Category: EDITORIAL

Editorial comment from Matthew Steeples.

Our editor tells it like it is and he rarely minces his words

  • Maxed Out

    Maxed Out

    Scumbag paedophile Max Clifford bankrupts himself leaving his victims without compensation

     

    Since being jailed, paedophile Max Clifford has shown absolutely no contrition and utterly no remorse. He’s sued newspapers, let his equally arrogant daughter, Louise, buy the “goodwill” – if such bizarrely even exists – of his former PR firm and tried to sell his ghastly Surrey home for £3.45 million. Now, in spite of reportedly being worth around £10 million prior to going on trial, this arrogant one-time friend of everyone from Simon Cowell to James Hewitt has pulled another scam and bankrupted himself this week.

     

    Maxed Out – Jailed paedophile Max Clifford bankrupts himself – Scumbag paedophile Max Clifford bankrupts himself leaving his victims without compensation.
    Max Clifford on the day of his marriage to his now ex-wife, Jo, with (left to right) Theo Paphitis, Bobby Davro, Pauline Quirke and Des O’Connor

     

    In walking away from debts of £7.5 million, Clifford has effectively limited what compensation he has to pay to the women and children he sexually abused. One was aged just 14 when he sexually abused her and of the news an unnamed female victim remarked: “His recent behaviour illustrates his complete arrogance and denial that his actions had any impact on his victims”.

     

    74-year old Clifford’s lawyer, John Szepietowski, told The Times: “Mr Clifford has always honoured his debts and finds this situation completely alien to him. He deeply regrets being in this situation”.

     

    Currently serving eight years at Her Majesty’s Prison Littlehey in Cambridgeshire, Max Clifford has yet again proven his entire worth. Here is a cretinous creature who’ll forever be remembered as nothing but a scumbag and a disgrace.

     

    Pictured above: Disgraced former PR Max Clifford with his daughter Louise Clifford, proprietor of Borne Media.

     

  • Bumbling Bucketheads

    Bumbling Bucketheads

    Theresa May’s decision to appoint Andrea Leadsom is indicative of where her bumbling bag of bilge government is headed

     

    Last Thursday, at the count in her constituency, the rival candidate to attract the most attention to Theresa May was undoubtedly Lord Buckethead. Though it was his outfit that stood out, his ability to interest the electorate to his cause was actually far more impressive than a Prime Minister who’ll now go down as the “Weakest and Wobbliest” in modern history.

     

    Yesterday, in appointing Andrea Leadsom as Leader of the Commons, May made her worst move since being allowed to form a minority administration. Incapable of coming up with suggestions other than “Brexit will bring a better deal for teaspoons”, Leadsom is known for exaggerating her CV, stating that men shouldn’t be allowed to look after young children as they might be paedophiles and receiving donations to her campaign via companies connected to British Virgin Island based tax havens. She is an extreme Brexiteer, widely disliked and generally considered “a little stupid” and given Mrs May needs to unite rather than divide, her appointment seems an especially curious choice.

     

    As we head into even rockier waters with Brexit negotiations on the horizon, Leadsom is not what the Conservative Party let alone the country needs. She is not a woman who’ll unite her party and she’s not a woman who’ll bring harmony to our divided nation. And nor is Theresa May. It is time these bumbling buckethead imposters departed.

     

    #BringHerDown #MakeJuneTheEndOfMay

     

    Pictured above: Image 1 – Andrea Leadsom with a combine harvester – it is not clear how many wheat fields were naughtily damaged in the taking of that photograph; Image 2 – Prime Minister Theresa May with fellow candidate Lord Buckethead in Maidenhead, Berkshire on 8th June – ‘Team Buckethead’ later captioned the image: “Space Lord meets woman who used to run through fields of wheat”.

