Kenya is holding presidential elections on 27 December and Raila Odinga, is the presidential candidate from the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM). Kenya has a popultaion that according to the CIA World Fact Book is split between religions this "Protestant 45%, Roman Catholic 33%, Muslim 10%, indigenous beliefs 10%, other 2%". However I read that "Raila Odinga, the current frontrunner in the upcoming presidential election in Kenya has promised that he will implement strict Islamic Sharia law if he receives the Muslim vote in the country and is elected president.
A memorandum of understanding (MOU) was signed on 29 August 2007 by Sheikh Abdullahi Abdi, chairman of the National Leaders Forum (Namlef), and Raila Odinga, presidential candidate from the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM).
Despite being signed in late August, the MOU was not made public until 27 November 2007.
However, according to International Christian Concern (ICC) there are in fact two versions of the MOU. Persecution watchdog International Christian Concern claims that a private MOU was signed between Sheikh Abdi and Odinga which is very different from the one presented to the public.
ICC says that in the secret version of the MOU, Odinga, if elected, would “within six months, rewrite the Constitution of Kenya to recognise Sharia as the only true law sanctioned by the Holy Quran for Muslim declared regions”...
In response to the revelations the Evangelical Alliance of Kenya released a statement in which church leaders said, “In both MOUs, honourable Raila comes across as a presumptive Muslim president bent on forcing Islamic law, religion and culture down the throats of the Kenyan people in total disregard of the Constitutionally guaranteed rights of freedom of worship and equal protection of the law for all Kenyans.”
The chairman of the Evangelical Alliance of Kenya, Rev Dr Wellington Mutiso told ICC, “Kenya should continue to be a secular state. Christians want a level playing ground where [Christians and Muslims] are treated equally.
“We [Kenyan Christians] are opposed to any move at favouring a particular religious group by political parties.”
In addition, the ICC regional manager for Africa, Darara Gubo said, “This agreement made with Muslim leaders undermines the secular nature of Kenya and opens a Pandora’s box of chaos and conflict similar to what happened in Nigeria and Sudan.
“This is not a stand-alone incident; rather, it is part of strategy to Islamize Eastern Africa and the Horn of Africa, through the introduction of Sharia law.”"
I just thought this was something that you might want to be made aware of before it becomes an issue.
Wednesday, 19 December 2007
Brown and Darling - still delusional
The Prime Minister's monthly press conference showed Gordon Brown and Alistair Darling still claiming that the UK economy is fundamentally sound and well placed to ride out the economic troubles caused by the global banking liquidity problems. Some interesting points on Northern Rock which point to a managerial problem, so the taxpayer has been forced to allocate £100bn to support this company. THERE is not going to be a repeat of boom and bust or 10-15% interest rates, maintain growth, highest employment figures and strongest economy, protection for house-owners.
Guarantee that taxpayer will get back all money. All monies loaned are backed by assets. Alistair Darling, Bank of England needs to get money loaned back. Northern Rock has a good mortgage book. One of our priorities is to get money back that was lent by Bank of England.
During Michael Crick's question re Labour MPs appalled by "British jobs for British workers", did you see Gordon's faked uncomfortable smile.
Guarantee that taxpayer will get back all money. All monies loaned are backed by assets. Alistair Darling, Bank of England needs to get money loaned back. Northern Rock has a good mortgage book. One of our priorities is to get money back that was lent by Bank of England.
During Michael Crick's question re Labour MPs appalled by "British jobs for British workers", did you see Gordon's faked uncomfortable smile.
From Daily Referendum on the latest Home Office blunder.
"I'm not sure - is this Jacqui Smith's biggest act of incompetence yet? A few days ago Jacqui claimed that it was the employer's responsibility to check whether their employees are illegal immigrants. Now it turns out that a member of security staff at the Home Office has been arrested for being an illegal immigrant. You could not make it up. I was driving home from work when I heard the news, and I couldn't help laughing.
Jacqui Smith told us that those employing illegal immigrants would be prosecuted, and I have to agree with what David Davis made of this farce:
"Last week the Home Secretary could not go out of her way enough to lay the blame for the SIA shambles at the door of employers. If she is going to try and avoid responsibility in such away she should at least check her own house is in order. Who will the Home Office now prosecute and fine? Itself?"
