“The Voice referendum result has been described as Australia’s Brexit moment, with the referendum backed by the metropolitan elite and major institutions being thoroughly rejected by the people”
I happened to be in Sydney Australia for October’s ‘Indigenous Voice referendum’. Whilst my focus was mainly on glorious views of Sydney Harbour and sampling a few schooners worth of the local brew, I did notice the election campaign going on around me.
The Voice referendum result has been described as Australia’s Brexit moment, with the referendum backed by the metropolitan elite and major institutions being thoroughly rejected by the people. I’m not best placed to write about the issues at play and the referendum result, but rather what I observed in Australia during the campaign and just after the results were in. For more on Australian politics, I would recommend following Helen Dale, and you can read her here on ‘Why Australia’s Voice vote failed’.
Maybe this is the way of the modern world, but whilst in Sydney I probably saw more about the Voice referendum on my phone from international social media and political web sites, than on the streets, in conversation or watching the local TV news. Ordinary Australians just didn’t seem that bothered by the vote. Now this may be because in past 120 years Australia has already had 45 referendums (for constitutional changes) and 4 plebiscites (for non-constitutional issues). Also, with compulsory voting there is no need for the ‘Get out the vote’ (GOTV) campaigns we see here.
“The Yes campaigners outnumbered No’s considerably, but there were good natured interactions between both, some of whom were chatting, and both occupied the same area to hand out leaflets”
This is not to say the referendum wasn’t spoken about or campaigned on. Getting off the ferry at Manly Wharf I saw a dozen or so campaigners from both sides handing out leaflets to those on their way to the famous beach. The Yes campaigners outnumbered No’s considerably, but there were good natured interactions between both, some of whom were chatting, and both occupied the same area to hand out leaflets. Having done many a street stall and leafleting session in the UK I can say generally opposing parties or sides would be civil and occasionally friendly. Civility is however generally maintained by having a respectful distance between both (or multiple) groups, and where occasionally needed, calming down more excitable participants.
“The suburban Sydneysiders of all ages I spoke with were voting No in the referendum, which seemed a statistical anomaly until the results came in”
This contrasted with the media representation of a nation divided. Much like in our EU Referendum many in the media had decided only a Yes vote was acceptable and somehow even contemplating a No vote was beyond the pale (an example here from our ever even-handed and impartial BBC). Whilst famously plain spoken, it was noticeable that older Australians with little to lose were much more vocally critical of referendum proposals than those in middle age, and with teenage children. As one explained “ahh they keep correcting what I say, they get brainwashed with this stuff at school”. The suburban Sydneysiders of all ages I spoke with were voting No in the referendum, which seemed a statistical anomaly until the results came in.
“for most of the week leading up to the referendum the main political activity I saw in the area was for the ‘Don’t Block The Rocks!’ campaign against proposed harbourside development”
The whole referendum didn’t feel like a big a deal on the ground as it did in the media. Staying in The Rocks, an area sandwiched between Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Central Business District, with great views, and average ‘unit’ prices of over AU$2million (~£1million), I was in what should be the passionate centre of Yes voters. Indeed, in a site unusual for us in the UK, on voting day the local polling station was engulfed in Yes campaign posters. However, for most of the week leading up to the referendum the main political activity I saw in the area was for the ‘Don’t Block The Rocks!’ campaign against proposed harbourside development. Even at a 21st Birthday party on the day of polling none of the young guests appeared to be talking about the vote.
“The next day Australians just seemed to get on with their lives as much unaffected by the result as I found them to be unbothered by the vote in the first place”
Ultimately Australians are just not as woke as their elites would like them to be. Even in The Rocks, the heart of young metropolitan culture two of the major pubs are called ‘The Lord Nelson Brewery Hotel’ and ‘The Hero of Waterloo Hotel’, both of which are covered with suitable patriotic décor. The results came in and 60% rejected the referendum proposals. The maps in The Sunday Telegraph (Sydney) below show how the Yes vote won in all the city central areas you might expect, with limited support beyond. The next day Australians just seemed to get on with their lives as much unaffected by the result as I found them to be unbothered by the vote in the first place.
“I voted to stay in the EU in 1975 but two years later came to the conclusion it was a huge mistake. I thought it would be a trading organisation but soon discovered it had a political agenda”
Can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
My name is Tony Love and I live in Felixstowe, next to Ipswich, with my long term partner. I have three children
I voted to stay in the EU in 1975, but two years later came to the conclusion that it was a huge mistake. I thought it would be a trading organisation, but soon discovered it had a political agenda; the breakdown of the nation state and their borders, which would lead to the breakdown of our cultural identities and eventually our communities. It is true that for the next forty years I bored everybody I met trying to explain why we should leave.
I was a bookmaker for thirty years on the Surrey/Hampshire borders. On the night of the Referendum I sat down to watch David Dimbleby, expecting that we would vote to stay in the EU. Forty years and I would now have to shut up! The good news is we voted to leave, the bad news is it cost me £10,000 in my betting shops, paying out on bets taken that day to Leave at 9/1.
