Rhondda Records is with you every day bringing the news ------- that gives a view of world events different to the mainstream media or social media!
Except Sundays - our day of rest.
Journalist:To end war ------
prosecute UK, US officials
who wage(d) it illegally
October 22nd, 10:12pm (PressTV)
The world must finally put an end to the impunity of war
criminals, by holding US and UK officials responsible
for launching the illegal war on Iraq, done without
the approval of the UN Security Council, and
prosecuting them --- under the Nuremberg
principles, US journalist Don DeBar said.
DeBar made the remarks in an interview with Press TV while
commenting on a report which has revealed that the British
military inquiries into abuse against Iraqi nationals... have
been closed without a single prosecution being brought,
even though the credibility of many "shocking and
shameful incidents" during the war in the Middle
Eastern country, have been confirmed.
British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace said in a statement
this week that the Service Police Legacy Investigations,
which was looking at claims of abuse in Iraq, had now
"officially closed its doors."
In March 2003, the US and Britain invaded Iraq in blatant
violation of international law and under the pretext of
finding WMDs; but no such weapons were ever
discovered in Iraq.
More than one million Iraqis were killed - as the result of
the US-led invasion and subsequent occupation of Iraq
--- according to the California-based investigative
organization, Project Censored.
The US war in Iraq cost US taxpayers $1.7 trillion with
an additional $490 billion in benefits owed to war veterans, expenses that could grow to more than $6 trillion over the next four decades counting interest, according to a study called Costs of War Project --- by the Watson Institute for
International Studies at Brown University.
DeBar told Press TV that the Iraq war
was illegal from the very beginning.
"It is illegal for a nation to make war on another nation if it
does not have the approval of the UN Security Council, if
any of those nations are signatories to the original UN
Charter. And it’s been adopted - that happened with
the US, as a charter member of the UN -- and it was
approved by the US Senate in the 1940s.
Consequently, the US involvement in Iraq from the beginning, and the UK involvement in Iraq from the beginning, was illegal,” he said.
“And under the Nuremberg standards, which would then
apply, each and every death consequent – intentional
or not - to either US or UK military action there, or
condoning of the US action there, by the media
or public officials, or any act facilitating that,
is an individual war crime. And, by the way,
there’s a death penalty for that,” the
journalist noted.
“No one will prosecute these people. That’s why I started
with the word impunity. And we might bookend with that
because that’s the problem. And until the world puts an
end to that impunity, until the world sees the major
contradiction in all international relations, is US,
UK, and EU imperialism, then it’s going to
continue until this eats our species,”
he stated.
A damning White House memo had revealed details of the
so-called “deal in blood” forged by former British Prime
Minister Tony Blair and US President George W. Bush
over the Iraq war.
The document, titled “Secret... Memorandum for the
President”, was sent by then-US Secretary of State
Colin Powell to President Bush on March 28th, 2002, a week before Bush’s summit with Blair at his Crawford ranch in Texas.
The sensational memo, revealed that Blair had agreed to
support the war a year before the invasion even started
while publicly, the British prime minister was working to find a diplomatic solution to the crisis.
The document also disclosed that Blair agreed to act as a
spin doctor for Bush and convince a skeptical public that
Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein had Weapons of Mass
Destruction, which actually did not exist.
In response, Bush would flatter Blair and give the
impression that London was not Washington’s
poodle but an equal partner in the
“special relationship.”
Powell told Bush that Blair “will be with us” on the
Iraq war, and assured the president that “"the UK
will follow our lead in the Middle East."
Blair has always denied the claim that he and Bush
signed a deal “in blood”, at Crawford, to launch a
war against Iraq that began on March 20th, 2003,
that has killed hundreds of thousands of people.
The Powell memo, however, showed how Blair and
Bush secretly prepared the Iraq war plot behind
closed doors at Crawford.
Powell told Bush: “He will present to you the strategic,
tactical and public affairs lines, that he believes will
“The ongoing violations reflect a deliberate strategy of subjugation, starvation, and coercion,” the statement
said, holding the Israel occupation fully responsible
for the rising death toll and destruction.
Source: Agencies
_______________________________________________
Exclusive: Satellite images reveal accelerating
US military presence in Middle East;Chinese
expert says it is difficult for Washington to
replicate ‘Venezuela model’ in Iran
by Fan Wei and Ding Yazhi
January 30th, 10:39pm
(Global Times)
US President Donald Trump said on social media platform Truth
Social on January 28 local time that a carrier strike group led
by the Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier -- is heading toward
Iran, warning - that any further US military action against
Iran would be "far worse" than last summer's US strikes
on Iranian nuclear facilities.
On the same day, Ali Shamkhani, senior political adviser and
representative of Iran's Supreme Leader Khamenei --- wrote
on social media that: "any military action by America from
any source and at any level, will be considered the start
of a war, and the response -- will be immediate,
comprehensive, and unprecedented, and
will target the aggressor, the heart of
Tel Aviv, and all its supporters"
As the US and Iran --- trade increasingly sharp rhetoric and
publicly showcase military readiness, the Middle East is
facing ....a growing sense of confrontation. Exclusive
satellite images obtained by Global Times indicate
that US forces have markedly stepped up military
movements at bases surrounding Iran in recent
weeks, with enhanced deployments aimed at
both attack and defense.
