2nd birthday blog message

​Yesterday I have completed my birthday message.

I thought I want to share this to you my blog readers. This is second time that I am doing so. I wrote my my first blog message on my birthday at the time when I celebrated 6 months of my blog that it was launched in November 2020. 

It says in the following.

Hi everybody 

Hope you are well. 

27 years of age as today is my birthday. 

This year’s birthday is the important birthday. Two years of the covid pandemic, normality have been restored as vaccines were distributed globally including here in the UK (although please bear in mind that the pandemic is not over). In the previous year I received three doses of the covid Pfizer vaccine. Both doses in the summer & one booster dose in the winter leading up to the Christmas celebrations. Now the fallout of the pandemic is rising inflation & high cost of living which I will not talk anything about it.

Also this week is the Platinum Jubilee bank holiday celebrations for the Queen so today’s date (30th May) is the start of the week. With that, it is both celebrations for myself & the Queen. Not that I want to be member of the Royal Family or anything. 😀🎂😅👑💂‍♀️

And recently in the weekend, I went on the Elizabeth Line (Crossrail) from Paddington to Abbey Wood. Many years of delay & original scheduled dates, it was so overdue given it is the biggest construction project in Europe. Now it will contribute to the UK economy. 

So thank you for everybody for wishing me a happy birthday so far. Keep on wishing me a great one (in case if you haven’t wished me a “happy birthday” yet). Thanks and god bless you all.

Time to adopt UBI

​Have you heard of UBI (universal basic income)? 

It is form of welfare & social security & that it is not means tested & that everyone can get the money unconditionally from the government regardless if person is in job or not. Wealthy or not.

Some people do get The UBI (universal basic income) from birth to death. 

There are pros & cons about UBI. 

Pros - good thing 

Those who supported UBI believe it can solve the problems of inequality & poverty. 

Cons - bad thing 

Those who are against UBI reckons that someone could make unwise spending decision (like buying alcohol) & creating inflation.

Many famous people, politicians & public figures who endorsed the idea of universal basic income: MLK (Martin Luther King Jr), Danny DeVito, Nelson Mandela, Richard Nixon, Albert Einstein, Mark Zuckerberg, Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, John McDonnell, Andrew Yang, Bill Gates, Tim Berners Lee, Ed Miliband, Elon Musk, Richard Benson, Barack Obama. The list goes on. 

Businesses like Facebook & economists backed the idea for UBI. 

Although it's new to us but it is actually idea from 17th century.

So what is my opinion on UBI? Well here what I really feel about Universal Basic Income.

I think we really got to realise that sooner or later, robots will take over our jobs everywhere in the world and that it will mean job losses. Right now at this moment as we are currently dealing with inflation, supply chain crisis & rising cost of living which are the fallouts of the Covid pandemic which we had gone through for the last two years and that normality has been resumed. It is that we are experiencing inflation & the possibility of financial recession. 

Now I cannot speak for the world but here in the UK, 12 years of austerity plus the effects of Brexit have really hit us hard financially with bills rising & yet the government & PM Boris Johnson are so caught up in the partygate scandal due to the fact they really mishandled the covid situation & that they partied while the rest of us had to obey the strict lockdown rules. Plus a year ago I talked about the the messed up benefit system in the UK that relates to cuts to welfare, sanctions on benefit claimants who do suffer the most & the appalling altitude of the DWP (government department who is responsible for social security affairs in the United Kingdom) and food banks on the rise since 2010

You know what I really think about it? The government is not taking care of us the British people in Britain. Imagine if we got UBI then everyone will have a money to survive & that it can eliminate poverty, inequality & even homelessness. It can create entrepreneurship. With UBI, it can create a social and economic value rather than the current welfare system whether here in the UK or anywhere in the world. My friend of mine who is from Czech Republic told me that neighbouring EU country Germany takes of citizens. Meaning the welfare system there is better than the UK

I even said previous in my blog post that remote working is here to stay due to the wide popularity during the coronavirus pandemic where people were zooming in for anything including business meetings & it is still the case to this day even if Covid is under control & normality is already restored. When robots does take over, expect many people to continue doing remote working outside the offices because I know it will not go away. Working from home. 

So that is why I firmly believe eventually, UBI will be adopted globally & it will be accepted in our societies. 

Barnet is now Labour

​Last few weeks, I recall talking about the local elections in the UK. Local council elections that were held in England, Scotland and Wales. Also the Stormont election in Northern Ireland & local council elections in Greater London. 

I talked about only one London Borough that was going through the wind of the change & that is London Borough of Barnet.

Last week’s election in Barnet was an referendum on Capita not just the Barnet Conservatives. I did say watch this space & that confirmed what I was saying in my previous blog post. The Tories didn’t had a good local council election results in Britain. England, Wales and Scotland. Lost many councillors all because of the partygate scandal & the unpopularity of Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

So I am happy to say as Barnet resident, I am glad that the Tories are no longer in charge of Barnet. Barnet is now Labour. 🌹

I knew the days were near for the Barnet Tories given Barnet have been Conservative for very long time. 20 years of Conservative control. No other political party have governed Barnet rather than the Conservatives since it’s creation in 1964 except only one time when it was NOC under Labour and Liberal Democrat between 1994 and 2002. 