“The biggest ever infringement of our civil liberties occurred during the Covid Lockdown with the Labour Party wanting to be more draconian than the Government”
What made you decide to stand for Reform UK?
I watched the lunacy in the House of Commons as the politicians strove to overthrow the biggest ever constitutional vote ever in our country. I watched as John Bercow attempted a coup of our Parliament. My partner kept telling me to stop moaning and do something about it if I felt so passionately, so I did, I was the candidate for the Brexit Party in Suffolk Coastal in the 2019 election. Nigel Farage then stood us down to assist Boris Johnson who promised to achieve Brexit, but I had made too many promises that I would stand and so continued as an Independent.
The biggest ever infringement of our civil liberties occurred during the Covid Lockdown with the Labour Party wanting to be more draconian than the Government. The vile coercion used by Parliament to make us comply, let alone the restriction on freedom of speech, travel, familial relations etc. beggared belief.
I have also watched this Conservative Government lie barefaced about its promises to keep immigration in the tens of thousands. They have been complicit in the cultural destruction of our cities and towns by allowing huge numbers to legally enter our country, over 600,000 net last year. Illegal immigration last year was 52,000 and that was only those we know about.
The people of Ipswich have lost cultural identity, their community, and their town, with many feeling intimidated in the town centre and most certainly in the evenings. The town is dying, shoplifting by gangs and individuals is rampant, businesses are leaving, and the police are ineffective.
“We are against Net Zero, 15-minute neighbourhoods and ULEZ which are being imposed against majority opinion. We intend to be the voice of the silent majority”
Richard Tice, the party leader of Reform, has financially enabled the Party to survive these past four years, and it now stands alone in offering a real option to those who feel disenfranchised. I was not going to be politically involved again as I felt I had done my bit, but the so very sad situation in this country has changed my mind. I have decided to stand up for the people of Ipswich in my neighbouring constituency.
The Reform party is beginning to gain traction. We are not against migration as we are a nation that has always welcomed and then benefited from migration. But we are against unfettered migration, and most certainly illegal migration. We are for the principles of democracy that our present political incumbents think they can ignore. We are for the rights of the individual, which are being obliterated by international organisations. We are against Net Zero, 15-minute neighbourhoods and ULEZ, which are being imposed against majority opinion. We intend to be the voice of the silent majority, the people who know something has gone badly wrong and need someone to vote for.
For those eager to help, how can they get involved in the campaign?
At a local level Reform Ipswich can be contacted through our website – reformukipswich.com, and followed on Twitter.
At a national level Reform can be contacted through our website – reform party.uk.
For the second year I attended the Battle of Ideas Festival from the Academy of Ideas. Held in Church House near Westminster Abbey the event hosts almost 100 panels, interviews, and discussions on a range of topics on Free Speech, The Economy, Technology and Science, Education, Housing, Arts, and other political and moral issues. Up to 10 panels are held at any one time and you often need to arrive early to get into the one you want. With so much going on there is always a discussion with free space, that you will be happy to see.
The director of the Academy of Ideas is Baroness Claire Fox, the commentator and former Brexit Party MEP. Other key figures in the Academy include former podcast guest Alastair Donald, and Spiked columnist Ella Whelan. The great guests on the panels are too numerous to mention but some personal highlights included seeing local man and GB News regular James Woudhuysen, former Podcast guests Harry Wilkinson and Dominic Frisby, commentator Helen Dale in the audience and former Croydon teacher and resident Francis Foster of Triggernometry.
The event isn’t just the panels, around the events were stalls from the SDP, Reform UK, the Free Speech Union, Don’t Divide Us, #Together, and especially pleasing to see our new associates Politics in Pubs who received a well-deserved shout out from the main stage by Claire Fox when encouraging people to create their own forums for free speech.
Pro-noun elite and California values
The panels were at times light on opposing views as so many commentators from what was once the liberal left refused to engage. But this did lead to lots of sound comments like references to the Pro-noun elite and those having California values. That didn’t mean there wasn’t plenty of disagreement, as I saw in a fascinating debate on housing. How and where do we get housing built, and some of the practical problems of the Town and Country Planning act were heatedly discussed.
Some highlights for me were a panel of comedians reminding us to laugh at the things we think are a threat, and attending the live recording of Spiked’s Last Orders anti nanny state podcast with Christopher Snowdon of the Institute of Economic Affairs.
Perhaps my favorite sessions were on ‘Understanding Modi’s India’ and ‘Schools: The Great Expulsion Debate’. Modi’s India was an interesting and useful session on the world’s largest democracy and most populous country. The panel included Dr Alka Sehgal Cuthbert of Don’t Divide Us, and spoke about among other things, India’s 1937 elections and ‘Toilets before Temples’. The Expulsion Debate included Lord Tony Sewell of Sanderstead on the panel. The debate covered the high rates of Special Needs (SEN) pupil expulsions and how we combat this, and Dr Sewell spoke about varying expulsion rates across the country and how schools can set up to reduce the need to expel pupils.
