Flag fanaticism first seen in Belfast / Patriotic to pay taxes - Irish Post

The sight of St George and Union flags appearing across Britain has caused alarm. There is more than a resemblance to the streets of Loyalist parts of Belfast, with the flags and union jack kerbstones. When coupled with the 100,000 plus protesters out on Tommy Robinson's march a few weeks ago, there is a real intimidatory feel to the whole thing. A major focus is the small boats coming across the channel. The way in which this issue has been used to whip up racism is incredible The number of people taking this hazardous route to refuge in this green and pleasant land is relatively small. Some 35,000 this year (a medium sized football ground). Less than 2% of migrants coming to these shores. Yet a combination of Nigel Farage's Reform, Robinson and the rabid supporting cast, amongst Britain's right wing media, have presented the boats as some sort of threatening invasion force. Using the flag symbolism plugs into the 'we will fight them on the beaches' mentality of Second World War fame. Fortunately, it does seem like the Labour government is at last beginning to stand up and defend the values of a pluralist, inclusive, multicultural society. The Prime Minister Keir Starmer did well recently in calling out Farage and Reform for their racism. However, for the Irish community, especially of Belfast, this whole issue must have an eerie feel. There have ofcourse also been ethnic tensions in the north with minorities being targeted. Some 3.4% of the population of the North come from ethnic minority backgrounds, compared to 18% in England and Wales. But whilst historically the background causes of the divisions in Ireland are different, the hardening of attitudes and physical division of communities seen in the North could provide a glimpse of the future in Britain. A land of segregation. Instead of pluralism, the communities shrink into their religious or ethnic groups. Tensions rise. The trend over the years of seeing developments in the North, later extend to the rest of Britain, is well known. Methods of policing, military actions and laws have all come home as it were. Not usually for the common good. Will the latest manifestation be any different? So how things go over the next few years in Britain will be interesting to see. Certainly the continual rise of the racist right will see an exodus from Britain to places like Ireland, which today appears, for the most part, a country must more at ease with itself, inside Europe, despite other tensions. Patriotic to pay taxes No one wants to pay more tax. But why is that? It is actually a patriotic thing to do. Pay your dues, contribute to the common good. Part of the problem is the perceived unfairness of the tax system, with those who have most seemingly contributing least. The billionaires who prosper, while millions go to food banks. The big multinational companies that use the local population, who have been educated and nurtured at tax payers expense, exploiting that resource, while paying next to no tax themselves. Rich individuals who store their wealth off shore in areas, where they can be assured of paying the least tax. Yet, if we want decent public services they have to be paid for. In Britain and Ireland there has been a myth sold that there can be low taxes and top grade public services. There can't - one thing is used to pay for the other. The idea of the common good is drawn from Catholic social teaching. It really should be the guiding principle as to how a society is run. Not bottom line economics. Everyone pulling together for the common good. Love thy neighbour rather than rip off they neighbour for your own advancement. Those with the broadest shoulders have to carry the heaviest burden. And some are prepared to do so. Groups like Patriotic Millionaires say they want to pay more tax. If more tax was paid there would be less reliance on outside factors like borrowing via the bond markets. What could be more patriotic? But the system does need to be fair and just for all. So let's adopt the common good as the mantra that governs society, not the law of the jungle

More needs to be done to address biodiversity challenge

There was an excellent debate around a motion to restore nature at the last full Redbridge council meeting. The motion highlighted the biodiversity crisis of the moment, with 19% of wildlife lost since 1970. One in six species under threat of extinction. There has been much happening in Redbridge on biodiversity, with 400,000 square metres of land given over to wild space and 10,000 sq m to grow zones. There have been 7,000 trees planted in the last year, while 850 tree pits have been adopted. This is all good but much more is needed to address the biodiversity crisis. A lot of the work undertaken is of a voluntary nature, done by individuals and community groups. Redbridge Council are not the only public body to use volunteer labour. The City of London Corporation get much voluntary help for the park and flats from the likes of the Wren Group and Friends of Wanstead Park. The River Roding Trust does great volunteer work on the river. All of these things are vital, showing a buy in from the community. They must though not be exploited, simply being used to do tasks that otherwise people would be paid to do. They must have a significant voice, in return for endeavour. The need to address the biodiversity crisis also needs to be given higher priority. Both biodiversity and climate aims could be made into statutory duties for local authorities to take on. Additional funding would need to accompany such duties. Environmental groups in Redbridge are urging the council to pass a Nature Emergency motion, similar to the Climate Emergency motion passed in 2019. This would include clear benchmarking of things that need to be done, like committing to 30% of council land for nature recovery by 2030. Also, to extend the duty on developers to provide a 20% biodiversity net gain in projects. There would need to be a comprehensive nature recovery strategy. This would see nature recovery embedded in the policy and plans of the council. This upping of priority for biodiversity aims must be he next step for addressing the crisis. To learn more about the petition for a nature emergency motion see: Https://chng.it/S8TYXnTpBJ What is for sure is that things need to move more quickly. The whole of civil society and local governance needs to be galvanised to address the emergency in nature. It can be done with the right political will supporting the present groundswell of support from residents wanting change. Together, we can create a cleaner, greener Redbridge.

