UKIP 2011 LOCAL ELECTION BROADCAST

Here it is ladies and gentlemen, the UKIP 2011 local election broadcast which is not only relevant in my home town of Walsall, but the whole of the UK. After you have watched it ask yourself this: how can I possibly vote for any other party than UKIP? May 5th looms and its time to begin to sort out our local councils

CAR PARKING IN WALSALL, IT'S TIME TO GET ORGANISED

Not fine, parking in Walsall.

Because he lost an eye as a child, my old dad never fancied being a one eyed driver, he thought he would miss seeing things so he always relied on family and close friends to chauffer him around when going places. We were all roped in, including my uncle who used to worry about where he was going to park before we even set off.

Sadly, my lovely old uncle passed away many years ago in the days when finding somewhere to park your car was nowhere near as problematic as it is these days, especially in my town of Walsall where an army of enforcement officers, heavily armed with machines for issuing fines, lurk and prowl in every corner of the town.

Unsuspecting drivers are getting hit at an appalling rate, especially since Walsall’s Conservative Council went completely bonkers and erected on-street parking charges. People pull up outside shops around the town to dash in for their newspapers or a few necessary items, they can’t be bothered to rummage around for a bit of loose change to feed the machine – that’s if they have change to rumage for, and in the few minutes they have dashed in and out causing no problems to anyone, wallop – gotcha! Another notch goes on the enforcement officer’s belt and another poor sucker has just found his 42p newspaper has cost over thirty quid, as long as he pays his Walsall Council extortion money promptly.

Naturally, that driver won’t return to that shop which in turn sees its trade plummet placing its business and jobs in peril. Not to worry though, the hard hit shopkeepers in Walsall are being told by Council officers that this vicious campaign against the town’s motorists is being done for their benefit!

I was told this in one of the badly affected shops on bank holiday Monday, when it was safe to venture out with my car as there are no parking charges on bank holidays. Naturally, the shopkeepers and business owners in Walsall are not happy at all, neither are the electorate I meet on their doorsteps as I go around the Paddock Ward dishing out my leaflets.

When I mention what I am campaigning on in the election, and touch on my opposition to the constant attack against anyone who wants to park their car in Walsall, for once I have not met one single person who disagrees. Last night as I went around with my leaflets I met one chap who did not seem that interested in the local elections or my campaign to be elected, but when I touched on the parking issue it was as if I had lit a fuse. From then on we spoke about the harm being done to Walsall and the inconvenience, he too has stopped using the shops and businesses where just a short time ago you could park your car and pop in for the things you need. It is inconvenient for him and a loss in trade for the business owner.

This is a topic that cannot be parked up and forgotten about, not for those of us who care about the well being of Walsall and the prosperity of the town. If you run a business in Walsall I will be pleased to hear from you, it’s time to get organised.

I'M ALRIGHT JACQUES

It’s time to sort out the family budget as everything is going up apart from incomes. So, lets take a look at the extra costs, telephone bills up, heating bills up, electricity bills up, food bills up, petrol and diesel not just up, but through the roof. Insurances up (thanks to new EU equality rules). Parking charges up, council taxes, if not up massive cuts to local services instead. Beer up, fags up, wine and spirits up EU pension payments up – watsat – EU pension payments!

At a time when all British families are struggling to make ends meet, and possibly having to cut their own pension contributions so they can pay other essential bills, British taxpayers who have had their pips squeaked so hard all they can now emit is a hoarse groan, are now expected to fork out a further £170 million next year towards EU pensions, even though they are struggling to pay their own.

While the plebs suffer with rising costs for just about everything, the EU’s elites are being pandered to and cared for, so much so an average EU official can expect to retire on a pension of more than £60,000 a year – no money worries for them.

EU pensions are rising by four per cent in 2012 which will take the total cost of paying the pensions of EU civil servants to £1.2 billion.

While average British pensioners will be lucky if they can afford bucket and spade holiday by the pond in their back garden (they won’t be able to afford the bucket and spade!), no doubt they will be comforted by the thought of our dearly beloved Eurocrats sunning themselves on the Cote d’Azur which they will have paid for. To update an old saying, I’m alright Jacques!

ELECTIONS, THERE IS ALWAYS HOPE

Derek Bennett, cheers, there's always hope at election time.

Elections are funny old things, you pound the streets delivering leaflets, you speak to people on street corners, outside shops and their homes, and after a while you begin to convince yourself that there is a groundswell of support which could result in a decent vote come election day.

Then you attend the count and see the votes pile up, or not, depending on the mood of the electorate, and you wonder what happened as you leave in the early hours of the morning. Unless you are standing in a marginal ward or constituency the outcome most times is a foregone conclusion as people vote the way they have always voted no matter what.

If an area is rock solid Labour or Tory the size of the turnout and the number of votes each candidate gets will vary from election to election, but the usual suspects will be voted in and in reality, for most candidates and voters any election is a regular ritual we all go through to say that democracy has seen to be done and is still alive and kicking – even though the people who really make the big decisions and rule our lives these days, which is our master race in the EU, are not elected or accountable to anyone.

So, here we are, the local elections loom and we are all going through the usual ritual, myself included as a Council candidate in the Paddock Ward in Walsall. However, I am not sure if its me and wishful thinking, or if the mood of the electorate is shifting.

The reason I say this, during all elections you meet people and they are always nice and usually polite, although from time to time you come across someone who is a bit rude – but that is a rarity. Usually these people have a brief chat as you meet them, and usually they remain none committal and when I ask them to vote for me they usually say: ‘I will give it some thought’, which means they are going to stick to their usual voting instincts and not me. The other one I hear, which is the most frustrating thing of all, is the reply: ‘I like what you are saying and standing for, but I don’t think I can vote for you because you can’t win’. Inside I am going AGHHHH, outside I calmly smile and grit my teeth and reply, well if you don’t for me I won’t win but if you do then I will stand a chance – what’s the point of voting for a candidate whose policies you don’t want on the basis they may win? It’s a wonder some of these people haven’t been strung up by me, I find the lunacy of what they are saying so frustrating.

