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We hear a lot of talk of political reform and localism from the Con-Dem government. However do they mean this, or is it yet again all talk and promises, the usual status quo of major party politics.

As English Radicals we seriously doubt whether the ‘ConDemned’ government will have the courage to give local government real power to serve its communities and end the current centralised method of gathering income tax in favour of a local system. By organising the decentralisation of Revenue and Customs and giving control over THEIR citizens taxes to the localities we would see real local democracy in action. Perhaps then, instead of going cap in hand to central government for money to build tramways or schools, local councils would have the revenue base to support borrowing to fund such projects themselves (if their electors so decide). This is the English Radical vision and this is REAL political reform and localism.

The English Radical Alliance challenges Mr Osborne and the Con-Dem government to be truly radical in their cuts to public services, and abolish all government ministries (except Defence and Foreign Office) and hand the power AND the money to local government.  
 

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Football has often been described as ‘the beautiful game’ or sometimes ‘a game of two halves’. However when you look at the financial situations some of our clubs are in and the huge divide between the salaries of football’s superstars in the Premiership and the income of a club further down the soccer pyramid, the sport does not look so beautiful. It can even be described as a ‘game of two haves’ – between the haves and the have nots.

Many genuine supporters travel the length and breadth of England supporting their teams through thick and thin. Yet many of these teams that grace the lower leagues and non-league football face a tremendous struggle just to survive. You will not see Aston Martins, Bentleys or Ferraris parked outside these grounds. What you will find is ordinary folk selling programmes, sweeping the terraces and even painting the stands because they love their club and they love football.

A classic example of such a club is non-league Kettering Town, a club with a proud tradition and loyal support and a club that is part of the fabric of the Northamptonshire town. Yet despite all this Kettering Town F.C could no longer exist in the not too distant future. They do not own their own ground, and it has been earmarked for housing development by the local council. Fans of ‘The Poppies’, as the club is affectionately known, formed a trust to keep the club in business. More recently they launched a ‘Give Kettering Council the Red Card’ campaign. This is the effort of genuine fans that go to work and then give their all for the local football club in an effort to keep it in their community.

Compare this to the likes of Premiership stars such as Gerrard, Drogba, Rooney and Fabregas. It is true each star has his adopted charity, and will make occasional donations and appear at certain functions adorned in sportswear gained as part of a lucrative sponsorship deal. Yet these donations amount to nothing but loose change in the bottom of the players pockets. What are the likes of such superstars putting back into the game itself? The answer is, apart from maybe the odd celebrity appearance, absolutely nothing.

Kettering Town are probably one of a number of clubs in a similar situation. As English Radicals we care about the social make up of England. Football clubs are a major part of that social make up and should be part of the community. Therefore we feel our superstars should put something back into the game through contributions deducted from their salaries into a Trust Fund. This fund could help players further down the ladder whose careers have been ended through injury and it could help smaller clubs survive. As well as the superstars of the game, we believe it should be up to local councils to support their teams as part of the community. Why take Kettering’s ground away from them? Surely another area could be earmarked for housing? Instead Kettering have been hindered every step of the way in their bid for survival by a council and out of touch politicians that simply do not care. Football has also been described as ‘the people’s game’, and as English Radicals we want to return the game to the people. In the meantime what do fans have to do to make hard nose council officers and the footballing hierarchy listen – take drastic radical action occupy the grounds?

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CLASS WAR IN PUBLIC SERVICE CUTS
After ten weeks of strikes by Leeds refuse workers, city council leader, Lib-Dem Richard Brett revealed the truth behind the future of public service cuts when he told reporters that it was not right that binmen got salaries of £18,000-£20,000, whilst university graduates struggled to get anywhere near that much.
Brett is a former teacher now living off a big fat pension (paid for by??) and obviously, having never left school, he would hardly sympathise with the manual worker. The strikes were caused by a decision taken by the Tory/LibDem Leeds city council to reduce the wages of refuse workers by a third and ‘modernise’ their industry (now where have we heard that before lately?). By modernise they mean work harder, longer and for less pay. This ‘modernisation’ is the way in which future Tory governments and their local authorities, will reduce the wages of the lower paid so that their Fatcat friends have more money left to buy BMWs and lapdancers.
No surprise then that Tory and LibDem councils are now leading the charge to attack the lower paid on behalf of the bankers that our taxes have bailed out. In Leeds and other cities the councils are hiding behind the equal pay legislation, reducing the wages of male workers to fund the salaries of its female employees, just like a Third World banana republic.
Oh, and Mr Brett, how come you’re not standing up for the binmen, after all they are only doing a job that you and your kind won’t do. It's an affront that teachers get paid more than binmen!

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