I Have Joined The Labour Party. #AndImATory
For some months now I have called myself a ‘Corbynista’. I am proud to back a man who demonstrates more integrity, courage, decency amd honour than almost every other Member of Parliament put together. Today, in the face of the ever-escalating smear campaign, the completely ludicrous and false allegations of antisemitism, the vile abuse of the BBC and the despicable right wing press, I have signed up to become a member of the Labour Party.
I remain a Tory because I believe in fundamental principles of individual liberty, individual responsibility, small goverment and free markets. I am not and never will be a socialist. I do not believe it is is right that the state should own the means of production and supply because this inevitably leads to complacency and inefficiency. Competition is a healthy motivation and inline with human nature. Socialism, in my view, is a delusion. It has never worked, anywhere in the world and it never will. However, I do consider that there are certain industries that are best owned by the state, those that are natural monopolies such as energy, water, the railways, the road system, the basic health service and basic communications and internet infrastructure. So I would support re-nationalisation of these industries.
I am unlikely to remain a member of the Labour Party forever. My reason for joining in the short term is to support Corbyn as the only decent leader in our country and because the overriding priority now is to bring down this corrupt, self-serving Conservative government. The Conservative Party is unfit for government. It has trashed the huge opportunity that Brexit offered by appalling, irresponsible infighting. It would be best if it simply disintegrated. It has brought shame on our nation and many, perhaps most, of its MPs simply disgust me with their venal and selfish behaviour. Mind you, I feel the same way about the treacherous, Blairite Labour MPs who have repeatedly stabbed Corbyn in the back. Chuka Ummuna, Chris Bryant, Margaret Hodge, Luciana Berger, Yvette Cooper, Harriet Harman and others – I put them in the same category as most Tory MPs – worthless.
It’s true, in the past five years I have belonged to the Liberal Democrat, Conservative and now Labour parties. I very much hope for the establishment of a new, centre-right, liberal and progressive party and I would join it in a flash. Some may find this difficult to understand but I am not a tribalist. I think tribalism is probably the most destructive force in politics. What drives me is principles first and policies second. Once we have got rid of the Conservatives, I shall become concerned with policies again and those will be in line with my fundamental Tory principles. I remain a true Tory, not the corrupt, self-serving, authoritarian example set by the diabolical Mrs May.
For now I am a member of the Labour Party and I will do all I can to see Jeremy Corbyn become our next prime minister.
The Victoria Derbyshire Show’s Next Interviewees Arrive At New Broadcasting House.
Future BBC policy will be to enable all interviewees to cover their face if they wish. Politicians and civil servants have expressed their gratitude.
In particular, several cabinet minsters have called for an immediate increase in the licence fee and for all BBC presenters to be elevated to the House of Lords. Victoria Derbyshire has been awarded a damehood for her courage in pioneering this new policy. ITV and Sky are expected to introduce similar provisions within the next few days.
Channel 4 is introducing an immediate ban on any interviewee who refuses to cover ther face.
Do Not Apologise, Boris. Resist The Smears, Jeremy.
So-called journalists, particularly the BBC, acting as trolls. Self-serving MPs, commentators deliberately and falsely smearing to their own advantage. The allegations of antisemitism against Corbyn and of Islamaphobia against Boris are fake.
The antisemtism smear is entirely about support of the war criminal, gangster government of Israel. Its propaganda machine is working overtime and probably its renowned Mossad secret service, twisting and deceiving, stirring and agitating. It has already won the British Jewish establishment and the treasonous Blairite MPs to its cause.
Boris is quite correct about the burka. It is alien to British culture and absurd but let’s not ban it if people want to wear it. To characterise it as racist is absurd and a devious form of victimhood. The corrupt, liar Brandon Lewis and the terminally weak Theresa May claw desperately at him as their government descends ever further into chaos.
I don’t like Boris although we would agree on a lot of policies. I do like Jeremy but we would only agree on a few. They’re both in the same boat at the moment but at least they take a stand. They have some backbone, unlike the rest of them.
The Devious Defenders Of Israel’s Government And Their Fake Allegations of Antisemitism.
