Tag: United Kingdom

Is The UK In Trouble?

I know I have a few UK readers and I am always glad to have their insights for I am not up to snuff on their politics.

So when I saw this headline I had to do some research and I am not sure the outcome and any info that they may have will be greatly appreciated.

The leaders of Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland signed a pact Monday that threatens to lead to the breakup of the United Kingdom. The first ministers of the three semiautonomous regions of the UK told Prime Minister Andy Burnham and his government to prepare for constitutional change and that their future lies with the European Union, the AP reports. “For people watching across these islands—for people watching around the world—there could be no clearer sign that Westminster’s time is coming to an end,” they said in a memorandum of understanding, referring to Parliament.

  • The announcement came about 48 hours after President Trump waded into the waters of the politically contentious issue when he said he would “love to see” a reunified Ireland during a trip to visit his golf course hosting the Irish Open.
  • It’s the first time the leaders of all three countries are either from pro-independence parties, or pro-unification in the case of Northern Ireland, which was partitioned and remained part of the UK. when Ireland won independence from Britain over a century ago. “Each of our nations has the right to determine its own future, through democratic means and in accordance with the wishes of its people,” the leaders said. Burnham’s spokesperson brushed aside the threat and said the prime minister strongly believes in the union and was more focused on lowering the cost of living than dealing with “constitutional debates.”
  • In the late 1990s, the UK passed legislative acts that decentralized government through the process of devolution, giving each country except England some level of policy independence and self-governance through their own parliaments. But tensions have remained with the UK-wide government in London, which retained control over national issues and those concerning England.
  • Scotland’s John Swinney and Northern Ireland’s Michelle O’Neill called for independence referendums in their countries, while Rhun ap Iorwerth did not provide a timetable for one in Wales. The three leaders appeared in their political capacity, rather than their official one, possibly because O’Neill is in a power-sharing government with the Democratic Unionist Party.
  • Scotland tried unsuccessfully to break away in 2014, with voters rejecting a referendum 55% to 45%. But analysts say support for Scottish independence has grown since Brexit.
  • Swinney, leader of the Scottish National Party, predicted that Burnham would be the UK’s last prime minister, the BBC reports. “The people of Scotland, if given the choice of independence in a referendum, will take that choice, because all of the information that we see in front of us about the trends in opinion polling indicate that’s the preference of the people of Scotland,” he said.

Okay this sounds serious but is it?

Are the chances of breaking up the United Kingdom possible?

Or is this sensationalism?

I will appreciate your insights into this turn of events.

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

Remember The Falklands?

In my reading I come across some stories that make me scratch my head and laugh…..and this one caught my eye.

The Falkland Islands….this is for those too young to know what the Hell I am talking about….this is a nutshell look….

The Falklands War was a 74-day undeclared conflict in 1982 between Argentina and the United Kingdom over the sovereignty of the Falkland Islands and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands.

  • Territorial Dispute: Argentina claimed the islands (which they call Islas Malvinas) based on proximity to South America and a supposed inheritance from the Spanish Crown in the early 19th century. Britain had asserted permanent rule since 1833 and emphasized the right to self-determination of the local population, who wished to remain British.
  • Political Divert: In late 1981, a military junta led by General Leopoldo Galtieri took power in Argentina amid severe economic unrest and sought to use a popular nationalist campaign to unite the public behind the regime.
  • Perceived Weakness: Argentina misjudged British resolve, interpreting recent Royal Navy budget cuts and the withdrawal of patrol vessels as a sign that the UK would not fight to defend the remote archipelago.
    • The Invasion (2–3 April 1982): Argentine forces launched an amphibious invasion of the Falkland Islands, quickly subduing the small local Royal Marine garrison, and followed up by occupying South Georgia. [1, 2]
    • The Surrender (14 June 1982): British troops fought their way across harsh terrain to retake Port Stanley, forcing the Argentine garrison to surrender and restoring British control.British Task Force Response (5 April 1982): Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher’s government dispatched a powerful naval task force 8,000 miles south to the combat zone. Military Engagements: Fought across air, land, and sea, the war featured significant losses including the sinking of the Argentine cruiser ARA General Belgrano and the destruction of the British destroyer HMS Sheffield by Exocet missiles.
“I would expect the UK to receive special attention because it has so much potential,” the US official told the publication. “We will therefore continue efforts to incentivise and enable the UK to step up in a major way.”

