Buzzards over Beacon Hill near Ilminster, South Somerset.

On Christmas Eve the rain stopped, the wind abated and the skies cleared for a while, so I went for a stroll in Dillington Park and on to Beacon Hill just outside Ilminster.  I used the gently sloping cycle path from Bay Hill to walk up to the park.  The path starts between two Lodge Gatehouses and is not difficult to spot.  Finding somewhere to park for more than an hour or two in Ilminster is not easy, although the town does have ample pay and display car parking.

The town was one of those fortified as "ant-tank islands" on the WW2 Taunton to Axmouth "stop-line", a defensive line designed to block any German advance from beachheads further to the west.  A pill-box and dragons teeth can still be found in Dillington Park Drive, on the eastern outskirts of Ilminster, in a position to cover the old A303 London Road.

On Beacon Hill, near another pill-box, I saw three buzzards circling overhead in clear blue sky.  I had my camera with me so took some pictures.


Buzzard over Beacon Hill, near Ilminster in South Somerset.

England's politicians must be affilliated to National (ENGLISH) parties.

A guest post by R.A.Hopkins.


It is beyond belief that a recent press headline read “Jeremy Corbyn needs to learn to love England".

In what other country in the democratic world would any nation's MP, leave alone a party leader, have to “learn” to love the country and its electorate that he purports to represent?    

Mr. Corbyn along with some 530 MPs owes his total political existence and allegiance to England's electorate - he should not have to be told he is there to put his country and its people first.   

However he is not alone in needing such advice for, from David Cameron down, legions of English MPs are no champions of England and its people - they would not last 2 minutes  in a proper democracy.

Love of one’s country and promotion of national interests is in the "DNA" of all patriotic politicians affiliated to their own national parties as they are in Scotland, Wales Northern Ireland and in democracies worldwide.  

By contrast England's inhabitants suffer tragic political misrepresentation having MPs (and MEPs) still affiliated to incongruous non- national “UK main parties”- they are not on our side.         

Since 1999 Devolution the so-called “UK" Westminster government has been in charge of only-

(A) UK  Non-devolved matters mainly defence, foreign affairs, taxation etc. - in reality Mr. Cameron is  full “UK” Prime Minister only of these functions and

(B)England Only (EO) matters i.e. encompassing all other political functions devolved to self-governing Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland in 1999 and being some 85% of Westminster’s governance.         Effectively Mr. Cameron is England’s “first minister” of all EO matters and along with some 530 English MPs is charged to champion the national interests of England inhabitants therein.

Yet Westminster grossly is failing England's inhabitants burdening us with "£9000 tuition fees, mass immigration, housing (NPPF), Barnett, devolution settlements etc. - the list is endless.  

Since 1999 the post Devolution governments of Blair, Brown and Cameron (another BBC plot?) have put the interests of their obsolete "UK" parties before that of England and its people. 

There has been no reason for the incongruous nondescript “UK main parties” i.e. Conservatives, Labour party, Lib-Dem party to exist in a post devolution world - they are not fit for England’s purpose.        

The writing is on the wall England must now join the real democratic world become a proper democracy with our MPs (and MEPs) affiliated to national English parties i.e. - English Conservatives, English Labour, English Democrats etc.     

Only then will England's MPs (and MEPs) “learn” to love and promote the national interests of the country and people who they are elected and paid to represent - they owe their country big-time. 

A shorter version of this article was published as a letter in the Western Daily Press on November 9th.
 

Axmouth Harbour, Seaton Bay on the Devonshire Coast.

On recent very breezy December day, just after storm Desmond or was it Clodagh, I can’t remember which, I decided to take a stroll by the sea.  Seaton on the Devonshire coast is only about 10 miles from the border with Somerset so off I went down the A358.  The road follows, roughly, the old World War Two Taunton stop-line, a defence line built in 1940/41 to counter any German advance from beachheads to the west.  It’s remarkable that so many old pill-boxes, gun emplacements and dragon’s teeth survive.  They can be seen here and there all the way to Axmouth – if you know where to look.

I parked on the sea front at Seaton – free at this time of year – and headed east along the pebble beach past the Axe Yacht Club toward the seaward end of Axmouth Harbour. The tide was coming in and the sea was quite rough with a strong south west wind whipping up the waves.  Some hardy souls were walking their dogs along the shoreline, not sure I would have done the same with my old dog – if she was still around.  Although I enjoyed the walk the air was not as fresh as I had hoped, in fact it seemed a bit damp.  I could see why when looking back across Seaton Bay.  The very strong wind was whipping up the spray from the breaking waves and creating a light mist – not the best conditions for asthmatics like me.  Nevertheless, it was a bright day with lots of blue sky and I had my camera with me so was able to take some photos.  



