Thursday, 30 November 2017
Here’s a link to an interview with Richard Corbett MEP for the Peoplesnewss
Monthly Archives: January 2018
I’m one of the 99% of victims who won’t see justice in the courts
Tuesday, 28 November 2017
On-street grooming of children for Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE) has been reported in the mainstream media for some time. The Rotherham scandal made the national news and has resulted in several convictions. The landmark trial of a large grooming gang in Rochdale was made into a TV drama. There have also been Police investigations in Bradford, Sheffield, Oxford and many other cities. These have led to hundreds of convictions for offences such as rape, conspiracy to commit rape, sexual activity with a child, facilitating child prostitution and trafficking for sexual exploitation.
I spoke to Ella (not her real name), who is a Grooming Gang survivor who now gives Grooming Gang Awareness talks to students and professionals. She told me her story and her reasons for speaking out. Chillingly, she still needs to remain anonymous because her abusers still walk free.
Ella was groomed twice. She was just 14 when she was first groomed by a man who was in his 30’s, who was a customer at her place of work, where she had a Saturday job. She got to know the man over several months and says “He was polite and charming.” He gained her trust. He had a car and a house. He was already in an adult relationship, but he hid that fact from Ella.
He bought the 14-year old gifts, and she developed a crush on him. He started to drive her out to remote places where nobody would see them together. She says she doesn’t remember their first kiss, but she does remember the first time he exposed himself to her. She says “I was shocked, it hadn’t crossed my mind that he might do that. He gradually persuaded me to do more and more things. After a few months of dating, he took me back to his house. I lost my virginity to him, in his bed”.
She said “It was an inappropriate relationship but he never hurt me or hit me. My parents found out and they were naturally concerned. My Dad went to speak to him, but he just told my Dad we were in love. I told them I was happy, but looking back I wish an adult had done something to stop it. The relationship lasted several months. Eventually I realised that I wasn’t mature enough for an adult sexual relationship, because I was only 15. So I ended it, and a couple of years later we moved away”.
But sadly that’s when things turned much worse.
Within a week of moving to a new town in Yorkshire, she was groomed again. She was still only a teenager, and again, the man, a Pakistani Muslim was in his 30’s. She had been clothes shopping in town, and was walking home alone when the man started talking to her. It was the middle of the day. At first she wasn’t interested but says he was very persuasive. “He wore nice clothes and smiled a lot. He complimented me saying I had nice eyes. I was flattered I suppose. I was single and wanted a boyfriend”
They started dating and he would pick her up two or three times a week. At first he seemed friendly and became her boyfriend. He was funny and generous and she fell in love with him. Ella says “He became more controlling and abusive, telling me what to wear and where I could or couldn’t go. I was a good girl so I tried to keep him happy by doing what he wanted. It was very much an adult-child relationship. He had all the power.”
She later found out that he had other girlfriends at the same time and says she was stunned to hear he didn’t believe in monogamy. He became jealous, violent and aggressive with her. Although initially the sex had been consensual, within a couple of months it was “just rapes”. She says “There were no more meals out or gifts. He beat me really badly, sometimes for hours at a time, always ending with rape.. I wanted it to end but he wouldn’t let me go. I couldn’t stop it. He was bigger and stronger than me – he sat on me and pinned me down, strangling and suffocating me until I felt like I was dying. He pulled my hair out, hit me to the ground, kicked me and stamped on me. He threatened to kill my parents if they tried to stop me seeing him, so I kept it secret from them. He warned me things would get worse if I went to the police. All the time I was still going to lessons and doing my exams, while my teachers had no idea what was happening to me. Under my clothes I was constantly covered in bruises. This went on for a year”.
He then starting introducing her to his friends in neighbouring towns and cities. “They were all Pakistani Muslim men” Ella told me, “They instantly hated me – they called me a fucking Gori (which I was told means white trash), white bitch and white slag, over and over. I was very afraid of them. My perpetrator started to take me to different flats and houses to be, what he called ‘gang raped’; sometimes by two men, sometimes more. I desperately tried to get out of it. The whole idea was unbearable. I was so gutted that the man I had trusted was doing this to me. I couldn’t believe that he knew so many evil people. I felt deeply betrayed”.
Ella, even today still finds it difficult to reveal the details of what these men did to her, she says “I’d rather not say the details but he put me through a lot of pain. It was disgusting. It makes me angry to think about it. They threatened me with kidnap and gang rape when I tried to escape. They had weapons. I fought and tried to talk them out of it”.
Eventually the Police told Ella’s parents to move her away. They sent her to her Aunt’s and they were forced to sell their home.
Ella says she no longer feels threatened by the gang because she has the support of a partner and family who know what went on, and she hasn’t seen the men for some time. She says she is older and wiser now. The abuse has impacted her life in many ways. Although she has never attempted to commit suicide she does still have PTSD, nightmares and panic attacks sometimes.
Her main abuser was arrested a couple of times, when he hurt her particularly badly, but was always released without charge. Ella feels the Police failed her badly “like many other victims around that time”.
She says most Police officers she met at the time were unsupportive and unsympathetic (although a couple have since apologised for the forces failings). “They didn’t even do basic investigations or photograph my injuries” she says, “At one point I was hospitalised, so in my view they were incompetent. There could have been evidence from witnesses and phone records, but they didn’t even try to collect it. They just weren’t interested.”
She went on to add “some Police just seemed to do the bare minimum and make excuses for not doing any more. What makes me most angry is knowing that it turns out there were so many victims similar to me, some having to endure much worse, and yet still the Police didn’t try to warn people, or try to stop the perpetrators”.
After recently re-reporting her abuse, the Investigators told Ella that there is insufficient evidence, so none of her attackers have been prosecuted, despite the ‘criminal injuries compensation authority’ being satisfied with the amount of evidence and awarding her compensation earlier this year.
