I've been asking for information about the KBR contract with the NHS for months now, since April in fact. But this is one area where I am getting nowhere. Is this a coincidence I wonder. Thankfully Nottingham e government does not (yet) include e-voting – in the US they have introduced this and are in big trouble because it looks increasingly clear that the same big economic interests may be using e-voting to rig the elections.

http://www.tompaine.com/feature2.cfm/ID/8033

http://news.independent.co.uk/world/americas/story.jsp?story=452972

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Nick Palmer MP for Broxtowe has sent an email about the Government's 'big conversation' in which he sets out a variety of questions on which the Government invites responses - the only questions relating to refugees and asylum seekers are these:

Asylum:

Should we increase the use of detention to speed up processing and act as a deterrent?

How can we maximise the benefits of ID cards?

To make some better suggestions for questions see:
http://www.bigconversation.org.uk/

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January 9-11th 2004, Nottingham (and elsewhere?)

The Nottingham Refugee Campaign Group is organising a Protest Fast against Section 55 of the 2002 Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act. January 8th 2004 will be the first anniversary of this Act.

Childless asylum seekers who cannot show that their application for asylum was made "as soon as reasonably practicable", and those who have received a refusal of their claim (but may be waiting for an appeal), are left without any support. They are prohibited from working and are not entitled to any state benefits, so are destitute.They are provided with neither money nor accommodation. There are people in Nottingham and around the country who have nothing to live on and have to live on the streets. Many others rely on charity and friends - but these friends are themselves often facing hardship. It is outrageous that in a rich country such as ours, this should be happening in the twenty-first century! We can't sit quietly and let it continue!

Asylum seekers have often fled torture, death threats and the murder of family members.  They may face imprisonment or worse if they return. Their journey has been arduous and dangerous. Any compassionate society would welcome them gladly, but instead prejudice against asylum seekers and refugees has become "acceptable racism". Yet Europe and the rich world see only a small proportion of refugees - the majority flee to already poor but nearby countries, for example in Africa.

Now, to make matters even worse, the government announced that it is considering removing support from families as well as single people, and putting their children into care.  It is also considering imprisoning people who arrive in Britain without papers.

So it is important that we protest against this act. A fast can raise both awareness and money, and is an act of solidarity with the people affected. Supporters will fast for up to 48 hours, starting at 8pm on Friday 9th January. We will drink only water. We will be based at St Peters Church in the city centre (near Marks & Spencers), to give the media a focus, to have a base for leafleting etc, and enable people to visit us. It also means that we can support each other as we fast.

A doctor has said, "A 48-four fast will be uncomfortable for those taking part but should not cause any medical problems to adults in normal health. (Of course, anyone pregnant should not participate.)" However, everyone is responsible for ensuring that their own state of health is suitable for undertaking this fast, and should consult their own doctor in case of any doubt. We don't want anyone to be made ill, and people who are not well are asked not to fast. A doctor will not be in attendance, so anyone who starts to feel ill will be asked to abandon fasting, and go to a doctor/hospital if necessary.

The fast will take place between 8pm on Friday evening (9th Jan) and 8pm Sunday evening, so that no-one will fast for more than 48 hours. This will be the length of time most people will aim at. However, if someone wants to join in for a shorter period, or needs to stop earlier for health or other reasons, this is OK too.

We will use sponsorship to raise money to obtain food for destitute asylum seekers, via the Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Refugee Forum's Destitution Fund. Sponsorship forms can be downloaded from the website.

Planning and organising are still ongoing, so anyone interested is invited to the second open meeting at the ICC/(YMCA) (61b Mansfield Road, Nottingham) on Monday December 8th, at 7.30pm. (The first meeting was well attended.)

We already have several people planning to fast, including refugees and asylum seekers. People are still needed to sponsor and help find sponsors. Also,as well organising and planning the event, supporters will be needed at the fast weekend to leaflet, talk to people, support fasters, and so forth.

There is plenty for everyone to do, whether or not they feel able to fast themselves. Some of the things we hope to discuss at the next meeting are trade union involvement (particularly local government unions), and how we spend our time in the church: Games? Language lessons? Music from our various countries? Catching up on reading, letter writing, sleeping . . .?

We might plan some focal activities, such as a candlelit vigil or speeches. The issue of staying overnight in the church also needs further discussion.

The idea of a sponsored fast on this issue originated in Nottingham, but, via the internet, we have spread the idea around and invited groups in other towns to join us. Interest has already been shown in three or four other towns. The more widespread the fast is, the more impact it will make.

In May this year, the Independent published some myth-busting facts about asylum seekers on its front page. Extracts follow:

According to an opinion poll last year, the public believes that the UK hosts about 23% of the world's refugees, although the real figure is 1.98%. 10,410 asylum-seekers were forcibly removed in 2002 - 13,335 including dependents. This is the highest annual total on record. There were 85,865 applications for asylum in 2002, a year-on-year rise of 20%. In the same year, 8,100 (10%) were granted asylum, 19,965 (24%) exceptional leave to remain, and 54,650 (66%) were refused. About 790 asylum-seekers are kept in some form of detention. This includes children. In 2002, the United Kingdom was 8th in Europe in terms of the number of asylum applications per 1,000 of the population, with 1.9. Austria is top with 4.6.

The main countries from which applicants came in 2002 were Iraq (14,940), Zimbabwe (7,695) and Afghanistan (7,380). Elderly or disabled asylum-seekers cannot claim extra benefits. The public believes that the average asylum-seeker receives about £113 in benefits a week; in reality they receive about £36.54. Although many receive nothing. During the controversy over the Sangatte camp in France, the media used 51 different terms to describe asylum-seekers, including 'parasites' and 'scroungers'.

About a third of those held in detention have been there for more than four months.

