Drunk Driving is Gods will....

My old favourite religion

I was thinking (always a dangerous thing) about these votes in america to make abortion illegal.

Well if your religious ...and most religious people will claim the reason bad things happen is because god gave humans free will.

Well if God gave humans free will then it stands to reason that abortions are Gods will, if God didn't want them to happen he wouldn't have given free will.

Likewise with

Murder
Rape
Assault
Drunk Driving
Wars
Homelessness
Drug addiction
Gays
Animal cruelty
Bullying
Marital Violence
etc etc

The list is endless

But it's all Gods will, God gave humans free will and free thinking, therefore all that humans do is God's will.

Ah .....now your going to bring the work of the devil into it .......

Should Labour champion remain now?

The Tories will now vote in a PM that will take the UK out of the EU regardless of economic cost.

Labours bet route now is to become the serious opposition, all parties combined that have a remain stance got more votes than the Brexit party.

Seems there is a genuine remain force out there and Labour would be advised to harness it.  There is nothing to loose. If the Tories take us out without a deal and its negative for the country then that's a bonus for Labour.

If Labour go the remain route then they would pick up a lot of votes from the Lib Dems and Greens.

The vote to leave was so slim its obvious or should be now that both sides cannot be kept happy, Labour now has to accept that and become champions of the remain side yes they will loose the vote of the brexiteers. but hey ho you cant please all of the people all of the time and its obvious from the EU vote that a lot of votes are going to remain parties.

The Tories will be tarred by the brush of the past couple of years regardless what happens now.

We shall see what pans out.

Lets leave and trade on WTO rules ....Er

Quite often hear the statement we can leave the EU and trade under WTO rules most of the worlds non EU countries do.

The meme above even states....

"WTO rules are what most great countries trade under. If its good enough for Australia, America and Canada, its good enough for the UK!"

If Richard Tice actually said this it's misinformation and blatantly not true, there are very few countries that trade solely on WTO rules alone. Certainly Australia, Canada and America don't.

In fact, and I do like facts if I can find them, there is only one country that trades solely on WTO rules and that country is ..........................

Mauritania

Ever heard of that country?  must be big players?

For those of you not familiar with Mauritania, it’s GDP is $4,714million (0.2% of the UK’s), 50% of its exports consist of Iron Ore, and between 1% and 17% of the population still live in slavery.

Although, hang on .....it seems that even that is not 100% factual.  Mauritania as a member of ECOWAS and WAEMU has an economic partnership agreement with the EU.

In fact there isn't one country that trades solely on WTO rules.

LINKS 

Who actually trades solely under WTO rules

http://ec.europa.eu/trade/policy/countries-and-regions/regions/west-africa

https://fullfact.org/europe/who-trades-eu-under-wto-rules 

bbc.co.uk: Reality Check: Does the UK trade with 'the rest of world' on WTO rules?

What would ‘trading on WTO terms’ mean for the UK?

There is nothing to fear from leaving the EU and trading with them under WTO rules

https://www.spectator.co.uk/2018/08/whos-afraid-of-the-wto

https://www.lbc.co.uk/radio/presenters/james-obrien/experts-explanation-trading-wto-rules-means

Did Nazir Afzal say on radio .............

Today's offering comes from Politicalite

The headline screams ....

"GORDON Brown’s Labour Government allegedly urged Police Forces across the UK ‘not to investigate’ grooming gangs."

So I thought that's a bit strange coming on the back of Brown having a go at Farage something doesn't look right.  Hmmm.

The heading immediately throws up warning bells with the word "allegedly" so basically this is rumor and hearsay because if they had any evidence they wouldn't need to cover themselves with the word  "allegedly".

Lets have a look at who Politicalite.com are, the support us page claims ....

Politicalite is the truly independent news site that reports the unreported news by the people, for the people, but we’re under attack by the Establishment who are trying to censor real news written by the people, for the people.

and

Britains most censored news outlet 

The search bar at the top of the page contains individual links to Tommy and Farage, along with Trump, Tories, Labour, Brexit etc.  and from searching the content we can safely say Politicalite.com supports Tommy Robinson, Nigel Farage and Trump. Also Politicalite.com link to therebel.media

A quick google search of  "is Politicalite.com a fake news site" gets quite a few hits but would need further investigation.  The site doesn't appear on the wikipedia list of fake websites. On that basis I will work on the principle that we are undecided at present whether Politicalite.com promotes fake news, as I want to stick with the main Gordon Brown story.