Now I can relax easily especially after my experience with Capita 6 years ago when it was under Conservative administration regarding the 2016 freedom pass fiasco. Since Barnet Tories have lost Barnet to Labour, I have been singing the song last week. It goes like this. It’s famous song that has been used in sports. Na Na Na Na, Na Na Na Na, Hey Hey Hey, Goodbye. A song for Capita 😅🎵🎶 https://youtu.be/jsaTElBljOE 

Now my friend Roger of the Barnet Eye blog (who was running for the Barnet council seat in Mill Hill as Lib Dem candidate) released a song couple of years ago called Kick Out Capita Now it’s time that Capita’s desk is to be cleared out. 

And lastly, Broken Barnet blogger known as “Mrs  Angry” had written blog post prior to last week’s council election in Barnet & I believed her blog post was the comprehensive blog post that I ever came across regarding the local politics in Barnet. Read more about her blog post For the past two local elections, I took part of exercising my democratic duty to vote in 2014 and 2018 local elections. The third one (last week’s election) which I took part was life changing & history making election. This is something that everybody will remember it for many years to come. After all, the victory of 2022 local election in Barnet was everyone who are residents in Barnet including myself. 

Save the date: Crossrail to be launched on 24th May

​Couple of months ago I first talked about Crossrail here on blog post February this year

Now three months later, the exciting news finally with the date that can be on Tuesday 24th May 2022. The launch date of the Elizabeth Line. Currently it serves as TFL Rail. I am excited and hopefully I will go on the ride with Elizabeth Line purple train soon

However what you need to know before the opening date later this month is that it will be three separate lines of Elizabeth Line. From London Liverpool Street Station to Shenfield. From Paddington to two destinations: Heathrow and Reading and Paddington to Abbey Wood. 

Here is the map. 

And here would be the map from next year. 

So yeah. Save the date by writing it on your calendar and diary. Especially if you are train lover like myself. All aboard. Elizabeth Line known as Crossrail. 🚄🚆🙂😀

Brexit & blue passport

​It is nearly 6 years since the 2016 referendum which had shocked the world with the UK voted for Brexit. So let’s talk about the blue passport & why there is the selfish hypocrisy from Brexiteers who claimed they don’t like the European Union but claims EU passports? 

What is it with Brexiteers? They are the ones strongly despises the European Union & yet hold passports of the EU27. Example: Boris Johnson’s dad (Stanley) holds French passport and Nigel Farage holds German passport. Check two sources below.

https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/nigel-farage-children-german-passports-brexit-eu-citizens-free-movement-a8311691.html%3famp https://www.euronews.com/2020/03/22/boris-johnson-s-father-to-apply-for-french-citizenship

Now that is really and truly Brexit shambles. The real reality of Brexit. 

No wonder all these years since the referendum, they (leavers) have consistently been talking about blue passports (the British/UK passport now current without the title “European Union” despite the colour itself is not really blue. It’s black) non stop. Plus I have been saying for years that it doesn’t matter if the colour of the passport is red (burgundy), blue, black or any colour. As long it gives citizens the opportunity to travel to any country in the world freely without requiring for an visa.

I really hated the argument of the colour of the British passport especially that was used during & after the 2016 Brexit referendum. So yeah. Brexiteers got what they want. Return of the blue passport (& yet some of them applies for passport of EU27 which it is hypocrisy).

2022 Barnet Council election: Referendum on Capita

​This Thursday, local elections are taking place across the UK. 

This election scheduled for 5th May 2022 is very important one. This will be my third time of participating at local council election in London Borough of Barnet. 

Some of you may know this if you do happen to live here in Barnet that the Barnet council election is an referendum on Capita. In November last year I wrote a blog post whether is indeed the end of Capita in Barnet or should I say Crapita.

So for that, I will give my vote to any candidates that are not Conservatives. 

My vote will go to my friend who is Barnet Eye blogger and currently running for Liberal Democrat candidate. Roger Tichborne. 

Recently I messaged him to say that I’ll vote for him again like I did in 2018. This is my message to him in the following.

4 years ago when you did interviewed me for my story about the 2016 freedom pass story while you were running for the seat in Barnet Council, I have been always wanting to return the favour by either we could do a song together or that I could interview you, etc. That could be anything good for me to return the favour as I always thanked you for publishing it on your blog 6 years ago. 

Because of that, I gave my vote to you and your fellow candidates (Richard & Donna). 

Now I will return the favour again and you are going to get my vote for second time Roger. 😀🙂regardless whether you’ll win or not win. 

Despite we have something in common regarding politics and different parties as I am Labour voter 🌹(in all elections except 2018 council election when I voted for you, Donna & Richard) & you are Lib Dem member & voter. 🟨 Nowadays it’s not much important whether the voter is Labour, Lib Dem or Green or any party (even Tory despite I am no fan of them) & I don’t see Labour vs Tory vs Green vs Lib Dem, etc. 

