Labour Vote Rigging 2019 election

Labour has been using fake statistics to persuade Britons abroad to appoint activists as their proxy voters as both parties defy election guidance in pursuit of 1.4 million expatriates. Electoral administrators have said that faith in the result may be jeopardised by campaigners getting involved in the process of voting. The Electoral Commission's code of conduct discourages party workers from serving as proxies but the standards are voluntary and the regulator is powerless to halt the practice.

There has been a surge in proxies in swing seats. In marginal Canterbury, applications for proxy votes have risen nearly fourfold to 861, higher than Rosie Duffield's 187 Labour majority. Proxies have risen in Pudsey to 444, exceeding the Conservatives' 333 lead. In Bishop Auckland, which Labour's Helen Goodman holds by a small margin, proxy voting has risen sixfold. She is a remainer who cackled like a witch on laughing gas when Kate Hoey made a speech about respecting our 17.4 million vote; Her constituency voted 61% for brexit There have been dramatic rises in Durham's six seats held by Labour, in a county that voted overwhelmingly to leave the European Union.

The tactics will alarm experts in electoral abuse. Safeguards for proxy voting are weaker than for postal voting, the alternative for absent electors. Labour has been exaggerating the risk of postal votes arriving after the count. Labour International, the party's overseas network. published a flyer distributed in Madrid, Berlin. New York and southern France which stated: "In 2016, a third of postal votes were not counted."

Young Labour International . said: "In the 2016 EU Referendum, a third of the 200,000 votes cast from overseas were too late to be counted." A spokesman for the Electoral Commission, the democratic watchdog, said: ·"We don't recognise these figures and do not believe they are collected by anyone. The regulator is unable to intervene." Official records show that 0.3 per cent of postal votes were too late to be counted in the Brexit poll, 100 times smaller than Labour's claim. There are no formal statistics on how many votes 'Were cast from overseas.

Labour and the Conservatives have been openly offering to provide proxies to cast expatriates' votes. Young Labour International said: "Don't have someone you trust to vote on your behalf? Contact us and we'll sort you out." Conservatives Abroad said on their website: "If you need help finding a local proxy voter complete the form below or email us."     .

The Association of Electoral Administrators said that it remained non-partisan but expressed concern about parties and campaigners becoming involved in proxy voting. Peter Stanyon, its chief executive, said: "To maintain probity within the electoral system and to ensure that trust in the system is maintained, political parties should not be involved in any electoral administrative process."

The code of conduct says: "Electors should be encouraged to explore other options for people to act as a proxy including relatives or neighbours." Francis Hoar, the barrister who prosecuted Lutfur Rahman, former mayor of Tower Hamlets for being corruptly elected, told of the risks of mass proxy voting. He said that the law was too weak.

A Tory source said that anyone taking up their offer would be aware of their politics. The Labour organisations did not comment.

Remain Campaign Cheating

Remain Campaign Cheating

Priti Patel exposes Electoral Commission double standards

Ms Louise Edwards
Head of Regulation Electoral Commission
3 Bunhill Row
London EC1Y 8YZ

Our Ref: ZA4904816 January 2018

Dear Ms Edwards,

Thank you for your letter of 15 January 2018. I appreciate you taking the time to respond to me, but I must voice my serious concerns about your decision to not open an investigation into any of the points  that I have highlighted. 

Remain tactics exceeded anything Leave was accused of


 Joint spending and co ordination between groups

 In response to my concerns about joint campaigning between the various Remain groups, you state that ‘the evidence indicates that the meetings were advisory in nature, focussed on communications’ (my emphasis added) and that you do not deem that there was a common plan. This is in stark contrast to what the Electoral Commission’s own guidance states: ‘In our view, you are very likely to be working together if… you coordinate your regulated campaign activity with another campaigner – for example, if you agree that you should each cover particular areas, arguments or voters

’ (Electoral Commission, Joint Campaigning for non-party campaigners). You will also note that the same guidance makes clear the direct link between ‘working together’ and having a ‘common plan’. With this in mind, I again refer you to the passage from Sir Craig Oliver’s Unleashing Demons

‘I join a 7.30 a.m. cross-party call chaired by Will Straw. It’s designed to catch up with what the In campaigns for the various political parties are doing that day. I want to get across a blunt message :this matters. We failed on immigration yesterday, hardly anyone stuck to our line that we accept it’s a problem, but Leave’s solution of trashing the economy is no way to deal with it.’

