The Government is surely deluding itself in thinking it can outlaw the small boat people. These are first and foremost real people escaping to a land of milk and honey.

We may think our island is overcrowded and underfunded but believe me, it’s a lot better than Afghanistan or Syria.

The government of the UK is just one of many countries attracting migrants of every background, be it persecution or economic woe. To pretend that we can do what we like with these unfortunate fellow human beings is clearly absurd. There is no country that will accept thousands of migrants from the Uk whatever their circumstances or situation. We surely cannot expect to repatriate folk into places like Syria and Afghanistan, where we know for certain, that, a) Their Government will not accept them and b) if they do, then those repatriated, will be mistreated.

Our history as the founder and exploiter of the world where the English language is the lingua franca is coming home to roost. Freedom that we hold so dear, attracts those without it, from barbarous totalitarian regimes. Are we following the tenets of our own beliefs?

This is clearly a difficult ethical issue. We Brits can see the everyday problems of inflation and the failures of our welfare state, but should we turn our backs on those less fortunate than ourselves?

This is an issue that transcends our national interest, or even the Western alliance interest, it is a symptom of the developing human situation. It harks back to the great conflicts of totalitarianism and democracy.

What example will it be then, to see the founding fathers of parliamentary democracy ruling against these unfortunate migrants?

True, there are those of evil persuasions involved in people trafficking, and there are those of younger adventurous spirits, who exploit the opportunities, but nonetheless, there remains an enormous international and ethical problem. These problems will not be solved by unilateral and selfish unworkable laws. They will only be salved by international cooperation.

I'm not being too serious here, but surely Sur Gray must have known that to accept a job with Labour now, when Johnson is about to be taken to task, looks at best suspicious and at worst corrupt.

It all adds to the chaos that Johnson has wrought over the last few years. Add to that the shambles of Hancock’s diaries, the DUP response to the Sunak N.Ireland protocol solution (or not), the ‘Stop the boats’ half arsed scheme, the NHS shambles, – all these issues hark back to Johnson.

Yet, today we learn John is proposing a Knighthood for his Dad! I am not kidding. This outrageous fellow has created more chaos than any British Prime Minister with the possible exception of Liz Truss.

Now Sue Gray’s proposed appointment as Kier Starmer’s CoS has come to Johnson’s rescue. Just as he was about to be kicked out of Parliament for misleading the house on a number of accasions, all of them knowingly. Now there will be a furore that Gray’s report was obviously biased, as she clearly had her eyes set on supporting the Labour Party at a high ranking level and that she, therefore, knowingly tried to scupper the clown Johnson.

You could not make this up! This story is so outrageous as to be beyond imagination.

While all this pantomime is going on the country is fighting inflation, Mr Putin, and a general slide in standards at every turn. Inflation, Social Care, Education, Immigration to name but a few. Johnson in the meantime has picked up a couple of million pounds for speeches which do nothing other than praise his decisions as our buffon PM.

Whilst Sunak is a smart fellow, he certainly has his hands full. Gray’s unsettling move has done nothing to help him. Maybe, she’s smarter than we think. After all Johnson creating upset in the Tory Party can’t be bad for her new boss.

As Rishi Sunak settles in to sort the impenetrable problems of the UK there is a sizeable minority still agitating for national dismemberment into four smaller entities or if you will three and an integrated Ireland.

The wee spicey leader of Scotland is the nearest to achieving independence but none in Wales, Ireland or Scotland have so far have faced the issue of fiscal deficit. Each separate national entity depends, whether they like it or not, on the South East of England including greater London which contributes the by far largest income to the UK Government.

In the meantime everyone is whining about the cost of living, inflation and all. Nichola Sturgeon, in Scotland, Adam Price in Wales and Sinn Fain in Northern Ireland are all to the foe, all omitting the real issues of interdependency, At least Drakeford, the First Minister in Wales professes to be a Unionist, but sees no issue with a cooperative agreement with Plaid Cymru..

In 2021 all countries and all regions had fiscal deficits, London being the lowest but still with a deficit of £800 per head, N Ireland had a deficit twelve (12) times that. But its not all about balancing regional expenditure and income. It is about the fiscal whole of the UK – regional and national home rule aside.

What Sunak faces now, some of his own doing – is an overall deficit whose only short term route to cure is austerity. Whilst cutting money supply we must bring supply and demand into some form of balance. What do we do know? The demands of the Defence of the realm, The NHS, Education and Welfare all have legitimate voracious demands.

