The British Legion Manifesto & Petition

In what could be a five, or even six month lead up to the next United Kingdom General Election, the parties will be preparing their Manifestoes to explain what they will do if they win.

As the teams of backroom specialists, spin doctors and election hierarchy from each party work on these documents, there is a window in which non-political groups can galvanise opinion in an attempt to ensure cross party support for their agenda and therefore inclusion in the Political Party Manifestoes.

The British Legion has launched It's time to do your bit campaign, with their own six page General Election Manifesto in PDF format. Having read it (several times), I have come to the conclusion that it is the only General Election Manifesto where I totally agree with the agenda!

The British Legion has also launched a Public Petition to show support for the British Legion Manifesto and a form which sends an email to all potential candidates for election to MP in your Constituency requesting they support the British Legion Manifesto.

For current MPs who read this blog (yes there are one, or two), or are a candidate then the British Legion has thoughtfully provided a means of showing your support: Election Candidates- How to do your bit


It's time to do your bit campaign

A strong City is not just in Britain's interests

The Author of this Article, Mark Jago is a semi-regular contributor to this Blog, however his insights on issues of the day, are to be increasing found in the comments section of articles published online by the better UK Newspapers.

The above headline is borrowed from an article written by the Chancellor of the Exchequer Alistair Darling on the 2nd December 2009 in the online Times paper laying out a case for the City of London to remain a prominent European financial center.   This is in response to City concerns about Gordon Browns agreeing to new European market oversight and the appointment of Michel Barnier as the new EU Single Market Commissioner to oversee regulatory reform.   It makes an interesting read into the thinking of a Government attempting to create an impression that is 180 degrees out of step with reality.
You can read the article here: A strong City is not just in Britain's interests

The Chancellor fails to mention that the Royal Bank of Scotland was allowed by his Government to leverage itself up to become the world’s largest bank with perhaps the largest exposure to toxic mortgage assets.  Also that Banks outside the UK and US were the victims of US and UK financial policies of exporting systemic risk which caused the freezing and failure of the world economy.  While he talks about having a safe market place, financial regulation and ensuring taxpayers and customers do not pay for bank failures.  We all know that he and his Government have created an environment where the opposite is true.  In terms of doing business in the UK companies, small business, investors and customers face a very high risk of loss due to the Government and financial industry.

With the advent of online electronic banking there is now little reason to use UK institutions. Companies and traders can trade stocks 24/7 on various exchanges around the world.  Large corporate funding is generally funded by multiple Banks and can be arranged in jurisdictions like Canada where there is better downside protection against systemic risk.  By any measure given the current UK economic and political situation the cost of doing business in the UK could turn out to be an unacceptable risk.  It remains to be seen if Europe is willing to take on the City once they have a full understanding of the risks involved.

My comment as published the Times is as follows:
 It's simply stunning to see that people are still attempting to rewrite history in order to carry on as before.   The world made the mistake in putting its trust in the large UK and the US financial centers.

It was debt issued through these financial centers classified by their regulators as AAA that turned out to be toxic.  This debt contained risky packaged mortgages that were sold in a similar way that resulted in the previous failure of the London insurance market.  Mortgage brokers were paid large fees to sell mortgages to people who had no hope of even being able to pay the interest on the loan.   The world made the mistake in putting its trust in the large UK and the US financial centers.

The US and UK Governments were instigators who dismantled financial oversight.  They miss-managed their economies and created the housing bubbles that caused the financial crisis and recession.  Both countries have massive Government borrowing requirements facilitated by funding through their financial centres.  In simple terms they have built a money machine that takes the wealth created by ordinary people around the world and concentrates it in the hands a few greedy advantaged individuals in London and New York.

Had there been a shred of honesty within the institutions of this land there should have been an admission of fault and help for the honest people and businesses that have been damaged by their actions.   As usual Government politicians have put their own interests ahead of those of the country and deflected responsibility by blaming others, stonewalling and whitewashing the facts.

The City would have you think that they are an indispensible part of the world economy. In fact they have brought about their own eventual demise.

Today's Oil Facts of Life

The Author of this Article, Mark Jago is a semi-regular contributor to this Blog, however his insights on issues of the day, are to be increasing found in the comments section of articles published online by the better UK Newspapers.

An article in The Times "Oil companies in rush for London Stock Exchange listings" during the weekend paper got me thinking that while there is much hype over energy there is very little factual information made available to the public.  The UK Government does not freely give out information about consumption and North Sea production. What UK figures I have is gleaned from various sources.  Other information I have found on the following web sites:
Energy Information Administration (US Government), CommodityOnline and Platts.

Those of you that have seen my previous blogs about Oilexco will understand that I am an investor with vested interests and definite opinion on the conduct of the UK Government and the Royal Bank of Scotland.  The Times weekends article highlights the North Sea energy resource as little more than an opportunity for the Government and financial industry to make quick money at the expense of the Oil Companies, investors and UK energy consumers. My comment attached to the Times article implies that it's all little more that a shell game, you can guess what I mean by that….

There are an estimated 22 billion barrels of possible oil equivalent energy resources in the UK North Sea. Much of this is high grade Brent crude combined with significant quantities natural gas.  While Oilexco was a relatively small company it operated drilling rigs partnered with a number of other oil companies that made up a large portion of the North Sea development.  Oilexco production was just coming on line at a cost around $15/barrel when the RBS forced it into bankruptcy protection.   A six month extension of the RBS loan at minimal cost would have seen Oilexco through its difficulties, a fact that the Government was made aware of but failed to offer its support.

When you read the following information, be aware that during tight energy demand periods 200 additional barrels of daily production can make the difference between $80US and $160US/barrel oil pricing.  China, US combined daily oil consumption accounts for roughly one third of daily world production. UK consumers pay double the price that North Americans pay for their energy as a consequence of Government policies and practises.     

It is important to understand that oil storage in tankers is insignificant (140 million barrels est.) when compared with current world oil consumption.   Chinese daily oil consumption was estimated to be 7.9 million barrels in June 2009 and oil consumption was up 12 percent over the period from 2007 to 2008. China's population is 5 times size of the US, Chinese new car sales are currently estimated to be running at one million a month and the economy is expanding annually at a rate estimated to be between 8 to 10 percent. Peak US daily oil consumption was between the years 2004 and 2005 at a rate of 20 to 21 million barrels, current daily consumption is between 18.5 and 19 million barrels and is expected to start to increase again in 2010.  World daily oil production for the first three months of 2009 is estimated to be 8o million barrels down from a peak of 87 million barrels.

Oil consumption is expected to increase next year by 1.26 million daily barrels.  Currently increasing Asian oil demand is offsetting other areas of world demand destruction.  World oil production last year was closely in line with consumption. 

The UK Government had expected to see 2010 North Sea Oil production increase to 3 million barrels of oil equivalent per day.   Their mismanagement of the resource will see UK production down to between 1.5 and 1.2 million barrels per day.

