Wednesday 13th April 2016

Post by **PaulfromYorkshire** » Wed 13 Apr, 2016 5:56 pm

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Wow. Yvette getting some abuse for calling Goldsmith.

utopiandreams · Post by **utopiandreams** » Wed 13 Apr, 2016 5:58 pm

ephemerid wrote:... It doesn't matter, really. It's just annoying.

It depends though, ephe. It is one thing just being another voice on t'net but another when you're quoting pertinent facts and/or figures. I recently found that AS gets more readers than I thought but then it was a PMQs day. Seriously though the G wouldn't have kept his blog if he didn't and anyway I gather people do pay you attention in other places. Still it's not good if someone is deliberately trying to silence you.

Edit: I should have said below the line at AS.

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Wed 13 Apr, 2016 5:58 pm

Peter Jukes ‏@peterjukes 1h1 hour ago Camberwell, London

"We were finding... decision not to publish were taken at a level above the editor" says Jim Cusick of #Whittingdale on #r4mediashow

Tubby Isaacs · Post by **Tubby Isaacs** » Wed 13 Apr, 2016 6:07 pm

yahyah wrote:Not just pissing off their core vote, pissing off anyone who will need a state pension in the future.

Fair point- I'm a bit unusual in wanting less pension spending and more investment, I appreciate that.

Even more of a pointless thing to urge them to deny really.

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Wed 13 Apr, 2016 6:08 pm

yahyah wrote:Not just pissing off their core vote, pissing off anyone who will need a state pension in the future.

It'll be like a third world country soon. If they stop the State Pension young couples will increasingly have big families because they'll need the kids to take care of them in their old age.

yahyah · Post by **yahyah** » Wed 13 Apr, 2016 6:09 pm

The state pension is hardly generous now.

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Wed 13 Apr, 2016 6:09 pm

Consensus launch: Cruddas calls for “boundaries” to curb PLP in-fighting

http://labourlist.org/2016/04/consensus ... -fighting/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Wed 13 Apr, 2016 6:14 pm

Natalie Rowe ‏@RealNatalieRowe 19h19 hours ago

#WHITTINGDALE IS LYING saying that he didn't know she was a SEX WORKER, before the Mail was going to publish HE absolutely DID. I have proof

yahyah · Post by **yahyah** » Wed 13 Apr, 2016 6:17 pm

ohsocynical wrote:Natalie Rowe ‏@RealNatalieRowe 19h19 hours ago

#WHITTINGDALE IS LYING saying that he didn't know she was a SEX WORKER, before the Mail was going to publish HE absolutely DID. I have proof

Come on then Natalie, let's see it.

Tubby Isaacs · Post by **Tubby Isaacs** » Wed 13 Apr, 2016 6:34 pm

yahyah wrote:The state pension is hardly generous now.

Nor is public investment.

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Wed 13 Apr, 2016 6:48 pm

Martin Rowson Tribune cartoon.

" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Tubby Isaacs · Post by **Tubby Isaacs** » Wed 13 Apr, 2016 6:56 pm

yahyah wrote:Talking of pensions, it isn't often Tony Blair gets any praise these days but it was his government that allowed NHS admin workers to be enrolled into the pension scheme.
I had to apply for mine recently having reached 60 as it doesn't mature anymore.

So well done Tony. One person grateful at least.

They also did some redistributive changes to SERPS.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/State_Sec ... er_earners" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Wed 13 Apr, 2016 6:58 pm

LabourList ‏@LabourList 6m6 minutes ago
Labour First demands party scrap the leadership rules that brought Corbyn to power

TR'sGhost · Post by **TR'sGhost** » Wed 13 Apr, 2016 7:01 pm

Tubby Isaacs wrote:
yahyah wrote:The state pension is hardly generous now.
Nor is public investment.

Investment should, if anything, make it possible to pay better pensions, this isn't a zero-sum game however much the Tories (and skme of what was once called New Labour) like to present it as such.

I'm still trying to work out the logic, in a sane world, of taking a bank into public or semi-public ownership, making the population at large pay for the losses and debts then flogging it off cut-price as soon as it shows a return to profits. When if the state hung on to its shareholding the entire country could benefit from the anticipated future income from the business.

