BREXIT – 5 MONTHS ON AND WHAT IS HAPPENING ?

 

On the 23^rd. June 2016 the United Kingdom had a Referendum regarding their continued membership of the EU. The people who wanted us to stay in the single market and allow the free movement of people, while continuing to be controlled by the EU, voted REMAIN and they LOST. The people who wanted immigration restricting and controlling, even if it meant not having direct access to the single market, and control of our own affairs voted LEAVE and they WON with a decisive majority. The Government were given a clear mandate to get on with the task so why are they listening to winging remainers and lobbyists and not just getting on with carrying out the will of the people.

From what I can see very little has been achieved and this has allowed the remoaners and their supporters to regroup and given others a chance to work on what obstacles they can put in the way of a smooth BREXIT.

We hear so much about the importance of the single market to us, with its 500million customers, but after 40 years we have a monthly deficit of nearly £7billion. You would have expected that we would have developed a healthy trading position rather than a dependency. When we joined the Common Market our manufacturing was 20% of GDP and now it is less than 10% of GDP. The National Debt stands at over £1.78trillion which costs us £48 billion a year just to service.

We need to use the opportunity presented to us by BREXIT to increase our manufacturing base, reduce our dependency on imports, regain control of our trade and government budget deficits, stop uncontrolled borrowing and reduce our debt liability and put the UK back on track to true INDEPENDENCE.

 

James Hancock.

 

A Good Common Man

( Because of what happens when “good men do nothing“ Edmund Burke)

 (E)  jh.r@btinternet.com                                      ( Ref: DE64661)

BREXIT - AN EXCITING PROSPECT AHEAD.

BREXIT – AN EXCITING PROSPECT AHEAD.

I see the Brexit leave vote as an exciting and challenging prospect for the UK. After over 40 years of membership of the EU the UK has been left in a serious financial state supported by out of control borrowing.

If we vote to leave the EU we will be free to invest the £10 billion saved from our membership, the £14 billion from the Foreign Aid budget and money saved from the trade deficit to form an Investment fund, the Lions Den, to support through loans or overdraft guarantee schemes, business plans and possible management buyout plans securing the future and development of our manufacturing sector. This would reduce our imports, provide skilled jobs, reduce our benefits costs and increase our tax income.

We would continue to meet our foreign aid commitments but instead of supplying money we would supply manufactured goods and backup services. If you give a man a fish you feed him and his family for a day but if you give him the right equipment and teach him how to us it he feeds his family for the rest of time. Most of the countries that we want to help don’t want long term charity that they become dependant on, they actually want help to get back on their feet and have a pride in being able to feed their own families. From reports that I have seen, harrowing scenes of scorched earth, people trying to scratch together enough to feed themselves and their families and animals dying, the one thing that seems to link them all together is the lack of clean water. We can manufacture desalination plants, irrigation pumps, filtration equipment, pipe work, tractors, implements, disease resistant seed that will grow in harsh environments and the technology to make it all work. Whole communities can be independent producing enough food for their own needs and some over to sell or trade to get other items that they need for a quality of life. Once the model is up and working it can be rolled out to many other communities. We have helped to feed the world in the past and this would be a chance to help the world feed itself. 

James Hancock.

A Good Common Man.

( Because of what happens when “good men do nothing“ Edmund Burke)

(E) jh.r@btinternet.com 

( Ref: DE62558)

BREXIT - DOES ANYBODY REALLY CARE ?

BREXIT – DOES ANYBODY REALLY CARE ?

Does anybody really care about what happens to the UK after the referendum vote on Thursday 23^rd. June 2016 ?

I care passionately about what happens to the UK and what is going to happen to it after the referendum vote has been decided. Nobody wants to listen to ordinary people, they seem prepared to be taken in by the politicians and their personal agendas. I voted to stay in the Common Market at the last referendum and after finding out that we were actually lied to by the politicians I will not be making the same mistake again. I fear that if we vote to remain we will be absorbed as a federal state of a Franco-German EU, the National Debt will continue to increase to a point where it can not be supported anymore and we have to ask for a bailout.

On the other hand, if we vote to leave we can concentrate our efforts and resources into supporting and increasing our manufacturing base to initially cover our own consumption and use, allowing us to reduce our imports, reduce our benefits bill and increase our tax income for essential services. If EU countries want to continue to trade with us then they will have to be prepared to offer reciprocal arrangements.

