Bradford Swoop: Ten arrested

The Telegraph and Argus this afternoon reported that police had arrested ten men in a number of raids carried out in Bradford on Wednesday. All are suspected of having committed "serious sexual offences" but the nature of these and the identities of the men have not been revealed. The ten have apparently been released on bail, with the arrests constituting "part of an ongoing operation." Given the location and the scale of the arrests, together with the fact that they are said to relate to "an ongoing operation", this begs the question as to whether they might be linked to some rather high profile arrests and trials that have taken place recently relating to sexual abuse of a particular type.

It has been a busy week for West Yorkshire Police in the city, for by Monday Operation Sabredale had led to the arrest of 38 individuals in a crackdown on gun crime and drug dealing in Bradford. Two shotguns and 90 rounds of ammunition are reported as having been seized, along with £200,000 worth of class A drugs. The operation has targeted three areas in particular: Girlington, Holme Wood and West Bowling, but one of the two firearms was seized in Manningham. There has also been a crackdown on uninsured vehicles for which the city is notorious.

Evidently, West Yorkshire Police seem to be making a real effort to tackle serious crime in Bradford this week, and hopefully their efforts will succeed in making the city a safer place.

Death Threats made against EDL Members

This is Bristol reports that Avon and Somerset Police have issued two EDL members with Osman warnings ahead of the group’s protest in Bristol this Saturday. Such warnings are issued when intelligence is received relating to credible death threats, but the police do not have sufficient evidence to arrest the suspect(s). The names of the two individuals who have been threatened have not been revealed. However, it is probable that one of them is Mickey Bayliss who had a concrete slab thrown through the windscreen of his car recently whilst out campaigning. News of these threats follows the recent arrest of the Dewsbury bomb plotters who had allegedly been planning to attack the EDL’s last demo in Dewsbury on Saturday 30 June. The arrest raises the question as to whether this will increase turnout at the EDL’s 14 July demo, or whether it will deter people from coming out.

Speaking in Brussels on 9 July, Tommy Robinson/Stephen Lennon made it clear that he thought that the discovery of the Dewsbury bomb plot represented a turning point in the country. Although relieved that the plotters had not succeeded in unleashing carnage on the day in question, he voice his opinion that were such an attack to be made upon the EDL, its impact upon national sentiment in England would be very much akin to that experienced by Irish republicans following Bloody Sunday: “I believe England would rise up” he stated. His speech was delivered as part of the Brussels Process sponsored by the International Civil Liberties Alliance at the EU Parliament which has been extensively covered at the Gates of Vienna blog. Comment on the conference will be forthcoming her tomorrow. 

 

Crossing Continents: Greece’s borderline insanity

Today’s episode of Radio 4’s Crossing Continents turned its attention to Greece’s problem with illegal immigration, or rather, in its terms, to the problems faced by illegal immigrants in making their way to Greece, and thence ‘hopefully’ onwards to other states within the EU. The Radio 4 website prefaced the programme with the following:

Writer and broadcaster Maria Margaronis follows the route taken by migrants fleeing war or poverty who are risking their lives to reach the Europe Union. It is estimated that around 75 thousand people are attempting to make the perilous journey each year in the hands of unscrupulous traffickers. They are fleeing from war-torn countries like Afghanistan and Somalia or simply in search of a better life where their economic prospects aren't so bleak. Some of them never make it, suffocating in the back of a crowded lorry or drowning in the fast flowing river that marks the border between Turkey and Greece.

It is of course tragic that anyone should suffer in such a fashion, but where the real cruelty lies is in the fact of pretending that these people can be accommodated in Greece or anywhere else in Europe, thereby giving them the false hope that they will be welcomed and that the Greeks, or indeed any other European people, can provide them with what they are looking for: a place to live and wealth. In fact, one such illegal immigrant in a recent article by Der Spiegel also let on to another motivational factor amongst the predominantly male influx from Africa and Asia that the mass media never dares to publicise: European women. The illegal immigrant to Greece in question was a Bangladeshi named Oyud: 

To him, Europe sounded like clean cities, beautiful women and cool cars.

In other words, the illegal immigrant influx comes in search of three primary objects: wealth, territory and women. To the uncouth ragbag of Afghans, Pakistanis, Somalis and North Africans, the ‘soft’ European nations appear an easy and tempting target. These incomers know how to play to the human rights gallery, tugging at the heartstrings of the gullible, whilst themselves possessing no respect for the concept of these rights whatsoever, but all-too eager to utilise them as an expedient means of securing their permanent settlement in Europe. 

Although the phrase ‘fortress Europe’ is often bandied about, what kind of a ‘fortress’ is it that seeks to secure the ingress of millions for the settlement of its lands, and the displacement and replacement of the native European peoples that its critics claim it seeks to protect? Its borders are weak, and their defence is nothing other than nominal. When, for example, the travesty of a border defence force named Frontex intercepts illegal immigrants in Greece, it arrests and then releases them, demanding that they leave the country within thirty days. Where do these people go? Not home, that is for certain. They remain in Greece, or manage to take the next leg of their journey overseas to elsewhere within the EU. This is a farce, albeit one that can only be appreciated by those possessed of the most sardonic humour.