Where is the opportunity for growth in all this?

It seems that each region in the UK must front up as a contributor to the UK economy as a whole and not continue either as a begging bowl economy or a separate economic entity. One for all and all for one seems appropriate. That we will suffer in the short term is inevitable, but at the same time we must save personally and nationally. We must stop asking, and politicians must stop giving in to popular demand, be they right or left wing.

The story of the UK must be based on fiscal discipline and fairness in bearing the burden. Petty nationalism does not seem a way to go.

Growing old is not for sissies, or so they say. There is no doubt that the onset of things like arthritis, deafness, sight failure, and other ailments are all hard to bare. Nonetheless, we must take on board that we are lucky to be old, to be still around, and that we may still have something to offer. The real hardship is none of these. It is loneliness and inertia, waiting for an end that surely must come.

Yes, it must, but just waiting is the silliest waste that can be, for now is precious, now is when we can do something, now we are alive. Here are some things we can do: read the paper or a book, listen to music whatever kind you like, paint a picture, even write a blog. . Some of the lucky ones can stare at a stamp collection, or a collection of anything and be happy with an accomplishment that has taken a lifetime. The luckiest can share and rejoice with others at their wonderful achievements.

The others, it is they who transcend all else, if we are lucky enough to live in love then everything else does not matter a jot. Life is worth living and its easy to see why. There is humor and laughter, there is sharing and fighting, there is caring and weeping. There is no silence.

Grief at the loss of a loved one is wrapping of ones soul in silence, and there are degrees of grief, believe me. There are degrees of grief, losing your mum and dad, losing your son or daughter, losing your partner. All are different, and all grip your heart and soul in slightly different ways, always with the cold fingers of loneliness and isolation. Here is an end that we hoped would never be, and losing a ninety year old parent does not hammer us as hard as losing a nine year old child. The Blanket of cold loneliness thaws at different speeds and ways.

One of the hard things in growing old is the fear of losing ones partner, whether there is loving dull routine or hysterical ups and downs. It doesn’t much matter if you’ve loved for a day or a millennium the dependency is absolute and the fear of loss even before that awful day can be haunting. That cold silent harbinger of grief overshadows the joy that should be our daily gift.

So my advice to everyone, young and old, is simple, enjoy what you can when you can. Remember you won’t have today again. So care for today, care for everyone who passes through. Be proud of what you did yesterday, and know that when the end comes as it must, you made the best of it. If you’re lonely and cold get warm with whoever you meet.

Come and support a day out at Ponthir Sports and community Club on Sunday 24th. Something for all the family , Bar, grill, Music and Auction plus of course the fabulous cricket match.

President Putin, is clearly not balanced. He has become paranoid about his own role as a saviour of the Russian empire. He has become a pariah to most of the world with the support of a very few authoritarian ,so called , leaders. He is killing men women and children with apparent indifference, whilst the world looks on.

To some extent the free world is afraid to face up to this ‘mad dog’ because he has access to the largest nuclear assets in the world. What does that say about our international control system?

Our failure to defend the frees state that is Ukraine has been predicated on these awful facts. Namely a madman with nuclear resources can do what he likes, and there is no way to stop the murder and mayhem that Putin imposes on Ukraine every day.

Sanctions on Putin and his gang of kleptocrats will have some effect but in the meantime women and children are being murdered in Ukraine every day.

The only way to stop the mad dog is to put it down. It, is the right word, for Putin is inhuman and exhibits all that can be bad in a human frame. He is selfish, power mad, greedy, self obsessed, and paranoid. If he were any sort of animal he would be put down as a danger to other species.

Make no mistake, this lunatic is laying waste to a nation. To families, communities and a young long suffering nation that is just beginning to enjoy the fruits of freedom and fairness. Putin is in fact cocking a snook at freedom as a value. As he sees it, his way as an omnipotent being, controlling, killing dissent as the only way of leadership.

The corruption that is embedded in Putin’s Russia will, we hope, lead to an end to this dreadful scene. Army’s are without conviction, shops without bread, ATM’s without cash all a result of this maniac’s self indulgence. That is what will bring Putin down. How soon? is the question. How many more Ukrainians have to die while the world shows its disgust, but more importantly the Russian people are awakened to the evil that is Putin.

