"Bomber Command and conquering the Nazi war machine"

I would recommend this posting by Geoffrey Goodman who is a former industrial correspondent for the Daily Mirror and also served in the RAF in Bomber Command during the Second World War. Hat tip Tribune magazine.

"I suppose it was a most poignant moment for me. Having served with the RAF during the war, I attended a service at St Clement Danes, the RAF church in central London, some 20 years ago where the Queen unveiled the statue of Sir Arthur Harris – Bomber Harris as he is usually labelled. That event was accompanied by jeering protesters whose unapologetic cry was: “Harris was a war
criminal”.

I was both shocked and surprised at the outburst of venom against Sir Arthur Harris. The raucous tones pierced like shrapnel. As a non-believer, I had come to that church two decades ago simply to salute comrades who had been among the 55,573 bomber crewmen killed as they flew to counter-blitz Nazi Germany. That was 44.4 per cent of Bomber Command’s entire aircrew force of 125,000. Were we war criminals, simply obeying orders regardless? Was the whole thing an astronomical waste of lives, British and German? Could it be that some of our fellow citizens actually regarded our war-time service as an act of murder?

Many of my fellow RAF mates, like me, were committed socialists. So was everything we did in dropping bombs on German towns, cities as well as specific military targets an unpardonable debasing of our socialism? Had we simply conformed by obeying orders? More to the point, I wondered those 20 years back, did these protesters believe there was an alternative, apart from surrender? Were we being accused, by definition, of being accomplices simply by obeying orders from this man Harris – whom some of our crews used to label “Butcher Harris”?

In fact, was the entire Bomber Command an army of “war criminals” submissive to leaders such as Harris? Such were the reflections which, inevitably, sifted through my mind during that St Clement Danes Church service two decades ago.

All of which tended to emerge again, recently, when the same Queen, 20 years older, unveiled the magnificent, long overdue, monument to Bomber Command on the edge of London’s Hyde Park.
Except, this time there were no protesters crying out “murderers”. Check out rest of article here.

Labour Housing Group (London) AGM 10 Sept 2012

"The Annual Meeting of the London Labour Housing Group will take place on Monday 10 September 2012 at Portcullis House, London SW1 at 6.30pm.

The business to be transacted will include reports on activities so far, guest speakers, announcement of election of an Executive Committee for 2012-2013, and discussion of policy and campaign priorities.

If you wish to stand for the LLHG Committee - Nominate yourself NOW Membership of the Committee will be decided by postal ballot of members of Labour Housing Group living in the London area.

If you wish to stand for election, please nominate yourself by emailing the Secretary of LLHG, Jamie Carswell, at jamie.e.carswellATgmail.com including a 100 word (maximum) statement in support of your candidacy by Saturday 18 August at the latest. If required, a postal ballot will be held thereafter.

London LHG operates under the national rules of LHG and will have a Committee of 12 members. The Committee will in turn elect officers and will have the power to co-opt a small number of additional members.

If you wish to submit a resolution for consideration at the meeting, please keep it succinct and submit to Jamie Carswell by 18 August. Please note we will keep strictly to this deadline in order to conduct an election and turn papers round in time for the AGM. If you have any queries please contact me by email at steve@hilditchonline.com (or on 07961 414809 if you do not have email).

Regards Steve Hilditch Chair"

(Jon Cruddas MP, now Shadow Cabinet member for the Labour policy review, has agreed to speak as well as Karen Buck MP).

UPDATE: PLEASE NOTE THAT AGM ONLY FOR LONDON LHG BRANCH MEMBERS!

"An Olympic sized legacy for London 2012"

Hat tip David Christie on Labour List

"Many of you may have been one of the countless thousands straining to glimpse a sight of the Olympic torch pass through Central London last Thursday. It had been the same a week before in the host boroughs as huge crowds greeted the Olympic flame in Greenwich, Newham, Tower Hamlets, Hackney, Waltham Forest and Barking and Dagenham. It is overwhelming how this country has come together to celebrate these games. We must make sure that we use that good will to carry the Olympic spirit into a legacy for people.

When London won the right to host the Olympics and Paralympics in 2005 the promise of a tangible legacy was a fundamental reason for the bids success. In 2007 that promise was restated and augmented with a series of promises by Government including to use the Games to “transform the heart of East London.”

