Category: Scottish Referendum

Faslane – 52 Near Misses Each year – A Nuclear Disaster is Only a Matter of Time

 

 

Damaged nuclear submarine after hitting an obstacle at 535 depth travelling at 20 Knots

Image result for Submarine Nuclear Reactor Accidents

 

 

 

Faslane & Coulport – Are Our People Safe?

An internal UK Ministry of Defence report recently revealed there have been over 260 nuclear safety incidents at its naval facilities at Faslane and Coulport in the West of Scotland over the past five years. The report does not specify the exact nature of each incident, but does reveal the total number included radioactive contamination, small fires and human error and failures in system processes.

The ministry was quick to dismiss their own report, which blamed human error for three quarter of the incidents. “It is entirely misleading to focus only on the number of reports,” a ministry spokesman said. “Our comprehensive reporting system purposely captures even the most minor of incidents, which never pose a threat to the public or our personnel, to ensure all lessons are learned,” the ministry added.

Angus Robertson, a member of parliament and a spokesman on defence for the Scottish National Party (SNP), said the revelations would serve as a shock to the local community and the rest of Scotland. “Yet again safety at Faslane is an issue. To have more than 50 nuclear safety events every year is simply unacceptable,” Robertson said.

http://en.ria.ru/world/20140421/189286068/Report-Reveals-Shocking-Safety-Failures-at-UKs-Nuclear-Weapons.html

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Firefighters extinguished a massive fire aboard a docked nuclear submarine. Nine people were overcome by toxic smoke. Officials assured the public there was no radiation leak. Over 20 hours passed before the massive fire on board the submarine was finally put out.

 

 

 

 

Nuclear Weapons

Nuclear Weapons on the Clyde An American View

Hi Everyone. I’ve been following the Scottish Independence referendum and the SNP for a few years now. Most of the fallacious arguments I’ve seen have been pretty well knocked down, but there’s one in particular that keeps cropping up which is absolutely ridiculous and needs to be dealt with.

I live in Washington DC and I do policy work. Since no other foreign policy and government policy geeks have knocked down the NATO argument and the defense spending argument, I’ve decided to throw my hat into the ring. Just so you know where I’m coming from, I’m a supporter of Scottish Independence.

My main reasons to hoping you go for independence have a lot to do with the military issues I’m about to discuss. Scotland didn’t want to go to war, but your soldiers ended up in the desert with ours anyway. Scotland didn’t want nukes in the Clyde, but because of decisions made in London, ended up with them anyway, which a while ago included the occasional visiting American nuclear sub.

These sorts of events create a lot of distrust, and a lot of friction that just doesn’t need to be there between Scots and Americans. If we had a direct relationship with the Scottish people through Edinburgh instead of a second hand relationship through London, none of that would have happened.

I guaran-damn-tee you that even though the Progressive movement is fighting hard and starting to win in the US right now, there will eventually be another warmongering Republican sitting in the White House. I cannot promise you that we’ll win in 2016, though I’m confident we will at the moment. So if you stay in the UK, I can’t guarantee you that something like Iraq will never happen again. No matter how hard the left fights, sometimes my country just loses its damned mind.

But enough of that. The main thing I wanted to dispel was this myth that somehow if you don’t want Nuclear Weapons in the Clyde, NATO and the US will have a sad, and then will decide to punish Scotland somehow. Let me say that this is complete and utter bullshit.

First off, the only NATO program that obligates a country to store nukes is what’s called Nuclear Sharing, which is a fun way of saying America gets to park our nuclear weapons in your country. The current NATO policies that exist in the UK exist ONLY because the UK already has Nukes.

Most NATO Members do not participate in nuclear weapons sharing. The ones that do are Germany, Turkey, The Netherlands, Belgium, and Italy. The rest of the 28 nations don’t have any American nukes sitting in their territory or their ports. Here’s a wikipedia article on the situation, which while flawed, is good enough for our purposes today.

http://www.reddit.com/r/Scotland/comments/26qcdy/scotland_doesnt_have_to_keep_nukes_in_the_clyde/

UK Arms Sales Policy – When Two Nations are at War With Each Other – Keep It fair – Sell Arms To Both

 

 

 

 

 

The Langley Intelligence Group Network (L.I.G.N.E.T.)