Much of the new oil production now coming on line is low quality which many refineries find difficult to refine and has to be mixed with higher grade oil.  This leads to a problem, whilst much of the 'new oil' is low grade, new sources of premium oils of the quality of Brent Crude from the North Sea are becoming increasingly scarce. 
Add to these woes, is that many of the new oil fields now starting production have short estimated production lives of eight to ten years. But of course new oil field discoveries are often announced, but it is important to understand it can take up to ten years for these to put into production, even in normal times.
But the financial crisis has had a significant negative effect on companies engaged in oil field exploration and even on the development of those fields already discovered and that should be in the process of being brought on line.

The increasing future demand for oil is unlikely to be met by the current level of new development. Like it or not, the world is going to have to come to terms with consuming less oil at higher prices. The UK is not "well placed" to deal with this growing problem.

The Extradite Gary McKinnon Saga Continues

My views on the Gary McKinnon Case and the Extradition Treaty were detailed on the 01st August 2009 in this post.
Extradite Gary McKinnon, no problem. But now let's fix the Extradition Treaty
Even the Home Secretary after reversing his decision to not to review the case (U-Turns being one of the few things British Ministers seem good at), has found that there are NO valid reasons to stop the extradition.

As a reminder on what this is all about:
Gary McKinnon hacked into 97 Computers belonging to:
United States Defense Department, US Navy, US Army, US Air Force, and NASA in the months after the Sept. 11 attacks. In the process of causing (by latest figures) $700,000USD of Damage, and stole 1,000 passwords from high-security computer networks.

He has admitted he did indeed commit these crimes, but only because he was looking for information on U.F.O.’s. Hmm, if this was indeed his only agenda, why did he leave the following message on one of the Pentagon computers he hacked:
“U.S. foreign policy is akin to government-sponsored terrorism. I will continue to disrupt at the highest possible level.”

The Lawyers acting for the US in the Extradition Case have described Mr McKinnon as:
The most prolific and damaging computer hacker in the history of the United States military.
Well I would change the wording to:
The most prolific and damaging, non-state supported computer hacker in the history of the United States military, that has been caught so far.
But then these are only Lawyers and what do they know about Cyber-Espionage being carried out against all Western Countries Military and Industry.
But despite this caveat, the crimes committed mean Gary McKinnon was carrying out acts of Cyber-Terrorism against the USA.

But hold on, a Professor watching a Television Interview  being given by McKinnon after extradition proceedings had started, began to suspect that he was suffering from Asperger syndrome, and subsequently he was indeed diagnosed as a sufferer of this disorder in August 2008 (three years into the Extradition proceedings). Asperger Syndrome is viewed as being within the Autism Spectrum of Disorders and is the cause of much discussion amongst researchers and indeed sufferers whether it is a difference (i.e within the spectrum of normal behaviour), rather than a disability that must be treated or cured.

As covered in my earlier post, Gary McKinnon does seem to fit some of the Asperger Profile, but surely this should have been diagnosed in Childhood when the symptoms are more pronounced rather than in his early 40's. Also within Asperger, like any of the disorders within the Autism Spectrum, there are huge variations between individuals.
If Asperger's is a valid defence, then there is no reason why this would not be considered as valid in a US Court as in a UK one?
Alternatively now that it is known that in Gary McKinnon case Asperger's is so serious that his obsessive behaviour meant that he went out and attacked the systems of a British Ally, then why hasn't he been sectioned under the Mental Health Acts and currently in a secure facility and (as there is nor real treatment) confined there for the rest of his life?

A lot of People from the British Autism Society to a bunch of Cross-party MP's and 'Celebrities' have jumped on the Save Gary McKinnon bandwagon. At least in the case of the British Autism Society, I have some sympathy with their stance as for the rest, well..

The only Person for whom I have both sympathy and respect in this case is Gary McKinnon's Mother, Janis Sharp who has mounted one of the most impressive campaigns in support of her son that I have ever known. Having said that, I believe her campaign should fail and that Gary McKinnon's case be heard in an American Court on the eight counts of computer fraud, that the extradition request is connected with.

But this does NOT in any way change my views on the 2003 Extradition Treaty. It is one of a small number of issues where I agree with Shami Chakrabarti (I respect and admire the Lady, just don't often agree with her) that this Extradition Law is in need of urgent reform. I would go further, in the next parliament the Treaty should be revoked and whilst renegotiated replaced by Extradition on a case by case basis.
See:UK-US Extradition Treaty and Certain American Politicians Support for Terrorists Posted on 13th August 2006 .
After all one of the reasons it is so imbalanced is the concern that members of the IRA living in the US would not be given a fair trail if extradited to Britain and one of the concerns of the British Supporters of Gary Mckinnon is that he won't get a fair trial in the USA, I trust US Justice the same as I trust British Justice, I view both with considerable reservations, but they both attempt to give defendants a fair trial - My Objection to the NatWest Three being extradited, was their case clearly fell within British Jurisdiction and due the intense anger over Enron, there was a possibility of trial bias. But the reason that I support Gary McKinnon's Extradition is treaty, or not, this case falls within US Jurisdiction and there is NOT the same US Domestic angst.

Medical Emergency - Good Neighbours/Friends & London Ambulance Service

The Idle Man is on day five of recovering from an extremely frightening medical problem (not being able to breath - I guess this something those with serious asthma, experience with dread). Fortunately due the immediate support of my Neighbours Cato (Catherine) and Phil at the ungodly hour of 02:30 in the morning and the timely arrival and efforts of the London Ambulance team (Peter and a very attractive lady whose name I did not get), I was stabilised and then placed in West Middlesex A&E for the Night.

My processing through A&E revealed that my Heart, Lungs, etc are OK. But I had some nasty Virus infection, which basically has to run its course (which it is still doing) - Paracetamol and rest is the only cure. So actually doing anything useful work wise has stopped. So I have been living (just) up to the Title of being an Idle Man.

But in reviewing events my thoughts have turned to how extremely lucky I am. The sudden onset from having a simple cold to literally feeling I was in the final stage of drowning meant that I was in Boxers and Tee-shirt and was literally in a state of collapse when attempting to dial 999 (911 for non Brits), so my Neighbours hearing my distress were hammering on the windows and just letting them in nearly pushed me over the edge. The prompt arrival of the Ambulance meant, once I was stabilised I was shipped off to Hospital, with NONE of what in normal circumstances I would consider absolutely essential : Trousers, Money, Credit cards, Mobile Phone, Keys, or Emergency Contact Information, plus one one of my slippers fell off on the way to the Ambulance).

