Interview with Dr Stuart Parkinson, head of scientists for global responsibility

The head of a major scientific body that promotes the ethical practice and use of science and technology has accused the environment secretary Owen Paterson of misrepresenting the threat of global climate change and lacking concern for many vulnerable parts of the world. 

Dr Stuart Parkinson, executive director for Scientists for Global Responsibility (SGR), is also concerned that the European Union (EU) is increasingly funding ‘security research’ by arms manufacturers and that the British government is failing to support the renewable energy sector. He also fears that an opportunity to make the case for peace may be lost in this year’s events to mark the 100^th anniversary of the start of World War One.

It was at the Conservative Party conference last year that Paterson, responsible for fighting the effects of climate change, spoke up after the first part of an Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) trilogy was released. Scientists are 95% certain that humans are the ‘dominant cause’ of global warming since the 1950s. Worryingly, scientists are convinced that warming is projected to continue and in the worst cases scenario the situation is bleak for many parts of the world.

Paterson said, “this report shows a really quite modest increase…..remember that for humans the biggest cause of death is cold……..and warming will lead to longer growing seasons extending a little further north into some of the colder areas.”

Parkinson believes Paterson’s comments, “were poorly informed and misrepresent the extent of the global climate change as outlined by the IPCC. By focusing on the direct climate impacts on the UK he is showing a stunning lack of concern for the many other vulnerable parts of the world.” 

With the EU having massively increased funding for security research to €1.4 billion over the next six years, Parkinson worries that this is “resulting in an increasing use of technologies that alter the approach away from tackling the root causes of crime to ‘controlling’ the public with all sorts of implications for freedom and human rights.” 

Many of those who support the security industry contend that it provides jobs and that research is required to maintain UK firm’s positions in a growing market. The same argument is also advanced for government funds allocated to the UK’s arms manufacturers for research.

Parkinson disagrees and the SGR late last year released a report, Offensive Insecurity. This reveals that companies such as BAE Systems now has more workers in the USA than in the UK. A report that was co-authored by Ministry of Defence economists has calculated that were arms exports to halve then over 30% more jobs would be generated in five years due to the high technology skills of arms industry workers being redeployed elsewhere in civilian industry. US statistics show that the number of jobs created by spending $1bn on education is five times as many as in the military. 

“Our organisation does not just want to make arms industry workers unemployed. We want government funds to be switched away from the capital-intensive arms industry and into the renewable sector so that it can long-term replace the oil and gas sector, including fracking,” said Parkinson, whose political understanding was formed after he worked on military engineering projects whilst he was studying for his degree. Meanwhile, whilst Parkinson is in favour of research on technologies like carbon capture and storage, he contends that there is “no such thing as clean coal, only less dirty coal.” 

The SGR contends that many of the problems facing society today are the result of the irresponsible use of science, design and technology. A century ago the latest developments in scientific technology were brutally applied in a War largely carried out using nineteenth century military tactics. The introduction of machine guns, modern artillery, airplanes and tanks, allied to poison gas, led to the slaughter in the trenches. 

The Government plans to commemorate the First World War Centenary between 2014 and 2018 include battlefield visits for secondary school students. Key battle dates will be marked. Some right-wing historians have complained that the plans are too low key and by focusing on British defeats over emphasises the futility of war. Professor Gary Sheffield, vice president of the Western Front Association, has said, ‘the plans seem to miss out the fact that Britain won the war in 1918……the war was an enormous national achievement.” Others are calling the sacrifice of millions a necessary fight for freedom and even a battle for survival.

Parkinson entirely disagrees and will not be supporting “any event which seeks to glorify the war or Britain’s role in it, and I fear much of what the government plans may do this. The commemoration focus must be on ‘never again’ as the War was a horrendous waste of life that could have been avoided with greater political will.” 

Tom Maguire plaque in Leeds Central Bus Station

The life of socialist and trade union organiser Tom Maguire is commemorated with a red plaque in Leeds Central Bus Station in St Peter’s Street. He was born not far from there in 1866 and although he died tragically young, Maguire was an inspirational political activist and theoretician admired by, amongst others, William Morris. 

