Albania Andorra Armenia Austria Azerbaijan Belgium Bosnia and Herzegovina Bulgaria Croatia Cyprus Czech Republic Denmark Estonia Finland France Georgia Germany Greece Hungary Iceland Ireland Italy Latvia Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Macedonia Malta Moldova Monaco Montenegro Netherlands Norway Poland Portugal Romania Russia San Marino Serbia Slovakia Slovenia Spain Sweden Switzerland Turkey Ukraine United Kingdom
Do you know what those countries have in common? It is the membership of the Council of Europe, and also the signatories of the European Convention on Human Rights, which is a Council of Europe instrument.
The Convention – which was initiated and championed by the British government – seeks to guarantee human rights to all Europeans, and is of course based on the notion that national governments cannot always be trusted not to maltreat its own citizens and thus peer review and oversight by a supranational court are desirable.
Note that Russia and Turkey are members and are prepared to be held to these standards. The only eligible countries which are not members are the Vatican and the dictatorship of Belarus.
Basic human rights are under greater attack in the UK than in any other member state. We have more communications surveillance, more video surveillance, more organised government informers under “Prevent” and more secret police per head of population than either Russia or Turkey.
It is therefore not surprising that it is in the UK that the responsible Minister – Theresa May – is today calling for the UK to leave the European Convention of Human Rights. It is indeed complete affirmation of the truth of what I have been saying about the police state the UK has become.
Tories are now prepared openly to argue that we should refuse to accept basic human rights protections which Russia and Turkey accept. To resile from the Convention would result in our being booted out of the Council of Europe and put in the same category as Belarus.
The Council of Europe remains an extremely valuable body for controlling East-West tensions – now as important a role as ever – and keeping a dialogue going, on a footing of equality, on questions of security and rights all across Europe.
The Tory party’s innate racism has been shown up recently in its attitudes to child refugees, and Cameron and Johnson comments on Sadiq Khan and Barack Obama. Theresa May is flaunting its fascistic streak.
There is a parliamentary election on in Scotland at the moment. Tories should not just be spurned and treated with disdain. They should be reviled and derided in public with open expressions of disgust, all of them, voters as well as activists.
UPDATE I should clarify that the Council of Europe is not the same as the European Union, it is a much wider body with the above membership.
Supporters of the European Convention of Human Rights, may be Bemused by this Sketch – in Support of
Patrick Stewart ( Captin Picard – Star Trek ) is the Prime Minister, with about eight Ministers
Patrick Stewart sketch: what has the ECHR ever done for us?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ptfmAY6M6aA
Disgusting ?
It’s a matter of taste surely.
Granted, the older ones are only good for pickling, or salting. If that.
Their young however, are said to have a porky flavour when slow cooked.
Spit roasting highly recommended.
Politicians are disgusting as a class. If ever there were a more coherent form of homogenization and pasteurization in the process of electing a mid-stream every-man then I am no longer lactose intolerant.
But the problem lies with the constituency rather than the ball-sop currying favor for his own ends.
The voter encourages the corrupt to seek office because the corrupt know the shortest jail times are proffered to white-collar criminals. The likelihood of being indicted for such crimes is microscopic and would appear to be quite a motivator for certain anti-social or borderline personalities. Doesn’t that seem so?
Yet we labor to salvage with lives and gold, that self-same failed approach. Isn’t it time to break up the Corporation known as Government? And I’m talking about the most subsidized, inefficient, and corrupt bureaucracy we can envision, the modern State.
Imagine a Village or Township instead. Wheels within wheels…
Every party that is involved in British elections is fascist because the electoral system is fascist. It’s a mistake to see the Tories (Official) as a different partei to Liarbour etc. May, Blinkett, Himmler, Vyshinsky, Hoover are the bastard children of C19th liberalism.
I wonder sometimes if learning curves aren’t presaged. BTIM, is all this stupidity expressed by humans at the voting booth part-and-parcel to determinism? Is free-will at play?
Signed
Truly confused.
Every party that is involved in British elections is fascist because the electoral system is fascist. It’s a mistake to see the Tories (Official) as a different partei to Liarbour etc. May, Blunkett, Himmler, Vyshinsky, Hoover are the bastard children of C19th liberalism.
Not sure why you think Obama deserves respect. He has broken every promise he made, he boasts about being good at killing, he lectures the world while in the US so many children live in poverty.
You are right he is a thoroughly reactionary President, one of the worst that there has ever been on both domestic and foreign policy.
The fact that his father was, as Boris Johnson pointed out, (to major shock and revulsion) from Kenya seems to have convinced large numbers of people that he must be decent, caring, peace loving. And no amount of evidence to the contrary displaces the stars from their eyes.
So successful has the “First black president” gambit proved that we now anticipate the “First female President” of whom it is already evident that she will make her predecessor look preferable.
Beth,
Not sure if that comment was made at me. I don’t, and quite agree with you.
General Sir Christopher Michael Deverell, KCB, MBE in his new role as Commander of the UK’s Joint Forces Command may well be thinking a bit more deeply about a proxy war with Russia in Syria.