An overall fascinating event I would encourage anyone to sign up for information on future Academy of Ideas events, and if they can, to attend next year’s Battle.
With Reform UK rapidly appointing candidates for we spoke with Mark Simpson the candidate for Eltham & Chislehurst.
Can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I am Mark Simpson and after a journey from Aberdeen to Yorkshire to China I find myself in London. After returning from a 7-year stint in China I returned to the UK / London to pursue a Masters degree in International Business and Politics from Queen Mary, University of London. Today, I work full-time in sales. When not working (or Reforming) I enjoy watching various sports (in a pub with a pint preferred!), reading and travelling. During my years abroad, I was fortunate to have spent time in so many amazing destinations in East Asia and really getting to see what a wonderful world we live in.
“politics is not about winning per se. It is about standing up for what you believe in and doing what you can to forward that.”
What made you decide to stand for Reform UK?
It is many ways simple, if it wasn’t for Reform UK, I would not in good conscience have a political party I could vote for. My political leanings have taken me along the same political path Nigel Farage has trodden. I stood for UKIP, supported the Brexit Party and upon my return kept my support behind the vehicle for change Richard Tice kept going, Reform UK. The establishment parties do not represent me. I remember growing up as a teenager and being anti-the Iraq War and seeing how Tony Blair ignored the millions that went to protest it and how he lied to the country to take us to war. (how many of the woes in the Middle East today stem from that?!) The Conservatives aren’t much better, I won’t waste anyone’s time repeating why.
I have always felt it important to support a party that aligns with my principles, even to the detriment of being able to taste victory. To me, politics is not about winning per se. It is about standing up for what you believe in and doing what you can to forward that. Reform UKs commonsense policies of stopping the boats and cutting immigration, cutting taxes for the poorest in society, abandoning Net Zero and being proud of our country and heritage resonate strongly.
Today my role at Reform UK has evolved. I stood in our first-ever election, the 2021 London Assembly candidate (List and constituency candidate) and now take care of several London Boroughs as the regional organiser. It is hard work, the party is building something entirely new from the ground up to challenge a political system that is designed to keep outsiders firmly out. I see from my discussions with members and chats on the doorstep what an opportunity there is for Reform UK. Brexit was hard fought but demonstrated the change millions across the entire UK wanted to see. Reform UK continues with this bold and crucially optimistic vision of how Britain should be.
“The current Labour MP Clive Efford and the prospective Conservative candidate both wanted and actively campaigned for a second referendum. That is simply not acceptable and must be challenged”
You’re the Spokesman for Eltham & Chislehurst what’s made you decide to represent this area?
As well as being the candidate for Eltham and Chislehurst I have contested Mottingham, Coldharbour and New Eltham ward during the Greenwich council elections of 2022 and will be standing again in the upcoming London assembly elections locally. This is a part of London that I have decided to call home.
It is an area that voted Leave in the EU referendum and will have a slate of candidates that supported remaining in the EU. The current Labour MP Clive Efford and the prospective Conservative candidate both wanted and actively campaigned for a second referendum. That is simply not acceptable and must be challenged. Leaving the EU was the first step on a journey to fundamentally change our country and the direction of travel successive governments had taken us down.
When I go out and talk to locals across the constituency I am struck by the lack of enthusiasm for politics. People are fed up with the current Tory government, which is no surprise after 13 years when most people would struggle to name much in the country that has changed for the better. There is no love for Labour, when people say they will vote for them at the next election, they are doing so as a vote against the Conservatives, not for Keir Starmer and his politics.
And this for me is where Reform UK is crucial. We stand on a platform that puts the interest of ordinary people first. In Reform UK we are NOT career politicians, we entered politics to give a voice the the forgotten and champion the big issues people really care about.
“I spoke to a lady who has had her house broken into 3 times in 18 months and feels totally unsupported by the police. I spoke with a local business owner about how shoplifters act with impunity, whilst he loses hundreds of pounds per week”
What do you see as the big concerns for the constituency and what issues do you hope to champion?
As with most of London, crime is the root cause of so many of the woes we face. Successive governments have failed to take the zero-tolerance approach to crime that is necessary. At the weekend I spoke to a lady who has had her house broken into 3 times in 18 months and feels totally unsupported by the police. I spoke with a local business owner about how shoplifters act with impunity, whilst he loses hundreds of pounds per week. These are real people, having lives and livelihoods ruined by the inability of the police. This must change and can never be normalised.
We must also address the lack of TFL services and accessibility to them. I will push for the DLR expansion to be continued into the constituency and regular express busses to be linked to the Elizabeth Line so its benefits can be shared.