 It is extremely hard to see how this is not clear evidence that the Remain campaigns were agreeing to, in the words of the Electoral Commission, 'cover particular... arguments' and were coordinating what they said. You do not provide any explanation for why you deem the described actions to be merely ‘advisory’ - this appears to be pure assertion on your part. The above passage reads far more like an instruction and - in any event - demonstrates beyond any reasonable doubt the existence of coordination when it comes tousing detailed, common ‘lines’ which were spelled out by Britain Stronger in Europe to the various Remain campaigns (each of which then presumably spent money publicising this message - coordinated communications activity necessarily involves incurring referendum expenses).

It is near certain that similar early-morning phone calls were made between these groups - and highly probable that more common lines were agreed over the course of the campaign. You also provide no basis for your confidence that these conversations only covered communication. In addition, the allegation made in Tim Shipman’s All Out War that ‘[Britain Stronger inEurope’s] field operation was effectively subcontracted to the Labour Party, since the Tories had little or no presence in the working-class areas which the Brexiteers were targeting’ is, once again, highly suggestive of a ‘common plan’. I would argue that the Electoral Commission has a duty to investigate such allegations thoroughly - and would be failing in its obligations if it were to simply dismiss such concerning assertions after a mere few days of assessment.

What is particularly concerning is that you decided on 20 November 2017 to re open an investigation into Vote Leave Limited and Mr Darren Grimes, in spite of the fact that there is much less evidence of a common plan. As you acknowledge at [25] of the Review of Assessments - ‘there are no direct indications of the campaigners working together’ (myemphasis added) and that - as you state at [31] - that ‘the Commission is not aware of what any such communications [between Vote Leave and Mr Grimes] contained or whether it indicated a common plan or arrangement was in place’. In other words - despite the fact that there is no evidence of Vote Leave Limited or Mr Grimes engaging in joint planning (even of an advisory nature) - you have been persuaded of the need for a full investigation.

However, when clear documented evidence of the Remain campaigns coordinating specific messaging is presented to you, this is dismissed as ‘advisory’. This would appear to be a clear case of double standards.

Spending controls

 I am also very concerned by your response to my point about the apparent efforts of Remain campaigns to evade spending controls. You claim that because I have failed to‘provide evidence that the rules may have been broken’ the Electoral Commission will not pursue these matters. This would appear to be not just demanding more exacting requirements than what is needed in legislation, but also another clear case of double standards by the Electoral Commission. Schedule 19B of the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 (as amended) states that the Electoral Commission shall have the power to investigate, if the‘Commission have reasonable grounds to suspect… a person has committed an offence under this Act’. The meaning of ‘reasonable grounds’ - as a concept that is well defined in law - is not something for the Electoral Commission to determine. Your response on 8 January 2018 appears to suggest the Electoral Commission has adopted the position that ‘reasonable grounds’ cannot exist without direct evidence. That is wrong in law - I refer you to pp 1252-1253 of Blackstone's Criminal Practice 2018 which makes clear that ‘reasonable grounds’ can be based, inter alia, on allegations and inference from circumstantial evidence.


 In any event, the Electoral Commission’s own track record on what it considers to be ‘reasonable grounds’ can be garnered from its decision on 20 November 2017 to reopen it's investigations into Vote Leave Limited, Be Leave and Veterans for Britain. It is clear that this decision was not based on the production of new evidence. In your Assessment Review, at [27] and [28], you state that (with my emphasis added): ‘the Commission notes it's increased awareness of the significance of digital campaigning as a key technique in the referendum … Given this new information [note, that there is no indication of what this new information was], together taken with the existing evidence, the Commission has considered whether there were inferences that might on investigation be drawn from the evidence obtained that did indicate a plan or arrangement was in place’. At [29] you state ‘It may be possible on investigation to infer from the sequence of events summarised above that there may have been additional communication, verbal or in writing, between Vote Leave and Mr Grimes...This can be inferred’.

The reasoning, in other words, is not based on evidence but only on possibilities and supposition - directly contradicting the Commission’s assertion that an investigation can only follow the production of evidence.

Conclusion

 Based on all of the above, I have to conclude that the Electoral Commission appears to have used an extraordinarily low bar – arguably, far too low a bar— when deciding to open your new investigation on Vote Leave and other campaigners for Brexit, yet have set a very high bar when deciding to open an investigation into Britain Stronger in Europe.The matters I have placed before you regarding these Remain campaigns go far beyond ‘inference’. These are matters that I have put to you that are plain, do not require inference, and of which I have now made you fully aware. The concerns raised about Remain groups - including the hasty establishment of groups a month before the referendum, having multiple overlapping donors, daily coordination committees and the subcontracting of the ground campaign - appear to be far more serious than the accusations made against the Leave campaign.

