Wed, 02 May 2012 03:50:18 -0800WeeblyWed, 04 Apr 2012 15:18:23 -0800http://www.englishradicals.com/1/post/2012/04/british-government-plays-i-spy-on-all-of-us.htmlWe don’t know whether any of you picked up the “coincidence” of the government announcing massive increases in the price of postage stamps, just at the time when it is planning legislation so that it can spy on all of our emails and text messages. Not content with governing the most watched and spied-upon society that isn’t North Korea, the coalition government want the power to be able to know what we are saying and doing online. All, of course, in the interests of national security and, naturally, they will trot out the old saying ‘if you haven’t got anything to hide, blah, blah..’

This is pretty rich coming from the Tories and Lib Dems, for when they were in opposition they criticised the Labour government for proposing the very same legislation in 2009. Of course, the ConDems have now found that once in power they want to control as much of the population as they can, but the thing is this legislation is more likely to hinder, rather than help, the War on Terror. Simply put, by extending powers so that everyone can be monitored the security agencies, notably GCHQ, will be flooded with information and have to sift through it all to find the nuggets. Yet they will still probably act only when somebody gives them cause for suspicion, pretty much as now when they can apply for a magistrate’s warrant to spy on someone who is suspicious. So, why the urgent need for the new legislation?

The electronic revolution that has been spawned by the Internet and mobile phone technology has increased the power of the individual and produced the potential for greater decentralisation and this threatens the power of the central State. Although Tories and Lib Dems talk a lot about political decentralisation, both parties are part of an Establishment that, on the whole, distrusts the general public and fears the potential for local or communal action that is posited by the Internet in particular. Labour are the worst offenders for pushing the power of State over that of the locality or individual, but power has given the ConDems the incentive to emulate Labour in the field of Big Brother politics. And there is much for governments to fear.

The riots last summer showed the potential that the likes of Twitter or Blackberry Messenger possess for organising large numbers of individuals in local communities, and that this can be done simultaneously obviously poses a threat to law and order given the restraints on police manpower as a result of the government’s spending cuts. These same spending cuts have also introduced a potential for rebellion amongst the wider population, especially as they start to bite harder in the wider populace, therefore the only possible way for the government to keep a handle on all of this is to pass the legislation that will enable them to spy on our web browsing and email, our texting and twittering.

What is ironic in all of this, is that most savvy terrorists avoid email and telephones like the plague and will probably resort to the old-fashioned Cold War spy techniques of the message drops and the chalked marks on trees, thus making the new legislation ineffective for what it was designed to combat. And by signalling ahead that they intend to pass this legislation they are giving the terrorists and the organised criminals the heads-up to find other methods of communication anyway. So that leaves you and me as the main target for this legislation, best be careful what you say in your emails and texts in the future! ]]>Sun, 01 Apr 2012 16:32:32 -0800http://www.englishradicals.com/1/post/2012/04/wakey-wakey-labour-time-to-reap-what-you-have-sown.htmlThis is not the first article posted on the internet that attempts to interpret the shock result in the recent Bradford by-election, nor will it be the last. But George Galloway's stunning victory there raises many questions. How did Labour – who have held this seat for nearly 40 years – go from having a 5,000 majority at the last election, to losing by 10,000 votes? And the Lib Dems came 4th and lost their deposit – is this “icing on the cake” also a sign of things to come nationally?

The delicious irony of the result is that Labour - who, after turning their back on the indigenous English and for decades encouraged immigration, as grateful immigrant families usually vote (by post) for the party that let them in – have been massively rejected in a seat that has a large immigrant population. The chickens of New Labour warmongering in Afghanistan and Iraq have finally come home to roost – and it is to the shame of English voters that we didn't do it first!

An interesting aspect of this victory – to quote Wikipedia: “Naweed Hussain, campaign manager for the former Labour MP over the previous three general elections, defected and became a campaign manager for Galloway.” We're sure Mr Hussain would modestly deny it, but it would seem he is in no small way the architect of the incredible 36% swing to Respect from Labour – obviously a man of considerable influence in that area, and a person Labour could ill afford to lose.

Although ostensibly a socialist party, Respect is seen – rightly or wrongly – as a front for Islamism. So this result will not only fuel resentment amongst the indigenous English still in and around that area, it will be held up as a bogeyman warning by far-right parties and groups everywhere, because it fits neatly with what some commentators have been saying for decades: that cities like Bradford, Leicester, and even London (where Ken Livingstone is cannily stroking the Muslim vote ahead of the Mayoral elections) – are no longer “English” cities. And as we are now seeing, the majority populations in those areas now feel confident enough to reject the party that welcomed them in.

The neo-Nazi's will criticise what has happened in Bradford – but their hero came to power in exactly the same way: an egotistical but gifted orator who cynically tapped into an undercurrent of resentment and used it to his personal advantage! So fair play to the voters of Bradford: the fact is, they have resisted the brainwashing of X-Factor, soaps, celebrity gossip and football, and found a peaceful way to punish Labour, the party responsible for the senseless deaths of so many of their kinsmen abroad. They worked together to rid themselves of this cancer at the ballot box, instead of using the old lazy excuse for not voting - that it changes nothing. They have shown us all how it could, and should, be done!