However, the one thing I am hearing more of this year, which I can’t say I have noticed in years and elections gone by, which is: ‘Yes, UKIP, you know I think I might give you my vote, the others have done nothing for us.' Now this is music to my ears and when I smile sweetly it is for real.

After standing in four general elections and lord knows how many Council elections (I’ve lost count), this change is, without doubt, encouraging. But none the less I have to remind myself I am standing in a safe Tory ward where even the proverbial donkey with a blue rosette would win – all the Tory candidate has to do is turn up, so I must not get too carried away. However, most years I beat the Liberal Democrat vote, so it would be quite nice if get enough votes this year and I began to worry the Labour Party in the ward. Who knows, one day when I’m old and ancient, if I keep at it long enough, I may yet still be elected - there is always hope.

IN THE DEFENCE OF THE REALM, BY ANNE PALMER

Anne Palmer, Britain becoming defenceless.

The Defence of the Realm and the ability and readiness to defend it, is the most important job any Government has to do. We are an Island nation, an Island race and we can never be continentals standing with one foot in one Country and the other in a different Country. We are surrounded by water, and it is up to US the people and our own Government in particular to always have enough ships patrolling and guarding our shores. This is not anyone else’s business or problem, it is the bound duty of every adult in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and our British Governments in particular to ensure the protection and constant surveillance of our British Islands security is always uppermost in their minds and is a matter of fact.

Yet, from August 2011, a new EU law will allegedly become active to end protectionism in defence markets by setting out specific rules regarding procurement of military materiel. It forces EU Governments (meaning also our UK Government) to open more defence tenders to foreign competition on penalty of Court action and the directive will also allegedly help to smooth the way for military pooling and sharing across EU Borders.

When/if this EU Directive comes into being, am I right in thinking that our alleged sovereign Government cannot chose where it buys-if it can ever afford to buy-essential equipment and the best and most reliable equipment, for our forces? Or buy British if we want to? Am I really correct in thinking that an outside "body" (The EU) has the right to tell the Government we pay and elect where it may or may not buy equipment to DEFEND THIS OUR OWN COUNTRY AND TO PROTECT ITS CITIZENS? For goodness sake tell me I am totally wrong for if I am not, this is the ultimate betrayal by those in whom we have placed our trust because they are paying FAR TOO MUCH OF OUR MONEY TO THE EU in EU contributions and far too much to the many EU Agencies, particularly to the EU Defence Agency which the UK Government has been contributing to since 2004, and this at a time when our own Forces were being killed because of lack of protective equipment. One Soldier gave his flack jacket to another-and in that generous action, the former soldier paid with his own life. The death of ONE British Solder through lack of essential equipment is too high a price to pay.

Sadly present British Governments are doing exactly what Government's did in the 1930-39 leaving this country completely unable to defend itself and unready for what was to come. We may be the first Country to leave the EU, and leave it we must, but we will not be the last.

Defence of this, our Country and its people is, and always will be the first and foremost important priority of any British Government. Not to be able to and not to do so is not only incompetent, but sheer treachery.

We do not even have one Air-Craft Carrier at the ready, for the only one we have is HMS ILLUSTRIOUS (currently in refit) where it will remain until 2014 and
if it came out of dock tomorrow it could only carry Helicopters. Ark Royal had three more years to go, there was no need to cut its ‘life’ short. We are to “SHARE” allegedly an Aircraft Carrier with France. It is a tragedy, an absolute outrage. Where is the pride in your Country eh? The laughing stock of the World.

I can’t believe I have had to write that! To admit that this Island nation that depends on its once magnificent Sea Defences is to SHARE an Aircraft Carrier with a foreign Nation!

If we were not in the wasteful, dictatorial European Union, a Community which this Country should never have signed any Treaty with, we could have had a whole fleet of ships. We are wasting Billions and Billions of British pounds in EU Contributions and have been doing so for all the years we have been in it. What a waste! What a dreadful waste not only through lack of ships and ‘planes but of the Forces, the Navy, the Air-Force that should be training NOW, and instead of which essential equipment is being destroyed, and its vital personnel, cut.

How dare the EU give us any kind of orders on what we should do as regards any part of the defence of our own Country? How dare any British MP place this Country in such a position that it cannot defend itself? Something the people after the last war were promised faithfully by those in Parliament that swore that this Country would never be allowed to ever find itself in such a position again. There is no doubt what-so-ever that foreigners are making sure this Country will always be vulnerable and open to attack, and no longer able to defend itself on its own. I grieve that we have had weak Governments that have allowed that to happen.

The EU has even decided if we do not obey what THEY say, it will be on penalty of Court action and fines and it reckons the proposed Procurement Directive will also help to smooth the way for military pooling and sharing across EU borders. We the people, can never allow that to happen. We have a Government that must never allow that to happen either.

How could any one of our MP’s or Government Ministers even think the British people would agree or accept what their temporary Governments seem to want to happen to their Country? This is something that the people should have had a say on because it is all their lives that are at risk. It is their once free sovereign Country that is at risk. The Country that so many of the previous generation gave their lives for in saving from foreign rule. Sadly, not one person in Government has had the guts to tell the people about these proposals, or the guts to tell the people the real facts that our defences have been deliberately run down in order to blend in with EU proposals for the melding together into EU Forces?