There has, for example, been no accusation of the Vote Leave campaign subcontracting its ground campaign to other organisations. It is very hard to see how the Remain groups that were set up a few weeks before the referendum could not have been part of a common plan. There is, in my view, a clear and compelling case to investigate this, and to make sure that there has been no abuse. Prima facie, therefore, the Electoral Commission’s decision not to open an investigation into a single one of my concerns appears to be - at best - based on an inaccurate understanding of what ‘reasonable grounds’ means in law or - at worst - a deliberate attempt to put more onerous standards on the grounds for starting an investigation on one campaign than the other. Let me be clear - the Electoral Commission has a vital role to play in our public life. At the heart of its role is its well-established reputation for being above the political fray, and conducting itself in a non-partisan fashion. There will be very serious questions asked about the Electoral Commission’s conduct if, in the exercise of its duties, it applies a very low bar to the instigation of investigations for one group, but then demands a much higher bar for the instigation of investigations into another.

 Broader questions will also be raised if the Electoral Commission’s decision not to open an investigation is based on a misunderstanding of the law. I invite the Electoral Commission to reassess my complaints in light of the correct understanding of the law and on the need to use common standards for all. I believe that the points that I have raised above call for the immediate opening of investigations on all my points. I would also strongly suggest that it is in the Electoral Commission’s interests to show equity in the exercise of its functions and apply the same standards to both the Remain and Leave campaigns. I look forward to your response.

Yours sincerely,
Rt Hon Priti Pate lMember of Parliament for Witham

Varadkar didnt know what was going on in HIS department

In 2016 when Leo Varadkar one of those now trying to abuse brexit to separate Ulster from the UK was the minister in charge of the Republic of Irelands HSE (Health Service Executive)

His department became aware that their outscourcing of cervical cancer testing from Ireland to a cheaper US company had misdiagnosed many of the smears which it had tested. The tests which the department contracted with the company were the cheapest on offer and ones which US insurance companies rejected due to their unreliability.

Bizarrely whilst his department became fully aware of what was happening they issued memos aimed at damage limitation bordering on a cover up. Varadkar now denies all knowledge of anything to do with these explosive memos.

He obviously knows that if he were ever to admit to such knowledge it would mean his having to resign.

Lucky for varadkar then he hadn't a clue what was going on in the department HE was in charge of, but sadly not so lucky for the victims of the debacle 17 of whom are prematurely passed away.

There are estimated to be another 6 who were known to have been misdiagnosed but have still not yet even been traced..

It Just shows what a venal conniving unprincipled crew of liars and back coverers were up against.

FINALLY

"Leo Varadkar doesn't cry for me or the mothers dying or dead, the little children left behind to go through life without their mothers. He crys for himself and his political future. But it's too late and he needs to accept that. Leo Varadkar failed to answer this crisis. Neither Mr Varadkar or Mr Harris have even contacted me. They failed and I don't want to die to leave my children in a country with a government in a country that can't look after it's citizens. They both need to accept it and resign" (Statement by Mrs Mhic Mhathuna Co Kerry Ireland)

Do not let Republic suck Northern Ireland back into EU institutions: Dodds

Belfast Newsletter Thursday May 10, 2018 (Page 10)

Nigel Dodds has warned of "economic misery" if the Republic succeeds in "sucking Northern Ireland" back towards the EU. Speaking in the House of Commons yesterday, the DUP deputy leader pressed Tory MP Shailesh Vara, Northern Ireland under-secretary, for further assurances about the UK's integrity.

In February, the prime minister had declared emphatically that "no UK prime minster could ever agree to" something which would "threaten the constitutional  integrity of the UK".

NO U.K. PRIME MINISTER COULD EVER AGREE TO IT M.P.3 Download

Mr Dodds, MP for North Belfast, asked if Mr Vara would "reaffirm" the UK - "economically, politically and constitutionally" - will stay intact. Mr Vara responded by saying: "I can absolutely give the right honourable gentleman that assurance -the economic and constitutional integrity of the UK will remain intact."

Mr Dodds went on to add that keeping Northern IreIand, but not Great Britain, in the customs union would Nigel Dodds inflict "economic misery On all of our constituents". He added that when "Leo Varadkar talks about 'not leaving Northern Ireland behind', what he means is sucking Northern Ireland into the institutions of the EU - which would be economically disastrous for all our citizens".

Once again, Mr Vara assured Mr Dodds that the prime minister will never compromise the integrity of the UK. "There is no question whatsoever of having a border in the Irish Sea," he told the House. "None whatsoever."

Customs expert made case for computer-based clearing on Irish Border

The "Gettng Over the Line", Policy Exchange research paper leans heavily on the work of a Swedish customs expert who recently presented a research paper on the future of border arrangements.

