Boris Johnson has shocked everyone by keeping his hat firmly outside the next Prime Minister ring citing that the next leader would restore Britain's standing and stand tall in the world but 'that person cannot be me'.
As there is a Conservative Party campaign titled 'Anyone But Boris' and he was facing daily abuse from the public for his lies during the Referendum, he has probably concluded that he would be cannon fodder and has pulled the rug from under them.
It is a shame because if there was ever anyone who could be used as cannon fodder, it was him and now we are denied it.
No poking fun of his willingness to look like an unmade bed or recalling how he was fired by The Times for making up stories.
No re-hashing of how he referred to gay men as 'tank-topped bumboys' and on the subject of same sex marriage said that 'We don't want our children being taught some rubbish about homosexual marriage being the same as normal marriage' and calling it 'ludicrous'.
We won't be able to remember the time he was ordered to go to Liverpool to make a public apology for saying that Liverpudlians were welfare scroungers or referring to his £250,000 wages from his second job at The Telegraph Newspaper as 'chicken feed' or even how he was sacked from the cabinet for lying over his private life.
Most upsetting is how we will not be able to rake the coals over his extra-marital affair with Spectator columnist Petronella Wyatt, resulting in two terminated pregnancies and then the affair with the Times Higher Education Supplement journalist Anna Fazackerley and then yet another dalliance with Helen Macintyre and fathering her child.
Such a shame that all this will never see the light of day now.
Thursday, 30 June 2016
Dare We Rerun The Referendum?
The petition for re-running the second EU referendum has reached 4 million and anti-Brexit protests have sprung up in cities so the question must be should we do it again?
I'm torn because i was on losing side of the decision and consider what we have voted for as the height of foolishness with severe consequences for us all but then again, we can't just ignore the result or re-run it just because 48% of us didn't agree with it, that's us gladly wandering into dictatorial territory.
Sure many who voted to remain in the EU are very disappointed about the result, particularly how it is dawning on us how it will hit our economy and therefore most vulnerable in our society already down after years of austerity, but there are also many people who voted leave who are regretting their decision now they are hearing of the consequences, over 1.1 million of them according to a recent poll.
Brussels have made it crystal clear that the UK must maintain free movement of labour in order to access the largest single market in the World with over 500 million potential customers, a fact that was spelt out before but dismissed by the Brexit campaign as 'fear-mongering', as was the now discredited claim of the NHS receiving the money we currently send to the EU.
Knowing now what we know, those who voted Leave could argue that they voted on mis-information but it still leaves the problem of whether it would be morally right to re-run the referendum, albeit this time with the public having a better understanding of what an exit package would mean.
The Government has a decision to make regarding what is in the national interest and to act accordingly but as we now know that the deal available outside the EU will hit the country hard, the safest way to go about things would be to gain some wiggle room which delays, and then postpones the handing over of Article 50 until which will propel us out of the EU and we then quietly forget all about it.
That way the referendum result stands, democracy prevails but we just don't do anything to enforce the result .
I'm torn because i was on losing side of the decision and consider what we have voted for as the height of foolishness with severe consequences for us all but then again, we can't just ignore the result or re-run it just because 48% of us didn't agree with it, that's us gladly wandering into dictatorial territory.
Sure many who voted to remain in the EU are very disappointed about the result, particularly how it is dawning on us how it will hit our economy and therefore most vulnerable in our society already down after years of austerity, but there are also many people who voted leave who are regretting their decision now they are hearing of the consequences, over 1.1 million of them according to a recent poll.
Brussels have made it crystal clear that the UK must maintain free movement of labour in order to access the largest single market in the World with over 500 million potential customers, a fact that was spelt out before but dismissed by the Brexit campaign as 'fear-mongering', as was the now discredited claim of the NHS receiving the money we currently send to the EU.
Knowing now what we know, those who voted Leave could argue that they voted on mis-information but it still leaves the problem of whether it would be morally right to re-run the referendum, albeit this time with the public having a better understanding of what an exit package would mean.
