The Bad Theresa May Rap

Re-blogged from here

The Bad Theresa May Rap

I'm not a rap artist but the words came to me this afternoon accompanied by a rap-like rhythm, so I figured I should write them down and share them... if (on the off-chance) any rap artists do want to record it please get in touch!  😎

The Theresa May Rap

Theresa May's so strong and stable,
Her government snatches food from the table
Of working families whenever they are able
By saying that benefits just aren't available.

Theresa May's so stable and strong,
Says free school lunches are just wrong,
Just like Maggie who, when she came along,
Stole free school milk from the very very young.

Theresa May's so strong and stable,
Her DWP says all to work who're able,
Even the dying & those clearly incapable,
Assessed by ATOS even when unable.

Theresa May's so stable and strong,
Pensioners attacked on multiple prongs:
Bang goes the triple lock, that's just wrong,
Bye-bye winter fuel payment, going going gone.

Theresa May's so strong and stable,
Own all your own house - hah! whilst you're able,
Paying for social care might leave you a gable
And maybe even three legs on your table.

Theresa May's so stable and strong,
Selling off the NHS bits one by one,
To the highest bidder who has come along
Enforced private healthcare is wrong, wrong, wrong.

Theresa May's so strong and stable,
Wants to build grammar schools for the academically able,
Everyone else gets the scraps from the table,
Equality in education? Now that is a fable!

Theresa May's so stable and strong, 

Watched homeless figures rise for so long,
Did nowt about it, just ignore them among
All the others suffering cos they ain't strong.

Theresa May's so strong and stable,
In favour of hunters killing foxes when they're able
Chased to exhaustion by horses from the stable,
Hounds tearing them apart just like a rabble.

Theresa May's so stable and strong,
Published her manifesto, it's 88 pages long,
Nothing of substance in it hidden in among
The oft repeated words that she's stable and strong.

© Anne Nichols, 2017

Ensure you can vote at the 2017 General Election

CHECK THAT YOU ARE REGISTERED!

If you voted in May 2017 local elections you will most likely be on the register, unless you have moved house since. If you have moved then nip over to http://www.gov.uk/register-to-vote and do it now, it only takes a couple of minutes to do. 

WHO IS ELIGIBLE TO VOTE?

To vote at the UK general election you must be registered to vote and:

• be 18 years of age or over on polling day
• be a British, Irish or qualifying Commonwealth citizen
• be resident at an address in the UK (or a UK citizen living abroad who has been registered to vote in the UK in the last 15 years)
• not be legally excluded from voting

The following cannot vote in a UK Parliament election:

• members of the House of Lords
• EU citizens (other than UK, Republic of Ireland, Cyprus and Malta) resident in the UK
• anyone other than British, Irish and qualifying Commonwealth citizens
• convicted persons detained in pursuance of their sentences, excluding contempt of court (though remand prisoners, unconvicted prisoners and civil prisoners can vote if they are on the electoral register)
• anyone found guilty within the previous five years of corrupt or illegal practices in connection with an election

HAVE YOU MOVED HOUSE RECENTLY?

If so then make sure you have registered at your new address or you will lose your right to vote.

UNIVERSITY STUDENTS CAN REGISTER AT HOME AND AT THEIR TERM-TIME ADDRESS

Many students will have left their term-time address and gone home by 8th June, but some may still be at uni-digs, or even going off to do something exciting once their uni course ends. Besides being able to register at home they can also register at their uni address and vote at whichever is the most convenient location (choose one - you cannot vote at both!)  

AWAY FROM HOME ON 8th JUNE:  on HOLIDAY or WORKING ELSEWHERE

Don't worry, you can still vote, either by post or by proxy. 

If you want to apply for a postal vote your application must be received by 5pm Tuesday 23 May.

If you want to apply for a proxy vote your application must be received by 5pm Wednesday 31 May. This appoints someone who will vote at the polling station for you on 8th June.

"I HAVE A POSTAL VOTE BUT FORGOT TO POST IT, WHAT CAN I DO?"

Those who have applied to vote by post cannot vote in person at the polling station.

However, you can return your postal vote to the polling station on polling day, before 10pm, to the Returning Officer.

You can also return it to your local council – before they close (usually by 5pm but do check with your local council office) – if you do not want to post it, or it is too late to post it back.

"I'M HOMELESS, CAN I VOTE?" "I'M A TRAVELLER, CAN I VOTE?" "I LIVE ON A BOAT, CAN I VOTE?" "I'M LIVING ELSEWHERE, CAN I VOTE?" 

You can still register to vote even if you do not have a fixed address. This may be because you are:

• A patient in a mental health hospital
• Homeless
• A merchant seaman
• Part of the gypsy or travelling community
• Living on a boat or other moveable residence
• A person remanded in custody

To register, you need to give an address where you would be living if it were not for your current situation or an address where you have lived in the past. If you are homeless, you can give details of where you spend a substantial part of your time, e.g. a night shelter etc.

