PJC Journal – Original » 2007 » May

May

04

Police collecting personal information

IanPJ Main Page Add you comment

In another attempt to fill up databases with personal
information, Gwent Police have begun sending to each household questionnaires.

As part of the PACT initiative
(Partnership and Communities Together) aimed at giving you a say in how your
local neighbourhood is managed and policed, the police are arranging regular
public meetings. The first one in my area is already booked for June.

There are 5 items on the list, about the level of crime in
your area, do I feel safe walking in daylight or at night, list my top 3
issues, any other comments and do I recognise or know my local bobby or PCSO.

5 items, the last 2 were both numbered 4. (so not put
together by the brightest button in the box), and as far as I know we don’t have
any PCSO’s and we never see the police on the street. (unless they chasing
someone by car or visiting the part time police station).

OK, So far so good. This is just the kind of interface that
we need with the police, regular meetings, police reacting to the local
problems of the communities that they police. Hurrah, unbias policing for all, irrespective of race, creed or colour.

Then I flip the page over…

Name, Address, Postcode, email address, Telephone number,
gender, ethnic group, disability and religious beliefs.

This is the same bloody information that the Germans wanted
in 1933…..

Just where is this government taking us….

NuLab – Destroying Britain
from the inside out.

Police collecting personal information

IanPJ Main Page Add you comment

In another attempt to fill up databases with personal
information, Gwent Police have begun sending to each household questionnaires.

As part of the PACT initiative
(Partnership and Communities Together) aimed at giving you a say in how your
local neighbourhood is managed and policed, the police are arranging regular
public meetings. The first one in my area is already booked for June.

There are 5 items on the list, about the level of crime in
your area, do I feel safe walking in daylight or at night, list my top 3
issues, any other comments and do I recognise or know my local bobby or PCSO.

5 items, the last 2 were both numbered 4. (so not put
together by the brightest button in the box), and as far as I know we don’t have
any PCSO’s and we never see the police on the street. (unless they chasing
someone by car or visiting the part time police station).

OK, So far so good. This is just the kind of interface that
we need with the police, regular meetings, police reacting to the local
problems of the communities that they police. Hurrah, unbias policing for all, irrespective of race, creed or colour.

Then I flip the page over…

Name, Address, Postcode, email address, Telephone number,
gender, ethnic group, disability and religious beliefs.

This is the same bloody information that the Germans wanted
in 1933…..

Just where is this government taking us….

NuLab – Destroying Britain
from the inside out.

ACPO lead on Electoral Fraud

IanPJ Main Page Add you comment

The ACPO have issued a statement with regard to electoral
fraud, which whilst we welcome their lead, leaves me with the thought that they
are still following the government line that the new untried, untested and
failed voting systems are somehow going to reduce the instances of fraud.

The ACPO
statement:

“Guidance on
preventing and tackling electoral fraud has been sent to all forces in the UK. The Association of Chief Police Officers,
and the Electoral Commission have drawn up a joint protocol and each force is
actively engaged with supporting the democratic process.

“There is little evidence of fraud on a major scale but as always by promoting
best practice and learning from previous experiences we can reduce the
opportunities for fraud. We continue to educate the community on how to look
after their vote and to support the democratic process by tackling those who
would seek to undermine it.

“No one involved in the elections can be under any misapprehension as to their
obligations. While confident that additional measures to tighten up voting
processes have reduced the potential for fraud, we are still vigilant and
prepared to investigate where evidence of wrong doing emerges.”

I am not quite sure how these new systems have reduced the
potential for fraud, as I am sure that the estimated 100,000 voters across the UK
who have been disenfranchised by having their votes rejected (1736
in one case) would question that statement.

We need to be assured that reported instances of potential fraud
to date, Leeds
and Bristol
are being vigorously investigated in conjunction with the Electoral Commission,
as will any new reports that come to light, and that the results of those
investigations will be made public to ensure that people can see that justice
is being done.

It has been suspicious at the number of results returned to
date that have shown markedly different outcomes
from press and TV predictions, from the forecasts from electoral experts and
political betting organisations. Such results should be investigated as a
matter of course.

Another area that should be watched carefully are the
regional votes, to see whether the numbers returned match the first past the
post votes received for the Assembly in Wales and the Scottish Parliament. Any
major disparities should be regarded as suspect and likewise investigated.

ACPO lead on Electoral Fraud

IanPJ Main Page Add you comment

The ACPO have issued a statement with regard to electoral
fraud, which whilst we welcome their lead, leaves me with the thought that they
are still following the government line that the new untried, untested and
failed voting systems are somehow going to reduce the instances of fraud.

The ACPO
statement:

“Guidance on
preventing and tackling electoral fraud has been sent to all forces in the UK. The Association of Chief Police Officers,
and the Electoral Commission have drawn up a joint protocol and each force is
actively engaged with supporting the democratic process.

“There is little evidence of fraud on a major scale but as always by promoting
best practice and learning from previous experiences we can reduce the
opportunities for fraud. We continue to educate the community on how to look
after their vote and to support the democratic process by tackling those who
would seek to undermine it.

