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megilleland

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Everything posted by megilleland

  1. Asylum backlog hits record high as Home Office launches 'streamlined' applications More than 160,000 people waiting on asylum decisions – quadruple the number at the end of 2019 The Home Office asylum backlog has hit record levels, with nearly 110,000 asylum seekers left waiting for a decision on their case for more than six months, new figures show. There are 160,919 people waiting on asylum decisions as of the end of 2022 – quadruple the number awaiting an initial decision at the end of 2019, before the Covid pandemic – according to figures published by the department yesterday. The number of cases in the backlog – which accounts for people applying directly for asylum and their dependents – hit 132,182, a 60% increase on 2021 and the highest number since the earliest records in 2010.
  2. In the House of Commons today Sir Bill Wiggin MP (North Herefordshire) asking Rt Hon Rishi Sunak MP Prime Minister to stop the boats. https://parliamentlive.tv/event/index/9798d6fa-8f98-4f73-a1db-8bf749accf1e start at 12:30:57
  3. In The Daily Depress today; Migrant backlog hits record 150,000 but top civil servant doesn't think crisis is priority Asylum-seekers waiting in around 40,000 hotels across the UK are costing close to £7million a day. and The Telegraph reports that as a result of the backlog, taxpayers face a £2.1billion bill in order to adequately house those that have crossed over from France into the UK. According to The Refugee Council, it is likely as many as 50,000 asylum seekers are waiting between one and three years for decisions on their applications and more than 10,000 could be facing waits between three and five years.
  4. In The Guardian today: (extract) ‘Humanitarian visa’ could cut number of asylum seekers reaching UK by boat A cross-party group is urging Suella Braverman to adopt plan that would allow 40,000 people a year to seek asylum in Britain However, a growing cross-party group of political figures is backing a new specialised visa that would allow 40,000 people a year to seek asylum. The proposal has been drawn up by the independent thinktank British Future. It said that rather than ratcheting up expectations and rhetoric, a new visa stream would make asylum case processing and safe returns “faster and fairer”, while also saving money on hotel accommodation created by a backlog of cases. The plan would see a visa made available to anyone with a strong asylum claim or links to the UK, issued at British consulates at locations away from the French and Belgian coasts. Last year saw a huge increase in the number of people making the perilous journey across the Channel. A total of 45,756 people made the trip, up from just 1,900 in 2019. At least 50 people have drowned or are missing, including 32 people who died when a boat capsized in November 2021. Asylum processing delays are now severe. At the end of September, just 7% of asylum applicants were processed within a six-month period. The bill for emergency hotel accommodation for asylum seekers, who are not allowed to work while their case is processed, is currently £5.6m a day. https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/feb/18/humanitarian-visa-could-cut-number-of-asylum-seekers-reaching-uk-by-boat Looking at the figures quoted: £39.2m a week £156.8m a month £1,881m a year I suppose it's better than buying bombs.
  5. Is this what we are going to get in Hereford? There seem to be a lot of concerned folk and I don't believe they are all far right. https://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/1736530/immigration-news-far-right-migrant-hunters-asylum-seekers-uk-borders
  6. This could be a ploy to accept a supermarket rather than asylum seekers which would work well in Lidl's favour, but I don't want either. After all we are all going to get older and need care in one form or another and having a local resource south side would be better for all of us. Democracy is dead - corporatism rules the world. An understanding of Joseph Schumpeter an early 19th century Austrian political economist who came up with the phrase "creative destruction" leads us to our present day problems with the conservative and world governments.
  7. You may want to see this article in The Guardian today of other towns holding meetings to discuss asylum seekers staying in town centre hotels. I wonder what Jesse Norman's views on this are? https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/feb/17/asylum-seekers-living-in-fear-far-right-uk-anti-migrant-protests-planned
  8. No support for UK carers then. I bet the doctor's surgery won't be able to cope. I wonder what illnesses they will bring to Hereford to pass among the genteel folk.
  9. Replied to an article on The Slog about alternative political parties bearing in mind we have some elections coming up in May and a General Election in 2024 if we get there!. Also came across this YouTube video which has parallels with Worcester Warriors position. Not keen on Biden and the Democrats, but have always followed Robert Reich - he would make a good president talks a lot of sense. Had a leaflet delivered by the LibDems yesterday, but they are only going to do a deal with the major group.