In 1999-2000, immigrants contributed £31.2bn in taxes and consumed £28.8bn in benefits - a net contribution of about £2.5bn to the economy.

(Sources: United Nations High Commissioner for refugees; the Home Office; the Refugee Council; the Institute for Public Policy Research; Mori; Article 19.)

See Website: http://www.nottsrefugeeforum.org.uk/fast.htm

Email: sponsoredfast@hotmail.com

Chris Cann

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www.eastmidlandsassembly.org.uk/documents/3cities_study_final_report.pdf (It is 2MB).

The document, commissioned from consultants, Ove Arup, fantasises 4 scenarios that will suposedly make the 'sub region'- i.e. the 3 cities of Nottingham, Derby and Leicester - into one of the top 20 European regions (in economic terms naturally) by the year 2010. These scenarios are given the exotic names “Smart Kids and Smart Places – 'Triple Helix Plus' “; “City Centre Extravaganza”; “Cultural Heaven” and “Transport Paradise”. The preferred and recommended scenario option is a mixture of them all.

The scenarios are nearly entirely conceived in commercial terms, though the words sustainable and 'green cities' are used, and if you still don't understand what the scenarios mean then:

'Smart Kids and Smart Places – Triple Helix Plus' is a strategy which concentrates on “tri-lateral networks and organisations encompassing Academia, the Public Sector and Industry”. (Local government supporting local universities to go to bed with local business – an example mentioned is the Nottingham BioCity initiative – see Nottm Alternative News No.3).

'City Centre Extravaganza' is turning city centres even more into consumer playgrounds by day and 'Cultural Heaven' is about turning them into playgrounds by night – though with some highbrow recommendations like a 3 Cities Orchestra. 'Transport Paradise' is about being able to nip over to Derby for a film, or Leicester for a curry, and come back the same evening – by public transport.

In short, the sub regional strategy is throwing money at local academics who have a business idea, it's also more shops, more night time economy and more transport. More of the same, in fact – an affluenza strategy, which will squander immense amounts of soon to be scarce very scarce oil and gas energy.

Considering that Ove Arup claims to have expertise in environment, in energy and sustainable development this is a thoroughly shoddy report - the real challenges facing the East Midlands, which are pretty much the same as the challenges facing everywhere else – are how to dramatically economise on energy – which will require, not only more energy efficiency and renewables but means to growmore food closer to home, as well as sharing goods more in order to radically reduce squandering resources on wasteful consumption. Far from worrying about being in the 20 most competitive regions in Europe the East Midlands – the East Midlands – and Nottingham, Derby and Leicester, need to turn inwards towards an endogenous path of development, meeting more needs closer to home. The report makes a genuflection to “green cities”, to sustainability and biodiversity but its authors appear ignorant of what they really mean. There is no sense of the radical character of the changes that will be required if social cohesion is to be at all possible, and if society is not to tear itself apart as oil and gas costs spiral in the future.

Also: http://216.187.75.220/newsletter36.pdf

Quite apart from anything else – the Ove Arup Strategy will spread even more light pollution across the East Midlands Sky.....

Brian Davey

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Brian Davey

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When I contacted Cllr Brian Grocock and Darren Pepper about light pollution this is what came back:

With reference to your enquiry my comments relate only to street lighting any other concerns would have to be taken up with the planning authority.

Concern with light pollution is not new and has been increasingly addressed by Nottingham over the last fifteen years by the use of luminaires designed to emit no light in the upward direction. Some of the newer designs have a choice of different bowls to reduce light pollution, variable optics to control the light pattern on the ground and accessory louvers to completely cut off any light that might spill into windows.

The City has no written street lighting policy that directly mentions light pollution. However, the specification of the above equipment and our adherence to good practice guidelines used addresses most issues raised.

What cannot be overcome is the amount of light reflected off the road which will contribute to sky glow. In these days where there are increasing demands for increased security and road safety lighting levels have had to be increased.

To give you some idea of how technology has increased efficiency in street lighting when you came to Nottingham in 1967 there would be thousands of street lamps in operation which used the inefficient 100watt GLS lamp that you probably have in your lounge. This tungsten filament GLS lamp is ideal in the home environment since it has an instant strike up period, a pleasing colour appearance and is relatively cheap to purchase. However the light output of this lamp is only 1380 lumens compared to 6600 lumens from the modern 70 watt high pressure sodium lamp. Also the lamp had to be changed four times a year compared to the current practice of once every three years. The old luminaire design lost 10% of its light in an upward direction compared to 0% for the modern unit.

The City's policy will continue to follow good practice guidance and improve the stock with modern equipment when funds are available.

End of council response on street lighting . . . .

So

• nearly 5 times as many lumens is being off the pavements, roads and other surfaces - which is something that cannot be controlled – ;
• the newer street light designs protect against light pollution and are applied “when funds are available”;
• there is no light pollution policy in regards to street lighting.

1. CPRE published PDF file which shows the extent of light pollution (zoned and denoted in colour bands) and the increase in light pollution in the East Midlands from 1993 to 2000.

2. 33 page PDF file by the Council for the Preservation of Rural England Report on “Night Blight”. The report argues that it is a rapidly worsening problem, describes the sources of light pollution and why it matters, and then looks at policies against light pollution making suggestions about legal redress and legal action against light pollution.

3. Report of the House of Commons Science and Technology Select Committee on Light Pollution and a BBC web report on this. When you see the evidence from the satellites then Nottingham is clearly one of the "many local planning authorities which have not taken the issue of light pollution seriously".

4. A good American review of light pollution issues which includes material on ecological and health risks. On this web site I found this saddening quote which perhaps explains why, with the new street light near my flat, a failed attempt to reduce prostitution, I no longer hear a dawn chorus:

   “The British Trust for Ornithology estimates that at any given hour on any given night, 10,000 English robins are serenading a false dawn.”