By the time I arrived at A&E, I was essentially breathing normally (except through Mouth, as Nose well and truly blocked), so I was processed rather than treated and as A&E was extremely quiet, I actually got some sleep in between EGG, Blood Test, Fluids Drip and I actually felt than a fraud as lying in by cot, I was relaxed. However walking the three steps from the cot to the X-Ray Machine made me realise I was still extremely unwell. Also the medication applied with the oxygen in the Ambulance was starting to wear off. By 06:00 I was ready for discharge with some Paracetamol and then the logistics of my situation hit me and the Staff, NO MONEY, NO KEYS, NO CONTACT Numbers and NO TROUSERS. Fortunately after a lot of humming and hawing I was given some hospital Greens and using directory enquires was able to contact my Neighbour Phil, who drove me home and used keys I had left with him to let me in!

The last few days have made me realise that throughout my life I have been blessed by having more true Friends and Neighbours who have become true Friends, than I deserve (plus some wonderful Cousins who despite my long period of indifference still think I am worth saving :).

Whatever else I have done in life, the good, the not so good and the indifferent, it these people who really matter to me and over the last couple years have proved I matter to them to an extent I can never fully express.

Avro Vulcan XH558 50th Birthday Appeal

2010 marks the 50th Birthday of Avro Vulcan XH558 - Built in 1960 and today the last of her kind flying anywhere in the World. Keeping such a large, complex unique Aircraft flying safely costs a lot of money and as this is a British Conservation Project funds are always on a knife edge. At this time of year with no revenue from Display Appearances and Annual Maintenance a priority, just paying the Engineers who are the key to the project is a  is a major concern, but other bills also rise during the winter, so any donation however small is welcome:

As a reminder of the awesome Vulcan see these videos:

Cormorant Communications System - Lame Duck in a War Zone

I have been leaving the slating of the Ministry of Defence systemic failures in Procurement to the redoubtable Richard North over at the Defence of the Realm, but this one it appears has slipped his notice. Fortunately The Register picked up on this in its story of the 8th September: Army's £114m battle-comms net not up to Afghan demands with the sub-heading of: Israeli off-the-shelf replacements rushed in and then BBC News published a very similar story on the 10th September: MoD withdraws £114m comms system in its Technology Section.

In non-technical terms, the Cormorant System was designed to replace the various legacy and ad-hoc off the shelf equipment used by the British Joint Task Force Headquarters with a purpose designed integrated system to provide the communications links to the in-theatre sub-commands, certainly a worthy objective.

The £114 Million contract was placed with EADS Wales, part of EADS UK and the system was scheduled to start in service deliveries during 2002. But the project suffered a series of delays and wasn't declared operational until December 2004. Now an MoD project that is only two years late, is actually unusual as often it is much longer.

But a two year delay to ensure that the Cormorant System met the needs of the Joint Services Commands, and that would, with regular updating meet its 20 Year planned service life, would surely be worth it, wouldn't it?

Almost immediately it was introduced, muted criticism (because the Armed Forces aren't allowed any other kind) began and in even in summary are pretty damning: "cursed with some of the worst procurement decisions, shoddy workmanship, non-existent quality control and so-called support arrangements which verge on criminal neglect ".

As an aside: Cormorant is deployed at the in-theatre command level, it needs to integrate with tactical systems such the Ptarmigan System which was already approaching obsolescence when introduced during the 1980's and by the time it was fully functional in the 1990's was obsolete, but will only start to be replaced by the BAE Systems Falcon in 2010.

In Afghanistan the Cormorant Systems role is to link the British Main Operational Bases, exactly what it was designed to do. BUT it isn't up to it!
So to supplement a system that was specifically designed to avoid the need for ad-hoc off the shelf equipment, back in June the MoD rush ordered off the shelf the Israeli RADWIN 2000 System and it is currently being implemented by Horsebridge Network Systems.What makes this even more ironic is a quote from Major Lee Hawkes:
"RADWIN’s systems meet our requirements, without additional modification or equipment."

From the above it would appear that the RADWIN System will provide added capability to Cormorant, but this does not actually reflect the true state of affairs as it now appears much of the Cormorant Infrastructure in Afghanistan is being withdrawn back to the UK and replaced by the much cheaper RADWIN System.

If the Cormorant saga was an isolated case it would be a disgrace, but from the leaks of the Gray Report (See: Times Online 23rd August and 24th August ), this is just another example of the Ministry of Defence systemic failures in Procurement, However in my opinion, these failings are deeply rooted and go back as far as the early 1960's. in part exacerbated by the ever changing Political view of Defence , which rarely has anything to do with the Nations Defence Requirement, but instead mainly with Party Political expediency and short term Political gain.

UK Population Approx 61 Million - Mobile Phone Subs Approx 76 Million.

The planned merger between Orange and T-Mobile would mean the merged entity would have more than 28 Million Subscribers and a Market Share of 37%.

These numbers mean that in round figures there are 76 Million Mobile Phone Subscribers in the United Kingdom.

So there is one Mobile Subscription for every Man, Woman and Child (including babies), with another 15 Million covering those with Multiple subscriptions, Regular visitors to the UK with a UK Subscription, Inactive Accounts, Illegal Immigrants and Criminal Usage.

Hmm..The numbers are interesting but without a proper breakdown, I cannot reach any sensible conclusion, but I am left with a sense of unease.

Michael Yon with British Troops in Helmand

Michael Yon who?
American Citizen and former United States Army Green Beret, turned Author and Reporter. He recently spent approximately a month with British Forces (for whom he has a lot of respect) in Helmand Province and spent his time living and patrolling with the 2nd Rifles (a Unit he had previously spent time with in Iraq). His stay would have been longer, but the Ministry of Defence (bless them) took umbrage at this report Michael filed on the 24th August 2009 entitled: Bad Medicine

However an even more interesting Blog Post was made on the 31st August and although it discusses the Afghan Elections as a future event (and was posted after they were held) is a must read for the realities of the War in Afghanistan: Precision Voting

Michael is moving on, but not back home, instead now trying to get permission to embed with US Forces. In the meantime he has filed a story that was published in the New York Daily News on the 6th September:
New Afghan war: Frontline correspondent says fight has morphed – but we still can't afford to lose
This makes sombre reading (especially from a British prespective), but is an article that it is too important to ignore.

Update: 08th September 2009 Another fascinating article on being with the British Troops in Helmand. Although posted today. the article is based on a patrol just prior to his permission to remain with British Forces was revoked. The title of the Article is Misleading, but it is really worth reading: Eight Years After 9/11

Who Mourns Senator Kennedy? - Not I

Senator Edward Kennedy died on the 25 August 2009. I will not mourn him, but his death has reminded me to mourn for the British Soldiers and Civilians killed, or maimed in Northern Ireland during Senator Kennedy's 30 year support of Terrorism in the United Kingdom Province of Northern Ireland and his positive encouragement to Americans to give money to the 'cause', which misguidedly they did, to the tune of Hundreds of Millions of Dollars.