Nigel Farage cares about what happens to the UK after the referendum vote. His whole existence is based around the fact that the referendum is happening at all with his setting up of UKIP, the United Kingdom Independence Party, the clue is in the name, and getting members elected as MEPs, Members of the European Parliament, to keep us informed of what is actually happening and to fight for our ever decreasing corner. As a working man I am more likely to believe somebody, who operates at the coal face, who is talking from practical experiences and who is prepared to talk himself and his colleagues out of a well paid job. I find it hard to believe how politically motivated members of the Vote Leave campaign have been allowed to treat him in the way that they have rather than using his inside knowledge of the EU to their advantage.

James Hancock.

A Good Common Man.

( Because of what happens when “good men do nothing“ Edmund Burke)

(E) jh.r@btinternet.com 

 

( Ref: DE62557)

BREXIT - THE REAL PROBLEM IS ?

BREXIT – THE REAL PROBLEM IS ?

We were promised a Referendum that would be non political, where the people of the UK were given the facts about our current membership of the EU and what we could expect if we were to continue, and what would be the reasons for us to leave the EU and the advantages of  becoming an independent country making our own way in the world. People could then make a rational decision on what they thought would be best for the country as a whole and their own family, friends, colleagues and communities in particular. What we have ended up with is politicians fighting amongst themselves, giving us their versions of what is important and using tactics like scaremongering  to try to achieve their goals. While this is going on they appear to be missing what the real problem is and what we can do to solve it.

In reality “ THE REAL PROBLEM IS ” that the UK is effectively “ BANKRUPT ”. After 40years as a member of the EU the UK’s NATIONAL DEBT is £1.7tn., that is £1,700,000,000,000, over £27,000 for every man, woman and child or over £47,000 for every tax-payer, and it is currently increasing at the rate of £5,170 per second. We currently pay £48 billion pounds each year, 8% of what we collect in taxes, to Bankers and investors to service this debt and it is set to increase to £60 billion by the year 2020.

Current figures from the ONS for April 2016 issued on 09/06/2016 show that the UK imported £19.1 billion from the EU, equivalent to £294 per head and exported £12 billion to the EU, equivalent to £24 per head, making us a net importer of £7.1, money that has to be borrowed and adds to our National Debt. Our total trade exports were £25 billion showing that less than half of our exports actually go to the EU.

We need positive action to stop reckless borrowing that achieves nothing and makes things worse, hidden behind a screen of smoke and mirrors. 

James Hancock.

A Good Common Man.

( Because of what happens when “good men do nothing“ Edmund Burke)

(E) jh.r@btinternet.com 

( Ref: DE62456)

BREXIT - LIFE AFTER THE EU VOTE.

BREXIT – LIFE AFTER THE EU VOTE.

 

The main thing that will loose the “leave campaign” a unanimous vote in the referendum is the people’s fear of what to expect in “ life after the EU Vote ”. Unfortunately it is a fact that “frightened people always vote for the bully” and we know who the bully is in this matter despite the “in campaign” claiming that fear would play no part in their campaign. The people need to be given both sides of the argument in clear language that ordinary people can understand to allow them to make an independent decision on what they think is best for the UK as a whole and them and their family and friends in particular.

 

The “leave campaign” have to be seen to be singing off the same hymn sheet. It is the message that matters more than the messenger and ordinary people are not going to support a cause just because they recognise the person giving it. A number of people are keen to tell us what life could be like if we vote to stay in the EU, much of the same as we have experienced over the last 40 years, but nobody seems as keen to tell us what “life outside of the EU” will be like for the ordinary people. What are the main problems and what is leaving going to do to help us solve them Introducing a few new laws and redirecting some of the savings from the membership cost to the NHS isn’t going to cut it for those who want to know how living standards will be affected for the ordinary people.

Ordinary people can see the possibility that things might change for them if they vote to leave the EU as their lives have been better than they are today. They are only ordinary people and nobody listens to them, especially the political class, but now they have a chance to be heard but whether anybody will actually listen to them is a different story. The Vote Leave people need to listen to their concerns and give reassurances to these ordinary people.

James Hancock.

A Good Common Man.

 

( Because of what happens when “good men do nothing“ Edmund Burke)

(E) jh.r@btinternet.com 

( Ref: DE62455)

BREXIT - THE EU MODEL DOESN'T WORK.

BREXIT – THE EU MODEL DOESN’T WORK.

Having been a member of the EU for over we have been left with a national debt of over £1.7 trillion that is increasing at the rate of over £5,000 per. second and costs us £48 billion each year just to service, which adds to the government budget deficit, a trading deficit with the EU that costs us over £7 billion each month and the population of the UK currently increasing by 500,000 each year.

The reality of the matter is that “ The EU Model doesn’t work for the UK ”. We need to free ourselves from the system that is causing this and Leave the EU. If we decide to remain a member of the EU we will be absorbed as a federal state of a Franco-German dominated EU, the membership rules will be changed and our rebate and grants in danger, making the £360m per. week just a minimum figure. If we want to object or change anything we will be told that we had our chance and chose to be ruled by the EU.

