Curly's Corner Shop, the blog!

An afternoon of family fun

What a busy and fun packed day I’ve had, up at 5:00 am, in Sunderland before 7:00 am, back in South Shields by 8:30 am, a quick look at the papers, a few blog posts, a couple of letters written, some light shopping in South Shields then home for lunch. The afternoon started with a little family visiting, then a trip to the North Marine Park, then just enough time to squeeze in the family fun day organised by Lalon Amin for Bangla Awaz at Ocean Road Community Centre, then help the kids spend their pocket money (wisely) before getting home to process the day’s pictures, phew!

Bangla Awaz was set up by Lalon in 2004 because he is passionate about raising the profile of and giving a voice to the Bangladeshi Community in South Shields, the aims of Bangla Awaz are to:

• promote awareness and understanding of Bangladeshi culture;
• provide social, recreational and leisure activities for members;
• provide educational and training opportunities for members;
• improve community spirit in the Area;
• improve the quality of life of members;
• promote healthy living and improve community safety in the Area;
• improve relationships between young and older residents of the Area;
• encourage members to contribute their views into local decision making processes;
• improve members’ access to voluntary and statutory services;
• to do all of the above in a spirit of friendship, co-operation and mutual respect.

The Bengali population amounts to around 1200 here, having started to settle in South Shields during the 1950s, a high proportion of their numbers are under 16 years of age and their families contribute greatly to the economic development of the town particularly in the catering and leisure sector. They are a great bunch too, and I’d like to thank Lalon Amin for extending such a warm invitation to me to come and join them in their afternoon packed with family fun. Apart from the fun and games Lalon was making a film of the event in order that those outside the gathering can have a chance to see some of their activities, unfortunately I couldn’t spend as much time as I would have liked at the Community Centre and missed the food (although those who have witnessed the size of my stomach might suggest that I can’t have missed it that much!)

The Mayor and Mayoress Cllr. John and Mrs. Chris Anglin were there to help launch the event, as well as one or two other members of the local Labour Party, I was a little disappointed that the Independent councillor for the Beacon and Bents ward couldn’t make it, I was looking forward to a little chat about his future intentions, but I can understand how busy he is at present. All in all it was a good afternoon, and if you would like to learn a little more about Bangla Awaz or help out in any of their activities or services then have a look at their website www.banglaawaz.co.uk or if you use Twitter follow @LalonAmin to keep up to date.

Click picture to enlarge, and check South Shields Daily Photo tomorrow for another look at the event.

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Populus poll puts Labour in third place for Euro Elections

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Or was it a Downing Street manoeuvre?

There has been much comment and disquiet over the fiasco about the 65th Anniversary of D-Day, for those remaining members of the Normandy Veterans Society in South Tyneside this will be the last ocassion when they travel together to revisit the beaches of Normandy where so many of their fellow brothers in arms fell in the defence of Europe from Nazi tyranny, yet the Queen, the only head of state to have served in uniform in WWll will not be there to represent one of those nations to whom the majority of the French are eternally thankful for their liberation. Instead, the Prime Minister Gordon Brown has taken it upon himself (as though he were a head of state) to represent us in her place.

Veterans gathered in Northern France next weekend will have to make do with saluting an MoD lackey at a memorial parade because the Queen, head of Britain’s armed forces, has not been invited.

Andrew Rosindell MP will ask to be allowed to pose an Urgent Question, demanding to know why the Prime Minister failed to follow protocol.

If Speaker Michael Martin agrees to the move, which is expected to have the backing of the majority of MPs, Mr Brown will be forced to attend the Commons and explain his actions.

“It is shocking and disgraceful that the Queen, who is not only head of state but also head of the British Army, has not been invited to France for such an important event,” said the Tory MP for Romford last night.

“There are two theories as to why this could be: hopeless disorganisation or a deliberate attempt to hog the limelight for himself.

“But I am not going to judge the Prime Minister until he is given an opportunity to explain exactly why and how this has happened.”

So did President Sarkozy, who the Queen entertained with his wife Carla Bruni at Windsor Castle recently, actually send an invitation via Downing Street to reciprocate that hospitality or not? France are claiming that it was up to Downing Street to decide who ought to represent us (which is just another illustration of their ability to surrender when under fire) and critics are claiming that the Brown bunker totally misread the situation and gloriously screwed up on what will probably be the last major event to mark the anniversary of D-Day.

“Normal protocol is for the Prime Minister’s Office to extend an invitation of this type to the Queen. After all, both Mr Sarkozy and Mr Obama are heads of state. Mr Brown is not,” said royal expert Margaret Holder.

Critics have accused Mr Brown of “sitting on the invitation” until it was too late to extend it to royalty.

“I think it is very evident that Mr Brown wanted the focus to be on him, standing with Mr Barack and Mr Sarkozy,” said one MP last night.

“Tony Blair would have basked in the reflected glory of standing side by side with the Queen but Brown feels threatened by this.”

