Anti DRONE conference Cardiff

DRONE Conference Cardifff 
You'll have heard on the news about the UK being used as a launchpad for UAVs - Unmanned Aerial Vehicles or drones - and about the protest march that was held at RAF Waddington in Lincolnshire on the weekend. A contingent from Wales travelled to the RAF base to participate in the protest, which was attended by 600 people.
Drone wars are particularly relevant to Wales as Parc Aberporth in West Wales is a flight testing site for UAVs. The Israeli military and Israeli company Elbit Systems are linked to the Watchkeeper drones tested here, which have been used to target civilians in Gaza.

Come and find out more about this at a conference we are helping to organise on 25 May. Please invite as many people as you can. Entry free but donation of £5 appreciated, doors open at 1.15pm 

cardiffpsc.weebly.com   facebook.com/cardiffpsc  twitter.com/cardiffpsc

Helen John the first full-time member
of the Greenham Common peace camp
joins the Welsh anti-drone protesters 

DRONE WARFARE: FROM WALES TO GAZA

All Wales Anti-Drones Conference

Saturday 25 May, 1.30 – 5.30 pm

Wallace Lecture Theatre, Main Building

Cardiff University, Park Place

The US launches hundreds of drone strikes in Pakistan, Yemen, Somalia, and reports show thousands of people  killed, including hundreds of children, while Israel uses drones to launch regular strikes on the besieged people of Gaza.
The Welsh Government uses millions of pounds of our taxes to facilitate the testing of drones at Parc Aberporth. The Israeli military are a frequent presence there. Do we want our government to be complicit in war crimes?
This important conference will discuss what drone warfare is & how we build the anti-drones movement in Wales.

Speakers include -

RAFEEF ZIADAH

Palestinian Spoken Word Artist & Activist

Senior Campaigns Officer with War on Want

CHRIS COLE

Secretary of the Drones Campaigns Network ; Founder of Drones Wars UK blog

HARRY ROGERS

Bro Emlyn for Peace and Justice

HAYA AL-FARRA

Palestinian from Gaza

ARFON RHYS

Secretary, Fellowship of Reconciliation in Wales / Cymdeithas y Cymod

JILL EVANS MEP

Former Chair, CND Cymru and peace campaigner

For more info. and full conference programme email – Cardiff_troopsout@hotmail.co

Free admission, but donations welcome

Sponsored by Abergavenny and Cardiff Palestine Solidarity Campaign, Cardiff Stop the War Coalition, Cardiff S.T.A.R and others.

RHYFEL DI-BEILOT:

O GYMRU I GAZA

Cynhadledd gwrth-Awyrennau Di-beilot:

Sadwrn 25 Mai, 1.30 – 5.30 yp

Darlithfa Wallace, Prif Adeilad

Prifysgol Caerdydd, Park Place

Y mae’r Unol Daleithiau yn lansio cannoedd o ymosodiadau gan awyrennau di-beilot ym Mhacistan, Yr Yemen a Somalia. Dengys adroddiadau fod miloedd yn cael eu lladd, gan gynnwys cannoedd o blant, tra bod Israel yn defnyddio awyrennnau di-beilot i ymysod ar drigolion Gaza dan warchae yn rheolaidd.
Defnyddia Llywodraeth Cymru filiynau o bunnoedd o’n trethi i hyrwyddo profi awyrennau di-beilot ym Mharc Aberporth,ac mae aelodau o’r Fyddin Israelaidd yn ymwelwyr cyson yno. Ydym ni am i’n llywodraeth fod yn gyfrannog mewn troseddau rhyfel? Bydd y gynhadledd bwysig hon yn trafod beth mae rhyfel di-beilot yn ei olygu a sut y gallwn adeiladu mudiad gwrth-awyrennau di-beilot yng Nghymru.  

