty and integrity should be beyond reproach. Sadly that's not the case here.

'You've shown yourself to be a thoroughly dishonest man in many respects. It's always an unpleasant, painful and onerous duty for a judge to deal with a police officer who's broken the law, and in your case so blatantly and repeatedly.'

The offences took place from 2008 until 2011, when he was arrested and his office was raided by GMP's counter corruption unit.

The fraud charges related to a series of claims for damage and mortgage applications on four properties that he owned or managed. The houses were in Bradford Road, Great Lever, where he lived with his wife and three children, Bowker Street, Higher Broughton, and Duncan Street, Salford.

Between May 2008 and March 2011, Razaq made three false insurance claims against his portfolio of properties. He profited £13,000 from two of the claims, but the third claim for more than £20,000 was rejected as being 'excessively exaggerated'.

The fourth fraud conviction related to the withholding of claims information to secure more favourable terms on his property insurance.

He was also convicted of two mortgage frauds.

He denied the allegations but was found guilty after a six-week trial, and sentenced yesterday. The court heard how Razaq had health problems, and was also the main carer for his ill 83-year-old father.

David Nuttall, defending, told the court: 'He's going to suffer because of this conviction, because his standing as a man in the community, which he has worked so hard for, has been shattered and he's going to have to live with that.'

Assistant Chief Con Dawn Copley said: 'There is no doubt that the actions of Inspector Razaq have brought discredit to Greater Manchester Police and reflect badly on our officers and police staff who are honest and work tirelessly for the people of Greater Manchester.'

It us understood understood Razaq, who is still a serving officer on suspension, will face an internal hearing with GMP on Monday.

SOURCE




Voters back British welfare crackdown, finds poll

A welfare crackdown unveiled by George Osborne wins strong backing from voters in a new opinion poll.

The ICM survey for The Sunday Telegraph also shows that the public backs the Chancellor’s plans to leave the state pension out of an overall “cap” on welfare payments.

The findings come as ministers prepare to announce measures this week to stop foreigners abusing free NHS treatment and curbs on rogue landlords who rent properties to illegal immigrants.

The poll gives the Conservatives a boost because of the support for measures outlined by Mr Osborne in the Spending Review, last week, although Labour has increased its overall lead over the Tories.

ICM Research interviewed a sample of 2,006 adults aged 18+ online on 26-28th June 2013

Using the company’s “Wisdom Index” method, which asks voters to predict the result of the next election rather than which party they would back, Labour is on 34 per cent, up two points on last month. The Tories are unchanged on 29 per cent, with the Liberal Democrats down one point on 15 per cent. The UK Independence Party is down to 13, adding to evidence that its recent surge is fading.

David Cameron and Mr Osborne are viewed as the best team to manage the economy by 30 per cent of voters, comfortably ahead of Ed Miliband and Ed Balls on 23 per cent, but the poll is far from a ringing endorsement of the Tory duo because 33 per cent chose neither team.

Mr Osborne wins the support of nearly two thirds of voters — 64 per cent — for his plan for an overall cap on benefits spending which would exclude the state pension. Just 23 per cent say the cap should include the state pension, a move which Mr Balls has floated.

More than half of voters believe that universal benefits, including the winter fuel allowance and free bus passes, should no longer be paid to all pensioners. Fifty-six per cent say the payments should be restricted to “those who really need them” while 38 per cent believe they should continue to be paid for all. Unsurprisingly, older voters are keener to preserve their universal status than younger people.

A range of welfare measures announced by Mr Osborne last week wins high levels of support, with 87 per cent backing the cutting of benefits for jobless immigrants who refuse to take English lessons and 63 per cent supporting moves to make lone parents attend Jobcentres and “prepare for work” when their youngest child reaches three.

Just over half — 53 per cent — favour making new claimants wait seven days before they get their first payment, while a move to end automatic pay rises for public-sector staff is backed by 47 per cent.

Tory strategists, who are keen to focus attention on welfare, on which it believes the Opposition is weak, hailed the poll results. Grant Shapps, the Tory co-chairman, said: “This shows that the public overwhelmingly back the Conservative idea that people who want to work hard and get on in life should be given every opportunity.”

Labour sources said many of the measures unveiled by Mr Osborne last week had already been suggested by the Opposition.

This week ministers will announce moves to close loopholes that allow migrants and other foreigners who are not entitled to free NHS treatment, to avoid being charged. They will include a new registration and tracking system and “tightening up” of the European Health Insurance Card system which is used to claim back costs from visitors’ governments.

The current system fails to identify thousands of Europeans every year, effectively giving them free health care, according to sources at the Department of Health.

In 2011/12 the NHS estimated that foreign nationals should have paid around £33million, while insurers have put the annual cost of abuse of the system at between £50million and £200million.

Jeremy Hunt, the Health Secretary, said: “No one expects health workers to become immigration guards and we want to work alongside doctors to bring about improvements, but I’m clear we must all work together to protect the NHS from costly abuse.”