This result must have sent shockwaves through Labour - to have their backsides kicked in a high immigrant area “safe” seat, and with many of their other seats in similar areas, would it come as a great surprise to see them now trying to chase the indigenous English vote? Or perhaps review their stance on postal voting - which had served them so well, even in Bradford, up until 2012? Why should anyone other than elderly or disabled persons, or those temporarily absent from the constituency, be extended this privilege, if they are able to go into a booth and cast their vote?

What it also shows however, is that what one group can do – in this case, the disillusioned, Asian Labour voters of Bradford – other, even larger groups could do at the next general election. Which of the main national parties in Britain has ever looked after pensioners, for example? Labour under Blair and Brown – who stealth-taxed dividend income on shares held in pension schemes, robbing billions annually from people who were responsible enough to save for their old age: Or Tory Boy George Osborne, increasing the tax burden of working pensioners, while reducing the tax rate of high earners? The same Tory government who are privatising Royal Mail, so they can get their hands on its £28 Billion assets and pension surplus?

The unemployed are another group who are constantly betrayed by the mainstream parties, Labour especially – the English Radicals have commented before about Labour MP's rubbing their hands at local factory closures, because the unemployed vote Labour almost without thinking. The Tories also love unemployment as it drives wages down, and provides a steady stream of housing benefit income for Tory-voting private landlords. Why would anyone - who cannot find work locally - support either of these parties?

We have in the past floated the idea of a National Voters Alliance or Union – there doesn't need to be any formal structure to this organisation - just a commitment by its supporters to boycott the three main national parties at the next election: that single act of defiance and rejection would be enough to kill them all off, as they have run their parties like they run the country – into the ground with debt. Bradford has proved how easily the big parties can be defeated – just vote for a small one instead!

]]>Tue, 17 Jan 2012 13:55:52 -0800http://www.englishradicals.com/1/post/2012/01/how-do-you-like-our-clothes-mr-clegg.htmlRegular readers of the English Radical blog may recall a post made here recently (“ Clegg’s Green Mile”) highlighting the fact that the Lib-Dems were undertaking a taxpayer funded re-branding exercise in an attempt to reverse their well deserved pariah status which came with helping the Tories to power.

With this in mind, we cautiously welcome Nick Clegg’s apparent conversion to at least one aspect of English Radicalism, with his call for a Distributist “John Lewis” style economy, with greater employee participation, decision making and capital investment. This has been one of our core principles since we set up ERA in the summer of 2009, and is even written into our constitution.

We take a pragmatic view of this situation in ERA – when our website is full of good, practical policy ideas, it is perhaps asking too much of Oxbridge-educated politicians with no morals and no ideas of their own, not to steal ours. It's irksome when they steal our clothes off the washing line in this way, but we have the grim satisfaction of knowing that our ideas will reach a wider audience because of it, even if we do not get the credit for them.

As you've pinched one English Radical idea, Nick – why not have these other ones on us, and complete the set! Following the logic of encouraging greater worker participation and ownership in the businesses they help to run, why not allow corresponding voter participation and ownership in the political process? Just as a handful of supermarket chains dominate the retail sector to the detriment of smaller independent retailers, the centralised, all-powerful British government has even more of a monopoly in politics – so how about a change to devolved, localised decision making and tax raising powers?

How about allowing the EU inspired “Regions” of Britain to become a Confederation of equal partners along the lines of the German “Lander” system, who effectively control their national government, instead of the system we have of iron rule by Westminster? How about allowing binding public referendums over such issues as continued membership of the EU, the funding of £9 Billion of foreign aid every year, or our continuing involvement in Afghanistan? Most importantly, can we have a written constitution please, based on existing English Common Law, and not the awful Roman/Napoleonic laws of Europe?

So, Lords and Masters, we know you are still out there, lurking behind our shed, waiting to pilfer more underwear – but think on: it is one thing for a politician to call for fairer distribution of power and investment in the workplace, as it does not directly affect you, but unless you are willing to “walk the walk” and match these proposals with equal freedoms in the political arena, voters will see through your empty rhetoric. Steal our policies if you must, but you are opening Pandora’s laundry basket if you do – because once people get a taste of freedom again, they will want more.




]]>Thu, 08 Dec 2011 08:53:17 -0800http://www.englishradicals.com/1/post/2011/12/english-american-and-european-civil-war-the-future.htmlIf you make peaceful protest impossible, you make violent revolt inevitable; so the recent news that the City of London police are treating the naive but mostly harmless middle class “Occupy” protesters - who are striking a blow against capitalism by, er, camping in a churchyard – as a terrorist organisation, is a worrying new development, and one that indicates how those who hold power view the rest of the population: terror legislation is being abused, as many had predicted.

The Occupy protests in this country have been a poorly focused attempt by fluffy, well meaning people to bring about change. But there’s growing realisation amongst other groups that peaceful protest is achieving nothing – the fact that a million people can march in London to demonstrate against going to war in Iraq, and the government of the day (New Labour) went ahead anyway, proves the point perfectly. The stakes are about to rise, and the protest game will soon be played by tougher, angrier people not willing to be “kettled” by a dwindling, demoralised police force.

