Postmasters wrongly convicted

Victory! Appeal court throws out postmaster convictions after years of injustice | Morning Star (morningstaronline.co.uk)

Appeal Court clears Postmasters after miscarriage of justice.

A victory for the sub postmasters who have been wrongly convicted in the greatest miscarriage of justice ever seen in this country. The Appeal Court in its judgement in favour of the sub postmasters found that “Throughout the period covered by these prosecutions Post Office Limited’s (POL’s) approach to investigation and disclosure was influenced by what was in the interests of POL, rather than by what the law required" adding that the convictions were “an affront to the conscience of the court.” The distress and financial hardships, and even prison sentences for some, had left innocent people with a criminal record, severe emotional trauma, the loss of their home and bankruptcies in a number of cases.

The cause of this travesty of justice was the introduction by the Post Office of a new computer system named Horizon, developed by the Japanese company Fujitsu, to be used in sub post offices for a variety of tasks including accounting and stocktaking. Almost from the start, it was evident that the system had significant problems  These problems caused the system to misreport transactions leading to money, sometimes large amounts, going "missing" from the sub postmasters accounts. The sub postmasters were unable to challenge the errors because they were unable to access information about the Horizon software. Consequently more than 900 prosecutions theft, fraud and false accounting were made against the sub postmasters. Following the convictions, some went to prison, were shunned by their communities and struggled to secure work. Some lost their homes, and even failed to get insurance owing to their convictions. Some have since died. The postmasters have always maintained that the computer system was at fault and that they were not responsible for any wrong doing.

Throughout this mockery, the Post Office and Fujitsu, maintained that there was nothing wrong with the Horizon system and that all the "missing money" was the result of criminal activity by  postmasters. It is now appears that a conspiracy existed between the Post office and Fujitsu as the DPP are considering whether there should be charges of perjury against officials who claimed in court there were no problems with Horizon, even though emails and other documents now suggest they knew that there were.

It really is completely unacceptable that the Post office should consider that an apology would compensate for the years of trauma, loss of homes, criminal convictions and years spent in prison. The Post office statement that "We sincerely apologise to the postmasters affected by our historical failures" adding "Throughout this appeals process we have supported the quashing of the overwhelming majority of these convictions and the judgment will be an important milestone in addressing the past."

There can be no question as to whether those responsible for this cover up should escape prosecution. In the same way that there must be no question as to compensation for the postmaster. However, no level of compensations can ever be enough to replace that which the postmasters have lost in reputation, livelihoods, financial loss and time in prison. It is even more tragic when we consider that some have died without knowing that their reputations and actions have been vindicated.

The actions of the Post Office and Fujitsu have been reprehensible throughout this travesty and they must be held accountable in law and in equity.

  

EUFA join the appeasement camp

 Holding a Palestinian Flag is not antiemetic!

I have been writing about the influence of Friends of Israel and other Jewish pressure groups/lobbies for some time. Even the slightest criticism of Israel, no matter how tenuous, has become a platform for those seeking to demonstrate how their stance on antisemitism is shown off as some sort of emblem of their integrity. The guilty conscience and subsequent appeasement by governments, political parties (particularly the Labour party), organisations and public bodies has become almost hysterical over recent years and is indicative of a very unhealthy attitude. It is incredible that this obsession now extends even into football. No matter what the IHRA definition of antisemitism may wish to impose on everyone, support for the Palestinians is NOT antisemitism. For UEFA now to fine a football club because their fans displayed Palestinian flags is atrocious, sickening and is a new low in the policy of appeasement. We have now passed the point where the principal for Free Speech has been corrupted to mean that people can exercise the right in all aspects of life, except where there is any mention of, or connection to Israel, in which case Free Speech is banned.

Insufficient Housing for rent

Provision of Social Housing.

A petition is currently circulating on social media from Liberal Council Andy Canning, calling for Dorset Council to use South Walks House, and other Dorset Council buildings that are currently surplus to requirements, to provide 100% affordable and social housing.  

I have not signed this petition.

Historically, Conservative Councils and Conservative governments have been opposed to social housing in any form. A comparison between the housing stock, maintenance facilities and new build shows a significant variation in the allocation of resources and actual performance. This imbalance between Conservative led councils and others including "NOC" councils goes back over many years.

