It seems that some Tory MPs were caught watching porn on “Tory Hub” whilst working. To those who find politics boring, I agree that it is and watching almost anything would be better than being a politician. I also don’t much care whether they were watching Neighbours or porn. The point of the matter is that they are paid to do a job and that should be the object of their work. If any people reading this were caught watching The Waltons, Eastenders, Naked Attraction or Porn Hub whilst at work, it would be a sacking offence. So it should for them.
Can you seriously vote Tory at next week’s local elections given that they prefer to watch porn on “Tory Hub” rather than do their work? Seriously? Neil Parish must resign without delay.
The meeting came amid reports that dozens of MPs, including three Cabinet ministers, are facing allegations of sexual misconduct referred to the Independent Complaints and Grievances Scheme (ICGS).
Asked about the newspaper’s original report at Prime Minister’s Questions, Boris Johnsonagreed that sexual misconduct would be “grounds for dismissal” for ministers. How about corporate manslaughter of 20 000 ++ people in care homes by the Prime Minister and his Cabinet?
Join us Thursday 05 May 7 pm for a masterclass on Brexorcism via ZOOM
Whilst we are on the subject, here’s a few choice videos – they are not pornographic by the way but You Tube deemed them PG rated:
Jacob Rees Moog – THE BREX-KIP FAR-RIGHT FAR-AGE DOMINATRIX MIX
We want to explain a long term project to send a potent message to Brexit supporting MPs that Brexit Doesn’t Pay. We will do this by damaging the majorities held by Brexit supporting MPs in Parliament by systematically engaging their constituents in conversation about their record nationally and locally, through information leaflets and on social media. We plan to do this as ‘non party campaigners’ and will offer no guidance as to how people vote. We will just ask them not to vote Tory. By doing this we will leaven their majorities and allow other political parties to do their best.
We have a database that identifies a number of MPs who have:
Slim majorities.
An association with the far right side of the Conservative party and, of course, Brexit.
Some “Trophy Tories” who we would like to send a message of shock and awe to, per Dominic Cummings’ strategy for Brexit.
Find the database at Google Drive. Add your name and mail your details to peter@academy-of-rock.co.uk to help lead the project in your local area.
COUNTY
Constituency
MP first name
MP surname
SOUTH
Hertfordshire
Hitchin and Harpenden
Bim
Afolami
Welwyn Hatfield
Grant
Shapps
Stevenage
Stephen
McPartland
East Sussex
Lewes
Maria
Caulfield
Hampshire
Aldershot
Leo
Docherty
Fareham
Suella
Braverman
New Forest West
Desmond
Swayne
North East Hampshire
Ranil
Jayawardena
North West Hampshire
Kit
Malthouse
Portsmouth North
Penny
Mordaunt
Southampton, Itchen
Royston
Smith
Kent
Dartford
Gareth
Johnson
Dover
Natalie
Elphicke
Gravesham
Adam
Holloway
Sittingbourne and Sheppey
Gordon
Henderson
South Thanet
Craig
Mackinlay
Gillingham and Rainham
Rehman
Chishti
Oxfordshire
Witney
Robert
Courts
Surrey
Carshalton and Wallington
Elliot
Colburn
Epsom and Ewell
Chris
Grayling
Reigate
Crispin
Blunt
Esher and Walton
Dominic
Raab
Surrey Heath
Michael
Gove
Berkshire
Wokingham
John
Redwood
Buckinghamshire
Wycombe
Steve
Baker
Isle of Wight
Isle Of Wight
Bob
Seely
West Sussex
Crawley
Henry
Smith
East Worthing and Shoreham