I do not want us to adopt the model chosen by Norway, not even the model chosen by Switzerland but ironically I would like us to adopt the model chosen by Germany which made them the largest manufacturer and exporter in the EU. When Germany was having financial problems some years ago they chose a model which concentrated all their efforts and resources on developing a manufacturing base which allowed them to produce enough for their own needs, reducing their dependency on imports and only importing what they couldn’t produce for themselves, and then more to be able to export. David Cameron is on record as having admired the model adopted by Germany but chose to ignore adopting free trade over fair trade with the consequences that we are now faced with. Allowing dairy farmers, who in some cases are second or even third generation, to loose there farms and traditional livelihoods so that we can import milk from France is not my version of being British.

 

James Hancock.

A Good Common Man.

 

( Because of what happens when “good men do nothing“ Edmund Burke)

(E) jh.r@btinternet.com 

( Ref: DE62454)

BREXIT - WHO IS THE REAL CUSTOMER HERE ?

BREXIT – WHO IS THE REAL CUSTOMER HERE ?

We hear a lot of different views about future trading with the EU and our access to the market with 550m customers. Wolfgang Schauble has slammed the door on UK access to the single market. It should be brought to people’s attention that as far as the EU should be concerned we are a customer. Latest statistics, produced on 9^th. June 2016, show that during April 2016 we imported £19.1bn. from the EU and exported £12bn. to the EU, making us a net importer of £7.1bn., this is just for one month and is an increase over the previous month and over April 2015.

The reality of the matter is that even as a non member country I cannot see that countries like Germany are going to want to stop supplying cars and commercial vehicles, France its milk and produce, Spain its fruit, Denmark its bacon to name a few. Spain, Greece and Portugal are not going to want to stop the lucrative holiday business. Therefore there is going to have to be some form of reciprocal trading agreements, either collectively or as individuals.

We buy more off the other 27 countries that they buy off us and after 40 years of being a member of this trading organisation you would have expected it to at least be on an equal basis and not constantly operating as a trading deficit. As these trading deficits have to be paid for by borrowing and that contributes to our National Debt. This type of situation cannot continue for much longer and it is time to face up to the fact that the EU model does not work for the UK.

The Government is going to have to have to stop spending UK taxpayers money abroad and consider the consequences of their actions. I would rather see the police driving around in Nissans, Toyotas and Discovery 4X4s manufactured in the UK and providing UK manufacturing jobs, than being in BMWs.

James Hancock.

 

A Good Common Man.

( Because of what happens when “good men do nothing“ Edmund Burke)

(E) jh.r@btinternet.com 

( Ref: DE62453)

BREXIT - A REAL ECONOMIC FACT.

BREXIT – A REAL ECONOMIC FACT.

 

We hear a lot about the economic argument from government departments and independent bodies for the UK remaining a member of the EU.

The reality of the matter is that as a member of the EU the UK’s NATIONAL DEBT is £1.7tn., that is £1,700,000,000,000, over £27,000 for every man, woman and child and over £47,000 for every tax-payer, and it is currently increasing at the rate of £5,170 per second.

This debt has been accumulated by successive governments over the last 20 years, while a member of the EU, with the most significant increase being over the last 10 years, in 2005 it was £0.5tn. and at the end of 2015 it was £1.6tn.

 

The country is paying £48bn. per. year, that is approx 8% of what the government collects in taxes, just to service that debt, paying interest and charges, and that is set to increase to £50bn. per year by the year 2020. No wonder that the bankers and financiers do very nicely out of the UK while it is in this position.

 

The reality is that there is no way that the UK is going to be able to reduce the National Debt, and the amounts that we pay to service it, as a member of the EU. It will continue to increase, as we continue to run a government deficit and a trade deficit, and reach a point where we are unable to service the debt and need a bail out or face bankruptcy.

 

When the Government runs up huge debts we are the ones that have to shoulder the burden. We need to reduce their spending on imports and increase our manufacturing for our own consumption to give ourselves a chance.

 

James Hancock.

 

A Good Common Man.

 

( Because of what happens when “good men do nothing“ Edmund Burke)

  (E) jh.r@btinternet.com 

( Ref: DE62352)

BREXIT - ....AND ENGLAND WILL BE FREE.

BREXIT -

 …..and ENGLAND WILL BE FREE.

But possibly not if we lose the BREXIT vote and the UK votes to remain a member of the EU, then we will just be absorbed into a Franco-German dominated EU and loose our individual identity. You only need to listen to Dame Vera Lynn singing “There’ll always be an England, and England will be free” to appreciate the sacrifice that many people have given over the years to maintain that freedom, and the responsibility that we owe to previous generations to reclaim that status for future generations.