To ratify Treaties and/or agreements without telling the people its contents, other than saying we cannot afford to keep all our forces, ships and ‘planes, yet strangely there is always the money coming from some-where for EU needs and EU contributions. There is money for the EU’s proposals for the High Speed Rail and for the EU’s proposals to divide ENGLAND up via the Localism Bill with the added expense of elected Mayors and all the regalia and entourage that goes with it, followed by the break up into the ‘local Regions’ the NHS, the Police, the Fire Service etc. Then it will be money for the EU’s Motorway in the Sea with the probable loss of our 12 mile limit, the Single European Sky where we lose sovereignty over our air-space. A never ending list none of which the people of this Country want, or want to pay for. We seem to have no money for the Defence of our Country, which is without doubt the most important matter for any British Government. It took us 60 years to pay off our debt to the USA for the Lend-Lease in the last War, friends indeed. Governments since then entered into millions of pounds of debt through PPP/PFI, debts that even our Great Grand-children may be still paying off. Governments have sold off “Crown Land” for money to spend, even selling off School playing fields, until it is doubtful there is much left to sell.

This Government entered into the war in Iraq under dubious questionable reasons and then Afghanistan and has recently taken part in the bombing of Libya and seemingly will continue to do so until its leader has stood down. Is that also questionable?

The very recent deliberate reduction of our Forces, touching on all three services including our police, the reduction of our ‘planes, ships, is what many may see as sheer treachery, for Governments have put the EU before allegiance to our Monarch, for these are Her Majesty’s Forces. The Monarch is also the Head of the Armed Forces as well as our Head of State. They are not the Governments forces to decide that they may be put under the Command of any foreigners, particularly permanently. Our Monarch is the only person who can declare war and when war is over, although she must take advice from the Government first. Never before in the history of this Country has any temporary elected Government ever thought of allowing British Forces become involved in amalgamating into what would be permanent with those on the Continent. Working with them, fighting along side of them if need be but never as I have so recently read in recent articles or what is proposed by the European Union.

The Military Covenant reads--

“Soldiers will be called upon to make personal sacrifices – including the ultimate sacrifice – in the service of the Nation. In putting the needs of the Nation and the Army before their own, they forego some of the rights enjoyed by those outside the Armed Forces. In return, British soldiers must always be able to expect fair treatment, to be valued and respected as individuals, and that they (and their families) will be sustained and rewarded by commensurate terms and conditions of service. In the same way the unique nature of military land operations means that the Army differs from all other institutions, and must be sustained and provided for accordingly by the Nation. This mutual obligation forms the Military Covenant between the Nation, the Army and each individual soldier; an unbreakable common bond of identity, loyalty and responsibility which has sustained the Army throughout its history. It has perhaps its greatest manifestation in the annual commemoration of Armistice Day, when the Nation keeps covenant with those who have made the ultimate sacrifice, giving their lives in action”. End of Quote.

These three paragraphs below are from page 37 “The Case for a new approach to EU military collaboration” by Thomas Valasek.

“Regarding the New EU defence procurement directive which is due to commence in August 2011, a new EU law will make it difficult for governments to shield national defence companies from outside competition. The EU’s directive aims to end protectionism in defence markets by setting out specific rules for procurement of military materiel. At present, the defence sector is in practice largely exempt from the EU’s single market rules, on national security grounds.

The EU has countered by setting out new procurement procedures for defence goods, which take into account the specificities of the sector (such as the need for guaranteed supplies in times of war). Under the new law, governments will find it more difficult to justify exemptions from these new rules. If the European Commission enforces its new rules – and it may have to resort to the European Court of Justice because many member-states will be tempted to drag their feet on implementation – defence and security sectors will see much more cross border competition.

By forcing EU governments to open more defence tenders to foreign competition on penalty of court action and fines, the directive will also help to smooth the way for military pooling and sharing across EU borders. At present, protectionism often thwarts co-operation. By opening markets, the defence procurement directive will help level the playing field”. (END of Quotes)

Our own British Government is allowing this Country to sink once more into exactly the same position it was in, in the 1930-1939, totally and utterly unprepared for the full scale war that was to come. No foreign Government or EU should be allowed to know what armaments we have nor how many forces we have in operation, or where we buy defence goods from. Our own Government should make their own decisions what armaments they want and where from which is preferably from our own British Companies. Our Forces should have the best equipment available and no person outside our Country should have anything what so ever anything to do with our defences at all. Neither to know what we have got-the cost-our quantity etc.

In time of war or actions for the prevention of war, the Defence of our Realm is purely a matter for our own Government Ministers, AND NO ONE ELSE. Such information given to foreigners in time of war-and are we not at war at this present moment in time at least in two areas- would be an act of treason- which would have even been a hanging offence if found guilty in the last war.

No one can possibly predict whether there will be another war or not and the way things are at present, there may well be another full scale war sooner than anyone thinks.

While you are reading this around about the 19th or 20.4.2011, our Prime Minister and would be Prime Ministers are very busy trying to get the people to either vote for FPTP or AV. This apparently is THE most important matter to all of them. They are devoting their time appearing on television and going round to various meetings as if their very lives depend on the out come. All for a new way of voting for a Government that, because of the treacherous EU Treaties Political Parties have ratified since 1972, can only obey EU Orders like the rest of the British people. It will always be thus as long as we remain in the EU and the longer we remain in it the less important the UK becomes until we have nothing left to have British Governments for, whether our “vote” be given via AV or FPTP.

The people of course cannot continue to contribute financially towards foreigners to govern them because that is contrary to the oaths of allegiance that anyone born here owes to the Monarch from that moment they are born here in the UK.

So WHY exactly do our MP’s think the people should continue to vote for them any more when all the MP’s they vote for is debate EU legislation yet cannot alter any major part of it? What does it matter which method the people choose to vote for any MP, for they certainly cannot make all our laws. Violation of the Solemn Oath of Allegiance to the Crown and through the Crown to all the people in this Land of ours, is without doubt the greatest betrayal of all. Without doubt, the EU Commission take their Oaths very seriously indeed.