Tim
Loughton
Horsham
Jeremy
Quin
Bedfordshire
Mid Bedfordshire
Nadine
Dorries
WEST
Avon
North East Somerset
Jacob
Rees-Mogg
North Somerset
Liam
Fox
Weston-Super-Mare
John
Penrose
Cornwall
North Cornwall
Scott
Mann
South East Cornwall
Sheryll
Murray
St Austell and Newquay
Steve
Double
Devon
Newton Abbot
Anne Marie
Morris
Dorset
Christchurch
Christopher
Chope
Mid Dorset and North Poole
Michael
Tomlinson
Somerset
Somerton and Frome
David
Warburton
Yeovil
Marcus
Fysh
NORTH
Northumberland
Blyth Valley
Ian
Levy
Berwick-Upon-Tweed
Anne-Marie
Trevelyan
Humberside
Cleethorpes
Martin
Vickers
Haltemprice and Howden
David
Davis
North Yorkshire
Thirsk and Malton
Kevin
Hollinrake
West Yorkshire
Morley and Outwood
Andrea
Jenkyns
Shipley
Philip
Davies
South Yorkshire
Penistone and Stocksbridge
Miriam
Cates
SCOTLAND
Scotland
Moray
Douglas
Ross
West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine
Andrew
Bowie
LONDON
Greater London
Chipping Barnet
Theresa
Villiers
Kensington
Felicity
Buchan
Islington North
Jeremy
Corbyn
Hornchurch and Upminster
Julia
Lopez
Uxbridge and South Ruislip
Boris
Johnson
Sutton and Cheam
Paul
Scully
EAST
Norfolk
Great Yarmouth
Brandon
Lewis
South Norfolk
Richard
Bacon
Suffolk
Suffolk Coastal
Thérèse
Coffey
Cambridgeshire
Huntingdon
Jonathan
Djanogly
Essex
Braintree
James
Cleverly
Epping Forest
Eleanor
Laing
Harwich and North Essex
Bernard
Jenkin
Maldon
John
Whittingdale
Rayleigh and Wickford
Mark
Francois
Rochford and Southend East
James
Duddridge
Saffron Walden
Kemi
Badenoch
Thurrock
Jacqueline
Doyle-Price
Chingford and Woodford Green
Iain
Duncan Smith
Witham
Priti
Patel
WALES / NORTH WEST
Clwyd
Clwyd West
David
Jones
South Glamorgan
Vale of Glamorgan
Alun
Cairns
Mid Glamorgan
Bridgend
Jamie
Wallis
Lancashire
Fylde
Mark
Menzies
Merseyside
Southport
Damien
Moore
Cheshire
Macclesfield
David
Rutley
Greater Manchester
Bolton West
Chris
Green
Bury North
James
Daly
Bury South
Christian
Wakeford
Bolton North East
Mark
Logan
Heywood and Middleton
Chris
Clarkson
Blackley and Broughton
Graham
Stringer
Hazel Grove
William
Wragg
MIDLANDS
Northamptonshire
Corby
Tom
Pursglove
Daventry
Chris
Heaton-Harris
Northampton South
Andrew
Lewer
South Northamptonshire
Andrea
Leadsom
Wellingborough
Peter
Bone
Mansfield
Ben
Bradley
Nottinghamshire
Gedling
Tom
Randall
Staffordshire
Lichfield
Michael
Fabricant
South Staffordshire
Gavin
Williamson
Stone
William
Cash
Tamworth
Christopher
Pincher
Stoke-On-Trent North
Jonathan
Gullis
Warwickshire
North Warwickshire
Craig
Tracey
West Midlands
Dudley South
Mike
Wood
Halesowen and Rowley Regis
James
Morris
Solihull
Julian
Knight
Hereford and Worcester
Bromsgrove
Sajid
Javid
North Herefordshire
Bill
Wiggin
Redditch
Rachel
Maclean
Shropshire
Shrewsbury and Atcham
Daniel
Kawczynski
NORTHERN IRELAND – DUP
County Antrim
Lagan Valley
Jeffrey
Donaldson(Sir)
South Antrim
Paul
Girvan
North Antrim
Ian
Paisley(Jr)
East Antrim
Sammy
Wilson
County Down
Upper Bann
Carla
Lockhart
Belfast East
Gavin
Robinson
Strangford
Jim
Shannon
County Londonderry
East Londonderry
Gregory
Campbell
In turn, we will supply support through bringing the team leaders together, supplying leaflets at various points and providing training in the gentle art of Brexorcism. We have just completed our our second book on the subject:
Click to order on Amazon or direct with a discount via e-mail reboot@academy-of-rock.co.uk
Essential reading to change minds about Brexit
What needs to be done?
