Friday 02nd October 2020

Listen live online each week 17:00 to 19:00 BST, 10:00-12:00 EST, 09:00-11:00 PST. Repeats 2100 & 0900 BST daily https://www.internet-radio.com/station/prsc

BCfm’s weekly Politics Show presented by Tony Gosling with Irish Republican Labour activist Martin Summers continues online after being ‘rested due to the pandemic’ on 24 March 2020 by BCfm charity ‘CEO’ Pat Hart. The Internet only BCfm Politics Show is now available 17:00-19:00 live on Fridays. Pat Hart replaced us with a show called The Bristol Agenda. If you’d like to request our reinstatement you can contact the BCfm chiefs here.

We have been ready to go live on BCfm’s FM server remotely, awaiting the go-ahead from the managing editor since 16th March. Initially we were told ‘In the light of government and Ofcom guidance’ Pat Hart’s team decided ‘not to broadcast discussion or political shows’ that ‘might put the FM licence at risk’, because they ‘don’t want the burden of dealing with potential Ofcom complaints’. Now we’ve been told a wider ‘reorganisation’ is underway and this show may be allowed to return to FM in November 2020.

February 2019 Ofcom complaint result: UKLFI exposed as creation of Israeli foreign ministry – Bristol Post article: BCfm cleared after being reported to Ofcom for anti-semitic conspiracy theories

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First hour News Review: 

PMQs Closure of Cheltenham A&E – privatisation of NHS. Cheltenham General Hospital’s A&E department could remain closed until March 2021 due to Covid-19 – Cheltenham’s Emergency Department was turned into a temporary Minor Injuries Unit in June 2020.Credit: ITV West Country The Accident and Emergency Department at Cheltenham General Hospital could remain closed until March 2021. It was shut temporarily in June 2020 with emergency admissions directed to the Gloucestershire Royal Hospital in Gloucester, eight miles away. The original decision was made by the NHS trust that manages the hospitals to help tackle the coronavirus pandemic. It was aimed at reducing transmission of the virus between patients and to maximise non-Covid-19 care. Cheltenham A&E was turned into a Minor Injury and Illness Unit (MIIU), operating from 8am to 8pm seven days a week, initially for a period of three months. That three months is now up but, with fears that there will be a second wave of coronavirus cases, managers want to extend the temporary closure to the end of March. Cheltenham General Hospital signThe Trust says it will not compromise on the safety of patients or staff.Credit: ITV West Country The campaign group REACH – Restore Emergency at Cheltenham Hospital – is concerned that the coronavirus pandemic is being used as an excuse and Cheltenham A and E may never reopen. In May, Cheltenham MP Alex Chalk said: “Common sense tells you that the longer any service is suspended, the more difficult it is to reinstate.”

Family living in Bristol house boat have to leave. ‘We could now lose everything’ – Family told to leave house boat in dispute with council ‘It has turned our world upside down’ By Estel Farell Roig Senior reporter When you subscribe we will use the information you provide to send you these newsletters. Sometimes they’ll include recommendations for other related newsletters or services we offer. OurPrivacy Noticeexplains more about how we use your data, and your rights. You can unsubscribe at any time. A family living on a boat on the Harbourside in Bristol say they could be made homeless after being told to leave the vessel by the city council. Molly Petts and her partner Trevor Gray have been living on a boat moored on the Wapping Wharf side of the Harbourside for several years and, back in 2016, they bought a bigger boat in order to start a family. However, the couple is now having a dispute with the council over building works carried out to the new boat which the council says were not approved. The boat, the council has said, is also sitting in the harbour under a leisure licence, not a residential licence. But the family claim to have been misled in the process and is now seeking legal advice after being asked to leave over safety concerns. They say they received an email from the harbour manager in July saying they were carrying out the works in direct contravention of the harbour master’s instructions. Ms Petts said: “It has been really horrible and stressful. “And during a pandemic, everything adds up – it has been such an emotional rollercoaster. “We have been asked to leave the vessel immediately but we have nowhere else to go. “It is really hard and it is taking a toll on our relationship, it is not fair on our little boy either as he deserves our attention.