During the troubles, it became a tradition for Fenian murderers to routinely feted on St Patrick’s Day by members of the US political establishment , and no American Politician welcomed them more warmly than Senator Edward Kennedy:



Whenever Margaret Thatcher visited Washington, Senator Kennedy could always be seen wearing a bright green tie, an unsubtle ''statement'' on his part of his support for Republicanism - something which the then Prime Minister was always aware of but chose to ignore (also a sign of how he retained a very 'juvenile outlook', even in late middle-age).

After 9/11 when even the Irish-American Romantics discovered what Terrorism really means and the mood in Northern Ireland Politics was changing, like any Political Animal, Senator Kennedy sniffed the wind and changed his Public Stance.

His public change of heart, positively supporting the peace process, even going so far as to publicly snub Jerry Adams, won him many plaudits, an even if in the unlikely event this change was real (and I doubt his views actually change one iota) it cannot expunge the previous 30 years.

Maybe Senator Kennedy was a good Servant to his Country on Domestic Issues, from here, he was a bigoted supporter of Terrorism.

As for his very public, Private Life: A man who if he had not been a Kennedy, would have likely faced extremely serious charges in connection with the death of Mary Jo Kopechne in 1969 in the 'Chappaquiddick Incident' (instead receiving a two month suspended sentence for leaving the scene), but even after this he continued to lead a lifestyle which would have shamed a juvenile-celebrity right through until the end of the 1980's.

The fact that an Honourary Knighthood was given to a man who had inherited his fathers loathing for Britain, supported Terrorism and was without doubt flawed in so many other ways, is a stain on my nations honour.

But he now faces the ultimate judgement, fortunately for him God is all forgiving. But it is going to be a very long time before I forgive his support of terrorism in my country.

United Airlines did him wrong, so he wrote a song and now a second one

When United Airlines Loading Staff broke singer/songwriter Dave Carroll's $3,500 Taylor Guitar by throwing it about (along with the bands other instruments) and then wouldn't pay compensation. Well in his final email to them, he advised he was going to write and produce three songs which then form the Music to three Videos which would then be posted online. See the Post: United Airlines did him wrong, so he wrote a song (or three)! Which has both Videos released so far and slightly more detailed background and links.

For those who have followed the saga and want to see the second Video NOW, well here it is:
United Breaks Guitars Song 2:

For more information on the making of United Breaks Guitars: Song 2 on Dave Carroll's Site.

Enjoy!

Update 27th August 2009: I have just seen this article on ZDNet (USA) which gives United yet another PR Headache:
Deconstructing United Airlines: Where Customers are Transactions

Campaign: Reducing UK Mobile-Landline-Mobile Call Charges

In the United Kingdom the real cost of many Telephone Calls whether from a Landline, or a Mobile has fallen over recent times, but there is one 'black spot', called the Mobile Termination Rate which is currently around 4.7p per minute that provides a 'cash cow' for Mobile Network Operators whilst resulting in a nasty surprise for consumers.

The Mobile Termination Rate, normally abbreviated to MTR is applied when a call is made from a Landline to a Mobile, or from a Mobile on one Network to a Mobile on another Network. Now it is fair that some charge is made for this, but 4.7p per minute is to say the least excessive. Therefore the TerminateTheRate Group has been formed to bring pressure to bear on the industry Regulator Ofcom to enforce a lower MTR that reflects the Network Operators actual costs. In part this pressure is to be applied by a Petition to Members of Parliament as well as Ofcom: Petition Form is on the TerminateTheRate Home Page

Outside the UK, the European Commission (EC), flush with success in reducing Mobile Roaming charges, recommended in 2008 that the MTR across EU Countries should fall on average by around 70% in three years (bringing it very close to the Termination Rates applied by Landline Network Operators)..

Would there be any downside to forcing operators in the UK to reduce the MTR they apply dramatically?
Potentially one type of Consumer could indeed be adversely affected this being Prepaid Mobile Users
A Deloitte Report from January 2009, points out that much of the revenue from Prepaid Customers is generated by the MTR, By reducing the MTR, these Customers could move from being a profitable Market to be a loss maker. How much of this is designed to generate FUD (Fear Uncertainty and Doubt) is difficult to gauge, but this market is too important to some major Network Operators to lose, so they will be already working on new methods of both retaining the Prepaid Customers, whilst ensuring that it remains a profitable market.

Returning to the TerminateTheRate Campaign, this has a surprisingly wide range of 'corporate supporters' including:
One Landline Operator (BT), One Mobile Operator (3), Industry groups, Local Authorities, Charities and Trade Unions - A full list of current supporters is here: Campaign Supporters Page 1 and Campaign Supporters Page 2

Having done some research into both sides of the MTR argument, the following are my conclusions:

1. Mobile Operators are resigned to the MTR being reduced.
2. Most Mobile Operators want this decline in MTR to be in small steps over a long period.
3. Business Users in Uk and across Europe find the current MTR rates onerous in the extreme
4. Consumers in the UK and across Europe don't know about MTR as it is a 'hidden charge' within their call costs, they just see their Operators Rates for Calls, which where applicable include the MTR.
5. Reducing the MTR dramatically will definitely benefit most Consumers, but has the potential to increase costs to Prepaid Services Users
   

I will be signing the petition, hopefully this post has provided visitors with sufficient information, to decide if they will to!

Are Your Communications Habits Being Monitored?

A News Item in Silicon.com: - One in 78: The chances your comms are being monitored forms a teaser to a much more detailed news report from ZDNet UK: Public targeted by 1,500 monitoring bids per day. So quoting from the ZDNet article: Police, local councils and other UK public authorities made more than half-a-million requests to see citizens' communications data in 2008, according to a watchdog report.

I am neither shocked, nor surprised at the total, but was surprised and actually quite annoyed, that local councils appear to be a major player in wanting to see our communications records. As far as I am concerned, the Police, Security Services, Borders Agency and HM Revenue and Customs should be the only organisations with the authority to request this information.

Requesting Communications data, which by using the provisions of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act , authorities can ask service providers for data such as which individual has communicated with whom, and when and where this communication took place and that is totally different from actively monitoring someone's communications.
From the moment I made my second post in this Blog, I assumed that due some of the Words and Phrases used, it would attract the interest of automated monitoring software (in this case no different from the way a search engine would gather information) and that providing the authorities were having a slow day, they might first request my Communications Data and then if things were really quiet, they might be granted a request to actively monitor my communications. Does this remote possibility upset me: NO, actually I would feel sympathy for any operative tasked with doing the monitoring, as being bored to tears listening/reading my communications, was almost certainly not what they hoped their job would entail.

