Alan B'Stard in the New Statesman at the Alexandra Theatre


On Friday night I met with a few friends and went to the Alexandra Theatre in Birmingham with to see Rik Mayall as Alan B'Stard in the stage version of the New Statesman.


In this stage play Alan B'Stard is a Blairite who is more interested in himself than anything or anyone else. Being someone who doesn’t remember the TV version of the play I enjoyed the contemporary stuff.


The basic story involves B'Stard hiding and selling WMD, encouraging Condoleezza Rice to invade Norway and trying to have his wife murdered after sending her to shame Brown.


The play takes the piss out of a whole load of politicians around today and the new labour style but Blair, Prescott and Brown are the victims of most of the jokes.


I really enjoyed the play and thought it was a great night out and would encourage anyone who has a chance to go see it for themselves.

'I will form part of a human chain around the Westminster no protest zone but only if 6,000 other people will join in'


Earlier today I signed a pledge started by Richard that 'I will form part of a human chain around the Westminster no protest zone but only if 6,000 other people will join in'.


The Deadline to sign up to the pledge is 15th January 2007, 1,021 people have signed up, 4979 more needed, so please visit http://www.pledgebank.com/protest and sign the pledge but also encourage your friends and family to do so too.


For those who don’t know http://www.pledgebank.com/ is a site set up to give power to people like us, by allowing us to ensure that others will support our actions and efforts. If you have ever wanted to make a difference, but haven't known where to start and who will join you, http://www.pledgebank.com/ will be a great help

Who should I cheer for?


I imagine a number of people will be busy watching up to three football matches a day as the world cu is now in full flow.


The World Development Movement has launched an interesting site readers may want to take a look at.

Summer Job


I started my summer job today. I started work at American Express Business Travel in Birmingham. I am working on a team which handles the bookings from Aspect, Marconi and TWR UK. It was an interesting day, I was taught the very basics of my job unfortunately I was not able to get to learn how to use the different computer systems we use in the office on first day but I hope to be more competent at my job sometime soon.

Undergraduate study


I am currently a level two undergraduate student at the University of Wolverhampton and have just finished with my exams for this academic year. Now that the Industrial action is over I hope that all my work will be marked soon and that on 10th July I will be able to find out what modules I have passed and if I can move on to level three o my studies. As part of my level three studies I have to do some independent study which involves researching and writing an essay of six to eight thousand words. I had some discussion with my lecturers recently to see what sort of title I might start working with. Below is the list that I am currently working with which I will have to narrow down to one by the beginning of November so that I can start work on my project by January 2007 should I pass my level two modules. If you have any thoughts on the titles or suggestions on where I might be able to find academic literature related to the title please get in touch or post in the comments. All advice, help, hints, support would be appreciated.


The UN was formed "to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war" Examine the case for reforming the UN Security Council. How would such reforms mean the UN met that aim?


To an extent the composition of the UN Security Council is merely a historical legacy of World War II, what reforms of the UN Security Council are needed to ensure that the UN is ready to confront the global challenges facing it?


To what extent are Tony Blair's remarks that "there is a hopeless mismatch between the global challenges we face and the global institutions to confront them" true in relation to the United Nations and what reforms of the UN Security Council are needed before it is a global institutions able to confront global challenges?


To what extent has the European Union achieved economic integration?


What are the barriers to full economic integration of the countries of the EU?


`Pressure group activity is necessary for democracy' to what is this proposition right?


To what extent is the welfare state a legacy of the 1945-1951 Labour government?


How thoroughly had the wartime coalition government prepared the way for the welfare state?

Call to Muslims over police help


I was reading this story today and thought that as a "young" British Muslim this sort of thing would have been targeted more at people similar to me then those older than I.


To an extent I agree with Yvonne Ridley that the police were being heavy-handed in this case however the investigation with regard to the raid is sill ongoing and we still don’t know what the police may find or learn so it could be a little premature to comment on it.


However Yvonne Ridley urging the Muslims in east London to stop co-operating with police is totally ridiculous and more damaging to the Muslim community and to the police. I usually would not ask the mosques to get involved in politics and comment of the behaviour and actions of politicians but I really do hope that on Friday Muslim leaders in East London will use the opportunity to communicate directly with large sections of the Muslim community to ask them to ignore Ms Ridley's remarks and I hope that they will encourage all members of the community to contact the police with regard to information they may have on any case police are currently investigating terrorism related or not.


