Site for mosque may be seized
Tuesday 27th October 2009, 11:13AM GMT.
Plans for an £18 million mosque in Dudley look dashed, with the council poised to act on its threat to seize back the proposed site.
Dudley Council is expected to give interim director of law, property and human resources Philip Tart the task of securing the return of land in Hall Street which Dudley Muslim Association has earmarked for a mosque and community centre.
Bosses hope to soften the blow by pledging that the town’s existing mosque in Castle Hill could be developed using council cash.
Chief executive John Polychronakis outlines the council’s position on the mosque in a report to a meeting of the cabinet tomorrow.
He writes: “Following consultation with the leader and deputy leader, I have suggested to the mosque that we appoint a joint working group to examine the viability of further developing the existing site at Castle Hill, which would be partly funded by the re-purchase by the council of the land at Hall Street in due course.”
Mr Polychronakis recommends the matter should be passed to Mr Tart.
Deputy leader Councillor Les Jones sought to downplay the report today, saying the council was simply clarifying its position.
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Will Dudley Council also be donating funds to Christian churches in its area to help with renovation or roof repairs?, or are we back to we must help ethic mosques and temples but christian churches don’t matter??
Get snouts out the trough party
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Hear hear Roy, and not to mention the swimming baths at Coseley. I supppose there’s no chance of the council funding improvements there or reopening it, oh yeh I forgot…. it has a WV14 postcode.
People of Coseley Please come to an IMPORTANT meeting at the Coseley School Wednesday 28th at 7pm Why should Coseley be left with NOTHING ?
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What’s an “ethic” mosque?
Are there any churches that aren’t “christian” ones?
By “ethnic” do you mean “Muslim” or “Hindu”? If you do, why didn’t you just type “non-Christian”?
Ethnicity has nothing to do with religion, Roy, but your prejudice has everything to do with your childish argument.
Take a look at attendances at churches. Then take a look at attendance at mosques and temples. Marvel at the difference.
If you were a businessman, would you want to invest in something with a growing market (mosques) or something where the market is literally dieing day by day (churches)? That’s why you’re not a businessman, Roy.
The “Christians” in the UK are disappearing. The people who enter “Christian” as their religion in the census are largely liars, or too scared to admit that they don’t believe in anything other than football, getting blind drunk, holidays in Spain and shopping. What have any of those got to do with Jesus Christ? Nothing. Get over it Roy. Christianity is dead.
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dudleys got money to give away how about throwing some towards coseley baths
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What a poor comment to make. The principle is that the proposal was turned down, development wasn’t started within timescale and a landowner has decided to withdraw consent and reclaim land.
Where is the connection to helping different organisations?
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I don’t see anything in this article justifying the claim that the council is proposing to fund the mosque on Castle Hill. The proposal is that the Muslim Association might be able to part-fund building works from the sale of the Hall Street land back to the council. Or do people expect the council to confiscate the land from the Muslims without returning the original sale fee?!
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Reading the article it appears the council are re-purchasing the land at Hall St i.e returning the money they received which will then used to redevelop the existing mosque.
What does this have to do with lack of funding for churches and swimming baths?
Unless I’m missing the point!!
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6 level ed
Bosses hope to soften the blow by pledging that the town’s existing mosque in Castle Hill could be developed using council cash.
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Connor Davies – it is clear that you are NOT a Christian yourself. You are right by saying that the amount of Christians are diminishing in this country but be advised that the true Christians among us are well and truly alive.
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Bit scathing your attack on Roy.
Didn’t notice a lot of predjudice in his arguement.
You seem to be suggesting Dudley Council are doing this as a business venture!!
What are you suggesting? Buying votes perhaps.
Having said that I do agree with you about Christianity certainly in places like Dudley where, within a very short space of time Christians will be in the minority anyway.
The UK that I, Roy and possibly yourself grew up in has gone forever.
As for all Christians being liars, well perhaps that can be something to do with your countries elected representitives??
Finally, Roy, good look with your campaign at
Get snouts out the trough party
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No.3 Connor Davies. A somewhat spiteful comment. Have you never made a typing error such as ‘ethic’ for ‘ethnic’? I also believed that religion was NOT a business project but a faith in something one cannot see, nothing to do with profit and loss. Or maybe you know something we do not in this particular case. The choice is there for Christians, to be or not be one, or even a half-hearted one as many are. The alternative in your eyes is to get blind drunk while watching football just before going shopping to get more booze in whilst blowing money we don’t have on a Spanish holiday. Wow! Have YOU got a problem! Is that the only alternative to being a Christian, Muslim, Sikh or Hindu?