There is also a feeling among residents that Eltham is a forgotten part of Greenwich. Despite having elected Conservative councillors in Eltham, what is really needed is a strong voice for change that will speak up for the constituency and its residents.
For those eager to help, how can they get involved in the campaign?
All help is welcomed, regardless of experience or how long you can commit. The establishment has had many years of a heard start on Reform UK, but with support we can be the change people are looking for. I am active on Twitter @RealMgSimpson and can be contacted by email at [email protected].
There really is something for everyone to get involved with and I am happy to discuss!
My tuppenceworth is back, on Wednesday 15th November upstairs at Whispers 5 High St, Purley.
Held as part of our regular #ThirdWednesday drinks, we hold these in association with Dick Delingpole’s #ThirdWednesday Libertarian drinks club, and POLITICS in PUBS a group of people from across the political spectrum who value the freedom to question and to speak openly.
You are the star!
This is your opportunity to speak to those assembled on an issue that really matters to you and give your tuppenceworth. Each speaker will have up to 5 minutes to speak about an issue dear to their heart, followed by a short Q&A.
We ask all speeches are non-partisan and remind you the laws of slander still apply!
Come prepared or do off the cuff, this is your opportunity to exercise some free speech.
If you do have notes, we can publish to increase the reach of your ideas as we have done for our events in 2022 and 2019.
If you would like to speak, please let us know by emailing [email protected].
Join usUpstairs, Whispers, 5 High St, Purley CR8 2AF on Wednesday 15th November, from 7pm.
We first interviewed Alan Cook in 2019 when he was a prospective candidate for the then Brexit Party. We caught up again with Alan who is now the Reform UK Party candidate for Bromley & Biggin Hill.
Can you briefly introduce yourself again to our readers
I am the Reform UK candidate for Bromley & Biggin Hill and also a candidate for the party in the London Assembly. I live with my girlfriend of 26 years with our two amazing daughters and a fox terrier. We split our time living between Bromley and Westminster, obviously a great situation to be in and ideal if I do manage to secure the parliamentary position. I have had a long and successful career in business. I think it is time to give something back to my wonderful country. The greasy pole of politics for its own sake holds no attraction for me. I see public service as just that, being a servant to the public. These days unfortunately it appears that many in parliament are self-serving and not aware of the true honour and meaning of the role.
“the end result being them both admitting that the illegal crossings by boats could be stopped immediately but there is not the political will within the party to do so”
…and tell us what you’ve been up to in the past few years since we last spoke?
After the 2019 election I joined the Tories and started the procedure to become a candidate, however it didn’t take me long to discover that it was no longer a party with conservative values or policies and was not going to be anytime soon. My plan to steer the party from the inside was unfortunately rather naive.
This was borne out over a conversation I had on immigration in the Commons with David Davis and Sir Bill Wiggin, the end result being them both admitting that the illegal crossings by boats could be stopped immediately but there is not the political will within the party to do so and that it would not look good internationally!!! I believe uncontrolled immigration, both legal and illegal is the driving force behind so many of the issues we are facing in this country, pressures on education, health, housing, and employment. It is very well known that low skilled migration is not positive for the economy. Needless to say, I left the Tory party that week and joined Reform UK.
Work wise, I was involved in studying new technologies including Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) and Blockchain and have worked closely with Triad Group plc, a main list quoted company in the IT industry and also with one of the UKs leading layer-1 blockchain platform providers. However, I am now fully invested in politics, which has already earnt me the nicknamed ‘One job Al’, which is a little dig at the incumbent Bromley MP.
You are a member of the All Party Parliamentary Groups (APPG) for Artificial Intelligence and for Blockchain. How did you get involved in these?
I’m also involved with two more, the APPG for Crypto & Digital Assets and the APPG for Digital Skills, which is a very rewarding one. Its remit is digital upskilling and ensuring the non-tech literate are not left behind but also to ensure that the race to digital services doesn’t erase face to face public interaction. My involvement in these was necessary through the work I was doing with Triad Group Plc. I am less involved now but I still dedicate some of my free time towards them. It is important that the Commons and the Lords are properly informed regarding technology and how to regulate it.
Saying that, we decided that trying to regulate A.I. would be futile. Apart from the fact that technology does not respect national borders, A.I. is evolving at such an incredible pace, we realised the best way forward was to create an advisory framework instead of trying to regulate it.
There are both fun and serious sides to APPGs. Getting an invite to the AGM of the APPG for beer is a bonus but on the other hand, having weapons manufacturing companies debating against representatives from the United Nations and Amnesty International on the use of A.I. in target selection for deadly weapons, brings home the seriousness of the work.
“With no difference between the two parties, we now have a one-party system. Never before has government reform been more needed, thankfully Reform UK is giving the people an option”
Beyond technology, what are the passions that have found you throwing your hatinto the electoral ring again?
