Firstly, may I wish my many friends from across the Atlantic a very happy Thanksgiving. I am guessing it may take a few days for many of you to return to your keyboards and email inboxes. May your 5-Hydroxytryptophan binge be a pleasant one!

My article header image is of Orangzabe “Rangy” Latif presenting at the Porky Pint pub last night, on the topic of corruption in social services — and the stealing of our children by the British state. More on that subject another time. I didn’t expect to be at this venue, so let me tell you the story of the day, and how I ended up there. As context, I have previously written about the Porky Pint as a platform for Teeside patriots, where speakers holding the corrupt to account can be heard.

Future of Communications

What is the cost of a conscience?

Two weeks ago I gave my first public talk since 2017 at the Porky Pint Restaurant & Bar in Billingham, England. It is owned by my friend Paul Henderson, who also is founder and CEO of a tech company that I used to advise in my former guise as a telecoms guru. Paul has been persecuted by the British establishment for opening the business during the (viol…

Read more

a year ago · 115 likes · 2 comments · Martin Geddes

On Tuesday evening I drove the 200 miles from London to Leeds so that I could attend a court case yesterday morning. Paul Henderson had made a courageous (and personally expensive) stand against the tyrannical lockdown regulations. His alcohol license was removed as punishment, which was designed to close the business and deny him an income. As expected, he met a wall of injustice when seeking remedy through the courts. It is well known that lower courts in the UK are often rigged, with judges being spineless apparatchiks.

The High Court (in Leeds) offers more hope of justice, and he was due to present his case. Either the ban would be upheld, in which case he could close the business permanently and seek to sell or relaunch it. Or it would be overturned, in which case he could reopen for the peak pre-Christmas season. I, along with other supporters, were in Leeds to provide solace and witness via the public gallery. I have never been inside a court before, so it was an experience I was anticipating with interest. Just as I was about to leave my hotel, I got a text message from Paul — the hearing was adjourned until January.

It seems that his solicitor had been notified by the court well in advance of the delay to the hearing, but had failed to pass on this information to his client. Whether this was accidental or something else more sinister… I will leave that to higher powers to judge. Everything works to the good in the end, but in the interim there are problems. Paul is left paying out rent on a closed business property (and other overheads), and is unable to make any resolution of this issue of general public concern. It is also a huge burden personally, and the emotional blow from the continued uncertainty was palpable.

I drove the 90 minutes to Paul’s home, and as I arrived a debt collector simultaneously turned up. A £25 driving fine for infringing a bus lane had mushroomed into a £400 charge. The cost of fighting this case for the Porky Pint has tanked Paul’s personal finances and stolen his free time, so just paying this off to make it disappear was not an option. The debt collector was sent away (having no power of entry) but the shock of having the space around his home violated, on top of the drama of the morning, left Paul visibly shaken. I don’t like to see the hands of my friends tremble due to multiplying persecution. I took him out for brunch, plus a walk on the beach to process the situation.

On Wednesdays there is a speaker night in one of the meeting rooms above the (closed) bar and restaurant, which is well attended by locals. The excellent speaker reinforced for me the essential nature of such venues, and critical importance of protecting them. Having a business owner who is an honourable patriot willing to make a stand on principle means there is no need to beg for permission to meet from some recalcitrant coward. If we cannot protect this venue to assemble in, as well as its proprietor, then what kind of people are we? How are we to tackle harder problems?

The pressure of dealing with this legal case has cost Paul pretty much everything he has (and more!) in terms of liquid assets. He has prioritised paying the rent on the Porky Pint even ahead of his own home, and he now lacks the cash to pay for his housing which is due on Monday. Given that the delay to the court case is none of his making, and that he has already sacrificed enough on behalf of the collective, I cannot simply stand by and say consoling words about how hard it must all be. I feel obligated to use my own platform to act and help to prevent unjustified suffering.

I am looking to raise £5,000 to support Paul in his fight against the deliberate destruction of small businesses by a criminal state. This is enough to cover two months of rent for the Porky Pint, two months of housing for Paul, and two months of general expenses for both. It matches the duration of the delay to justice, which is a circumstance over which Paul has no control, so makes Paul whole without relieving him of accountability for his own affairs. This is enough to prevent Paul facing an eviction process and financial hardship over the Christmas and New Year period, which is unconscionable thing in the circumstances.

Paul came to the Porky Pint yesterday evening to give his supporters an update, and I stayed to enjoy the speaker. The enemy wants people isolated, and those who speak out or stand up to crumble, so that others are discouraged. I and you cannot let that happen, and it is morally incumbent upon us to do our utmost to protect those who put themselves at risk in order to fight against evil.

I have created a campaign via Donorbox to raise money, since they have a commitment to free speech and equal treatment of all.

Patriots protect patriots — it’s a family gathering thing!

Support Paul's fight for the Porky Pint

Alternatively you can send money to me (bank or crypto) and I will forward it. Details are here. Best to drop me a note so I know who it is for! (Reply to email notification or fill in form).