As I near retirement I realise that my body cannot physically do the things I could do only a few years ago. The mind is willing but the body is weak. This is despite me performing an office based role for my career. I believe it to be socially unacceptable for this government to expect citizens to perform heavy manual labour for their living beyond the age of 65. To expect people in these job sectors to work beyond the age of 65 will impact on their long term health and life expectancy.

Sure Start Children's Centre services in Newcastle are facing a two thirds cut in funding over the next three years. This will mean closure of services, buildings, parents groups, activity for young children across the city. It will mean at least 100 jobs will be lost across the council and the voluntary sector. It will mean the opportunities for children and parents will continue to be worsened, following significant cuts already 2010, and the axing of the councils play and youth services last year. SSCCs in Newcastle are all rated Good and Outstanding by Ofsted, reach the vast majority of children under 5 and their families offering universal as well as targeted services. The council proposals:  For the three year budget cycle (2013 – 2016) - the cuts proposed equate to over £5 milllion (or approx. 65% of the total budget) The first £1 million savings have already been agreed, with a proposal for a further £1 million this year and then £3 million for the year 2015-16.   Overall the cuts since 2011 will equate to over 70% with the budget being reduced to less than £3 million from approximately £10 million in 2010-11.   The review of Sure Start and Early Years Services has now been incorporated with the Family Services Review which is being asked to cut £670,000 over the next two years out of budget of £2.3 million which is a 34% cut in services to the most vulnerable families, children and young people.   50% of these services are delivered by the council and 50% by the Community and Voluntary Sector. The city council have estimated that for the work they directly deliver this would equate to the lost of 63 full time equivalent posts (i.e. this will actually be more than 63 people losing their jobs as many jobs are part-time or may be job share) we can only estimate that the equivalent level of job cuts would be made by the Community and Voluntary sector meaning the job cuts proposed would be at least 126 full time posts (probably between 130 and 180 people losing their jobs)   The review has not identified which Sure Start Children’s Centres, Services, Buildings or staff will face cuts.   The councils review timetable includes: ·         April 2014 onwards: Options appraisal (looking with partners at what the cuts could like and coming up with proposals) ·         July 2014: Consultation on the proposed cuts and closures ·         August 2014: Partners agree which options are to be implemented ·         September 2014: Implementation of the cuts for both 2014-15 and 2015-16. ·         March 2015: All cuts implemented.   The councils proposals for 2014 – 2016: http://www.newcastle.gov.uk/sites/drupalncc.newcastle.gov.uk/files/wwwfileroot/your-council-and-democracy/budget_2014-15_-_pc_-_2_-_family_services_review_0-25_incorporating_early_years.pdf   Previous year budgets: http://www.newcastle.gov.uk/your-council-and-democracy/budget-annual-report-and-spending/budget   Unison’s campaign page: http://unison-newcastle.org.uk/sure-start.html   Motion passed at Unison Newcastle City AGM: http://www.unison-newcastle.org.uk/assets/files/AGM2014/140210_18%20Motion%20-%20Save%20Sure%20Start.pdf