Maguire helped co-found the Labour Party’s forerunner, the Independent Labour Party. However, it was as the leader of the 1890 Leeds Gasworkers’ Strike that he rose to prominence when in spite of being opposed by armed troops he organised widespread solidarity action and led workers to a famous victory.  

Maguire’s name is born by the (Isabella) Ford-Maguire Society which organises events around the socialist, feminist and radical history of Leeds. 

For more details see:- http://fordmaguire.org/ 

For more on the life of Tom Maguire see: -

http://www.dkrenton.co.uk/research/maguire.html

Bobby Smith - a Spurs legend

Taken from Golden Boot book that was published in 2011 by Amberley Publishing - written by Mark Metcalf and Tony Matthews

Many thanks for Tony Matthews for allowing me to publish this piece.

Bobby Smith finished as top scorer in Division One on two occasions - 1957-58 and 1958-59.

His record in the two season was as follows:-

1957-58        

Scored 36 goals (out of 93) 18 home, 18 away

Percentage: 38.7%

Runner-up: Tommy Thompson (Preston North End) 34 goals

Spurs finished third

Season 1958-59        

Scored 32 goals (out of 85) 22 home, 10 away. 

Percentage: 37.6%

Joint top with Jimmy Greaves (Chelsea)

Spurs finished 18th

When it came to toughness, nobody surpassed flint-hard Bobby Smith. He was burly, robust, brave, had a strong right-foot shot, could head a ball with power and above all, he was never afraid to go in where it hurt, often taking a heavy knock to ankle, shin, knee, thigh, back and head!

Born in Lingdale near Middlesbrough on 22 February 1933, he played for Redcar Boys’ Club and Redcar United before joining Chelsea on schoolboy forms in 1947, taking amateur status in 1949 and turning professional in May 1950. He spent the next five-and-a-half years at Stamford Bridge during which time he scored 30 goals in 86 senior appearances, acting as deputy to Roy Bentley for a number of seasons.

In December 1955, Tottenham’s manager Jimmy Anderson paid £18,000 for Smith. When he arrived at White Hart Lane, Spurs lay just one place off the bottom of the First Division table, but Smith scored the necessary goals to dispel the threat of relegation and thereafter went on to play a major role in the London club’s glory years.

Initially Smith played inside-left with Len Duquemin leading the attack with Johnny Brooks on the right and in 1955-56 he scored 10 vital League goals and, after switching to centre-forward, he followed up in 1956-57 with another 18 before netting 36 in 1957-58 to equal Ted Harper’s 1930-31 club record for most in a season.

By now he had alongside him Tommy Harmer who was one of the finest passers of the ball in the English game and could split open the tightest of defences with one magical touch! Spurs also had some exceptionally fine wingers in Terry Medwin, George Robb and Terry Dyson with Cliff Jones ready in waiting.

Smith scored twice in the first four games of the season, both to no avail as Spurs lost 5-1 at Portsmouth and 3-1 at Newcastle. He was injured in the return game with Pompey and missed the next three matches before returning for the home clash with Birmingham City in mid-September.

Spurs crushed Blues 7-1 but amazing Smith failed to get on the scoresheet, Bobby Stokes weighing in with a fivetimer!

However, three days later Smith scored twice in a 4-2 home win over Sheffield Wednesday, giving the Owls’ defence a tough time as he bustled and barged his way into the penalty-area at every opportunity.

Absent from the next game (v. Manchester City) Smith was completely out of sorts in a 4-0 defeat by Wolves at Molineux and he didn’t fare much better in the next game which Spurs lost 4-3 at home to Nottingham Forest. But after netting a ‘real beauty’ in a 3-1 North London derby win over Arsenal, he never really looked back.

He found the net at Bolton (lost 3-2), did likewise in successive home wins over Leeds United (2-0) and Everton (3-1) and struck a decisive blow to earn a point at Villa Park (1-1).

He had a few off days but was at his brilliant best at Old Trafford on 30 November, grabbing a hat-trick in an excellent 4-3 victory. This was his first treble for Spurs and in fact he could well have scored five or six goals had not United’s ‘keeper David Gaskell been in such good form.