The Government has a decision to make regarding what is in the national interest and to act accordingly but as we now know that the deal available outside the EU will hit the country hard, the safest way to go about things would be to gain some wiggle room which delays, and then postpones the handing over of Article 50 until which will propel us out of the EU and we then quietly forget all about it.
That way the referendum result stands, democracy prevails but we just don't do anything to enforce the result .
Tuesday, 28 June 2016
Sports We English Can Play
So we may not be the best football team in Europe, with Wales still in the competition we are not even the best in Britain, but there are some other sports that England rule the World at.
The English rugby team recently won every game in the Six Nations and followed that up by going to Australia and handing Johnny Wallaby a 3-0 series whitewash while the England’s women also won the Women’s Rugby World Cup in 2014.
The England cricket team won in South Africa and at home to Sri Lanka, the one-day team are currently leading the series against the Sri Lankans and the T20 side got to the world final.
There are numerous English boxers across various weight divisions that are doing themselves and us proud and are holding world title belts and in Heavyweight Anthony Joshua we have a real World Class prospect.
The last five World Snooker Championships have been won by an Englishman and Great Britain won five gold medals at the 2015 World Rowing Championships with the teams made up mainly of people from England while the two World Indoor Singles Bowls Champions are from guess where? ENGLAND!!
At the 2014 FEI World Equestrian Games, the English were well represented on the gold medal winners podium as is the winners podium at Formula 1 where the current world champion is Englishman Lewis Hamilton.
Want some more?
The English won five gold medals at the 2016 UCI Track Cycling World Championships, the BDO World Darts Champion was born this side of Hadrians Wall as was Trina Gulliver who also won the women’s Championship.
England won the 2013 Men’s World Team Squash Championships, the women took the WSF World Team Squash Championships and Englishman Paul Bonhomme is the current Red Bull Air Race World Champion.
We finish with the Speedway Grand Prix world champion being English and we say yeah Johnny Foreigner, you may be able to kick a ball into net hung between two posts better than us but when it comes to real sports which involve throwing darts, hitting snooker balls and knocking round bits of rubber against a wall, we rule.
The English rugby team recently won every game in the Six Nations and followed that up by going to Australia and handing Johnny Wallaby a 3-0 series whitewash while the England’s women also won the Women’s Rugby World Cup in 2014.
The England cricket team won in South Africa and at home to Sri Lanka, the one-day team are currently leading the series against the Sri Lankans and the T20 side got to the world final.
There are numerous English boxers across various weight divisions that are doing themselves and us proud and are holding world title belts and in Heavyweight Anthony Joshua we have a real World Class prospect.
The last five World Snooker Championships have been won by an Englishman and Great Britain won five gold medals at the 2015 World Rowing Championships with the teams made up mainly of people from England while the two World Indoor Singles Bowls Champions are from guess where? ENGLAND!!
At the 2014 FEI World Equestrian Games, the English were well represented on the gold medal winners podium as is the winners podium at Formula 1 where the current world champion is Englishman Lewis Hamilton.
Want some more?
The English won five gold medals at the 2016 UCI Track Cycling World Championships, the BDO World Darts Champion was born this side of Hadrians Wall as was Trina Gulliver who also won the women’s Championship.
England won the 2013 Men’s World Team Squash Championships, the women took the WSF World Team Squash Championships and Englishman Paul Bonhomme is the current Red Bull Air Race World Champion.
We finish with the Speedway Grand Prix world champion being English and we say yeah Johnny Foreigner, you may be able to kick a ball into net hung between two posts better than us but when it comes to real sports which involve throwing darts, hitting snooker balls and knocking round bits of rubber against a wall, we rule.
Preparing For An Increasing Population
The UN’s department of economic and social affairs have said that Global population hit 7.3 billion midway through 2015, an increase of 2 billion since 1990 and will continue to climb steadily to reach 8.5 billion in 2030.
As we are already using the resources of one and a half Earth's it is a problem which we have no idea how to solve.