Russia has repositioned artillery near the disputed city of Aleppo,supported by advanced helicopter gunships, and renewed air-strikes on opposition groups. Sir Chris is neither weak or constrained and I believe he wants British special forces to be deployed to Syria soon in somewhat larger numbers than the present shadow contingent directing British air-strikes.
https://off-guardian.org/2016/04/24/is-obama-preparing-for-a-possible-war-against-russia/
The reason for Cold War rhetoric in the US and UK is surely to deceive Saudi Arabia. Russia is an ally who has been called up to kill jihadists congregated in Syria by USUK propaganda against Assad, who is one of our best rendition-slaves.
The appearance of Obama on the 10 pm news urging us anglo-saxons to befriend our continental neighbours instead of sailing round them by ruling the waves was accompanied by a direct order for us to engage with the land mass of Europe and the Middle East instead of ignoring them.
Theresa May lifting up the gang-plank the day after was no less than piracy and mutiny against the Captain.
Our role is to be homogenised with our neighbours, as ship’s parrot Canspeccy so often screams.
With the sole exception of the tiny minority of Muslims who are fighting with the Tories against the British people, I welcome all Islam and all Muslims to the UK. Contrary to what one-eyed Pugwash proclaims, my complaints against Muslims have only ever been directed at individuals who spy on my private life and lie in business. They are Thatcherites and neo-con wolves in sheep’s clothing. All the real Muslims and all the Eastern European Christians are most welcome to invade. .
Brian and Lysais thanks for posts re COG. I had thought it was just the Patriot Act, but that seems to be just part of it. Mind boggling.
It’s probably a good thing, if you’re honest, that they sacked you when they did Craig. You could potentially have got quite high up in the FCO by now and yet held these views. For a man who’s never held elected office, it really would have been inappropriate had you been in a position of any authority to have acted on your home made, personal philosophies against the will of your political leaders. Just a thought. I guess the shackles are off and you’re free to speak your mind and I hope that you’d have been able to keep schtum had you maintained your position.
Not quite the cup of tea. The ‘the will of your political leaders’ has a certain susceptability, an achilles heel that no amount of dipping in magical waters can fix. Keeping schtum just makes matters worse.
It is ironic that the National Emergency Act was passed in 1976 to provide for limits on the exercise of Presidential powers in an emergency and yet the US has now been in a state of emergency for 15 continued years and apparently without congressional oversight. Why? How? There is so much to admire in the US. Local press local libraries and New England town meetings, but a state of emergency for 15 years?
Local libraries that have to hand over book borrowers choices.
Librarians in the U.S. have exhibited a lot of courage in resisting those government demands. Unlike some other professions.
Slate: Long Before Snowden, Librarians Were Anti-Surveillance Heroes.
I have considered that withdrawal from the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) is the tory’s back door out of the EU.
As I understand it (correct me if I am wrong), to be a member of the EU a country must be signed up to the Council of Europe. To be a member of the Council of Europe a country must be signed up to the ECHR. If this is correct then to withdraw from the ECHR means automatic withdrawal from the Council of Europe; withdrawal from the Council of Europe means automatic withdrawal from the EU.
Have you a comment Craig?
Bert.
I agree with Mark Golding that the US-led western world has entered a serious phase. The US economy is on the blink, and as ever was the case when you have built up massive arsenals (as Germany did with through its Krupps’ factories) there is no other course to retain a leading position in the world than to use the only large (if destructive) commodity they have. The US is pushing for a war with Russia through NATO alliances. It does not want that war on US soil (though of course that would be inevitable). Most of us can only speculate on who has the superior weaponry and the prospects are frightening. There can be no winners.
I hate to put the Cassandra curse on modern history but unless we get alternatives to Theresa May, David Cameron, Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton, Erdogan and all the other leeches who have sucked the decency out of society the inevitable is inevitable.
http://robinwestenra.blogspot.co.uk/2016/04/increassing-tensions-between-us-and.html
Well if the US economy is on the blink how would you compare the condition of this economy
http://www.tradingeconomics.com/russia/gdp-growth-annual
Given the human rights records of Turkey and Russia, it has to be asked whether being a signatory of the European Convention on Human Rights makes any practical difference. This does not mean I think the UK should withdraw. On the contrary, it should practice what it preaches.
This is well worth further exposure. It is as funny as it is true. Naturally the racist bigots (who have no sense of humour) have showed yet again why they cannot be taken seriously with comments directly below. Laugh your hearts out.
https://www.craigmurray.org.uk/archives/2016/04/the-tories-are-disgusting/comment-page-1/#comments
I don’t know why The government is distancing fom European policies isn’t it so that the environmental issues such as use of chemicals in farming and food manufacture are under scientific scrutiny.
In regards to survelance rom how I unerstand it there is some need for survelance an monitoring to prevent crime and aid social intervention.
Most drivers cannot drive within the current speed limits and laws I the road. Driving is an example of our inability bide by laws. Are there speed restrictions measures to stop these lawbreakers? No should there be yes ! What do some drivers do when cameras are around warn other drivers so as not to get caught.