Analysts told Global Times, that the probability of Washington
opting for a limited, targeted strike against Iran is on the rise.
Whether the US military will ultimately pull the trigger, they
added, will hinge on several critical signals ...in the
coming period.
Satellite images show more US aircraft
The US and Iran were similarly at daggers drawn... in mid-
January. On January 14 - a Reuters report citing Israeli
officials said the US military intervention could come
in the next 24 hours. Qatar said drawdowns from its
al Udeid air base, the biggest US base in the Middle
East, were "being undertaken in response to the
current regional tensions." Iran - for its part -
temporarily closed its airspace for nearly
five hours on January 15 local time,
according to media reports.
Despite the atmosphere at the time having been amply stoked,
foreign satellite imagery previously obtained by Global Times
from the Chinese satellite remote sensing and geospacing
analysis company MizarVision showed.. that US military
bases in the Middle East - situated on the front line of
any potential conflict — had relatively limited
force deployments.
At Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, the largest comprehensive US
military base in the Middle East, satellite images taken on
January 16 -- showed that only a small number of KC-135
aerial refueling aircraft and C-17 transport planes were
deployed at the base.. at the time. Satellite images
taken on January 16 - showed five KC-135 aerial
refueling aircraft. At Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar
Satellite images taken on January 16 show
five KC-135 aerial refueling aircraft at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar
At Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia, satellite imagery
taken on January 17, likewise, showed that US forces had
deployed only a limited number of KC-135 aerial refueling
aircraft, C-17 transport planes, and F-15 and F-16
fighter jets.
As for naval forces, satellite imagery taken on January 12 -
showed that at the Naval Support Activity Bahrain Base in
Bahrain US forces -- had deployed only 3 littoral combat
ships & 2 Arleigh Burke-class destroyers. At the time
the US aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln, was still
operating in the South China Sea.
However, over the past week or so, US military bases in the
Middle East - have undergone noticeable changes. A new
set of foreign satellite images obtained by Global Times
from MizarVision shows that ---- as of January 25, the
number of KC-135 aerial refueling aircraft parked
on the apron at Al Udeid Air Base ------- had
increased significantly.
In addition, another satellite image taken on January 25 shows
new equipment deployments around Al Udeid Air Base. After
analysis, technical personnel from the MizarVision company
assessed that the site is likely a newly installed Patriot air
defense system at the base.
Technical personnel from MizarVision assessed - that satellite
imagery taken on January 25 shows that air defense shelters
around Al Udeid Air Base are equipped with an integrated air
and missile defense system ---- consisting of Patriot missile
launchers, AN/MPQ-65 radar vehicles & other related units.
Technical personnel from MizarVision assessed - that satellite
imagery taken on January 25 shows that air defense shelters
around Al Udeid Air Base are equipped with an integrated air
and missile defense system, consisting of Patriot missile
launchers, AN/MPQ-65 radar vehicles, and other
related units.
At Ali Al Salem Air Base in Kuwait, satellite imagery taken
on January 26th, likewise, shows increased air defense
deployments. After analyzing the images -- technical
personnel from MizarVision company said the base
is suspected of having deployed a Patriot air and
missile defense system.
Technical personnel from MizarVision assessed that satellite
imagery taken on January 26 shows that the US military's
Ali Al Salem Air Base in Kuwait has also strengthened
the deployment of air and missile defense weapon
systems, including Patriot missile launchers and
AN/MPQ-65 radar vehicles.
In addition, satellite imagery taken on January 21 shows that
a large number of F-15E fighter jets have been deployed at
Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan.
Technical personnel from MizarVision assessed that satellite
imagery dated January 21 - shows a large number of F-15
fighter jets neatly parked at the Muwaffaq Salti Air Base
in Jordan, having been redeployed to the base.
Not enough for large-scale action
Despite the US military's continued buildup in the Middle East,
US media observers believe.. that the current scale of US
forces in the region still appears insufficient to launch
a large-scale military operation against Iran.
A report published on January 28 by The War Zone noted that
there has still been.. no mass influx of US Air Force tactical
airpower into the Middle East. The War Zone wrote, "this
is something we would likely see, if the US intends to
execute a sustained campaign, even if limited in
scope, against Iran. This points to.... a more
limited operation, unless Israel steps in
to provide its tactical fighter force in a joint operation."
"Beyond deploying a carrier strike group, the movement of US
strategic bombers -- including the B-2 and B-52 -- toward the
Middle East would also be an important signal that the US
military may carry out strikes against Iran, and could
even be considered ---- a necessary condition,"
the military expert, Zhang Junshe, told
Global Times on Friday.
Zhang explained that many of Iran's key military facilities and
missile bases are located in underground shelters, and large
cave complexes, with special hardening measures in place.
As a result, conventional air-dropped munitions and precision-
guided weapons have limited effectiveness. The use of large
strategic bombers carrying more specialized weapons —
such as the GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator —
would be far more destructive.
"During last year's US 'Midnight Hammer' operation, the US
military employed stealth aircraft to suppress Iran's air
defense systems ---- before dispatching B-2 stealth
bombers to strike Iranian nuclear facilities —
a tactic that, indeed........ caused Iran
significant difficulties," he said.
Based on previous instances in which B-2 stealth bombers were
dispatched to the Middle East for strike missions, there are two
main operational routes. In addition to taking off from the US
mainland & flying directly to Iran with the support of aerial
refueling tankers, another option -- is to deploy to the US
military base on Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean and
use it as a forward hub for strike operations in the
Middle East.