The problem isn't too many births as many think but not enough deaths due to people living longer, DESA explained that the number of births has leveled off globally for the world as a whole so we are not adding people to the population through births.
In 2015 global life expectancy rose to 71.4 years, a five-year increase since 2000, and that is obviously a good thing but the challenge is that we still have to reduce the amount of humans on the Planet and that can still only come from reducing births in the first place.
Further access to contraception is the obvious answer and globally there are still 225 million women who are unable to access a modern form of contraception. Better education and child health clinics are also important to reduce pregnancies but most importantly we have to prepare ourselves for being able to accommodate 8.5 billion people by 2030.
This isn't simple as due to desertification, extreme weather and flooding as a result of climate change we are being squeezed into an ever decreasing amount of land but the solution isn't waving our arms around and saying there are just too many of us, we need to prepare the infrastructure to be ready for the 8.5 billion of us sharing the planet.
As we are already using the resources of one and a half Earth's it is a problem which we have no idea how to solve.
The problem isn't too many births as many think but not enough deaths due to people living longer, DESA explained that the number of births has leveled off globally for the world as a whole so we are not adding people to the population through births.
In 2015 global life expectancy rose to 71.4 years, a five-year increase since 2000, and that is obviously a good thing but the challenge is that we still have to reduce the amount of humans on the Planet and that can still only come from reducing births in the first place.
Further access to contraception is the obvious answer and globally there are still 225 million women who are unable to access a modern form of contraception. Better education and child health clinics are also important to reduce pregnancies but most importantly we have to prepare ourselves for being able to accommodate 8.5 billion people by 2030.
This isn't simple as due to desertification, extreme weather and flooding as a result of climate change we are being squeezed into an ever decreasing amount of land but the solution isn't waving our arms around and saying there are just too many of us, we need to prepare the infrastructure to be ready for the 8.5 billion of us sharing the planet.
Pope Tells Christians To Say Sorry To Gays
With many believers in the story that a talking snake told a woman not to eat an apple then you know you are in the presence of what we can politely call wackadoodles but for something that passes itself off as peaceful, religion has been the cause of more deaths than anything else outside of disease.
Even its more refined versions it is still a basket-full of bigotry and hatred and probably its largest hate figure are the gay community or as the bible calls them, those who are an 'abomination' and should 'surely be put to death'.
Pope Francis has followed up his previous comment on who was he to judge gay people by calling for Christians to seek forgiveness from gay people for the way they had treated them.
'We Christians have to apologise for so many things, not just for this treatment of gay people, but we must ask for forgiveness, not just apologise, forgiveness' he said which is very brave coming from someone who seems to spend most of the day in a dress.
Not to sure how this will play out with Christians who believe that they can 'pray away the gay' and change a persons sexual orientation but as they believe that God managed to squeeze a handful of humans and two of every animal onto a raft while he killed every living thing on the planet, i wouldn't hold my breath for any sanity from them just yet.
Even its more refined versions it is still a basket-full of bigotry and hatred and probably its largest hate figure are the gay community or as the bible calls them, those who are an 'abomination' and should 'surely be put to death'.
Pope Francis has followed up his previous comment on who was he to judge gay people by calling for Christians to seek forgiveness from gay people for the way they had treated them.
'We Christians have to apologise for so many things, not just for this treatment of gay people, but we must ask for forgiveness, not just apologise, forgiveness' he said which is very brave coming from someone who seems to spend most of the day in a dress.
Not to sure how this will play out with Christians who believe that they can 'pray away the gay' and change a persons sexual orientation but as they believe that God managed to squeeze a handful of humans and two of every animal onto a raft while he killed every living thing on the planet, i wouldn't hold my breath for any sanity from them just yet.
Monday, 27 June 2016
World Becoming More Left Wing
We all know where being right wing ends up, burning women for being witches, slave owners, black men hanging from trees and 6 million dead Jews are proof of that but before you despair history does seem to show that we are shifting over to left wing values of equality and fairness for all, just very slowly.