How much has Wanstead changed?

A plaintiff cry sometimes heard amongst those who have lived in Wanstead for a while is that things aint what they used to be. Having lived here for 60 plus years I would question the claim. Yes, things have changed, often for the better but much has stayed the same. A former student of Aldersbrook Primary and Wanstead High schools, those schools continue to excellently serve the local community. A different pupil intake and the developments - including the swimming pool, in the case of Wanstead High - have brought change. But the biggest physical development in Wanstead over recent years, came in the 1990s,with the forcing through of the M11 Link Road. Some of us opposed. Though, the cut and cover approach has ensured that much of the road goes under George Green and beyond. The high street has changed in terms of different types of outlets. The boat shop, Woolworths and Stockdale's have gone. There are many more coffee shops now but that is as a result of different demands. There are excellent independent shops, well supported by the local community. The high street has managed to whether the threats posed by online deliveries, though these occur in practically every road in Wanstead these days. The community in Wanstead has always been strong, never more so than today. The Community Gardeners, Wren Group, Friends of Wanstead Park, Wild Wanstead, Wanstead Climate Action, and allotment holders, to name but a few - all make valuable contributions. There have been welcome new additions to life over recent years, like the Wanstead Festival, Wanstead Fringe and most recently the Wanstead Beer Festival. All signs of a vibrant community that cares. That care also manifests itself in strong protest when people are not happy. I joined with many others to oppose the M11 Link Road at time of construction. There has always been a strong voice for peace, with much activism following the 9/11 attacks in America. Then, the multi-faith group Peace and Justice in East London formed. More recently there has been action over Gaza and Ukraine. Some local people have made their voices heard recently over proposed new stalls on the high street. It is all part of living in a vibrant community, where people care. So, yes there has been change in Wanstead over the years, most good, some not so much. But the cry things ain't what they used to be rather emanates from the human condition. Life is a conveyor belt to the end. We all seek security and certainty - the notion of stop the world I want to get off is something that resonates with many of us. The reality is that the moment we are born everyone is on a journey to the end. The conveyor belt cannot be stopped, no chance to get off. We all have to live life as much, as possible, to the full and in the moment. I have enjoyed life in Wanstead and continue to do so. As a local Labour councillor for Wanstead Village over the past eight years, it has, for the most part, been a pleasure to serve. There is,though, still much to be done. I will not be standing as a Labour councillor next May, so now is time to look for the next challenge on the conveyor belt of life. And Wanstead offers lots of opportunities to do that.