Questions raised over ‘social media spying’ as council contract ends Bristol City Council’s controversial contract with a firm that uses “big data software” to monitor social media chat is due to end today Lots of us are using social media to stay in touch with friends and loved ones during the coronavirus pandemic – Bristol City Council’s controversial contract with a firm that uses “big data software” to live-monitor social and online conversations is due to end today (September 30). And opposition councillors are now asking whether authorisation was needed for the “surveillance”, which they say was “covert” until it was revealed earlier this year. The council has said anyone can “review” social media posts and it is not illegal. The authority hired social media insight and analysis company Impact Social to harvest and analyse social media chatter about itself and the city’s elected mayor in March 2018. But the 30-month, £90,000 contract did not come to light until February this year, when it emerged the council was paying the firm to conduct “online and social media analysis” of the online accounts linked to itself and Marvin Rees. Information released under Freedom of Information law showed the council had access to a live dashboard of “all social media data” relating to the council and Mr Rees and was receiving monthly reports about “what people in the city are thinking and feeling”. One example included a pie chart showing the Twitter handles of individuals, such as Liberal Democrat councillor Tim Kent, who had mentioned “Marvin Rees”, “mayor of bristol”, @MarvinJRees, @BrisMayorOffice or “Bristol Council” in their tweets.

Mayor Rees’s live monitoring of Council social media, ‘Impact Social’, to end. Information released under Freedom of Information law showed the council had access to a live dashboard of “all social media data” relating to the council and Mr Rees and was receiving monthly reports about “what people in the city are thinking and feeling”. Is Marvin Rees a bad Mayor or not? Bristol Council questioned over social media ‘spying’ Councillors are asking whether the “surveillance”, which they say was “covert”, needed authorisation. Bristol City Council’s controversial contract with a firm that uses “big data software” to live-monitor social and online conversations is due to end today (September 30). And opposition councillors are now asking whether authorisation was needed for the “surveillance” which they say was “covert” until it was revealed earlier this year. The council has said anyone can “review” social media posts and it is not illegal. The authority hired social media insight and analysis company Impact Social to harvest and analyse social media chatter about itself and the city’s elected mayor in March 2018. But the 30-month, £90,000 contract did not come to light until February this year, when it emerged the council was paying the firm to conduct “online and social media analysis” of the online accounts linked to itself and Marvin Rees. Information released under Freedom of Information law showed the council had access to a live dashboard of “all social media data” relating to the council and Rees and was receiving monthly reports about “what people in the city are thinking and feeling”. One example included a pie chart showing the Twitter handles of individuals, such as Liberal Democrat councillor Tim Kent, who had mentioned “Marvin Rees”, “mayor of bristol”, @MarvinJRees, @BrisMayorOffice or “Bristol Council” in their tweets. At the time, the council said it was a cost-effective way of “listening” to the public and that it had considered the requirements of General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). But some members of the public expressed concerns the surveillance breached their privacy, and opposition councillors accused the council of wasting taxpayers’ money on “social media spying”. Now Green councillor Clive Stevens has sought answers about whether the council needed – and gained – authorisation for the surveillance. Cllr Stevens asked his question at a committee meeting on Monday (September 28) where the local authority’s use of covert surveillance powers was discussed. Under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (RIPA) 2000, the council can use various means of covert surveillance to prevent or detect crime, but it needs the prior approval of a designated authorising officer and the Magistrates’ Court. But, according to the council’s RIPA policy, it may sometimes be “necessary, and proportionate” to carry out covert surveillance for activities other than serious crime. In these “non-RIPA” instances, staff must get the approval of an authorising officer but not the court. Sarah Sharland, the council’s RIPA monitoring officer, told the meeting that social media monitoring would amount to “covert surveillance” if was done covertly and in a “planned investigatory manner”. Cllr Stevens asked: “So, if you had a software that was looking at social media posts over a period of time and reporting back, that would certainly be covert surveillance.” Ms Sharland said: “If it had been done covertly and in an organised ongoing way, then yes “But if you can get it overtly because it’s public information, you wouldn’t need to do the covert surveillance.”