I've heard that this man was working on the front desk, checking bloody security passes! Jesus H Christ - the bloody Home Office! We need to invent a new word for this government, because the word incompetence does not even approach the pathetic level this bunch of clowns have sunk to.
This government has set itself very low targets, and failed to miserably achieve them."
I couldn't have put it better myself, so I didn't.
"I'm not sure - is this Jacqui Smith's biggest act of incompetence yet? A few days ago Jacqui claimed that it was the employer's responsibility to check whether their employees are illegal immigrants. Now it turns out that a member of security staff at the Home Office has been arrested for being an illegal immigrant. You could not make it up. I was driving home from work when I heard the news, and I couldn't help laughing.
Jacqui Smith told us that those employing illegal immigrants would be prosecuted, and I have to agree with what David Davis made of this farce:
"Last week the Home Secretary could not go out of her way enough to lay the blame for the SIA shambles at the door of employers. If she is going to try and avoid responsibility in such away she should at least check her own house is in order. Who will the Home Office now prosecute and fine? Itself?"
I've heard that this man was working on the front desk, checking bloody security passes! Jesus H Christ - the bloody Home Office! We need to invent a new word for this government, because the word incompetence does not even approach the pathetic level this bunch of clowns have sunk to.
This government has set itself very low targets, and failed to miserably achieve them."
I couldn't have put it better myself, so I didn't.
Tuesday, 18 December 2007
Why is inflation so low but everything seems to be increasing in price?
Because Gordon fiddled the figures, that's why. Take a read of this from Stumbling and Mumbling. "the CPI gives a weight of 2.9% to audio-visual equipment, prices of which have dropped 13.5% in the last year according to its measure. The RPI gives this just a 0.8% weight, giving less deflationary pressure. The CPI reports that alcoholic drink prices have risen just 0.4% in the last 12 months. The RPI measure puts the rise at 2.5%. The RPI reckons clothing prices have dropped 1.7% in the last year. The CPI thinks they've fallen 4.8%. CPI says furniture prices have risen 2.4%; RPI says 4.3%. CPI says package holidays' price have risen 1.1%; RPI says 2.6%."
Do read the rest, it is an article that I wish I had written.
Do read the rest, it is an article that I wish I had written.
V for Vendetta
V for Vendetta is on Sky SciFi/Horror at the moment and there is a line or two from that film that I would like to quote here.
"And the truth is, there is something terribly wrong with this country, isn't there? Cruelty and injustice, intolerance and oppression. And where once you had the freedom to object, to think and speak as you saw fit, you now have censors and systems of surveillance coercing your conformity and soliciting your submission. How did this happen? Who's to blame? Well certainly there are those more responsible than others, and they will be held accountable, but again truth be told, if you're looking for the guilty, you need only look into a mirror. I know why you did it. I know you were afraid. Who wouldn't be? War, terror, disease. There were a myriad of problems which conspired to corrupt your reason and rob you of your common sense."
"And the truth is, there is something terribly wrong with this country, isn't there? Cruelty and injustice, intolerance and oppression. And where once you had the freedom to object, to think and speak as you saw fit, you now have censors and systems of surveillance coercing your conformity and soliciting your submission. How did this happen? Who's to blame? Well certainly there are those more responsible than others, and they will be held accountable, but again truth be told, if you're looking for the guilty, you need only look into a mirror. I know why you did it. I know you were afraid. Who wouldn't be? War, terror, disease. There were a myriad of problems which conspired to corrupt your reason and rob you of your common sense."
EU fines
Do you remember that "France was "sentenced to pay a lump sum of 20 million euro and a penalty payment of 57,8 million euro for each period of six months (judgment given on 12 July 2005)" England Expects reports that in fact France paid the lump sum and one penalty payment, "in other words it paid a total of 77.8 million out of 2.37 billion euros fine or only about 3.3% of the total. Gloriously, according to the Auditor this could be classified a success."
How do the EU justify this?
How do the EU justify this?
