A MESSAGE FROM ONE BRITISH CITIZEN

A MESSAGE FROM ONE BRITISH CITIZEN
To my fellow BRITISH Citizens - English, Welsh, Scots, Irish.


THE FUTURE OF BRITAIN AS EUROPEANS

I have already written two articles about BRITAIN and Europe namely the EU. Clearly. This is not enough.
At present there is so much confusion and distortion about this subject including down right lies and misinformation. So, what are the facts and the truth.

Britain will remain in Europe but may exit the EU. This is the big difference.

In my view - The British People want to -

Live in Peace with all our European neighbours.
Remain an Independent Sovereign Nation
Trade - free trade - with all European Nations for our mutual benefits. The EU represents 9 per cent of GDP according to Professor Minford of Cardiff University.
Enjoy holidays throughout Europe without hindrance.
Enjoy social and cultural exchanges with the people of Europe.
Remain within NATO to protect Europe.
Encourage Joint Ventures
Exchange Police information to stop criminals and terrorists
Respect Freedom of speech.
Respect The Laws of each Nation.
Respect the Principles of the United Nations
Respect the Political Institutions of each country
Promote Democracy within Europe
Enjoy Religious Freedom

These are some of the most popular needs of the British People.

In my view - The British People do NOT want to -

Be Members of a Political Union called the EU.
Have UK Laws made by unelected Civil Servants in Brussels.
Use The EU Parliament to create Laws for the British
People.
Reject the £ as their Currency and do not wish to join the EuroZone.
Accept  the inefficient EU Commission and Institutions which have gone many many years without their Accounts passed by the Auditors - a situation which would never be accepted in Commercial Enterprises.
Accept the net excessive costs of membership of the EU Club. The UK pays into the EU more than it receives.
Restrict the UK Fishing Industry, Steel Industry, Farming Industry, Food Industry to name just a few Industries which have been adversely affected by EU Regulations and Red Tape.
Join a European Army.
Allow the EU to negotiate trade deals globally embracing BRITAIN and prevent BRITAIN making bi- lateral agreements as it wishes.
Accept free movement of Labour and Migration without conditions.
Be subservient to European Law.

So, there are big differences when you examine the TRUTH and FACTS. If BRITAIN leaves the EU it will NOT be leaving Europe !
Labour, Liberal and some Conservatives keep talking of how bad it will be for Britain if we leave Europe. They are misleading the Public.

EUROPE.......................YES
European Union...........NO

We should never have allowed BRITAIN to be sucked into the EU Political Structure when all the BRITISH People wanted was a Free Trade EEC Agreement. Prime Minister Edward Heath was duped into the 1973 Treaty - or was he just deluded ?
Yes, for decades, We the British People have been sinking into the bog of European Federalism.

The EU has a Federal Parliament, Federal Electoral System, Federal non elected President and Foreign Secretary, Federal Commission and a Federal Council of Ministers. What more proof do you want to show that the EU motivation is Federalism ?  The UK is just one state - a cog in the EU Wheel !  Is this what we want for our children and Grandchildren ?

Prime Minister David Cameron is trying his best to get concessions from the EU prior to a British Referendum. Any concessions are likely to avoid the key issue - Does Britain want to be subservient in a Federal System or not ?
I have previously written that if the British People vote to remain in the EU, the rule reference Welfare Payments and Healthcare should be based on the following principle - the costs of EU citizens working in Britain for Welfare and Healthcare must be paid by the Country of Origin.
No more payments for Polish or other EU Nationals children living in Warsaw or elsewhere for workers living in Britain. Is this not fair ?
I do not think that a 4 year residence before payments is acceptable. It is a fudge pure and simple.

 It is about time that we returned to normality.

I rest my case !

SON OF RAF BOMBER COMMAND

SON OF BOMBER COMMAND

It had been raining very heavily in Swansea South Wales on the
19th October 1943 as I made my way home from Terrace Road Junior School Swansea. I was 6 years old at the time.
As I waded through the flood water at the bottom of the hill,  I saw my Grandfather Captain Bill Woodman waiting for me at the end of the road. He had come to tell me that my father Flight Sergeant Haydn Davies VR 207 Squadron Lancaster Bombers had been shot down over Hannover Germany.
At the time I thought, I am sure he will have bailed out and was alright. As the time went by, I realised that he was never coming home. He was 26 years old at the time and he was destined to be one of the 55,000 Heroes of Bomber Command in World War 2. The spitfire pilots were to be known as The Few - my father was one of The Many.
For the past 75 years, I have missed having a father. I have never forgotten the few precious memories I have of him.. He used to bring home tins of orange juice and chocolates - he went without himself on the long flights to Germany from his Lincolnshire airfield for me to enjoy the delicacy.
Many years later, I flew with Baroness Lady Sue Rider whose husband was Group Captain Sir Leonard Cheshire, Commander of Group 5 Bomber Command in WW2 - my father's Chief, to Lourdes in France. I was a Business Adviser and I had given my services free to help Lady Ryder decide if she should create a Sue Ryder Home for the Disabled in Lourdes - one of her life's ambitions.
She was very proud of Bomber Command and had shown me her private museum dedicated to her husband at her Headquarters in Suffolk.
I advised her to go ahead and realise her dream. I prayed with her at St Bernadette's Grotto at Lourdes. Today, there is a Sue Ryder presence in Lourdes. What an amazing connection with Bomber Command.
I,too am proud of Bomber Command. We must never let future generations forget the significance of the role of The Many in defeating evil. It must inspire the RAF of today to continue to defeat evil.
In memory of people like my father and Veterans living today, I ask you to support the work of Bomber Command.

Raymond Williams
Son of Flight Sergeant Arthur Haydn Davies VR 207 Squadron RAF Lancaster Bombers
Killed in action 18 October 1943 Hannover Germany

THE CAMERON WISH LIST FOR EU REFORM - The views of One British Citizen

THE CAMERON WISH LIST FOR EU REFORM - MY WISH LIST

So, at last Prime Minister has presented his demands to the EU to enable The United Kingdom to stay in the EU. He is trying. Already voices in the EU are raising objections.
As an ordinary British Citizen I too have a voice also.

Here are some of my Demands.

• EU citizens have the right to free movement within the EU on temporary stay Visas.

They do not have the right to claim Welfare Payments. Their Welfare Payments should be paid by their Country of Origin. That will mean no British Welfare payments to their wives and children back in countries like Poland, Romania, Bulgaria for example.
Why should British taxpayers have to subsidise foreign workers ?
These EU countries will not like this because they like to pass the buck to Britain.Work permits should only be issued to EU workers where they have got a job offer to fill positions which no British worker has applied for over a 3 months period.
EU workers who come to the UK for a job, then lose the job must not claim Welfare Payments in Britain but in their own country. This rule must also apply to British workers working in EU countries.

• The principal of Free International Trade must apply to the UK and EU in the event that Britain votes to leave the EU in the 2017 Referendum. There must not be any restrictive practices from the EU which would restrict UK Trade with EU countries and the Rest of the World.

• The British Parliament is Supreme. Even if the UK remains in the EU, any Legislation from the EU must be approved by the British Parliament. .

• Asylum applications must only be granted a temporary stay Visa. They must return to their Country of Origin when it is deemed safe to do so by the United Nations.

The cost of Asylum seekers must be paid for by a new UN budget.
Asylum seekers should also be directed to safe African States and countries who need more workers.

• We must seek closer ties with Europe for NATO, Policing, Cultural and Social interaction such as holidays, music, Joint Ventures and all normal peaceful activities. Free movement for holidays.

• No Healthcare Migrants unless their treatment is paid by Medical Insurance. No entry into the UK without valid Health Insurance. The NHS is losing £ Millions from unpaid bills.

• Diplomats who do not pay fines for one reason or not must be expelled.

• The Government must promote to the citizens of Europe that we are not against Europeans.

We are Europeans. We love Europe. We want peaceful relations within Europe. We want to protect our European Heritage. 

CONCLUSION

I do not think for one minute that the EU will agree to these demands. The EU have failed to have their Accounts to be signed off by the Auditors for over 12 years. A disgrace.
I am getting convinced that the UK will leave the EU. 

I predict that once the EU realises that the UK are going to leave they will offer the UK a new deal, watered down and ask the UK Government to have a second Referendum  just like Ireland did.

ARE WE THAT STUPID ?

