I am making an urgent appeal for my friend Katie Stewardson. I met Katie while living in Spain. Katie became a close friend and has even written for Roaming Brit. A few days ago Katie and her family, including her two week old son Sebastián were evacuated from their Southern Spanish home, after their property flooded along with thousands of others in the region. Katie is now trying to raise money for the local community who have lost everything, trying to ensure animals and livestock are re-homed and looked after, following the worst storms to hit Spain in a century. Katie has asked me to advertise this plea for help, so she and other victims can start to rebuild their lives!

Please click on the 'Go Fund Me' picture below, to take you to her appeal!

"Our farm was hit bad by the flooding of the 'south eastern Spanish gota fria.' Paddocks are flooded and sheds are destroyed, the kennels for the dogs are non existent and they have no shelter. We are not the only ones affected .

We are fundrasing to build new kennels for the dogs and new shelters for the goats at our finca. We are also fundraising for other fincas and shelters in the same mess as us.

Dog food to buy. Beds etc

Please help if you can, every little counts to remaking homes for the animals."

Its official, the Charity Commission report detailing abuses carried out by Oxfam has been published and the evidence contained in it is damning, as I believed it would be. Readers of Roaming Brit are well aware of my connection to Oxfam, I worked for them as a Manager between 2008 and 2015. These were testing years; a time when I was given little support or direction by Managers at the top of the chain. I was more or less left to my own devises and always sought help and advice from colleagues, who were also unable to get guidance from a failing Management structure, that hadn't changed since Oxfam was formed in 1948.

The report highlights bullying, intimidation and harassment, perpetrated by a powerful elite who thought nothing of the victims they violated. There was a calculated plan to destroy and discredit employees and volunteers who dared to speak out about their mistreatment across this organisation, both at home and abroad.

Both my partner and I worked for Oxfam at a time of change and we did our best to try and "make poverty history," a mantra used across this charity. The politics of this trust were not always in  step with my own and we were encouraged to support and maintain a connection with left of centre organisations, at the expense of fair and balanced campaigning. There were many times I challenged Managers for their one sided political stance, especially in meetings, but was promptly made to feel wrong or inadequate in front of those who worked alongside me. Having a voice and speaking up against Oxfam's politically motivated appeals was discouraged. A shop I managed was situated in the middle of a large Jewish community, yet we were expected to raise money for the very people who were bombing Israel, almost on a daily basis at the time. This wasn't about supporting Israel over Palestine, it was about objective and impartial working practices, especially at times of elevated tension. Ignoring local and regional concerns was at odds with the ideals Oxfam promoted. We lost many Jewish donors; there seemed to be a crusade, instigated by Oxfam for purely political reasons and it was hurting us as a business. No thought was ever paid to the demographic of the individual areas we served, left leaning motivation always won the day!

The region I worked for was in a mess; personal ambition and vengeance took priority over getting results and I was often in the middle of an altercation or difficult situation between staff or volunteers, who were left bewildered after yet more pressure was piled on them, from Managers who were dismissive of their needs. By 2015 I discovered the extent of bullying in the South West region. Staff were leaving without reason, fabrication and falsohoods were used to discredit their work and I began to notice I was also becoming the target of what I can only describe as immoral behaviour, after I had dared to report my superior for acts of wrongdoing against volunteers. My partner had also become the victim of abuse after he was targeted for reporting a member of staff to Human Resources, when a vulnerable volunteer became the subject of a sustained campaign of bullying. Like me, his views were dismissed and we both became the subject of attacks that continued for two years. Misinformation, lies, threats to us and our property, homophobia and in several recorded cases, sexual harassment were now part of our life; the strain began to take its toll and our health began to suffer!

Inappropriate behaviour by Management was commonplace. I know of at least eight incidences of unspeakable conduct that those closest to me endured. Unable to do anything about the constant attacks, many of us decided to leave. My partner and I left the UK in 2015 to start a new life in Spain, to try and forget our ordeal.