A further search revealed that someone had already done a freedom of information request. Child grooming - circular to Police Forces in 2008 the home office replied We have not been able to identify any circular which includes the statement in your request.  click the link for the full document.
The document also links to the national archives Home office circulars 2008 and the only documents i can find from 2008 are
The duties and powers of the police under The Children Act 1989

Which doesn't mention anything about young girls sexual behavior as alleged on Politicalite by Nazir Afzal a former Chief Prosecutor for North West England.

“as far as these young girls who are being exploited in towns and cities, we believe they have made an informed choice about their sexual behaviour and therefore it is not for you police officers to get involved in.”

I also searched the 2007 archive and the 2009 archive, but found nothing.

So I searched for Nazir Afzal to find out who he is and he was indeed Chief Prosecutor in North West England from 2011 to 2015 and does appear to be a very respected individual.

A search on the actual comment made found these

mayor of London- questions to the Mayor November 22, 2018 - Ref: 2018/3142  basically just saying unable to identify the Home Office circular from 2008 referred to nor the letter in question.

and

https://www.westmercia.police: FOI 10695 and 10696 2008 Grooming Circular  the answer was similar "No specific recorded information held"

So whilst being a very respectable individual one has to question did he actually make the statement that is being claimed or has the comment been altered to serve a narrative. The majority of sites reporting it are definitely dubious. 

Its stated that Nazir Afzal made the comment when he was  interviewed very briefly on the Radio 4 PM programme on 19th October.   Altnewsmedia goes on to say ....."In the interview he made a quite astonishing claim which does not seem to have received the publicity it deserves so we thought it worth publicizing here. He said (@34minutes):"  

Unfortunately the link goes to a Sorry, the page you are looking for cannot be found!
I run another search for Nazir Afzal radio program Radio 4 PM programme on 19th October. That search came up with an interview of 1 minute and is the correct date https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p06pbs8q
Altnewsmedia states "he was interviewed very briefly" but then claims, the astonishing claim was made at 34mins. 34 minutes is not a brief interview.

So I'm starting to smell bullshite here.

In the International Business Times Nazir Afzal writes the article himself but the claim here is different.

"The term "child prostitute" was used to describe victims and the Home Office in a circular to police in 2008 used that term and spoke of girls making an "informed choice" to engage in this behaviour"

No mention of an instruction saying that police shouldn't get involved.

Another comment from the article was ....

The term "child prostitute" was used extensively to describe them and it should be noted both that the Home Office in a circular to police in 2008 used that term and spoke of girls making an "informed choice" to engage in this behaviour. Parliament only finally removed the term from all laws a couple of years ago.

I still cannot find any relating circular and a search of the words "informed Choice" finds nothing on https://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk

Nazir Afzal goes on to say in the International Business Times article ....

Following the case, everyone including the prime minister chose to respond to the lessons learnt. I was commended in parliament and in the media, but the reaction of the far right to me was very different. The BBC film doesn't show this at my request.

The far right narrative was and is very simple – "all these minorities attacking our white children." The inconvenient fact that I, the Birmingham born son of an immigrant family that were catering contractors for the British Army for two generations, was the prosecutor who helped bring them to justice, damaged that narrative, I guess.

However, they began circulating messages online falsely suggesting that I was behind the earlier decisions not to prosecute. I only came to the north west in 2011, but fake news took hold. I was then subjected to thousands of letters and emails to my office, to the prime minister and even to President Barack Obama calling for me to be sacked and deported. The thugs held a demonstration outside my home, and because of threats to harm me a panic alarm was placed in my home with additional security, including police patrols. My children had to go to school by taxi. Nick Griffin and BNP TV door-stepped me outside my office.

SOAPBOX COMMENT
I have not been able to find any evidence of  Nazir Afzal saying what is claimed ie ....

“as far as these young girls who are being exploited in towns and cities, we believe they have made an informed choice about their sexual behaviour and therefore it is not for you police officers to get involved in.”

In the brief radio interview mentioned on Altnewsmedia he doesn't say anything about it. and the closest I can find to it is.