Never before have I given any credence to the idea that there is a massive Jewish conspiracy but the ludicrous spectacle of the campaign against Corbyn is making me re-evaluate my position.
Similarly, never before have I experienced feelings and opinions against Jews as a group. Yet the organised dishonesty, deceit and calculated smears against Corbyn make me extremely angry about the way this tiny minority, about 270,000 people in the UK, is bullying, dominating and subverting our national agenda.
Any prejudice, for any reason, is wrong but neither of these opinions come from a place of prejudice or pre-judging, they come from careful consideration of the evidence and my experience. Clearly, not all Jews support the unjustified attacks on Corbyn and the wildly exaggerrated claims of antisemitism but it seems to be a majority. That majority, in my opinion, is having a malign influence in our country.
The editors of the three Jewish newspapers which jointly attacked Corbyn shamelessly conflate Jews, Judaism and Israel. The other great myth, endlessly repeated and endorsed by a supine media establishment, is that antisemitism is racism. It is not. Religious faith is a choice and discrimination against followers of a faith, while wrong, is not even in the same ballpark as true racism. This subversive attack on democracy and free speech has to stop.
It is sucking in so many other strands of our society which fear to question or challenge the Jewish position for fear of being accused of antisemitism. Of course. many are choosing to align themselves with it for political advantage. The despicable rump of Blairite Labour MPs are cock-a-hoop at the abuse of Corbyn and exploit it ruthlessly for their own ends. Also complicit, although at least they are not guilty of treachery, are the Conservative politicians and supporters who simply cannot believe their luck that the spotlight on prejudice has swung away from the right.
The sickeningly pious virtue-signalling of journalists and the Twitterati feed on this frenzy. It is disgusting to see how so many are jumping on this bandwagon and are unable, nor even attempt to justify it.
Of course there is antisemtism as there are all forms of prejudice in our society, all of which are wrong but I do not believe it is a problem of any great significance in Britain or in the Labour Party any more than in any other political party or similar group. Those who deny the Holocaust are simply idiots, so foolish and misguided that they pose no real threat. What is undoubtedly true is that there is a systematic, organised and increasingly successful effort to characterise opposition to the policies of the Israeli government as antisemitism.
This is not the occasion to go into the many war crimes of the Israeli state. I have written about them extensively before. With the passing of the nation-state law, just a fortnight ago, Israel has enshrined racism and apartheid in its national identity. This is full justification for the complaints of the Palestinian people over many decades. It shows that in Netanyahu and the majority of the Knesset, the allegations have been correct. These are evil and malevolent people driving a regime of brutality, discrimination, intolerance and hate which by any ethical standard is criminal. It is correct that this should be compared to the Nazi regime because never have there been two regimes conducting themselves in similar fashion while pretending to be part of a modern civilised society. The Labour Party’s refusal to adopt those examples in the IHRA definition of antisemitism which are merely Israeli propaganda is correct.
All those MPs, journalists and commentators joining in this madness of fake antisemitism and denial of valid comparison with the Nazis are complict in the crimes of the Israeli state. They may have leapt on the bandwagon for purportedly honourable reasons but they must take responsibility for their part in the baying, hysterical mob.
I remain a Tory on fundamental principles but what is most important in a politician and a leader is integrity. Corbyn has that in spades, unlike few other UK politicians. His courageous stand against the pressure on him from the pro-Israel lobby and those exploiting it makes him a giant amongst MPs. For that reason, not for his policies but also to bring down this corrupt Conservatives government, I support him and I shall vote for him at the next election.
I have been concerned, even a little scared, to publish my opinion in these terms but that is the iniquitous, insidious nature of Israeli propaganda and fake claims of antisemitism. I have been subject to vile abuse in the past for my opinions and there are lowlife abusers who continue to stalk me and try to twist my words and deeds to inflame the mob but these issues are too important. I will not be silenced by political correctness, populist bandwagons or personal abuse.