They said that changing America’s stance on the UK’s claim to the Falklands, which the US president has previously considered, was a possibility.

https://www.the-independent.com/news/uk/home-news/us-uk-falkland-islands-defence-budget-trump-burnham-b3041416.html

What a an asshat!

I use to think that Donny was a loud-mouth with half a functioning brain and now I think his brain is screwed in his ass and the escaping gas makes his mouth move.

Oh that is right he is an author and game shoe host who better to lead the country than that?

This illustrates what an out of touch clown Donny truly is.

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

UK Funds “Therapeutic Healing”

I post this to ask my UK readers if they any more about this program.

It appears that UK taxpayers are footing the bill for treatment for IDF soldiers that fought in Gaza.

British taxpayers funded “therapeutic healing” for Israeli soldiers who fought in Gaza, Declassified can reveal.

An Israeli organisation received the undisclosed sum via a U.K. charity, with 25 percent Gift Aid added on by the British government.

Emails obtained by Declassified show how the Yahalom Foundation — an Israeli veterans group — tells British supporters to channel their donations via its “registered partner platform in the UK.”

“Processing your donation through them ensures you receive full tax recognition and enabled Gift Aid, maximising the impact of your contribution,” it says. “100% of your gift is routed directly to Yahalom to support our core mission.”

The Yahalom Foundation directs British supporters to a list of fundraising projects for Israel Defence Forces (IDF) veterans, claiming that donations would be eligible for the tax subsidy.

The list includes funding a £5,000 “therapeutic healing journey” for soldiers returning from Gaza, as well as “individual psychological treatments.”

The foundation is also raising money for a £100,000 memorial hall to commemorate fallen Israeli soldiers.

Additional records from two years ago show that British donations were made to fund equipment for serving Israeli soldiers — although it is not clear whether Gift Aid was added to these.

A fundraising page said: “With your help we can buy more specialized equipment and supply it to our soldiers.”

The Charity Commission has previously warned: “It is not lawful, or acceptable, for a charity to raise funds to support a soldier of a foreign military.”

UK Funded Therapy for Israeli Soldiers

The US kisses Israel’s ass every chance they have and now we learned that the UK is doing the same thing…..it is time for all this ‘charity’ to end….let the bastards deal with their own mental problems….they have done enough damage to the two countries.

If anyone has more information please bring us up to speed.

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

Prepare For War

I recently read an article that says the Brits have been warned to prepare for all out war in four years….

I post this for I want any of my UK readers to confirm that they have seen this prediction….

The British public should be prepared for “widespread war in Europe” within the next three to four years, military experts have said.

Russia’s increasingly audacious incursions into Eastern Europe risk spilling over into an all-out “hot” conflict that engages Nato, while Vladimir Putin’s current “grey war” activity of sabotage, cyber attacks and disinformation is expected to be “on steroids” before the end of the decade.

The chairman of the UK’s National Preparedness Commission, Lord Harris, told The i Paper that Britain needed to be better prepared, both militarily and across society, for a widespread conflict of this nature happening in the next few years.

This includes stockpiling emergency supplies to be used in the event of a war or major attack on critical national infrastructure, such as water, electricity or transport networks.

Harris, a Labour peer, said Britons needed to prepare for their lives “being changed or likely to be changed in the foreseeable future”, including having 72 hours worth of provisions if there was a major attack on infrastructure or a power cut caused by a hostile state

He suggested that the Government should make its “Prepare” website – which offers advice on readiness for emergencies such as floods and power cuts – more “in your face” and run regular ad campaigns on radio, TV and social media, as well as lessons for schoolchildren.

Britons told to prepare for ‘widespread’ war in Europe within three to four years

Please let me know if you have seen this or have more information than is presented in the article.

Do you believe the prediction?  If so why?

If true then it should have wide ranging implications across the globe.

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

News From The UK

IST has a some UK visitors which I appreciate very much but most of my writings are about this country and our problems and events…..so I would like to write about a couple of stories I read that involve the UK.

First there is the news about Prince Charles….oh my bad he is a king now…..it has been reported that he has cancer and now he is refusing chemo….

Buckingham Palace announced in February that the King had been diagnosed with cancer, and his treatment has included some challenging moments, including a brief hospitalization just days before the Italian tour. Despite this, he returned to his duties by April 1, determined to stay engaged.