 

The 23^rd April 2016 is St. Georges Day, which offers an opportunity to celebrate the patron saint of England and fly the flag for English culture in general. I hope that every English person will take this opportunity, regardless of colour or religious beliefs, to recognise the things that bind us together. Be proud to be English and fly and wear the Flag of St. George and as its on a Saturday find a local celebration to join in to and enjoy.

 

We need a patriotic display to show this Government and the EU that English people are proud of our country, its heritage, our ingenuity and our industry. England is not here to be absorbed into the Franco–German EU, we are a strong and proud people and when we regain our independence we will work, as the largest part of the UK, to help put the UK where it deserves to be, fighting our own corner from a position of strength.

 

We should also remember that the 23^rd. is the 400^th. Anniversary of the death of William Shakespeare and how much more English can you get than the quote from his play Henry V “Cry God for Harry, England and St. George”.

 

BE ENGLISH and BE PROUD.

 

James Hancock.

 

A Good Common Man.

 

( Because of what happens when “good men do nothing“ Edmund Burke)

BREXIT - St. GEORGES DAY IN ENGLAND.

BREXIT – St. GEORGES DAY IN ENGLAND

 

The 23^rd April 2016 is St. Georges Day, which offers an opportunity to celebrate the patron saint of England and fly the flag for English culture in general. The Prime Minister, David Cameron is on record as having said that St. Georges Day has been overlooked “for too long” and the country should celebrate what it is to be English.

I hope that every English person will take this opportunity, regardless of colour or religious beliefs, to recognise the things that bind us together. Be proud to be English and wear the Flag of St. George, a lapel badge, a patch, t-shirt, hat or what ever suits and as its on a Saturday find a local celebration to join in to and enjoy.

You only need to listen to Dame Vera Lynn singing “There’ll always be an England, and England will be free” to appreciate the sacrifice that many people have given over the years to maintain that freedom, it is readily available on Youtube, and the responsibility that we owe to previous generations to maintain that status for future generations.

It is a chance for the English people to show the patriotic spirit that makes us proud of our country, of our ingenuity and our industry. England is not here to be absorbed into the Franco–German EU, we are a strong and proud people and when we regain our independence we will work, as the largest part of the UK, to help put the UK where it deserves to be, fighting our own corner from a position of strength.

 

BE ENGLISH and BE PROUD.

 

James Hancock.

A Good Common Man.

 

( Because of what happens when “good men do nothing“ Edmund Burke)

  (E) jh.r@btinternet.com                                                                        ( Ref: DE61550)

 

             

BREXIT - THERE'LL ALWAYS BE AN ENGLAND.

BREXIT –

 

THERE’LL ALWAYS BE AN ENGLAND.

 

You only need to listen to Dame Vera Lynn singing “There’ll always be an England, and England will be free” to appreciate the sacrifice that many people have given over the years to maintain that freedom, it is readily available on Youtube, and the responsibility that we owe to previous generations to maintain that status for future generations.

If the Brexit campaign fails and the United Kingdom votes to remain a member of the European Union then I believe that England, as an independent country, will almost certainly cease to exist as it will be absorbed as a federal state of a Franco–German dominated EU, and become “formerly known as England”. The only use of the name will be on football shirts, rugby shirts, cricket team and possibly athletics. England is not here to be absorbed into the Franco–German EU, we are a strong and proud people and when we regain our independence we will work, as the largest part of the UK, to help put the UK where it deserves to be, fighting our own corner from a position of strength.

The 23^rd April 2016 is St. Georges Day, which offers an opportunity to celebrate the patron saint of England and fly the flag for English culture in general. The Prime Minister, David Cameron is on record as having said that St. Georges Day has been overlooked “for too long” and the country should celebrate what it is to be English. Tony Blair refused to acknowledge it as having any form of importance and refused to grant it the status of a Bank Holiday despite pressure from groups and the fact that Scotland and Ireland both have a Bank Holiday to celebrate their National Days.

I hope that every English person will take this opportunity, regardless of colour or religious beliefs, to recognise the things that bind us together. Be proud to be English and wear the Flag of St. George, a lapel badge, a patch, t-shirt, hat or what ever suits and as its on a Saturday find a local celebration to join in to and enjoy.

James Hancock.

A Good Common Man.

( Because of what happens when “good men do nothing“ Edmund Burke)

NHS - HOSPITALS DO NOT FAIL.

