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THE

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Issue #63, Mid May Edition 2021

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Equality Democracy Truth Courage

THE PEOPLE’S PAPER

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STARMER PARTY FINAL DEATH THROES

DEAD LOSS

West Brom relegated PAGE 2

Aaaaaaaa, Starmer!!!

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Mid May 2021

Rayner is the scapegoat for Labour’s Keir-lamity On Saturday evening, Angela Rayner was made the scapegoat for Labour’s capitulation on election day. She was fired both as Party Chair and as the Campaign Co-Ordinator, as the party’s increasingly erratic non-leader, Keith Starmer, tried to distract from his failures. Labour’s performance in various elections this week was largely awful. Just 22 seats won in the Scottish Parliament, they did not register their first in Holyrood until almost 7:30pm on Friday night.

links to Corbyn and the left, was an easy target.

Although popular in the Parliamentary Party, Rayner will receive little sympathy from either wing of the now-hopelessly divided party at grass-roots South of the border, Labour level. As a working class girl lost control of six councils, and northerner, the posh-acand roughly 300 councillors. cented banking class that domThe Tories, entering the mid- inate the Labour Right have term of a chaotic Government, never been altogether comsomehow gained around fortable with her. The left 250 councillors, and meanwhile have not took overall control been able to forgive LABOUR of 12 councils. the way she comLOST CONTROL pletely sold out OF SIX COUNCILS, to Starmer, havLabour did well in Wales, ing previously AND LOST establishing a been brought to ROUGHLY 300 small but workprominence unCOUNCILLORS able majority in der the leadership the Senedd (Asof Jeremy Corbyn. sembly). But the Labour Party in Wales are led Rayner retains her title by a Corbyn-sympathising left as Deputy Leader of the Lawinger, Mark Drakeford, who is bour Party, which is not in the ideologically badly at odds with leader’s powers to revoke. But the UK leadership. as many a former holder of the Deputy title has complained, Worst of all for Starmer and it really does not mean a great the Labour Right, Hartlepool’s deal and has little in the way of Westminster seat was lost to either a defined role or powers. the Tories in a by-Election, for the first time in the constituenLabour MP Ian Lavery recy’s history. sponded to the dismissal in withering terms. “Something By any measure, the night sadly has gone wrong in the was a car-crash for Labour. If party - knee-jerk reactions like Starmer himself was not go- this don’t do anyone any good.” ing to resign over the fiasco – and he really should have Former Shadow Chancelhe was clearly going to make lor John McDonnell also could sure someone suffered for it. not conceal his contempt for Rayner, it seems, with her old Starmer. He tweeted, “Keir Starmer said yesterday that he “Hartlepool’s took full responsibility for the Westminster election result in Hartlepool other losses. Instead toseat was lost to and day he’s scapegoating everythe Tories in a one apart from himself. This isn’t leadership it’s a cowardly by-Election ” avoidance of responsibility.”

“A car-crash for Labour”

By Martin Odoni

Why They Didn’t Vote Labour Last Week Some perspective: In 2018 Labour gained 79 councillors In 2019 Labour lost 84 councillors In 2021 Labour lost 301 councillors with 132 of 143 councils declared The graphic shows the reasons voters gave in a poll for Channel 4 News:

POLITICS AND EVENTS

THE MAN AND THE

PIG

f you have noticed the way Labour party politicians pretend to start off as honest and on the left then you are not alone in that. You are also not alone in seeing their gradual opportunistic moves to the right. Tony Blair -post the Miranda incident – was once a member of CND. Peter Mandelson was once in the Communist party and even the inept, Keith Starmer acted the part for a bit.

Why do they do this? They either, like Blair, set out to lie, or worse, maybe they become institutionalised by the system. Imagine you are a shadow Minister and Labour demands you vote to bomb a country? You tell yourself that you are needed in the House of Commons. You convince yourself that your constituents cannot do without you. The choice is made. You have already travelled one step upon that road. That was the mentality that saw 3 Labour leadership contenders not opposing cuts to social security. Some Labour party politicians become happy with being

lifelong non-entities. A salary of £80,000 a year insures their obedience to the system. Margaret Beckett is a good example of this. She was even briefly the party leader after the death of John Smith. Yet, look at her dire record of opposing anything from the establishment. She is establishment. A Dame Hood and an OBE ensure her compliance.

Any of our readers who have been members of the Labour party for any length of time will see the pattern. Let’s look at another example of this, the Labour leader in the House of Lords, Dame Angela Smith of Basildon. In the early 80’s she simpered around collecting money for the miners strike fund. She told a left wing member of her CLP who questioned her motives that, “I am a Socialist who would never accept a place in the Lords. A short while later she moved back to Basildon and her career took off. She slid up the greasy poll into the pig trough. Why do these sort of people act like this? Simply because they can. The system is set up

to include them. It is a Conservative system in every sense of the word. The establishment rewards these people. Sign your name each day into the Lords and you are rewarded with over £300 a day just for turning up. No one checks your job search, no one hassles you, and you don’t even have to speak. All you have to do is be a flunky to the corruption that pays them. Politicians look for a wave to surf on: animal rights, green issues, gay rights, women’s rights. They jump on a bandwagon that someone else has fought hard doing the real work for then pretend it was their own. Politicians hone the art of falsehood. They wait until a cause becomes popular or gamble that it might. You can spot the signs in their hubris quite early. Their hands are up first at meetings. When they ask a question it becomes a speech. They take multiple positions like being a CLP chair as well as a councillor. They make secret deals to get themselves to party conference and to shadow well known national politicians. They manipulate and scheme against each

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POLITICS AND EVENTS

Mid May 2021

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I AM GLAD THAT LABOUR LOST As a left social democrat I personally am delighted that Kier Starmer’s LP has been massacred in these elections. The LP is the most corrupted organisation I have ever had the misfortune to be involved with. Those who have wrested control of the party since Corbyn’s defeat are some of the most morally bankrupt folk I have ever come across. For 5 years they collaborated with right wing media in a coordinated campaigned against their own party which involved denying there was any alternative to neoliberal ideology and smearing their own members as antiemetic, extremists. Now they are amazed that no one wants to vote for the LP!?

I believe that the centrist LP is finished and that the Tories could be in power for a generation (1520 years). Even so I cannot at the moment imagine circumstances under which I will ever vote for or support the LP again.

I hate the Tories and want to end the neoliberal era replacing it with a mixed economy, welfare state, social democratic alternative. Starmer’s LP has neither the ability nor the desire to achieve that. Indeed, the current LP leadership has gone to extraordinary lengths to make sure that the LP does not promote such a social democratic alternative.

“The least bad” or “lesser of 2 evils’ argument led many good social democrats and democratic socialists to support and fight for a Blair victory... yet Blair publicly stated that one of his primary political aims was to fulfil Thatcher’s legacy!!! The disregard for moral, let alone political, principles by the right of the LP makes the LP in my view unfit to govern. By CHRIS JURY, ACTOR AND LIFELONG SOCIALIST

CHRIS WILLIAMSON The outcome of Thursday’s elections was pretty much a foregone conclusion.

The Parliamentary Labour Party and the party’s bureaucrats spent years attacking their own members, ignoring the referendum result on Brexit and undermining Jeremy Corbyn who secured the party’s biggest increase in vote share since 1945. That is why Labour has experienced electoral meltdown. other so by the time they actually get a seat in Parliament they are already masters of the dark arts. A “Chris the careerist” may be superseded by a Kallum or a Keiron but nothing really changes. The game simply moves from Socialism to self. Only a radical change in the system will stop this horror story. Bright new parties led by bright young men will never breakthrough as long as they plough the same furrow. Their leadership will quickly become lost in their own self-importance. Near the end of “The ragged trousered philanthropists” the author thought that the then fledgling Labour party was the answer because it was “the party of the working man.” How sad. We can change this and here is how: One term only for ALL politicians. Their salary is the same as the average wage. A system could easily be put in

place to compensate them for any lost time at their true jobs. If they knew they were destined to return to the real world they would fight harder against its wrongs. Choose which party members go through to stand by holding a “Jury service” type random draw. This would further get rid of the manipulators. Of course, to do this for all parties the civil service would need to be overhauled to curb its power. In the 19th century “The Chartists” made 6 demands to help bring in democracy. It is an interesting fact that the only one of these never implemented was “Annual Parliaments.” This is the one the greedy fear the most. At the end of “Animal farm” it says: “The creatures outside looked from pig to man, and from man to pig, and from pig to man again; but already it was impossible to say which was which.

The party has sold its soul to corporate capitalism and can no

longer claim to be the political voice of the organised working class. The affiliated trade unions are doing a disservice to their members by continuing to bankroll this sinking ship. If we are serious about creating a socialist society at home and implementing an anti-imperialist foreign policy, we will need a new political vehicle. The trade unions need to think carefully about continuing their relationship with the Labour Party.

Their members and working class communities up and down the country deserve better than this. By CHRIS WILLIAMSON

Bakers Union

At a time when the electorate was looking for a vision of a future under a Labour government the party presented pictures of beer-swigging men and a leader picking out posh wallpaper for his posh home. Standing on a platform of sleaze by a past-his-sell by date millionaire politician Mandy Mandelson who was himself mired in the sleaze of the last Labour government which took the country into an illegal war that lost the party millions of votes and the trust of the communities now referred to now as the Red Wall.

The leadership of the party needs to take responsibility for its actions, the acting General Secretary David Evans should be considering his position as he is responsible for what looks like the worst results in Labour’s history.

The leadership captured by the hard right faction whose main aim seems to be securing key positions and seats for its cult followers rather than building a coalition to win a general election. Working class people have been told for the last year the Government have the support of the Labour party and it seems that the electorate have decided that if the Labour party feels its right to support them so should they.

an election on sound bites and focus groups. The Labour party that does not enjoy a supportive media or the bank role of millionaires and it has to have the right policies supported by a strong movement. It had none of it.

This historic defeat is a result of the belief that they could win

By Ian Hodson President of the Bakers Union

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Mid May 2021

POLITICS AND EVENTS

HISTORICAL EVENTS 11

May 10th. 1497 – Amerigo Vespucci allegedly leaves Cádiz for his first voyage to the New World 1773 – The Parliament of Great Britain passes the Tea Act, designed to save the British East India Company by granting it a monopoly on the North American tea trade. 1857 – Indian Rebellion of 1857: In India, the first war of Independence begins. Sepoys mutiny against their commanding officers at Meerut. 1869 – The First Transcontinental Railroad, linking the eastern and western United States, is completed at Promontory Summit, Utah. 1872 – Victoria Woodhull becomes the first woman nominated for President of the United States. 1994 – Nelson Mandela is inaugurated as South Africa’s first black president. Deaths. 1829 – Thomas Young, English physician, scientist and linguist (b. 1773)

1977 – Joan Crawford, American actress (b. 23 March 1904) 1982 - Peter Ulrich Weiss was a German writer, painter, graphic artist, and experimental filmmaker of adopted Swedish nationality. (b 8 November 1916) 11th May 1893- Henri Desgrange establishes world’s 1st bicycle world record, travelling 35.325 km (21.95 miles) an hour 1955- Israel attacks Gaza 1972- John Lennon says his phone is tapped by FBI on Dick Cavett Show 1985- 56 die and at least 265 are injured at Bradford City football ground in the worst fire in English football history 1985- Booby trap bomb kills 86 people in India 1997 – Deep Blue, a chess-playing supercomputer, defeats Garry Kasparov in the last game of the rematch, becoming the first computer to beat a world-champion chess player in a classic match format. 2002- Last performance of the musical Cats in London’s

West End 2014- Thousands protest against the construction of a waste incineration plant in Hangzhou, China Deaths 1981 – Bob Marley, Jamaican singer-songwriter, and guitarist (Bob Marley and the Wailers)dies from cancer (b.1945) 12th May 1820- birth of Florence Nightingale. 1789-William Wilberforce makes his first major speech on abolition in the UK House of Commons, reasoning the slave trade morally reprehensible and an issue of natural justice Deaths. 2008 – Irena Sendler, Polish nurse and humanitarian (b. 1910) 13th May 1958 – May 1958 crisis: A group of French military officers lead a coup in Algiers demanding that a government of national

unity be formed with Charles de Gaulle at its head in order to defend French control of Algeria 1960 – Hundreds of University of California, Berkeley students congregate for the first day of protest against a visit by the House Committee on Un-American Activities 1989- Approx. 2,000 students begin hunger strike in Tiananmen Square, China 1995 – Alison Hargreaves, a 33-year-old British mother, becomes the first woman to conquer Everest without oxygen or the help of sherpas. 2017- 22-yearold UK blogger halts spread of global ransomware cyber-attack by accidentally identifying “kill switch”. Deaths 1878 – Joseph Henry, American physicist and academic (b. 1797) extremely influential in the field of electromagnetism, contemporary of Faraday. 1961 – Gary Cooper, American actor (b. May 7, 1901) 2019 – Doris Day, American singer and actress (b. 1922 )

14th May 1787 – In Philadelphia, delegates convene a Constitutional Convention to write a new Constitution for the United States; George Washington presides. 1796 - The first smallpox vaccination was given by Edward Jenner. 1878 – The last witchcraft trial held in the United States begins in Salem, Massachusetts, after Lucretia Brown, an adherent of Christian Science, accused Daniel Spofford of attempting to harm her through his mental power 1889 – The children’s charity, the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children is launched in London. 1955 – Cold War: Eight Communist bloc countries, including the Soviet Union, sign a mutual defence treaty called the Warsaw Pact. 2013 – Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan declares a state of emergency in the northeast states of Borno, Yobe and Adamawa due to activities of Boko Haram. Deaths 1881 – Mary Seacole, Jamaican-English nurse, and author (b.