THE CHILCOT INQUIRY - THE IRAQ WAR

The Chilcot Inquiry -  The Iraq War

So, Sir John Chilcot has announced that he hopes their Report into the Iraq War will be published maybe in July 2016.
It started in 2009 and it will have taken 7 years to complete the Report of millions of pages. The cost ? £ Multi Millions.
It looks like we will finally get the conclusions which most ordinary citizens already know !
There has been much debate in the Media and within Parliament in the UK and within Congress in the USA.

Let's see if The Chilcot Report says anything different to what we already know -

President George Bush of the USA and Prime Minister Tony Blair of the UK thought that President Saddam Hussain of Iraq was a threat to  its neighbours and the sources of Oil for the West. They knew he had used chemical weapons to kill 5,000 of his own villagers.
They received bad intelligence from opposition members in Iraq and misinterpreted their own intelligence feedback. They decided to go to war with Iraq - but it was sanctioned by their Parliament and Congress and the UN.

Conclusion One

President George Bush and Prime Minister Tony Blair are not to blame for the Iraq War because they acted in good faith on the Intellegence Reports from their Support Staff and Satellite photos.

Conclusion  Two

President Bush, Prime Minister Blair, The Military High Commands of all the Coalition Nations are guilty of a lack of understanding of the Political and Social complications of the Religous Rivalry within the Iraq Society and they were lacking in a post War Strategy.

They also failed to recognise that Saddam Hussain was the lesser of evils in the Middle East. He kept a balance with Iran, he stopped Terrorist Groups from growing in Iraq, he kept peace within Iraq. He was a ruthless leader but nevertheless, his rule might have been better that the chaotic aftermath of the Iraq War.

Conclusion Three

All parties - Leaders in the USA, UK, UN, Congress, UK Parliament were duped by the intelligence services. This was more a case of bad management in the Intelligence Services and not a deliberate series of misleading information.
It was a case of bad Judgement.
In Conflicts and Wars there is always a danger of bad judgements.
War is an imperfect state of Mankind. Positive Outcomes are often
laced with Negative Outcomes.

Conclusion Four

It was wrong to not accept the Reports of the Inspection Teams that they found no chemical weapons.
They were given free access by the Iraq Government to many sites and they found no evidence of chemical weapons.

Conclusion Five

In future, it is imperative that Leaders and their Political Institutions receive much better Intelligence.
Lessons should be learnt from the Iraq War.

The Iraq War was not illegal. It was sanctioned by the UN, the USA Congress, the Parliaments of Coalition Nations.

Conclusion Six

No person in the Political Rulers class is guilty of War Crimes.

Bad Judgement is part of the fabric of Warfare. It is a risk that Democracies have to take. The history of the World has seen many poor Generals and Politicians. Fortunately, the good Leaders over time have outnumbered the failures !

Conclusion Seven

The cost of the Eurekys Report is.... £ 0 taking 1 hour.
The cost of the Chilcot Report is.....  £ Millions taking 7 years.

Let us await and see what Conclusions The Chilcot Inquiry comes up with and what it will add to our knowledge and understanding of the reasons for going to war with Iraq which was opposed by millions of citizens. I wonder.........

EUREKYS WARNED YOU - READ MY ARTICLE - TRUST THE TEACHERS

READ EUREKYS ARTICLE - TRUST THE PROFESSIONAL TEACHERS

I WARNED YOU 

More than half of teachers in England (53%) are thinking of quitting in the next two years, a 2015 survey has suggested.
The survey, conducted by the National Union of Teachers, found 61% of those wanting to leave blamed workload and 57% desired a better work/life balance.
Two thirds of the 1,020 primary and secondary school teachers questioned felt morale in the profession had declined over the past five years.
Schools minister Nick Gibb pledged to tackle excessive workloads.
The findings of the survey are timely, because last month the five main teaching unions warned of a crisis in recruitment and retention, although the government maintains the vacancy rate has stayed stable at about 1%.
The survey, undertaken with a representative sample of teachers, also suggested many were unhappy with some of the government's plans.
76% said forcing schools that require improvement to become academies would damage education
62% said the plans for 500 new free schools would also damage education
54% were not confident the new baseline test for four-year-olds would provide valid information about a child's ability
General secretary of the NUT, Christine Blower, said: "This survey demonstrates the combined, negative impact of the accountability agenda on teacher workload and morale.

READ EUREKYS ARTICLE BELOW

TRUST THE PROFESSIONAL TEACHERS

In Britain Today, there is total distrust of the Professional Teacher - like there is total distrust of Hospital Professionals and other Professionals in our Society.

This distrust is manifested by the Government who have imposed masses of rules, standards and regulations whereby every tiny action by the Teacher is supervised, monitored and checked by the Head and Deputy Teachers, Ofsted and Government Education Departments.
It seems to the Teaching Staff, that there is total distrust of their abilities to perform well in class. Every move must. be assessed. The Teacher must be pressed for more and more higher standards regardless of the impact on the mental health of the teacher. Government appears to think that Teachers are Robots and not Human Beings.

Of course the justification is the objective to raise standards of performance by pupils and the school.
Is that not what all parents want ?
Standards, standards and more standards with reports, reports and more reports. The teacher is made accountable for everything in the classroom according to what the Government Standards are written into the Laws of Standards !
The lesson preparation work is checked, the individual students work is checked, the class  performance checked. Why has the teacher done that, why is this or that result so low. why has not the teacher not included this. Why has the teacher failed to reach the standard in this subject or that subject, why has the teacher failed to complete the write up report in time ? Why ?; Why? Why ?
A variation on the old song should be - Hey Government, l.eave that teacher alone.

The Government needs more information, the parents need better results for their children, the Head Teacher wants a better rating for the School.
There is endless pressure on the Teacher In Britain Today to prepare lessons in their own private time but to be continually assessed and re-assessed on their achievement levels against standards and report writing. An Unbearable pressure leading to breakdowns in Teacher Health, pressure on Marriage Relations and Teachers leaving the profession. Government supervision of the Teaching Profession has gone too far.

Take for example the views of one experienced teacher -


We are required to plan and document in advance every single thing we say, do or teach. On one instant of Observance in class by officials I was criticised because I had not pre-written all the questions on my lesson plan.
My experienced years counted for nothing.
I have to prove my words in advance in writing
I must write up that I am going to make my lesson more challenging and how.
I can not longer speak to my teaching assistant  about her role in the lesson - I must define it on paper in advance, Yes , more paperwork
I have to prove specific marking of every piece of work every child does in every lesson. With 32 in the class, that can be 96 - 128 written comments.
 There is way too much emphasis on assuming what is measurable is the most valuable information
We have lost sight of good teaching and replaced it with lots of paperwork
I have to work most weekends to keep up with paperwork
The Head is more interested in my paperwork than teaching ability. Yes, he is under pressure for paperwork too
One Head Teacher who has recently resigned in 2014 from the Teaching Profession because he could not suffer the stress  any more of the excessive burden of administration and lack of respect from Government and Parents alike. said -

Some excellent valid points have been made in this article.

He is not alone. Many more Head Teachers have buckled under the strain of Paperwork, Reports and unduly Scrutiny from the Civil Servants and Government.There will be many more if Policies do not change for the better.

No wonder Classroom Teachers and Head Teachers are disgruntled  and upset. This is crazy Management of the Educational Profession and Schools System in the United kingdom.

One Parent suggested -

Tell the Government to impose the same stringent criteria for judging the performance of Teachers onto the Members of Parliament, The Civil Service and The House of Lords. Perhaps they are already committing this fundamental mistake of paperwork overload.

Children are very sensitive  and observant to the mood of their teacher in the classroom. They can easily detect if a teacher is not well, moody, tired, irritable and short tempered. All the signs of stress. This is not good for the children and certainly not good for the teacher.

The Government seems to have forgotten that Teachers have undertaken some 3 years of intensive training, they are dedicated people and that they care for the children that they teach. Teachers are the Salt of the Earth.  Teachers are people of good character  and the majority of teachers are inspirational people. Of course there will always be some black sheep in any profession. It is the duty of Head Teachers to root them out. Head Teachers are responsible for standards in their school not Civil  Servants in Whitehall London. I am in favour of Ofted regular visits to schools but I reject the excessive amount of Report Writing that the Teacher is currently subjected to. I am also against the mass of Targets and Sub Targets. imposed on the teacher. Let them spend more time teaching and less time completing reports.

So what can we do about this distrust of Teachers ?


