The Steeple Times

Tag: Independent

  • 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.

     

  • Betting on the Blues

    Betting on the Blues

    Jon Vine on betting on Britain’s 2017 General Election

     

    The General Election is just days away and bookmakers are experiencing a surprisingly stronger than usual uplift in interest from political betting punters. After Theresa May called an election back in April, the United Kingdom is going to the polls three years earlier than expected and bookmakers have unsurprisingly made her party, the Conservatives, huge odds-on favourites to win the most seats and an overall majority.

     

    Political betting has become big business over the past few years and bookies expect millions to be wagered on this year’s election. One firm alone, William Hill, took £3 million on the last General Election in 2015 and £5 million on last year’s US presidential election.

     

    With six days to go until the election takes place, the Tories are just 2/9 with bookmakers to win the most seats, and 1/4 to win with a majority. It’s a general 6/1 at time of writing that Labour win the most seats, with a Labour majority 10/1 with some firms.

     

    However, although the Conservatives are the bookmakers’ favourites, momentum appears to be with Labour, and their election odds continue to be trimmed ahead of polling day.

     

    Mrs May’s lead over Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn on YouGov’s ‘Best PM’ tracker has dropped massively in recent weeks, and punters can expect more twists and turns over the next few days.

     

    In-play betting on the 2017 General Election is expected to be more popular than any previous election, and betting on a range of election markets will be available on 8th June itself, with ‘in-play’ General Election betting expected to be live with a number of major bookmakers even after voting ends and right through the night until a result is announced.

     

    Polling booths will open at 7am on Thursday 8th June and voting will take place until 10pm. Counting of votes will only begin when the polls closed, and by the early hours of Friday, June 9th, the result of the 2017 General Election will likely be known.

     

    Betting is available on candidates in 650 individual constituencies, and live election odds are available on such sites as BetOnPolitics.co.uk website.

    For BetOnPolitics.co.uk, editor Phil Lowe commented:

     

    “The decision to call an election caught everyone by surprise, although, looking back, there were a few signals that the PM was up to something – a big one being the omission of a date in the political calendar for the Queen’s Speech”.

     

    “Despite the polls coming out in recent days, Mrs May and the Conservatives will still be confident of victory on June 8th and the betting still suggests this will be the case. The initial talk of a ‘landslide’ victory for the Blues may have died down, but although the markets got the result of the EU referendum wrong, and were also wrong with the US election, all signs still point to a defeat for Labour”.

     

    Example odds:

     

    Chelsea and Fulham

    Alan De’Ath, Labour Party – 25/1

    Bill Cashmore, Green Party – 400/1

    Greg Hands, Conservative Party – 1/500

    Louise Rowntree, Liberal Democrats – 250/1

     

    Kensington

    Lady Borwick, Conservative Party – 1/50

    Emma Dent Coad, Labour – 50/1

    Annabel Mullin, Liberal Democrats – 14/1

    James Torrance, Independent – 100/1

     

    Islington North

    Keith Angus, Liberal Democrats – 20/1

    James Clark, Conservative Party – 40/1

    Jeremy Corbyn, Labour Party – 1/200

    Knigel Knapp, Official Monster Raving Loony Party – 250/1

     

    Maidenhead

    Lord Buckethead, Official Monster Raving Loony Party – 250/1

    Tony Hill, Liberal Democrats – 33/1

    Pat McDonald, Labour Party – 33/1

    Theresa May, Conservative Party – 1/500

     

    Westmorland and Lonsdale

    James Airey, Conservative Party – 13/5

    Eli Aldridge, Labour Party – 200/1

    Mr Fishfinger, Independent – 200/1

    Tim Farron, Liberal Democrats – 1/7

     

  • 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

     

  • Turncoat Tory Predicts Troubles for Theresa

    Turncoat Tory Predicts Troubles for Theresa

    Scandal prone Tory activist turned Jared Kushner employed journalist Andre Walker claims Theresa May is fearful of electoral disaster due to MPs from her party likely being jailed

     

    A widely criticised one-time Tory activist turned journalist with links to the party’s dubious 2015 ‘battlebus scandal’ has claimed that “a criminal investigation is the real reason Theresa May called the General Election”.

