Happy new year to one and all!

The last day of what has been a momentous year. The political landscape of Britain has changed, I for one got involved in the fray and I met quite a lot of good friends along the way. To all of you and you don’t need naming, I heartily thank you and I love you all. Today, in his New Year message, David Cameron attempts to rebut the charge that the government’s spending cuts are ideologically driven, stating that:

I didn’t come into politics to make cuts. Neither did Nick Clegg. But in the end politics is about national interest, not personal political agendas. We’re tackling the deficit because we have to – not out of some ideological zeal. This is a government led by people with a practical desire to sort out this country’s problems, not by ideology.

As one of my twitter friends stated, he should be on the new years honours list for acting. What a load of rubbish. For instance, someone wrtiing on the New Statesman site states that the cuts inflicted will be permanent, citing an occassion when Cameron was asked by a Fire Brigade worker last summer if funding would be restored once the deficit has been addressed, Cameron replied:

The direct answer to your question, should we cut things now and go back later and try and restore them later, [is] I think we should be trying to avoid that approach.

The article uses this to say that “the Prime Minister’s insistence that we should try to “avoid that approach” reveals an ideological attachment to the small state and to low levels of public spending. The result will be permanently shrunken public services.” For many who will be blighted by job losses, losses in benefit and other services such as EMA, this new year will seem very bleak and make no mistake, these cuts that ‘are done at a peace of ideological zeal’ will affect all of us. For all of us, the deceipt of Clegg and cameron will not be a memory we can put in a box labeled last year.  In Ed’s message yesterday, he gave an indication that there is hope, another way. We all need to, and quickly in my eyes, chart a course of what we oppose (specifics) and how we will go about opposing. We need to produce a new years revolution (I coined that) in how we think and our approaches, to give hope to those under threat. Come on Ed, your speeches are gold, but we also need action! Lets bring a message of hope and action in these dark days ahead, and make sure we can bring some happiness into this new year!

Janus

Janus guards the gateway,

Two faced, fork tongued,

Lies disguising the truth,

He stands guarding the doorway to a darker future,

Future where the light of hope extinguished,

Aspiration robbed, too high was its price,

We pass through with hope in our hearts,

As there is another path, another way,

He knows it, the dark night will be followed by the day,

We will oppose him, be the light in the drakness,

Love for our common brothers will keep us warm,

We march, you forget Janus, two faced one,

The doors are open to let in the new year,

We march for a fairer way, without fear!

Ed’s vision for 2011!

My good friend and fellow blogger, Baz Kirby wrote a good blog post about Ed Miliband’s New year message, http://bazkirby.wordpress.com/ , from which I lifted the transcript of the speech-

“In 2011, thousands of our bravest men and women will continue to serve far from home in Afghanistan with the highest commitment and dedication. My thoughts are with them and their families at this New Year.   Here at home, 2011 will be a year of consequences for Britain. Consequences that will be felt by hardworking families across the country. Consequences of the decision taken to reduce the deficit at what I believe to be an irresponsible pace and scale.

 Many people feel powerless in the face of these decisions that will affect their lives, families and communities. The political forces in Whitehall which have made these choices appear forbidding and unheeding.  It is the message I get talking to young people about the loss of their educational maintenance allowances and trebling of tuition fees, people in different areas worried about their services and those wondering where the new jobs to replace those lost are going to come from.  In 2011, many people will wonder what they can do. Some will ask whether there really is an alternative to this scale of cuts. Still more will shrug their shoulders at casually broken promises and conclude politicians are indeed all the same.

Labour‘s challenge and duty in 2011 is to be people’s voice in tough times and show that these are changes born of political choice by those in power not necessity.  And we will take the next steps on the journey to win people’s trust that we offer a better, more optimistic future for Britain.  To do that will require learning from what we did right and wrong in government, strong opposition where it is required and laying the foundations for an alternative path for Britain.

I began my leadership by admitting that in government, we had lost touch and lost trust and that we needed to change to be the party that Britain needs. I saw it on the doorstep at the 2010 General Election and I know it can’t be put right automatically.  It is why our journey to construct a better future for Britain must start from people’s lives and their hopes and dreams. And we must change our party so that it becomes a genuine community force in every part of the country.  People also need our voice now.