Make the Head Teacher responsible in full for the standards of performance of his / her teaching staff by classroom observance - and more freedom from report writing.
Let the Governors review performance at the school but not to blame the teachers for every poor individual performance.
Let Government accept the principle that the Teaching Profession know best for what is good teaching practice and not Civil Service and Government Mandarins.
The NUT - National Union of Teachers know what is best for the good education of our children - they have the practical experience and not the Government. Their advice is worth more credence than the high ground perspective of the Civil Service and the Department of Education in Whitehall. The Government should listen to the NUT viewpoint and implement more of their recommendations. I am not a Member of the NUT nor am I a Member of any political party. This is my independent view.
Recognise that the individual pupil has the responsibility to learn and that the teacher must not be blamed always for poor results. Also, accept the fact of life that some children are late starters.
Reduce the amount of subject matter in some of the courses. Do not over fill the curriculum with subject matter placing extra pressure on the teacher.Education and Subject overload is not a good thing for our children. Excessive homework is one example. A child needs to enjoy home time and not have to worry about homework all the time. Is this because the curriculum is top loaded ? Is this because homework must be regular or the teacher will never cover the subjects and therefore will be black marked for under performing.
Remember that personal character development is just as important as academic achievement.
Physical activities are important in the school curriculum. Do not sell off any more sports grounds.


Start to treat the teacher with respect once more, lift the administrative burden and let us have happy, healthy teachers and not overstressed, irritable,  depressed teachers.

Trust the Teacher not the Civil Service. Set the Teacher free of red tape. Let us have a healthier Teaching Profession.

Trust the Teacher to look after our children. The Teaching Profession know best.

Warning for the future  Government - Teachers are under exceptional stress and strain. There is a danger that many will seek a different Career Pathway and leave the Teaching Profession..

You have been warned.

The Government has carried out its own research in 2014. Here are some of their findings which they published in a 2015 Report.-


Table 4: Most common unproductive work areas. “Tell us about the unnecessary and unproductive
tasks which take up too much of your time. Where do these come from?” Workload Challenge
survey, 2014 (sample base = 1645 respondents).
Percentage of
respondents
Lesson planning and policies, assessment and reporting
administration 82%
School administration and management 76%
Accountability 73%
Behaviour management 13%
Administrative planning and policies 12%
Pupil support 10%
*Note that those not responding are not included. Base is number of respondents who gave at least one
response across all categories.

The Conservative Government are trying to tackle these problems but they must act fast.
Otherwise, we are going to lose many of our best teachers forever.

We need a radical overall of Education Policy and I hope that the new Minister of Education will take URGENT note of the research findings.

STOPPNIG WORLD CONFLICT - ONE SUGGESTION

STOPPING WORLD CONFLICT AND THE THE ILLEGAL FLOW OF ARMS


What is it about some people in many World Regions that makes them want to take up arms and revert to violence and destruction to settle their differences? What makes them want to force change through conflict ? Why are they prepared to accept the destruction of homes civilians and their Society like in Syria ?

Most Religions in the World, whether you believe in God, Buddha, Islam and Allah or preach other life after death versions or atheism - preach Love, Order, Respect, Family Unity, Understanding and Peace. In other words, To Live Life in a Civilised Manner. Civilisation is based on moral principles not killing of human beings.
Why then do we have in the World today such carnage ?

Who supplies weapons to people who have a grievance ?
Are there any solutions?

I am an ordinary British Citizen and I confess - I do not have solutions to all the conflicts. I wish I did.
However, on the positive side, I have one practical suggestion -

The United Nations should try and identify all the Arms Manufacturers in the World. All Member States in the UN should be obliged to search and check for Manufacturers of weapons however large or small including bucket shop manufacturers in third world countries.
All arms / weapons manufacturing is BANNED and will be ILLEGAL unless the manufacturer has a United Nations PERMIT and is regularly monitored and checked.

Obviously, weapons for self defence must be allowed but only to legitimate Governments who are Members of the UN. But, who are the legitimate Governments ?
This is the big challenge. Should a Big Power be allowed to supply arms to an opposition who do not like their Government ?
No is the answer. Peaceful solutions may take time but the outcome is better than winning and leaving your Country in ruins with millions of its citizens dead like in Syria.

We either strive harder to make the United Nations work or we allow death,fear and destruction to destroy Civilisation. It is a question of Civilisation or Anarchy. I prefer Civilisation.

However, here is the big problem - CORRUPTION.
Is there a solution? Yes.

Recognised UN Agencies after vetting supported by Observers from Decent, Peace loving Nations should do the checking.
I know some Nations will cheat but surely the World can try and stop the constant flow of arms and weapons ?
Third Parties who sell arms against the approval of the UN should face lengthy jail sentences.

If this dangerous flow of weapons is stopped, so MIGHT conflict.

After World War 2, the United Nation Charter seemed to be the panacea to stop armed conflict.
I certainly believed it would. How wrong was I ? Korea, Egypt, Israel, Vietnam, Iraq, Syria. Ukraine  and many many more. A terrible legacy. When will it stop ? How can it stop ?

Member States of the United Nations must start again to respect The United Nations Charter.
The General Assembly and the Security Council must reaffirm their support of and PRACTISE of The UN Charter.

Am I a dreamer ? No. We must find some peaceful solution.

Does anyone have a better idea ?

THE FUTURE OF SCOTLAND AND THE UNITED KINGDOM

SCOTLAND and the UNITED KINGDOM

I am grateful that I was born in the United Kingdom, in fact in Wales.
First and foremost I am British but I am proud to be Welsh as well - in that order.
Being British means that I love and respect England, I have great admiration for Scotland, I love the Irish North and Eire. Naturally, I support WALES in Rugby matches but I support England when they play overseas teams, Scotland and Ireland when they play overseas teams.

I feel a strong link with all the people who live and work in the British Isles.
I have had holidays in all countries in the the British Isles. I love the people, customs, the countryside, the food and drink and the ancient monuments. I also have studied the History of the British Isles - wars between England and Scotland, England and Wales, England and Ireland. I never want to see wars and strife between these countries ever again.

The trouble with blind Nationalism is that it is selfish. Bergar my neighbour attitude - I am alright Jack !
Personally, I never want to see Scotland become a foreign Nation.

The World today is so challenging to peace and prosperity. Weaknesses are exploited in commerce and terrorism.
Scottish Nationalists seem to be Hell bent on severing their membership of the United Kingdom with all the uncertainties that would bring. They are the epitome of selfishness.

One of their driving forces is their presumed ownership of Oil.
This is such a fallacy. The ownership of the North Sea Oil fields is shared with International Investors and Companies, the capital equipment is owned by International Companies, the Pipelines have been laid and owned by Consortia, the British Government have financial stakes and the legal right to tax revenues, the British Government has invested £ Billions.
No, the Scottish Government do not own the Oil Fields or the Oil Revenues !

In an unsettled World we must be on our guard against Foreign aggression and terrorism. A weak Independent Scotland would be vulnerable. Together, we remain strong.
It is a truism that some if not all Politicians love Power. Sometimes the driving force for change by some Leaders is to gain Personal Power. Who would not like to be President or Prime Minister?
I am suspicious of personal motives.

By now, the Reader will realise that I am against Scotland becoming an Independent Nation severing political links with the United Kingdom. I am against a second a Referendum. The first Referendum was unfair.. How could they negate Scottish Nationals living in England or elsewhere outside Scotland from a vote ?
Why? Because all of them would vote No. They like living in one United Kingdom.

My main objection is an emotional one. Scottish people are part of my family. They are my National identity just as much as Wales, England and Ireland are part of my identity.
In history, we are all mongrels ! We are a mix of Danes, Romans, Anglo Saxons, the Vikings, the Celts and ancient tribes.
We are a family mix of English, Scottish, Welsh, Irish and International Immigrants - A Multi- Cultural Society.
As an United Kingdom we should be outward looking and not inward looking advocates of separation for Scotland, putting selfish interests before a United Kingdom that had brought so many benefits to the Nation such as freedom, religious tolerance, prosperity and peace. Yes, there is room for improvement.

Future prosperity will be gained from Unity not Fragmentation.

THE ROLE AND OBJECTIVES OF GOVERNMENT IN BRITAIN TODAY

THE ROLE and OBJECTIVES of GOVERNMENT in the BRITAIN
OF TODAY

Sometimes I wonder if the Political Parties in the United Kingdom have forgotten what Their Role is in Society and what their Objectives should be if they are in Government.
I am just one ordinary citizen and this is my personal view. Perhaps others would agree with me ?

