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Mr McKenzie's bid to become the first elected black mayor for London comes after the Conservatives extended the deadline for US-style "primaries" to select their candidate ahead of the 2008 mayoral elections.
Mr McKenzie, a former national amateur boxing champion and brother of Duke, who won three world titles at three different weights, vowed to oust incumbent mayor Ken Livingstone and "rewrite history books".
"They say it's impossible, they say it can't be done," Mr McKenzie said. "The truth is, London will see its first ever black mayor. The history books of politics shall be re-written, changed forever."
Mr McKenzie ran in the 2003 Brent East byelection as an independent and later became the Veritas spokesman on sport and policies for the black community. He joined the Tories after David Cameron's election as leader.
The Conservative party refused to comment on the most recent addition to the list of candidates before the spring deadline.
"We are not saying anything," a party spokesman said today. "It is up to people to declare if they want to be candidates or not."
The Conservatives announced in the early summer plans to give every Londoner the chance to become the Conservative party's candidate for mayor of London.
In similar style to the US primaries, the party also announced that all Londoners could to play a part in the selection process, in an attempt to ensure the selected candidate would prove a popular cross-party choice ahead of the mayoral race.
But the October deadline for applications foundered after just six candidates put their hat in the ring, with heavyweight candidates such as former Tory mayoral candidate and cabinet member Steven Norris declining to enter the fray so far ahead of the May 2008 elections.
The Tory party chairman, Francis Maud, was forced to backtrack in August and announce that the deadline was being extended until next spring, to give people more time to come forward.
The Conservative party refused to discuss the number of candidates who have have added their names to the candidate list since the deadline was extended.
Mr McKenzie's candidature is likely to liven up the Tory mayoral race.
Alongside being part of south London's most famous boxing family, his nephew, Leon, is a striker for Coventry City Football Club, while another nephew, singer Ashley, has just been knocked out of TV talent contest, The X-Factor.
Mr McKenzie's campaign team includes media agent Derek "Sweet D" Williams, a former Commonwealth and European heavyweight champion, and his political mentor is Marianne Bowness, former wife of Conservative Lord Peter Bowness.
Mr McKenzie will cheer traditional Tories by arguing that Britain needs tighter border controls and that racial integration is key to community cohesion and ending "black on black" crimes.


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Priligy (dapoxetine) is the only UK licensed tablet treatment for premature ejaculation (PE). The drug was first created by Eli Lilly. In 2012, Menarini gained the rights to market Priligy in Europe.
Buy online £19.50
Supply cost of Priligy
The wholesale price, when bought in packs of three, for a single 30mg tablet of Priligy is £4.90 and £6.37 for a 60mg tablet (May 2014). This is the cost to the NHS and the price charged by pharmacy wholesalers. Dispensing pharmacies may obtain discounts, typically of around 6%. Prices are high because there is only one licensed supplier and hence no competition. This situation will continue until the Priligy drug patent expires, when other drug companies will be able to enter the market.
Cheap Priligy online
The cost of Priligy online in the UK from regulated sites varies greatly. At the time of writing in May 2014 Dr Fox the lowest cost provider: see comparison of Priligy prices.
Priligy is one of a number of drugs which is widely available in the UK through regulated online clinics and illegally through unregulated overseas websites. Regulated websites provide genuine medication through approved pharmacy wholesalers and retailers. Unregulated websites provide tablets which are non-genuine. They may be fakes, non-standard generic Priligy, or simply dummy tablets containing inactive or even harmful ingredients.
Regulated websites will be registered with the Care Quality Commission, employ GMC registered doctors, with tablets dispensed by pharmacists and posted from pharmacies registered with the General Pharmaceutical Council UK (see regulation page).
Sites advertising cheap generic Priligy online are selling fakes. Prices may be low, but these sites operate outside UK law, are usually uncontactable, and the tablets supplied are not subject normal checks and testing.
Priligy on prescription
Priligy is a prescription medication and cannot be obtained legally in the UK without being prescribed by a doctor or a specialist prescribing nurse or pharmacist. The costs of obtaining a prescription vary widely, depending on whether consultations are carried out online or face-to-face, privately or through the NHS. Face-to-face consultations with a private GP would typically cost in the region of £50.00 to £100.00, although most men would not go down this route to obtain Priligy. Priligy is available on the NHS. Some NHS GPs may not be familiar with its use and may be reluctant to prescribe it, partly because of the cost.
Why do Priligy prices vary?
Regulated UK online clinics often have their prices determined by the pharmacies which dispense and post out the tablets. In the UK pharmacies typically operate on high mark-ups. This model of pricing, when applied to a high cost medication like Priligy, results in prices which can be as high as £20.00 per tablet, which is the online price a very well known pharmacy charges per 60mg tablet.