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POLITICS AND EVENTS

Mid May 2021

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WORD

I TAKE FULL RESPONSIBILITY FOR Not getting rid of that devilish, sneaky, jam-making Corbyn much earlier. Who was the navigator steering that iceberg towards the Titanic? Corbyn! Who began the Peasants Revolt? The same man. As Leader of New Likud I have learned to my cost that all peasants are revolting, especially those working class ones in the North of England. Now I shall move to Plan B. Boorish is not entirely respected in his own Party so he and I have been having a few WhatsApp chats about forming a Party all of our own. A name? The Establishment Party. Sounds good. Membership fees? If you have to ask you can’t afford it. We are both best mates with that great humanitarian, Bibi Netanyahu. So that is our foreign policy sorted.

Health policy? What is wrong with the proven American model? But in the short term I wish to make clear that anyone who has ever held in their hands, let alone

turned the pages of, the Communist Manifesto shall be confined to the Socialist Dustbin of History Party. Did I say Socialist? Pardon my French. By SIR KEEF QC

DEATH OF BOB MARLEY

1-17 May th

1805) 1987 – Rita Hayworth, American actress and dancer (b. 1918) 1998 – Frank Sinatra, American singer, and actor (b. 1915) May 15th 1252 – Pope Innocent IV issues the papal bull ad extirpanda, which authorises, but also limits, the torture of heretics in the Medieval Inquisition. (The popes name is hardly true of him. He chose to allow some torture to continue, while he could have insisted it be stopped completely, not a very caring pope.) 1730- Robert Walpole effectively became the first Prime Minister of the United Kin 1858 – Opening of the present Royal Opera House in Covent Garden, London. 1869 – Women’s suffrage: In New York, Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton form the National Woman Suffrage Association. 1928 – Walt Disney character Mickey Mouse premieres in his first cartoon, “Plane Crazy”

May 16th. 1916 – The United Kingdom and the French Third Republic sign the secret wartime Sykes-Picot Agreement such as Iraq and Syria . 1929 – In Hollywood, the first Academy Awards ceremony takes place. 1943 – The Holocaust: The Warsaw Ghetto Uprising ends. 1943 – Dam busters - an attack on German dams carried out by Royal Air Force No. 617 Squadron, later called the Dam Busters, using a purpose-built “bouncing bomb” developed by Barnes Wallis 1966 – The Communist Party of China issues the “May 16 Notice”, marking the beginning of the Cultural Revolution. Deaths. 1990 – Sammy Davis Jr., American singer, dancer, and actor (b. 1925) 2019 – Bob Hawke, Australian politician, 23rd Prime Minister of Australia (b. 1929)

Bob Marley died on 11th May 1981 at the age of 36 from cancer. His musical career was marked by fusing elements of reggae, ska, and rocksteady, as well as his distinctive vocal and song writing style. He was named- (Robert Nesta or possibly Nesta Robert until it was changed around at the passport office where they said it sounded too girlish), was born on the 6th of February 1945 in Nine Mile Jamaica to 19-year-

old mother Cedella Booker and 60-year-old White British naval officer Norval Sinclair Marley. A man who had a reputation for sleeping with young local women and who separated from Bob’s mother soon after he was born. Marley’s upbringing was tough, especially after moving as a child with his mother to Trenchtown where he was bullied for apparently being White. Compared with the other children his skin was much lighter, and they were very wary of white people.

Marley’s songs included: Redemption song, three little birds and buffalo soldier. He was the best-selling reggae artist of all time.

Predict

The ‘Big Idea’ now is to move the party even further to the right because they’re pretending to believe that they lost in Hartlepool (which labour won twice under Corbyn) because they’re not enough like the tory scum.

ly having a very clear idea what it means (worrying in one who used to be head of the Crown Prosecution Service), he has, through his acting General Secretary, forbidden CLPs to discuss any subject which he deems damaging to his leadership, he has removed democratically selected election candidates and used the old Blair trick of parachuting in his own nominated candidates, in the case of Hartlepool, one that was absolutely guaranteed to lose!

Every move that Starmer, The Silent Knight, has made has been designed to alienate ‘The Left’ and has been spectacularly successful. He has weaponised the term ‘anti-semitism’ without apparent-

I have not been able to come to terms with the fact that The Silent Knight is he labour leader at all. The reason is simple. The electorate in that leadership election consisted, mainly of people who

Exactly as predicted, they’re blaming this defeat on Corbyn. (For public consumption only. It’s obvious that they never wanted to win, but to destroy socialism in the party.)

had joined the labour party because of Jeremy Corbyn. It’s just too difficult to accept that those members would then about face and elect an establishment shill like Starmer.

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Mid May 2021

POLITICS AND EVENTS

ADA LOVELACE WOMEN WHO MADE A DIFFERENCE

A century later in 1953 the engine was recognised as an early model for a computer and her notes as a description of a computer and software. In the late seventies, the Department of Defence in the US developed a software language called Ada, one that brought together a number of different programming languages. It’s fitting for Lovelace, a woman who rode horses and played the harp and studied poetry to tie seemingly disparate elements together.

ugusta Ada King-Noel, Countess of Lovelace, was born Ada Byron on 10 December 1815. She was the only legitimate child of the poet Lord Byron and his wife Anne Isabella Milbanke, usually known as Annabella. However, Byron only ever knew his daughter as a baby.

Her mother, Lady Byron, had mathematical training (Byron called her his ‘Princess of Parallelograms’) and she insisted that Ada, who was tutored privately, study mathematics too. An unusual education for a woman. She did not want her daughter to grow up as feckless and purposeless as Byron had been.

The story of Ada Lovelace and Babbage has many interesting threads. It is a story of technical prowess of Babbage meeting abstract “big picture” thinking of Lovelace. It is a story of friendship between old and young. It is a story of people who had the confidence to be original and creative.

Young Ada became almost obsessed with mathematics, but also by science. Aged 13 she conceived the idea of building a steam-powered flying machine and spent many hours trying to work out how it might operate.

It is also a tragedy. Firstly for Babbage, who lost so many people in his life, and whose personality pushed others away and prevented him from realising his ambitions. A tragedy for Ada, who was just getting started in something she loved when her health failed. She died at the aged 36 on 27 November 1852, from uterine cancer

Lady Byron became one of the wealthiest women in Britain with the power and influence to ensure Ada followed her passions. In terms of marriage though Ada was given a conventional upper middle class upbringing, so in 1835, with her mother approved Ada’s marriage to a pleasant, though not especially intellectually gifted aristocrat, Lord William King. Prior to her marriage Ada had met Charles Babbage at a party in 1833. He was24 years older, who made a huge impression on her. She became fascinated by his plans to build a cogwheel calculating machine, called the Difference Engine. Babbage, in turn, was flattered by the attention from a famous young lady. Babbage demonstrated the small working section of the Engine to Ada. She alternated her mathematical studies with marriage and motherhood (they had three children). In1843 she published a translation from the French of an article on the Analytical Engine by an Italian engineer, Luigi Menabrea, to which Ada added extensive notes of her own. The Notes included the

first published description of a stepwise sequence of operations for solving certain mathematical problems and Ada is often referred to as ‘the first programmer’. She thought the Engine ‘might act upon other things besides number... the Engine might compose elaborate and scientific pieces of music of any degree of complexity or extent’. The idea of a machine that could manipulate symbols in accordance with rules and that number could represent entities other than quantity mark the fundamental transition from calculation to computation. Ada was the first to explicitly articulate this notion and in this she

appears to have seen further than Babbage. Certainly she was the first to express the potential for computers outside mathematics. Babbage was impressed by Lovelace’s intellect and analytic skills. He called her “The Enchantress of Number. His friend Charles Wheatstone commissioned Ada to translate Luigi Menabrea’s paper Sketch of the Analytical Engine Invented by Charles Babbage. She augmented the paper with notes, which were added to the translation. Ada Lovelace spent the better part of a year doing this. These notes more extensive than Menabrea’s paper and were published in the September 1843.

She describes algorithm for the Analytical Engine to compute Bernoulli numbers (a series of rational numbers which occur frequently in number theory. It is considered to be the first published algorithm ever specifically tailored for implementation on a computer. Ada Lovelace has often been cited as the first computer programmer for this reason. The engine was never completed so his program was never tested. However Babbage did publish a book of logorithms which were used for mathematical calculations for over a century.

Now there is an Ada Lovelace Day, an annual event celebrated on the second Tuesday of October,. Its goal is “...to raise the profile of women in science, technology, engineering, and maths,” and to “create new role models for girls and women” in these fields.’ As of November 2015 British passports have included an illustration of Lovelace and Babbage. Another recognition of Ada, and of women in general, was made in November 2020. It was announced that Trinity College Dublin whose library had previously held forty busts, all of them of men, was commissioning four new busts of women one of whom was to be Lovelace. Her achievements were slow to be recognised partly because she was a woman. However her work stands as inspiration to other women to follow in her footsteps.

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POLITICS AND EVENTS

Mid May 2021

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KENMURE STREET PROTESTESTS

MEN FREED FOLLOWING IMMIGRATION VAN STANDOFF

ne Glaswegian demonstrator stated: “you messed with the wrong city” after a seven-hour standoff with border force officials who tried to detain two men. Demonstrators in Kenmure Street, Pollokshields, had blocked the immigration enforcement van for hours on Thursday. The men who were detained in an immigration van following a raid in Pollokshields earlier today have been released following a seven-hour long mass protest. Hundreds of activists surrounded a UK Border Agency van in Kenmure Street, containing two men from a nearby property. Officers surrounded the van and lined each end of the street. Protesters chanted “these are our neighbours, let them go”. After the standoff Police bosses stated they were releasing the men “back into their community” after a risk assessment. They then asked members of the public to disperse.

subsequent protest in Kenmure Street, Pollokshields, today, Police Scotland has, following a suitable risk assessment, taken the operational decision to release the men detained by UK Immigration Enforcement back into their community meantime.

“In order to “MASSIVE In a public facilitate this statement, Chief quickly and VICTORY OVER Superintendent RACIST HOME OFFICE e f f e c t i v e l y , M a r k Police Scotland ‘DAWN RAID’ BY Sutherland is asking THE PEOPLE OF said: “In order members of the POLLOKSHIELDS to protect the public to disperse safety, public from the street as health and wellsoon as possible.” being of all people involved in the detention and First Minister Nicola

Sturgeon, also the constituency MSP for the south side, tweeted her ‘deep concern’ over the Home Office’s presence in the area, particularly while the community celebrates Eid. Campaigners have told the Home Office “you messed with the wrong city” as two men detained in Glasgow by immigration enforcement were released after a day of protest.

Street, Pollokshields, had blocked the immigration enforcement van for hours, with one lying underneath the vehicle. Around 200 protesters were at the scene, with chants of “Leave our neighbours, let them go” and “Cops go home” being heard as a ring of police stood around the van.

Police Scotland released the two Indian nationals detained by Border Force officials in the city after people surrounded their van and prevented it from leaving on Thursday.

The news of the men’s release has been hailed as a “massive victory” on social media, with campaigners calling for Scotland to have immigration devolved to prevent a repeat of today’s protest.

Demonstrators in Kenmure

Protesters present cheered

and applauded as the men were released from Home Office detention. The Stand Up To Racism campaign tweeted: “Massive victory over racist Home Office ‘dawn raid’ by the people of Pollokshields #Glasgow #solidarity forever #RefugeesWelcome this is an example for every community to follow!” In response to the police statement, former MSP and presiding officer Tricia Marwick tweeted: “I should think so too. It is the UK enforcement agency which is the threat to public safety.”