     

    In an opinion piece, Andre Walker – currently a columnist for Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner’s The New York Observer and formerly part of the team that established the far-right Breitbart London news network – referenced a widely reported story about thirty senior Conservatives facing prosecution for electoral fraud but went far further than most in adding: “In all likelihood, there will be MPs standing for re-election on 8th June who are also facing jail”.

     

    Referencing the Conservative Party’s controversial 2015 election buses that toured Britain under the banner the ‘Road Trip’ campaigning group, Walker pointedly remarked:

     

    “It is illegal to make a mistake – accidental or otherwise. In any case, failure to remember that you had five buses traveling to every key area of the country stretches credibility”.

     

    Curiously, in his article, the hard Brexiteer made no reference to his own connections to that scandal and nor did he make mention of his long-term friend and founder of ‘Road Trip’, Mark Clarke – a disgraced individual who has since been expelled from the Conservative Party and banished for life.

     

    In 2010, The Telegraph revealed Walker – a larger-than-life figure with 59,000 followers on Twitter – was forced to resign as political aide after been caught plotting to smear a deputy council leader in Windsor in a clip posted on YouTube. Subsequently, in 2016, in an interview for the BBC’s Sunday Politics, Walker claimed to have been the boyfriend of Elliott Johnson, an activist who committed suicide in 2015, leaving a note suggesting he’d been “bullied by Mark Clarke and betrayed by Andre Walker”.

     

  • High & Low

    High & Low

    “Penthouse to rival any other penthouse in the world” in converted brewery next to Tower Bridge for sale for £12.5 million

     

    Described as “a penthouse to rival any other penthouse in the world” despite its somewhat pedestrian decoration, a £12.5 million ($15.7 million, €14.7 million or درهم57.6 million) five floor apartment next to Tower Bridge is currently for sale.

     

    Situated within the former Anchor Brewhouse, a building that formerly housed the Courage Brewery, ‘The High Command’ penthouse includes 4,286 square foot of internal space and 1,203 square foot of terraces. It has a private internal lift and as well as featuring 4 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms, comes with a gazebo, a domed rotunda with a gallery, 6 terraces and 4 private parking spaces.

     

    On the market periodically since February 2015 with Knight Frank and Cluttons, ‘The High Command’ enjoys views across the City of London to the north and Canary Wharf to the east.

     

    High & Low – The High Command Penthouse and The Riverside, Anchor Brewhouse, Malt Mill, 50 Shad Thames, London, SE1 2LY – The High Command: £12.5 million ($15.7 million, €14.7 million or درهم57.6 million) through Knight Frank and Cluttons – The Riverside: £6 million ($7.5 million, €7.1 million or درهم27.6 million) through Knight Frank
    ‘The High Command’ is described as being “designed to picture frame’ the various aspects of Tower Bridge”
    High & Low – The High Command Penthouse and The Riverside, Anchor Brewhouse, Malt Mill, 50 Shad Thames, London, SE1 2LY – The High Command: £12.5 million ($15.7 million, €14.7 million or درهم57.6 million) through Knight Frank and Cluttons – The Riverside: £6 million ($7.5 million, €7.1 million or درهم27.6 million) through Knight Frank
    The building at night with ‘The High Command’ highlighted
    High & Low – The High Command Penthouse and The Riverside, Anchor Brewhouse, Malt Mill, 50 Shad Thames, London, SE1 2LY – The High Command: £12.5 million ($15.7 million, €14.7 million or درهم57.6 million) through Knight Frank and Cluttons – The Riverside: £6 million ($7.5 million, €7.1 million or درهم27.6 million) through Knight Frank
    ‘The Riverside’ is situated on the ground and basement levels of the building and is offered for £6 million

     

    Buyers with a slightly more limited budget have the option of purchasing a ground and basement flat in the building. ‘The Riverside’, a 3-bedroom apartment, is offered for £6 million ($7.5 million, €7.1 million or درهم27.6 million) by Knight Frank.

