Patients implanted with microchips

Following my last post about technology, a further disturbing development is taking place. Eighteen diabetics have been implanted with microchips to help with emergency treatment. They have agreed to have radio frequency identification (RFID) tags implanted beneath their skin, which emit signals that can be read by a hospital's computer. If the patients arrive unconscious, the chip can be read and their medical records called up. Doctors will then be able to administer the correct treatment, saving time. On the face of it, this sounds sensible, but where will it end? European legislators and campaigners are still concerned about potential privacy violations, and the EU is considering whether the technology should be regulated. If you read my profile, you will see that I mention a series of books called 'Left Behind', where people are forced to have chips implanted in order to buy goods and access services, and failure to comply results in execution. Sound far-fetched? Remember Nazi Germany, when 'undesirables' were marked either with a tattoo, or a badge. Read all about it at : http://www.computeractive.co.uk/computeractive/news/2186327/diabetics-chips-treatment

Technology erodes Freedom

Experts warn that data gathering and surveillance pose grave threat to liberty. MPs are to launch an enquiry into the Government's growing use of surveillance measures such as CCTV cameras, DNA databases and the proposed ID cards scheme. This is in response to a report from the Information Commissioner's Office that warned the UK risked "sleepwalking into a surveillance society". Meanwhile, the plan for national electronic patient records, at the heart of the NHS National Programme, has also taken a step forward which will see patients' clinical records uploaded to be held on a national database. I have already written to my GP asking him not to transfer my medical records to any database, and if you don't want yours likewise, then visit the No2ID website, where a standard letter can be printed off to send to your GP.....be afraid.....be very afraid-Big Brother is watching you!!!http://www.parliament.uk/parliamentary_committees/home_affairs_committee.cfm scroll down page and click on link Inquiry-surveillance

7 in 10 say YES to shake-up!

In Friday's Whitby Gazette it was revealed that an online poll conducted by the paper showed that 70% of people backed the proposed unitary authority, which would see all distict councils including Scarborough scrapped.

Council candidates 'walk in' unopposed!

Yet once again, many people of Whitby will not get to vote for a candidate in the elections in May. In Mayfield Ward for example, your unelected councillors will not have a true mandate from the people, simply because there were no other candidates standing for election. Why is this? Are people so disillusioned with the whole political process, or is it apathy? There are a number of reasons of course, one of which is the electoral system itself. 'First Past The Post' elections are a thing of the past - at least in Ireland and Scotland, where the 'Single Transferable Vote' method of electing candidates will take place in May's local elections. It can't be right that a government (or a council) is returned to power with 37% of the popular vote; areas where safe seats are not contested, and political parties do not bother to canvass simply because they know they are going to win. Proportional Representation is the fairest method, where everyone's vote will count - but don't take my word for it - visit http://www.electoral-reform.org.uk/ where you can find all you need.

"Old and Angry" becomes first visitor to comment on my Blog

Thanks to Old and Angry for posting comments here. I hope you are the first of many; I ought to have done this years ago, but I am not yet very accomplished with this, so I will need to learn more. I have been away with my family for a few days break down in Wales - what struck me was how clean the place not only looks, but actually is. Plenty of public toilets, roads and verges kept clean; good road conditions etc. Seems like the Welsh Assembly knows how to run things. Can we have our own English Parliament, please? What about elected Regional Assemblies? Thoughts, please.

What does your MP do for you?

Do you want to know what your MP does, and how he or she votes in Parliament? All you need to do is click on the link to get you to the website, tap in your post code - voila! your MP will pop up, and you can find out all you need to know; you can even get emails every time your MP says something in the Big House!

Whitby and Scarborough Lib Dem councillors win the day

Whitby councillor Rob Broadley, and his Lib Dem Colleague Brian Simpson managed to convince SBC to adopt their motion to oppose the government's introduction of compulsory identity cards. Brian, who put the motion to the council said, "We Scarborough Borough Council are opposed to the introduction of National Identity Cards by the government on the grounds that the estimated costs of £22 billion and rising would be better spent on more useful and targeted policing in our local communities in the form of extra police. We also believe that a proportion of the proposed funding should be spent on strengthening Safer Communities Teams like our own, giving them real power and strengthening the fight against anti-social behaviour." This was seconded by Rob, who said "It is not just about introducing ID cards, but also the creation of a National Identity Register where every individual's details would be stored on a massive data base. Knowing full well the goverment's record of failed data bases at huge cost to the taxpayer, the Government has not made a case.There is no evidence the system will produce the stated benefits. Less liberty does not imply greater security. ID does not establish intention of terrorism, and in no instance has the presence of an identity card system been shown a significant deterrent to terrorist activity. Indeed, experts attest that ID unjustifiably presumed secure actually diminishes security." The motion was passed by a large majority, and the council agreed to write to the Home Office registering its opposition. To find out more about this, click on the No2ID website , where the motion has been referred to and welcomed by that organisation in issue number 66.

Council reorganisation: what's best for Whitby?

The government is looking at reorganising councils in North Yorkshire, and what happens will affect the way services are delivered in Whitby. North Yorkshire County Council has proposed that we become a unitary authority, which means that Scarborough Borough Council will be abolished and their functions taken over by a newly created Council. Feedback from London is that the Government likes the idea, and have proposed a public consultation between now and July. If you have any thoughts or fears, now is the time to make your voice heard.

I want your views on whether you want things to stay the same or whether the Borough Council should be abolished and a new County-wide authority take its place. I'll provide links to documents (you should also be able to see them in Whitby Library) so that you can read and make an informed decision. SBC and the other distict councils are paying MORI £35,000 to do an opinion poll - I also would like your opinions, either for or against which I can publish (no names mentioned) when the consultation is finished. I'm open to feedback on your thoughts, either in comments or use the email link on the left. You can also read the Local Government document at
www.communities.gov.uk/index.asp?id=1017165id The County Council webpage about the proposed reorganisation is here.

Cllr Rob Broadley gets blogging

A few times in my career as a Councillor I've been told to Blogger Off. Or something like that. Well, here we go. I strongly believe that all our councils should be at the service of the people who elect them and pay hard-earned money over to them in Council taxes. I also believe you have a right to know what is being said, done and the arguments that are being had in your name. A few years ago, it wouldn't be possible for a Councillor to communicate so quickly and directly with you, nor for you to contact me, alert me to local problems and give feedback. I'd have had to put it in a Focus and shove it through your letterbox (don't worry, we're not giving up on those...), meet you in Baxtergate or wait for Tuesday or Friday's Whitby Gazette.

Now I'm a cyber-Councillor, bookmark this blog and check in regularly to see what's going on in the Council chambers in Whitby, Scarborough and Northallerton and how I think it affects Whitby.

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