Bob Piper has been a Labour Councillor for the Abbey
Ward in Sandwell, West Midlands, for 10 years. He is a lifelong supporter of Aston Villa Football Club and a follower of Yorkshire County Cricket Club.
The views expressed here are mine in a personal capacity, not those of the Labour Party, Sandwell MBC, Aston Villa or Yorkshire County Cricket Club. Get it! Mine... just mine!
Promoted by Bob Piper of 115 Barclay Rd, B67 5JZ on behalf of the Labour Party, care of 39 Victoria Street London, SW1H 0HA . Hosted (printed) by Swaithe Internet Solutions who are not responsible for any of the contents of these posts.
Please note however, that The Labour Party is not responsible for the content of this website or individual posts as, unless specifically stated, I am writing solely in a personal and individual capacity.
Promoted by Bob Piper of 115 Barclay Rd, B67 5JZ on behalf of the Labour Party, care of 39 Victoria Street London, SW1H 0HA . Hosted (printed) by Swaithe Internet Solutions who are not responsible for any of the contents of these posts.
Please note however, that The Labour Party is not responsible for the content of this website or individual posts as, unless specifically stated, I am writing solely in a personal and individual capacity.
For those of you with an interest in modern politics, and for those who think councils spying on your dustbins represents the police state... tonight on More 4 is just for you.
First up, at 9pm we have a documentary... Strike: When Britain Went To War. Without doubt the weakest of the three films, it's attempt at 'balance' makes little attempt to explain the issues behind the strike, gives us the likes of Mathew Parris and other media whores, and our side is put by... Neil Kinnock ('nuff said).
But this is followed by Ken Loach's Which Side Are You On? which includes some of the poems and songs that came out of the strike. Finally, at just after midnight, Mike Figgis' excellent The Battle of Orgreave, a drama re-enactment of the way in which Thatcher's paramilitary police brutalised the miners and laid siege to much of Northern England.
If you want some excellent reading around the strike, I can recommend David Peace's GB84.
Really Bob?
Seriously, this is the oldest trick in the Labour book.
Labour screw up our fundamental rights by imposing a big brother state, and you turn around and try and pass it on to past conservative governments.
Oldest trick in the book Bob. Thanks for my new ID card too.
I'm opposed to ID cards too, but an ID card you're not obliged to carry, and council's allegedly spying on your dustbin... 'big brother' state? Get a life man!
Closing off whole counties to prevent free movement, MI5 infiltrators smashing up mining villages and terrorising communities, whole armies of police invading pit towns, phone tapping of trade union leaders and NUM activists as a matter of routine, news management that manipulated the TV news to reverse the action and show that miners attacked police, whereas police attacked miners, soldiers dressed as policemen cracking heads for fun... it isn't a 'tactic' you buffoon, it's what happened.
Yes... you worry about bloody id cards you nitwit! Sort the wheat from the chaff and concentrate on the chaff!
Interesting. What you described sounds a bit like modern day Britian. Even though Thatcher had threats of terrorism from the IRA, she never imposed legislation such as the Terrorism Act. Phone tapping, imprisonment without trial, and lets not forget the age old statistic that 90% of the worlds CCTV camera's end up in Britain.
Pot Kettle Black Bob.
Only someone who knows nothing about the issues would make the ridiculous comment that cctv cameras = police breaking your heads. (and the 'old statistic' is crap).
She didn't introduce the Terrorism Act, but she did authorise 'shoot to kill' on IRA 'suspects' - note 'suspects' not 'members'. And exclusion orders which meant people could be deported to Ireland. And the banning of Republican politicians voices on television (hello, big brother)... not to mention torture in the army prison camps.
But thank the good Lord they didn't threaten the poor buggers with speed cameras... that would have brought them to heel.
June 20, 2009 8:27 PM | permalink
More 4? I cannot even get Channel 5 with my ariel. I will need to go digital...