The Government’s Strategic Defence Review October 2010. Given by the Prime Minister “Securing Britain in an Age of Uncertainty” 75 Pages.
http://www.direct.gov.uk/prod_consum_dg/groups/dg_digitalassets/@dg/@en/documents/digitalasset/dg_191634.pdf

For exactly what we have lost in forces and equipment read:- UKNDA-Nationwide pages 5 and 6.
http://www.uknda.org/File/UKNDA%20-%20Nationwide%20Appeal%20-%20FINAL%20AMENDED%20%20APPROVED%20VERSION%20FOR%20DISTRIBUTION%20-%2014%20March%202011.pdf

“The Case for a new approach to EU military collaboration” by Thomas Valasek
http://www.cer.org.uk/pdf/rp_981.pdf

The page
http://www.cer.org.uk/
Defence Procurement Directive
http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/sectors/defence/documents/index_en.htm

Further explanation of the Directive
http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=MEMO/07/547&format=HTML&aged=1&language=EN&guiLanguage=en

DIRECTIVE 2009/81/EC OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL
of 13 July 2009 on the coordination of procedures for the award of certain works contracts, supply contracts and service contracts by contracting authorities or entities in the fields of defence and security, and amending Directives 2004/17/EC and 2004/18/EC
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2009:216:0076:0136:EN:PDF
AND
http://ec.europa.eu/internal_market/publicprocurement/rules/defence_procurement/index_en.htm

On 23 May 2011, the European Commission will hold a high-level conference on Defence and Security Industries and Markets.
http://ec.europa.eu/internal_market/publicprocurement/rules/defence_procurement/conference20110523_en.htm

STRANGE POLITICIANS

Here’s something to mull over on this warm sunny day. Question, there is a desperate need for a range of new facilities in your area such as: schools, hospitals and other local facilities in order to cope with the large influx of European citizens that have moved into your town, thanks to the EU’s rules on free movement and their human rights to live here in the UK.

So, what do you suggest your local authority should do who are responsible for spending money raised in taxes, from your labours. Do they A: borrow the money they need to build the new schools, hospitals etc and repay the loan with normal interest, which leaves them with the ownership of the building and its contents which is an asset that accrues value? Or, B: hand over the complete project to an outside company, who will own the land and the property, and who will then lease the building and its contents to the local authority, which will end up costing taxpayers many times the cost of taking out a loan? This second option, known to one and all as the ‘Private Finance Initiate’ (PFI), also means the authority never owns the property as an asset.

For normal people such as thee and me it don’t take a lot of thinking about, after a quick ‘Doh’, any half sane person would opt for option A. But we are not thinking like our pro-EU politicians and their willingness to put up with the cost of any EU madness, for which we, the poor taxpaying sods, stump up for.

What our politicians have to account for, in their willingness to cow-tow to everything EU, is a little thing called the ‘Growth and Stability Pact’. ‘Wotsat?’ you say. The Growth and Stability pact was the very thing the EU set up at the insistence of the Germans in the days when preparations were being made for the EU’s euro. Every single EU nation signed up to it, including the UK which had opted out, so as to ensure the poorer countries in the EU, such as Greece, Ireland, Portugal and others did not get into debt thus creating massive problems for the more stable euro countries. This is where you say: ‘Well, that didn’t work did it’. You may be inclined to also ask, if it didn’t work and the euro is creating all kinds of fiscal havoc across the whole of the EU, with richer countries going into debt to bail out poorer countries, why on earth are we allowing PFI to add to our fiscal burdens here?

Under the EU’s growth and stability rules, which we meekly comply with, the nation is restricted to some stringent fiscal rules; we have limits on borrowing and spending, so in order to remain within these rules to ensure the euro does not get into the mess it already has, of which we are not part of other than the massive bailout bit, PFI is the only way we can get what we need for the well being of the British people and remain complaint little EU souls.

If borrowing and spending too much in one go to build that new hospital offends the EU, then the only option is to let a private company borrow and spend the money instead, and then pay them an annual lease for the hospital and all its equipment. Naturally, the company wants to make large profits from such a large investment, so we finish up with large tax bills to pay for it. At the end of all this, our mentally strange politicians praise such schemes to the hilt and the resulting headlines about our wonderful new hospital, in our local daily rags, inform us what a fantastic success such a PFI schemel is. These stories are usually accompanied with photos of a few insignificant local councillors shaking hands with the multi millionaire boss of the company, whose about to become even richer, thanks to his PFI bonus. No mention is ever made of the EU’s growth and stability pact.

Last year in the run up to the 2010 general election, Conservatives everywhere were informing the electorate of young Dave’s Euro-scepticism and how he would sort the EU out. He’s a pretty odd Euro-sceptic, he has been quite happy to remain submissive to the EU and appointed some well known Euro fanatics to high places, not least Ken Clarke and Chris Patten. On top of this, he and his two-tone coalition Government have given the go ahead to even more PFI projects, around 39 in total.

Considering Cameron was slagging off the previous Labour Government for being wasteful, and pointed out that in one hospital, because of PFI, it cost £333 to change a light bulb, he seems to have had a ‘road to the EU Damascus’ moment regarding his once opposition to PFI. He has even suggested he was still keen to use PFI because it ‘won’t immediately show up on budgets’. In other words we are still complying with the EU’s growth and stability pact.

As I stated, it is our strange politicians and their strange ways that see such things a benefit, David Cameron has proved he is just as strange as the rest of them.

68% WANT IT

Well, you voted in the first ever poll conducted on this blog, not in your droves but maybe just enough to be a bit of a drove, and now we have the results, which I will leave in place for a short time.

