New Things I Done

Hello and welcome

SPIES IN BLUE BIBS

My sign at the #KillTheBill May Day protest in London (Photo on the left by Joe Kibria).

I’ve now made the print files for this sign available to download from my website, you can also order a printout at cost price.

‘Blue bib’ cops at protests are there to gather intelligence on protesters which the police then use against protest movements.

The Police monitoring organisation Netpol found evidence from FOI requests that ‘Police Liaison Officers’ at protests are trained in intelligence gathering, and information they acquired through friendly chats at protests has been later used in prosecutions against peaceful protesters.

(I’m currently selling these ACAB /SEGA stickers to raise funds for Netpol)

The nationwide protests were about the dystopian police powers in the new Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill currently being pushed by the government. It would outlaw any protest which caused ‘serious annoyance’, i.e every protest worth its salt, would expand attacks on Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities and increase already misused stop and search powers.

New Drawing

New work. All genuine US military insignia. This is just a small selection of the many like this. Bigger version for looking at on my website.

I’M IN A LOT OF VERY BIG,
VERY BORING TROUBLE

I’m not sure if anyone who subscribes to this mailing list happens to be an expert in business rates or property/tax law, but I’m in a pretty bad situtation and not sure what to do. Lewisham Council have sent me a letter retroactively cancelling the retail discount of my small business rates relief for the Museum of Neoliberalism and my studio, because I didn’t reopen to the public between July and November 2020. So now they want me to pay them £11,000, an absolutely crippling sum for a small operation like this.

I didn’t open to the public last year because it wasn’t safe to do so. There were more daily cases of coronavirus last July than there were in March when lockdown started and the museum is a very small space, without a great deal of ventilation (something I’m trying to fix before reopening this summer). Since the space is also my studio I would have been at high risk of catching any coronavirus brought into the museum and would have then put my flatmates/bubble in danger. It feels more than a little unfair to punish a shop/gallery/museum for taking a decision to protect themselves and the public, especially when the decisions from the government about when to open or close public premesis was often wrong and led to tens of thousands of deaths.

My only option is to appeal the decision but I really need to get the appeal right, so if you have any expertise in this field please do get in touch.

2021: INTO THE THUNDERDOME

I recently finished this post apocalyptic London taxi to go along with the Brexit bus and assorted fiends I made last year. I’ve been working on some scenery too so hopefully will have a full diorama to show at some stage. More photos here.