Joshua David Craddock Stoneham – News Behind The News

New Zealand’s New Flag

Joshua David Craddock Stoneham / December 16, 2015 / Asia

New Zealand’s flag has been a talking point among kiwis for quite a few years. It’s colonial roots are heavily reflected in designand some often complain about its similar style to Australia. Recently a referendum has been proposed, with a new preliminary winner announced for a replacement flag. In March a referendum will be held on whether they should keep the existing flag, or change to a new one. But what is the history behind the flag and is Australia likely to change theirs as well?

New Zealand used to have a different flag, the flag of the United Tribes of New Zealand, this was adopted in the 1830’s. After the British conolised New Zealand in 1840, the British Union flag was used instead. This later was adapted into the current flag, which was designed for use on colonial ships. It became New Zealand’s national flag in 1902.

The original, pre-colony New Zealand flag

However the flag has often been a bone of contention amongst kiwis. Some argue it doesn’t reflect the native Maori population. The inlusion of the Union Jack has been ciricisted for not reflecting New Zealand’s independent status, with Canada as an example of a ex-colony who removed the Union Jack ensignia from its flag.

Internationally, the flags similarly to Australia’s flag has been the biggest issue. in 1984, the then Australian Prime Minister Bob Hawke was greeted in Ottowa with New Zealand flags. Current New Zealand Prime Minister John Key says that he has frequently been seated under the Australian flag at international meetings.

These factors have led to a referendum that could see New Zealand’s flag reflect their country more accurately and clearly.

Australia has no current desires to change their flag, although strong campaigns from the 90’s could make a comeback if New Zealanders ditch the Union Jack. A flag that primarily consists of the ‘crux’ of the Austrlian flag (the stars featured on their current flag) is what would likely replace their current design.

Whether Oceania is due for a makeover is something may well be decided this March.

Photos by Greentubing. Other images listed under Public Domain.

Who Are French Right-Wing Party National Front?

Joshua David Craddock Stoneham / December 14, 2015 / Europe

The anti-immigration party has been in the news this week, after predictions that they would take three regional elections in France. The result was unexpectedly poor however, with the party winning no regions. However they still have potential to influence French policy in the years to come. So who are the National Front?

The party was established in 1972 to unify the numerous nationalistic French movements, founded by Jean-Marie Le Pen. Although the group describes itself as neither right or left-wing, political commentators have defined it as right-wing, anti-immigration and eurosceptic. The party was strongly opposed to the introduction of the European Union

National Front has had a fair share of controversy over the years. The founder Jean-Marie Le Pen was often the spearhead of these controversies. Statements calling for the ghettoisation of AIDS sufferers in the 80’s,saying that the French football team had too many non-white players and referring to former French president Nicholas Sarkozy as ‘the foreigner’ in a 2007 election campaign. He has also been convicted of inciting racial hatred 6 time. In 1987, he made a statement that caused him to be fined over 2.7 million Francs when talking about the Holocaust. “I ask myself several questions. I’m not saying the gas chambers didn’t exist. I haven’t seen them myself. I haven’t particularly studied the question. But I believe it’s just a detail in the history of World War II.”

So with such a controversial leader, how did this party gain momentum in regional elections?

The key lies in the change of hands. Since 2011, the president of the party has been Marine Le Pen, the youngest daughter of Jean-Marie Le Pen. Herself and her niece Marion Marechal-Le Pen have been targeting the eurosceptic and anti-immgration southern French regions.

Positioning themselves as a alternative to establishment politics, the leader and her niece have made their ideology more political and economic. Rather than focus more on issues of race and religions, they position themselves as more than simply a racist party.

Although they are against gay marriage, abortions, immigration and European politics, holding the other parties to account and using the Paris attacks along with the refugee crisis as talking points has made them appear more credible to some French citizens.

Results out yesterday show that National Front still have a long way to go, but as tensions over terrorism rise in France, so could too the power of the far-right.

Photos by David Oranje, videos From Vice, Financial Times and BBC

What Is The Stop The War Coalition?

Joshua David Craddock Stoneham / December 13, 2015December 13, 2015 / Europe, UK

Since his landslide election victory in September, Jeremy Corbyn seems constantly in tandem with the words Stop The War Coaltion in the British press. But who are the group, why are they controversial and is Corbyn right to stand by them?

The group

Stop The War Coalition was founded directly after 9/11 with the aim to stop war in the middle-east as a reaction to attacks on the World Trade Center. Since then, they have been campaigning against the War On Terror as well as, what they believe to be, unjust wars.In 2003, they joined forces with the Campaign For Nuclear Disarmament, The Muslim Ascociation of Britain to hold the largest anti-war march in British history, campaigning against the invasion of Iraq.