     

    High & Low – The High Command Penthouse and The Riverside, Anchor Brewhouse, Malt Mill, 50 Shad Thames, London, SE1 2LY – The High Command: £12.5 million ($15.7 million, €14.7 million or درهم57.6 million) through Knight Frank and Cluttons – The Riverside: £6 million ($7.5 million, €7.1 million or درهم27.6 million) through Knight FrankHigh & Low – The High Command Penthouse and The Riverside, Anchor Brewhouse, Malt Mill, 50 Shad Thames, London, SE1 2LY – The High Command: £12.5 million ($15.7 million, €14.7 million or درهم57.6 million) through Knight Frank and Cluttons – The Riverside: £6 million ($7.5 million, €7.1 million or درهم27.6 million) through Knight FrankHigh & Low – The High Command Penthouse and The Riverside, Anchor Brewhouse, Malt Mill, 50 Shad Thames, London, SE1 2LY – The High Command: £12.5 million ($15.7 million, €14.7 million or درهم57.6 million) through Knight Frank and Cluttons – The Riverside: £6 million ($7.5 million, €7.1 million or درهم27.6 million) through Knight FrankHigh & Low – The High Command Penthouse and The Riverside, Anchor Brewhouse, Malt Mill, 50 Shad Thames, London, SE1 2LY – The High Command: £12.5 million ($15.7 million, €14.7 million or درهم57.6 million) through Knight Frank and Cluttons – The Riverside: £6 million ($7.5 million, €7.1 million or درهم27.6 million) through Knight FrankHigh & Low – The High Command Penthouse and The Riverside, Anchor Brewhouse, Malt Mill, 50 Shad Thames, London, SE1 2LY – The High Command: £12.5 million ($15.7 million, €14.7 million or درهم57.6 million) through Knight Frank and Cluttons – The Riverside: £6 million ($7.5 million, €7.1 million or درهم27.6 million) through Knight Frank High & Low – The High Command Penthouse and The Riverside, Anchor Brewhouse, Malt Mill, 50 Shad Thames, London, SE1 2LY – The High Command: £12.5 million ($15.7 million, €14.7 million or درهم57.6 million) through Knight Frank and Cluttons – The Riverside: £6 million ($7.5 million, €7.1 million or درهم27.6 million) through Knight Frank High & Low – The High Command Penthouse and The Riverside, Anchor Brewhouse, Malt Mill, 50 Shad Thames, London, SE1 2LY – The High Command: £12.5 million ($15.7 million, €14.7 million or درهم57.6 million) through Knight Frank and Cluttons – The Riverside: £6 million ($7.5 million, €7.1 million or درهم27.6 million) through Knight Frank High & Low – The High Command Penthouse and The Riverside, Anchor Brewhouse, Malt Mill, 50 Shad Thames, London, SE1 2LY – The High Command: £12.5 million ($15.7 million, €14.7 million or درهم57.6 million) through Knight Frank and Cluttons – The Riverside: £6 million ($7.5 million, €7.1 million or درهم27.6 million) through Knight FrankHigh & Low – The High Command Penthouse and The Riverside, Anchor Brewhouse, Malt Mill, 50 Shad Thames, London, SE1 2LY – The High Command: £12.5 million ($15.7 million, €14.7 million or درهم57.6 million) through Knight Frank and Cluttons – The Riverside: £6 million ($7.5 million, €7.1 million or درهم27.6 million) through Knight FrankHigh & Low – The High Command Penthouse and The Riverside, Anchor Brewhouse, Malt Mill, 50 Shad Thames, London, SE1 2LY – The High Command: £12.5 million ($15.7 million, €14.7 million or درهم57.6 million) through Knight Frank and Cluttons – The Riverside: £6 million ($7.5 million, €7.1 million or درهم27.6 million) through Knight FrankHigh & Low – The High Command Penthouse and The Riverside, Anchor Brewhouse, Malt Mill, 50 Shad Thames, London, SE1 2LY – The High Command: £12.5 million ($15.7 million, €14.7 million or درهم57.6 million) through Knight Frank and Cluttons – The Riverside: £6 million ($7.5 million, €7.1 million or درهم27.6 million) through Knight FrankHigh & Low – The High Command Penthouse and The Riverside, Anchor Brewhouse, Malt Mill, 50 Shad Thames, London, SE1 2LY – The High Command: £12.5 million ($15.7 million, €14.7 million or درهم57.6 million) through Knight Frank and Cluttons – The Riverside: £6 million ($7.5 million, €7.1 million or درهم27.6 million) through Knight Frank High & Low – The High Command Penthouse and The Riverside, Anchor Brewhouse, Malt Mill, 50 Shad Thames, London, SE1 2LY – The High Command: £12.5 million ($15.7 million, €14.7 million or درهم57.6 million) through Knight Frank and Cluttons – The Riverside: £6 million ($7.5 million, €7.1 million or درهم27.6 million) through Knight Frank