Ella now finds the strength to speak out to raise awareness on the issue.
She says “I’m one of the 99% of victims who won’t see justice in the courts. It’s horrible knowing that they got away with it, especially as we know that they did it to so many other girls too.
“It’s only recently that the public has become aware of the scale and severity of this problem. Of course all types of Child Sexual Exploitation are bad, but some are really, really bad. My first grooming experience was what they call an ‘inappropriate relationship’ and it was fairly mild. He was Irish Catholic, and it wasn’t driven by racial or religious hate. (He had a Lolita fantasy). But my second experience with a Pakistani Muslim ‘Grooming Gang’ was horrific and especially sinister. Through listening to other survivors, I realised that the ideology and the ways of victim-blaming haven’t changed over the past 20 years. Although the majority of CSE perpetrators in the UK are white, Grooming Gang perpetrators are 75-95% Pakistani Muslim.
Gang groomers still use the same reasons to justify what they do… For example, saying that all white girls are slags, and that if they dress immodestly they deserve rape as punishment. (‘Immodestly’ means dressing like a normal Western teenager, in jeans and trainers). This is so wrong. They blame Parents, teachers, social services, the children; anyone except themselves. With phones, internet, social media, porn, sexting and gaming, things are getting even worse. Cultural issues including ideas about Honour, loyalty and forced marriage also play a part. My perpetrator also used quotes from the Koran as he beat and raped me. I’m not saying this to stir up hate. I’m saying it because it’s important that we speak about these things so that we can bring them into the light and address them.
I strongly believe that Young People need educating about the risks of becoming a victim of Child Sexual Exploitation. And I believe that boys need educating about risks of being drawn into gang crime, drug dealing, and sexual offending too. With ‘Grooming Gang Awareness’, boys can be educated about the laws around consent, rape, coercion, trafficking and prostitution of children. They can be made aware of the ways that a gang will groom or coerce them into getting involved and committing crime. Then they can then see more clearly what are the good influences and the bad influences on them. It’s about taking control of their own lives and leading a life they can be proud of; And having healthy, loving, sexual relationships.
I hope that by bringing awareness we can bring changes to ensure that fewer young men will perpetrate these crimes in the future. I know I can only speak to a few boys, and many won’t be interested in what I have to say, but hopefully some will be saved from either becoming victims, or perpetrators, by hearing my story.
I asked Ella whether she thinks children in Sheffield, Rotherham, Rochdale and Oxford are still being abused.
Chillingly she told me “Unfortunately, kids are being abused in every part of the UK right now, as you are reading this. CSE is an epidemic. The stigma and shame is bad for all survivors so it can be difficult to talk about. Victims are all ages” she warns, “boys and girls, from all backgrounds. I’ve been to Swinton Lock in Rotherham for support, and they told me that they are still getting many new referrals of recent victims of CSE. Of course familial child sex abuse is a huge problem too “.
I asked Ella if more should be done in schools and for parents to eradicate the problem, she said “Barnardo’s Grooming Line gives a good basic understanding of how grooming works. I think that once people heard about the problem, many people looked back, and they realised that some things they had witnessed had in fact been Child Sexual Exploitation. Education is an ongoing task, and the level of awareness now is much better than it was when I was young. People are learning that it isn’t the victim’s fault. I also think that a lot of Police forces are now definitely doing a better job tackling it. The government has also made CSE a Public Health priority, which I’m very happy about. Next we need a National Grooming Gang Prevention Plan.
I’d like to see more prevention programs provided for boys who are at risk of committing all sorts of crimes. This is because 95% of Sexual crimes, and most violent crimes, are committed by males. If the boys already know people in Gangs, drug dealers, live near grooming hotspots, or hold the same misogynistic beliefs, or racist beliefs about women and girls, we need to be talking to them before it’s too late”.
It was always in the Public Interest.
Friday, 3 November 2017
It was always in the public interest
David Lean was a child destined for a great future in football. He loved football so much, he can’t remember a time without it in his life. He says, ‘Two older brothers and a sporting dad saw to that. Although my dad played rugby for Fylde – until a bad injury at a young age, he was a star, playing for the first team at just 17 as a winger. He was also the fastest in Lancashire at school.’ Like many young boys, David played football all day, every day; but David was good. He dreamed about becoming a footballer every day.
He played for his Primary school at 9 years old. He recalls the school team manager, who doubled up as a teacher, told his mum and dad at parents’ evening that ‘My brains were in my feet. Dad was happy but a little worried about this comment. Mum was devastated.’
From a very young age, he played every week at his local YMCA and soon joined their team. He also played for his high school team and his hometown Blackpool school boys. He had trials with Blackpool FC, before spending two years with Burnley until he left school, winning competitions and leagues with regularity, as well as individual awards. By the age of 16, he had collected around 40 trophies for his hard work.
He says modestly ‘My Pro career was short. I was with Preston North End from October 1983 to May 1986, after Burnley let me go – just three weeks before I left school. That was hard to take.’
He went on to play Sunday football in most of the local leagues, winning the Sunday Premiere League twice. He also played many seasons in the North West Counties and West Lancashire leagues, as well as a short spell with Fleetwood Town in the late 90’s.
It was as an 11-year-old though that David’s life was changed forever. On a holiday in Wales. in the Summer of 1979, he met a professional football coach.
‘He had links to a professional club and told me I was a star of the future.’
He told me, “He wrote to me in total for 11 months, grooming me, before I eventually spent two nights attending a football course at his house in April 1980, as a 12-year-old. I was sexually abused by him over a sustained period on both evenings.” Despite being devastated by the abuse on those two nights, he bravely returned home in silence, telling no one of his ordeal.