Why is it that these alleged ‘asylum seekers’ do not stop in Turkey? The answer is quite straightforward: Turkey does not recognise the right of asylum, unless it should be for Europeans fleeing neighbouring European states. How very convenient. Crossing Continents made it clear that the Turkish police turn a blind eye to people trafficking, which affords a living to many on the border between Greece and eastern Thrace. It seems, as confirmed by one of the interviews carried out by Margaronis, that the Roma, as illiterate and demi-criminal in Turkey as they are elsewhere, plead necessity in justification of ferrying the illegals across the Evros River, as do many local Turks. Although it was not stated in the programme, it would come as no surprise if many Turks were to savour the pain inflicted by this human flood upon their longstanding Greek foe to the West.

Greece is not a large country, and its native population is modest. Even before its current economic crisis, the volume of immigration that it was subjected to was beyond that which could be comfortably borne, but now in a time of crisis, when such a high proportion of Greeks find themselves unemployed, the value of wages is falling, and the provision of basic medical services collapsing, what had been an increasing irritant and discomfort, has now become intolerable. Critics claim that it is not the fault of the immigrants that Greece finds itself in its current economic crisis. Whilst it is true of course that they did not precipitate the transnational crisis of high finance, their presence offers nothing by way of help in solving Greece’s economic crisis, did nothing to stave it off, and functions as a massive drain on the economy. The illegal immigrant presence is a dead weight upon the Greek people that threatens to drag them and their country down still further. If the influx is not stemmed and reversed, what will become of Greece and the Greeks? Could it become the first European state to collapse and be overrun by non-Europeans? It is such rational concerns, practically ignored and unacknowledged by mainstream Greek politicians, that have found direct electoral expression in the rise of the Golden Dawn.

The rapid increase in the immigrant population of Greece has been startling: in 1991, only 167,000 out of a population of 10,259,900 were classed as 'foreigners'. By 2001, the immigrant figure had risen to 762,000, whereas today, the Research Institute for European and American Studies claims that there are approximately 2.5 million illegal immigrants in Greece, the greater part of them originating in Asia and Africa. Other estimates suggest up to 3 million. Given the size of these estimates relative to Greece's population, can they really be credible?

The raw figures themselves are alarming, but the problem of numbers alone – great as they may be – is compounded both by the cultural incompatibility of the majority of illegal arrivals – who happen to be Muslim – and by the fact that they are overwhelmingly male. This plus economic crisis makes for an explosive situation. Greece can take no more immigrants, just as other member states of the EU can take no more, and a clear message needs to be sent to would-be immigrants in Africa and Asia, that they are neither needed nor welcome in our countries. The globalists of course, and their confederates the EU high commissioners have other ideas, and wish us to take in ever more. If this happens, we run the real risk of eventual societal and economic collapse, and all of the attendant potentially bloody chaos that that would engender. 

I have no liking for the type of politician who is willing to physically strike a political opponent, on television at that, but when the media – whether it be the BBC or the New York Times – make anxious sounds about the rise of the Golden Dawn, they should perhaps look inwards and examine the positions and policies that they happily advocate – those of mass immigration and multiculturalism – and ask themselves whether these make for stable and content societies, or unstable and fractious ones. That narrow transnational stratum that gains immense wealth from the promotion of globalisation, and provides the impetus for the attendant ideology of globalism, cares not about the fates of individuals or nations, and cloaks its selfish intent in the language of a humane universalism, tarnishing all who would stand up for the right of nations to political self-determination as ‘fascists’. Greece, the fountainhead of so much that makes the West distinct, runs not the risk of entering a golden dawn, but of a cold dead night. Will it manage to withstand the trials with which it is now beset, and what example, if any, does it set the rest of Europe today? 

The Three Disgraces: Shoot, Bomb and Hack

There is something deeply perplexing about the mentality of a certain type of Muslim; the literalist, doctrinaire, thin-skinned hair-trigger sensibility type. The type that will repeatedly insist that Islam is 'the religion of peace' and emphasise the 'compassion' of their prophet Mohammed, whilst sending themselves into paroxyms of rage whenever their beliefs or prophet are challenged or criticised, threatening to unleash violence against any insolent naysayer who should dare to slight their eggshell sense of ego in this way. Three of this type would seem to have appeared in court today: Birmingham residents Jewel Uddin, Omar Mohammed Khan and Mohammed Hasseen.

