Rishi Sunak’s election boost as big fall in migration predicted

The fall would have to be tremendous for it to overcome the results of 14 years of Tory rule, but the electability of Labour could also be a factor, but not a major one.

In fact migration shouldn’t be the major factor it is, except for the fears politics is pushing.

The UK needs migration and has always needed and will continue to need no matter what opinion states.

UK universities rely on overseas students for much of their finances so any reduction in numbers of overseas students will greatly affect universities financing for years to come, let alone the effectiveness of employment in the UK. We do so rely on non-UK employment and have always done so and will do well into the future.

Overseas students are not just about university funding no matter how important that is but how many of those overseas students then decide to remain in the UK after they qualify.

Retaining the UK workforce in the UK is also a major factor for the UK rates of pay are poor when compared to some other world areas.

This is seen especially in the NHS where staff retention is a major factor and a reason why migration numbers are high for the numbers are not only affected by persons arriving but also persons leaving for better employment prospects in other countries.

The NHS is only one area for there are many others.

Migration is so important for many reasons and should never be feared as that is just a political ploy used well too often by many different areas not just politicians.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/05/14/government-migration-reject-slash-foreign-students/

Olly Alexander breaks silence after disastrous Eurovision gig with jaw-dropping remark

Olly needn’t be disappointed with his scores from the Eurovision juries which he appears not to be.

For Eurovision which is reputed to be not political is so political on many fronts. In many instances it is not the merit of a country’s song and its contestants’ performance but of which country they represent.

Some countries would never vote for some countries no matter how good a song was or the performance.

Eurovision by its nature will always be voted upon by opinions of those voting where quality of song and performance will be a factor but the country could be a factor and maybe a major factor and many other factors and nothing will ever change this.

If a song and performance are really exceptional then that may overcome the country, but it would have to be really exceptional and that does not occur that often, except in people’s opinions.

But Eurovision is a great occasion and is a means to achieve international recognition, which is always good to have.

https://www.mirror.co.uk/3am/celebrity-news/olly-alexander-breaks-silence-after-32810962?utm_source=mirror_newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Mirror+-+Celebs+Newsletter_newsletter&utm_content=&utm_term=&ruid=ddec2f3b-a42b-4fe8-83fc-abb1006ffff7

Michael Cohen says he used to be ‘knee deep in the cult’ of Trump as he stands firms in fiery cross-examination

As Cohen says he used to be so close to Trump as his convictions point out so his previous closeness is not in question. He previously lied under oath to support Trump but has his convictions show he was not believed.

Now why should he be believed now, well all that Cohen is now saying is proven by his previous convictions and what is already known about Trump some from the own mouth of Trump

Trump is the best witness for the prosecution so Trump’s defense counsel won’t call him to give testimony in his defense as it would strengthen the case for the prosecution.

Trump so likes to talk and mostly you can’t trust what he says for his lying is well known. But in Trump’s eagerness to talk he has many times admitted or nearly admitted the crimes or actions he has been accused of.

Cohen knows Trump inside out and this is what Trump and his defense councel is scared of for they know the intimidation which Trump is well-known for will not work on Cohen. So they have to put the seed of doubt in the minds of the jury that Cohen can never be trusted, but on doing so they will come close or even more that Trump himself can’t be trusted which is what, in many respects is what this case is about.

Has Cohen got any reasons to be lying again, maybe for monetary gain, but the money would be there even if Cohen was not testifying.

Trump’s defence counsel is hoping to convince at least one of the jury that the evidence against Trump is not as strong as it appears so that one or more of the jury will not find Trump as guilty as charged.

If that is the outcome it will not mean that Trump is not guilty just that the evidence was not believed fully by all members of the jury.

If Trump is found guilty as charged then this could very much affect the outcome of the forthcoming American Presidential election and be of Trump again losing to Biden.

Even the trial and others to come, unless Trump becomes President again when he would then try to pardon himself from future prosecutions, could mean Trump could lose the election.

So this trial is more than finding Trump guilty or not, but could influence the outcome of the Presidential election.

In previous court cases involving Trump he has used his assumed mass fortune to intimate those bringing cases against him, but in this instance it is not being brought by individuals but the State and you assume the State can’t be influenced or bought by money.

In some of the cases to come the assumed massed fortune of Trump is part of all of the cases to come, which is why Trump and his defence counsel are doing all they can to delay the future cases coming to trial.

The future existence of Trump is in question in this case and the others to come, if they ever do.

Trump has never been so close to his future termination than now, which is why he and his defence counsel are using every trick they feel they can use and even others they believe they can’t use but that won’t stop them trying anyway, as the stakes are so large.

