On February 9 a 32-tonne tipper truck carrying sand and gravel careered apparently out of control on a steep hill in a residential area of the city of Bath smashing into pedestrians and cars killing four people, including four-year-old Mitzi Rosanna Steady who was with her grandmother. Four other people were injured, one left in a critical condition. Tuesday two men, one the 19-year-old driver of the truck, Phillip Potter, from Brinkworth in Wiltshire, the other a 28-year-old man, have been arrested. Police said today both men are charged with manslaughter by gross negligence. Days before last week's tragedy Potter had celebrated qualifying to drive an articulated lorry. "Potter posed with his licence on Wednesday 4 February. His father, Frederick, wrote on Facebook: “Very proud day of Phillip Potter passing his HGV artic test first time day after his nineteenth birthday well done – feeling happy.” At the crash scene he reportedly managed to escape thrown the shattered window of his vehicle and was initially given comfort by a local resident.
Others who encountered the heavy tipper truck and its load were not so lucky. The tipper truck and its contents also caused damage to walls, gardens and signage in Lansdown Lane which was described as a scene of devastation. Mitzi Steady's grandmother remains critically ill. Police quickly gathered evidence from the scene and launched an investigation. More to follow
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Monday PM David Cameron reportedly has something to smile about namely a four-point lead in the pre-election polls. "Boost for David Cameron as Conservative party puts in strongest showing in polls for nearly two years with increased voter focus on the importance of jobs, prices and wages" reports the Daily Telegraph a Conservative supporting publication. But it was not only the Telegraph, the Independent also reported "General Election 2015: Conservatives take four-point lead in latest polling ahead." Pre-Election polls can be a good indication of how the electorate will vote but that is not always the case. Firstly consider that there are bound to be some people polled who do not give a damn and never take such polls seriously. They could say anything especially if taking part in the poll offers cash or some type of reward. The poll used this time was a Guardian/ ICM poll. Other polls this weekend differed and showed Labour making headway. The Telegraph Monday opted to publish this poll however claiming "ICM's phone poll is seen as the "gold standard" as it came closest to forecasting the result of the last General Election." As the devil is always in the detail here are the results courtesy of the Telegraph "Tories are six points up to 36 per cent, only one point short of their result in the 2010 General Election. Labour support fell one point to 32 per cent, while the Liberal Democrats were also down a point to 10 per cent." The Tories gain has been at the expense of the Greens and UKIP. Both of those smaller parties looked set to be possible kingmakers in the 2015 General Election but both have lost some support recently according to the poll. Then there is the news that the Tories are now almost at their 2010 General Election result. Although they technically won the election they did not have enough of a majority to form a government without the support of the Liberal Democrats and its leader "kingmaker" Nick Clegg. Jobs, prices and wages are just three of the important issues that voters will consider before they vote. There is also political honesty, the state of the NHS, the threatened future austerity cuts if the Tories are re-elected and the increasing rich poor and north south divide in the UK. Cameron may allow himself a smile today but it could be a grimace. All parties still have some way to go before May 7 and the election. The Tories have the spring budget up their sleeves which could offer a range of promises and spin figures out of control.