If you are staying at an address for an extended length of time then you can be considered as residing there and can register for that address. This could be a hospital, hostel, prison facility or similar place. 

You can register by filling in a form called a 'Declaration of local connection'. You can download a Register to vote form (no fixed address) from gov.uk. There are two forms - one for people in England and Wales and one for people in Scotland. Alternatively, you can get the form from your local electoral registration office.

Find the contact details for your local electoral registration office.

People wishing to register in Northern Ireland should download the declaration of local connection form from the Electoral Office for Northern Ireland website.

HOW TO REGISTER?

You will need your National Insurance number to register to vote - you can usually find this on your payslip, a benefits letter, a tax form, etc...   

Go to http://www.gov.uk/register-to-vote

Fill in the form before 22nd May 2017 to ensure you can use your vote. 

THEN WHAT?

Once the local returning office (usually your local council) receives your application via the gov.uk website it will add your details to the electoral register and send you a polling card by post.  Some councils also send out a confirmation letter to let you know they have had your application to register and/or a confirmation that you have been registered.

WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU FALL ILL, OR HAVE AN ACCIDENT, OR SOMETHING ELSE SERIOUS HAPPENS AND YOU CANNOT REACH YOUR POLLING STATION ON THE DAY?

In certain circumstances like this you can apply for an emergency proxy vote. 

If you are sick on 8 June or are unable to vote because of unforeseen circumstances you can apply for an emergency proxy vote. 

You can apply for an emergency proxy vote up until 5pm Thursday 8 June.

DOES IT MATTER?

It doesn't matter HOW you vote, but it does matter THAT you vote. Don't leave the decision of how this country is governed to others. Have YOUR say.  Register today. YOU have a part to play in how our country is run. That is what DEMOCRACY is all about. 

The rise of food banks: a proper British scandal

Did you know that the first food banks in the UK started in 2004 (there were two of them), but that their use did not start to rise much until the 2008 global financial crisis and the election of the coalition Tory/LibDem government in 2010? Since 2010 their use has sky-rocketed, as the Tory austerity measures have hit hard those who are least able to manage. Things have become so bad that now, in 2017 in the sixth richest country in the world, food banks are the only way in which some families are able to survive. That is a damning indictment of our so-called civilised society.

The Trussell Trust, the charity which runs the majority of the UK's food banks, gives these statistics:

"Between 1st April 2016 and 31st March 2017, The Trussell Trust’s Foodbank Network provided 1,182,954 three day emergency food supplies to people in crisis compared to 1,109,309 in 2015-16. Of this number, 436,938 went to children."

And it's not just people going along to get something for free because they can. You can't just walk in and ask or help yourself, you have to be referred to a food bank by one of a number of authorised organisations. Need is proven, and support is given, by way of sufficient food to provide meals for three days at a time.

But you can't just go back every fourth day and ask for more...  you have to be referred.  For instance, the Milton Keynes food bank, which is independent of the Trussell Trust, limits its help (although adds a rider that they can be flexible if clients need extra help), 

"Clients can receive a food parcel x5 times within a rolling 12 month period."

So why are so many families being forced to ask for help? The Trussell Trust states that delays to benefits payments were the most common reason for the rising number of referrals to foodbanks. Labour's Richard Burden (Parliamentary Candidate for Birmingham Northfield) said in an article in the Huff Post in Dec 2016 that,

"There is a wide spectrum of people who are running out of the money they need to buy food, toilet rolls and other family essentials these days. Quite a few different reasons too. However, a common factor in so many cases is the way the tax benefits and tax credits systems operate. People facing sanctions; people moving from one benefit to another with delays in the meantime; people falling between one part of the benefit or tax credit system and another. And please don’t think I am simply talking about people without jobs. A lot of people who turn for help to B30 and other foodbanks across the country are in work. It’s just that they are on poverty pay."

Low pay is a big factor: public sector has been subject to a pay freeze for several years, which means that in real terms most workers are now earning less than they were in 2010, with no prospect of a change, unless we see a change of government on 8th June.

The Mirror reported in March 2017 that,

"Public sector workers, including midwives, teaching assistants and refuse collectors, face a real terms pay cut of £4,000 on average by 2020 because of the government’s wages’ freeze,"

If people earn less, but costs of housing, heating, travel, food all continue to rise it is common sense that people will struggle to make ends meet and will need help with basics, especially as thresholds for in-work benefits are lowered, an impact that The Trussell Trust warned about in November 2015.

In another Huff Post article, Chris Mould the Chairman of the Trussell Trust, mentioned the publication of the Joseph Rowntree Foundation’s latest Destitution Report. It reports that in 2015 1.25 million people were unable to afford the absolute essentials needed to eat, stay warm and dry, and keep clean. This is 1.25 million people living in the UK; four in five of them born here. In the sixth richest country in the world, 1.25 million people are living in poverty and cannot afford food, heating or even toilet rolls!  I bet that is never a problem for those at 10 Downing Street!

