That it should have taken me so long to get round to the “local” picture in the local elections – which took place in May this year – is not ideal; however, the story remains worth telling. While the period from May to now has at times shown less activity from the Wessex Regionalists, theContinueContinue reading “On the Local Elections, pt. 3: The Local Picture”
Tag Archives: Democracy
Thou Shalt Not
Thursday last week saw a plethora of different elections across the UK and among these polls was a referendum in St Ives. Local folk voted by 83% to 17% in favour of a policy to ban the building of new second homes. Faced with a housing market described as ‘financial cleansing’ of the locals, that’sContinueContinue reading “Thou Shalt Not”
Wessexit
Of all the reasons for remaining in the EU the most compelling arises from quietly contemplating the alternative. Being marooned on a small island run by Gove, Johnson and IDS is a chilling prospect. It also smacks of betrayal of those elsewhere working for a better Europe. The Danes in particular fear isolation without theirContinueContinue reading “Wessexit”
Keeping It Under Your Hat
With 11.5 million documents to read through, we’ve not heard the last of the revelations from the Panama Papers. David Cameron is on the defensive, though Jeremy Corbyn’s attacks are blunted by the fact that his party was once led by one half of the Blair couple, now rumoured to be worth a cool £60ContinueContinue reading “Keeping It Under Your Hat”
Letting London Go
Wastemonster has often voted for evil. And now for EVEL – English Votes for English Laws. Quite right too, as far as that goes. Which is not very far. The Daily Express, predictably, took it way too far, with a blustering piece by Leo McKinstry today about the great, tax-oppressed nation of England, paying forContinueContinue reading “Letting London Go”
Wrapped in Golden Chains
“There’s been a lot of pressure to highlight human rights abuses but the Chinese haven’t mentioned the DWP once.” Tory Comedians on Facebook Questioned in London this week on his country’s human rights record, Xi Jinping responded with the kind of explanation that would have appealed to Deng Xiaoping back in the 80s. Something alongContinueContinue reading “Wrapped in Golden Chains”
Izzy, Whizzy, Let’s Get Bizzy
Or maybe ‘Ozzy, Wheezy’. What is the sound of one hand clapping? George Osborne ought to know, following his announcement this week that business rates will be ‘devolved’ to local councils, along with the one-directional power to lower them. Osborne’s understanding of devolution is that it’s that degree of autonomy that allows others to takeContinueContinue reading “Izzy, Whizzy, Let’s Get Bizzy”
Crown Jewels for Sale
One of the contentious issues between Westminster and Holyrood of latehas been the future of the Crown Estate in Scotland. UK-wide, the portfolio of property and other investments brings in £285m a year to HM Treasury and pays for HM herself and any hangers-on who, unlike the Duke of Cornwall, aren’t funded from other publicContinueContinue reading “Crown Jewels for Sale”
The Founding Fixers
Avon Local History & Archæology – ALHA – does exactly what it says on the tin. It’s an organisation for local history and archæology in the Avon area, serving some 80 affiliated societies, with a collective membership of about 10,000. Founded in 1976, it has outlived Avon County Council, recognising the economic and social –ContinueContinue reading “The Founding Fixers”
Bex in Belgium
Guest contribution by Colin Bex, WR PresidentOn Tuesday (16th June) I attended ‘The European Citizens’ Initiative and the Promise (sic) of Democracy’, a conference in Brussels sponsored jointly by the European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI) campaign, the Latvian Presidency, and the Secretariat of the Council of the European Union.This was a significantly high-level affair of contemporaryContinueContinue reading “Bex in Belgium”
Wessex Regionalists 