The Euro elite are really taking the piss this time
Take a look at England Expects and Devils Kitchen as they show that the Reform Treaty is in fact longer than the EU Constitution, a fact hidden by changing the line spacing.
The Euro elite really do think we are stupid.
The Euro elite really do think we are stupid.
What a surprise
Apparently "More than 100,000 young Britons may have been pushed into unemployment by the new wave of Eastern European immigrants, an economic analysis on the impact of migration has revealed. The study, by the influential Ernst & Young ITEM Club, found that although the recent influx has boosted Britain's economy and kept inflation low, it may have increased unemployment for younger Britons and reduced pay increases for all.
Recent immigrant employment may have come at a cost to the domestic workforce
Since 1997, 1.5 million foreign workers have entered the British workplace, with many of these arriving from Eastern Europe in the past three years since the European Union expansion. This new group typically earns 40 per cent less than British workers.
Since 2004, the number of unemployed British 18 to 24 year olds has increased by 100,000, according to the study. "There is some evidence that the growth of immigrant employment seen in the last few years may have come at the expense of the domestic workforce," the report concludes."
What a surprise, I am so shocked...
Recent immigrant employment may have come at a cost to the domestic workforce
Since 1997, 1.5 million foreign workers have entered the British workplace, with many of these arriving from Eastern Europe in the past three years since the European Union expansion. This new group typically earns 40 per cent less than British workers.
Since 2004, the number of unemployed British 18 to 24 year olds has increased by 100,000, according to the study. "There is some evidence that the growth of immigrant employment seen in the last few years may have come at the expense of the domestic workforce," the report concludes."
What a surprise, I am so shocked...
More Labour sleaze
This story comes from Dizzy Thinks and concerns the fact that "Earlier this year the Times ran a story about a National Audit Office report that showed that the cost of administering the claims of miners with disabling chest diseases far outstripped the amount of money that was paid out in compensation. The total cost of administering the claims was £2.3bn and more than half of it (£1.3bn) went to pay private lawyers who brought the claims. The Times also noted that,
The [NAO] report was ordered after allegations published in The Times about the financial relationship between the Union of Democratic Mineworkers and solicitors’ firms handling coal health claims, a matter that is now the subject of a Serious Fraud Office investigation.
One of the top ten firms to receive large sums of public money as a result was the law firm Browell Smith & Co, that received £54.6 million from thousands of cases. The firm specialises in what some might call "ambulance chasing" and its major clients are the National Union of Mineworkers, GMB and TGWU.
Nothing wrong there of course, but for one interesting thing. There appears to be a financial relationship between Browell Smith & Co and the Labour Party. During all those years it was suing the Government on behalf of miners for taxpayers money in fees and compensation it was also donating to the Labour Party coffers."
Do read the rest.
The [NAO] report was ordered after allegations published in The Times about the financial relationship between the Union of Democratic Mineworkers and solicitors’ firms handling coal health claims, a matter that is now the subject of a Serious Fraud Office investigation.
One of the top ten firms to receive large sums of public money as a result was the law firm Browell Smith & Co, that received £54.6 million from thousands of cases. The firm specialises in what some might call "ambulance chasing" and its major clients are the National Union of Mineworkers, GMB and TGWU.
Nothing wrong there of course, but for one interesting thing. There appears to be a financial relationship between Browell Smith & Co and the Labour Party. During all those years it was suing the Government on behalf of miners for taxpayers money in fees and compensation it was also donating to the Labour Party coffers."
Do read the rest.
Banking system in meltdown
Two stories from the BBC website this morning point to the UK and European banking system nearer meltdown. The Bank of England "is set to offer lenders an extra £10bn in funds as it tries to limit the impact of a global credit crunch and high borrowing costs.
It is one of five central banks that have pledged to inject $100bn (£49bn) of emergency cash into money markets." The European Central Bank "is to offer banks unlimited funds at a below-market rate, in a cash injection to counter the impact of the global credit crunch.
It is one of five central banks that have pledged to inject billions in emergency cash into money markets."
The problem is confidence and the Central Banks are not raising confidence with these measures. I forsee much more serious trouble ahead.