There has long been a view in East London that this should be about more than just the Queen Elizabeth II Olympic Park and a few thousand houses. It has to be about the lasting change for this part of London and a reversal of a century of inequality that has existed between the East and the rest of London.

In 2009 and in response the 6 host boroughs published the ‘Strategic Regeneration Framework’, which sets out their objectives to meet this challenge. It is epitomised by the principle of ‘convergence’: that within 20 years the communities who host the 2012 Olympic Games will have the same social and economic chances as their neighbours across London. Central Government and the Mayor of London are on paper signed up to this.

Last year the host boroughs published their record on convergence and there are signs of success, particularly with excellent schools in East London contributing to a good 5 A*-C GCSE rate. But the notable issues of low skills in the working age population, high unemployment and low median incomes remain. Beyond the report, the issues of poor quality housing and overcrowding are a barrier to success.

This is an issue of severe inequality within one of the richest cities in the world. Billions of pounds of public money has been spent, not only on the Olympics and Paralympics but on trying to resolve the health and skills gaps that exist and in the overlarge benefit cheques which result from the failure of those policies. Yet unlike eradication of inequality between nations there is no mass movement campaigning for ending this scar on London’s face.

In parts of East London convergence may be achieved through natural market forces. Areas such as Bethnal Green, Dalston and parts of Stratford are seeing new developments and young professionals moving in who will change the mix of people, the employment levels and the incomes. But do we want the legacy of the Games to be a replacement of the people who live here? Or do we want it to have been a genuine shift in opportunities for people who have lived here their entire lives and those that choose to make East London their home?

Labour should lead for London in embedding the spirit of convergence in our policies and ensure that the power of the Games is truly used to transform lives. These two weeks and the Paralympics will be an amazing celebration for our country; a country which is comfortable taking a centre stage in the world. Let our political leaders now deliver on that promise of legacy that made all this possible".

Vote YES to Protect Your Pension: LGPS 2014 Ballot

From tomorrow (31 July 2012) UNISON members will be able to vote on the new look Local Government Pension Scheme 2014.

My advice is to ignore the miserablists who are urging rejection for reasons I cannot even begin to understand never mind explain.  This (LGPS 2014) is a good deal.

Since the Union cannot identify who is in the scheme or not, all those who work for employers who have membership of the LGPS will be balloted. If you are currently in the pension scheme you need to vote YES to secure it. If you are not currently in the scheme I would also recommend you vote YES since you may be able to join it later.

Voting YES is a "no-brainer" in my view. This is a good deal that should secure the scheme for the future. Check out the latest advice below from the UNISON pension advisors:-

"It’s time to have your say! Use your vote on the new pensions proposals.

• Ballot will be held 31 July – 24 August.
• Ballot helpline (10-21 August) 0845 355 0845

Among the improvements to the LGPS negotiated by Unison are:

• No overall contribution increase – 90% of members will pay the same or lower contributions than now – you will only pay more if you earn over £43,001 a year.
• A career average scheme which uses all your pensionable pay to calculate your pension, increase in line with the Consumer Prices Index (CPI)
• An improved 1/49th accrual rate, which means your pension builds up faster each year
• Pensionable pay will include non contractual overtime and additional hours worked by part-time and term-time wokrers – so more of your earnings will count towards your pension
• Most part time workers will pay less for their pension as contributions for part timers will be based on actual pensionable earnings from 2014, not the full time equivalent as they are now
• A new 50/50 option means that after April 2014 you can choose to pay half the contribution to receive half the pension in those years while keeping full survivor benefit and ill-health pension protection. You can opt back into the full contribution for full pension rate at any time.
• If you are transferred to a private or voluntrary sector employer, you will still have the right to stay in the LGPS.

Current scheme members’ pensions benefits for service before 1 April 2014 are protected and will still be calculated on final pensionable salary on leaving service or retirement. The current normal pension age of 65 will continue to apply to this part of your pension. The existing Rule of 85 protections will still apply and members will not have their pension reduced if they are made redundant after the age of 55 regardless of normal pension age.

If you want to find out more about how these changes will affect you then go to http://www.unison.org.uk/pensions/lgps.asp"

Ted's "big hand to the Olympic volunteers"

Hat tip to Bow Resident (and fellow Gog), Ted Jeory, and his post on the "brilliant Olympic volunteers" who are the unsung heros of the games. It shows there is good in everyone (even in a Sunday Express reporter :)

"This is the first of two posts this morning that are slightly off the Tower Hamlets beat. I’m on Olympics duty for the Sunday Express over the next fortnight (like Mayor Lutfur Rahman, I was at the opening ceremony on Friday and we both agree–again!–it was a wonderful atmosphere).
Here’s the first piece, on the brilliant Olympic volunteers, many of whom, such as my lovely neighbour, Ray Gipson (he’s a steward at the Aquatics Centre), come from Tower Hamlets...(click for link to post".

