Tag Archives: zac goldsmith

It Used To Be No Blacks, No Dogs, No Irish, Now It Is No Tories

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The election results of 2015 were shocking, but not as shocking as the reaction from the left. The level of bile and hatred has been truly shocking. I have seen signs on shops saying no Tories, signs requesting that Tories declare their political beliefs so they can be charged more, calls for Tories to be fired from their jobs. More famously the Women of World War Two memorial on Whitehall was vandalised.  by anti-Tory protesters who graffitied ‘Fuck Tory scum’ on the monument. Could there be a more disrespectful way to make a statement? I am not so sure. Although leftie darling Laurie Penny didn’t seem to have a problem with it.

My husband was sure Labour would get in and that there would be a coalition. You are wrong I said, you are forgetting about secret Tories. The truth is, tories have been openly discriminated against for years. In fact, they are one of the few people you can openly discriminate against and it is ‘okay’. The other is white working class males. (See Chavs: The Demonization of the Working Class for details). There certainly is an irony there.

In 2010 I campaigned for Conservative MP Zac Goldsmith.  I campaigned for Zac because I thought he was a good, decent guy who could do good. I would have campaigned for him no matter what political party he was running for. The amount of abuse I got for campaigning for a Conservative was quite something. I lost friends and even work (I am an writer and actor. Both professions are notoriously left-wing). Even my own father commented that I was ‘no longer his daughter’. To this day we never talk about politics or my campaigning.

Social media is ablaze with comments about the destruction of the NHS (Spending actually increased under the last Conservative/Liberal Democrat coalition) and comments about welfare cuts. The amount of status updates and tweets I have seen saying how anyone who voted Tory should be ashamed of themselves and are now responsible for the cuts and coming destruction is shocking. My friend Jeremy Drysdale referred to it as an ‘echo chamber’. People with the same thoughts and beliefs following other people with the same thoughts and beliefs, living in a bubble of their own political making. ‘You are an actor’. another said, which explains just how much left wing abuse and bullying I saw. But I am also friends with Conservatives so I get a more balanced view. My Conservative friends have been dignified in their silence. They are also some of the most decent, generous, caring and moral people I have ever met.

Truth is, I don’t hang my mast to any specific political party but I believe in Conservative values: small government, aspiration, working hard. What I don’t agree with is 11.3 million people being called ‘Tory scum’ just because they have a different political belief. There are even calls for a new voting system even though Labour won with less votes in 2005. Where was the protesting then? The Labour majority in 2005 was 66 with 35.2% of the vote and the Conservative majority in 2015 was 12 with 36.9% of the vote. The alternative voting system was rejected by the British Public four years ago. Now because some people did not get the outcome they want they are crying foul.

Truth is, as this excellent article by Byrony Gordon says, the left are just bad losers. You can’t abuse people with different opinions from you just because you didn’t get what you want. The truth is, both Ed Milliband and Nick Clegg were gracious in defeat. If only their followers did the same.

 What do you think?

 

 

 

Quintessentially Foundation Charity Poker Night

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Last night saw stars including Tom Parker Bowles, Jamie Laing, Ben Elliot & Zac Goldsmith support the Quintessentially Foundation’s annual poker evening held in the beautifully restored Lancaster Ballroom at The Savoy Hotel in association with PokerStars. The aim of the evening was to raise much needed funds for three worthy causes: Greenhouse, Place2be and RightToPlay. We are delighted to announce that over £195,000 was raised from last night’s event, adding to the £4 million which has already been raised by the Foundation since 2008.

Ben Elliot & Zac Goldsmith 1 at Quintessentially Foundation Charity Poker 2014

Ben Elliot & Zac Goldsmith at Quintessentially Foundation Charity Poker 2014

Camilla Rutherford & Domnic Burns attend Quintessentially Foundation Charity Poker 2014

Ben Elliot at Quintessentially Foundation Charity Poker 2014

Zac Goldsmith & Alice Rothschild at Quintessentially Foundation Charity Poker 2014

Zac Goldsmith & Alice Rothschild attend Quintessentially Foundation Charity Poker 2014

Following a lavish champagne reception, the evening saw glamorous VIPs, movers & shakers and business luminaries take their seats alongside poker professionals and enthusiasts in a ‘Texas Hold’em’ poker tournament. At stake were 10 amazing prizes including a trip to the PokerStars and Monte-Carlo Casino (R) European Poker Tour event and a Box for Arsenal vs Newcastle United in addition to a Pre-release Private Screening of a Working Title Film for 35 people.