So in 2011, we will be arguing for a proper economic strategy rather than an economic policy reduced only to deficit reduction. We would have made cuts but the scale, pace and targeting of these changes is not just wrong, it holds us back from answering the bigger economic challenges we face: about where the jobs of the future are going to come from and how can we create an economy which works for all.  We will stand up for young people because the promise of progress should be that the next generation does better than the last. That is not what young people feel is being delivered when they face the burden of tens of thousands of pounds of student debt, or are told there will be no more help to stay on at school or college or to find a job.  And we will expose the promise of new politics when it is simply about the breaking of promises in 2011 that were made in 2010. 

And as we begin a New Year, I call on all people of other parties and none who share our values and worry about the direction of the country under this government to work with us.  I said in my Labour Party Conference speech that I have never believed that all wisdom resides in one political party. That is why I want to reach out to all other forces of progress in Britain.  To those who feel that politics as it is being practised is high-handed, remote and arbitrary, I also urge them to campaign and work with us. Decisions over school sport and in recent days, bookstart, were reversed because of the power of people arguing and winning their case.   It shows that political change comes because people make it happen.

 2011 will be a year where we work to change Labour and seek to rebuild trust in us and in politics as a force for good.  Even in these tough times, we must keep the flame of optimism burning.   I sincerely believe that we can build a better future for Britain. That means closing the gap between people’s aspirations and their chances of fulfilling them, being a society where we look after each other and meeting the promise that the next generation does better than the last.

That is our mission as a party which we will pursue next year and in the years ahead.”

In his blog, Baz praises the speech as it shows that Ed wants to intends to focus the party on doing, IE being a supporter of the people and harking back to underlying Labour Principles.  i agree with this, and to me this seems as if Ed really intends to ramp up the tempo in the next year, and hopefully, more clarification for a plan will emerge. See I love it when Ed does this, publically comes out with a vision, with something that will aid us in fighting our battles on the ground through phone canvassing.  Good work captain!

The new year beckons,

What will the future hold,

We approach the dawn with fear,

Fear for our jobs, fear for the services we hold dear,

Fear for the consequences of the axeman in this new year.

He speaks out, finally a voice in the silence,

He takes the blinkers off, not just about deficits,

Not just about money, but the human cost,

To reach out to all those who have a conscience,

To all those who see there is another way,

That hope can replace the despair of today,

To the captain who sets a course into the great unknown,

To the seas unexplored, stormy with no fear,

We sail together renewd purpose, renewed hope, into the new year.

Faith renewed, D Mili will not be tempted by the ‘apple’

The other day, I wrote this blogpost- Please, please don’t leave me….. with an emotive poem almost begging David Miliband not to take the job as US ambassador. Well tonight our prayers are answered, as David wrote on a tweet “Seen the UK ambassador to US rumours. I am not in for it and wouldn’t take it. #MPforSouthShields #Labour” See there we have it, David was not tempted by the “flashing legs” and the apple. Part of me feels ashamed for even wavering, however, all I said in the post was my opinion that he shouldn’t take it. Now I can breathe now, and David, if you do read this, I’m sorry for doubting you!

Forgive me for i have sinned,

I doubted, my faith in you my brother wavered.

Yet to question is the key to truth,

To question is to be free not servile.

Glad to hear you weren’t tempted by the apple,

Tempted by the whore flashing her body with abandon,

Glad to hear you will stay in the fight, in the trenches with us.

My faith renewed, my hope restored

Satan himself shall not break our bond!

Lets try something new

I just had a brainwave this morning. As you all know, i voice my opinions about events or ideas in my poetry, however today I want to try something new, to get you all involved. My new idea is this- I write a poem not alluding to specifics and you the reader will comment or tweet as to what you think it means to you! Sounds crazy and may not work but I want to start a debate by doing this and we shall see how it works. Here is challenge number 1!

Lies again,

Like the rain in a storm they continually fall,

Whenever they open their mouths, lies seep out.

To barbaric cuts, they call it civilised,

To the robbing of aspiration,

To the robbing of jobs,

To the theft of hope, to the creation of inequality, they call it fairness.

You lie when your cure is worse than the supposed disease,

“You create a desolation, a wasteland and you call it peace.”

Do comment with your ideas, or tweet me at @anthillel on twitter!

George VI – the man who overcame and found his voice!

After seeing a trailer for the KING’S SPEECH today, I have new found admiration for George VI. The film, which by the way I will find away to see, follows the story of how George (played by Colin Firth), who came to the throne unexpectedly due to his brother’s abdication, fought to overcome his stamner with the help of uncoventional Australian speech therapist Lionel Logue, and became the voice of a nation fighting for its very survival against Nazi invasion.

