A letter from the Jewish Labour Movement

I did not stand to be Chair of the Jewish Labour Movement to deal with instances of antisemitism in the Labour Party week in, week out. I stood for Chair to revive an almost century old affiliate of Labour, with all the rights and responsibilities that come with that. I took on this role to build a space for the fantastic cadre of young Jewish Labour activists who see the Party as their only political home. Just a few weeks into my three year term, a spate of antisemitic remarks from local CLP officers around the country was followed by events at Oxford University, and finally Ken Livingstone came out of retirement to ensure that antisemitism would continue to dominate the agenda. You know the story that comes after this, it's been well documented across eighteen months of national media coverage that has caused great harm to our Party.

It was at that time that we concluded that the Labour Party's Rule Book was not fit for purpose. Actions against the Party and its election candidates were treated more harshly than hate against each other. All this in the Party of equality and social justice. This week, with your support, JLM changed that. It took a long time, steering rule changes through dozens of local CLPs, the NEC Equalities Sub-Committee, unanimously at Labour's NEC, and eventually passing it with 96% at Party Conference, the supreme decision making body within the Labour Party. I am proud of that achievement.

A lot has been written about Labour Party Conference this week. It is clear that Labour still has a serious problem with antisemitism. From calls at fringe meetings for JLM's expulsion from the Labour Party, to antisemitic tropes being repeated on Conference floor, to the most senior of Labour figures denying antisemitism again and again (yes Ken, Ken and Len, we are talking about you), JLM still has a lot of work to do in ridding the Labour Party of one of the world's oldest hatreds. We will not stop until that work is done.

I'd like to share the other side of Labour Party Conference. The Jewish Labour Movement receiving the Del Singh Award in recognition of our tireless campaigning over the past year, be that against antisemitism in the Labour Party, or for fantastic Labour candidates across the country. The delegates from all sections of the Party who stayed up late into the night writing speeches in favour of our rule change, two of which can be read here. Our two fringes, packed out with people who care about the things we care about, including those who came to hear Lord Dubs speak about the refugee crisis. The women of the Jo Cox Women in Leadership Programme who attended our training session in solidarity after hearing Ella Rose's story of the abuse she has faced within the Party. Welcoming a phenomenal young, female Israel MK at Labour Friends of Israel's Annual Reception. Stav Shaffir is seen as a role model to many of our younger members. And possibly most importantly, the Labour Students who helped JLM's young activist team flyer from 8am to ensure that our rule change passed. They are the future of our Party, and it's in safe hands.

JLM will be taking firm action against the antisemitism we saw this week. The proof of the pudding will be in the eating, the rule change has to be firmly implemented and we will be monitoring this closely.

My call to you is this: Stay with us, stand with us, and help us to do what needs to be done. If you are not a member of JLM, join. We are only as strong as our membership base. If you are a member, consider donating, or asking a friend or family member to join. We have been heartened by the nearly 100 new members who have joined this week. Thank you.

JLM's door is always open, and our resolve is as strong as ever. As Jewish people around the world commence Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement this evening, they will recite the famous, ancient Kol Nidre prayer. Like all of the Yom Kippur liturgy, and despite its haunting melody, the theme is one of optimism and hope. The message of Yom Kippur is one of repentance, rectification, re-education, and return. I will be reflecting on how that very message also has resonance within our Party and our politics.

I wish you all an easy fast, Gmar Chatima Tova, and may we all be inscribed in the Book of Life for a happy and healthy year.

In solidarity,

Jeremy Newmark

National Chair
Jewish Labour Movement.

Labour is neither mainstream or electable

The continuing degeneration of the Labour Party and its current leadership have been at the centre of much attention during its recent conference with Jeremy Corbyn proclaiming that the Labour Party was "now the mainstream". Nothing could be further from the truth.

The party has been at the centre of a number of accusations about the behaviour of it's left-wing activist base who it would seem have created not just an atmosphere of misogyny as seen in the vile abuse thrown at moderate female MP's but came to the fore with quite credible threats of violence against BBC journalist Laura Kuenssberg.

Then there's anti-Semitism.

Over the years such anti-Jewish racism has been very much the preserve of a few die-hard Nazi's but with the rise of "palestinianism" on the left,  the ideology of anti-Zionism has morphed into a quite aggressive form of anti-Zionism. Most Jews support the state of Israel therefore are all Zionists and in the comrades world view Jewish nationalism is "racist" making all Jews fair game.