Ministers plan to target private landlords who fail to make checks on new tenants to make sure they are not illegal immigrants.

SOURCE





Julia Gillard:  A failed feminist flop and a warning to women in politics


The Australian Labor Party (ruling Leftists) has just switched leaders, dumping Julia Gillard (left above) and installing Kevin Rudd (right above)

Before she is totally forgotten in Australian politics (yesterday?), I thought I might point out an unintended truth in La Gillard's claim that her term in office has made it easier for other women in politics.  She has indeed.  She has shown them what NOT to do.

She didn't even start out well.  She gained power not by winning an election in her own right but by being propped up by turncoat conservative independents.  The voters of the two electorates represented by the said independents voted overwhelmingly AGAINST the Labor party but got Julia anyhow.  So she led what was essentially an illegitimate government.  From the very beginning she was not much of an example of female success.

And what does one make of the fact that Kevvy got nearly double  her poll numbers as soon as he replaced her?  That is about as harsh a reproof as one can get in politics.

What led to her final downfall, however, was her feminism. When half the voters are men, feminist ideas have to be promoted gingerly.  Julia did not do so and her final poll numbers among men were around 20%!

Her first big gaffe was the one that got her most praise at the time.  It was the speech that gave feminists orgasms worldwide, the speech where she condemned Tony Abbott as a misogynist. 

Unfortunately for her, however, she gave examples of where she thought the conservative leader had uttered misogynisms, and they were the sort of thing that would cause many men to say: "Hey!  I think that too".  She was in effect  criticizing Abbott for saying that men and women are different.  That may amount to misogyny among feminists but for most people it is just commonsense.  It is even commonsense that is amply backed up by science.  So she got a bit more of the feminist vote (which she mostly had already) but showed herself as a feminist extremist to most other people.  And that is a big "most".  Feminists of Gillard's stripe are still a small and cranky minority.

And then she really blew it with her "blue tie" speech, in which she claimed that her loss of power would lead to Australia being led by men in blue ties to the permanent exclusion of women. Tony Abbott, like many conservatives, often wears a blue tie.

The claim was however never plausible in any way.  The deputy leader of the opposition conservative parties is the very effective Julie Bishop, an unmistakeable female!  And because Australia is a monarchy, the ultimate legal authority in Australia  -- as Gough Whitlam found out to his rage -- is the Governor General, who also happens to be female.  And are we forgetting federal parliamentary conservatives like Jane Prentice, Natasha Griggs, Karen Andrews, Nola Marino etc.?

Julia's little bit of hysteria about her own importance did however have one amusing sequel.  Kevvy embraced it.  He has been wearing blue ties ever since!  It was indeed men in blue ties who took power from her, though not the group she foresaw.

So that speech was the last straw for a lot of men.  Her poll numbers among men dropped off a cliff almost immediately.  Most men give feminism some leeway but hysterical feminism was too much.

And right to the end she was pushing feminism -- setting up a commission of inquiry into how badly treated women are.

So the reasons for her disastrous poll ratings and her ignominious dismissal are clear, and I think they show  that women with leadership aspirations should do as Margaret Thatcher did:  campaign on the rightness of her policies, not on the basis of what she has between her legs.

There is  a rather amusing attempt to vindicate La Flop by one of her advisers, a British Leftist,  John McTernan.  He attributes her downfall to "a brutal and unfair misogynist culture" that we apparently have in Australia.  No mention of her poll numbers or the fact that it was the LEFT who deposed her. Those misogynist Leftists!

He has a point however in saying that she was a good "parliamentary performer".  Her ability not to answer questions was indeed non pareil. She was the queen of bluster instead.  I once saw Tony Abbott ask her the same question three times in a row without him getting an answer on any of those occasions. Verbal fluency she had.  Honesty would have been better.

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Political correctness is most pervasive in universities and colleges but I rarely report the  incidents concerned here as I have a separate blog for educational matters.

American "liberals" often deny being Leftists and say that they are very different from the Communist rulers of  other countries.  The only real difference, however, is how much power they have.  In America, their power is limited by democracy.  To see what they WOULD be like with more power, look at where they ARE already  very powerful: in America's educational system -- particularly in the universities and colleges.  They show there the same respect for free-speech and political diversity that Stalin did:  None.  So look to the colleges to see  what the whole country would be like if "liberals" had their way.  It would be a dictatorship.

For more postings from me, see TONGUE-TIED, GREENIE WATCH,   EDUCATION WATCH INTERNATIONAL, FOOD & HEALTH SKEPTIC, AUSTRALIAN POLITICSDISSECTING LEFTISM, IMMIGRATION WATCH INTERNATIONAL  and EYE ON BRITAIN (Note that EYE ON BRITAIN has regular posts on the reality of socialized medicine).   My Home Pages are here or   here or   here.  Email me (John Ray) here

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