With his devotion to duty, his devotion to overcoming his limitations, and devotion to his nation which consequently he refused to leave, George VI has my utmost respect and from what I have heard about the film and the trailers, the fim does justice to the man. Here is my poetic tribute to a man who strove to find his voice!

I sing the song of the unsung hero,

A king whose crown was thrust upon him,

A king for who duty came before his own desire.

Fearless, he will not run, he will not flee,

A burden he never desired he accepts,

A man who fought his stamner,

Who overcame the barriers,

Who became the voice of a nation in need,

To the lionheart, the reluctant hero, the song I sing

To the voice, to George the duty bound king!



Change for change’s sake? Come on use your Ed!

We all know the labour party was born out of the unions. This is an undeniable fact, one that I myself am proud of as I see the role played by unions over time in gaining fairer rights for workers. In plans unveiled today, http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/miliband-plans-to-sever-big-money-ties-with-unions-2170389.html#disqus_thread , it seems our new leader wants to almost deny our birthright and ” wants to distance Labour from its trade union paymasters by diluting the party’s financial dependence on them and reducing their role in electing the party leader. Labour has proposed introducing a ceiling on donations to any political party which could be as low as £500, in a  move could break the long-running deadlock between the parties on agreeing a new system of financing politics.” Also amongst the plans, he also wants to change Labour’s culture by allowing the public a vote when the party chooses its leader. He plans to give 25 per cent of the votes to non-party members who register as Labour supporters.

This to me sounds a ridiculous bunch of… ideas, as the unions are still relevant to the Labour party. A link between the party and working people who pay their levy to Labour is still crucial in making Labour be a part of people’s lives for the better. Also the fact of giving non members a say in the new leader seems insulting to me, as it would dilute the power of members in the party. I, like many others joined the party in the midst of the leadership election, as I wanted a say in the direction the party was going. If you open the gates to non members, you are effectively diminishing the role of members and would put many off joing the party. Ed, I think you need to reconsider these plans which will alienate many people, the unions, the members. We need to fight the con-dem cuts, not dismember our own party in the process. Give members more of a say, let us forge policy together, not sever our tree from its roots. WE WILL DIE WITHOUT THEM!

Our roots grow deep,

Deep in the ground, through the mists of time they grow,

To provide water, to provide for the sturdy trunk,

Through the primeval earth, they wind.

Yet he comes with an axe to sever them.

Change for change sake, he needs to be seen doing,

Anything, no matter how meaningless, seen to be doing.

So long we were leaderless, adrift on the storm,

Yet is change for the sake of change really change?

I pray our king leads us into battle,

A king that gives us hope instead of dismantling our temple block by block!

A temple built by many hands to withstand the storm,

A temple sacred to alll, a house for all.

We need our roots, we need to stay as one,

We need to fight I pray thee!

Please, please don’t leave me…..

I should really learn my lesson not to believe everything I read. For the record, I don’t take every word as gospel, yet I still evaluate said pieces and offer my opinion, whether true or not. This is another such time.

A story on the Guardian’s website has appeared today, http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2010/dec/27/david-miliband-us-ambassador-post , stating that Downing Street is considering offering David Miliband the post of British ambassador in Washington, citing that he has the skills, contacts and abilities to make a success of the post. Whilst as many on twitter have pointed out that this may be either a non story, or the right wing media creating mischief, I seriously hope he doesn’t accept such a post. Call me old fashioned, yet I cling to an idea of honour that you don’t work for people you first of all campaigned so vehemently against during an election (sorry Nick ), and have opposed whilst they were enacting regressive policies. Call me old fashioned but how can one be a mouthpiece for this and represent these people? David, I beg of you, do not throw away your carrer like this- do not give up the fight and abonadon South Shields to the scrapheap. David, tell them where they can shove this job, as there is still a place for you here!

They tempt you by flashing their legs,

A job hanging ripe from the tree,

Don’t bite from the apple Adam,

Don’t be tempted by the whore.

Overcome her femine wiles,

Her charms, you need to resist.

We still need you here,

Not on distant shores, not in the New World,

To fix this world ,we need you here!

They hang this post from the tree to lead you astray,

Don’t bite the apple Adam,

In this fight, in this green and pleasent land we need you to stay!

Merry Christmas to you all!