Government needs to -

Maintain a civilised and peaceful Society and to protect all Citizens from harm, violence and attack from terrorism and foreign aggression.

To work tirelessly for Peace throughout the World without trying to thrust Democracy and Capitalism onto regimes who think otherwise.
Millions have lost their lives trying to do this. Peaceful Co- existence must be the key objective of Foreign Policy.

To maintain freedom of speech for everyone including the Press and Media.

To improve the lifestyle of all its citizens.

To provide free education for all its citizens.

To spend Public Money within sensible Budgets with the minimum of external borrowings - keep the deficit below £35 Billion per annum in the period 2020 - 2030.

To encourage a high level of Employment with incentives to Business to expand in the Domestic Market and Overseas Markets.

To provide homes for all families at affordable rates as a National Priority. Britain did this with pre- fabs and other schemes after World War 2.

To provide Healthcare free at the point of need.

To provide State Healthcare for all elderly and infirm people except for people with assets of £ 3 Millions at 2015 prices.

To reduce the size of the House of Lords and make it an elected second Chamber. Reduce the size of The House of Commons.

These should be the main Objectives. However, how can all these Objectives be achieved ?

It needs a major change of Attitudes. Here are some of the remedies that are needed.

Introduce a new Future State Pension Scheme which will need increased contributions during working life. Allow for inflation in Pension Projections. The present scheme is grossly underfunded and inadequate. It needs a major overhaul.

Set up a National Building Consortium to build affordable homes throughout the Country. Change taxation Policy for
Builders in this Consortium so that costs of building are drastically reduced. A Value Analysis is needed.

Use Quantitative Easing to fund shortfall in Healthcare Budgets and Care for the Elderly. If it worked for Banks then it should work for Healthcare.

Only participate in external conflicts as part of a United Nations
Coalition and funded by a General Assembly Budget.

Delay Projects such as HS2 and give priority to affordable housing.
Spend £100 Billions on this National Building Priority. Provide safeguards to prevent investor speculator gambling and fraud.

Be prepared to convert certain uneconomic farmland into
Eco Villages with affordable housing and landscaping.

Change attitudes to timescales and cannot be done Attitudes for example -  Objectives to be achieved in 5 years and 10 years spans.

Make the period 2016 - 2026 a Golden Era for BRITAIN.

Only a radical new approach to New Attitudes and Actions will be sufficient to change the gridlock Policies of Today.
The present pathway will ensure  that the problems In Britain Today WILL remain the problems In Britain Tomorrow !

MIGRATION - ANOTHER THREAT TO WORLD ORDER

MIGRATION - ANOTHER THREAT TO WORLD ORDER

The World in 2015 is in turmoil. Decent people everywhere are suffering threats from Extremists of all types who believe that killing is the best way forward for their ideology.

If everyone who faced persecution were allowed to be granted Asylum in Europe, North America or Australia for example, the social fabric of these countries would be put under unbearable strain.

I feel very sorry for Migrants. They cannot be blamed for wanting to seek a better life away from violence and death. However, The United Nations should play a more prominent role in dealing with Asylum cases. There needs to be a better Policy and Strategy for dealing with Migration and Asylum cases. So, what could be done ?

The best way to tackle this problem is for the United Nations to take a more active role in maintaining peace in areas of conflict. Whatever happened to the Blue Berry Armies of the United Nations ? Why is it always left to the USA, UK and Europe to fight against extremism ?

Here are a few suggestions -

• The United Nations General Council should vote to create a very strong alliance of armies and air forces who would wear the Blue Berries. China. India, Indonesia for example needs to become involved as well as Europe and North America - but the main burden should not be on the USA.
• There is ample fighting manpower in Asia to back up the traditional forces of the West. Russia should also play a major role. Together, they could easily defeat the Extremists in The Middle East, North Africa and elsewhere.
• These overwhelming forces would be deployed to prevent conflict and to destroy extremists in the World's present and future flashpoints. 
• Peaceful  developing countries - supported by funds from a new UN Budget would take a larger number of Migrants and Asylum seekers.
• These Asylum seekers would be provided with safe heavens and not economic benefits - note that the thousands of Migrants and Asylum seekers in Calais France - want to get to the UK for the Welfare Benefits system. Most are unskilled and uneducated.
• Countries for repatriation could be in peaceful parts in Africa, South America and  Siberia for example.All countries are ripe for further development, they have the space but they need United Nations funds to succeed. Siberia for example has enormous resources that are untapped. Extra manpower could be very beneficial backed by new technology.
• A quota system should operate in the Western World - USA, Canada, UK. Europe. 
• Successful Migrants should be able to fill jobs that are needed to be filled - and that the local population cannot fill.

So, to sum up -

• We need to overcome violence and extremism as a United Effort by the United Nations of the World.
• A Sledgehammer Military Strategy is needed to defeat Extremists and not the present Feather Bed Approach. Too little too often.
• We need new laws on Asylum
• In the developed countries we need quota systems to deal with Migration. - and this should include Migration within the EU.

PRIDE OF BUCKINGHAMSHIRE AWARD 2015

As Past Chairman and Member of the Executive Committee of Wycombe 50 Plus Club, I am pleased to announce that The Club has won  -

THE PRIDE OF BUCKINGHAMSHIRE AWARD 2015
For Healthy Lifestyles.

300 Guests attended the Gala Luncheon at the 5 Star Stoke Park Hotel to see the Awards Ceremony.

Visit www.wycombe50plus.org.uk

THE UK and THE EU

The UK and The EU - AN UPDATE

Earlier on my Blog I expressed my views on the Big Debate - should The UK stay in The EU or exit the EU.
Since The In Out Referendum is fast approaching, I would like to emphasise some key points - my opinion only.

The UK accepts the Treaty of Rome and subsequent Treaties principle of the Free Movement of Labour, Goods and Services and Capital throughout member states of The EU
However, citizens of member states visiting The UK must claim all Welfare Payments and Healthcare Costs from their country of origin.
These Citizens must have Medical Insurance, a Job and have no criminal record.
If a member state refuses to pay these costs, The UK has the right to deduct payments and interest from its contribution to the central budget of the EU.

EU Immigrants cannot be hired at wages below UK minimum standards or replace British Workers who have first choice on job vacancies for the first 3 months of advertising the vacancies.

The UK will have the right to determine how many Asylum seekers enter the UK. The cost of upkeep must be born by the EU.

The UK does not want to join the Eurozone.

The UK will have the right way in law to deport convicted criminals or fraudsters. The Human Rights Convention must be amended accordingly.

EU Laws must be approved by The British Parliament before becoming effective.

The UK supports the notion of all EU states being granted the same rights as the UK.

The UK is proud to be European. The UK will continue to vigorously support Free Trade within The EU, Joint Ventures, Cultural  and Social Exchanges, Law Enforcement, Detection of Criminals, Economic Growth and Peace throughout the EU and elsewhere.

The UK does not want to join an EU Army. It will remain a member of NATO.

The UK will advocate that the EU Budget is vetted and that the auditors sign off and approve the Annual Budget unlike at present.

There must be stronger Financial Management of EU affairs, transparency, verification and traceability of allocated funds.

If there are no fundamental changes in EU Legislation such as stated above, it is highly likely that The UK will vote OUT in The Referendum. In this case it is hoped that The UK will remain a strong Economic Trading Partner. If not, all of Europe will lose out and prosperity will be lost for a long time.

FOOTBALL - THE BEAUTIFUL GAME ?

FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT IN THE BEAUTIFUL GAME OF FOOTBALL

As an Alumni of Henley Business School and a lifetime supporter of Football with Swansea City and Arsenal, it has amazed me and indeed shocked me that FIFA and so many Football Clubs such as Glasgow Rangers, do not seem to know the most elementary principles of Financial Management and Good Practice Management such as promoted by The Henley Business School Faculties.
I love the beautiful game of football but I do not love how the game is promoted and managed. It has become a gluttonous game where footballers can earn up to £250,000 per match for often just kicking a football twenty times in a match and scoring no goals. Transfer fees have become outrageous - how can any footballer be worth a £80 Millions transfer ? Agents fees have become ridiculous. Companies such as Sky and BT charge fans large amounts per month in order to watch their favourite team on Television. Sponsors pay £ Millions to football clubs - I wonder if they get value for their investment ? Worse trend of all is the cost to football supporters who have to pay high prices for their season tickets or seats on a Saturday afternoon. How long can this crazy situation go on ?
The whole system is skewed in favour of the clubs in the Premier League and the Championship and that needs to change.

