Time for Change: Campaign for an Independent Green Thanet MP and Ramsgate Mayor

Clearly night flights at Manston is a very silly policy by one or two of our councillors and civil servants. Especially given their repeated 106 breaches. Equally silly are weekend overflights and the “loop” training flights for untrained pilots. With the highest lung cancer rate in Kent and the runway built on the drinking water, and air pollution drifting over the population of over 130,000 it’s very silly and very dangerous. Thank goodness the proposals are being double-checked. But what if there’s a crash? Scooping up the wet bits with a shovel and binbag? An apology? The new TDC cleaner, greener and safer strategy makes far more sense. Certainly in improving the inward-facing council itself. Reports, Policies, Payroll, Presentations, Meetings open and available. Maybe the old-style Party Machine has failed and a mix of Independents and Progressive Labour, Tory etc Parties are required. And more should be done. Regeneration has collapsed following ManstonGate, ChinaGate, SFP Pleasu...

Last time I looked Thanet’s and Kent Police (and Sussex and the Met) were paid from public funds. From, memory I thin it’s about 5% of council tax. Plus national tax. One of the strengths of the British Police is that they’re not a State force but of the people and for the people. We seem to have a culture of ”public sector partnerships” though. I don’t recall the council or fire brigade or anyone else having a partnership with the police. Only the public have a partnership with the police. And the Police serve the public. Uphold law and order. Without fear or favour. If someone’s stolen noise monitors or stolen or misused public funds or any other public sector crime then the Police should investigate. MP’s go to jail. Councillors go to jail. Civil servants go to jail. Councils approve public expenditure from Cabinet policies. And Committee polices and scrutiny oversight. Against manifestos. Against policies. Against the law. And ultimately public approval. 0% salary increases that a...

While the politicians bicker and rake over the ashes of their policies, the civil servants are slowly getting to grips with the dead of Thanet. The highest lung cancer rate in Kent. The most polluted water in the South East. Massive pollution scandals such as Infratil and Thor mercury. And now the beginnings of a policy from TDC: NI 120 The all-age all cause mortality rate 1,650 (estimate) TBA * TBA* TBA Of course this figure is “made-up” rather than estimated as it doesn’t contain any reference to NHS data or coroners reports. Looks too low to me. Yet in Thanet we die 11 years earlier from the usual Kent death rate of 81 years: a 14% shortfall. Even upwards of 30% given that only 4% of UK deaths are before the age of 45. So it’s clear that for the last 5 years and longer absolutely nothing has been done to reverse the death rate. And in fact policies such as removing noise and air monitors, expanding the airport and sitting on their hands have actually increased the death rate. A deat...

The current 106 is clear: no night flights between 11pm and 7am – the option to allow for KCC’s USA flights from 6am was dropped after KCC stopped supporting the airport. The 106 also states that fines are incurred for noise. And other breaches of the 106: overflights, training flights etc. Infratil even changed the training flights guidelines themselves. Infratil confirm with TDC that these could incur upto £4M per year. Givne Infratil and TDC removed the nosie and air monitors then all flights are in breach of the 106. Which of the Gang of Four approved that? From 2006. If the option for £4M of fines for the public’s Community Fund has been waived then who has done that? Which council meeting? Which Cabinet meeting? Which Airport Committee meeting? Where are the minutes and costings? Sounds to me as if Infratil and young Matt are talking up reasons for their failure at Manston. The lad's achieved nothing at Manston: simply every breach of safety possible: with an EU investigation...

How silly. Trying to extend the night flight times by 90 minutes. And also trying to introduce the possibility of scheduled night flights and waiving any night flight fines. The current 106 is clear: no night flights between 11pm and 7am – the option to allow for KCC’s USA flights from 6am was dropped. The 106 also states that fines are incurred for noise. If the option for £4M of fines for the public’s Community Fund has been waived then who has done that? We need to invoice TDC and Infratil the missing funds. Will the CAA draft the invoice? Which council meeting waived these funds? Which Cabinet meeting? Which Airport Committee meeting? Where are the minutes and costings? The 106 also restricts the Loop training flights – but Infratil have waived that restriction themselves. Who at TDC allowed that? Which Council meeting? Which Cabinet meeting? Which Airpot Committee? The 106 requires noise and air monitoring – but TDC and Infratil removed the noise and air monitors? From 2006. So wh...

Improvements begin with the next generation. Thanet as one of the most corrupt, polluted and incompetent regions of Kent – as recognised by the government itself- requires a higher standard in education on governance, environment and history. As MP I will support improvements to the “Thanet Standard” of school and college curriculum with 30 minute lessons on: # Health problems: lung cancer etc – as a one of the highest rates of lung cancer in Kent and an early death rate of 11 years from the rest of Kent more needs to be done: publishing coroners reports by postcode, highlighting cancer in the environment eg the missing contaminated land/pollution register, EA updates on “how not to pollute the water supply” # Good governance: production of 35 years of failure: recording the decline of the pre-eminent seaside towns in the UK through a mix of political and policy failure # Excellent governance: producing copies of every schoolchild of Tom Paine of Margate and Sandwich’s pamphlet on US d...

