Friday 28 March 2014

Fracking, Cameron, and the Crimea!

British Prime Minister David Cameron has gone on record this week to state that the Crimea crisis should serve as wake up call to those nations heavily dependent on Russian oil and gas, and hopes that fracking of shale gas moves to the top of the European political agenda.  The PM also believes the Crimean situation should remind Britons that it is their duty to support fracking.

Some of the regions of England which are believed to contain the biggest reserves of shale gas are northern regions, which in an economic sense are not achieving their full potential in a country dominated by London and the South-East.  Fracking is an example as to why more legislative power is needed in northern regions.  There are of course other reasons why English regions need greater powers to correct a democratic deficit.

The Ukrainian crisis has no easy answers.  The United Nations General Assembly has this week proclaimed the recent Crimean Referendum to be illegal.  Indeed the referendum ballot paper not giving Crimeans the option of remaining a part of the Ukraine, is more than concerning.  But that said, I believe it is still so obvious looking in from the outside that there is still a clear majority of Crimeans who do wish to rejoin Russia, their natural homeland.

I believe the Ukrainian crisis is in it's early days.  For me, it looks at present that it is not in the EU's interest to absorb Ukraine in it's current form, especially eastern Ukraine.  Any solution will need to find a formula that will not only embrace the self-determination of Crimea and maybe other regions in the east of Ukraine, but which also enables minority peoples such as the Crimean Tatars to be given resettlement options in Western Ukraine.  A solution will also need to enable the US and the EU to be able to save face.

There could well be some good arguments for fracking that prove to offer on balance more benefits than negatives.  However in a South-East dominated England, it needs to be highlighted that it is those regions potentially rich in shale gas reserves (such as Northern English regions) that will most feel the benefits and negatives of fracking.  Ultimately, these regions need the devolution of more legislative powers to not only correct a democratic and economic deficit, but also give citizens the confidence that fracking regulations are being tailored to their interests.  DAVID CAMERON MUST NOT BE ALLOWED TO GET AWAY WITH USING THE SITUATION IN THE  CRIMEAN PENINSULA AND THE UKRAINE TO WIDEN THAT DEMOCRATIC AND ECONOMIC DEFICIT FURTHER!

Thursday 20 March 2014

Is the tide turning against Capital Punishment?

Glenn Ford was released from prison in Louisiana last week after three decades on death row.  This man has lost three decades of his life.  That said, had the fight on his behalf not been ongoing throughout this period, he may well have been sent to the electric chair.

In a casual debate on the subject of the Death Penalty with a friend (who has an opposing point of view to mine) some time ago, the point was made that advances in DNA will make miscarriages of justice less likely going forward.  My reply to that viewpoint is that forensic techniques can always be questioned at a later stage in time.

Whilst the case of Glenn Ford highlights how easily the wrong man can be convicted of murder in any advanced criminal justice system, there are other reasons why I personally object to the Death Penalty being re-instated in the UK.  Dr Allen Ault, a former Corrections Commissioner for the US State of Georgia has recently likened administration of the death penalty to the state committing murder.

During an emotional BBC interview last month, Dr Ault explained why he is now an opponent of the Death Penalty.  The interview confirmed to me that my own instincts on the subject of the Death Penalty are correct.  Some supporters of the Death Penalty will speak of the deterrent effect.  Dr Ault explained that from his experiences of having spoken to Prison inmates, that a murderer will rarely think through the consequences of their actions when carrying out a terrible act.

I have always personally been opposed to the death penalty.  The risk of a miscarriage of justice as in the case of Glenn Ford, is too high.  Also as Dr Ault indicates, it effectively lowers the state to the level of an individual who commits a most heinous crime.  Lowering the state to such a low level has always been a very important argument in my own mind.  But another important reason could concern the red herring that is the deterrent effect?

Most American citizens are still in support of the death penalty, believing in it's deterrent effect.  With polling figures suggesting the support for the Death Penalty not to be as strong as in previous eras, MAYBE IT IS NOW TIME FOR SOME AMERICAN POLITICIANS WITH COURAGE TO STAND UP AND INFORM PEOPLE CORRECTLY!


Thursday 13 March 2014

Could Ed Milliband live to regret EU Referendum fudge?

Ed Milliband has now indicated that he would only support an in-out referendum on Britain's membership of the EU,  if there was a treaty proposing a further transfer of powers from Westminster to Brussels, should Labour win next year's British general election.  Mr Milliband also indicates that he considers this to be an unlikely scenario.

The issue of Europe has not been a particularly divisive issue within the Labour Party over the last twenty five years.  However, it has been a very big problem in the Conservative Party throughout this period.  Therefore, is Milliband putting party interest ahead of national interest?

It could well be that by not putting the question to the people, the issue of Europe could continue to see a divided Conservative Party in opposition.  Europe is arguably the issue which has divided the Tories the most since the Corn Laws!

What Ed Milliband's new position does not do is support the interest of the country at large, including many Labour voters.  Also, history does show that Labour were previously divided on Europe in the 1970s, prompting the then Labour Premier Harold Wilson to hold an in-out referendum in 1975, after securing renegotiated membership terms of what was then known as the Common Market.

Graham Stringer and John Mann are two Labour MPs who have come out against their leader's stance.  Both men are clearly in touch with British public opinion, which is telling them that a referendum is what the people want!  Should Labour win next year's election, it is far from certain that they would secure a healthy parliamentary majority, if indeed they are a majority government at all!

If Messrs Stringer and Mann continue to be ignored, could that pave the way for Labour to endure similar divisions as the Tories?  I will predict one thing- there will be other MPs in addition to Stringer and Mann, who will be at odds with Milliband over this!