Of course other Heads of State will be there including POTUS Barack Obama who Gordon Brown would love to be photographed next to, yet Obama himself ought to be reminded of the conversation between one of his predecessors and President Charles de Gaulle:

There is a story about a conversation between General de Gaulle, who, as president of the French Republic, telephoned his American counterpart Lyndon B Johnson, to inform him that France had decided to withdraw from the North Atlantic Treaty alliance.

Since its foundation nearly two decades earlier, Nato had had its headquarters in France. Now Nato would have to move.

Furthermore, de Gaulle added, it was his intention that all American service personnel should be removed from French soil.

“Does that include,” Johnson is said to have replied, “those buried in it?”

Just kind of reminds you starkly what these events are all about doesn’t it, and of the over 4500 allies who died on D-Day only 19 of them were French. If further reminder is necessary just go back to this famous Google search about French Military victories.

It seems to me that neither Sarkozy nor Brown will come out of this smelling of roses as both show a scant disregard for history, tradition, or real pride, the thoughts of Phil King, chairman of the Southport and West Lancashire Normandy Veterans Association stick in the mind as being telling and pertinent:

“First it was the Gurkhas, then the D Day veterans. This Government has proven again and again that it has no interest in history, no pride in those who have given or risked their lives to protect it in its time of need, unless there is suddenly media interest.

“As far as I’m concerned, we may have beaten the Nazis, but Mr Brown has proved to be the enemy within.”

Quite – just what is he playing at exchanging the importance an international day of remembrance for a photo opportunity without Her Majesty the Queen present?

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Salary and perks perhaps?

The salary of British MEPs rises next month from £63,000 to £80,500. In total MEPs can receive expenses and allowances of £363,000 a year including a £261 daily subsistence allowance for simply turning up at work. They are entitled to £183,776 in staff allowances, £87,407 in travel expenses and £45,648 in general office expenses even though they are provided with offices in Brussels and Strasbourg.

The office allowance is paid automatically and they do not have to produce receipts to support the expenses or repay any underspend. One MEP said he had been told that just a handful of politicians have ever repaid any of their expenses because they had not spent the total amount.

Source

Yet we approach this week’s election under the dark clouds of anger produced by ‘career politicians’ in Westminster? Are we taking our eye off the ball?

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Brown wants to replace Darling…..

….with Ed ‘Blinky’ Balls

Go for it! Nothing could make us happier.

Yesterday one senior Blairite figure warned of devastating consequences for the prime minister if he pressed ahead. “If Gordon wants to bring the whole house of cards tumbling down, this is the way to do it. The reaction will be apoplectic,” he said.

The Prime Mentalist has lost it.

Picture lifted from Guido Fawkes.

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Torture by television

Last night’s Britain’s Got Talent

I’m surprised that we see this as “entertainment”, surely there ought to be a special children’s edition away from this bear pit.

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Retiring MPs set to rake in even more cash!

David Cameron the Conservative Leader admits that he is ashamed of the behaviour of some MPs and is calling for some of them to be prosecuted for fraud, particularly those who have claimed for mortgage interest payments on non existing mortgages, let’s face it if we behaved the same way we could well be facing a jail term for fraudulently abusing the system and gaining money by deception. Yet we have MPs who have done just this, and having been caught out by the Daily Telegraph’s campaign have wriggled and writhed in an attempt to defend themselves before succumbing to the reality that they are no longer wanted or welcomed in Parliament, at least 10 MPs could find themselves being investigated by Scotland Yard.

The Labour MP for Scunthorpe, Elliot Morley is the latest to announce his “retirement” from politics at the next general election:

“It is with regret that I have today informed the general committee of the Scunthorpe Constituency Labour Party and the Party General Secretary that I do not wish to contest this seat at the next election.”

But why wait this long to resign?

If we were able as constituents to hold a ballot recalling our MPs from the House of Commons to face a new election (let us say with 20% of the electorate being in favour) then perhaps we would feel rather more empowered, as Cameron proposed in his speech the other day. Simon Heffer (not a known Cameron sympathiser) says in the Telegraph:

I am interested in the idea of recall, to force an MP to stand for re-election during a parliament if a quorum of his constituents find him unsatisfactory. However, the only thing that will really make a difference is if selection committees in all parties stop picking second-rate people on the make to stand for Parliament, and instead choose those who express a vocation and have the means and integrity to pursue it.

Dave is also hamstrung by the autonomy of Conservative associations: he needs to discuss with certain chairmen in certain seats the wisdom of continuing with their present MP. But there is already something he can do to show he is back in control, and I would urge him to do it today. It is for the Chief Whip to tell those MPs who have agreed to stand down that they should do so now, and not at the next election.

This would not only stop them leeching off the country at once; it would put pressure on Gordon Brown to do the same. Those who have resigned have talked about doing it for the good of the party. A series of by-elections, which the Tories would probably win, would be very good for the party. Those who refuse to go now can have their reputations further trashed; those who don’t can begin their rehabilitation. It might even precipitate a general election. Go for it, Dave.