Study the list of locations and find people who will be willing and support to lead the campaign in the different areas. Both in terms of your real life contacts and via social media. When you get someone who is interested, pl send their details over to me via e-mail reboot@academy-of-rock.co.uk
Finally it’s out !! The new book on Changing minds on Europe and Brexit is here. Click to buy on Amazon or contact me by e-mail via peter@academy-of-rock.co.uk for your personal copy. If you are a sponsor of Re-Boot Britain, you can get a heavily discounted copy to just cover costs.
To find out what it’s all about, join me on Thursday 7 April at 7.00 pm GMT via ZOOM. Here’s the book blurb to give you an insight as to why you will want to buy a copy.
Brexit has broken Britain, economically, socially, culturally, politically and environmentally. Quite simply, Brexit has not delivered what was promised on the tin in 2016, for anyone in our DisUnited Kingdom. This book explains how we may join anew for a better Britain in a better Europe for a better world.
Strategies and scenarios to join anew 2021 – 2031.
Brexit freedoms, unicorns, ghosts and fantasy stories laid to rest.
The influence of Russia and Vladimir Putin on Brexit and the Johnson Junta.
The psychology of ‘Brexorcism’ and the anatomy of the Brexit psyche.
Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) applied to the task of softening hardened minds on Brexit.
How to hold difficult conversations with Leavers in regret and Remainers in remission.
How does Brexorcism differ in real life from online conversations and what can you do about it?
Strategies to put forward a positive vision of a united Europe and heal rifts from the ‘dialogue of the deaf’ over 6 years.
Stories to motivate you and show how these strategies work in practice. Alongside this we explore a number of ‘glorious failures’ as they offer even better insights to success.
A resource section on how to break ‘parliamentary paralysis’, how to make progress in advocacy to MPs and how to engage mainstream media (MSM).
How to multiply your impact and pro-Europe / anti-Brexit influence in real life conversations, lobbying and in mainstream and / or social media.
A ‘Brexorcism’ requires time, patience, unconditional positive regard and skill. This book provides these elements, drawing on a range of approaches to change management from psychology, sociology and therapeutic approaches.
I was astonished to receive a letter from The European Movement banning me from attending a lecture by Gavin Esler on my birthday today. The reason given was that I am taking The European Movement to court. It is not however the real reason.
Banned
The real reason is that Chris Hammond does not wish to meet me, in case I embarrass him about the fact that he indulged in a concerted smear campaign with others last year to pervert the course of The European Movement elections. The below letter from Sevenoaks and Swanley & Tonbridge in Europe (SSTIE) includes a paragraph that refers to me as the only other candidate. They used their own “Nationbuilder” bulk e-mail system to contact thousands of EM members. This could count as a case of defamation. It could also count as a misuse of the system or at least a perversion, in terms of data protection law. See below for just one of the letters that was written about me. There are others of an even more personal nature, but I am not permitted to share them due to the imposition of a gagging order by The European Movement.
At the time I asked the other candidate Yvonne Wancke, to ask these people to cease and desist, as we had a good relationship at the start of the election and we had agreed to conduct the campaign fairly. Yvonne refused and I can only draw the conclusion that she approved of the campaign tacitly or otherwise.
Dear Peter
On Saturday 4 September European Movement Branches will elect a new Chair of the Branches Forum
This key role is going to be hugely important as the European Movement determines the way forward and the future relationship between HQ and the branches.
It is essential that this works well in both directions. The Movement needs the branches so that it can grow and thrive. The enthusiasm and energy that exists in those groups must be fostered and supported by HQ, and the groups need to see the advantages of supporting the Movement as a whole.
A relationship based on working closely together for the benefit of all is essential, and there is a great deal of work needed to ensure that good relationships are established and maintained.
This will require a Branches Forum Chair who can and will build teams that will work collaboratively over a wide range of issues. The Chair will need to establish consensus amongst the branches and with HQ so that each group and the Movement will work harmoniously towards our common goals.
This is certainly not a role for someone who seeks to be the centre of attention, or who thrives on publicity. It needs someone who knows about building consensus and agreement, and who can use those skills to the benefit of the European Movement as a whole.
That is why we urge you to vote for YVONNE WANCKE to be the next Chair of the Branches Forum.
