Rebel victory in Libya could mean lower crude oil prices

In the last couple of days as the rebels have neared Tripoli and looked like achieving their victory the international price of crude oil is reported to have dipped.  World prices are lower than the $135 per barrel that they were at their peak because of a lack of growth in the world economy.  China and India have not successfully mopped up the drop in western demand as many expected they would.  Once Gaddafi is disposed of oil production will return to former levels after a few months and European consumption can once again be supplied from nearer to home.  This is not good news for global speculators.

Don’t hold your breath for lower prices at the pumps though.  people become accustomed to paying higher prices and oil companies, and the chancellor, see no reason to allow the good news to spread to us when they can keep it for themselves.  I expect to see more record profits for oil companies over the next couple of years at least.

Penaions may be flexible - pensioners are not

In these days of economic turmoul and scandalous headlines where billions are common and the mention of trillion happens more often it is easy to forget the real world implications of these high level actions.

Pensioners may not spring immediately to mind. They have done their bit at whatever level and are quite possibly looking forward to a restful time. They are increasingly unlikely to get it though. Penaion funds raise charges at the same time as minimising payouts and all in the name of protecting the financial integrity of the fund, and their own annualized bonuses off course.

The loser is the pensioner who has put the money in over the years to see swathes of it absorbed by the sharks and the taxman.  A stock market drop is just a news item to most but with annuity values often being tied to the value of the stock market fubd at the cloaing bell those amongst us approaching retirement can be forgiven for watching a little more closely than most.  After all, the value of the fund at a particular date does affect the value of their pension for the remainder of their lives.

Modern slave nation - No thank you.

I find it sad that in all of the so called  westernized nations of the world there are reports of modern day slavery.  I am not talking about people trafficking here, that is bad enough. I am talking about trading in people as a commodity to be posessed by their new owner and subjugated to their will irrespective of personal wishes/objections. Beatings, food deprivation, confinement and sexualizatio n are all normal methods of controlling slaves in the modern world.  I am sure that this has not changed much over time. Modern slaves are not paraded through the streets in chains thank god. I am sure that the darker corners of the internet are involved somewhere.

I am incredibly grateful for the freedom that I have to make my own decisions. Grateful to a generation in particular who were all affected by the sacrifice of millions of lives. We remember the dead every November. This post is my humble way of saying thank you to an entire generation that suffered to guarantee my freedom from slavery.

Thank you!

Is quick justice really justice at all?

I have not been particularly shocked by the criminal outrage that some have described as a riot.  Neither will i be surprised when it happens again occasionally, on a smaller scale, in cities around the country.  There will be many places around the country where sectors of society are sorry that they missed out, especially when they see people found guilty either sent home without a criminal record because of the future bearing that it may have upon their futures or with modest fines.

I have been surprised by courts that stay open all night.  I have also been a little disconcerted to see that cases connected to the disturbances have been fast tracked to the front of the queue in magistrates courts.  Why has justice been suspended in the cases already in process?  Saving face for politicians is obviously the reason but when the casualty is potentially public faith in the justice system surely the gamble is not worth taking.  I understand that the reason that justice takes a while in this country is not because of timewasting or liberalism.  It is because justice must be seen to be done.  Delay is built into the stages of the system.  I wonder how much reflection there has been in some of these cases.

Would I punish criminals?  You bet I would!  The trade-off that a few innocent people can be prosecuted as well to save face for the Cameron/Clegg posse is not one that I relish though.  Personally I would feel more comfortable if due process had taken place in the normal course of time.  Kangaroo court is not a term that I like.  I hope it does not apply, but it might be seen that way.  That possibility is not one that British justice can afford.

Knee jerk reaction to mass criminal disorder no real surprise

I am sorry but am I missing something?

• A social housing tenant has been evicted because her 18 year old son was caught looting.
• A judge slams parents as many children turn up for their court appearances alone.
• A Conservative MP wants social networking sites closed during civil disturbances.

At 18 years of age the man is surely responsible for his own actions by now.  Kicking his family out of social housing is a knee jerk reaction to make the public feel that something really is being done about the stereotypical city criminal type.  What about the teachers who were caught?  What about the people who normally work who took part?  The choice to evict that family (and they are only the first) will appease some for certain.  For the family it will mean finding private accommodation at a much greater cost.  They will pay for the consequences of a decision that they did not make taken on the basis of a crime that they did not commit.  Their ‘fine’ will be to pay increased rent every month for a very long time.  I am curious as to how many of the taxpayers are to be made homeless when found guilty or given fines of such magnitude that their lives are changed for years.  Silly me – the stereotypical scroat lives on benefits, the taxpaying ones I suppose just made a ‘mistake’ for which they require understanding.

Do you believe that the judge is really surprised?  I do not.  I know people with experience in the court service and it is nothing unusual for children to turn up with an excuse instead of having the presence of the excuse for people who are their parents.  The good judge fancies a little publicity perhaps?

I should be surprised that a Conservative MP wants to see social networking sites closed down in times of civil disturbance but I am not.  Apart from the total hypocrisy of Conservatives labelling foreign dictators as precisely that for closing down social networking sites during time of civil strife will the people in charge in this country please get a life.  People will be a lot more afraid of  such a restrictive government regime than they will of a few criminals.  I do not suppose that the good lady in question has perchance seen the tweets from residents and commuters who were passing on advice to each other as to how to avoid the trouble, therefore quite possibly depriving the criminals of well dressed fodder to be stripped on the streets.  The value of social networking is too great to curtail it.

Water Cannon anyone, maybe a few rubber bullets, if it’s good enough for Northern Ireland why not?