Dr Lars Karlsson, a former director of the World Customs Organisation, and director general of Swedish Customs, produced a paper entitled 'Border 2.0' which set out a range of modern technological methods to streamline customs checks.

The paper states; "Modern technology means that physical customs posts, or even cameras, are no longer essential at borders. This has been pointed out by Lars Karlsson a customs expert commissioned by the EU itself to look into this subject, who envisages the use of mobile phone and GPS technology to track HGVs, together with the computer based customs clearing."

The paper explains: "Computerised customs clearing consists of declarations of tariff duties payable, including on import content, and also the necessary certification of regulatory approval.

"Inspection of animal health and food standards can occur at producers' premises, as is common in current practice. Customs clearance occurs at the exporter's premises and the sealed consignments can then cross the Irish border while being tracked electronically by customs authorities."

The paper continues: "Since very few consignments are actually checked at existing EU borders, and those checks are usually based on intelligence, such checks can easily be made away from borders

Below is a PDF copy of the policy document "Getting Over the Line", laying out in detail how Dr Karlssons scheme would work in practice

GETTING OVER THE LINE an electronic solution to a seamless Irish Border (PDF DOWNLOAD)

One Unelected appointee dictator to a "democratically" elected one

The BACKSTAB option

Otherwise known as the innfamous Backstop option this was one of three ideas to solve the question of a frictionless border between Northern Ireland and thebIrish Republic.

The border has been an issue in Ireland the old bjoke goes since 1690 and a lot of people here suscribe to that..

The Backstop is supposed to be a last resport but is being promoted by Irish republicans as if its the only solutionbnin full collusion with Barnier and co. They see it as a back door to separating Ulster from the rest of the UK. That is something they couldnt even achieve with a terror campaign now here it is being gifted to them by the corrupt EU.

Im Her Mansion house speech Mrs May made the following pledges


1 Leaving the single market,
2. Leaving the customs union,
3. No Back Stop option acceptable in Northern Ireland
4. Taking back control of borders, laws and money,
5. Ending ECJ jurisdiction in UK,
6. Freedom to diverge…

Unionists will never accept the 3rd item above we already refer to it as bthe BACKSTAB option because that is exactly what it is. Mrs May rightly reiteraed what she promised in the Mansion house pledges and rightly rejected it out of hand. Here are her exact words on the subject:

“The draft legal text the Commission has published would,if implemented undermine the UK common market and threaten the constitutional integrIty of the UK by creating a customs and regulatory border down the Irish Sea, AND NO UK PRIME MINISTER COULD "EVER" AGREE TO IT." (THERESA MAY)

Mrs May NO BACKSTAB OPTION PLEDGE CLICK BELOW FOR A DOWNLOADABLE MP3 OF HER SAYING THE WORDS ABOVE

Downloadable Backstab Option mp3

Carmageddon: EU driving financial markets the wrong way

carmageddon EU driving financial markets the wrong way

October 23rd 2017 Economy & finance

The EU is about to adopt new rules that will help trade in securitised loans, the very financial instruments that were a main cause the 2008 financial crisis. Despite warning signs of a new 'subprime bubble' in car loans coming from the US, carmakers and financiers have lobbied the EU to make it easier to speculate on such loans

Claims of an exodus of EU NHS staff do not stand up to the NHS’s own data

November 3, 2017

Claims of a brexit fuelled exodus of EU NHS staff do not stand up to the NHS’s own published data and in fact show these statements are either completely wrong or at the very least misleading.
Written by Mark Tinsley - CLICK BELOW FOR A DOWNLOADABLE MP3 AUDIO RECORDING

NHS and Brexit the facts supplied by the NHS MP3

Mark Tinsley was a volunteer during the Vote Leave campaign and blogs at

 Mark Tinsley

Catalonia Lessons from History - OR NOT

Catalonia has it's own unique traditional dances and music, most recently held outside of the parliament building on the square. This expression of nationality was banned during the Franco dictatorship, as was the speaking of the Catalan language.

Catalonia remains a peaceful highly prosperous region, and has stood by its rich  culture, while keenly aware that it is recognised as totally separate from Spain. As the Spanish authorities in Madrid accuse the Catalan government of 'rebellion', and issue a European arrest warrant for ousted president CarIes Puigdemont, we are reminded of history repeating itself.

In 1940, the Vichy authorities arrested the then-president of Catalonia in exile, LIuis Companys, in France, and handed him over to Franco's Madrid, whom he stood in opposition to:

He was thrown into prison, starved, and savagely tortured for five weeks, before having a one-hour 'trial' for "rebellion" exactly the same charge ousted president CarIes Puigdemont his descendant to the post, faces today.