"The term "child prostitute" was used to describe victims and the Home Office in a circular to police in 2008 used that term and spoke of girls making an "informed choice" to engage in this behaviour"

Therefore in the absence of any supporting evidence I would have to conclude that the accusation ....

"GORDON Brown’s Labour Government allegedly urged Police Forces across the UK ‘not to investigate’ grooming gangs."

Is pure rumor and hearsay

Soapbox Rating: BOLLOX

Update 15/07/19

A recording of Nazir Afzal saying 

“as far as these young girls who are being exploited in towns and cities, we believe they have made an informed choice about their sexual behaviour and therefore it is not for you police officers to get involved in.”

has been posted on YouTube, in case that video is taken down I have a copy but for the present will link to it. Many thanks to the person that posted it in the comments.

The relevant quote is at 2:02.

Lets update the facts we have

• We've now confirmed that Nazir Afzal did say the quote about the Home Office circular to police in 2008.
• What would be great to have now is a copy of the actual circular, otherwise we just have one person's word for what actually happened however respectable that person appears to be.
• So did the home office issue the circular as Nazir Afzal claims ?
• If they did why is the no record of it?
• 
  

Soapbox Rating: (Changed to) Further investigation Needed

If you have any information that would help in the accuracy of this blog please comment and I'll update. 

LINKS
Politicalite.com: GORDON Brown’s Labour Government allegedly urged Police Forces across the UK ‘not to investigate’ grooming gangs.
https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/child_grooming_circular_to_polic
altnewsmedia: THE ‘INFORMED CHOICES’ OF YOUNG GIRLS
webarchive.nationalarchives: Home Office Circulars from 2008
webarchive.nationalarchives: home office circulars from 2007
webarchive.nationalarchives: home office circulars from 2009
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nazir_Afzal
https://www.thersa.org/events/speakers/nazir-afzal
https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201314/cmselect/cmhaff/68/6803.htm
ibtimes.co.uk: Three Girls: I prosecuted the Rochdale child grooming gang - it wasn't about race
bbc.co.uk/programmes: Not about race or ethnicity 'it's the fact they're men'
https://www.therebel.media/


News sources checked
www.Politicalite.com           - Undecided
www.altnewsmedia.net        - https://mediabiasfactcheck.com/altnewsmedia-net/
https://www.therebel.media - https://mediabiasfactcheck.com/the-rebel/

She is surely the worst prime minister in British political history

"She is surely the worst prime minister in British political history, rivaled only by her predecessor. The only thing to say in her favour is that she will very soon lose that title to her successor, given the rabble lining up to pitch for her job."

Have to say I agree I have no sympathy for incompetence or the stupidly obstinate. However its more likely that like Thatcher with the Falklands war, this was more by design than incompetence. Is there more at work here than we are seeing or is she really that vain that she cant see the writing on the wall. However, If Thatcher didn't design the events that led to the Falklands or May the events that led to the position the UK now finds itself in then we really only have incompetence to consider.

LINKS

Independent.co.uk: Spare your tears for Theresa May – she doesn’t deserve an ounce of sympathy
https://garysoapbox.blogspot.com/2016/12/was-falkands-war-thatchers-gamble.html

58 Veterans committed suicide - Jeremy Kyle stole the show.

In 2018 approximately 58 UK veterans committed suicide.

1 person from the Jeremy Kyle reality show dies and everyone goes into meltdown.

Nothing but condolences to Family and friends of all.

That's all I can say really.

"Darren Greenfield had served with the Royal Tank Regiment but, after leaving the Army, he struggled to cope with civilian life and ended up begging for spare change in his khakis."

 ~

"The British Legion has estimated that there are currently about 6,000 homeless veterans in the UK."

~ 

"Ministers have disclosed that more than 25,000 veterans received mental health treatment in 2016-17, but the Mental Health Foundation says only half ask for help, implying there are 50,000 former military personnel with mental health issues."

~ 

"Campaigners estimate that last year, at least 58 veterans took their own lives."

~

LINKS

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-47246487/is-there-a-suicide-crisis-for-british-veterans 

https://inews.co.uk/news/uk/armed-forces-veterans-homeless-crime-prison-mental-health

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5274955/Homeless-ex-soldier-died-slept-Edinburgh-streets.html