One of my oldest and dearest friends has gone public on his support for Scottish Independence. I am greatly cheered by this. More thoughts later.
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“I don’t see any mention of the Olympics or their asylum escorting services ”
Can’t find any figures for for the asylum business but G4S lost £88 million on the Olympics fiasco.
” they return to my posts like unwilling moths to the flame..”
Responding to your dogberries directly is more akin to a dog returning to it’s vomit.
It’s homogenous vomit however, lacking nutrition with no useful industrial-sized chunks so Hazmat doesn’t need to be called to dispose of the environmental non-event.
Serco committed fraud in their contract for providing the out of hours doctor service in Cornwall. Mrs Hodge had a session with their unconvincing management. They lied too.
But who do you see still running prisons and detention centres and prisoner transport.
‘Disgraceful’ Serco falsified GP out-of-hours figures
A FTSE-100 company that provides out-of-hours GP care for the NHS faked records hundreds of times to mask serious short-staffing, a damning report by the National Audit Office has found
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/9913780/Disgraceful-Serco-falsified-GP-out-of-hours-figures.html
Wonder where G4S’s Nick Buckles ended up. A few of their capos fell on their swords.
‘Richard Morris has handed in his resignation with immediate effect, a company spokesman said. Eddie Aston, who joined only three months ago from Deutsche Post DHL as chief operating officer, is taking on the role.
Mr Morris will not be receiving any special severance compensation, the spokesman added. He rose through the ranks to the top UK job after his predecessor, David Taylor-Smith, was forced out in the aftermath of its Olympics security debacle.
His departure comes just days before G4S’s crucial strategic update with investors on November 5. New chief executive Ashley Almanza, parachuted in following Nick Buckles’ exit in the wake of the London 2012 fiasco, is aiming to restore investors’ faith after a series of disasters.’
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/supportservices/10403542/G4S-UK-chief-executive-Richard-Morris-resigns.html
No problems for Buckles. He does not need to ever work again.
G4S boss Nick Buckles to walk away £16m richer after quitting Olympics security fiasco firm
http://www.mirror.co.uk/money/city-news/g4s-boss-nick-buckles-walk-1901939
Back to the greedy Big Pharma boya and girls.
Tamiflu: Millions wasted on flu drug, claims major report
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-26954482
£600 million to be exact. One of the relics of the NuLabour legacy. Think what the NHS could do with that sum.
‘The Cochrane Collaboration claimed the drug did not prevent the spread of flu or reduce dangerous complications, and only slightly helped symptoms.
The manufacturers Roche and other experts say the analysis is flawed.
The antiviral drug Tamiflu was stockpiled from 2006 in the UK when some agencies were predicting that a pandemic of bird flu could kill up to 750,000 people in Britain. Similar decisions were made in other countries.
Hidden data
The drug was widely prescribed during the swine flu outbreak in 2009.
Drug companies do not publish all their research data. This report is the result of a colossal fight for the previously hidden data into the effectiveness and side-effects of Tamiflu.
It concluded that the drug reduced the persistence of flu symptoms from seven days to 6.3 days in adults and to 5.8 days in children. But the report’s authors said drugs such as paracetamol could have a similar impact.
On claims that the drug prevented complications such as pneumonia developing, Cochrane suggested the trials were so poor there was “no visible effect”.’
More lies.
What the Tamiflu saga tells us about drug trials and big pharma
We now know the government’s Tamiflu stockpile wouldn’t have done us much good in the event of a flu epidemic. But the secrecy surrounding clinical trials means there’s a lot we don’t know about other medicines we take
http://www.theguardian.com/business/2014/apr/10/tamiflu-saga-drug-trials-big-pharma
The Independent front page today.
http://www.thepaperboy.com/frontpages/archive/The_Independent_10_4_2014.jpg
“Mr Javid, who described himself as a “proud British-born Muslim”, announced that if he had to leave Britain to live in the Middle East, then he would choose Israel as home. Only there, he said, would his children feel the “warm embrace of freedom and liberty”. For him, only Israel shared the democratic values of the UK.”
I’d missed that. British democracy must be in worse shape than I’d thought. As far as I can gather (and I welcome correction) Javid would not be able to become an Israeli citizen unless he converted to Judaism.