NHS - HOPITALS DO NOT FAIL    

 

Too often these days we hear that hospitals are failing or that a particular hospital has failed. HOSPITALS DO NOT FAIL. The people who are appointed to manage and run them fail. They fail to install the right culture and monitor its performance and the people who appoint them fail to carry out checks to justify their decision. They unfortunately put the politics of running the hospital before the needs and care of the patients. They are prepared to take the salary and the perks, but apparently not the responsibility, so when they fail they should be prepared to stand down, or be removed.

The reality is that the NHS is a service that belongs to the people, for the people, operated by the people and paid for by the people and everybody that is employed with in it is being paid with “Tax Payers Pounds”. They should treat every patient as if they were one of their own relatives, friends, neighbours or colleagues because the next trolley could well be one of them and they would expect the very best of treatment and care for them.

There should be a patient assessment of facilities and performance. People who have to use the services provided by the NHS, whether minor as an outpatient or needing major surgery, either as the result of an accident or illness, should act as our eyes and ears and should, during and after treatment, report on the service. These reports, especially any negative ones, and ones from concerned relatives, should go directly to the top so that the senior management are aware of what is allegedly happening in the hospital that they are ultimately responsible for.

The situation in the NHS is not just of interest to patients and their relatives but should be of interest and concern to everybody. They should actively encourage feedback, welcome it and use it to improve its services. It is a form of insurance policy, which you keep in a drawer and hope that you never need but if you do then you expect to find it fit for purpose,

James Hancock.

A Good Common Man

( Because of what happens when “good men do nothing“ Edmund Burke)

OUR HEALTH AND OUR SAFETY

OUR HEALTH AND OUR SAFETY.   

 

There are two main things that concern most ordinary people about themselves and their families, that is their health and their safety. They rely on the NHS, National Health Service, for their health and the Police Force for their safety. The Government has a responsibility to make sure that both of these services are adequately provided and funded to meet the demands that might be placed upon them. Constant tinkering by politicians, who’s main aim is to be seen to be doing something that will advance their career, reducing costs, improving efficiency etc. ends up with uncertainty and lack of moral, extra cost and inefficiency and reduced confidence by ordinary people.

There seems to be a lack of understanding on behalf of the Government as to how important to ordinary people both of these services are and there definitely seems to be a total lack of reality in there approach to both of them. They are putting pressure on both of them to reduce costs and increase efficiency which in the case of the NHS means reducing services available, reducing beds and putting out services to private providers, and the Police are reducing frontline officers, despite that at the time cuts were announced it wasn’t going to affect frontline services. If the Government continues with its policies, or lack of policies depending on how you look at the subject, on immigration which last year allowed the population to increase by 500,000 people, they are going to have to change the way that services, which are vital to ordinary people, are run and funded.

It is time for a serious rethink for both services and I would suggest that the Government stop having a direct involvement and for long term stability appoint a management board of professionals and people’s representatives, which is responsible to ordinary people and where people can be replaced if they don’t perform, and funded by a capitation system so that if the population continues to grow so will the funds available to provide for our health and our safety.

James Hancock.

A Good Common Man

( Because of what happens when “good men do nothing“ Edmund Burke)

THE REAL COST OF GOVERNMENT POLICY.

THE REAL COST OF GOVERNMENT POLICY

We are told that the Government has no money of its own and therefore it is spending our money on our behalf. Therefore I would have thought that politicians had a responsibility to use taxpayer’s money to the benefit of the people of Britain and not just to further their own careers and ambitions. For every pound of taxpayer’s money that they spend abroad there is a knock on effect in Britain. This may be in the form of redundancies, company closures, loss of income tax receipts, payment of benefits, loss of skilled jobs, loss of genuine apprenticeship opportunities, the affect on communities, increased borrowing etc.

The Government should not be spending hundreds of millions of pounds of taxpayer’s money abroad, or on foreign manufactured goods, and then telling British business people to get on planes and go and find their own orders for their products. If the British Government are not prepared to purchase and use British manufactured goods and services, why should they expect other people to do so?. They should be the shop windows of the nation to the rest of the world. They should not need to be told this, as they should already be working for the best interests of the people who elected them and whom they are supposed to serve and protect.

Before any Government contract, or order, is signed for the purchase of goods or services from outside Britain, a “REAL COST ANALYSIS”should be produced to support the decision and only when there is no genuine cost effective alternative should it be authorised.

The Government should use its powers to reduce tax avoidance and through tax breaks and other incentives, encourage long term investment in British manufacturing, rather than keep pursuing foreign investment and ownership. It would encourage new and existing companies to manufacture more for the home market, providing much needed jobs and reduce our increasing dependency on imports.

