WTF, Sunday Trading Extension Blocked Without Public Consideration

This may be one of the few times where I find myself dare I say it, agreeing with the Conservatives on policy reform and oddly enough disagreeing with the opposition for lobbying the SNP to block the reform of trading hours on Sunday.

In this day in age should Sunday still be considered sacrosanct? Christian charities and the Church of England have resisted the move, claiming that Sunday is for families, whilst unions argue that it would erode worker’s rights.

I personally don’t see an issue with extending trading hours on Sundays. It would perhaps be a move away from draconian policy based on religious ideology. A deal could easily hammered out to ensure workers get regular days off. Just like all those who already do shift work or are on call.

Living in a semi-rural location myself, I find it incredibly frustrating that the world seems to shut down on a Sunday. There are reduced public transport services, in some cases no Sunday service at all.  

It’s obscenely old fashioned to have industry grind to a halt for no other reason apart from stubborn tradition. I am assuming anyone who couldn’t work Sundays for religious reasons would be allowed that freedom just as people of other faiths who observe a different Sabbath day should be allowed to maintain their individual beliefs.

Having extended trading hours on Sunday would mean more flexibility and individual freedom for the worker. I personally have never been fortunate enough to have had a job that paid time and a half on Sundays. But I am aware of some systems which have a policy of paying employees a weekend premium. Whereby from midnight on Friday till midnight on Sunday, employees are paid at a slightly higher rate. If a policy like that was rolled out nationwide, I am sure it would get much support from the public.

It is in my opinion the mistake of every government to wilfully presume it knows what is best for the people it governs whilst neglecting to consult directly with those same people. Why can’t the public decide what hours they want to work? It is pretty shameful that reality shows like the X-Factor offer more community engagement then Prime Ministers Question Time.

We have the technology to conduct live surveys and generate audience responses in real time. Why can’t we ask the public about how they feel about the matters that are important to them? I feel that in this instance the opposition was wrong to lobby the SNP to block this reform without giving it full public consideration.

I think all of us are sick of the stagnant politics of previous generations. The political bear baiting between parties only serves to side-line important issues and hinders any real long lasting progress. My personal experience of being homeless at the age of sixteen has led to my development of a long standing resentment towards the blasé “blairesque” Labour party who presided over a period of such great difficulty in my young life.

I am too young to recall the desperation of the Thatcher era, but over the past few years I have grown bitter towards our Conservative leaders. George Osborne has already sold off more state assets then his Thatcher era counterparts, with another four years to go virtually unopposed with their 36.9% “majority”. Iain Duncan Smith’s is quite rightly vilified in the disabled community, having been responsible for mindless cuts which have had an untold effect on the public health, literally costing human lives in the name of austerity.

I have always felt that any government that leans too far right or left is doomed to fail because it does not represent a balanced view of the peoples will. With that being said, the Left in Britain is rising for a reason. Jeremy Corbyn seems to be a truly righteous politician. This jaded political underdog has become the champion of the common man. People believe in him, I believe in him because he speaks his mind and for the most part listens to the public. Even though I disagree with how he has handled this Sunday trading reform, I still think many has-been and would-be politicians could learn a lot from him.

Passionate individuals like Corbyn capture the hearts and minds of people because they aren’t spewing the same cut and paste rhetoric that we are all sick and tired of. The same can be said for the colossal douchebag Donald Trump and his campaign bid to become the Republican candidate in November’s presidential election but alas that shall be a central topic for a future blog in the run up to the election, if he wins the nomination I will write a blog post critiquing him and consider the international ramifications if this egomaniacal turd rolled in glitter ever becomes president of the USA.

https://www.premier.org.uk/News/UK/Labour-unites-to-urge-SNP-to-block-Sunday-trading-extension

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eJYCXjXiu9k

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=idKp6JHrRRE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TGc2nN9OguQ

Bad Mothers?

There is an unlimited amount of ignorance on the internet. But have you ever come across something so stupid that you felt it will give you a heart attack or an aneurism if you don’t confront it.

The particular thing that ground my gears today was a YouTube video broadcast by Stefan Molyneux titled The Hidden Rape of Europe. I have seen many of Stefan’s broadcasts over the past year, and have appreciated his points of view, even if far removed from my own. Stefan has advertised his broadcasts as a daily dose of empiricism.

This broadcast was riddled with conjecture and had no sign of empirical evidence backing up any of the assertions being made by the guest speaker, Toni Bugle who was representing Mothers Against Radical Islam And Sharia.

At one point very early on, she states that a million girls have been raped by Muslims in the UK. There is no reference of where she obtained these statistics, or over how long of a period these rapes took place.

They make a bold assumption that the mainstream media is not broadcasting the full scale of the problem. I don’t know how a million rapes could be hidden from public knowledge. The most notorious case that has been well documented in the mainstream media is that of Rotherham. But to amount to the figure that this woman was claiming, we would need to have incidents like Rotherham in every city in England, Scotland and Wales.