I really don’t care what religious delusion anyone chooses to pursue. Jews are no more nor less deluded than Christians, Muslims or Hindus. Extremists in all these religions are weird and often involved in inexcusable violence and abuse. When, from any religion, its activists undermine and endanger the most precious tenets of our secular democracy (which has enough problems already) they must be stopped. The subversive by nature pro-Israel lobby, the increasingly strident Jewish support for fake claims of antisemitism and the hijacking of this issue by self-serving politicians and the media has to stop.
The Definition Of A Cannabis-Derived Medicinal Product Must Include Standardised Herbal Cannabis Or Sajid Javid’s Reform Will Fail.
Bedrocan, the Netherlands government’s official producer, grows cannabis in which the cannabinoid and terpene content is standardised and consistent. It does this by very careful cultivation techniques which include clonal propagation, continuous analysis and gamma irradiation to eliminate contamination with potentially harmful microbes. Its production facility is Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) certified.
With the exception of Sativex, which NICE has declared as not cost effective, the Bedrocan range offers the only medicinal cannabis products which could be readily available in the UK. They are also available as oils extracted directly from the raw herbal flowers.
It’s very simple, unless Bedrocan products come within the definition of a ‘cannabis-derived medicinal product’, the very welcome reform announced today by Sajid Javid will fail and most people will have no option but to continue sourcing their medicine from the illegal market.
There is no doubt that the gold standard in safety, efficacy and self-titration is vaporised herbal cannabis of Bedrocan-standard quality. Cannabis that is ingested as oil, either sub-lingually or through the gastrointestinal system, has a substantially different pharmacology and is very difficult to titrate accurately or to deliver its beneficial effects promptly.
Bedrocan provides an immediate solution. GW Pharmaceuticals could also easily turn to providing a similar range of products. One hopes that it could also be prevailed upon to reconsider its pricing of Sativex. It is essential however that new, domestic production facilities are established quickly. Up to now the Home Office has rejected all efforts to set up such facilities, even applications from extremely reputable international businesses that already have licences elsewhere. This policy must be immediately revised.
Dame Sally Davies advised that “only cannabis or derivatives produced for medical use can be assumed to have the correct concentrations and ratios”. The ACMD agreed with this, stating that “raw cannabis (including cannabis-based preparations) of unknown composition should not be given the status of medication.” Bedrocan products fully comply with these requirements and it is essential that they are re-scheduled and made available on prescription.
Cannabis Trades Association Receives Official Endorsement From the MHRA.
For nearly two years the Cannabis Trades Association (CTA) has been working with the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), the Food Standards Agency (FSA), the Home Office, Trading Standards and other UK authorities to bring order and professional standards to the growing market in legal cannabis and CBD products.
The MHRA has now officially recognised CTA by inclusion in its Guidance Note 8 ‘A guide to what is a medicinal product’.
This is long overdue recognition for the CTA’s work which includes regular liaison with the authorities, providing guidance to businesses operating within the market on the law, regulations, professional and quality standards. The CTA with the MHRA and FSA is also in the process of developing the Cannabis Products Directive (CPD), a framework for regulation and licensing of all cannabis and cannabinoid products. CPD has been translated and submitted to all 28 member states of the EU by the European Food Safety Agency (EFSA). It is anticipated that CPD will become UK law within the next two years and will relieve the Home Office of the burden of the cannabis regulation and licensing process, placing it in expert hands.
The CTA was initially conceived at a meeting in Manchester Airport in September 2016. In November 2016, with the assistance of Crispin Blunt MP, then a member of the CLEAR Advisory Board, it was invited to an initial meeting with the MHRA to represent the emerging CBD industry. The market for legal, low-THC cannabis products derived from industrial hemp had grown rapidly within just a few months but was becoming out of control with a multitude of new companies making unlawful medical claims for their products, which themselves were totally unregulated and of inconsistent quality and unknown provenance.
Through negotiation and a growing relationship with the authorities, CTA was instrumental in bringing the market back from the brink of a serious clampdown. Now, with over 300 full members and more than 1200 registered sellers, CTA encompasses not just CBD suppliers but also licensed growers and producers of cannabis and businesses involved in the long term development of cannabis products.
CTA is closely involved in the rapidly developing reform of the laws around medical use of cannabis and will be working with the authorities to manage development of the products and systems required for what is expected to be a huge new market.