Craig would you fit into this catergory. To improve and be dutiful is a necessary part of being.
Another poster below made a comment about your shackles being removed and freedom to speak. I am reminded of Peter Carter, former ambassador to Estonia. He was highly thought of in that country and was an effective cheerleader for the UK. However, he was quite suddenly removed and an unknown former Nato ‘diplomat’ parachuted in. Since then, the war drums have been beating quite loudly in Estonia. Carter was posted to Nigeria and subsequently died there at quite a young age. He was never outspoken, but was aware of the machinations of the Nato war machine. I understand he was preparing a book. Do you fear for your life?
Just 10 % Of World Military Spending Would Wipe Out Global Poverty:
New data by Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) notes that world military expenditure totalled almost $1.7 trillion in 2015, an increase of 1 per cent in real terms from 2014. Interestingly, SIPRI also noted that military expenditure amounted to 2.3 percent of global gross domestic product — and 10 percent of this would be enough to fund the global goals agreed upon by United Nations’ 193 member states in September to end poverty and hunger by 2030.
http://www.thecitizen.in/index.php/NewsDetail/index/6/7440/Just-10–Of–World-Military-Spending-Would-Wipe-Out-Global-Poverty
@ mark
1.7 trillion dollars is a lot of oil. How would you convert that into food to combat poverty and hunger.
Obviously food and water straight into mouths following that systems of food production using both technology and arcological environment programmes along neccersary means of healthcare. The military production being phased out. Nutritionally and medically the food programmes would be best served by experts in the field. These should be best judged on results.
Now I am a beget era I have gone from 250metres max co to kudos freestyle to about 1250metres. Could be something else but I am definitely a better swimmer now.
@ Resident Dissident April 25, 2016 at 22:44
‘This of course doesn’t apply to the various nations within the Russian Federation whose Governors are now appointed by Putin and have to operate in accordance with his Power Vertical – but will you hear the arch hypocrite Bevin express any criticism of governance within Russia, as opposed to any western democracy?’
Can you provide the name of a Western country with a Democracy?
Take the US – GW Bush had both ‘elections’ stolen for him: totally illegal interference by the Supreme Court to block the Florida recount; thousands of voters disenfranchised; ‘hanging chads’, Diebold bent electronic voting machines. Who in their right mind would vote for that thick, moronic tw*t? Sure, plenty of Yanks did, but not enough to get him elected. The majority of VOTERS know the system sucks – witness Bernie Sander’s packed hustings, despite virtual MSM non-coverage.
And take the present nominee elections – Maricopa County shifted to 60 polling places — down from the 200-plus in use previously – for a county with 1.25 million residents. Why? To disenfranchise the poor, who didn’t have transport or sufficient photo ID. Some people waited in line to vote for 5 hours; in a number of places, ballots ‘ran out’.
Obomba did not have a valid US birth certificate, so was ineligible to be elected.
Sure, they spout about spreading ‘Democracy’ around the world, but in reality support the tyrants and Military Juntas. They are, as Kevin Barrett would say, ‘some sick puppies’.
witness Bernie Sander’s packed hustings, despite virtual MSM non-coverage.
As if Bernie Sanders didn’t give the mainstream news organs in the bastion of freedom, democracy and a free press, the USA, enough of a reason to ignore his campaign, he had to go wandering into the Palestine/Israel briar patch as well.
Sanders ‘put everything on the line’ for Palestine because BDS movement has changed US conversation — Peled
Miko Peled has a new edition of the book The General’s Son out from Just World Books. (FYI full title is The General’s Son: Journey of an Israeli in Palestine /Silvio). Peled was interviewed by Michael Smith for the radio show Law & Disorder that is airing this week, and offered many insights about the shifting discourse.
The conversation about Israel inside the U.S. changed dramatically over the last five years due largely to the work of the BDS movement (Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions) and the Palestinian solidarity movement, Peled said. And it has alarmed the Israeli public.
In Israel they suddenly discovered that this is happening in the United States…. So over the last couple of months [the press has reported on] this new antisemitic monster that is out there to devour Jews, which is called the BDS. And the BDS includes all aspects of the solidarity movement.
snip
Finally, Peled also said that the discourse in Israel has changed in recent years. It is “incredibly racist, violent, one-sided. There is no dissent.” In years gone past, the Israeli government pretended that it was looking for peace. “Today they drop the pretense, they drop the facade.”
http://mondoweiss.net/2016/04/sanders-put-everything-on-the-line-for-palestine-because-bds-movement-has-changed-us-conversation-peled/
@mark
http://africanarguments.org/2016/04/22/our-stomachs-will-make-themselves-heard-what-sankara-can-teach-us-about-food-justice-today/
Simple ideas.
I dislike the Tories intensely but have to applaud Theresa May for her stance on the Hillsborough Disaster Inquest determinations and am no great fan of Labour but Andy Burnham also delivered a powerful, moving response speech today.
Two politicians for once displaying a very human side.