So, having pointed out the problem, what is the solution to it? How do we reduce the demand, and remove the need, for food banks?  It's all down to the austerity economy which governments in power since 2010 have pursued.  Austerity is not a financial requirement, it is a political choice. It is a measure by which governments control the population without the population realising it is being controlled. It is gradual, it is insidious, it is destructive, and it is unnecessary.   

On 8th June we have the chance to make a change for the better, by not voting for more of the same. We can vote for a real alternative, for an economy that invests to make it grow, for a government that will bring in a real living wage of £10 an hour for all adults.  A government that will protect human rights and workers' rights, that will restore dignity to those whose lives have been blighted by benefit cuts, sanctions, food banks and homelessness. A government that will protect and invest in our NHS and social care systems. A government that will build homes that people can afford to buy or rent, and ensure proper rent controls and decent homes standards. A government that will invest in our schools and make good education available to everyone. A government that will help create quality jobs. A government that will take good care of its people and the environment in which we all live. 

Labour's 10 Pledges

The choice is simple, use your vote on 8th June. 

County council election turnout: apathy or idleness?

Are people in Cumbria completely apathetic about their votes?

Do you not want to vote for your county council?

4th May County Council Election Results

Conservatives 37
Labour 26
Liberal Democrats 16
Independents 5
TOTAL SEATS 84

Electorate 380,797, turnout 141,500 (37.2%)

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37.2% turnout!

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It wasn't even raining for goodness sake. Was there something better on the telly? Or could you just not be bothered to go and vote?

"It's not like it's important is it?"

The county council only makes decisions about a few things, so it's not like it's important is it?

Just so that you know, these are the services the county council funds, provides or administers:

• State Schools and Children's Services, including Foster Placement and Education Welfare
• Adult Social Care Services
• Fire and Rescue Service (advice for emergencies here)
• Trading Standards
• Roads, footpaths and street lights (report a fault here)
• Libraries and Archives
• Blue Badge Scheme
• Public Health
• Public Safety
• Registration of Births, Marriages and Deaths
• Civil Marriage Services
• Coroner Service
• Transportation
• Waste Management

Still think not voting for county councillors is not worth doing? 

So how many of you did vote?

Here in South Lakeland more of us did bother, the turnout here was 47%. Still not brilliant, but a darn sight better than 37.2%!  Barrow-in-Furness turnout was only 27.3% which is just dire! 

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I do hope that come 8th June more people will both to vote in the General Election, otherwise the next five years will see the UK governed by a right-wing group hell-bent on destroying everything that is good about the UK, a group which will have been elected by a small percentage of the total voting age population.

If you need further convincing that the right-wing vote has gone to the Tories, this comparison graphic of the 2017 and 2013 party voting percentages in Cumbria shows only too clearly where the Tory vote increase came from!

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So, if you want to live in a fascist state vote Tory and suffer the consequences (1930s repeated), but if you want to live in a country which cares for everyone irrespective of age, ability, debility, race, gender, etc, then do the proper thing, and #VoteLabour on 8th June. 

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Mayday! Mayday! Are you registered to vote?

Palace of Westminster, London  ::  Photo: Diliff / CC-BY-SA-2.5

We are into the second week of the UK's 2017 General Election campaign already! Across the country politicians of all parties, and their supporters, are out pounding the streets, knocking on doors, pushing leaflets through letterboxes, and canvassing for your support on 8th June. But, for a democracy to represent the people, it needs to be inclusive, that means encouraging everyone to vote in elections. The last government was elected by less than a quarter of the voting age population - that is of all those who are entitled to vote.

More people didn't vote at all (39.9%) than voted for any individual party in 2015. In 2015, 8.6% of the voting age population were not even registered to vote!

We have government by a minority and the only way to change that is to encourage everyone to vote, irrespective of which party you vote for. Is it right that the future well-being of a country should be in the hands of a minority of its people?

So what can you do about it? How about encouraging your over-18s to vote? Statistics indicate that the 18-30 age group are the least likely to vote in elections. They appear disconnected from the political process, and that is a worry as they are one of the groups most seriously affected by political decisions: the removal of housing benefit support for 18-24 year olds, the ever-increasing cost of university fees, the rising cost of rented and bought housing, and 38% of all zero hours contracts being held by people under the age of 25 are all serious areas of concern for a sector of the electorate who are disengaged from voting. If you think your under-30s are still unconvinced ask them to watch this!

At the other end of the age-scale, pensioners are becoming increasingly worried about the loss of the triple protection lock and about the rising costs of social care, whilst WASPI women like me, who were born after 1953, have seen their pension age jump suddenly from 60 to 66 or 67 rather than the gradual increase they were promised. All of this adds up to the need to make sure that we have a representative government on 9th June, rather than one elected by a minority. So please make sure you are registered to vote, make sure your over-18s are registered to vote, then on Election Day make sure you go and vote. It is the only way to ensure a representative democracy for our country!