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Mid May 2021

POLITICS AND EVENTS

THE COST TO THE NHS OF NOT REFERRING PEOPLE TO HOSPITAL

THE PATIENT’S EYE

EARLY DIAGNOSIS SAVES MONEY M

y regime is one of medicines, diet and exercise, consultations with specialists, blood tests, and scans. The medications consist of eleven tablets daily, by far the most important being four anticancer tablets taken all at once in the THE morning. These INTERVENTIONS alone cost the I’VE HAD NHS £40,000 CO ST ABOUT per annum. A Q UA RTER OF The rest of them together A MILLION probably don’t POUNDS cost £1,000. Every twelve weeks a

ty “Nightingale” Hospital which seemed like a large warehouse with a Big Machine for me to go in and out of on a sort of moving table.

nurse injects into my belly fat something known as Hormone Treatment. That merits an article to

itself. I’ll tell you when you’re older, possibly a week or a fortnight older. The same goes for the scans and the blood tests. I’ve learned that one is only as well as ones last blood test says, and I can’t have my four a day tablets if I’m not well enough. I know how that must sound.

£40K

My illness, prostate cancer, was diagnosed very early in 2013. This MY TABLETS was a late diagnosis due COST THE NHS to the reluctance of my PER YEAR GPs to take my symptoms seriously. They know that, and my medical record shows my concern as long ago as 2010 and 2011. But we have to rub along and do our best. I speak to a consult-

ant or specialist nurse at the hospital every 12 weeks, and am prescribed more of the wonder drug, for that’s what it is. For over a year these consultations have happen by telephone, and nurses have been coming to our house garbed up like Darth Vader to stick a needle in me somewhere. Only once have I needed to go in for a scan, and that was to a largely emp-

I will run through the interventions I’ve had with you another time, but they’ve cost the NHS about a quarter of a million pounds, which is serious money in my opinion, but compared with what the Government gives to its chums to fail at Track and Trace, or Rolling out a Vaccine, it is chickenfeed I guess. My future is not a rosy one. Should the treatments stop working I may get Chemotherapy, some new treatment that hasn’t been licensed for use yet, or Palliative Care. I’m sure you know what that is. Once I’m on it I shall write a final article just to say goodbye. By Patient.I

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Mid May 2021

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OR SEE IT SOLD TO AMERICA

DEFEND OUR NHS O

ur NHS will be 73 years old in July and is on the verge of death. Its life support plug will be pulled April next year and distant American relatives are gathering around its death bed.

Campaigners from Cheshire and Merseyside are actively opposing Integrated Care Systems

Don’t let them kill it. We need ocratic accountability, and will people who are prepared to get be controlled directly or indistuck in, now! Our NHS rectly by giant American will be abolished in health insurance and THE April 2022 if the other US corporaGOVERNMENT government has tions. HAS ALREADY its way. Yes. It PUBLISHED A will be replaced The governby one of 42 rement has already WHITE PAPER gional Integrated published a White SETTING OUT Care Systems (inPaper setting out ITS IDEAS cluding where you its ideas, and a bill live). Campaigners will be introduced in from Cheshire & Merthe next few weeks. This seyside are actively opposing link and this authoritative docthem. ument provide all the information/arguments you need to perEach of these regions will suade people you know. have a limited budget, will decide what services they offer, In the White Paper proposwill have no proper local dem- als, a statutory ICS body will re-

ceive a ‘single pot budget’. This McKinsey of New York. They are will merge the budgets for GP circling. They don’t want crumbs surgeries with acute and other or our loaf, but the entire bakery. services (hospitals and walk-in services etc). Its Angry yet? We need board will include repyou to join this crucial resentatives of NHS campaign. There’s been trusts, local authorities some planning and lots and general practice, and of material produced. ‘others determined localNow we need to put our ly.’ Throughout the White passion and knowledge REGIONAL Paper the term ‘others’ is INTEGRATED into action, and stop the used to refer to what can CARE SYSTEMS ICS in its tracks. only mean private sector providers. Our campaign Defend Our NHS held an on-line meeting on But the ‘others’ calling the Monday 10th, and a recording of shots now include United it will be available for all to view Health (& Optum) of Minneap- and share, so please do so. olis, Centene and Operose of St By Celia Kelly / Defend Our Louis, Cerner of Kansas City, and NHS

Integrated Care Systems must be opposed!

he NHS in England is rapidly being reorganised into 42 regional Integrated Care Systems (ICSs), while the Covid pandemic rages. These ICSs will strengthen the role of private companies (including US health insurance corporations) in the NHS. NHS England has asked for legislation to support the role of ICSs, and turn them into legal bodies. Proposals in the Government’s NHS White Paper show how these changes will be delivered. Despite claiming to benefit

patients by ‘integrating’ health and social care, ICSs are actually based on the U.S. “population health” model, which aims to spend less on care. ICSs will operate with fixed annual budgets for a wide range of health and social care services – based on area-wide targets, rather than providing the care needed for everyone. ICSs are sup-

posed to operate as partnerships between the NHS, local authorities and unspecified others, but the plans will actually bind local authorities into NHS priorities, threatening the future integrity of social care, and reducing local accountability. Local authorities will lose the power to refer decisions on Reconfiguration (e.g. service closures) to the Sec-

retary of State. Some 83 corporations and businesses, including 22 from the US, are getting heavily involved in developing ICSs and may even sit on their boards, putting them in a prime position to make self-serving decisions for the NHS. Unaccountable ICS board plans will be binding. They will mean more private contracts awarded without safeguards, more down-skilling and outsourcing of NHS jobs, deregulation of professional standards, reduced services (partially replaced by ‘digital’ options and

volunteers), data sharing to suit the system, and significant spending cuts. We demand an immediate halt to the rollout of ICSs across the English NHS! Charmaine Morgan / SOS Grantham Hospital

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Mid May 2021

POLITICS AND EVENTS

BEST OF THE WEB

CHINESE ROCKET CRASHES

A large segment of a Chinese rocket re-entered the Earth’s atmosphere and disintegrated over the Indian Ocean, the Chinese space agency said, following fevered speculation over where the 18-tonne object would come down. Officials in Beijing had said there was little risk from the freefalling segment of the Long March-5B rocket, which had launched the first module of China’s new space station into Earth orbit on April 29.

EU DEAL ON VACCINES The EU has concluded a deal with Pfizer-BioNTech for up to 1.8 billion extra doses of its Covid-19 vaccine, according to European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen.

“Happy to announce that the EU Commission has just approved a contract for guaranteed 900 million doses (+900 million options) with Pfizer-BioNTech for 2021-2023,” she tweeted from an EU summit in Portugal.

The first avalanche occurred late morning at Valloire, a village close to the 2,642-metre Col du Galibier mountain, killing four local people aged between 42 and 76. They were among a fivestrong group of walkers one of whom was found safe and well by rescuers after two helicopters were scrambled. TRUMP GOT JOURNALISTS DETAILS

AVALANCHES Two avalanches in the French Alpine region of Savoie have left seven people dead, prefecture sources said today. L o c a l authorities had already warned yesterday of unstable snow formations given a recent falloff in temperatures.

The Trump administration reportedly secretly obtained the phone records of newspaper journalists who reported on allegations of Russian meddling in the 2016 election. The Washington Post said the US Justice Department sent letters to three of its reporters - Ellen Nakashima and Greg Miller, and former Post reporter Adam Entous - saying that it had received work, mobile or home phone records “for the period from April 15, 2017 to July 31, 2017.” The newspaper’s acting chief executive, Cameron Barr, said the ‘paper was “deeply troubled

by this use of government power to seek access to the communications of journalists.”

polls showed him leading by a 25-point margin. His margin was so large at that point, in fact, that it wouldn’t have required a count of second-preference votes. RAILWAYS IN CHAOS Rail operators in England have launched snap inspections of their fleets of high-speed trains after cracks were found in carriages. Passengers have been warned of delays and service cancellations.

KHAN RE – ELECTED Khan was pronounced winner of 55.2% of the mayoral vote on Saturday, besting C o n s e r v at ive Shaun Bailey’s 4 4 . 8 % . While the margin of victory was comfortable, it wasn’t the landslide that he appeared to be headed for as recently as a couple of months ago, when

The Great Western Railway (GWR), the London North Eastern Railway (LNER), Hull Trains, and the TransPennine Express (TPE) suspended some services out of London on Saturday morning. T h i s m e a n s that train services are limited between Edinburgh, Newcastle upon Tyne, York, and London.

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CHINA PLUNDERS ZIMBABWE RESOURCES WITH IMPUNITY Z

imbabwe’s wealth and resources are being plundered on a staggering scale by its new colonial master, China. According to Farai Maguwu, head of an advocacy group in Zimbabwe, China already owns 50% of the diamond industry while the Zimbabwe Defence Industry owns the other half leaving ordinary Zimbabweans with nothing. As if this is not enough, Zhongxin Coal Mining Group, in partnership with Afrochine Smelting are now carrying out environmental impact assessments for drilling, land clearance, road building and geological surveys at two proposed sites inside the Hwange National Park which is home to almost 10% of Africa’s remaining wild elephants, rhinos, giraffes, cheetahs and other endangered species. The environmental impacts by some Chinese companies operating in Zimbabwe can only be described as catastrophic, according to leading environmen-

Commenting on this issue, Wildlife director of Humane Society International, Audrey Delsink said “We are left feeling outraged and heartbroken at this news that the Zimbabwean authorities have shipped these poor baby elephants out of the country, condemning them to a life of captivity in Chinese zoos, which is a tragedy.” talist and human rights’ activist Farai Maguwu. These Chinese operations in the game park, which is the size of Belgium, will shrink and disturb the habitat of many rare species including black rhino, pangolin and painted dogs. It will devastate safari tourism, which is a vital source of income for the impoverished country. China has also captured, and sedated scores of baby elephants and exported them to China where they are traumatised by being kept in isolation away from their mothers and natural habitat.

Back in 2017, Humane Society International obtained video footage of 14 young elephants awaiting export to Chinese zoos immediately after their capture in Hwange National Park. The footage showed the calves being beaten and

kicked before being sedated and transported to the park’s holding pens. A year earlier, in 2016, 30 young elephants were sold to China for $6000 each and exported from Zimbabwe to Chinese zoos. Several of them died during transit or shortly after arrival, according to reports.

Comparing the Chineses and British way of colonisation, a prominent community leader, Prince Zwide Khumalo, said “The British, though equally evil, at least tried to create some infrastructure which benefited local people, unlike the Chinese who harvest the fruits and burn the tree. For as long as Africa refuses to wake up and control its resources, Khumalo says, there is no way people from outside will come and help the continent for nothing. East and the west will forever work in tandem to exploit the continent. By Everett Ndlovu

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POLITICS AND EVENTS

BANDS CALL THEMSELVES BROTHERS OR SISTERS, AND SOMETIMES THEY ARE

ON THE JUKEBOX TONITE!

o many bands rely on the relationships in one musical family that it is no longer a surprise when two or three members turn out to be brothers and sisters. Clannad, Dire Straits, Oasis, Fanny, The Nolans, AC/DC, and many more. Bands which advertise that they’re brothers and sisters in the name of the band sometimes aren’t. Indeed the Scissor Sisters were a boy and a girl, with plenty of unrelated backing musicians. Jack in the Jukebox. By Jack in the Jukebox

Shakespeare’s Sister – evidently he had one, and she wrote all his plays and poetry. I’m not convinced. “You’re History.”

The Pointer Sisters- not only were they sisters, but as they got older, retired, got Zimmer frames (“All the Zimmer Ladies”) the younger generation came along, daughters, nieces, probably grand-daughters by now, “Don’t Let a Thief Steal Into Your Heart.” That’s really good advice.

The Walker Brothers – not brothers at all but used the name Walker as an exercise in branding, like the Ramones. “Make It Easy On Yourself.”

Sister Sledge – “We Are Family,” they sang and they were, and very nice too.

Scissor Sisters – this is actually a very naughty reference, but a good band. “I Don’t Feel Like Dancin’.”

The Righteous Brothers – “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling.”