It’s dangerous misinformation like this which propels racial stereotypes and obscene social bigotry. At one point she stated that there are parts of the UK which are unofficial no-go areas, simply because they are not “safe”. Which echoes shades of the story broadcast on Fox news about Birmingham being radicalized. She states that someone with her beliefs wouldn’t be safe in certain areas. I felt she was just projecting her own social insecurities on to others. People cannot tell your beliefs just by looking at you, so long as you’re not ranting and bothering people, I think you are pretty safe walking down any street in the UK.

I really took issue with Stefan saying Islam shouldn’t be referred to as a religion, just as communism shouldn’t be referred to as an economic platform because it’s really about “world domination”. Couldn’t the same argument be made against capitalism? Life, much like philosophy is all about perspective. It’s such a shame to see a talented philosopher with such a closed mind.

This video actually made me feel ashamed for being a subscriber to his channel.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tjsaHF2HtFU

https://twitter.com/Marias0015

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-south-yorkshire-28934963

Post Office Closure? Big Deal Or Who Gives A Fig?

Whilst it is always great to see political rivals put aside their party bias for the common good, I can’t help but feel like they only agree on the soft issues that everyone can easily agree on. Such is the case with the possible closure of the Post Office on the High Street in Aberystwyth.

In total 42 Post Offices have been identified as branches bleeding money and becoming dead weight for the company. Seeing as the Post Office was privatized not so long ago, it cannot afford to operate at a loss.

The premises in Aberystwyth has been in use as a Post Office since 1901. There is no denying the historical and social significance of the building, but what viable options are there to keep it as is, without propping up a private company with public finances?

The local authority could offer a huge rate relief which would make it finically viable for the business interests of the Post Office. But that rate relief would set a bad precedence, whereby any business with superficial historic significance could hold the public to ransom in the same way.

If it is such an important issue to local people, then they could take out home phone and broadband contracts with the Post Office, spend more money in there so it becomes less of a drain on their corporate interests.

I personally find it frustrating that people are rallying behind this banner of saving the post office, when nobody did a thing when it was privatized in the first place. If it was still owned by the state, then it could justifiably run at a loss because it’s a public service. But it’s not and we cannot change that without further cost to the tax-payer.

No one drew battle lines when the sorting office was closed. The location has been turned into Cross Fit and everyone seems happy with the situation. The Post Office, isn’t even talking about removing services, just franchising out, which makes perfect economic sense.

It works well in CK’s at the top of Penglais Hill, and on a national level. If it is franchised out to WHSmiths or the new Tesco, would people really care? Post Office services are becoming obsolete with each passing day. More and more of their services are accessible online, with private delivery firms operating far more efficiently and at a lower operating cost. At what point is it just blind sentiment preventing progress?

I wonder what the townsfolk of today would do if they were informed that a church was closing and being turned into a pub. They would probably be dead set against it, and we would not have the Academy.

Sometimes change is for the better, even though it can be hard letting go of the past, I feel it’s better to embrace the future. The building will always have historical significance, that doesn’t mean it has to remain a Post Office. It could end up being a nice new café, or a boutique clothing store. The possibilities are endless.

Although in this town, it will most likely end up being another Polly’s, a charity shop or a mobile phone shop.

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/42-post-offices-could-closed-7205858

https://www.facebook.com/mark4ceredigion/photos/pcb.590103364479859/590103274479868/?type=3&theater

#liz4ceredigion

I would like to start this blog post off with a short poem that sums up what has been my growing distain for party politics.

I can’t help but feel bamboozled

By these bureaucratic twits

And the more I stop to think about it

The more it makes me sick

These fools who run our country

Really haven’t got a clue

About what life is really like

For voters

Like me

And you.

And

If you,

Like I

Would like some answers true

Then we have no choice

But to join this endless queue

All the time remembering

that politicians

Are known

 to tell some porkies

And more than just a few

Because these classless toff’s

Are truly out of touch

With

Voters

Like me

And

You.

Those of you who know me, know I’m not one to mince my words. I take my time to speak, and hope that I am heard. I have genuinely felt I have been at a political crossroads recently. The last general election was the first time in my adult life that I did not formally discount my ballot on polling day. That is because Mark Williams MP personally earnt my respect and admiration. I only joined the party, because of him. I can count on one solitary finger the politicians I respect, the rest I would give the finger too.

The general election was the first time I got up off the political fence, only to have to leap to my new party’s political defence. The election was akin to social bear baiting. It didn’t matter what party you chose, you were criticized and vilified for it regardless. Because of all the political bitch-fighting many of the key issues were overlooked and the Conservatives crept in with a 36.9% majority.

It has been almost a year since the election and I have seen this country take a disturbing turn down a dark road. With the recent terror attack in Paris, the whole world has ebbed ever closer to a xenophobic wet-dream. In a time of global fear and social panic we are now presented with this In/Out EU referendum. Which in my personal opinion is a colossal waste of tax payer money which could fund vital social resources. All of the main parties are launching expensive campaigns to remain in the EU apart from UKIP and a few Eurosceptic splinters from within each individual party.  I would hope that most of us see that leaving the EU would be a disastrous idea and would only serve to alienate us from international affairs. I hope that the projected polls for an almost even split divide in the EU referendum are just as accurate as the polls projecting an even split divide between Labour and Conservatives prior to the general election.