How long can it be in America – where there are more guns than people - before shots are fired at one of their protests, possibly in self defence against police brutality, or simply from redundant or homeless ex-workers, ready to unleash their anger on the authorities? The middle class of America are hurting so bad right now, the people who had it all are having it taken away from them. When people have nothing left to lose, who knows what they may resort to.

Hopey-Changey Obama, another empty suit in the Blair/Cameron mould, has been a huge disappointment using any criteria you care to choose: the American nation is deeper in debt, their manufacturing base is shrinking, and their young men and women are still being sent to fight and die in far off lands. It is fast becoming a nation of tramps and millionaires.

Closer to home in Europe, we are about to see one of two scenarios play out:
A Eurozone collapse brought about either by a credit downgrade of a major player like France or Germany, a major banking collapse, or both. Or, alternatively:
The banks will “persuade” the EU to write off all their exposure to PIIGS debt, and hike the taxes of ALL EU citizens to pay for it. Either way, the Euro is likely to plummet and ordinary people will be furious, and bodes ill for the politicians when it happens. Britain will not escape the fallout, tied as we are to the EU and with much of our national income generated by revenue from sources such as international banking and insurance.

One wonders, as the British government cuts front line policing ever further, who would stand in the way of even a few thousand really determined, angry people who were bent on bloodshed? The Army? Also being cut to the bone, and traditionally not very happy about being used to police civil disobedience, especially if facing their own people. One could envisage a scenario where an officer orders his working class troops to open fire on a demonstration, and the men refuse to comply. Not many soldiers want a Bloody Sunday or Amritsar on their conscience.

What form of revolt would take place in England? One could see it starting simply as a repeat of the summer riots – not political to start with, just opportunist kids looting the nearest shopping centre. As this misbehaviour escalated and the gangs became larger and bolder, the overstretched police would effectively lose control of the streets and would be limited to launching sporadic raids into trouble spots from behind reinforced positions – just like Northern Ireland. It is at this point that groups with a political agenda may emerge, and proclaim themselves to be the “protectors” of the local communities – just like Northern Ireland.

In spite of the enemy being global capitalism, the Left are currently splintered and in disarray. Certain nationalist groups have numbers, but no real political philosophy other than a dislike of foreigners. The real danger lies in a charismatic “Messiah” emerging, offering leadership and solutions and gathering enough followers nationally from one side or the other to fall in behind him. Is it very likely that this “Messiah” will be a committed libertarian, or a democrat?

While all this is going on – Britain and England would effectively be defenceless against any potential foreign aggressor. A nation at war with itself is in no position to defend itself. So what have the corrupt British government just done? Sold 80 of our Harriers to the Yanks for the knock down price of £34 million! This act is so crassly stupid it is actually criminal. Might we not need them at some point? Are there so few external threats that we can sell off half our air force – if so, why are we replacing Trident?

The politicians of the world seem to have learnt nothing: a quick study of the post-WW1 Weimar Republic in Germany – weak government, high inflation, high unemployment – proved the perfect breeding ground for the rise of hard-man paramilitary organisations, of which the National Socialist party were simply the scum that rose to the top of a heap of other extremist Left and Right wing groups.

The English Radicals have always been committed to peaceful democratic change via the ballot box – but events are now escalating beyond everyone’s control, and we fear our reasonable voice will soon be drowned out by the sound of battle. To the British government, we say your terrible policy decisions and your inept handling of events are almost certain to result in bloody confrontation on the streets of this country. Do you really want political martyrs? It only takes one to die for their cause, and ten more will rise up to take their place. You lost Ireland this way – stay on your present course, and you will lose England also.




]]>Sun, 27 Nov 2011 07:45:03 -0800http://www.englishradicals.com/1/post/2011/11/cleggs-green-mile.htmlOne waits ages for an irrelevant soundbite from a politician, and then two come almost at once. Nick Clegg – bank chairman's son, ex-Westminster school and Cambridge, and born into wealth and privilege – recently bemoaned the fact that there aren't any black managers in the English Premier League, as if it were some municipal council not trying hard enough to reach its targets for employing ethnic minorities. Per head of population, black people are very well represented in the EPL, which is a testament to their quality because only the best players are good enough. In the hard headed world of business it would be financial suicide for any team not to employ the very best players (or managers) it could afford, regardless of colour, and throw away a competitive edge!

Nick Clegg is craftily trying to jump on the bandwagon that is attacking Sepp Blatter for suggesting that racism on the pitch can be settled with a firm handshake at the end of a match. But getting back on topic, we of the English Radicals would ask Clegg a similar question: why do so many ex-public schoolboys and Oxbridge graduates dominate English and British politics – where are the opportunities for working class people, of whatever colour, to be involved in the political decision making process?

Time was in this country when an MP had to do a kind of political “apprenticeship” - those on the Tory wing were either ex-businessmen, or ex-Services, people who had been in the real world and had dealings with all classes. Those on the Labour wing were usually ex-trade union working class people who had shown leadership and were not afraid of dealing with the upper classes.