For years Corbyn, McDonell have added support for Hamas and Hezbollah to the IRA and other lists of "struggles" to bring down world imperialism or Western democracy as most people call it. The fate of the Jews is of indifference to them despite the genocidal views of the Arab/Islamic terrorists the left support. After there are many more millions to of Arabs and Muslims that can be won to the cause.

It's hardly surprising to find that in this environment that the left has completely toxic view that have only been wallpapered over in the great amendment debate carried out by the united pary. Already Corbyn's fixer has thrown his unions weight behind the vile Jackie walker and Tony Greenstein's group. That ASLEF has joined McCluskey in supporting a group that allowed Holocaust denier to speak at their rally is a disgrace.

Do members of Unite or ASLEF have any say in any of this? We should be told.

As the Muslim minority in Burma flees massacres are any of the comrades to be found protesting? No. No Jews. No interest. Burma is not central to the fall of West. The Rohingya can be abandoned like so many others that have no place in the plans of the communist hordes.

They are not the only ones abandoned. Add to the list Tibetans and the Kurds. Forget the plight of women, gays and secularists in Muslim countries. Just defend Iran against imperialism. That's the line the left takes.

Meanwhile Corbyn has been turned into a cult figure. A messiah with chants of "oh Jeremy Corbyn" wisping across the conference floor from the ideologically blind and insane.

With an economic policy that even Corbyn thinks would cause a run on the pound a Labour government would lead to bankruptcy in a way even Hugo Chavez could not achieve. Our allies would be abandoned and the security of this country put at risk.

Never has a major party been such a danger to the country.

National Socialist ambitions did not end with the Sudetenland. Corbyn raises his piece of paper. It's not worth the paper it's written on whilst Walker, Greenstein McCluskey and others stalk the parties meetings. They are not the fringe. They are Labour tomorrow.

The moderates cannot control them.

Labour First: Tuesday Bulletin to Party Conference

As conference comes to an end. here's our final daily bulletin. The rule change clamping down on anti-semitism was thankfully passed with only 7% of CLPs voting against, but we lost heavily on the reduction in the leadership nomination threshold.

FOR UNITY – but it needs an end to hubris and bullying

We had hoped that the unanimity at last week's NEC heralded a unified, but pluralistic, Conference and a continuation of the spirit of united campaigning that characterised Labour during the General Election.

Whilst platform speeches have thankfully reflected that unity and there have been impressive policy contributions by several frontbenchers, in some other respects this Conference has left a sour taste that has ruined the happy memories and comradeship created during the election.

The culpability for this rests with Momentum and other smaller Hard Left factions. Their attitude both internally and in terms of the external political challenges facing Labour has smacked of incredible, almost laughable, hubris.

Silly references by Len McCluskey and others to having "won" the General Election make us look like a party of the delusional and don't reflect the horrific reality that we have lost a third General Election in a row and the Tories and DUP are imposing deeply reactionary policies. It doesn't take much subtlety or nuance to celebrate our unexpected advance AND ask the serious questions about why we lost and what needs to change for us to win.

Control-freakery that blocked a vote on Brexit when it is the most important issue facing the UK will have alienated many of the young voters who gave so much support to Labour in June.

Bullying of anyone who dissented from the Momentum line, from heckling to intimidation within delegations, to trying to block a speech by Sadiq Khan, is the antithesis of socialism.

Whilst the result of the antisemitism rule change was reassuring, Conference cheering rants against the Jewish Labour Movement, antisemitic tropes about Jewish control of media, and insinuations that antisemitism hasn't been a real problem in Labour was grotesque.

Obsessional boring procedural motions derailing conference and stopping it being the showcase for Labour's leaders and policies it should be have been self-destructive.

Sadly Conference showed the sectarian Hard Left have learned no lessons from the way their antics in the 1980s kept Thatcher in power and led directly to privatisation, cuts and attacks on union rights.

We have a moral responsibility to fight for a Labour Party that is not controlled by these factionalists, whose obsessions are so distant from the values and concerns of the ordinary people who need a Labour Government so badly.

They may be very much in the ascendancy now, but their hubristic behaviour this week contains the seeds of their own nemesis.

My Conference

First time youth delegate James Cleverley (Wrexham CLP) is only 17 but became a Conference hero by speaking against the rule change lowering the nomination threshold to 10% and against the attempt to stop Sadiq Khan speaking.

He says:

“Yesterday, I stood up for what I believed in and spoke against the rule change to cut the threshold for PLP nominations from 15% to 10%.