How odd it is that these three men seemingly thought that they would demonstrate how misuided the EDL is about the 'peaceful' nature of their religion through planning to unleash carnage. In what way did they think that exploding a pipebomb packed with ball bearings and nails, using sawn off shotguns, swords, machetes and knives, would win the hearts and minds of those whom they claim misrepresent them and their religion as violent? Although it comes as a relief that these apparently rabidly anti-English criminals were unable to enact their bloody plan, it was sadly predictable that the BBC chose to append the stigmatising term 'far-right' to the EDL in its radio reporting of the case. Why? Is it not time that the BBC issued some kind of apology to the public for its deliberate masking of the threat from doctrinaire Muslim fanatics in this country, and for its simultaneous and systematic demonisation of all - such as the EDL - who draw attention to this ugly reality? If the EDL ever required a concrete demonstration of the need for their movement to exist, then these three men have provided it. What impact might this alleged plot have upon turnout at the Bristol EDL demonstration on Saturday 14 July? Will it encourage more people to come onto the streets in support of the EDL, or will it deter them?

For more on the Dewsbury Bomb Plot, see here.

Increase in non-EU university applications

Although the figures released by UCAS today show a significant decline in the number of individuals applying to university in the UK this year (in England in particular), one figure that has bucked this trend has been largely ignored: an increase in applicants to UK universities from non-EU residents. It is of course quite right that the natural focus should be upon the choices made by our young people, but the fact that there has been a notable drop in applications from other EU countries – a decline of 12.9% from 47,675 to 41,543 – whereas there has been an increase of 8.5% from outside of the EU from 56,279 to 61,041 is worthy of comment.

In recent years UK universities have been investing an increasing amount of resources in attracting non-EU students because of the higher fees that they can be charged, and over the past 12-18 months in particular, there appears to have been a surge of recruitment to positions directed towards appealing to the international market and attracting overseas students to the UK. Whilst many of the students recruited in this fashion are certainly genuine and bring benefits to their receiving institutions and to their countries when they return home, a certain proportion are not, and use a university place to secure residency in the UK. This is the disreputable downside of the business, and one that has to a certain extent been encouraged by successive governments keen to attract ‘international talent’. It is this putative desire, linked to the embrace of globalisation and the orientation of many contemporary university vice-chancellors towards business plans focusing more upon maximising revenue rather than academic excellence, that has given birth to a powerful lobby group arguing in favour of increasing the ingress of international students and their exemption from immigration statistics.

Last month, Migration Watch drew attention to a letter signed by 70 university chancellors arguing for international students not to be included in immigration statistics. The think-tank quite rightly objected by drawing attention to the fact that circa 20% of all such students ‘stay on legally’ when they complete their studies, and that an unknown number remain illegally afterwards, particularly those from poorer countries. With some two million non-EU students having come to Britain for a year or longer over the past decade, it would therefore be folly not to include them in such statistics. Worryingly, the government does not even possess a mechanism for ascertaining how many students have returned home, as such checks are not made. Quite clearly, the system of higher education admissions for non-EU students needs to be overhauled, with universities being made legally accountable for any non-EU students who do not return to their countries of origin upon the completion of their courses. If universities wish to receive the financial benefits of recruiting such students, then they should also assume the costs to the wider society if those students then subsequently disappear into the ether so to speak. Introducing and enforcing such sanctions would be the only effective means of ensuring that acquiring a university education in the UK is not used as a backdoor to settlement in the country and the acquisition of citizenship.

Although most of the abuse of ‘student’ status by backdoor immigrants has occurred outside of the higher education system in private schools and colleges, the University of Wales has proven to be the most high-profile casualty of a visa scam, leading to its abolition and merger with a number of other institutions. Indeed, Migration Watch has also published a paper detailing the legal ‘Post Study Route for non-EU students’ which has allowed an increasing number to remain in the UK, outlining a dramatic growth in numbers from only 870 in 2004, to 15,000 in 2007 and 40,000 in 2011. It is therefore legal for such individuals to arrive here as students, and to subsequently easily acquire rights to residence and employment, competing directly with our large pool of unemployed young people and underemployed graduates. With the latter having made such a significant investment of time and money in their studies, why should they then be denied the opportunity to a decent career? The ‘Post Study Route for non-EU students’ will be singled out for abolition as part of the new party’s education policy, in line with our commitment to a sustainable approach to population which embodies our desire to improve living conditions for all in our country. This will be but one measure that contributes towards the realisation of this goal.

Dewsbury Bomb Plot?

Normally, the fact that a significant swathe of the resident Pakistani population evades car insurance rankles with me, given that this results in the rest of us having to pay higher premiums. However, today this selfish and anti-social practice has proven to be a blessing in disguise, for according to articles in today’s editions of the Daily Telegraph and the Daily Mirror, a chance traffic check that led to a car being impounded because the driver was not insured, could have saved Dewsbury, or possibly somewhere else, from an Islamist terror attack.

The car was stopped and impounded as it was heading southbound on the M1 between Junctions 34 and 33 last Saturday near Sheffield’s Meadowhall Shopping Centre. The driver and his passenger were released, and the incriminating contents of the car are not said to have been discovered until last Monday, when someone in the pound raised the alarm regarding something suspicious in the car. Without this alarm, the improvised explosive device (IED), two firearms, ammunition and anti-British leaflets would not have been discovered. The leaflets, claims the Mirror, made specific negative references to ‘the EDL, David Cameron and the Queen.’