     

    Bumbling Bucketheads – Theresa May appointments Andrea Leadsom – Theresa May’s decision to appoint CV faker Andrea Leadsom is indicative of where her bumbling bag of bilge government is headed.
    Andrea Leadsom, plainly afraid of being asked questions, has blocked The Steeple Times’ editor Matthew Steeples on Twitter

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=182&v=hKjGaTytWM4

     

  • The Peoples’ Republic of Kensington

    The Peoples’ Republic of Kensington

    As Kensington turns red, ‘The Steeple Times’ reflects on the defeat of a woman nicknamed ‘#LazyBorwick’ , a win by a hard-left Labour blogger and a need for an MP who’ll now represent all constituents

     

    Last night, in frankly the biggest shock of a shambolic and wholly unnecessary General Election, Kensington replaced one flame haired harridan with another and a Conservative majority of nearly 7,500 votes with a wafer thin Labour majority of just 20.

     

    That a seat, where someone once commented: “Even a pig in a blue rosette would win here”, turned red shocked many but given the apparent laziness of the incumbent Member of Parliament, Lady Borwick, the result was a reflection of the constituency’s dissatisfaction with a woman whose reply rate to constituents was listed as just 18% on the website TheyWorkForYou.com.

     

    Victor Emma Dent Coad represents something that many in the seat will not, however, want. Hard-left, and a Momentum supporter, this blogger undoubtedly can be credited as a dedicated councillor but her tangible lack of anger towards Brexit will come to disappoint the 69% of constituent supporters of ‘Remain’.

     

    After the result was announced, Dent Coad, who was backed to the chagrin of a number of locals by Gina Miller’s ‘Best for Britain’ campaign, told those assembled:

     

    “This constituency is a microcosm of everything that is wrong in this country after seven years of incompetent and uncaring coalition and Tory government”.

     

    “I will do everything in my power in the next five years to make ‘One Kensington’ an example of the finest qualities of common humanity, mutual respect for all our communities and social justice to create a thoughtful, kind, co-operative and tolerant society where we can all prosper and thrive”.

     

    Ousted Lady Borwick spoke briefly and added: “I wish Emma every success, but please be assured, as far as I am concerned, tomorrow I start the fight back for Kensington and the Conservatives”.

     

    On Twitter, actor and local resident John Cleese responded: “Metro, The Mirror and the Evening Standard are blaming me for helping Labour’s chances in Kensington and Chelsea [sic]. Delighted my trick worked…”

     

    Elsewhere, in response to an article published in April in The Steeple Times, a reader and associate of Lady Borwick going only by the name “Daniel M.’ remarked:

     

    “You stupid, stupid people. You have destroyed Victoria Borwick’s majority and you should realise the impact that will have on the area. We do not suit Labour representing us and as someone who has worked with Victoria and knows her well I will tell you this: Shame on you Matthew Steeples. I am disgusted by your vendetta and demand you apologise”.

     

    Ignoring this bitter Tory’s diatribe, Matthew Steeples concluded:

     

    Annabel Mullin deserves a worthy mention for having increased the Liberal Democrats’ share of votes cast from just 6.6% to 12.2% in spite of having no party structure behind her. Unlike machined up to the hilt Borwick and Dent Coad, she campaigned throughout the electoral area and now, as before, we have a constituency divided between the richer Tory south and the poorer Labour north”.

     

    “Kensington might be perceived as the land of supercars and £120 million houses, but in fact, this is an area with a rife problem of homelessness and an area where people ‘buy-to-leave’ rather than to ‘buy-to-let’ let alone ‘buy-to-live’. Independent, locals businesses are being wiped out here and nowhere is it clearer that ‘money park London’ just cannot be allowed to continue unabated”.

     

    “Emma Dent Coad, undoubtedly, secured an amazing win but it now remains to be seen whether she’ll represent ‘the many’ throughout Kensington or just ‘the cleverly focused few’ she so successfully targeted to secure her victory last night”.

     

    Results (with percentage change from 2015 General Election):

    Electorate – 60,594

    Turnout – 38,677 (63.8%)

    Majority – 20 for Labour (previously 7,361 for the Conservatives)

     

    Emma Dent Coad, Labour Party– 16,333 (+11.1%)

    Lady Borwick, Conservative Party – 16,313 (-10.1%)

    Annabel Mullin, Liberal Democrats – 4,724 (+6.6%)

    Jennifer Nadel, Green Party – 767 (-3.1%)

    James Torrance, Independent – 393 (+1%)

    Peter Marshall, Independent – 98 (+0.3%)

    John Lloyd, Alliance for Green Socialism – 49 (-0.2%)

     

    Pictured above: Ex-MP Lady Borwick with Theresa May; Emma Dent Coad after her victory on Friday

     

  • Theresa’s Trumped

    Theresa’s Trumped

    Blundering bin bag Theresa May will form a minority government today, but it won’t last; the nation want her and her nasty party gone

     

    From the moment Theresa May awkwardly held Donald Trump’s hand in Washington back in January, it was all but over. Cursed by appearing a poodle to the worst POTUS in history, Britain’s then unelected Prime Minister showed herself as a kowtowing coward and a mandateless moron.

