Liberals and Conservatives form the ConDem party with the new inviting colour of green sludge. Whilst new labour explode with raging envy. Copyright Ross Hetherington 2010.
Politics
7
May 10
Election 2010
So the UK 2010 general election is complete, excusing the fact that we have no new government as yet to show for it. We are for the first time since 1974 we are in a hung parliament.
Hung parliament basically means that there was no overall majority in the election. Thus we are now in a period of arge-bargy that will probably carry over the next few days, maybe longer.
At current times all the parties major parties have become drooling lap dogs of the liberals. I think that a conservative/lib led parliament would be the best solution for the country. Ending the 13 years of labour led pain and strife for this great country.
4
Jul 09
Henry Hetherington
I found a possible link in my ancestry, he seems to be a great man of the people. Especially to amass 2000 people for your funeral.
Henry Hetherington, the son of a Londontailor, was born in 1792. When he was thirteen he began work as an apprentice printer at Luke Hansard’s printing works. In the 1820s Hetherington became influenced by the ideas of Robert Owen and joined the co-operative printers association. He also became active in the Radical Reform Association.
In 1822 Hetherington started his own printing and publishing company. This was a time when reformers like Richard Carlilewere being imprisoned for publishing material that was critical of the government. However, for people like Hetherington and Carlile, the publication of newspapers and pamphlets were vitally important in the political education of the working class.
In the 1830s Hetherington published a series of radical newspapers including: The Penny Papers (1830); The Radical (1831) and The Poor Man’s Guardian(1831-1835). In 1833 Hetherington was selling 22,000 copies a week of thePoor Man’s Guardian. Hetherington was punished by the authorities several times for these activities. This included being fined on numerous occasions, imprisoned in 1833 and 1836, and having all his printing presses seized and destroyed in 1835.
Hetherington played a leading role in the campaign against the heavy taxes on newspapers and pamphlets. This campaign resulted in several reforms in the law. In 1833 when the four-penny tax on newspapers was reduced to one-penny. The same year Parliament agreed to remove the tax on pamphlets.
In his newspapers Henry Hetherington campaigned against child labour, the 1834 Poor Lawand political corruption. Hetherington joined William Lovett, James Watson and John Cleaveto form the London Working Man’s Association (LWMA) in 1836. Hetherington, who became the LWMA first treasurer, helped draw up a Charter of political demands. By 1836 Hetherington was one of the leaders of the Chartistmovement. Hetherington was a moral forceChartist and was very critical of the ideas of Feargus O’Connor and in 1849 helped create the moderate Peoples Charter Union.
Hetherington continued his campaign against taxes on newspapers and in 1849 formed the Newspaper Stamp Abolition Committee. A few months later, on 23rd August 1849, Hetherington died of cholera. Two thousand people gathered at Kensal Green cemetery to pay their respects to the the man who had spent his adult life fighting for social reform.
8
Jun 09
Look Gordon
Right we know you have been waiting for this job for ages and to be brutally honest you were left up shit creek without a paddle thanks to Mr. Blair, he left before all these revelations and challenges came out. But you failed to offer us an election when you were voted into power and therefore you premiership is somewhat lacking the clout of the people behind you. The actions you have taken, have brought the country down to its lowest standing in Europe. We all know that were the so called ’shining’ light in the wake of the credit crunch, a credit crunch that you as chancellor could of easily quashed at least in the UK, but reigning in the banks and not deregulating them that you did.
We also know that Mrs. Harmon (or ms. to keep her happy) has your back and the official party line seems to be that the expenses row is the only thing that made your party do badly. No that is only a small percentage, what really effected your vote in the sloth like nature of the Labour government after 12 years of slow decline. Everybody wants an election, it is just the selfish nature of the Labour politicians who seem to think it is right to hold out for as long as powerful and damage the country further.
Gordon, please go.
20
Jan 09
The Day Obama Became President
The 44th President of the United States of America, Barack Obama.
24
Nov 08
This Government has Gone Mad
The UK Government seems to have it in their head, that taxing people who earn over £150,000 45% of their earnings will somehow help. This government has always had a nack of dulling down success, these people worked hard in various successful businesses that contribute to the country; in one fell swoop they wish to take away half of these peoples incomes. We already get taxed 40% if you earn over £39,825 so what actual effect would 45% do other than forcing more people to leave the country because it is simply not economical.
This is only a short rant, but I hope it is kind of effective.