  10. Woman, 34, 'happy to be alive' after vaping addiction saw her on life support I was crying because I was in so much pain," she said. A woman is “happy to be alive” after her vaping addiction left her on life support suffering a life-threatening lung condition. Amanda Stelzer, 34, said she started vaping seven years ago when her friends all started doing it, with the cool flavours giving her a "buzz". Over that period she was getting through two four-packs of liquid cartridges every week or the equivalent of more than one cartridge a day, but eventually she ended up in hospital. Amanda, from Delaware in Ohio, in the US, visited an urgent care centre in October 2019 because she was struggling to breathe, had severe lower back pain and felt like her heart was "beating out of her chest". Amanda was then diagnosed with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), a life-threatening injury where the lungs cannot provide enough oxygen to the body. Despite extensive bloodwork and urine tests, doctors couldn’t work out what was wrong and sent her to the hospital in an ambulance. Within 24 hours of being there, Amanda was put on life support. (more here)
  11. How are you to carry your shopping on these scooters? For elderley people trikes would a safer option.
  12. Vaping – it’s bad and not just because tiny children are doing it! First Dog on the Moon at The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/feb/03/vaping-its-bad-and-not-just-because-tiny-children-are-doing-it
  13. How times move on, but nothing ever happens. I think an eastern bypass would be a good idea and even Jesse Norman thought so. I wonder if he will mention it at the above meeting. Here is his letter supporting the motion 4th March 2014. Marches_LEP_Letter_to_Graham_Wynn_040314.pdf
  14. Hereford Civic Society Thursday 23rd February, 7.00pm for 7.30pm at the Kindle Centre Speaker Rt. Hon Jesse Norman MP: “Regenerating our City, and our County” Please note that this is the 4th Thursday in February - not our normal 3rd Thursday We look forward to seeing you there.
  15. Friends of Bartonsham Meadows Please join us for a bird walk this Sunday 5 February Meet at 9am at the Canary Bridge for a ‘What’s That Bird?’ around the Meadows. Bring binocs, dogs on lead or under close control, and youngsters whether under control or not. http://www.friendsofbartonshammeadows.org/
  16. Dangers of Vaping Vaping users may not realise what they are letting themselves in for. For such a small item the product carries a lot of potential problems for the user. The information contained on the packet and inside foil list the dangers. How many people read this information bearing in mind you need a magnifying glass to see it. So you don't go blind trying to read the advice, I have listed below the information in an easy to read format. As a litter picker this item is very popular on our streets and with young people and non smokers. 18+ 2% Nicotine - 600 Puffs - Mesh Coil This product contains nicotine which is a highly addictive substance. www.skevape.com Instructions This product is intended for use with various strengths of e-liquid. If you come into direct contact with such liquid whilst using this product please wash your hands and forearms thoroughly. Exposure to such liquid can be harmful if it gets into your eyes. In which case flush your eyes with water and seek medical attention. If swallowed rinse out your mouth and seek immediate medical attention. When seeking medical advice have the liquid product container or label at hand. Danger - skull and crossbones graphic This product is not intended for use by children and non-smokers Ingredient: Vegetable Glycerin, Propylene, Glycol, Flavors, Nicotine (EC200-193-3). 20mg * 66.67ugml; content of Nicotine per puff. (2%) 20mg/ml content of nicotine. Parameters Size:17x17x104mm E-liquid capacity: 20ml Coil: 1.2 Q Meshcoil Puff: 600 puffs Battery capacity: 500 mah Warning and precautions Underage sales prohibited. This product is not for use by children and non smokers. Keep the contents of this product out of reach of children, non-smokers and animals. Store the product at a temperature between 18-30 degrees C and out of direct sunlight. Do not refrigerate, freeze, heat the product. Do not use if pregnant or breast feeding. Do not use if you have an unstable heart condition, severe hypertension or diabetes. Please read all of this information carefully before you begin to use this product. Battery recycling This products battery should not be treated as household waste. Instead it should be handed over to the applicable used battery collection point for recycling. EEE recycling This product should not be treated as household waste. Instead it should be handed over to the applicable collection point for the recycling of electrical and electronic equipment. Further Adverse Precautions listed on foil wrapper inside Vaping Packet First time e-cigarette users may experience irritation of the mouth, a dry throat or cough. If you inhale too much nicotine or use the product too much you may experience one or more of the following effects: Feeling Faint, Nausea (feeling sick), Coughing, Irritation in the mouth or throat dizziness, Stomach discomfort, Hiccups, Vomiting, Chest palpitations, Abnormal heart rate. If you are experiencing any of these side effects listed as above discontinue using this product. If the effects continue after you stop use, consult your doctor or healthcare professional and report the incident as per the guidance to their attention. Previous to this vaping craze, laughing gas cylinders are also popular although the government are planning to crack down on their use. UK ban on laughing gas sale or possession poised to go ahead (extracts from The Guardian 28th January 2023) Suella Braverman pushing plan to change law on nitrous oxide as part of crackdown on antisocial behaviour. The Home Office is preparing to introduce a long-expected ban on the sale or possession of nitrous oxide, one of the most popular recreational drugs among young people, as part of a wider crackdown on antisocial behaviour. The plan is being pushed by the home secretary, Suella Braverman, according to officials, and would lead to people found with laughing gas, which is usually inhaled from balloons filled through small metal cylinders, facing prosecution. Discarded nitrous oxide cylinders are a ubiquitous sight on high streets and at festivals, with almost one in 10 16 to 24 year olds reporting having taking the drug in 2019-20. The gas produces sensations of euphoria, giggling and hallucinations, but can also cause dizziness and impaired memory, as well as accidents from leg weakness. It can also cause neurological problems by inactivating the vitamin B12. Doctors have warned about an increase in spinal cord and nerve damage caused by the drug, including paralysis.