PMQs housing targets – British housing system. PMQs number of rough sleepers under recorded – Universal Credit increases homelessness.

Trevor Mealham discusses Lloyd’s Bank fraud, Common Purpose and the shadow government – www.action4justice.co.uk what is Common Purpose? Action 4 Justice comprises a team of professional property experts who have found ourselves at the mercy of the corporate banking systems. Action4Justice Believes People Matter! As Action4Justice grows organically we engage with a pool of experts; people from all walks of life, pooling their knowledge to form a powerful information base for the benefit of all.Because we believe People Matter, action 4 Justice brings people together to forge a path to establish the truth. We stand as a force 4 good in supporting other members to find justice for victims of mortgage and banking fraud. Action 4 Justice site is for the general public; people who might have previously thought they were alone in their struggles against bank and mortgage fraud. Action4Justice consists of helpful constructive advice towards bank fraud and Mortgage Fraud.About our Action4Justice TeamTrevor has over 33 years in the property industry and is an industry stakeholder. He has advised local government and worked with HMRC assisting with many property and money laundering consultations. More recently, Trevor has assisted many people who have been subject to systemic banking and mortgage fraud to establish the truth against the big banks. Gary has 27 years in the property sector a estate agent and ex property developer with 30 years’ experience and expertise in Land Registry matters as well as property fraud investigation and have detailed knowledge of property title. Dave, a former criminal investigator, has since gained many years’ experience investigating property fraud both at home and internationally resulting in the return of properties to several hundred people who were defrauded of their title through criminal activities, fraudulent documents and corrupt court officials. With many high profile contacts he has forged a path to the truth behind what really happens behind the closed doors of the big banks and financial and legal institutions. As more banking fraud and, in particular, mortgage fraud stories come to light more people are questioning their own banking arrangements and looking deeper in to their own affairs. This is revealing widespread banking fraud and mortgage fraud. With Action4Justice Forging a Path to Establish The Truth it is achieving many more successes with alleged prosecutions within corporate banking industry.

Deutsche Bank money laundering crisis!!!!! Deutsche Bank Money Laundering Scandal Could Create Greatest Economic Crisis in History The leak of the FinCEN Files over the weekend has rocked global markets and augurs a financial crisis of epic proportions as Deutsche Bank hovers over the precipice. by Raul Diego

