Happy New Year. Since this blog was launched at the very end of 2009 it has had over 2.8 million hits and over 2 million visitors – a remarkable achievement – even if I say it myself – for a single handed effort.
The number of blogs on my site also topped over 1000 – 1072 – to be exact. Last year my blog got 511,721 hits – that is fewer than the 1,041,000 the previous year – but still the second highest figure since it started.
BackTo60 campaign
I am extremely grateful that so many people are interested enough to read my news and views on current issues and also to the women following the BackTo60 campaign who have had a dispiriting year after losing their Court of Appeal case for compensation for raising their state pension age from 60 to 66. They are also having to wait for a very long time to find out whether the Supreme Court will hear their cases – far too long in my opinion. If it goes to the Supreme Court I shall be reporting it.
Like last year the majority of most read stories were about that campaign. The most read story of all last year was the revelation – from a reader using a Freedom of Information request – that 4.6 million men over 60 had their national insurance contributions paid by the state if they did not register for the dole to keep the unemployment figures down. This had over 64,000 hits and when the Department for Work and Pensions revised this figure to a staggering 9.8 million that had another 34,600 hits – bringing interest in both stories to nearly 100,000.
Coverage of BackTo60’s Court of Appeal hearing was the second highest at 58,860 – which is a pretty high figure for a court case.
Also an old story on how the government has saved paying out £271 billion to the National Insurance Fund which could have paid for higher pensions and also stopped the need to raise the pension age for women had another 22,000 hits. Originally written in the summer of 2018 this enduring blog has now had 311,000 hits altogether.
Outside other highly read blogs on the pensions campaign the most read blog was one on how Boris Johnson and other Cabinet Ministers were moving towards an elective dictatorship by devolving power to themselves rather than Parliament under new Brexit laws. That had 35,554 hits.
Byline Times
This year there has been a subtle change in coverage on my blog of stories I write for Byline Times. Last year I tended to provide a short summary of the story on my blog. This year most of my Byline Times stories appear by themselves and are not automatically repeated on my blog. They get even wider coverage on Byline Times so those who want to see them and follow me on Twitter do get tweets telling them about the story. Or you could take out a subscription to Byline Times and get a monthly print newspaper.
Ending discrimination against women
There will be new developments next year. I will be blogging about the People’s Tribunal run by John Cooper, QC, the human rights lawyer, to end all forms of discrimination against women. This is a movement which wants to get the UK Parliament to put into domestic law the UN Convention on the Elimination of All forms of Discrimination Against Women. The UK ratified it under Margaret Thatcher but nothing has been done since.
It comes as Elizabeth Truss, the equalities minister, appears to want to reverse progress what she calls “identity politics” so I foresee fresh battles over this issue. And I am curious to see how the Equality and Human Rights Commission is going to handle this.
I shall also be taking up some individual cases of injustice. The recent blog on the plight of Epsom and St Helier University Health Trust’s only woman cardiologist just one example – where a health trust is pursuing an individual and where they are whistleblowing issues.
I shall continue to keep an eye on political issues -particularly as incompetence, the chumocracy and corruption are on the rise in the UK and plan to write about it on Byline Times and this blog.
I have started again reporting on child sexual abuse again and plan more articles.
2021 promises to be a challenging year – the first post Brexit year- and I feel more than ready to meet it.
Westminster Confidential 
Reblogged this on Tory Britain! and commented:
Happy New Year Dave and all the best for another successful year of blogging informative articles.
Stay safe.
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Thanks
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I am one of the 1950’s women. However earlier this year I finally reached my spa at 66. I feel like I have been cheated of 6 years of my life waiting for my pension! As someone pointed out there is no equality in this act. We never received equality during our working lives as regards pay, acceptance into pension schemes etc. A friend who is 70 has been receiving her pension for 10 years whereas when I reach the age of 70 I will have received mine for only 4 years. Does that sound like equality!!!!😡😡😡😡. All of our money taken by the Government and wasted on their stupid schemes or propping up banks who mismanaged their funds, there are many more I could mention
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I have a feeling I will be reporting on much more waste of money this year!