"If --- the intention is to launch military action against Iran, Diego
Garcia is indeed an 'ideal location' for deploying B-2 bombers,"
Zhang said. He noted that Diego Garcia is one of the few
overseas military bases capable of hosting B-2 stealth
bombers. Located nearly 4,000 kilometres from Iran,
the base lies within the B-2's operational radius.
Given that Iran's longest-range missile, the Khorramshahr-4, has
a range of just over 2,000 kilometres, deploying bombers there
would also help avoid Iranian missile strikes. Moreover, some
Middle Eastern countries have stated that they will not allow
the United States to use US bases on their territory to carry
out military operations against Iran, further highlighting
Diego Garcia's growing role as a strategic "hub,"
said the expert.
Satellite images taken on January 17 and January 26 and
obtained by Global Times --- show that only two C-17
transport aircraft were parked at Diego Garcia
in this period, with no signs of additional
military deployments.
Beyond strategic bombers, Zhang said that the US military's
next steps in deploying special operations forces and air
and missile defense assets in the Middle East —
particularly missile defense systems — could
also serve as a key "signal" in assessing
whether Washington is preparing to
take military action.
"Iran possesses a large arsenal of ballistic missiles and attack
drones, which, if launched in large numbers, could pose
serious challenges to US bases in the Middle East and
to Israeli territory," Zhang said. "If ----- the US is
determined to use force against Iran ----- it
would also take preventive measures in
advance... by strengthening defenses
at key locations — for example, by
deploying more THAAD missile
defense systems."
"Iran is clearly drawing lessons from the conflict last June,"
Sun Degang, director of the Centre for Middle East Studies
at Fudan University, told the Global Times. He noted that
srael launched its surprise attack at the time under the
cover of US-Iran nuclear talks, catching Iran off guard.
Now, with Tehran acutely aware of the gathering clouds of war
and having made extensive defensive preparations in advance
-- the difficulty for the US and Israel to mount another surprise
strike has increased significantly, said Sun.
Hard to copy Venezuela action
On January 28 local time, US President Donald Trump posted on
the social media platform Truth Social that a fleet led by the
aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln is heading toward Iran,
adding "Like with Venezuela, it is, ready, willing, and
able to rapidly fulfill its mission, with speed and
violence, if necessary."
"Operations against Venezuela, focused primarily on forcibly
seizing President Nicolás Maduro ----- whereas Iran's power
structure is not centred on a single individual, making it
difficult to shake the foundations of the regime.... by
targeting only a handful of key figures," Sun said.
According to Sun, US planners have envisioned 3 categories
of targets: first, core clerical figures represented by the Supreme Leader; second, dozens of key military and
political leaders, such as the chief of staff of the
Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps - and the
commander-in-chief of the armed forces;
and third, strategic assets & facilities
including ballistic missile and drone
storage sites, production plants
and launchers, as well as
nuclear facilities.
The plan would be..... to weaken Iran's core
military capabilities using precision strikes.
However, from a practical standpoint, Sun said it would be
far from easy for the US to overturn the current Iranian
government... through such means alone. Achieving
that goal would inevitably require the deployment
of ground forces, which runs counter to Trump's
stated preference for an operational approach
centred on ----- "air intervention, massive
bombardment, and zero contact."
"As a result, the core objective of this round of US action
is more likely to be to weaken the governing capacity
of Iran," Sun said.
"Iran's national resilience --------- forged through long-term
confrontation with the United States, combined with its
geographic distance from the US homeland, makes it
difficult for Washington to replicate the 'Venezuela
model' in Iran," Liu Zhongmin, professor at the
Middle East Studies Institute of Shanghai
International Studies University told the
Global Times. He also noted.... that ---
without deploying ground forces,
the ''likelihood'' of the US fully
overthrowing Iran's current
government ---- is low.
Liu further explained that even strikes targeting Iran's senior
leadership through air attacks or special operations would
be unlikely to bring about regime change.
From the perspective of opposition forces, neither domestic
Iranian opposition groups nor the exiled heir of the former
dynasty based in the US can provide Washington with a
viable alternative - capable of replacing the current
government. This further increases the difficulty
for the US to topple Iran's ruling establishment
through limited strikes ......or so-called
"decapitation" operations.
Moreover, while it cannot be entirely ruled out that an extreme
decapitation strike by the US could plunge Iran into chaos,
such an uncontrolled outcome is unlikely to be what
Washington ultimately wants to see.
Sun said that if Iran were struck by the US and Israel, Tehran's
resolve and the intensity of its retaliation would far exceed
previous episodes. Compared with the largely symbolic
counterattacks during the conflict last June -- Iran's
current leadership — from the Supreme Leader to
the president and foreign minister ----- has sent
consistently tough signals. They understand
that failure to respond decisively this time
could expose the regime to the risk of
being overturned and pose a fatal
threat to its core interests.
As a result, Iran's retaliation could be more clearly defined
and broader in scope --- no longer limited to selective,
symbolic strikes, but potentially directed straight
at the opponent's key personnel and
strategic facilities.
Liu said the US' Middle East strategy ---- remains one of
retrenchment, aimed at avoiding entanglement in a
prolonged war and preventing itself from being
dragged into a full-scale regional conflict
that would be difficult to exit.