In response, Momentum members booed, heckled, and jeered to try and drown out the points I was trying to make.

As a first time delegate, I’ve found it deeply disheartening to have my opinion drowned out in this way.

However, getting heckled by the Hard Left has just proved to me that what I say is worth listening to.

We moderates need to continue to speak out against their undemocratic and bullying tactics which seek to silence the sensible voices in the party. Whether I’m cheered or booed I will continue to stand up for what I believe in, and I hope you will too.”

Time to build locally

Moderates need to be just as organised as Momentum in local CLPs if we are going to get better results at Conference 2018 than this year!

We need strong local structures so we can organise to stop deselections of hard-working MPs and councillors, win elections for delegates and CLP officers, develop and put forward policy ideas, show solidarity with like-minded members and campaign together for Labour to win elections at every level.

Can you help organise a local Labour First group in your area?

Contact Matt Pound, Labour First National Organiser, on matt@labourfirst.orgfor advice, speakers, and support in setting up a group, or to link up with an existing group near you.

Dan Jeffery, Labour First organiser in Southampton says:

“It’s really important for Moderates to have a dedicated space to discuss issues that the local party feels unable to talk about.

“Labour First has provided a model for our group to flourish. I hope other CLPs will follow suit.”

Labour First: Monday Bulletin to Party Conference

Momentum stitch-up means no Brexit vote

Momentum has denied members the chance to vote on Labour’s position on Brexit.

They instructed their delegates in the Priority Ballot to vote for debates on four worthy topics which had less urgency to them, in order to ensure Brexit did not get on the agenda.

There is therefore no opportunity for Conference to let Jeremy Corbyn know how members feel about the vital questions of UK membership of the currency union and single market, or freedom of movement.

This is an unprincipled and anti-democratic stitch-up designed purely to prevent the real differences of opinion within Momentum between old-fashioned anti-European Bennites and Stalinists and idealistic younger internationalists from being expressed.

It’s just bizarre – conference won’t be able to vote on the biggest political issue facing the UK because it might harm the narrow factional interests of Momentum.

Momentum claims it wants to empower members and create a culture of open debate.

In fact new delegates are being manipulated by old-fashioned fixers who are trying to ensure conference only debates bland, “safe” subjects and that difficult policy decisions are handed down from on high rather than decided democratically by elected delegates.

Attempt to silence Sadiq seen off 

Momentum factionalists are just looking for ridiculous fights over anything. They thrive on conflict so they are trying to provoke division and infighting on conference.

It’s obvious that Conference should hear from the Mayor of London Sadiq Khan when he is one of our most senior BAME politicians, the most senior Muslim politician in Europe, has the largest personal mandate of any Labour politician ever, and is a great example of Labour in power

But stooges from hard-line Momentum CLPs jumped up one after another to move reference back on the CAC report to try to block him from speaking.

Luckily this was heavily defeated or it would have made the party a complete laughing stock.

Oppose further reference back motions on the CAC report at start of the day – these are Momentum trying to get a procedural advantage or just pick unnecessary fights.

Stop the bullying – it’s not socialist, it’s not Labour

Amid many decent idealists who have been politically energised by Jeremy Corbyn – “John Lennonists” who want a better world but are arguably a bit naive about the nature of the British electorate and how fast we can persuade voters to change society, there are unfortunately a minority of extremely cynical Leninists. Leninists don’t care what voters think because they are happy to impose political change through violent revolution. They fetishise the violence of the Russian revolution and the authoritarianism of contemporary regimes like Cuba or Venezuela, a country whose economy offers a model of socialism where everyone is so impoverished that shops are empty of basic foodstuffs and even toilet paper, and where opposition politicians from our sister democratic socialist parties are arrested by secret police goons and democracy protesters are shot in the streets. This kind of tradition is not part of the democratic socialism that Labour stands for and for these people – some Stalinist, some Trotskyist – to infiltrate Labour is pure cynicism – they just wanted to recruit people into their micro-sects and push Labour to adopt policies that are unachievable without a revolution – “transitional demands”.

Because they are not democrats, and they feel no comradely feelings towards democratic socialists, these people treat fellow Labour members with contempt. They subject anyone who disagrees with them online to a barrage of disgusting, personalised abuse to try to drive them out of political activity. They threaten MPs and councillors with deselection if they do not toe the line and think for themselves. They booed and heckled when a young first time delegate tried to defend Sadiq Khan’s right to speak at conference yesterday. They organised a picket line to try to sack Iain McNicol as General Secretary – a grotesque display in a party founded by trade unionists of trying to undermine a member of party staff who cannot answer back, in fact a highly effective member of staff who just organised a very successful General Election campaign. Conference showed real members hold Iain in great affecrtion with a tumultuous standing ovation for his General Election report.