False Flag Attack? Manchester Bombing Inquiry: LATEST MANCHESTER ARENA ANOMALIES WHICH SUGGEST MI5/MI6 MAY HAVE BEEN THE PERPETRATORS WITH GEOPOLITICAL AND ELECTION INFLUENCING OBJECTIVES. SO WAS SALMAN ABEDI A MURDERED PATSY? HE CERTAINLY WASN’T A ‘LONE WOLF’ AS WE WERE FIRST LED TO BELIEVE: MI5 WERE tracking Abade and his radical friends; – Fire chief Dave Russel ‘APOLOGISES’ for firefighters not responding for TWO HOURS; but former chief Peter O’Reilly said firefighters were HELD BACK by anti-terror police for 90 minutes; with a FAKE CLAIM of a LIVE SHOOTER that DIDN’T EXIST – enquiry hears that a suspicious man was ignored by arena security – as was DAWN WADDY who spotted a ‘suspicious woman’ who she also reported to the incompetent security guards – REVEALED: UK admits contact with Libyan group linked to Manchester bomber: Lloyd Russell-Moyle MP, who asked the question, said: “The Foreign Office has told me that it is ‘likely’ it had links to the Libyan rebel group for which the Manchester bomber fought.” He said the response left the government with “serious questions” to answer over whether it facilitated Abedi’s travel to fight in Libya. After his father returned to Libya in 2011 to fight for LIFG, Abedi reportedly travelled back and forth between his home and Manchester and Tripoli, and fought alongside his father during the school holidays. Other reports indicate he was injured in 2014 in eastern Libya while fighting for an Islamist militant faction. Fabian Hamilton MP, a member of Labour’s shadow foreign office team, told MEE: “These revelations show that the British government must look more closely at who it supports and has communications with, not only in Libya, but across the world. “The situation in Libya in 2011 was extremely complex, and still is today, with several different organisations claiming to represent the people of that country, while showing a willingness to take part in violence to meet their political ends.” ‘No questions asked’ Following the Manchester attacks, several former Libyan rebel fighters now back in the UK told MEE that they had been able to travel to Libya with “no questions asked” and that “old-school LIFG guys” were allowed to travel to the country. At the time, sources told MEE it appeared the government allowed the travel of Libyan exiles keen to fight against Gaddafi, including some whom it had earlier deemed to pose a potential security risk. Raffaello Pantucci, director of international security studies at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), told MEE the revelations showed the “complexity” of the Libyan conflict. “If you are dealing with a situation when armed groups are the dominant forces, you are obliged to deal with them, but in a fluid situation, as was the case in Libya, you can find that someone who was an ally one day can produce conflict the next,” he said. Moazzam Begg, a former Guantanamo Bay prisoner and outreach director of human rights group Cage, who visited Libya in 2011, told MEE that the British government’s use of and support for former members of the LIFG during the Libyan uprising was a “pretty open secret”.

PMQs Brexit and trade war with the US.

Julian Assange’s ‘Extraordinary Extradition’ hearing ends: UN Special Rapporteur On Torture Nils Melzer on the end of the rule of law; Media Lens – BBC hardly reported on case; Julian Assange’s fiance, Stella Morris, giving a statement outside the court; The Dreyfus Affair –’J’Accuse’ film by Roman Polanski. – 13 April 2020 – Julian Assange’s partner Stella Moris speaks out: “His life is on the brink” – Commenting on the impact of the US-led pursuit of Assange on their young children, she said: “I think they’re both traumatised by what’s happened over the last few years. I compare it to being in a war-zone. Constant, relentless attacks. That there are operations underway, and it’s not some crazed conspiracy. It’s part of the context in which everything to do with Julian exists.” In a YouTube video released by WikiLeaks yesterday, Stella Moris, a 37-year-old lawyer, revealed that she has been in a personal relationship with Julian Assange since 2015 and that they have two infant children together. In accompanying comments to the Daily Mail, the South-African born lawyer explained that she was speaking out publicly for the first time, because Assange’s “life is on the brink.” She warned that “Julian’s poor physical health puts him at serious risk, like many other vulnerable people, and I don’t believe he will survive infection with coronavirus.” Julian Assange’s partner Stella Moris speaks out: “His life is on the brink” Moris concluded by stating that she had to speak publicly, “Because I feel like Julian’s life might be coming to an end. It’s been ten years of breaking someone down, of trying to destroy his life, and it’s a well-known pattern with whistleblowers, people who expose the powerful, they destroy them… Somehow everyone has failed Julian, they have taken every negative angle. They can do that to anyone.” Moris further explained: “Just like in war, when people fall in love and decide to live their lives, in an act of rebellion, I think falling in love is a kind of act of rebellion in a context where there’s a lot of attempts to destroy your life and your reason for doing what you are doing.” Moris powerfully defended the WikiLeaks founder, whom she is engaged to marry, spoke movingly about the close bond of their young family and called for Assange’s immediate release from London’s maximum-security Belmarsh Prison. Moris spoke of the “extreme pressure” that she and her family have been under. She noted that because of his role as a public figure targeted by powerful governments for his publishing activities, everything about Assange’s life is liable to be “used against him.” Oscar Grenfell The lawyer said that they had made a “deliberate decision” to form a family, while Assange was a political refugee in the embassy building. They had wanted “to break down those walls around him, to see a life, imagine a life beyond that prison. For many people it would be insane to start a family in those circumstances, but for us it was the sane thing to do. It is what keeps things real…When he sees the children, it gives him a lot of peace and nurturing and support.” Their first child, Gabriel, now two-years-old, was born in 2017. His brother, Max, is one-year-old…

