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..posted by a good friend of mine on Facebook, thought I'd share it on here. He's a former professional footballer (briefly for Birmingham City) and a former copper, working mainly out of Camden police station. He grew up in Kilburn/Queens Park. He's now a writer (among other things).
Worth a read I think, hope you enjoy, whether you agree with him or not, even when he veers off-topic...
"Thoughts of the Week (part 1)
Let’s start with a subheading. ‘Dear, oh dear Diane Abbot!’
In the upcoming General Election campaign and apart from the ‘Leader’ (no, not Gary Glitter) no one is more important for the Labour Party campaign than the Shadow Home Secretary. Why’s this? You ask. The reason is obvious: Theresa May —the strong woman, Ms subtle, but steely - was the former Home Secretary. A position which she used to inflict near terminal ravages of the nation’s police forces. Under her auspices we saw numbers cut, benefits cut and police stations closed willy-nilly to cash in, short-term, on the booming (especially in London) property market.
The short-sightedness of this policy is astounding. No matter the so-called austerity budget (which only seems to apply to the working classes, while the privileged elite continue to live the life of Riley) the question must be asked as to what will happen when there’s some serious social unrest — and you can feel it stirring. Remember 2011 when the riots broke out? We had anarchy and nihilism on the streets and the police force didn’t cope with it at all. Instead we had a grand mopping up campaign. Suddenly all those poor silly students who had been demonised as hard-core criminals after they smashed the windows of the Tory HQ — and received ridiculously harsh prison sentences for what were in the main first offences - were kicked out of the pokey and replaced by the new batch of rioters. The Criminal Justice system ground to a halt, the prison’s overflowed. The courts were as ram-jam packed as a back-in-the-day David Rodigan dance. In response what did the great Theresa May do? She further decimated the police force. She did the same to the prison service. The vaunted Border Force, our first defence, is comically short of manpower and morale as they attempt to hire staff on Mickey-Mouse contracts. Labour should be slaughtering Theresa May on what she’s done. Instead we got that car crash of an interview on LBC.
To be honest I resisted calls to listen to it for a time. Some of my more right-leaning pals were raving about it, but I thought they were overreacting due to a general contempt for the Hackney MP. I was wrong. When I actually got round to listening to it I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. It was stunningly incompetent, mind-blowingly nonsensical, embarrassing and shocking. Is this the Shadow Home Secretary who’s going to lead the challenge to Theresa May’s record? She should have stood down immediately and if not the great leader should have forced her hand, no matter past rendezvous in the sack. Of course it didn’t happen and Labour under Jeremy Corbyn has no hope in this election. What a shame it all is because there are loads of issues that they should be taking the government to task on. Just look at that bumbling Tommy Cooper impersonator of a Foreign Secretary, a million miles removed from a serious statesman: Mr Retraction — an embarrassment to the nation.
I’m voting Labour in the coming election, but not for Jeremy, more for the thought of the millions of people who are going to suffer under the coming five years of Tory rule: the working men and women who haven’t seen their wages rise, in real terms, for the last thirty years, while the fat cats, sharks and speculators are minted; the students starting out life saddled with debt; the millions who’ll never be able to afford a home; and in honour of the National Health Service, soon to be dismantled further, but remaining the brightest light in the nation’s modern history. What a rotten, unfair and unbalanced society we’ve become.
Nobody else feeling the need to put into context the 28% of poverty that uk children suffer plus the comparison previously mentioned of the present government being compared to a 3rd world dictatorship.
Some people need to get out more, travel the world to experience and see at first hand how real poverty exists and its effects as well as learning how a 3rd world dictatorship really works and its real effects.
To constantly read on here about how bad things are in the UK atm only reinforces my opinion that, in the main, some people have absolutely no idea just how lucky they are.
On Diane Abbot, why we should vote Labour anyway, and more... on 05:58 - May 21 by FredManRave
Nobody else feeling the need to put into context the 28% of poverty that uk children suffer plus the comparison previously mentioned of the present government being compared to a 3rd world dictatorship.