It was this discovery that precipitated this week’s second national police swoop to arrest Islamist militants, with three men from Sparkhill in Birmingham being seized on Tuesday, and three others from Moseley, Alum Rock and Sandwell on Wednesday. A seventh man, from Dewsbury, was arrested on Thursday. With such a gap between the seizure of the car and the arrests, the Telegraph notes that this meant that:

the suspects were at large for three days after the police had seized the vehicle, which could have allowed time to destroy or hide other weapons or incriminating evidence.

Evidently, the suspects and their accomplices will have done their best to cover their tracks during the intervening period, which could unfortunately hinder the prosecution of all involved, and potentially mask the identities of other individuals linked to the plot.

A 'notorious far-right group' and a 'wonderful family' man: a view from a distorting mirror
It is striking that the Daily Mirror chose to open its story on this foiled plot with a sentence that sought to blacken the name of the bombers’ potential target rather than the bombers themselves:

One theory is the occupants were planning to bomb a march by the notorious far-right group taking place just hours later.

Later in the article the EDL is described as ‘the notorious anti-Islamic group’. Note how this stigmatising linguistic usage contrasts to the Mirror’s attempt to normalise and humanise the Dewsbury terror suspect, whom it described as a:

dad-of-three [who had] set up a boxing club in 2009 to get youngsters off the streets. One neighbour said: “They are a wonderful family and this must be one huge mistake.”

How very interesting to see another member of this ethno-confessional ‘community’ not condemning the fact that this man was plotting terroristic violence, and instead describing his actions as “one huge mistake”. Why did the interviewee regard it as a “huge mistake”? Because he had been caught, rather than being able to see through whatever act of mass murder and maiming he was planning?

In the Telegraph the reader encounters yet more apologia for one of the terror suspects arrested in Sparkhill: 

We’ve grown up with them. They’re all lovely. They’re fine. They had a bit of a family issue with the mum and the dad separating, but there’s never been any problem with them as neighbours. They’ve never given any impression of being radicalised. They’re British Pakistanis. We’ve known them since they were babies and they’ve always seemed pretty westernised.

The Dewsbury terror suspect was part of a “wonderful family” and his alleged Sparkhill accomplice was “lovely” and “fine”. Such descriptions could seem to express a deep-rooted unwillingness on the part of Pakistani British residents to condemn Islamism and Islamist-related violence, which may ultimately rest upon the fact that they share and approve of the goals of violent Islamists: the Islamisation of Britain. Although not perhaps willing to use violence to achieve this themselves, are they particularly bothered when others do so in their name? The evidence would seem to suggest not. 

Bomb, Assassination or 'Mumbai-style attack'?
According to the Telegraph, a number of the suspects were already known to MI5, and the seizure of materials ‘raised the suspicion that a group were planning an assassination attempt or a Mumbai-style shooting atrocity that day or imminently.’ Dewsbury of course lies to the north of Sheffield, so it is odd that the men were stopped as they were travelling south on the day of the EDL march in Dewsbury if they were attempting to attack it. Perhaps they were on their way to pick up co-conspirators? Then again, their intended target may have been something else altogether.

Over at the Casuals United blog which supports the EDL and other ‘infidel’ groups across the UK, two of its contributors speculate that there is something fishy about this alleged plot. Both of the posts below take a conspiratorial stance, although each with a distinct slant:

7 07 2012

We are supposed to believe that police pulled over a car that had no insurance and they impounded it. We are supposed to believe that there were guns and a bomb in the car, but police let the men go and didn’t bother searching the car till the next day? We all know that this would never happen. Police stop you for something like that, they always search your car. If it does turn out to be true then it validates everything we[’]ve said about this country being full of dangerous scum who need to be deported in large numbers.

This story stinks and I reckon its been manufacture[d] to cause fear and put people off going to EDL demos. What do you think? If they ever did bomb a demo Britain would turn into Northern Ireland overnight and that is a fact.

NFSE

Suzy

7 07 2012

Someone[‘]s just pointed out that its funny that at the last two demos there have been no Muslims on the streets at all, no gangs of Jihadis and bad boys as there usually are, and they catch a car full of them supposedly on their way to plant a bomb at our demo. Prior warning via the Mosques? Makes you wonder.

Zoe

The strange death of Muslim 'anti-fascism'
It is true that the so-called ‘anti-fascist’ counter-demo in Dewsbury attracted startlingly low numbers of supporters despite heavy backing and publicity, and there was a notable absence of local Muslims amongst the small crowd that turned out. Hitherto, the SWP-dominated ‘Unite Against Fascism’ and its various Trotskyist-led front groups have found ‘anti-fascist’ mobilisation against the EDL useful from their perspective, drawing in hot-headed young Muslims as an aggressive shock-force, designed both to intimidate and to manufacture the perception in the national media that there exists a genuine ‘fascist threat’ in this country, which is just grist to their mill of Marxist revolutionary radicalisation. However, it seems that many Muslims have cottoned on to the opportunistic nature of the Trotskyist far-left and the fact that they have been used as a catspaw to further a Marxist agenda with which they fundamentally disagree. Moreover, highly politicised groups with a specifically Muslim identity have emerged that appear to have been attracting many younger Muslims who might previously have been siphoned off into the ranks of the SWP and other leftist organisations. Thus, the absence of Muslim ‘anti-fascist’ mobilisation at the last couple of EDL demos could be more indicative of both of these trends, than of any ‘warning’ from mosques to stay away because of potential violence.