It is a fully independent intelligence and forecasting service available to the general public. It’s mission is to help readers understand geopolitical risk in matters pertaining to their personal lives, wealth and business affairs.

 

 

 

 

( L.I.G.N.E.T.)  Report on the British Defence Industry – Trade Over Principles

Relations between London and Moscow may be strained over Ukraine, but that hasn’t stopped the British defence industry from selling more than £150 million in arms to Russia, a new parliamentary report on arms exports revealed.

Remarkably, at the same time, Britain has sold similar armaments to Ukraine and then sought to disguise the fact. Parts for “sniper rifles” sold to Russia were relabelled as “parts for hunting rifles” when shipped to Ukraine.

http://www.lignet.com/ArticleAnalysis/British-Defense-Industry-Trade-Trumps-Principles

 

 

 

 

Major Indian Medical and Biological Research institutions with Scottish Universities

Nick Clegg to visit India 25-28 August 2014

Major Indian Medical and Biological Research institutions announce plans to collaborate with Scottish universities

A partnership between the University of Dundee and the National Centre for Biological Sciences will be signed during his visit to Bangalore. The collaboration will concern itself with the field of antibiotics, and the global problem of the growing resistance to antibiotics amongst populations suffering from malaria and tuberculosis.

A collaboration between the University of Edinburgh and the Christian Medical College in Vellore, and the Indian Christian Medical and Dental Association, for a new distance learning Master’s degree in Family Medicine will be announced during the visit. This will help general practitioners working in Asia and Africa to better serve poor and rural communities.

In addition, Aberdeen University will announce that it is investing £500,000 in PhD studentships for Indians, with a focus on the life sciences, health and energy research.

Scotland leads the way. So much for the doom and gloom spread by the, “Blether Together” campaign claiming an independent Scotland would struggle to attract inward investment to it’s universities. I think not. Give up telling lies Westminster.

North Sea oil: Facts and figures

North Sea oil: Facts and figures

Ignore the, “Blether Together” hype. First off residents of an independent Scotland, (without adding in the financial benefits of oil & gas) would enjoy an annual Gross Disposable Income (GDP) comparable with rUK. So both countries would continue to be entirely self sufficient maintaining existing trading policies.

Adding in the financial benefits of oil and gas increases the annual GDP of Scottish residents by approximately £6000. The Scottish government intends to set aside at least 10% of the recurring windfall income, retaining it in a, “Sovereign Wealth Fund”, (something the Westminster government, now cheerfully admits it should have done at the time the oil started to flow but didn’t) to provide long term benefits for the Scottish nation for many year’s to come.

The article provides support to the foregoing; http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-26326117

Charities Are Big Business – Are They Feasting on the Kindness of Donors

 

 

 

Charities – Are they all worthy of our support?

Daytime television commercial advertising is heavily biased in favour of charitable donations. Every 10 minutes an advert pops up on the screen imploring viewers to donate only £2 monthly to a charity advertising its need for urgent but regular financial support. This is usually accompanied by a heart wrenching video of a starving, abused child, or animal so weakened by overwork it no longer has the strength to rise from the ground despite horrendous beatings or animals secured in cages so small they cannot even turn. There are other examples too numerous to list.

But the £2 monthly donations soon add up and viewers are faced with unpleasant choices when available money runs short. So it is important that the maximum amounts of financial donations are used for the purpose that persuaded donors to contribute. But are they???

 

 

 

Is this is Where the Bulk of Charitable Donations Go???

Research identified that 30 of the top 100 earners in British charities were paid more than £200,000 a year and nine were paid more than £300,000. Examples;

1. The Royal Opera House Musical Director. £741,403 in 2011
2. The Consumers’ Association Chief Executive. £312,000 in 2012
3. The London Clinic Chief Executive. £990,000 in 2011
4. Nuffield Health, chief Executive. £859,000 in 2011

The average pay across the top 100 charities was £208,000 to £216,000 a year, according to research earlier this year by Third Sector magazine which examined their most recent annual reports and accounts for 2011 or 2012. Experts said the size of the rewards should lead some of the charities to consider whether it was appropriate that they are charities at all.