Some people need to get out more, travel the world to experience and see at first hand how real poverty exists and its effects as well as learning how a 3rd world dictatorship really works and its real effects.
To constantly read on here about how bad things are in the UK atm only reinforces my opinion that, in the main, some people have absolutely no idea just how lucky they are.
[Post edited 21 May 2017 6:06]
This.^^^^^^^^^^. I couldn't agree more..
Occasional providers of half decent House music.
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On Diane Abbot, why we should vote Labour anyway, and more... on 09:03 - May 21 with 2511 views
Take the comments from a disgruntled random Yorkshire bloke out and it just looks like all the other speeches ,warning against complacency from Tory voters and drawing a comparison between her and Corbyn . .
Incidentally this is what Corbyn said about the social policy we have all disagreed about, but have totally understood ..
“What the Conservatives are doing is to put a £100,000 cap on social care which actually goes nowhere near meeting the needs of somebody with extreme conditions can easily spend £50,000 a year on their care. It’s completely unrealistic, what they’re doing. We will make sure social care is properly funded.”
...........and we are supposed to vote for this bloke ... FFS
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On Diane Abbot, why we should vote Labour anyway, and more... on 09:27 - May 21 with 2485 views
On Diane Abbot, why we should vote Labour anyway, and more... on 09:03 - May 21 by essextaxiboy
A meltdown ...really?
Take the comments from a disgruntled random Yorkshire bloke out and it just looks like all the other speeches ,warning against complacency from Tory voters and drawing a comparison between her and Corbyn . .
Incidentally this is what Corbyn said about the social policy we have all disagreed about, but have totally understood ..
“What the Conservatives are doing is to put a £100,000 cap on social care which actually goes nowhere near meeting the needs of somebody with extreme conditions can easily spend £50,000 a year on their care. It’s completely unrealistic, what they’re doing. We will make sure social care is properly funded.”
...........and we are supposed to vote for this bloke ... FFS
So you scan read the whole article because you don't want to hear any arguments that don't fit your views. you don't disrupt a single word of the blogger.
On Diane Abbot, why we should vote Labour anyway, and more... on 10:04 - May 21 by 2Thomas2Bowles
John McDonald absolutely battering Damien Green on Marr
Ever Marr could not defend Green
Saw that. Damian Green, whenever I have seen him interviewed on shows like this, looks absolutely miles out of his depth, yet there's talk of him taking Hammond's job should they get back in. I wouldn't trust Green to run a bath properly, let alone the economy.
Another of his car crash interviews from a few months back.
As mentioned in Tim Shipman's book, Damian Green was in the May set in the Oxford University Conservative Association (OUCA) and was also president of the Oxford Union:
'Philip Hammond was not involved in politics at the time, but he knew Damian Green through mutual friends. Green, Philip May, Alan Duncan and Michael Crick were all presidents of the Oxford Union, the debating kindergarten for future leaders.'
Air hostess clique
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On Diane Abbot, why we should vote Labour anyway, and more... on 11:44 - May 21 with 2318 views
On Diane Abbot, why we should vote Labour anyway, and more... on 09:27 - May 21 by 2Thomas2Bowles
So you scan read the whole article because you don't want to hear any arguments that don't fit your views. you don't disrupt a single word of the blogger.
A true Tory
[Post edited 21 May 2017 9:30]
I read her words , because it was supposed to be her "meltdown" I did bother to read fully his bit at the end where he asks for money to read more of his drivel ..
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On Diane Abbot, why we should vote Labour anyway, and more... on 11:56 - May 21 with 2301 views
On Diane Abbot, why we should vote Labour anyway, and more... on 11:44 - May 21 by essextaxiboy
I read her words , because it was supposed to be her "meltdown" I did bother to read fully his bit at the end where he asks for money to read more of his drivel ..
Well as you did not read it which of it was drivel, how can you know ?
Go on show some intellect and tell us which of his responses are this drivel.
On Diane Abbot, why we should vote Labour anyway, and more... on 05:58 - May 21 by FredManRave
Nobody else feeling the need to put into context the 28% of poverty that uk children suffer plus the comparison previously mentioned of the present government being compared to a 3rd world dictatorship.