I’ve already mentioned immigration, but you are right tech has kept me in the political arena to a degree, although it is a-political, which is very healthy for creating a balanced view. I do get other insights from being the vice-chair of a House of Commons based social think tank. Through this I have good access to the Commons and to many people therein.
At a recent Commons breakfast, the day after the Labour Party cabinet reshuffle, I received wonderful insights into the possible future under a Labour government. One Lord at the breakfast announced that after the reshuffle, a gaggle of peers in the Lords surrounded Peter Mandelson and congratulated him on being back in power, obviously a reference to the number of Blairites moved into the Labour cabinet. Also, at the same breakfast, the Times and Sunday Times political editor said that the rumour of a rift between Blair and Starmer was fabricated, in fact both Blair and Brown have Starmer’s ear. Having access to inside information is one of the things that has drawn me back into politics. This recent titbit very much cements my reason for doing so. I want the UK to be sovereign and self-determining – to be able to decide its own destiny. Clearly Kier is a puppet for Blair, Brown and Mandelson, all of whom are in league with the global elite, as is the billion-dollar Sunak couple. I believe the UK should not pander to super national corporations, bodies and billionaires, that is why I am standing and am very passionate on this subject.
We used to have a two-party system before the Tories slid to the left. We now have the highest taxation in 70 years, high debt, a nanny state, big government, increasing reliance on benefits, uncontrolled immigration, and a leaning towards the globalist agenda instead of being UK centric. With no difference between the two parties, we now have a one-party system. Never before has government reform been more needed, thankfully Reform UK is giving the people an option.
I shouldn’t complain, the lack of choice makes us more relevant and our job easier. When canvassing we tend to hear either ‘thank you for doing what you are doing and you have my vote’or ‘who are you’? But again ‘who are you’ is an easier thing to address than ‘I disagree with you’, we are in a good place and voter intention polls are moving in our favour. We’re in this for the long term, we are not just looking at this election but we are also planning for the next.
The existing two or as it seems one party system now, has produced truly awful results over the last 30 years and it is genuinely time for reform.
My objective in seeking election to the House of Commons is to perform my public duties to the best of my abilities and energies. If I have the honour to be elected to serve and represent Bromley & Biggin Hill. I will intend to engage as a very active constituency MP and a plain-speaking member of the House of Commons. I will set up a staffed constituency office and spend significant time throughout the whole constituency.
“I chose to represent Bromley & Biggin Hill as I feel very lucky to have grown up there, I look back fondly and feel protective, I want others to have similar positive experiences”
You’re the Spokesman for Bromley and Chislehurst what’s made you decide to represent this area?
My family moved to Bickley when I was in my early teens. Bromley was a pleasant and safe place to be at that age, it is no longer safe, and that will be one of my absolute priorities. I may have spent a little too much time in The Bickley Arms and the Ramblers Rest, but also the Chislehurst Caves as it was so close to where we lived. I knew the tour guides and we used to explore parts of the caves that were not open to the public, there was always something interesting to do locally.
Bromley is still a wonderful place to live, but I have seen changes that are not positive. Not just in local government services, health education, policing but also the social cohesion and I think planning has a role to play here. The Tories always tend to fall in favour of big business at the expense of the residents, I believe the residents and small local businesses should always be my first consideration.
So, I chose to represent Bromley & Biggin Hill as I feel very lucky to have grown up there, I look back fondly and feel protective, I want others to have similar positive experiences.
“I’m setting up a team to help the funding to get the Downe Activity Centre, an 86 acres centre back up and running for the Scouts. I enjoyed camping there as a child, when these places are gone, they are gone for good”
What do you see as the big concerns for the constituency and what issues do you hope to champion?
Transport: I’ve been working closely with Howard Cox our London mayoral candidate on the creep of anti-motorist policy, ULEX LTN’s etc. Affordable private transport in conjunction with a fit for purpose public transportation network is key for the functioning of work, family, and our social lives.
Crime: Zero tolerance on knife crime, kick off with a knife amnesty, more visible policing, a greater number of bobbies on the beat. Remove all wokeness from the police force, have them concentrate on key policing, not chasing transgressions on social media. I’m setting up a team to help the funding to get the Downe Activity Centre, an 86 acres centre back up and running for the Scouts. I enjoyed camping there as a child, when these places are gone, they are gone for good, young people need a greater number of local outlets for fun and learning.
Planning: Change local planning so it favours the people that live in the constituency, not big business.
Waste: I will seek to ensure no taxpayers’ money is wasted by the council on vanity projects, diversity managers etc. I will stop the council’s headlong rush to reach net zero by 2027, this totally unnecessary cost will be borne by the residents amidst a cost-of-living crisis, it is total madness.
Woke: I will endeavour to erase gender ideology and critical race theory from education and any department or body that is in any way publicly funded, full stop.
And of course, it’s very important that I hear from the people what their issues are, my contact details are my website just google reform Alan Cook or enter the site address which is below.
For those eager to help, how can they get involved in the campaign?