  • Rent-a-Gob v. Rent-a-Gob

    Rent-a-Gob v. Rent-a-Gob

    Acid tongued food blogger Jack Monroe’s libel victory over right wing media personality Katie Hopkins represents a victory for only their lawyers

     

    Katie Hopkins undoubtedly spouts a lot of hot air but that she lost a libel action yesterday brought by the acid tongued food blogger Jack “I don’t want my boobs anymore” Monroe is a little beyond a joke. Both women like the sound of their own voices more than anything else and both profit from controversy, but that Hopkins is now left facing a total bill estimated at around £325,000 seems a little ridiculous given that all she did was write two undoubtedly inappropriate but subsequently retracted tweets.

     

    Monroe – whose claims in documents submitted to the court that she tends “to move in circles of cookery and politics rather than outrage and vitriol” will have those who’ve encountered this nasty piece of work in fits of hysterics – won £24,000 after Mr Justice Warby agreed that Hopkins’ actions had left poor, little her with “injured feelings” that “remain raw”.

     

    In the judgment, Mr Justice remarked:

     

    “Publication [of the tweets] not only caused Ms Monroe real and substantial distress, but also harm to her reputation which was serious, albeit not ‘very serious’ or ‘grave’”.

     

    “In this case, the allegations were serious but certainly not towards the top end of the scale. The extent of publication was significant but not massive in its scale. The harm to reputation, though serious, will not have been grave. The need for vindication is not a weighty factor, as there has been no attempt to prove the truth of what was alleged. This judgment will make the position clear to those who were unaware of it already. Ms Monroe is a public figure, in the sense that she chooses to engage in public life and to engage in political discourse in public forums”.

     

    In spite of the judge rejecting suggestions that any real harm was done to Monroe, she’s actually benefited hugely from this case. Not only does a woman who once claimed David Cameron “used stories about his dead son” to sell off chunks of the NHS “to his friends” walk away with a large chunk of change in damages, but this foul mouthed, ‘gender X’ harpy has also had her profile splashed across virtually every paper today. She will now profit handsomely from interviews and features and no doubt will find herself taking on new work elsewhere. In the case of Rent-a-Gob vs. Rent-a-Gob in summary though, there’s actually only one real winner: Their lawyers.

     

  • Anything Can Happen

    Anything Can Happen

    5,000 acre Irish estate where “anything can happen” for sale for £24.1 million; its current owner would prefer a buyer who’ll allow him to use it for three months a year

    Michael Jackson hid out at Luggala in County Wicklow, Ireland in 2006 for three months after being cleared of child molestation charges and other guests at this magical estate have included Francis Bacon, Orlando Bloom, Bono, John Paul Getty II, Mel Gibson, John Hurt, Mick Jagger, Patrick Leigh Fermor, Paul McCartney and Anita Pallenberg.

