Merry Christmas!

It's been a very busy December, but I'm so happy to share these with the best son in the world Jack Bara and my lovely husband Andy. On Christmas Eve Andy came to midnight mass with me. 

 

Exchanging presents was made extra special by Jack's very lovely handmade Xmas card. I love our meaningful and useful presents to each other (see the photos, I got important books and chocolate Bailey's!). 

Then Andy and I went to Cornerstone Day Centre for a quick Christmas greetings. 

Saying Merry Christmas to the homeless and the volunteers, abd sharing hugs with people who have nowhere else to go is very meaningful. We felt so warm watching the happiness in the face of a young man who got a simple present of a singing biscuit tin. We chat with a young Polish man who wanted to open a streetfood soup cart (and he's been working 12hrs a day to save up for his dream!). The best part is that he's going to do a 'soup-portive' programme where people can buy soup for the next homeless person who pass. Aaaww...

After Cornerstone, it's time for our own Christmas lunch. Operation Christmas Lunch began! (See our timetable?) 

Then of course we had to watch the Queen's speech, which I think is really inspiring! The Queen talked about of "small acts of goodness" and "ordinary people doing extraordinary things".

Our Christmas lunch is delicious and filling. We thanked each other for cooking, for washing up, and for being together this Christmas. It was a short and hectic day as I had to rush to work in the evening, but it was Christmas, the day of the mother and child, and the step father who took his painful role with love and patience. It's also the birthday of The First Revolutionary who taught us to love the poor and the marginalised. Today was our family's best day of 2016! 

Merry Christmas... ❤🎄❤

Tory's Christmas Recipe to Eradicate Poverty

Today The Guardian published their view on measuring poverty. "The UK government is redefining who counts as poor, which is easier than fixing a problem that is especially stark at this time of year." (http://gu.com/p/4fan8?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other)

Now this is the tory's best solution to eradicate poverty: redifine poverty! Happily ever after for the twats in power.... 

My message to all Economic and social-politics students: never forget that the Conservative changed the definition of child poverty instead of addressing and tackling it in a humane way...! Never ever forget this fact!

The next step is that they manipulate the media. It's called agenda setting for those studying communication/PR, by the way. Then shift the focus to unemployment, making it looks like being poor = being lazy. 

Next step, cut university grants so that the poor have no chance to get higher education and no chance to get a better paying job. And of course eventually, they will cut tax credit so those on minimum wage can not feed their children without working 100hours a week (like those sweat shops in Bangladesh / Vietnam / India / Tangerang Indonesia).

After all these steps, leave everything simmer for a few years. By 2020 when Labour gets back to power, there will be no poor people left in the UK. Why? because they all will be dead. Genocided. Eradicated by their own government. 

And that, my dear young friends in universities, is the tory christmas recipe to eradicate poverty. There is another name for it that no one likes to mention anymore: neo-liberalism. Or your friends in Theology might simply call it: evil. Bah humbag!