People against sugar tax, my arse

‘People Against Sugar Tax’ are corporate astroturf: right wing PR pros, some long term defenders of the tobacco industry, pretending to be something else. You can donate. You can even work for them if you fancy tweeting health busting corporate propaganda for no pay. This is a quick post looking at who these ‘people’ really are.

Garden Bridge: a Garfield Weston Foundation of misery

Garden Bridge sponsor, the Garfield Weston Foundation donates circa £50m pa to hundreds of charities. Wow. What’s not to like? Well, apart from the churlish suggestion that a few family heirs alone allocating massive resources is, er, undemocratic, let us admit such benevolence is built on tax evasion, land grabs, forced labour and the death of workers.

Property Tax Fact: Lambeth 35 times cheaper than Brussels

A $1m home in Brussels pays $113,000 tax pa. In Lambeth it pays $3,312.

The housing crisis is not a mystery.

Ian Taylor, the Garden Bridge and war

The Garden Bridge are “thrilled” to be sponsored by the Taylor Family Foundation. An hour on Google can drive you to despair – what a dirty, bloody business this bridge building is.

Coin St Cops in SE1 Gang war?

A little known quasi-private MPS team have launched a crackdown on a possible SE1 snatch and grab moped gang.

Last year the MPS quietly started the Met Patrol Plus scheme. A hire one rozzer get one free offer open to councils and partners.

South Bank BID is a local business interest group.

Housing Crisis Fact: NYC & London Tax

In NYC a £10m house pays £100k tax per year. In Westminster it pays £1,300.

There’s your London housing crisis right there.

Glencore, bringing the Garden Bridge and child labour together

Founding Garden Bridge sponsor Glencore are often described as “controversial“. After a quick search, knee deep in PR, their activities read like a blueprint for the heartless incorporated pursuit of profit:

• Bribe and/or cut a deal with powerful
• Steal assets
• Use the local police and death squads
• Use child labour
• Poison water
• Trade stolen commodities
• Speculate on hunger
• Evade taxes

“Public House” Film Review

7:30pm 29th Nov 2015 – The Ivy House, Peckham

“Public House” is a film by Sarah Turner recording the successful community campaign to save a South London pub from developers. The campaign broke ground using the Localism Act to keep a much loved venue. The Ivy House is now London’s first co-operative boozer. Something to celebrate, you’d have thought.

Follow Jack Monroe Fight Poverty

Jack Monroe has removed the words “social justice warrior” from her twitter profile. Cooking on gas in never never land you’ve got to wonder, was she ever?

Jack Monroe is up for Barclays Campaigner Of The Year from the European Diversity Awards, an annual corporate shitfest run by Linda Riley. Riley has a business interest in the Ripper museum. Campaigners asked if Monroe was aware of the connection. Monroe tweeted back a list of ten responses avoiding the question.

Extremist Lambeth Labour Councillor Alex Bigham Moves Against Democratic Process To Zero Fanfare Shock

Lambeth Labour Councillor Alex Bigham has started a petition calling for the Labour Party to halt the leadership election because he claims “we are seeing widespread infiltration”. He offers no evidence of wide spread infiltration.