He was then taken out of there, put up against a wall, and executed. Those who now criticise Puigdemont and his cabinet for declaring a peaceful Declaration of Independence for Catalonia would do well to remember from where the current government in Ousted president Charles Puigdemont Madrid takes its own 'inspiration'.

Few could have imagined this scenario in the run-up to the controversial independence referendum on October 1. Clashes and a heavy-handed response by police on the day further ratcheted up tension. Last Friday, its parliament boldly declared independence, a move that immediately triggered Madrid to invoke Article 155 of the Spanish constitution for the first time and impose direct rule on Catalonia.

Puigdemont, and his government, are the leaders of the Catalan people. So by removing them Madrid, in effect, feels that it will also subjugate the whole of the Catalan people, once again.

They are among some 20 people - including Carles Puigdemont - facing 'charges that could lead to sentences of up to 30 years in prison. Puigdemont's decision to steal away to Brussels was a calculated one: ''We are here because Brussels is the capital of Europe," he said after arriving. "This is a European issue and I want Europe to react."

Where is the EU in all of this? They are led in their response by the son of a nazi, Jean Claude Junckers whoes father was wounded fighting for Hitler. They say given long enough history unlearned is doomed to repeat its self .

Apple pays 13 bn euro tax then cancels new bn euro Irish Data Centre

Apple has just agreed the terms for refunding 13 billion euro plus an extra billion in lost interest which it agreed with the EUs competition commissioner Madame Margrethe Vestager and on top of this the Republic of Ireland government will be fined by them for failing to collect the taxes from the company in the first place. On the back of this development comes the news that for some as yet unexplained reason Apple will be cancelling its proposed  new billion euro Data Centre which it had previously been going to build in Athenry just west of the Shannon in the Republic.

Apple is moving the site of the proposed new Irish plant to Denmark where it has built one data centre already.. An Irish government source voiced concerns that the loss of this vital investment was causing doubts amongst other potential big inveators seeking to invest in Ireland post brexit. One senior dail minister was quoted as saying they fear a domino effect if the development does not go ahead. Apple states the tax bill will be paid using "foreign cash" which means cash held somewhere like the off shore British Virgin Islands, therefore not subject to US tax laws.  The money will it says be placed in escrow in 2018 and remain there pending the end of any appeals. If Irish tax has to be paid it would then be creditable against Apples US taxes thus reducing its bills there. Now isnt that neat!

Brexit Surge will see our population shoot up by 1.1 m

Irish Independent Thursday 26 October 2017 (Pages 1, 2, & 3)
Health 'timebomb' as number of over-65s to explode by 2030
Elish O'Regan Health Correspondent

BREXIT will be a key factor in driving the country's population up by 1.1million people, a new report predicts today. The ballooning population will put an unprecedented strain on hospitals and community services. The population is set to grow by up to 1.1million by 2030 and, by then, over-65s will account  for one in six people. The demands of a population boom and longer life expectancy mean the health service will be under increased pressure for extra hospital beds and home help hours. The projections are unveiled today in a new ESRl report, 'Projections of Demand for Healthcare in Ireland 2015-2030'. A combination of factors including our birth rate, immigration and Brexit could see our population rise by between 640,000 and 1.1 million in just 13 years. The report says. Brexit and what will happen to future EU migration is an"uncertainty".

The report points to arguments that Brexit could divert immigration to Ireland from the EU that would otherwise go to Britain. "Good English language skills are a valuable form of human capital and this factor, combined with Ireland's favourable growth prospects, may mean potential EU migrants will be willing to move to Ireland if they are no longer able to go the UK," the report said.

The researchers predict net immigration of around 39,000 a year up to 2021 and 28,000 per annum thereafter. The report also says we will live longer over the coming decades. An Irishman's life expectancy in 2030 will be 82.9 years, up from 78.4 years in 2011. Women will also see their life expectancy increase to 86.5 years, compared to 82.9 in 2011. The numbers of people aged over 85 will double over the coming decade and a half - with major health implications.

IRELAND'S ballooning population is set to put an unprecedented strain on hospitals and community services. The population is set to grow by another 1.1 million by 2030 and, by then, over-65s will account for one in six people. The demands of a population boom and longer life expectancy means the health service will be under increased pressure for extra hospital beds and home help hours.
The projections are unveiled today in a new ESRI report, 'Projections of Demand for Healthcare in Ireland 2015-2030: The number of people aged 85 will almost double and the biggest pressures on the health service will be felt in services for older people.