Three great books offering different insights on nature

Three great books, with differing takes on the natural world, offer real challenges and insight for nature lovers. Lake District based farmer and writer, James Rebanks has already produced challenging books in the The Shepherds Life and English Pastoral. But his latest book The Place of Tides (Allen Lane, 2024, £10.99) is a more reflective work, written when Rebanks is at a cross roads in his own life. Rebanks goes on a journey of self discovery, involving spending time out with two of the women who work with eider ducks on the Norwegian outer islands. Rebanks spends three months with Anna and Ingrid, preparing nesting sites for the ducks.Also, seeking to protect the birds from predators like otters, mink and sea eagles. The account is beautifully drawn, showing Anna as someone totally absorbed and fulfilled in what she does (Ingrid is the apprentice). It is Anna's last season doing the work that involves the final act of collecting the eider feathers from the vacated nests. These are then used to make eiderdowns. An old skill but being kept going by the women. The picture is one of humans and nature in balance living sustainably together. Rebanks is at something of a cross roads in his life, driven and burning up - ignoring the things that matter. The three months with Anna and Ingrid see him relax and get things back into perspective as a result of this interchange with nature and someone who has got the equilibrium right. A real cathartic process. Chloe Dalton goes on a similar journey of self discovery by a different route in Raising Hare(Canongate, 2025, £10.99). Dalton is working in a political advisor role at the Foreign Office, when COVID hits. She ends up living, isolated in the country. The story begins when she finds a leveret in the road. She brings it home, searches everywhere for information on what to do to bring up the young hare. A rather beautiful story emerges as Dalton's life is tied to the leveret, which remains based in the house but escapes to surrounding fields during the day, then returns. It has several young, with a variety of domesticity. Dalton discovers nature through her interactions with the hares. She becomes a champion for the hares cause. It is a fascinating story that manages to avoid the sentimental. Dalton for instance refuses to name the animals, seeing this as part of the humans efforts to colonise the wild world. A great insight. John Lewis Stempel has a similarly unsentimental attitude to nature. A farmer, Lewis Stempel shoots for the pot. In many ways, he is the doyen of nature writers. The breadth of his writing is unrivalled, managing to set things in the natural context yet drawing in literary, musical and other references. So there are the works of Shakespeare, John Clare, William Wordsworth and Thomas Hardy. Similarly, the Kinks, Pink Floyd, Ralph Vaughan Williams and Edward Elgar get mentions. A Natural History England (Penguin, 2025,£10.99) is different to the first two books, covering estuaries, park,downs,beechwood, river, field, village, moor, lake, heath, fen and broad and coast. Lewis Stempel goes to different areas for these terrain, such as the Thames Estuary, the Southdowns, Burnham Beeches and the Yorkshire Moors. The book is packed with interesting insights, such as that the decline of cuckoos being linked to changes in farming. And that there are much better conditions for cuckoos in Scotland (30% increase) and Wales (stable) than England (declining). The route back to Africa seems to play a role in survival rates. The Scottish and Welsh birds go south east via Italy, while English birds go south west through Spain. Another interesting view is that well managed grouse moors can be beneficial for biodiversity and other bird species. Lewis Stempel is not a fan of driven shooting but points to how managed moors retain good heather levels. "When management ceases, the waders - the curlew, the plover, the lapwings - who shared the moor with the grouse decline," writes Lewis Stempel. All three of these authors provide valuable insights on the natural world and in the case of Rebanks and Dalton the human psyche. They have a real resonance for those of us who find solace in our own natural world in this area. That being part of nature, as we walk park and flats, watching birds and animals, observing fauna and insect life. Highly recommend all three books to anyone looking to learn more about the natural world and maybe even about themselves.

Graham Potter concedes West Ham must do better, after third home defeat in a row

West Ham 1-2 Crystal Palace West Ham slid to their third successive home defeat, this time against Crystal Palace, in what is turning into a nightmare season at the London Stadium. What is difficult to fathom is the lacklustre attitude of this West Ham team. This was another game where it seemed the points were there for the taking but West Ham couldn't get up the impetus to make it happen. Crystal Palace took the lead just after the half hour. A corner was met by Marc Guehi, who saw his header come back off the bar but only as far as Jean-Philippe Mateta, who headed home. West Ham nearly snatched an equaliser just before half time, as a decisive move involving El Hadji Malik Diouf, Crysencio Summerville and Callum Wilson ended, when Yeremy Pino finally blocked the shot. After half time, Maxence Lacroix rattled the cross bar with a header. The West Ham equaliser followed quickly after, when a Diouf corner, was met by Jarrod Bowen, who came short to head home. Then, Mateus Fernandez had a header cleared off the line. Kyle Walker Peters also saw his headed effort go wide, after getting on the end of a cross from Lucas Paqueta. But that was the last of West Ham's serious efforts. Then, Palace's Adam Wharton struck a long ball that was headed out to an unmarked Tyrick Mitchell, who turned and volleyed home. Most of the stadium had once again gone before the final whistle. The frustration for the home fans must be that with more effort and bit of luck this game was easily winnable. But that spark was missing, as heads went down and another defeat became inevitable. Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner told how his team targeted West Ham's seeming weakness over set plays, with six goals conceded from corners in recent games. The Palace manager explained how having played as a defender for many years, these things can get inside your head. A satisfied Glasner reflected on seeing "many positive things but also a lot of potential." His only complaint was that his team should have killed the game off. West Ham manager, Graham Potter accepted the problem with set plays, declaring that the only way to overcome the problem was hard work, with the players. There were protests from fans before the match. Potter responded, saying he understood the frustration, accepting that "everyone is entitled to an opinion " Opinions are not in short supply at the moment regarding the future at West Ham United.