Patrick Reynolds Chris Hammond Sevenoaks Swanley & Tonbridge in Europe East Kent European Movement
Robina Jacobson Colin Gordon North East for Europe Oxford for Europe
John Gaskell South West Surrey
As regards the accusation made in the letter, it is true that I am taking The European Movement to the small claims court for non-payment of expenses. This is a ‘one of a kind’ claim as their youth arm were recently fined £1800 by HMRC for non-submission of accounts and non-payment of VAT. I feel fully justified in taking them to court for this and expect the judge to make the judgement, not some committee in East Kent who simply want to avoid embarrassment for their own bad behaviour. The ultimate humiliation came from the fact that I only got to find out about the smear campaign when Patrick Reynolds, secretary of the Sevenoaks branch, did not know how to use the e-mail system and sent the smearing e-mail directlyto me !! 🙂 Despite what people probably think of Vladimir Putin, at least he knows how to conduct skulduggery properly !!
Goodness knows how we’ll ever manage to rejoin the EU with people like this leading the charge. One of my weaknesses is that I find petty bureaucracy troublesome.
European Movement
I was looking forward to a chat about prog rock with Gavin as he is a big fan, but it won’t kill me if I don’t. I will instead enjoy my birthday on a cycle ride to Canterbury.
I had been thinking about writing what has come to be known as “Reading Gate” down to experience. I must say that the pathetic actions of the local European Movement branch and that of their agents hiding in the shadows have rather stiffened my resolve to ensure that justice is done.
In other news I find that this is not an isolated incident. Byline Times have just censored an article written about Tony Blair that takes a mildly critical view of his leadership decisions on democracy. The style of democracy being put forward by The European Movement and Bylines appears to be more related to Putin’s democracy. I would tell them, but Lord Andrew Adonis and his sidekick Richard Wilson have blocked me on Twitter for giving them valuable feedback.
I'm sorry Gavin, I have been banned from attending your event by @euromove East Kent since they are unhappy that I am taking them to court for a simple matter of non-payment of legitimate expenses. I would have enjoyed your talk and a quick chat about prog rock @gavineslerpic.twitter.com/vsVaeUX635
— Re-Boot Britain – Rage Against The Brexit Machine (@BrexitRage) March 23, 2022
Coming soon, the banned article on Tony Blair, a Ukraine update and the new book on rejoining the EU.
Please support Re-Boot Britain – what the papers won’t say – click on the image
A European Movement member who wishes to remain anon writes to me about organisational concerns from The Brexit Chamber of Secrets
Reports are reaching us from a number of sources of a wave of resignations from the European Movement following the implementation of wide-raging changes made by its new Chairman, Lord Andrew Adonis.
The resignations began last year when former MEP, Saj Karim, left after a shambolic election to appoint vice-chairs. Less than a month later, the leading Conservative pro-European group disaffiliated from the Movement when the Adonis-led group pledged to place its resources behind a campaign to unseat 44 of the party’s MPs (some of whom were pro-European) at the next General Election.
The turn of the year has seen the exit door revolving even faster. We understand that one branch has had most of its senior officers quit, whilst another chair reported resignations immediately after Lord Adonis spoke with members over a Zoom event. Indeed, the actions of Lord Adonis appear to be a common thread driving many of those choosing to part ways with the organisation that sees itself as the country’s leading pro-EU grouping. One now-former member specifically cited the controversy over how recent rule changes were pushed through by the leadership:
“I have seen a lot of reports about how rules have been ignored by those in charge when driving through their new agenda,” they said. “I felt I couldn’t criticise Johnson for having one rule for him and another rule for everyone else whilst remining a member of an organisation whose leadership were adopting exactly the same policy.”
The latest woes come at a bad time for the European Movement. Recent months have seen a massive turnover of staff and come the end of this week, only one of the head office team from 18 months ago will still be in place. To make matters worse, despite their much-vaunted claims to be driving diversity, all but one of the new appointments to replace them have been white and male. We fully expect their next appointment to be a Grassroots for Europe crony, following the silent takeover at the Chamber of Secrets.
Editor’s note: We need STEPS, Diversity or ABBA. At the moment we appear to have BOYZONE !!
Please join us on Monday 31.01 at 8 pm on ZOOM to Re-Boot Britain where we will consider :
* Brexit futures 2021-2031
* Strategies to rejoin
Please pm me an e-mail via reboot@academy-of-rock.co.uk to RSVP as numbers are limited.