According to royal sources, Charles sees his role not just as ceremonial, but as an opportunity to make a real difference. “He knows he is fortunate to be in a position to create change,” a senior aide shared. “That’s what keeps him going, impact, not obligation.”

https://www.yahoo.com/news/surprising-reason-king-charles-not-171832554.html

Is he really that concerned about the optics of stating his cancer or is it to avoid any speculation at the length of time he has left?

Just asking.

I see the Andrew has taken over the title of King Charles from his father….

Does that mean he gets all the benefits of being the king (for now)?

Now how about the deal for more US beef?

The Prez and the PM have a deal now for sending American beef to English markets….is that a good idea?

Officials in Britain are worried contaminated beef from the U.S. could soon be flooding their supermarket shelves, RadarOnline.com can report.

However, the same beef is widely produced stateside, and many of us eat it willingly every day.

A new trade deal agreed to by the two nations will see 13,000 tons of U.S. beef shipped to the U.K. – enough meat to serve one medium-sized steak to every adult in the country.

However, consumers overseas are fearful the much more leniently regulated U.S. beef will contaminate their supply.

A common practice in the U.S. is for farmers to raise hormone-treated beef. These cattle are injected with growth hormones to accelerate muscle growth and shorten the time to slaughter, thereby increasing production efficiency and reducing costs.

But the practice has been linked to concerns such as early puberty in children and increased cancer risks.

While the hormone beef is prevalent on our store shelves, Great Britain has banned it since 1989, when the EU declared it unsafe.

https://radaronline.com/p/donald-trump-food-deal-uk-contaminated-beef-supermarket/

There was one thing I admired about the UK/EU….their ban on genetically modified products…..what has happened to that excellent idea?

I realize there is so much more that I have missed and if anyone would like to add something please leave a comment for I would love to here about the stuff that does not make it over here.

Just my small way of showing my UK readers that they are not forgotten here on IST.

Thanks for the visits and the comments.

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

It Is Good To Be The King

One of my favorite stories from last night….

This has nothing to do with our current situation here in the states but I thought my readers would like to see what can be accomplished with a king (and we have one in awaiting)….

Looks like the king of the United Kingdom will get a little richer next year….

It’s a good time to be a British royal. King Charles III’s monarchy will get a 53% bump in income next year and find itself on the receiving end of about $170 million. Here’s how that number was arrived at:

  • The bulk of the royal family’s wealth lies in the Crown Estate, a collection of lands and other holdings that now officially belong to Charles.
  • NBC News explains that in exchange for surrendering the revenue the Crown Estate generates, the monarchy receives the Sovereign Grant, which is funded by the taxpayer.
  • The Sovereign Grant had previously been equal to 25% of the Crown Estate’s profits; last year, the figure was slashed to 12%. The grant is reviewed every five years.
  • But the Crown Estate had a banner year, revealing in a Wednesday report it saw profits of $1.4 billion “driven by decades of investment in offshore wind, combined with a diverse and resilient property and land portfolio.” As the Guardian explains, “The crown estate, as legal owner of the seabed, has responsibility for auctioning offshore wind rights.”
  • Twelve percent of that is about $170 million, which is what the Sovereign Grant will equal for 2025-2026; the 2024-2025 Sovereign Grant totaled $110 million.
  • Some of next year’s money will go to the last stages of the decade-long renovation of Buckingham Palace, a project with a $475 million price tag. The royals also intend to purchase two new helicopters next year.
  • The news was met with criticism from some. The BBC has this from the head of the anti-monarchy group Republic: “We do not owe the royals a living, we do not owe them palatial homes, private helicopter travel or lives of leisure and luxury.”
  • The Sovereign Grant is far from the royal family’s only source of funds. The king gets income from the Duchy of Lancaster, while the Prince of Wales gets income from the Duchy of Cornwall. William’s first full year on the receiving end of that income saw him receive $30 million, reports the Guardian.

Cha-ching!

Like I said…”it’s good to be the king”.

Any Brits wanna comment?

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

Scary Scenario For The UK

Ever since Vlad the Invader went into Ukraine and starting thumping his chest with nuclear warnings and threats the whole world has been a tither with predictions of Putin marching down some Main Street…..but a report by an UK general gives a dire prediction….