The Police were the first people I ever told
“My mum made comments about Childhood Sexual Abuse after a TV programme, and told me she would not have been able to cope if that had ever happened to me. I decided there and then that I would never disclose until after Mum had passed. That programme was aired in 1997, and I disclosed in February 2013. I kept my secret promise and I’m glad I did, although I went through many years of wanting to disclose and suffering because of my decision. I do not regret it at all. I went to the police and disclosed just five days after Mum’s funeral. The police were the first people I ever told,” David said.
“If I’m honest, having to disclose and put my elderly dad through all that was such a hard decision to make, but if I was to have any chance of a conviction and justice, I would need my dad and his evidence. It broke my heart – him telling me about his police interview. He passed away just 6 months after seeing my abuser convicted. On his deathbed, he spent hours apologising to me. It was NEVER his fault or Mum’s. My abuser was a professional and the best at what he did.”
I asked David about his experience of disclosing to the Police. “After disclosure, the police took my case seriously, but it was later when the first mention of Public Interest came into play. The two CPS tests are the evidence test and the public interest, as well as a witness needing to be credible. In June 2013, the CPS dropped my case, saying it was not in the public interest. On their own website at the time, it stated that the following are almost always in the public interest… If the child is 12 years or younger,
If it’s planned/ groomed for a period,
If the Abuser is in a position of trust,
If there is a significant age difference.
I ticked every single box. They also said that I was credible and I met the evidence test too.” he says.
Asked how he felt when he was told by the CPS, that his abuser would not face prosecution, he says “I could not agree, Ever. So I appealed to the National Childhood Sexual Abuse review panel, which had just been formed. I was the test case. I appealed and eventually, after 7 months and two meetings of a group headed by the top officials of both police and CPS, I won. The CPS was told to re-look at my case, with the NEW prosecution guidance that my case had brought in. Effectively, my case changed the law – meaning cases of CSA where only a short sentence may be handed down, could still be seen as within the public interest.” He added, “I will never forgive the CPS, I went through hell. My case was always in the public interest. It’s just a money thing, so many CSA cases are dropped on these grounds. It’s disgraceful.”
The hurt doesn’t go away after conviction. David still finds it difficult to speak about his ordeal and had to take several breaks during the recording of this interview. After one such break, he told me “I feel as angry today with the CPS, as I did in June 2013. Nothing will ever take that feeling away. The more I hear about the way cases of CSA are dealt with, the angrier I get. You hope it’s a one-off with your own case but it’s far from it. It’s about money and guaranteed convictions. They care about nothing else. You are just a reference number to them. Still though, I would always encourage survivors to come forward. But I would always ask them to make sure they have some support before they do. I would also tell non-recent cases coming forward, to ensure they are coming forward for more than criminal justice. It will be a difficult road and can take up to two years, and often does. I know many – including myself, who have and are moving forward with life after disclosing our horrible secrets. We have taken back our lives. Having support is vital after disclosure. I don’t just mean professional support either. Teresa my wife has been my rock since disclosure. I am fully aware of how hard this has been for her. Teresa had no idea when we met, and although she was the first loved one that I told after disclosure to the police, we had only been together around four years at that time. I had no idea how she would take it. To make matters worse, at times within her nursing role, she has dealt with CSA Offenders. Soon afterwards, she changed roles within nursing. My case has since gone public, so she has had to cope with so much, and I am very lucky to have her. We married on December 15th 2016, so are almost at our first anniversary, although we will have been together just short of 9 years by the time that date arrives.
I had asked Teresa after my mum’s funeral, during a week’s annual leave we had both booked, for one day to myself. I told her I had something I needed to do, which wasn’t great – but I would tell her when I got back from doing it, exactly where and what I had just done.
I arrived back from disclosing, and we sat down and spent the evening crying with each of us supporting the other. It was a very hard night. Just two days later, we would go together to do my video evidence. Teresa has been my rock and I am forever grateful.
The police went to see my dad, cold so to speak. They wanted to talk to him before I did, which was fine by me. I told my 3 brothers together soon after.”
It seems unthinkable that this sort of abuse could happen at professional clubs. I asked David what measures he’d like to see clubs take to ensure the abuse he suffered never happens to other innocent children, left under adult supervision. He says “The abuse scandal that is happening within football at this time, is ongoing. The inquiry being carried out by the FA is ongoing too. I am sure things will come out of this to improve the situation, but can you stop sexual abuse within football or anywhere else? Mandatory reporting will certainly help and is – as always – being looked at. Things have no doubt improved since the 70s and 80s, but the facts speak for themselves and it’s still going on today. Football Coaches are in a unique position of getting both children and parents close and supportive, and a chance to spend time each week to worm their way into families. Parents and clubs need to improve communications and hold club safeguarding nights – as well as starting to talk to the children directly.
Every three months the statistics produced within football continue to increase. I believe more people will continue to come forward, especially when the current situation comes to the forefront, early next year.
The whole system needs to be reviewed when dealing with cases of CSA, especially non-recent cases. No priority is given to those cases from the start unless the accused is seen as a current safeguarding concern. Resources are very tight and investigations take far too long. The process is far too slow. Communication along the way can be poor.
The key tests to get through the CPS are difficult to prove in non-recent cases also. Often, no support is offered to the survivors. So many things could be improved within the system. Most importantly though, people in these positions have to be fair and professional, as well as consistent in their approach. Survivors are treated differently by all police forces and CPS regions.
Schools and parents should open their eyes to CSA. It’s happening all around them every single day.
Training is essential, as schools could – and should – play such a massive role. Around 70% of sexual abuse to a child, is done by a family member – very often in the child’s own house, which makes it a very hard situation to report to other family members. Schools need to pick up on the signs, which are very recognisable with training. Parents need to understand the scale of this and again look for change. First and foremost it’s understanding this.”
David campaigns now, to raise awareness of CSA and has run three half-marathons and one full marathon this year, as well as completing a 24-hour walk, all to raise awareness and funds for counselling for survivors of CSA for a Blackpool-based Charity.
