Compare and contrast

I received my slick glossy pamphlet from my would- be MP (the boundaries will be changing come next year, goodbye Tory hello New Labour MP) Jim Dowd. And it was pretty meaningless pap but that is no odd thing as it reflects his politics….meaningless pap and spineless.

If Dowd had done one decent thing, one decent bloody thing such as making a stand against war in Iraq and Afghanistan then I would consider canvassing for him. But no he didn’t.

So I won’t be canvassing for him and his adherence to the NL project, and let’s face it, he’s a NL clone.

Instead I will be canvassing for this solid principled Socialist MP, John McDonnell. You know what side of the political divide he is on.

The Fight to Keep John McDonnell in Parliament!

John McDonnell is appealing for help to get him re-elected. He is a hard-working constituency MP and has consistently provided a platform for socialist ideas.

John has never flinched in showing solidarity for people struggling against exploitation. He has tirelessly represented his constituency, trade unions and the wider movement, having been key in organising resistance to the Government’s neo liberal agenda both inside and outside parliament. This is not about saving one politician’s career but about defending and maximising the political representation of progressive movements throughout the UK.

Despite fighting resolutely alongside his local community and climate change activists to oppose Heathrow’s 3^rd runway in his constituency, the undemocratic imposition of the runaway is damaging his chances of being re-elected. That is why he needs your support.

 This Sunday, October 18^th , the Hayes Labour Party is organising a mass canvass and is appealing for help. The canvass starts at 10.30 from John’s office in Pump Lane, Hayes Middx. UB3 3NB. Tel 0208 569 0010. The office is a short distance from Hayes Station, 20 minutes by rail from Paddington.

 John McDonnell MP needs your support and solidarity. Our movement cannot risk losing John’s seat and the platform it provides. Bring as many activists and supporters as possible. Every fortnight from 18^th October the Hayes Party will be organising a mass canvass and needs your help.

See as well LRC website

Close down Yarl’s Wood!

This centre, outside Bedford in the east of England, holds up to 405 individuals – a mixture of single females and families with children.

We are committed to caring for the detainees at Yarl’s Wood with decency and respect, providing the dedicated facilities which children and families need. These include a nursery and classroom facilities for school-age children, with an outdoor play area with play equipment.

Serco took over the running of Yarl’s Wood in April 2007 from GSL. We are committed to developing the centre into a recognised centre of excellence for detaining females and families in a safe and secure environment.

And now compare the below report from the Guardian about this study into the treatment of children in immigration detention centres specially Yarl’s Wood.

The report raised serious concerns over child protection issues after finding that at least 12 of the children had been separated from a main carer, two placed in detention with an adult with whom they had never lived, and one mother and her 20-month-old baby separated for three weeks during an outbreak of chicken pox.

The study, published in Child Abuse & Neglect: the International Journal, examined 24 children aged between three months and 17 years detained at  immigration removal centre in Bedfordshire, which is operated by Serco for the UK Border Agency. It found that:

• Eight children had lost weight since entering detention, including a two-year-old and a nine-year-old, both of whom had lost 10% of their body weight.

• Three children had regressed and refused to feed themselves or would only take milk.

• Most of the 20 children seen by a paediatrician complained of recent health problems including abdominal pain, headache, coughing and vomiting. Two required hospital care.

• Ten out of 11 children examined by a psychologist had begun to experience sleep problems, including nightmares and difficulty falling or remaining asleep.

• Four children began bed-wetting, although they had previously been dry for a number of years and two started daytime soiling and wetting, indicators of severe stress.

• Four children had regressed language skills, including one child who had become selectively mute.

• All nine parents interviewed reported severe psychological distress, and 6six out of nine had contemplated suicide. Two were on suicide watch.

Recent Home Office figures reveal that 470 children were detained with their families this year. Of 225 children released from detention in the second quarter this year, only 100 were removed from the UK, prompting calls from MPs and children’s rights groups for an end to children being detained unnecessarily.

 Just reading the article in the Guardian is harrowing, upsetting and depressing, I haven’t been able as yet to access the full article but nothing surprises me about that racist hell-hole known as Yarl’s Wood. If a child is already traumatised and mentally distressed then being locked up in Yarl’s Wood can only worsen their misery, powerlessness and vulnerability. It is state sanctioned neglect and abuse. It is obscene and inhuman. The people locked up in these hell-holes are treated as if they are invisible and meaningless. That their human rights are nonexistent. And that we live in a society that treats people like this.

The full description of the study: Lorek, A., et al. The mental and physical health difficulties of children held within a British immigration detention centre: A pilot study. Child Abuse & Neglect

Iraq War: lies, damn lies…..

Bereaved families met with the Iraq Inquiry Committee today.

A retired Army officer whose son was killed in Iraq has said the government “misled” the country over the reasons for going to war.

Colin Mildinhall was speaking as he and other relatives of those killed in Iraq met officials conducting the inquiry into the war and its aftermath.

He said the UK had been “lied to” by government over the presence of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq.

Furthermore

At Tuesday’s meeting, former Lieutenant Colonel Mildinhall criticised the legality of the war and the controversial claim that Saddam Hussein would be able to deploy weapons of mass destruction within 45 minutes.

“It is on this basis that I believe we were misled,” he said.

“I would particularly like the inquiry to look at the whole representation of intelligence, how it was used or misused in the approach to this war.

“I believe this country has been badly let down and lied to. I would like to see some accountability.”

And from Stop the War Coalition website  this from Peter Brierley whose son, Shaun, was killed in Iraq. He is the man who refused to shake Blair’s hand by saying: “Don’t you dare, you have my son’s blood on your hands.”

“As far as I am concerned that man is a war criminal. I can’t bear to be in the same room as him. I cannot believe he’s been allowed to come to this reception. I sat through that service listening to people preaching to me about tolerance but I don’t think anyone should be forced to tolerate being in the same room as him.

“He has made £14 million on the back of taking us to war and they are now talking about making him president of the EU. But I believe he’s got the blood of my son – and all of the other men and women who died in that war – on his hands.

“The truth is that we went to war on the lies of Blair and his weapons of mass destruction. Six years may have gone by but the pain is always there. Every time I see footage of a coffin coming off a plane, it brings it all flooding back and reminds me of what happened to Shaun.”

179 British soldiers die in Iraq. It is estimated that over one million Iraqis were killed. Tony Blair has earned over £15 million since he resigned as prime minister two years ago. This includes £2.5 million a year for one day’s work a month for the bank J.P. Morgan, which is earning huge profits from contracts for reconstructing Iraq after the devastation caused by the Bush/Blair illegal war.