The report charts how this will push up the need for extra hospital beds, home helps, nursing home places and GP care. Demand for inpatient hospital beds will increase by between 32pc to 37pc - up from 3.27 million in 2015. GP visits will soar by between 20pc to 27pc. The scale of extra home help hours needed could be as much as high as 54pc higher than the 14.3 million used in 2015. . "Home care packages are projected to show the greatest increase in demand of 66pc, reflecting a high level of unmet demand:' states the report. This is because more of us will want to spend our retirement living at home - but support is essential to achieve this aim. More public health nurses are also crucial to homecare.

Meanwhile, the number of older people in nursing homes Will increase by 54pc. Lead author Dr Maev-Ann Wren said: "This research shows expansion will be required in most forms to meet the needs of a rapidly growing and ageing population," A combination of factors including our birth rate, immigration and even Brexit could see our population rise by between 640,000 and 1.1 million in just
13 years. "Good English-language skills are a valuable form of human capital and this factor, combined with Ireland's favourable growth prospects may mean potential EU migrants will be willing to move to Ireland if they are no longer able to go the UK,"the report said.

The full picture has yet to emerge because the researchers had to base their figures on estimates because of a lack of key data. These include the number of visits we make to GPs and how much a person's health costs, based on their age. However, the forecast has good news as more of us will enjoy our golden years for longer. An Irishman's life expectancy in 2030 will be 82.9 years, up from 78.4 years in 2011. Women will also see their life expectancy increase to 86.5 years, compared to 82.9 in 2011. The historic life expectancy gap between the sexes will also narrow.

The over-65s currently account for around 13pc of the population but in 2030 they will make up 18pc. Longer life,however, will not shield us from long-term diseases, creating a public health challenge. These include heart disease, respiratory conditions and diabetes. The scale of the demands ahead comes against the current record hospital waiting lists, a fall in hospital beds and 'a shortage of nurses and GPs in 2017. It emphasises the urgency to move more care into the community but also increase investment in hospitals which will be swamped.

Commenting on the report, which will be given to the Department of Health and form part of the mapping of services for the future, Health Minister Simon Harris  said: "I have long been of the view that we need to increase capacity in our health services, but that this must be done in an evidence-based manner. "I welcome the development of the underlying projection model upon which the analysis and findings are based."

He is currently waiting for a review that will say how many more beds in hospitals and other services are needed. This is due at the end of the year but is likely to take time to implement because of the expense involved, leaving hospitals under ongoing pressure this winter.

Hard Brexit could cost Irish agriculture 5.5bn stark EU report predicts

Irish Independent  Thursday 26th October 2017    (page 26)                                
Niall O'Connor, Colm Kelpie and Cormac McQuinn

A WORST-CASE scenario Brexit would cost the agri-food sector a staggering €5.5bn in lost exports, a European Union report has predicted.
The study prepared for the European Parliament's Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development lays bare the full potential impact of a hard Brexit and singles out Ireland as one of the most badly hit member states.

The document is one of the starkest reports to date about the impact of Brexit, with a
senior source saying: "It shows how much we could lose." The report stresses that the "impact of Brexit on Irish trade and the Irish economy will likely be very large" and puts the drop in agri-food exports at $6.5bn (€5.5bn) by 2030. That could happen in a scenario where World Trade Organisation rules apply in the absence of Brexit deal on trade.

Micheal Martin said the conclusions were reasonable The report states that Brexit could dent economic growth to a greater extent in Ireland than the UK, potentially knocking almost 10pc off GDP here in a worst-case scenario. It claims that Irish GDPcould decline by 3.4pc and "might even reach 9.4pc if Brexit affects Ireland's access to the EU27 market.

"Expected impacts on Ireland are particularly concerning: Irish GDP loss exceeds the
British one," the report noted. "Indeed, Irish agri-food sectors, and more generally the  economy as a whole, are highly dependent on trade with the UK, especially on intermediate consumptions' imports.  As a consequence, Ireland deserves particular attention when considering redistributive policies to mitigate Brexit's negative impacts." The report said that the greater drop in Irish GDP as a result of Brexit was explained by a drop in Irish agri-food exports to the UK and to the rest the world, including EU27 countries as Irish production relies heavily on imported in-termediates from the UK. "Disruptions caused by Brexit

"The situation of Ireland deserves particular attention. "Its trade with the UK plays an important role, especially imports: 27pc of Ireland's European imports are from the UK, and represent 46pc of total Irish agri-food imports (compared to 4pc on average
for other European countries):the report noted, may have particularly negative impacts on this country because of the large integration of UK products in Ireland's exports."