Bailout of the Queen after Covid 19 financial difficulties. The Queen is to get a bailout from the taxpayer after her land and property investments plummeted due to coronavirus pandemic – Singer Helen Reddy dies – her song Angie Baby (1974).

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Radio4All audio file – [right click to download]
Complete 250 minute show – [right click to download] 
Full interview with Trevor Mealham from Action4Justice.co.uk [right click to download]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eTHeNIQhr68

Second hour International News Followed By Investigative reports: 

Trump and Melania contract Covid 19 – Trump discussing how Hope Hicks, an ardent mask wearer, caught the virus.  The US Presidential Debate:  Trump on how vaccines are political;  Biden on environmental issues;  Sleepy Jo – beginnings of dementia? Will Boris be gone by Christmas? Richard Madely, of Richard and Judy, discusses how he feels the response to Covid 19 is overblown and harmful.  Does Sweden now have herd immunity?

PMQs The Speaker on the renewing of the Corona Virus Act 2020.  PMQs lockdowns in Wales.  State of the world economy.  PMQs Boris on the economy and Covid 19.  Desmond Swayne, Tory MP, on disbelief over Boris’s new stringent approach to Covid 19. 

Where is the opposition voice to Lockdowns? Professor Michael Levitt says you just need to control the panic over the virus. Society cannot control COVID-19 by strong action, but we ‘must control the panic’ Nobel Prize winning biophysicist Professor Michael Levitt has told Sky News society seems to think it can control COVID-19 by strong action but we must “control the panic” and minimise the reaction. “Lockdown itself causes damage, if not in deaths but in the fabric of society, children missing school, police acting a little bit too assertively,” Professor Levitt said. Professor Levitt said after constantly reviewing data models since the original outbreak of the novel Coronavirus in China, it “seemed like the virus was growing with brakes on”. He said the virus is worse than the flu, however the best strategy to combat COVID-19 – which hasn’t been implemented – is to “basically treat it like a flu”. “The important thing about the flu is not that it isn’t a terribly bad disease, flu is a severe disease … but the fact is we don’t close down the country when there’s the flu,” according to Professor Levitt. “We think we can control this virus by strong action, but unfortunately what we need to really do is control the panic and minimise the reaction.”..

The Crow House analysis from Australia – Max Igan deep state have red pilled the world. Almost the entire Crowhouse youtube archive can also now be found at http://altcensored.com