We have regular social drinks meeting in Bromley where we talk policy, plan street stalls and leafletting walks around the constituency. Every 2 to 3 months I plan on organising larger speaking events at which we will invite senior people from the party and other leading political entities. The last one included speeches from Ben Habib, Howard Cox, Roger Gravett and me, it was excellent fun, informative and very well received.
Letter from Jeremy Wraith to the PM and Treasury asking why we are not repealing EU imposed laws.
To Mr Rishi Sunak, Mr Jeremy Hunt and John Glen
“As a result, after 47 years trading with the EEC/EU our total BOP is currently now, a DEFICIT (LOSS) costing us well over £2 trillion and still rising. Is that such a good deal?”
REPEALING EU IMPOSED LAWS
I understand that the proposal to scrap as many of the 4,000+ laws imposed on the UK by the EU has been shelved. The Conservative Party was responsible for the UK joining the EU in the first place on the massive and deliberate lie that our sovereignty would not be affected. The Conservative Party has lied, lied and lied again to the UK public on the so called “benefits” of EU membership ever since and for over 50 years.
Membership of the EU has been a total disaster for the UK, not only politically, but economically as well. For example:
When we joined the EEC in 1973 we had a virtually zero balance of payments (BOP) with the EEC. From day 1 the EEC/EU took over all our trade policy as they believed they were more “competent”! As a result, after 47 years trading with the EEC/EU our total BOP is currently now, a DEFICIT (LOSS) costing us well over £2 trillion and still rising. Is that such a good deal? So, why do you want to keep so many EU imposed laws and make our BOP even worse? (NB Over the same period we made a SURPLUS, on our trade with the rest of the world. This surely proves where our best interests are!)
In addition, being in the EU when we left could have cost our economy well over £200 billion/annum. The total accumulated cost of being in the EEC/EU for 47 years could therefore have cost our economy well over £13.22 TRILLION. That figure is still going up by your senseless and stupid decision to keep the laws in question. So, why do you want to keep the EU imposed laws which must STILL be costing our economy £ billions/annum? NB Two examples spring to mind.
The CPC for lorry drivers which probably takes about 1,000 lorry drivers off the roads and must cost our businesses and consumers a fortune. How much exactly? Why has it not been scrapped?
In addition, Royal Mail was denied it’s right to deliver all mail in the UK as the EU demanded, that postal deliveries must be opened to “competition”. This was obviously a “front” to enable EU postal services to take over mail deliveries in the UK as part of the EU’s asset stripping policy of UK businesses. The monopoly of Royal Mail to deliver all mail in the UK must be restored ASAP as UK consumers are probably still subsiding foreign postal companies.
We also lost over £100 billion in our fishing rights which were taken over by the EU. So why have we still allowed EU countries fishing rights after we left and continued to destroy our fishing industry and the livelihoods of our fishermen and great fishing ports like Brixton, Grimsby and Hull?
A report by Bob Lyddon, of Lyddon Consulting Services Limited and published by the Bruges Group as “The UK’s liabilities to the financial mechanisms of the European Union” shows that the EU’s financial institutions can call on the UK to contribute up to nearly £1 trillion in the event of a financial crisis. In addition, the EU could call for “extraordinary support” above that! So, are we STILL committed to saddle UK taxpayers with the liability of supporting bankrupt EU countries like Belgium, Spain, Ireland, Italy, Greece and Portugal and their banks when they go bust and by how much?
Why are we STILL in the ECHR which is a political entity apparently dedicated to frustrating UK policy at every opportunity. It is a national disgrace and profoundly insulting that the UK government which is supposed to protect the UK citizens rights etc., is subject to laws and legal decisions by a FOREIGN country!
“They cannot bear the thought that the UK out of the EU can make a success of being a free, sovereign, and democratic nation again”
Don’t believe me, work it out for yourself! ALL glitches between the UK and the EU due to BREXIT are entirely due to EU spite and dog in the manger attitude to the UK’s departure. They cannot bear the thought that the UK out of the EU can make a success of being a free, sovereign, and democratic nation again.
Even Angela Merkel endorsed Brexit when she said, “Post-Brexit Britain will be a potential competitor to the European Union alongside China and the United States”. Angela Merkel obviously had more common sense than you. She recognised that while Britain is/was in the EU the EU could screw Britain to such an extent in their favour, particularly for France and Germany, that Britain would not be a potential threat to their economies! You, and the Conservative government are obviously either don’t recognise that or, want it to happen by retaining the myriad laws imposed upon us by the EU!
A letter from Jeremy Wraith to Sir Ed Davey asking about their plans to re-join the EU.
Sir Ed Davey Leader Liberal Democrat Party
“Leaving the EU has saved us at least £10 to 12 billion/year in EU budget contributions. Only half of which we got back, AND we were told by the EU how to spend it!”