If you like this article, please support us with a regular donation via GoFundMe or Patreon. Give us a tip viaPaypal.We need support to continue doing this. It takes considerable time. Thank you in advance.
I have been asked to stand as a candidate for the Council of Grassroots for Europe. This is part of a wider initiative to bring together the many organisations that supported Remaining in the EU and is a welcome development.
I therefore ask for your vote. Voting takes place from TODAY Monday 1st Feb 00.01 until Sunday 7th Feb 23.59. Here’s my video pitch. You will find all the details of how to vote on the You Tube description and the list of eligible groups at the bottom of this post.
I presented at the hustings on Friday 29 Jane. You can find all the lovely candidate presentations at HUSTINGS
My presentation begins at just over two hours in. The first 30 minutes of the video is empty so please jump ahead on the link.
My candidate statement is attached below. I am not a continuity candidate but in our 4.5 years, continuity has not exactly got us where we need to be in terms of Brexit, democracy and our place in the world. However I am an extremely skilled person with considerable experience and someone who works to get the best out of others, sometimes against the odds. Grassroots for Europe has emerged as one of the main players in the post Brexit fight to rejoin and re-boot our democracy.
Peter Cook – Grassroots for Europe
I am an unusual mix of scientist, business academic and musician. I have led a variety of grassroots activities from street stalls to writing three albums of political protest songs and got one of them to Number One on the Amazon chart. Aside from that I’ve organised dozens of activities and events both in the street and online, e.g. interviews with MEPs and celebrities about Brexit, restoring democracy and ending populism. Working with a wide variety of groups e.g. EU Flag Mafia, European Movement. I am both a strategist and exceptional mentor / coach and a pragmatist, turning ideas into events with impact across national and international media.
In Limbo reached No 1 on Amazon for several days – all this from a basement with no mainstream record company support
On terms of my work over the last five years, I have led the Rage Against The Brexit Machine project, having written three albums of anti-Brexit protest songs and got one of them to Number One on the Amazon chart. “Brexorcist in Chief” for Mid Kent 4 EU, I wrote a book on the subject of having difficult conversations with Leave voters from many thousands of hours of activity on the street, in cafes and bars. Out of all this time, on one occasion I gained two black eyes for misjudging an interaction with angry leave voters. I was also arrested by Essex Police for driving a Mini Cooper with “B*llocks to Brexit” on the side. They asked me to remove the signage on the hard shoulder of the M25. Sadly for Essex Police I called 999 to have the officer arrested. 250 000 Tweets later, Essex Police had to retreat with an apology for putting their lives and ours at risk. I should emphasise that the vast majority of our dealings with the Police and public have been cordial and uneventful.
With Grassroots for Europe Chair Richard Wilson
I stood a stuffed cat in the 2019 General Election. Although the cat was only there to create tactical voting, to my surprise, Stan the Cat did not come last in the ratings, beating the Christian People’s Alliance who had been campaigning for 15 years with a budget !! Aside from the above sensationalism, I’ve managed to get our cause into the BBC, ITV, Sky, LBC and all major print media from The Guardian to The Express without ANY media agency or budget, just by using a professional approach. Whilst some Remainers consider me “underground”, my approach is much more effective than the blowhards in committees who simply watch things happen.
We organised the relabelling of Kent as the “Toilet of England” – featured on most mainstream media from The New York Times to “Have I Got More News for You”
For nearly 5 years I have acted to dispel the illusions of Brexit. At 62 I am at some risk from Corona and consider that a fitting epitaph for my life would be the destruction of Brexit populism for the sake of future generations. I wrote a requiem for Brexit on 31 January 2020. This explains why Re-Booting Britain matters better than words can manage:
You may vote if you are members of the following groups. Please contact your group leader to express your views.