Smith weighed in with five goals during December, scoring braces in wins at Blackpool (2-0) and against his former club Chelsea (4-2) as well as sliding in the winner to beat champions-elect Wolves at White Hart Lane in front of almost 59,000 spectators.

On target twice in a 3^rd round FA Cup-tie v. Leicester City (won 4-0), Spurs went out in the next round and, in fact, January was a disappointing month with only two League games being played, Smith scoring in a 3-3 home draw with Preston but having a poor game in a 2-0 defeat at Burnley.

On 8 February he did what very few players have done over the years – he scored a hat-trick against the other Manchester club, City, as Spurs cruised to a 5-1 home win, gaining sweet revenge for a same score drubbing at Maine Road earlier in the season.

Two weeks later Smith netted twice in a thrilling 4-4 draw at Highbury, bagged both goals in a 2-1 win at Leeds and struck his third hat-trick of the season in a 4-1 home win over Bolton.

At the end of March he was rampant against Aston Villa and gave Jimmy Dugdale a roasting as he scored four times in a splendid 6-2 victory. A week later he notched a couple in a 4-3 win at Everton and ended the season with singles in 3-1 and 2-1 wins over Leicester City (away) and Blackpool (home).

Spurs, who scored a total of 93 League goals in the season, finished third in the First Division – a massive 13 points behind Wolves and eight adrift of runner’s-up Preston.

In 1958-59, Smith was once again the leading scorer in top flight football, sharing the honour this time with Jimmy Greaves (Chelsea), both players notching 32 League goals. In fact, Smith and Greaves had been together briefly at Stamford Bridge (1955) and would team up again when Greaves joined Spurs in 1961.

Scorer of one goal in each of the first two games – both defeats at the hands of Blackpool at home (2-3) and Chelsea away (2-4), he was off target in the next three before netting in the 1-1 draw at Nottingham Forest. At this juncture Spurs were not playing well. In fact, they won only two of their first ten League games and were well down the table.

After netting twice in a 2-2 draw with Manchester United in front of 62,277 fans at Old Trafford and banging in the opener in a 2-1 home win over Wolves, Smith missed two sitters and hit the woodwork in a 1-1 draw at Portsmouth before scoring four times in a record 10-4 home victory over Everton on 11 October.

On the morning of the Everton game it was announced that Bill Nicholson had been appointed as Spurs’ new manager – and in the afternoon he looked on as the team selected by his predecessor, Jimmy Anderson, walloped the Merseysiders in front of almost 38,000 spectators at White Hart Lane.

The goals started to flow as early as the third minute when Alf Stokes fired Spurs ahead. Everton equalised through Jimmy Harris on 11 minutes and on the quarter-of-an-hour mark Smith rose unchallenged to nod home Tommy Harmer’s delightful cross to make it 2-1 before Danny Blanchflower sent George Robb through to score a third for Spurs.

In the 31^st minute outside-right Terry Medwin flew down past Bramwell and his cross was met square on by Smith (4-1). Medwin then found space to score twice before half-time to virtually see off the Merseysiders at 6-1.

Harris reduced the deficit soon after the break, but Blanchflower quickly set up Smith who completed his hat-trick with a great finish.... 7-2 to Spurs.  There was a lull in proceedings between the 60^th and 80^th minutes before the game exploded into life once again. Harmer belted in a rocket from 15 yards (8-2)... Harris replied (8-3), Smith put away Stokes’s corner (9-3), Bobby Collins made it 9-4 and the injured Johnny Ryden nipped in with a later tenth to seal a memorable victory.

Smith maintained his form by scoring in each of the next four matches – a 4-3 victory at Leicester, a 2-3 home defeat by Leeds, a 1-5 drubbing at Manchester City and a 1-1 draw with Bolton at White Hart Lane. He then struggled in the 2-1 win at Luton and the 4-0 home reverse against Birmingham before scoring twice in a seven-goal thriller at West Bromwich which Spurs lost 4-3.