Dear Sir Ed Davey,
You and the Liberal Democrat Party apparently want to reverse the democratically elected decision on Brexit, the reason, or reasons for which are not obvious. So, please explain, as a Freedom of Information request, why you and your party think re-joining the EU would be best for Britain, bearing in mind the following costs associated with our 47-year membership of the EU.
Leaving the EU has saved us at least £10 to 12 billion/year in EU budget contributions. Only half of which we got back, AND we were told by the EU how to spend it! The total thrown away on nett EU budget contributions has currently cost us over £300 billion. So why do you want to throw away £billions more to our competitors in the EU?
When we joined the EEC in 1973, we had a virtually zero balance of payments (BOP) with the EEC. From day 1 the EEC/EU took over all our trade policy as they believed they were more “competent”! As a result, after 47 years trading with the EEC/EU our total BOP is now a DEFICIT (LOSS) costing us well over £2 trillion. Is that such a good deal? So, why do you want to give the EU the right to run our trade again and make our BOP even worse? (NB Over the same period we made a SURPLUS, on our trade with the rest of the world. This surely proves where our best interests are!)
In addition, being in the EU when we left could have cost our economy well over £200 billion/annum. The total accumulated cost of being in the EEC/EU for 47 years could have cost our economy well over £13.22 TRILLION. So, why do you want to re-join the EU and make us pay even more every year as the EU imposes even more regulations on us, which we have absolutely no say or control over?
We also lost over £100 billion in our fishing rights which were taken over by the EU. So why are you so keen to destroy our fishing industry again, and destroy the livelihoods of our fishermen and great fishing ports like Brixton, Grimsby and Hull?
The next generation of UK taxpayers were liable to bail out EU pensioners due to the 32++ TRILLION EURO black hole looming in their pay as you go pensions. So, why do you want to saddle the next generation of UK taxpayers with the probability of horrendous costs of supporting EU pensioners?
A report by Bob Lyddon, of Lyddon Consulting Services Limited and published by the Bruges Group as “The UK’s liabilities to the financial mechanisms of the European Union” shows that the EU’s financial institutions can call on the UK to contribute up to nearly £1 trillion in the event of a financial crisis. In addition, the EU can call for “extraordinary support” above that!
So, why do you want to saddle UK taxpayers with the liability of supporting bankrupt EU countries like Belgium, Spain, Ireland, Italy, Greece and Portugal and their banks when they go bust?
“Even Angela Merkel endorsed Brexit when she said, “post-Brexit Britain will be a potential competitor to the European Union alongside China and the United States”
Don’t believe me, work it out for yourself! ALL glitches between the UK and the EU due to BREXIT are entirely due to EU spite and dog in the manger attitude to the UK’s departure. They cannot bear the thought that the UK out of the EU can make a success of being a free, sovereign, democratic nation again. Even Angela Merkel endorsed Brexit when she said, “post-Brexit Britain will be a potential competitor to the European Union alongside China and the United States”. Angela Merkel recognised that while Britain is/was in the EU the EU could screw Britain to such an extent in their favour, particularly for France and Germany, that Britain would not be a potential threat to their economies! By trying to take us back in – despite the referendum result and that 80% of MPs undertook to get Brexit done – suggests that you also hold democracy in contempt.
Our contributor Tim Duce sent a letter (published below) in March to the HRH King Charles III, Rishi Sunak, Sir Keir Starmer, Sharon Thorne, Zac Goldsmith, Nicholas Lyons, Rachel Reeves, Richard Moore and Tony Blair on the subject of CO2 and Climate Change.
He’s had little response although does note that Tony Blair has now made one anti climate change statement. We are also in now seeing some delay to implementing NetZero policies from the government.
“When so many differing voices claim to quote ‘the science’, it’s important to listen to your own common sense and to see what is clearly visible”
Dear
At the recent WEF summit, Climate Change was discussed.
If we are indeed to save the planet, we must distinguish carefully between beliefs and facts. Saving the oxygen producing rainforests and oceans and controlling the production of toxic pollutants is self evident but the ‘CO2 and Global Temperature’ issue is far more murky. When so many differing voices claim to quote ‘the science’, it’s important to listen to your own common sense and to see what is clearly visible.
A clear answer is not hard to find. We already have the facts, but we have to join the dots between them. Let’s look at those facts together.
How Does a Greenhouse Work?
A greenhouse is covered in glass which is transparent to light, reflects light and refracts (bends) light. Having seen our reflections in a window and the effect of the lenses in a pair of spectacles, we all know this to be true. Light from the sun hits the glass fairly perpendicularly and most of it passes through easily (a tiny amount is lost due to reflection). It then hits the ground and plants. Some of it is absorbed as heat and some is reflected in all directions. Of this reflected light, some goes straight back out through the glass but some hits the glass at a shallower angle, causing it to be reflected and/or refracted back into the greenhouse again, causing a further increase in temperature. You probably knew this. Even if not, it is easy for anyone to understand.
Is There a Gas with the Same Characteristics as Glass?