He also delivered a successful awareness campaign called #purplefriday on 15th September 2017, which was so successful that it reached almost 12 million people on Social media alone. “Due to this, we are also running a very similar campaign to raise awareness of both CSA and CSE on 15th December this year called #purplechristmas, to raise awareness to hopefully keep this subject on people’s minds as we lead up to this special period for children, and keep them safe, so hopefully many more have a Merry Christmas this year.
Talk to your children. Know where your Children are. Listen to your children.
I lost two decades of my life. That’s not OK!
Wednesday, 11 October 2017
Sammy Woodhouse was just 14 when she consented to sex with a 24 year old Pakistani Man. That was the damning and irresponsible verdict of the government’s criminal injuries compensation authority.
Ms Woodhouse, who bravely waived her right to anonymity, in order to help prosecute her attacker and two of his brothers – who were part of gang that groomed and abused 50 girls, was abused by four men as a child.
The Oxford dictionary defines the age of consent as the age at which a persons consent to sexual intercourse is valid in law.
That age is of course 16. The law is quite clear. It does not allow for anomalies where the victim was persuaded, threatened, or beaten. It does not allow for exceptions when the attackers are not from this country, nor does it allow exceptions for cases where the victim is poor or vulnerable – it is clear, if the person is under 16, that person can NEVER give consent.
Prior to being groomed and abused, Sammy was perfectly happy. She told me that she had lots of friends, was happy, confident and good at school. Life was great!
All that changed when she met her main attacker, and three other men at her local shop. A lot of kids hung around there.
As with many victims of grooming she first thought she was the man’s girlfriend. At 16 though, she recognised the violence and harassment and made a statement to police. It wasn’t until about 5 years ago, that she fully came to terms with what had actually happened to her and gave herself the label of victim, not girlfriend.
When she went to the Police at 16, she had hoped they would help, although she knew that many of them were helping her attacker.
I asked her if she blamed the authorities for not protecting her and the dozens of other victims and she said “The people who are to blame are the men that abused me and the people who helped and were involved.”
Most of us, who have never experienced such vile actions, would expect the police to take such matters seriously and act with the full force of the law to protect the children, but that simply didn’t happen. When asked if she thinks the authorities that turned a blind eye should be prosecuted she told me “Yes I do – there is a difference in someone raising the alarm and being ignored (I don’t blame them), to deliberately doing nothing.” She says that the blame should always start with the attackers “But in my case, they met him and helped him further, so they are also to blame”.
Sammy was let down repeatedly by people and organisations that should have protected her.
Rotherham MP Sarah Champion was forced to resign her shadow cabinet role after writing in a newspaper article that “Britain has a problem with British Pakistani men raping and exploiting white girls.”
Ms Champion has said her comments were edited and stripped of nuance, but resigned from her position in Jeremy Corbyn’s team.
I asked Ms Woodhouse if she thought Champion was right to resign. She said “Sarah was very accurate and should not have stood down, she should have stood her ground.” she added “It’s important we don’t only talk about one race, but we do have to address it. Otherwise, victims voices will be lost.”
Some people have called for South Yorkshire Police to be disbanded since the scandal. I asked Sammy if she thought the force were fit for purpose. “No! They weren’t fit for purpose,” she said, “A lot has changed, but it’s no where near good enough. If the system was fit for purpose we wouldn’t have so many abused and failed children. The Government need to recognise and step in. The Police are over worked and under staffed and don’t understand grooming properly. There is a lot of work to do!”
Sammy Woodhouse has shown amazing strength, courage and resilience to become one of the most prominent campaigners for victims of child abuse, making regular appearances on daytime TV, receiving huge support. She is championing Sammy’s Law, a campaign to change the law to allow victims of grooming and abuse to have their criminal records expunged where they were directed to commit those crimes by their attackers. The campaign is being backed by several Police Chiefs, MP’s and child protection experts in a bid to minimise the impact on victims.
I asked Sammy where she found the strength to be a survivor and no longer a victim. She told me she had always been a person that didn’t like to sit around, moping and feeling sorry for herself. She said “I also don’t like to be seen as a victim, as it always makes me feel weak. We have to get on with life. There’s only one person that can really change things in my life, and that is me. I want my legacy to be something my children are proud of. I want to be able to say when I look back at my life, that I made a difference and helped others. I can say that now as before I couldn’t. To do this, I had to accept help and support and not avoid it.”
On her campaign she says “Yes! Victims and survivors records should be quashed. We shouldn’t be blamed and criminalised for being abused, We need to take into consideration if those people are now a risk and still offending as some do. We need to look at people as individuals. I have started Sammy’s law asking for this to be put in place. The first step is common sense and people getting a fu##ing grip. IT’S NEVER A CHILD’S FAULT.!!!!!!”
I asked her if she believes children in Rotherham are still at risk from grooming gangs. She told me “of course children are still at risk. It will always happen, we have to prevent as much as possible and keep the awareness going. We will never stop it but we can prevent it. Things are much better in Rotherham but abuse happens everywhere not just here.”
Despite the torment that Sammy endured she appears to be coming out of the other side a proud, selfless, articulate woman who family and friends must be extremely proud of and an inspiration to the hundreds and thousands of victims out there still searching for justice.
My final question to to the remarkable Sammy Woodhouse was what her future aspirations are and whether she can have a normal life.
Her reply was “I want to prevent child abuse as much as possible and make national changes, I’d like to be part of knowing every child in the country is more safe”. Her parting comment was “Define normal! What happened will always remain with me but I’m determined to move forward from it and not let it hold me back. I’ve lost two decades of my life. My life is only starting now at the age of 32 – that’s not OK.”
Blaming immigrants is the oldest right-wing game in history, says Former Europe Minister.