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/michael-cohen-trump-testimony-cult-b2545159.html?lid=xhcygizvqepi&utm_medium=email&utm_source=braze&utm_campaign=Morning%20Headlines%20Newsletter%2015-05-2024&utm_term=IND_Headlines_Masterlist_CDP

‘Completely regrettable’: Brussels demands answers over ban on EU flags at Eurovision | Euronews

The ban is simple to understand as the EBU has stated that Eurovision is supposed to be non-political and the EU is a political organisation.

Individual countries can also be political hence the ban on Russia and Belarus, but can the same be said of Israel. Perhaps or perhaps not for the war in Gaza can be seen as political in some respects and not in others. Netanyahu is using the invasion of Gaza not only as an act of revenge on Hamas but also to bolster his own political stance.

There are many in Israel who don’t support Netanyahu for different reasons, but the anger against Hamas is there with virtually all Israelis. So being tough on Hamas could gain Netanyahu some political support, but only temporarily. But the eradication of Hamas could be some step to enable Netanyahu to win the next election, but the support would be short lived, but perhaps long enough to win the election. But all that is to some extent internal in Israel, but the IDF actions in killing so many Palestinians could and is to some extent sending a political message internationally.

But it is not Israel but Netanyahu creating the political statement, so in that respect Israel’s flag is not banned. Especially as many in Israel are showing opposition to Netanyahu.

It can be argued that in Russia it is President Vladimir Putin who is creating the war in Ukraine, but there is not seen the political opposition to Putin in Russia. Mainly due to the extreme authoritarian actions of Putin , but no real seen actions so the EBU could argue that Russia and Putin are to blame for the war in Ukraine.

However, purely Netanyahu in Israel for his actions against Palestinians in Gaza. The difference is a fine point but that could well be the EBU arguement about the banning of Russia and Belarus and not Israel.

So the flags of Russia and Belarus can be seen as political as can the EU flag for different reasons, but the flags of individual countries of each participant are not.

It is all a fine point to argue about but at least there is some understanding no matter how fine the points are.

But in effect you can’t separate politics from any event but organisations do their best to do so.

https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2024/05/13/completely-regrettable-brussels-demands-answers-over-ban-on-eu-flags-at-eurovision

UK universities report drop in international students amid visa doubts

Problems and more problems and by endeavouring to try to solve one problem exacerbates others.

Immigration is deemed to be a major problem and one that both government and a sizable section of the public believes is a major problem but is it. The UK is a county mainly created by immigration throughout its history.

Some immigration by invasion of apparent hostile nature, some economic, some required due to necessity and others.

We have been invaded by Normans, Vikings, Romans, Celts, Angles, Saxons, French, Dutch and others, https://listverse.com/2019/03/25/10-times-britain-was-successfully-invaded.

Then those that were invited, West Indians in the 50s with others from Asia, the economic with overseas students, health and care workers, hospitality workers and others and many more.

The culture of the UK has changed many times and made the UK more diverse and in many ways tolerant and more open, but still a very long way to go.

With universities they rely on non-UK students for much of their income and an array of talent to complement that already in the UK.

But to reduce the levels of immigration for political reasons student visas are being somewhat restricted, thereby causing universities to lose some needed income. Some universities may due to this have some survival problems and eventually the UK is suffering more from a lack of resources in many ways.

The right immigration is and always will be good for the UK as to a large degree the UK population is misinformed and perhaps deliberately by the government.

We know not to trust the government, but in many aspects end up doing so for there is no choice or we become more discontent with the government.

In many ways the government will totally deserve being not trusted, but that is never good for the UK.

We have had the wrong governments at the wrong times more often than not, and the UK has suffered accordingly and will continue to do so.

The right mix of immigration needs to occur and for this the attitudes of both the government and the UK population have to change.

Immigration is good and should be seen as such.

https://www.theguardian.com/education/article/2024/may/13/uk-universities-drop-international-students-visa-doubts?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Other

Natalie Elphicke’s anti-strike stance ‘incompatible’ with Labour, says TUC president

Perhaps, the unions should be listened to as the Natalie Elphickep MP defection to Labour is in many respects unbelievable. How can such a right wing MP be so compatible with the Labour Party principles.

What would make more sense is a Tory ploy to infiltrate the Labour Party  by having a Tory plant within Labour.

Some may say that would be farfetched but it happens often in areas of espionage so why not in politics. It would be a new approach but the Tories are currently so dysfunctional they may be using dysfunction as a strength and be placing a Tory into Labour.

Elphicke has already stated she won’t be standing at the next election so won’t have any influence after the next election when a Labour win is almost inevitable. But a rightwing Tory in Labour could be some aspect to bring some dysfunction into Labour, not the heart of Labour but some way in.

It could lead to infighting in Labour to some extent to be a mask to the seen dysfunction within the Tory party. The Tories are desperate and this could be seen as an unexpected act.

