THE BIG RETORT

What’s happening in Labour-run Lewisham today has left me thinking. I once believed in the ideals of the Labour party: justice, fairness, and accountability – but, not now. These are just the empty sloganeering of an elite few in Lewisham's town hall and Parliament. In truth, Lewisham is not a borough of sanctuary but a place for Pocaneering . Ordinary residents—entrepreneurs, good Samaritans, and hardworking immigrants—are being treated not as part of the community, but as financial targets . All in the name of planning enforcement. All under the guise of legality. And all tied to the toxic incentives of the Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA) . The sand and cement storefront scandal – Criminalised Let’s begin with local DIY shop owner Kevin Bottomley, reported here under KJ Building Supplies and our successful campaign Save KJs. He was selling small quantities of sand and cement from his shop's driveway – the kind of side hustle long part of Lewisham life, helping neighbours avo...

What if the cosmic background radiation is a universal library? What if, from the dawn of time, countless advanced civilisations, spanning from the universe's beginnings to its furthest reaches, have failed to realise the universe itself holds a means—a cosmological way—to both store and retrieve the echoes of all civilisations locked within it? A cosmological library simply waiting to be opened. The universe, having written its story upon the cosmic background, surpasses the very notion of "Space, the ultimate frontier." It reveals itself to be a library without end. Within the cosmic background, every story waiting to be read, the pages of all civilisations woven into the fabric of spacetime. All that has been, all that will be—from beginning to end—like whispers carried in the inexorable aether, waiting. More than just the cosmic background: more than just leftover radiation. The cosmic background radiation may be our universe's memory, and our journey into its de...

In 1833, the British Empire abolished slavery, a landmark decision that marked the end of a cruel and inhumane practice. However, the legacy of this dark chapter in history continued to reverberate long after the chains were broken. One of the most enduring consequences was the issue of compensation for slave owners.To appease slave owners and ensure a smooth transition away from slavery, the British government offered substantial compensation. This amounted to £20 million, a significant sum at the time, representing approximately 40% of the government's annual expenditure. The money was intended to compensate owners for their "loss" of enslaved people. A Lingering Debt Despite this initial payment, the full financial burden of the slave trade persisted for centuries. The compensation was rolled into a government bond known as an "undated gilt," which didn't have a fixed repayment date. This, combined with the government's economic challenges and the com...

  A London council job advertisement sparks concerns about the true motives of creating a private landlords’ register. Leading many to question whether planning enforcement is morphing into an out-of-control profit-driven abuse of process. TheBigRetort... Understanding POCA The Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA) 2002 allows authorities to recover funds obtained through illegal activity. The Asset Recovery Incentivisation Scheme (ARIS) financially rewards authorities with a significant 37.5% of the value recovered under the POCA scheme. While POCA serves a valuable purpose in the fight against criminality, concerns arise when such a significant financial gain appears to be the driving force behind prosecutions, as evidenced by Lewisham Council's revealing job advertisement we unearthed for a new enforcement officer.   Red flags raised by enforcement job advertisement The job advertisement for a "Private Sector Housing Fraud and Intelligence Officer" raises red flags. ...