His kind words to CFoI suggest that he might be prepared to do that, and no doubt his entry would be smoothed by the Quartet representative (Blair International Adviceco LLP), but it would perhaps be more honest if he stopped trading on being a Muslim if so. There’s really no need to, Javid. Bromsgrove is one of the safest Tory seats in the country and describes itself thus –
A total of 93.6% of the population in Bromsgrove District are white and Christianity is the largest religious group representing 68.9% of the population.
http://www.betterbromsgrove.com/about-bromsgrove/economics-demographics/
Nice short Wiki biog for Buckles. Another Thatcher acolyte I see and look what happened to him.
Biography[edit]
Early career[edit]
He was born on February 1, 1961.[3] At the age of sixteen, he got his first job as a Christmas postman in Essex.[3][5] He then went on to study business at Lanchester Polytechnic.[7]
Securicor and G4S[edit]
He joined Securicor in 1985 as a project accountant.[1] He served as Deputy Chief Executive and Chief Operating Officer of G4S plc from May 2004 to July 2005. He served as the Chief Executive Officer of G4S from 2005 to 2013.[1] He initially kept his job, despite the fiasco at the 2012 Summer Olympics,[4][8][9] but stood down on 31 May 2013 and was succeeded by Ashley Almanza, formerly of BG Group.[6] He was also Chairman of the Ligue Internationale des Sociétés de Surveillance, the international association of leading security companies.[2][3]
He has said his hero is Margaret Thatcher because “she led the biggest economic turnaround in recent history”.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nick_Buckles
G4S have a particularly nasty record in Israel.
Stop G4S
G4S is a British private security company that plays a key role in Israel’s apartheid system, providing security services and equipment to Israeli prisons, checkpoints, the Apartheid Wall and the Israeli military and police.
http://www.bdsmovement.net/activecamps/g4s
And Bill Gates’ foundation is heavily invested in G4S.
http://www.bdsmovement.net/2014/bill-gates-slammed-over-links-to-israel-prison-torture-11944
Ba’al Zevul thunders:
“Mr Javid…announced that if he had to leave Britain to live in the Middle East, then he would choose Israel as home…. For him, only Israel shared the democratic values of the UK….As far as I can gather (and I welcome correction) Javid would not be able to become an Israeli citizen unless he converted to Judaism.”
_________________
Another good example of sloppy thinking and diverting from the essential point.
You do not have to become a citizen of Israel in order to benefit from the democratic values of Israel if you chose to live there. Very much in the same way as a foreigner living in the UK does not have to become a UK citizen in order to benefit from British democratic values.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Like Mr Javid, I would, if I had to, rather live in Israel than in those havens of democracy called Syria, Jordan, Lebanon and Egypt (to say nothing of Iran and Iraq) – whether as an Israeli or not.
Very much in the same way that I – and the Eminences of this blog – would rather live in the democratic UK than in those havens of democracy called Russia, China, Venezuela….should I go on?
For reference for those uninformed in the matter.
Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby: My Father, the Jewish Bootlegger
http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/archbishop-canterbury-justin-welby-father-secret-life-408442
ZBC under orders of its Zionist leaning (even openly supporting in Purnell’s case) directorate.
“BBC misreports John Kerry on talks failure”:
Nureddin Sabir detects the hands of Zionists behind the BBC’s misreporting of US Secretary of State Kerry’s statement, to downplay his blaming of Israel for the failure of talks with the Palestinians.”
http://wp.me/p2HBz8-23Lhttp://www.redressonline.com/2014/04/bbc-misreports-john-kerry-on-talks-failure/
Talking of ZBC …..
I watched the final episode last night of ‘W1A’, a spoof fly-on-the-wall documentary about working in the BBC. One of the storylines was about an image consultancy firm modernising the BBC logo. They explored replacing the three letters B,B, and C with various symbols and eventually decided that a triangle was the most effective, but still lacked energy, an edge. Then they had the bright idea of adding a 2nd triangle, upside down on top of the first for added dynamism. The scene faded away in embarrassed silence as they triumphantly revealed the culmination of their deliberations …. a Star of David to represent the modern BBC.
Brilliant.
So funny A Node. Thanks.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b040hvvy/W1A_Episode_4/ 20 mins in,
There is a running gag with a bouquet of flowers. You have to say you are over 18 and a member of Hasbara to see it. Only joking on the second!