Highlights of the evening included Jamie Laing repeatedly beating the poker pro at his table and winning all her chips forcing her to buy-in again to stay in the game!

The eclectic mix of characters clearly enjoyed themselves and the poker evening continued long into the night, with guests knocked out of the competition making the most of the cocktails & canapés on offer throughout the evening.

 

VIP Attendees: Ben Elliot, Tom Parker Bowles, Zac Goldsmith, Alice Rothschild, Jamie Laing, Sophie Michell, Camilla Rutherford, Alistair Guy

 

Team PokerStars Professionals

Bertrand ‘Elky’ Grospellier

Jake Cody

Leo Margets

Fatima Moreira de Melo

Matthias De Meulder

Christophe De Meulder

 

What they drank: Dalmore Whiskey, Bellerose beer and Harry Brompton Ice tea

 

What they ate: canapés and bowl food including beef burger, braised lamb shank and sautéed potato gnocchi

 

 

Rally For The Rainforest At Online Celebrity Auction

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Want to shop and do good? Of course you do.

‘The 12 Days of Christmas’, the RFUK’s fabulous and exclusive public auction of one-off gifts donated by celebrities, luxury labels and esteemed Foundation friends, returns for a fourth year. Open to everyone through an RFUK pop-up shop on eBay, the 12 day auction, running from November 20 to December 1, will offer various gleaming goodies for every savvy shopper ready to raise funds to protect the world’s rainforests.

James Bates - collage in a white box frame

James Bates – collage in a white box frame.

The auction can be found at www.ebay.co.uk/12days

 

As well as countless surprises to be announced in the lead up to the auction launch, lots currently include: A catered day out at the Wiltshire Lakehouse Estate home from Sting and Trudie Styler, VIP autographed guest tickets to the filming of QI from Stephen Fry, signed goodies from Sir Bruce Forsyth and Mark Rylance, signed sporting goods from members of Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspurs FCs, Tea for Four in Parliament with The Rt Hon Zac Goldsmith MP, many course meals with wine from the OXO Tower Restaurant, Terre a Terre and the Michelin-starred Quilon, tickets for award winning London shows including Spamalot, Woman In Black  and The English National Ballet’s Le Corsaire, exclusive London Fashion Week items from Volcom, Emma J Shipley, Eda London and Begg Scotland, a stunning bracelet from Zoe & Morgan plus limited edition signed art from Rob Ryan, Kid Acne, Ben Frost, Eelus, Rosie Emerson, Russell Marshall, Graham Carter and a very rare 1 of 3 paint on canvas from acclaimed artist Fin DAC worth over £1,000 (kindly donated by art concept store Beautiful Crime) and much, much more! This is just a sample of what is available at what will no doubt be a spectacular fourth year for the 12 Days of Christmas event. More lots to be announced soon via @RFUK, Facebook and the RFUK website.

Russell Brand Says We Shouldn’t Vote. Is He Right?

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In this weeks New Statesman Russell Brand edits and rights a lengthy piece. Yes, that Russell Brand. He says he did it because a beautiful woman asked him (That would be Jemima Khan, his rumoured girlfriend). For his theme he chose revolution  ‘because the New Statesman is a political magazine and imagining the overthrow of the current political system is the only way I can be enthused about politics.’ He goes on to say;

 

When people talk about politics within the existing Westminster framework I feel a dull thud in my stomach and my eyes involuntarily glaze. Like when I’m conversing and the subject changes from me and moves on to another topic. I try to remain engaged but behind my eyes I am adrift in immediate nostalgia; “How happy I was earlier in this chat,” I instantly think.

I have never voted. Like most people I am utterly disenchanted by politics. Like most people I regard politicians as frauds and liars and the current political system as nothing more than a bureaucratic means for furthering the augmentation and advantages of economic elites. Billy Connolly said: “Don’t vote, it encourages them,” and, “The desire to be a politician should bar you for life from ever being one.”

 

I don’t vote because to me it seems like a tacit act of compliance;

 

To be fair he does have a point. It is not possible to look at politics and not find something to be upset about. But his piece is hard to read and long winded. More about Russell Brand than the state of politics and what should be done. One feels he chose the theme of revolution because he could not make a logical and informed argument about any other aspect of politics. Just tear it down instead, eh, Russell?

Should Brand stick to the entertainment industry?

Should Brand stick to the entertainment industry?