In addition, the latest National Security Strategy Report
explicitly calls for.... reducing US involvement in the
Middle East -- no longer providing "public goods"
for the region, and requiring allies to shoulder
.....greater responsibilities. These strategic
choices, Liu said - all point to a relatively
low likelihood that this administration
will proactively launch a long-term
war against Iran, said Liu.
Today, January 31st, in 1966,
Thant Myint-U,
historian, writer,
and optimist,
is born.
The grandson of former United Nations Secretary-General U Thant, former UN official, former Myanmar peace process mediator -- and an Honorary Fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge, he has authored five books, including The River of Lost Footsteps: A Personal History of Burma ----- and Where China Meets India: Burma and the New Crossroads of Asia.
He founded the Yangon Heritage Trust in 2012 to protect
built heritage and promote urban planning, in the
Burmese commercial capital of Yangon.
He is also a Distinguished Visiting Scholar at Christ's College,
Cambridge and United Nations Special Adviser on
Humanitarian Diplomacy.
"May there only be peaceful and cheerful Earth Days
to come for our beautiful Spaceship Earth, as it
continues to spin and circle in frigid space
with its warm and fragile cargo of
animate life."
Spain acts against Israel's illegal settlements,
orders platforms to remove listings
December 30th, 3:10pm
(PressTV)
Spain has ordered seven major online platforms to remove
more than 100 holiday-rental listings located in Israeli-
Spain’s Ministry of Consumer Affairs said on Tuesday that it
had identified 138 listings on platforms operating in Spain
and notified the companies to “immediately remove or
block” the content.
Authorities warned that failure to comply could result in further
government action, though the penalties were not specified.
The Minister of Consumer Affairs, Pablo Bustinduy, condemned the
listings, saying they help “normalize and perpetuate a colonial
regime considered illegal under international law.”
The move is a part of measures introduced by Prime Minister
Pedro Sanchez’s government to support Palestine and hold
Israel accountable for its genocidal aggression in Gaza.
Sanchez has repeatedly denounced the international community
for oscillating --- between “indifference” and “complicity” with
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
This latest move builds on a series of measures Spain has adopted
in recent months ---- to confront Israel over its illegal settlement
enterprise and military aggression.
In September 2025, the Spanish government banned imports
of goods produced in illegal Israeli settlements in the
occupied Palestinian territories.
Sanchez said the goal is “to stop the genocide in Gaza, pursue
its perpetrators -------- and support the Palestinian population.”
The Spanish government has prohibited ships and aircraft
carrying weapons directed towards Israel from entering
its ports or airspace.
The country has said that it will ----- deny entry to
anyone directly involved in the atrocities in Gaza.
Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank -- are considered
illegal under international law, a position upheld by the United
Nations and the majority of the global community.
In July 2024, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) issued a
landmark advisory opinion declaring Israel’s occupation of
Palestinian territories illegal -- and calling for the removal
of all settlements from the West Bank and East al-Quds.
Since recognizing the Palestinian state - in 2024, Spain
has been one of Europe’s most vocal critics of Israel’s
genocide in Gaza.
Israel has so far killed more than 71,000 Palestinians since
launching the genocidal war on Gaza on October 7, 2023,
before a ceasefire deal, brokered by the United States,
was reached in the strip last October.
The world and her daughter are calling for a boycott of the genocidal colonial apartheid state of Israel.
Place yourself on the right side of joy and sorrow by joining the world's boycott - say ''no'' to evil!
Keir Hardie - Britain's first Labour MP - opposedWorld War One.
His namesake is stammering his way in the opposite direction.
VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV
ROGER WATERS TO MUSICIANS:- "BOYCOTT ISRAEL"
Roger Waters formerly of Pink Floyd, in an open letter, calls on his fellow musicians --- to boycott the Zionist Israeli regime and follow the example of the cultural boycott against the ex S. African Apartheid regime.
“Given the inability or unwillingness of our governments [to act] …. I write to you now, my brothers and sisters … to ask you to join with me, & thousands of other artists around the world, to declare a cultural boycott on Israel,” Roger Waters says in his letter.
Waters says the Zionist regime has been found guilty of major breaches of human rights and international law by international organizations, UN officials and the International Court of Justice.
He touches on two such cases, saying the regime has been identified as perpetrating the “crime of Apartheid”, including in a statement on March 9th, 2012 by the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, and the “crime of ethnic cleansing” including in East Jerusalem (al-Quds).
Waters adds that he has been a member of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) campaign against the Israeli regime’s occupation of the Palestinian lands and Tel Aviv’s violations of Palestinian human rights for 7 years, and now wants other musicians to also join the anti-Israeli front.
“Please join me and all our brothers and sisters in global civil society in proclaiming our rejection of Apartheid in Israel & occupied Palestine, by pledging not to perform or exhibit in Israel or accept any award or funding from any institution linked to the government of Israel, until such time as Israel complies with international law and universal principles of human rights.”
The former Pink Floyd Musician also says he has recently faced a boycott by the US media after his November 29th, 2012 address at the UN on behalf of the Russell Tribunal.
In the address, he sought accountability for the Zionist regime’s violations of the international law and the lack of United Nations resolve that prevents the Palestinian people from achieving their inalienable rights, especially the right of self-determination.