Recent events concerning alleged mismanagement of funds within the Global FIFA Organisation has highlighted once again the need for the Financial Management of Football to be more Professional and where Due Diligence is practiced as a matter of daily life.
How can this become reality and Corruption buried forever in the Higher Levels of Football Regimes ?
Not all Managements in Football today are corrupt. It is the greedy minorities in high positions that give he Beautiful Game a bad press and poor reputation.
Ivan Gazidis Chief Executive of Arsenal FA is an exception. He was educated at Oxford University and he was Co- Founder of The Football League in the USA. He is a Beacon of Hope for the Football Industry. We need many more Chief Executives like him.

Here is my personal advice to Football Club Management and particularly FIFA. These are my personal recommendations after many years of Management practiced with integrity and dignity.
Financial Management is the Top Priority for the future success and respect of Football. May it flourish in the future
 managed by strong dedicated Financially astute people with impeccable characters and inspirational leadership.

KEY PRINCIPLES FOR FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT IN FOOTBALL

Funds allocated to any affiliated Association or cause must be Verified, Analysed, Checked and rechecked by a Financial Committee and Non Executive Directors before being signed off for Payment.
Traceability - all funded Projects,schemes or player transfers must be capable of traceability and inspection. For example, funds for a new stadium must be accounted for and verified and subject to physical inspection by members of the Main Board of Directors.
Commission payments,bonuses and any other payments to a third party must be checked and verified.
No payments should be made such as transfer fees which would put the borrowing to income ratios outside the long term repayment capability of the Club or Football Association.
Tax evasion should be strictly prohibited.
The Top Management and the Directors must have had training in Financial Management and Good Practice Management. An opportunity for Henley Business School and other Top Business Schools to offer short term seminars
 and qualifications. The Government should promote such professional courses. I wonder how many of our leading Chairmen and Chief Executives have had some sort of training in Financial Management ? How many senior positions in The Football World have been filled by Celebrities without training in Financial Management ? Just because a person has reached the heights of Corporate Management in one Sector does not mean he or she is the best candidate for a senior position in Football Management. Certainly a famous footballer, excellent on the football pitch may be a disaster in the Top Management of Football.

External Auditing should be regular practice with interim reviews. Auditors must share some of the blame for allowing corruption no misuse of funds to be allowed. No excuses !

Structural Changes should be considered. Perhaps the organisation is too big and lines of communication and accountability too extended -example of Sepp Blatter of FIFA. Avoid cliques and secret meetings which are not documented and recorded.

In many cases, I believe that the independent Auditors have not done a good job following my key principles of -

Authorisation

Verification

Traceability

Regular auditing

Physical checks on Projects

Identification of bad practise

Management Accountability

All functions performed by a skillful and well trained Management.

These Principles must apply to third party allocation of funds. This Is to prevent fraud and misuse of funds such as commissions, consultancy fee elevations, backhanders, hidden funds. Strict auditing is the key function - both internal auditing and independent external auditing.

The Inland Revenue should be more vigorous in vetting salaries of footballers, transfer fees and annual tax bills. Offshore accounts and third party concealments of funds need to be pursued more aggressively. How much annual tax does Wayne Rooney of Manchester United pay each year to the UK Tax Authorities?

Beware of the following words when analysing accounts -

Miscellaneous Expenditure
Consultancy Fees
Management Fees
Government fees
Government and Local Taxes
Expenditure brought forward
Introductory Commissions
No Receipts
Entertaining Expenditure
Past Tax payments

Beware of non authorised Offshore Bank Accounts and no funds should be channelled through personal accounts.

You may find some surprised loopholes in the accounts.

Finally, the difference between a CEO as Leader and a CEO as Figurehead is simply this -

The former accepts full responsibility for ensuring that all aspects of The Organisation functions in accordance with The Strategy, Policies, Objectives and Ethos of the Organisation.
The latter says - I did not know what was going on so that I cannot be held responsible !

Raymond Williams MA MPhil MBA DIPM
EUREKYS
Henley Business School Alumni

Ray Williams has 25 years experience as CEO in 3 Leading British Companies.
He is Past Winner of The National Marketing Award - for an Outstanding Achievement in British Marketing.
Awarded the Government Certificate of Excellence for Business Advisory Services.
Educated at Harvard Business School, Lancaster University, Brunel University and Henley Business School
Founder of EUREKYS Business Consultants.



For Debate and to reach a consensus Policy of Best Principles for Football Management.

Make the Beautiful Game managed by Beautiful People.

new book - BREATHE by Michael Townsend Williams

My son Michael Townsend Williams has just launched his new book in the United Kingdom entitled 
BREATHE

It is a compact book beautifully written and illustrated. Michael is one of the leading authorities on Yoga, Wellbeing and Mindfulness Coaching. This Book might change your life for the better.
It is highly recommended. It costs only £8.99 from AMAZON ONLINE

I am pleased to recommend this book - BREATHE.

When you get the right balance in life you can do amazing things…

... like create, perform, lead a team, build a great company, raise a family. But so often the scales tip and we feel overwhelmed and stressed. Michael Townsend Williams, an adman turned yoga teacher and mindfulness coach, is an advocate of ‘welldoing’ – leading a busy and productive life, but not at the expense of our health and wellbeing. And key to this? Our breath.
The crucial link between mind and body, our breath reflects what we’re dealing with at any given moment. It tells us when we’re out of our depth.

With simple breathing exercises and elements from yoga, meditation and mindfulness, Do Breathe will help you to:

Reduce stress and increase productivity
Improve focus and work flow
Cultivate new good habits and drop the bad
Build courage and resilience

Why not breathe yourself better?

Michael Townsend Williams website is - STILLWORKS.

He has many famous clients  in the United Kingdom and the USA. where he coaches online.

MANNERS - DOES ANYONE REMEMBER THEM ?

MANNERS – DOES ANYONE REMEMBER THEM ?

In Britain Today there seems to be a lack of manners amonst our youger and middle age citizens.

The Practice of Manners seems to have been forgotten. In fact, for some people they have never heard of Manners or practiced them. Why ? Because they have not been taught by their parents or heard of them in School.

Perhaps people with Manners will have suffered from Bad Manners in recent years. Here are some examples -

• You are walking along the pavement and you are approached by two young children. They walk straight at you forcing you to leave the pavement. There is no thought by them that they should give way to Adults. Often, they will utter some cheeky remarks if you do not get out of their way.

• You are in a restaurant. Some people on the table next to you are talking so loud that the whole restaurant can hear them. It can get worse. Thye recognise some friends on one of the tables and start a converation so loud that you can not hear your partner talk.

• Another table takes a Mobile Phone call. You can hear the converstion very clearly. It is a builder talking to his mate about the specifications and contract with his recent customer. There are many more examples of where a Mobile Phone disturbs your peace. The Mobile phone users do not care.

• You are at a swimming pool om holiday. Around the pool there are four large signs – Do not dive, Do not Bomb – Do not use inflatables. You look around and see dozens of children floating on their inflatables. Others diving, more bombing. The Parents are sitting near the pool and they take no notice of the signs or the danger to their children. They do not care about other swimmers unable to swim because the pool is so congested.

• Next we have the smokers who ignore signs and light up cigarettes and sometimes cigars. They do not care about other people in the restaurant or around the pool.

• Young children are allowed to run riot in the restaurant disturbing the other dinners. Do the parents stop them ? No. they do not care.

• You may be elderly and you are travelling by bus or train. No one will offer you their seat. Young children are sitting playing with their iPad and they are oblivious to you. They have not been taught to give way to an adult especially an elderly adult.

• We see bad manners in our schools. Pupils answer back to the teacher and are sometime aggressive. Often the pupils are roudy – but what can te teacher do with all the Rules and Regulations imposed on them.

Unfortunately, we live in a bad manners World. We need to teach our children good manners at home and in school. If they grow up knowing what is good and bad, Society might become more thoughtful in future.

Someone should draw up a Charter of Good Manners. We need to be a less selfish Me First Attitude Society for the better of Britain.

BRITISH FOREIGN AID POLICY 2016-2026

BRITISH FOREIGN AID

Britain in 2015 is a huge Debtor Nation. It has struggled to reduce the National Debt for some 7 years. In spite of this difficult economic climate, The British People have spent some £12 Billions on Overseas Aid and Development each year.

Britain signed up to the United Nations Plan to spend 0.7% of Gross Domestic Product ( GDP ) in future years.