Julie Beal on dangers of vaccines….articles – We Need to Talk About Proteins ­ The Ronascam, The Vaccines, and Genetic Patents – I’ve written a series of articles, packed full of original sources, most of which are academic, peer-reviewed articles, and are freely available online. I’ll begin here with a short overview of my forthcoming articles about the connection between the Ronascam,  the vaccines, and the control of genetics. Ronavax Rundown – a quick guide to the ronavax and what is said to be in them. A Guide to the Ronavax – Understanding the Experimental Coronavirus Vaccines – more detail about the types of ronavax winning the race, who is making them, and how they work. Gates’ way to genetic control? Here comes the EA Swine Flu! The main selling point of genvax is their super-quick turnaround time – just give the vax makers the genetic sequence, and they can whip up a ‘cure’ in no time. And it could be claimed the vector is the same and has been trialled, so all that’s needed is to SHARE the data globally so they can design some new genetic code for a vaccine, and save the world from the new swine flu. Ronavax Roulette – Potential problems with the corona-virus vaccines – the potential ill effects of the vaccines, as suggested by the World Health Organization, and by geneticists themselves; a look at previous trials and what went wrong when using much the same platforms, including the deaths of Jesse Gelsinger and Ashanthi DeSilva, and the shocking consequences of the TeGenero incident; molecular adjuvants. WHO’s in Charge of Biodiversity? Biotech means messing with DNA in so many ways, but has been scuppered thus far by the Convention on Biodiversity (CBD), Cartagena and Nagoya Protocols. This includes patents involving genetics. Even countries who are not signatories are restricted by the Protocols when it involves a relationship with a country that is a signatory. The WHO is now claiming a link between health and the environment. And did Bill Gates try to influence the CBD about gene drives in 2017? Protein shame – the darkest side of biotechnology; the rise of so-called therapeutics and so-called food based on proteins. The future being planned for us involves food replacement (as detailed by Ice Age Farmer) from upcycled chicken and grains to proteins produced in bioreactors, such as Gates’ fake meat and breast milk. Some biotech industries rely on animal cruelty, questionable abortions, and the lust for young blood and tissue in the quest for regeneration. Ronavax – understanding synthetic biology and XNA – which scientists also call ‘alien DNA’ because it is ‘not of this world’ and the potential reprogramming of our physical reality. Plus a look at the use of XNA in gene therapy; for instance, the mRNA used in the ronavax is almost real, but not quite – it uses nucleotide analogues for parts of the code that’s created. There is also a push to use XNA as a ‘genetic firewall’ against viruses, as it is said this would be safer than using gentech based purely on natural DNA.

Marcus Papadopoulos – on Belarus – Belarus and Nagorno-Karabakh is a disputed territory, internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan, but mostly governed by Armenia. Do Lockdowns work? – Dr Marcus Papadopoulos is the Publisher and Editor of Politics First magazine and an expert on Russia. He earned his BA, in Law and Modern History, from London Guildhall University, his MA, in Modern History, from Royal Holloway, University of London, and his PhD, in Russian history, from Royal Holloway, University of London. The title of his doctoral thesis was: “British official perceptions of the Red Army, 1934-1945” and is available at the British Library. Dr Papadopoulos is a regular face and name in broadcast and print media, including RT, Press TV, Al Jazeera, Rossiya 24, TASS and RIA Novosti. He discusses matters relating to Russia and the rest of the former Soviet Union, the former Yugoslavia, Syria, international relations in general and British politics. His academic paper on Russophobia for the International Likhachov Scientific Conference, and his speech at the House of Lords on the origins of the current tension between America and Russia, received significant coverage….

German professor arrested by Met Police after speaking at ‘We Do Not Consent’ rally – Dr. Heiko Schoening – After Metropolitan Police claimed they would only crack down on marchers flagrantly violating social distancing rules (though the hated “rule of six” had been suspended due to the gathering’s “protest” status), German professor Dr. Heiko Schoening was arrested by a gang of British officers – he was filmed being loaded into a paddy wagon – after speaking out against using tactics like economy- destroying mandatory lockdowns during yesterday’s “We Do Not Consent” rally in London. Video of the arrest was shared on Twitter. Several purported bystanders tweeted in protest, by the story appears to have gone largely unnoticed. Here’s video of the doctor speaking to a reporter at the event yesterday. This was filmed before he was arrested. The rally was organized by groups opposing a second lockdown in the UK, along with mandatory vaccination efforts by the government once a vaccine is approved. The doctor was pat of a group of hundreds of German doctors and scientists who have signed on to investigate and analyse whether the heavy handed measures favoured by governments to combat the virus were the appropriate response. Purported friends of the professor claimed that his wife was calling supporters to attend a peaceful demonstration on Sunday outside Wandsworth police station (146 Wandsworth High St).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tbtaoaeaGvU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X2oiBS0SSZI