This year’s council election is the “May the best candidates  win” election so yeah. I am going to vote for you again like 4 years ago. Good luck to you my friend, Richard & Donna. 😀🙂

I could vote for them again (Donna & Richard or one of two). 

Also the election is an referendum on Barnet Tories’s partnership with private outsourcing firm Capita & themselves.  So it is us Barnet residents against Capita regardless of what political party we voted for. Except i know for sure I won’t give my vote to them. 😀🙂

Read more on my experience with Capita relating to the 2016 Barnet freedom pass scandal & read my friend’s blog post that was published last month about how it did happened in Barnet 6 years ago.

Also Roger if you are reading this, I would like to thank you for mentioning me on your other blog post last month I believe you’ll make a difference if you are elected councillor. Just as you are making a difference on your blog. Thank you my friend. 

And now I have made up my mind that I will also give my vote to Richard Logue & Donna Pickup.

Mill Hill ward. My votes will go to both you Richard & Donna.

I have already made up my mind that originally I was going to vote Labour (at least two candidates that includes Roger’s niece) and that I changed my mind. So I will vote the same way like I did in 2018. Giving a vote to Donna & Richard. 🗳 Imagine if Labour had won Mill Hill Council ward then it would had been possible for me to give my vote to them giving mostly particularly on general elections, my vote is always Labour but when it comes to local council election, it’ll be Liberal Democrat. That’s not to say I done voting & supporting Labour completely. It is that I have to think realistically of who could win the ward that I live in (Mill Hill) and because of that, I concluded that although I am not Lib Dem voter or supporter, I’ll give my vote to them for a second time. Look up at 1994 Barnet council election. Lib Dems won three seats in Mill Hill. It is possible that they could win again. We’ll find out on the day after Election Day (Friday 6th May 2022). 

And lastly, I would want to see Labour winning this year’s council election because it is pretty clear due to the recent news headlines & the partygate scandal, I know in my opinion it is going to be awful election results for the Tories. & if that does happen then it is going to be matter of time before Boris Johnson is no longer the Prime Minister & the Conservative leader. Just watch this space. After all he is the worst PM ever ever in the UK. 

Brexit lie: Turkey joining the EU

​Remember this. This looks familiar. 

Everyone knew that was nothing but a shocking deceit that was used by the Vote Leave campaign in 2016. One of the prominent politicians who was part of the campaign was Boris Johnson (now Prime Minister of the UK). 

Shortly after the referendum results when the UK narrowly voted to leave the European Union, Boris Johnson (then the British Foreign Secretary) contradicted by reportedly saying in September 2016 that that he wants Turkey to join the EU I knew at the time that it was a shocking hypocrisy. Before the Brexit vote, Boris said lies about Turkey joining the EU. Now he wanted Turkey to join the EU. However that’s not all. Long before he became Eurosceptic & pro Brexit (& became the PM to took the UK out of the EU), He talked about why he wants Turkey to become EU member And even Dominic Cummings. The man behind the Vote Leave campaign made a smirk when being confronted about the misleading claim Read more about that

Everyone before and after the 2016 Brexit vote have been face checking the claims about Turkey’s bid to become an EU member state. 

Boris Johnson has been called out many times before about the lies he told during the Brexit campaign 

This was nothing but a scaremongering. Scaremongering to the extent that ordinary voters had been duped into really believing that if we had remained in the EU, Turkey would eventually become an member. 

Let’s remember for the fact that Turkey is in the Customs Union with the EU but when it comes to the idea of the EU membership, that is out of the question. Yes, Turkey is geographically part of Europe. It is also part of Asia in the Middle East. That’s how it is a transcontinental country. Even if is really going to be the case, the probability of that is impossible. In my opinion, I wouldn’t support Turkey in the European Union because it would mean that the EU could border with Turkey’s neighbouring countries like Iran, Iraq  and Syria who are Middle Eastern nations who aren’t geographically located in the European continent. The only countries that Turkey borders with who are Greece and Bulgaria: Two EU member states. 

In addition, regarding Turkey’s accession to the EU which you can read more on Wikipedia page and Turkey - EU relations & accession it is not happening and it will never happen any time soon. 

Why? Well because of the main reasons. Democratic backsliding (because of Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan being autocratic dictator), human rights law violations and deficits in rule of law. July 2016 coup in Turkey is the example of it. Basically not Turkish delight. 

So next time when you hear about Turkey’s prospect of joining the European Union, don’t believe it a word from media outlets who would falsely inform you even if it is true. Especially govt officials in Brussels (the EU) & Ankara (Turkey) doesn’t see the prospect happening anytime soon regardless of the fact the opinion polls shows support for the the Turkish EU membership

So my advice is be aware of any falsehoods from Brexiteers, Conservatives or any media outlets believing that Turkey wanting to become the EU member state. It’s almost if they wanted Turkey in the EU including Boris Johnson who happens to have Turkish roots by creating a panic which they had succeed in 2016 and now the UK is not EU member state anymore all thanks to these fearmongering morons.