Seven years ago today 58 people died in London in the 7/7 bombings and hundreds were maimed and mentally scarred. These latest arrests, together with the London arrests on Thursday, illustrate the ever-present threat of violent Islamism within our shores. We must remain vigilant and ensure that all forms of Islamism are rooted out of our country, and its proponents removed.  

7/7 Mass Murder Victims

John Lydon: Diversity in the UK

It has been quite a while since I last watched Question Time, for viewing the programme makes for a highly predictable and unsatisfying experience. The panellists, even if they happen not to be politicians, tend to trot out responses that can be anticipated well in advance, and the specially selected audience fulfils the formulaic role of fielding approved questions and providing the type of applause desired by the producer. So, it was somewhat against my better judgement that I decided to view the latest programme on iplayer this evening, not having wished to deprive myself of sleep last night. The honorary non-politicians in this episode proved to be John Lydon and Dominic Lawson, the former presumably invited onto the programme as some sort of ‘jubilee’ curio, given his unofficial role in the Silver Jubilee of 1977.

There may be those who view the affluent LA tax exile Lydon as some sort of ‘rebel’, but not suffering from such a delusion myself, I anticipated a predictable performance from Lydon, and this is what we received. As performances go, it was not very entertaining, and it was a struggle to keep viewing. The faces and the voices may vary from week to week on Question Time, but the song remains the same. Lydon’s presence was to prove no exception, with his first utterance – “A parliamentary committee cannot be trusted!” – being intoned and delivered in embarrassing pantomime fashion, setting the scene for the remainder of the programme; “I don’t know anything at all,” he continued. Quite. Dominic Lawson could be seen looking on with an air of resigned disapproval.

What was his opinion on the new citizenship test? What was his view of Britishness? Was it an unorthodox view? Hardly. Lydon trotted out the most stultifyingly conformist and ‘on-message’ definition imaginable:

A complete understanding of your love your of neighbour, your culture, your country and the inclusion of all religious, race, creeds and colours and philosophies. We are an island culture. We always have been and we must keep our shore open. This is what improves us. Hello, I’m a classic example of mix and match. Hello England!

He followed up with the question: “Please, can you give one [i.e. a citizenship test] to the people that are already here?” Predictable? Yes.

Once upon a time he may have screamed about ‘Anarchy in the UK’, but nowadays it would seem that he is rather more in favour of ‘diversity’ than ‘anarchy’, which in some respects could be seen as near synonyms, but it is unlikely that this is the sense in which he wished his ‘celebratory’ remark regarding this word to be taken.

The least disengaging section of the programme consisted of Louise Mensch’s drugs confessional, during which many members of the audience gurned with disgust (whether genuine or feigned it was hard to discern) as she recounted the negative psychological impact that using unspecified Class A drugs had had upon her. Normally, I don’t have any time for Mensch, but for the couple of minutes during which she spoke upon this theme, she did something unusual for a politician: spoke honestly and from direct experience. Lydon however, predictably made some rather juvenile points about the issue, implying that there was a conspiracy (not involving lizards on this occasion) to cover up the ‘truth’ about drugs.

Irrespective of the positions held by the panellists upon the status of illicit drugs, to criminalise individuals for abusing such substances is wrong, not because I would wish to condone or encourage such usage, but because the abuse of such substances should be dealt with as a matter of public health and education. Rehabilitation is the right approach, not punishment. Criminalising drug users is akin to criminalising those who attempt suicide or self-harm: essentially inhumane.

So it was that last night’s episode of Question Time proved to be true to predictable form. For the producers, all was well with the world, for diversity was celebrated, an ageing ‘rebel’ was brought into the fold, and John Lydon delighted replica torque manufacturers across the land by wearing such an item around his neck; admittedly, not as elaborate as anything found in the Snettisham Hoard, but a torque nonetheless. As for Question Time, I shall once again bid it farewell, and resist tuning in until such a time as it looks like something may be said that isn't completely predictable. 

The Snettisham Torque: superior quality to John Lydon's

Flooding disrupts Yorkshire road and rail

A little under two weeks since Yorkshire last suffered significant flooding, heavy rain has once again brought disruption to the county's road and rail network. Rail services have been disrupted between Sheffield and Leeds, with flooding in the Outwood area of Doncaster causing delays. On the Calderdale route between Leeds and Manchester, flooding near Walsden has led to the introduction of a replacement bus service to shuttle passengers between stations.

