megilleland

Glenda - The Forest of Dean is in South Gloucestershire.

Start of another week of Brexit fudging. Does anyone remember E F Schumacher's book "Small is Beautiful - a study of economics as if people mattered" published 1973, an international best seller. He was a follower of author Dorothy L Sayers who wrote the Lord Peter Whimsey detective novels, but she was also a student of classical and modern languages and her translation of Dante's Divine Comedy was considered to be her best work. By the mid-fifties E F Schumacher had developed an interest in Dante, and through Dante, had been introduced to the writing of Dorothy L. Sayers. Schumacher described Sayers as ‘one of the finest commentators on Dante as well as on modern society’ and quoted at length from her Introductory Papers on Dante, which had been published in 1954: Dante's Inferno "That the Inferno is a picture of human society in a state of sin and corruption, everybody will readily agree. And since we are today fairly well convinced that society is in a bad way and not necessarily evolving in the direction of perfectibility, we find it easy enough to recognise the various stages by which the deep of corruption is reached. Futility; lack of a living faith; the drift into loose morality, greedy consumption, financial irresponsibility, and uncontrolled bad temper; a self-opinionated and obstinate individualism; violence, sterility, and lack of reverence for life and property including one’s own; the exploitation of sex, the debasing of language by advertisement and propaganda, the commercialising of religion, the pandering to superstition and the conditioning of people’s minds by mass-hysteria and ‘spell-binding’ of all kinds, venality and string-pulling in public affairs, hypocrisy, dishonesty in material things, intellectual dishonesty, the fomenting of discord (class against class, nation against nation) for what one can get out of it, the falsification and destruction of all the means of communication; the exploitation of the lowest and stupidest mass-emotions; treachery even to the fundamentals of kinship, country, the chosen friend, and the sworn allegiance: these are the all-too-recognisable stages that lead to the cold death of society and the extinguishing of all civilised relations". Sounds like our present lot of politicians. Nothing changes.

More election talk from Conservative cloud cuckoo land. He needs to get out more especially to Herefordshire and check our council tax for a start.

Once the votes are through the Party Chair will choose which candidates get a seat. Therefore if they have a local candidate elected then I am sure they will choose another name on the list. Of course if all were standing as local candidates and all got elected then there would be a problem. Based on the % of votes each party gets will determine how many seats they have attained and therefore this situation unlikely, but we will see.

I shall be voting against the Conservatives in the local elections and against the EU mafia in the European elections. To not vote in both elections will not change the status quo and we will continue down the road to subjugation both sides of the English Channel. Sitting on the sidelines is not the answer.

There are 7 main parties in the upcoming EU Elections 23 May 2019 with 7 seats in the West Midlands up for grabs. There are 49 candidates being put forward to represent the region. When people go to the polls, it will only have the parties on the ballot paper for people to vote for NOT the person. Based on the % of votes each party gets that will determine how many seats they have attained. Once the votes are through the Party Chair will choose which candidates get a seat. Of course if the government manage to reach a Brexit deal by the 22nd of May the vote will be called off. Here are the party candidates: BREXIT: Rupert Lowe Martin Daubney Andrew Kerr Vishal Khatri Nikki Page Laura Kevehazi Katherine Harborne LABOUR: Neena Gill Sion Simon Julia Buckley Ansar Ali Khan Zarah Sultana Samuel Hennessy Liz Clements TORY: Anthea McIntyre Daniel Dalton Suzanne Webb Meirion Jenkins Alexander Phillips Mary Noone Ahmed Ejaz LIB DEM: Phil Bennion Ade Adeyemo Jeanie Falconer Jenny Wilkinson Jennifer Gray Lee Dargue Beverley Nielsen CHANGE: Stephen Dorrell Charlotte Gath Peter Wilding Amrik Kandola Joanna McKenna Victor Odusanya Lucinda Empson UKIP: Ernie Warrender Paul Williams Graham Eardley Paul Allen Nigel Ely Joe Smyth Derek Bennet GREEN: Ellie Chowns Diana Toynbee Paul Woodhead Julian Dean Louis Stephens Helen Heathfield Kefentse Dennis Any of these local or linked to or interested in Herefordshire?

What has happened to the proposed community centre planned as part of the Keepmoat Homes/Herefordshire Housing development at The Oval - Planning Application P131390/O approved with conditions on 18th September 2013? A facility which would benefit existing and new residents.