____________________
AT THE FACTORY
Tickets from
www.wegottickets.com/thefactory
www.ticketweb.co.uk
browse venues in Wales
www.ticketlineuk.com
02920 230130
Cash tickets from:
The Factory, Porth Instrumental Music, Penygraig Spillers Records, Cardiff
Indulge in a delicious cake and a cup of tea while enjoying music and sing-along songs from fantastic Welsh musicians.
Ticket information:
The Cultural Services Booking & Information Line:
08000 147 111 or book online at
www.rct-arts.co.ukÂÂ
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Mid Rhondda Modelling Club...
7pm - 9pm
Tonyrefail Comprehensive School Mid Rhondda Modelling Club
has been running for over 30 years.
We meet on a regular basis
& enjoy making models for display.
We encourage both Gentlemen
and Ladies to attend, and also young people aged 12+.
However, Young people under 16, must be accompanied by an adult.
Ticket information
£1 contribution every week. Under 16's free
Telephone Mr. Davies on 01443 686658
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Comedy In The Laughter Lounge
The Park & Dare Theatre, Treorchy.
COMEDY IN THE LAUGHTER LOUNGE
Join us once a month in the intimate setting of the Laughter Lounge for some top notch comedy with some of the biggest and brightest rising comedians on the circuit.
Laugh? You'll snort like a pig!
Hilarious - TimeOut.
www.rct-arts.co.uk
Rhondda Records exists to express the Rhondda's vision --- when it was confident, powerful, caring, and socialist.
A Rhondda very aware of the media's poisonous tricks -- how they con working class people into attacking each other, or racial groups, or, often, even their best allies and friends... instead of seeing their real enemies:--- an elite who hate the very idea that working people can think, create, or achieve a fairer society.
Thatcher said her proudest achievement was Blair and New Labour - who parachuted in careerists and expenses fiddlers - to stop local Labour members having a say, and who made genuine socialist MPs leave the Labour party in disgust and many members and voters to despair... and the young to stop voting.
Jeremy Corbyn was always attacked because he was trying to reverse all that New Labour corruption --- that's why membership was flooding in all over the UK.
______________________________________
Get Involved!
– If you feel you’ve been ‘purged’, take this online survey:
– Request all your own data that the Labour Party holds on you:
http://www.labour.org.uk/pages/privacy
_______________________________________
IF - YOU THINK you HAVE BEEN UNFAIRLY BARRED:
“Any member who is suspended & intends to appeal the decision should throw in a ‘Subject Access Request in accordance with the Data Protection Act’ --- for ALL data that the Labour Party hold on them.
The Labour Party are Data Controllers and therefore have to, by law, provide you with all material/information they hold on you.”
If anyone is in contact with anyone who was barred from voting --- please can you pass this info on:
The Labour leadership election was under the jurisdiction of the electoral reform services.
If you were unfairly deprived of your vote you can call them on 0208 365 8909 and lodge your complaint, and inform them of your Data Protection request.
https://www.electoralreform.co.uk
The notification letters barring new members did not give a clear reason, or information on how to appeal, so Vox Political suggests that anyone in this situation, could also contact Liz Davies here: http://www.whycantivote.com
She is a barrister --- who can advise members on what to do.
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PONCY LABOUR MPS PROBLEM?
A huge drop in working-class Labour MPs, caused a massive drop in support among voters with similar backgrounds, reveals research seeking to explain why support has dwindled in the party’s heartlands.
The study says past leaders like Kinnock and Blair made a concerted effort to pick “more and more middle-class candidates to run for office, during the 80s and 90s, as part of an effort to rebrand” -- which had initial successes at the ballot box.
But this “conscious electoral strategy” stored up problems, as working-class voters who initially, just didn’t vote in response, now seek an alternative.
The solution?Trust each constituency to put forward its own candidates, and don't impose ‘party-approved’ choices who can't do the job.
Now, unfortunately, there are "entryist" MPs who, for decades, have been groomed by CIA cold war relic organisations -- like the Atlantic Council -- and are now trying to misdirect the Labour Party towards cuts, a militarised police, and a US war agenda... - and their anti-Corbyn slant is hobbling Labour.
‘How Can I Deselect My Labour MP?’ A Short Guide to Reselection and Democratic Accountability by Eric Sim, excellent free advice here:
http://novaramedia.com/2016/07/13/how-can-i- deselect-my-labour-mp-a-short-guide-to- reselection-and-democratic-accountability/ CHRIS BRYANT - SUPPORT THE MEMBERS' LEADERSHIP CHOICE & POLICIES - OR GO!
Chris Bryant, the Rhondda's dodgy MP, was on TV -- as soon as the PLP coup started -- telling us that Jeremy MUST go, because it was the ONLY way to act in the Labour Party's interest...
Chris Bryant's voting record: from TheyWorkForYou.com
On Tuition Fees:
On 27 Jan 2004: Chris Bryant voted in favour of university tuition fees increasing from £1,125 per year, to up to £3,000 per year.
On 31 Mar 2004: Chris Bryant voted to allow university tuition fees to increase from £1,125 per year, to up to £3,000 per year.
On 31 Mar 2004: Chris Bryant voted for the introduction of variable university tuition fees (top-up fees) of up to £3,000 per year in place of the previous fixed fee of £1,250 per year.
On 31 Mar 2004: Chris Bryant voted to allow university tuition fees to increase from £1,125 per year to up to £3,000 per year, and to make other changes to higher education funding and regulation arrangements.