A British general admitted on Tuesday that the UK couldn’t handle a war with Russia for more than two months as London has significantly depleted its military stockpiles by arming Ukraine.

Lt. Gen. Robert Magowan, the deputy chief of the defense staff, made the comments during a British parliament hearing where he was urging for more military spending.

MP Mark Francois, a member of the Conservative Party, asked Magowan if it was true that the UK “couldn’t fight Putin for more than a couple of months in a full-on shooting war because we don’t have the ammunition and the reserves of equipment to do it.”

Magowan said Francois’ statement was true. British Defense Minister Grant Shapps was also at the hearing and downplayed the lack of UK military readiness, saying any war with Russia would be fought alongside NATO allies, and referred to Article 5 of the alliance’s treaty that outlines mutual defense commitments.

“For people watching, and hearing that the UK isn’t ready for war exclusively with Russia, it’s important to understand that because we are in NATO and Article 5 exists, we would never be in that situation,” Shapps said, according to The Telegraph.

The comments came after a report from the House of Commons defense committee found that the British military was “increasingly overstretched” and wasn’t ready for a war with Russia. In December, The Times of London reported that the UK had “nothing” left in its military stockpiles after sending so many weapons to Ukraine.

Despite the state of the British military, the UK is one of the NATO countries most involved in the Ukraine proxy war. A recorded conversation between two German military officers that was recently published by Russian media revealed that British soldiers are “on the ground” in Ukraine helping Ukrainian forces fire Storm Shadow missiles.

(antiwar.com)

So arming Ukraine and now Israel is putting the UK at risk in the of a Russian conflict.

Would not commonsense dictate that country comes first and screw the others?

Just a thought.

Please if there is nay more info on this situation then share with my readers….I am sure they will appreciate it.

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

Nukes In The UK

Let us take a trip down memory lane…..it is the 1980s….a protesxt, led by women, were put together to protest the US stationing cruise missiles with nuke tips on UK soil.

Thames Valley Police warned of the scale and nature of the anti-nuclear demonstration planned to take place on Saturday 25 June; and on the urgent MOD reinforcement operation comprising 100 MOD Police and a somewhat larger number of RAF personnel that had consequently been set in hand.

  1. In the event, the demonstration took place and, at its peak, about 1500 were present outside the perimeter. At about 3.00 pm, some 80 demonstrators penetrated the wire, in 5 separate places, and entered the base. They were swiftly contained by the MOD forces, but not before some of them had reached the runway on which they painted anti-nuclear slogans (which have now been removed). There was one arrest by MOD police, for damage to the window of an MOD police coach, but all trespassers were removed from the base by the early evening.
  2. This event was significant in three main respects. Firstly, it was evidence again of the general reliability of Thames Valley Police warnings of the likely nature scale of such demonstrations- even though on this occasion the warning came at a very late stage. Secondly, the civil police assessment that incursions were likely was fully borne out. Thirdly, the event was further confirmation that the Greenham Common perimeter is a particularly hard one to defend and that, whatever the scale of internal reinforcement, it is unrealistic to suppose that every incursion can be wholly prevented- as opposed to being swiftly contained.
  3. The Guardian today reported the incident, together with the creation of a peace camp outside RAF Cottesmore. Extra MDP personnel have been deployed there and also at Porton where there is also now some presence of demonstrators although the latter have not so far been reported to the press.

In case you were more interested than I gave you credit…..

I bring up this historical bit because once again the US is planning on nukes for the UK…..

The US will deploy nuclear weapons to the UK for the first time in 15 years in a move Russia will view as a provocation, The Telegraph reported, citing Pentagon documents.

Pentagon procurement contracts show that the US is planning to station B61-12 nuclear warheads at RAF Lakenheath, a base in Suffolk, England. The US pulled its nuclear weapons out of the UK in 2008, and its decision to redeploy them demonstrates the low state of US-Russia relations.

According to The Telegraph, Russia said a US deployment of nukes to the UK would be an “escalation” that would require “compensating counter-measures.”

The US already has nukes stationed in Germany, Belgium, Italy, Turkey, and the Netherlands as part of NATO’s nuclear sharing program. Last year, Russia announced it was deploying nuclear weapons to Belarus amid tensions over the proxy war in Ukraine. Russian President Vladimir Putin pointed to NATO’s nuclear sharing program to justify his decision.