In 2018 I was contacted by the Charity Commission who interviewed me about my time at Oxfam and what these crimes had done to my sense of well-being. I was forthright in my assessment of a culture at Oxfam that sought to destroy personal liberty. I suffered for many years after the events that shaped my life and even today remain unable to forget the evil that so nearly destroyed me. The interviewee was sympathetic and informed me of what the Charity Commission wanted to achieve, as a result of allegations and affirmation made by a cross section of people from all walks of life. She was distressed by what I had to say, disgusted that nothing was done to protect me at particularly difficult times and stunned that my pleas for help fell on deaf ears, ignored by those who were there to look after our protection. This was not just about my immediate superior, this was about the whole organisation, from top to bottom. This was about a corrupt Human Resources department, a union who were complicit in the atrocities committed against victims and their refusal to stand up for their membership and most importantly a CEO who covered up criminal activity across the charity!

Today I spoke to an ex colleague who directed me towards an article about Oxfam. This was a shocking expose detailing the worst transgressions committed by this once respected trust. I was gobsmacked; what had transpired at Oxfam and continues to this day was astonishing, far worse than I expected. A telling paragraph from this report loomed heavily, as I continued to read - "In Britain, investigators found that scores of serious complaints by staff or volunteers in its charity shops were not reported to the authorities, including 11 cases involving potential crimes." This struck a chord with me and told me all I needed to hear. What happened to me and others was an affront to common decency; discrimination and abuse that had no place at Oxfam was mainstream, accepted and considered almost run-of-the-mill. As a result nothing was done to stop the continual cycle of damage that was so rooted in the structure of this organisation.

As a starting point Oxfam must apologise to people like me, so we can continue to rebuild our lives. No amount of compensation will make up for what I endured, but the Charity Commission now needs to help the victims as they learn to live with what occurred, often over prolonged periods of time. Over the next few months I expect to reopen my concerns with the commission and hope they will finally do what Oxfam didn't; offer the support and assistance that all of the victims needed at the time, but were so unsparingly denied. in order to finally close this dreadful chapter in our lives, the commission finally need to listen to the voices that were dismissed for far too long, then and only then can we all move forward positively, emphatically, conclusively and get on with living life once again!

I was lucky enough be able to express my view, on the contemporaneous 'Brexit shambles,' in the Portsmouth News this Saturday. A colleague who writes for this popular Newspaper contacted me and asked if I would say a few words about the current situation and I was of course delighted to do so. As most of my readers are aware, I am extremely opinionated, especially on political matters, so It will come as no surprise as to my thoughts.

'It is important that the Government implement the wishes of the general public, which thus far they haven't. We should have left today no matter what these over paid MP's think. Parliament has set a dangerous precedent. People will only take so much! The whole process has been a shambles from beginning to end... LEAVE MEANS LEAVE!'

It does seem from the above article, that I am not the only one who thinks the way I do. Brexit is the talk of this great maritime city, as it is in every other corner of Britain and the majority of the general public think the same -  Brexit is a bloody shambles and the problems that surround our departure are getting worse. The reality is, there seems no end in site to this Parliamentary impasse and Britain appears stuck in a vicious cycle of blame and shame.

Today I don't want to go into the details of Brexit, because I have done so many times before, but I do want to talk about ordinary people, not the useless politicians, the Prime Minister or the EU, just people like you and I, after all we are the ones that will be dealing with the aftermath of our exit, long after Theresa May and her cabinet have gone.

People are incredibly angry that Brexit has been delayed. As a country we voted to leave the EU three years ago and we are still very much a part of this union. Our wishes have been ignored and the selfish rhetoric of MP's in the House of Commons has taken priority. It does feel that everyone of them has their own damn agenda and they couldn't care less about the electorate they serve. As a disgruntled voter, who is disgusted with all those who represent me, I want the whole lot of them to go. Their self serving egotism is a stumbling block to our eventual freedom and I am appalled by
their continual uncompromising, stubborn and tenacious behaviour.

The Great British public are fed up with MP's squabbling and for the good of this country they need to pull together and do what is right for us, the people. That means politicians compromising, putting their own pride to one side and finally working as a team for the good of the UK. People demand a resolution to this ridiculous charade; all of us want to lay this chapter to bed; I urge and encourage all those engaged in petty party politics to start talking about the issues that are important to us - housing, education, the NHS and the cost of living, just a few of the concerns that have been forgotten over the last three years.