On 14 Sep 2004: Chris Bryant voted against: the immediate abolition of all tuition fees, the re-introduction of maintenance grants of up to £2,000 for students from low-income homes, and changes to the country's higher education system.
On 14 Sep 2004: Chris Bryant voted to reject the Liberal Democrat policy of abolition of tuition fees.
On 25 May 2016: Chris Bryant was absent for a vote on Queen's Speech - Forcing Schools to Become Academies - Further Rises in University Tuition Fees
On Human Rights:
Consistently voted for introducing ID cards
Almost always voted for requiring the mass retention of information about communications
Generally voted for mass surveillance of people’s communications and activities
On the Environment:
Generally voted against greater regulation of hydraulic fracturing (fracking) to extract shale gas
On Special Interests:
Almost always voted against limits on success fees paid to lawyers in no-win no fee cases
Generally voted against a statutory register of lobbyists
On War or Peace:
Generally voted for use of UK military forces in combat operations overseas
Consistently voted for the Iraq war
Consistently voted against an investigation into the Iraq war
Generally voted for replacing Trident with a new nuclear weapons system
On 2 Dec 2015: Voted to support UK airstrikes in Syria [without UN authorisation]
On 2 Dec 2015: Voted to support UK airstrikes in Syria [without UN authorisation]
On Independence:
Generally voted for more EU integration
____________________________
Chris Bryant Labour MP From Wikipedia
(aka 1962-1986: Mr Christopher John Bryant 1986-1991: The Reverend Christopher John Bryant, 1991-2001: Mr Christopher John Bryant, 2001-: Mr Christopher John Bryant MP.)
Born in Cardiff, to a Scottish mother & a Welsh father, Bryant grew up in Cardiff, Wales (where his father worked for 5 years), and Cheltenham.
He was educated at Cheltenham College, an independent school for boys in the spa town of Cheltenham in Gloucestershire, where he was captain of the school swimming team, and Mansfield College at the University of Oxford, where he graduated in 1983, with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in English. This was later promoted to a Master of Arts degree (MA (Oxon)), as per tradition.
After completing his first degree, Bryant began training to be a priest in the Church of England at Ripon College, Cuddesdon, in Oxfordshire. There, he obtained a degree in theology.
Although a member of the Conservative Party, and an elected office-holder in the Oxford University Conservative Association, he joined the Labour Party in 1986, after leaving Oxford.
He was ordained deacon in 1986 and priest in 1987. He served as a Curate at the Church of All Saints, High Wycombe, from 1986 to 1989; then as a Youth Chaplain in Peterborough, as well as travelling in Latin America.
In 1991 Bryant left the ordained ministry, after deciding that being gay and being a priest, were incompatible. Statements made by Richard Harries, then Bishop of Oxford, also influenced his decision.
After leaving the priesthood in 1991, Bryant worked as the election agent to the Holborn and St Pancras Constituency Labour Party, where he helped Frank Dobson hold his seat in the 1992 general election.
From 1993, he was Local Government officer for the Labour Party; he lived in Hackney and was elected to Hackney Borough Council in 1993, serving until 1998. He became Chair of the Christian Socialist Movement.
He is both a member of the Labour Friends of Israel and Labour Friends of Palestine & the Middle East. From 1994 to 1996 he was London manager of the leader-grooming "charity", Common Purpose.
He was Labour candidate for Wycombe, in the 1997 general election (he lost by 2,370 votes), and Head of European Affairs for the BBC, from 1998.
His selection for the very safe Labour seat of Rhondda, South Wales in 2000, shocked many people given Bryant's background – gay, an ex- Anglican vicar, and someone who was a Tory, while studying at Oxford, and a member now, of the Henry Jackson Society 'think tank' --- described by The Guardian newspaper as 'neoconservative'. It is pro-US, pro-NATO and pro-military intervention, as well as being fundamentally anti-socialist.
Fifty-two people applied for the candidature and a local councillor was hot favourite to win, before Bryant was parachuted in.
In 2004, a photograph of Mr Bryant in his underpants, which he had posted to a gay dating website, was published in 'papers.
When an interviewer suggested he was a 'disgrace to the Rhondda', he replied: "They can't get rid of me."
His pay, allowances and some expenses:
The basic annual salary for an MP, from April 1st, 2016 is £74,962. MPs also get expenses: to cover the costs of running an office, employing staff, having some- where to live in London, plus, in their constituency and travelling between Parliament and their constituency.
His MP's expenses story:
Chris Bryant changed second home twice to claim £20,000: the deputy leader of the House of Commons, "flipped" his second home twice, in 2 years, allowing him to claim almost £20,000 for renovations and fees.
Chris Bryant, MP for the Rhondda, split over £92,000 of expenses between 3 properties in Wales and London --- within five years.
In 2004, he attempted to claim £58,000 to overhaul his second home in Wales, after allegedly complaining that properties in his constituency were "terrace or mine owners' houses".
Mr Bryant, a former Church of England clergyman, wanted the money for a new bathroom & kitchen, and to demolish his conservatory. He'd bought the detached house for £97,500, under a year earlier.
He submitted a claim to the Commons fees office for £58,493.26 --- almost 3 times the annual maximum. He noted that the claim exceeded his allowance.