 

James Hancock

A Good Common Man

( Because of what happens when “good men do nothing” Edmund Burke)

HEATHROW AIRPORT'S CHIEF EXECUTIVE MAY HAVE TOLD LIES AND POSSIBLY PROVOKED ACTIVISTS INTO ACTION

 

HEATHROW AIRPORT’S CHIEF EXECUTIVE

MAY HAVE TOLD LIES AND POSSIBLY

PROVOKED ACTIVISTS INTO TAKING ACTION.

 

In a Press Release issued on 06 July, 2015, five days after the publication of the Airport Commission’s report in which it recommended expansion at the airport, it stated that John Holland-Kaye, Chief Executive of Heathrow Airport, was going to announce to the delegates at the Runways UK Conference that “the debate on where a new runway should be built is now firmly closed” and that “work will begin immediately”. Both of these statements are lies and provocative as the location of the runway is only a “recommendation” and work can not begin until the Government gives its final decision which the Prime Minister David Cameron has delayed until after the London Mayoral Elections have been held. Realising how ruthless this man appears to be to achieve his ambitions it wouldn’t surprise me if he got the security to allow the peaceful climate change protesters into the secure area, the incident, which under normal circumstances would have counted as a major breach and instigated some form of investigation, doesn’t appear to have affected anybody inside the organisation, and then use the consequences, possible prison sentences, prohibition orders, suspended sentences etc. as a big stick to deter others from trying similar things and delaying his project.

The group of environmental activists Plane Stupid after having protested against a proposed third runway for a number of years, had effectively been disbanded following the Prime Minister, David Cameron’s  promise “no ifs, no buts, there would be no runway”. A member of the group said “We thought we’d won this fight” and “We thought that it was off the table” but following the publication of the report on the 1^st. July 2015 by the Airports Commission which said “Heathrow was best placed to provide ‘urgently required’ capacity”, we thought “We’re going to have to fight this all over again”. Plane Stupid issued a statement saying “When the democratic, legislative processes have failed it takes the actions of ordinary people to change them”. On the 13^th. July 2015, just 7 days after John Holland-Kaye’s announcements which could have been taken as fact that the final decisions had been made, 13 ordinary people, now known as the Heathrow 13, cut a hole in the perimeter fence and gained access to the north runway where they set up a peaceful protest against the affects of the proposed expansion by chaining themselves together and to fencing allegedly causing the airport to have to cancel 22 flights, worldwide delays and astronomical cost. After 6 hours they were arrested and charged with aggravated trespass and being airside without permission. They have subsequently been found guilty  and sentenced to 6 weeks in prison, suspended for 12 months with restriction with regard to access to Heathrow and periods of unpaid community service.

It is said that banks are too big to fail and perhaps Heathrow Airport is too big and too vital to our country to fail but that doesn’t give it, or the people who own and run it, a right to run roughshod over ordinary people who have a right to question their actions or their intentions, especially when they directly affect them and people that they are concerned about. Nor does it mean that they can set  an agenda and do as they wish on the basis that the country will have to accept it. If, as we are being told, this development is for the greater good of the country, then it needs to be sold to the people who will be directly affected by it, not just dumped onto them with the threat of compulsory purchase orders and the wiping out of an entire village.

Are their any good people out there, with some form of influence, who can look into this matter with a view to trying to correct an injustice against 13 ordinary people who felt that it was their duty to carry out Direct Action, which is a vital part of any functioning democracy.

I have heard that the Chairman of the Airport, Sir Nigel Rudd, is due to stand down this year. Perhaps his final act could be to replace the Chief Executive.

 

James Hancock.

A Good Common Man.

( Because of what happens when “good men do nothing” Edmund Burke)

( Ref: DE60844)

 

Heathrow Airport – PRESS RELEASE.

 

06 July, 2015 

Heathrow expansion moving ahead with procurement strategy for ‘all of Britain’

• Following a clear recommendation from the Airports Commission, Heathrow has moved into the delivery phase
• Heathrow will create a Procurement Forum with business leaders from across the UK to inform the airport’s procurement strategy
• Heathrow’s annual business summit will include an event outside London for the first time as the airport looks to strengthen supply chain access for SMEs across the UK

In his first speech since the Airports Commission’s clear recommendation for Heathrow expansion, Heathrow CEO John Holland-Kaye will announce that the debate on where a new runway should be built is now firmly closed, that Heathrow expansion will enable the Government to deliver the UK’s long-term economic plan and that the airport is beginning to move swiftly into the delivery phase.

Expanding Heathrow will create up to £211bn of economic growth and 190,000 new British jobs across the country – the first wave of which will come from the planning and development of an additional runway and new terminals.