What do we have now? A Parliament stuffed full of academics with no real world experience. We have supposedly opposing Labour and Tory cabinets that are actually mirrors of each other, even to the point that both party leaders – Cameron and Miliband – studied Philosophy, Politics & Economics (PPE) at Oxford. It has become a “Priesthood” of professional politicians, increasingly drawn from a small gene pool who have passed through the most exclusive universities in the land, and parachuted into safe seats ahead of local party activists more deserving of the chance.

Let's also look at Nick Clegg's other announcement this week, that of earmarking £1 Billion to help the young unemployed back into work. Now, a billion pounds is a lot of money – but with over one million NEETs to cater for, this would work out at less than £1000 each. How is that going to help? It is simply using taxpayers money to massage unemployment statistics, by offering short term help with the wage bill to employers – it will not address the real, long term problem of labour over-supply. Why not simply limit the number EU workers coming to these shores? Because you can't can you, Mr Clegg, your real bosses in Brussels won't allow it.

Nick Clegg's problem is that he is struggling to justify his existence – his role as deputy PM is like himself, largely titular, and although he studied social anthropology, is no man of the people - his smugness and self-satisfied air are bad enough, but perhaps more crucially he saddled his party with the toxic legacy of getting into bed with the Tories, and has poisoned his and their chances of a decent showing in any forthcoming election. Politically, he is a “dead man walking”.

Apparently he has even launched a “secret” drive to re-brand his party. The man appointed to oversee this t - - d polishing exercise is millionaire accountant and Lib-Dem party donor Nick Sherlock who will be taking a senior role in Clegg's office as “Director of Government Relations” and is expected to receive a six figure salary – presumably funded by the taxpayer! We'll be paying for the privilege of someone to advise Nick Clegg on how to save his party! And whaddya know – Sherlock, who has also stood unsuccessfully for parliament twice, "just happens" to be yet another PPE graduate from Oxford!

Where will Nick go if forced out of British politics? Until recently, he probably assumed he had a nice EU Commissioners job for the taking, but that option is probably slipping away now, along with the EU itself in its present form at least. Any future EU will be a different beast after the looming financial train crash, if indeed it survives at all. Perhaps by then, when Nick Clegg is just an unpleasant memory, voters will realise that it is better to elect straight talking people who will tell you what you need to know, rather than the people like Clegg and Cameron who will only tell you what you want to hear. We will never get the change we need while these people control the levers of power – so please, stop voting for them!




























]]>Sun, 13 Nov 2011 14:54:38 -0800http://www.englishradicals.com/1/post/2011/11/national-voters-union.htmlIntroduction.
All around the world, nations are rising against their corrupt governments - some of whom have been in power for decades - but without any clear direction other than to remove the incompetent criminals that rule over them. They instinctively “know” it is time for change, but have no real idea what should be put in its place. We are also seeing signs of this unrest and dissent in Britain, but up until now, no one has offered a clear, workable ideology to challenge the old ways.

The English Radicals feel we can offer that ideology, one that can curtail the power that the old national parties have over us, one that returns decision making to more local levels in a controlled and phased transition, for the good of the people in that constituency, and not a handful of corrupt politicians hundreds of miles away.

If we want to avoid the terrible scenes playing out around the world – from the streets of Greece, Tunisia and Syria, to the ordinary people being beaten by police in American cities for exercising their democratic right to protest - it will involve ordinary people making a small commitment, one that will take up very little time and effort, and would cost nothing. We are asking people to consider becoming part of a new movement with a simple goal – to break the stranglehold that the big national parties currently have over us.

Proposal:
To set up a new, non-party movement with the intention of challenging the national parties that make up the British government. This has the working title name of the National Voters Union (NVU). We feel there is massive potential in terms of disenchanted groups from which to recruit, ranging from struggling pensioners to the young unemployed. We would welcome interest from all the Home Nations – even though our focus has always been England, it would strengthen all our hands for NVU branches to spring up in Wales and Scotland, as it would weaken the authority of the British government even more effectively.

Strategy: to weaken the big national parties at all levels.

Tactics: to encourage the public to boycott the big national parties at election times, and vote instead for local parties and independents. We are keen to re-introduce the concept of Chartism to the English public, and encourage debate about a future written constitution – which needs to be decided by the public, and not politicians. As the NVU grows and gets known, we would encourage local parties and independent candidates to contact us – if they make a commitment to include our policy ideas in their election material, we can in turn provide support for their election campaign.

The name, National Voters Union, is simple and unambiguous, with an intentional hint of confrontation about it – people are frustrated with big national parties and our guess is that they are about ready to support an organisation that has a plan for bringing them down to size, especially if they are not expected to make any big personal commitments or financial contributions. The only commitment the NVU would ask from its members is to NOT vote for the large national parties, and to vote FOR locals or independents.

The trade unions lost their power over the years as Britain's workforce saw its jobs “outsourced” (sent abroad) to lands of cheap labour, which resulted in a drastic decline in union membership. It is unlikely that any government would dare to try and disenfranchise voters the way they destroyed our industry, so there is little prospect of a similar decline in the voter base.

The NVU feel we should play the British government at their own game – let's “outsource” our votes to anyone but the big national parties: as things stand, the big parties tell us what policies we can have, when it should be us telling them. We get a poor deal from them, and we owe them nothing but a good hiding.