David Tennant narrates. He played Craig in the radio adaptation of Craig’s book Murder in Samarkand.
http://www.craigmurray.org.uk/?s=david+tennant
Glad Mary and A node enjoyed W1A as much as I did – so healthy when a broadcaster is able to send itself up! – perhaps one of the Eminences could point us to similar signs of health at RT and Press TV and other of their favourite broadcasters?
At last, we agree on something, ESLO.
Of course, the joke about the BBC’s logo being replaced by the Star of David was funny because the BBC really does seem to be controlled by Zionists, yes?
“…and other of their favourite broadcasters?”
I’m told Fox News is riotous when it’s sending itself up. Which is all the time – it’s one long self-parody.
A Node
“Of course, the joke about the BBC’s logo being replaced by the Star of David was funny because the BBC really does seem to be controlled by Zionists, yes?”
_____________
No.
Read The Times when out today. Javid, Miller’s replacement, sees the BBC as being unable to survive on the licence fee alone. He would like to adopt the American system where rich donors subsidize the arts. What an awful prospect. He came to this view when working in the US for Deutsche Bank where he took home (won’t say earned) £3m pa. He has taken a big drop in income by becoming an MP. He was elected in 2010 so has had a rapid rise to power. He joined the Tory partei when he was at Exeter University reading politics and economics at the age of 21. Such fervour. I bet he was tapped like Obomber and that he is a member of one of those firms.
He is Gideon’s golden boy apparently and it was Gideon who demanded Miller’s sacking.
Referring to that JC article about him speaking at a CFoI lunch, I came across these extracts. He is quoted speaking of Israel – ‘Only there, he said, would his children feel the “warm embrace of freedom and liberty”. For him, only Israel shared the democratic values of the UK.’ Good Javid. And how exactly was that freedom won, you snake?
http://www.craigmurray.org.uk/archives/2014/03/andy-myles/comment-page-7/#comment-451771
‘But Mr Cameron did not avoid the difficult issues. He urged Israel and its supporters to embrace the Arab Spring and the democracy it brought with it, touched on the thorny issue of settlements and reiterated the UK government view that the time was not right for an Israeli military strike on Iran.’ Oh good! WW3 is delayed a tad longer.
‘Despite the UK government’s anger at the Netanyahu government over settlement building (pull the other one), the relationship between the Israeli establishment and the Conservative Party remains strong.’
When did Javid become more traitorous? MI5/6 hunt for bright and twisted sparks in Oxbridge so probably do the same at other universities. I have noticed before that Exeter is a similarly fertile ground for such servants. He joined the Tory party aged 21. Such fervour. I bet he was tapped like Obomber and that he is a member of one of those firms.
It is being denied that the BBC is Zionist.
Some facts.
Apologists for Israel take top posts at BBC
23 April 2013
http://electronicintifada.net/content/apologists-israel-take-top-posts-bbc/12395
BBC editor urged colleagues to downplay Israel’s siege of Gaza …
30 Aug 2013 – The Electronic Intifada … The new Middle East online editor for BBC News has been praised by a pro-Israeli website for … Both emails were originally posted onto the Zionist website Biased BBC on 21 November 2012 by a …
BBC finally admits bias over pro-Israel commentator | The Electronic Intifada…
5 Feb 2014 – The BBC has finally admitted that it breached its own impartiality guidelines … pro-Israel politics to viewers, the BBC has spent over a year denying that ….
and so on, and on and on. Dozens of similar links come up when googling
bbc zionist electronic intifada
Power jets and brooms needed to clean out the Augean stables aka the Houses of Parliament.
Sexual harassment culture in parliament exposed
‘Channel 4 News has been investigating sexual harassment in Parliament. We spoke to 70 people hailing from all political parties and sexual orientations, and found that this is something that’s really part of the fabric.
Researchers from Firecrest Films discovered that a third had personally experienced sexual harassment which they saw as an abuse of power. A further 21 per cent told us they had witnessed someone else being sexually harassed, or that a friend had confided in them. And less than a half (46 per cent), said they had no first or second-hand knowledge of such behaviour.