Recently in 2015, the European Union have dcclared that Britain should pay an extra £1 Billions towards the EU Foreign Aid Budget. Aparently, Britain has not paid enough in previous years.

Britain is the second highest contributor to Foreign Aid in the World – after the USA.

Making a contribution to Foreign Aid and Development is an honourable thing to do. We must continue to help reduce Poverty, Improve Healthcare and Invest in improving the facilities for people in depressed Nations to live a better life.

The British People also donate some £60 Millions Plus via The Red Nose Charity and more through Save the Children Fund, Water Funds, OXFAM and through many other Worthwhile Charities. Britsih Volunteers also serve in many countries of the World.

Can Britain continue to contribute at the present levels ? My answer is NO.

What should British Oversaeas Aid Policy ne in the future 2016 – 2026 ?

• No British Aid should be channeled vis Foreign Governments. Too much Foreign Aid is lost via Corruption and the Black Market in the recipient countries. This must stop.Too many Government Officials in Foreign Countries have become Millionaires in office. Where does the money come from ?

• Britain should continue to channel Aid via Approved Charities who are already working in the countries concerned or Bona Fide United Nations Organisations.

• Any money spent via The European Union must be subject to external Audit. It is a disgrace that the Financial Accounts have not been ratified as correct by the External Auditors for more than 10 years . How do they get away with it ?

• Starting in 2016, Britain should reduce its contribution by 50% until Britain has reached equilibrium with its National Debt finances.

• Britain should withdraw from a 0.7% GDP formula until its finances are in Credit.

• The World Monetary Fund should continue to support worthwhile Projects in Development Countries.

• The Pharmaceutical Companies should continue their good work in supplying Drugs at reduced prices but once again these shipments must be closely monitored along the Supply Chain to stop Corruption and Black Marketing.

This seems a realistic Policy for Britain to pursue in the next 5 – 10 years. If the British Economy grows at a more rapid rate, this Policy can be reviewed. In the meantime, let us face up to reality -

stop wasting £Millions in Overseas Aid at rates which Britain cannot afford.

ISRAEL PALESTINE PEACE PROPOSAL

THE ISRAELI PALESTINIAN CONFLICT – ANOTHER SOLUTION ?

There has been so many atempts to solve the Israeli Palestinian Conflict. All attempts have failed.

There never will be a solution unless there is more give and take. There is fear on both sides. This mindset has to change but how ?

Here is another contribution to the debate. Probably this idea will be rejected too and so the violence goes on and on.

Here is another possible solution -

THE TREATY OF PEACE 2017 – THE 20 POINTS PEACE ACCORD

Signed in Jerusalem September 1^st 2017

1. A small piece of land surrounding The Dome on the Mount in Jerusalem will be designated The Capital Territory of Palestine in Jerusalem ( CTP ). The Parliament of Palestine and Administration Offices will remain located on the West Bank.
2. Palestine - that is the West bank and Gaza within its present boundaries will be a new sovereign State and admitted into the United Nations in its new form recognised by Israel. Later, Parts of the Sinai might be ceded to Palestine for development.
3. A new super highway will link the West bank and Gaza – funded by International Finance.
4. Israeli settlements on the West bank will remain but no more settlements will be built unless sanctioned by Palestine.
5. Subject to Israeli Planning Laws, Palestinians can build and invest in Housing Projects in Israel.
6. Palestine will renounce all violence against Israel.
7. Israel will renounce all violence against Palestine except in self defence.
8. Palestine will recognise Israel as a sovereign independent State.
9. Terrorism and Extremism of all kinds will be banned in both countries.
10. Palestine will not have an army but will be allowed a Police Force – in reasonable numbers to keep the peace. The Palestine Defence Force.
11. After 3 years of Peace, the Wall between Israel and Palestine will come down.
12. Free Trade will be allowed between the 2 countries but no materials of War or Violence.
13. Working Permits will be needed on both sides of the border.
14. Gaza will have more investment in a Port to encourage Trade.
15. Gaza / West Bank will have an Airport for non military use – to encourage Trade links.
16. There will be more International Investment in both counties – Tourism and Industry Projects and Farming.
17. Palestine will not support International Terrorism.
18. The United Nations will guarantee the Sovereign Independence of both counties.
19. A Non Aggression Pact will signed and ratified by all Religious Leaders – signed at The Dome on the Mount CTP in September 2017.
20. The United Nations Assembly will officially welcome the Peace Treaty signatories to a special meeting of the General Assembly in New York.

Fear can be banished forever if two Peoples demand Peace and the Extremists on both sides are overruled by the majority of peaceful and decent human beings

A new Attitude towards Peace must be born again. Let it be.

THE FUTURE OF BRITAIN

THE FUTURE OF BRITAIN

Do we the Citizens of Britain want to return to the Middle Ages ? Do we want to turn the clock back when England rivalled Scotland, Wales rivalled England, Ireland rivalled England. Yorkists fought Lancastrians ? Do we want to be so Nationalistic, Regionalistic with Religous Diviion and strife ? Do we want a Begger thy Neighbour attitude to prevail ?

For the Majority the answer is a resounding No.

So, what is the problem In Britain Today ? It is selfish Divsionism and the wish to break up Britain as a United Kingdom – spearheaded by The Scottish Nationals.

However, there is a mood of change in the Nation. People feel that Big Government makes them feel small, left out, unheard and ruled by Big Brother.

This must change but How ?

Here is my solution -

Britain becomes a Monarchial Federation.

Devolution of Powers is accelerated to -

Scotland

Wales

Northern Ireland

and

England

These Powers will be as at present but also more Powers over Taxation, Education Policy, Welfare Policy within Federal Budget fiscal allocations.

The Federal Government based in London will have the Powers over -

• Defence
• Foreign Affairs
• Membership of NATO
• National Health Services Budget
• National Debt Repayment
• Fiscal Policies relation to Defence, National Health , Welfare & Social Services Budgets
• International Crime Prevention
• Safeguards against Terrorism

The Federal Government will have a reduced number of Federal MPs – to be agreed

Similarly the structure of Devolved Government needs a review. The Federal Government will neet in Westminster Hall in the Palace of Westminster.

The English Parliament will meet in the existing House of Commons.

The reduced number Upper House ( House of Lords ) will meet in the existing House of Lords Chamber.

The reduced numbers of the Cabinet will still meet at Number 10 Downing Street.

The Prime Minister will reside at Number 10 Downing Street.

There will be a continuing repsect for the Separation of Powers -

• The Queen – The Executive
• Independent Judiciary
• Federal Government - Legislature
• National Governments – Legislatures

Many tourists especially from the USA call our country -

• England
• United Kingdom
• Great Britain
• The British Isles.
• My suggestion is that we call our Federal Counry -

Great Britain ( GB )

This is how we are known at the Olympic games,

The National Flag will remain -

The Union Jack

The individual Nations Flags will remain as at present.

BRITISH VALUES

The Prime Minister The Rt,Hon. David Cameron MP has often referred to British Values.

What are British Values ?

Many people especially new Immigrants have no idea what is meant by British Values,

Many have come to Britain with the Values of their Country of Birth. They know no other set of Values. This is one of the big divisions in British Society today and leads directly to Immigrant separation from mainstream Britain. The creation of Immigrant Ghettos, Extremism and lack of integration with their British born neighbours is a major barrier to peace co-existence.

I believe that Multi Culturalism is leading to Multi – Divisionism. We need acceptance of British Values if we want to live in Britain and enjoy the great benefits of living in this country. We want to remain Britain and not to become a new country of Foreignism.

Here are my views about British Values -

1. Although I am Welsh and I love Wales, I am a British Citizen and I owe allegience to Her Majesty The Queen whom I respect and admire very much.
   I respect The Rule of Law
2. I want to live in peace with every citizen and visitor to Great Britain and the Rest of the peaceful World.
3. I believe in Tolerance – particularly in Religion and non Religious beliefs,
4. Democracy is my way of living and I respect our Democratic Institutions.
5. I would not hurt anyone or be violent towards any person or Institution.
6. Freedom of Speech – whether I like what I hear or not is a fundamental right of every citizen providing it is within the Law.
7. I believe in Free Healthcare
8. I believe in Free Education but I protect the right of anyone to pay for Private Healthcare or Education
9. I pay my Taxes which are due and I do not try to evade paying British taxes.
10. I am honest.
11. I do not support aggression for territorial again.
12. I want to live in peace with the rest of the World.
13. I respect British Heritage – our Countryside and wild life and National Trust Properties.
14. I accept Immigration but within controllable limitations set by the  British Government.
15. I reject Barbaric cruel behaviour, Terrorism and Extremism wherever it occurs in the World.