Smith scored in two of the five League games played in December – in 2-1 defeats by Preston and West Ham - before starting the New Year with a smart effort in a 3-1 victory over Blackburn. He then netted in successive FA Cup-ties against West Ham (won 2-0) and Newport County (won 4-1), scored in a disappointing 4-1 home defeat by Arsenal and struck twice in a hard-earned 4-4 home draw with Portsmouth towards the end of  February but was then sidelined for three games at the start of March.

Returning for the home visit of Manchester City, he scored in a 3-1 win, netted again six days later when Aston Villa were beaten 3-2 and was on target in the 3-0 win over FA Cup finalists Luton Town during the first week of April.

He then went out and ended the season in style... grabbing both goals in the 2-2 draw with Burnley (one a fierce drive from outside the area), cracked in his second four-timer of the campaign when West Brom were battered 5-0 on a barren White Hart Lane pitch (he could have had six or seven in this one-sided game if Baggies’ goalkeeper Ray Potter had not been at his brilliant best) and netted the opener in a last-day 2-2 draw at Preston.

After two wonderful campaigns, during which time he scored 73 goals in competitive football and 12 more in friendlies, Smith followed up in 1959-60 with another 25 in the First Division, plus five more in the FA Cup, four of which came in a 13-2 fourth round replay victory over Crewe Alexandra.

He then added 33 more to his tally in 1960-61 (28 League, 5 FA Cup) when, of course, Spurs completed the double. After that he struggled with injury problems for long periods and managed only 27 more League goals in the next three seasons before transferring to Brighton & Hove Albion for £5,000 in May 1964.  His record with Spurs was superb – 208 goals in 317 first-class appearances. He gained League, European Cup-winner’s Cup and two FA Cup winner’s medals, scoring in the 1961 final against Leicester and against Burnley a year later with his socks rolled down to his ankles. He also won 15 England caps, scoring 13 goals including two in the 9-3 drubbing of Scotland at Wembley in April 1961.

Smith, who helped Brighton win the Fourth Division championship in 1965, remained at The Goldstone Ground until October 1965 when he moved to Hastings United, later assisting Leyton Orient (on trial) and Banbury United. He retired in May 1969 to become a painter and decorator and as the years passed by he became a cripple, the legacy of his footballing career. Sadly Smith died after a short illness in Enfield, Middlesex on 18 September 2010.

Shortly after his death, the Tottenham Hotspur manager Harry Redknapp paid tribute to Bobby Smith as both a player and a person.  "I loved Bobby. A proper character and what a player," said Redknapp.                                                                                                 "He was a larger-than-life character and I am sorry to see him go.                                     "I remember seeing him terrorize goalkeepers in those days of European football, battering the ball into the back of the net, but not only that, he could play as well.          "He was a real top centre-forward and a great, great character." 

A useful oppose the bedroom tax leaflet

The 1984-85 miners' strike - the build up

9 March will see the release of the book Images of the Past featuring the fantastic photographs of the late Martin Jenkinson. I am proud to be one of the co-authors - the other is Mark Harvey - and the added benefit is that25% of the author's (Martin's is going his wife and daughter) fee's are to be split with the Orgreave Truth and Justice Campaign and the Justice for Mineworkers. I have written the 25,000 words for the book. 

In the run-up to the release of the book I thought it might be good to put one or two things on this blog. One of the key issues in the lead up to the strike was whether the Tories had a secret plan to close most of the pits. A speech by Arthur Scargill to the 1983 TUC is reprinted below from the Yorkshire Miner. 

Scargill's claims were ridiculed in the press and the media and coal board chairman Ian MacGregor even sent out a letter in June 1984 to every miner’s home stating: ‘This is a strike which should never have happened. It is based on a very serious misrepresentation of the facts ... miners have supported the strike because your leaders have told you this ... that we plan to do away with 70,000 jobs.That we plan to close 86 pits, leaving only 100 working collieries. If these things were true I would not blame miners for getting angry. But these things are absolutely untrue. I state that categorically and solemnly. You have been deliberately misled.’  MacGregor was lying. 