"Pension schemes need urgent rule change"

Catching up after annual leave last week. Just read Janice's important letter on pensions published in the Guardian on 25 July.

"Phillip Inman's welcome report on the dire state of private sector pensions (No wonder ministers are panicking over pensions, 23 July) nevertheless omits one major reason for the horrendous deficits of defined benefit (ie final salary and career average) pension schemes: a couple of clauses buried in the 2005 Pension Regulations. The clauses force defined benefit schemes to conduct valuations using methods derived from free market theory: basing scheme projections, decades into the future, on the state of the markets on one day. If the markets are fine, the pension fund is fine. If not, schemes are in trouble. These rules have caused wild volatility: no one has a clue about how big their deficit will become. Last year the Pension Protection Fund reported DB schemes' combined deficits as £8.3bn. A few weeks ago they passed £300bn.

The Association of Member Nominated Trustees, whose members are trustees of pension schemes with collective assets of about £200bn, says DB schemes must be enabled to ride out short-term market volatility by smoothing the valuation – taking an average of asset values and gilt yields over several years. The PPF has adopted this method for itself. What's good enough for the PPF is good enough for the schemes that fund it. The AMNT has submitted rule changes to the Department for Work and Pensions, and our views are shared by organisations such as the CBI and the National Association of Pension Funds.

This may sound like a dusty technical issue. But what's at stake are the pensions of more than 2 million working people, and the chance for the millions coming after them of having a decent pension.
Janice Turner
Co-chair, AMNT

The Independent Labour Party and the Clarion Movement

This poster is an useful guide to the history of the Labour Movement family. It explains the connections between The Independent Labour Party (ILP) and the Clarion Movement. 

"We are often asked about the relationship between the Nelson ILP Clarion House and the National Clarion Cycling Club.

The short answer is that there is not one. Although we share similar socialist ideals to the people who started the Clarion Movement that gave birth to the Clarion Cycling Clubs.

The Clarion Newspaper and the Clarion Cycling Clubs The Clarion Movement developed out of the Clarion newspaper.   The Clarion newspaper was one of the most influential Socialist newspapers ever published in Britain, creating thousands of Socialists and inspiring a whole social movement. The movement was divided by the First World War and never recovered.  The first issue of The Clarion was published on 12 December 1891.  The offices were in City Buildings, Corporation Street, Manchester, although the paper moved to Fleet Street in 1895. (The building still stands opposite the Co-operative Bank.)

 The Clarion was founded by Robert Blatchford.  The Clarion readers set up a social network of societies, including the Clarion Cycling Club, Vocal Unions, Clarion Fellowship, Clarion Handicraft Clubs, Clarion Scouts, Rambling Clubs and Cinderella Clubs (which arranged events for children).

The Clarion Cycling Club began one evening in February 1894 when Tom Groom and five others men held a meeting in the Labour Church in Birmingham and decided to set up a Socialist Cycling Club. Visit the following website of Brighton and Hove Clarion Cycling Club
for further information

The Independent Labour Party The ILP comes from a long tradition of organisations on the left of the political spectrum that have sought collective solutions to the inequalities and destructiveness caused by capitalism. We seek to continue that tradition today, to extend cooperative solutions to human problems by democratic means. The Independent Labour Party (ILP) was a workers political party formed in Bradford in 1893. In 1975 The ILP became Independent Labour Publications and is now an educational trust, publishing house and pressure group committed to democratic socialism and the success of a democratic socialist Labour Party. The ILP (an ethical Socialist party) was formed with the intention of fighting local and national elections with the objective of achieving political power.

The first two Labour Prime Ministers: James Ramsay MacDonald and Clement Richard Atlee had their political roots in the ILP.  Locally Nelson ILP has a proud record of social welfare achievements.


The Clarion House The Nelson Clarion House is the last of many Clarion Houses throughout the country that were run by the ILP branches. The Clarion House is a monument to the ILP Movement.