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Still can’t understand why Dudley is not allowed to be a city given its population.In which case we should be also talking about a proper cathedral.Please could you also direct me to the large central synagogue !
The alternative is a sort of food-hall type set-up like at Merry Hill with an annex for each local religion.Then there would really be cohabitation and each unity would be affordable with commun secretarial and printing services or even a communal restaurant .People could be invited to each other’s religious holiday events.That too could be at Merry Hill.It’s not stupid and it’s called the future.Ideally Bethlehem would be a bit like that.Unfortunately….
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Good work Dudley council.
Why any religion needs to build places of worship is beyond me.
If you believe in a god then that god is everywhere…in your own home.
All of these ‘foreign’ religions should be thankful for what we’ve already allowed them to build.
Would like to see how the Christian religion would get on trying to build churches in every town in Saudi Arabia.
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The good news is that the mosque may not go ahead, the bad news is why do have to bend over backwards to appease the so called ethnic groups, when we blatantly let down the local rate paying majority, i.e. Coseley Baths and old peoples homes….
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Nicely said Connor – I get sick of the blatantly racist undertones regarding this matter. Profess your innocence all you want but if land for a ‘Christian Church’ was being being reclaimed you’d be up in arms. I hate this town
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Dudley council didn’t have any money to keep, the library open in Quarry Bank, OR Brierley Hill Swimming Baths OR Coseley baths. WHERE IS THE MONEY COMING FROM ????????
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I still think (where did my last comment go)that the soon to be vacant (and never let again) Beatties store would be ideal. Close to the site they want to build on and handy for the buses. It has all facilities laid on and shops would get passing trade. As others have pointed out the money that has appeared could be used for something else. Also Connor Davies is right church attendance is falling but Coseley swimming numbers were good so why not give the money to them.
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This is so funny. A big argument about building somewhere to pray to your imaginary friend. ALL religion should be banned–it’s the cause of most wars and a pernicious blight on the human race. How many atheist suicide bombers do you hear about?
“Man will never be free until the last king is strangled with the entrails of the last priest.”
- Denis Diderot
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To Mike – Dudley nothing to do with the main subject and not being personal but if you hate where you live that much just move, life is to short.
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Cyril randle you are correct in your observation of this wicked tongue serpant MR.connor davies.
I might also note 3 basic spelling mistake`s in his comment but some of us have a life and do not need to vent anger and frustration down the internet,may i suggest getting a life away from the computer connor or maybe a girlfriend (you know you need one).
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Have followed this one religiously. The developement team promoting this build stated that it was going to be built as a community facility and was for the benefit of all members of the community. By virtue of it being a mosque. Doesn’t this exclude a large number of the Dudley based residents? I think the council are acting in the best interests of the whole comminity on with respect to this project in taking back the property I HOPE the council finally lays this to rest. Maybe build a recreation centre and swimming pool. Looking forward to seeing Christmas Lights in Stafford this year. Haven’t had a Christmas outside Saudi Arabia in years.
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When you get the land back in Hall Street there’s the world famous Speedway team in your sport lacking borough that still needs a home. OMMER UM!!
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To Connor,
FIRSTLY I REFER TO AN ETHNIC GROUP BECAUSE THESE PEOPLE THEMSELVES DESCRIBE THEMSELVES AS ETHNIC, AND WHEN THEY DIDN’T GET THEIR OWN WAY EVERYBODY IN DUDLEY WAS SUDDENLY RACIST FOR OBJECTING TO THIS MOSQUE.
As it so happens ethnic was printed my end, obviously you are one of those people who don’t give a monkeys for the fact we have five million illegals in my county ENGLAND as confirmed by Nu Labaaaaaaaaaaaa this week.
Regards people visting Christain churchs diminishing perhaps part of that is people have given up hope, yet ETHNIC groups appear to get whatever they ask for RACE RELATIONS BOARD as just one example costing millions per annum for what.
WHY?? should the people who pay council taxes in Dudley be FORCED to pay for extensions etc to another mosque in DUDLEY because the land is being taken back from the muslim community.
Regards your remarks at my never being a business man where in my remarks did i mention business or are you that boss eyed like Bliar and co you make it up on the hoof??.
Lets get facts straight shall we, this ethnic group were going to build on the land they purchased an £18 milion pound mosque, part of the deal was they would have plans entered into the council, get them passed and also the building was to have been started by a certain time this was a contract they had willingly and knowingly signed if they knew they didn’t have the funds that was their fault not the council tax payers of Dudley.