Dr Fox prices are set to provide a smaller margin of profit. Dr Fox cannot control the wholesale price of Priligy tablets. These are set by Menarini. The cost of consultations with doctors, dispensing by pharmacists and recorded delivery posting need to be covered. After these costs are taken into account, Dr Fox is free to set reasonably low prices for Priligy.
Standards of service
When buying Priligy online, price is not the only consideration. Men should use only regulated sites, for reasons already explained.
Before ordering Priligy online men should be clear they understand their treatment, and know about alternative treatments. They should know what to expect from treatment, how to take it and what side-effects to expect. There should be a clear and thorough assessment process, which checks for suitability. There are some tablets which should not be taken at the same time as Priligy, without the advice of a doctor, and some medical conditions which preclude the use of Priligy.
Men who have premature ejaculation may be distressed and be suffering from relationship difficulties. They may need more medical support than can be provided at a distance from an online service. It is always best to discuss medical issues with a doctor who knows you, and you should always keep your doctor informed about treatment obtained online.

subset: commoncrawl


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Sustainability Report
"As we continue to execute on our mission and vision, sustainability supports our three strategic principles: high-quality hotels in urban and destination resort locations, innovative asset management, and conservative capital structure. Through our sustainability objectives and initiatives, we aim to increase shareholder returns by implementing programs designed to reduce utility consumption and increase profitability in our portfolio of hotels."
Mark W. Brugger
Chief Executive Officer, DiamondRock Hospitality Company
Our fifth sustainability report highlights our approach and progress for material sustainability issues as a real estate investment trust (REIT) with a portfolio of full-service hotel properties in the United States located in key gateway cities and destination resort locations. To assist readers, we have included a GRI Content Index and provided performance tables with key environmental, social and governance (ESG) metrics.
Strategy, Engagement and Governance
DiamondRock remains conscious of the investment community's increasing attention to ESG reporting; we are committed to enhancing the value of our sustainability platform through open and transparent communications with our stakeholders.
Our sustainability objectives are designed to support our Company's vision and strategic principles through measures to:
- Reduce energy and water consumption,
- Increase profitability at our hotels,
- Proactively manage environmental risks, and
- Make positive contributions to communities.
As a lodging REIT, success requires collaborating with key stakeholders (stockholders, employees, management companies, brand companies, suppliers, partners, communities, and industry associations) and working with our management companies to identify opportunities that help us achieve our sustainability objectives.
Our corporate governance guidelines define our Board of Directors' structure, objectives, procedures, qualification and compensation. Our Board of Directors' committees are reviewed annually by our Board and are modified as appropriate to ensure that they comply with current regulations in addition to aligning properly with the needs of our organization and stakeholders. For more information, we invite you to review our Corporate Governance page.
To support our sustainability objectives, our Executive Officers actively engage with our Asset Management, Investment and Design, Development, Construction, and Legal teams to review operating performance at hotels and evaluate capital expenditures opportunities.
To further support DiamondRock's mission, we have published Sustainability and Human Rights Policies. Our Sustainability Policy focuses on collaboration with stakeholders to create value and reduce risk through our sustainability initiatives; promotion of environmental stewardship practices; health, safety, and well-being of employees, contractors, and hotel guests; and community engagement through the support of local charities and monitoring community impacts. Our Human Rights Policy focuses on conducting our business in a manner consistent with the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Labor Organization's Fundamental Conventions. This includes a commitment to ensure respect, equality, and inclusiveness for employees, and promotion and protection of fundamental human rights by third party management companies.
2025 Sustainability Targets and Performance
In 2018, we announced our portfolio-wide energy, carbon and water targets. These environmental targets aim to reduce energy, carbon and water intensity by 25%, 40% and 25% respectively by 2025 from our 2011 baseline. (Our 2025 energy and carbon reduction are based on intensity per square foot. Our 2025 water target is based on intensity per occupied room.)
Through these targets, we aim to continuously improve our environmental performance throughout our portfolio of properties. Since 2011, we have reduced energy intensity by 13%, emissions intensity by 28% and water intensity by 20%.
Sustainability Investments and Portfolio Management
Across our portfolio, we continue to make strategic investments in sustainability and emissions reduction projects. We also engage in preventive maintenance and invest in enhancements to roofs, façades, and structural property elements to protect against weather-related risks.
Additionally, we monitor energy consumption and consider other environmental risks specific to the locations and regions where our hotels are located.