To avoid the cult of personality that we see in most organisations, we would like the NVU to adopt a flat management structure, with local spokesmen acting as representatives and selected democratically by their local members. It would not be a party itself, nor is there any intention of it becoming one. Any financial contributions should be voluntary, with branches run on mutual lines – we don't visualise large overheads, as much can be done by volunteers and via the internet/social media.

As the NVU is an ERA idea, we would be happy to provide a paid-for website to act as a central rallying point for the various NVU branches around the country. This would also be an ideal project for our members to become active in, now we are out of party politics and back to our real roots of campaigning for radical change. An NVU has the potential to grow into an alternative force in English/British politics as a counterweight to the big party machines. An NVU could be an instrumental catalyst in destroying any national party already showing signs of weakness, and diminish the influence of the others by securing stronger local powers.

Conclusion:
We are under no illusions regarding the NVU idea, it is ambitious - but it represents a “do-able”, radical solution with regards to providing a low cost political alternative to the big party cartel. It could do for the ordinary voter what trade union representation did for ordinary workers – give us a voice, and the political muscle to back up that voice until it is listened to.

]]>Sat, 29 Oct 2011 01:32:02 -0800http://www.englishradicals.com/1/post/2011/10/forced-marriage-by-the-tory-taliban.htmlThe British government recently tried to introduce legislation to outlaw forced marriages, but as usual when one of Cameron's “tokens” is given a job, it turned out badly and the British Supreme Court threw it out. But give credit where it's due, the government has tried to establish some humanitarian credentials by trying to put an end to this medieval and barbaric practice, which has no place in modern society and has not been acceptable to the people of England for centuries. David Cameron himself recently said “Forced marriage is little more than slavery”

So how is it that the British government are looking to help women forced into marriage against their will, a chance to break free from their shackles – yet as we have seen this week in Parliament, are doing all in their power to prevent the British people having a referendum on EU membership? Is there not a direct parallel here, between the individual rights of women and our collective rights as a nation to re-establish some freedom and sovereignty?

And it is only the right to hold a referendum, not the actual referendum itself – if membership of the EU is as fantastic as Mr Cameron says it is, he should have no problem showing us the numbers that prove his case, surely? What on earth is he worried about?

David Cameron feels it is wrong for a father to force his daughter to marry a man she may never even have met – but finds it perfectly acceptable to keep the British people married to Europe! The British government tells our servicemen in Afghanistan that fighting the Taliban helps to establish democracy and protect women's rights, and yet Cameron's own “Taliban” are also guilty of denying the British and English people their democratic right to a say in their own future!

Let us look at the facts here –

THE WIFE
The British people (the wife) are unhappy about EU membership (the marriage), and want out. The wife's father convinced them that the marriage would help heal some old wounds between their two families and was a good match, but it was quickly apparent that she was only married for her dowry.

THE HUSBAND
The EU (the husband) spends all the housekeeping and treats his wife like dirt. When questioned where all the money has been spent, he just gives his shoulders a Gallic shrug and changes the subject. In spite of his wife's pleading, he has never at any time apologised or shown any inclination to change his ways – in fact, he is twisting her arm for even more money, to the point where she is having to borrow from moneylenders.

THE WIFE'S FATHER
The British government (the wife's father) worried about the loss of well paid EU jobs and pensions after British politics (and loss of face by not controlling his disobedient daughter) constantly ignores his daughter's wishes and denies her any help to get out of this terrible relationship. It is a question of honour, and a divorce would bring shame on his family.

If this were a marriage between two people, the wife could easily petition for a divorce citing irreconcilable differences on the grounds of her husband's unreasonable behaviour, and be a free woman within weeks. It is obvious to the English Radicals, that not only is divorce the best option for Britain from its abusive and over- bearing husband Europe, but the English people should question whether they want any further dealings with the pig of a father who pushed them into marriage in the first place, and made it so difficult to escape –
the British government.

All the major national parties bear equal blame for our European “marriage” – the Tories took us in, and Labour signed up to treaties that took our sovereignty, and only a few brave souls in each party have ever dared defy their party whips for fear of punishment. Cameron's oily platitudes to the House of Commons stating that the British government will eventually reclaim powers from the EU, is as blatant and pathetic a lie as any he has ever mouthed – just as the father tells his daughter that her husband will change if given more time, so just be patient a little longer.

The British government, whether Labour or Tory, have a very similar mindset to the Taliban - uncompromising, arrogant and domineering. This is an unacceptable situation in our eyes, and the EU referendum issue is yet one more reason why the voters of England, and Britain, need to organise themselves into a union, dedicated to opposing the national parties. Who in England can hold up their hands and say that they are feeling any benefit from the national party system of government -

The pensioners too poor to eat and heat? The unemployed who can't find work because EU immigrants have claimed all the unskilled jobs? Workers from the Bombardier factory losing their jobs because the Tory government bought German? The people of Runcorn forced to accept a huge incinerator by a Labour government, because the local Labour council chose not to oppose it? Servicemen sent under-equipped to fight and die in foreign hell-holes because a corrupt prime minister conned his own MP's into declaring a war? The taxpayers who have to fund the war? The list goes on and on.