5. International Dark Sky Association Web site – contains a lot of data about different aspects of light pollution, including a compilation of international press reports on the theme

6. Italian Web site, in English language, with light pollution maps of all regions of the world, taken by satellite.

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The Environment Agency has told East Midlands Regional Assembly that the region should be recycling less municipal waste and incinerating more. At the examination in public into the Regional Planning Guidance in early December they will be saying that plans to recycle or compost 61 per cent of municipal waste are too ambitious and must be scaled back to 50 per cent. Instead they want to see 10 new incinerators for municipal waste and 4 for commercial waste.

According to Friends of the Earth incineration wastes natural resources and we should be aiming to recycle and compost as much of our waste as possible. - incineration is an outdated, polluting technology and should be rejected in favour of cleaner, more flexible technologies - 60 per cent recycling and composting of municipal waste is possible if the UK chooses to follow European best practice on recycling and composting - regional plans should include ambitious recycling targets so that we can plan for better waste management in the future. It is now too late to make your “consultative comments” (if they make any difference anyway). However, you might like to put some of these arguments to the relevant officials:

cindy.lee@environment-agency.gov.uk

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Bayer receive a beating over GM

Local people from Nottingham have been taking part in the campaign to stop German pharmaceutical giant, Bayer AG, bringing genetically modified (GM) crops into Britain.

Despite the British public's resounding 'NO!' to GM crops in the government's 'GM debate,' the government as yet shows no sign of backing away from the commercialisation of GM crops, and yet again, ordinary people have no choice but to take direct action to save their environment.

Bayer Cropscience are pushing for the commercialisation of Genetically Modified (GM) crops in the UK. Bayer owns over 90% of the GM crop varieties seeking approval in the UK. If Bayer gets their way this country will be flooded with GM crops, all of which will end up irreversibly released into the environment and contaminating our food. Bayer are by far the biggest company involved, and if they are stopped, then it is unlikely that any other crop-science company would be interested in taking their place.

Direct action taken by hundreds of ordinary people has forced GM crop trials to halt, and now ordinary people are again having to take action to stop the commercialisation of GM crops.  The campaign has a website which lists the scores of actions that have taken place against Bayer since September. Offices of Bayer and their subsidiaries have been occupied, the public has angrily banged pots outside their head quarters, they have been targeted as they visit universities, shows, and conferences, and economic damage has been inflicted on their sites. The campaign pledges not to stop until Bayer pulls out of GM in the UK.

The website has tips and resources for taking action, and lists all of Bayer's offices and plants in the UK. Get out there and tell Bayer what you think!

Campaign Website: http://www.stopbayergm.org/

Anti-genetics campaigning is discussed at the 'first monday monthly' meeting of Nottingham's Direct Action Forum (NASA) at the Sumac Centre.

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A 'Food Not Bombs' group for Nottingham?

A fascinating talk was recently given at the Sumac Centre, by FNB co-founder Keith McHenry, about the 23 year history and objectives of 'Food Not Bombs', one of the fastest growing the worldwide revolutionary movements. There are hundreds of autonomous chapters sharing free vegetarian food with hungry people and protesting war and poverty throughout the world. The first group was formed in the USA in 1980 by anti-nuclear activists. Food Not Bombs is an all volunteer organisation dedicated to nonviolence. Each group recovers food that would otherwise be thrown out and makes fresh hot vegetarian meals that are served to people in need.

As FNB is very strong in many countries, but not in Britain, there was considerable enthusiasm about setting up a group in Nottingham. The next step is for those who are seriously interested to get together and explore the idea in more depth.

In conversation, several people have bounced ideas around and came up with some key questions that we can all be thinking about in advance of the meeting. I have outlined these below.

• Do we, as busy activists, have time and energy to commit to such a project?
• Do we have suitable premises for storage and prep of food?
• Is there a time of the week which makes the most sense, and are we all free then?
• Who wants to do what? Will some people acquire food, others cook it and others distribute it, or will we all do everything?
• Should we run a street stall, or serve food in a building? What about borrowing a Veggies trailer with a FNB banner on it? How legit should we be?
• Should we focus on homeless people, feed general passers by, or concentrate specifically on asylum seekers?
• Should we organise a one-off event during the festive season as a 'trial run'?
• Do we appeal for donations, have a bank account etc?
• Will we need a vehicle, or work with bike trailers? (A van has been offered).
• What contacts do we have with refugee groups, etc?
• Where will we get the food from? Grocers, Victoria Market, etc??

Open meeting, Sun 14th Dec. 7pm. Sumac Centre, 245 Gladstone Street. (directions here).
Open to all. Please bring some vegan food to share.

If you missed the talk and aren't sure what FNB is all about, take a look at the website:

http://www.foodnotbombs.net/

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Broadway Cinema: Democracy Day - 7^th December

21st Century Testimonies: The life and Death of Democracy - advised cert 15

dirs: Andy O'Sullivan & Daniel Sayer UK 2003 (1hr 33mins)

1pm

followed by a talk with directors Andy O'Sullivan & (local lad) Daniel Sayer

A fascinating insight into corporate globalisation, its devastating effect on the environment, labour rights, food security, political freedom and the growing worldwide resistance to this new form of imperialism. Focusing on the World Economic Forum and the World Social Forum, activists from around the world, including Noam Chomsky, Vandana Shiva, Samir Amin and Martha Ojeda passionately testify to the problems facing humanity and the alternatives civil society and the social movements are proposing.