     

    Encompassing a plot of some 5,000 acres, Luggala (meaning: “a hollow in a ridge”) is also known as ‘Fancy Mountain’ and has been used in films including Zardoz, Braveheart and Excalibur. It is located 28 miles south-west of Dublin, was described by the singer Marianne Faithfull as “the most beautiful place in the world” and the main house there has gradually morphed into what has been called “the most decorative honeypot in Ireland”.

     

    Architecturally significant, Luggala Lodge (also known as Luggala Castle), was built in 1787 and is lauded as having “that special brand of 18th century Gothick that rejoices in little battlements, crochets, trefoil and quatrefoil windows and ogee mantelpieces, Indeed, quite like the Gothick of pastry cooks and Rockingham china”. It “boasts all the appurtenances of a grand castle but on a miniature scale” and though standing on a modest footprint, extends to some 7,438 square foot in total.

     

    In 1937, the estate was bought by the Hon. Ernest Guinness (1876 – 1949) and given to his daughter, Oonagh, on her marriage to Lord Oranmore and Browne – a peer with the rare distinction of managing to sit in the House of Lords without ever saying a single thing. It subsequently became a place where “nobody could stay away: Dublin intelligentsia, literati, painters, actors, scholars, hangers-on, toffs, punters, poets and social hang-gliders” and was even immortalised in poetry by Seamus Heaney.

     

    Anything Can Happen – Luggala, Roundwood, Leinster, County Wicklow, Ireland –For sale for £24.1 million ($30.1 million, €28 million or درهم110.7 million) through Sotheby’s International Realty and Crawford’s
    Current owner of Luggala, the decidedly eccentric the Hon. Dr. Garech Browne (born 1939)
    Anything Can Happen – Luggala, Roundwood, Leinster, County Wicklow, Ireland –For sale for £24.1 million ($30.1 million, €28 million or درهم110.7 million) through Sotheby’s International Realty and Crawford’s
    Luggala Lodge, Roundwood, Leinster, County Wicklow, Ireland
    Anything Can Happen – Luggala, Roundwood, Leinster, County Wicklow, Ireland –For sale for £24.1 million ($30.1 million, €28 million or درهم110.7 million) through Sotheby’s International Realty and Crawford’s
    Luggala Lodge after a fire in 1956
    Anything Can Happen – Luggala, Roundwood, Leinster, County Wicklow, Ireland –For sale for £24.1 million ($30.1 million, €28 million or درهم110.7 million) through Sotheby’s International Realty and Crawford’s
    Oonagh Guinness, Oonagh, Lady Oranmore and Browne (1910 – 1995)

     

    On Oonagh, Lady Oranmore and Browne’s death in 1970, the estate passed into the “custody” of her son, the Hon. Dr. Garech Browne. He has spent considerable sums restoring the house and made it a “cultural hub for Irish music, art and literature”. A co-founder of the record label Claddagh Records and instrumental in the formation of the traditional Irish folk group, The Chieftans, Browne and his Indian princess wife, Purna Devi of Morvi, added an indoor swimming pool to Luggala Lodge as well as a Gothic library for his collection of 8,000 books.

     

    Now for sale due to 77-year old Garlech Browne and his wife primarily choosing to be based in Singapore, it has been suggested that the Irish State should purchase the estate. Thus far no offer has been forthcoming and this week Jennifer O’Connell of The Irish Times even penned an article that suggested: “Opening the national chequebook is not the way to secure [Luggala’s] future”.

     

    Luggala – which comes with 7 estate lodges and cottages – is offered jointly by Sotheby’s International Realty and Crawford’s with a guide price of £24.1 million ($30.1 million, €28 million or درهم110.7 million). The Guernsey based Guinness Trust that currently controls the actual ownership of the property has indicated that it “seeks a freehold sale and will entertain offers with both vacant possession and non-vacant possession”. Though such a deal seems as unlikely as that that Christian de Guigné IV proposed of his £81 million ($100 million, €94 million or درهم367 million) estate at Hillsborough in California, at the mythical delight that is Luggala, anything could indeed happen.

