Political Asylum Should Come With Responsibilities
This tragic tale of a young woman killed by a drunk driver illustrates one thing that is wrong with the political asylum system. Here’s an extract.
Wilfred Museka, 31, from Clayton, had previously pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court.
He also admitted fraud by false representation, driving without insurance and driving other than in accordance with a driving licence.
The court heard that Museka, a Zimbabwean national who gained political asylum after arriving in the UK in 2000, had been to a family party in Manchester.
He drank so much alcohol that he could not recall how or why he had later travelled to the border of West Yorkshire, where the crash took place.
It turned out he’d had eleven previous motoring convictions including driving under excess alcohol.
He was just taking the Michael in a big way.
He should have been sent back to Zimbabwe, when it became obvious that he wasn’t a fit and proper person to claim asylum. As it is he’ll now be locked up for eight years before he is deported. So all the British justice system has done is delayed the inevitable and got a young woman killed.
Scotland Taxes Tobacco And Alcohol
Scotland has added extra taxes to large stores that sell tobacco and alcohol. It seems to have had the effect of getting some Sainsbury supermarkets to not sell tobacco. It’s reported here on the BBC.
Although I applaud any measure to reduce smoking, I’m not totally sure about this one. It will harm the profits of the big supermarket groups and they will react, by perhaps not investing in stores and jobs north of the border.
And of course, smokers will still get their fix, by probably buying tobacco from bootleggers and others.
I would prefer to see all tobacco sales in large supermarkets as that would perhaps make it more difficult for kids to get hold of them. After all, when did you hear of a large chain of stores selling cigarettes or alcohol to those underage.
Are Booze Cruises On The Way Back?
With Scotland likely to make it more difficult for Scottish residents to buy booze, this article indicates that booze cruises might be on their way back.
All it proves is that Newton was right.
Every action has an equal and opposite reaction.
He may have been talking about mechanics and his laws of motion, but it also applies to the rules imposed by governments.
The Priory
The Priory Clinic is well-thought of for sorting addiction and other mental problems.
However, I was surprised to see that it was advertising in a local glossy magazine at my dentist’s in Notting Hill yesterday.
Perhaps they’ve found it’s an area, where many of their past clients live.
Cheap Booze at Asda
There were reports yesterday that Asda are now selling Budweiser at fifty pence a bottle.
No wonder many peoples’idea of a good time is to get bladdered.
It means I have another reason not to shop at Asda.
In my view, there should e a minimum price for a unit of alcohol. I doubt it would affect me at all, so perhaps I’m being selfish. But on the other hand, I don’t want the psrtners, parents and friends of heavy drinkers, to go through all the heartache of the death of a loved one I’ve been through. And my wife was only a very moderate drinker and my son didn’t drink!
Diet and Warfarin
With the scare from Denmark about Marmite, I thought I’d check that my diet was OK? Especially, as I’m on a gluten free diet and take Warfarin.
It can’t be too bad, as I’ve been on the same level of Warfarin for about seven or eight months now and the last test was in the correct range.
I found this informative page in the Grown Up Congenital Heart Patients Association web site.
I liked the section about alcohol.
The interaction between alcohol and warfarin is complex. Alcohol acts as a mild anticoagulant. It also can affect the metabolism of the liver, which s important tor metabolising warfarin. As a rule of rhumb, two to three drinks per day – glasses of wine. beer etc -(typical cardiologist input) are unlikely to affect your warfarin levels. Intermittent binge drinking (typical medical student input) leads to an increase in INR (international ratio, the measurement used to check warfarin levels in the blood) due to warfarin being metabolised more slowly. Chronic heavy alcohol intake (Harley Street cardiologist input just joking!) results in a lower warfarin level because the alcohol increases the metabolism of warfarin.
It’s good to see a bit of humour in sites like this.
But then it says it’s a site for grown ups, by which they mean young people and adults.
Football Shirt Sponsorship
Years ago, many of the top football clubs had shirts that were sponsored by drinks companies.
I’m just watching Manchester United and Everton on the television. United are sponsored by Aon, who are an insurance company, although they are a lot more than that! Everton on the other hand are sponsored by Chang, which is a beer company. To me, a brewer is someone who makes real ale, and I doubt that the Thai company who makes it observe the same principles as say Adnams or the Germans. I don’t think that you would call Chang a significant player in the UK drinks market. It’s certainly something that I as a coeliac couldn’t drink safely. The tie-up between Everton and Chang also has some interesting links to post-tsunami projects, so it could be seen as being benficial to both partners. It certainly doesn’t promote excessive drinking.
So are any other clubs in the English Premier League sponored by drinks companies. Carlsberg used to sponasor Liverpool and in fact the Premier League, but I don’t think they do anymore. Obviously, advertising at football in England doesn’t make sense to them now.
So who sponsor the shirts of the other teams? The complete list is here.
- Arsenal – Emirates – airline
- Aston Villa – FxPro – financial trading
- Birmingham – F & C Investments – finance
- Blackburn Rovers – Crown Paints – paint
- Blackpool – Wonga – finance
- Bolton – 188Bet – gambling
- Chelsea – Samsung – electronics
- Everton – Chang – alcoholic beverages
- Fulham – FxPro – financial trading
- Liverpool – Standard Chartered – finance
- Manchester City – Etihad – airline
- Manchester United – AON – finance
- Newcastle United – Northern Rock – finance
- Stoke City – Britannia Building Society – finance
- Sunderland – Tombola – gambling
- Tottenham Hotspur – Autonomy – technology and Investec – finance
- West Bromwich Albion – Homeserve – emergency repair experts
- West Ham – SBOBET – gambling
- Wigan Athletic – 188Bet – gambling
- Wolverhampton Wanderers – Sportingbet – gambling
If you look at many of these companies, it is unlikely I would ever deal with them. Perhaps the only ones I might use are the airlines and perhaps one or two of the finance companies. As to the betting companies, I wouldn’t use any as if I have a bet it’s on Betfair. But the only company, which anyone could possibly have any serious objection to is Wonga, which is a very high interest rate lender, that I would never touch with a bargepole. Unless of course, they were to pay me serious money for consultancy, which is unlikely.
With the exception of Everton and their deal with Chang, there are no sponsorships from alcoholic beverage companies. I think this is a good thing.
Surely though, the sponsorship of Stoke City by the Britannia Building Society is the most interesting, in that no-one can have objection to a well-run building society can they? Especially, as it is one of the longest running deals in English football.
When it comes to the nPower Championship, I can’t remember seeing a drinks company on a shirt this season.
So what about the Scottish Premier League
- Aberdeen – Team Recruitment – recruitment
- Celtic – Tennents – alcoholic beverages
- Dundee United – Calor – energy
- Hamilto – Reid Furniture – furniture
- Hearts – UKIO – finance
- Hibernian – Crabbie’s – alcoholic beverages
- Inverness – Orion Group – recruitment
- Kilmarknock – Verve – motor dealer
- Motherwell – Commsworld – communications
- Rangers – Tennetts – alcoholic beverages
- St. Johnstone – Taylor Wimpey – house builder
- St. Mirren – Carbrini – sportswear
One or two of these might have changed, but two stand out. Both Glasgow teams are sponsored by the same alcohol company.
Surely with their history of alcohol-fuelled violence at the matches and domestic violence afterwards, this is a very good idea.
Especially, as alcohol can’t be advertised on television and all Old Firm matches are televised.
In fact, I would support a total ban of the shirt sponsorship by alcohol companies throughout Europe.
The Anonymous Widower 