Speaking to delegates at the Runways UK conference, Mr Holland-Kaye will announce that the airport will now begin to develop a comprehensive procurement strategy for the £15.6 billion in private investment that will deliver new hub airport capacity for the UK.

Mr Holland-Kaye will announce that work will begin immediately, with the creation of a Procurement Forum with representatives from different sectors and experiences and from across different regions who will work with Heathrow to champion and challenge the procurement strategy of the airport’s expansion. The objective of the forum will be to make sure Heathrow has the right strategy in place to deliver Heathrow expansion both on time and on budget, whilst also considering the wider implications of other major programmes underway, and the supply chain opportunities for growth across Britain.

This PRESS RELEASE has been shortened. The full version is currently available on Heathrow Airport website :- www.heathrow.com

 

END.

 

 

HEATHROW 13 - DISTRICT JUDGE DEBORAH WRIGHT "PLEASE LET THESE ORDINARY PEOPLE GO FREE"

HEATHROW 13- DISTRICT JUDGE DEBORAH WRIGHT

“PLEASE LET THESE ORDINARY PEOPLE GO FREE!”

 

 

On Wednesday 24th. February 2016, 13 ordinary people known as th Heathrow 13, will turn up at Willesden Magistrates’ Court, to hear what their sentences are going to be after having been found guilty, on 25^th. January 2016, following a 2 week trial, of aggravated trespass which caused disruptions and delays at Heathrow Airport on 13^th. July 2015. District Judge Deborah Wright told them that they should be prepared for “jail time” because of the “astronomical cost” that the disruption caused. As it has now been pointed out that these 13 ordinary people were NOT directly responsible for the “astronomical cost” I hope that she sees fit to withdraw her threat of jail from her sentencing and “let these ordinary people go free” to return to their families.

 

It is time for Heathrow Airport to stand up and admit that “they were at fault”, and “responsible”, for allowing this group of ordinary people, who were peaceful protesters, to get past their security systems with all of their equipment and gain access to a restricted area, set up a sophisticated fortress with a polar bear on top of an iceberg and other members chained to it and cause disruption, delays and astronomical cost. They should be particularly grateful that this failing wasn’t discovered by a terrorist group who could have run amuck and caused untold mayhem.  It is my understanding that in EU Law the airport owners and operators are “solely responsible” to make sure that nothing under their control, from a mechanical fault, a pilot not turning up, protesters blocking the entrance down to a simple fuse having blown, is allowed to cause any disruption and delays what so ever, and they should take “all steps to make sure that they can not happen” and that backup systems are in place to cover unforeseen happenings.

 

James Hancock.

 

A Good Common Man.

( Because of what happens when “good men do nothing” Edmund Burke)

HEATHROW 13 - WHEN THE ESTABLISHMENT USES ORDINARY PEOPLE TO COVER UP ITS FAILINGS !

HEATHROW 13 – WHEN THE ESTABLISHMENT USES

ORDINARY PEOPLE TO COVER UP ITS FAILINGS !

 

On Monday 13^th. July 2015, 13 ordinary people now known as the Heathrow 13, who are members of an environmental direct action group Plane Stupid, managed to cut a hole in a perimeter fence at Heathrow Airport and gain access to a runway where they set up a peaceful protest against the affects of a proposed expansion by chaining themselves together and to fencing allegedly causing the airport to have to cancel 22 flights, worldwide delays and astronomical cost. After 6 hours they were arrested and charged with aggravated trespass and being airside without permission.

 

To ordinary people Heathrow Airport appears to be the jewel in the crown, a major gateway to the world used by Royalty, visiting Presidents and dignitaries, celebratory, politicians, business people, international travellers and even ordinary people and as such we would expect it to be one of the most secure sites in the country. So can somebody explain how the people directly responsible for the security at Heathrow Airport, which operates on a 24/7 basis, allowed a group of 13 ordinary people, at 3.30am on a Monday morning, to cut a hole in a perimeter fence, get themselves and their equipment into a restricted area on a runway and then setup a sophisticated fortress with a polar bear seated on top of an iceberg in a cage with the rest of the group chained and locked on in various ways. Surely if the security systems and the people responsible for them and their operation had been on their metal, as the whole of the country would have expected them to be, then the protestor should not have even got any further than the security fence and been restricted to protesting outside.

 

In order to blame the environmentalist protestors for its failings the airport would have used the full force of a well financed PR machine.

 

James Hancock.

 

A Good Common Man.

( Because of what happens when “good men do nothing” Edmund Burke)

HEATHROW 13 - MAY HAVE UNKNOWINGLY PREVENTED A POSSIBLE TERRORIST ATTACK !

HEATHROW 13 – MAY HAVE UNKNOWINGLY

PREVENTED A POSSIBLE TERRORIST ATTACK !