It is one of five central banks that have pledged to inject $100bn (£49bn) of emergency cash into money markets." The European Central Bank "is to offer banks unlimited funds at a below-market rate, in a cash injection to counter the impact of the global credit crunch.
It is one of five central banks that have pledged to inject billions in emergency cash into money markets."
The problem is confidence and the Central Banks are not raising confidence with these measures. I forsee much more serious trouble ahead.
Northern Rock update
It seems that the £26bn exposure is going up, the government have now announced that they will guarantee loans beyond personal savers. Treasury exposure is now well over £40bn. Robert Peston is on the Today programme saying the guarantees may come close to being the whole of the Northern Rock book of debts.
Monday, 17 December 2007
The Collapse Of The Modern Day Banking System
This does not make happy reading, but read it you should.
"One of Britain's leading economists, Peter Spencer, issued a warning on Saturday:
“The Government must suspend a set of key banking regulations at the heart of the current financial crisis or risk seeing the economy spiral towards a future that could make 1929 look like a walk in the park"."
"Spencer said:
"The Bank is staring into the abyss. The Financial Services Authority must go round and check that all banks are solvent, and then it should cut the Basel capital requirement level from 8pc to about 6pc.” (“Call to Relax Basel Banking Rules, UK Telegraph)
Spencer confirms what we already knew; the banks are seriously under-capitalized and will come under growing pressure as hundreds of billions of dollars of mortgage-backed securities (MBSs) and collateralized debt obligations (CDOs) continue to lose value and have to be propped up with additional capital. The banks simply don't have the resources and there's going to be a day of reckoning.
Pimco's Bill Gross put it like this:
“What we are witnessing is essentially the breakdown of our modern day banking system.” Gross is right, but he only covers a small portion of the problem.
Economist Ludwig von Mises is more succinct in his analysis:
“There is no means of avoiding the final collapse of a boom brought on by credit expansion. The question is only whether the crisis should come sooner as a result of a voluntary abandonment of further credit expansion, or later as a final and total catastrophe of the currency system involved.”"
Not a pleasant prospect is it?
But it can't happen in the UK because as we all know, Gordon "No more boom and bust" Brown is a financial genius.
"One of Britain's leading economists, Peter Spencer, issued a warning on Saturday:
“The Government must suspend a set of key banking regulations at the heart of the current financial crisis or risk seeing the economy spiral towards a future that could make 1929 look like a walk in the park"."
"Spencer said:
"The Bank is staring into the abyss. The Financial Services Authority must go round and check that all banks are solvent, and then it should cut the Basel capital requirement level from 8pc to about 6pc.” (“Call to Relax Basel Banking Rules, UK Telegraph)
Spencer confirms what we already knew; the banks are seriously under-capitalized and will come under growing pressure as hundreds of billions of dollars of mortgage-backed securities (MBSs) and collateralized debt obligations (CDOs) continue to lose value and have to be propped up with additional capital. The banks simply don't have the resources and there's going to be a day of reckoning.
Pimco's Bill Gross put it like this:
“What we are witnessing is essentially the breakdown of our modern day banking system.” Gross is right, but he only covers a small portion of the problem.
Economist Ludwig von Mises is more succinct in his analysis:
“There is no means of avoiding the final collapse of a boom brought on by credit expansion. The question is only whether the crisis should come sooner as a result of a voluntary abandonment of further credit expansion, or later as a final and total catastrophe of the currency system involved.”"
Not a pleasant prospect is it?
But it can't happen in the UK because as we all know, Gordon "No more boom and bust" Brown is a financial genius.
Why no news update BBC
I note that the last page the BBC have on the Ken Livingstone/Lee Jasper affair is dated 5 December - you can see it here. Why no update BBC? Not sure how to play it? Worried about the race implications?
House Prices
The economy teeters even closer to the edge, the Mail reports that "Nearly a million families are struggling to pay off their mortgages, an alarming report has revealed. Another 1.8million people say they have hit problems "at least occasionally". Soaring interest rates have lifted homeowners' annual mortgage payments by a total of £3.6billion in the past year, the Bank of England survey shows. The picture is expected to worsen as the global credit crunch prompts banks to tighten the supply of money even further to shore up their own finances. This could push more households to the brink, leading to record insolvency rates over the next two years, experts warn. The housing market and the broader economy are expected to suffer a sharp downturn."