They are bullies. And bullies have to be stood up to.

Bullying and intimidation are the antithesis of socialist values and comradely behaviour and everything Labour stands for.

Labour First will call out their behaviour nationally and we urge people locally to set up Labour First groups in their CLPs to provide a place where members can express solidarity with each other, work to maintain Labour’s ethos as a pluralistic party, and stand up to bullying and deselection threats. We urge decent, idealistic people in Momentum who believe in a pluralistic, democratic Labour Party to get the internal culture of their movement cleaned up and have zero tolerance of bullying and indeed of infiltration by entryist Leninists who do not share Labour’s values.

Truth no longer matters

Germany in the thirties....our universities today?

Hardly a day goes by without at least one article about gender-activists appearing in the press. Last weekend the violence at Speakers Corner was the main story which divided even the left. Some of the coverage, particularly on Twitter got out of hand with some idiot trying to claim one of the activists was carrying a gun. Don't believe that for one minute.

However the violence perpetrated by one activist was real enough and it is no wonder that women activists are now more determined than ever to defend their spaces from men, trans or not. I notice the involvement of Linda Bellos who I hadn't heard of for years since haer disastrous tenure in Lambeth. 

Meanwhile at the upper end of the social scale Sally-Anne Huang Headmistress of the private South London girls school tells us a girl should not be called a girl using "they" instead of "she" to protect the feelings of transgender students. 

I saw a video on facebook of a "gender-fluid" couple showing how they brought up their child (biologically a boy) putting him in a dress, painting his nails (and toenails) treating him like a toy rather than a child.

This is all going a wee bit too far methinks which brings me to the latest atrocity committed by our "centres of learning or Universities as they used to be called. The Times reported that:

A researcher has been refused permission to to study cases of people who have surgery to reverse gender reassignment by a university that said it risked generating  controversy on social media.

The proposal was rejected with an explanation noting  that it was a potentially "politically incorrect" and could lead to material being posted on line that "may be detrimental to the reputation of the university".

In other words the bullying bile of a handful of activists is more important than researching the facts. Fear of transgressions against political trends now trumps finding or speaking the truth.

Such bullying is everywhere these days and it's time that not just universities but all of us started standing up against it.

Everything is open to criticism whether it be the views of transgender activists and those who seem to revolve their politics around their genitals or followers of backwards misogynistic religions.

The truth is out there...... not that the left or intersectionalists care.

Tintin: an "asexual tomboy"?

Despite the recent controversy over the casting of a woman as Doctor Who, a fictional character that is an alien not English as most people seem to think of him, now her most have got used to the idea and look forward to the new series. Still sad about Missy's death though.

However in a world where gender has become fluid at every juncture according to the new wave leftists and intersectionalist brigades it comes as no surprise that Vincent Cespedes a 44 year old philosopher has done some research and come to the astounding conclusion that

"For his creator, Tintin was always a girl. An androgenous and probably asexual redhead with blue eyes"

"Herge would be hooting with laughter that 40 years after his death...the whole world still believes that his "tomboy" is well and truly a boy"

 

Surprised that Cespedes didn't assert that Tintin was gay after all he was as Charles Brenner points out in The Times:

Only eight of the 350 characters in the albums are identifiable as women. Tintin's non-virile appearance, his gentle manner and the fact he lives with a histute sailor, Captain Haddock.

It seems that the question of Tintin's sexuality has been under scrutiny for some time.

But not by his fans. Like most people I grew up reading Tintin, watching the (dubbed) cartoon at tea-time. Such thoughts never crossed our minds. More to the point Herge was a devoted right-wing Catholic full of the prejudices of the time as Tintin in the Congo shows. Unlikely such thoughts crossed his mind either.

Just"utter bullshit" as one fan put it on Facebook.

When will these academics stop?

Can we wait much longer for Labour to regain it's senses?

The Times carried a lengthy interview with Caroline Flint one of the mainstream Labour MP's that are trying to find a place in the nightmare party that Corbyn has created. It was bad enough for her being abused constantly on social media since the rise of the Corbynista's but she also faced heckling from other Labour MP's as she joined Dennis Skinner in voting against the party whip over Europe.