The fact they failed to keep to the agreement they signed is not the fault of Dudley council tax payers, you sign a contract with clauses ONLY IF you can be sure of completion of your part, If you are a business man or a stupid pratt even you should be able to see that unless you are one of those idiots who argue for arguments sake.
Are you also saying the 20 odd thousand who signed a petition against this mosque are also rascist, don’t they have rights also??
For your information my brother adopted a black child over fourty years ago he has been treated as a son/nephew by all of us so don’t call me a rascist you ignorant moron.
I have every right to defend Christian churches obviously you being of a different religion would prefer for these churchs to close. GET YOUR FACTS RIGHT.
Get snouts out the trough party
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Whats wrong with getting drunk,shopping,football and going to Spain ?? The only problem there would be if you follow WBA…….
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P/S to all the others here who could actually understand what i was saying thank you:)) I campaign for our childrens and grandchildrens futures and i find a library, special needs schools, OAP homes and baths much more important to Dudley council tax payers than financing extensions to another mosque because the group involved signed contracts and agreements they couldn’t fulfil.
People like Connor are what is wrong with our country.
Get snouts out the trough party
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Propa bostin news! Keep Dudley “black country” Castles,churches and industry “english heritage” not eastern heritage. The council should spend there extra pot on lighting up top church and the castle during these dark nights to show people that the black country is proud of what it is and does not want change!
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Connor Davis,
I find your comments regarding Cristianity highly insulting, inflamatory and offensive. In fact given you description of “stereotypical nominal Christians” in direct comparison to those of other faiths and ethnicities almost racist and incitefull of hatred and disrespect in itself. I stress almost. The hateful distain and disrespect for anyone of any creed is a worrying trend that we have all seen esculate in the media and one I find distateful and frightening.
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ok fokes let all sit down and open a big buiding where we can all go to pray to any god we whot then press a button to turn the floor in to a large swimming pool which has a post office ,library where we can see our mp/local council
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Any news reporting the non-building of another mosque in UK is good news, but why have we got to subsidise the development of an existing mosque to placate the muslims? We are not a muslim country and don’t need any mosques.
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Ian F – “How many atheist suicide bombers do you hear about?”
Not many. But I can think of plenty of atheist or anti-religious mass murderers (Maximillian Robespiere, Vladimir Lenin, Josef Stalin, Adolf Hitler, Mao Zedong, Enver Hoxha, Kim-il Sung, Pol Pot, Fidel Castro, Nikolai Caescescu, Mengistu Haile Miriam, Macias Nguema…).
‘All religion should be banned’? Why, you sound as if you can’t wait to join this grisly bunch.
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Ray…Hate to tell you this but Hitler was a Catholic who invoked religion when it suited his political purpose. Same as George W Bush did. You see, your argument doesn’t really hold water if you look at the death and misery actually caused by religion. Let me list just a few…The Crusades, the Inquisition, The European Pogroms, Arab Conquest 620-660 AD, Arab Invasion of Spain 710-711, Spanish Reconquista 718 – 1492, Ottoman invasion of Persia, 1515-1516, French Wars of Religion 1560-1598, Spanish Armada, Eighty Years War 1568-1648, Thirty Years War – as the war was sparked by a Protestant uprising in Bohemia against the Archduke of Austria (later Holy Roman Emperor Ferdinand II) and his attempts to enforce Catholicism as the sole religion in Bohemia, this was clearly (at least to begin with) a religious war, Armenian Genocide WW1, Arab-Israeli Wars 1948 to date, Lebanese Civil War 1975-1990, War on Terror 2001 to date.
And ask yourself this…how often do you hear a news report of a band of Atheist rebels taking heavy shelling from a group of Agnostics?
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Danny B – I’m working on it
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People might like to read the agenda for Dudley Council Cabinet meeting tonight – http://cmis.dudley.gov.uk/CMISWebPublic/Binary.ashx?Document=14481. There is absolutely nothing there to suggest that the council is proposing to spend any money on the mosque – all they will be doing is repurchasing the land they sold a few years ago at the same price.
And for those people who think that the council never funds Christian projects there are plenty of churches in my area who’ve received grants for repairs and to buy equipment. It’s a shame that so many people here choose to pretend that non-white groups get preferential treatment.
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Connor Davies’s comment was the only one that made any sense. Well done and Thank You for providing a more realistic depiction of society, rather than the non-existent romanticised version many of the older working-class members of society dream up.
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I support the ban on the Mosque development, on the grounds of the design and its impact on the wider area, but not in principle for it being a mosque. The height of the building should be restricted to two floors with no Minaret and parking should be one car to four attendees. Thus, if the mosque should hold 400 worshippers, there should be 100 parking spaces. This will ensure adequate control of space and reduce any traffic, roadway impact of the site.
