London - Undemocratic, this is the right word describing the British electoral system which excludes its citizens living abroad and EU citizens in UK from general elections. Look at the electoral register and see people from Antigua, Bahamas, Botswana, Zimbabwe and all the Commonwealth countries can have their say on who rule the UK.
The ‘post-imperial’ electoral system gives ex colonies citizens the right to vote in the country which once exploited their own, and this is absolutely right and fair. But it is utterly unjust citizens from the neighbouring countries living in the UK and the British abroad (who lose the right to vote after a number of years) are excluded from the democratic process by the law since 1969. Why? Is it just for chance or this is the result of the British crossparty establishment's 'domestic defence policy'?
The answer is complex and touches the very founding process of democracy. Every political establishment, in every country, defends itself from whom considers, and wrongly classifies, as defector. This means those who flee their countries of origin are perceived as potential political defectors able to detect the structural, systemic failures of political systems in the countries they left: people emigrate when understand there is no hope for change. But why then Indian or Pakistani, for instance, living in the UK take part to national elections and have MPs representing their communities in the House of Commons while European origin and British expats don't?
Firstly because they are from former colonies and Commonwealth citizens, secondly because nearly all Commonwealth countries (except for Australia, Canada, New Zealand and perhaps few others), are not democracies comparable to the EU ones (exceptions here as well starting from Hungary) therefore people from Nigeria or Malawi have de facto a different political awareness and might not be able to promote changes in the structural system of an advanced democracy such as Britain.
Today the campaign to give British citizens living abroad and EU citizens in UK full political rights launched by Another Europe is Possible, The 3 Million and British in Europe marks a radical change in support of democracy in Great Britain, and goes far and beyond Brexit. The fight is for a fair and just society representing all and for a political system no longer allowed to hide and perpetrate exclusion in the name of a dead ‘post-imperialist’ establishment.
Let Us Vote: campaign and petition launched by Another Europe is Possible, British in Europe and The3Million
African unsustainable development between EU grants and China loans
.png)
London, 17 March 2021 - The trial of the police officer who brutally kidnapped and killed the 33 years old Sarah Everard will start next 25th October. A hearing to enter a plea is scheduled the 9th July.
Yesterday the murderer, an old British man who was in charge as parliamentary and diplomatic protection officer at the MET police, appeared at the Old Bailey Central Criminal Court in London to confirm his name and date of birth: Wayne Couzens born in Dover, Kent, in 1972.
​
Investigations are still ongoing and though, the body has been found in woods near Ashford, searches are also ongoing in the little town of Sandwich, in Kent.
​
More charges, therefore, could be added to the ones of kidnap and murder as the investigations proceed.
​
His wife, is also accused of being involved in the murder as “assisting an offender”: Elena Sukhoreba, an Ukrainian origin scientist, has been released on bail after being arrested.
A second post-mortem examination is being carried out on Sarah Everard's body after the first proved inconclusive, police have said.
​
The second post-mortem comes ahead of an inquest which is expected to take place in Maidstone on Thursday 18 March. (BBC report)
While the MET announced they are working to a new set of measure to protect women in public spaces (officers in plain clothes inside nights and pubs, more lights and CCTV in the streets, hiring new officers...) no attention has been paid to what culture, prejudice, incompetence, gaps and negligence reign among the MET police and based on what skills officers and senior are selected.
Photo credit @ajplus
Couzens is reported to have exposed himself in public days before killing Sarah. An act of exhibitionistic disorder that should have been put under control by the MET. Could the murder have been prevented?
​
The murder is not only disseminating anger for the widespread and increasing violence against women, but also for the lack of justice and neglected reports by the victims.
​
The figures from Metropolitan police and the Crown Prosecution Service: rape and sexual offences in London increased by 25% between 2015 and 2020. More than 500,000 cases are waiting to be heard in magistrates and crown courts in England and less than 3% of all cases reported has been prosecuted.
Should MET officers be monitored 24/7?
The murder of Sarah raises questions on how police select and monitor cops