Tories

Here's Justin - capturing utterly the contempt that those with means have for those without.

Marvellous piece of writing, and exactly what I'm trying to get at when I talk about the viciousness with which wealthy Tories are pursuing the poor in Hammersmith (see story below). They will always try and squeeze those few extra dollars and services out of people who can least afford to part with either. Meanwhile, bankers walk free with our money.

Will be posting more on this soon. Have a look at the link above to Chicken Yoghurt, though - I'm hard pushed to think of anyone in the mainstream or online press who writes quite so succintly, or well.

Another interview for Black History Month:

(Photo: Protestor at 2007 Hammersmith voluntary sector funding cuts demonstration).

Helena Ismail is British, very nicely-spoken, clever, committed to her community, and able to take a measured view of life's many shambles - except, perhaps, local and national politics. Right now, for instance, she seems pretty close to flattening whomever next claims that David Cameron's Tories are reformed and almost human. 'They (the Tories at Hammersmith and Fulham Council) have cut our throats,' she says tightly. 'They are targeting us. I tell you this. Why are they doing that?'

Ismail has run the much-admired Shepherd's Bush Somali support group Horn of Africa for 20 years, where she and her team provide an annual average of 3000 to 4000 poor, usually desperate, people with the immigration, employment and schools advice that they needed to settle in the UK, and get jobs, etc. Horn of Africa also does a good second line in helping newcomers to the country fill in forms and to get their heads round obligations like council tax. Horn of Africa will also help if you need to know how to deal with the many zealous coppers who play a large part in your life if you're poor, young and black.

The party's more or less over, though. In April this year, Hammersmith and Fulham's ghastly Tory council took a decision to cut exactly one hundred percent of Horn of Africa's funding (some £55,000 a year), as part of a charming borough rape of black and ethnic minority voluntary groups (other Somali groups like the youth support Hope 4 All organisation got nothing, while African and African-Caribbean support group Nubian Life got less than half the funding it received in 2006. You'll find the full funding report here pdf 404kb). The cuts took effect this month.

...you terrible Tories.

A decision on the legality of the Hammersmith and Fulham Tory council's decision to cut funding to the voluntary sector is due on Monday.

More soon.

Wondering
What will happen.