I believe that if Muslims were to follow Ms Ridley's call at a meeting on Tuesday that Muslims should "boycott the police and refuse to co-operate with them in any way, shape or form." would not only harm the Muslim community in their relationship with the police but also their standing in the opinion of others in their communities.


I congratulate Respect Councillor Hanif Abdulmuhit in not supporting Ms Ridley's stance and I hope that the Respect party will ask to apologise to the police for and inconvenience her remarks may cause them in relation to the raids in London last week and any other investigations they are currently carrying out.


I support Commander Steve Allen's opinion that "What is more likely to develop increasing trust, what's more likely to deliver effective police and community responses to situations like this? Is this when we talk to each other, when we spend time trying to understand each other's perspective or is it when we call for complete disengagement?

Lib Dems plan 2p income tax cut


Having read the article named in the title above during a discussion on MSN with a friend I said to him "I look forward reading the policy paper" his reply was "the paper will be a lot more boring than the leaks" thinking he was referring to the fact that it was a paper on economics I said "yes, it economics it always is" but he said "its a LD Policy Paper it always is" he did make clear that he thought the local government expected soon will be an exception.

Links


I had sometime today so thought that I should update some of the links on the blog for the organisations I am a member of or support. Previously I had links to Centre for Reform, Electoral Reform Society, X-Change, New Politics Network, RESULTS, United Nations Association, United Nations Youth & Student Association and World Development Movement.


As you may know sometime ago Centre for Reform re-launched as CentreForum. CentreForum also have a discussion and debate website FreeThink

The New Politics Network have changed their website address to http://www.new-politics.com/ and they also have a wiki section at New Politics Network.


I have also added a link to the Republic website which anyone interested in the campaign for an elected head of state should visit.

UNYSA - the youth of UNA-UK have also changed their website address to http://www.una.org.uk/youth/

I have also added links to the websites of European Movement, Hansard Society and New Economics Foundation. I recently sent of a membership form for the European Movement but am not or don’t intend to be a member of Hansard Society or the New Economics Foundation but just like to see what they are up to. Hope that you find the links useful.

Prominent republicans send open letter to Blair


Twenty four prominent supporters of Republic have sent an open letter to the Prime Minister to mark the very first Republic Day on June 2nd. The signatories include Honor Blackman, Tony Benn, Michael Mansfield, Claire Rayner and Benjamin Zephaniah.


The letter will be delivered to Downing street by a delegation from Republic, led by Claire Rayner, along with a petition of over 4000 names calling for a referendum on the future of the monarchy.


Graham Smith, Campaign Manager of Republic, said "These prominent republicans are voicing the aspirations of millions of Britons who want a say in choosing their next Head of State.


"Tony Blair can be remembered as the Prime Minister who finally put this debate on the table. We've given him the starting pistol, all he needs to do is pull the trigger."


The letter reads:

Dear Prime Minister,


Today is the very first Republic Day, celebrating both the history and the future of republicanism in Britain. Republic, who campaign for a democratic alternative to the monarchy, will be marking this historic occasion by presenting a petition of over 4,000 names to 10 Downing Street.


The petition signatories – including we, the undersigned – are the voice of millions of British citizens who believe genuine democracy includes the right to vote for our head of state.


Last year, you stated your belief that a person’s success should be determined by “hard work and merit, not privilege and background”. We ask that you now act on these words by initiating an open and independent review of the future of the monarchy and the available alternatives.


Britain’s monarchy has been, and will always be, part of our long and often glorious history. But this country also has a fine history of democratic reform. No legacy could be greater than setting Britain on the path to true democracy from the top down.


Yours sincerely,

Tony Benn
John Biggs AM
Honor Blackman
Piers Brendon
Louise Christian
Nick Cohen
John Cole
Jeremy Corbyn MP
Marcelle D'Argy Smith
Simon Fanshawe
Roger Godsiff MP
Professor Roy Greenslade
John Griffiths AM
Professor Ted Honderich
Caroline Lucas MEP
Michael Mansfield QC
Anne McKechin MP
Doug Naysmith MP
Steve Pound MP
Claire Rayner
Professor Adam Tomkins
Graham Watson MEP
Leanne Wood AC/AM
Benjamin Zephaniah
Professor Stephen Haseler - Honorary Chair, Republic
Ruby Lescott - Executive Chair, Republic
Graham Smith - Campaign Manager, Republic


www.republic.org.uk