Siaradwyr i gynnwys:

RAFEEF ZIADAH

Artist llafar a Gweithredwraig Palesteinaidd

Uwch-swyddog Ymgyrchoedd War on Want

CHRIS COLE

Ysgrifennydd Rhwydwaith Ymgyrchoedd gwrth-Awyrennau Di-beilot a Sylfaenydd blog Rhyfeloedd Di-beilot y DU

HARRY ROGERS

Grŵp Heddwch a Chyfiawnder Bro Emlyn

HAYA AL-FARRA

Palesteinwraig o Gaza

ARFON RHYS

Ysgrifennydd Cymdeithas y Cymod 

JILL EVANS ASE

Cyn-Gadeirydd, CND Cymru ac ymgyrchwraig dros heddwch

Am wybodaeth bellach ac am raglen lawn y gynhadledd anfonwch e-bost at: Cardiff_troopsout@hotmail.com

Mynediad am ddim ond croesewir rhoddion

Noddir gan Ymgyrch Gydsefyll â Phalesteina Y Fennni a Chaerdydd, Cynghrair Atal y Rhyfel, S.T.A.R Caerdydd ac eraill.

Plaids energy policy has been turned into something of a shambles by short-term electoral considerations.

No point in me trying to write on this as it has already been said in the article below by John Dixon. Plaid has let us down. How do think they can win support with policy you can't rely on. Plaid Cymru wouldn't even vote against the motion for a new nuclear power station, with  abstentions from Jocelyn Davies, Llyr Huws Gruffydd, Bethan Jenkins, Elin Jones, Simon Thomas, Leanne Wood

Of course, CND Cymru has also let us down with not a cheep from them in opposition to whopping great new nuclear power station in Ynys Môn and the only mention a link that doesn't work! Here is one that does work Stop Wylfa and find the campaign on facebook too  

Not a word either from the Wales Green Party 27 votes Pippa Jagalotti!

Never mind, it will never happen

 I’m not entirely sure what purpose the Conservatives thought they were achieving by holding a debate in the Senedd this week on the building of a new nuclear power station in Ynys Môn.  It’s not a matter over which the Assembly has any power – and the Tories are usually the first to deride other parties for wasting debating time on matters over which they have no influence.

Whatever the intended purpose may have been, it did highlight the problems with energy policy in three of the four parties represented in the Senate.  (Lack of coherence from the fourth is entirely normal.)

For the Tories, it highlighted a willingness to take a step into the financial unknown in support of their big business friends.  It is entirely clear that no nuclear power stations will be built unless they are given public subsidies, guarantees on prices, or clear undertakings to underwrite risks. The fact that the extent of these costs is currently completely unquantified is apparently irrelevant as far as Tories are concerned.  They will be happy to see all of us, as taxpayers, contribute whatever it costs to enable the large companies involved to make their profits.

For Plaid, it highlighted, yet again, that the party’s energy policy has been turned into something of a shambles by short-term electoral considerations.  The party is, as I’ve commented before, apparently opposed to all new nuclear power stations except the ones that companies actually want to build.  And to read the local press in Carmarthenshire at least, it is in favour of all new wind powered stations except the ones that companies actually want to build. Whilst there are still some in the party prepared to argue the case for renewables – and Cynog Dafis had a paean of praise for wind farms in the latest issue of 'the Welsh agenda’ – overall the party’s stance on energy is now completely incoherent, especially when compared to the clear and unequivocal stance it adopted on energy in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

Then we come to Labour.  I thought that the comments by the Conservative AM Angela Burns were a little unfair.  Amongst other things she said that there had been little progress from the Welsh government in developing energy policy in Wales. But that’s completely untrue; there has been plenty of progress in developing policy on energy in Wales – the policy on energy produced by the One Wales government between 2007 and 2011 was an extremely good policy.  The problem with the Labour Party stance is that the development of policy and the implementation of policy seem to be seen as two entirely different things.  Policies once developed are put onto a nice big shelf somewhere and the government carries on as though it had never bothered to go through the exercise of developing them.

In any event, the Senate has now declared its support for a new nuclear power station in complete contrast to its previous support for an entirely renewables-based energy policy.  The only saving grace would appear to be that they are no more likely to be able to implement the new policy than they were to implement the old one.

NDM5212 Dadl y Ceidwadwyr Cymreig - Cynnig heb ei ddiwygio
NDM5212 Welsh Conservatives Debate - Motion without amendment

Welsh Conservatives Debate: Energy on Ynys Môn

1. Recognises the potential of Ynys Môn as hub for energy and economic growth;
2. Welcomes the announcement that Hitachi will develop Horizon Nuclear Power at the Wylfa plant on Ynys Môn;
3. Urges the Welsh Government to consider the development of a clear plan to support the development of Ynys Môn as a centre for energy generation; and
4. Believes the development of nuclear energy on Ynys Môn must be complemented by further support for a robust energy mix across Wales.
   