 

While they may not have appreciated it at the time, the Heathrow 13 were doing the airport a very great favour by highlighting a breach in the security system which if it had been discovered by a heavily armed and murderous group of terrorists carrying machine guns, wearing suicide vests and carrying grenades the catastrophic outcome doesn’t even bear thinking about. Then who would the owners and operators of the mighty Heathrow Airport have blamed for the “disruption and delays”.

 

In an article, “Airport welcomes guilty verdict”, some six months after the happening, the owners and operators of the airport should be hanging their heads in shame that they have allowed things to get to this stage to cover up a major and serious breach in their security and that they are prepared to gloat at the way that these ordinary people are being treated and the stress that they and their families are being put through. The fact that they are prepared to sacrifice the possible futures of these thirteen ordinary people and their families in order to cover up their own failings is reprehendable. Instead of demands for expansion of the airport their should be demands for it to be closed down until the operators can prove that the safety of their employees, passengers, flight operators, local residents and the general public along with security matters are their very top priority.

It is time for Heathrow Airport to stand up and admit that they were at fault for allowing this group of ordinary people, who were peaceful protesters, to get past their security systems and gain access to a restricted area and cause disruption and delays. It is my understanding that in EU Law the airport owners and operators are responsible for any disruption and delays, what ever the reason, and they should take all steps to make sure that they do not happen.

 

James Hancock.

A Good Common Man.

( Because of what happens when “good men do nothing” Edmund Burke)

HEATROW 13 - WHO IS REALY TO BLAME ?

HEATHROW 13 – WHO IS REALY TO BLAME ?.

 

A group of ordinary people, who are now being referred to as the Heathrow 13, cut a hole in the perimeter fence at Heathrow Airport allowing them access to the Northern runway and they then chained themselves together and to fencing in a protest against the expansion of the of the airport and the pollution being caused by its operation and activities, and caused “disruption and delays”. The fact that they were able to “break the law” in the way that has been claimed, was the fault of the owners and operators of the airport. Heathrow Airport has a responsibility to its employees, passengers, flight operators, local residents and the general public to provide a safe site of operation and I would think that before there is any future form of discussion regarding expansion there needs to be a serious independent and open audit of its operation and their proposals for the future including a rigorous “ what if ” analysis. This would establish “who is realy to blame” and what  action was taken to cover it up.

 

When the small percentage of the general public who use the airport on a regular basis realise how close they could have come to being involved in a possible catastrophic event they should realise that their complaints and anger should have been directed at the people who own and run the airport. If a group of peaceful protesters, who were ordinary people with a message that were “trying to be heard”, could find a breach in the airport security and gain access to restricted areas, then it wouldn’t take long before a heavily armed and murderous group of terrorists might have found and used it with devastating affect.

 

It was the airport’s responsibility to ensure no unauthorised access to restricted areas could happen under any circumstances and I hope that an investigation on their behalf was carried out and the person responsible was dealt with in a similar manner that they expect for the Heathrow 13.

 

James Hancock.

 

A Good Common Man.

( Because of what happens when “good men do nothing” Edmund Burke)

ORDINARY PEOPLE - TRYING TO BE HEARD.

ORDINARY PEOPLE – TRYING TO BE HEARD.

 

There are a number of ways that ordinary people, who have a particular view, and who become frustrated because they are “only ordinary people and nobody listens to them”, can take in order to try to be heard. They can write letters to local and national newspapers, form organisations, arrange marches, raise fighting funds to pay lobbyists but the only ones that we ever get to hear about are the ones that become direct action activists because they are the ones that the media decide to consider as being newsworthy, not normally because of the message but because of the method chosen to highlight it. But now the establishment has decided to make an example of one of these groups, we can only assume to give a message to deter others, by threatening them to ‘expect jail’ for aggravated trespass and entering a security restricted area.

 

The group, Plane Stupid, cut through a perimeter fence at Heathrow Airport and thirteen activists chained themselves together on the north runway causing what was claimed to be disruption during their peaceful demonstration. In reality the Airport Authority, rather than pursuing the prosecution of these people should be GRATEFUL to the group for having highlighting a serious breach in their security and relieved that it wasn’t a group of terrorists who would have been spraying bullets and using explosives and the outcome could have been far more disruptive including wounding, destruction, devastation and even fatalities.

 

As a sign of their appreciation, Heathrow Airport should appeal to the court to have the threat of jail removed from these thirteen ordinary people who were only “ trying to be heard ” and in the process did them a great favour.

 

It was the airport’s responsibility to ensure no unauthorised access.

James Hancock.

A Good Common Man.

( Because of what happens when “good men do nothing“ Edmund Burke)