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WHEREVER THE LOONIES GO, THEY ALWAYS DRAW A CROWD

THE BUS STATION LOONIES

of an accolade in having been nominated one of the best cover songs of all time by BBC Radio 6.

he Bus Station Loonies - The very name alone conjures up images of raucous fun and high jinx mayhem and cabaret, delivered within a recognisable punk engine tuned to run on high octane fuel, angst, and… Kazoos. Yup, you read that correctly, that’s Kazoos. And indeed what you actually get at a Loonies gig is precisely that, expertly integrated into a fine catalogue of hugely entertaining songs from a highly polished outfit that has been honed to perfection throughout the last 26 years, boasting a total of around 30 members since its inception back in 1995, and now shining like veritable rock stars. Formed in Plymouth, England, the Bus Station Loonies are currently Chris ‘Wheelie’ Willsher (Vocals/Kazoo), Tony ‘Popkids’ Hopkins (Drums),

Chris “The Machine” Mildren (Guitar), Adam ‘Ad Nauseum’ Ren (Bass), and Julie ‘Knives’ Yesin (Guitars and Vocals). As an outfit they are the de facto

figureheads of the hugely popular Punx Picnic annual event, and were the first band to hold a bona fide world record for most gigs played by a band within 12 hours (25 in total), which put them fairly and squarely in the Guinness Book of Records until 2006, when the record was finally beaten. So, what is a Loonies gig actually like, and what can you expect besides that ubiquitous Kazoo?

Kazoo-Meister, Chris ‘Wheelie’ Willsher, who, it has to be said, has been known to run steaming out the door mid-performance, radio mike in hand and still singing, whilst running around the streets like a possessed madman as the band plays on, much to the surprise of onlookers.

THIS IS A DIFFERENT SORT OF MUSIC

Well, I have had the pleasure of indulging in the Loonies infectious lunacy for quite a few years now and can honestly say that I have never tired of their set list, nor the antics and theatrics of front and centre loony lyricist and

There are a number of notable gems in their repertoire to wake up your inner punk, such as Bus Driver 7103, I Gotta Kill that Nazi, Where’s Captain Kirk, We’re the Loonies, Loony Beer, Silly Buggers, and Save Our Cider to name but a few, plus a rather excellent Reggae cover of the Sisters of Mercy track, Temple of Love, which itself holds a bit

Indeed, wherever the Loonies go they always draw a crowd, and when they’re playing in a local pub someplace, it’s usually not long before even the weathered old regulars that you normally find propped in the corner against the bar, are up and involved in the lunacy as well, such is the charisma and ‘pied-piper like’ antics of the colourfully mohawked master of ceremonies, Mr Wheelie himself. In between tracks the humour doesn’t stop and continues on with joking between the band members, usually at the expense of the drummer, Popkids. But of course, it’s all done in the best possible taste… You can find them at their Facebook page here https:// www.facebook.com/bus.station.loonies and sample their wares via their two albums to date, ‘Mad Franks Zonal Disco’, and ‘Midget Gems’. Certainly though, the ‘Bus Station Loonies’ are an absolute joy to actually go and watch and I’d highly recommend that you go see them if you get the chance to do so. Why, if you’re in the market for some hair dye, Wheelie will even sell you some. Tell him Adrian sent you… By Adrian Angel

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POLITICS AND EVENTS

SCIENCE PAGE

Is there a pattern to the universe? For decades, cosmologists have wondered if the large-scale structure of the universe is a fractal — that is, if it looks the same no matter how large the scale. After completing massive surveys of galaxies, scientists finally have an answer: No, but kind of, in a way.

In the early 20th century, astronomers — beginning with Edwin Hubble and his discovery of the enormous distance to Andromeda, the closest galaxy to our own Milky Way — started to realize that the universe is almost unimaginably vast. They also learned that we can see galaxies scattered about, both near and far. And so, naturally, a question arose: Is there any sort of pattern to the arrangement of those galaxies, or is it totally random? It looked random. Astronomers saw giant galaxy clusters, each containing a thousand or more galaxies. And there were also much smaller groups of galaxies, and galaxies hanging out by themselves. Taken together, the observations made it appear

as if there were no overarching pattern to the cosmos. And astronomers were fine with that. They had long assumed an idea called the cosmological principle — that is, that the universe is mostly homogeneous (roughly the same from place to place) and isotropic (roughly the same no matter which direction you look). A bunch of random galaxies and clusters fit right into that principle.

But in the late 1970s, galaxy surveys became sophisticated enough to reveal the beginnings of a pattern in the arrangement of galaxies. Besides the clusters, there were also long, thin filaments of galaxies. There were broad walls. And then there were the voids — vast expanses of nothing. Astronomers called it the cosmic web. This pattern would violate the cosmological principle, because it would mean that large regions of the universe did not look like other large regions of the universe. Men don’t learn toxic masculinity from their fathers New research suggests

a different story: A man’s lack of friends may predict whether he will embrace toxic masculinity, while the presence or absence of a male role model early in life doesn’t play a role.

So-called toxic — or hegemonic — masculinity refers to a set of beliefs and negative social behaviors that are aligned with “idealized” masculine norms. Sociologists first coined the term as a way to describe a form of masculinity that directly opposes other forms of masculinity — suggesting these other forms are inferior. In this conception, “real men” are often described in macho terms such as “assertive,” “courageous” and “competitive,” but they are often also misogynistic and sexually aggressive. They see themselves as dominant in society, while they relegate subordinate roles to others, like women, gay men and those identifying as nonbinary. Sociologists George Van Doorn, Jacob Dye and Ma Regina de Gracia — all of Federation University in Australia — set out to explore

the origins of hegemonic masculinity in a study published in the March issue of the journal Personality and Individual Differences. They wanted to understand whether a man’s relationship with his father early in life influenced his adherence to hegemonic masculinity later in life.

DINOSAUR WAS LIKE AN OWL A tiny, meat-eating dinosaur had superb lowlight vision and hearing that was likely as good as an owl’s. And like an owl, the wee dinosaur probably used those exceptional abilities to stalk and catch its desert prey under the cover of darkness. Owl-like Shuvuuia (shu-VU-ya) was a theropod — a three-toed and bipedal carnivorous dinosaur. There’s only one known species, Shuvuuia deserti, and it was smaller than a domestic cat, measuring just 2 feet (0.6 meters)

long. Shuvuuia lived about 75 million to 81 million years ago, during the late Cretaceous period (145.5 million to 65.5 million years ago), in what is now the Gobi Desert in Mongolia.

Prior analysis of Shuvuuia’s fossilized eye bones revealed that it had large eyes that were specialized for seeing in dim light. But at the time, little was known about dinosaur adaptations for nocturnal activity. In a new study, scientists looked at skulls from dozens of species of extinct theropods and modern birds — the only theropod lineage that survived to the present. By comparing dinosaurs’ fossilized eye and ear structures with those in living animals that have nocturnal habits, the researchers were able to see if a dinosaur was adapted for day or night activity.

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Yours truly, Keith Starmer Keith get a grip on yourself, give your head a wobble and man up. Life is a popularity contest and you appear to be so intent on appealing to ‘centreground’ Tory voters rather than anyone on the left of you. Unfortunately those Tory-lites prefer an elitist, shambolic, lying, cheating, shaggy haired bullshit-Gibbon to you! Then again you are a ‘Sir’ you could always fast track to your seat in the House Of Lords with your pal Peter Mandelson. You can ‘Play Party Potitics’ as ‘Captain Hindsight’ and Boris won’t be able to gloat at you as he gets away with yet another scandal. Enjoy Hartlepool you bed-wetting sop! Dear Margaret My Husband recently died and to salve the pain I am thinking of taking up a new hobby. Some kind friends have collected a few bob from

WORD

Mad Madge Talks Across Oceans Of Time

FROM BEYOND THE WALL OF LOST SPIRITS, LOOSED TEMPORARILY FROM THE HORRORS OF ETERNAL TORMENT, AUNTIE MAGGIE ANSWERS YOUR LETTERS.

Dearest Margaret No one likes me. Everybody hates me. I am so upset I can’t stop crying. What can I do?

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BOJO’S DIARY Saturday 1st May Lovely long bank holiday weekend in the flat, I’m not going anywhere a journalist might leap out and play political games by holding me accountable for my conduct. As if it matters. I mean most of the Muggles don’t read newspapers or watch the news, or even vote. So I get a clear weekend to spend with err Carrie and errr little baby Thingybob in our newly redecorated flat. Might just have a cheeky Tequila with lunch to ease into the weekend.... Monday 3rd May Someone appears to have trashed the flat and broken Carrie’s laptop. I woke up in the living room in what appears to be a pool of Tequila and urine. Couldn’t find my trousers. Carrie is at her mum’s and back on the Prozac. I suppose I better tidy up, the only newspaper not baying for my blood, The Telegraph, are coming round to photograph the living room for a small donation to the Nanny fund. Wednesday 5th May Today is Karl Marx’s birthday and all the Tiny Trots are griping about the fact that my brother Jo became a Director at Dyson about the same time I promised them a tax break. Complete coincidence, the Sun reading Muggles simply don’t care that my brother, the Baron Johnson of Marylebone, has been somehow favoured by a corporate Billionaire Brexit backer. Ridiculous.

somewhere to buy me a small yacht. Should I take their money?

Liz Battenberg My old, and I mean old, sparring partner Liz! What on earth would a 95 year old want hobbies for? I don’t want to

From beyond the wall of lost spirits, loosed temporarily from the horrors of eternal torment. Aunt Maggie answers your letters.

be cruel, but I would be more concerned with getting your story straight for Saint Peter if I were you. What with the whole Diana thing and also shielding a Paedo whoremonger from justice, you might be joining me in internal torment if you don’t repent soon. Also Yachts take years to build, maybe it would be better to withdraw one of our Battleships from Jersey and get it fitted out by John Lewis. It would be a HMS already. Dear Agony Aunt I have had a group of friends for many years who keep calling me names and

shouting at me. They don’t even want me to come to their party. Am I wrong to tell people I still like them? J Corbyn, from Islington. Satan’s Bollocks! I’ve told you before about writing to me you repellent Trot, Terrorist loving, pro-Islam, Bearded Vegetarian, Croc-wearing scruff. If I were you I would keep quiet and enjoy being an independent MP, a S***storm is coming Labours way, as I write working class people are voting in a load of Tory all over the place. All Hail Satan. Dear Maggie I think that black people should fight white people, men should hate women, Muslims should hate Jews, people in work should hate people not in work…ETC. Is there a scientific name for my condition? Anonymous Thatcherism! And isn’t it glorious, my satanic work is almost complete. Armageddon is well underway and we don’t even need Trump!

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POLITICS AND EVENTS

SATIRE AND HUMOUR

BIZARRE NEWS

Dummy Breaks Lockdown, Police Called

Weird stuff from the internet that you didn’t need to know a report of “individuals not following public health directives”. He said: “Officers attended and found there were no issues or violations at that time.” Olé In Oldham Lidl

Mike Cormier, owner of the Ardmore Tea Room in Nova Scotia, explained how officers visited his restaurant last week after it had been reported that someone was dining indoors at the eatery and breaking COVID-19 rules. Cormier told Global News: “The officer got out and was looking in the window, and I saw her looking at the mannequin.” He explained how he had confronted the officers who confirmed that the mannequin seated at the table had been mistaken for a human customer. Police spokesman John MacLeod confirmed that officers had been called out to the restaurant after

Steve Shanyaski was about to enter the Lidl store in Oldham when he was warned about the approaching animal by a fellow customer. He uploaded a clip of the cow to Twitter but is unsure about how it ended up outside the shop. Shanyaski told the Manchester Evening News: “I turned up at the Lidl with my little shopping list in my head and as I park

up and get out of my car, this guy starts looking at me telling me to be careful. “I’m thinking, ‘What’s this guy want?’ and he tells me there’s a cow loose in the car park - I couldn’t believe it. There was a cow literally just running around, trying to get in the garage where they deliver the food.” “People were starting to approach it, which I thought was a terrible idea. That guy tried to grab it but, when it came towards him, he completely bottled it. He literally forgot everything we’ve ever been taught about bulls and wearing red.” Interpol Find ISIS, A Horse Interpol investigated Susan Govindasamy after a £500 payment for her horse Isis was labelled with the words ‘funds for Isis’. The money was sent to a friend to cover the costs of ‘horse bootcamp’ for Isis and discovered the mix-up when her pal did not receive the transaction as the authorities suspected it had gone to the terrorist or-

ganisation. “We both got emails from PayPal and Interpol wanting to know the reason why I was sending funds to ISIS.