In February of 2011, after more than a year of investigation, the Chilcot Inquiry into Britain's role in the invasion of Iraq concluded. It is outrageous that today, more than three years after the end of the inquiry, the public has still not been given the conclusion. What is equally reprehensible is, apart from the occasional meek entreatment to Chilcot by some politicians to get on with it, hardly any body of influence seems to be pressing for the results to be finalised and published. The day Britain began its attack on Iraq was one of the blackest days in the history of our nation because, despite massive public opposition, our Government, with the full support of the parliamentary opposition, went ahead with the invasion, resulting in the deaths of hundreds of thousands of innocent men women and children and a major increase in terrorism. To their eternal disgrace, there are many in the 'establishment' and in political circles who supported the attack and in whose interest it is to keep kicking the report into the long grass. Consequently, the only group who can try and bring about publication of the report is us. I would therefore like 38 Degrees, through its members, to campaign and pressurise Chilcot into releasing the report immediately. We must show that we will not be treated as inconsequential bystanders and be ignored and humoured as though we are simply an annoyance. We must force those we elect and nominate, to do the job we pay them to do and not simply make up their own forever changing timetable. The British public were treated with contempt when the Government and the parliamentary opposition chose to ignore us and take us into an unprovoked war of aggression, the worst type of war crime. We must not let the Inquiry into that disgraceful episode also treat us with contempt. *************************************************************** We now have the answer to the reason for the delay:- 12th Nov. 2013 "Cabinet boss must not decide on Iraq papers", says Owen: David Owen, former Foreign Secretary demands Sir Jeremy Heywood is stripped of responsibility because he worked closely with Tony Blair Inquiry chairman Sir John Chilcot said last week that his probe has stalled indefinitely because Sir Jeremy is blocking the release of correspondence Sir Jeremy was Principal Private Secretary to Tony Blair between 1999-2003 ******************************************** 29th May 2014 CHILCOT WILL RELEASE THE ‘GIST’ It’s just another way of saying “we will withhold important information” It would obviously be much better for us to see all of the documentation between Blair and Bush in the run-up to the invasion but the most important document we need, if it exists, is the one where Blair agreed to assist Bush in the attack come what may. That information is absolutely no threat to security but of course if it is a threat to Blair we may never see it. If an 'independent' committee has sight of documents that clearly show that a Prime Minister or any minister for that matter, for their own reasons, committed our country to a course of action that had not been fully approved or discussed and which resulted in a massive loss of life for hundreds of thousands of innocent people, without question that information should be released. Why should those documents be for the eyes of the committee only and not for the rest of us when in that situation the minister in question has clearly acted incorrectly?. It means that they are above the law and can transgress with impunity, we are supposed to be a democracy! The excuse that the documents cannot be released for either security or confidentiality reasons is totally spurious. The conversations between Blair and Bush are about a specific and unique situation. They were not conversations about the price of fish, they were conversations that resulted in Britain engaging in and waging a war of aggression against a country that was absolutely no imminent threat to us - a war crime. Many believe the British people were lied to over the reasons for taking the country to war and those in power at the time know it and so do the families here and in Iraq whose relatives were killed as a result. We must have a full and complete report describing how and why our Government decided to invade another sovereign country in our name. It has been deliberately stalled for far too long, we need it NOW

We need to change the unjust laws that are causing us so much suffering. We are an advantage to the UK, but we have to wait too many years for an answer to our asylum claims. We are not allowed to work in the meantime and have to survive on £5 a day. Many of us become ill, physically and mentally.

At a time when Government cutbacks are affecting vital public services and most people's pay rises have not kept pace with rising prices, it is important that the Government is fair and even handed. We all have to pay the full cost of issuing passports and driving licenses, so gun owners should do the same. Subsidies to wealthy grouse moor owners should be stopped and the money used for wider benefit. See http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2014/apr/22/cameron-blasted-battle-shotgun-licence-fees or http://www.monbiot.com/2014/04/28/the-shooting-party/ for more information.

In 2014 and 2013 the reported cost of policing this group was £1million in Brighton alone. There were 27 arrests during the 2014 march, and several violent clashes bringing injury to bystanders and destruction to property. The Marchers and EDL members often stay in town once the march is over and create an atmosphere of intimidation, often resulting in further violence. It is clear that the people of Brighton do not want the March to take place, and make their presence known along the route. Free speech is important in our country, nobody wants to deny peaceful protest no matter how abhorrent the opinions of the protesters are to us. But when a protest consistently brings violence, stands for racism, hatred of minorities and scapegoating, AND costs the tax payer hundreds of thousands of pounds to police, it's time to put an end to it. They are disturbing the peace and inciting hatred, and we want to stop them marching through our town. To show how serious this cause is, I include a link to a short video. This shows one of the mass street fights which occurred during the march, which police were powerless to prevent. WARNING contains violent scenes. http://youtu.be/uU8TnvCgBqQ

In a time of austerity a few are profiting nicely at the tax payers expense. MP's expenses need to be rigourously scrutineed in order to restore public confidence in our leaders. For Osbourne to declare that 'we are all in it together' is rank hypocrisy in the extreme. More background: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/georgeosborne/9729139/George-Osborne-bought-paddock-with-taxpayers-money.html

It is apparent from experience that choosing parties on the basis of stated agendas is not enough to guarantee we achieve anything. The actions rarely mirror the bold promises once in office. It can appear Breach Of Contract is is just an abstract concept to our Political Parties who show exceptional finesse in being able to do a complete 180, seamlessly, without too much trouble, and yet keep voters aligned to them somehow. It's like a collective amnesia where we're forcing ourselves to replay history over and over, convincing ourselves we won't get short-changed again, ignoring the in-built weaknesses and Conflicts Of Interest arising from our current Democratic System.

As it stands now, we can only vote for the candidates listed on the ballet paper. If you do not like any of them, it's a choice to either to not indicate any or defile the paper. Both options are against the law and could have repercussions. With the addition of a none of the above option you will be able to register your dissatisfaction with the candidates and not brake the law. But still support the electoral system.