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Premiere

At the River I Stand - advised cert 15

dirs: David Appleby, Alison Graham & Steve Ross US 1993 (56mins)

3.30pm

followed by a talk with producer/director Allison Graham

At the River I Stand is a documentary about the Memphis sanitation strike of 1968. Although usually remembered as the event which culminated in the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., the strike is also significant in itself as a watershed event in the civil rights movement. It was in Memphis that King attempted to merge civil rights issues with a broader concern for economic rights. This is a story of opposing forces in American history: organized labour versus municipal authorities; civil disobedience versus civil law; poverty versus privilege; black versus white. It is also a story of individual sacrifice and bravery on the part of the 1300 sanitation workers who stepped off their jobs and into history. Using archival footage and present day interviews, the film tells the story of the Memphis movement from the initial strike to its final outcome in the wake of King's death.

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MASTERCLASS

DONNA FRANCESCHILD (SCREENWRITER)

The Key - Episode 1

dir David Blair UK 2003 (60mins)

followed by a talk with producer/writer DONNA FRANCESCHILD

BAFTA award-winning writer DONNA FRANCESCHILD talks to renowned local writer STEPHEN LOWE about her work, in particular the bold and ambitious BBC drama series The Key, which was shown on television recently. The series spans an 80-year period from the perspective of Mary Corrigan, a young woman growing up in 1915 in the political hot-bed of Glasgow's Red Clydeside who finds socialism and love with a fellow worker. She remains committed to socialism throughout her life and influences her daughter and granddaughters, one of whom ends up standing as a new Labour candidate. The Key highlights the fact that the times may have changed, but the need for unity and labour movement principles is just as great as ever.

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Premiere

Last Party 2000 - advised cert 15

dirs Donovan Leitch and Rebecca Chaiklin US 2000 (1hr 30mins)

with Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Michael Moore, Susan Sarandon

8.15pm

introduction by Dr Martin Halliwell from The University of Leicester

Filmed during the 2000 US Presidential elections, Last Party 2000 follows Philip Seymour Hoffman as a concerned citizen on an uncensored journey of the state of democracy in America. The film examines how the American political process addresses, and often fails to address, the country's most pressing issues. As we countdown to the pivotal 2004 election, the film answers the question, is there a difference between Republicans and Democrats?

"Phillip Seymour Hoffman provides an amazingly candid and insightful look at the contemporary American political process. With plenty to tick off or scare the bejeezus out of just about everyone, Last Party 2000 provides the proverbial icing on the cake with its actual election-day denouement. Here, the film unflinchingly shows just how badly democracy got raped in the Florida debacle. " Film Threat

Broadway Cinema
14 Broad Street
Nottingham NG1 3AL
Telephone 0115 9526600
http://www.broadway.org.uk/

"Everyone of us is responsible to all men for everyone and everything." Dostoevsky

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Hunger Strike a Success - the Thessaloniki 7

A call out to smash plates internationally in public places to draw attention to the injustice and plight of the Thessaloniki prisoners was co-ordinated in Nottingham. 50 plates were smashed to mark the 50th day of hunger strike by Simon Chapman. 50 messages and pieces of plate were faxed and posted to the Greek Embassy.

We were delighted to be able to celebrate in the very same week the release of the Thessaloniki 7 prisoners. A victory of the struggle for dignity and freedom by the 5 hunger strikers, and 2 prisoners, but as well for the thousands of people that stood up for them all over the world!! It is an outright defeat for the greek state-repression complex, and for the global "anti-terror" mechanisms

The Nottingham smashing actions were reported in the mainstream Greek press and on national Greek radio.

For those who can read greek: http://www.bbc.co.uk/greek/news/031125_hungerstrikers.shtml

REACTOR's “Hunger Strike Picnic”.

Lunchtime in the crowded shopping area. The perfect venue for a picnic, but there was no food only plates. They took precautions, the Reactor crew masked up (wearing paper plate masks) and kept a close eye on their rucksacks. A section of Nottingham city centre was sectioned off and the

smashing began. As passers by stopped to watch the smash-up and heard about the plight of the Thessaloniki 7, leaflets were distributed and local supporters arrived bringing their own plates to publicly smash. The police took an interest, not in the injustice of the situation but in the names and addresses of the organisers.

More pictures at <http://www.mydadsstripclub.com/hungerpicnic.htm>

To share information, raise awareness of the need for prisoner support and organise local actions to continue to support the Thesaloniki to get the charges dropped.

Next meeting 7pm Monday 5th January 2004. Sumac Centre, 245 Gladstone St, Forest Fields, Nottingham

30^th November Update

A call was received from Simon Chapman who was very happy and looking forward to his first soup. The support HQ seem to think they will drop the charges, as this message shows:

From: thessaloniki-supporters-admin@codex.net

Reply-To: thessalonikiprisoners@yahoo.co.uk
Date: Thu, 27 Nov 2003 02:30:39 +0000 (GMT)
To: thessalonikiprisoners@yahoo.co.uk
Subject: HUNGERSTRIKE OVER! FANTASTIC NEWS!

Nov 26th, late

Dear supporters, as some of you must've heard by now, the Greek authorities have backed down to the hungerstrike and today ordered the immediate release of all seven prisoners. Although Simon, Kastro, Carlos, Fernando, Spyros, Michalis and Dimitris are now on bail, we are sure their cases will never come to court, for the simple reason that the Greek government will not let their 2004 Olympic dreams trashed by this worse-case-scenario publicity. We understand that Simon will be in a civilian hospital for at least a week while he starts eating again, beginning with milk and simple soups. They are also saying the foreigners cant leave the country til trial, but with a high-level investigation going on into the arrests themselves the Greek government will do everything they can to drop this hot potato as quick as poss. So be happy, and rejoice, but let's save the big celebration til Simon and the others are back home. Thanks everyone, esp the Dublin 24h

http://www.mydadsstripclub.com/hungerstrike.htm

A. T.

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Enjoy Your Porridge – Prison Labour for Wilkinsons

HARDWARE giants Wilkinson's are at the centre of a "slave labour" storm for allowing prisoners to package their goods.

