Friday 17 December 2010

Dover County Council By-election

Dover Town Division, Kent CC. Lab gain from Con. Lab 1491 (43.7%, +14.3), Con 1348 (39.5%, -4.3), UKIP 404 (11.8%, +11.8), LD 170 (5%, -21.8). Swing of 9.3% from Con to Lab since 2009.

Fantastic result right in the heart of the south-east. The Conservative party lost support in this area, but most notable is the collapse of the Lib Dems who haemorrhage support to the sum of 21.8%! 

Thursday 16 December 2010

Broadstairs Cinema

by Dr R. L. Symonds

Here in Broadstairs we have an excellent small independent cinema, with an enthusiastic film society, showing a weekly art or indie film. The cinema also shows the usual general release films the rest of the week. For the last two weeks however, we are unable to see our film society films, because the cinema proprietor is prevented from showing them by Warner Bros.

This multi-billion pound international company insists that when the cinema shows the latest of their 'Harry Potter
productions, they will show no other film, and of course the cinema has to comply because they fear retaliation when they next want to show a Warner Bros film.

It seems Warner Bros, who could buy up many small countries, without really noticing, resents losing even a few pounds income. I suspect that this practice is illegal, even though the proprietor admitted it was in his contract with Warner Bros - although it could be said that such a contract is hardly freely entered into. However, the law counts for nothing against the powerful.

Wednesday 8 December 2010

The effects of cutting arts funding


The ConDem Government has committed itself to making £350 million worth of cuts to the arts. The above picture shows what the effects could be on the arts, made even the more poignant for Thanet because of all the investment made in the Turner centre in Margate.

Monday 6 December 2010

Local Tory Leader's inadequacies go National

Bob Bayford's comments recently at a joint transportation board meeting have gone national. The gaffe whereby Bingo Bob claims that residents of Thanet 'don't know they are born' has been picked up by the Daily Mirror. Just goes to show that even the national media is noticing the problems at Thanet District Council with the Tories.

Thursday 2 December 2010

Has David Miliband committed treason?

by Dr R. L. Symonds

Reading today's news, helpfully provided by Wikileaks, it is fortunate that we did elect the right Milliband as our leader. David Milliband is revealed as conspiring with the Americans to conceal the presence of cluster bombs on British territory. To my mind this is a very serious offence indeed, and amounts to treason.

A future Labour government might consider revising the Treason Felony Act 1848, which is still in force today. Any member of Government, Parliament, or the Royal family who conspires with any foreign power in a matter without the knowledge of Parliament and against Parliament's expressed will on that matter, should be guilty of a serious offence, punishable by imprisonment and expulsion from public office.

This could extend to agencies acting on behalf of the government, for example, any envoy, a Royal representing the government or the Governor of the Bank of England (although the actions of the latter recently would fall short of this proposed offence.)