Enough is enough. We only have one legitimate weapon at our disposal, the right to vote, and the next major battle is years away - but if all the groups mentioned above joined forces and fight as one army, by using their votes together in the same way, they could clear the field of their common enemy in one decisive battle. We need a National Voters Union -  let's get organised and start making our votes really count.







]]>Sun, 23 Oct 2011 14:25:14 -0800http://www.englishradicals.com/1/post/2011/10/liverpool-city-of-radicals-1911-2011.htmlThis year the city of Liverpool has been celebrating the hundredth anniversary of the year in which 75,000 local workers from numerous trade unions, and their families, threatened to bring Britain to a standstill in the name of union recognition and a decent standard of living. So worried were the British government that year that they sent several thousand troops, including cavalry, and a warship, HMS Antrim, to point its guns on the slopes of Everton. The Liverpool Transport Strike is celebrated because of the solidarity shown by all the different trade unions involved; nobody went back to work until ALL had seen victory for their demands. The Strike is also remembered because the women of Liverpool attacked troops escorting arrested workers to Walton Prison. Liverpool, rightly, earned a reputation as the most ‘radical’ city in Britain. In the same year that the Transport Strike took place the city of Liverpool also unveiled the Royal Liver Building, Britain’s first skyscraper, radical architecture went with the radical people! But why not? Liverpool was, in 1911, the second city of the British Empire, its port dealt with more trade than any other in the world, yes including those upstart ports of New York, Hamburg and Shanghai, and that other upstart port – London. Liverpool had a thriving docks system that had been purpose built by the people of Liverpool and in 1911, the workers wanted their fair share of the wealth that flowed through the port. In addition to its busy docks, Liverpool had St. George’s Hall, the largest neo-classical building in Europe, and the Walker Art gallery, the largest art collection outside London – all built by Liverpool people and Liverpool money. Meanwhile, Liverpool Corporation supplied its citizens with water, gas, electric, public transport, education, libraries, swimming baths, waste collection and public health facilities and had even built social housing, one of the first authorities to do so.

Fast forward one hundred years and the councillors of Liverpool cannot visit the toilet without seeking the permission of London or Brussels. The city council is closing down care homes and youth clubs because London is cutting the budget. And to put the final seal on the humiliation Liverpool must wait for the London government to grant permission for cruise liners to operate from the city. Yes, the city that was once the largest port on earth must go cap in hand to some Westminster politician for permission to operate as a port! London’s interference is neither wanted nor useful. In the 1970s Liverpool lost a third of its population as a Tory government carved new authorities – Knowsley and Sefton - out of its suburbs and deprived the city of Liverpool of their rates. And then it complains that Liverpool is too dependent on government subsidies! All of this is because the UK is the most highly centralised country in the world, so much so even Stalin would blush if he rose from the dead. And where once Liverpool was the envy of ports like Hamburg, now Hamburg is one of the richest cities in the world with a high standard of living and low unemployment. Why? Because Hamburg is City-State, controlling its own destiny in a way that Liverpool does not. Where Liverpool and its surrounding districts is run as an undemocratic City-Region, with little power for local politicians, Hamburg can run its own affairs free of any interference from the German government. In fact, in Germany the local governments of the Lander (States or City-States) have a direct influence over the policies of the government in Berlin. Berlin comes to the Lander for money, not the other way around as in Britain. That is why the Germans don’t get involved in senseless wars; the local governments control the purse strings. If that same situation applied in the UK, we would not have been in Iraq, Afghanistan or Libya, and we would not have bailed out the Greeks and the Irish. So now it’s time for a political revolution in the UK and it’s right that it should start in Liverpool, the city of radicals.

A group of radicals have been meeting in Liverpool for some time and in November 2011 will declare support for a Liverpool City-State. What does that mean in practice? For a start we want the present Liverpool City-Region to be given a democratic overhaul and for councillors to be elected to a new City-State assembly. Then we would like to see the following unveiled over a given period of time:

• The City-State to keep control of ALL taxation within the area.
  
  
• The City-State to establish local banking and proper, mutual building societies
  
  
• The City-State to run its own police and Justice system.
  
  
• The City-State to control its own transport, education and environmental policy.
  
  
• The City-State to run its own trade and industry department.
  
  A free City-State will not be tied to the trade policies of the 20th century – Europe – that does not benefit Liverpool anyway, but will look to the BRIC countries and to the rising Far Eastern and Middle Eastern economies for trading links. Liverpool will discover its old ways of looking outwards to the wider world and not be tied down to subsidies from the EU and London to keep quiet. When the people of Liverpool built the docks system in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries they did not go begging to London, but stood up and raised the cash and built the systems from within their local resources. That is what we seek again. Yes, we will need to re-build local banking and financial structures, but that can be done with the will of a determined and radically minded people. And let’s face it, if Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland can run their own affairs why can’t the people of Merseyside through a Liverpool City-State? 
  

A century on from that radical dawn, the people of Merseyside can dare to dream again and build a future for our children that no London government, whether it be Tory or Labour, will ever allow.