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conner, what a blatantly racist generalisation. not only that, attempting to take the high ground by berating Roy reveals what a complete hypocrite and utter *** you are.
Churches / Mosques /et al should be privately funded – they are beliefs based on preference and certainly not critical services.
Hospitals, Schools, Fire Brigades etc must be properly funded first, and if there is spare cash in the kitty – RETURN IT TO US TAX PAYERS
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Ian F – Sorry, mate; but with a staggering SEVENTY MILLION deaths directly attributable to his vindictive savagery or indirectly to famines caused by his cruel and misguided economic policies, avowedly atheist Mao Zedong’s tally of human misery probably surpasses your list all by itself – even before we add in the countless millions slayed during the Nazi genocide, Stalin’s purges or the Cambodian ‘Year Zero’ experiment.
And “how often do you hear a news report of a band of Atheist rebels taking heavy shelling from a group of Agnostics?” Well, how about the Sino-Soviet border clashes of 1969, the Vietnamese invasion of Cambodia in 1978, or the Sino-Vietnamese war of 1979.
Face it, it’s not ‘religion’ that causes war: it’s sinful human nature often masquerading behind religion, which is why Christians worship an incarnate God who offered Himself up to a cruel death on a Cross in order to atone for all our terrible sins – included those humanity has committed whilst invoking His Name.
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Given than Muslim and other ethnic minority businesses and individuals pay taxes and council tax why shouldnt “mosques. temples” get something back from the council? The Muslim commnunity doesnt need the council cash as we can raise all the cash from within the commnunity as they have done over the last 50 years.
The money to be given by the council is just a calming measure… but one thing is for sure… Muslims pay council taxes too so should share in the benefits… and the ethnic minorities in the region probably contributes a higher ratio of taxes per head than the “indeginous” population.
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Level Ed,
Since when does the public believe what councils say or do??. I repeat the council were in the right to reclaim this land as the ethnic group had failed to complete the agreements it signed, therefore why was a court apearance needed costing 100 grand or more? again paid for by Dudley council tax payers.
Mr. Patel,
If as you say the muslim community has loads of funds to pay for its mosques what happened with this one in Dudley then??. Were they promised government funding to pay for the mosque??. Regards the mulim community paying more taxes than the indeginous population perhaps this is because of the 5 million illegals in our counry who are treated as slaves while taking others jobs.
The amount of replies on this site clearly show the feelings of the majority of Dudley council tax payers
Get snouts out the trough party
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I was born and bred in Dudley.I moved 200 miles away nearly 10 years ago.Needless to say,i only miss the people,not the eyesore dump which was once a proud thriving town.Good riddance.
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So 38 how do you work out an ethnic minority pay a higher ratio of taxes? Is that a bit of a sly dig to the so called “indeginous” population as you call it!
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34 jay s i am not one of the older over romanticised member of the community, neither are the majority of people i know,who support the decision of not having a mosque being the symbol of historic dudley.
We as a country have to many towns and cities which are multi cultural what is wrong with keeping a few to the english people, it seems we have to except everthing that is thrown at us or it is classed a racist.
A good point was brought up in question time what if we went to america and said to the native americans your not indeginous, moari in new zealand your not indeginous etc white christian people of this land are the indeginous people who have inhabitated this country for hundreds of years and have built this country why should it be changed entirley in the matter of 50 years just to please the ethnics and the pc brigade who dont even live in our areas
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There should be NO Council Tax Payers money invested in ANY relgious place of Worship.
However Christianity is the religion of England; Islam is not. Therefore if you wish live the Muslim way of life then that this is perfectly acceptable. However please do not expect others to pay for this.
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To Connor,
This is a copy of an email i received tonight.
“Well i feel well qualified to support you on this one Roy, I am a muslim/christian. Prayer rooms are to be located in every police station in the UK so that muslims can observe prayer times. Yet my christian husband is not allowed to practice his religion due to police shifts. This is totally unlawful”
As stated the governent bends over backwards to accomodate ethnic religions but christian ones are ignored, nough said point made.
Get snouts out the trough party
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Ismail there’s nothing to back up your assertion regarding the amount of taxes paid by non-indeginous members of the community and I find your point quite inflamatory.
The ironic point being missed by everyone with these comments is that the site was purchased by the muslim community and now this money has to be returned therefore the council has less money for churches, leisure centres and the provision of services for the Dudley community!!!!!!!
