The Guardian has now revealed that Bob Lambert ( Robinson ),
and another unnamed police officer,
fathered children while they were engaged upon their undercover police activities.
This gives a whole new twist to the expression
‘irresponsible parenting’.
On Saturday January 7th the Independent ran the following
news story: -
How Thatcher’s election win launched secret war on CND.
This tells how : -
‘An army intelligence unit was used to infiltrate civil rights
groups and protest organisations after Margaret Thatcher came to
power.’
and that: -
‘ Those targeted were pacifists, anti-arms trade, anti-nuclear,
radical and socialist organisations ….. groups like the Peace
Pledge Union, Troops Out and CND branches.’
I was active within some of the groups and organisations which
would of been targeted by this unit.
As a consequence I must of known or come in to contact with some
of these army spies.
They would certainly of been monitoring my activities and
keeping a file on me at the time.
What I want to know is exactly who they were ?
&
To gain a full list of all the groups and organisations which they
were targeting at the time.
This unit should also be included in a public enquiry in to the use
of police spies.
On Thursday January 5th the UK Foreign Affairs Committee
publish a report on piracy off the coast of Somalia.
Commenting upon the report the committee chair Richard
Ottaway MP stated that:
‘ The Government was right to permit private armed guards to
defend British flagged shipping.’
&
‘ Ship owners must take responsibility for their own protection,
and the Government must let them do so.’
On Friday the 6th of January this was the headline in Lloyds List:
‘ EXCLUSIVE:
MoD rejects industry calls for military armed guards.’
From which I can only conclude that we will soon be seeing a new
piece of British government legislation to regulate the use of
armed guards and corporate mercenaries upon all UK owned
merchant ships.
One of my highlights of last year was to be given a tour around
the Reykjavík City Library, which is housed in a converted
warehouse in the city centre.
The same building also houses the Reykjavík Photo Museum,
and Reykjavik Municipal Archives.
Just how the library was founded and grew is an interesting history in itself.
Opened in 1919 it was in part funded by the sale of fishing vessels
owned by the City to France in 1917.
Right from the start the library lent out cases of books to ships.
A Cultural Centre.
What I really like about the library is that it is used both cultural
and information centre.
During the summer the library hosts literary walking tours
around the centre of Reykjavík.
While the ‘Let’s read the papers!’ provides guidance for those who
want to read the Icelandic news papers and understand what’s
going on in Iceland.
There is also a small cinema area within the library. At the time
of my visit it was screening early German films.
The library works with Artóteki,
which rents and sells arts works of art by Icelandic artists.
Library Matters.
Here is a summary of just how the library operates.
- In all there are 85 library staff in city, with 35 of them based in
the main library.
- All accessioning and book preparation work is done in house.
- The library uses a Danish version of the Dewey Classification
system.
- The library works in co-operation with other libraries within Iceland.
- It is member of Nordic Camps - The Network of Nordic Public Libraries.
&
- There is a very good stock of both Manga and none Icelandic
books which are available for loan.
Interestingly enough the highest number of immigrants in
Iceland come from Poland.
If your ever in Reykjavík, then you should make sure to pop in to
the library.
I should also like to thank Einar Ólafsson for showing me around
the library.
The Royal Mail is rolling out
Post and Go Machines
in all its’ main post offices.
The problem is that they are not being used by the majority of
people,
and so it still takes a long time to be served at the counter.
Ask people just why they are not using them,
and most likely you will get one of the following replies:
- They look too complicated to use.
or
- They will cut the size of the Work force.
It’s exactly the same set of excuses which people use for not using
self issue machines in libraries.
Though what they should really consider is that the most of the
staff have already been given the sack.
&
That all they have to do is put the item down in the designated
area, and interact with a simple touch screen.
If people used the machines then there would be no need for
wasting a long time queuing.
&
Thus it would free staff us to do all of the other jobs which still
need to be done.
Promoting both library self issue machines & Post and Go
Machines means having staff available to show people how they
are used.
It also requires some publicity / public education on just why are
worth using.
It’s no use just introducing these machines in post offices and
libraries,
unless there is a little effort put in to introducing people to
exactly how they work.
Royal Mail & Library managers take note.
The follow statement has just been issued by
Information for Social Change.
Call for a Public Enquiry in to the Routine surveillance &
infiltration of legitimate protest organisations by the UK police.
Information for Social Change Calls for a Public Enquiry in to
the Routine surveillance & infiltration of legitimate protest
organisations by the UK police.
For decades the British Special Branch have been monitoring the
legitimate activities of many protest groups & organisation.
It has now been revelled that the covert Special Demonstration
Squad (SDS) have been placing undercover police into various
legitimate campaigning bodies.
The roll of these police has not only been to collect information
upon the legitimate activities of political activists, but to act as
Agent Provocateurs.
We both condemn these practice,
and call for a public enquiry in to these unwarranted police
activities.
Observation.
I was on my way to the Bank of England the other day when I
started to note the number of upmaket shops which are now
holding sales.
Then on Saturday the latest edition of my local Yellow Pages
turned up at my house. Thinking that it seemed much thinner than last years edition,
I opened them both up to discover yet another truth about the
economy.
Last years edition had printed 520 pages,
while the new one has just 368.
Meanwhile those shops which sell ‘ Previously owned’ items,
or pawnshops ( as you and l know them ),
are in the middle of yet more sales.
Figures.
On December 14th the following headline was to be found in the
FT : ‘ UK unemployment hits 17-year high’.
Not that these figures are much better in the rest of the world.
I also keep hearing a lot of first hand stories about the great
difficulties which people are having in trying to find jobs.
Maybe it’s time for a revaluation of Keynesian economics.
Here is the heading from a new press release.
EIGHT WOMEN DECEIVED INTO LONG TERM INTIMATE RELATIONSHIPS WITH FIVE SEPARATE UNDERCOVER OFFICERS COMMENCE UNPRECEDENTED CLAIM AGAINST POLICE.
Birnberg Peirce and partners have commenced legal action against the Metropolitan Police on behalf of eight women who were deceived into having long term intimate relationships with undercover police officers.
The full story about this case is to be found in the Guardian newspaper.
They say that Christmas is all about seeing friends and family
getting together,
but this is never going to be possible the way in which Network
Rail and Transport for London organise things.
I’ve just had a letter of mine published in the Islington Tribune
which illustrates this point.
Is it any wonder that I hate christmas?
On Sunday I went to the annual Animal Aid fayre at Kensington
town hall.
As ever there were a lot of stalls which promote a Vegie or vegan
lifestyle, or which give information upon animal rights issues.
Many of these campaigning organisations will be familiar to
people, but some of them were new to me.
One of them is the Vegan Prisoners Support Group,
which was established in 1994 to campaign for the better care of
vegans detained in police custody or within the prison system.
Another of these organisations is the Coalition to Abolish the Fur Trade.
Yet another is The Captive Animals’ Protection Society (CAPS),
which is a UK-based charity campaigning to end the use of animals
in entertainment.
As I always say:
It’s no use being Vegie unless one looks at the various issues which
go along with it.