Whilst I am more than peeved by Local Councils being involved in find out peoples communications data, my angst is nothing compared to extreme annoyance of the Liberal Democrat shadow home secretary Chris Huhne: Who criticized the Government for allowing that volume of communication data gathering. Amongst the other things he went on to say, the following provided some ironic amusement:
"The government forgets that George Orwell's 1984 was a warning, and not a blueprint," said Huhne. "We are still a long way from living under the Stasi, but it beggars belief that is necessary to spy on one in every 78 adults."
Thoughts:
I wonder how many were repeat requests for the same person? - I suspect a large number.
How many requests led to a request to actively monitor communications in real time for a period of time (which is spying)? - I suspect a tiny percentage.
How many active monitoring requests led to a full investigation? - My guess is very few!
How many investigations led to prosecution? - Knowing, would satisfy my curiosity, but suspect less than 10%
Because, Local Council involvement aside, I don't have a problem with this, I am almost certainly once again out of step, at least with the 'chattering classes'. Well I can live with that!

Finally, back to Chris Huhne and George Orwell's 1984: This book was indeed a warning, about control of the population by taking away any sense of personal responsibility and accountability. This being accomplished through the enactment and then enforcement of laws that governed a citizen's every moment of their life and making every utterance either politically correct or illegal. In Orwell's world, even a simple domestic request becomes a major bureaucratic exercise.
Now for me this does have a familiar ring. Welcome to the 'Nanny State' resulting in a 'You Cannot do that Britain'. Now that is something I find very worrying!

British Sons and Daughters

I received this as a chain email and unusually for me, immediately passed it on to many of my contacts. However by posting it here I hope to distribute it even more widely and quickly - The Idle Man:

If you read this, you WILL forward it on.You just won't be able to stop yourself.

Here's to the heroes: Especially for all of the young ones we have recently lost.

The average age of the military man is 19 years. He is a short haired, tight-muscled kid who, under normal circumstances is considered by society as half man, half boy. Not yet dry behind the ears, just old enough to buy a beer, but old enough to die for his country. He never really cared much for work and he would rather wax his own car than wash his father's, but he has never collected unemployment either.





He's a recent Comprehensive School graduate; he was probably an average student, pursued some form of sport activities, drives a ten year old jalopy, and has a steady girlfriend that either broke up with him when he left, or swears to be waiting when he returns from half a world away He listens to rock and roll or hip-hop or rap or jazz or swing and a 155mm howitzer.

He is 10 or 15 pounds lighter now than when he was at home because he is working or fighting from before dawn to well after dusk. He has trouble spelling, thus letter writing is a pain for him, but hecan field strip a rifle in 30 seconds and reassemble it in less time in the dark. And He can recite to you the nomenclature of a machine gun or grenade launcher and use either one effectively if he must.

He digs foxholes and latrines and can apply first aid like a professional.

He can march until he is told to stop, or stop until he is told to march.

He obeys orders instantly and without hesitation, but he is not without spirit or individual dignity. He is self-sufficient.

He has two sets of fatigues: he washes one and wears the other. He keeps his canteens full and his feet dry.

He sometimes forgets to brush his teeth, but never to clean his rifle. He can cook his own meals, mend his own clothes, and fix his own hurts.

If you're thirsty, he'll share his water with you; if you are hungry, his food. He'll even split his ammunition with you in the midst of battle when you run low.

He has learned to use his hands like weapons and weapons like they were his hands.

He can save your life - or take it, because that is his job.

He will often do twice the work of a civilian, draw half the pay, and still find ironic humour in it all.

He has seen more suffering and death than he should have in his short lifetime.



He has wept in public and in private, for friends who have fallen in combat and is unashamed.

He feels every note of the National Anthem vibrate through his body while at rigid attention, all the while tempering the burning desire to 'square-away' those around him who haven't bothered to stand, remove their hat, or even stop talking.

In an odd twist, day in and day out, far from home, he defends their right to be disrespectful.

Just as did his Father, Grandfather, and Great-grandfather, he is paying the price for our freedom. Beardless or not, he is not a boy. He is the BRITISH Fighting Man that has kept this country free for over 200 years.




He has asked nothing in return, except our friendship and understanding.
Remember him, always, for he has earned our respect and admiration with his blood.

And now we even have women over there in danger, doing their part in this tradition of going to War when our nation calls us to do so.

As you go to bed tonight, remember this shot. ...

A short lull, a little shade and a picture of loved ones in their helmets.



Prayer wheel for our military... please don't break it Please send this on, after a short prayer.

Prayer Wheel

'Lord, hold our troops in your loving hands.
Protect them as they protect us.
Bless them and their families for the selfless acts they perform for us in our time of need. Amen.'

There is nothing attached...
This can be very powerful...
Of all the gifts you could give a British Soldier, Sailor, or Airman, prayer is the very best one.

I wouldn’t dream of breaking this one,Please pass it on to everyone

Extradite Gary McKinnon, no problem. But now let's fix the Extradition Treaty

The Idle Man has followed the Gary McKinnon Hacker Case with some interest, but with little sympathy for Mr McKinnon. After all he is not being accused of some minor misdemeanour, but of hacking into the computer systems of the United States Army, Navy and Air Force, plus the United States Department of Defence and NASA, as well as sabotaging vital American military systems after the terror attacks of September 11 2001. In addition McKinnon is alleged to have caused Criminal Damage by his actions, which have been calculated to total $750,000 USD for remedial action and repair. Any Government would, based on these allegations go to any lengths for extradition and subsequent prosecution.

In the UK a large number of high profile people and much of the media are stating that the current extradition treaty should NOT apply in this case as it was designed to counter terrorism. From the viewpoint of any Government, the allegations against Gary McKinnon are effectively charges of Terrorism, although prefixed with cyber. But make no mistake Cyber Terrorism may not have the instant, spectacular media impact of a Bomb Attack but if it is successful, it can easily be just as dangerous to society.

Apparently Mr McKinnon has been diagnosed with Asperger syndrome which even the medical profession cannot spell consistently and whilst McKinnon appears to in part fit the Asperger profile, in other areas it appears from the background to the case he does not (social interaction does not appear to have been impaired and he has even been part of the Hackers Panel at InfoSecurity Europe). What makes Asperger syndrome even more interesting is that there is now discussion as to whether this is a disability that must be treated, or a just a 'difference' that falls with the spectrum of normal Human behaviour. So using the Asperger defence always seemed more than a little disingenuous.

So as far as I am concerned the McKinnon Allegations do fall within the original purpose and spirit of the Extradition Treaty and whilst my view counts for nothing, it has been supported in Law up to and including the Law Lords and the European Court of Human Rights, which have rejected his appeal against extradition.

What I find ironic is that this fast-track Treaty has occupied the Legal Profession for three years! When for once it was actually being used for the purpose for which, at least the British thought it was designed. Of course because of the implicit imbalance to the treaty, if an American Hacker had done the same to the MoD, MI5, or SIS Systems, Britain would NOT under the treaty have able to extradite them.