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Roy: Sadly the public doesn’t believe councils all of them time, but then they’d do well to disbelieve some of what is written on here. Why do you feel the need to pretend that there are ’5 million illegals in our counry’? Even the Daily Mail thinks there are only about 1 million!
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The lot of you lowlife scums make me laugh, You are blatenly jelous of the muslim community, They have the same rights as we do and if they want to practice thier reliogion so be it and i along with alot of civilised christians will support them, they have brought alot to our country and this community and town in paticular so stop your childish behaviour and grow up! My Muslim friends the tru Christina community supports you all, May god help you through these hard times, The ones who appose to the mosque are the people without a reliogion so they will never know what the mosque will mean to the Muslims. Your all full of crap Grow UP !!!!
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no 47 you are living proof that funding desperately needs redirecting to our schools.
please don’t reproduce.
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47 john povey will you be reading the sermon out this week if your a true christian then im the pope
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Level ED,
You state yourself that sadly people don’t believe the councils, unfortunately it has been proved time and time again this corrupt government manipulates figures to suit themselves so why should we the public believe any propaganda.
I read figures from groups like Migrant Watch further during my campaign i speak to and receive information from police/immigration officers and the REAL FIGURES for illegal asylum seekers is near the 5 million mark.
I have no problem personally with genuine asylum seekers but if they are genuine why destroy their passports and documents?.
Did you not read the article last week from the gentleman who worked for Bliar at Number Ten when the Cabinet were sworn to secrecy and not admit it was a deliberate policy to let as many illegals into the UK as possible since 2000. Don’t you realise that this sort of thing drives ordinary respectable people into the hands of the likes of the BNP.
John Povey there stands a bigot.
Get snouts out the trough party. We tell it as it is:))
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Roy, you are the one who is manipulating figures, and dare I use the word, LYING! Migration Watch’s website makes no mention of 5 million illegal immigrants. Their research in 2005 quoted an estimate of “515,000 to 870,000″ illegal immigrants, and they quote the London School of Economics figure of 725,000 illegal immigrants from April 2009 without any dissent. By all means criticise those numbers, but please don’t stoop to the hypocrisy of accusing others of lying, and then doing so yourself.
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Roy, what campaign are you exactly on and why do immigration and police officers confide in you? (see post 50)
50.Who was the gentleman who worked for “Bliar” who admitted to New Labour’s immigration policy?
Bigotry and misinformation is what turns people to the BNP.
Personally I’d rather believe the news in the public domain rather than the non verified assertions of a mans bigotry and misinformation!!
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Level Ed first, i don’t need to manipulate figures i deal in real ones that this government refuses to print i leave the lying to others:))Migrantwatch UK works on figures given to it by government.
Morning Jimbo another one who believes everybody is lying if they don’t adhere to his thinking.
Sky News, Saturday the 24th October 2009, 10-47am. HEADLINES, Labour Ministers deliberately encouraged mass immigration to diversify Britain over the past decade, a former Downing Street adviser has claimed.
Andrew Neather worked as a speech writer for Bliar, Straw and Blunkett, he confirmed that in 2000 an agreement was made between Bliar and his cohorts to allow mass immigration, all members involved were sworn to secrecy this wasn’t to be revealed.
You will be suprised to know how many police officers/immigration officers are sick and tired of being abused by the public who have always believed that they are the ones to blame for the illegal immigrants, fortunately Mr.Neather has now got rid of that myth.
I have campaigned for many years re fraud and corruption within our government my campaign is now coming to a head in a short while I will be asking certain things, i have already written to high ranking officers asking that criminal charges be bought against several government officials under the (i)Concealing Offences Act. Part 319 proof of my claims were included.
I campaign for the children and grandchildren of my country i believe we the public have let them down badly by allowing this corrupt government to do as they have.
Level Ed one of the things i keep to is don’t lie, why have i never been arrested for libel?? even though a Chief Constable threatened me with prosecution in writing. Yet on my going to his headquarters to be arrested i was told to clear off, then i received a second letter from this gentleman stating he would refuse to reply to anymore of my letters. “YOU CAN’T PROSECUTE THE TRUTH LEVEL ED”:))
Read what Sir Andrew Green of migrant watch states in the report.
Get snouts out te trough party.
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52) thats a fair kop. Hearsay and bending the facts are the norm during ‘informal’ debates on blogs, message boards down the pub… however, there isnt a helluva lot of difference between the agendas of Frank down the Lion and the Corporate Exec at the Beeb.
Best to take ALL information with a pinch of salt, and it never hurts to use a wide net when fishing for facts.
in hindsight, cant help but see povey as anything more than a windup. well done.
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