  17. Government refuses to fund UK students at new medical school despite ‘chronic’ doctor shortage The centre at Worcester University could be forced to train only overseas students who are unlikely to remain in Britain (Extract from The Guardian 14/01/2023) A new school set up to boost the number of doctors in England has been told it will not receive any funding for domestic students – meaning that in future it may only be able to give places to those coming in from overseas. The government is refusing to fund a single place at Three Counties Medical School, University of Worcester, despite health bosses in the area saying they are spending £70m a year on agency staff to plug a chronic shortage of doctors. The school was set up to boost doctor numbers across Gloucestershire, Herefordshire and Worcestershire – rural areas that struggle to compete with big city training centres such as Birmingham when recruiting medical staff. The centre is expected to be completed in about six weeks, and it has the agreement of the General Medical Council to start training doctors from September. However, the Department for Health and Social Care, which maintains a strict cap on the number of university medical degree places it funds, is ignoring pleas from local health trusts, hospitals and Tory MPs to pay for students to come and train at the school. Professor David Green, vice chancellor of Worcester University, told the Observer: “The chronic shortage of staff in the NHS means that doctors are constantly rushed, so delays and mistakes happen and that is leading to a crisis of excess deaths. The question is how bad do things have to get before the government will act?” More here: _____________________________________________________________________ No NHS dentists in Herefordshire and now no UK doctors in the future, This government are hell bent on destroying the NHS.
  18. Landmark decision on mega poultry farm could mean ‘life or death’ of River Wye Welsh government considers whether to block plan after experts say manure from intensive units is turning Wye into ‘pea soup’ The Welsh government is under pressure to block a new mega chicken farm in the Wye catchment, in what campaigners call a “crucial moment in the life or death of the Wye”. The River Wye has become synonymous with the intensive poultry industry, with more than 20 million chickens in its catchment area, producing more manure than the land can absorb and turning the river the colour of “pea soup”. A scientific study led by Lancaster University recommends an 80% reduction in poultry manure in the Wye catchment to protect the river, calling for a cut in the overall number of birds and the exporting of manure out of the area. However, Powys county council is still approving intensive poultry units in the catchment. Last year, Fish Legal challenged a decision by Powys to approve a unit at Wern Haelog near Builth Wells, housing 90,000 chickens, but lost the case. Last week, the Welsh government sent a holding direction to Powys county council to prevent it approving a new industrial poultry unit, also near Builth Wells, which would house 100,000 chickens at any one time. Welsh ministers will now decide whether to ‘call in’ the application, and rule on the chicken farm at government level. More here: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/jan/10/landmark-decision-mega-poultry-farm-life-or-death-of-river-wye-wales -------------------------------------------------------------- Looks as if the river will be up the creek if the powers to be can't sort this out. Another case of follow the money.
  19. You'll have to have a smartphone to carry out transactions. All part of the plan to digitize everything ie health, motoring, travel, shopping, administration, surveillance. You give them your data and they will sell it to third parties to bombard you with ads.
  20. HSBC announces closure of 114 branches HSBC has confirmed a raft of branch closures are to take place from next year. Those near us in Hereford: April Abergavenny Leominster May Brecon June Chepstow Ross on Wye Full list confirmed here: On course for digitisation of cash. No smart phone - no money or credit. We'll own nothing, but be happy so says the World Economic Forum. The Banks don't want your money just your assets.
  21. Hello Colin, Picture of bike attached Ladies County Apollo. Both tyres flat. Will be away for a break till Monday 28th November. Martin 7
  22. I found this bike, which I presume has been stolen and abandoned by the garages in Muir Close. This item has also been posted on Facebook, but to no effect. The bike is now in my garden. I have tried to report the matter to the council and local police and as usual you go round in circles. I need to dispose of it as soon as possible.
  23. Stop Hunt handing billions to the banks As Dire Straits told us 1985: Now look at them yo-yos, that's the way you do it You play the guitar on the MTV That ain't workin', that's the way you do it Money for nothin' and your chicks for free Now that ain't workin', that's the way you do it Lemme tell ya, them guys ain't dumb Maybe get a blister on your little finger Baby, get a blister on your thumb We gotta install microwave ovens Custom kitchen deliveries We've got to move these refrigerators We've got to move these colour TVs See the little faggot with the earring and the makeup Yeah buddy, that's his own real hair The little faggot got his own jet airplane The little faggot, he's a millionaire Sign Positive Money petition here:
  24. And the morons still drop their litter where they like. Tried to contact Balfour Beatty, HCC Community Protection and Muir Housing. Couldn't get through to HCC Community Protection and Muir Housing. Balfour Beatty say that Muir Housing should tidy the mess up, but whoever is dropping the litter is using the public footpath behind the garages. Connexus (Hereford Housing) were also mentioned in the telephone inquiry with Balfour Beatty. Any way I'm not picking it up. I do a litter pick once a week in the neighbourhood with a purple bag and fill that up. Spent a couple of hours talking to telephone systems this morning that can't put you in touch with a human being who can resolve the problem.
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