None of us know where we are heading, what the future holds and just how we are going to get out of this mess. If Theresa May can't command the confidence of Parliament any longer, than it's time she left and allowed someone else the chance to solve this crisis. Until then expect more of the same, more inaction, more fighting and more inertia until the day finally comes, that we can celebrate our independence once more!

Since returning to the UK last year, there has only been one word on peoples lips ‘Brexit.’ Everyone has a view or opinion about what Britain should do and just how we should leave the European Union. Soft Brexit, hard Brexit or no deal, just three of the options on the table and not one of them a clear choice for the powers that be.
 
The last few weeks have been a ‘car crash’ for the negotiations to leave on March 29th 2019, a date that will now pass without fanfare. The only difference to the current situation we are facing, is we really have no firm leaving date at all; all options are open. Parliament initially rejected the draft withdrawal agreement mainly because of the ‘backstop’ clause in the document. The backstop is essentially a security measure, intended to ensure there is no hard boarder between Northern and Southern Ireland, in the event that no formal trade agreement can be reached later down the line. In effect if no arrangement is agreed, Northern Ireland would remain in the Customs Union and single market, thus creating a frictionless boarder. The main objection to this clause is that Britain could still be tied to Europe, with no firm time limit on the backstop specified. For many MP’s it is unthinkable that Northern Ireland would remain within the regulatory structure of the EU, split from the rest of the United Kingdom, threatening the very fabric of the union itself.
 
Members of Parliament voted on a series of amendments to the withdrawal bill, charging Theresa May with the difficult task of renegotiating the agreement with Brussels, removing the backstop from the draft document; on top of this they have signaled their objection to a ‘No Deal Brexit,’ which seems to be at odds with the demands they are placing on the Prime Minister. The European Union have already stated they will not renegotiate the deal on the table, so it would seem we are heading for a ‘No Deal Brexit’ anyway. Europe was in no mood for compromise; Theresa May returned to Britain empty handed and had to ask Members of Parliament to vote for a second time on her original bill. Once again the proposed withdrawal agreement was scuppered and Theresa May lost for a second time.
 
When I lived in Spain, I wasn’t truly in touch with how the British felt about Brexit. I heard snippets of information, but essentially my life carried on very much in the same vein it always had. Brexit really wasn’t affecting me on a daily basis, so I just chose to ignore it. Here in the UK, you just can’t get away from the stress of this highly contentious topic. Only yesterday the news announced more job losses as a result of the instability in the UK economy and with other famous brands threatening to relocate their Head Offices and foreign nationals packing their bags in readiness to leave in a few short months, none of us are completely sure how this saga will end.

Tonight Members of The House of Commons will vote on a series of Indicative amendments, hopefully suggesting a way forward in this exhausting Brexit process. Rather than saying what they don't want, MP's are charged with expressing a view on what they do want. So far Parliament has been unable to decide how to proceed, only stating its opposition to Theresa May's deal with the EU. A consensus may well be reached tonight, or not, depending on just where politicians want to go next. Revoking Article 50, leaving with a 'no deal,' a new referendum on the withdrawal agreement or a delay to Brexit itself, just a few of the options that will be considered. Of course if no one choice emerges as the favourite, the Prime Minister is likely to once again put her deal on the table, simply because it is the only way Brexit can be delivered. Nothing is certain as politicians from all sides try and break this Brexit impasse.
 
Personally I think Parliament will support the withdrawal agreement in the end, they really don’t have a choice; in their eyes the alternative is far worse. I believe we should just walk away and get on with it, if that is what it takes then so be it; as a nation we have survived before and will do so again. Having the courage to do what is necessary is vital for the prosperity of all, we should not sign a deal at any cost. The uncertainty and instability up and down the country at present is destroying the economy, indeed the very fabric of society. It is essential the Government does all it can to finally move the debate forward, signaling its intentions to end the deadlock!