In this far from scientific poll of your opinions on whether or not we should be holding or supporting a referendum on continued EU membership, in answer to the questions: ‘Yes, we need a referendum to sort this out one way or another’, 26% agreed.

In the second question: ‘No, its dangerous if people vote to stay in the EU’, 4% agreed with that statement, and finally, in the last question: ‘There is no need, a vote for UKIP is better’, over half of the respondents, 68%, considered this to be the best option.

As an active UKIP member and currently a UKIP candidate in the Paddock Ward in Walsall, it is heartening that so many put such store in UKIP and its campaign to get Britain out of the EU. This also poses the question to UKIP if it really needs to call for a referendum when people not only know that a vote for it is a vote to leave the EU?

Obviously, there is political gain for UKIP by taunting the pro-EU Conservative, Labour and Liberal Democrat parties, who have one way or another dodged and confused this issue. Cameron promised a referendum on the Lisbon Treaty then failed to deliver, the Lib Dims, when they had the chance to vote against the then Labour Government in Parliament when there was a Parliamentary vote on holding such a referendum, refused to embarrass the Government and dodged the question by saying they wanted a full referendum, which they knew all too well they would not get, and the Labour voted against a referendum on Lisbon – so they all wheedled their way out.

However, what would happen if we did finally get a referendum? For those of us who remember the 1975 referendum on the Common Market we saw just about every biased trick in the book to ensure we had a rigged ‘Yes’ vote, as previously reported on this blog, and the chances are we would see a full re-enactment of 1975.

The Government and its pro-EU supporters, including the EU itself, will most probably use scare tactics such as lurid tales of three million people losing their jobs if we leave the EU, or there will be wars in Europe again without the EU and other tosh will be spread. We will also have similar lies that there are no plans for the EU to become a single nation – even though it already has all the trappings of a state. The whole thing could easily be a replay of 1975 and if that happens and the people are bullied into voting ‘Yes’, then we really will be doomed – there will be little point in fighting for our country, democracy and sovereignty as the electorate, under the manipulative guidance of some very treasonous people, would vote for national suicide – Britain would be done for and the only thing left to do is get out before the EU makes life too unbearable. Hence the poll question, ‘No, it’s too dangerous’.

There is then, just one option for this nation, and that is to vote UKIP and urge the party to strengthen its stance on a vote for UKIP is a vote to leave the EU – 68% of this blog readers want it.

SOLD OUT FOR THIRTY PICES OF EURO SILVER

Mike Nattrass MEP, who has campaigned to preserve and save the Birmingham Assay Office, has sent out this statement.

As one of the six MEPs for the West Midlands with offices very close to the Jewellery Quarter in Birmingham, as a member of the Federation of Small Businesses, as someone with a personal interest in antiques and British silver and as one who stands up for my country, I am firmly opposed to the Government's plan to scrap our hallmarking system.

The quality of our silver is the envy of Europe, which is why every 5 years the EU attempt to scrap the British hallmarking system. Much of European silver is self regulated, is of a lower quality than our own and does not have the world’s confidence, nor is it collected in the way British silver is sought after and treasured.

Since 1371 we in this country have had a quality control system for precious metals which is universally understood, fit for purpose and with an intrinsic value. The scrapping of the hallmarking system would destroy the Halls themselves and the expertise they have built up over centuries. It would have a massive impact on businesses large and small in the jewellery, metalworking, bullion and antique trades which are struggling to keep their heads above water in these lean economic times. This is an economic ‘own goal’ and benefits our overseas competitors.

It would undermine the world wide collectors' market for precious metals in which the UK is a central player. At a stoke the Government would destroy not only a key aspect of our cultural heritage, but also a valuable income source for UK plc which it can ill afford to lose.

This system is not 'outmoded' just because it has existed for centuries. The reverse is true; because this system has existed for so long, it adds value to the articles to which it is applied and it supports a vibrant and economically valuable trade. It is economic nonsense as well as cultural thuggery to scrap the British hallmarking system.

It is time we stood up to pressure from the EU to degrade our industries and culture and here is a classic case, because our Hallmarking system beats the world.

Visit Mike's web-site at: www.ukipmep.org

EU VAT GRAB

When a venture I had been involved in as a young man in 1971 was coming to an end, before I had a chance to begin looking for another job my old man informed me: “I want you in the business” and that was it, there seemed little choice.

I had helped my dad out in the family business during school holidays and not enjoyed it too much, being the gaffers son put me in place for some stick from the blokes who worked there at the time, so it was with some trepidation I started work in the run down draughty old building where our business operated from one day in October 1971.

In those days business was good, once I settled into the job and learned the ropes we worked hard but were rewarded for our efforts and as long as the PAYE was sent in and the books audited, there was little interference from the tax or any other Government bodies – we got on with the job of earning a living and giving employment – as well as a service to our customers.

Then one fateful day after Prime Minister Heath had signed the Treaty of Rome, we joined this thing called the Common Market and a new tax was imposed upon us – V.A.T. had darkened our in-tray.

What a rotten tax it was – and still is. At that time it was set at ten per cent, a bit later it went down to eight per cent eventually rising to 15 per cent when Maggie came to power in 1979, where it remained until John Major raised it to 17.5 per cent as a way of sorting out the mess after scrapping the poll tax. Today it is a whopping 20 per cent, which amounts one fith of the value of most things you buy, including V.A.T. on not only your petrol and diesel, but on the tax on those fuels too – we are literally having one fifth of fuel tax as tax.

In the days when things were good in the business, and V.A.T. was at least at a manageable rate, our business coped with it but was not impressed, neither were we impressed too by the bullying and unreasonable attitude of HM Customs and Excise who, for some reason, had been put in charge of collecting this continental tax, a chunk of which went to fund the Common Market, now the EU.