     

    May – a self-declared “goody two shoes” whose outfits are supposedly chosen with the help of her ‘charitable’ chum Lady Meyer and whose “most naughty moment ever” was supposedly “golly gosh, running through fields of wheat” – had not needed to call an election but doing so has rightly cost her dear. When the contest was announced back in May, the public, represented best by ‘Brenda from Bristol’, told her: “Not another [election]. Oh for God’s sake, I can’t honestly… I can’t stand this”, but on this Lady Macbeth-like harridan blundered.

     

    Theresa’s Trumped – Theresa Trump got it so wrong and should go – Blundering bin bag Conservative leader Theresa May will form a minority government today, but it won’t last; the nation want her and her nasty party gone
    Philip and Theresa May – a bumbling ‘Wallace & Gromit-like’ duo unsuitable for the task of steering our nation through Brexit and beyond

     

    Appearing on the BBC’s One Show with her garden gnome-like husband, Philip, foolish Mrs May car-crashingly joked about whose responsibility it was to take the bins out – there are, after all, “boys jobs” and “girls jobs” – and kept repeating her mantra of “Strong and Stable”. It was no longer about parties, it was “Theresa’s Team” but what the nation rightly came to understand her as was as one of the worst Home Secretary’s in modern history. Here, indeed, was a woman who’d closed our police stations and here was one who’d shut our fire stations; here was a woman whose friendship with the McCanns had resulted in them getting £11 million for their pointless search and here was a woman whose inquiry into historic abuse cost £100 million, yet, again achieved nothing for victims.

     

    Though, surprisingly, for once, former UKIP’s former leader Nigel Farage got it right in stating: “The vicar’s daughter came across as insincere and establishment… Jeremy Corbyn fought and an amazing campaign and came across well”, it took Labour’s Tom Watson to sum up the mood of the nation when he remarked: “She said she was strong and stable. The public saw she was weak and wobbly”.

     

    The Tory leader shot herself in the foot yesterday and as Paddy Ashdown concluded: “Mrs May: Enough is enough”. Let’s now put the rubbish out and let’s consign Theresa May to the bin bag of history.

     

  • A Question of Borwick

    A Question of Borwick

    Matthew Steeples asks Conservative candidate for Kensington Lady Borwick five questions; he put the same to the Liberal Democrats Annabel Mullin also whilst Labour’s Emma Dent Coad failed to respond

     

    In the final hours of the 2017 General Election campaign, I asked the Conservative candidate for Kensington, Lady Borwick, five questions I considered relevant to voters in one of Britain’s most wealthy constituencies. I publish below her answers in full and unedited form and beneath also include the responses of the Liberal Democrat candidate, Annabel Mullin, to the same questions.

     

    Emma Dent Coad, Labour’s candidate, was also given the opportunity to answer but failed to respond to several requests.

     

    The five questions to Lady Borwick (initially and then more generally to Annabel Mullin and Emma Dent Coad) were:

     

    • Hidden homeless: “What will you do to help the ‘hidden homeless’ of Kensington?”
    • Money park Kensington: “How will you help local businesses counter such decline if re-elected?”
    • Brexit: “How, going forward, will you credibly represent the 48% who voted to ‘remain’, as someone who went on the phones to support ‘leave’?”
    • Answering constituents: “How will you improve your pathetically low 18% response rate to constituents’ correspondence, as registered on TheyWorkForYou.com if re-elected?”
    • Ivory: “Will you continue to lobby Theresa May about ivory in spite of such being highly unpopular with constituents and others such as Deborah Meaden?”