This comes at a time when "moderates" as The Times puts it faces possible deselection by the growing numbers of Momentum activists inside constituency party's across the country. Momentum is the new and much more successful version of the old Militant Tendency who remain firmly outside in the cold and somewhat lost despite their rather pathetic attempts to get back in the Labour Party.

Ms Flint suggests that Jeremy Corbyn has "exceeded all expectations" and sees "no reason why he won't be leader at the next general election. However she added that the Corbyn base was "overwhelmingly middle class" and that the more traditional working class voters will feel "alienated".Currently Labour are just ahead in the polls, if indeed these polls can be trusted at all anymore....

Labour as a political party is changing from a "broad based church" to a more ideologically driven machine with many of it's new members being messianic and somewhat manic in their support for the "Dear Leader" Jeremy Corbyn, a flawed and weak man with no experience or idea of governance, economics and openly friendly with terrorists (such as the IRA & Hamas) and dictatorships (Iran, Cuba, Venezuela).

Meanwhile the Labour Party continues to have a problem with anti-Semitism which is also causing ruptures within Momentum itself. Their founder Jon Lansman is under siege from even more unsavoury elements such as the victim-hood seeker, Jackie Walker who continues her pernicious campaign against the Jewish Labour Movement with this sponsored post on Facebook from the Labour Party Marxists (a front for the tiny Communist Party of Great Britain):

Asking - why, amongst all the activity of Momentum around motions, is there SILENCE about the moves by the Jewish Labour Movement to change rules on disciplinary procedures...

"Why is Momentum not saying anything on these truly atrocious motions? Unfortunately, Jon Lansman – who since his coup of January 2017 rules Momentum’s national office like an absolute monarch – has been a willing accomplice in the witch-hunt by the right in the party, in the mistaken belief that by not ‘attacking’ them, they might eventually rally behind Jeremy Corbyn.

Also, Lansman, rather ironically, is politically rather close to the Alliance for Workers’ Liberty when it comes to their definition of Anti-Zionism: basically anybody who criticises the actions of the state of Israel. Lansman famously threw Jackie Walker to the wolves when he had her removed as vice-chair of Momentum and then drew up a constitution which bars from Momentum membership all those thrown out of the Labour Party – for example, for the ‘crime’ of having been or being a member of another political group (like the AWL or Left Unity)."

 And Walker wonders why she (and others) face accusations of anti-Semitism.

Despite the Walkers. Lansman and the thousands of unpleasant abusive and particularly misogynistic Corbynistas in the Labour Party there do remain some decent folk like Caroline Flint. However they are very much the minority and many are adapting to the new regime whilst others keep their heads down hoping it will all blow over.

For me and many others the party has been over for a while. I for one cannot support Corbyn or his movement. They represent the worst the left has to offer. There will come a time when the remaining mainstream members will need to make a choice. There can be no appeasement with Corbyn or Momentum.

Can we really just wait to the next election? I think not.

Trans Activists Violently Attack Women at Speakers Corner, London

Children and the gender definition war

Photo: http://www.aardman.com/

Last week The Metro, a free paper in London along with a couple of other outlets ran a story about one school in Lewes, Sussex banning all the girls from wearing skirts in order to have a "gender neutral" uniform. Apparently they have around half a dozen kids who are allegedly "transgender".

Now the idea of protecting these children from the abuse and ridicule that other kids indulge in as a matter of course is a good idea but this was "ridiculous" according to one parent who spoke to the paper.

They have a point.

Children are well, just that children. They have time to grow and and develop "naturally" and will make up their minds about a whole range of issues by the time they leave school and then become like the rest of us constantly changing and adapting to the modern world. For some it will be more difficult than others.

Isn't it always?

The ages of the pupils were not mentioned and the photo's show a couple of girls in trousers that indicate a secondary school but is this the way to protect minorities?

At the risk of getting condemned by the gender mafia I'd say the vast majority of boys and girls grow up quite adjusted to their natural biology. A majority of them will also be (shock, horror hetrosexual) but there will be a proportion of gays, lesbians and bi-sexuals. It's part of the "natural order" so to speak.

Then there is a small minority of people who seemingly have trouble in their allotted genders. That they should not be discriminated against is paramount and help should be available. But enforcing gender neutrality like this school is doing is more than ridiculous it is getting counterproductive.