Some time ago, when I was a member of the Basingstoke Borough Council, my group put down a motion critical of the Conservatives policy on council house provision, the growing number of families in the Borough waiting list in the Borough for council housing and demanding that the council take immediate action to substantially reduce the numbers on the waiting list. During the course of a heated debate, the ruling group's attitude towards council house tenants and those still on the waiting list for a home, was glaringly obvious as various members contributed to the arguments. Eventually the Conservative group (there was no overall control at that time) defeated our motion with the support of the Liberal group and some abstentions from "Independent" members.

The most atrocious and offensive contribution to the debate was when a Conservative member got to her feet and stated that there was in fact no waiting list problem. She went on to say that it was just a matter of time before the list was reduced in any case. Her reasoning for this ridiculous assertion was that natural selection would provide that as disabled people moved out of houses and that as older people passed on, a stock of houses would become available for those on the waiting list to move in. The benches in the chamber, particularly from my group erupted with howls of derision, shock and anger and at this heinous comment from an elected member of the council.

This incident has remained with me as a graphic reminder of the callous and soulless reminder that no matter what lip service  Conservative's may pay to the plight of homeless or people waiting for social housing, the bottom line is that they are indifferent to the problem. In this, from that day when the Liberals supported the conservatives and from subsequent experience, I also have little sympathy for Liberals who invariably express concern but support policies which are no better than conservatives. 

Fire and Rehire. The employers have the whip hand.

 ‘Fire and rehire’ tactics rife at firms that are in profit and claiming Covid cash | Employment law | The Guardian

Hundreds of British Gas workers have been sacked in the latest "Fire and Rehire "dispute, where employees are forced to accept new contracts with longer hours and reduced pay. The alternative to signing the new contracts of employment is to be dismissed by the employer who is then able to recruit a new workforce on the poorer conditions. This is an deplorable tactic which of course is condoned by the government who at the same time mutter weasel words of criticism of the company's action but do nothing to remove this abusive practice by employers using this stratagem.

British Gas however compound this assault on working people by issuing a patronising statement to justify their action as if seeking some sympathy for sackings.   

British Gas:

“While change is difficult, reversing our decline which has seen us lose over three million customers, cut over 15,000 jobs and seen profits halved over the last 10 years is necessary.”

The last part of this British Gas Statement says it all. As with most disputes, this one is all about the company, in this case Centrica, seeking to maintain or preferably increase profits, and it is always at the expense of its workers. Throughout the history of working practices, and particularly since the Industrial Revolution. the struggle between the workers and the employers has predominately revolved around pay and conditions. With the Repeal of the Combination Act, it became possible for workers to organise and become members of an appropriate Union. Since then, many unscrupulous employers aided and abetted by successive conservative governments, have sought new ways to ensure that the employee remains in a subservient position and should be  "grateful" to have a job. 

This current dispute is only one of the disputes involving companies who have profited from government support during the Covid crisis. Recent reports suggest that 9 of the 13 private employers threatening to dismiss and re-engage staff on worse contracts have managed to maintain healthy profit margins, with some even increasing executive pay. British Gas reported profits of £80 million in its last update and Centrica, the parent company of British Gas received £27million under the governments "Job Retention Scheme".

This atrocious policy must be attacked and opposed by the Trade Union movement as a whole and the Labour party in particular exposing this as yet another example of iniquitous behaviour by employers. With particular reference to the Labour Party, they must loudly declare that this Fire and Rehire practice will be banned under legislation to stop the abuse, by any future Labour government.  

British Government opposed to ICC investigation.

 Palestine condemns Boris Johnson for opposing ICC Israel investigation | Palestinian territories | The Guardian

The extent to which the influence of the Friends of Israel and other Jewish lobbies have become dominant in British political life or in society is both shocking and alarming. This time it is none other than Bozo Boris himself who is leaning over backwards to appease the Conservative Friends of Israel, with his assurance that his "government  opposed this particular inquiry into Israel" adding that “This investigation gives the impression of being a partial and prejudicial attack on a friend and ally of the UK’s,” He was of course referring to the  International Criminal Court investigation into alleged war crimes in the Israeli-occupied territories. His pathetic reasoning for this stance is that  “Israel is not a party to the statute of Rome [that established the court] and Palestine is not a sovereign state”. In addition, he endorses Benjamin Netanyahu's statement, no doubt agreed by the Americans, that Israel rejected the case as “undiluted antisemitism and the height of hypocrisy”.