A number of roads have also been affected by flooding, with the Rotherham Advertiser reporting that Station Road in Wath has been closed, and also listing a number of other routes that have been closed or disrupted by flash flooding, including the A630 at a number of locations. As of 17:55, the Environment Agency had issued 36 flood warnings for its Northeast region which includes Yorkshire. Currently, much of the county - South Yorkshire in particular - is enjoying a respite from the rain, and the worst for many may be over for today, although parts of North Yorkshire appear set to endure more heavy rain this evening. The focus of flooding concern now switches to the West Country, which looks set to bear the brunt of the rainfall this evening and overnight. Some thunderstorms are expected across Yorkshire tomorrow, and more rain for all is forecast for the coming the week. When will it stop? The Met Office long-term forecast is equivocal, offering no opinion as to whether the latter part of the month and the remainder of the summer will bring more of the same, or some much-needed dry weather and warmth.

To date, the flooding has not been as bad as during the summer of 2007, and hopefully it will stay that way. Residents of Mytholmroyd and Hebden Bridge will certainly be anxious to avoid a repeat of their recent experience of flooding, but will the rain abate in time?

M6 Terror Scare closes motorway

This morning The Daily Telegraph reported that a terror alert had resulted in the closure of part of the M6 Toll Toad following an alarmed call from a passenger on the Megabus service from Preston to London. It was claimed that another passenger was seen with a smoking liquid (it is safe to assume that this was not Heston Blumenthal with a canister of liquid nitrogen). The M6 Toll was therefore closed between junctions T3 and T4 in both directions at 08.20 this morning, whilst, reports Sky News, armed police arrived at the scene. Despite the massive disruption and considerable resources involved, it proved to be a false alarm with the cause being a passenger smoking an electronic cigarette!

Six arrested in London
This came on the same day that five men and a woman were arrested in a dawn terror swoop on a number of locations across London. Some of these were UK nationals. The London Islamist plotters are believed to have been preparing explosives for use in bomb-making, but it is not thought that their plans were connected to the forthcoming Olympics. Their alleged target(s) have not been disclosed.

Shamefully, one of the men arrested - Salahuddin al Britani - whose real name is Richard Dart, is an indigenous convert. As you can see from the video below, he speaks with the affected faux sub-Pakistani accent adopted by many converts, which lends his speech an unintentionally comical turn, perhaps appropriate for a man who was arrested in the part of London renowned for the golden age of British cinematic comedy - Ealing. Dart, originally from Dorset, featured in a documentary made by his brother Rob Leech entitled My Brother the Islamist which was shown last year, which also featured the touching concern of a Dorset mother for her son Ben who had converted to Islam having grown tired of heavy metal. For Maggie's sake, for she struck me as a worried and caring mother, I hope that Ben has given up on his Islamist idiocy, but unfortunately, I suspect that he has not grown out of it and remains trapped within Anjem Choudary's band of cultish followers, whatever name they may at present be bearing.

Today's arrests underscore that the threat from Islamist terrorism in this country is real and is not going away. Those who are protesting against the temporary installation of anti-aircraft missile batteries in East London are foolish indeed. The again, perhaps the latter can be excused for having overexposed themselves to the content of The Guardian and BBC broadcasts of all sorts, and thus ended up with heads full of irrationally naive twaddle.

Richard Dart's absurd video complete with comedy accent

Maghrebian Monster shames France

Bullying is an exceedingly nasty trait, and it would seem that for ‘French’ athlete Mahiedine Mekhissi-Benabbad, aggressive bullying is an intrinsic part of his character, most recently illustrated by his attack upon a 14-year-old girl dressed as a mascot following his win at Sunday’s Helsinki 3000m Steeplechase (see video below). Thankfully, the Daily Mail reports that the girl was only winded, but the manner in which he treated her reveals him to be a damaged character with an anger problem. Such behaviour has occurred before, as shown in the second clip, where at around a minute and 30 seconds into the video he is seen to contemptuously push a mascot into a kneeling position before him. He also received a 10-month suspension for attacking a teammate in Monaco in 2011.

What will happen to this arrogant 'Frenchman' of Algerian descent following this latest act of ill-tempered aggression? If I were French, I would not be happy to see this man representing my country and bringing it into disrepute, and would rather that he ran for Algeria instead. He may run for France, but he is neither French nor a sportsman. Kick him out of France. He's a liability. 

Unsporting Maghrebian masquerading as Frenchman
 

Mekhissi-Benabbad's spiritual Brother

 

September 2012 forecast: heatwave for England

How hard is it to produce a long-range weather forecast? Evidently, it is not easy, as the following forecast posted by the Met Office for April to June on 23 March this year illustrates (you may need to pinch yourself after reading it):

The forecast for average UK rainfall slightly favours drier than average conditions for April May June as a whole, and also favours April being the driest of the 3 months.

As many of you will be aware, today the Met Office released its provisional rainfall figures for April-June, and rather than being drier than average, it has been the wettest 3-month period on record. Across the country double the average rainfall fell in June, making it the wettest for the UK as a whole, and the second wettest for England, where it was beaten by the disastrous year that seemed to have no summer - 2007.