Next time you buy a saucepan from Wilkinson's Hardware store you might find the message "enjoy your porridge" inside, written on the back of leaflets asking you to boycott Wilko¹s. Nottingham has seen a series of actions targeting Wilkinson¹s demanding it stops using compulsory prison labour. The firm has been accused by the political group Campaign Against Prison Slavery (CAPS), of using prison inmates as "slave labour" who earn little more than £1 a day. A series of protests outside Wilkinson's stores have taken place across the country. More local actions are planned in the run up to Christmas. Mark Barnsley's article (see below) outlines the case for targeting Wilko's.

"We are already finding that this is a highly controversial issue with the public, and we have had a great deal of support. These are capitalist companies who care about the illusion of self-image, they don¹t want to be linked to slavery, they don¹t want customers boycotting them, and they certainly don¹t want people picketing outside their stores." Mark Barnsley.

Mark Barnsley's article: http://www.veggies.org.uk/news/bullet04a.htm

Campaign Against Prison Slavery: http://www.againstprisonslavery.org/

Full size copy of Wilko's Price Card to print off and display (140k)http://www.veggies.org.uk/news/wilko005.jpg

Brian Davey addes:

Compulsory prison labour labour raises disturbing issues. One of most frightening possible scenarios for the future would be this: global politics, economics and society become increasingly dominated by businesses with a vested interest in destruction and social disintegration (arms manufacturers, security and surveillance companies, privatisated prison corporations, legal – and illegal – empires selling tranquilising and other 'medications', plus the ever larger armed forces themselves etc.). For the people driving these corporate and state empires, the more conflict, the more misery, the more vulnerable people - so the more money and work for them. While these people operate with impunity in relation to the law – e.g. breaking international treaties and tearing up the laws of war, abusing human rights in prison - increasing numbers of vulnerable people and scapegoat social groups like refugees, who soak up the anger and frustration - will find themselves in prison. Meanwhile the privatised prison and security services would make more money, and generate more jobs, the larger the prison population and the greater the number of people under surveillance – something which, on current trends, Home Secretarys like David Blunkett, and Attorney General, Ashcroft, in the USA seem happy to oblige them with.

This is already becoming a pretty good description of US society. He “land of the free” incarcerates a higher percentage of its citizens than any other country. The even services like call centres, are operated from prisons. If this process continues to unfold in the way I have described, the 'production sector' of the economy (as opposed to the destruction sector ) will increasingly adapt to the new operating environment and cash in on the cheapness and availability of prison labour. To a privatised prison service selling the labour of the prison population is a logical way of “adding value” that can be sold, for PR purposes, as “rehabilitation”. In that sense Wilkos business strategy would be a sign of times to come.

Where this process can end is seen as its furthest extreme in the Nazi economy of the 1930s and 1940s, which ended using the hair of its victims to make socks for the U boat crews. Hitler's rise to power was backed financially by the forces of destruction - arms manufacturers like Thyssen, and ten years later they were cashing in on the war and on the organisation of death camps. Thyssen's banker, it should be remembered, was Prescott Bush, George Bush's grandfather, who was a leading beneficiary of German rearmament – until he had his property confiscated under the US Trading with the Enemy Act (he got a lot back in the early 1950s)......

This is a scenario for the emergence of a new kind of slave economy. It would, of course, be very modern, so Happy Christmas to New Labour – it has no need to desist from its modernisation strategy.

For people interested in exploring these issues (e.g. With and through their MP) the following web links may be useful:

Article on “The Prison – Industrial Complex” in the US, by Eric Schlosser, which argues that, with nearly 2 million US citizens behind bars, the booming prison economy is being seen as “jobs for depressed regions and a windfall for profiteers”

http://www.TheAtlantic.com/issues/98dec/prisons.htm

Human Rights Watch: www.hrw.org/prisons/

Prison Policy Institute: http://www.prisonpolicy.org/

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Geoff Hoon, War Criminal of No interest to Nottinghamshire Police

That we are governed by war criminals is not exaggerated rhetoric but literal fact. However, attempts to get the Nottinghamshire Police take this up have, predictably, come to nothing.

The legal case for war was based on the imminent threat of Saddam's non existent weapons of mass destruction – we know that they don't exist and that no one in the centre of government ever thought there was an imminent threat. So their legal case for launching the war was cynical and fraudulent. There are good grounds for believing too, that the way that the war was conducted, for example the use of depleted uranium weapons with proven health and environmental dangers, was contrary to the laws of war. The Notts Police, however, are unimpressed:

"I am in receipt of the correspondence you have sent to Nottinghamshire Police regarding the war with Iraq and issues as you see them.

I have to inform you that Nottinghamshire Police has no intention of investigating the issues that you raise.

The issues surrounding the war have been and continue to be explored and debated within the context of our democracy and constitution, though Parliamentary processes, these are not issues to be further investigated by a 'provincial' police force.

Your correspondence will be retained but no further action will be taken by Nottinghamshire police.

Yours sincerely,

George Frame

Detective Superintendent"

The way these matters are “explored and debated within the framework of our democracy and constitution” can be summarised as follows:

Firstly, under the International Criminal Court Act all prosecutions for war crimes have to be authorised by the Attorney General. The Attorney General is part of the government that authorised the war. Clearly, he cannot sit on judgement on himself, so this is a nonsense.