According to The Sunday Times some Christian parents are suing their child's school,because a "boy" sometimes comes to classes in a dress confusing their son. A rather over the top reaction to something that should be resolved through constructive dialogue rather than legal action. In this case the parents themselves are claiming discrimination. Religious discrimination.

If one thing is clear classrooms should be safe, secular spaces where children can develop freely without an ideological war being imposed on the, Whether it's the gender issue or religion. We don't allow teachers to indoctrinate their pupils with politics, so why is religion allowed to raise it's divisive head?

As for this new found diversity fascism where will it all end? The Sunday Times reports of one GP being forbidden to run a sex change clinic for children. Apparently children can be prevented from developing puberty until later in life but besides the obvious inherent dangers can also leave them infertile.

Society must take a step back and reconsider what is happening with gender-identification. Not an easy question or one that will be resolved with ease. The activists will scream & shout but it's the children's welfare that must be put first.

Religion and politics don't mix

Photo: By Chris McAndrew 

Growing up in the seventies I was told there were two things one shouldn't talk about in the pub. Religion & politics. Everyone did though from time to time. In fact it's human nature to discuss both spiritual and political matters whether under the influence or not.

Back in those days the Church of England was referred to as the "Tory Party at prayer" doubt whether that would cross anybody's minds these days given the attitude of the church to government policies. In fact outside of Northern Ireland and perhaps bits of Scotland religion has played a very small role in politics. Only the rise of Islamist terrorism has been the exception to the rule.

Yet today two politicians are in trouble because of religion. Jacob Rees-Mogg and Jeremy Corbyn.

In an interview with Piers Morgan young Rees-Mogg gave his somewhat forthright and unpopular views on abortion and gay marriage. He opposes abortion in all circumstances, including rape which has caused a storm. Whilst I find his viewpoint abhorrent and personally will always fight for a womans right to choose, the furore does seem rather artificial.

The reason being that anyone interested in politics would already know that the Mogg has these views and holds them because of his very fundamentalist Catholic outlook. In fact he has the same views as the Pope.

Most Tory MP's do not agree with him either so it's a bit of a non-story over-all and when the summer is over will be forgotten until someone drags it up again. He's not alone in holding such views, but fortunately is very much in a minority.

Most of young Jacob's views are somewhat, what's the word? Reactionary. However he remains one of the few interesting politicians around even if it is for the wrong reasons.

Then there's Corbyn. Oh boy has he put his foot in it again. For some reason best known only to himself he took it upon himself to take part in Holy Communion something he apparently was not entitled to do. I'm surprised that comrade Corbyn was taking part in a religious festival at all or at least wasn't just respectfully sitting at the back.

According to the faithful he wasn't entitled to take communion and some Catholics have taken offence. Why he didn't take advice is anyone's guess but then it's just what we have all come to expect from old Steptoe.

All this happens at a time when a recent survey shows that those who are not religious are now in the majority in the UK. Good news for an atheist and secularist like me. However there's a long way to go and all these incidents just remind me of why the Church and the State must always be kept separate.

It's a strange old world

The first thing I saw on the telly this morning was a debate over the decision of John Lewis to market their children's clothes as "gender neutral". In other words a dress will now be marked "for girls and boys".

Right.....

Unsurprisingly a poll of viewers showed 85% opposed this move.

Then I purchased my copy of The Times whose headline declared:

US threat to attack Kim after bomb test.

It didn't quite send a shiver down my spine but was a worrying development. I recall my parents telling me that during the Cuban Missile Crisis they went to bed one night wondering if they would wake up in the morning.

One wag wrote to the paper helpfully reminding us that:

The distance between Pyongyang and Los Angeles is 5,934 miles, The distance from Pyongyang and London is 5,379 miles.

Food for thought? At least shut Boris up for five minutes!

But still at this time of crisis we can rely on the Royal Family for some good news. Kate is up the duff again. Another Prince for the realm!

Marvelous.

Musical Interlude: Aldious

It's been nigh on a week since I last blogged but fear not Howie's Corner will be resuming normal service in due course. I just needed a wee bit of a break and if you really miss me there's always Facebook which I still delve into nearly every day with a mixture of politics, comics and music plus cats when the mood takes me!

In the meantime just a short Musical Interlude with one of my favourite Japanese bands Aldious. A really talented bunch of women who produce music that we hardly hear British girl groups do these days. There's a lot of very good all-girl/women bands in Japan. Scandal (who introduced me to the genre), Band Maid, Gacharic Spin and Brats are all worth looking up.

So hit it ladies. It is Saturday night after all!