There are many more variations of my List of British Values but I think that the majority of decent loyal British Citizens would agree with me.

Does Britain want to become The Dis United Kingdom or The Dis United Great Britain ?

Does Britain want bad feeling, discontent and separation between the 4 Nations that make up Great Britain ?

No, No, No.

Let us live in peace and harmony in a more prosperous Great Britain for all.

Let our Politicians accept the reality that people want change for the better – less Big Government and more participation and respect at 4 Nations Levels who are united in their love for their joint home – GREAT BRITAIN.

THE HOUSING CHALLENGE

THE HOUSING CHALLENGE - ONE SOLUTION

The Coalition Government has made a brave start to try and increase the opportunity for new buyers to enter the House Owning Population by their 20% contribution towards the deposit to buy a new house. This is only the tip of the iceberg to solve the chronic shortage of new homes.

The Conservative and Labour Parties have promised to build 100,0000, 200,000 new homes in the future.

We need a more radical and futuristic approach to building new homes. So, what can new thinking embrace? Here is one proposition – I call it The Limited Period Building Incentive.

It will be for a limited period such as 2016 – 2019.

During this period, Builders – both Private and New Public Building Companies will pay no tax on the agree Profits that they make on new builds during this period.

Builders Profits will be defined as follows – Cost of Materials + Cost of Labour + Cost of Overheads + 50% Profit Margin. This is excluding any cost of Land. The Builder will make no profit on the cost of land.

Land will be sourced from Government owned land, County Council and Local Council Land or Brown sites and some Green Land – priced at a below market value rate – to be calculated by the Government.

VAT on Building Materials used by Builders during the LPBI will be 0% based.

The Government in conjunction with the County Councils and the Local Authorities would give Special Building Permits ( SBP ) to Builders. Auditors would check the individual accounts of Builders for the SBP sites.

There is one big problem remaining which we have to tackle. - Shortage of Manpower.

Here are some solutions -

• Special entry Immigrant Labour would be sourced – if no British Labour was available – my 3 months advertising for British Labour rule would apply. They would not qualify for benefits.
• The Government would create more Apprenticeships for Building Workers.
• The Able bodied unemployed would be offered work with Builders to continue to receive any benefits at all.
• Local Government Building Task forces could be employed in the private sector to help the New Build Programme.
• New fast build materials would be sourced to speed up the Building Process – remember Pre Fabricated Houses after World War 2 ?
• So, we need a new co-ordinated approach to the Manpower Problem.

There will be a Retail Price Cap on the new build houses of £125,000 at 2016 Prices modified by any Regional Differences. This will include Terraced Houses, Semi-Detached Houses and 2 Bedroom Apartments.

The resale price of these houses will be capped at original purchase price + 3% and can only be sold to people in the Classified Priority Groups. This will avoid people purchasing for capital gains reasons. – in other words these houses are not for the speculators !

This LPBI Policy should dramatically increase the supply of affordable homes.

However, there must be conditions such as-

The new LPBI Homes must be made available to – First Time Buyers and not speculators.

They must be available to British Citizens or Immigrants who are classified as Essential Workers such as Nurses, Doctors and the like.

Crazy? Well, at least it is innovative. We need some new thinking otherwise houses will remain too costly and we will still have a big housing shortage.

1. 
   

IN BRITAIN TOMORROW

IN BRITAIN TOMORROW WE NEED ENHANCED LEADERSHIP SKILLS AND MULTFUNCTIONISM

Britain is well served today with courses on Leadership Skills. Most of the time, theses courses are attended by Chairmen, Chief Executives, Directors and Senior Managers.

We need to develop Leadership Skills throughout the Organisation so that the Skills Set can flourish at all levels.

At the same time, In Britain Tomorrow there will be a need to develop Multifunctionism – a broad team approach to Strategy and Implementation of Policies. Executives need a wider knowledge of Business Functions and not remain in their Specialist Function Box.

A Core Need in the future will be a Change of Attitudes to Business Management. My suggestion is to adopt – as one example – my Philosophy as follows which has proved to be successful in companies whom I have worked with.

Total Involvement – Total Understanding – Total Commitment

• Involve the staff in the Strategy Formulation Process, make sure everyone knows their role in the Business Plan Objectives and reward them appropriately.

• Make sure that the staff understand the Aims of each sector of the Business and the Milestones to be achieved each Month in the Plan.

• Encourage the Staff to commit to their role in the Business Plan.

In other words, create a positive attitude of Team Spirit throughout the Organisation.

Once again, the Business Schools have a key role to play as well as the Private Specialist Agencies.

The Successful Company of the Future needs to be Flexible with Positive Attitudes towards Change. If we do not adapt to change swiftly, we may find that the Competitive Advantage that we thought we had, has disappeared forever.

THE BLOG AS AN EDUCATIONAL TOOL

THE BLOG – A NEW EDUCATIONAL ONLINE RESEARCH RESOURCE

The Digital Internet Revolution has opened up a vast new World of Knowledge and Information of immense proportions. The Blog has enabled Educationalists, scholars and special interest groups to communicate Knowledge speedily and globally to audiences of every description.

Authors can create a Blog very easily – and upload their material onto the Global Internet fast. They can amend their research material instantly and they can encourage researchers to establish Discussion Forums across the World thereby widening the range of Knowledge in a particular subject. As an Educational Resource The Blog has become very popular amongst students and Education Professionals.

My Blog has been online for just over one year. I have posted some 40 articles in the following subject areas -

• Music Education
• Political Science
• Current Affairs

People of all backgrounds are using The Blog to make their voices heard throughout the World.

This will let them overcome the Forth Knox Barriers of the Literary Agents and the Publishing Companies – The Publishing Companies say – We do not accept unsolicited Manuscripts. You mys go via a Literary Agent. The Literary Agent will say – We have too many clients.... we do not think that your Manuscript fits in to our Portfolio. The Voice of the Ordinary Citizen is too often not heard except for a few seconds on Newsnight or BBC QuestionTime.

Sometimes, the citizen might get a Letter to the Editor published in a National or Local Newspaper.

If the citizen tries to get an article published, the citizen faces a Brick Wall – We have our own journalists.

So, I applaud the new media to help get the voices of the citizens heard.

Although the Blog articles are primarily aimed at A Level and Degree Level students, they are also of interest to The Adult Audience and Government officials.

There is no doubt ion my experience that The Blog has great potential in Primary Education since more and more 5 – 15 year old children become Computer Literate.

My Blog is – www.eurekys.bogspot.co.uk

It has attracted many thousands of readers form many countries.

My article – The Revolution in the Online Digital Music Industry ( 2013 ) is one of the most comprehensive articles about Online Music Publishing. It is a good example of how a Blog article can help students and reduce the risk of financial failure with their music projects.

This also applies to Business Asdvice paricularly for the SMEs – The Small Medium Enterprises

The blog will become more important as an educational tool. Where there is a shortage of Teaching Staff, The Blog and Centralised TV Productions can enable students of all subjects to learn jointly and collabarate through Social Media and Mass Real Time Television of Ket Subjects.

The Global Net can help bridge the gap between Nations and perhps play a role in developing peaceful understanding and links between students of every Nation.

The Knowledge Society combined with the Digital Age is here to stay. There are dangers that need to be monitored but on the whole the Blog is a tool for good and faster learning.

The growth of the iPad which brings portability and internet access will help considerably to widen the use of Internet streamed educational programmes.

NEW BOOK COMPLETED

My New Book is completed.

 IN BRITAIN TODAY

The Voice of One British Citizen

A Treatise on the Political Social and Cultural Issues Facing Britain Today

I am exploring Literary Agents and some Publishers at the moment.

Enquiries to -

ray.williams@btinternet.com

BOOK PUBLISHING IN THE UNITED KINGDOM

A FAIR OPPORTUNITY FOR NEW WRITERS 

We are fortunate in the United Kingdom to have some of the most excellent Publishers of Fiction and Non Fiction Books  in the World. We also have some of the most prolific and most successful writers in the World. So, everything in the Garden must be rosy  Or is it ?

You may be a budding author at this moment. You have done a lot of research for your book. You have spent many months if not years constructing the storyline, researching the facts, creating characters, seeking constructive criticism.