     

    Pictured above: Annabel Mullin campaigning, Lady Borwick during the Brexit referendum and Emma Dent Coad

     

     

    Pictured above: Annabel Mullin campaigning, Lady Borwick during the Brexit referendum and Emma Dent Coad

     

     

    Victoria Borwick, Conservative Party A Question of Borwick – Matthew Steeples of The Steeple Times asks Conservative candidate for Kensington Lady Borwick five questions; he put the same to the Liberal Democrats Annabel Mullin also whilst Labour’s Emma Dent Coad failed to respond

     

    What will you do to help the ‘hidden homeless’ of Kensington?”

     

    In Parliament, the Homeless Reduction Bill was recently passed –which was almost the last bill to be “signed off” before Parliament broke for the election. This puts pressure on local councillors to provide a range of early intervention solutions.

     

    Current local services – There are a number of local churches who are working in this sector such as St Cuthbert’s (who I visited earlier this week) and our local charities.

    From my previous work at the GLA, I know that although there is a hostel place for everyone that is not enough. People need more and longer-term help which is why there are some good charities working locally, for example the Glass Door Project and Homeless Link. I have also worked with several of the veterans’ charities whose aim is not “no second night out” but “no first night out”.

     

    The situation with those that are “street homeless” – these are the people who, for a complex number of reasons, spend time living on the streets. Some do have somewhere to sleep at night, but spend the day on the streets and some live on the streets full time, including overnight.

     

    The first port of call for street homeless people is a hostel and these fall into two categories. “Direct access” and those that require a referral from an agency. These agencies provide not only shelter but some way to address the terrible loneliness, mental health and other problems that most street homeless people feel. We need to look at the provision of hostels, but also work with the organisations that provide longer term support, to help people get over their crisis and get back on their feet – and this can take months, and sometimes longer.

     

    There has to be short-term accommodation but also ways of dealing with the causes of street homelessness. There needs to be “move on” accommodation, for those that have managed to get themselves into a stable state, and where they are becoming independent, but may still need some ongoing support. I have visited services where they have a range of provision in the same location, I.E. those in immediate crisis and those that are more capable.

     

    We need to provide services to help people with drug and alcohol problems which causes so many people to become street homeless, and also with the mental health problems that afflict so many of these people. The council’s Public Health Department has made this a high priority. I particularly welcome the changes to our mental health laws that the Prime Minister has pledged to bring in. These should make a big difference for homeless people with mental health problems.

     

    Money park Kensington: “How will you help local businesses counter such decline if re-elected?”

    I have grown up in Kensington and lived here all my life, with my family.

    Supporting our small and medium sized local businesses is very important for all of us in Kensington. Local businesses are the backbone of our economy and provide employment and opportunities in our community.

    Firstly we have to stop losing small independent businesses, as you have refereed to, so that people do not lose their opportunity to be working locally and also to start business locally. RBKC has continued with our planning exemptions, otherwise across London small businesses were being turfed out of their premises. Many local restaurants have sadly closed.

     

    I have lobbied the Chancellor, and if re-elected will continue to lobby the Chancellor against the rash of additional regulations for small business – the proposed quarterly reporting, the apprenticeship levy – should be for larger firms, the pensions levy and of course the revaluation which has negatively impacted on our shops – and not on the out of town warehouses for mail order.

     

    I recently undertook a survey of many local shops and businesses, either in writing or by visiting in person. On the basis of the response, I wrote to the Treasury, as indeed did the Borough, and also raised it personally with the Chancellor to see if there is any other way of looking at the rates – so that rateable value could be examined to take into account factors such as turnover, size of premises, whether the shop is independent or a chain of premises and so on. If re-elected, I shall continue to raise these concerns with other central London MPs as they affect us all.

     

    I will continue to support local businesses by supporting any legislation in Parliament which will promote businesses and support our local economy.

     

    Buy to Leave – This is a real issue in Central London, and this is something that, as an MP, I discussed with other Central London MPs from all parties. As we are aware this is “investment purchasing” where investors buy, usually a new property, and then do not live in it, and treat it as “money in the bank” which is why they don’t want it to be lived in as they want to keep it new.