However, years later and in the hard times of the horrendous rescission of the early nineties, when most businesses were struggling to survive due to the mad scheme of tying all Europes currencies to the German mark during the Exchange Rate Mechanism fiasco, which was a total shambles and a forerunner to the EU’s euro, which is also proving to be a total disaster and shambles, coping with V.A.T. and the HM Customs and Excise heavies was far from easy.

During those dark days, by which time the old man was retired and I was in charge of running the business, I would sit at my desk with the bank overdraft statement in one hand and the demand for money with menaces V.A.T. form in the other and wonder how we would get through – somehow we did but don’t ask me how - it was not a happy time in my life – I’m just glad I don’t have to be an unpaid tax collector these days with V.A.T. set at its current full screw everyone rate.

So, if we think this situation is bad, if the EU Commission gets its wicked way then things will only get worse, it wants to seize control of V.A.T. on thousands of everyday items which could send prices through the roof. This EU inspired and much loathed tax could, if the EU takes control, be added to products currently exempt from V.A.T. such as foods, children’s cloths and printed materials such as newspapers and books, etc.

Thanks to the wonders of qualified majority voting (QMV), any opposition put up by British Ministers such as Chancellor Osbourne, could easily be outvoted at a Council of Ministers and then the British Government, despite all its meaningless waffle about referendum locks and such other tosh, would be stuck with it and have no other option but to inflict this EU tax upon the British people, unless they came to the senses and told the EU to take a running jump and took Brtitain out of the EU – which sadly, the pro-EU Cameron and his EU supporting Cabinet will not do.

Like everything the EU does, this is all part of the creation of one new country called ‘Europe’ where nations like Britain exist only as a collection of EU regions. All we have to do if we really want to tackle yet another of the many problems created by our membership of the EU is to leave, and if Dave and his Tory turkey’s won’t do it then UKIP will – all you have to do to see it happen is vote UKIP.

A WHEELIE BAD IDEA

Shall I risk it or not, that was the thought that passed through my mind around 10pm last night as I approached junction ten as I drove south along the M6. The big decision was to leave the motorway at junction ten and use the ring road around Walsall or to continue to junction nine and head up the Broadway to home, which was the more direct route. Oh these decisions you have to make when driving.

My directional quandary was down to the fact that for quite some time now, when using the motorway at that time of night, junction nine is closed without prior warning thus adding extra miles and time to my journey home. Last night I risked it and finished up going the long way round – they had got me again.

The reason for these constant inconvenient closures is down to all the road works that have been taking place on this section of the M6 from junction 11 to junction 8, which have been ongoing for the last couple or so years. New gantries have been fitted with speed cameras and variable speed limits, the hard shoulder has been opened up to create a temporary fourth lane during busy periods all so this section of motorway, which is one of the busiest in Europe, can cope with the sheer volume of traffic.

Now believe it or not, none of this was supposed to happen as there was a great palaver a few years ago about a wonderful brand new motorway which was called the ‘Northern relief road’. This was a pretty controversial suggestion at the time as many long suffering M6 users were fed up with the long delays around junction ten and saw this as a way of easing their journeys, but of course those who were going to lose their homes or be blighted by this new motorway were not at all happy.

The reason for this wonderful new motorway was to help ease the pressure on this Midlands section of the M6, which would still be used by those going to Birmingham Wolverhampton, Walsall and surrounding areas, whilst those travelling from North to South or vice versa could divert past these busy areas and cut their journey times – or that was the original plan.

However someone had the bright idea that as the country was skint and we couldn’t really afford this much needed stretch of motorway, why not give the project to a private consortium who could spend their own money then recoup the costs by charging a toll to use it – brilliant! Not really.

It’s a sad fact that all Governments of whatever political shade see anyone who owns a motorised vehicle as money juice, squeeze hard enough and the money flows out, tainted with the lifeblood of the poor old motorist who continually suffers. Naturally, give these people the choice of using the normal M6 which their taxes, extravagant fuel duties, road fund licences and VAT on top have paid for, or for paying again on top of everything else, they are going to stick to the M6 rather than use the M6 Toll which is seeing the numbers using it constantly dwindling. Sadly, all this road has relieved is the few motorists that use it from their money – hence all the additional millions spent on the M6 which would not have been needed had the M6 Toll been free and a proper Northern relief road.

One of the reasons tolls are being encouraged, and talked about quite a bit these days, is down to our fat-cat chums in the EU, road tolls are included in the EU’s TEN T transport plans which just about encompasses anything that moves. Added to that, the total waste of time EU satellite programme, Galileo, is to possibly funded by road pricing using black boxes in cars which will not only bill us for every mile we drive, but monitor our every movement.

According to the Daily Express the EU has plans ramp up tolls for lorries by up to 30 per cent, which will be inflationary as everything has to be transported by lorry at some stage. This wonderful idea by the unthinking of the EU is to combat air pollution and noise, which of course it won’t do unless it drives hauliers into the arms of bankruptcy. So called green taxes or additional charges will not stop pollution and noise, it will just add to the costs of everything and add more fiscal burdens upon those who can’t afford it.

It seems the EU will give the ok for all tolled roads to increase their prices, including the already little used M6 toll and other tolls such as the Severn bridge and Dartford crossings, and in return it is proposing that it should receive 15 per cent of the tolls with payments made to the TEN T projects.

As motorists are being hit everywhere, even when they want to park their cars, especially in my town of Walsall where an army of ‘enforcement officers’ are waiting to pounce for the slightest parking indiscretion, this is not going to go down well with motorists anywhere who are struggling to pay the cost of filling up their cars. No doubt they will consider this to be yet another wheelie bad idea from the EU.

GERARD BATTEN MEP WARNS ABOUT UNJUST EU EXTRADITION

Gerard Batten MEP (third from left) with victims of the EU arrest warrant.