With the United States, the United Kingdom and of course Israel. the investigation is unlikely to take place, but even if it does, any findings will be totally ignored on both sides of the Atlantic. In the face of all the evidence of Israeli war crimes in Gaza, the West Bank and thought-out the Occupied territories The British Government follows the dogma of appeasement to Israel regardless of circumstances,

Why is it that the collective guilty conscience surrounding the Holocaust remains so prevalent in the western world and in fact seems to be growing stronger as time passes?

We have seen how the activities of these lobbies has in recent years influenced the structure of political parties, the foreign policies of nations and not least of all the way in which legislation has been enacted in this country to effectively ban any criticism of Israel and to criminalise anyone deemed to be acting or speaking in any way which can be labelled as antiemetic, no matter how tenuous a link may be.

It is a frightening fact that Israel and those who support Israel, can do nothing wrong and we have given them carte blanche to carry on with the obscene policies towards Palestinians and others, as decreed in Tel Aviv. This acquiescence will return to haunt us all in the future

No Border down the Irish Sea

 

The Legacy of Brexit.

 When the "Brexit" debate was still filling our newspapers and our television screens, readers may remember why I had changed my mind since voting to leave at the referendum vote.

Apart from the economic arguments, which had become crystal clear after peeling away all the lies and misrepresentations trotted out by Bozo Boris and his "Get Brexit Done" conspirators, there was always the problem of the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. Would it be possible to have a border between the European Union and the United Kingdom where people, goods and services could pass freely between the two nations without customs restrictions, tariffs, duties and all the other formalities? Would it be possible to have one part of the United Kingdom treated differently from other parts of the United Kingdom, particularly when Scotland for example had voted overwhelmingly to remain part of the EU (62% remain) and Northern Ireland itself had voted to remain with a 56% vote?

Clearly, there had to be a "hard border" somewhere between the EU and the UK either on the island of Ireland or down the North Sea if the hard-line Brexit lobby were to be satisfied. Therein lies the problem.

Any hard border on the island of Ireland, would immediately generate hostility due to the necessity for border control points, barriers and watchtowers which had been removed with the "Good Friday Agreement" of 1998  as part of the Northern Ireland Peace Process. On the other hand, a border down the North Sea would create a "Two Tier" United Kingdom with Scotland, Wales and England having no access to the benefits available to Northern Ireland through their remaining to all intents and purposes as part of the EU.  

The "troubles" over recent nights have predominately been in the "loyalist" areas of Belfast, Derry, Newtownabbey, and Carrickfergus and are being attributed to "a small group of disaffected criminal elements". This however does not recognise that tensions have grown in "loyalist" communities, over post-Brexit trading arrangements, which it is claimed have created barriers between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK.

The trading arrangements resulting from Brexit, between Northern Ireland, The European Union and mainland United Kingdom have always been problematic with the historic cross border movements of goods and services between Ireland and Ulster. The cobbled together "Northern Ireland Protocol" satisfies none and has created more problems than it solved by, in effect, creating a border in the North Sea and a myriad of rules, forms, documents and administration to manage it. The Brexit negotiators in the form of Bozo Johnson and Ursula von der Leyen came away from their "discussions" with smug self-satisfied smirks on their faces telling the world that all was well and that they had fixed it. Only a few months later, the British government announced that they were unilaterally changing the Agreement and across the Chanel the EU announced that they were taking Britain to court over the issue. Complete and utter shambles which as usual satisfied the politicians, in the short term at least, but did nothing to resolve the underlying problem.  

There will never be a resolution to this Brexit problem, nor will there ever be a sustainable peace in Northern Ireland until politicians and people realise and accept that the partition of Ireland in 1921, was a fundamental error which has been compounded over the years (and is rooted in the past 300 years) and should be now be abandoned.

There must be a reunification of Ireland, with a nation governed by the Irish people. Should this not take place then people, on both sides of the Irish Sea for generations to come, will be tormented by the consequences.