     

    When discussing this and researching what is actually happening – RBKC undertook a survey, as have Westminster Council on this topic. There is a pocket of properties where this is very prevalent, however there is not overall interest in this because it affect so very few nationally.

     

    That does not make it any less of a problem – the previous Mayor tried to address this by saying that properties have to be marketed in the UK first, but we are often used to getting a mortgage first and these overseas buyers are cash buyers so naturally they can jump in. The new Mayor is also examining what measures can be taken.

     

    There are examples in Switzerland and Australia where they have tried to tackle this issue. Buy to leave homes have a very negative effect on the community as there are less “eyes on the streets” less community activity and it is difficult for local business to survive.

    By continuing to have schools and local amenities it brings together a community and encourages homes for families.

     

    Brexit: “How, going forward, will you credibly represent the 48% who voted to ‘remain’, as someone who went on the phones to support ‘leave’?”

     

    I previously worked for Open Europe which was working with the previous administration on renegotiation, which was my preferred stance. I had hoped that the EU would and could use this time to examine its own processes and undertake reform. I realise the result of the referendum is not the outcome for which everyone might have hoped. My chief concern was accountability, and it became clear there was little that could be done to persuade the Commission towards greater transparency.

     

    As a country we voted to leave the EU. Parliament has voted on two occasions to implement the result, with cross-party support. All sides have agreed to respect the referendum and to get on with the re-negotiations. The Lib Dems may have also offered a second referendum on the result of the negotiations. Theresa May has said she will bring the final agreement to Parliament for a vote.

     

    For Kensington, if re-elected, my role will be to lobby for reciprocal rights for all our long-term residents. Over 50% of the residents in Kensington were not born here and many have made Kensington their home for many years. We should continue to make sure they are welcomed and can continue to play an active part in our community. Many are also great contributors to voluntary and charitable works.

     

    I will represent the views of Kensington in Westminster if I am re-elected; working closely with Ministers to make sure they understand the complexity of Kensington.

    The choice for everyone is: “Who should be leading the Brexit negotiations?” Which team do you want? I am supporting Theresa May and her team. I support the PMs ambition to strive for a good outcome for the country.

     

    Answering constituents: “How will you improve your pathetically low 18% response rate to constituents’ correspondence, as registered on TheyWorkForYou.com if re-elected?”

     

    I have always prioritised urgent casework when responding to the vast amount of correspondence my office receives. I receive referrals and pleas for help from individual constituents, charities, churches, the mosque and other religious groups, along with organisations such as the Citizens Advice Bureau and free legal advice clinics. We have helped several thousand families over my time in Parliament. These referrals, usually from someone in crisis, do not come through “They Work for You” thus they are not logged in this way.

    People tend to write to us on “They Work for You” if they are asking for our views on a particular campaign. If the campaign has nothing to do with Kensington residents, then I put my views on the website, so that people can see my opinion. However, I try not to comment on things that are not directly relevant to the majority of Kensington residents.

     

    As a team – my priority is casework and dealing directly with residents, and meeting residents each week. I try to avoid “lobbying emails”. Obviously with complex cases we need to see the residents a number of times, and help them with their various meetings with officers or officials and if appropriate I also work with their local councillors (from any party) to make sure they are not left without support.

     

    A Member of Parliament is often the last resort for people on housing, immigration and benefits. I have been able to help a great many residents since elected and I hope to continue to do this if re-elected.

     

    Ivory: “Will you continue to lobby Theresa May about ivory in spite of such being highly unpopular with constituents and others such as Deborah Meaden?”

     

    I supplied a full response to Deborah Meaden who said she was content with my response and why I am representing the antiques trade in Kensington and our great museums. She kindly offered to send my response to others who were concerned. I have offered to meet her should I get re-elected.

     

    I support the current proposals which are to make sure we enforce the ban on trading in modern ivory.

     

    No antique dealer wants to kill elephants; no antique dealer supports poaching. The only ivory that can be sold in this country is antique and carved. However, there are countries, including those in Europe who still permit the trading of tusks, although this is shortly to be outlawed – not before time.