     

    Anything Can Happen – Luggala, Roundwood, Leinster, County Wicklow, Ireland –For sale for £24.1 million ($30.1 million, €28 million or درهم110.7 million) through Sotheby’s International Realty and Crawford’s Anything Can Happen – Luggala, Roundwood, Leinster, County Wicklow, Ireland –For sale for £24.1 million ($30.1 million, €28 million or درهم110.7 million) through Sotheby’s International Realty and Crawford’sAnything Can Happen – Luggala, Roundwood, Leinster, County Wicklow, Ireland –For sale for £24.1 million ($30.1 million, €28 million or درهم110.7 million) through Sotheby’s International Realty and Crawford’sAnything Can Happen – Luggala, Roundwood, Leinster, County Wicklow, Ireland –For sale for £24.1 million ($30.1 million, €28 million or درهم110.7 million) through Sotheby’s International Realty and Crawford’sAnything Can Happen – Luggala, Roundwood, Leinster, County Wicklow, Ireland –For sale for £24.1 million ($30.1 million, €28 million or درهم110.7 million) through Sotheby’s International Realty and Crawford’s Anything Can Happen – Luggala, Roundwood, Leinster, County Wicklow, Ireland –For sale for £24.1 million ($30.1 million, €28 million or درهم110.7 million) through Sotheby’s International Realty and Crawford’s Anything Can Happen – Luggala, Roundwood, Leinster, County Wicklow, Ireland –For sale for £24.1 million ($30.1 million, €28 million or درهم110.7 million) through Sotheby’s International Realty and Crawford’s Anything Can Happen – Luggala, Roundwood, Leinster, County Wicklow, Ireland –For sale for £24.1 million ($30.1 million, €28 million or درهم110.7 million) through Sotheby’s International Realty and Crawford’s

  • Nigel Farage: ‘Man of the Elite’

    Nigel Farage: ‘Man of the Elite’

    Nigel Farage joins the elite and moves to a large period property in Chelsea, London

     

    Until recently Nigel Farage claimed he was the leader of the “people’s army”. He presented himself as a man living in a “small semi-detached house in the country” and someone who had “no regrets about being poor”. He targeted working class voters, sought out the “ordinary man” and championed bringing down the “elite”.

     

    This pint-loving politician, it now transpires, has now taken up residence in a large period house in Elystan Street, Chelsea. Situated next door to My Hotel Chelsea, the white painted property is “owned by a businessman” according to the Mail on Sunday. Mr Farage is allegedly using it as his weekday “bolthole”, the paper adds, but does not declare if he is paying rent.

     

    Spotted recently dining at upmarket eatery Bibendum – accompanied by four burly security guards – also, Farage is as entitled to make money and live the high life as much as the next man. In doing so, however, he can no longer claim to be a ‘Man of the People’. Instead, it’s time billionaire Donald Trump’s new ‘British Best Friend’ admitted what he now is: Meet Nigel Farage – ‘Man of the Elite’.

     

  • Quoting Darth Vader

    Quoting Darth Vader

    Theresa May to strip Downing Street of artwork in order to install her version of the ‘Ed Stone’

     

    On Tuesday, The Independent revealed that Theresa May is to “replace some of the artwork hanging in Downing Street with framed quotations of the speech she made upon becoming Prime Minister”.

     

    In the speech, May pledged to stand up against “the privileged few” and fight “burning injustice” but now rather like Ed Miliband with his pointless and much maligned stone, ‘Darth Vader’s sister’ has scored her first own goal given her lack of action against, amongst others, ‘Sir Shifty’ (AKA Philip Green).

     

    What next? Will Mrs May be displaying her garden gnome-like husband in Downing Street’s rose garden?

     

     

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  • Website of the Week: Donotpay.co.uk

    Website of the Week: Donotpay.co.uk

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