Brand goes on to say “We have succumbed to an ideology that is 100 per cent corrupt and must be overthrown”. Really? What country does he think this is? Italy?

He even mentions that the London riots were political. They may have started that way briefly but they were more about the need for a new TV in the end.

Being a politician is a hard job. To try and make this world a better place (and plenty of politicians do try) is much harder than being a comedian/actor/whatever. Russel Brands stream of consciousness in The New Statesman reminds me of a teenager who just became angry with the world. What, I think we should ask, did Russell Brand ever do for us? Because I know what politicians do; they get up everyday and they work a proper job. Some of them do it for the right reasons, some of them do it for the wrong ones, some start off good and become corrupt, but so far so the same as every other industry/establishment. I guess what really riled me about Brand’s essay of nothing is this: I have worked in politics. I interned for Zac Goldsmith, I campaigned for Tamsin Omond (her own party, The Commons) and Suzanne Moore (Independent). Both Tamsin and Suzanne would have been great and made a difference. Zac got elected and is doing well in Parliament. (On a separate note, Zac is the brother of Jemima Khan. Small world)

I campaigned for pretty much everyone at the last election apart from the Liberal Democrats, who in my opinion are dirty campaigners, and Labour, who did a lot of damage to the country but never seem to be brought up on it by the press or anyone else, while the Tories still pay for crimes done in the 70s/80s.

I don’t promise to be loyal to a political party as they can all go wrong and lose their way, caring more about being reelected and individual careers than the people they represent. Russel Brand seems to be pro-riot and anarchy. More about tearing things down instead of building them up. He doesn’t offer a solution and if his ‘eyes glaze’ when people talk about politics then how informed can he actually be? Has he done his research?, does he read the newspapers? I am not so sure. I have nothing against Brand. Forgetting Sarah Marshall and Get Him To The Greek were both great, but if you don’t know anything about a subject, best to keep quiet.

It may be that there is no one to vote for, only fools to vote against. But to vote against a fool is better than to not vote at all. And if you are still thinking of siding with Brand and not voting then just remember that he was the guy who dressed up as Osama Bin Laden the day after 9/11 and went to work at MTV, who rightly fired him. That is not exactly sound judgement, is it?

 

Famous People Who Didn’t Go To University

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Zac GoldsmithI have a confession to make. I find the whole snobbish going to university thing stupid. If you want to actually study something or be a doctor, then obviously go and reach your potential, but one of the things I find most stupid about social pressure is that everyone should go to university. At least if they want to be middle class.

Tuition fees are now appallingly expensive, and the most annoying thing I found about the recent BBC class calculator is that they still put going to university and owning a home as an indicator of class. Even though people buying homes they could not afford was one of the factors in the recession, and a recent study said that most students would never be able to pay of the debts they had incurred.

I recently saw an interesting meme on Facebook. It said, “Modern education: creating people who are smart enough to accurately repeat what they are told and follow orders.”

You don’t have to agree with me. I know it is a controversial thing to think. However, have a look at just a few of the famous people who did not go to university.

Apple founder Steve Jobs dropped out of Reed College.

TV host and comedian Ellen DeGeneres dropped out of the University of New Orleans after one semester.

The creator of Tumblr David Karp never even graduated from high school.

Walt Disney left school at 16 to join the Army. He couldn’t get in because of his age so he joined the Red Cross and left for Europe.

Bill Gates dropped out of Harvard but later got an honorary degree.

Paul Thomas Anderson dropped out of NYU film school.

Zac Goldsmith MP for Richmond Park and North Kingston did not go to university, instead deciding to travel the world. He told the Financial Times: “I think university is hugely overrated for most people,” he says, insisting that a wide range of good apprenticeships is more useful than three years of light work and heavy drinking. “I would not encourage my children to go to university.”

Mark Zuckerberg dropped out of Harvard to work full time on Facebook.

Yoko Ono dropped out of Sarah Lawrence College

Woody Allen was thrown out of New York University after one semester and later dropped out of the City College of New York.

James Cameron studied physics at Fullerton College. He dropped out to become a truck driver.

Thomas Edison left school to work on the railroad at the age of 12.

F. Scott Fitzgerald dropped out of Princeton.

Coco Chanel dropped out of school to become a cabaret singer when she was 18.

Whole Foods founder John Mackey dropped out of the University of Texas.

Pablo Picasso dropped out of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts.

The founder of WordPress Matt Mullenweg dropped out of the University of Houston in 2004.