In reponse to European Commission report today calling for more national implementation of European Arrest Warrant (EAW).

UKIP MEP for London, Gerard Batten said: "The Commission cannot fail to register that the European Arrest Warrant has resulted in many miscarriages of justice across Europe. But their report fails completely to get the point. They say it is 'an important tool to catch criminals'. Not it isn't, it is a device for transferring suspects from one EU state to another. The police 'catch' criminal suspects, the courts should decide on the quality of evidence against them.

The Commission says that the EAW should not be used for not very serious crimes such as 'bicycle theft'. That is a complete red herring. If someone faces judicial surrender from one country to another it is an equally serious matter for them whether it is for bicycle theft or murder. The whole point of the EAW is that is has stripped the courts of considering the prima facie evidence against the suspect and the power to decide if there is a proper case to answer.

The British courts now have no power to protect their own citizens from unjust extradition, even when they know a grave injustice is being done. That is the fundamental problem with the EAW. Extradition (judicial surrender) has been reduced to a mere bureaucratic formality.

The Commission says the EAW is an 'efficient way to extradite suspects in a border-free EU'. Yes, that is the point the EU considers itself one political state which should have one legal system. The EAW is based on the idiotic doctrine of 'mutual recognition' that says that all EU legal systems are equally valid, whether they be a corrupt court in Romania or Bulgaria or the Old Bailey or Royal Courts of Justice in London.

Out of 54,689 arrest warrants issued so far the Commission can only quote a handful against serious criminal or terrorist suspects. These people could have been extradited under national systems that protected the entire population who are now unprotected from unjust extradition.

We have thrown the baby out with the bathwater in the name of relentless European integration."

ONE FLEW OVER THE EU NEST

If I were a member or supporter of the Tory Party who had placed his/her faith in Cameron and his team being Eurosceptics, I would be wringing my hands in utter despair. In fact even though I’m not a Tory member or supporter I am wringing my hands in utter despair anyway thanks to the EU created mess they refuse to get us out of.

Real Eurosceptics (not the sham Tory type) warned about the inevitable problems the EU’s euro would create, no one took any notice as the EU was determined to go ahead with their lunatic monetary project as it was a purely political project rather than one based on sound economics. The general thinking being, create a single currency and a single nation will follow – yes I know this was a dim witted idea too, but when did those in the EU and its Quisling supporters ever do anything that made sense?

Naturally, as predicted by all those with an ounce of common sense, the EU’s euro project has begun to wreak havoc. Greece has hit major problems and have had to be bailed out, so too has Ireland and now, as widely expected, Portugal has asked for around £70 billion to bail it out of the foul smelling Euro-shit the EU’s currency has landed it in.

Ha, ha we laugh here in the UK, thank heavens for Sir James Goldsmith forming the Referendum Party which forced the promise of a referendum on membership of the EU currency, at least we are not part of it. Sadly, our tears of laughter at the misfortune of others in the EU who were suckered into the euro are turning into tears of despair as we are victims too.

It is widespread knowledge the UK is skint and on its uppers, Cameron blames Brown and the previous Labour Government, who in turn says they would do things differently to get us out of the mess they managed to get us into. However, despite all the political slagging off no one is actually doing anything to sort the mess out, in fact Cameron is just adding to it by refusing to sort out our very serious EU problem.

Because we are in the EU up to our necks, even though we are not lumbered with its euro, we are still obliged, thanks to the EU treaties, not least the rather nasty Lisbon Treaty which Euro comrade Brown signed, we are obliged to bail-out struggling eurozone countries despite our lake of funds. This is like signing every blank cheque in an endless chequebook – and now we are paying out even though we can’t afford it.

So, after bailing out Greece and Ireland, we are now having to stump up £6 billion of money we can ill afford to get Portugal out of the mess it and the EU got it in. At the same time the Government are forcing our cash starved councils to have a slash and burn approach to local services – the world has gone mad.

If the UK left the EU and stopped handing it £billions in contributions, fines and now bail-outs, our debt problems could be resolved in a few short years, our economy would prosper when free of the EU’s burdensome and vast array of regulations. So, the big question is why won’t Dave offer to take Britain out of the EU, after all it is the only way we can stop this nonsense? He was elected on the basis, or so the Tories informed us, that he was some sort of EU sceptic, ‘just wait until he gets elected’, they told us. Well, no he is elected he has refused to honour any promises of a referendum on the Lisbon Treaty or EU membership, he has placed high profile Euro fanatics in high places and agreed to more EU – not less.

So now we are having to add to our national debt while our swimming pools, libraries and other local facilities close and our taxes continue upwards. Hey ho, such is life in the EU madhouse, one day, like Jack Nicholson in the film ‘One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest’ we will escape too. Maybe that will be our ‘One flew over the EU Nest’ moment.

MORE THAN SINGLE ISSUE

Would you vote for a political party that hasn’t a clue what it is talking about? Would you vote for political candidates that don’t seem to know what is going on around them? If the answer to those questions is ‘No, of course not’, then why do so many people vote either Tory, Labour or Liberal Democrat?

UKIP has been a growing political force for some time, yet these other pro-EU political parties seem to be under a considerable misconception about the UK Independence Party and just dismiss it as being a ‘single issue’ party campaigning against EU membership only.

The reason these other parties have such a problem coming to realistic terms with UKIP is they don’t know how to counter UKIP’s many common sense policies, they would rather just shove their heads up their own smelly derrieres and let the words echo out from the cavity they speak from, ‘Duh, UKIP is single issue’.

UKIP may have been formed back in 1993 on the basis of campaigning against the single most important issue, then and now, which is the EU as it now makes most of our laws, destroys our democracy and takes a vast chunk of our wealth for no benefit to the British people whatsoever. These days UKIP is firmly established as the UK’s fourth largest political party (or should that be second after the Barnsley by-election?) and its single issue days have long since gone.