Bremain in Spain
Oxford For Europe
Brighton & Hove for EU
Leeds for Europe
Liverpool for Europe
Hope for Europe
Merseyside for Europe
EMM European Movement Merseyside
London4Europe
Sevenoaks Swanley and Tonbridge in Europe
Glasgow Loves EU
MoVEM Mole Valley European Movement
NES4EU North East Surrey for Europe
EUnitySeahaven
North Somerset 4 Europe
Berkshire for Europe
Cambridge for Europe
Sixteen Million Rising
EU in Brum
Lewisham East for Europe/Lewisham Together in Europe
Northern Devon for Europe
Ipswich With Europe
Open Britain Reading and Berkshire
Fife4Europe
Highland4EU
Edinburgh 4 Europe
Preston For Europe
Waltham Forest
EMGreenwich for Europe
Lancaster For Europe
Witney for Europe (formally known as Peoples’ Vote, Witney)
Maidenhead for EU
Warwick District 4 Europe
East Kent European Movement
Ashford for Europe
Hull and East Yorkshire for Europe
Veterans For Europe
Suffolk EU Alliance
York for Europe
Swindon for Europe
Norfolk for Europe
Bromley4Europe
South Bucks for Europe
EM South West Surrey
Lambeth for Europe
EM Portsmouth-Chichester
European Movement Mendip Branch
Hampshire European Movement
Devon for Europe
Devizes for Europe
Islanders for Europe, The Isle of Wight Branch of the European Movement UK
Cheltenham for Europe
Wales for Europe
Harrow and Hillingdon European Movement
European Movement Sussex
SW Scotland for Europe
EM Mid Kent
Re-Boot Britain
Herefordshire for Europe
Dorset for Europe
Coventry4Europe
Lincolnshire European Movement
Gwynedd dros Ewrop [Welsh]/Gwynedd for Europe [English]
We have 20 000 leaflets available for non-party campaigners to help #GTTO or Get The Tories Out by Friday 7th May. By sending them a massive shock wave in the local elections, we hope to point out their vulnerabilities. Nothing moves politicians quicker than losing their seats.
To get physical copies of leaflet, mail me at gtto@academy-of-rock.co.uk
To have the leaflet badged with your group’s logo or details, get in touch
To simply use the leaflets online, just download the imagesbelow
Support us so we can print more and deliver them via the Bollocks to Brexit Mini via Go Fund Me
Support our costs by clicking the image
Support our work by clicking the image
Get ‘Em Out by Friday
We are taking the Mini on the road – let us know if you want a visit
In our occasional round up of April Brexit Showers via the medium of populist media parody, we offer you “The Sun”. The only difference with The Sun is that we include some facts …
I have to include a fact and fiction checker just for clarity:
FICTION : When Liz Truss said she got a great trade deal with Japan, she meant “for Japan”. A really good deal in fact, with five times the amount of trade going to Japan.
FACT : Dairy exports have fallen by 96% due to Brexit.
FACT : Meat exports have also fallen by 25% and these losses are expected to be permanent.
FICTION : Rachelle does not plan a trip to Scotland or Ireland. Nicola Sturgeon does not need her help to Get the Tories out in Scotland. Rachelle is however available for modelling assignments in France.
FACT : Northern Ireland is beginning to become the great tragedy of Brexit as tensions continue. This is not news. It was always predicted to be the case.
FACT : If you want to help get the Tories out at the local elections, contact me for leaflets via email gtto@academy-of-rock.co.uk. We have 12 000 left for rapid distribution.
If you like this article, please tip us using the Paypal button on this site or via GoFundMe
We need support to continue doing this. It takes considerable time. Thank you in advance.
We have delivered 20 000 leaflets to help get the Tories out and Re-Boot Britain in the last 10 days. This is quite astonishing when one considers that it has been done with just 12 people and a Mini Cooper. There are 23 million houses in Britain and our 20 000 leaflets represent 1/1000 of those houses. Not bad at all for a micro organisation. To help support our work, please donate using the PayPal button or via Go Fund Me for a regular donation.
To join us on the tour, here are our dates this coming week:
Monday : Gravesend from 11.00 am
Tuesday and Wednesday : Tunbridge Wells from 10.30 am
Wednesday evening : Maidstone from 6 pm
Thursday : TBC
Evening slots available most days by appointment
Please contact me directly via gtto@academy-of-rock.co.uk to join us
Here is our report from the street from stalwart campaigner Don Adamson
Report on street campaigning from a friend
The yellow Mini arrived just before five bells in the forenoon. That is 1030 for landlubbers and when the big hand is on the 6 and the little hand is on the 10 for Wrecksiteers …
— Re-Boot Britain – Rage Against The Brexit Machine (@BrexitRage) May 3, 2021
If you like this article, please tip us using the Paypal button on this site or via GoFundMe
We need support to continue doing this. It takes considerable time. Thank you in advance.