We all know that politics is a very dirty game, so,  has it become even dirtier, perhaps so and to some extent so unexpected, especially from a so dysfunctional Tory party.

All is possible in today’s climate.

Has Sir Kier Starmer MP been wrong footed by a dysfunctional Tory Party maybe or maybe not.

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/article/2024/may/12/natalie-elphicke-anti-strike-stance-incompatible-with-labour-tuc-boss?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Other

Kier Starmer should listen to Robert Jendrick

Easier said than done for who in government listens to anyone certainly not those who know more than them

Then who is to say that those who know more actually do know more is it the right know more.

The NHS is quoted as being an area which has been subjected to much change, but again it is debatable if it was the right change at the wrong time or the right time but the wrong change or any variations and whether sufficient finance was made available and many other aspects.

Yes, the Home Office is too large with cumbersome processes and are those who will need to manage change onboard with the need for change, if not, would they create barriers to hinder change.

In fact, are they creating barriers to delay processes to manage the delays already within the Home Office. As the ones needed to manage the current processes would be the same who would manage change.

Can you trust Civil Servants as I’m the days of the TV programmes Yes Minister and Yes Prime Minister it was clear you couldn’t. But they were TV programmes for entertainment so they couldn’t be true to life could they.

Currently with immigration it is believed there is too much and not just illegal immigration, but legal immigration, but is that true . For with an insufficiency of a required workforce is not more immigration required, but the required immigration.

If more legal routes were available and the assessment process was done before immigrants came over to the UK the process would be better.

But it is not just immigration but all areas of the Home Office for are any areas working efficiently and effectively.

I believe the Home Office systems need a drastic overall. Ideally scrap what  there is and change them for the better, but for goodness sake don’t rely on Fujitsu as we only need to look at the Post Office to know that.

Jendrick may know change is required but that is different to knowing if it is the right change or changes.

https://inews.co.uk/opinion/keir-starmer-should-listen-to-robert-jenrick-3050649?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Sunday_Opinion%202024-05-12&utm_term=editorial_opinion_active_users

Revealed: people with cancer, arthritis and amputations among 40% denied disability benefits

This is far from surprising as the government no matter what they say has no wish to pay disability benefits so make it as difficult as possible to claim. They say they do this to restrict fraud claims, but that is not so as those who generally commit fraud know what they are doing and are very experienced in claiming which the general claimant is not.

The government in their actions are penalising genuine claimants and not the experienced claimants who commit fraud on a large scale.

The process is there not to help claimants but to catch them out by requesting similar information in numerous ways.

Many genuine claimants are inexperienced in claiming and so find the forms confusing especially when requesting the same information in different ways.

Many claimants won’t fully answer each individual question but state,  please see the answer to the other question or questions.

You need to understand fully what is being asked and that is what you can’t do, why and when for how long and the degree of pain and discomfort and much more.

We see this with Paralympians who are pleased with what they can achieve and not what they can’t.

It may take them a considerable time to achieve while in considerable and constant pain, when in effect this means they are not effectively achieving but feel they are.

It also doesn’t relate to having good and bad days or parts of days, for on a good day more could be achieved while on a bad day perhaps nothing would be achieved. But because they are pleased to have achieved eventually they fail to state the barriers they need to overcome and how often they can’t overcome them.

For example can you walk 20 metres well many would be able to do so eventually but it could take them hours not minutes or seconds and be in constant unbearable pain. Then when they have done they have to have considerable rest to recover. That is not achieving the task, especially if the next day they can’t do anything as they are exhausted from the previous day.

All is relevant but most likely never mentioned by the genuine claimants, this is why on appeal the claims are usually granted. Each appeal increases costs, so on a cost analyst it would be cheaper to grant the original claim rather than pay the costs related to an appeal and then have to pay the claim often backdated to when the original claim was made.

It is a system which is illogical as it is a system to not allow claims rather than allow claims in which the latter would be cheaper and therefore reduce costs.

This is similar with motability vehicles where to achieve a motability vehicle is required, but when achieved the government on reassessment believes the disability benefit is no longer required, especially if there is an income restriction. But not having the benefit then disqualifies having the motability vehicle so it has to be  returned. When done do the claimant is unable to do what having the motability vehicle allowed them to do. In which case the claimant now can’t achieve so has to start eventually to restart to claim by starting the process again, thus more avoidable costs involved. If the benefit hadn’t been stopped another claim wouldn’t have been required so the additional costs of having to claim again wouldn’t have been incurred, so further increasing costs.

Governments never consider long-term actions only short-term, hence a more costly process and much more pain and discomfort to the claimant. It could mean that the extent of and degree of the disabilities could be much worse and in this a higher claim may need to be awarded.

A benefit system should be there to help people who may need benefits and not hinder them as hindering can and more likely does increase costs in many ways in the long-term. But in the long-term it may be another government and therefore the original government won’t be bothered as they are no longer there.