Since the 2001 General Election UKIP has been campaigning on a whole raft of issues and going into all elections with comprehensive manifestos, the 2010 General Election manifesto was the most substantial and comprehensive yet – it made the manifestos of the other parties look like inconsequential pamphlets. UKIP is now going into the May 5th local elections with a pretty good manifesto covering all sorts of things, yet according to our political opponents, we are still single issue - if you can understand their strange logic. If that is the case then they have no issues other than to obey everything the EU instructs – which is just about all they do anyway.

So, come May 5th are you really going to go out and vote for one of the three parties that are so clueless all they can do is talk out of the place where flatulence comes from, or vote for UKIP which not only has a comprehensive range of issues, but unlike the other parties put Britain and its people first.

If you are just happening to visit this blog from one of the other political parties, or if you want to really know what UKIP stands for and you have lots of time to spare, then below are some links on UKIP policies to take a look at. This will take more that the few minutes it takes to read the pro-EU policies on the other party web-sites.

UKIP policies: http://www.ukip.org/content/ukip-policies

UKIP 2010 national manifesto: http://www.ukip.org/page/ukip-national-manifesto

UKIP 2011 local election manifesto: http://www.ukip.org/media/pdf/LocalManifesto2011.pdf

TIME TO MAKE THAT CHANGE

One of my functions in UKIP is to oversee the branches in the West Midlands and to be on hand to help and advise. It’s fair sized area I cover which means, as this function is done on a voluntary basis in my own time and at my own expense after a day at work in the office, I have to gad around attending UKIP branch meetings from Staffordshire in the north to Herefordshire in the South, and from Shropshire in the West to Warwickshire in the East. A few late nights and a lot of miles are involved.

One of my main tasks at this time of year is to chase up the branches and encourage them to put up as many UKIP Council candidates as possible, then make sure they all get their nominations in on time and without too many tears and tantrums – sometimes it is a bit like herding cats.

This year, I am pleased to say, we now have just over 120 UKIP candidates in my patch, which compared to previous years isn’t too bad, although more would have been better.

Our UKIP candidates, now they are all official after the close of nominations last Monday, are already getting stuck in delivering their election leaflets. The results this year could be very interesting indeed.

The popularity of the Liberal Democrats has plummeted, although I could never fathom out how people cold vote for such a rabidly pro-EU anti-British political party. Their one time younger voters are well and truly pissed off with them after their volte face regarding student tuition fees. In my neck of the woods in Walsall, I am looking forward to seeing how our candidate in the (up to now) Lib Dem stronghold of Willenhall North does. The Lib Dims are going to lose a lot of votes – where are those votes going to go? The Tories and Lib Dims are now seen as one and as bad as each other, the Labour party is now so lacklustre and dull its voters will all be asleep on election day, which leaves our Liz to mop up the votes, as long as people have the sense to call it a day with those three worn out and tired old parties.

With Dave (fibber) Cameron leading the dispirited Tory rank and file, it will also be interesting to see how they do too. Cameron has just about broken every promise he made to both take the Tory leadership and then win the general election last year – who can ever trust that man again? His promise of less EU, a referendum and safety measures to stop the EU taking more even control over our lives meant nothing. He has now stated there will be no referendum, we must be in the EU and also signed us up to more of it too.

Then, of course, there is Ed Milliband leading the Labour Party, or should that be the wrong Milliband leading the Labour Party. What a useless disappointment that man must be to Labour activists and voters. The Labour Party may be hoping to pick up votes on the 5th May but they are certainly not inspiring anyone to vote for them.

All it needs is for people to realise what UKIP offers and we can have a bright fresh outlook regarding the political scene. UKIP have a full manifesto which breaks away from the tired old dogma of the other political parties. It is time to make that change otherwise nothing will change.

KICK 'EM IN THE BALLOT BOX

For some time now I have been banging on about Walsall Council’s aggressive attitude against anyone who drives and wants to park in Walsall in order to spend their hard earned dosh in the town, or what is left after the taxman has grabbed a chunk of it then handed it to our Government who in turn gives it to the EU. So it was quite something to see on the front page of the Express and Star (Monday 4th April), the news that a group of Walsall Councillors have followed, yet again, our UKIP lead and are calling for a repeal of Walsall’s lunatic parking regime, which is driving motorists and business away from the town.

For quite some time now I have been writing to the local press about the ridiculous attitude the current Council has to anyone who dares to drive into the town and park, even for a short period. As the E&S reported, within the first few days of the towns latest blitz against drivers when new on-street parking levies were introduced, 670 drivers were walloped with fines. Those motorists will more than likely not return and the businesses and jobs that relied on them will be put under great pressure to survive – is this what the Walsall Council leader Mike Bird wants for Walsall – does he want to turn our town into a ghost town?

With the local elections coming up people should begin to seriously consider voting for UKIP, which has within its 2011 local election manifesto, a call to halt widespread overzealous parking enforcement, along with the scrapping of hospital car parking charges which do nothing other than tax the sick and place additional financial pressure on their visiting families.

Maybe this group of Walsall Councillors have taken heed of our UKIP call to return to free Sunday parking and allow visiting drivers to park free of charge for the first hour along with time limited free on-street parking, but maybe it was also our UKIP call to kick ‘em in the ballot box’ that stirred this usually lacklustre bunch of politicians up a little. I hope you too will vote UKIP on May 5th and stir things up – we certainly need it.

Past posts:

http://derekbennetteu-sceptic.blogspot.com/2010/11/ranting-ad-infinitum.html

http://derekbennetteu-sceptic.blogspot.com/2010/10/moving-to-new-battlefield.html

http://derekbennetteu-sceptic.blogspot.com/2009/10/parking-problems.html