“No one involved in the elections can be under any misapprehension as to their
obligations. While confident that additional measures to tighten up voting
processes have reduced the potential for fraud, we are still vigilant and
prepared to investigate where evidence of wrong doing emerges.”

I am not quite sure how these new systems have reduced the
potential for fraud, as I am sure that the estimated 100,000 voters across the UK
who have been disenfranchised by having their votes rejected (1736
in one case) would question that statement.

We need to be assured that reported instances of potential fraud
to date, Leeds
and Bristol
are being vigorously investigated in conjunction with the Electoral Commission,
as will any new reports that come to light, and that the results of those
investigations will be made public to ensure that people can see that justice
is being done.

It has been suspicious at the number of results returned to
date that have shown markedly different outcomes
from press and TV predictions, from the forecasts from electoral experts and
political betting organisations. Such results should be investigated as a
matter of course.

Another area that should be watched carefully are the
regional votes, to see whether the numbers returned match the first past the
post votes received for the Assembly in Wales and the Scottish Parliament. Any
major disparities should be regarded as suspect and likewise investigated.

LibDem disgrace at Old Soldiers annual Dinner – update

IanPJ Main Page Add you comment

Update: 4/5/07: Marina Pepper only managed to raise 735 votes on Wednesday, and was therefore not re-elected.

Saturday 28^th
April saw the 76^th annual old comrades reunion dinner of The Royal
Sussex Regimental Association, which I have the honour of attending as an association member. This
event is held every April in the Town Hall in Lewes, Sussex, where at least one of the guest
speakers each year is drawn from Lewes District Council.

This is a special day for these men, who spend their time renewing bonds and friendships that have been forged in war, sharing stories and exchanging long lost photographs, and together mourning and honouring those who are no longer with them.

This year
was no exception, except that the guest speaker managed to disgrace herself with
blatant, opportunistic and inappropriate electioneering which prompted spontaneous
and understandable calls of derision, table banging and foot stomping from the
assembled old soldiers.

LibDem Council
Chairman Marina Pepper stood up to began her speech, and looking a little the worse for top table wine, wobbled a little, then
with a slurred screech called into the microphone ‘Hello Boys’, attempting to
sound like Geri Halliwell visiting the troops. Few were impressed, there were no welcomes, thank you's, I am honoured etc, no recognition of the men or the regiment.

This was
immediately followed by ‘If I were elected, I would not send you boys into an
illegal war’, at which point the booing and foot banging began. Soldiers are
rarely impressed by politicians, but these old soldiers, with years of service to
their country behind them were incensed.

The
Association chairman stood up politely suggesting that the speech may be
inappropriate for this audience, placing his hand on the microphone gently attempting
to remove it.

But hyped
up and inebriated Marina wasn’t finished, shouting over the noise of the assembled
veterans, screamed into the mic ‘I hope you will all come and vote for me on
the 3^rd, vote for me', finally sitting down.

What a really
stupid thing to say. These men have travelled from all over Britain to spend their day in Lewes, less
than a handful live there.

Silence
fell on the hall, until the bandmaster struck up with the Regimental anthem, Sussex by the Sea, which got everyone to
their feet singing. The sound of 600 men singing marching songs is very
stirring, so much so that our tipsy LibDem guest felt the need to place four fingers
into her mouth and repeatedly whistled in a manner one can only describe as better
suited to the local football match.

For someone
who is supposed to be a switched on politician, I am afraid that not only did
this one disgrace herself, but also failed to understand why these men meet
here every year, or that they have all earned under fire the right, both as old Soldiers
and as Freemen of Lewes to the respect and gratitude that they deserve.

I am aware
that several of the men felt it necessary to voice their opinions before Marina
Pepper left, and a senior Colonel confided later that ‘there will be
consequences’.

The Royal
Sussex is an old and distinguished regiment, formed in 1881 from the 35th
(Royal Sussex) Regiment of Foot and the 107th Regiment of Foot (Bengal Light
Infantry).

The taking of Quebec 1759, The 35th Foot took the plumes from the hats of the defending Rousillon Regiment and adopted them as the regimental badge. The Rousillon regiment held the same number in the French line of 35th.

Its battalions
have seen service since then in many theatres of war, being part of the
relief column sent to save General Gordon at Khartoum, serving in the Boer War and the
Northwest Frontier in India.

In June
1916 they took part in the Battle of the Boar's Head, Richebourg
L'Avou, a diversionary action and pre-cursor to the Battle of the Somme.

The
regiment had a battalion in every theatre including in Russia in 1919, losing a total of 6,800 men and winning four Victoria Crosses.

During the
second world war the regiment won honours at Dunkirk, in the Western Desert, North Africa, Monte Cassino, Arnhem (where their only Victoria Cross of
WW2 was won), Iraq, Persia, France, and Burma. They have also served in Korea, Aden and Kenya.

In 1966 the
regiment was amalgamated with The Queen's Royal Surrey Regiment , The Queen's
Own Buffs, The Royal Kent Regiment and The Middlesex Regiment to form The
Queen's Regiment.

You can
read more about the Royal Sussex Regiment here and here.

You can
read about Marina Pepper (nee Baker, ex Page3 and Playboy girl) here, here and here.