A reminder of how a ‘modern Western democracy’ works, and why it is exported all over the world.

We vote for an individual to sit in the House of Commons, to shout senselessly at other people when it doesn’t matter and to vacate the chamber when it does.

We pay them to do this and then we sit back and watch them taking money from other organisations, besides government, that we also fund.

Every few years, we are given the chance to select a new bunch of recipients. As yet, there is not an option on the ballot paper for not returning a member.

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https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm/cmregmem/231211/231211.pdf

I’m not sure if Bob’s most recent cartoon was inspired by this ‘festive’ display I saw yesterday, or vice versa.

There has been a terrific response to the interview with Jon Cook, who produces raw milk on his dairy farm.

The Raw Milk Producers Association, with which he is involved, has a list of all raw milk producers and a map, on their website.

To illustrate the threat to this industry, I should point out that in Scotland, 'It is an offence to place raw milk or cream on the market for direct consumption in Scotland - this includes distribution', because...'Raw drinking milk and cream has historically been recognised as a high risk to public health'.

Food Standards Scotland does not explain how much time William Wallace spent filtering, pasteurising and homogenising his milk, but I suppose it must have been considerable as he would not have otherwise survived.

If, as is likely the case, you do not have a producer on the doorstep, I can offer a personal assurance that raw milk freezes well and there is no wateriness or lumpiness once thawed. So, if you have a big freezer, stocking up every once in a while is the way to go.

Marianna Spring has blocked UK Column on Twitter for this reply.
The BBC's 'TV Licence' is about £13.25 a month. Supporting UK Column's work is voluntary at £5 a month, just saying.

This was a great interview, thank you very much. We’re very lucky to have a local supplier.
If anyone else is in South Wales, Gelli Farm, Cefn Cribwr sells raw milk from their farm milk hut.
They quite often have customers buying it in huge quantities. I was there several weeks ago when the farmer told me they cancelled the milk tanker for that day as they’d had someone drive down from Birmingham and bought so much of it, the tanker would have had a wasted journey!
Most people I meet and chat to at the milk hut are there buying it for health reasons and the milk is helping them.

Census data from 2021 suggests that there are at least 1.8m veterans in England and Wales.

A Veteran's ID card was announced by Tobias Ellwood (who served in Royal Green Jackets in Regular Army, now serves as Reservist with 77 Brigade) in February 2019, with no suggestion that it would be anything other than a piece of plastic.

The project has been stalled and stalled and, finally, it is revealed that the Veterans' ID card will 'officially launch by the end of January 2024 following a successful assessment from the Central Digital and Data Office'.

It is not made clear exactly what a veteran will need to submit to in order to obtain such a card, but it looks highly likely to be the gateway to a biometric data gathering exercise or, at least, the normalising of a form of digital identity across a very broad cross-section of society.

The Ministry of Defence confirmed, in response to a Freedom of Information request, that the card will not be linked to any other personal data (health, travel, banking and so forth), so we shall see how that works out.

We are fortunate to have 2 Jersey cows and we drink raw milk every day. It is full of nutrition and doesn't go off, it just changes form. So, if you manage to buy some, do not throw it out if you think it is on the turn, just leave it in a jar in the kitchen as it will turn into 'clabber' . When it splits, strain it in some muslin, mix with a little salt and garlic if you like, and you will have a lovely cream cheese.

Today marks the winter solstice, which is a useful reminder of our lack of a complete understanding of the environment we live in. As you may be aware, the shortest day has neither the earliest sunset nor the latest sunrise. Since we are yet to devise a method of keeping time accurately, it seems both daft and arrogant to assume that we know best when it comes to the 'climate'.

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https://www.timeanddate.com/astronomy/earliest-sunset.html

To the uninquisitive majority, the framing of ONS death statistics makes it look as though the Government did a jolly good job with the internments and the pharmaceutical coercion.