The B61 is the US’s primary nuclear gravity bomb, and the B61-12 is its newest iteration. It’s considered a tactical nuclear weapon, which have a lower yield than strategic warheads. But the B61-12 has a maximum yield of 50 kilotons, more than three times as powerful as the bomb the US dropped on Hiroshima, Japan.

The UK has a nuclear arsenal of its own and announced in 2021 that it was expanding, raising questions about Britain’s commitment to the Non-Proliferation Treaty. The UK said it was raising the ceiling of its nuclear warhead stockpile from 180 to 240 and that it would no longer publish information about the number of warheads it maintains in an operational status.

Will this trigger the intensity of the protests from 40 years ago?

Please any UK readers that have an opinion on this let me know…..

Personally, I think women should get involved again.

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

Closing Thought–01Dec23

The Conservative Party in the UK has issued its latest proposal and it is a doozy….apparently like the US the UK conservs have a hard on for the handicapped.

Critics of the UK’s ruling Conservative Party say welfare reforms unveiled Wednesday show why it is nicknamed the “nasty party.” Under the new plan, disabled people, including people with mobility or mental health issues, will be instructed to look for work they can do from home or face having their benefits cut by almost $6,000 per year, the Guardian reports. Jeremy Hunt, the country’s Treasury chief, said it was “wrong economically and wrong morally” for more than 100,000 people a year with illness or disability to be placed on benefits with no requirement to look for a job, reports the Times of London.

Official say they plan to use digital tools to track attendance at interviews and careers fairs. Critics, including charities for people with disabilities, criticized the plan as ill thought-out, noting that the number of work-from-home jobs has dropped sharply since the end of the pandemic. “Everyone should be able to work if they want to and can, but this latest government move looks sets to punish disabled people, adding more anxiety on to disabled households that are already struggling,” said Sarah White, the head of policy at disability charity Sense, per the Guardian.

Rachel Reeves of the opposition Labour Party accused the government of ignoring the “wider problem” of high rates of long-term illness and long National Health Service waiting lists, reports Sky News. “Britain is the only country in the G7 where the employment rate still has not returned to pre-pandemic levels,” she said. Hunt said Wednesday that the British economy has “turned a corner” and the government is bringing in the biggest tax cuts since the 1980s, the AP reports. But despite the cuts, taxation is still on course to reach its highest level since World War II, with more people moving into tax brackets that have been frozen for years.

Damn!  What dicks!

If anyone in the UK has more information on the issue please let us know.

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

Closing Thought–28Nov23

If you live in the UK do not die without a will!

I seems that if you die without a will then the King can reap some benefits….

The deaths of thousands of people in parts of England have increased the personal wealth of King Charles III, according to a Guardian investigation that might persuade many people—especially those opposed to the monarchy—to write wills. In most of England and Wales, the assets of people who die with no will and no known next of kin go directly to the government. But under a system that dates to feudal times, those assets go to the king’s Duchy of Lancaster property estate if the person dies in a former dukedom that covers a large area of northwest England that includes Liverpool and Manchester. In Cornwall, the assets go to the Duchy of Cornwall, now controlled by Prince William.

The duchies have long claimed that the funds, known as “bona vacancia”—Latin for “vacant goods”—are donated to charities. But documents seen by the Guardian show that only a small proportion of the funds go to charities and duchy officials have been granted permission to use bona vacancia funds to upgrade properties that are rented out for profit. One source says duchy officials consider the revenue “free money” and a “slush fund” to renovate properties including town houses and vacation homes. Charles inherited the Duchy of Lancaster when his mother died last year. Earlier this year, he received almost $33 million in his first annual payout from the property estate.

The Guardian notes that many of those who died without wills or next of kin lived in homes far more humble than the ones their assets are being used to renovate. Friends of people whose assets were claimed by the duchy say they’re dismayed that the funds are being used to increase the king’s wealth. “It’s shocking and it shouldn’t be happening,” says Charlie Briggs, a friend of retired nursery manager Val Taylor, whose assets were transferred to the king’s estate after she died last year at age 72. “It would be OK if the money was going to people who deserve it but not if it is going to an organization that has plenty,” he says. (Read more King Charles III

Please any UK readers could let my readers know if this is true and why is it so.

All I can do is shake my head….I am in no way in awe of the monarch….I think it is a free ride for giving nothing back.

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”