I’d like to say thank you to all of you who i’ve had the pleasure of meeting on the road into my first forray into the world of politics. There are too many to mention individually but you all know who you are. I dedicate this poem to you all, in particular to Lord Prescott and David Prescott who I’m deeply honoured that they like my work. Finally I dedicate this to all my readers, you all give me the strength to speak out and merry christmas to you all and may we all get the gift of hope! x

Year to remember

 Snow falls on this day in cold December,

At the close of this year to remember,

A year of defeat more bitter than the winter wind,

A 13 year love affair ended, apathy replaces the euphoria of old,

One hot and vigourous love lost favour, gone cold.

Romeo and Juliet scheme in the rose garden,

Love is in the air,

Yet on its trial, austerity looms the spectre of despair.

A year of lies, where a man’s word means nothing,

The year a pledge no more worthy than loo roll,

A year where honour lost its meaning,

Puppets under the master’s thrall

Betrayal, the ladder of aspiration kicked away,

Callously dreams placed out of reach, 9k too high a price to pay.

The year I find my voice, new life, born again,

New life from the empty tomb, the rose bush blooms again,

We fought our battles, one against another, brother versus brother,

Yet we still stand as one, to rest we put division, a new dawn rises,

New generation, resurrection.

On this dark night will you deliver hope to this despair?

New plans, new life, will you be the star in the air?

We await the gift of hope on the day in cold December,

As we raise a glass to the trials and tribulations,

To the year to remember.

Cablegate-war against Murdoch and more to come!

Last night Cable’s mouth landed him in hot water, however today, the telegraph’s recordings unleashed another bombshell, Cable’s so called “WAR ON MURDOCH”, in which he stated “

“I am picking my fights, some of which you may have seen, some of which you may haven’t seen.

“And I don’t know if you have been following what has been happening with the Murdoch press, where I have declared war on Mr Murdoch and I think we are going to win.”

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-12053656

Hmm, didn’t he also say he would oppose the raising of tuition fees, so I no longer believe a word he says! However,despite his ’apparent’ bias in terms of his role as Business secretary and not to mention his careless speaking, which would have given me and Ed Miliband cause to sack him, it seems Cable has survived his passe double. Downing St stated he would stay in cabinet,  however this matter and matters relating to Media have been transferred to Jeremy Hunt and the department for culture and Media and Sport. So he survives but much neutered, for now at least, as the telegraph states there is more to be released. Interesting times ahead perhaps….

Again he opens his mouth with such applomb,

Words more destructive than any atom bomb,

Inappropriate, carelessly he whispers,

Yet what is truth what is lies,

Can we believe his forked tongue, slither,

Slithers across the dancefloor yet he survives,

Neutered eunach, yet still he survives , for now!

Cablegate- this time we do mean Vince!

Hmm an interesting development just occured, where Cable was caught a bit with his pants down by a a Daily telegraph recording in which he states “bring the Government down” if he is pushed too far.” The full transcript can be seen here- http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/liberaldemocrats/8215501/Vince-Cable-the-full-transcript.html , but to abbrieviate, he goes on to state “Can I be very frank with you, and I am not expecting you to quote this outside. I have a nuclear option, it’s like fighting a war. They know I have nuclear weapons, but I don’t have any conventional weapons. If they push me too far then I can walk out of the government and bring the government down and they know that.”

In response to the report, Mr Cable had to make an embarrasing climbdown, denying he planned to quit. He stated “Naturally, I am embarrassed by these comments and I regret them. I have no intention of leaving the Government,” he continued. “I am proud of what it is achieving and will continue to play my full part in delivering the priorities I and my party believe in, which are enshrined in the coalition agreement.”

Well what does this mean, for starters it yet again shows that Cable is two faced, saying one thing to one person and the complete opposite to other people. He turns more times than Brendan Cole does illegal lifts (sorry for Strictly paralance there). It remains to be seen whether the government will tolerate such a liability and whether the voyage is over for St Vince. Will he be dancing his last waltz? My opinions are no secret, yet watch this space!

Is this the last waltz for Cable?

Is this the last waltz,

We wonder as he slivers about the floor,

Snake, his forked tongue strikes again,

Critical he claims to be the nuclear option,

Yet his mouth a more destructive force,

What is truth what is lies, give us another twirl,

A perfect 10 for duplicity, 10 for stupidity,

Vince forktongue, is this your last waltz?