Visiting a deserving pensioner?

http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2014/apr/03/queen-vatican-gifts-pope

Queen arrives in Vatican with gifts fit for a pope

The Queen gave the Pope a huge hamper filled with goods from royal estates

The Queen, (that is to say Queen Elizabeth 2), arrived with a hamper full of "goodies" when visiting Jorge Mario Bergoglio, a 78 year old pensioner, born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, but now living in modest city accommodation in Rome. Mr Bergoglio received the gift when being visited by the Queen and her husband the Duke of Edinburgh.

The hamper contained produce from the "Royal Estates" and included honey from Buckingham Palace gardens, whiskey from Balmoral and jams and chutney from Sandringham, one dozen eggs, assorted preserves, Coronation Best Bitter, a haunch of venison and even Cox's Apple juice amongst the contents of the very large wicker hamper.

I draw attention to this event, in order to highlight how crass and insensitive some civil servants (I assume that civil servants were involved) and those in government responsible for organising jollies such as this, can be when it comes to inappropriate or just plain wrong selection of "gifts" to present to foreign dignitaries.

In these times of austerity within the United Kingdom, these times of cuts to government expenditure, cuts to welfare payments, restrictions on social improvements, rising costs for food energy, and other household expenditure, it can never be appropriate for such indulgences to be thrown in the face of the ordinary people of a country who are often struggling to stretch their limited budgets to reach the end of each month. It is even less acceptable, when the television and other media report the exchange of such gifts with enthusiasm, joy and unconcealed admiration for the monarchy.

Today, in the United Kingdom, in the first quarter of the 21st century, there are at least 700,000 people in this country who are reliant on Foodbanks and other such charities to feed their families every day. This figure will grow to over 1 million people by the end of this year.

Following this trip to Rome, shall we see some member of the Royal family delivering hampers to the Foodbanks around Windsor, Slough, Uxbridge, Staines or any of the other places around the country, with each hamper having the content as given to pensioner Jorge Mario Bergoglio yesterday? Somehow, I think not, but one hamper for each family registered at every Foodbank in the country would make a significant difference.

Perhaps those civil servants, government officials and other advisers responsible for arranging such things, should give very careful consideration to the effects that their intentions to achieve more popularity for monarchy and the concept of monarchy, will actually have on the population of the country.

Perhaps pensioner Jorge Mario Bergoglio, will thoroughly enjoy his venison, washed down with some Coronation Bitter or some cider, and presumably finished off with a large Whiskey as he settles down for an evening with Rai News24.

No doubt that will give some comfort to those waiting in line at their local foodbank.

Northern Ireland and Brexit. The return of "The Troubles"

Northern Ireland: police attacked in another night of disturbances | Northern Ireland | The Guardian When the "Brexit" debate was still filling our newspapers and our television screens, readers may remember why I had changed my mind since voting to leave at the referendum vote. Apart from the economic arguments, which had become crystal clear after peeling away all the lies and misrepresentations trotted out by Bozo Boris and his "Get Brexit Done" conspirators, there was always the problem of the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. Would it be possible to have a border between the European Union and the United Kingdom where people, goods and services could pass freely between the two nations without customs restrictions, tariffs, duties and all the other formalities? Would it be possible to have one part of the United Kingdom treated differently from other parts of the United Kingdom, particularly when Scotland for example had voted overwhe

The Parliamentary Labour Party conspirators are hatching another coup.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/corbyn-labour-leadership-rebel-mps-a7202641.html Labour MPs plan for Corbyn victory and plot how to confront an emboldened leader Even for the "Independent", the number and use of unnamed anonymous "sources" in this article is quite astonishing. However, amongst all the usual speculative delusion, there is one factor which causes concern to anyone who believes in the Labour Party, its principles and in he democratic process of the Labour movement. It is abundantly clear that elements within the Parliamentary Labour Party, are even now, planning another coup in the event that Jeremy Corbyn should emerge as winner in the current ballot. The failed coup of earlier this year, has now descended into a sham leadership election, because the conspirators still fail to accept the democratic decision of the Labour party membership and cling to

Plemont development or return to nature?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-jersey- A date has been set for a public inquiry into plans for Plemont Headland. This exceptional location must be sold to the National trust for Jersey, and returned to nature. Any other outcome involving development of the site, can only demonstrate the extent to which greed and self interest have become endemic in Jersey.

Agenda 2019

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