What are they doing? TDC’s Brian and Richard of the Gang of Four and Pleasurama. A fireball and hole in the ground for 10 years. And now tax haven companies from the Caribbean to the Continent. It seems the Pleasurama Directors are now listed as “c/o SBP Banque, Geneva, Switzerland”. And Essex. There seems two references to SBP: one with a slightly different address as affiliated to Lehman Bros bank. Which went bust-in-billions last year. The other with the SBP Banque CEO and Trading Director resigning last month and several irregularities with the Swiss Banking authorities. There may well be another SBP based in Geneva but they look to be one and the same. And they’re handling the largest property development in Ramsgate? With Brian and Richard? And the same or similar SFP Ventures was also listed in the British Virgin Islands and then the UK and now Geneva? And Essex? And “SFP Ventures” standing for “Site of Former Pleasurama Ventures” it looks like little more than a brass-plate com...

What have the Gang of Four been up to? Not happy with the Pleasurama SFP Ventures being a British Virgin Island tax haven company it then quickly became a UK company. And now the Director's information have been released. But one of them's registered at a Swiss Bank. "SFP is a commercial entity unrelated to the Council, however, in the course of doing business with this organisation the Council has obtained this information, and I therefore see no reason that this information can not be shared with you. Brian White informs me that the Directors of SFP are as follows:- 1. Miss Jennifer Wood, The Coach House, Churchfield Road, Stutton, Ipswich, IP9 2SD 2. Mr. Shaun Patrick Keegan, c/o SBP Banque, 3 Rue Fredg Maurice, CH1211, Geneva, Switzerland. 3. Mr. Robert John Murrill, 10 Clarendon Road, Pitsea, Essex, SS13 2BL." What next for Messrs White and Samuel? Registering the council with the Bank of Nigeria? What a mess. They simply don't know how to do i...

Infratil limps along into infamy. Next week marks 4 years since they took over Manston. 4 years prior to that Planestation/Wiggins took over Manston and collapsed in a multi-million accounting fraud. Stranding 30,000 Kent citizens abroad. EUJet lasted for 4 months before collapsing (actually about 6 weeks before being quickly taken over by Planestation) - the CEO now operates a similar flight service form the Isle of Man tax haven. After suggestions at the time that both Eire where they operated form, Kent and now the Isle of Man are somehow beyond the jurisdiction of ther EU. The chap was hyped by TDC and KCC as the former Chief Executive of Ryanair - and indeed he was. When Ryanair went bust - and had to be sorted out by Michael O'Leary the successful CEO of Ryanair. And Infratil. No passenger flights. Every passenger service from Manston has collapsed. Only the RAF-subsidised flights lasted for any period of time in the 1960's and 1970's. Stops the public complaining abo...

I don't think you could get a better example of an area collapsing. Nor a clearer case of "death by council". Highest lung cancer rate. Most polluted water in South East: EA says it is, Southern Water says it's not. Neither of thenm can confirm the toxin reports at Thor or Infratil. We can guess. Mercury factory banned in Kent and Africa - but still operating in Margate. Toxic dust to "strip paint off cars" from the derelict Richboro power station An early death rate on a par with Iraq or Kazakhstan Worst adult literacy in Kent Highest unemployment in Kent and now the highest-ever youth unemployment: only SuperDole jobs Yet not one councillor opr civil servant or MP has spoken publicly or in council meetings on these points. Glad to see Government by Government for Government is the Kent way. Here's some thoughts for improvements. # suspend cargo flights at Manston to protect the water: there’s only one or two a day. What if there’s a crash now? # instig...

Clearly TDC are changing in terms of the new plans and the Water Protection Zone around Manston. Yet the EA certainly seem to be dragging their heels on clean-up at Thor, Richboro and Manston and Sericol. The early death rate in Thanet: for 69 years not 80 years isn’t very scientific as an overview but is staggeringly high. A death rate similar to Iraq or Kazakhstan. In Kent. And with such a small and defined population. Cleary there’ll be early deaths from some of the East Kent coalmines. Maybe even a skew for care home residents. A little bit for smoking etc. But lots of seaside towns have care homes. Lots of deprived areas smoke a little more. An ex-RAF base slated for international airport expansion with cargo planes at rooftop height over the towns is of course far more likely to affect the health of everybody within a 20 or 30 mile radius. Maybe even further with strong coastal winds to spread the air pollution around. Throw in the most polluted drinking water in the South East. ...