The Russian people are the only power that can bring the mad dog down. Propaganda from the West must be the main weapon couple with extreme sanctions must squeeze the message home.

If Putin is brought down then what will succeed him? Russia most surely will be sorely hurt. The old machine of authoritarian propaganda must be replaced with a democratic model. To do that will take many years and great wisdom. These are questions that must be part of the plan that not only brings the mad dog down, but that looks toward a more democratic future.

Ukraine, Ukraine, long live Ukraine!

Putin is clearly unbalanced. What do we do when a totalitarian Head of State loses his sense of what is normal. We know he is moving toward bombing Ukraine with chemical weapons and the West and China are doing nothing to stop him. How do you stop him? That’s the question.

He clearly has a virtual complete grip on the Russian media, so most Russians, though not all, believe that Russia is not the aggressor but the victim. How the Russian people receive the truth is possibly the most important issue before the West. How do we inform the Russian people of the TRUTH?

How do we defend a free state? Presently it seems that Russia has invaded Ukraine without a second thought. Putin lied about the build up, he teamed up with the other evil monster the President Of Belarus, the west did very little except rely on sanctions which is something, but what further sanctions can we press if Russia uses chemical weapons. Famously Obama failed to respond in Syria, Russia is going to bomb Ukraine flat and follow up with a dose of chemical poison. Will the West do anything? Probably not! That is what Putin is banking on, the West will continue with its self interest and ignore atrocities and the murder of thousands of people, whose only sin was to seek a democratic way of life.

There we have it. In a nut shell, any lunatic with a nuclear arsenal can do anything he wants to independent countries who are not members of a major defence alliance. If the West does not stop Putin now, then there will be no end to Putin’s aggression. Moldova next, then the eastern provinces of Hungary and so on . People will die in their thousands and the world will wring its collective hands.

Obama has a lot to be sorry for, not least he lacked the guts to enforce his red line on chemical weapons in Syria. I hate to say it, but Biden is an old man with a weak mandate. Putin knows the USA has no stomach for a fight.

If we have not got the guts to provide the Ukraine with jet aircraft and heavier aggressive missile systems then we deserve all we get. Putin wins!

The invasion of Ukraine is one of the great tragedies of the modern age. There’s no need to elaborate. Putin is the one crazy man who is the sole decision maker, he has now the most dreadful dilemma, his invasion looks as if it is failing by any measure. Further the Russian people are beginning to understand that the war, is a war, that many Russians are needlessly dying, both army conscripts as well as Ukrainian cousins. The cost to Putin is now gathering weight and soon, if the Ukrainians hold out, the bankrupt Putin will no longer afford to wage this useless war.

What then? Will the mad Putin pull the nuclear trigger, or will he sue for peace? It seems unlikely that the Putin we know, will sue for peace. His delusions of the Russian empire resuscitated by the great man Putin will be in ruins, and we must hope that an internal revolution will remove this megalomaniac from the seat of absolute power. If not, then it seems that an escalation of conflict will be his most likely scenario.

In Putin’s mind the West has gone to war economically, but in the minds of Ukrainians Putin has been allowed to pillage a sovereign country without any physical response. Economic sanctions is one thing, but artillery and bombs are quite another. Are we to believe that any nuclear bully can do what he likes and all of us are afraid to escalate physically into what will be the inevitable nuclear war?

By crushing Russia economically we will subject the Russian people as well as the rest of the free world to dreadful depravation, from food to shelter and warmth. What will that say about the west? Will we drive a wedge between West and East for the foreseeable future? Will the distrust be strengthened? Will the Russian people be driven by desperate plight to believing another one-man, strongman ethos to drag them back to an equitable normality?

As an optimist, we hope that Putin has really shot himself in the foot. That the days ahead will lead to the end of his lunatic reign. That Russia and Ukraine will be a family again and that a democratic environment will be re-established in both countries. Only the Russian establishment can bring this scenario into being, by ousting Putin, counting the cost and seeking not only forgiveness but hope for the future.

The west at large will have to bare the burden of reconstituting the smashed fabric of the Ukrainian country, culture and people. The World and United Nations must somehow ensure that nuclear blackmail is made impossible.

Putin has cast the human race down. Some where, some one, must make the difference. Not only of selflessness, but of vision and generosity of spirit that can affect all those in power, be they democratic or alternative. Putin by his cruelty may be saving the world.