Labour's Moral Compass Has Gone!

Tomorrow, millions of us go to the polls to deliver a verdict either for change or for more of the same. Yet many will try to reflect on the benefits that they have had over the last 13 years through this Labour Government; some will know that there will be tough times ahead; some will know that Labour is on the verge of being in the political wilderness and some will know that a seismic change in politics may have already taken place.

Labour cannot be blamed for all of the problems of the last 13 years. There have been some successes and Sure Start, the national minimum wage and the stabilisation of the economy during the banking disaster were all positive moves, even though it cost each one of us and endebted us for decades to come. It has to be acknowledged that the financial support to banks had to be made to provide stability.

However, Labour lost it credibility and its moral compass sometime around 2002 when Tony Blair shamelessly went along with a certain Messr Bush's plan for regime change and both effectively sold us a dud. For those of us who campaigned against Iraq and who knew that a decade of sanctions (by the US and UK) had destroyed so many civilians lives, it was the final straw and a realisation that the hollow phrase of 'social justice' so paraded by Labour Ministers and members, had a distinctly hollow ring to it. So much for social justice when the premise of the war was based on a lie and when the case for war was based on smoke and mirrors. Whilst Blair went onto become the Quartet's 'peace envoy' in Jerusalem and to top up his tan in the American Colony in Jerusalem, our young men and women were put in harms way whilst Iraqi's lost their lives in the tens of thousands.

Labour's moral compass will not be regained until there is a realisation that there needs to be some form of 'truth and reconciliation' around what it's actions led to. Supine Labour MP's lined up to support the war with their respective Tory cheerleaders in Parliament. So bent is that compass now that Labour deserves to be out of office, yet the alternative leaves a lot to be desired. The only real hope for truth and justice is to support a politician who at the very least is open and honest even when the answers may not sit well with the public. His name is Nick Clegg and his vision is not corroded unlike the Labour Party which played with and squandered the lives of people in far flung places like Iraq. Shame on them and shame on those who supported the absolute destruction of Iraq whilst purpoting to save it.

HARINGEY LABOUR IN DISARRAY OVER THE DEFECTION OF CLLR BRIAN HALEY

The defection, two days ago, of senior Cabinet member Cllr Brian Haley to the Liberal Democrats spells disaster for the future of Labour in Haringey. And Rightly so! Labour has been in power for nearly 40 years but has failed to address problems with deprivation, poverty and failing services. Residents in Haringey now have to put up with officially the worst Council in London (after the recent Audit Commission report).The defection of such a senior Labour councillor like Cllr Haley (with others in the Labour Group also looking to move) means that the end is finally near for Labour in Haringey. Yet, true to form, Labour's spin machine spews out untruths and attempts deflection tactics by suggesting that about 18 months ago, I applied to join Labour. THIS IS COMPLETELY UNTRUE.

I thought that I would list some of the reasons why I never have and never will apply to be a Labour candidate.

(1) The war in Iraq. (This illegal and immoral war) which has led to the death of hundreds of thousands of people, was started by a Labour Government that deceived the public and applied pressure on civil servants to amend information to suit the case for war. Senior Labour politicians simply followed the line by Blair to make the case for war whilst the agenda was always access to Iraq's resources, regime change and a subservience to Bush, with a bit of legacy protection thrown in for Blair's ego.

(2) The erosion of civil liberties through the proposal of ID cards, increased surveillance powers and section 44 stops, which disproportionately impact on Black and Minority people and which does very little to actually catch terrorists. This cannot be and is not healthy for those who are marginalised and on the fringes of our society.

(3) The growing stark differences between the rich and poor in our society today with a growing underclass who have less social, economic and health opportunities. Yet, Labour and its local supporters continue to promote the disgraceful line that the Party stands for social justice.

(4) The sheer bureaucracy in administration and extra taxes that have been introduced under this Government. The stealth taxes are crippling in many instances and allied with the financial crisis which was caused, (in part), by the lack of scrutiny of lenders like banks has meant that families right across the country are suffering. This was under Labour's watch.The list goes on. Yet, in the dying throes of groups like Haringey Labour, they attempt to pull the wool over the eyes of local residents. Residents who, I am sure, will vote out this failed dinosaur, called Haringey Labour.

The time for change in Haringey has come. The time for a Liberal Democrat future is here.

RELIGIOUS SITES MUST BE PROTECTED AND RELIGIOUS RIGHTS ARE BASIC HUMAN RIGHTS

Having worked on supporting better Jewish and Muslim relations for the last 7 years, I can honestly say that I have felt despair over the last week. Once again the Al Aqsa and the Dome of the Rock mosque compounds in Jerusalem have been drawn into the politics of those who want to make it a Muslim and Jewish conflict, something that is so readily accepted within Europe and the US and which is so far from the truth of what I hear on the ground in the region. The conflict should not be seen through the prism of a Muslim and Jewish conflict and those on either side who push this, push a very dangerous line by using religion in what is a conflict of resources.

Just before any reader attempts to blame any one faith, I must say that no particular religious community in the City is clean of this charge. There is instigation and counter-reaction and so the cycle continues, but the last 10 years have seen the increased use of faith and it’s symbolism within Jerusalem which is a very worrying trend. All religious sites deserve the respect and the protection of their sanctity within the City. Has it not been said that whoever has charge of this Holy City has the weight of the world on their shoulders and the added responsibility of global peace? Has it also not been said that each decision on faith related sites in the City needs a lifetime of thoughts before any action is taken? Yet, what we see today can ignite a regional crisis and before we blame another faith community, should we not ask ourselves the question, “Is my faith about peace and the protection of life and belief?” I think this is the core question that people of faith ask themselves at some point in their life and this question is very relevant in the context of what is happening in Jerusalem.

Yet, whatever the future holds, Muslim and Jewish communities in Jerusalem will have to learn to live with one another. Today, respect and understanding towards each other are sadly missing and power dynamics play heavily on activities and the way that each community views each other. What I hope is that religious sites are not drawn into the conflict and that politicians do not use them. The last person that did that, a certain Ariel Sharon, started the Second Intifada and both communities I know are tired of the violence. Furthermore, Jerusalem needs no more violence, oppression and blood and the life of a Palestinian Muslim or Christian Jerusalemite should be viewed with the same value as the life of a Jewish Jerusalemite. Their differences in faith do not mean that one person’s life is more superior to another for every faith believes in the sanctity of all life.

I for one will always defend the right of any faith to practice and to practice in safety and security. No faith group should practice their faith at the detriment of another. For example in Arab countries in my opinion, the loss of Jewish communities through fear to Israel was a loss that affected them financially and socially and that is why the loss of Muslims and the Islamic identity in Jerusalem will be a loss for the City in the future. Jerusalem is a city for all of the three Abrahamic faiths and I for one will defend the rights of all three faiths to practice to the hilt. Whoever uses religion to cause divisions and to drive wedges in the history of the City should ask themselves; is this what God really wants? I for one, think not.