In addition to the sustainability investments we make, we take a strategic approach to portfolio management by continuing to conduct a portfolio-wide water risk assessment using the World Resources Institute's Aqueduct tool and Ecolab Water Risk Monetizer. We plan to continue monitoring potential changes in the cost and availability of water in key markets, such as California, and leveraging the water risk assessments to inform future decision making on capital expenditures for water efficiency projects.
In 2017, we continued to support the Cornell Hotel Sustainability Benchmarking study and encouraged the companies that manage our owned hotels to participate. We will be using the results to engage with our management companies on performance and to help support the industry initiative to develop common hotel benchmarks for energy, greenhouse gas emissions, and water consumption.
Sustainability at our Hotels
Our hotels continuously strive to improve their environmental performance through the implementation of sustainability practices, installation of equipment to reduce overall impacts, and usage of responsible products.
For example, two of our New York City properties, the Hilton Garden Inn New York / Times Square Central and Courtyard New York Manhattan / Midtown East, have installed Organic Refuse Conversion Alternative (ORCA) machines, which enable rapid composting of organic matter to reduce waste to landfills. Additionally, the Renaissance Lodge at Sonoma Resort & Spa installed a 7,000 square foot artificial lawn in their outdoor space. The lawn reduces water consumption by 15,000 gallons annually, decreases erosion and improves drainage capabilities. The Westin Washington D.C. City Center is currently conducting an energy efficiency study to install light sensors throughout the hotel, including in all public areas and back of house. To reduce the hotel's energy cost and carbon footprint, the Chicago Marriott Magnificent Mile installed 12 rooftop solar panels, which will conserve about 6,000 kWh annually.
As DiamondRock continues to increase energy and water efficiency and decrease waste to landfills, we will continue to work with our properties to make strategic investments.
Community Engagement
At our corporate headquarters, we strive to give back and support local charities as well as national charities that promote education, environmental conservation, and public health. In 2017, DiamondRock contributed $108,000 in charitable donations through its corporate giving program that began in 2007.
In 2017, we supported 14 organizations, including The Leukemia Society, March of Dimes, Marriott Foundation, Potomac Community Resources, Service Source Foundation, The Lab School of Washington, N Street Gala, Make a Wish Foundation, Children's Hospital Foundation, The Ireland Fund, Cornell University and Penn State University. These organizations help to support United Nations Sustainable Development Goals targeting poverty, health and education.
In addition to DiamondRock's corporate giving programs, each of our owned hotels' brands, including Marriott® and Hilton®, and our management companies are engaged in targeted community development and engagement programs to support the communities where our hotels are located.
Employee Engagement
We believe prioritizing employee well-being is a key element for attracting and retaining the best and talented associates. In our corporate office, DiamondRock employs 29 full time employees. We provide all employees with 100% coverage of the premium for health care and dental insurance, group term life insurance and short and long-term disability insurance. Employees also receive a mid-year and annual performance review at year-end to aid in their professional development. In 2018, DiamondRock employees also participated in an employee satisfaction survey.
We also provide all parents up to eight weeks of paid leave for the birth or adoption of their children. DiamondRock continues to offer up to $10,000 for financial assistance to all employees who wish to further their education.
We encourage our employees to engage with the local community and each year the Company takes a day and performs some type of community service. In 2017, DiamondRock partnered with the Children's Inn at National Institutes of Health (NIH). This is a residential facility that allows families with seriously ill children to stay free of charge while undergoing research/treatment at NIH. Following a tour of the facility, DiamondRock employees created handmade gifts for each of the children and their siblings staying at the Inn (over 75 gifts were delivered to the Community Outreach Director at the facility.)
To further increase employee engagement, DiamondRock continues to utilize an employee-led committee that plans company-wide social and community activities, including a yearly community involvement event, in which all employees contribute to a community project.
In 2018, DiamondRock plans to continue our company-wide commitments to sustainability and the community. These include reducing energy, carbon and water intensity at our hotels, proactively managing environmental risks by measuring impacts and making strategic sustainability investments, and making positive contributions to communities through supporting local and national charities.
GRI Index, ESG Performance Data
Other Downloads:
GRESB 2016 Results
GRESB 2017 Results
GRESB 2018 Results


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This is a special time of year for remembering all there is to be grateful for. As part of that, I give thanks for friends and colleagues who make our professions and lives more fulfilling.
I am thankful for your hard work day in and day out, bringing your best efforts and determination to the work of resolving conflicts and relieving burdens for your clients and associates.
I am thankful for your generosity and your willingness to go above and beyond, not only by job but also by deed in working with integrity and high purpose.
And I am thankful that you increase the good in our community. Every resolution is a testament to the positive ability we each hold to manage and overcome difficulties.
I hope you celebrate all you have contributed and achieved. My best wishes for a very happy Holiday Season and New Year!