#OccupyLSX release initial statement

by Newswire    
October 17, 2011 at 12:49 am

At today’s assembly on the steps of St Paul’s, #occupylsx agreed the initial statement below.

They say this is still a draft statement and will always be a work in progress.

1 The current system is unsustainable. It is undemocratic and unjust. We need alternatives; this is where we work towards them.

2 We are of all ethnicities, backgrounds, genders, generations, sexualities dis/abilities and faiths. We stand together with occupations all over the world.

3 We refuse to pay for the banks’ crisis.

4 We do not accept the cuts as either necessary or inevitable. We demand an end to global tax injustice and our democracy representing corporations instead of the people.

5 We want regulators to be genuinely independent of the industries they regulate.

6 We support the strike on the 30th November and the student action on the 9th November, and actions to defend our health services, welfare, education and employment and to stop wars and arms dealing.

7 We want structural change towards authentic global equality. The world’s resources must go towards caring for people and the planet, not the military, corporate profits or the rich.

8 We stand in solidarity with the global oppressed and we call for an end to the actions of our government and others in causing this oppression.

9 This is what democracy looks like. Come and join us!

—
Picture via Bright Green Scotland

The two challenges that could make or break #occupyLondon

by Sunny Hundal    
October 16, 2011 at 4:16 pm

Yesterday I went to report on the #occupyLSX event, and though I didn’t join in as an activist, I support the event in London as well as those across the world.

But the movements in New York and London are not the same, and there is a real danger that this will never take off across the UK.

But first, it’s worth noting and explaining how the “We are the 99%” movement is different to the “anti-cuts” protests earlier this year.
continue reading… »

St. Paul’s Canon defends #occupyLSX from police

by Newswire    
October 16, 2011 at 3:07 pm

The activist occupation in front of St. Paul’s Cathedral, next to the London Stock Exchange, was given a major boost today when Canon Giles Fraser emerged from the cathedral earlier this morning to defend their right to protest.

He also told protesters he had asked the police to leave last night but they refused to do so.

The Canon said:

People have a right to protest and I’m very happy that people have that right to protest. People have generally been respectful and I have asked the police to leave, they are going to be doing so in a second. It seems to me that all is well and calm.

I’ve seen what is going on and it seems to be that there doesn’t need police force in the numbers that there have been, so I have asked them to move and they have done.

Yesterday evening the Metropolitan Police tweeted a message saying, “St Paul’s Cathedral need to prepare for its Sunday services. We advise anyone outside St Paul’s to start leaving,” without official request from officials at St Paul’s Cathedral.

But the Met’s stunt backfired.

Around 250 people camped overnight at the location, despite attempts by the police to remove them.

Representatives from OccupyLSX say they are in dialogue with Canon Fraser to ensure everything runs smoothly for worshippers at the cathedral too.

Mail admits mistake on disability scheme

by Sunny Hundal    
October 16, 2011 at 9:00 am

Earlier this week, Tim Fenton pointed out how the TaxPayers’ Alliance had repeated rubbish from the Daily Mail on the disabled ‘motability’ scheme.

The Mail and the TPA mis-understood how the scheme worked and how many people it affected

Here’s the surprise: the Mail on Sunday today unveils its first corrections and clarifications column, and it admits its mistake!

Last Sunday we said some 3,200 families of children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder were believed to have been given cars under the Motability scheme. In fact that total is the combined figure for two categories of recipients of the Higher Mobility component of the Disability Living Allowance and includes other behavioural disorders. Recipients choose whether or not to spend their allowance on a Motability car; generally about 30 per cent do so.

Also, we described the qualification for the Lower Mobility component, rather than the Higher Mobility component required to claim a car, for which individuals must be declared virtually unable to walk.

It doesn’t go far enough of course, because the Mail pretended that disabled people were being given BMWs paid for by taxpayers, but it’s a small start. The TPA wrote an ‘update’ to the post that tried to pretend that they hadn’t actually done anything wrong.

Indy: Fox mate Werrity plotted with Mossad

by Sunny Hundal    
October 15, 2011 at 10:16 pm

Tomorrow’s Independent on Sunday has this explosive front-cover.

Update: The story is now online and here are the key accusations:

The self-styled adviser to Mr Fox, whose close personal friendship with the former defence secretary led to Mr Fox’s downfall, has visited Iran on several occasions and met Iranian opposition groups in Washington and London over the past few years, The Independent on Sunday has learnt.

Mr Werritty, 33, has been debriefed by MI6 about his travels and is so highly regarded by the Israeli intelligence service Mossad – who thought he was Mr Fox’s chief of staff – that he was able to arrange meetings at the highest levels of the Israeli government, multiple sources have told The IoS.