Make your vote count is pretty difficult when there is only one name on the ballot paper. From The Slog today: In an astonishing drift towards Soviet democracy, 300 council seats in England have been guaranteed for one party or individual before a single ballot has been cast, weeks before the May 2nd polling day. The closed shop of shoo-in candidates affects around 850,000 voters across Britain. 150 councillors will win their seats without a single vote being cast. In these wards the candidates are running uncontested meaning these candidates ‘win’ their seats automatically. And Parties or independent candidates have also been guaranteed an additional 152 seats, as multi-member wards go ‘under-contested’ – i.e. where a lack of competition means that at least 1 seat in the ward is guaranteed for a particular party or independent candidate. The scandal of 21st century Rotten Boroughs has come to light thanks to painstaking research carried out by the Electoral Reform Society (ERS). And the most telling statistic is this one: While the Conservative Party will get 137 of these undercontested seats, Labour will get just 2 (two) This is because the Labour Party accepts that, in many Wards, FPTP (first past the post) leaves them with no chance of winning. Yet they appear not to be worried about giving their supporters zero choice at local level. In fact, from the Leader downwards, they oppose any move away from FPTP. How curious that a Party so often using “democracy” as its watchword should be so unconcerned about a lack of it. Make your vote count is pretty difficult when there is only one name on the ballot paper.

Hereford's H. Samuel store to close By Charlotte Moreau, Ledbury Reporter The jewellery retailer is set to close this summer. THE number of empty units in High Town is set to increase with the loss of another big name shop. Jewellery chain H. Samuel have today confirmed that the company will not be renewing the lease on their long-established Hereford store. A familiar feature in Hereford's High Town, the store will permanently close its doors when its lease comes to an end this summer. An H. Samuel spokesperson said: "The H. Samuel store at 22 and 23 High Town, Hereford will close on June 22. "We continually re-assess our portfolio of stores on a store by store basis, particularly when individual store leases come up for renewal. "We are sorry to be leaving Hereford, however we do have a wide online offering." The company was keen to assure shoppers that the Hereford closure is an isolated one which bears no reflection on the future plans of parent company Signet's business estate overall within the UK but declined to comment further. The company, which was established in Liverpool in 1862, was acquired by the Signet Group, which also owns the Ernest Jones and Leslie Davis jewellery chains. H. Samuel currently has around 300 stores across the country and employs around 17,000 staff.

Up to 119,622 views this morning.

Good advice Colin. Despicable people out there who pimp on the vulnerable.

In the Daily Depress today: YouGov's poll on April 10 to 11 - the first since Brexit was exteneded up until October 31 - shows Labour a clear leader with 24 percent of the public's backing. The Conservatives are in second place at 16 percent, said the poll of 1,843 people. That is a steep drop from the 2017 general election. Meanwhile, Nigel Farage's Brexit Party, which was officially launched on Friday, is third with 15 percent backing, and UKIP is on 14 percent. Another new party, Change UK, which includes Chuka Umunna among its number, are on seven percent. The Liberal Democrats are on eight percent, the same as the Greens, while the Scottish National Party and Plaid Cymru are both on six percent. 15th April - Farage's Brexit Launch has had 99,561 views in 4 days - at this rate nearly a million views possible (945,829). The problem remains that the vote will be split although the poll above was undertaken with only 1,843 people and this has put the wind up Theresa and her Tory cohorts.

Quite right. but included wards which people perceive as part of the city due to large housing developments.

Just watched Nigel Farage launching the Brexit Party, and introducing first European parliament candidates, Coventry, 12th April 2019. Over the hour, while watching the video launch, 1245 other people had viewed it. Over the 24 hours since the video was launched 17011 have watched it. So maybe 875,000 views before the vote.

The parcel has been passed to the EU and they are going to decide the fate of the UK as planned. Hands in our pockets again, economic control over our lives. Just hope the remainers are keen to rally to a call to the EU army - especially the youngsters when conscripted to wage war in Africa.

In The Daily Mail - 10th April 2019 County lines drugs lord, 32, relied on three runners with a combined age of 169 to push crack cocaine and heroin worth £75,000 into quaint market towns * Nicholas Ward ran sophisticated drugs empire from his home in West Bromwich * He used couriers aged 61, 55, and 53 to deliver to customers across Midlands * Ringleader jailed for nine years after police smashed the gang in a raid in 2018 The leader of a county lines drugs gang relied on three runners with a combined age of 169 to push crack cocaine and heroin into market and spa towns. Nicholas Ward, 32, ran the hotline from his home in West Bromwich, West Midlands, and employed runners, including Adrian Tipping, 61, John Kettle, 55, and Anthony Clarke, 53, to supply more than 80 'customers' in Malvern, Worcestershire, and Ledbury, Herefordshire. It is thought Ward, known by his alias 'Nathan', made up to £75,000 before police stopped the gang in March 2018. The runners were largely paid in drugs.