An end to boom and bust, Gordon; my how you will regret ever making that claim you fat fucked-up fraud.
An end to boom and bust, Gordon; my how you will regret ever making that claim you fat fucked-up fraud.
OK, enough already
This government are making it very difficult for us bloggers. How on earth are we meant to keep up and document all the cock-ups that they are making? The latest piece of ineptitude is that "The details of three million candidates for the driving theory test have gone missing, Ruth Kelly has told MPs.
Names, addresses and phone numbers - but no financial information - were among details on a computer hard drive which went missing in the US in May...She said the information commission had judged the risks presented by the loss were not "substantial" and there was no need to notify each person individually.
The details did not include bank account details, National Insurance numbers, driving licence numbers or dates of birth, she said."
Have these people never heard of data security?
Alistair Darling made a Commons Statement just before Ruth Kelly, his was about the 25 million lost data records. Apparently "Mr Darling told MPs Mr Poynter's review had prioritised the immediate security measures that were needed at HMRC. Among them were banning the transfer of "bulk data" without certain security measures, and disabling lap tops to stop information being downloaded without the permission of a senior manager."
Phew, real top level, state of the art security there. Honestly these people wouldn't hold down a job as a whelk stall manager.
Names, addresses and phone numbers - but no financial information - were among details on a computer hard drive which went missing in the US in May...She said the information commission had judged the risks presented by the loss were not "substantial" and there was no need to notify each person individually.
The details did not include bank account details, National Insurance numbers, driving licence numbers or dates of birth, she said."
Have these people never heard of data security?
Alistair Darling made a Commons Statement just before Ruth Kelly, his was about the 25 million lost data records. Apparently "Mr Darling told MPs Mr Poynter's review had prioritised the immediate security measures that were needed at HMRC. Among them were banning the transfer of "bulk data" without certain security measures, and disabling lap tops to stop information being downloaded without the permission of a senior manager."
Phew, real top level, state of the art security there. Honestly these people wouldn't hold down a job as a whelk stall manager.
The next big story
This story has been bubbling around for a while without ever becoming headline news. I predict that it will become big news soon and when it does...my emphasis...
"Contraband seized by customs officers has gone missing from a secure depot close to Coventry airport.
Police have been called in to search for the goods which disappeared from the HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) store before last weekend.
A HMRC spokesman refused to comment on claims drugs, firearms and passports may have gone missing.
He said officials were cooperating with Warwickshire police. "We are taking this matter very seriously," he added.
HMRC said security had been stepped up and investigations were continuing, but did not reveal when or how the items disappeared.
"Contraband seized by customs officers has gone missing from a secure depot close to Coventry airport.
Police have been called in to search for the goods which disappeared from the HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) store before last weekend.
A HMRC spokesman refused to comment on claims drugs, firearms and passports may have gone missing.
He said officials were cooperating with Warwickshire police. "We are taking this matter very seriously," he added.
HMRC said security had been stepped up and investigations were continuing, but did not reveal when or how the items disappeared.
More UN Man Made Climate Change insanity
Apparently "The world's sea levels could rise twice as high this century as UN climate scientists have previously predicted, according to a study.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change proposes a maximum sea level rise of 81cm (32in) this century. But in the journal Nature Geoscience, researchers say the true maximum could be about twice that: 163cm (64in)."
This is just think of a number and then double it territory and all based on very very little.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change proposes a maximum sea level rise of 81cm (32in) this century. But in the journal Nature Geoscience, researchers say the true maximum could be about twice that: 163cm (64in)."
This is just think of a number and then double it territory and all based on very very little.
House Prices
I reported on Sunday that the latest YouGov poll reported that "More than a third of people – 36% – expect house prices to fall next year with 23% expecting a rise. In June, only 8% expected a fall and 61% thought prices would rise." I commented that the 23% were delusional.