That, is not a good government but it is a very bad government and bad governments we have had plenty of over the years.

Perhaps it is government policy to increase the death rate and in doing so save on some welfare costs, would they, you can bet they would.

https://www.theguardian.com/society/article/2024/may/12/claims-conditions-personal-independence-payments-disability-benefits-cancer-arthritis-amputees?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Other

Israel’s Eurovision entry takes 5th place and 12 points from UK

Eurovision is and is supposed to be entertainment and a music competition in which there is no room for politics.

It should be but politics these days such a large part in life and so effectively is part of life in all aspects. To say an event should be politics free is unrealistic, when it should not be.

It is one thing to say Eurovision is none political, but these days it is impossible to be.

It should be solely on the entertainment value and musical content which was and still should be Eurovision. However, it is clear for years that there has always been a political element with which countries are included and those not. The political element of the respective entries and voting.

Music has for years been political and been part of life.  In many aspects life includes politics, especially in these days when there is a range of news covered and more easily covered, so people are more easily able to become more politically influenced.  To deny this is not facing reality and life is reality in all its facets, rightly or wrongly. To believe or assume otherwise is akin to ‘King Canute’ and masking reality.

Music for years has been a voice of protest as in many respects it is a media of youth and other age ranges, of Society and life in general. It is also a means to enact change for it is a ready process available to the masses in which other forms of media are not so readily inclusive or open to be inclusive. The ‘protest’ songs are not only songs of old, but of the present and maybe the future.

For Eurovision to not respect and understand this is a failure although most likely done with the best of intentions, but in reality flying in the face of life. Whether we like it or not political influence is in every one of us to varying degrees.

Eurovision banned Russia and Belarus for politics to be not included, but by not being included it was politically influenced as it would have been if included. This is because whatever what is hoped for others will bring in politics and the organisers are also by deciding who can be included or not.

This is the eligibility rules for Eurovision inclusion

“Participation in the contest is primarily open to all broadcasters with active EBU membership. To become an active member of the EBU, a broadcaster has to be from a country which is covered by the European Broadcasting Area or a member state of the Council of Europe.”
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_in_the_Eurovision_Song_Contest#:~:text=Participation%20in%20the%20contest%20is,of%20the%20Council%20of%20Europe. 

So to believe it is only open to countries geographically in Europe is wrong as with the internet could not the EBA coverage be Worldwide.

So the not being political is incorrect no matter the wish to be nonpolitical.

Events in the world matter as policies of isolation are being unrealistic as any major events are bound to affect all countries eventually no matter whether the countries wish it to or not.

But it is generally not the countries to be blamed for how they are seen to be,  but the leaders of countries. So to ban some countries and not others is not how it should be and a more equal ruling needs to be applied.

To some extent it is not fully what the leaders of countries are doing but how it is perceived by other countries so perceived opinions are a factor. So if x country is allowed to enter would this stop a to z countries from entering.

This means it is not just politics but to a large extent financial and commercial factors. Any event is costly to arrange and plan and all the costs should be more than covered by income received and the large part of the income is from advertising, distribution and viewing rights. To make a loss would mean future events would not be viable and the future is as important as the current, with the past used as a guide.

It is about opinions and views but more importantly money for without money nothing is possible.

Don’t we all know that with all the high inflation factors which have been around for a few years and will continue to be in some ways well into the future.

Life is far from free as we all know within our costs incurred in our means to live.

So it would be ideal for Eurovision to be nonpolitical but in reality it is impossible and Eurovision needs to be more honest and realistic.

Not just Eurovision but everyone of us.

Years ago we could hide ourselves away but no longer for life is life and we all live it to varying degrees.

https://www.thejc.com/news/world/israels-eurovision-entry-takes-5th-place-and-12-points-from-the-uk-wp3g1lve?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Daily%20Email%2005112024&utm_content=Daily%20Email%2005112024+CID_4fd6e5ef4654e9196ed7e2cd04c392c0&utm_source=Email%20marketing%20software&utm_term=Israels%20Eurovision%20entry%20takes%205th%20place%20and%2012%20points%20from%20the%20UK

The Netherlands’ Joost Klein is kicked out of Eurovision, but the Dutch can still vote | Euronews

So much intrigue in the Eurovision event this year and before a vote has been cast.

The Netherlands entry Joost Klein has been kicked out of the contest pending an investigation.

Should the investigation not prove any guilt how and what would be the compensation to the Netherlands and Joost Klein.

Or is it assumed guilty until proven innocent in Eurovision. Surely to provide equality should the Eurovision event be postponed until the investigation has been concluded.

https://www.euronews.com/culture/2024/05/11/the-netherlands-joost-klein-is-kicked-out-of-eurovision