Scared to speak out
The people we spoke to didn’t want to talk on camera, because they were too fearful of blighting a nascent political career. But here’s what they told us. “At an event for young political activists I was asked to go to the gents by a certain MP who had always been a nice guy. I just brushed it off. The MP suggested I go to the toilets with him at about 1am, but then at 3am I saw him going back to his hotel room with a guy who looked about 18,” one said.’
[..]
‘The lack of an HR department, and the inadequacy of grievance procedures were both issues highlighted in the wake of the Lord Rennard story, and indeed the Lib Dems admitted failing to deal with the allegations properly over a period of years.
And yet despite all political parties promising to treat sexual harassment seriously, behind the scenes it’s clear that senior MPs have failed to grasp the nettle. We’re told one Tory MP expressed the view just last week that those who believe themselves to be victims of unwanted sexual advances should toughen up – or as the MP put it: “Grow a pair”.
Clearly, the culture won’t change until serving MPs not only recognise that there’s a problem, but also decide that something must be done about it.’
/..
http://www.channel4.com/news/sexual-harassment-culture-in-parliament-exposed-westminster-commons
The Tory partei managers did not waste much time before getting the man of the hour on QT tonight. Non-cynics will say his appearance was already planned.
10/04/2014
Image for 10/04/2014Duration: 1 hour
David Dimbleby presents Question Time from West London, with Conservative culture secretary Sajid Javid MP, deputy leader of the Labour Party Harriet Harman MP, leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats Kirsty Williams AM, singer-songwriter Billy Bragg and chief executive of the global advertising company WPP Sir Martin Sorrell.
Known Unknowns dept…
http://www.independent.co.uk/incoming/rupert-murdoch-tells-of-shock-over-wendi-dengs-admiring-notes-about-tony-blair-9252724.html
Strangely, the Telegraph seems to have pulled this story from its site today, while the Indy has the very bald disclaimer:
“Mr Blair has denied having an affair with Ms Deng and there is nothing to suggest that he did.”
No doubt inserted at the insistence of someone with legal training, if not a former PM.
This is how the establishment works and closes the ranks.
Baron Black of Brentwood appeared today at the Old Bailey as a character witness for Stuart Kuttner, Rebekah Brooks’ co-defendant.
‘Former Press Complaints Commission (PCC) director Lord Black, also appearing as a character witness for Mr Kuttner, said his “very good friend” was “a man of the greatest integrity”.
Lord Black said that, during his time as PCC director from 1996 to 2003, he often turned to then News of the World managing editor Mr Kuttner for help and he “never did let me down”.’
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-26989809
Following a career in the Conservative party structure, ‘Black returned to the media after the 2005 general election, joining the Telegraph Media Group in September that year. In September 2009, be became Chairman of the Press Standards Board of Finance (PressBof), the body responsible for funding the PCC and overseeing the industry’s system of self-regulation. He also sits on the Advertising Standards Board of Finance (ASBOF),[8] which performs a similar role in funding the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA).
Black is Chairman of the Commonwealth Press Union Media Trust,[9] which seeks to preserve and enhance media freedom throughout the Commonwealth. He was appointed a Trustee of the Imperial War Museum in July 2007, and reappointed in July 2011.[10] and was appointed a member of the Council of the Royal College of Music in 2009.[11] In 2010, he became a member of The Guild of St Bride’s, Fleet Street. He was a Trustee of the Sir Edward Heath Charitable Foundation until he resigned in January 2009.’
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guy_Black,_Baron_Black_of_Brentwood
His civil partner is Mark Bolland who when working for P Charles helped with the rehabilitation of Camilla Parker Bowles. Bolland became a PR consultant to P Charles and then formed his own consultancy.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Bolland
So one of them is close to the Conservative party. Cameron is a friend of Rebekah Brooks.
Craig Oliver Cameron’s spin doctor ‘was named in documents submitted to the Leveson Inquiry into media standards as being one of eight Downing Street advisers to have had contact with News Corporation lobbyist Frédéric Michel. Oliver and Michel dined together in July 2011 after news broke concerning the News of the World phone hacking scandal, but Oliver did not have to declare the dinner on the register of interests as they split the bill.’
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Craig_Oliver_(British_journalist)
We await the verdicts for Brooks and Kuttner.