   
   Derbyniwyd y cynnig - Motion agreed

	O blaid / For: 39	Yn erbyn / Against: 5	Ymatal / Abstain: 6
	Leighton Andrews Mick Antoniw Mohammad Asghar Angela Burns Christine Chapman Jeff Cuthbert Alun Davies Byron Davies Keith Davies Paul Davies Suzy Davies Mark Drakeford Yr Arglwydd / Lord Elis-Thomas Rebecca Evans Janet Finch-Saunders Russell George Vaughan Gething William Graham Janice Gregory John Griffiths Mike Hedges Jane Hutt Mark Isherwood Julie James Ann Jones Huw Lewis Julie Morgan Lynne Neagle Gwyn R. Price Nick Ramsay Jenny Rathbone David Rees Andrew R.T. Davies Antoinette Sandbach Carl Sargeant Kenneth Skates Gwenda Thomas Joyce Watson Ieuan Wyn Jones	Peter Black Eluned Parrott William Powell Aled Roberts Kirsty Williams	Jocelyn Davies Llyr Huws Gruffydd Bethan Jenkins Elin Jones Simon Thomas Leanne Wood

Maggie Thatcher NOT a champion of Climate Change.

Beware of talk of Maggie Thatcher for being a champion of Climate Change. She is to climate change what she was to human rights -a  hypocrite  - she claimed to be anti apartheid but stridently opposed economic sanctions against the apartheid government, was one of the people who had helped “keep up” the National Party at the time. She called Mandela a terrorist.  De Klerk is to attend her funeral. 

Some commentators have asserted the view that global warming is man-made and was promoted by PM Margaret Thatcher as a means of promoting nuclear power and reducing the impact of strike action in the state-owned coal industry.

In 2002, she wrote: "Whatever international action we agree upon to deal with environmental problems, we must enable our economies to grow and develop, because without growth you cannot generate the wealth required to pay for the protection of the environment".  'Paradox' exposed. 

As Morrissey pointed out she hated Greenpeace and environmental protectionists, she was the only European political leader who opposed a ban on the Ivory Trade 

MT ministers encouraged urban sprawl by approving massive out-of-town supermarket developments, deregulated or privatised the bus services, spent billions of pounds on new roads but little on rail transport, and handed ownership of water and waste to global corporations. She balked only at the railways, saying it was "a privatisation too far".

She privatised water and sewerage in 1987 As predicted, the price of water prices increased 50% in the first four years and the most companies were heavily fined for pollution incidents. More here 

Margaret Thatcher: an unlikely green hero?

 

PS Maggies friends who wont be at the funeral Saddam Hussein, PW Botha, Sha of Iran, Mubarak , King Fahd of Saudi Arabia, Pinochet,more here 

In 1980, the year after Thatcher took office, she lifted the arms embargo against Pinochet; he was soon buying armaments from the United Kingdom.

The Thatcher quotes on climate change here

A 'in depth' consideration of Maggies Career ‏@ChristopherWere18h Deputy Leader Green Party Wales who has been a member of the Green Party for all of 2 Years and 8 Months and a would be euro candidate http://bit.ly/XsktwZ 

Round table essential man skills

Misogyny alive and well in Penarth round Table?!! lol

The Penarth Times reports "in order to finish its authoritative finishing school guide Round Table wants your idea of essential man skills - be it pouring the specail pint, possessing competant DIY skills or knowing how to compliment a woman.   

They are appealing to people to send us their thoughts with the aim of using the responses we receive to produce a definitive guide to becoming an all-round modern day gentleman. people with tips shoud or should not be included 
email: communications@round table.org.uk"

 https://www.facebook.com/roundtablegbi

@PenarthRT offers "advice and camaraderie for men 18-45 since 1927"  in a time warp!