One extremely plentiful gas has the same characteristics of transparency, reflection and refraction as glass. It is water vapour.
Again, our own experience confirms this. Water is transparent to light, reflects light and refracts (bends) light. We’ve all seen our reflection in water and we’ve seen how a stick half immersed in water looks bent. If we shine a light into fog, we are dazzled by reflected light. As for refraction, we have all seen a rainbow.
CO2 and methane are also transparent to light but reflection or refraction? If they do possess these characteristics, they are so infinitesimally small that we cannot see them.
Any greenhouse capabilities of CO2 and methane are so infinitesimally small as to be invisible whereas the greenhouse capabilities of water vapour are obvious for anyone to see with the naked eye.
Conclusion
Compared to the greenhouse gas water vapour, any greenhouse effects of CO2 and methane are infinitesimally small. Consequently, the effect (if any) of changes in CO2 levels on global temperature is insignificant.
“Greenland, which is currently covered in ice and snow, is called ‘Green-land’ because when the Vikings discovered and colonised it more than a thousand years before the industrial revolution, it was green“
To Illustrate:
The Earth has heated and cooled since its beginning. Greenland, which is currently covered in ice and snow, is called ‘Green-land’ because when the Vikings discovered and colonised it more than a thousand years before the industrial revolution, it was green. Vikings lived and farmed there for about 450 years. For Greenland to be green, just imagine how warm the Earth was then!
Didn’t Al Gore show that changes in CO2 levels and global temperature could be seen in polar ice? Yes he did but having got the answer he wanted, he stopped there. When other researchers duplicated the experiment, they found that the rises in CO2 level happened about 800 years after each rise in global temperature and not the other way around so: A rise in global temperature causes a rise in CO2 but a rise in CO2 does NOT cause a rise in global temperature. They also confirmed that the Earth has often been much warmer than it is now.
I met a young woman from Friends of the Earth on an aeroplane. Ignoring the fact that she was, it turned out, the most well travelled person I had ever met, I asked her to send to me a copy of an email from her bosses which, she told me, “Proved once and for all that CO2 caused global warming”. I wasted the evenings of two weeks of my life reading through 40 published papers in which there was not a single proof. The writers all simply said that a CO2 climate change connection was probably true because they thought so. Opinion is not science. Science demands proof.
Qualification:
If CO2 is frozen it can crystallise as ‘dry ice’ which you may have seen in theatre, movies or a disco. These crystals do have reflective and refractive properties but they do not appear in this form in nature. CO2, which is heavier than air even at room temperature, remains close to the Earth while temperatures cold enough to freeze CO2 only occur at very high altitudes.
Some Climate zealots claim that CO2’s ability to absorb heat is a problem. This is pseudo-science. ALL of the gases, liquids and solids of the Earth’s atmosphere and surface absorb heat from the sun every day, but they ALL cool again by radiating heat into space each night. (Since heat invariably flows from warm places to cold.)
“Scientists soon learned that if they were to receive funding for a project, they needed to include the magic words ‘Global Warming’ and later ‘Climate Change'”
Why Has This Myth Gathered Such Momentum?
The ‘CO2 and Global Temperature/Man Made Climate Change’ story has gained popularity because of the benefits it provides to various interest groups.
Margaret Thatcher used it as a justification for closing profitable coal mines during the miners’ strike. She pressured the Science Research Council to fund projects with ‘Global Warming’ in the title to give the story credibility.
Scientists soon learned that if they were to receive funding for a project, they needed to include the magic words ‘Global Warming’ and later ‘Climate Change’ in the title and to keep quiet about their scepticism. The Hard Left and Anti-Capitalists used it to justify their cause. ‘Prophet of Doom’ journalists found that it sold column inches.
Bill Gates, a major sponsor of the WEF and the WHO is currently using it as a justification to stop normal farming (especially organic farming!) and introduce production of artificial meat according to patented processes. Ker-Ching! (The systematic destruction of farmers’ livelihoods is already happening in the Netherlands.)
The ‘Climate Crisis’ myth is being used to persuade national leaders to sign up to agreements set by the WEF. In essence, our right to self-determination is being taken from voters and national governments and handed on a plate to the WEF which serves the interests of its main sponsors.
So:
Just by consulting your own knowledge, it becomes clear that ‘Climate Change’ is a myth.
Worse still, it is a myth being used to reduce people’s freedoms and erode democratic accountability. Also, as we rush headlong towards a fallacious Net Zero, we risk destroying our economy and inflicting extraordinary hardship upon ordinary people. As you put your head on the pillow tonight, I suggest you ask yourself where you stand on all of this and, if you wish, send me a reply.
Kind regards,
Tim Duce BSc.
cc. HRH King Charles III, Rishi Sunak, Sir Keir Starmer, Sharon Thorne, Zac Goldsmith, Nicholas Lyons, Rachel Reeves, Richard Moore, Tony Blair
