I Intend To Escape ......................And Come Back

The Triumph of Terminal 5

The British Airports Authority have decreed that all users for domestic flights of the new fifth terminal at Heathrow will have to be fingerprinted.

I have no idea how a Spanish owned private company can make such demands, but it seems they can, and of course new Labour goes along with them. Saturdays Telegraph Travel had an excellent article by Nigel Rumfitt pointing out yet another step towards the database state. And as we know, with governments databases are about as secure as an old garden shed with a faulty lock.

To quote Rumfitt:

"Would any recent terrorist outrage have been prevented by ID cards or fingerprint records? If it would, why bring in vital security measures by the back door and confine them to domestic flights?"

Never Forget

"Young and old alike must learn about the Holocaust as warning against the dangers of racism. There is no difference in colour or religion. If I had survived to betray the dead it would have been better not to survive. We must not forget. Please do not forget."

Holocaust survivor Leon Greenman, who died this week.

At Last - A Supporter of Rowan Williams!

Just when it was thought that the Archbishop of Canterbury's only supporter in the world was Mrs Archbishop of Canterbury, Ray Davies of Caerphilly steps forward:

"Dr Rowan Williams will go down in history as one of the most progressive religious leaders that the church has ever produced. His standing among black and white, young and old, Christian and Muslim, has never been higher, and I am proud that he is a product of Wales".

Letters, The New Worker 15 February 2008.

Military Priorities

"More than 1100 soldiers have been dismissed from the British Army since January 2006 for using Class A drugs.
Not one soldier has ever been kicked out in 30 years for killing an Irish civilian".

Fifth Column, An Phoblacht/Republican News, 22 November 2007.

The Political Quote Of The Year

“There are some people who want to jump on any rumour that gets out to damage Respect. They would be better advised to check the facts with me. Our Respect group remains united and ready to join the fight against the Tories and New Labour in the Greater London Authority elections.”

Tower Hamlets Cllr Ahmed Hussain, quoted in a Respect press release on 14th February. A few hours later Cllr Hussain, who was also a member of the Socialist Workers Party, defected to the Conservative Party.

No Gods, No Masters

"What does God mean? The idea is synonymous with irrationality, superstition, ignorance, and usually dogmatism, insecurity, authoritarianism, intolerance and self-loathing."

Peter Tatchell, in a recent issue of the New Statesman.

A Sense Of Priority

This evenings London Paper reports on the shocking case of a headless corpse found in North West London:

"Police believe that the man was murdered elsewhere because no blood was found at the scene, which is just half a mile from supermodel Kate Moss's new home in St John's Wood."

First As Tragedy, Then As Farce

Rummaging through some old papers today, I came across a 1994 pamphlet by the Indian Workers Association (IWA), critiquing the Anti-Racist Alliance.

The ARA, for those that have forgotten, was an 'anti-racist' organisation dominated by Marc Wadsworth and Lee Jasper. At that time there were countless organisations in this field - the Anti-Nazi League, Youth Against Racism in Europe, Campaign Against Fascism in Europe, and at the more militant end, Anti-Fascist Action. None survive to this day, despite fascism being stronger electorally today than ever before in British history.

The creation of ARA was quite poorly received - the last thing that was needed was another organisation fighting racism and fascism. The ARA did however serve a purpose - on the day of the mass march on the BNP's Welling headquarters in 1993, ARA decided to hold a rival march in central London, thus taking thousands of people away from a flashpoint area. And people wonder why Lee Jasper went on to get the rewards he has from the political establishment!

A keen supporter of Jasper's in this era was Ken Livingstone, then an MP. I can do no better than to quote the IWA on this loving couple:

"Wherever there is a black separatist, one can be sure of the presence of a white liberal lurking around the corner to give a helping hand to his disadvantaged black brother".

That is just what Livingstone has been done for Lee Jasper for a very long time. And rather nicely they have both done out of the relationship. Oh, and whatever happened to Mr Wadsworth?

Look Around You

The Labour MP for Hackney South and Shoreditch, Meg Hillier, has produced this little gem in her January 2008 newsletter:

"Fifty four per cent of newly built homes in Hackney in 2006/07 were affordable homes".

Take a look around you. Look at the properties that have been built in your street, and in your neighbourhood. Do you think you could avoid to buy one of them?

Do you think you could afford to buy any of the properties built in Hackney in 2006-7?

The Rehabilitation of Ashley Cole

Living in Hackney, I don't have to travel far to hear opinions on Ashley Cole.

It is fair to say that to most of my Arsenal loving neighbours, he is about as low on the evolutionary scale as Sol Campbell is to Tottenham fans. (People outside London may wish to note that in neither case is the man's colour an issue - Spurs fans hate Sol Campbell because he is Sol Campbell, Gooners hate Ashley Cole because he is Ashley Cole).

I am convinced however that Mr Cole has employed some top PR experts to ensure his rehabilitation throughout N1 and N5. How else can you explain this quote, on the front page of this evening's London Paper, discussing his fling with Aimee Walton.

"We started having sex then he just rolled over and vomited all over the cream carpet, it was disgusting. He had some mouthwash and we started having sex again".

Get in there my son!