Secondly, as pointed out in a recently published compilation on the legal issues:

“Curious as it may seem, more than three centuries after the Civil War which is commonly considered to have established that the Crown is subject to the Law and that Parliament is supreme, large areas of the conduct of foreign relations remain within what we still call the Royal or Crown Prerogative. That is to say, they are matters for the Executive – the Government – to decide, and not for the Parliament or for the courts......(so) the government has the power to take the United Kingdom to war, without the duty even of consulting Parliament, and the courts have no power to interfere with that decision. Accordingly, even if a Government decision to use force against Iraq were clearly in breach of international law, it is very improbable indeed that any English or Scots court would order the Government to reconsider, let alone reverse that decision.”

(Professor Vaughan Lowe, in the BBC's Shadow “Judicial Review” 19^th December 2002)

In other words, it looks as if the “framework of our democracy and constitution” are very nicely stitched up to protect any mass murder or war crimes that Her Britannic Majesty's Government decides to commit – for example, to help the American kleptocracy's privatising theft of other countries economies. It appears that armed robbery and murder is OK as long as you do it with the British armed forces because, although there are international legal principles, these legal principles appear to be unenforceable in UK law.

Or so it seems – however, a group of senior lawyers, law professors and their political supporters are trying every avenue to find a way though the legal maze. During the Bush visit they put a petition, signed by lawyers to the Metropolitan Police. The Legal Action Against the War group is supported, among others by Nottingham South MP, Alan Simpson. On 18^th November a meeting at Portcullis House reviewed a variety of their activities with Alan present. This includes taking up the way Parliament was misled; preparing a petition direct to the International Criminal Court once there is confidence that all UK legal avenues have proved fruitless; taking up the anomalous position of the Attorney General – for example demanding the full publishing of his opinion on the Iraq war and, in the long term, pressing for change to the International Criminal Court Act's requirement for the AG's permission for prosecutions under it. The idea has been floated for an all party group and Law and War and Alan is wanting appropriate questions that he can put in the House of Commons.

Wendy Rose of the Process Review Consultancy outlined the work they want to do in investigating the systemic policy-making and decision-making processes that result in the UK engaging in military intervention. Dr Abdul Haq Al Ani proposed that the answer is simple - the PM decides. Alan Simpson agreed but recognised the value of comparing the constitutional processes in other countries with a view to drawing up a Bill to improve matters here. Abdul Haq emphasised the need for an independent judiciary and hoped that proceedings scheduled soon for Bristol Crown Court in connection with the Fairford Two would prove useful in airing the matter.

Late addition:

In Thursday's Guardian, one of the people mentioned in this article as pursuing legal action against the government, was reported by Audrey Gillan to have been arrested, allegedly for sanctions busting to Iraq. To remind you, sanctions were applied against Iraq after 1990, allegedly to help disarm that country – and are widely regarded as having contributed to the death of at least one half a million children in that country, leading to the resignation of two UN Officials, Hans von Sponek and Dennis Halliday, who had been responsible for UN Humanitarian Operations in the country. If Abdul-Haq al Ani helped re-arm Iraq then where's the proof – where are the weapons of mass destruction? B.D.

According to the Guardian:

. . . Abdul-Haq al-Ani, who fled Saddam's regime in 1986, was arrested under Section 3C of the Iraq and Kuwait (United Nations Sanctions) Order 1990 which states that "no person shall do any act calculated to promote the supply or delivery of any goods to any person in Iraq or Kuwait or for the purpose of any business carried on in Iraq". He was bailed to return for further questioning in eight weeks. .......

Mr Ani, who was called to the bar in 1996, has been lecturing across the country speaking out against the war. He opposed Saddam's regime while also vociferously campaigning against sanctions....

Mr Ani edited the Arab Review magazine between 1992 and 1996, which was vocal in its opposition of sanctions."I have always been against sanctions on a matter of principle and international law but I have never been involved in activities that were in contravention of sanctions," he said, adding: "It is political intimidation. They ransacked my friend's house. What were they searching for, a nuclear weapon? These are people's civil liberties being trampled on here. No one has ever been prosecuted for this before so why are they bringing me in now?"

The arrest was condemned by anti-war campaigners and civil liberties groups. The Labour MP Tam Dalyell said he would be demanding a full explanation in parliament. ....

He (Mr Ani) is currently trying to use the International Criminal Court Act 2001 to sue Mr Blair and cabinet members, claiming they have committed war crimes in Iraq. Under the act, the attorney general grants the grounds for a case but Mr Ani argues that since the attorney general is also a member of the government he cannot sit in judgment on himself. He is seeking a judicial review of the case in the Lords.

Anas al-Tikriti, a spokesman for the Muslim Association of Britain, said: "Unless he was sending depleted uranium or plutonium to Iraq I can't see why they have arrested him now."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,3604,1093988,00.html

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City Council Housing: Gearing up for Change.....or for Chaos?

In last month's Alternative Newsletter I reported on how the Notts Police may have pushed through a very big reorganisation too rapidly, with negative effects on their performance – for how long remains to be seen. However, it would be unfair to single out the police because, when it comes to rapid reorganisations, these are happening all over the public sector locally. The polite way of describing this is to say that things are very “fluid” at the moment and that it's all part of the “Gearing up for Change” programme of the new leader of the city, Jon Collins and the new Chief Executive. They are under pressure from central government on the one hand, and dissatisfied citizens on the other.

A good example of the 'rapid reorganisation' agenda is about to occur at the City Housing Department. A big restructuring is being pushed through quickly, and senior city managers and politicians are clearly nervous that, given the scale of the changes, and the break neck speed, it could all go very wrong.

According to a report to the Executive Board, the leading decision making body of the city council, “the size, complexity and speed of the programme is a risk in its own right”.

You can see, however, why they must think that they have little choice. Nearly 15,000 of the 35,000 council houses in the city do not reach the “decent homes standard” that the government has said all council tenants should be able to expect by the year 2010. In addition, City Housing is not performing well on its “best value inspection ratings”, the government's “examination” for housing departments in regard to the performance of the housing benefit claims service, the rents administration, housing choice, and repairs and maintenances. A new best value inspection took place between the 3^rd and 15^th November though its results will not be known till January.

