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EuropeanPowell

@EuropeanPowell

Jul 1

Dear peeps,
Been on Twitter since 2016, tweeting several times a day.
My main focus is on raising awareness about the dangers of deregulated Freeports and Special Economic Zones (SEZs) that will transform the UK into a privatised kleptocracy under corporate governance, no more public services, councils bankrupted and absorbed by predatory capitalists who will ‘rescue’ democracy from its failings.

The UK is going to become a tax haven, collective sovereignty is being sold off and replaced with corporate sovereignty.
Politics will become a thing of the past as 1 vote becomes 1 share and contract citizenship is introduced by corporations ‘governing’ the zones, this is a return to colonialism.

The transatlantic libertarian right learned from British colonial rule that produced the East India Company in 1600, and later Singapore and Hong Kong under British rule in the 1850s.
UK SEZs contravene EU regulations on State Aid (public money) which distorts markets creating an unlevel playing field.

Read 9 tweets

EuropeanPowell

@EuropeanPowell

Jun 28

Important questions about the theft of billions of taxpayers money on PPE are still not being answered by those who dished out public wealth to their mates during crisis, but this gets raised because of MSM exposure.
There is however another scandalous waste of public money that gets next to no attention in the press, namely the astronomical sums of State Aid (public money) currently being spent on installing 86 corporate fiefdoms across the UK known as Special Economic Zones and Freeports.
Once Labour takes office serious questions about these free zones, must be answered.
The House of Commons Committee published a report April 2024 on the lack of transparency, ignoring of the Nolan principles, and questioning value for taxpayers' money in UK SEZs and Freeports, they have pushed for the National Audit Office to investigate, as Michael Gove's Independent Audit Committee was evidently, total bullshit.
publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm5804/cmse…

Below is a list of material references the HOCC report cited in its report.
1 ACE (PIZ0003)

2 British Chambers of Commerce (PIZ0010)

3 Brooks, Richard (Journalist, Private Eye) (PIZ0016)

4 Clark, Dr Andre (PIZ0002)

5 Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (PIZ0009)

6 East Midlands Freeport (PIZ0008)

7 Fothergill, Professor Steve (Professor, Centre for Regional Economic and Social Research, Sheffield Hallam University) (PIZ0001)

8 Freeport East (PIZ0012)

9 Hibbert, Dylan (Chief Executive, Spyder Network) (PIZ0011)

10 Holmes , Dr Peter (Emeritus Reader in Economics at the University of Sussex Business School, UK Trade Policy Observatory (UKTPO)); Holden, Dr Patrick (Associate Professor of International Relations and Politics , University of Plymouth); Harmer, Dr Nichola (Lecturer in Human Geography, University of Plymouth); and Larbalestier, Guillermo (Research Assistant in International Trade, UK Trade Policy Observatory (UKTPO)) (PIZ0004)

11 Institute of Export & International Trade (PIZ0007)

12 Liverpool City Region Freeport (PIZ0015)

13 Plymouth and South Devon Freeport (PIZ0014)

14 Solent Freeport Consortium Ltd (PIZ0006)

15 Tees Valley Mayor (PIZ0017)

16 Thames Freeport (PIZ0013)

17 What Works Centre for Local Economic Growth (PIZ0005)

'To recognise Teesside Freeport’s flagship status, to address the gravity and breadth of the concerns raised by the Tees Valley Review, to extend scrutiny beyond the limited remit of the Tees Valley Review and to assure the public that taxpayers’ money has been disbursed appropriately and legally, the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities must direct the National Audit Office to scrutinise the expenditure of public funds associated with Teesside Freeport, Tees Valley Combined Authority and South Tees Development Corporation'

Read 5 tweets

EuropeanPowell

@EuropeanPowell

Jun 22

“The Government must publish the evaluation reports of freeports and investment zones. In the meantime, the dashboards being created to monitor freeports should be published, with commercially sensitive information redacted, if required"
After reading this lengthy House of Commons Committee report, I would conclude that Teesside Freeport and the SEZ it is housed in, is a symptom of a much larger corporate coup that will utterly destroy the public sector in the UK.
Each free zone will see a chain reaction of predatory corporate monopolization of State Aid (public money) like those in Teesside as the private sector wages war on the public sector across all 12 Freeports and 74 SEZs currently being set up across England, Scotland, and Wales.
In August 2021, the STDC Board (Teesside) agreed to change ownership of the joint venture partnership (TWL) to be split 90/10 in favour of the private partners!
Rinse and repeat, zone fever is here and it's all because of Brexit. Don't say I didn't warn you time and time again. publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm5804/cmse…

'With increasing sums of public money being devolved to local regions through the creation of mayoralties and freeports, comprehensive and prompt audit and scrutiny are critical to ensuring value for money for the taxpayer. We note the recent Report from the Public Accounts Committee, which observed that the backlog of audit opinions for local government bodies remains unacceptably high'.
Teesworks has received a total of £560 million of public resources to date, including £246 million in Government grants and £257 million in prudential borrowing, with a further £238 million investment planned.

‘The independent panel published its report (‘Tees Valley Review’) on 29 January 2024. The report made 28 recommendations on the financial management and governance of the Teesworks site. In August 2021, the STDC Board agreed to change ownership of the joint venture partnership (TWL) to be split 90/10 in favour of the private partners. Panel members concluded that the level and nature of the transparency and accountability associated with this project had not always met the standard that they would consider appropriate for a publicly funded project of this scale and nature’.
NB - This 'independent panel' was set up by Michael Gove bypassing the National Audit Office.