“I’d been flagged as a potential terrorist. I remember thinking ‘What does this mean, what will happen now?’”She was told to send the horse’s passport to PayPal and Interpol to prove there was no terrorism connection and has vowed to be more vigilant with her transactions in the future.

called Gavin with ash blonde hair and dreamy blue eyes. Avoid Kendal Mint Cake. Lucky colour - Puce

Gemini (May 21 - June 20) A time of reflection Gemini, start a new hobby or start an illicit affair with a bodybuilder

Leo (July 23 - August 22) As it’s May and Orion is looking a bit ‘Meh’ It’s high time you got out of the house. Remem-

Cancer (June 21 - July 22) It may seem as if you have been lacking self-belief of late but that will change in a matter of days, so be patient and keep making plans. As a typical Cancer you are a bit of a cocky bobwhite at heart so your current depression is a boost to your friends. Lucky Pasta Sauce: Arrabiata

ber to put the blue bins out this week. Lucky Career Quantity Surveyor. Avoid The Welsh. Virgo (August 23 – September22) Something will happen today. Lucky Car – Morris Traveller Libra (September 23 - October 22) It’s never too late to change your mind. It is, however, bloody infuriating. Stop dithering. Lucky word ‘Onomatopoeia’. Scorpio (October 23 - November 21) A good idea you pick up

He wrote on Twitter: “For the last six years I’ve kept a spreadsheet listing every parking spot I’ve used at the local supermarket in a bid to park in them all. This week I completed my Magnum Opus! He said: “I don’t want to make out this was too big a deal, but there was a moment of elation. There’s only so many parking spaces, why not try and get them all? It’s a collector’s thing I suppose.”

Six Year Parking Challenge In Sainsbury’s A man from Bromley in Kent, decided to take on the challenge

Mystic Mandy Horoscopes Aries (Mar20 -Apr 20) Mars, your ruler, moves into the emotional area of your chart a couple of days from now you must expect a certain amount of heartstring plucking. Try not to be such a bitch. Lucky condiment – White Wine Vinegar Taurus (April 20 - May 20) Whilst it’s good that you have a more relaxed approach called for today, especially in the Bedroom. Don’t get caught smoking a Blunt. Avoid - Dorothy Perkins after dark.

to make his shopping trips “less mundane” and produced a thorough map of all the 211 spots he could park in.

from listening to other people talking can easily be used for your own benefit. Although observing them through Binoculars in your underwear is a bit creepy. Avoid Complex Carbohydrates. Sagittarius (November 22 - December 21) If you have been challenged at work recently now’s the time to kick back and have a bit of a doss. What’s the worst that could happen. Avoid Supervision. Capricorn (December 22 – January 19)

There is something you need to remove from your life, and face it blaming others is easier than self reflection. Lucky Dating Site: Tinder Aquarius (January 20 - February 18) The planets warn you may exhaust yourself. On the other hand, if you put it on hold for a few days you may find it all turns to s*** Sort it later. Avoid – Laboratoire Garnier Pisces (February 19 March 20) Whatever you choose to do next will be a colossal success, you can’t fail. Lucky number : 7. Avoid Getting Shops.

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Environment Australia: They have committed $100 million to ocean conservation in an effort to protect ‘blue carbon’ environments and reduce emissions.* Uniquely suited to care about marine life, as the world’s only island continent, the investment package will also support Australian Marine Parks, expand the Indigenous Protected Areas in the Sea Country and protection of marine species.

POLITICS AND EVENTS

Hope and Good News Gerry O’Gorman

Australia will assist with four projects in developing countries in the region to protect their blue carbon ecosystems. It will also invest in protecting threatened marine species. An additional $60 million is pledged to develop a high-integrity carbon offset scheme in its IndoPacific region to stimulate investment in high-quality projects that deliver carbon offsets that meet the requirements of the Paris Agreement. Their Emissions Reduction Fund is one of the largest and most robust offset schemes in the world. *Three types of coastal ecosystems, mangroves, seagrasses and tidal marshes store half the “blue” carbon buried beneath the ocean. Cambodia: Identified as one of the countries most at risk from the climate emergency, Cambodia also ranks a lowly 103rd on the World Economic Forum’s 2021 Global Gender Gap Index. Given that the climate crisis disproportionately impacts women, the charity ActionAid decided to launch a campaign to help Cambodian women adapt.

locals to harvest vegetables. One of the women said “People used to believe that no vegetables could grow in this village because it is on the water,” They have also planted mangroves to help protect villages from storms, the women promote sustainable farming methods and create floating schools where future generations are taught about climate resilience. Belgium: More than 22,000 guns collected by Belgian police have been melted down into 60 tons of recycled steel, after a covert three-day operation to transport the guns to a steel plant in Ghent. Half the guns came from owners or people who had inherited them but no longer wanted them; the other half were outdated police weapons. It was the third time Belgian security forces have cooperated with steel giant ArcelorMittal to destroy firearms.

The campaign, 'She is the Answer', supports communities to become more resilient by training women to take up climate-adaptive livelihoods. Research that has shown female empowerment to be one of the most effective solutions in tackling global heating.

Bogota, Colombia: The Colombian capital is clogged with trucks and people's health is suffering. One of the world's most congested cities, Bogota has repeatedly had to declare an environmental emergency and Mayor Claudia López is looking for cleaner alternatives to inner-city goods transport.

One of their projects is located in the village of Oakol, where they have helped set up a floating garden for

Heavy goods vehicles alone are responsible for around 40% of fine particulate pollution in Bogota.

Environment Stop Press

reader has reacted to top food retailers who have warned the Brazilian government that they plan to stop sourcing products if it passes a law harming the Amazon rainforest. Put this short story in Bold to make it stand out. In a letter to his MP he says : “Most of us apart from a few Climate Change sceptics feel the environment is the biggest single issue facing mankind. There are

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many ways that individuals, companies and politicians can take action to help reverse the damage being done to our planet. In the UK the pollution of our rivers is a scandal. However one of, if not the biggest threats, comes from the decimation of rain forests. This is why I was pleased to read in yesterday's Metro that almost all our major food retailers have voiced opposition to Bolsonaro's bid to legalise private occupation of public land, mostly in the Brazilian Amazon.

However with BiciCargo, these polluting vehicles are left at the city gates and goods transferred to electric cargo bikes for delivery. Even though it takes several bikes to carry the load of a single truck, the founders of the pilot project say it saves time as well as emissions. Germany: The Black Lives Matter and anti-racism movements have sparked angry debate over the public space given to monuments of figures from the colonial past, with some statues toppled or locked away. But a Berlin museum is showing a more thoughtful approach to the issue—by putting contentious statues and symbols on display with the aim of reconsidering history. The Citadel Museum in the suburb of Spandau includes busts of militaristic Prussian rulers, Nazi-era statues and a 3.5-tonne granite head of Lenin, part of a giant statue unveiled in 1970 in Friedrichshain, a district of East Berlin at that time. “The goal is to make history tangible,” says the museum’s director Urte Evert. Visitors are allowed to touch the exhibits, which are mounted at eye level rather than being put on pedestals. “It’s an opportunity to not forget this history, to not let it disappear. Instead, we can show that there is anger, sadness, even violence.” I would urge your Government to back these retailers in their stance and for it to exert diplomatic pressure on Brazil to drop this invitation to further land grabs in the Amazon. If not there will be further build up of carbon dioxide and as some of the land made be made over to ranching, this will add to the equally dangerous methane in the atmosphere. I trust you care as much as I do in wanting to work towards a cleaner , more sustainable environment.” Can YOU tell your MP if you agree with the view expressed above?

The Folk Singers And The Bureau Book Review

he Folk Singers and the Bureau: The FBI, the Folk Artists & and the suppression of the Communist Party USA, 19391956' - Aaron J. Leonard (Repeater Books) As UK Labour relentlessly undermined and attacked Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership and thousands of its own party members, in the guise of rooting out ‘antisemitism’, parallels were drawn with the ‘red scare’ of 1950s USA, in which thousands of socialists were persecuted in the cause of anticommunism. Leonard’s book is a study of the US authorities’ neutering of the American left, including prominent ‘folk’ musicians Sis Cunningham, Pete Seeger, Woody Guthrie and other artistes regarded as communist ‘fellow travellers’. Leonard provides a wider context to the criminalization of US communists and supporters, by the likes of President Truman, Senator Joe McCarthy and J E Hoover’s Federal Bureau of Investigation. He explains how the Alien Registration Act, the Smith Act(s) and Internal Security Act formed part of the process, and how right-wing ‘Red Channels’ and the FBI’s ‘Counter Attack’ retained files on folk artistes and other suspected left-wing sympathisers. Leonard draws on the FBI’s own records - Paul Robeson’s FBI file spanned 25 years alone - to reveal the organizations thinking and surveillance methods. He provides transcripts of exchanges

Aaron J Leonard

between musicians and their ‘House Committee Un-American Activities’ (HUAC) inquisitors. Leonard’s low-key narration seems to belie the tensions, dramas and tragedies of his subject matter. Some details are chilling, such as the FBI notes on Woody Guthrie’s terminal Huntington's Chorea illness. Their recommendation that Guthrie’s name be removed from their Security Index was not acted upon before his death in 1967. The book also reveals the damaging impact on the musician’s lives, families and careers. Fall-out from UK Labour suspensions, leaks and legal battles continue and it may be some time before a study similar to Leonard’s can be made of the attacks on Corbyn and the Labour left and compared with the ‘witch hunt’ of the USA left, over 60 years ago. Meanwhile, Leonard’s book forms a solid, crucial record of how sincere, committed women and men, with a vision of a fairer society, were hounded and suppressed in a dark era of suspicion, paranoia and tyranny.

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Recipe REGIONAL RECIPES FOR CENTRE ELITISTS

Mid May 2021

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SOUSE HARTLEPOD OL HALIBUT PEPPERCOWITH PINK PICKLED S RNS AND CRUSHED HALLOTS, “ APPLE” P PINK FIR SALAD, DIL OTATO L VODKA

Keir Starmer’s Soused Hartlepool Halibut Ingredients 400 g of halibut (thin 2 mm slivers cut lengthways) 50 ml olive oil 100 ml white wine vinegar 1 tbsp pink peppercorns 2 shallots 2 limes (juice and zest) 50 g chopped dill 200 g pink fir apple potatoes 50 ml crème fraîche zest of one lime 25 g chopped dill 25 g chopped chives 1 tsp pommery mustard 150 ml vodka 50 g dill (with stalks) 50 g sugar

METHOD Gently warm the olive oil, white wine vinegar, pink peppercorns and shallots to 40°c. Then add lime juice and zest and chopped dill and pour over the halibut. Cover with cling film and place in the refrigerator and allow the flavours to infuse and marinade overnight, this will keep up to seven days

no problem. Cook the potatoes; cool down in cold water and drain. Cut the potatoes into 2 cm dice, mixing in the crème fraîche, lime zest, dill, chives and pommery mustard. Season to taste. Thinly slice the halibut and arrange on top of the potato salad, add some of the dill and shallots from the marinade. Serve chilled.

DILL VODKA Gently warm the vodka in a saucepan over a medium heat to 37°c. This helps to take the harshness of the alcohol away. Add the sugar for sweetness being careful not to boil the liquid. Stuff the empty vodka bottle with dill and pour in the liquid. Allow to cool. This will keep for quite some time and will improve with age.

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JUST FOR LAUGHS - YOUR NOMINATIONS FOR THE TOP TICKLERS ON THE TELLY

The Top 5 COMEDY SHOWS ON TV AS VOTED FOR BY OUR READERS

FATHER TED Weird and wonderful surreal comedy from the 90s about Catholic priests in Ireland. Anything could and did happen in the lives of the three main characters: Father Ted Crilly, Father Dougal McGuire and Father Jack Hackett. The main joke was that the Dougal character was stupid but Ted was nearly as bad but did not realise. The repeats are worth looking at. Their adventures on Craggy Island were almost a parody of today’s political parties with parallel characters on their neighbouring island.

BBC NEWS A wonderfully designed comedy show based on the premise that Socialism is the same as anti – Semitism. The BBC news is put together for your entertainment by a bunch of people who went to the same private schools as each other.

TORY ELECTION BROADCASTS See Father Ted for details and his catch phrase of “it was just resting in my account.”

GOODNIGHT SWEETHEART A time travel comedy based on the idea that the lead character has two partners decades apart. Television repairman, Gary Sparrow lives out his fantasy as a pretend spy in 1940’s wartime London.

FAWLTY TOWERS Hotel owner, Basil Fawlty, played by, John Cleese, is totally manic in the posh, all fur coat and no knickers, seaside town of Torquay. The famous “don’t mention the war” episode was taken off the BBC streaming service in 2020 after being accused of being racist.