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Yes you are right David it is being a long wait for the supreme court date how hard can it be to say yes or no or arrange a date they need to get a move on… but then I’ve been waiting 5 years for my pension another to go it is disgraceful. after all the over 60s are vulnerable people now. but still have to work and wait for our hard earned pensions and bus passes for some of us. a big thankyou David for your continued support and reports and wishing you a happy new year.
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Power to you David; lots of bones with plenty of meat on them to get your investigative & wisdom teeth into in 2021.
Absolutely agree Supreme Court foot-dragging every which way on decision on Pensionless women – something blatantly discriminatory, retarded and pro-men…the only winners.
👍😁
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Thanks to you for all your encouragement help support and through research. Your fearless blog shows the national media bias up for what it is. And a HUGE THANKS for the #backto60 and UNCEDAW campaigning. The first Suffragettes had key allies and this group of feisty women are inspired by your super and persistent contributions.
Thanks for chasing the political charlatans of our day!
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Hello David Happy New Year.
I am pleased you have so many people visit your site. Do you think your rise in popularity is related to Buried News (journalists). No I think I have to thank you for my rise in followers particularly women, they are so much more pleasant to deal with than the right-wing Neo-Fascist thugs and the covid deniers usually one and the same. How long do you think our PM as left in office and if not long the successor, so I can promote his downfall lol. Johnps it was certainly the women’s issues that increased your circulation certainly a niche in the market for a 45′ 50’s 60’s year magazine or online website. The market at present seems to be for home comforts and although there is the more radical mags & online they tend to focus on very narrow themes
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Thanks. Yes most women are much more pleasant than some of the extreme cause of the 50swomen – though I originally did it because I saw an injustice and was amazed at the response. I am now finding that a number of them take an interest in other areas I cover. Also slowly but surely I am getting regular hits from the United States and Europe which boost the numbers – over 8500 last year from the US. I think also some people are fed up that the mainstream media don’t take up issues which they feel ought to be reported. Anyway thanks again for your comment.
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Cannot thankyou enough ,heartfelt Gratitude David and best wishes for you and family in 2021
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Thank you so much David for all your efforts for the over 60 s women xx Please keep us informed
Happy née Year xx
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March 2021 and the report into the Daniel Morgan murder published after almost a decade of delay.
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congrats david!
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Many Congratulations David, it is well deserved; looking forward to more truth in 2021. All best to you and yours to staying safe and well
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Thank Yu David for your continuing support to right the injustice of the millions of 50,s born ladies (I am one of them)) who have had to endure 6 more years of working .
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Thanks David for your reporting, particularly on the Backto60 campaign.
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You say that “The UK ratified it under Margaret Thatcher but nothing has been done since.” This is patently not true. The Labour governments introduced the Human Rights Act and the Equalities Act, which go a long way towards meeting the requirements of the Cedaw articles. Please argue on the basis of where we are now and not from a false perspective where all governments are as bad as each other. Advances have been made.
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Yes Labour did implement the Equality Act but did NOT decide to put the UN Convention into UK law. You will see how far short this was when the People’s Tribunal is held next June
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Thank you, David and Happy New Year. The truth is, without your considerable efforts, I would not have kept abreast of these matters and just apathetically accepted that our governments are bunches of lying thieves who knew picking on older women would be an easy target and they’d just get away with it. Nothing but bullies and cowards – the lot of them! God knows, the mainstream media did their best to conceal this total injustice until you, Backto60, Michael & his team et al slapped them roundly in the face with it. i hope that other seemingly hopeless causes learn from this and take on the wrong-doers, even if they can manipulate the law to their evil objectives. I will contine to follow the matters you raise and help where I can. All the best for 2021!
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I totally agree Sandra. Without David’s reporting and the considerable efforts of Back to 60 and their team the plight of the 50’s women would have remained dead and buried. All we need to do now is, do our best to survive through this Pandemic and the not inconsiderable bumbling and ineptitude of Boris Johnson and his cohorts currently in power. Good luck with that then!! I’d love to hear how Back to 60 is getting on with their attempt to put the 50’s women’s cause before the Supreme Court, as there has been no word since September.
Keep up with your excellent work David, you are a star to the cause.
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