For how much longer will they be forced to count from 13th March 2020 (just a few days before 'COVID-19' was removed from the list of 'High Consequence Infectious Diseases' (HCIDs))?

Ironic, really; I would say the consequences have been pretty high.

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https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsandmarriages/deaths/datasets/weeklyprovisionalfiguresondeathsregisteredinenglandandwales

Until UK Column starts printing labels, this will remain my favourite.

There will be light (if any) traffic on this channel until January. Thank you very much indeed for subscribing and contributing to what has, I hope, been useful, informative and—largely—positive material.

The comment and debate has been enriching and it feels to me as though 2023 is a year which will conclude with many people feeling that bit more resilient and in better shape to face what comes in the new year. In the absence of white knights on the near horizon, or the chances of any particular movement bursting the dam wall, it falls to each of us to get our own house in order in the first instance.

Building knowledge, skills and strong relationships with those that you can learn from and depend upon strikes me as a better bet than putting your faith in an amorphous organisation. Learning how to deal with each situation as it comes down the track is empowering, and resistance starts with small and simple acts.

I hope you have a very Happy Christmas and that you give yourself enough time to make the most of the people that you care about and I will look forward to pushing on in 2024.

Charles

'As Israel proceeds towards its self-destruction, those who believe themselves to be its friends not only fail to stop it; they profess their unwavering, unconditional support for its campaign of mass murder. A true friend who understands the principle of national karma would counsel the opposite.

A true friend would have said, on October 8, “You have a unique opportunity to break the cycle of hate. When you fly your bombing sorties over Gaza, fill the planes with pictures of the victims and the word, ‘Enough!’ And then lay your proposal for peace and justice before the world. Start with international peacekeepers and truth & reconciliation commissions. Look honestly at how you have contributed to the conditions that breed terrorism against you, and stop! Because if you unleash your vengeance, you will intensify those conditions a hundredfold. But if you make a move towards peace at this crucial moment when the whole world is watching, you will alter the course of history.”'

Charles Eisenstein, 29 Dec 23.

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https://open.substack.com/pub/charleseisenstein/p/friends-dont-let-friends-destroy?

Best foot forward for 2024; a very Happy New Year to you. Thank you for all the comments and considered remarks during the past fortnight. Remember, how this year turns out is up to us.

Charles

Not enough room in Google's bed for wee Sadiq?

In a piece on Bab-al-Mandab Strait, today, from the BBC, it seems to be one rule for them and another for......

'The group of 12 states - Australia, Bahrain, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, New Zealand, the UK and the US - issued a formal warning to the Houthis.

They called ongoing Houthi attacks in the Red Sea "illegal, unacceptable, and profoundly destabilising" and said there was "no lawful justification for intentionally targeting civilian shipping and naval vessels".

They said if the group continued to attack shipping, it would "bear the consequences".

That is widely interpreted as a threat of military action against targets in Yemen, including where missiles are stored and launched.'

The Horn of Africa came up on UK Column News yesterday; the BBC has skirted around the stoking of regional conflict by the UK. HMG has trained Ethiopian and Somali military, as well as funding the development of sea access for Ethiopian military purposes via port of Berbera in Somaliland. Ethiopia now recognises Somaliland as a sovereign state, which has driven Somalia into apoplexy. Your taxes have paid for this.

UKC News segment below this post.

World Powers Scramble For Horn Of Africa: Is Britain Pulling Port Strings? - UK Column News - 3rd January 2024

- United Nations Support Office in Somalia: UK support for Somalia’s security forces: The UK Government announced a further £5 million in funding to support Somalia’s Security Forces
- Addis Standard: ‘Historic’ MoU with Somaliland sees Ethiopia secure access to sea, diversify seaport 
- DP World Berbera Port: About DP WORLD BERBERA
- GOV.UK (2021): UK Ambassador launches construction of the Hargeisa bypass

Sources: www.ukcolumn.org/video/uk-column-news-13th-december-2023