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The scruffy blond mess at the seat of power

Erin's Tory profiles, continued

h well, I had to look at the head honcho, the big “I am,” eventually. The Don, The.... well the scruffy blond mess at the seat of power. . Alexander Boris De Piffle Johnson, lawmaker, lawbreaker, falsehood-perpetuator, first and sadly not last of his name. It's a pastime for Britons to roll eyes and bemoan the money MP's are paid, let alone the fees paid to sitting Prime Ministers. They are paid what the vast majority of us consider a dream, sums that could free us from watching our finances like proverbial hawks. Our lives, instead, are edgy. We budget, we manage what we can and, in this day and age, with so little luxury to be had, the pandemic only tightens those oh-so-restrictive belts further. But one man, egregious Boris, cannot manage even that. On his elephantine income, not only did he plead poverty due to divorce, but he also recently became steeped in the mire of the Number 10 refurbishment scandal. Prime Ministers annually receive £30,000 to design their own bespoke living quarters. Anyone could make a splendid home for that amount, surely?

Not Boris, or his current squeeze Carrie Symonds! Redecorating on such a pittance? Unthinkable! Current indicators suggest they needed a further £28,000 to finish the job. Allegedly paid for by the Conservative Party via a loan from a known party 'Donor and Peer'. The electoral commission say there are grounds to believe offences were committed, so investigation and inquiries are pending. Shockingly, and most shamelessly, The Independent reports that Johnson is so broke, he has now asked Tory donors to finance, not only a personal fitness instructor, but also a nanny for his latest offspring, Wilfred. One donor was quoted, "I resent being asked to pay to literally wipe the Prime Minister’s baby’s bottom." Who can disagree, since 2010 average Joe claiming £100 benefits-per-fortnight has been called all names under the sun (and by The S*n)? "If you can't afford kids, don't have them!" and a plethora of other thought-free derogatory platitudes have been unpityingly hurled at the poorest, and normalised by Conservatives. Yet now, a toff, given more than we all could hope to earn in thirteen lifetimes, somehow lacks the means to support his own child?

It insults every single working class person or struggling individual of this nation who has ever been poverty-shamed, for any sitting PM to plead financial hardship. Any at all. But one this privileged? Over ninety-nine per cent of Britons will never know financial comfort the Prime Minister expects. We continue muddling through as best we can with few rewards, and even fewer escape routes. We retain our shoestring budgets, tighten our belts, resist any self-indulgence. We can't claim expenses, we don't get freedom to relax. We soldier on until our everretreating pension age, whereupon our meagre annuities will just about stop us starving away our last days. Simply rage-inspiring to those who struggle; choosing between heat or eat. The Prime Minister doesn't care. He holds his people in utter contempt, his only concern maintaining his own convenience. A spoiled brat with less work ethic. Mr Johnson, a suggestion: Live within your means, and should you be strapped for a few quid, try weighing in your brass neck; scrap prices are up these days. By Erin Wilson

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Crossword

1970s Quiz Questions I 1. What was discovered in China, on 29 March

1974, by farmers digging a water well? 2. With which British city would you associate

The Bay City Rollers? 3. Which television series followed the

adventures of Kwai Chang Caine? 4. What was the name of the first space

shuttle, which flew in 1977? 5. Angola gained its independence in 1975

from which country? 6. Who worked for the Office of Scientific

Intelligence as a secret agent? 7. In which films does Dustin Hoffman play

Louis Dega? 8. Rolling Stone magazine described which

band as 'the biggest band of the 1970s'? 9. Who resigned as leader of the Liberal party

in 1976? 10. Eugene Cernan was the last man to do

what?

CHESS

1. The Terracotta Army 2. Edinburgh 3. Kung Fu 4. Enterprise 5. Portugal 6. Steve Austin - The Six Million Dollar Man 7. Papillon 8. Led Zeppelin 9. Jeremy Thorpe 10. Walk on the moon Answers

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Sudoku

1970s Quiz Questions II

1. 'Lonely This Christmas' was a Christmas number 1 in 1974 for glam rock band Mud, but which of their singles was the UK's best-selling of 1974? 2. The UK launch in 1970 of which product was branded as 'The Hot One' (hint: the words Sturmey-Archer was associated with it)? 3. In which country was there a 1973 military coup that overthrew the government of President Salvador Allende? 4. Which seventies sitcom featured the character Gavin Rumsey? 5. The 1970 Bhola cyclone killed an estimated half million people in which densely populated country? 6. Luxton and District featured in which seventies television series? 7. Which company, now one of the world's most valuable, was founded on April 4, 1975? 8. In 1976, the deadliest earthquake of the twentieth century occured in which country? 9. Jamie Sommers, a fictional character better known as The Bionic Woman, was a professional in which sport? 10. Complete the title to the ITV series: Paint Along with ? 11. Mark Spitz won seven Olympic gold medals in which year? 12. What did the 'Roe versus Wade' case legalise in the US? 13. What was the informal name for the Peoples Temple Agricultural Project formed by an American religious group under the leadership of Jim Jones? 14. Who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979? 15. The SLA, an American revolutionary group, became notorious for kidnapping which heiress? 1. Tiger Feet 2. The Chopper (kids popular bike) 3. Chile 4. The Cuckoo Waltz (the character was played by Lewis Collins) 5. Bangladesh (Bangladesh was known as East Pakistan at the time and changed name in 1971) 6. On the Buses Answers

7. Microsoft 8. China 9. Tennis 10. Nancy 11. 1972 12. Abortion 13. Jonestown 14.Mother Theresa 15.Patty Hearst

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Death does not exist

PHYSICS AND THE GREAT BEYOND

o what happens after you’re dead? The biggest question of all. Those that say they have the answer tend to also tell you how to live and also who to hate or fear. But two physicists argue that no one dies. Robert Panza a professor at Wake Forest University School of Medicine in North Carolina, together with astronomer Bob Berman , explain their thinking in Beyond Biocentrism: Rethinking Time, Space, Consciousness, and the Illusion of Death (£8.99). Organised religion’s illusionary belief in an afterlife is viewed with scepticism by virtually all scientists, usually claiming the end is just that, the end, but this book offers another theory of the universe, called biocentrism, in which life and consciousness create the reality around them, has no space for death at all. It begins with Albert Einstein’s theory of relativity, the basis of modern physics. An important consequence of his work is that the past, present and future are not absolutes, and time is not fixed. Physicist Julian Barbour states, ‘it’s always slipping through your fingers. People are

sure that it’s there but they can’t get hold of it. Now my feeling is that they can’t get hold of it because it isn’t there at all. We live in a succession of ‘Nows’.

Religion’s illusionary belief in an afterlife is viewed with scepticism by virtually all scientists

‘We have the strong impression that things are there in definite positions relative to each other,’ says Barbour. ‘But there are Nows, nothing more, nothing less.’ Einstein’s colleague, John Wheeler (who popularised the word ‘black hole’) also postulated that time is not a fundamental aspect of reality.

Time is not a fundamen ta aspect l of reality

In 2007, his ‘delayedc h o i c e ’ experiment showed that you could retroactively influence the past by altering a particle of light, called a photon, in the present. As light passed a fork in the experimental apparatus, it had to decide whether to behave like particles or waves. Later on (after the light had already passed the fork),a scientist could turn a switch on or off. What the scientist did at that moment retroactively determined what the particle actually did at the fork in the past.

W e ’ r e experiencing a ‘now’. But consider: from your great-grandmother ’s perspective, your nows exist in her future and her greatgrandmother’s nows exist in her past. The words ‘past’ and ‘future’ are just ideas relative to each individual observer. So what happened to your great-grandmother after she died? To start with – since time doesn’t exist – there is no ‘after death’, except the death of her physical body in your now. Since everything is just nows, there is no absolute space/time matrix for her energy to dissipate – it’s simply impossible for her to have ‘gone’ anywhere. In short, according to the theory, death does not actually exist. Instead, at death, we reach the imagined border of ourselves, the wooded boundary where, in the old fairy tale, the fox and the hare say goodnight to each other. And if death and time are illusions, so too is the continuity

in the connection of nows. Where, then, do we find ourselves? Einstein knew this. In 1955, when his lifelong friend Michele Besso died, he wrote: ‘Now he has departed from this strange world a little ahead of me. That means n o t h i ng . People like us, who believe

in physics, know that the distinction between past, present and future is only a stubbornly persistent illusion.’ So now you have no need of Kings and Priests, you are now free! (Possibly) See also YouTube: (Stephen Hawking) – A Brief History Of Time walk through

life and onsciousn create the ess around threality has no sp em, a death at cae for ll

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An Introduction To Bushcraft: The Basics For Survival

Going Wild In The Country

Knowledg e

ushcraft is basically about surviving in outdoor environments like the woods. It deals with making efficient use of seemingly random things in the environment to secure your survival and the general skills, expertise, and knowledge in doing so. Getting lost in the UK and finding yourself in desperate need of bushcraft skills may seem far-fetched, but as the saying goes; knowledge for its own sake is a greater reward than any form of ignorance.. If you’re thinking of embarking on outdoor adventures and you need information, or you just wish to upgrade your bushcraft skills, then this should go some way in focusing on your need for knowledge and more expert education.

Outdoor activity with appropriate gear is just as important as having outdoor skills to begin with. Bushcraft skills – by virtue of the type of activity that amalgamates it – can be quite extensive, and there are many factors to deal with out in the wild. This is why it is important to learn the most essential skills in order to deal with them. Here are some basics;BUILDING A SHELTER It is no surprise that it is listed first in this article such is the importance of shelter; it may be a deciding factor to your survival when you’re caught out and exposed to the rain and wind. Being warm and dry and somewhere to sleep is

for its ow n is a greatsake reward th er an form of any ignorance

essential. A tent or tarp should be among the first things you pack. But for those who are caught out without a tent or tarp, creating a makeshift shelter should be your topmost priority. A debris hut is always a good idea, and you can look for items like tree branches, palm fronds; dry sticks, etc. If you find yourself in a snowy environment, you could build a snow house, since building in the typical igloo manner would be great. While building your shelter, you should keep in mind that the elements are a factor to consider. Building a large shelter will have some disadvantages; your body gives off a certain amount of heat and the smaller the shelter, the faster it warms up. On a very cold night, it is advised that you stick to a small type of shelter.

Those Squirrels Can Be Terrifying

STARTING A FIRE Next important survival skill is fire, it keeps you warm, it gives you light, but it also deters animals, especially if you’re camped out in the wild. those squirrels can be terrifying. It’s not everyone who goes about with a lighter or a matchbox; you may find yourself out without a means of making fire. There are a few ways of getting a fire going without the help of a lighter. You could use flint and steel: striking them together produces sparks. A

glass lens: focusing the Sun from your lens at the object you wish to lights. Friction: probably the most available, since simply rubbing two surfaces together long enough will cause smoke to appear even if it is very time consuming. It is also important to find dry tinder for a higher success rate. FINDING AND PURIFYING WATER Water is among the most important things to have around you at all times. An average person can last only three days without water, and severe I’ll effects happen after only one day without it. After setting your shelter, you should try to replenish your water reserves. You may find yourself without any obvious source of water like rivers, but there are other sources available. Collecting rainwater from leaf tops is an option. The trails of small animals will also eventually lead you to a source of water. Also, In the snow, you’re in luck: get a bowl or a container, fill it up with enough snow and take it into your shelter or over

your fire for defrosting. You can also search for damp areas in the ground and then begin digging. Water will eventually appear that you can then take for filtering. It is important to pay attention to what you digest. Do not drink dirty or poisoned water in your haste to quench thirst. A situation may arise where you can find no clean water. Below are some techniques for purifying water: Boiling Distillation Filtration Chlorination etc. Having further a mastery of the following bushcraft skills will add to the skill base; 1.Foraging for food 2.Tying a knot and rope crafting 3.Hunting for game 4.Navigation 5.First aid etc. But in general, learning how to build shelter, create a fire, and find a source of water will be perhaps the three most valuable bushcraft skills to begin learning. Further reading:

www.woodland-ways.co.uk/blog/

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Unite left candidate held back damning Starmer revelation

inutes after the polls closed it was revealed that Keith Starmer had refused to sign Unite's call to end the fire and rehire abuse of workers. That Starmer has once again turned on the working class is to be expected, the shock is that the news was deliberately withheld from socialists and trade unionists until after the polls had closed. Left favourite for the Unite general secretary Howard Becket revealed he had deliberately held back the news but gave no explanation or justification for keeping it secret. Clearly he did it aid the Starmer party, yet in his revealing tweet says: "It says so much. Disgraceful." adding: Sow some passion. Talk for workers. It's pathetic" Some socialists have called on Beckett to explain his actions, comparing his alleged breach of trust with his supporters to the secret deal between Corbyn and Len McCluskey to pull the all-important Unite support at conference for

Why?

automatic selection meetings for sitting MPs.