The figures prompted William Shawcross, the chairman of the Charity Commission, to accuse the charities of bringing “the wider charitable world into disrepute”. More information here;

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/10236183/Nine-British-charities-paid-staff-over-300k-each-last-year.html

 

 

Pensioners need to chose eat or heat.

 

 

 

 

And They Seek to Justify Their Income???

Speaking on Sunday Morning Live on BBC 1, Sir Stephen Bubb, the chief executive of the Association of Chief Executives of Voluntary Organisations, said trustees had to “balance the pay to get the best talent at the top with the fact that they are working in charities where people give their money generously”. He said: “I suspect the public do understand that is means and ends: the end is getting aid to people who desperately need it.“So if you can pay someone to improve the performance of the charity, which these people have done, then that is a good balance.

The Daily Telegraph disclosed last week that Sir Stephen used his organisation, which is funded by fees from the UK’s charities, to help pay for his 60th birthday party in the Houses of Parliament. Asked about the arrangement, Sir Stephen said: “I don’t think this is a story about me. The trustees very kindly contributed but the fact was that was a celebration of what Acevo has achieved. This is not a story about me but about chief executives’ pay.”

 

 

 

The number of executives receiving six-figure salaries at Britain’s 14 leading foreign aid charities has risen by nearly 60 per cent, from 19 to 30, over the past three years. The charities make up the Disasters Emergency Committee, a 50-year-old group which comes together to coordinate work at times of tragedy around the world.

Research found that the number of staff on salaries of more than £60,000 jumped by 16 per cent to 192,000 between 2010 and 2012. In some cases the pay of senior staff increased despite falling revenues and donations.

 

Camila Batmanghelidjh smiling for the camera

 

 

 

 

 

Kids Company closed its doors for the last time, a victim of alleged financial mismanagement, in-house whistle-blowers and perhaps the hubris of its £90,000- a-year founder.

Camila Batmanghelidjh, the woman who founded the charity in six converted railway arches in south London in 1996 to help disadvantaged youngsters, became known as the Angel of Peckham thanks to her efforts on behalf of thousands of children.

Today her life’s work is in tatters. A “restructuring specialist” has moved in to unravel what has happened to an organisation that received £40 million in government grants over the past decade plus up to twice as much from private donors.

A probe has been launched into the possible improper use of the latest £3million of public money and police have begun an investigation into allegations of sexual abuse.

http://www.express.co.uk/comment/expresscomment/596444/Camila-Batmanghelidjh-Kids-Company-closed-fraud-Peckham

 

 

 

Salaries Scandal

15,000 charity staff paid over £60,000 a year

Thousands of charity workers are paid more than £60,000 a year – far higher than previously thought – according to an official review of pay in the voluntary sector. An audit of pay scales among charities in England and Wales found that 14,942 were paid more than £60,000 a year – over 3,000 more than previous estimates. Of that, more than 2,600 were paid over £100,000 a year, and 55 more than £250,000 a year in 2011, according to the review by the National Council for Voluntary Organisations. Charities are spending £39 BILLION a year and taxpayers and donors should, “no longer have to dig around like detectives to unearth the financial facts to inform the choices of charities to support”.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/10793621/15000-charity-staff-paid-over-60000-a-year-official-review-finds.html

BBC Media Bias Protest

A peaceful protest, (approximately 1000 attended) at BBC Scotland HQ in Glasgow. Approximately 1000 attended. (BBC reported 350) View the video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WTens0SZlno

Outraged that the, “Yes” Scotland campaign should organize such a demo Labour MP Jim Murphy went on-line to, one of the pro-independence blogs and made mischief, Stirring the proverbial s*** he wrote;

“they lost the plot”. “They were angry and divisive”.
“Their attempts to bully broadcasters and boycott businesses is the last thing the independence debate needs”.
“Their angry and divisive campaign is a turn-off”.
“They are frustrated”.
“They are losing the big arguments and losing the plot in a big way”.
“The reason for the nationalists’ frustration is clear: after 80 years of campaigning to break up the UK and with just 80 days to go, patriotic Scots are still saying no thanks to their political project”.
“Now we are seeing real-world attempts to bully a broadcaster.”