It has been chilly too, with June proving to be the coolest since 1991. Whereas it has been an excellent few months for slugs and ducks, it has not been good for tourism at home. The miserable run of weather will doubtless have given a boost to travel firms selling a holiday in the sun, for it looks set to continue. On 20 June the Met Office issued a 3-month forecast for July-September 2012 which, to be frank, is worthless:

The probability that UK precipitation for July-August-September will fall into the driest of our five categories is around 20% whilst the probability that it will fall into the wettest of our five categories is also around 20% (the 1971-2000 climatological probability for each of these categories is 20%).

In other words, the Met Office is saying that there is a one in five chance that the amount of rainfall we receive will fall into one of five quintiles. Yes, that is true, but it does not constitute a forecast, being as it is a mere statement of raw probability. It tells us nothing, and as such is to all intents and purposes utterly useless. Given the embarrassingly wide of the mark Met Office long-range weather outlook and the fact that many seem to swear by the ‘accuracy’ of independent weather prophet Piers Corbyn despite his frequent gaffes (the winter of 2011-2012 was supposed to be another extremely cold one for us apparently, but as you will recall, it was warmer than average), I thought that I’d have a crack at forecasting myself and see if I can do any worse. If Corbyn can make a living out of it, why can’t I? As to my methodology, it is quite straightforward: a wild stab in the dark. Here follows the forecast for the rest of this summer and autumn (I take no responsibility for its accuracy, inaccuracy or sheer irrelevance, so make sure that you have some sunblock at the ready just in case my guesswork turns out to be somewhat wide of the mark).

July

Not overly good with plenty of rain. Slugs will continue to thrive and it will be at least slightly warmer than June as it couldn’t get any cooler. There will be marginally more sunshine for the same reason. A poor month for gardeners, a good month for mildew and a delight for extreme campers.
Update 5 July: Piers Corbyn's July forecast has gone live, and it looks like he agrees with me when it comes to anticipating a forthcoming paradise for slugs at home. Well done Piers! Good to see you catching up with my random weather forecasting approach. In his own inimitable style Corbyn predicts 'A July of dramatic contrasts and likely record-level extremes. "Off-scale" rain, thunder-floods, giant hail, gales and tornado damage likely in NW Europe.' Now, you could never accuse him of overdramatising or using tabloid language could you? For some reason, use of a term such as "thunder-floods" brings to mind Native American linguistic usage. Maybe Piers is part Cherokee, part Nostradamus?

August

Better than July and probably a little warmer and drier. Slugs will still be doing well, and half of what is in your vegetable garden will probably be stunted, rotten or both. Those potatoes that have survived will be massive. If you live in the South, you will have plenty of green tomatoes for making chutney. If you are a parent, your school-age children will by now have driven you half insane and bankrupted you through repeated demands to get involved in diverting activities that involve parting with large sums of cash.

September

The best month of the ‘summer’ with an extended dry spell and an unseasonable heatwave of at least a week in duration. If you’re planning a holiday in England, this will be the month during which to enjoy it. If you’ve booked yourself a trip overseas, you’ll be cursing yourself for having missed the good weather at home. Meanwhile, the national press suffers an outbreak of predictable headlines incorporating the word ‘scorcher’ and the phrase ‘warmer than’ many places which are known to be hot. New record low for Arctic sea ice reported.

October

Not a bad month. An Indian summer and dry overall. Warm. Piers Corbyn issues the first version of his winter forecast intimating that it will be “unusually cold” in line with his reissued prediction of an impending ice age. Details relating to “an exceptionally cold surge of Arctic air” will be made available to subscribers to his long-range forecasts for a very reasonable fee equivalent to a pensioner’s winter fuel payment. First forecasts of a white Christmas appear in the press, together with bookies' odds.

November

A wet, windy and generally mild return to slug heaven. Eric Olthwaite would be delighted. Given the surfeit of slugs this year, you will be left puzzling as to why hedgehog numbers are still declining.

Christmas

Mild, overcast and damp. The possibility of some sleet in the Scottish Highlands. By this point, the resident Chinese population has decided to change the designation of 2012 from 'Year of the Dragon' to 'Year of the Slug'.

Don't laugh, as you'll probably see this post being quoted by the Daily Express in months to come as a genuine long-term forecast. The following may also be of interest: Winter 2012-2013 Weather Forecast: will Arctic Sea Ice Cover play a Role?

2012: Year of the Slug?

Cameron’s weasel words over EU referendum

A piece been penned by David Cameron in today’s Sunday Telegraph reveals his concern over the increasing disaffection of a section of his party and of the electorate with the Condem coalition’s position on the EU. In recent months, UKIP have been enjoying the highest level of support in opinion polls since the height of the parliamentary expenses scandal, on a number of occasions attracting a higher level of declared support than the Liberal Democrats, taking a 9% share amongst prospective voters. Although such a figure does not put UKIP in a position to win Westminster seats, what it does do is imperil the parliamentary majorities of a number of Conservative MPs. If such figures did translate into real votes at a General Election, this could cause enough damage to the Conservative Party to deny it a parliamentary majority. It is this fear, combined with the perceived need to address a heightened level of public apprehension over the crisis in the eurozone, that has prompted the Prime Minister to write.