Sign 'Book' of Celebration of Maggie Thatchers death

Sign 'Book' of Celebration of Maggie Thatchers death  here 

Thatcher Down - Blair to go

Maggie and friends says it all

 “Thatcher on feminism: "I hate feminism. It is a poison." 
Thatcher on Mandela: "He is a terrorist." 
Thatcher on Pinochet: "Welcome."”

Hatred Written all over face 

Any anti nuclear candidates? Anglesey council election

Any anti nuclear candidates? Anglesey council election: 107 candidates for 30 seats

Anglesey where WYLFA-B new nuclear power station proposed for Wylfa, Anglesey, Wales

The election, on 2 May, will see a reduction in the number of councillors and fewer wards A total of 107 candidates will campaign for 30 seats in next month's delayed Anglesey council election. Local authority elections were put off for a year in 2012 because Anglesey council was being run by commissioners appointed by the Welsh government. 

The election, on 2 May, will see 30 councillors representing 11 electoral divisions - a reduction from 40 members representing 40 wards.

A full list of candidates is available http://www.anglesey.gov.uk/Journals/2013/04/05/t/d/b/Statement_of_Persons_Nominated-.pdf

 PAWB website http://stop-wylfa.org/wp/

The major Parties in the Anglesey election who all want Wylfa-B new nuclear-build for "jobs" 

This includes Plaid Cymru who forced Leanne Wood to abandon her election promise of a “full moratorium” on new nuclear power.  This completely disappeared in her speech at the Anglesey conference**, where she praised Ieuan Wyn Jones.  Plaid will not only wait for Westminster to force a new nuclear station at Wylfa, but fully support Ieuan Wyn Jones to win it:  

Leanne’s efforts for 'green' jobs in renewables of last September have been relegated to “Plan B” , meaning a 5-year wait!

Plaid's internal politics have made them deaf to PAWB's rational argument on Jobs:

“the decommissioning of Wylfa-A would employ more people than are currently employed at the site, over a long period. In that time a whole variety of economic alternatives can be developed, including renewable energy related industries, as outlined in the PAWB document Maniffesto Môn. The bulk of any jobs (and the figures have been much hyped) would not go to local people and contractors. The planned influx of workers would place a severe additional strain on council infrastructure at a time when it is already at breaking point.” (Phil Steele)

Let’s hope there are many candidates in the forthcoming County Council elections who will slate the nuclear-compromised main parties and will endorse 'Maniffesto Môn'.

Iain Duncan Smith (Secretary of State, Work and Pensions; Chingford and Woodford Green, Conservative)

4,212 families in Cardiff have been hit by the bedroom tax and have no where to go. The policy to date has been geared towards lifetime homes for community stability. The only 'equity' the poor have is in improving their homes but you are making that a worthless activity. You are filling the the poorest, the disabled and children's lives with fear. Try a mansion tax, increasing the petrol duty. The cost of your 'cuts' and attacks on what was  'social secruity' is so high to all citizens you don't realise it yet.

Tell IDS what you think here

I have today written to my MP re the queens £6 million pay rise

Dear Kevin Brennan,
The Queen has been given a bumper welfare payrise of £6 million from the tax payer – just as the rest of country faces more cuts and economic uncertainty. Will you agree that the real cost of the monarchy is more than £200m . do you agree that if we were truly 'in this together' the Queen should be making cuts too. 
 
Whatever you think of the government's cuts and welfare reforms, it can't be right that one of Britain's wealthiest families is handed millions of pounds that could be spent on public services.

Will you support Republic's call for George Osborne to call an emergency meeting of the royal trustees to review the size of this year's sovereign support grant ask them to forward your concerns directly to the chancellor.

Yours sincerely,

Write to your MP We've being doing lots of media work on the royal pay rise, getting the republican perspective across to millions. But now we need your help. Please write to your MP today and: tell them why you think about the royal pay rise ask them to support Republic's call for George Osborne to call an emergency meeting of the royal trustees to review the size of this year's sovereign support grant ask them to forward your concerns directly to the chancellor. Writing to your MP is really easy via writetothem.com - just put in your postcode and follow a few easy steps. And it really does make a difference. Even monarchist MPs have admitted to us that receiving a large number of emails about a royal issue forces them to reconsider their views on it.

Write to your MP today

This is the worst possible time for the royals to be given a pay rise – let's make sure our elected representatives know that.