Looking at the big picture, we have gone from monarchies and dictatorships to democracies and social equality over the past 1500 years and a lot of the social reforms we see that are regarded currently as the norm weren't in the past, such as gay rights, feminism, civil rights for minorities and abortion rights.
There have been blips and countries that are further along the curve than others, it has not been a smooth transition but we are on a trend where there is more equality, more power for people who were previously powerless and human rights have been extended to cover more of society.
One reason to be cheerful is that the future is left wing with more social and financial equality for all while the right wing and it's selfish hatred of anyone different is a diminishing thing of the past and that is always a good thing.
Looking at the big picture, we have gone from monarchies and dictatorships to democracies and social equality over the past 1500 years and a lot of the social reforms we see that are regarded currently as the norm weren't in the past, such as gay rights, feminism, civil rights for minorities and abortion rights.
There have been blips and countries that are further along the curve than others, it has not been a smooth transition but we are on a trend where there is more equality, more power for people who were previously powerless and human rights have been extended to cover more of society.
One reason to be cheerful is that the future is left wing with more social and financial equality for all while the right wing and it's selfish hatred of anyone different is a diminishing thing of the past and that is always a good thing.
Brexit Racists And Xenophobes
Brexit voters are growing more annoyed that they are being called racists for voting to leave the EU but while it may be true that all the people who voted Brexit may not be racists, all the racists voted Brexit.
The number of hate crimes reported has risen by 57% after the UK voted to leave the European Union and David Cameron has spoken out about graffiti and verbal abuse shouted at individuals of ethnic minorities telling them to go back to their own country.
The UK’s biggest Muslim organisation has spoken out against a spike in racist abuse in the aftermath of the referendum while the Polish embassy said it was shocked at incidents of xenophobic abuse directed at members of its community in the past few days, and the Board of Deputies of British Jews said it was alarmed by reports it has received of harassment and abuse.
The xenophobic fringe feel empowered by the vote and probably feel that they have support of half the nation who feel the same as they do, another consequence of the self-harming decision of the 52% .
The number of hate crimes reported has risen by 57% after the UK voted to leave the European Union and David Cameron has spoken out about graffiti and verbal abuse shouted at individuals of ethnic minorities telling them to go back to their own country.
The UK’s biggest Muslim organisation has spoken out against a spike in racist abuse in the aftermath of the referendum while the Polish embassy said it was shocked at incidents of xenophobic abuse directed at members of its community in the past few days, and the Board of Deputies of British Jews said it was alarmed by reports it has received of harassment and abuse.
The xenophobic fringe feel empowered by the vote and probably feel that they have support of half the nation who feel the same as they do, another consequence of the self-harming decision of the 52% .
England 1 Iceland 2
Under Article 105b of the England Football Supporters charter i hereby resign my England Football Team card and revoke the second amendment to the Charter that states 'On the event of England being knocked out of yet another major tournament, supporters may choose another team for the duration of the tournament if they have even the most tenuous link to that team'.
I hereby resign my England card to the bin and accept the shiny new one from Wales due to a great grandparent who was Welsh. Possibly.
Dod i chi eich bod Cymraeg!!!!
I hereby resign my England card to the bin and accept the shiny new one from Wales due to a great grandparent who was Welsh. Possibly.
Dod i chi eich bod Cymraeg!!!!
Sunday, 26 June 2016
Joshua Not A Boxing Great Just Yet
British boxing is in a good state at the moment and at the top of the pile is IBF Heavyweight Champion Anthony Joshua who last night took his record to 17 fights, 17 wins with 17 KO's.
I like Joshua, he is not only a great boxer but is a very well spoken, polite and elegant person who shy's away from the boorish rhetoric of other boxers but i would warn the people talking him up to not be quite so quick to compare him to the greats.
Joshua is fortunate to find himself in the game at a time when the game is at the lowest ebb i have ever seen but he can only fight who is put in front of him so he can hardly be blamed if those dished up to him are of a low calibre.