Two areas of Medway have elections coming up and a better Medway is needed. It seems that people are rejecting the cosy coalition of the two-party system in the towns, now that the effects of Brexit + COVID are becoming apparent in what has been termed a “Britastrophe”. The UN red alert on climate has flagged up the long-term impact of Brexit on climate change:
More disaster capitalism means tax avoidance and non-payment of taxes in nation states. This is bad for our environmental stewardship and our reputation as a world leader in ethical politics
A bonfire on standards leads to moral hazard in product manufacture, with a return to shoddy products made in sweatshops and environmentally damaging materials. One hairdresser in Chatham told me that she was looking forward to the day when she could once again used banned chemicals on her clients’ hair. She seemed unconcerned that the chemicals are carcinogens when I explained as a Chemist.
More global trade = more carbon footprint. You may say, I don’t care, but what legacy do we hand on to future generations.
Locally in Strood North, overdevelopment of the Hoo Peninsula is leading to the destruction of sensitive environments and threatens to gridlock residents in the Medway towns. Residents also have concerns about schools, lack of social housing, overdevelopment, litter, public transport and the capacity of the NHS to cope under Johnson’s sale of the century. It also seems that the issue that dare not speak its name aka Brexit is also causing residents real concerns. It starts to become clear that Brexit was not really about taking back control except in the sense that it has enabled Boris Johnson to give unprecedented amounts of taxpayers money to his cronies and blame all economic, social and political problems on COVID. Closer to home, food shortages are becoming visible as people realise that we are no longer self-sufficient in food. With a shortage of 100 000 foreign lorry drivers, the supply of 2000 HGV army drivers from the “Royal Cucumber Corps” is not going to make up the difference. Walking into Aldi in Strood lettuces are already brown in the displays. Yes, I know Aldi operate a Just in Time system system, but the food is not supposed to be rotten in the supermarket. This is just an hors d’ouevre …
Brands Hatch in Strood
Peter Bonney, an ex-deputy headteacher is a local activist for a 20 MPH speed limit in the rat runs along these roads in a congested part of Strood Weston, Cromer, Gordon, Jersey, Bryant, Brompton Lane, Cliffe Road etc. Peter is the model of an activist, having organised petitions, letters and been given airtime at the local council with his proposal. He thought all was well when he gained a warm reception across the political spectrum, but then the views of councillors were crushed by Councillor Alan Jarrett for no reason. Jarrett is a seasoned professional who I have dealt with. Prospective Green Councillor Cat Jamieson is to take the issue up. There are many schools in the area and the use of the rat runs presents both a safety issue for children and an environmental issue for all the residents.
People driving at 40 miles and hour up the road is an accident waiting to happen
Overdevelopment
Residents in Brompton Farm Road are concerned about the issue of overdevelopment on the Hoo Peninsula with houses for 30 000 people proposed in a sensitive natural habitat for birds and other wildlife. One resident described the problem:
“Boris the Builder just wants to build, build, build and the local Tory Councillors support this so they can line their pockets. Meanwhile Labour are just supine. We need an independent voice to hold Medway Council to account”.
It’s not just the people on the periphery of Hoo that are concerned. The housing development will also put pressure on the arterial roads into Strood centre, placing still more pressure on the rat runs. There are also issues with the lack of social housing in the new Riverside developments around the area of Strood Station.
Transport connectivity is key if we are to reduce our reliance on cars
Cat responded to the call from residents:
“Greenwashing won’t wash. We need to plan development within the towns in ways that are sustainable and sensitive to residents’ needs. In some cases, that means just saying NO. In other cases, it will be about finding much better ways to think about our natural resources in consultation with community leaders. What we have now is local government by diktat. We must Act Now, before the Green Belt turns Brown”.
The Green Party will hold the Conservatives (and the “official” opposition) to account if elected. Since there is already one Conservative and one Labour candidate, voters can cast their vote for a truly independent voice in the knowledge that they are not eliminating one of the parties, but simply enriching the mixture of views to make better decisions.