But all the parties need to remember the late Labour PM Harold Wilson words when he reportedly said "Forty-eight hours is a long time in politics". Pollsters take note-this person is voting Labour but chooses not to take part in pre-election polls. David Cameron and the Conservative party have tough questions to answer this week in light of Swiss leaks revelations. But as Cameron continues to side step the issue he has come up with what he must view as a right-wing vote winner. His cunning plan, already described as an unworkable stunt, would strip the obese, alcoholics and drug addicts of benefits if they refused help. Once again Cameron has tried to appeal to core voters who presumably still view the vulnerable and poor of the UK as the cause of this country's economic woes; we cannot say view the fat, drunk or drug users of the UK as the target unless they are poor also. You can be as fat as you like, take Tory MP Eric Pickles, often dubbed "who eat all the pies", or drunk as a skunk, take Lords enjoying the best champagne at our expense and dabble in drugs but only if you have money. So it is not about the health of the nation but rather viewing some people as using benefits money to fuel their addiction. Where will it all end? Will people who dare to claim benefits, those benefits we all pay into during the good times, be tagged and monitored in case they laugh or have any enjoyment while claiming benefits? Obesity, drug and alcohol addiction is costly in many ways but will hitting benefits of perhaps the most vulnerable of the UK be workable or effective? If you are desperate you may take desperate action to get money. Expect an increase in crime then. Operating such a scheme will obviously have additional costs. Will the benefits outweigh the costs or not? Cameron describes his target as people with treatable conditions who refuse treatment; Big Brother gone mad or good sense? If you are homeless in the UK and live on the streets can you be criticised for taking to booze? Cameron has shown once again that he is not a statesman but merely a headline grabber desperate to get re-elected in 2015. But surely targeting the obese, booze and drug addicted in the UK is a low blow even for Cameron? Cameron would do better getting to grips with limiting overseas funding, taking big style tax avoidance to task, cleaning up Tory sleaze and allowing the investigation into Westminster child and sex abuse run its course. But there would be no political gain for the Tories in any of those outstanding issues. No Cameron prefers a political stunt as after all he is a .... Op-Ed: In 2007 Herve Falciani, an IT worker turned whistle-blower, stole files from HSBC's Swiss division and passed them on to French authorities; the files showed that wealth was safely stashed away from the taxman in Swiss bank accounts. While having an off shore bank account is not illegal there is a fine line between using it for tax evasion and tax avoidance; some would say those two are one and the same; documents relating to these bank accounts has now been shared across many countries but Falciani says these are just the tip of the iceberg and there are many others. Wednesday PMQT in the House of Commons London the fur flew as Labour leader Ed Miliband rose to the challenge of this scandal. All Tory leader and PM David Cameron could do was retaliate with the name of one Labour donor, from Gordon Brown's time in office, who appeared on the list; but as Mr Miliband pointed out nine grandiose Tory donors featured. This means that if these Tory donors have been avoiding paying tax they may have used any illicit monetary gains to prop up the Tory party of the UK; a political party currently in government. That would smack of buying policies and politics either indirectly or not. Wednesday Miliband said "The prime minister cannot get away from it: he is a dodgy prime minister surrounded by dodgy donors." He did not name names but it seems some knew they were the target. Later Wednesday Lord Fink made a statement to the press. He accused Mr Miliband of using his parliamentary privilege to make scurrilous accusations against him. He defied Miliband to say the same away from the Commons privilege and threatened legal action if he did. Thursday the Telegraph reports Miliband has refused to accuse Fink of being 'dodgy' outside of Parliamentary protection but has repeated his accusation that Lord Fink had engaged in 'tax avoidance'. PMQT Wednesday was more childish, aggressive and accusing than ever. Political pundits say that will turn voters off both parties involved. However some of the electorate will be happy to see Mr Miliband baring his teeth to smug-faced Cameron who always responds to attacks with similar retaliatory attacks thrown back childishly; never actually answering questions. In March 2012 we reported UK Tory Party corruption as Peter Cruddas resigned. Millionaire Conservative Party co-treasurer Peter Cruddas was caught on video bragging that he could get people access to Number 10 Downing Street, the Prime Minister and policy makers for a price. He was quickly toast but Fink works on. This is not the first time Fink has made headlines for the wrong reasons. In June 2012 the Bureau for investigative Journalism reported "Conservative Treasurer accused of breaking House of Lords rules." Fink was described as Cameron's main fund raiser. The [now former] Treasurer of the Conservative Party was accused last night of breaking parliamentary anti-sleaze rules after arranging to host a private dinner in the House of Lords for paying American Express card-holders. And this week the Guardian reported a Black and White event taking place at a five-star Mayfair hotel with most of the Tory cabinet including Theresa May in attendance, with Conservative donors paying up to £15,000 for table at this election fundraiser.
"The ball has been organised by a 63-strong committee, including City donors, oil tycoons and recent converts to the Conservative cause. It includes Karren Brady, the recently ennobled Tory peer from BBC1’s The Apprentice, Philip Mould, an expert from Antiques Roadshow, the owners of several hedge funds and three makeup artists." Now if that does not breach any election, parliamentary or funding rules there is something very rotten in British politics. Having the biggest election treasure chest may not guarantee victory, look at Mitt Romney who lost out to President Obama, but it goes a long way to spinning news and messing with the electorate's minds. If you are an ordinary working or middle class voter in the UK why would you vote for these Conservatives? Lord Fink joined the House of Lords January 2011 as an early appointment by the then new Tory led government. Related at TEK Tory secret summer party fundraiser leaks |