Alex taken the copy of your image as it is straight to the point. EU Referendum Results 2016 By Votes 17.4m Leave - 16.1m Remain By Constituency 406 Leave - 242 Remain Constituency by Party Labour: 148 Leave - 84 Remain Conservative: 247 Leave - 80 Remain By Region 9 Leave - 3 Remain By MP 160 Leave - 486 Remain Brexit isn't the problem. It's our MPs who are the problem.

The agony of Brexit goes on. possibly another year to drag it out. May needs to just get up and walk away. The EU wont be happy till they have milked us dry and decide our destiny.

Town Hall Rich List 2019 In 2017-18: There were at least 2,454 council employees who received total remuneration in excess of £100,000. That's 148 more than in 2016-17. 608 council employees earned over £150,000. A total of 28 local authority employees received remuneration in excess of a quarter of a million pounds in 2017-18. The local authority with the greatest number of employees receiving remuneration in excess of £100,000 was Essex council with 55 employees in total earning over this amount. Essex also had the highest number of employees earning over £150,000 at 13. The TaxPayers' Alliance (TPA) presents the Twelfth Town Hall Rich List, the only comprehensive list of its kind, with council-by-council breakdown. Praised in the past by politicians from across different political parties, it is the go-to guide for local government executive pay deals. It details the full remuneration and many of the names of all local council employees whose remuneration exceeds £100,000. Many senior managers at local authorities have performed well in tough financial times. There are many reports of residents seeing no difference in the services they receive despite the necessary savings being made. However, the Town Hall Rich List also showcases the executives who have overseen failing departments, or received bumper pay-offs after poor performance in the job. THE REPORT COUNCIL BY COUNCIL BREAKDOWN OF DATA Salaries £278,603,551 Expenses £1,106,790 Bonuses £654,920 Compensation £8,710,473 Pension £38,528,461 Total £329,948,787 Herefordshire's top 6"earnt" £713,500 Wonder how many of these were women.

These are the city wards: The following is a statement as to the persons nominated for the election of a District Councillor on Thursday, 2nd May 2019 for the Herefordshire Council - 1. Aylestone Hill Ward 2. Belmont Rural Ward 3. Bobblestock Ward 4. Central Ward 5. College Ward 6. Eign Hill Ward 7. Greyfriars Ward 8. Hinton and Hunderton Ward 9. Holmer Ward 10. Kings Acre Ward 11. Newton Farm Ward 12. Red Hill Ward 13. Saxon Gate Ward 14. Tupsley Ward 15. Whitecross Ward 16. Widemarsh Ward

Leaving maybe next year and possibly never.

The voting system in the UK needs changing to represent the views of the public - has to be made compulsory subject to fine. After all the politicians say the referendum doesn't reflect the view of the UK. If you don't vote the present system first past the post suits the two main parties to a tee.

The EU don't give a stuff how we vote because they will ignore us and still take our money.

Newport West 2018 by-election result Ruth Jones (Labour) - 9,308 votes Matthew Evans (Conservative) - 7,357 votes Neil Hamilton (UKIP) - 2,023 votes Jonathan Clark (Plaid Cymru) - 1,185 votes Ryan Jones (Liberal Democrats) - 1,088 votes Amelia Womack (Green Party) - 924 votes June Davies (Renew) - 879 votes Richard Suchorzewski (Abolish the Welsh Assembly Party) - 205 votes Ian McLean (SDP) - 202 votes Philip Taylor (Democrats and Veterans) - 185 votes Hugh Nicklin (For Britain) - 159 votes Turnout was down 30% on the last election. In reality, nobody wanted to vote for Corbyn's Labour, Theresa May's Conservatives or for Neil Hamilton's UKIP. People can't be bothered to get off their arse and vote - should be made compulsory with an option to abstain. The present voting system suits the two major parties and nothing will change toy town politics. The public need to get serious.

Newport West by-election being held today . Hope the people give Parliament a clear message on Brexit. With eleven candidates standing it will be interesting to see how the voting splits - no doubt to the advantage of the two main parties. Newport West 2017 election result Candidate Party Votes Vote % Change% Paul Flynn Lab 22,723 52.3 11.1 Angela Jones-Evans Con 17,065 39.3 6.8 Stan Edwards * UKIP 1,100 2.5 -12.7 Morgan Bowler-Brown * PC 1,077 2.5 -1.5 Sarah Lockyer * LD 976 2.2 -1.7 Pippa Bartolotti * Green 497 1.1 -2.0 * Candidate lost their deposit