Outside Axmouth Harbour in Seaton Bay the sea was noisy and turbulent.



Inside Axmouth Harbour all was tranquil.

Over time, storms and the movement of shingle eastward along the beach from Seaton have caused changes to the Axe estuary mouth.  Today the river inlet is not as wide and deep as it was from the Iron Age to the Middle Ages when it had the most important harbour in the West of England.  In the sixteenth century Axmouth Harbour accounted for one sixth of Devonshire’s trade and improvements in the nineteenth century allowed cargo ships of up to 100 tons to use the harbour.  Today it is used only by pleasure craft and fishing boats.

MPs blamed as callous Westminster desecrates England's green and pleasant land while National Planning Policy Framework causes chaos.

A view from Gloucestershire in this letter published in the Western Daily Press on December 12th.  I am sure R.A.Hopkins speaks for all English patriots and those who cherish the unique beauty and character of the English countryside.

War raging over the English countryside.
England is a country at “war” with its own MPs affiliated to so-called incongruous “UK main parties” – they exist only in England. Concerned people all over the country are up in arms as a callous Westminster desecrates our “green and pleasant land” with millions of houses.

Blame rests with England’s 530 MPs who approved Westminster’s crass National Planning Policy Framework turning England’s planning system into chaos.

Though constituencies may have the support of their MP in the fight against local desecration party loyalty comes first so they merely “rearrange the deckchairs”.

So called “UK main parties” have no primary allegiance to the country nor people of England so why are we still having to vote for MPs affiliated to such incongruous parties?

England is the only country in the democratic world whose MPs are not affiliated to national political parties – and it shows. By contrast self-governing Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland cherish their countryside championed by MPs (and MEPs) affiliated to their own main national parties.

England is the third most densely populated country on earth with 407 people per square kilometre so it needs more people like “a hole in the head”.

Our political representatives are not building “Jerusalem” in England’s green and pleasant land they are the agents of its destruction.

England must join the real democratic world with our 530 MPs (and MEPs) affiliated to national main parties – English Labour, English Conservatives, English Democrats etc. Only then we will have a government that is “on our side” – perhaps for the first time since the act of Union in 1707.

R A Hopkins

Leckhampton, Gloucestershire

Oldham West and Royton by-election result. A view from Robert Craig of The Saxish Home Rule Party.

Being an English patriot I obviously do not support Robert Craig of The Saxish Home Rule Party/League when he calls for the breakup of England into 3 regions; Saxland, a London Region and an English Region confined to an area north of a line roughly from The Wash to the Mouth of the Severn.

Be that as it may, Mr Craig's analysis of the Oldham West and Royton by-election, published in the Letters column of the Western Daily Press on December 5th,  makes interesting reading, especially his comments on UKIP. 

UKIP failed because it's a one-trick pony.
In the Oldham West and Royton by-election on Thursday, Labour swept to a conclusive victory defeating the Ukip challenge with massive majority in the first poll test of Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour leadership.

It was a convincing endorsement of Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership following the Commons vote on air strikes in Syria and an overwhelming defeat for Nigel Farage’s party which came in as a poor second.

Ukip has passed its sell-by date and is on its way out. It is a one-trick pony and that trick has a fatal flaw which is revealed in its name. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland receive largesse from the EU, the City of London is intimately involved with the EU and depends on EU membership to convince overseas investors to trust it.

It might be possible to cobble together a small majority to leave the EU within England, but not within the UK as a whole. The English Democrats’ aim of extracting an independent England from the EU is just about achievable, Ukip’s aim of taking the UK out of the EU intact is not. That flaw is why Ukip will fail.

Robert Craig

The Saxish Home Rule Party

"Political Correctness" - an evil to be confronted and defeated.

A guest post by Clive Lavelle of the English Democrats.

If we are to enjoy true democracy, there has to be debate and no subject should be off-limits. “Freedom of Speech” should be just that; freedom to express an opinion on any matter regardless of how contentious or even distasteful others may find it.

There are, of course, certain proper limitations on Freedom of Speech; defamation being an example. There is, however, an insidious limiter of our Freedom of Speech under whose tyrannical rule we have, to a lesser or greater extent, all succumbed.