Now the obstacles to Gary McKinnon being extradited, there will be a jury trial under the American Justice System. So Gary McKinnon will have his 'day in court'(although I suspect this will actually be weeks in Court). There are four possible outcomes:

1. He will be found guilty of all charges and if this is the case a very long sentence is appropriate.
2. He will be found guilty of some of the charges and if is the case the sentence should appropriate to those he is found guilty of.
3. His Lawyers will successfully use the Asperger defence, but hopefully this will still mean he will be institutionalised for a period for assessment to ensure he is not going to repeat his actions.
4. He is found not guilty of all charges - Extremely Unlikely!
   

Whilst I have every sympathy with McKinnon's Mother attempts to stop her son being extradited (and indeed have much more sympathy for her tireless efforts than I have for her Son), I find it embarrassing and distasteful that 40 British Members of Parliament have, after the Legal Processes have been exhausted have jumped on the McKinnon bandwagon by writing to the US President. Their protest is NOT about whether after a Trial he is found guilty and the punishment is too harsh, but the fact that he should NOT stand trial at all. If these allegations are true and this man attacked an ally and compromised their national security then it is only right that the USA should have the right to try him for these Crimes. True he is being extradited under a flawed and imbalanced treaty, but these MPs efforts would be better served by NOT using the case for self-serving publicity, but working hard to get the provisions of the Treaty fixed, so that there is no imbalance and it limited to the purposes that the British Government believed it would be applied! In the case of McKinnon, the treaty (flawed though it is) has been correctly applied.

The Idle Man, is as so often the case, is apparently out of step with Media and Political Opinion (what the general public thinks, matters not one jot - After all the e-Petition to the Prime Minister to stop the extradition, only managed to obtain 876 Signatures before it closed, not exactly an outpouring of support). So be it, but I consider what Gary McKinnon is alleged to have done, constitutes extremely serious crimes against an ally of this country and he should stand trial for those crimes in the country against which he launched his attacks, But that does not in any way alter my view that the current extradition treaty should be suspended until the provisions of the treaty between UK and USA apply equally to both Countries. This should not stop the Gary McKinnon Extradition because the Legal Processes were finally taken to the European Court of Human Rights and the extradition was upheld (quite rightly).

In the interests of Balance here are three of External Websites that show support for Gary McKinnon's attempts to avoid Extradition and Trial in the USA:
Free Gary McKinnon - or at least give him a fair trial in the United Kingdom - Blog
Daily Mail Articles in Support of Gary McKinnon
London TV Net

About that Extradition Treaty:
Posts in this Blog:
UK-US Extradition Treaty and Certain American Politicians Support for Terrorists - 13th August 2003
The NatWest Three - 29th November 2007

External Sites:
Extradition Act of 2003 - The UK Statute Law Database
The Extradition Act 2003 - Wikipedia Entry
StateWatch News Online – Special Report on the ‘New US_UK Extradition Treaty - 2003
MPs Impotently Huffing and Puffing in Parliament - Hansard via They Work for You - 15th July 2009

News Update:
Alan Johnson: I can’t stop extradition - Times Online 2nd August 2009:
In this article the Home Secretary states he cannot stop the extradition as he would be breaking the Law. However once again Gary McKinnon is described as young (he is 43, which means he should be described as of middle age), Vulnerable (so vulnerable he can sit on the InfoSecurity Hackers panel and give a number of media interviews) and Misguided (He certainly is, he got so overconfident whilst hacking into US Defence Computers and those of NASA that he misguidedly got careless and therefore got caught).

I would rather the Home Secretary concentrated on making his Department 'fit for purpose' and ensuring that illegals are deported, dangerous prisoners stay in jail and sorting out the totally mismanaged National ID Card Scheme, than writing articles for the Sunday Times.

United Airlines did him wrong, so he wrote a song (or three)!

Post Updated on the 3rd March 2010 to cover the entire trilogy of Songa/Videos:

When United Airlines Loading Staff broke singer/songwriter Dave Carroll's $3,500 Taylor Guitar by throwing it about (along with the bands other instruments), he started what should have been a simple compensation claim, which ended NINE MONTHS later with United Airlines final refusal to pay compensation, So in his very last email to United Airlines he said he would write and produce three songs about his experience with United Airlines and make videos for each to be viewed online by anyone in the world.

This is the first of these videos - United Breaks Guitars :

The sorry tale in both short and long forms is here: United Breaks Guitars
There is also a video statement from Dave Carroll

Here is the Second Video: United Breaks Guitars Song 2:

For more information on the making of United Breaks Guitars: Song 2 on Dave Carroll's Site.

The third and final Song/Video was released on the 2nd March 2010 and here it is:

United Breaks Guitars Song 3 - "United We Stand" on the Right Side of Right

UK facing 'energy crunch' as North Sea oil and gas cash dries up

Not my headline but one from an Article with same title by Rowena Mason in the Daily Telegraph on Wednesday the 8th Jul 2009, which can be viewed here:
UK facing 'energy crunch' as North Sea oil and gas cash dries up.

I found this article both interesting (and recommend that visitors take the time to read it) and at the same time ironic as Mark Jago's article in this blog on the 5th January 2009 covered this in some detail:
Banks Risk Scottish North Sea Oil industry and Britain's Energy Future

Mark's article despite being six months old remains as valid as when it was written.

Included with Rowena Mason's article, but separate from it, is a Telegraph TV item with Robert Miller interviewing Liam Hallingan Chief Economist at Prosperity Capital Management and writer of the Economics Agenda Column is the Sunday Telegraph. Whilst this takes a broader view of the Global Situation the Video (republished below) is well worth watching!

The Idle Man

Darling I shrunk the Economy

I apologise if this infringes copyright, but when I received it in an email, it brought a wry smile and I had to share.

Gordon Brown's Britain - Surreal View of the Week

An Article by: Mark Jago - Published with his permission.
The Opinions Expressed are those of the Author, who assures me the article was written under the influence of nothing stronger than decaffeinated coffee:

Good news, the Government is working tirelessly to create jobs for those British citizens negatively affected by the global economic crisis brought on by outside forces that would seek to undermine the social fabric of the British state.

Our supreme leader Gordon Brown returned on the weekend triumphant from an EU meeting where he secured European autocratic socialistic "order in our time" by agreeing compromises that would see UK financial regulators have an expanded role as part of a new super European financial regulator with powers over the City of London financial system. He gained reassurances that the UK Government would retain "the right to bail out UK Banks when the Government thought it necessary". In exchange he has agreed a compromise package of sweeteners that would encourage the Irish to ratify the Lisbon Treaty making any renegotiation of the Treaty by a future Conservative Government more difficult. European commissioners are keen to maintain their support for the Prime ministers Government until the Lisbon Treaty is ratified.

This news was overshadowed by continued state sponsored media headlines detailing more parliamentary expenses revelations. That had in its wake brought about Government party purges, prompting our supreme leader to respond with an early re-shuffling of his cabinet. He also decided to increase the number of his non-elected members of cabinet to ten and at the same time said that he intended to bring about Parliamentary reform. The Government sanctioned Conservative party opposition has now become concerned that their party will lose out on reforms designed to smooth our supreme leader's re-election.