     

    We can and should preserve works of art that are our shared cultural inheritance for future generations, while at the same time doing everything in our power to ensure that these terrible assaults on wildlife do not continue. The next generation need to be able to grow up in a world with healthy herds of elephants. However, these are not mutually exclusive positions. This is a view expressed by some of our leading museums, such as the Victoria and Albert Museum and the British Museum.

     

    As you will be aware many musical instruments contain ivory “tinkling the ivories – playing the piano” comes to mind as well as significant treasures in our churches. In our area we have three magnificent museums – the Natural History, V&A and Science Museums – and they all have ivory – antique and old ivory.

     

    Both elephants and our shared cultural inheritance are there for us all; we need to work together to look after both, and I have no doubt that this is possible.

     

    Annabel Mullin, Liberal Democratic Party

    A Question of Borwick – Matthew Steeples of The Steeple Times asks Conservative candidate for Kensington Lady Borwick five questions; he put the same to the Liberal Democrats Annabel Mullin also whilst Labour’s Emma Dent Coad failed to respond 

    What will you do to help the ‘hidden homeless’ of Kensington?”

     

    Rough sleepers and the homesless have had a very tough time of late. Funding has dried up, centres have closed and specialist help has become less frequent. We need to provide holistic care – that means that we must look at social care with mental health for these individuals alongside.

     

    Money park Kensington: “How will you help local businesses counter such decline if re-elected?”

     

    I would like to bring a private members’ bill to fundamentally change business rates as they are killing our local businesses.

     

    Brexit: “How, going forward, will you credibly represent the 48% who voted to ‘remain’, as someone who went on the phones to support ‘leave’?”

     

    As a passionate European and Remainer who feels we are best placed in the European Union, I will fight especially for being in the single market (not just access) and to protect the rights of all EU citizens and their freedom of movement.

     

    Answering constituents: “How will you improve your pathetically low 18% response rate to constituents’ correspondence, as registered on TheyWorkForYou.com if re-elected?”

     

    It has been an absolute pleasure getting to know people in and around Kensington over the last nearly seven weeks. It would be a privilege to serve Kensington and communicate with everyone.

     

    Ivory: “Will you continue to lobby Theresa May about ivory in spite of such being highly unpopular with constituents and others such as Deborah Meaden?”

     

    I find it incredible that China has a ban but the current MP for Kensington does not support it.

     

    Emma Dent Coad, Labour Party

    A Question of Borwick – Matthew Steeples of The Steeple Times asks Conservative candidate for Kensington Lady Borwick five questions; he put the same to the Liberal Democrats Annabel Mullin also whilst Labour’s Emma Dent Coad failed to respond
    Emma Dent Coad (pictured with Gina Miller of Best For Britain)

     

    Ms Dent Coad failed to respond to repeated requests from The Steeple Times to answer the five questions. They were put to her via email.

     

  • London

    London

    Donald Trump’s response to Saturday’s London terror attack was wholly inappropriate

     

    After the recent attack on Manchester, we saluted Donald Trump for having “spoken for the majority” in referring to the evil suicide bomber as a “loser”. Last night, however, after a similarly evil assault on London, the 45th POTUS got it completely wrong when he took to Twitter to share his thoughts as to what had happened.

     

    At 12:17am, Trump tweeted:

     

    We need to be smart, vigilant and tough. We need the courts to give us back our rights. We need the Travel Ban as an extra level of safety!

     

    After immediate criticism about his immediate politicisation of a developing incident involving death and injury, Trump tempered his message a few minutes later at 12:24am. He added:

     

    Whatever the United States can do to help out in London and the U. K., we will be there – WE ARE WITH YOU. GOD BLESS!

     

    His response was deemed less than adequate and political commentator Iain Dale spoke for the majority when he responded:

     

    Nice of our closet ally to express his sympathy and support at a time like this. Instead he uses this to make a political point. Wanker.

     

    If Trump had reacted similarly to how he had over Manchester, he would have been lauded. Instead, he reverted to type and once again illustrated himself to be nothing but a buffoon. Shame on him and shame on the disgusting losers that attacked London.

     

    #LondonAttacks

     

  • Messy Mackinlay

    Messy Mackinlay

    As the CPS charge Tory candidate Craig Mackinlay, Theresa May’s poor judgment is yet again illustrated

     

    Yesterday, in spite of Craig Mackinlay, the Conservative candidate for South Thanet, being charged with offences under the Representation of the People Act 1983, Theresa May strangely leapt to his defence.