To improve the houses to the decency standard by 2010 the council estimate that they need £141million, and the government has prescribed the ways open to them to get the needed financial resources – they reckon that they are unlikely to get the money except through Private Finance Initiatives, if they transfer council housing to what are called 'Arms Length Management Organisations' (ALMOs), or if they transfer council houses to social landlords (housing associations). In practice it appears that local labour politicians and officials would like to go for a mixture of options, including an ALMO. In an ALMO senior managers and politicians would, of course, retain a modified form of control. If, however, city housing doesn't get good enough “grades” in the November best value “examinations”, their betters in Whitehall are unlikely to be allow the setting up an ALMO and this option will be closed down for the failures in Nottingham. That would force city housing down the PFI route and/or handing over the housing stock to housing associations. Particularly worrying for them at the moment are the likely performance grades by the repairs and maintenance service ( the in house direct works department) where the prospects for improved best value grades are considered poor.

So what is involved in the restructuring? Quite a lot. It includes: (i) a consultation programme with tenants and lease holders over the organisational options open to get the money to reach the decent homes standard (this has already taken place but few council tenants responded); (ii) a “service improvement programme” which itself includes no less than 4 “recovery plans” for service areas - to improve performance in repairs and maintenance, rents, benefits, homelessness, as well as 11 “business critical plans” in overlapping areas like staff sickness, customer involvement, services for elderly people, information and communications technology, supporting vulnerable tenants etc; (iii) a reorganisation of district and neighbourhood offices including a closure of 10 of 19 housing offices to release staff for new functions; (iv) the introduction of a new staffing structure including splitting staff into those concerned with “strategy” and those concerned with “landlord functions” . This involves a considerable amount of redeployment with the majority of the department affected. Staff are normally redeployed under what is called a 66% rule - people are slotted into new posts unless their current job does not match 66% of the new post. However, so many people are being redeployed in this case that the 66% rule has to be relaxed to make the changes feasible – which means that a large part of the department are doing jobs which are substantially new to them, requiring, in turn, a comprehensive retraining programme.

This mega marching plan, which involves a host of functional, geographical and policy changes, is to be achieved in a short time period – with “14 major milestones to be got through in 14 months”. It is the central government that is forcing the pace – the office of the deputy prime minister has a bidding timetable to be kept to. The government is in a hurry so Nottingham is forced to hurry too.

Just as in the recent police reorganisation where many local coppers didn't know whether they were coming or going, similar chaos is now in prospect in the housing department. Staff will be doing largely new jobs, many in new offices, and will be deluged with new plans, with little time to adapt.

All this is taking place, it should be said, is in a department where sickness absence is already high. In their submission to the plans UNISON says it believe the high level of sickness absence within the department reflects the stress levels its members complain of. A high numbers of unfilled posts across the department is causing work overload, the number of restructures over a considerable period of time, and low morale is, according to UNISON, due to bad management and lack of training. “Members believe this will increase when neighbourhood and district offices close as they are all running understaffed with vacant posts unfilled therefore, are not sure how an improved service can be delivered. “They are unhappy about the proposed new performance structure, but complain about inadequate information about it to consult their members. For their part the GMB point to fact that the tenant consultation process, the start of the process, has already flopped, with just 48 replies out of 33,000 tenancies.

Perhaps it is time to state what ought to be obvious – that the more complex an organisation, and the more extensively one needs to reorganise it, the longer it will take to reorganise it well. One may try to push through a reorganisation at break neck speed, but then one is likely to end up, to stay with the metaphor, “breaking necks”.

The sorts of problem that one gets are perhaps illustrated by an aspect of the UNISON viewpoint. Before they can consult members in a meaningful way on the restructuring process, in particular the proposed performance management framework, they say that they require considerable more detail on the Structure plan, the Job descriptions, the Salary scales, the Slotting in / job matching process as well as full details of the performance management framework. However, this will involve a lot of work in communication and consultation and will take time.

For consultation to be meaningful it might mean a whole number of adjustments need to be made to the overall plan, producing further delays and requiring more time for more rethinking. Unless this happens however, staff will legitimately feel aggrieved, pushed around and not able to talk through their needs. Just pushing things through on the timetable will then lead to more demoralisation, stress and sickness absence – which in turn will mean that performance will not improve but deteriorate even further. (The government intends to transfer the power to write sick notes to occupational health services and away from GP – you can see where that will lead in a few years, but that is another story).

The politics of housing is like this – if you are a housing benefit claimant your ability to manage your life will descend into chaos if you do not get a housing benefit cheque fast enough, or if you get sick and demoralised when your life become more chaotic - because you cannot get the roof that is leaking into your childrens' bedroom fixed. The ability to manage your life is dependent on the housing department sorting its act out quickly on things like this. The government, realising that its re-election is partly dependent on such matters, is in a hurry to force the housing department to speed up its improvement.

Rather than give extra money to do this by working with existing procedures, which department officials understand, and letting improvements occur at a gentle pace, that staff would cope with, the government would prefer to use its spare cash doing other things – like invading Iraq, which cost £3billion in 6 months. They want to force local government to get new money by making deals with private companies and by break neck reorganisations. However, transforming the housing department too fast means that its performance is likely to get worse rather than better. The Housing Department is already stressed and demoralised and there is a limit to the extent that you can push people – they get sick, leaving their colleagues to cope with even more, in a downward spiral that goes out of control.

Moreover, the sheer magnitude and scope of the changes that are intended, understandable in their details only to senior managers, makes it difficult for council tenants to take in what is happening so that they become cynical, indifferent or even hostile to another “Big Conversation” excercise – they sense intuitively that they are merely being asked to legitimise some else's big ideas, that it has already been decided that these big ideas will happen with minor variation, and on a very tight timetable for that matter.

