Armed Forces Day - Bodelwyddan

I wanted to demonstrate on Armed Forces Day in solidarity with assassinated MP Jo Cox. She stood for everything I believe in.





When we hear about the work that Jo did, it is clear that she cared deeply about the welfare of children, all over the world, whatever their situation. Events like Armed Forces Day are used to target British children as potential future recruits. Shamefully, Britain is the only country in Europe that still recruits 16 year old children into its armed forces. Meanwhile, in other parts of the world, the British army has been involved in military action that has led to the maiming and killing of countless innocent children, and sells arms to other countries around the world, leading to even more child deaths.



To see the rest of the pictures from the day, click here.

Remembering Pauline and her campaign.

Pauline ,I think, would be horrified to find how little progress has been made in prison reform since she died eight years ago yesterday  15 / 5 / 08 .Only today there are reports of more violence, more suicides and drug abuse than ever in prisons.Prison staff are attacked daily. There is a general consensus that private companies are not maintaining decent standards or  providing value for money. All prisons should be in the public sector. They should not be run to make a profit.
The dreadful documentary by Panorama of the abuse and mistreatment of children in the Medway Secure Training  Centre.  in Rochester, Kent  was shocking and should have brought shame on G4S and the Youth Justice Board,especially since other damning reports had been   published on other Secure Training Centres.Over 200 children are in the supposed care of G4S.Pauline hated the mantra "-lessons will be learned-"when ever it became known that anyone had been abused in prison. She would have given a wry smile to know that Mr Neilson of the Howard League expressed a hope that the forthcoming  Ministry of Justice review of youth justice would take a hard look at what companies like G4S are doing to our children.
She would have said the evidence is already there.

Vulnerable people and children are suffering in our prisons at this very minute. Mr Gove where are you?