Sunday, 12 March 2017
Blaming immigrants is the oldest right-wing game in history says Former Europe Minister.
Denis MacShane is a former journalist and MP. He was the youngest president of the NUJ in 1979 and went into exile when Margaret Thatcher was elected, to work for the international trade union movements – helping the Solidarity union in Poland, black trade unions in South Africa, Lula’s metalworkers in Brazil and the unions whose general strike in South Korea toppled the military dictatorship in 1987. He is unusual amongst British political activists in speaking European languages.
While an MP, he was Minister of state for Europe. An active campaigner against anti-Semitism while in Parliament, the former Rotherham MP who left the Commons in 2012, was once chair of an anti-Semitism think tank called The European institute for the study of contemporary Antisemitism. He wrote a book Globalising Hatred: the New Antisemitism in 2008. The BNP targeted him for attacks because of a chapter exposing its leader’s anti-semitic record. Since leaving office, Dr MacShane is working “Pretty much all the time on Brexit”. He says he writes or speaks on Brexit almost every day and has spoken on the subject all over the world, from Washington to Tel Aviv. In January 2015, he published his book Brexit: How Britain Will Leave Europe, which predicted the outcome of the June 2016 referendum. He has written a new book on what happens next, which will be published in June 2017, on the anniversary of the referendum.
As a respected authority on the EU and Brexit, MacShane is well placed to answer the questions I put to him;
Was immigration the biggest factor in the Brexit vote? I asked.
“Yes. The focus of the anti-Europeans was on the number of European workers in the UK. The slogan ‘taking back control’ was direct from the UKIP line that the UK and to ‘take back control’ of its frontiers. At the Tory Party conference in October 2015, Theresa May, then the Home Secretary said “The number of immigrants coming in from Europe is unsustainable’, to thunderous applause. Starting with William Hague in 2001, then Michael Howard in 2005 and David Cameron in 2010, the Conservatives took the old language of Enoch Powell and updated it against Europeans who came to work in the UK. There were some, who genuinely did not like the EU and saw the problem as one of sovereignty, but the dominant issue in every meeting and on every doorstep or in every radio phone-in, was immigration.”
I asked if the referendum result had led to a genuine rise in race related hate crimes or if the reports were being exaggerated? He told me “The police have stated quite clearly that the up to 100 per cent rise in hate crimes have clearly linked these attacks to the xenophobic attacks on the presence of Europeans in the UK, which was at the core of the Brexit campaign. The Community Security Trust – which reports on anti-Semitic attacks in the UK, has also noted a major increase in anti-Jewish attacks since the referendum campaign with its focus on xenophobic themes.”
But did the electorate really understand the consequences when they voted to leave the EU and did they think that the cost (yet to be seen) was a price worth paying or were they mislead into voting for something different to what they will end up with? Not according to Macshane; he says “The plebiscite it is now widely acknowledged was won on the biggest lies ever seen in a national vote – that £350 million a week would be available for the NHS, that 75 million Turks were about to arrive, that the Queen’s Speech was mainly written in Brussels or that a European Army was about to be formed. There was no effective discussion on the costs because we will not now these until the middle 2020s. The referendum was lost 15-20 years ago, when a well-funded political campaign was launched with support from the Conservative leadership – forget UKIP – and powerful off-shore owned media networks to rubbish the EU and create the climate which made Brexit inevitable.”
The Labour party recently managed to hold on to Stoke on Trent in a bi-election, where UKIP’s new leader Paul Nuttall was a candidate. I asked the former member of Tony Blair’s cabinet if the victory signalled a change of heart and the beginning of the end for UKIP. He told me “Ukip is finished in March 2019, assuming that a political Brexit is unavoidable and the UK will elect no more MEPs to the European Parliament. UKIP is a one pony party. It has no programme for national or local government. It is simply an anti-European party with two linked demands – to win a plebiscite and to use it to amputate the UK from Europe. David Cameron conceded the former and UKIP fellow travellers like Boris Johnson, Liam Fox, David Davis and Michael Gove are hoping to deliver the latter.”
Are we yet to see the consequences touted before Brexit around the stock markets crashing and the pound falling or were the claims just scare mongering?
“We have not left the EU so Brexit has not happened and the economic impact will not be known until the middle 2020s. But the announcements about moving work to Europe to guarantee access to the Single Market are not scare-mongering, but cold reality. The Brexit devaluation is feeding into higher prices and inflation and the Government has had to abandon its economic programmes to increase debt and deficits to keep the economy afloat. Brexit is causing uncertainty in all sectors of economic activity and above all in FDI, which only comes to the UK on the promise that any firm investing in Britain would have full, unfettered access to 450 million middle class consumers in Europe. Brexit breaks that promise.”
If UKIP are finished, I asked, can Labour win back the voters from UKIP or are they likely to go to other parties such as Conservative or more far right groups?
“Labour won back voters tempted by anti-immigration populism from Enoch Powell and Margaret Thatcher. Labour needs a convincing offer for many who feel with justification they are losers in the modern economy. Blaming immigrants is the oldest right-wing game in history – Jews in the 1930s, West Indians in the 1950s, Indians and Pakistanis in the 1970s and 1980s, Kosovan and asylum seekers in the 1990s, Poles, Slovaks, and other citizens of new EU member states in the last 15 years. When Labour has convincing policies and convincing spokespersons it will start to do well again!”
I am determined to play my part in delivering effective opposition, and ultimately a Labour Government.
I am determined to play my part in delivering effective opposition and, ultimately a Labour Government.