More policies and thoughts on the City-State to follow on our Merseyside Radicals page, under construction.
                              
]]>Tue, 18 Oct 2011 15:20:15 -0800http://www.englishradicals.com/1/post/2011/10/future-strategy-direction-for-era.htmlAfter much soul searching and discussion earlier in the year, the executive committee of ERA took the view that we should de-register as a political party. This proposal was voted on at the recent AGM, the motion was carried, and this will now take effect from the end of October 2011. This decision was not taken lightly, because ERA wants (and England needs) political change, and this can only be achieved via the ballot box. ERA have never been interested in holding political power for its own sake, only for the opportunity to make the radical changes England must undergo to be an independent, prosperous and peaceful neighbour in the world community.

It had become obvious to us that as a small party in an already crowded market, we were outgunned trying to compete head-on against the “big beasts” in the jungle - the Tories, and Labour. But the aspect which clinched our decision, was the growing realisation that we were trying to become what we most despised – a large national party. These organisations have been the ruination of England, of Britain, and the rest of the so called “democratic” world: because time after time, powerful members of large, unaccountable national parties put their own survival and interests ahead of all other considerations – even those of their nation.

The question is, what is the alternative to the present national party system? The public's general apathy towards political matters, though frustrating, is perhaps understandable – under the present “LibLabCon” cartel, one of those parties will receive the most votes and form the next government, the ruthless megalomaniac/sociopath who leads them will become Prime Minister, and his/her ministerial team will consist largely of tokens, spivs or yes-men not fit to run a bath, never mind a ministry!

DON'T VOTE BIG -
So in our view, the best alternative to the party system, is to destroy it and not replace it. How do we do that? By not doing something. By persuading the general public to boycott all national parties at the ballot box. National parties do not deserve the blind voter loyalty they currently enjoy in many areas, and we consider it very unlikely that granddad will come back and haunt you for not voting as he did. If the public would just stop feeding national parties with votes, these parasites would be starved of sustenance and dead within weeks of a general election.

Few but the elites - who in turn, feed on them - would mourn their passing.

VOTE LOCAL!
We are not saying don't vote: it will not be enough to simply withhold support from the national parties – the public must instead start supporting local parties and independent candidates. These are the people who will fill the power vacuum created by the death of one or more large national parties. Whether they are affiliated to each other in any way is not important – what is important is that they are not subject to a party whip, and therefore free to serve their own constituents interests.

Another aspect to consider - independent candidates are usually mature people with experience and life skills, whereas many national party candidates are young, inexperienced, fresh out of Uni and “parachuted” into safe seats by London based grandees ahead of local activists, whose only loyalty is to the old men who put them there – reading it that way, who would you prefer to represent you at Westminster?

So ERA's post-party strategy is one that has at its core the ambition to get ordinary people “doing” politics again, because they will see a direct benefit for their involvement. It is no use millions of individuals simply grumbling about the British government: but get those millions pulling together in the same direction – whether it be boycotting and actively voting against national parties at local and general elections, demanding a referendum on EU membership, or a written constitution – then, you will make your voices heard.

Our existing and future members have a key role to play in this strategy: by being visible beacons of the only credible alternative to the present cartel of failed national parties - English Radicalism.
This can be done in numerous ways, from contacting the media about issues of concern and offering an English Radical view, delivering leaflets occasionally, being part of local ERA groups where there are sufficient numbers, being involved with local organisations, making contact with locally based parties or independent candidates at election time and offering support – or even running as the local candidate, using an ERA manifesto.

CHARTISM, BACKED BY A CITIZENS/VOTERS UNION
The British government consider themselves to be our masters, and we their servants. So just as trade unions were set up many years ago to demand better conditions for their members, the English Radicals believe that the time is right to resurrect the concept of Chartism – a list of demands by the English people that the British government be forced to listen to – and a mass “citizens/voters union” be initiated to back it up, unaligned to any national party. We feel that such a union would be a natural sister organisation for ERA, who we would be happy to help in the drafting of their charter – ERA's “Ten Aims" would seem to be a good starting point - and one we would encourage our supporters and members to get closely involved with running. We welcome members and readers thoughts on developing this concept further.

So to those sceptics who thought ERA were opting for retirement by dropping out of party politics – we think the ideas laid out above lay that notion to rest. And to the casual readers of our website who dip into our ramblings from time to time and nod approvingly – we say, what have you got to lose by joining us? Get on board, all we need are numbers to bring about the radical change that nobody else is offering to you. “Supporter” membership of ERA is now free for life, and for those wanting a deeper involvement with ERA activities, full voting membership is available after twelve months at supporter level for an annual subscription of £10. Come on in, you're very welcome!




]]>Tue, 11 Oct 2011 15:40:30 -0800http://www.englishradicals.com/1/post/2011/10/qe2-re-arranging-deckchairs-on-the-titanic.htmlAs the British economy limps along in terminal decline, and wheezy Sterling cannot even outpace the doomed Euro, our Oxbridge-educated overlords have had the inspirational idea of giving us a second dollop of “Quantitive Easing” (otherwise known as QE2), which will “create” another £75 billion of funny money out of nowhere – we are told this is to ensure that British banks will be adequately capitalised, to weather the impending financial storm which we all know is coming.