Report on Arthur Scargill's speech to TUC Conference in 1983 

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Charlie Hurley's league debut was 60 years ago this weekend

This weekend marks the sixtieth anniversary of the Millwall debut of centre-half Charlie Hurley, who later went on to manage Reading. Over the next three and a half seasons the Irishman went on to become a firm favourite amongst the Den faithful before departing in a big money move to Sunderland. Up at Roker Park, Charlie became the adored favourite of the crowd and was to be subsequently voted Sunderland’s finest ever footballer.

Milwall drew 2-2 at Torquay in Hurley’s first match and the seventeen year-old quickly became an established part of a defence that included experienced captain Alex Jardine and ‘keeper Malcolm Finlayson.

In the 1954-55 season, Hurley made an impressive thirty-eight league games in Division Three South and was already showing that in addition to being a good tackler he didn’t lack for confidence in playing the ball accurately out of defence.  Hurley loved playing at the Den, saying, “the dockers fell in love with me as they liked the fact I was a footballing centre half who used to play a bit, taking risks as they would call it today but I just thought that was how you played.”

Malcolm Finlayson and Charlie go up to baulk Jimmy Rodgers,
Bristol City's centre forward, in a match Millwall lost
3-1 at the Den on September 4th 1954 

Denis Pacey, who hit 12 goals for Millwall during the season, later recalled: “Hurley had very good ability on the ball; I think he could have played in any position as he had so much ability in both feet.” Millwall finished the season in fifth place, raising hopes of a promotion push in the next campaign.

Millwall 14th October 1954
Back row: John Short, Joe Heydon, Stan Anslow, Malcolm Finlayson, Pat Saward, Charlie Hurley
Front row: Johnny Johnson, Denis Pacey, Alex Jardine (captain), Johnny Summers, Gordon Prior  

However, the 1955-56 season was to be Millwall and Charlie Hurley’s worst ever. It started well enough for number five as he was considered good enough to be picked as part of the London X1 side that became the first English team to play in a European competition, the Inter-City Fairs Cup. He was one of only two from outside the top flight to be selected. Hurley partnered Danny Blanchflower in defence.

The match at Wembley saw London beat Frankfurt 3-2 with Roy Peskett, writing below a massive ‘HURLEY HOLDS GERMANS’ headline in the Daily Mail, proclaiming that “cool elegant, at times almost classical in his action, Hurley, I think is going to figure among the great ones in soccer within a few years.”

Hurley was brought up in London and thus required to do National Service and it was whilst playing for the Army Catering Corps that he did his cruciate knee ligaments. It prevented him making his debut for Ireland against Spain, put him out of the London side that fought its way through to the Inter-City Fairs Cup final and also threatened to end his career at just twenty. An already struggling Millwall side fell further down the table, manager Charlie Hewitt was sacked, and the necessity to apply for re-election was only just avoided by a twenty-second end of season placing.

Despite a severe shortage of cash, Millwall ignored rumours that Hurley would never play again and stood by him. “Millwall were great and stood by me during the hardest weeks of my football life. They were brilliant.” Hurley worked eighteen hours’ a day for six weeks in a rehabilitation centre.

An unfit Hurley missed the opening weeks of the 1956-57 and when he returned he was moved to centre forward where he scored in consecutive matches but saw his side thrashed 7-2 at Torquay and 5-1 at home to Aldershot. Still not fully recovered he did not return to the side until 1957 and missed out on the famous FA Cup defeat of 50s cup kings Newcastle United. The season ended with Millwall in seventeenth place and with Hurley having made twenty-five league appearances.

In the summer of 1957, Hurley finally made his international debut for the Republic of Ireland. England had thrashed Ireland 5-1 at home in a World Cup qualifier and the Millwall number five was given the task of preventing Manchester United’s Tommy Taylor, who had netted a hat-trick at Wembley.

The Republic’s selectors were criticised for making an inexperienced player the kingpin of their defensive system. Millwall manager Ron Gray, however, was confident Hurley would do well, saying, “Charlie is just the boy for Taylor – he’s good in the air. He can hover like a helicopter.”