Black in his ermine.
http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/41359000/jpg/_41359156_bolland_pa.jpg
and his register of interests
http://www.parliament.uk/biographies/lords/lord-black-of-brentwood/4171
Lord Black is a Board Member of Albany Associates.
From ‘What we do’
Media Regulation & Development
Fragile countries face complex problems when it comes to balancing the right to freedom of expression with the need for modern regulation and a properly functioning independent media. These are difficult and delicate issues that require expert guidance. Albany has an enviable track record introducing media regulation, public sector broadcasters and media outlets in Iraq, Somalia, the UAE, Kosovo, Bosnia and Jordan. Working with governments and media professionals, Albany assists with digitalisation, convergence, licensing, codes of conduct and a host of other issues. Our objective is international best practice while understanding that every country has its unique political, cultural, social and economic fabric which calls for flexible strategies and sensitive implementation.
For examples of our Media Regulation and Development work see our Afghanistan, Bosnia-Hercegovina, Rwanda and Iraq projects.
http://www.albanyassociates.com/what-we-do/media-regulation-development
Client list includes DfID, FCO, USAID, Unesco, UNOps ??, EU and so on
http://www.albanyassociates.com/about-us/client-list
Lord Black is described as a Board Member on the Albany Associates website but he does not appear on this directors list. The address of the company in Chiswick is the same as that for the London office on the Contact Us button.
http://companycheck.co.uk/company/05256920/ALBANY-ASSOCIATES-INTERNATIONAL-LIMITED/directors-shareholders#people-tab
There is a book review about Iraq on the blog and a piece about press regulation where Black has an attribution as Advisory Board Member.
Book Review: The Struggle for Iraq’s Future by Zaid Al-Ali
Posted on March 12, 2014
Corruption, incompetence to blame for Iraq’s failure, says author Zaid al-Ali
http://www.albanyassociates.com/notebook/
Correction.
http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/41359000/jpg/_41359156_bolland_pa.jpg is Bolland.
This is Lord Black
http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/cartoons/2012/12/1/1354320449428/Guy-Black-takes-his-seat–009.jpg
Kamm was right about Cyril Smith.
http://timesopinion.tumblr.com/post/35705574839/the-small-mind-of-sir-cyril-smith-paedophile
Clegg was not. From Kamm’s piece above.
‘When Smith died in 2010, cloying tributes ensued. Nick Clegg said: “Rochdale and Britain have sadly lost one of their great MPs.” I believe that the sole critical remarks were made by Kevin Maguire of The Mirror and me. It’s long past time for a proper evaluation of Smith’s life and crimes.
In making a speech in Parliament opposing European regulation of the asbestos industry, Smith asked for and received the help of an asbestos company in his constituency. He made no mention to Parliament that he was a significant shareholder in the company. He thus dishonestly sought to protect his financial interests in a deadly industry.’
Those Smith abused at a special school in his constituency are coming forward. Poor children.
12 April 2014
Cyril Smith abuse school claims: Seven allege abuse
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-27001067
There was some footage of him on the lunchtime news. I had forgotten how vast he was. 30 stones in 2010. He could just about walk. Pickles look slim in comparison.
If true, absolutely disgusting. That applied to David Steel too.
“MI5 and Liberal party covered up MP Cyril Smith’s four decades of abusing children”
“Politicians, police and M15 covered up former MP Sir Cyril Smith’s sexual abuse of vulnerable boys as young as eight for four decades, it has been claimed.
Police received at least 144 complaints by victims about the late Liberal MP Sir Cyril, but MI5 and Special Branch put pressure on officers to drop investigations, according to a new book.
The 29st MP for Rochdale was able to continue his abuse while the authorities blocked prosecutions, and the Liberal Party even put his name forward for a knighthood in 1988 in spite of the rumours of his activities circulating around Westminster, it has been alleged.
Former Liberal party leader David, now Lord Steel, nominated Sir Cyril for the honour despite knowing of the allegations about the MP, it was reported.
Lord Steel’s involvement only emerged in recent weeks after a Freedom of Information battle.”
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/liberaldemocrats/10762182/MI5-and-Liberal-party-allegedly-covered-up-MP-Cyril-Smiths-four-decades-of-abusing-children.html
Not half so sad as those he abused.
Cyril Smith abuse claims: Family ‘saddened’ by new book
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-27008791