It’s worth pointing out that former UK ambassador Craig Murray connected the same dots earlier this week:

The answer is that Werritty is paid by representatives of far right US and Israeli sources to influence the British defence secretary. It has been discussed within the MOD whether Werritty is being – knowingly or otherwise – run as an agent of influence by the CIA or Mossad.

The Guardian also reported that in February this year, Adam Werritty and Liam Fox flew to Israel for a conference on regional security, where the former arranged and attended a dinner at the conference with Fox and the UK’s ambassador to Israel, Matthew Gould.

This could potentially turn into a big diplomatic incident if it looks like Werrity had influence on British foreign policy.

How global occupations can play to mainstream ’99%’ values

by Adam Ramsay    
October 15, 2011 at 7:01 pm

It is the classic question of American marketing – will it play in Peoria? Of the many occupations today, one will indeed be in the Illinois city famous as the litmus test for American popularity.

The success or failure of the tactic of mass occupation of public space has been widely discussed elsewhere. And I suspect it is fair to say that on its own, it is unlikely to succeed in securing significant lasting change.

So let’s look at a simple question – how successful have these movements so far been in securing public support.
continue reading… »

Liam Fox’s full resignation statement

by Newswire    
October 14, 2011 at 4:25 pm

Here is what Liam Fox sent to David Cameron today

Dear David,

As you know, I have always placed a great deal of importance on accountability and responsibility. As I said in the House of Commons on Monday, I mistakenly allowed the distinction between my personal interest and my Government activities to become blurred. The consequences of this have become clearer in recent days. I am very sorry for this.

I have also repeatedly said that the national interest must always come before personal interest. I now have to hold myself to my own standard. I have therefore decided, with great sadness, to resign from my post as Secretary of State for Defence – a position which I have been immensely proud and honoured to have held.

I am particularly proud to have overseen the long overdue reforms to the Ministry of Defence and to our Armed Forces, which will shape them to meet the challenges of the future and keep this country safe.

I am proud also to have played a part in helping to liberate the people of Libya, and I regret that I will not see through to its conclusion Britain’s role in Afghanistan, where so much progress has been made.

Above all, I am honoured and humbled to have worked with the superb men and women in our Armed Forces. Their bravery, dedication and professionalism are second to none.

I appreciate all the support you have given me – and will continue to support the vital work of this Government, above all in controlling the enormous budget deficit we inherited, which is a threat not just to this country’s economic prosperity but also to its national security.

I look forward to continuing to represent my constituents in North Somerset.

Yours ever,
Liam

Via Sky News

Infographic: the global web of tax havens

by Sunny Hundal    
October 14, 2011 at 4:08 pm

The British Virgin Islands plays host to 227 different FTSE 100 subsidiary companies, but are they really doing business there?

Take a look at some of the subsidiary names registered in BVI and you get an idea of where the actual work is taking place. From South African breweries, to mines in Tanzanian and Venezuela, the web of tax haven holding companies penetrates the developing world.

ActionAid has published all the data on the location of the FTSE 100’s overseas subsidiary companies, and there’s a load on interesting stories in there. Have a hunt through their interactive map and see what you can find.

Or, if you’re an infographics ninja, you can get the whole data set and help us really bring it to life.

CLICK ON THE PIC FOR A BIGGER VERSION

We’re being misled about Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit

by Guest    
October 14, 2011 at 12:58 pm

contribution by Matt Hill

You’d have to lack all sense of compassion not to be happy for Gilad Shalit, whatever your politics.

It seems the IDF soldier kidnapped by Hamas terrorists in June 2006 is finally to be freed, in return for 1000 Palestinians jailed for terror offences.

If you read that last sentence without spotting two major errors, you’ve been seriously misled. Because Shalit wasn’t ‘kidnapped’, and neither his captors nor most of the prisoners due for release are ‘terrorists’.
continue reading… »

The worrying collapse in British conststruction

by Richard Exell    
October 14, 2011 at 12:28 pm

Today’s construction industry output data provides more evidence that the recovery has been draining away for a while now.

Output in August was down 0.4% from July and 4.1% from August 2010. If you look at the more consistent figures for three month periods, the decline in total output in June – August 2011 from the same period in 2010 is lower, at 1.9%.

But a breakdown into different categories is quite revealing:

What I find particularly worrying is that fall of nearly a quarter in new private industrial construction.

That’s partly because the 2010 figure was highish, as everyone thought we were warming up the recovery and partly because the 2011 figure reflects the fears that we are tumbling into another recession.

That 1.9% fall in total construction output comes after 5 months in which the increase was less than it had been in the previous month:

(I’ve compared the three months ending with the month on the Y-axis with the same period in 2010.)

These figures reinforce the message of the Purchasing Managers’ Index for construction earlier this month, which was

Growth of UK construction activity slows to near-stagnation

Markit reported that new work had collapsed and activity was being kept going mainly by existing orders.

Construction is yet another industry that is bound to contract if demand continues at this low level.

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