In a move designed to bring his supporters rushing out on to the streets in celebration, state media reported our supreme leader Gordon Brown has announced his intention to lead the Labour party into the next general election securing a fourth successive term for the party. The spontaneous demonstration however failed to materialize and we can now report that an un-named source has informed us that Chancellor Alistair Darling had failed to secure an EEC grant to pay for security forces to round up the necessary "volunteers". We also found that placards that were to be used in the demonstration did not materialise because the Government had failed to pay a previous printing bill. The placards were supposed to be pictures of the supreme leader with captions saying "God Save our benevolent leader", "You saved the World and we love you" and "one party one leader for life". This after our supreme leader had allegedly said that he could quite easily leave the trappings of leadership behind and go into teaching. Apparently he was misunderstood because he was a little incoherent due to the fact that he had lost his temper at the time. What we believe he said was "If a few malcontents think they are going to make me give up the trappings of power they have another think coming". When is my little red book "The teachings of your supreme leader Gordon" going to be available from the printer's? I'm going to make this book compulsory reading for all UK citizens!

The alleged rift between are supreme leader and Chancellor Alistair Darling seems to be getting worse after budget forecasts for tax revenues were publicly reported to be falling short of expectations. The governor of the Bank of England, not someone who normally likes to associate himself with common talk about money has let it be known that some fix-up of the Country's finances may be necessary? We understand that he got into a little bit of a sweat after workers who were printing new twenty pound notes started to demand to be paid their wages in foreign currency. Apparently there had been some minor Government miscalculations based on their assumptions that the City of London was "The financial capital of the World" and that the Prime Minister had already saved the World's financial system. Was there a general breakdown in the coordination and communication between Government departments? The Government is denying the oppositions assertion that tax increases would be inevitable. A anonymous spokesperson for the Government said that the first planned autumn petrol tax increase originally planned to be at four pence a litre could be increased "to say forty pence" without constituting breaking the Governments promise not to bring in any "new" taxes.

Unrest has again been reported in the energy industry following the firing of some 51 contract worker's some 650 other workers who walked out in sympathy were then also fired. The allegation being that cheap foreign workers were being brought in to complete the Total refinery project. We hear from an undisclosed source that these workers are going to be offered re-training and jobs in law enforcement, social services and the funeral service industry. This as a reward for not advertizing the fact that the government and their UK banking friends have exploited foreign Companies developing North Sea energy and have forced some of them either into bankruptcy or to drastically reduce expansion plans. The resulting loss of jobs and tax revenue is said to be substantial.

In other news our supreme leader announced this week an enquiry into the Iraq war to be held behind mostly in private although the public will get to hear some conclusions. The inquiry he said will look into lessons learned and not apportion blame. Someone not wishing to be named said that the government would be interested in gaining a better understanding of how they managed to invade another country and commit murder without being indicted for war crimes?

There has been some good news out of the National Health Service after it was found that the number of deaths from deadly infections introduced during surgery had declined. It has been found that deaths are now more commonly attributed to delays in transporting patients to hospital and simple mistakes during the admission process. An industry spokesperson said that this was a "Win Win" solution because patients no longer have to face the likelihood of a prolonged agonizing death at public expense. A rumour that the number of patients turning down National Health Surgeries was substantial was said to be exaggerated. However the spokesperson did admit that for some reason that hospital admissions and even attendance at doctors sugeries had suddenly declined substantially and that there was no longer a problem with waiting times. The spokesperson reiterated the health services commitment to provide a prompt humane service.

Finally this week, a first successful test run of Britain's first high-speed domestic train service using a Japanese-built train that hit a speed of 143 miles per hour on route between London and Ashford was rapturously announced by British Transport Secretary Lord Adonis. This is a real tribute to the policies of successive British Governments over decades of encouraging the export of innovative British industries and talented engineers and scientist to countries where their technologies and talents are more appreciated. The new "very" limited service is to start only thirty three years after train regular 170mph service was introduced in Japan and some decades after high speed rail services became common place in France.

The UK Government is beyond Contemptible

An Article by: Mark Jago - Published with his permission.
The Opinions Expressed are those of the Author.

It comes as a relief to hear that the rabble that call themselves politicians will be shortly shuffling off to their respective constancies for a long undeserved break from Parliament through to October.

It seems to me too much of a coincidence that the public should be subjected to a sordid little expenses scandal when there are other more critical issues that the Government should be held accountable for.

It's been long understood that the tabloid press is little more than a mouth piece used by politicians to communicate their positions and to influence public sentiment. There is an incestuous relationship between the press and their political insider informants. Over the last few days politicians have been using the press to communicate to each other their positions following the Labour Cabinet shake up.

It's my view that the Parliament expense scandal was deliberately encouraged as a relief valve in order to channel public attention and displeasure that has been building up over the past few months. The instigator and benefactor of this sordid little exposé is obvious. Gordon Brown, who now has all those people that would be his successor in Cabinet with him, where he can keep them busy and have them compete for his favour's as a possible successor. The hapless less intelligent politicians caught up in the coop that "really never was" having become collateral damage road kill. Convenient scapegoats that can be used to palm off past government failures onto, not many voters are going bother with semantics over these losers.

Mary Riddell's June 08th Telegraph Column:
"Gordon Brown: His enemies want him dead, but he is still Labour's only hope"
could in my view have been written by Gordon himself. It's difficult to imagine why she would of her own volition and while being of sound mind write such drivel?

Meanwhile the Government's sound bite politics and disastrous economic mismanagement continues quietly unchallenged and without democratic sanction.

Readers of my earlier Articles about Oilexco in this blog will not be surprised to hear Chancellor Alistair Darling in an interview is warning that the current high price for oil had the potential to be a huge problem as far as a recovery from the recession is concerned. (See: Oil prices could hold back recession recovery warns Chancellor).

He goes on to say that "we've got to convince everyone, including some of the Gulf states, who really have been badly affected by this downturn in their broader economies, it is in no one's interest that we allow a high oil price to impede recovery." The truth is that the Gulf States have suffered very little. He doesn't mention that the current run up in oil is largely due to commodity market speculation in which the City's commodities traders are intimately involved in and are active participants in siphoning off huge profits.

He also warned that getting banks lending again remained a problem, and that lenders were still struggling to build confidence. "If you don't fix the banking problem, you'll never fix the wider economy," Mr Darling said.

What is clearly understood by the World political community is that the US and UK are jointly responsible for the credit crisis and recession. They both benefited by usurping their trusted positions as regulators of their leading financial centers to allow for their own financial institutions to fraudulently manipulate investments and defraud the World community.

The fact that the British Labour Government has added to these problems with their own profligate spending and lack of banking supervision has in truth brought the UK to the brink of economic oblivion. They continue to blame others while failing to put their own house in order with corrective actions that protect their citizens from additional liabilities.