Separately, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar briefed the Dail on last week's European Council meeting in Brussels where EU heads of government decided that Brexit negotiations would not progress to the next stage on future trade with the UK.
 Mr Varadkar said that British Prime Minister Theresa May made positive points on the Brexit talks, including on citizens' rights, the need to protect the peace process in Northern Ireland, and her wish to avoid a physical border in Ireland. But he said more detail was needed on these issues and the so-called divorce bill Britain would pay before the Brexit talks could move on to trade.

The day the EU dies

The EU could be on the verge of disaster.

 A series of political elections will be held in 2017, with many to be fought on lines of ‘for’ and ‘against’ membership of the euro. For the first time since its inception in 1957, the European Union cannot afford to take its future for granted.

Why?

Economic output in the region has been dire for almost 20 years.No one pretends the single currency hasn’t contributed to the malaise.

As a response to the continent’s sovereign debt crisis, the European Commission set up the ‘S0’ Indicator – to analyse a country’s economic data.

In February this year, a report from Deutsche Bank warned that, according to the S0 indicator, SIX EU member states are now a financial concern. Its conclusion is especially worrying:

“Even if impending fiscal crises are signalled correctly, there might not be enough time left to counteract the critical developments.”

This is like having an earthquake warning system in place… but with no means to evacuate.

Make no mistake about it: this is an urgent matter – and your money is at stake. As I will explain in this letter, unless evasive action is taken now, British savers and investors will not avoid the fallout of any European crisis.

Poor economic performance invariably manifests itself politically.

That makes this year a critical juncture for Europe’s future. And it will play out as the following elections take place:

France – 7th May: The far-right Front National party is the second favourite to win the Presidential election, and is avowedly anti-EU. Its leader Marine Le Pen plans to reintroduce the Franc. Even if they don’t win, they are still pulling France in an increasingly anti-EU direction.

Italy – by April 2018: General election called after pro-EU PM Matteo Renzi was comprehensively defeated on 4^th December 2016 in a constitutional referendum. Italy’s three opposition parties are in favour of leaving the euro, which they believe is preventing the country’s economy from growing.

Germany – by October: Angela Merkel’s CDU party has been losing seats to the anti-EU AFD. While unlikely at this point, a Merkel defeat would be the biggest possible blow to the EU’s future. Germany is the continent’s biggest economy.

The countries listed above are the three biggest economies in the Eurozone. If one of them voted to leave the euro or the EU, it would almost certainly precipitate the end of the European Union.

But the potential dangers do not end with them.

Hungary – by Spring 2018: The popular current Prime Minister Viktor Orban has incurred the wrath of the EU by erecting wire borders around the country – in defiance of the EU, which he openly disparages.

If just one of these countries left the EU, the financial strain would be immense. The whole project would be called into question. Britain has already left. Should another nation follow… it would be like a theatre filling up with smoke – how long before it becomes a rush to the exit?

Entire EU Banking sector approaching it's "LEHMAN MOMENT"

 The perilous situation of Europe’s largest banks can no longer be ignored.

The entire banking system in Europe could be fast approaching a ‘Lehman moment’. And it threatens to trigger a contagious wave of financial and social unrest.

Whilst Brexit dominates every newspaper and broadcast… the unravelling of the banking system in the EU has gone largely unreported.

But if you have savings in a UK bank or money in the markets…

It demands your immediate attention.

This situation has run so far out of control that Amsterdam-based financial think tank Transnational Institute believe:

"This ticking time bomb will explode. We can see that currently many Italian and Spanish banks are in a difficult situation. De facto they are bankrupt. Deutsche Bank also has problems. A new collapse is likely in the banking sector, and it will be worse than the 2008 financial crisis.If this happens the European Central Bank and European governments will not be able to handle it".

You have time to prepare – but it is impossible to say how long.

We have prepared an urgent briefing to show you exactly why the Europan banking system has hit a point of criticality.

Everything you need to understand and prepare is here.

As you will see – British banks are vulnerable to a European banking collapse. Think about your money.

Nick O’Connor

Associate Publisher, Capital & Conflict

.

FBIs cozy connections to the Clintons

The deputy FBI director one Andrew McCabe who investigated Mrs Clintons email server activities and found her not guilty of any wrong doing it turns out benefitted from a substantial donation made by Virginia Govenor Terry McAuliffe, a Democrat with ties to the Clintons, who gave nearly $500,000 to the state senate election campaign of McCabes, wife. She lost the election.

FBIs Deputy Director implicated in $500,000 Clinton election donation influencing his decisions

Meanwhile the current director of the same FBI James Comey was a director of HSBC bank during a period the same bank oversaw $81 million foreign payments into the Clinton foundation. HSBC was at the time implicated in laundering drug cartel money & was heavily involved in the LIBOR scandal. Sandy Berger was a Clinton aide who was caught removing and destroying  secret records from the US National Archives. The documents were related to Clinton administration activities prior to the 9/11 attack. Comeys involvement in the case saw him as deputy attorney general hamstring the investigation by actively excluding Clinton administration officials who allegedly colluded with Berger during his illegal activities.

