Tony Porter's views on a postal voting clampdown, the cashless society and Burnham's first Trump meeting

Lord Kinnock, famous for falling over on Brighton beach, has told Andy Burnham that he should make voting in elections compulsory.

I disagree. No surprise there.

I feel, however, that we should stop postal voting for anyone without a valid reason to do so, such as being unable to leave the house.

The issue is that anyone can get a postal vote, but no one sees who actually puts the cross on the paper.

It is open to a huge amount of abuse.

Mind you voting in person has become more difficult with ID needed.

Not everyone drives, has a passport or bus pass or access to the internet to get a card thingy, therefore they are excluded.

So how can they then vote if it is mandatory?

The whole thing needs a rethink, but no proportional representation. How many European countries with that have stable governments?

That said the AfD have again won in another election in Germany.

This far right party makes Reform look left wing. They are slowly taking wins here and there and I fear they will walk a General Election in the not so distant future, so that will be the end of the EU, though we could instantly do trade deals with them and wait for the rest to fall.

On benefits? Well, change the way you spend your “pay” as the Departmemt for Work and Pensions have admitted that they will ask banks to look for “red flags” on your spending.

Now the DWP say there are stringent legal restrictions on what details banks can share.

They are not allowed to disclose transaction details, so the DWP is unable to view what people are spending the money on.

I add a caveat, FOR NOW. I am sure that very soon they will be able to see if you shop at JD Sports rather than Sports Direct, or have subscriptions to multiple streaming services, shop at Waitrose rather than Lidl etc etc.

Cash is king, withdraw cash, spend it where you like and it cannot be traced.

Today’s kids are brainwashed into accepting their spending is being monitored with the Go Henry cards and the like.

Teach them to use cash, as today it might be Mum and Dad getting notifications, but in the future it will be the state.

I have said this before, but cashless means they have total control of all of us.

Andy will meet President Trump this week, if he has not already by the time you read this,.

Trump will say “drill baby drill.” I say “drill baby drill” too.

We have petrol and diesel prices heading to record levels and supply that could be affected at any time.

Foreign secretary and former energy minister Ed Miliband, and his like, say we cannot touch the oil or gas in the North Sea, so would he rather see energy prices rise even more, the lights go out and no fuel for our economy to grow?

Drill, keep it off the world market, take the taxes from the workers and corporations that work on extraction: more taxes from Britain being able to function.  

Andy, condolences for your loss, it is horrific what Alzheimer’s does to our loved ones.

I feel your loss. My comments are not a personal attack on you, but just a nudge to make you think what the public I speak to are talking about.