Those people in the UK that continue to support this Government because they themselves have been bailed out of a bad personal banking situation, or are reliant on the Government for a job, or for financial support should know the facts and rethink your motives.

Firstly, the amount of Government bailout money used to help individual depositors makes up only a small portion of the bailout funds given to the Banks. Much of the money has gone off-shore to cover the obligations that the banks created as part of their sub-prime involvement. The collapse of the car industry, other business and of the housing bubble is because the Banks withdrew their lone support in all these areas in order to save themselves from bankruptcy.

The amount of World toxic debt is many times larger than the amount of bailout and stimulus funds that have been committed to date. The UK Government may be working feverishly at this moment to size the exposure that they took on by taking over the UK banking system, but they still most likely have no idea of the cost of their commitment.

This is a major critical error the Government made is compounded by the fact that they persuaded the US to do the same. The action the Government should have taken was to support the good UK banks, those with non-subprime exposure to take on the retail business and industry lone businesses from the bad Banks who had the toxic lone exposure. The toxic debt would then be imprisoned within a few bankrupt banks and Government stimulus would be focussed on a quick recovery of the economy.

As we now know, successful businesses and families who through no fault of their own were at the time reliant on bank funding in the course of a normal banking relationship have been whipped out due to this extra ordinary catastrophe.

Last week's meeting G8 optimism about an end to the recession should be taken in context. On a global basis the world economy has gone from free fall to a bottoming process. The more robust economies and those with less exposure to toxic debt have begun to recover. The change in sentiment has seen funds that were put into the US as a safe haven are now being taken out again. This has resulted in the drop in the US dollar that has also seen other currencies including the pound rebound.

In the case of the UK, the major economic engines are Government spending and the City's financial business. These are both areas of economic activity that are not going to collapse over night, but will wither and die over time given a shift global sentiment.

This shift has already begun. Following on from the London G20 meeting there is a move to have the City's financial oversight come under European Common Market control. This will most likely fought by Gordon Brown who will try to postpone the inevitable however, his position is becoming weaker by the day. The Government has already requested Common Market banking help to save the North Sea energy industry, a move that's come too late. They are also asking for assurances that UK Vauxhall car plant production will remain operational under the new owners.

With a tax base that's shrinking by the day and a Bank of England reduced to printing money to keep the economy afloat the Government has only a short window of opportunity turn things around. Unlike the US they don't have a reserve currency to fall back on. Any special relationship they have with the US is fading fast and their attitude towards the EEC has not won them any friends. A rising tide will likely come too late to lift this UK boat.

The World does not owe this contemptible Government a living. The UK has made its own bed and now it must lay in it.

Why Would Someone Vote BNP?

The Idle Man has for sometime believed there were reasons beyond the obvious (anti-immigration and pure racism) why people vote for the BNP, but couldn't formulate a clear perspective of what these reasons might be (probably in part because of my intense dislike of the party). I finally came across an Article by David Lindsay (a writer based in Lanchester, County Durham. He has been a Councillor and a school governor since 1999. He holds two Durham degrees) in The FirstPost from February 2009.

At the risk of having my knuckle rapped (and possibly worse) for copyright violation the following is amost all of the original article, which can be found here: How the BNP moved into the political mainstream:

In the centre of Durham, one recent Saturday, I walked past a Trotskyist stall, manned by undergraduates, and a BNP one, run by men in early middle age, all with accents from no further than five miles outside Durham. While the Trots were ignored, the BNP was swamped.

How come? There are no asylum seekers in County Durham, and visible ethnic minorities account for only one per cent of the population. At the last census, the district of Easington was found to be the least ethnically diverse area in Britain.

No, the reason why the BNP inspire such interest is because neither Labour, the Tories, or the Lib Dems are talking about the issues that worry people here.

Many in the North-East, and, indeed, around the country, are concerned about a loss of sovereignty, whether to the European Union, to the United States, or to global capital. And about the practical consequences of this loss, from the Common Fisheries Policy, to the Iraq War, to the credit crunch.

They are concerned about a new working class whose members understand no English except words of command, know little or nothing about workers' rights here, can be moved around the country at will, and deported if they step out of line. Deference to Islam is another complaint.

A lot of people really are worried by these things. I am. So why aren't the three main parties? Proper Labourites, or Conservatives, or Liberals would be.

Otherwise, people are talking about the erosion of the traditional family and its values, not least on the airwaves; about lap-dancing clubs; about the deregulation of drinking and gambling; about how the Police and the Crown Prosecution Service have effectively legalised cannabis and lowered the age of consent to 13; about the Police not patrolling the streets, soft sentencing, and indiscipline in schools. Again, the BNP is the only party that has responded.

They are also talking about the real concern that the white working class has been left behind. And that no one ever mentions manufacturing, which still accounts for more than twice the GDP of the entire financial services sector, never mind the bailout-begging City.

Meanwhile, because the powers-that-be are unable to distinguish between the respectable working class and the characters from Shameless, council and housing association tenants now face having Shameless characters moved in next door to them, or even in place of them.

Many people are also concerned that Scottish devolution has never been supported by the majority of eligible voters in Scotland; that a mere 26 per cent of the electorate ever supported devolution in Wales, where it is being used to entrench the rule of those in English-speaking areas who speak Welsh as a cordon sanitaire; that the government of Northern Ireland has been carved up between a fundamentalist sect and a terrorist organisation; and about how badly England has been treated.

These are the issues that the BNP advertise on their leaflets, and discuss when they campaign door-to-door. This is what they were telling the Durham public at their stall that Saturday afternoon. Far from being racist, these valid and well-founded concerns are strongly shared with ethnic minority communities. I am, myself, mixed-race. Far from being necessarily right-wing, these concerns are felt most keenly by traditional Labour supporters, who now abstain in enormous numbers, and could put the BNP third in numerous seats and second in quite a few. The BNP is far more of a threat to Labour than UKIP ever was to the Tories. Yet neither Labour nor the other two parties are addressing these concerns. So the BNP is filling the vacuum. The terrible truth is that they are now the only force even pretending to share and articulate numerous perfectly mainstream and reasonable fears and grievances. Ignorant of and unfaithful to their own traditions, and scornful of the people whose worries these are, the main parties simply refuse to do so. Thus are people drawn into a world of racism, thuggery, and Holocaust denial.

I wish I could write that well, but my shortcomings aside. All the major parties say they are listening to the electorate, but effectively ignore them. Instead wringing their hands over the problem of political disengagement and how to tackle it. For example see Squirrel Nutkin's, sorry Hazel Blears speech to the Hansard Society in November 2008: Tackling Political Disengagement (in PDF Format).

The BNP realising that to make any real impact it had to change its image has done the obvious and listened, and then made peoples concerns part of its policy platform. UKIP to a lesser extent has done the same.

I believe that the leadership of all the major parties should read this article an take on-board the simple message. Listen to the voice of the people, take on-board their concerns and do something about them, hardly rocket science.