We have the technology now to overcome the inadequacies and corruption of Parliamentary democracy. We have the will, but lobbying our rotten Parliament over and over again with e-petitions can only effect change within the limited parameters set by the corporations and bankers. It will only get us so far. The vision of a real alternative - a Direct Democracy - or a UK People's Administration is so closely aligned with that of 38 Degrees and it's members that it makes sense to explore the concept with groups who are campaigning for E-democracy - to collaborate with them on the development of infrastructure for a better system of governance.

The current Capitalistic system has failed dismally, it has before and inevitably will again in the future causing further devastating misery and absolute despair across the globe if it is allowed to continue as it stands, with the undeserving populace of the world inevitably once again left to pick up the pieces of a failed and abused system still being allowed to be broken by just a few of the greediest and most gluttonous who are allowed to walk free! This current Capitalistic system has also resulted in the top few percentile of a countries population owning the vast majority of that countries assets and wealth leaving the majority of its' population progressively disenfranchised, increasingly exploited and even more poorer leaving generations for years to come suffering the consequences from this colossal failure that has been allowed to continue without proper scrutiny or rehabilitation. Check it out for yourself:- The report asserts... “...vicious circle where wealth and power are increasingly concentrated in the hands of a few, leaving the rest behind”.“This means the rules are constantly rewritten in favour of the rich, for example through policies such as lower taxes for high earners,” it says. The charity said the findings were “deeply worrying”, and that such inequality was a “sign of economic failure”. http://www.oxfam.org.uk/blogs/2014/03/5-richest-families-in-uk-are-wealthier-than-poorest-20-pc http://www.oxfam.org.uk/media-centre/press-releases/2014/03/a-tale-of-two-britains “400 people owning the wealth of half of the population of the United States”. The guardian The report, launched at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, states that "wealthy elites have co-opted political power to rig the rules of the economic game, undermining democracy". The 85 richest people on the planet "own the wealth of half the world's population," Oxfam said. The report exposes the "pernicious impact" of growing inequality that helps "the richest undermine democratic processes and drive policies that promote their interests at the expense of everyone else", the statement said. "We cannot hope to win the fight against poverty without tackling inequality. Widening inequality is creating a vicious circle where wealth and power are increasingly concentrated in the hands of a few, leaving the rest of us to fight over crumbs from the top table," said Winnie Byanyima, Oxfam Exec. Director. Present:- With the current Capitalistic system the employer exploits the employee to the extremes and the owners and shareholders cream off any profits made by them - Which has seen a scandalous pay gap develop between the highest paid and the lowest paid in the same company, and leaves many disenfranchised having to claim for unemployment benefits which keeps the wages of the lowest paid low and the working class having to pay higher taxes, leaving the richest in our society able to afford tax avoidance schemes!!! I want to revolutionize that broken and dilapidated system and make this planet we all live on a much better place and more inclusive for all the citizens of the world, and desperately need all your help if we are ever going to achieve this seismic change for the benefit of all humanity. Future:- The system I propose is a more modern, inclusive, and balanced Capitalistic System that’s fit for the 21st Century where company profits are shared out fairly between all the employees who actually make the product and deliver the service, the corporate employer who needs to reinvest funds for the future and the corporate shareholders who require and expect a fair return on their much needed investments. It is not only much fairer for the vast majority of all those concerned but this should also allow for a better more enfranchised and caring society whereby the wealth is redistributed more evenly throughout the population across all pay levels, giving scope for full employment prospects with everyone in a company pulling in the same direction which should deliver more wealth, better health and a much more balanced sense of well-being throughout all our communities in the future! This can be achieved over a 5 year period in a stable and controlled manner so as not to destabilise the markets and also allow a level playing field for all concerned parties by gradually increasing the employees share of the company profits/share ownership of a corporate company and placing it into an independent employees trust fund where it would be split equally between each employee. This would start at 10% of the profits/shares for the 1st year, then 20% the profits/shares the 2nd year, 30% the 3rd year, etc. - So this employees proportion is gradually increased until the wealth of the few at the top at present is re-distributed fairly and more evenly throughout the whole populace for a better and more inclusive society! 21stcenturycapitalism.org - The Athena Party.org

Rather than discussing the horrendous economic situation that has forced many people to use food banks, the article focused on the warped idea that food banks are merely an easy means of obtaining free food. This is not true, and suggesting this is an insult to the thousands of decent people who are living in poverty because of the cavalier attitude to unemployment and enormous welfare cuts that have been imposed by the government, which is supported by the Mail on Sunday. While we need a strong media to bring the ills in society to our attention, it is also important that the media should be honest and should not misrepresent issues for political gain or out of mere hatred. When the media uses inaccurate reporting to mislead the public, we must take action to stop them.