I count myself amongst the civilised in society which undoubtedly some would disagree with but I would like to draw a parallel from recent history which involves the United Kingdom.  Namely: Northern Ireland.  It was not so long ago, and certainly within the lifetimes of many of you reading this, that the people of Belfast in Northern Ireland were treated to water cannon and plastic/rubber bullets to bring them back into line.  Brutal it was but it did have an effect on a riot.

Agree with them or not at least in Northern Ireland they were rioting unlike this bunch of criminals and ne’er do wells.  The equipment exists and it can be moved by military transport quite easily.

I do not believe for a second that British politicians have got what it takes to sanction the use of force upon the mainland that they had no such compunction using in Northern Ireland.  How are Derry and Belfast different from London, Birmingham, Manchester and wherever is next?  Northern Ireland is seen by many Brits, incorrectly, as being abroad and therefore not affecting them.

To sanction the use of such force on the mainland, and in particular in London in front of international media, would force people to understand that the politicians have lost control of the society that they have forced upon us,

and that is the reason that it will never happen!

Union flag flying above Nuneaton and Bedworth Town Hall

Now and again I am asked if the Union flag usually flys above the main entrance to the Nuneaton and Bedworth Town Hall.

The picture to the left was taken today on my latest and not infrequent trips into the town hall to sort something out for someone that for obvious reasons I cannot go into details on here.

The flag is clearly flying today and yes, it flies every day.

ECHR should be scrapped to save money

A report from the think-tank Civitas has said that the ECHR should be scrapped to save money and that it would be no obvious loss to the public.  I stated my case in the clip below about three months ago when staff said that they were going to go on strike for a day.

The Quango’s illogical use of statistics and narrow approach to social policy have also been condemned.

The ECHR in my opinion has been used as a vehicle to further a politically correct agenda dictated by Trevor Phillips.  The following links may be of interest:

• The British Humanist Association calls for Trevor Phillips to apologise following his ‘sectarian and divisive’ comments.
• The Jewish Chronicle is critical after Trevor Phillips arrogantly says that Jewish groups should contact him before passing motions.
• The online Anglican Mainstream is critical of Trevor Phillips because of his discrimination against Christian values
• Europe's largest gay news service Pink News does not seem very keen on the organisation either, questioning decisions that they have made regarding LGBT issues.

It looks like I am not the only one that will not mourn the passing of this public body.

I agree with Chris Evans on Cancer

Chris Evans is a pretty famous chap.  Radio and television were his playground a few years back and through hard work he gained the king of popularity and/or riches that the remainder of us would like, but never will have.

Always comes across as a pleasant fellow and has done an interview about his recent cancer scare.  There is a conversation he refers to with a friend that strikes a chord with me.  I too have heard people I know saying that they would rather not find out the truth when they think that they may be showing cancerous symptoms.  Chris goes into detail about his own, and his fathers, experience and convincingly makes the argument that if you suspect you may have cancer you should get yourself checked out immediately.

After all: It might save your life!

Tottenham riots for me raise more than a few questions.

There has been a riot in Tottenham or has there?  Personally I doubt it.  Definition of riot: -

A riot is a form of civil disorder characterized often by disorganized groups lashing out in a sudden and intense rash of violence against authority, property or people. While individuals may attempt to lead or control a riot, riots are typically chaotic and exhibit herd behaviour, and usually generated by civil unrest.

There was originally to be a vigil outside the police station in remembrance of and calling for justice for an alleged gangster who was shot dead by police in Tottenham on Thursday.  The vigil was pre-planned and attended by approximately 120 people.  Somehow this vigil turned into civil disorder, but was it a disorganized and chaotic event or was it a planned criminal response in revenge to a shooting of one of their own, or criminal elements using the vigil as a cover?

Local councils do a lot with regards to emergency planning and Haringey Council which covers the Tottenham area is no exception.  After the shooting there would have been contact between community leaders and council community officers would have kept in very close contact both with members of the community, with community voluntary, and third party funded organisations.  The metropolitan Police will also have been keeping a close eye on the area in their own way.  Police intelligence commitments are quite extensive, through necessity more so in the capital than anywhere else.  The Metropolitan Police have issued a statement following the incident which contains the following: -

There was no indication that the protest would deteriorate into the levels of criminal and violent disorder that we saw. We believe that certain elements, who were not involved with the vigil, took the opportunity to commit disorder and physically attack police officers, verbally abuse fire brigade personnel and destroy vehicles and buildings. We do not believe that this is something that the vast majority of law abiding citizens in Tottenham would condone or would want.

With all of this work going on in the background I personally do not believe for a moment that the initial incident was either disorganized or chaotic.  I wonder how many of you could, without preparation or planning, come up with a petrol bomb spontaneously.  Probably none, I certainly couldn’t.

Tottenham MP David Lammy does not seem to think that this was a genuine riot either.

The capital city does have more police resources and funding than any other area of the country.  More specialist teams are funded and because of its population density more neighbouring resources to call upon in times of need.  Even bearing in mind that with the instantaneous production of petrol bombs I am of the belief that this was a planned attack on the police with looting as a recreational afterthought I am concerned that in the capital the police did not move far more resources into the area to contain the trouble in its initial stages.  There will be a capital wide backup and action plan somewhere.  Why was it not put into place?  If it was I see it as woefully inadequate bearing in mind the scenes of destruction with commercial properties, vans and police cars burning on the streets.

So, if I am correct there are segments of the criminal community who are more than happy to use a vigil as cover for criminality.  Maybe revenge was the motivation, maybe it was just pure greed and the chance to loot and be violent with the police was too tempting to miss.  Whichever is correct there will be miles of cctv and many photographs to sort through.  It is my sincerest wish that the perpetrators of this hateful crime are detected and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law irrespective of any concerns that may arise as to either their motivations or ethnic origins.

Prosecute everyone concerned
to the maximum extent of the law!