Some people need to get out more, travel the world to experience and see at first hand how real poverty exists and its effects as well as learning how a 3rd world dictatorship really works and its real effects.
To constantly read on here about how bad things are in the UK atm only reinforces my opinion that, in the main, some people have absolutely no idea just how lucky they are.
[Post edited 21 May 2017 6:06]
In 2005 the Swedes published a paper which contained the interesting comment that if they measured poverty the way it's conducted in the USA, 60% of the population would be on or below the bread line. Now I was thinking of making an insulting comment here regarding stats and those who compile and issue their taxpayer funded reports, but I'll leave that to those who are eminently more qualified.
So now May does a U-turn and says there will be a cap. but won't say what it will be.
Green as well as others on all the politics shows said only yesterday that they were not going to change or review it and there was not going to be a cap.
On Diane Abbot, why we should vote Labour anyway, and more... on 12:48 - May 22 by 2Thomas2Bowles
So now May does a U-turn and says there will be a cap. but won't say what it will be.
Green as well as others on all the politics shows said only yesterday that they were not going to change or review it and there was not going to be a cap.
Feck me you can't believe anything she says.
It's all Corbyn's fault don't you know?
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On Diane Abbot, why we should vote Labour anyway, and more... on 13:02 - May 22 with 1987 views
Hunt said cap was being dropped 'because it's unfair' Health Secretary Jeremy hunt on 18 May.
It's probably the clearest evidence yet that the Conservatives had abandoned the idea of a cap, but have now returned to it - despite Theresa May's claim that "nothing has changed".
Asked if the party was dropping the idea of a cap, Mr Hunt said:
“Yes. Not only are we dropping it but we are dropping it ahead of a general election and we’re being completely explicit in our manifesto that we’re dropping it and we’re dropping it because we’ve looked again at this proposal and we don’t think it’s fair."
On Diane Abbot, why we should vote Labour anyway, and more... on 05:58 - May 21 by FredManRave
Nobody else feeling the need to put into context the 28% of poverty that uk children suffer plus the comparison previously mentioned of the present government being compared to a 3rd world dictatorship.
Some people need to get out more, travel the world to experience and see at first hand how real poverty exists and its effects as well as learning how a 3rd world dictatorship really works and its real effects.
To constantly read on here about how bad things are in the UK atm only reinforces my opinion that, in the main, some people have absolutely no idea just how lucky they are.
[Post edited 21 May 2017 6:06]
As one of the "some people" you're having a pop at, I think most of us are well aware of how lucky we are. I've never used this site to complain about how hard done by I am compared to benefit scroungers or ethnic minorities, for instance. Not sure I've ever seen you piping up about that sort of post though. Strange.
But I do think it's obscene that in a country as wealthy as ours state schools are having their budgets cut so drastically they're having to lay off teaching staff. And that huge numbers of people are now relying on food banks, which until a few years ago were unheard of here.
Not having a problem with that doesn't make you "apolitical." It makes you fine with it.
Maybe we should all get out a bit more, eh?
[Post edited 22 May 2017 13:19]
1
On Diane Abbot, why we should vote Labour anyway, and more... on 13:06 - May 22 with 1964 views
On Diane Abbot, why we should vote Labour anyway, and more... on 13:02 - May 22 by 2Thomas2Bowles
Hunt said cap was being dropped 'because it's unfair' Health Secretary Jeremy hunt on 18 May.
It's probably the clearest evidence yet that the Conservatives had abandoned the idea of a cap, but have now returned to it - despite Theresa May's claim that "nothing has changed".
Asked if the party was dropping the idea of a cap, Mr Hunt said:
“Yes. Not only are we dropping it but we are dropping it ahead of a general election and we’re being completely explicit in our manifesto that we’re dropping it and we’re dropping it because we’ve looked again at this proposal and we don’t think it’s fair."
[Post edited 22 May 2017 13:04]
You can bet your bottom dollar that if this was Labour, mainstream media would be crying out "Shambles, chaotic, not fit to govern," etc.
Because it's May and the Tories, I suppose it is seen as "pragmatic politics".
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