Although it is to be expected that the BBC would portray his piece in a manner which would suggest euroscepticism, it is surprising that the Sunday Telegraph, or at least its political editor Patrick Hennesy, should also fall for Cameron’s ruse. The BBC introduces its report on Cameron’s article with the heading David Cameron ‘prepared to consider EU referendum’ which would seem to imply to the casual reader who does not bother to read further that Cameron is willing to contemplate a referendum on EU membership, when in fact what is being suggested by the Prime Minister is nothing of the sort. Hennesy’s piece is entitled ‘EU: New Tory battle lines drawn’, which once again suggests that a very robust and significant change in attitude towards the European Union is being signalled, with Hennesy describing Cameron’s article as constituting a ‘landmark move’. However, we have witnessed such distorted hyperbole in the media before, one striking example relating Cameron’s speech on multiculturalism delivered in Munich, which was said to signal a radical shift in policy resulting in the ditching of the concept, whilst since that date we have in reality seen an ongoing commitment to multiculturalism and, in some instances, increased state funding for it (e.g. state-funded Muslim schools).

Turning to Cameron’s article itself, rather than to mainstream media commentary upon it, certain key passages and phrases reveal the Prime Minister’s true position and intent. Firstly, he deliberately chooses to open his piece by referring not to our relationship with the EU – a political construct – but to our ‘relationship with Europe.’ This, of course, is a common tactic adopted by those in favour of EU membership, for this device is used by them to equate being anti-EU (a rational and democratic political position) with being anti-European (an irrational and xenophobic position). However, most of us who are anti-EU are thankfully pro-European, whereas many of those who are pro-EU are conversely anti-European.

In essence, Cameron wishes the UK not only to remain a member of the EU’s single market, but also to be a political member of the club because of his globalist political stance, which he rationalises through employing the pretext of co-operating ‘with our neighbours to maximise our influence in the world and project our values of freedom and democracy.’ We have in recent years done far too much of this ‘projection’, in terms of becoming militarily involved in complex conflicts overseas in which we have no interest, accompanied by, so it would seem, little genuine understanding on the part of our policy elites of the countries that they insist on meddling with. Thus it is that there has been an ecstatic embrace of the ‘Arab Spring’, although wherever it has been successful it has brought the Islamists to power, and in Libya, where we had direct military involvement, the country now lies shattered and divided between the claims of competing warlords. The drumbeat of war now sounds for Syria, with William Hague and the FCO being at the vanguard of the party of international hawks. No, let us have no more of this. If we are to ‘project our values of freedom and democracy’ to other peoples, then we should do so through the strength of our example, by being genuinely free, democratic and worthy of emulation. We are currently neither free nor democratic enough.

Although Cameron’s article is presented as offering the public a the prospect of a choice over EU membership, this is not the case, and Cameron makes it absolutely explicit that he is not only in favour of EU membership, but that he will ensure that if any referendum is held over any aspect of this country’s relationship with the EU, then it will be at a time that is conducive to securing the result that he desires, thus:

I don’t agree with those who say we should leave and therefore want the earliest possible in/out referendum. Leaving would not be in our country’s best interests.

. . .  I will continue to work for a different, more flexible and less onerous position for Britain within the EU.

How do we take the British people with us on this difficult and complicated journey? How do we avoid the wrong paths of either accepting the status quo meekly or giving up altogether and preparing to leave? It will undoubtedly be hard, but taking the right path in politics often is.

As we get closer to the end point, we will need to consider how best to get the full-hearted support of the British people whether it is in a general election or in a referendum.

As I have said, for me the two words “Europe” and “referendum” can go together, particularly if we really are proposing a change in how our country is governed, but let us get the people a real choice first.

This article is very much of a piece with Ed Miliband’s recent speeches on England and Englishness and mass immigration. Miliband realised that the Labour Party’s approach to both of these issues has alienated a significant stratum of former Labour voters and supporters, thus he attempted to give the impression that he shared their concerns and views on these matters, whilst actually using both speeches to reaffirm his commitment to multiculturalism, mass immigration and globalisation. Miliband attempted to bedeck himself in national bunting to sell a globalist multicultural political product, and Cameron too has chosen to take out the national bunting today, using it to mask his pro-EU stance. Neither Cameron nor Miliband has the national interest at heart, and neither man believes in a democracy that gives voice to the genuine public will.

Many will see through Cameron’s cynical attempt to appeal to those of us who wish to leave the EU, but many will not have the time or the inclination to read beyond the headlines, and thus gain the impression that the Prime Minister intends to offer us a genuine referendum over EU membership. This is the real intent of his piece: to manage public opinion to his political advantage whilst offering nothing of substance. As it is with multiculturalism, so shall it be with the EU: Cameron makes public announcements critical of each of them, whilst enthusiastically promoting both.