Ah! Go it. How silly of me. Obviously, it's essential to have as much money as possible stashed away in secret private bank accounts in the Caymans, Channel Islands etc. so that it can trickle down to us. If the government used the money instead we wouldn't receive that trickle-down bonanza we've been promised is coming very soon for 30-odd years.

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Wed 13 Apr, 2016 7:05 pm

Sam Freedman Retweeted
Giles Wilkes ‏@Gilesyb 9m9 minutes ago
The BBC's Now Show jokes that Tory education policy is to privatize all schools. Genius satire, total genius.

Sam Freedman Retweeted
Giles Wilkes ‏@Gilesyb 6m6 minutes ago
The self congratulating guffaws of a BBC "satirical show" audience at some smug misrepresentation, one of my least favorite sounds

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Wed 13 Apr, 2016 7:06 pm

Right-wing Labour First proposes to abandon one-vote system

https://www.morningstaronline.co.uk/a-e ... w6KWjArLIW" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Wed 13 Apr, 2016 7:08 pm

TR'sGhost wrote:
Tubby Isaacs wrote:
yahyah wrote:The state pension is hardly generous now.
Nor is public investment.
Investment should, if anything, make it possible to pay better pensions, this isn't a zero-sum game however much the Tories (and skme of what was once called New Labour) like to present it as such.

I'm still trying to work out the logic, in a sane world, of taking a bank into public or semi-public ownership, making the population at large pay for the losses and debts then flogging it off cut-price as soon as it shows a return to profits. When if the state hung on to its shareholding the entire country could benefit from the anticipated future income from the business.

Ah! Go it. How silly of me. Obviously, it's essential to have as much money as possible stashed away in secret private bank accounts in the Caymans, Channel Islands etc. so that it can trickle down to us. If the government used the money instead we wouldn't receive that trickle-down bonanza we've been promised is coming very soon for 30-odd years.

^^^^^THIS^^^^^
We know this fact and we know our leaders know it too but they're still insisting our credit card is maxed out

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Wed 13 Apr, 2016 7:09 pm

Sun Politics ‏@SunPolitics 14m14 minutes ago
BBC accused of trying to 'mortally wound' Whittingdale over threat to reform Auntie http://thesun.uk/6012BY3mp" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

He'll probably enjoy that.

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Wed 13 Apr, 2016 7:09 pm

ohsocynical wrote:Right-wing Labour First proposes to abandon one-vote system

https://www.morningstaronline.co.uk/a-e ... w6KWjArLIW" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Who or what is Right-wing Labour First?

TR'sGhost · Post by **TR'sGhost** » Wed 13 Apr, 2016 7:10 pm

Tubby Isaacs wrote:
rebeccariots2 wrote:
Owen Smith Retweeted
Labour Press Team ‏@labourpress 36m36 minutes ago
Crabb must immediately reject calls from David Cameron’s former adviser to scrap the state pension @OwenSmith_MP https://tmblr.co/ZP11Jr24y53Ro" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Owen Smith Retweeted
Labour DWP Team ‏@LabourDWP 20m20 minutes ago
As ex-adviser to David Cameron calls for scrapping of state pension, @OwenSmith_MP says the Tory mask is slipping. http://press.labour.org.uk/post/1427418 ... calls-from" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; …
Crabb and Cameron will happily do so, seeing they had no intention of pissing off their core vote. Waste of time by Smith.

I wouldn't be so sure. There's been a low-level but slowly increasing campaign to get old and young at each other's throats for a couple of years now. All that stuff aimed at a young audience that complains about baby-boomers who had jobs for life (the 1980s obviously never happened), cheap houses, free degrees etc. and are now selfishly stealing young people's income and homes isn't being tweeted and published for no reason. And on the other side of the equation are articles in magazines aimed at older readers warning that undeserving young layabout louts are after your hard-earned rewards for all your striving.

Divide and rule is a powerful strategy. Thatcher used it, but carefully so only one or two population groups were attacked at a time. Thatcher's spawn seem to want everyone at everyone else's throat all time, fighting over sharing one piece of pie without noticing who's eating the other nine pieces.