The Nelson ILP Clarion House, built in 1912, is one of several ‘Clarion Houses’ that were used by the Nelson Independent Labour Party.

The Clarion House was built as a place in the countryside (a centre for recreation) that o ered working people the opportunity to escape the conditions that prevailed in the textile and other industries of the day. Its purpose was also to spread the word of socialism, fellowship and equality. Further information about the establishment of the Nelson Clarion Houses is included in a CD-ROM which can be purchased from the Clarion House.


The Nelson Independent Labour Party Land Society Ltd
The Clarion House is owned and managed by The Nelson Independent Labour Party Land Society Ltd, which was formed under the Industrial and Provident Societies Act of 1893, on the 13th of July
1910. It was founded by the members of Nelson branch of the Independent Labour Party.

The Land Society continues as an independent trust, retaining the name, “Nelson Independent Labour Party Land Society”, and being broadly committed to the principles of the ILP founder members and
to the promotion and contemporary expression of ILP traditions. Shareholders of the trust do not receive any benefit, either in money or kind for being shareholders and they have to demonstrate their  commitment to the principles mentioned above, before becoming shareholders. Shares have a nominal value of £1.00 each. The Nelson ILP Clarion House is staff ed by volunteers who do not
receive a reward, other that the satisfaction of providing a service to our customers.

The volunteers are made up of members and non-members of the Land Society.  We are greatly indebted for the work undertaken by the volunteers and we hope that you appreciate the contribution that they make, as much as we do".

Hat tip Captain Swing.

The best part of the London Olympics 2012 Opening Ceremony: Homage to our NHS

I really enjoyed the opening ceremony last night. I thought it was just simply brilliant. The bit about the birth and importance of the National Health Service (NHS) was a particular favourite.

It seems that not everyone shares this view. Nick Lowes from "Hope Not Hate" reports that

"...Conservative MP Aiden Burley (Cannock) described the opening ceremony as "the most leftie opening ceremony I have ever seen". He went on: "Thank God the athletes have arrived! Now we can move on from leftie multicultural crap."

This from the man who enjoyed a stag do in France with friends dressed up in Nazi uniforms".

Nuf said?

Hat tip photo to UK Uncut (which of course did not appear during the acual ceremony)

Twitter Joke Appeal: David Allen Green is the Real 007

Great news yesterday that Paul Chambers was cleared by the Lord Chief Justice at the High Court of a criminal conviction for making a daft comment on twitter.

Paul was supported during his appeal(s) by Comedians Stephen Fry and Al Murray.

While his legal team was headed by top solicitor, David Allen Green (also known as blogger "Jack of Kent")

I sent David a twitter message that this is yet another notch for justice in his legal gown!

This is an important victory for free speech and will hopefully make those responsible for protecting us against real terrorist threats think carefully before abusing their powers in such a way. 

I met Paul briefly with David when he was making one of his very many appearances at the Royal Court of Justice (RCJ).

When I was having my own "difficulties" at the RCJ, David helped me out immensely (alongside my Tory comrade, Commissar Robert Dougans). I posted the picture above here (which got this response from you-know-who).

The Third London Olympics 2012. The Greatest Show on Earth is about to begin

It is finally happening. Tonight sees the opening ceremony of the London 2012 Olympics which is happening in my own borough. After years and years of waiting and countdowns, it is about to start. Travelling back yesterday to London from a family wedding abroad I noticed on Greek TV news that they were describing it as, "The Third London Olympics". I knew about the 1948 Olympics but had forgotten about the 1908 event.

The opening ceremony will take place about a mile or so away from me which I will watch on telly. I will look out of the bedroom window to see if I can see the fireworks.

I haven't got any tickets yet. Watching competitive sports has never been my thing. However, I do feel genuinely excited and pleased at the prospect of the "Games".  I think that the investment in Newham and the rest of East London has been well worth all the construction works and expected congestion. It has brought together the community in a way that nobody expected.

My elder sister is a sports fanatic and a professional gymnastics coach (who is currently hopping around with her foot in plaster after yet another break). I can remember when we used to fight as kids during Olympics over what to watch on the telly (in those days there was only ever one). She wanted wall-to-wall sport while I wanted anything but.  She still reckons it is best on TV rather than watching live since she doesn't miss anything. No change there then.

I will try and get some tickets to some of the less popular events so I can say "I was there" but I won't be that disappointed if I can't. There will be more than plenty to do during the next few weeks.  I'll try and post as and when.