The Tyrant’s name? Political Correctness.

Political Correctness hides behind a (seemingly philanthropic) smokescreen of not wanting to “offend” people, (individuals or groups). However, its true purpose is simply to stifle debate.

By creating a myriad of groups and ways in which to “offend” them, the Politically Correct have also created a minefield that makes ordinary folk fearful of expressing a point of view that may “give offence”.

The source of the fear? Assorted labels that the Politically Correct apply to dissenters. Most of these end in either “ist” or “phobe”, and include, “extremist”, “homophobe”, “islamophobe” and, of course, their Ace of Spades, “racist”. Nobody wants to have any of these labels (and particularly, “racist “) applied to them, so most folk endeavour to ensure that their language is “PC”.

The consequence? The Politically Correct no longer need to formulate an argument. All they need to say is, “You don’t need to listen to him, and he’s a Racist.” Or, “Don’t listen to her, she’s a Homophobe.” It matters nothing that an argument has been carefully formulated; if it’s not PC, you needn’t listen.

One final PC epithet that must be mentioned is “Bigot”. Anyone who dares to express a point of view on, say, immigration, that isn’t entirely favourable, risks being labelled a “Racist” or a “Bigot” or both.

A bigot is someone who believes that the only valid opinion is his own. The Politically Correct believe that the only opinions that are valid, are theirs, and woe betide anyone who dares to express another. Funny, that! The people who call everyone else “bigots” are actually the ones who will not tolerate any other point of view.

Clive Lavelle was the English Democrats' candidate for Weston-super-Mare in the 2015 General Election.


 

Corbyn's Labour victorious in Oldham West and Royton by-election as UKIP stall. A view from Robin Tilbrook, Chairman of the English Democrats.

Robin Tilbrook, Chairman of the English Democrats, said today:

"Despite having a clear run left for them by the English Democrats, UKIP have failed (again) to beat Corbyn’s Labour in Oldham. UKIP have 'shot their bolt'!

The English Democrats left the field clear for UKIP insurgents to do as well as possible in Oldham.  Despite Labour’s new Leader making it clear that he was very much of the unpatriotic Far Left, nevertheless UKIP was unable to make the breakthrough.

 

This was even with all UKIP's tremendous campaigning efforts and its £100,000 campaign spend.  UKIP’s "Believe in Britain" and "British" Eurosceptic message failed to resonate sufficiently with Oldham's patriotic English voters.

 

It is now increasingly clear that UKIP’s time has come and gone. UKIP’s shelf life is limited in any case to the end of 2017, by which time the EU Referendum would have been decided and UKIP’s sole purpose will have either been endorsed or rejected by the electorate of the United Kingdom.

 

It was sadly all too predictable that UKIP’s insurgency in Oldham would fail, given UKIP’s failure to become an English nationalist party and its leadership’s obsession with increasingly old-fashioned and irrelevant Britishness.

  

UKIP’s shelf life is now approaching the end, as once the EU Referendum has come and gone, before the end of 2017, UKIP’s sole purpose will have ended.  I am now looking forward to the day when the rising sense of English nationalism is politically and culturally centre stage - from 2018 onwards!”

This by-election result supports my view that Jeremy Corbyn is not so unpopular in Labour's heartlands as some media commentators and pundits would have us believe.

Mr Corbyn is no crusader for English nationhood or Englishness.  However, whether you agree with him or not, you know where he stands and that he sticks to his beliefs - an attribute which is rare in the British political establishment. 

Brexit will lead to Armageddon? English Democrats highlight insidious scare tactics.

A letter from Clive Lavelle of the English Democrats in the Western Daily Press on November 20th.

Irish encouraged to stay within the EU
The tactic of the "yes"(stay-in) campaign for the forthcoming Euro-referendum is to paint a near-Armageddon picture of England outside of the European Union.

We're told that if we leave, we'll lose our influence in Europe. I didn't know we had any.  Alternatively, it's, if we leave the union, we'll all end up unemployed.

I read in Monday's Irish Post that Enda Kenny, Ireland's Taoiseach, is weighing in to a debate that's none of his business, by saying he will exhort Irish people living in England to vote "yes".  This, not because of any benefit that might accrue to England, but because a "no" vote might be to the detriment of Ireland.

There was also a suggestion that a "no" vote might jeopardise the Northern Ireland peace process.  This has to be the most insidious scare tactic to date.

Clive Lavelle
Weston-super-Mare, Somerset.