His alleged justification was disclosed... in correspondence between Commons officials. By email, an official wrote: "He had problems finding a suitable property because in the Rhondda there is a choice mainly of terraced property or mine owners' houses." When approached by the Daily Telegraph, Mr Bryant said: "I have never said or thought anything of the sort".
In all, he successfully claimed over £13,000 for renovations, repairs & appliances, in 2004. Along with other bills, his annual claim was £20,902.
In April 2005, he flipped his expenses to his flat in west London, which he bought for £400,000 in April 2002. He also claimed £630 a month for mortgage interest, along with other bills. After claiming over £3,600 over 3 months, he sold the flat in July 2005 for £477,000.
Mr Bryant used his profits to buy a more expensive flat in west London, which was valued at £670,000. He immediately flipped his second home expenses there, claiming almost £6,400 in stamp duty, legal fees and mortgage fees, incurred in the purchase.
He then began claiming interest of £1,000 a month on the mortgage. He also claimed a further £6,000 a year for the flat's service charge and ground rent.
In all, he claimed £92, 415 in second home expenses, from 2004 to 2009.
Mr Bryant said at the time: "I moved flat in London, so as to be closer to Parliament."
Research by Channel 4 News in 2015 found that at least 46 MPs had this kind of system in place – a move one Labour backbencher described as “a new fiddle”. Channel 4 reported then:
“Our investigation found that many of the MPs bought their London properties with the help of the taxpayer, when a previous expenses system allowed them to claim back mortgage payments. But when those claims were banned, following the expenses scandal, they switched to letting out their properties, in some cases for up to £3,000 a month. They then started claiming expenses for rent and hotels in the capital.”
Among those identified was Chris Bryant, shadow leader of the House of Commons. He had already bought a penthouse in London back in 2005 and claimed around £1,000 a month in mortgage claims under the old system.
But after the expenses scandal, he started renting the property out. It’s since been advertised by estate agents as having a private lift and a porter, with rent at about £3,000 a month. Meanwhile, Bryant moved into a new flat;- claiming his own rent on expenses.
Russian/Scottish scientists hail long-range secure quantum communication system.
A group of scientists from ITMO University in Saint Petersburg, Russia, has developed a new approach to constructing quantum communication systems for secure data exchange.
The experimental device based on the results of the research is capable of transmitting single-photon quantum signals across distances of 250 klmtrs or more, which is on par with its cutting edge analogues, the ITMO press-service says.
"Now researchers are on a mission -- to create a fully-fledged quantum cryptographic system, that will generate & distribute quantum keys and transmit useful data simultaneously", ITMO says.
Information security is becoming more and more of a critical issue not only for large companies, banks and defense enterprises but even for small businesses and individual users.
But the data encryption algorithms we currently use for protecting our data are imperfect - in the long-term, their logic can be cracked. Regardless of how complex and intricate the algorithm is, getting around it, is just a matter of time.
Unlike algorithm-based encryption, systems that protect information, by making use of fundamental laws of quantum physics, can make data transmission totally immune to hacker attacks, in the future.
Information in a quantum channel is carried by single photons that change irreversibly if an eavesdropper tries to intercept them. The legitimate users will instantly know about any kind of intervention.
Researchers at the Quantum Information Centre of the International Institute of Photonics and Optical Information Technology at ITMO Uni., Russia, along with their colleagues from the Heriot-Watt University, in Edinburgh, have devised a new way to generate and distribute, quantum bits.
This makes it possible to share quantum signals --- via optical fibres --- 250 kilometres in distance.
"To transmit quantum signals, we use the so- called side frequencies," says Artur Gleim, head of the Quantum Information Centre, at ITMO University,
"This unique approach gives us a number of advantages -- such as a considerable simplification of the device architecture and the large pass-through capacity of the quantum channel. In terms of bit rate and operating distances, our system is comparable to absolute champions in the field of quantum communications."
According to Robert Collins, research associate at the Institute of Photonics & Quantum Sciences at Heriot-Watt University, and one of the authors of the study, this may become a pivotal point for the whole field of quantum communication and cryptography:
"Down the track, this new approach can enable smooth coexistence of numerous data streams with different wavelengths in one single optical cable. On top of it, these quantum streams can be fed into the already existing fibre optic lines --- along with conventional communications."
The research paper is published in the Optics Express journal.
Scottish universities are to be congratulated for their strong & growing links with Chinese and Russian universities....
What a shame, that Wales is lying low --- with academics too scared to break from US military research.
KILLING THE ELDERLY BY CLOSING CARE HOMES
Did you know that each time a local authority
closes a care home for the elderly, within 8
months, around half the residents are dead?
Campaigners liken the cuts and their effect to euthanasia of the UK's elderly. What to do?
We can start by urging our MPs to sign EDM 2251:
EDM 2251: The contents
This House notes with deep concern the worsening crisis for elderly care as growing numbers of local authority and private care homes face closure
Acknowledges concerns that the loss of elderly people's care homes causes fear, anxiety and, in many cases, a higher mortality rate, when vulnerable, elderly people are forced to leave their homes
Further notes that the Southern Cross crisis will increase needs for local authority care
And therefore calls on the government to hold a public inquiry into the deaths after closures, of local authority care homes, and impose a moratorium on the closure of local authority care homes, until that inquiry publishes its results, to ensure that vulnerable, elderly people's lives are not put at further risk.