But square the foregoing with an extract, (below) from a recent speech, (setting out his belief in democracy) by the same Jim Murphy. He said; “Nations which suppress the rights of their people to take advantage of civil society, democratic expression or the rule of law can no longer be considered stable nation states”.

Reflections: In the 2014 Referendum Campaign I Warned That Rejecting Independence Would Condemn Scotland to Westminster Rule in Perpetuity – Scots Willingly Embraced Armageddon. So be It

 

 

Image result for thatcher

 

 

A Blast from the past

I posted the article that follows, before the 2014 independence referendum giving warning of the real intentions of the Westminster government (regardless of its colour). Sadly my advice fell on deaf ears.

The 1997 referendum and the transfer in 1999, of a limited number of reversible powers to an elected Scottish executive based in Holyrood was a con, deviously constructed by a faceless cross party group of unionist Westminster politicians in response to pressure from the EC whose policy was to decentralize government and the Westminster form of government did not meet the desired profile.

The United Kingdom is scheduled to leave the EC in March 2019 and a return to the old ways since devolved powers is no longer fit for purpose.

The recent prolonged spat between Westminster and Holyrood resulted in the forced return to Westminster of 21 devolved activities, with more to follow in the coming years. The devolved governance experiment is at an end and Scots will soon learn the folly of their decision to reject independence.

 

 

 

2014 Independence Referendum

Prior to the 1997 referendum William Hague stated:

“the official position of the UK government is to retain a “right to reverse” any or all aspects of powers that might be devolved to a Scottish parliament.”

The Scottish nation should heed the warnings of history.

A , “no” vote in the forthcoming referendum will send a clear message to Westminster that Scotland wished to embrace all “National” aspects of UK government policy.

This will lead to a creeping reversal of, “devolution” in respect of many or all devolved powers which might be at odds with and giving difficulty to the Westminster government.

Social, Transport, Agriculture, Fisheries and the Environment are at risk of being taken back to Westminster control.

 

The Scottish National Health Service will be merged together with offshoots  in other devolved executives, reforming a truly “National” health service provision ensuring equality for all.

This will bring about the re-introduction of prescription charges and extortionate car parking charges at hospitals.

Major restructuring, (privatisation) of health services will become the norm so that there is a truly UK national approach to the delivery of health care.

Pensioners will be very badly affected, being obliged to sell off their homes to meet the cost of care in the community since existing policies are not in compliance with Westminster.

University education will take a major financial hit and students will need to finance their own attendance in further education.

There are many other aspects of Scottish life that will be adversely affected by the reversal of devolution and any protests will receive the stock answer, “but this is what you voted for in 2014”.

A “Yes” vote will send the message to Westminster that Scotland is a nation not a colony.

 

Nepotism in the Labour Party

Nepotism In The Labour party

Hilary Benn MP. Son of the late Tony Benn.

Neil Kinnock’s son, Stephen Kinnock, (married to Danish Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt) has been selected to represent Aberavon, which the party has continuously held since the 1920s. A safe seat.

Rachel Kinnock, “Personal Adviser”, (next step MP in a safe seat) to Ed Milliband, (Labour Leader). Did the same job for Gordon Brown when he was Prime Minister.

Labour Grandee, Jack Straw’s son, William Straw is to stand for Parliament in Rossendale and Darwen in Lancashire.

Baron John Prescott’s son David Prescott. Short-listed to stand in a safe seat.

Euan Blair, 28 year’s old, company director!!!! Owner of a listed house, (valued around £1,500,000) in a smart area of Central London. Touted by Tony & Cheri for a safe seat in Coventry.

http://www.thefreelibrary.com/BLA…ks+for+agency+amid…-a0309777353