And the people of Ramsgate, Herne Bay, Broadstairs, Deal, Canterbury, Wye, Dover, several villages and the water supply from each flight by Infratil at Manston. A report on the effects of aviation fuel - especially at low level - on the population: worth remembering that Thanet has a - specialist - cancer hospital and an 11 year early death rate. You die at 69 in Thanet but 80 in the rest of Kent: The American Cancer Society predicts that in the US, one out of every two men and one out of every three women will eventually be diagnosed with cancer. In July, the New England Journal of Medicine reported that environmental factors - mainly radiation and chemical pollution - are roughly twice as likely as genetic factors to contribute to cancer cases. Aviation is responsible for emissions of nitrogen oxide, hydrocarbons, sulfur dioxide, naphthalene, benzene (a known carcinogen), formaldehyde (a suspected carcinogen), and dust particles that harm human health and contribute to global warmin...

Chairman Jim Braithwaite ousted. The toll of taxi fares and lack of regeneration beyond funding warehouses has taken its toll. The nail in the coffin – UN Poverty Agency funding for a Kent’s international airport at Manston. Even an EU investigation into Infratil. Manston airport built on the drinking water, opposite Ostend cargo airport and only by the removal of noise and air monitors. With the highest lung cancer rates in Kent and the most polluted drinking water. Disastrous. And then stealing UN money destined for the poor of Bangladesh or China or India. For scum like Infratil and scoundrels like the Gang of Four and sub-quangos like EKO. But where now for SEEDA? Where now for KCC and TDC? Never a mention of improving the lung cancer rate or drinking water in Cabinet meetings or Council sessions. Nothing. Yet SEEDA has over £400M in budget and the new Conservative government threatening abolition of quangos? TDC has £1M in SEEDA quango funds. The usual public statements highly inf...

Certainly looks like it. Unless you’re the Gang of Four, or a civil servant brown-noser’s or a councillor-cheerleader. At last we have - let’s hope - a ferry to replace the Sally Line of 1998. Why the 10 year delay? It hasn’t even been in the TDC Forward Plan. Yet another knee-jerk reaction with an election coming up and the collapse of Infratil, Grupo Antolin, EUJet etc. Every Thanet regeneration project has collapsed almost immediately. Largely because they’re stupid ideas. A failed cargo airport - built on the drinking water. The noise and air monitors removed so it appears the public isn’t being endangered. Derelict town centres – that were vibrant. Switching budgets between the 3 towns and selling off museums. Minimum wage multiple shops and traffic congestion for Westwood Cross as part of the failed 4th Town Centre glory project. Rampant new build housing – with 3,000 empty properties. More than the number of council houses managed by TDC. The mystery Directors of tax haven Plea...

These are known as the “Public Right to Know” acts effective from 2005. Basically FOI is the UK version of the EU’s EIR. Both provide the right of the public to access: see and hold all public information. FOI has some exemptions. But the EIR has far fewer if any. And crucially EIR requires a “Public Interest Test” to justify any exemption sought. Clearly it’s pretty impossible to justify it being in the public interest not to provide public-funded information to the public. At a local government level I can think of no information that could be withheld: civil servant payroll, coroners reports, Police staffing and payroll costs, NHS etc etc. Councillor wages are made public as are MP costs and quite right too. Even MI5 has to disclose its expenses and costs. The only areas that aren’t routinely made public are civil servants costs: salaries, pensions, cars, expenses, allowances. And MEP’s. And council and Government department investments, bank accounts and reserves. Why? Any half-dec...

The highest lung cancer rate in Kent is around Thanet. Such a small area. Such a massive skew in cancers. And an 11 year early death rate compared to the rest of Kent. Yet we have a cargo airport on the drinking water and tipping pollution into Pegwell Bay. A mercury factory. A car recycling plant. A new waste facility. And Richboro power station derelict for years: this link details the final uses of a bitumen oil called “orimulsion” which was noted to “strip the paint off cars” from the “toxic dust”. http://www.secure.dover.gov.uk/planning_online/acollate_docs/76361_2.pdf This link details the latest plan for Richboro (purchased buy a new owner in 2000) and a letter form KCC highways dated April 2007) which seems to be suggesting upto 200 lorries and cars to use the site as another waste processing facility. http://www.abandoned-britain.com/PP/richborough/1.htm Is this “sticking all the cr#p by the coast” which is as far away from Maidstone as can be, and which becomes a self-fulfill...

EA and TDC aviation fuel into Pegwell Bay. Sewage from Tivoli Brook into Margate seafront. Low-level flights over the towns. A cargo airport by stealth built on the drinking water supply. Planning permission for a passenger terminal but cargo sheds built. ChinaGate warehouses built on the drinking water supply. A Thor mercury factory with water pollution spreading beyond the factory and rolling downhill into Margate. The EA attempting to refuse to provide under EIR: toxin reports, internal memos, emails, sampling reports etc. Thor mercury were banned in Africa. The worst drinking water in Kent. The highest lung cancer rate in Kent. Thor mercury and Infratil’s 747 Jumbo Jets don’t discharge candy floss into the water supply do they? Here’s extracts from 2 reports on Thor: Prior to Thor Chemicals� move to South Africa in 1988, a mercury plant was operated, beginning in the mid 70s, at Margate, Kent, England.� During the 1980s, concerns were first raised by the Health and Safety Executive...