What do you think? Is going to university important?

Margaret Thatcher Dies At 87

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margaretthatcherMargaret Thatcher died today after suffering a stroke. She was 87.

The former grocers daughter was Britain’s first and only female Prime Minister. Lord Bell, her spokesman said: “It is with great sadness that Mark and Carol Thatcher announced that their mother Baroness Thatcher died peacefully following a stroke this morning. A further statement will be made later.”

Lady Thatcher will have a ceremonial funeral at St Paul’s Cathedral with full military honours.

Prime Minister David Cameron gave his tribute: “It was with great sadness that I learned of the death of Lady Thatcher. We have lost a great leader, a great Prime Minister and a great Briton.”

Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg said: “Margaret Thatcher was one of the defining figures in modern British politics.

“Whatever side of the political debate you stand on, no-one can deny that as prime minister she left a unique and lasting imprint on the country she served.

Liberal Democrat MP Martin Horwood tweeted: “Sad news about Baroness Thatcher. Don’t miss her policies but a towering figure in 20th c British politics, & made history UK’s 1st woman PM.”

Conservative MP for Richmond Park and North Kingston Zac Goldsmith tweeted: “There’s a reason every aspiring leader wanted to be photographed alongside Lady T. A giant, not just of the C20 but in our country’s history.”

Tom McPhail, Head of Pensions Research at Hargreaves Lansdown, said her government was responsible for the launch of Personal Pensions in July 1988 and for the scrapping of compulsory occupational pension scheme membership, in April 1988. Her political ideology emphasising individual rights and responsibilities, rather than collectivism (“there’s no such thing as society”) can still be seen today. Pension provision may be focused through the workplace but with the end of final salary pensions and the move to money purchase arrangements, the question of what people get to live on in retirement is increasingly dependent on the decisions which they take for themselves.

What are your views on Margaret Thatcher? Do you think she was a good Prime Minister? Let us know.

 

 

The Economics of Happiness | Film Review

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One of my favourite books is Ancient Futures: Learning From Ladakh, a riveting book by Helena Norberg-Hodge. The Economics of Happiness follows on from this book. It describes how consumerism and globalisation damages the lives of, not only villagers in Ladakh, but also the wider world in general. Making them less happy and affecting their livelihoods.

Helena Norberg-Hodge talks about the happiness index and gives a strong argument for localisation while exploding the myths that surround it. Did you know that most countries export as much food as they import? Critics say that it is not possible to feed the world without importing but this brilliant documentary sets the record straight on many environmental and economical issues. The Economics of Happiness lays waste with the idea that the relocalisation of food production in the West would cause starvation in the developing world.

People are sick of companies putting chemicals in our food. One of the problems of today is how far away we are from the reality of our food. Our food has become big business and it does harm to our health. It is depressing that we live in a world where a meal from McDonalds costs less than some vegetables. No wonder diabetes and other health problems are on the rise.

The Economics of Happiness has important people from six continents asking for economic change, including environmentalist and conservative MP Zac Goldsmith, Vandana Shiva, Bill McKibben, David Korten, Michael Shuman, Andrew Simms and Clive Hamilton amongst others. The documentary runs for 65 minutes. It is well paced with high production value.

The documentary goes on to make 8 arguments against globalisation. It makes its point well and makes no apology, Norberg-Hodge thinks globalisation makes us unhappy and less socially connected. The documentary is well researched and it rightly points out that globalisation exists thanks to huge subsidies from governments. This documentary argues it’s case well and gives a strong argument for localisation.

I saw this film shortly after seeing the brilliant, Oscar-nominated, Foods Inc. As customers we have the power to vote with our wallets, even if that vote means we spend nothing at all.

I saw this documentary after Zac Goldsmith MP brought it to Richmond and afterward I met Helena Norberg-Hodge who has graciously said she would give Frost an interview. Something I am very excited about. Watch this space!

To find out more or to contribute; http://www.theeconomicsofhappiness.org/

Zac Goldsmith, John Bird and Sir Trevor McDonald do a “Dragon’s Den”.

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Zac Goldsmith with Frost Magazine editor Catherine Balavage

Zac Goldsmith MP joins Big Issue John Bird and newsreader Sir Trevor McDonald to judge a Dragon’s Den style contest to boost social enterprise in South-West London.

The winner of the competition will be awarded £10,000 by the panel for their business. Almost 100 people have already joined “Richmond’s Den”, which has been set up to find start-up firms that can contribute to society.