Controversy

Following the recent Paris attacks, the group controversially posted an article titled “Paris reaps whirlwind of western support for extremist violence in Middle East”, for which they later apologised. The group has also been criticised by human rights activist Peter Tachell as ignoring the controversial regimes of Assad and Putin in their criticisms of what they call U.S imperialism. Many MPs such as Tristram Hunt and Caroline Lucas have critised the group, with Lucas leaving the group recently.

What’s Corbyn got to do with it?

Corbyn was the chair of the group since its 2011 and only recently stepped down after the results of the Labour leadership election. He said he would continue to support the group and has been an active member since the groups inception. He was present at the groups launch and spoke at the event.

Should he move away from the coalition?

His role in the group has been criticised by some Labour MPs and some have said that he should distance himself form the group. Although the group is known for being controversial, they represent Corbyn’s anti-war policy. As a group that denounced action in Iraq and said that military intervention would destabilise the region, they seem to compliment a Corbynistic military strategy. However the controversial claims and history of the group mean that their policy becomes Corbyns. As a face of the second biggest political party in the UK, Corbyn should weigh up whether Stop The War Coaltion is not only representative of him, but Labour as a whole.

Photos by Garry Knight

Can The UK Ban Donald Trump Under Hate Speech Laws?

Joshua David Craddock Stoneham / December 9, 2015December 11, 2015 / Europe, North America, UK

Since the Paris Attacks, Islamophobia and anti-Muslim rhetoric has been prevalent among many political and journalistic figures. An example from the press is the anti-Islam Sun newspaper headline claiming that “1 in 5 British Muslims support Jihadists”. Politically, The right-wing French party National Front is set to make political gains in local elections in the country. But no other political figure has been more of a talking point than Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, who,this week, called for the “complete shutdown of Muslim immigration into America”.

This statement has been condemned by politicians and the public across the board with even senior Republican figures condemning Trump for this statement.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nnn-N9_EDDo

One SNP MP, Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh (who is Scotland’s first female muslim MP) has called on Home Secretary Teresa May to ban Trump from Britain under laws prohibiting hate preaching.

Citing examples where extremist hate preachers have been banned from the UK in the past, the MP implored the Home Secretary to consider doing the same thing for Mr Trump.

But could the presidential candidate be banned under hate speech laws?

The law:

Whether Trump could be banned or not would come under the Public Order Act 1986 which defines hate speech as:

“A person who uses threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour, or displays any written material which is threatening, abusive or insulting, is guilty of an offence if—

(a) he intends thereby to stir up racial hatred, or
(b) having regard to all the circumstances racial hatred is likely to be stirred up thereby.

An amendement to the act, the Racial and Religious Hatred Act 2006 added:

A person who uses threatening words or behaviour, or displays any written material which is threatening, is guilty of an offence if he intends thereby to stir up religious hatred.”

However another section of the law does state that freedom of expression is protected.

So technically the UK could decide to ban Donald Trump from the UK if they believed that he was in breach of the Racial and Religious Act 2006.

Whether he is is contentious, although of course his comments are undoubtedly Islamaphobic. However the treatment of hate preachers from Islam and other religions could make a case for a serious case to keep Trump on his side of the Atlantic.

Photots by Thomas Hawk Video from Wotchit News, Greg Hengler

How Likely Is Britain To Bomb Syria?

Joshua David Craddock Stoneham / December 2, 2015December 11, 2015 / Europe, Middle-East, UK

On the day of the Syrian air strike vote, the question on everyones lips is how likely is it that we are going to be bombing Syria tomorrow?

In the past, Cameron said that he would not hold another vote to take military action in Syria until he was “sure” that the vote would successfully pass through parliament.

Screen Shot 2015-12-02 at 18.01.50 — ISIS’ Presence in Syria

This is mostly due to his humiliating defeat in 2013 when he was defeated in the commons when putting through a bill which would allow Britain to bomb Syria, targeting pro-Assad forces.

Cameron now thinks that he will have enough support for action in Syria. This was made more likely by Jeremy Corbyn’s decision to give his MPs a free vote on the issue, meaning that many Labour MPs may support air strikes in Syria.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f2F6oSwFx28

Parties that have come out against air strikes and will likely vote against are the SNP, Plaid Cmryu, The Green Party and UKIP.

Labour’s leader, Jeremy Corbyn has advised his MPs to vote against air strikes, but many may defy this advice and vote in favour of the strikes.

Also some Conservative rebels have come out against the decision. The Conservative party line is to vote in favour of air strikes. The Liberal Democrats have also indicated they would vote in favour of air strikes.

So how seats are needed to swing it either way?

640 MPs will be voting
The government need half, plus one, of them to secure a majority
At least 50 of the 231 Labour MPs are thought to vote in favour
This would ensure a government victory

So really, it comes down to those Labour MPs. Being the second largest party in parliament, if they along with the SNP, Green Party, UKIP and rebel Tory MPs vote against the strikes, the authorisation won’t go through. Whether Corbyn can convince enough of his MPs to take his stance on the issue will be the defining factor.

Photos by:Iain A Wanless, Guardian and BBC News.