     

    Mackinlay, a businessman, Tory MP for the constituency from 2015 and leader of the deputy leader of UKIP from 1997 to 2000, defeated then UKIP leader Nigel Farage at the last election by 2,812 votes. Allegations relating to his election spending returns that campaign are cause of his current woes and if convicted, the one-time Conservative Member of Parliament could face up to a year in jail for corruption.

     

    In a statement, issued on his Facebook page on Friday, Mackinlay remarked:

     

    My candidature in South Thanet is entirely unaffected and my campaign continues as before. I will not let this decision affect the hard work I do for my constituents and the hard work I hope to do for them after 8th June.

     

    Our justice system is underpinned by the presumption of innocence and I am confident that I will be acquitted as I have done nothing wrong and acted honestly and properly whilst a candidate in 2015, and as all candidates do, acted upon advice throughout.

     

    Clearly this is a shocking decision by the CPS, given that I’ve done nothing wrong and I am confident that this will be made very clear as the matter progresses.

     

    I am very disappointed with the way this has been handled by the CPS and Kent Police, and I must question the timing of this decision given that Kent Police confirmed on 18th April that their file had been sent to the CPS to review and make their decision: why leave this until a few days before the election?

     

    In response, Nigel Farage – a man, if Mackinlay is indeed convicted, plainly robbed in 2015 – commented:

     

    Once again, it is bad judgment from Theresa May. Why on earth would you allow someone to go ahead as General Election candidate when this cloud was clearly hanging over him?

     

    I’m pleased that somebody’s been charged. My only regret is that there aren’t quite a lot more of them. I personally believe that the law was being broken wholesale in by-elections and in the general election.

     

    What does it mean? Well, effectively what it means in that constituency is that, whilst his name will stay on the ballot paper, I think the chances of people voting for him are now very slim.

     

    So, I think that constituency will be a straight fight, now, between UKIP and the Labour Party, and I will be there [on Saturday] afternoon giving a speech at 5 o’clock to support our candidate.

     

    Illustrating her dumbfounded loyalty, Theresa May, however, added:

     

    The Conservative Party continues to believe that these allegations are unfounded. Craig Mackinlay is innocent until proven guilty and he remains our candidate.

     

    Shame on Mrs May: She should have, whether innocent or guilty, put a stop to Craig Mackinlay again running for election months ago.

     

     
     

  • A Milder May

    A Milder May

    As Theresa May’s lead in the poll halves and Jamie Oliver criticizes her policy on universal free school lunches for infants, we call on voters to act with their feet and remind the Tory leader that moderates still deserve to be heard

     

    There’s no point denying Theresa May will win on the 8th June and there’s no doubt she’ll win big. The ‘alternative’ – not that Jeremy Corbyn’s pathetic excuse for a party can even be called that – is beyond bad but, with news that the Conservative Party’s lead has halved to 9 points in a week, comes good news for those that do not subscribe to a desire for a one party state.

     

    With the prospect that Mrs May – whose attempt to make her ‘Strong and Stable’ campaign about ‘Theresa’s Team’ rather than using the name of her own party is starting to backfire – will not have as big a majority as she expected, there is a chance there will be at least some form of opposition to the vicar’s daughter’s hectoring ways.

     

    In constituencies like Kensington, for example, ‘Remain’ supporters should vote against a shown-to-be lazy MP, Lady Borwick, and back Annabel Mullin of the Liberal Democrats – a lady who issued several video messages yesterday pledging to ‘#HoldToriesToAccount’. A protest vote in this Tory stronghold would send the most powerful signal of all to Mrs May that her “red, white and blue hard Brexit” needs to be tempered and it would act as a reminder that the 48% must still be heard.