I think we should all take these stats and polls with a pitch of salt. They are aferall devices created to perpetuate the sale of newspapers and to create click-bait articles to line the pockets of the already wealthy elite. I wish instead of giving us a pointless referendum at our own expense, we should have a referendum on the renewal of Trident. Then perhaps we would see some lasting positive global change, which would ensure we and future generations sleep much sounder. We spend an unjustifiable amount of money building and maintaining these nuclear weapons of mass destruction which we all pray are never used. Meanwhile we are cutting vital services all in the name of stringent austerity measures.

Most recently I had found myself at odds with my own party, as I disagree with a policy being backed by my party. The policy would see the removal of the right of a parent to remove their child from sex education classes. My eldest child is almost seven, and to tell the truth I had never considered her sex education prior to this. Speaking as a parent, I feel that if I thought my child wasn’t emotionally developed enough to deal with the classes, that I should be able to safe guard my child in whatever way I saw fit. There is also the grounds for removal for religious reasons. I myself am not religious, but I empathize with parents who are. Should it be the states prerogative to encroach on the individual religious freedoms of its citizens? I don’t think so. Personally I think more consultations and participation between schools, parents and pupils would be the most effective means of resolving these sensitive issues, where every side could feel understood and appreciated.

This evening, I attended the campaign launch for Elizabeth Evans. To begin with I felt like a total outsider. Half the people there were over sixty-five, and I swear the other half were barely old enough to drive. It was certainly a shame that my generation were under represented at the event. Many of my peers feel disconnected with the political system, to readily believing the bull shit perpetuated by the media and the state. The lines between media and state blur so often, it is hard for average Joes like myself to distinguish the two at the best of times.

Mark Williams MP gave a rousing speech, which resonated with me. Not just because I respect the man, but because I believe what he was saying. When he spoke about the “unfinished business” of the Liberal Democrats.  Kirsty Williams the leader of Welsh Liberal Democrats was also present and gave another impressive speech. I’m not a political fan-boy, I didn’t recognize who she was until after she had spoken. She was stood behind me in the buffet line, and I had no idea who she was. After she spoke I was fortunate enough to get the opportunity to speak with her for a few brief moments. She was very approachable, and down to earth. Here was me, a-nobody that was sleeping on building sites only a few short years ago, now talking with and exchanging ideas with the leader of a national political party.

I was tremendously surprised by how much I liked what our candidate for AM Elizabeth Evans was saying. She spoke plainly and touched on some of the important local issues, such as maintaining our NHS and protecting social resources like schools located in rural areas. I got a great sense of solidarity from the party, highlighting that each of us can make a big impact in small unique ways. It was just a shame the speeches weren’t recorded for podcast. It was a shame that more local people my age didn’t get to hear what was being said. Most of my friends, and myself included are sick of shabby politicians, saying shit they think we want to hear. It’s quite clear to me, that Mark, Kirsty and Elizabeth are anything but origami politicians that fold under pressure and for what it’s worth both Kirsty and Elizabeth have earnt my respect, and Elizabeth has most certainly won my vote.

I am not a mindless automaton, I even disagree with my own party on some key issues and favour the opposition on others. I wouldn’t just vote for or endorse someone out of a misguided sense of party loyalty. I think bias or blind party politics is part of the reason the world is falling apart before our eyes. I am voting for Elizabeth Evans for AM because I believe she can make a difference and would present herself as a universal conduit for the collective will of her constituents. I have seen Elin Jones AM over the years, and she used to be really great. PLAID promised a lot and delivered very little. They promised to support people in Wales with autism, but instead cut funding and access to public services. It was only because of Mark Williams MP and the Liberal Democrats that I was able to get the right support in place. Almost a year on and I am progressing through university, where I just received a triple 2.1 in my first semester. I wouldn’t be where I am right now if it wasn’t for that vital assistance I got when I was desperately in need.

During the last election, I got dragged into the political fray over a picture tweeted and retweeted by the PLIAD candidate Mike Parker. It was at a time when I was already in a very emotionally fragile state. Which most of you can relate to I’m sure. I had politely tweeted to Elin Jones AM and Mr. Parker to which he retorted with some literary quote of his own egotistical design. I’ll never forget it “glib incendiary”, what a pretentious sounding prick. The fracas on social media boiled down to me calling Elin Jones AM a condescending cow on twitter and she got pretty offended. It was slightly ironic, she, and her party publicly said that they would support autistic people in Wales, then got offended with how I (someone with a communication disorder) communicated with her.

I’d love to see Elizabeth dethrone the political queen bee of Ceredigion.

One can hope, and one can dream, of a Welsh government without queen Elin.

http://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/liz4ceredigion