Read 5 tweets

EuropeanPowell

@EuropeanPowell

Jun 21

Charter means ‘private’, charter/academy schools target state-owned comprehensives by leeching public funding. The private sector is comprised of the asset classes who are aghast that their taxes fund state-owned schools, this is viewed as 'theft of property' by libertarian and anarcho-capitalists alike. Extend this loathing of socialism to healthcare, prisons, energy utilities, courts, council housing, and police/security, the next step is to shift gears and attention onto state-owned cities by privatising them as well.
Do you see where this is going?

Free of unions and public bureaucracy, corporation’s next step after privatising cities is targeting entire countries, the rubric comes under a term coined by libertarians as ‘countrypreneurship’ where public services are deemed ‘small potatoes’ and entire nations are viewed as sites for economic experiments in corporate governance.
For this to happen you need an ‘exit’ plan that removes the constraints and restrictions placed on corporations by social democracies. Countries that pride themselves on protecting citizens with stringent regulatory frameworks prevent market distortions by establishing a level playing field such as the EU’s Single Market. In the case of Brexit 12 Freeports and 74 Special Economic Zones have been turbocharged for development by focusing on land-grabbing of entire regions including the cities contained within them.
A predatory tactic of corporations is to work with Govt’s by lobbying them with the expectation of getting something in return for their investments, the most lucrative line of business today is in governance itself. To enact the changes that corporations are seeking, a pincer movement is required to entrap public services, and local councils by rendering them bankrupt through chronic underfunding, the infrastructure of communities and public services are effectively hobbled, this paves the way for private equity, and corporations both foreign and domestic to seize their moment.

Brexit has triggered a corporate coup where collective sovereignty (people power) has been commodified, and replaced with corporate sovereignty. As the door of social democracy closes, the door of corporate governance opens to ‘rescue’ a country from big govt failings, for this to happen you need an especially compliant MSM and the country’s main political parties on board for the seismic changes planned to take place.

Read 7 tweets

EuropeanPowell

@EuropeanPowell

Jun 13

⚠️OMG! Check out how many Labour MPs, councillors and advisors have links to fossil fuel companies, the South African apartheid regime, and pro Israel groups 👇🏻👀
Gareth Barret - works for a giant PR relations company in the US that works for Shell, Exxon Mobil, and Chevron. They are the main firm for the lobbying communications firm for the oil industry.
Julie Mint - Was a PR consultant for Bell Pottinger, founded by Sir Tim Bell, Thatcher’s favourite PR advisor, who stirred up racial tensions in South Africa.
Jade Botterill - Director of a lobbying firm Portland, whose client include Southern Water who were fined £90 million for sewage dumping, she also worked for Yorkshire water, another big polluter.
Polly Fillington - works for lobbying firm Hannover who lobby for Amazon, Uber, Meta, and the London stock exchange.
Luke Akehurst - Director of We Believe Israel, he selected himself for the safe Labour seat of North Durham.
Chris Ward - former Director for Hanbury Strategy, a lobbying firm set up by advisors to David Cameron. Clients included Amazon, Deliveroo, gambling company Flutter, finance firms UBS and Blackstone, and UK oil company Rockhopper who sued the Italian Govt for £210 million in compensation in 2022 for the introduction of a ban on off-shore drilling
Corporate lobbying of politicians always entails them wanting something back for their money, usually massive deregulatory privileges.
Q - Where do you think those privileges will be enacted?
A - Sunak’s 12 Freeports and 74 Special Economic Zones (SEZs) that neither party (backed by the MSM) are divulging any information to the public about. @mlothianmclean @NoJusticeMTG
It just keeps getting worse👇🏻👀

Dictatorial control will escalate once Labour are in office, this of course is shutting down peoples role in the decision making processes of government.
The above tweet is the tip of the iceberg, to date there are 31 corporate lobbyist/candidates operating/standing for Labour.
Terrifying.
Miss socialism? Vote Green💚

https://twitter.com/europeanpowell/status/1801632509307822402

https://twitter.com/europeanpowell/status/1801632509307822402

Read 4 tweets

EuropeanPowell

@EuropeanPowell

Jun 13

It is becoming clearer by the day that once Labour are in power those very same SEZs that Sunak and Truss are currently setting up, all 12 deregulated Freeports and 74 SEZs, will be continued under Labour.
Understand it is not a case of Labour inheriting the Tory's chaos, we know this because Labour are board members of Sunak's nationwide Freeports/SEZs consortia. 👇🏻👀

We are witnessing the reconfiguration of the UK to a kleptocracy, SEZs are enclaves carved out of the nation and 'freed' from the laws and regulations of the host country. Companies flocking to the zones are chasing State Aid (public money) of £160 million per SEZ, the zones are tax-exempt for 10 years and licensed for a quarter of a century. 74 SEZ = £11, 84 billion of public money.
What do you think happens to public services, failing councils, and their assets when companies chosen by the Govt don't pay their taxes?
The reason why the MSM are not touching this story is because it's about money and corporate power replacing social democracy. This is how Brexit is being forced to workmiro.com/welcomeonboard…

Been getting messages from Labour voters that while they find this a serious problem, they will not RT my research! Politics is a filthy business.

The real reason Labour will not 'raise corporation tax' is because corporations flocking to Sunak's 86 SEZs are tax-exempt for the next 10 years!
Get this, Labour fully back Sunak's SEZs as board members of his nationwide Freeports/SEZs consortia.
We are looking at a political relay race where the baton of neoliberalism goes from the Cons to Labour.
theguardian.com/politics/artic…

Read 6 tweets

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