Brian Davey

A Council Tenant Comments:

The ALMO proposal is mainly due to the Treasury requirement of putting public sector capital expenditure off its balance sheet. As with PFI it will lead to poorer services at higher cost. But it helps to keep down the Public Sector Borrowing Requirement.

One of the reasons for low tenant interest in being consulted is that council tenants prefer to stay as council tenants (better the devil you know). The government and the council claim to be giving tenants a choice while denying us the right to make the choice we want - which would be to allow the council to have access to the capital expenditure which will now only be permitted by arms length organisations.

The Council has just put out a special edition of 'Your Housing News' to advertise the 'Annual Tenant and Leaseholder Conference' on 1 Nov. I couldn't make it, but there was a report in the Post which had a photo of the Director of Housing Lynne Pennington dressed up as Cilla Black doing a Blind Date act (without really explaining why).

The Housing News contains a section titled 'Service Improvements – Your Questions Answered'.
The first question is:

“Q Surely closing offices will make life more difficult for me?

A We don't think so. The changes will actually free up more staff to deal with your problems and concerns . . . If you have difficulty getting to an office then we will make arrangements for someone to come and visit you in your home.”

Yes, that's going to free up resources and reduce difficulty no end!

Web Resources:

A good web site to explaining and criticising the government's agenda, as well describing the national campaign against the changes, supported by quite a few Labour councillors, but not by those in Nottingham, can be found on www.defendcouncilhousing.org.uk

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Cunnilingus in North Korea – A suitable topic for Nottingham?

It has been suggested that we spice up the Nottingham Alternative News Bulletin. To the suggestion that the topic below might not be Nottingham focused enough a local artist argues:

“I'm sure Cunnilingus is a subject dear to lots of people in Nottingham. It's just not talked about in public.”

http://www.yhchang.com/CUNNILINGUS_IN_NORTH_KOREA.html

Your comments on any aspect of this debate are welcome provided that they are (a) spicy and (b) politically correct.

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The People's Oscar Award

Undeterred by their political setback at the Sherwood by-election, Lord Biro and the Church of the Militant Elvis Party have decided to press ahead with one of their manifesto pledges. That is to give a cheap plastic Oscar (£3.99) to Tony Blair for his chilling performance in the House of Commons when he told MP's that Saddam Hussain was a threat to the world with his weapons of mass destruction.

To compliment this pledge Lord Biro has drawn up a petition which he hopes the citizens of Sherwood will sign in support of the 'Peoples Oscar Award' which he plans to present to Tony Blair.

The petition will be launched at the Church of the Militant Elvis Party stall outside the Co-op in Sherwood on Saturday December 6th, 10:30am (weather permitting).

The radio and T.V. Presenter Ray Gosling will assist with the launch. The stall will also be selling Lord Biro's satirical Xmas cards and poetry books.

For more info email: lordbiro58@hotmail.com

Website: http://www.theplace4.co.uk/elvisseeninbaghdad

Issued by the Church of the Militant Elvis Focus Team, 1/12

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STABLE INFLATION

On the Kwik Saviour's birthday

my new love gave to me.

A partshare in a plum site

two walkman sets

three battery hens

four mobile phones

five stolen rings

six videos merging

seven faxes flowing

eight freezers storing

nine sweaters posing

ten sofas lounging

eleven cd's spinning

twelve tv's blaring

HAPPY CONSUMERDAY 359.

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I'm Dreaming Of A Brown Xmas.

It was Xmas day in

The Workhouse

They shovelled the spuds

From a barrow

The brussels were as hard

As cricket balls

The Chicken the size of

a sparrow.

Gordon delivered an orange

He served it with a lob

I smelt some peel

then faded away

crushed beneath the Mob.

I woke up on the morrow

Same old ruddy story

SHOVELLING SHIT

from six till six

next time I'm voting Tory

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Rugby Special

WILKINSON LIMITED

Here comes the hero

packaged and shiny

Disposable icon

for a throwaway world

Clean cut as grass

in an Action-man's graveyard

Fodder for Mammon

with logos unfurled.

JONNY COMES MARCHING HOME

When Jonny comes marching home again

Hurrah, hurrah

When Jonny comes marching home again

Hurrah.

There'll be Umbro there

& Nike too

Marching along and getting their due

Yes, they'll all be there when

Jonny comes marching home

etc ...

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Links to Diaries

Sumac Centre & Veggies Events Diary : http://www.veggies.org.uk/diary.htm

Nottingham Friends of the Iraqi People : www.nottmnowar.org

Stop the War : www.nottmagainstwar.org.uk

Broadway Cinema : www.broadway.org.uk/diary/

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Other useful links

Ned Ludds News - Nottingham Free Information Network is an example of a print newsletter, published intermittently from 1997-2002 - see http://www.veggies.org.uk/neds/Ned0208.htm.

UK Indymedia : http://www.indymedia.org.uk
and Sheffield Indymedia : http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/regions/sheffield/
Indymedia is based on Editorial Guidelines, which would not neccessarily apply to Nottingham Alternative News Service : http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/static/editorial.html

Schnews : http://www.schnews.org.uk
Veggies Newsround : http://www.veggies.org.uk/news/index.htm
Buzzflash : http://www.buzzflash.com
Information Clearing House : http://www.informationclearinghouse.info

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T O P

ID Cards EGovernment Nick Palmer Asylum Fast 3Cities 'sub-region' Starlight LightPollution RecycleLess Bayer&GM FoodNotBombs Broadway Thessaloniki 7 Prison Labour Geoff Hoon City Housing North Korea Lord Biro