I see from Financial Spread Betting that at least one spread betting firm has closed the book on the direction of house prices. "A pretty clear picture of a decisive shift in sentiment is emerging. John Austin, head of proprietary products at IG Index, says that because of this the firm's house price markets are currently suspended and it is only accepting bets to close existing positions. 'There has been such a run of stories in the press talking of meltdown in the housing market that the volume of sell-side business left us with no choice but to close our book to new business for the time being,' he explains."
As house prices have dropped between 3% and 6% over the last month, will anyone disagree with my long standing prediction of a 30% drop in house prices?
I see from Financial Spread Betting that at least one spread betting firm has closed the book on the direction of house prices. "A pretty clear picture of a decisive shift in sentiment is emerging. John Austin, head of proprietary products at IG Index, says that because of this the firm's house price markets are currently suspended and it is only accepting bets to close existing positions. 'There has been such a run of stories in the press talking of meltdown in the housing market that the volume of sell-side business left us with no choice but to close our book to new business for the time being,' he explains."
As house prices have dropped between 3% and 6% over the last month, will anyone disagree with my long standing prediction of a 30% drop in house prices?
More on the Ken Livingstone v Evening Standard ongoing saga
Following on from this, this, this, this and this comes the news from the Standard that "A former senior manager at Ken Livingstone's London Development Agency has dramatically broken her silence to reveal what she describes as demands for hush money, political interference and financial irregularity that dogged one of the Mayor's flagship programmes.
Brenda Stern, programme manager for the LDA's Diversity Works initiative, was forced out of her £75,000 job after resisting attempts to funnel £250,000 in LDA money to a personal friend of the Mayor's senior aide, Lee Jasper, despite a record of deceit and non-delivery.
Leaked emails show that the final decision on Ms Stern's fate was taken not by anyone in the LDA but by Mr Jasper himself. The supposed reason for Ms Stern's dismissal was later admitted by the LDA chief executive, Manny Lewis, to be "not founded". Today Ms Stern says key procedures to protect public money were not followed, "constant interference" by Mr Jasper derailed the programme and the LDA was pressured to pay "hush money" to prevent the details of the scandal being exposed.
She decided to speak out after the Mayor claimed that the Standard's story last week revealing the scandal of a company called Diversity International, part of Diversity Works, was "entirely false," "dirty," and "mendacious" and called for the reporter responsible to be sacked.
She said: "I ran the programme and the contract described in the Standard story last week. I can confirm that everything the Standard reported about that programme and that contract was correct.
"I cannot understand why the Mayor is denying the truth. Either he is lying to us or he is himself being lied to."
Do read the rest of Andrew Gilligan's article and look out for the next set of Ken Livingstone's mud slinging here.
Could 2008 be the year we finally get rid of Ken Livingstone and Gordon Brown? Here's hoping...
Brenda Stern, programme manager for the LDA's Diversity Works initiative, was forced out of her £75,000 job after resisting attempts to funnel £250,000 in LDA money to a personal friend of the Mayor's senior aide, Lee Jasper, despite a record of deceit and non-delivery.
Leaked emails show that the final decision on Ms Stern's fate was taken not by anyone in the LDA but by Mr Jasper himself. The supposed reason for Ms Stern's dismissal was later admitted by the LDA chief executive, Manny Lewis, to be "not founded". Today Ms Stern says key procedures to protect public money were not followed, "constant interference" by Mr Jasper derailed the programme and the LDA was pressured to pay "hush money" to prevent the details of the scandal being exposed.
She decided to speak out after the Mayor claimed that the Standard's story last week revealing the scandal of a company called Diversity International, part of Diversity Works, was "entirely false," "dirty," and "mendacious" and called for the reporter responsible to be sacked.
She said: "I ran the programme and the contract described in the Standard story last week. I can confirm that everything the Standard reported about that programme and that contract was correct.
"I cannot understand why the Mayor is denying the truth. Either he is lying to us or he is himself being lied to."
Do read the rest of Andrew Gilligan's article and look out for the next set of Ken Livingstone's mud slinging here.
Could 2008 be the year we finally get rid of Ken Livingstone and Gordon Brown? Here's hoping...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