Everyone knew that if successful this would have, at a stroke, rid the party of many if not all Blairite MPs and members. Losing the vote proved fatal for the left enabling the right to hold on to power, remove leading left voices and again rule the roost. Failing to support workers is a Starmer trademark, starting with the education unions when Covid was at its height. Only last month a motion calling for a 15% pay increase for NHS workers was supported by 24 left Labour MPs, but not a single Starmer careerist. Skwawkbox, the left-wing information service which has, and

2019 left Labour in bad shape,

Starmer has finished it off

The Hartlepool by-election swing of 16% took most people by surprise.

In 1974 Labour gained 54.3% at the first election, and a high of 60.2% in 1997 before dropping to 40.7% under Blair, then 35% under Miliband, soaring to 52.5% under Corbyn and then down to 37.7% in the Brexit rout. Starmer has touched bottom at 28.7% The cause was the utter failure of the Labour Right to offer any answers to the the destruction of whole industries, and NHS in the north east What caused Labour to lose in 2019 was not Corbyn’s radical manifesto but the determination of the Labour Right to see serial liar Boris Johnson in power than Corbyn. The choice of Keir Starmer to be the Right’s standard bearer is no accident. His lack of anything approaching a personality is symptomatic of the Labour Right. They have nothing to say and no alternative to offer to Boris Johnson.

Starmer’s statement that he would take the blame for the election disaster lasted precisely one day before throwing the useless Angela Rayner under the bus! Since he is surrounded by a useless Shadow Chancellor Anneliese Dodds and the equally useless Lisa Nandy as Foreign Secretary, he has a lot of bodies to bury. The present Shadow Cabinet has all the impact of a wet paper bag. Starmer is unlikely to last long. The knives will be out for this dishonest knight , but whoever is put in his place will not find an answer to the Red Wall seats unless they challenge Johnson’s neo-liberal politics and the austerity that will follow Covid. With the loss of the Red Wall in tandem with the loss of its 50 seats in Scotland, the Labour Party faces a dismal future. In France and Italy social democratic parties have all but disappeared. All over Europe social democracy is in retreat. There is no reason why Britain should be the exception.

still, fully supports Beckett election bid, released Beckett's news but did not challenge him why he had held back such crucial information until after the polls closed.

In either kowtowing to the Starmer right, or just doing them a favour, is to repeat the mistakes Corbyn made time after time, even as his strongest supporters were picked off and thrown out. Are we going to see a rerun of the Corbyn disaster but within Unite?

Sturgeon brushes off Salmond's vengeance challenge

ust one seat short of a majority Nicola Sturgeon’s will head a minority administration of proindependence supporting parties with Greens' support guaranteed giving her CONTROL. This puts Scotland firmly on a collision course with Westminster as Johnson has ruled out allowing a second referendum, no matter what the Scottish people demand. An explosive confrontation seems inevitable. Despite the victory the SNP has no strategy for taking on and defeating him. Nicola Sturgeon is mortally opposed to mobilising mass struggle to win democratic rights. The Tories, yet again, trounced Labour, coming second with 31 MSPs against Labour's 22 seats (having lost two) under its much hyped latest Blairite leader. The Scottish Greens added two

more seats giving them a total of eight. Former SNP leader Alex Salmond's instantly formed Alba revenge party, failed to win anything despite the record high 63 per cent turnout and a humiliating 1.6% on the regional lists. However, it can develop a bigger electoral base as it pulls in pro-independence supporters who will become increasingly critical of SNP leadership's timidity. The independence versus union split remains roughly 50:50. So an independence rerun will split the country under Sturgeon's watch, something she is loathe to allow so she can expect trouble from her membership as she brakes the independence juggernaut while the children filling the back seat scream for more speed. Results in England and Wales saw sitting government parties receiving a Covid bounce from the vaccine roll out, not the thousands

needlessly killed by their incompetence, and expectation of fun times ahead as the lockdown ends. While Nicola Sturgeon’s handling of the pandemic would also have also boosted the SNP, it was independence that dominated. The chance of a second independence referendum overwhelmed and tactical voting was clearly evident. In Dumbarton, a Labour/SNP marginal, there was a swing from the Tories to Labour to block the SNP. In Eastwood, Labour voters backed the Tory to stymie the SNP. While a majority of the working class and young support independence, there is significant opposition. The SNP with their procapitalist vision of independence are incapable of overcoming the genuine fears of older workers and leaves a gap for Boris Johnson, the Tories and right wing Labour to exploit by whipping up a form of British nationalism.

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Trump's Hideous Heirs Who Will Lead the Opposition to Biden?

like the UK, where a new leader of the opposition is chosen almost immediately upon the departure of the former party leader, there is no formal leader of the US Republican or Democratic parties outside a presidential election period. If Donald Trump decided to run again, it's almost certain he'd be the Republican nominee, as he remains almost universally popular among party primary voters. Should he choose to decline, though, or is somehow banned, it's a good chance one of the people below is going to end up replacing him as the party's presidential nominee in 2024. Ron DeSantis DeSantis, governor of Florida since 2019, has strong popular support among right-wing media kingpins including podcaster Ben Shapiro and New York Times columnist Ross Douthat. Called "DeathSantis" by his critics, DeSantis received a torrent of criticism as a result of his coronavirus policies, which resulted in a surge of new cases after he re-opened parts of the economy in 2020, however, since then death tolls haven't been out of line among American states, leading his supporters to claim vindication. This spring, the Florida city of Miami was overwhelmed by tourists, leading to police violence, the installation of a curfew and the rape and death of a 24-year-old woman Donald Trump Jr. It's quite possible that Donald Trump's political heir could end up being his biological heir. Even more inflammatory and reactionary than his ancestor, Trump Jr. has played up his appeal to the conservative base, defending some of the altright's most notorious and extreme exponents, including conspiracy theorist Alex Jones and discredited professional troll and pedophilia excuser Milo Yiannopoulos. A major hunting aficionado, he has been heavily criticized by animal rights activists after posting photos of his kills.

Donald Trump jnr

Ron DeSantis Ivanka Trump Ivanka drew scorn on the global stage as Trump appointed her to various positions in the White House and in global summits. Although she is her father's favorite child, she is probably less likely than her brother to achieve the adoration of his base- she is seen as more socially and her posh image and Midtown New York aesthetic isn't likely to appeal to Republican primary voters. However, these could make her more appealing in a general election. Tim Scott The only Republican AfricanAmerican Senator, Scott, from South Carolina, is considered a possible vice-presidential candidate on a 2024 ticket. Chosen to respond to Biden's Congressional speech outlining the president's agenda, Scott slammed the idea that the U.S. is a racist country, even though less than three years earlier, he said racism in the U.S. was "real and alive" after the lethal alt-right rally in Charlottesville.

barred from most of the American press but also promotes extremely hawkish rhetoric against China Nikki Haley Haley, also a South Carolina native, has been described as "ambitious as Lucifer" by ex-Trump aide and alt-right master plotter Steve Bannon. Fanatically proIsrael, Haley represented America at the United Nations during the initial stage of Trump's presidency. If elected, she'd be the first AsianAmerican and woman to serve as President. Considered more electable than others on this list, Haley has sought to appeal to voters across the political spectrum by addressing feminist issues including transgender participation in w o m e n's sports.

Nikki Haley

Tucker Carlson Host of America's most popular TV news program, Tucker is not a conventional politician or Republican. Anti-tech monopoly and to an extent even anti-capitalist, he blends opposition to American overseas conflicts with inflammatory rhetoric around race that critics have described as white supremacist, nativist, and bigoted. Tucker attempted to apply to the CIA in his youth but was rejected. His show notably gives a platform to socialist commentators and activists

Tucker Carlson

Ivanka Trump

Tim Scott

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WHEN BRITISH TEAMS HAVE CELEBRATED VICTORY IN EUROPE

BRITISH EUROPEAN WIN W

e all know the World Cup, England 1966. Of course we do. The likes of the BBC never stop reminding us about it. But that was not the first English side to be declared 'World Champions' of football. The first club world champions were the Thomas Lipton Cup winners West Auckland of 1909 and 1911. The list of those who've returned from the continent with silverware might jog some memories of less acclaimed teams.

The Inter-Cities' Fairs Cup, a competition not run by UEFA, ran alongside the European Champions' Cup competition from the mid1950s, through the 1960s and into the early 1970s. Leeds United became the first British side to win the competition in this form, in 1968, beating Ferencvaros of Hungary in the final. A year later, Newcastle United won its only European silverware to date, overwhelming Ujpest, also of Hungary, 6-2 on aggregate in a dramatic two-legged final.

In 1971, UEFA took over the No, Celtic weren't first European competition and chose to give it a winners from the UK either. It was heavy makeover, even replacing the Tottenham, in winning the UEFA trophy. The competition became Cup Winners Cup in 1963 by beating the UEFA Cup, and in its first season Atletico Madrid 5-1 in the final, who it was won by Tottenham Hotspur, started the long British roll-call of beating Wolverhampton Wanderers success. West Ham United (1965), 3-2 in an all-English final. A year later, Manchester City (1970), Chelsea Liverpool won it for the first time at (1971), Rangers (1972), Aberdeen the expense of Borussia (1983, Everton (1985), Moenchengladbach of West Manchester United Germany. Liverpool would (1991), Arsenal (1994) win it again in 1976, The Interand Chelsea again beating Club Brugge 4Continent (1998) all 3 in a real cliffhanger World Clu al, emulated them final. Ipswich Town before that were somewhat has been b Cup won twic unlikely winners in competition e 1981, overcoming by Man U became defunct n it e d , then once in 1999. AZ Alkemaar of the

Liverpoolby

Netherlands by 5-4 on aggregate in the final, rather more easily than the final score might imply. Tottenham would then regain the trophy in 1984, beating Anderlecht of Belgium in a penalty shoot-out at White Hart Lane, after both legs of the final had ended 1-1. Due in part to the ban on English clubs from European compeition, imposed in the aftermath of the Heysel Stadium Disaster, there would not be another British winner of the UEFA Cup for the rest of the century. When it finally fell back into British hands, it was Liverpool winning it for the third time, in one of the wildest, craziest finals in European history. The UEFA Cup final by now was played over one match on neutral ground. In Dortmund, Liverpool beat Deportivo Alaves 5-4 after extra time, with a 'Golden Goal' deciding proceedings, after Alaves had been reduced to nine men. That was the last time that a British side would win the competition as the UEFA Cup. Celtic, Middlesborough and Rangers would all end as runners-up over the next eight years. But the next time a British side won the competition, it had been reformated once more,

with a group stage added in the early rounds, and had been renamed the Europa League. The first British winners of this incarnation were Chelsea in 2012-13, beating Benfica 2-1 in the final in Amsterdam. Manchester United won it for the first time in 2017, beating Ajax Amsterdam 2-0 in Solna, in a final played just days after the Manchester Arena Bombing. Chelsea would win it again two years later, sweeping aside Arsenal 4-1 in another all-English final, this one played in Baku.

Among the tertiary competitions; the Inter-Toto Cup ran from the early-1960s, but was not contested by British clubs until UEFA took over the competition in the 1990s. It was won by Aston Villa twice, and again one time each by Blackburn Rovers, Fulham, Newcastle United, and West Ham United. The competition was abolished in 2008. The Anglo-Italian League Cup has been won by Swindon and Tottenham. Swindon have also won

Big Sam's first W

est Bromwich Albion have made history of a kind they would rather avoid as their relegation from the Premier League was confirmed on Sunday night, with defeat at Arsenal. It is the first time, in some twenty years, that their coach, Sam Allardyce, has failed to stave off relegation from the EPL.

powerful blows, one a skilled volley by Emile Smith Rowe for his first senior goal, followed a few minutes later by an absolute thunderbolt by Nicolas Pépé.

The final score of 3-1 to Arsenal was flattering, to say the least, as Albion made at least as many chances throughout the ninety minutes. This was especially so in the first twenty, in which Albion wasted three great chances.

Albion threatened a comeback in the second half, with a fine strike by Costa Pereira. But an injury time killer from a Willian free kick ended the contest, and ended West Brom's stay in the top flight. In spite of being unlucky on the night against an Arsenal team that has looked lacklustre all season, the truth is that Albion have paid the price for a terrible first few months, from which it was always going to be unlikely to recover.