But this money creation comes at a high price – an increase in the money supply guarantees a further drop in the value of Sterling, which in turn makes imported goods (most of what we buy, these days) more expensive. Even the official year-on-year inflation figure is already 5% - and is undoubtedly more, in the real world where we all live. Are you earning 5% on your savings? Have you just received a 5% pay rise? Didn't think so. This may sound trivial – but just bear in mind that the pound in your pocket today, is only worth 11p compared to the pound of 1971. Your money is becoming worthless, and in extreme cases that can lead to strikes, civil unrest, even mass starvation.

What really, is money?
All modern national currencies these days are just “fiat” currencies, with no intrinsic value and not backed by anything of value, other than a nation's creditworthiness. In effect, a banknote is merely an IOU. So when a country gets into serious debt, an inflationary spiral begins. There is currently a “race to the bottom” going on all around the world, as national governments with large debts try to reduce the severity of their problem by reducing the value of their currencies, by maintaining low interest rates and printing more money – the big flaw with this plan is that it makes life painfully expensive for its citizens.

How did the world get into this terrible mess with money?
Nations get into debt when their income no longer covers their outgoings, and have to resort to borrowing. Britain's problem, and has been for many years, is that the collapse of its manufacturing base is throwing ever more people out of work, along with a steady flow of young people leaving education who are also being added straight to the benefits scrapheap. This has led to a huge and growing gap between income tax revenue and benefits expenditure. Other western nations such as the USA are in exactly the same predicament. Wars are expensive too, we get into far too many!

What can be done to get out of this mess?
If all the Bank of England can come up with to rescue our economy is print toy money, it is obvious they have no real answers to these problems – just as no new ideas are coming from the British government. It is also obvious the needs of the State are at odds with the needs of its people, but government always favours the State. The ship we all sail in has hit the iceberg, but sadly most of the passengers are too busy watching X-Factor to care.

Is there anything individuals can do to help the situation, or protect themselves?
There are things that ordinary people can do as individuals, although concerted action with others always yield stronger results. Here are some suggestions.

To get smaller, cheaper government, the public must vote against big national parties.
This is the strategy that could be the real “game changer” in English politics– Labour, Lib Dems and Tories alike, who can't even control spending in their own parties, all want to keep the “Big State” alive, because of their desire to sit astride the Beast. Cameron calls for a “Big Society” – when really all that's needed is “Small Government”. Instead, break the big party monopoly by voting for independent candidates and locally based parties – could they really be any worse than the crooked “big party” chancers who have brought England to the brink of ruin?

Remember – a “Big Party” vote, is a wasted vote!

Bank with Mutualised institutions.
We have always advocated local and/or mutualised banking – and with many UK banks likely to face difficulties in the coming months because of their exposure to foreign debt, now may be the perfect time to switch from a shareholder-owned bank to a mutualised building society, owned by its members, properly capitalised, and properly run. In theory, anyone who has funds in a bank that collapses should be able to claim it back, up to a certain amount – are you willing to trust this government to honour that pledge? Especially if several banks collapse at the same time?

Don't let your savings earn a pittance in the bank – lend to others, and get a better return.
It is extremely rare to find a bank account that pays anything like decent interest these days: you are doing well to get 3%. Your bank is using that money to make money for themselves, by lending it out to other people like yourself – why not cut them out of the equation, and do the same? This is known as peer to peer lending – there are several companies that perform this service, and a quick web search will reveal their names. We have also promoted this idea in the past as an alternative to the British government simply stealing our money to give away as “foreign aid” to coked-up warlords in far off lands – let those UK taxpayers who are charitably inclined, lend their money directly to poor people in those countries.

For a higher risk /reward ratio, consider investing in precious metals.
While you can take physical delivery of Gold or Silver, there are exchanges where you can buy and sell bullion over the internet, who will also store it in a secure location for a small rental charge per month – with an option to store it abroad, if you are worried about your government confiscating it if things get really bad. While Gold has fallen back from its earlier highs, it has out performed stock markets consistently for years now – it is considered a safe haven by many in turbulent economic times.

Wherever possible, buy English, or failing that, British.
It shouldn't need saying, but we will anyway: if you buy an English made product, you are keeping an English worker in a job, off the dole, and your own tax bill down. When you buy foreign goods, you increase the balance of payments deficit. If too many people buy foreign goods, English workers lose their jobs, and you the taxpayer pick up the tab for their unemployment benefits – possibly for life. You pay twice for cheap foreign goods – once at the till, and again in extra taxes.

Be under no illusions – bad times are coming, on a par with anything your grandparents faced. The State has failed you, failed us all in fact – it exists only to feed the wealth and egos of the elites who run it, we are just so many sheep to be fleeced. The English Radicals despise the British government and Establishment for this reason – they are leading us all to hell in a handcart, but we are unable to hold them properly accountable for their profligate, warlike actions. Many years ago, a small, unassuming man called Gandhi pointed the way forward when it comes to dealing with the British - peaceful, mass resistance. If such a movement emerges in England, you can be sure that the English Radicals will be part of it.




































































































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