Gray was to be right as Hurley totally blotted Taylor out of the game and many pundits rated him man-of-the-match. Ireland led until the 92^nd minute when a late equaliser by John Atyeo took a fortunate England side through to the World Cup finals the following summer. The sides would have required a third match if Ireland had held on. Hurley went on to make 40 appearances for his country, which was at the time a record total.

Hurley’s performance against England had many First Division sides keen to sign him and a penniless Millwall were keen to cash in once the 1957-58 season started. However, when Sunderland came calling, Hurley had no idea where the place was and initially refused to uproot and leave his family behind. It didn’t help that in an era where the maximum wage was still in place his wages would remain the same.

Eventually a deal was agreed and Sunderland paid £18,000 to Millwall. Considering the record fee for a player at the time was £35,000 then the equivalent fee today would be around £18 million for a centre half not yet twenty-one.

Hurley enjoyed a 12-year career at Sunderland and remains revered amongst Wearsiders. He became one of the first defenders to come up for corners and he regularly scored powerful-headed goals. Welsh legend John Charles rated him the finest centre half playing in England in the early part of the 60s.

After Hurley left the northeast he left he played briefly for Bolton Wanderers before becoming manager at Reading in 1972. It was his ability to get the best out of Robin Friday – rated by some Reading fans as their finest footballer ever – that helped the Royals win promotion to Division Three in 1975-76.

When Friday, described by Hurley as “a nutter and that’s an understatement, but he was a naturally gifted player”, went off the rails at the start of the season and was sold to Cardiff City, Hurley was unable strengthen his side. As the Elm Park club tumbled back into the bottom flight, Hurley brought to an end his career in football by quitting his post in February 1977.

Mark Metcalf

Author of the authorised biography CHARLIE HURLEY – “The Greatest Centre Half the World has Ever Seen”

Published by SportsBooks Limited in 2008.

Did police spy Mark Jenner help prevent justice in the David Ewin murder case?

When on February 1995, PC Patrick Hodgson gunned down an unarmed man, the self-funded Colin Roach Centre (*) in Hackney was approached by the dead man's wife, Sarah Ewin, to help seek justice.

See: - http://www.independent.co.uk/news/officer-shot-unarmed-suspect-1312861.html

The killer had to endure 3 trials before he was finally pronounced innocent of murder or manslaughter. The first trial was stopped in controversial circumstances when two people in the public gallery shouted out that Hodgson had known Ewin before the shooting incident and brought proceedings to a sudden end. With a re-trial costing at least a million in public funds you would have assumed that the very least that security officers in the highest court in the land, the Old Bailey, would have done was prevent those who had forced the trial to be abandoned from leaving. Not so. Surely then the Met Police would ensure they later arrested them? Not so, even though many people knew who they were.

The events were covered in the magazine produced by the Colin Roach Centre titled RPM. What follows are the articles from issues 3 and 4. In the article from number 3 the final paragraph is of particular interest as it makes reference to 'a wider State-inspired plot......probably we will never know if the two who intervened were part of something wider........'

Many years on we do know that the Colin Roach Centre/HCDA was at the centre of a wider State inspired plot as it had within its ranks Mark Jenner (see http://www.bigissueinthenorth.com/2013/03/there-is-no-way-of-knowing-how-much-damage-jenner-caused/7622) Jenner wrote a number of articles for RPM magazine (see below) and also the internal newsletter for members.

Jenner attended a number of events in support of Sarah Ewin and also attended the Old Bailey. What was his role in this and other events - such as the campaigning by Malcolm Kennedy to clear his name and demonstrate the police killed Patrick Quinn (see http://writemark.blogspot.co.uk/2013/12/malcolm-kennedy-rip.html) - in which the police were under the microscope?

* This was an unfunded radical centre that had originally opened after the council took away the funding at my workplace, the Hackney Trade Union Support Unit, and rather than see it close down it was merged with Hackney Community Defence Association [HCDA] that had been formed in 1988 to successfully oppose the criminal - including drug dealing - and brutal activities of the police. Prominent within HCDA was Celia Stubbs, the partner of Blair Peach who was killed by the police in Southall in 1979.