Of course, the big stumbling block to this argument is the built in advantages of the current system which will see numerous disgraced MPs benefiting even more at our expense by hanging around leeching from us until the next election is called. The severance package is pretty tasty and will encourage even more of them to defy the public mood until Gordon Brown calls up the courage to have an election to test himself against the nation.

MPs who stay on until the general election before stepping down or being voted out will be given up to a whole year’s salary of £64,766 after they leave.

The amount they are given will vary according to their age and how long they have served. All will receive between 50 and 100 per cent of the annual salary. The first £30,000 of this “resettlement grant” is tax free. In addition to this, all MPs who leave parliament are given a “winding-up allowance” of £40,799. This is given primarily in order to allow them to pay off their departing office staff, many of whom are spouses or relatives. It is also used to cover other costs associated with leaving office, such as terminating lease agreements.

All this comes in addition to a generous final salary pension scheme. MPs who have served 20 years can retire with a pension of about £30,000 a year.

So, I’d support Heffer’s proposal for Cameron to force the issue and have a series of damaging by elections (which may not result in Tory victories). I think the public would appreciate the opportunity to pass early judgement on some of those MPs who Cameron clearly thinks ought to be put in prison. Those who have gained the most in personal benefits at our expense ought to be amongst the first to be tested critically by the electorate and ought not to be allowed to hang around to pick up a huge paycheck next year. A programme of by elections may ultimately force Brown’s hand and debilitate Parliament, let’s face it the government has little else to do and it’s legislative programme is virtually dead in the water and hamstrung by the inabilty of the Whips to maintain Labour Party discipline and the absence of McBride cannot be helping Brown to maintain control over his affairs.

The sooner we have an election the better, much of the current House of Commons needs to be thoroughly cleaned, and if up to 300 of it’s current members fail to reappear in the next Parliament then so much the better, we can start real reforms with a fresh slate.

Only a general election can pave the way to clearing the air and disinfecting the political system.

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Jarrow MP Stephen Hepburn looking happy with the options

British pubs in decline as MPs waistlines bulge

So a third of the price of every pint that I buy in South Shields goes to the Treasury who in turn hand it out to MPs, already of considerable girth, in order to feed themselves at my expense, probably in one of the numerous eateries and bars dotted around Westminster and heavily subsidised by the humble tax payer again. Is it any wonder that you hardly ever see a male member measuring just 30″ around the middle? (Ahem…) Nor indeed are there many female members in the sizes 6 – 10 range, and many of them appear to be replicating the figure of an overfed breed of English dog.

It’s bad enough that pubs are closing at an horrendous rate because of high prices, high taxes, and in my opinion the smoking ban too, but have you noticed (after perusing Old Holborn’s post) that Members of Parliament don’t have to suffer these privations when at work, their bars and eateries are subsidised to cushion the blow, and they even have their own Members Smoking Room where they can carry on as before without a care in the world, one rule for us and, erm another for them. Amazing isn’t it?

No wonder the British pub is in trouble, half of our MPs (half?) must be tempted to stay inside the Palace of Westminster cosseted away from a very angry public and immune to the reality of everyday life. Another odd thing which might get under your skin, Jarrow’s MP Stephen Hepburn manages to get through almost £400 worth of free food every month in this huge subsidised House of Hansel and Grettel, and he isn’t even exceptional, while some families barely have that much to feed mother, father, and three children, thanks to the economic successes of Gordon Brown and Alastair Darling, little wonder that the husband cannot be bothered to nip out to the pub on a Friday night to cough up £2.40 for a pint of beer and give 80p of it to troughing MPs.

Can you tell me which other jobs and walks of life give you subsidised food and drink all day long and then allow you to claim for your food bills after work too?

So next time Mr. Hepburn is quaffing a pint of his (cheap as chips subsidised) usual in Annie’s Bar, perhaps he should think of the number of ex bars that there are in Jarrow which have now been converted into creches and curry houses, or are standing empty waiting for someone to take the high risk of operating them in today’s economic and fiscal climate. It won’t be long before they are joined by a few more.

Axe the Beer Tax

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Woosh woosh, and it was gone!

This is how it looked, (in all it’s glory two years ago) beautiful eh? No, not quite, but at least it’s something to remember it with.

Then some folks in South Shields get all excited, upset, and a bit loopy that part of their “heritage” has disappeared, “heritage” indeed, it illustrates the depth of historical knowledge in Whiteleas and the ability of it’s Labour councillors to go a bit overboard over a piece of rotting metal.

Rossinisbird has an excellent post on the matter which articulates my thoughts just nicely, I do recommend that you go there and read it.

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Sunday Tribune Northern Ireland editor Breen in court threat

If you believe in the freedom of the press then read on here

She said she would not be handing over her notes to the police for two reasons.

“I believe my life would be in danger from the Real IRA if I was to do so,” Breen said.

“This is an organisation which sees people as collaborators for delivering pizzas. I don’t know what they would make of a journalist who handed over all her materials to the police.

“I could remain in Northern Ireland and wait for a sledgehammer to come through my door, or I could enter a witness protection scheme and be unable to work as a journalist again in Britain.”

Now go and sign the petition - here

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