Today is yet another crucial day in the Brexit story. Every week for as long as I can remember has been a milestone in this ongoing serial drama. The twists and turns of an embattled nation has been aired for all the World to see and as we pass the original leaving day of 29 March, the waters seem muddier than ever before. It looks likely however the PM will win through, the threat of Britain not leaving the EU will be too much for Brexiteers to stomach and finally we will be able to once again forge our own way in the World. Until that day finally comes, the spectacle of a Country at war with itself will continue and there are likely to be more difficult days ahead. All of us looking on with baited breath are watching history in the making, the final chapter about to be written; what happens tonight will be pivotal for the story of our nation, as Brexit slowly, painfully comes to an end!

What a bloody shambles our country is in with Theresa May at the helm! Yesterday while MP's debated the proposed 'Brexit' bill in Parliament, we were told the vote was going to be deferred. After 164 MP's had spoken, it was unceremoniously suspended, leaving the House of Commons shocked and angry. The PM had accepted that MP's would not vote in favour of this deal, after spending weeks saying she wouldn't change her mind and would force this vote through anyway. Speaking about her decision, Theresa May assured everyone that we would still leave the EU on the 29th March 2019, just like she assured us the vote on this bill would go ahead today. Nobody believes a word this discredited Prime Minister says anymore. If one speaks to the average man and woman in the street, they, like me are clear....She is just trying to save her own skin and buy herself some more time!

Since returning to the UK, I have seen just what a mess this country is in where Brexit is concerned. As a nation we are being asked to accept a deal that isn't in our best interest and have made concession after concession to the EU. The people of this country voted to leave this shameful organisation and our vote is being ignored. The PM and Westminster are trying to cause as much mayhem as possible, so the people of Britain get so fed up and disheartened, they  will vote to stay in Europe after a future EU referendum is arranged. Mark my words that is what this Government wants. Theresa May was a 'Remainer' and she wants to stay in Europe, she doesn't want us to leave and the reality is, she is trying to sabotage this process.

I am firmly of the opinion, that we need to walk away from these deeply flawed negotiations. As a country we have given enough. Europe and the distasteful bureaucrats who run it are trying to punish us for a democratic vote, in which we decided to leave and forge our own way in the World, once again. These faceless people are undemocratic, unelected and without a mandate, yet they want to dictate our destiny, a destiny now perpetuated in the vote to leave.

Watching back to back news coverage is something I have always done, I have a keen interest in politics, having studied it at University, so I am well aware of the implications of what I am witnessing on television. With the Country in such disarray, I have seen very little of the Leader of the Opposition, Jeremy Corbyn, who should be riding high in the polls right now. He is not challenging the Prime Minister in a way one would expect him to, at such a terrible juncture in British politics. He is tinkering around the edges of disaster, calling for a debate on the PM's handling of the Brexit negotiations. Mr Corbyn should be taking charge of this volatile situation and giving people like me, who feel totally disenfranchised by the whole process a voice, instead he is barely audible over the cries of treason from a bitter nation.

Today Theresa May has flown to Europe to try and get more concessions from the EU, to allow her to win the Brexit vote, at a future date, as yet undetermined. It is likely she will fail and all of us will be wondering what happens next. The 29th of March deadline is looming and Theresa continues to delay the inevitable....It really is about time, someone who can run this country steps forward and leads us all to freedom and finally lays this sorry episode to rest!

What a day it has been; after a final draft Brexit deal was reached with the EU yesterday, the fallout has started today. The political turmoil in Westminster has been nail biting, as Prime minister Theresa May tries to sell the agreement to her political party and the rest of the House of Commons. As I write this entry this evening it seems the PM is hanging on by a thread, her job in question. So far seven Ministers have resigned from the Government and many more are expected to follow. These look like dark days for Theresa May, but she has confounded the critics before and there is no reason she can't again.

I watched her speech in the House today and was rather surprised at her lackluster performance. At times it almost felt like she was resigned to her fate and was just going through the motions. For the first hour every MP who spoke during the long debate, voicing an opinion about the five hundred page document that seals Britain's fate, was scathing at the prospect of a Brexit that they believed, was drawn up in Brussels, ignoring our own interests!