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MAKING THE CONNECTION IN WALES
Households across three more English areas will be able to access superfast broadband in the latest phase of a Government scheme to connect rural homes and businesses.
The £50 million funding package for Devon and Somerset (£30 million), Norfolk (£15 million) and Wiltshire (£4 million) will aid the roll- out of superfast broadband services unable to be reached by the market alone.
Areas will also receive financial support from their local authorities and private investors, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport says.
So it's Broadband Heaven for England...
and crapola for Wales' broadband - the
slowest, worst Broadband in the UK !!!
Lib Dems in Scotland might have received a pummeling for Clegg and his betrayals, yet, in Scotland, their campaign centred on it becoming the "most connected country in Europe," to massively boost their economy.
In Wales, which political party is now willing to put into practice scientists' recommendations: that Wales' hilly topography requires establishing
free 'wireless' broadband?
It could connect the people of Rhondda and the world, boosting Wales' economic regeneration, like no other move.Wireless technology is now supplying free broadband to an entire island off New Zealand's coast.
Come on; if New Zealand can do it - so can we !!!
Western China has embraced "green-mode development" - with painful changes from which, Wales could well learn.
Eastern China has seen fast growth and urban mess. The West, a mining and agricultural area, has not.
Xi'an Chan-ba Ecological District, is a model for reclaiming old mining areas.
It took six hard years, but now Xi'an is showing the world how best to change, by turning a badly polluted rubbish landfill site, into an all new environment-friendly development.
As China's economic focus moves from east to west, it's using the lessons learned during 30 or more years of rapid industrial development.
The green way for China's west, is to combine green industrialization & green urbanization.
The western region's strategy is to adopt effective energy-saving and environmental protection technologies... AND to extend its industry through science and products unique to China's West, together with strong vertical growth in agriculture and all its ancilliary economic & professional spin-offs.
In undertaking this industrial revolution, the western region will keep a sharp eye out - to avoid all polluting non-sustainable industries.
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A BIG DROP OF HONEY !!!
Spring is beekeeping and honey-processing season in Yunnan province, in China.
Waves of bees flit across vast fields of flowers.
Local beekeepers and many from other places, such as Sichuan and Fujian provinces - set up their base in tents among the rapeseed farms.
The 430,000 hectares of rapeseed blooms in Luoping attract myriads of bees, which produce 15 - 20 million tons of honey a year.
Local people now look to brand their county as a honey production base & increase sales to outside markets.
Luoping Tianyuanmiyu Bee Industry Co Chair, Zhu Hongkun, founded his enterprise in 2009.
It mainly produces honey, propolis and propolis powder.
His company works with 270 plus beekeepers, who each earn 80,000 yuan a year on average.
Some earn 200,000 yuan annually, Zhu says.
Who says beauty endowed by nature isn't worth a fortune?
The whole of the uplands of south Wales could be as beautiful & productive, if used wisely!
CHINA's PREMIER POINTS WAY FORWARD
As the Tories threaten a "bonfire of the Quangos", perhaps Wales should take note. Now extracting all our mineral wealth has been stopped (apart from sand and rock) we find ourselves "in" the 1st World of the UK, but with a 3rd World economy, only just kept going by quangos which promise much... but deliver little... and rely on weak public support.
We could WAKE UP & understand that we either do something, or stay as begging bowl cases.
China's premier points the way forward for Wales:
"Industrial restructuring is the key... only by developing energy-efficient, indigenous innovative and high value added products can our companies and economy, achieve sustainable development."
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WHILE FRANCE, GREECE, IRELAND, ETC, STRUGGLE TO STOP THE PENSION AGE RISING HIGHER AND HIGHER...
An online survey on qq.com, a popular Chinese news portal, finds that 91% of its over 800,000 respondents, are against raising the current official Chinese retirement age.
745,123 of those surveyed say they oppose raising retirement ages -- 72,456 support it.
China's scholars & the public have been debating whether to raise the retirement age, for the past few years, but the issue rose to prominence after remarks by an official.
Wang Xiaochu, the official vice minister of the Ministry of Human Resources & Social Security, said at a press conference that the government was "studying the matter"...
The retirement age in China is generally set at 60 for men and 50-55 for women.
Wow! Bet you didn't know that !!!
FARMING AND SCIENCE COULD REGENERATE WALES
A new UN General Assembly report warns "vast areas" of cultivated land are lost each year, and that this could lead to unrest.
The report says up to 30 million hectares, an area the size of Italy, is lost each year to environmental degradation, industry & urbanization - the growth of cities - and all because of speculative building and greed.
The UN special rapporteur Olivier De Schutter, gives the example of eastern Africa, where the amount of cultivated land has declined by half --- in just one generation! "
As rural populations grow and competition with large industrial units increases, plots cultivated by smallholders are shrinking year after year," says De Schutter.
"Farmers are often relegated to soils that are arid, hilly or without irrigation."
The UN officer also mentions India as another example, where the average landholding fell from 2.6 hectares in 1960 to 1.4 hectares in 2000. A cut of nearly half in 40 years!
He says 500 million small farmers suffer from hunger, partly because their right to land is being violated. The expert warns of the devastating consequences, as foreign investors compete for larger and larger areas of the world's land for "their" agriculture.
Rhondda Records says Wales could rebuild its new economy by basing it on a fresh approach to high-value added products, using science and agriculture... such as the Altzeim project in Gwent.