Last year, I was able to congratulate Sarah Champion – Member of Parliament for Rotherham, on her appointment to Jeremy Corbyn’s shadow cabinet as Shadow minister for preventing domestic violence and abuse. I asked her then if she thought of herself as a Westminster politician or a local MP. She told me unequivocally that she was elected by the people of Rotherham to represent the people of Rotherham. As she was one of the 36 MP’s to nominate Corbyn – when he initially stood as leader, I asked Ms Champion if she thought he could lead the party into the next election. She said “Looking at the major climb down the government has had to do over tax credits, yes, if we keep going in this vein, I believe Jeremy can lead us to the next election and victory”. With this in mind, I was rather surprised when she stepped down from the shadow cabinet following what turned out to be a failed coup. She was however one of the first to return, before Corbyn was re-elected. I asked her if her decision to return was based on a belief that Jeremy was the right leader or if it was a determination to give support to the people who desperately need it. She said “I resigned following the PLP’s vote of no confidence, as I felt the leadership could not continue without a fresh contest. Once this contest was called I felt duty bound to return to my crucial work in supporting victims and survivors of abuse. It was for members to decide who should lead the party and I endorsed no candidate. I am pleased that this issue has now been so conclusively decided and am looking forward to working with Jeremy to hold the Tories to account and deliver a Labour Government.”
After such loyalty, I asked Sarah if she was disappointed to not get a more high-profile office but she told me “ I was delighted to be appointed to the Shadow Cabinet as shadow Minister for Women and Equalities. I have been a vocal campaigner for equality all my adult life and in particular since my election to Parliament. This government talk the talk on equality but has failed time and time again to deliver. Our country is becoming more divided and less equal. 85% of all Tory cuts have been at the expense of women. One in four young gay people experience homophobic bullying online. There has been a rapid increase in rates of domestic violence and violence against women in the last six years. Disabled people are more than twice as likely to be unemployed as non-disabled people. Labours work on this is more vital now than ever before and I am thrilled to be able to play my part in securing a fairer, more equal society. I am also particularly grateful for the personal support Jeremy has given to me in the last few weeks”.
Now the miserable summer is over and Jeremy Corbyn has been re-elected and has formed a new Shadow cabinet consisting mainly of Northerners and including several women and Trade unionists, I asked Sarah Champion MP if labour could put the summer behind them and raise a serious challenge for power.” I am delighted the disruption of the leadership contest is behind us. Jeremy has a clear mandate to lead the party and it is vital that we unite to take on the Tory Government. The issues we face in the wake of Britain’s decision to leave the European Union are too important to allow internal division to prevent proper opposition and scrutiny of the new government. I am determined to play my part in delivering effective opposition and, ultimately a Labour Government. I know my colleagues are committed to do the same” she replied.
Ms Champions constituency in Rotherham was the scene of the shocking child abuse crimes involving hundreds of girls and her role in the shadow cabinet will inevitably lead to a great deal of involvement in those cases . I asked Sarah if South Yorkshire police can ever recover its reputation after systematically failing those girls and the recent revelations about the so called battle of Orgreave, the Rotherham 12 and Hillsborough. She said “South Yorkshire Police is obviously facing a difficult time. There has been serious criticism of its conduct over Orgreave, Hillsborough and more recently over its handling of child sexual exploitation. It is absolutely vital that the people of South Yorkshire can have faith in their Police. The first step to restoring that faith is ensuring that the truth about the force’s past conduct is fully known. That is why I have vocally called for inquiry into events at Orgreave and supported the work of the Hillsborough Independent Panel and the new inquests into the deaths at Hillsbrough”. Since this conversation of course new Home Secretary Amber Rudd has ruled out the possibility of an inquiry in to the events at Orgreave but I am cheered by Sarah Champions determination to do the right thing by her constituents and those who put their faith in a Labour party that will stand up for people like them. She told the Telegraph she was beyond about this. She told them “I am incredibly frustrated for the people who will never see justice, for years research has been done by the Orgreave Truth and Justice committee, and evidence gathered by the IPCC, and this feels like a complete snub for the people of South Yorkshire.
“The Tories do not have a track record of prioritising the people of the North”
“The Tories do not have a track record of prioritising the people of the North”
With only weeks to go until the EU referendum, much of the debate still revolves around either the economy or immigration. I wanted to know what the effect would be not only on the country but on me personally – as a man living in Yorkshire. I asked Linda McAvan, MEP for the area, whether she thought that a university city such as Sheffield, who’s economy depends largely on our tens of thousands of students, would be less attractive to foreign students from both inside and outside the EU, should we decide to leave.
She says “Visa free travel and the right to live, work and study in another EU country makes studying in the UK significantly easier for EU students. Students, including UK students, can participate in study abroad programmes like Erasmus, Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs, and Erasmus + all of which receive maintenance to help cover living costs. Currently, EU students are treated as ‘home students’ meaning they pay the same fees as their UK contemporaries. Brexit could change the status of EU/ European Economic Area (EEA) students to that of international students. Students from non EU/ EEA countries pay significantly higher to attend university in the UK.
EU membership has also provided access to considerable funding streams such as the Horizon 2020 fund which provides the UK with £8.5bn for research and development. Much of this money goes into University research programmes. Access to such funding assists in the hiring of the best and most skilled academics from across the European Union. This collectively has a substantial impact on the quality of teaching and placement opportunities for students. Better learning opportunities enhance the student experience and contribute to the quality of degree programmes.
EU students contribute £3.7bn to the UK economy. If fewer EU students started coming to the UK to study due to visa and finance issues such as the rising cost of fees, student numbers will reduce, this will have a knock on consequence on staffing levels as Universities will have less money. Fewer resources will be put into degrees and universities would have difficulty attracting the best staff to teach courses. This would leave the UK trying to compete for EU and international students.
It is worth pointing out that in the event of a Brexit the UK could join the EEA just like Norway or Switzerland which would give us access to the EU single market. This however would require the UK to agree to the free movement of people, pay a contribution to the EU budget, and require adherence to EU rules and regulations without consultation or having a seat at the negotiating table.”
My second question was whether the North of England will suffer more than the South in the event of an out vote.