I don't really want to talk about the details of the Brexit deal, since I do not know the fine print. It does seem however that the biggest stumbling block remains Northern Ireland and the prospect of Britain remaining in the customs union. This is a problem for Brexiteers because our ability to do free trade deals with other countries, would be severely curtailed, in effect keeping us in Europe without any say in its future direction, the worst of all outcomes. Whether or not this is true remains to be seen but without the support of the majority of Members of Parliament, Mrs May will lose any vote on her Brexit deal. Theresa May can not and should not go on as Prime minister in these circumstances and should move aside, allowing someone else who can command the confidence of her party, the chance of leading our great nation at this critical time.

Whatever happens over the next few days, one thing is for sure, The United Kingdom is more divided now than ever and the British public will become the victims in all of this. If Theresa May had carried out the will of the people in the referendum result, this deal would not even be on the table. It does not ensure we leave the EU, it keeps us tied to an institution we voted to withdraw from, that is not democracy, that is the PM giving in to EU demands at the expense of British interests. She either leaves without a deal or she once again offers a vote to the public on the agreement on the table. The alternative is her resignation and a General Election; whatever happens the country is in chaos and can not move forwards until a new solution is reached!

Today I wanted to briefly say a few words about Remembrance Sunday. Yesterday was a busy day for me and I was unable to write an entry as planned. Now the day has past, I thought it appropriate to offer my views on this very British occasion, significant to everyone who understands the importance of history, in the building of our great nation!

Remembrance Day or Poppy Day as I like call it,  takes place on the Sunday nearest to 11 November each year, the date an armistice was signed ending World War I. This was also my late Nanny Poppy's Birthday, so is particularly poignant for my family and I. On this day all of us are encouraged to commemorate the tremendous sacrifices made by ordinary men and women, called upon to carry out their duty, protecting their homeland from dictatorship and aggression. At 11am we remember all those who fought in the name of peace, affording us the freedoms we enjoy in the modern age. Ever since I was a small child, I have observed the one minute silence on this day of reflection and contemplation. I understand the importance of honouring lives lost, so I can blog and write my words, voicing an opinion and speaking as I do. I know more than most about the Great War, having spent the last few years of schooling learning about this dreadful schism, undertaking a trip to the battlefields in Belgium and France, seeing first hand where so many brave soldiers lost their lives. I have never forgotten that journey, just as no one should forget the bravery of all those who took part in the Great War (1914-1918) and every other subsequent conflict!

Portsmouth remembered the fallen of World War I in their own unique way, placing plaques in each street where they lived over a hundred years ago. This was a fitting tribute from a City whose military credentials are firmly rooted in its history. Portsmouth, like many towns and cities across Britain lost many of its own, in a conflict fought in and around the battlefields of Belgium and France.

Every person knew someone who had died, whole neighbourhoods were decimated, condemning many families to a life left empty without their kinfolk. Fathers, the breadwinners and head of the family, their sons, Uncles and Cousins, all wiped out in the war to end all wars. If you were lucky enough to survive the onslaught in the trenches, then you may well have suffered physical injury, many men enduring painful burns and scars, the loss of limbs and sight and other disfiguring wounds. Many more experienced mental breakdowns, Post Traumatic Stress and depression, little understood at the time.

This was the first truly international conflict with nations across the World doing their bit for King and Empire, also agonising like their British counterparts. While young men were sent to their deaths, often ordered over the trenches where they served, into battle against German bombardment, knowing they wouldn't return, Britain tried to carry on as normally as possible. As news filtered through to an embattled homeland, still more men left British shores to fight hundreds of miles away. The First World War lasted four years, the costs were high. 700,000 British were killed; world wide 20 million lost their lives and a further 20 million were injured; a high price indeed!

Yesterday I stood in the kitchen of my Aunts house, observing the one minute silence at 11am. Wearing a red poppy, just like many millions of other people, I wanted to once again show my respect on Remembrance Sunday. The 100th anniversary commemorating the end of World War I, is an important date, after all as time moves on it wont be too long before the few who are left, who actually remember a loved one who died in the conflict, also pass away. Memories do fade and whether or not we continue to remember the dead as we do today, will be a matter for a different generation. For now we should all respect the memories of those who fought and died for us, the ones who didn't come home, the ones whose bravery is without question and the souls of everyone, wherever they are from, who continue to fight to protect our shores from the tyranny of repression and the futility of war.