After that, Arsenal woke up and started making openings of their own, and landed two

Championship football beckons. By Martin Odoni

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FOOTBALL RE SU LTS

Week-ending 9th May2021

NNERS

Premier League

It was the 1970s when working folks had the money to support local teams that Britain had most success the Anglo-Italian Cup, as have Blackpool and Newcastle. Wycombe Wanderers have won the Anglo-Italian Semi-professional Cup. It was the 1970s when working folks had the money to support local teams that Britain had most success.

2008), Nottingham Forest (twice – 1979 and 1980 – bizarrely, Forest have actually been European champions more often than they have been English champions), and one time each by Celtic (1967), Chelsea (2012) and Aston Villa (1982).

But of course, no list of British Champions in Europe could exclude the European Cup or Champions' League. The British winners are Liverpool (6 times – 1977, 1978, 1981, 1984, 2005 and 2019), Manchester United (3 times – 1968, 1999 and

The European Super Cup played between the European Cup winners and the Cup-Winners cup winners (the latter replaced by UEFA Cup/Europa League winners from 1999) has been played as a sort of 'curtain-raiser' to European

f cricket truly since is 1973 “The competition each year (with Sunshine one unofficial Sport,”Super thenCup the matchsecond played round in 1972).ofItfixtures has been in won theby 2021 Liverpool Countyfour Championship, times (1977, 2001, heavily 2005modified and 2019), dueand to Covidonce each 19 by lockdown, Manchester are United being played (1991), Chelsea in (1998), their Nottingham most natural Forest (1979), environment Aston Villa possible. (1982), Glorious and Aberdeen early-spring (1983). sunshine washed over grounds all around the country, The Inter-Continental allowing some Cup, then very World fine,Clubclosely-fought Cup, has been woncricket. twice byInterestingly Man United (1999 foranda 2008), weekand of once cricket by Liverpool with no (2019). weather holdups, many games went, not just into the final day, but Byeven Sue Port. into

t relegation from EPL

Monday 3rd May 2021 West Bromwich Albion Burnley Friday 7th May 2021 Leicester City Saturday 8th May 2021 Leeds United Sheffield United Manchester City Liverpool Sunday 9th May 2021 Wolverhampton Aston Villa West Ham United Arsenal

1-1 1-2

Wolverhampton West Ham United

2-4

Newcastle United

3-1 0-2 1-2 2-0

Tottenham Hotspur Crystal Palace Chelsea Southampton

2-1 1-3 0-1 3-1

Brighton & Hove Albion Manchester United Everton West Bromwich Albion

UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE SEMI-FINAL Tuesday 4th May 2021 Manchester City 2-0 Paris St. Germain Manchester City win 4-1 on aggregate Wednesday 5th May 2021 Chelsea 2-0 Real Madrid Chelsea win 3-1 on aggregate

UEFA EURO LEAGUE SEMI-FINAL Thursday 6th May 2021 Arsenal 0-0 Villareal Villareal win 2-1 on aggregate AS Roma 3-2 Manchester United Manchester United win 8-5 on aggregate

SCOTTISH CUP SEMI-FINAL:

Albion have paid the price fo a terrible r first few months

Dundee United St. Mirren

0-2 1-2

Hibernian St. Johnstone

SCOTTISH PREMIERSHIP PLAY-OFF 1. Leg Dunfermline 2. Leg Raith Rovers

0-0 2-0

Raith Rovers Dunfermline

FA WOMENS SUPER LEAGUE: Tottenham Hotspur Arsenal Birmingham City Brighton & Hove Albion Chelsea Manchester United West Ham United

0-2 0-0 0-1 3-1 5-0 2-0 0-1

Chelsea Aston Villa Tottenham Hotspur Bristol City Reading Everton Manchester City

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Sky Sports Promote Fan Power The emotional link fans feel is being exploited

Football has a history of power struggles since its formation; .

1863 The Football Association (F.A.) was created in 1863 with eleven clubs agreeing to play under Uppingham School rules. Some wishing to play Rugby School rules refused to join. 1873 Scottish F.A. created (Wales 1876, Ireland 1880) in each case removing control and profit from the F. A. 1888 Football League formed by 12 clubs. This league was a breakaway from the F.A. by the wealthiest clubs, run by a new body, The Football League, sharing profits only with member teams. Bottom teams and new candidates had to (re-)apply to join, allowing newly wealthy and better supported teams to replace less successful clubs, enriching the League. 1892 -1950 League gradually grew to four divisions - 92 teams with movement between divisions. 1987 System of (re-)application to league, allowing Hartlepool to finish bottom yet stay in the League 15 times, finally ceased, allowing promotion to Division 4 from the Conference.

the League, though renegotiated to share less with lower divisions.

1992 The Premier League breaks away, controlled by the F.A, removing money and control from The League. Despite initial promises games would be broadcast terrestrially, Sky TV eventually bought all the rights, forcing viewers to subscribe to see live matches. Sky have made enormous money since and taken significant control of the game. 1997 First foreign owner of a British club. Today, only three top flight clubs have British owners; Brighton - Tony Bloom, Newcastle Mike Ashley, Tottenham - Joe Lewis/Daniel Levy. Levy, the only lifelong fan among club-owners, supported the European Super League. 2004 Division 1 (original Division 2) half-breaks off from The Football League. The new 'Championship' Division d i d ultimately stay in

The balance of power has changed sporadically, enabling biggest clubs and investor-owners to profit at smaller clubs' expense. Clubs can theoretically climb from lower leagues to the top, but without a hugely wealthy owner investing towards long-term big money returns from the Premier League, it won't happen. Professional football has always been a business, albeit with high brand loyalty. The current power struggle between the ESL, the F.A., and Sky triggered a recent fan protest and pitch invasion against the owners, the Glazer family, at Old Trafford, cancelling the Manchester United v Liverpool match. Sky Sports' Gary Neville remarked, "all football fans should unite behind what Manchester United fans have done," encouraging mob intimidation at other grounds. It's always been profit and power struggles. Wealthier clubs have had an advantage since professional football began in 1885. That one side would encourage mob action in order to win the argument however is new. We have a problem with our media.

Football has a hist power str ory of ug since it w gles as formed

This power stirs a ug between gle the ESL, the F.A., and Sky.

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ProudB to be Lions efore the final test match against the Springboks in 2009, Ian McGeechan described Jason Leonard as the perfect Lion. Not simply for his talent, rather when left out of the starting fifteen he did everything to ensure the props chosen ahead of him had the best preparation. Ego can never be primary in Rugby Union, it is the ultimate team game. Leonard, as Chair of the British & Irish Lions, has announced a strong 37 man squad.

Props - Zander Fagerson, Tadhg Furlong, Wyn Jones, Andrew Porter, Rory Sutherland, Mako Vunipola

Heineken Cup Semi-Finals

LA ROCHELLE V LEINSTER

Hookers - Luke Cowan-Dickie, Jamie George, Ken Owens

Centres - Bundee Aki, Elliot Daly, Chris Harris, Robbie Henshaw

Wings - Josh Adams, Louis ReesZammit, Duhan van der Merwe, Anthony Watson Full Backs - Stuart Hogg, Liam Williams 11 English, 10 Welsh, 8 Irish, and 8 Scots. Billy Vunipola is the most mentioned player to miss out. His form is erratic; on his day he is inspirational. A player with outspoken support for the idea that others should repent, and whose understanding of his Christian faith is such that he believes homosexuals should burn in hell, might not

always express the best teambuilding opinions for the Lions. Given their recent 6 Nations campaign, there are, also, more English players than might be expected. Johnny Sexton also misses out. It would be difficult to suggest Owen Farrell has had a better season. Sexton, however, is 35 years old and apparently he is as aware as anyone that his stamina might wain. The seemingly evergreen Alun Wyn Jones both makes the squad and is the obvious choice for captain. First match will be against the emergent and energetic Japanese on 26 June at Murrayfield before embarking to tour South Africa through July into early August.

Locks - Tadhg Beirne, Iain Henderson, Jonny Hill, Maro Itoje, Alun Wyn Jones (c), Courtney Lawes Back Rows - Jack Conan, Tom Curry, Taulupe Faletau, Sam Simmonds, Justin Tipuric, Hamish Watson Scrum Halves - Gareth Davies, Conor Murray, Ali Price Fly Halves - Dan Biggar, Owen Farrell, Finn Russell

Heineken Cup Semi-Finals

TOULOUSE VS BORDEAUX 4 MAY 2021

T T

he last non-French team in European Rugby's top club competition tracelled from Ireland to the home of what is South West France's thrd best team (the top two played in the other Semi Final). La Rochelle are coached by the great Irish FlyHalf Ronan O'Gara, and the exMunster player clearly knew how to handle his former rivals. demonstration of strength and power from La Rochelle. Both sides scored two tries, but it

was the relentless point grabbing from penalties and an excellently taken drop kick (yes they still exist) by Maori Fly-Half Ihaia West which have given La Rochelle their first Heineken Cup final at the expense of the 2018 wnners Leinster. La Rochelle 32 Leinster 23 Twickenham will host rivals from South West France, Toulouse and La Rochelle om 22nd of May.

he Derby de la Garonne between the two big football clubs of cities on the River Garonne in the Aran Valley first played in 1946, has become one of the great rivalries. This match, described as, "Un derby de la Garonne au sommet de l'Europe," a Derby of the Garonne on the summit of Europe between the two biggest Rugby Union teams in South West France was always goig to be hard fought.37 man squad. The cliche of French Rugby, played with flair as it is, is that it is never predictable. It is though increasingly predicatible that the brillian French and Toulouse captain Antoine Dupont will lead from the front and inspire. He is also becoming an organiser.

Bordeaux took the lead with a penalty from their fly-half Matthieu Jalibert, within two minutes Matthis Lebel responded with a try, putting Toulouse ahead. Swift ball along the line, and the

unmatchably swift feet of Lebel to finish. Jalibert again put his side ahead with a penalty in the 20th minute, before Romain Roman Ntamack's penalty made the half time score a hard fought 8-6 to Toulouse. Failure to release in the tackle by Bordeaux led to a penalty from a difficult range and position which was nonetheless dispatched by Ntamack in the 44th minute. A penalty each from Ntamack and the hard working Jalibert followed before the current star of World |Rugby, Antoine Dupont among the supporters in a driving Toulouse team accepting the ball to svore a try, Ntamack converting to give a final score of Toulouse 21 Bordeaux 9. Toulouse reach the final for the first time since 2010.

Another FOR THE SECOND CHAMPIONS LEAGUE IN 3 SEASONS, IT'S AN ALL PREMIER LEAGUE FINAL

anchester City completed a comfortable doublewin over Paris St Germain at the Etihad to secure their longawaited first ever appearance in the biggest annual showpiece event in European Sport. A 2-0 win at home, thanks to a cool brace by the inform Riyad Mahrez, to go with the 2-1 win in France the previous week was plenty for City to see off their underachieving opponents, 4-1 on aggregate. In the other semi-final, Chelsea also secured a 2-0 home win, through goals by Timo Werner and Mason Mount, which was again more than enough to see them through against Real Madrid, 3-1 on aggregate. It means that the Champions League Final will be an allPremier-League affair,

just like the rather humdrum showdown between Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur in 2019. Ironically, City and Chelsea actually met at the weekend following at the Etihad for a Premier League match. Just like a year ago, this fixture might have been the final decisive moment in the race for the title, as a City win would have got them 'over the line.' At Stamford Bridge a year ago, Chelsea beat City 2-1 to hand the trophy to Liverpool, but this time, a surprise 2-1 win for the visitors instead delayed City's celebrations. (Manchester United's 3-1 win at Aston Villa on Sunday delayed City's triumph even longer.) Back in Europe, Manchester United and Arsenal were hoping to make it a second all-English Final in the Europa League – again, just like two years ago. But

The Cham pio League Fi ns nal will be an all-Premi er League affair

this t i m e , Arsenal fell. Beaten 2-1 in the first leg by Villareal, the return match at the Emirates proved a futile stalemate, and Arsenal were eliminated.

In the other semi, however, United, having hammered AS Roma 6-2 at Old Trafford in the first leg, simply had way too big a margin for error in the return leg. Although Roma got the consolation of a 3-2 win in the Stadio Olimpico, with goals by ex-City man Edin Dzeko, Bryan Cristante and a cruel own goal by

United, h aving hammere d AS Rom a 6-2 at Old Trafford in the firs t leg, simply ha d wa big a mar y too gin for error

Arsenal eliminated

Alex Telles, they were eliminated by a Rugby-sounding aggregate of 8-5. United's scorer on the night was Edinson Cavani with a brace. By Martin Odoni