FBI director James Comey-& -ex Clinton foundation board also worked for HSBC

Ex Lib Dem peer suspended after House of Lords anti Jewish meeting

 Laura Hughes, political correspondent
27 OCTOBER 2016 • 4:46PM

A peer and former Lib Dem MP has been suspended from the party after hosting an event where the audience applauded the suggestion that Jewish people were responsible for the Holocaust.

Baroness Tonge, who sits as an independent in the Lords, hosted a meeting in Parliament where a speaker compared Israel to terror group the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.
Her suspension comes after a spokesman for the Israeli embassy described the event as "a shameful event" that "gave voice to racist tropes against Jews and Israelis alike".
House of Lords

The Palestinian Return Centre, which live streamed the event on its Facebook page, said the event inside Parliament was part of its Balfour apology campaign - which calls for the UK Government to "officially apologise for its past colonial crimes in Palestine".
One member of the audience was applauded after they claimed that “if anybody is antisemitic, it’s the Israelis themselves.”

She was photographed campaigning earlier this week with Sarah Olney, the Lib Dem's candidate in the Richmond Park by-election.

Screen shot of Lib Dem tweet
A Lib Dem spokesperson said: "The party has suspended the membership of Jenny Tonge. We take her comments very seriously and have acted accordingly.”
Cabinet minister David Lidington told MPs he was "genuinely horrified" by reports of the remarks.

Speaking in the Commons Mr Lidington said: "I read the newspaper reports of the event in question and I confess I was genuinely horrified by the speech that was reported there.


The peer has been suspended from the Lib Dem Party  CREDIT: CHRIS RATCLIFFE/BLOOMBERG

"I don't want to treat every newspaper article as gospel but I think we should all be very concerned about what happened there. "And I hope that since this appears to be an event organised by a leading member of the Liberal Democrat party, that the leader of the party does launch an immediate and thorough investigation so we can get to the truth and any appropriate disciplinary action can be taken."

In the Lords Lady Tonge lists her party as "independent Liberal Democrat".
In 2010 she was sacked as the party's health spokeswoman in the Lords after calling for an inquiry into allegations that Israeli soldiers supporting the relief effort in Haiti had been involved with organ-trafficking.

Lady Tonge was a Lib Dem MP between 1997 and 2005, when she entered the Lords. She has regularly run into controversy for her critical stance towards Israel. In 2004, she was sacked as a Lib Dem spokeswoman on children's issues after suggesting she could consider becoming a suicide bomber.

Poland will not support Tusk for second term as European Council President, conservative leader says

Jaroslaw Kaczynski, the leader of Poland’s ruling Law and Justice party (PiS), told the Polska newspaper that the Polish government will not support Donald Tusk, a former Polish prime minister, for a second term as President of the European Council. 

Kaczynski argued, “Tusk is a major problem. There are investigations going on in Poland in the parliament and in the prosecutor’s office that may lead to pressing some charges against him. 

Should such a person be the head of the European Council? I have serious doubts.” He added that Tusk’s “further stay in Brussels is highly risky, mainly for the EU.”

Source: Reuters

Labour votes for 2nd EU Referendum

Labours brexit spokeswoman is one Emily Thornberry whoes claim to fame was being sacked by Ed Milliband as the then shadow attorney general because she tweeted a photo of a van drivers home flying the flag of St Gorge so her party chums could have a laugh at it. Ms Thornberry was living in a £3 million Kensington apartment at the time.

She now claims that the party still has no policy on brexit as Thornberry states they “are still considering it”, because “it is unclear what the British public wants”. 17 million voters state we want to quit the EU and Emily hasnt a clue what that means - noone is that naieve. Meanwhile, Labour MP Toby Perkins raised concerns about the lack of discussion within the party about its official position saying, “I would be alarmed if the party has come to a position of wanting access — not membership — [of the single market] without any consultation in the party.”

Elsewhere the ink was barely dry on Corbyns victory when the parties conference led by pro Owen Smith Blairites passed a motion to make it official party policy to seek a 2nd referendum on our membership of the EU. This was in contravention of Corbyns own view on the matter which was to accept the verdict of the British people.

Anyone who thinks the re-election of Jeremy Corbyn by his parties activists albeit with an increased majority has settled the parties troubles is in for a very rude awakening.

Labour conference backs motion on holding second EU referendum