She told me “Economic differences already exist between the North and the South. Tory policies in the 80s and 90’s had a devastating economic impact on areas like South Yorkshire. EU investment through the programmes such as Objective 1&2, the European Regional Development Fund, and European Structural Fund put money back into the region. If Brexit happens, it will do so under a conservative government. The Tories do not have a track record of prioritising the people of the North.”
I asked Linda if she thought immigration was as big an issue as we are led to believe or is the real issue that we don’t have enough hospitals, schools or houses being built – making immigrants simply an easy target. She said “The policies of the current government and the previous coalition government did not do enough to support the development of schools, hospitals and houses. The Affordable Housing Bill put forward by the Tories has done nothing to alleviate the housing crisis. In fact, home ownership has fallen in the past 6 years and rents have sky rocketed. Other EU countries have much higher EU migration. Norway, for example, has higher EU migration than the UK in terms of proportion of their population. Unfortunately, Immigrants are always an easy target but lack of coherent policies from the government is at the root of these issues.”
My conclusion from talking to Linda and previously her colleague Richard Corbett, is that locally, the people of cities like Sheffield will undoubtedly be worse off if we leave the EU. There are many cities in the UK that are very similar to Sheffield that would suffer also. I’m convinced that what the two MEPs are telling me is at least credible and almost certainly true. I am yet to hear an argument from the brexiteers that has credibility or evidence.
Only a vote to remain will allow us any certainty and stability.
“The intentions of the right wing Conservative Party are rarely good” says Brexit campaigner.
Friday, 20 May 2016
The EU referendum debate has been relentless but largely inconclusive. There have even been debates about who should be allowed to take part in the debate, one fact which we can probably all draw our own conclusions about. While the official campaign seems to have been raging for months, on 20thMarch I published an interview with Yorkshire & Humber MEP and in supporter, Richard Corbett.
I have been trying since to find somebody willing or able to articulate the argument for leaving the European Union. Matt, a freelance journalist and politics student took up the chalice.
I asked him exactly the same set of questions; I started with the issue of sovereignty, with many claiming that 75% of our laws are passed by in Brussels. Matt conceded that 75% was ambitious but said that the true figure was nearer to 65%(according to business for Britain), depending on whether you are discussing laws impacted by or written by Europe. He admitted the latter figure would be considerably lower. The figure according to Mr Corbett was 13.2%.
Next I asked Matt if the EU was nothing more than an expensive Gentleman’s club, costing the UK taxpayer a fortune. Again, he admitted that the spinningthat can be done here is spectacular. He claims that last year we paid £18billion, minus £5 billion that we immediately received back in a rebate. He says the EU then spent a further £4billion here on projects, giving a total cost of £9billion, which he says is still an awful lot. Mr Corbett disputed this, saying that EU membership is worth £3000 per family in Britain.
Some economists are predicting 2 years of uncertainty in the stock markets leading to a potential crash in the event of a Brexit but Matt thinks there will be some sort of crash whether we leave or not. He told me that the uncertainty depends on whether Cameron resigns or not (in the event of an out vote), adding that formalising Brexit will take a while anyway so the uncertainty and crash are inevitable.
Will Brexit mean British football club’s expulsion from the Champion’s League, I asked. Matt thinks that this is ridiculous myth, created by the in campaign. He says that none of the major clubs or any player has corroborated this.
I asked him next if Boris Johnson’s decision to back the out campaign was merely a bid for the Tory leadership. Despite his intention to vote out, he agrees that “Boris is just looking after Boris, not the people of this country”.
When asked if both big and small businesses alike will suffer if we vote to leave he is uncertain, “as there are leaders of business backing both Remain and leave campaigns”. Both sides he says are being extremely hyperbolic. He has no qualms though about the fact that EU will still be more than happy to do business with us though, because we are the sixth biggest economy in the world.
I asked the freelancer, who has featured in the Independent, if the main intention of the Tory out campaigners was to abolish worker’s rights. “The intentions of the right wing Conservative Party are rarely good” he said. ”but that is absolutely no argument to vote to remain. I’m a socialist – and believe in full employment rights and social justice for all, but if your main argument to vote to remain is to oppose the will of the British electorate because you don’t like what they’ve decided then -it sets a really horrible precedent- that is no reason to prop up an undemocratic institution just because you lost an argument. Instead, they should focus on winning the arguments and winning hearts and minds over for additional employment rights and human rights at the national level.
So can we have an open and honest fact based debate on the referendum? The Nottingham University politics student, hopes so, but the moment he said, “it doesn’t look like it. Both of the designated campaigns are being fronted by vacuous political operators who make a living deceiving the public. Hopefully, this will change soon” he dreams.
If we leave, there is no going back!
If we leave, there is no going back!
With less than 100 days until the UK goes to the polls in the biggest political event for generations, and not a straight answer in sight from the right-wing press I asked MEP Richard Corbett for the ins and outs of the referendum hoping to bust the myths being pedaled.
I started by asking Richard about the often made claim by the out campaign that our Parliament isn’t sovereign with some Euro-sceptics claiming that up to 75% of our laws are passed in Brussels.
The Yorkshire and Humber MEP says “the independent House of Commons library found that the real proportion is just 13.2% of laws; and these figures include laws that even mention the EU only in passing.
So what about the claim that the European Parliament is nothing more than a gentleman’s club, costing UK tax payers a fortune?
He refuted this claim, stating in fact that the confederation of British industry estimates that EU membership is worth £3000 per month to every family in Britain. A return of £10 for every £1 spent, and the budget is just 1% of GDP.
But will an out vote mean two years of uncertainty, leading to a possible stock market crash? I asked. Richard told me that while it is impossible to predict whether a Brexit would cause a stock market crash, it will lead to uncertainty in the markets.