More beers and more people expected at 3rd Wanstead Beer Festival - 4 October 2025

More beers and more people expected at the 3rd Wanstead Beer Festival The third Wanstead Beer Festival (WBF)is set to kick off at Christchurch halls on 4 October - with more than 50 beers and ciders on offer. There will also be gin, wine, prosecco and a selection of soft drinks. Our hosts, Christchurch, will be offering their superb burgers and hot dogs. Among the beers to look out for are Essex based Elephant School brewery's Mango Unchained, made with real mangos. A 7.2% beer, with a great combination of flavours. Looking for a good bitter, then Milestone brewery's Cromwell Best, fits the bill. It has a deep, slightly malty taste. Then, there is the lighter East London brewery favourite, the award winning Cowcatcher. The always popular champion winning beer Captain Bob from Mighty Oak brewery will again be available. Those who like a dark beer can't go far wrong with Brentwood breweries stout Walrus of Love. Another new beer this year is Broadsword from St George's brewery on Great Wakering. A new brewery this year is Pillars, which will be providing Helles and Pilsner lagers. Redemption brewery bring Rhinelander lager. Also, festival regular Pretty Decent once again provides "I could get better at T*sco for a quid." Among the ciders, there will be a good selection from Somerset based Farmer Jim. Get in early for the tasty Rhubarb Bob. The WBF is once again seeking to blend the local with national in the selection of beers. Another new brewery is Leyton based, Libertalia. Amongst Libertalia's offering will be the popular new bitter Private Eye. Tickets are selling fast, so don't miss out. Bought in advance tickets cost £10, which includes the unique WBF glass. This year there is a new twist, with a bit of colour added. Tickets on the door will be £12. The organisers hope to keep most drinks at £5 or less. Thanks go to all those local businesses who have sponsored the event and help make it possible. Proceeds raised by the event are to be split between three charities - the Wren Group, Wanstead Community Riding Stables and the Christchurch restoration fund. So now the clock is ticking till kick off at 1 pm on Saturday 4 October. To get your ticket, see: www.wansteadbeerfestival.co.uk

West Ham implode, after promising first half

West Ham 0-3 Spurs West Ham once again totally imploded, after holding their own for more than half this game against Spurs at the London Stadium. Whilst the home fans loudly booed returning striker Mohammed Kudus, every time he touched the ball, it was the little Ghanian who had the last laugh, helping dismantle his old team. Then, the boos died away, as most the West Ham fans had already left the stadium before the end. The first half was an evenly matched affair as the two sides largely cancelled each other out. The best effort for West Ham came when Lucas Paqueta rolled the ball wide after Jarrod Bowen found him in the penalty area. For Spurs, Cristian Romero headed the ball home from a corner but was adjudged to have fouled Kyle Walker- Peters in the process. The second half was just a minute old when West Ham hit the self destruct button. First, a totally unmarked, Pape Matar Sarr, came in round the back to head home a corner. Tomas Soucek then lunged in with studs up, hitting João Palhinha In the leg. He was duly sent off. Two minutes after the sending off Romero launched a ball from the back to find Lucas Bergvall, who acrobatically headed home. The rout was completed, when Bergvall wriggled free in the area to lay the ball off for Micky van de Ven to sweep home. Worryingly for West Ham there was little sign of a fight back. Manager Graham Potter rang the changes but to little effect. Many, though, must have wondered about the original selection, packing the central midfield with four players, whilst leaving both strikers (Callum Wilson and Nicolas Fullkrug) on the bench. Potter recognised how events conspired, with a soft goal followed by the red card. "Our home form has not been good for a period of time. All we can do is focus on the positive things," said Potter. Spurs manager Thomas Frank was pleased with the win. "It was a my win and a good performance," said Frank, who pointed out that the club had not won at the London Stadium for six years. This disappointing result will throw further doubt on the future of Potter as West Ham manager.