Back in the day when Tyson was bowling people over like ten pins you couldn't throw a cat without hitting a decent heavyweight and before Buster Douglas bumbled along, he fought them all and won convincingly.
Joshua has not fought anyone of any note, last nights opponent Dominic Breazeale, was the top challenger for the belt and to be polite he wasn't so much out of Joshua's class but in a completely different school.
America seems to have stopped producing real World Class heavyweights and the East European's are functional but dull so as good as Joshua looks, has still not really been tested so i would be hesitant to build him up just yet.
I like Joshua, he is not only a great boxer but is a very well spoken, polite and elegant person who shy's away from the boorish rhetoric of other boxers but i would warn the people talking him up to not be quite so quick to compare him to the greats.
Joshua is fortunate to find himself in the game at a time when the game is at the lowest ebb i have ever seen but he can only fight who is put in front of him so he can hardly be blamed if those dished up to him are of a low calibre.
Back in the day when Tyson was bowling people over like ten pins you couldn't throw a cat without hitting a decent heavyweight and before Buster Douglas bumbled along, he fought them all and won convincingly.
Joshua has not fought anyone of any note, last nights opponent Dominic Breazeale, was the top challenger for the belt and to be polite he wasn't so much out of Joshua's class but in a completely different school.
America seems to have stopped producing real World Class heavyweights and the East European's are functional but dull so as good as Joshua looks, has still not really been tested so i would be hesitant to build him up just yet.
Everyone Stop Doing Stuff!!
I have never known a time like this in British Politics, every time you turn around someone has resigned or is plotting to overthrow someone or are maneuvering themselves into a position to usurp someone so we just need someone to shout STOP!!! NOBODY DO ANYTHING and take a deep breath.
Cameron resigning is the right move, firstly because he cannot continue after the British public defied him and secondly because he has been a complete right-wing nasty git so i am glad to see the back of him.
The Labour Party attempting to remove Jeremy Corbyn being removed as head of the Opposition is also correct, his performance in the Referendum campaign was pitiful and although i agree with much of what he says, he is too far left wing for the voting public to possibly win an election if one is called soon so it is right they take him out and replace him with someone who could.
Lastly, it is right that once the Conservative Party elect themselves a new leader, the Government call a general election because by virtue of the Conservatives currently being in power, whoever becomes their leader also becomes Prime Minister and he or she will need to go to the country for a fresh mandate.
Of course the worst possible scenario is that in a years time we end with Tory Boris Johnson running the show here and Donald Trump winning the American election then between them the World would be ended by next March anyway and everything becomes academic anyway.
The best possible scenario is someone along the lines of Hilary Benn, David Miliband or Chuka Umunna are elected Labour leader, the Conservatives vote the divisive Boris Johnson as their leader who is then removed in a snap Election early in 2017 and we start to put right what has gone so horribly wrong over the last decade.
Mostly though, people need to stop and take a deep breath.
Cameron resigning is the right move, firstly because he cannot continue after the British public defied him and secondly because he has been a complete right-wing nasty git so i am glad to see the back of him.
The Labour Party attempting to remove Jeremy Corbyn being removed as head of the Opposition is also correct, his performance in the Referendum campaign was pitiful and although i agree with much of what he says, he is too far left wing for the voting public to possibly win an election if one is called soon so it is right they take him out and replace him with someone who could.
Lastly, it is right that once the Conservative Party elect themselves a new leader, the Government call a general election because by virtue of the Conservatives currently being in power, whoever becomes their leader also becomes Prime Minister and he or she will need to go to the country for a fresh mandate.
Of course the worst possible scenario is that in a years time we end with Tory Boris Johnson running the show here and Donald Trump winning the American election then between them the World would be ended by next March anyway and everything becomes academic anyway.
The best possible scenario is someone along the lines of Hilary Benn, David Miliband or Chuka Umunna are elected Labour leader, the Conservatives vote the divisive Boris Johnson as their leader who is then removed in a snap Election early in 2017 and we start to put right what has gone so horribly wrong over the last decade.
Mostly though, people need to stop and take a deep breath.
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