I asked Richard, Deputy leader of the European parliamentary Labour party, if was ludicrous of Boris Johnson to say we should vote out to get a better deal. The MEP says if we walk out on our neighbours it would be difficult to see where the good will would come from to get a better deal, indicating that Bo Jo’s out campaign was more linked to a future Tory leadership bid.
I asked Richard if he thought the desire from Tory MPs to leave the EU was based on a desire to abolish worker’s right’s? He accepted that the Tories are split over the issue but believes the right wing leavers in the party are very keen to diminish worker’s rights in the UK and see Brexit as a way to achieve this.
We often hear UKIP leader Nigel Farage refer to the European parliament as undemocratic, but Mr Corbett states on website that the European commission only makes suggestions which have to be passed (or rejected) by elected national Governments and directly elected MEP’s. In any case, he says, Commissioners themselves are accountable to the European Parliament, which elects a President, approves its appointment and can dismiss it by a vote of no confidence.
Is this, as many have claimed, a once in lifetime vote, I asked. Yes, Richard says “Which is why it’s so important to make the argument for staying in. if we leave, there is no going back.”
In the event of an out vote from the UK as a whole but Scotland voting to remain, I asked whether the Scot’s should have another independence referendum. “The SNP certainly wants to have another referendum and have recently gone back on their once in a lifetime promise before the referendum last year”.
Many people claim they want to leave the EU because of immigration and believe Brexit to be the solution, Corbett points out that there is almost an equal number of Brits in other countries as Europeans in the UK, and those in Britain pay one third more in tax than they take out in benefits and services. He says “freedom of movement isn’t really a problem in terms of numbers or cost to the exchequer. Where there are problems, they are things that our Government could and should deal with, such as agencies only advertising jobs abroad and undercutting wages.”
Of those who come from outside the EU, Richard says “that’s under our own national rules, which we determine, but are far better able to enforce those rules while we remain in the EU because for one thing we maintain our borders in Calais, rather than Dover, which means we can process applicants before they arrive here. If they arrived here and then were found to be ineligible, we would have the often difficult task of deporting them, a problem we currently avoid with our partnership with France.” He also points out that we can use the Dublin regulation, which means we can send some asylum seekers back to the EU country in which they first arrived. A figure he puts at some 12,000 since 2003. He also highlighted the system of cooperation among police and intelligence forces meaning we get information on certain people when they arrive, such as fingerprints and criminal records. It also helps he says “cooperating to fight international gangs of people traffickers.”
For the concerned football fans I asked Richard would Brexit mean the end of Champions League football, meaning top players will snub the premier league. He referred me to West Ham’s vice chair, Karen Brady’s comments when she claimed that exit from the EU would make it harder for English clubs to attract international players while fans would be stung by higher costs when travelling to games on the continent. She said in a letter to football club chairmen that players from the EU can sign for clubs here without the need for a visa or special work permit, making it easier to sign top talent from across Europe to play in our leagues. She said “losing this unhindered access to European talent would British sides at a disadvantage compared to continental teams.
Positive message from Sheffield despite Central Govt.
Positive message from Sheffield despite Central Govt.
Sheffield City Council has just adopted a budget that may shed up to 400 jobs after another £50million was stripped from its budget taking the total amount to over £350 million in the last 6 years.
I asked Councillor Ben Curran, Cabinet Member for Finance & Resources about it. “We are now in year 6 of George Osbourne’s 4 year austerity plan”, Councillor Curran said, “There is absolutely a systematic approach to target poorer Norther communities, particularly those with Labour Councils.”
He emphasised the point by saying that there was no business case for moving BIS (department for business innovation and skills) to London, relocating 200 well paid, skilled jobs from the city. “It’s not just about cuts but others decisions too – like moving BIS jobs from Sheffield to London. We need to make people aware of it and build a campaign on it- jobs for Sheffield”.
The new round of cuts will undoubtedly mean that even with the best will in the world there will be cuts in services and the very most vulnerable people in the city will be at risk as a result.
I wanted to know if it was all bad news. “Austerity hurts. We’ve reduced our spending by £350 million since 2010 in the wake of government cuts. But there is some good news. We’ve managed the finances well and are projecting a small surplus at year-end. This enabled us to make a really positive announcement on the Living Wage. It’s an important part of an inclusive economy something that we have a strong record on. We pay our staff the Living Wage and are using our contracts to boost the wages of hundreds of people across Sheffield. Our budget built on that good work. I was proud to announce a Living Wage rate relief that would help employers to pay the proper Living Wage. We know there are a number of employers in the city who want to do the right thing and need a little help. I was amazed that the Greens, Lib Dems and UKIP joined forces to block it. Luckily there are more Labour councillors it passed. It highlights the importance of a Labour administration in the city.”
With the all-out local elections just around the corner I asked Councillor Curran if he thought Labour would be punished for the cuts in the budget and retraction in services or if the people of Sheffield are wise enough to know who is to blame and re-elect a Labour controlled council. He was confident that most people believe Labour are doing their best and is quietly confident that Labour will hold a majority. It has been reported that some local councils will need to move services like bin collections to monthly services to save money but Councillor Curran told me Sheffield will not be doing that saying “we have no plans for bin collection to be made less frequently”.
I asked Mr Curran, councillor for Walkley, if Labour could be credible without a proper plan to tackle immigration. He disagreed with my suggestion stating that lessons were learned after the last election and Labour knows it has to talk about the issues that matter to people. Having chatted over a cup of Yorkshire tea and healthy sized slab of Chocolate cake from a local independent café for over an hour with Councillor Curran, I would urge the people of Sheffield to keep faith with him and the local Labour party. I was reassured by his answers that he will do all he can to ensure Sheffield gets the best deal it can despite the ideological cuts being relentlessly enforced on him and us. I believed him when he said a labour council will do its utmost to protect the vulnerable adults and children of the city.
Jason Holyhead 
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