     

    A Milder May – Theresa May needs to pay attention to moderates – As Theresa May’s lead in the poll halves and Jamie Oliver criticizes her policy on universal free school lunches for infants, we call on voters to act with their feet and remind the Tory leader that moderates still deserve to be heard – Annabel Mullin Liberal Democrat vs. Lady Borwick, Victoria Borwick, Vote Leave Hard Brexit Conservative Party

     

    Elsewhere, food campaigner and restaurateur Jamie Oliver spoke for the majority when he put his head in his hands and told Channel 4: “Oh, it’s awful. It’s awful. She will regret that” of the Conservatives’ plan to scrap universal free school lunches for infants in their first three years at primary school. He continued:

     

    “Well, first of all, I’m apolitical. So don’t go thinking I’m ranting about one thing or the other… As far as I see it, and I believe I’m someone that’s had my hands dirty for twelve years now and I know what I’m talking about, right? It’s completely short-sighted. It’s completely short-sighted”.

     

    “And I want her [Theresa May] to be a brilliant Prime Minister. I want a brilliant female Prime Minister. Fundamentally, what she’s doing is taking from teachers and taking from the kids”.

     

    “If you speak to Mark Carney and the people at the highest level of economics, if you speak to Oxford Cambridge University on the modelling, the economic modelling of public health and the cost of ill health and the investment. Like, it’s the best bang for your buck you’re going to get. Don’t take from the kids. Don’t take from the teachers”.

     

  • The Cat That Didn’t Get The Cream

    The Cat That Didn’t Get The Cream

    Though Julian Assange’s cat may have looked on smugly yesterday, all its bail jumping owner achieved was to make himself appear arrogant and ridiculous

     

    WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has evaded British justice for 2,356 days and though, yesterday, he may have stood on a balcony and pontificated about how he won’t “forgive or forget”, all he achieved was once again to show himself as a tedious pillock and complete nuisance.

     

    In the time this narcissistic Australian has been holed up in the Embassy of Ecuador in London in Knightsbridge, with his help, Donald Trump has become 45th President of the United States of America and all avenues of Swedish prosecutors investigating him over an alleged rape exhausted. It is a shameful state of affairs and it is utterly wrong that this bail jumper continues to think he’s above British law.

     

    In response to a question as to whether she would support Britain extraditing Assange to the US, another self-serving sort, Theresa May, conveniently dodged a bullet yesterday. This equally smug woman blandly answered:

     

    Any decision that is taken about UK action in relation to [Assange] were he to leave the Ecuadorian embassy would be an operational matter for the police”.

     

    #BirdsOfAFeather

     

    Picture: Julian Assange’s cat in the window of the Embassy of Ecuador in London on Friday 19th May 2017 (with sweets thrown on the windowsill by supporters supposedly keen to feed it and its bail jumping owner), © Matthew Steeples.

     

     

  • The Tossers vs. The 48%

    The Tossers vs. The 48%

    The 48% must make themselves heard at the 2017 General Election; they must vote tactically and do all they can to prevent the landslide ‘Queen Bee’ Theresa May is headed for

     

    With UKIP’s first MP on trial for 14 counts of electoral fraud, 30 individuals connected to the Conservative Party facing potential prosecution in connection to the ‘2015 Battlebus’ scheme and the Electoral Commission investigating Leave.EU’s dodgy finances, one could question the reasoning for Theresa May’s enthusiasm for a General Election.

     

    Right now, British politics stinks and with a hopeless and hapless Labour Party that had to rely on a Coronation Street ‘star’ with an obsession with the word “toss” to get their campaign going yesterday, Mrs May’s home run is now sadly virtually in the bag. Her timing – brilliantly executed and Lady Macbeth-like in fashion, even her critics will admit – ensures she can “bury bad news” Jo Moore-style and ensures she’ll be able to make her woes go away. The vicar’s daughter and the kowtowing garden gnome she calls husband will likely get the landslide they want and with the Queen Bee and her party campaigning in previously deemed ‘unwinnables’, Theresa May is truly going for the jugular.

     

    All right-minded people want to do right now is sit in horror with their heads in their hands, but actually, in fact, there is something we can all do. We must use our votes wisely and must use them tactically. This is not an election about “the many, not the few” and its not one about the “strong and stable” leadership of “Theresa’s May’s team”; it’s about Brexit and we must all use our votes to ensure Mrs May doesn’t forget that the 48% still deserve a voice.

     

    #MakeJuneEndOfMay