Charles Martel turned back the Muslim invasion of France, but Spain and Portugal fell, as did the Christian Kingdoms of North Africa and the Holy Land. Unnfortunately, the Crusades failed to free them.

The Eastern half of the Roman Empire and much of its learning was finally destroyed with the fall of Constantinople in 1453. Fortunately for us, fleeing refugees carried this knowledge with them and helped kick-start the Western Renaissance. Within 40 years the Iberian Peninsula (Spain and Portugal) was finally liberated.

The fighting and invasions continued in the East, Vienna being besieged twice, with Poland coming to their rescue.

The tide was turned.

It can be again.

http://shariahfinancewatch.wordpress.com

I was blogging the conference from the venue all day yesterday. I don’t know what the plastic chairs were like but the wooden bench at the back I was sat on was really uncomfortable.

25 April 2008

For immediate release

Matt O’Connor’s ‘resignation’ as London Mayoral Candidate

Robin Tilbrook, the Chairman of the English Democrats said:- “I am obviously very disappointed that Matt O’Connor has issued this statement but I have to admit, not entirely surprised. What I now say is in sorrow, because Matt has done the cause some good but, contrary to what he now claims, Matt approached the English Democrats Party to be our mayoral candidate. In January he came to our National Council meeting in Leicester to urge us to select him and promised to “give the campaign 110%”!

During several discussions, he was made fully aware of the problems confronting a candidate for a smaller political party which is challenging the Establishment Parties - not least the problem of raising sufficient funds to fight an election campaign especially given the lack of coverage of non Establishment candidates.

Within the bounds of our limited manpower and financial resources, Matt has been given 100% support by the English Democrats and our members who have campaigned for him, and England’s cause, day in day out for many weeks and who have paid for everything that has been done. At no time has any funds been received from Matt.

Unfortunately - and this is not a subject I would have wanted to air publicly had it not been for the statement released by Matt O’Connor this morning seeking to blame us - it became apparent that there were problems with Matt’s candidacy arising from his own personal problems, not least following his disappearance from the campaign for several days, to the extent that I advised him to seek professional counselling regarding alcohol abuse, which he did. Matt did not disclose this problem to us when he urged us to select him as our candidate.

Despite this counselling, Matt again went missing last Saturday; - neither his office nor his partner seemed to know of his whereabouts and he could not be contacted at home. Indeed the Party prepared a statement last night raising concerns at his disappearance, as we were becoming genuinely worried for his safety.

Now, he has stated that he has resigned, although he cannot, of course, at this late stage, remove his name from the ballot paper.

This is all a great pity for Matt personally - he obviously has personal issues that he needs to address - but it also a pity for English Democrats’ candidates standing for the London Assembly - of which we have a full slate. Their campaign is running well and we have great hopes of getting a candidate elected, particularly on the party list, to campaign against the Establishment’s discrimination against London and England. The campaign for fair spending for London, an end to the Tartan Taxes, and real democracy and freedom of speech, will go on.

So I urge the people of London to give their vote, particularly their list vote, to the English Democrats. England’s cause is far bigger and more important than any one individual!”

ENDS

Robin Tilbrook

Chairman

English Democrats Party