New Covid rules are unjust, cruel and illogical: Middlesbrough mayor ANDY PRESTON explains why he REJECTS local lockdown measures being imposed on his city  New Covid rules are unjust, cruel and illogical: Middlesbrough mayor ANDY PRESTON explains why he REJECTS local lockdown measures being imposed on his city By ANDY PRESTON FOR THE DAILY MAIL PUBLISHED: 23:17, 1 October 2020 People in my town are frustrated, angry and dismayed at the Government’s draconian proposals to impose even more oppressive local restrictions. There’s nothing compassionate or pragmatic about what Health Secretary Matt Hancock intends to do. It’s badly thought out, illogical and – despite what the Government claimed yesterday – it is not based on consultation with councils or local experts. To throw people out of work and take away the support of their friends, family and community is just cruel. People are seen in Middlesbrough +4 To throw people out of work and take away the support of their friends, family and community is just cruel. People are seen in Middlesbrough Fortunately these plans are not yet in place – and hopefully they stay that way. For I know I speak on behalf of Middlesbrough here when I say that, as things stand, we do not accept them. Of course, stopping the spread of the virus has to be the Government’s priority. But this must be done with an awareness of the pain that isolation can inflict, and the damage it does to mental and physical health. Above all, for God’s sake, we have to do everything possible to preserve people’s livelihoods. Our local council went to the Government and explained the over-riding importance of this. We asked them to work with the community and local businesses, to allow safe socialising and keep Middlesbrough moving. They didn’t listen. To me, it is obvious that anyone should be allowed to visit a relative or a friend in their garden, and have a cup of coffee while remaining well distanced. And, of course, we should be able to meet them for a chat in a well-run, socially distanced coffee shop. Yet these new rules – which essentially ban different households from meeting – will prohibit all those safe, human activities that are small but so essential for wellbeing. People are seen shopping in Middlesbrough town centre. People in my town are frustrated, angry and dismayed at the Government’s draconian proposals to impose even more oppressive local restrictions +4 People are seen shopping in Middlesbrough town centre. People in my town are frustrated, angry and dismayed at the Government’s draconian proposals to impose even more oppressive local restrictions To add to the insanity, it isn’t even clear how the regulations will be enforced. Like so many growing towns, Middlesbrough spills out of its boundaries – and the neighbouring borough of Redcar and Cleveland is not included in the restrictions. It’ll be two rules for one town, and sometimes two rules within one street. This is bitterly unfair on a community which is still recovering from the recessions of the 1980s. I don’t like complaining because my parents always said that life’s not fair, but that is no reason to introduce obviously and unnecessarily unfair measures such as these. For now is the worst possible time to be forbidding people to socialise. Six months of long nights and cold weather are on the way. To throw people out of work and take away the support of their friends, family and community is just cruel. It will push many people into depression, and I am afraid that increased rates of suicide will be just one of the terrible consequences. Crucially it doesn’t have to be like this. After the initial lockdown, our public health experts came up with innovative, workable ideas to make venues safe and limit the spread of the virus, while still allowing people to see each other. But the Government seems to have paid no attention to these advances. The injustice is heightened because Middlesbrough has been at the forefront of tough measures to try to stem the tide during this global crisis. We have not been soft on Covid-19. As a council, we have been active and caring, and we’ve got stuff done. We’ve handed out 180,000 free facemasks, and my team was pushing for people in the hospitality industry to wear them long before it became obligatory. To me it was an obvious preventative measure, one enforced across much of Europe, and we led the way. Yes, I will reluctantly obey these new rules if they become law and I will urge everyone in my town to do so. This isn’t about raising two fingers to Downing Street. It’s much more important than a mere protest. But before the Government makes a dire mistake and puts these restrictions into law, I’m pleading with them to think again. We need a plan to reduce transmission of the virus while showing compassion and understanding. That is what is missing…. 

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Complete 250 minute show – [right click to download]
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Full Marcus Papadopolous on Trafalgar Square protest, Belarus & Nogorno Karabakh war [right click to download]