You have visited many bookshops such as W H.Smith, Waterstones, ASDA and many more
You Google Amazon and other onlne retailers.
You have noticed that -

• They sell thousands of titles about every topic and subject
• The shelves are lined with Autobiographies of so called Celebrities. Books for Adults and Children
• Fiction, Non Fiction, Historical Books, Educational Books and so on.
• Then you notice that in most stores there are lots of Promotions - Buy one get one free - Buy one and get one half price -  50% off the original price - 30% off  the original price - £1 for a limited time only.
• Amazon advertise  many special offers - and so do Tesco and the other Supermarkets.

You start to realise that most of the books on the shelves of retailers do not sell well if at all.

There must be so much wastage with many books being either loss leaders or just lost causes !

How can this be ?

If you have written a book, an original book and you try to get it published, you will come up against The Fort Knox of the Publishing Industry.

Here are some of the barriers you will face - so be warned.

• We do not accept unsolicited  Manuscripts.
• We only accept Proposals from Literary Agents.
• The Literary Agents will say that they do not accept unsolicited Manuscripts 
• Some Companies will ask you to send a  Proposal and one Chapter of your book but will warn you We are so busy that we may not be able to reply to you. They are part of the NOREPLY Society that we live In Britain Today. 

Be prepared to feel like you are battering your head against a brick wall !

However, you may ask yourself, how did these people pass for publication so many books that fail to sell and make such heavy losses at retail level and little or no royalties for the Author  ?

 

Is it because in so many instances they have passed over the winning books as a result of their tough, arrogant, stereotyped attitude to new Authors ?  Maybe it is their very impolite and non understanding attitude towards new talent.

The answer cannot be that they are too busy - because they need new creative talent. 

The Booker Prize is a very good incentive to succeed but it is restricted to newly published books. How can the non Published Author get a look in ?

Herein lies the danger The new Author will be offered lots and lots of help from companies who specialise in Print Your Own Book - at a cost.

This may be very tempting. You will become an instant Vanity Published Author. 

The Book Trade do not like this.

Remember also that any new book needs Marketing  and Marketing costs money and in most cases lots of money for Point of Sale Material in store, Leaflets and Flyers, Press Advertising and PR 

( Public Relations Campaigns ).

 Beware of taking this route.

So, what can you do to succeed in the Book Trade as an Author ? I am afraid in the words of Winston Churchill are so relevant today - I can only offer you Blood, Sweat and Tears !

If you believe believe in yourself, you must have the determination to carry on and win in the end. It may takes months or it may take years

.

Good luck - and do not let the Fort Knox, NoReply Mentality People in the Publishing World get you down.

There may, just may be somebody out there who will give your creative talent a chance to succeed.

I sincerely hope so.  

IN BRITAIN TODAY - TRUST THE TEACHERS

TRUST THE PROFESSIONAL TEACHERS

In Britain Today, there is total distrust of the Professional Teacher - like there is total distrust of Hospital Professionals and other Professionals in our Society.

This distrust is manifested by the Government who have imposed masses of rules, standards and regulations whereby every tiny action by the Teacher is supervised, monitored and checked by the Head and Deputy Teachers, Ofsted and Government Education Departments.
It seems to the Teaching Staff, that there is total distrust of their abilities to perform well in class. Every move must. be assessed. The Teacher must be pressed for more and more higher standards regardless of the impact on the mental health of the teacher. Government appears to think that Teachers are Robots and not Human Beings.

Of course the justification is the objective to raise standards of performance by pupils and the school.
Is that not what all parents want ?
Standards, standards and more standards with reports, reports and more reports. The teacher is made accountable for everything in the classroom according to what the Government Standards are written into the Laws of Standards !
The lesson preparation work is checked, the individual students work is checked, the class  performance checked. Why has the teacher done that, why is this or that result so low. why has not the teacher not included this. Why has the teacher failed to reach the standard in this subject or that subject, why has the teacher failed to complete the write up report in time ? Why ?; Why? Why ?
A variation on the old song should be - Hey Government, l.eave that teacher alone.

The Government needs more information, the parents need better results for their children, the Head Teacher wants a better rating for the School.
There is endless pressure on the Teacher In Britain Today to prepare lessons in their own private time but to be continually assessed and re-assessed on their achievement levels against standards and report writing. An Unbearable pressure leading to breakdowns in Teacher Health, pressure on Marriage Relations and Teachers leaving the profession. Government supervision of the Teaching Profession has gone too far.

Take for example the views of one experienced teacher -

• We are required to plan and document in advance every single thing we say, do or teach. On one instant of Observance in class by officials I was criticised because I had not pre-written all the questions on my lesson plan.
• My experienced years counted for nothing.
• I have to prove my words in advance in writing
• I must write up that I am going to make my lesson more challenging and how.
• I can not longer speak to my teaching assistant  about her role in the lesson - I must define it on paper in advance, Yes , more paperwork
• I have to prove specific marking of every piece of work every child does in every lesson. With 32 in the class, that can be 96 - 128 written comments.
•  There is way too much emphasis on assuming what is measurable is the most valuable information  
• We have lost sight of good teaching and replaced it with lots of paperwork
• I have to work most weekends to keep up with paperwork
• The Head is more interested in my paperwork than teaching ability. Yes, he is under pressure for paperwork too

One Head Teacher who has recently resigned in 2014 from the Teaching Profession because he could not suffer the stress  any more of the excessive burden of administration and lack of respect from Government and Parents alike. said -

Some excellent valid points have been made in this article.  

He is not alone. Many more Head Teachers have buckled under the strain of Paperwork, Reports and unduly Scrutiny from the Civil Servants and Government.There will be many more if Policies do not change for the better.

No wonder Classroom Teachers and Head Teachers are disgruntled  and upset. This is crazy Management of the Educational Profession and Schools System in the United kingdom.

One Parent suggested -

Tell the Government to impose the same stringent criteria for judging the performance of Teachers onto the Members of Parliament, The Civil Service and The House of Lords. Perhaps they are already committing this fundamental mistake of paperwork overload. 

Children are very sensitive  and observant to the mood of their teacher in the classroom. They can easily detect if a teacher is not well, moody, tired, irritable and short tempered. All the signs of stress. This is not good for the children and certainly not good for the teacher.

The Government seems to have forgotten that Teachers have undertaken some 3 years of intensive training, they are dedicated people and that they care for the children that they teach. Teachers are the Salt of the Earth.  Teachers are people of good character  and the majority of teachers are inspirational people. Of course there will always be some black sheep in any profession. It is the duty of Head Teachers to root them out. Head Teachers are responsible for standards in their school not Civil  Servants in Whitehall London. I am in favour of Ofted regular visits to schools but I reject the excessive amount of Report Writing that the Teacher is currently subjected to. I am also against the mass of Targets and Sub Targets. imposed on the teacher. Let them spend more time teaching and less time completing reports.

So what can we do about this distrust of Teachers ?

• Make the Head Teacher responsible in full for the standards of performance of his / her teaching staff by classroom observance - and more freedom from report writing.
• Let the Governors review performance at the school but not to blame the teachers for every poor individual performance.
• Let Government accept the principle that the Teaching Profession know best for what is good teaching practice and not Civil Service and Government Mandarins.
• The NUT - National Union of Teachers know what is best for the good education of our children - they have the practical experience and not the Government. Their advice is worth more credence than the high ground perspective of the Civil Service and the Department of Education in Whitehall. The Government should listen to the NUT viewpoint and implement more of their recommendations. I am not a Member of the NUT nor am I a Member of any political party. This is my independent view.
• Recognise that the individual pupil has the responsibility to learn and that the teacher must not be blamed always for poor results. Also, accept the fact of life that some children are late starters.
• Reduce the amount of subject matter in some of the courses. Do not over fill the curriculum with subject matter placing extra pressure on the teacher.Education and Subject overload is not a good thing for our children. Excessive homework is one example. A child needs to enjoy home time and not have to worry about homework all the time. Is this because the curriculum is top loaded ? Is this because homework must be regular or the teacher will never cover the subjects and therefore will be black marked for under performing.
• Remember that personal character development is just as important as academic achievement.
• Physical activities are important in the school curriculum. Do not sell off any more sports grounds.

Start to treat the teacher with respect once more, lift the administrative burden and let us have happy, healthy teachers and not overstressed, irritable,  depressed teachers.

Trust the Teacher not the Civil Service. Set the Teacher free of red tape. Let us have a healthier Teaching Profession.

Trust the Teacher to look after our children. The Teaching Profession know best.