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Wed 13 Apr, 2016 7:11 pm

PARLY ‏@ParlyApp 6h6 hours ago
PARLY Retweeted Neil Coyle
Blue on blue attacks becoming distressingly common

Neil CoyleVerified account
‏@coyleneil
One Tory MP shouted 'balderdash' & another 'rubbish' at Cameron during #PMQs today. Seems it's not only Labour MPs who think he's #DodgyDave

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Wed 13 Apr, 2016 7:20 pm

Tim Shipman Retweeted
Arron Banks ‏@Arron_banks 10m10 minutes ago
Vote leave document is full of lies and misrepresentations we will consult but expect judicial review .

Oh my.

Tubby Isaacs · Post by **Tubby Isaacs** » Wed 13 Apr, 2016 7:22 pm

TR'sGhost wrote:
Tubby Isaacs wrote:
yahyah wrote:The state pension is hardly generous now.
Nor is public investment.
Investment should, if anything, make it possible to pay better pensions, this isn't a zero-sum game however much the Tories (and skme of what was once called New Labour) like to present it as such.

I think the political and economic constraints make it close to a zero sum game. Apart from Trident, I can't see any obvious savings to make. There's stuff in schools but any savings need to be reinvested in schools. Pensions is the biggest number, so savings/cuts have to come from there.

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Wed 13 Apr, 2016 7:25 pm

“Holy sh*t! Speaking of sick burns...Dennis Skinner has a whole section of his Wikipedia devoted to cracks he makes during the Queen’s Speech. Dude DGAF old-school Labour Style,” wrote one.

“I just love this. It’s so British... the disdain, the language, everything. I could watch it twenty times," said another.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/peopl ... 82366.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Wed 13 Apr, 2016 7:27 pm

All I wrote below the line was "Agreed" to another commentator's post and my post was moderated on the Owen Jones' thread.
Okay, I realise that's not contributing very much or creatively but I'm uncertain how it violates the standards?

Tubby Isaacs · Post by **Tubby Isaacs** » Wed 13 Apr, 2016 7:30 pm

TR'sGhost wrote:
Tubby Isaacs wrote:
rebeccariots2 wrote:
Crabb and Cameron will happily do so, seeing they had no intention of pissing off their core vote. Waste of time by Smith.
I wouldn't be so sure. There's been a low-level but slowly increasing campaign to get old and young at each other's throats for a couple of years now. All that stuff aimed at a young audience that complains about baby-boomers who had jobs for life (the 1980s obviously never happened), cheap houses, free degrees etc. and are now selfishly stealing young people's income and homes isn't being tweeted and published for no reason. And on the other side of the equation are articles in magazines aimed at older readers warning that undeserving young layabout louts are after your hard-earned rewards for all your striving.

Divide and rule is a powerful strategy. Thatcher used it, but carefully so only one or two population groups were attacked at a time. Thatcher's spawn seem to want everyone at everyone else's throat all time, fighting over sharing one piece of pie without noticing who's eating the other nine pieces.

The Coalition were extremely careful to make sure people who didn't vote for them got the really rough end, as the IFS showed- albeit with the useful rhetorical device of saying they'd hit the richest most (they hadn't, but it was quite close). There's no way they could have hit everybody like they did the poorest and win.

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Wed 13 Apr, 2016 7:41 pm

: Carwyn Out and About.jpg (47.62 KiB) Viewed 10326 times

Good move by Carwyn. Needs to do more of this in west Wales.

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Wed 13 Apr, 2016 7:44 pm

Mirror Politics ‏@MirrorPolitics 11m11 minutes ago
Ted Cruz has been branded a hypocrite for defending Texas' dildo ban
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/te ... ng-7749009" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; …

Now there's a headline.

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Wed 13 Apr, 2016 7:53 pm

: Evening Standard Coverage of Khan and Goldsmith.jpg (62 KiB) Viewed 10316 times

Owen Jones ‏@OwenJones84 5m5 minutes ago
Owen Jones Retweeted Adam Bienkov
The Evening Standard is Pravda for the Tories, and many of its journalists are embarrassed of its "coverage".

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Wed 13 Apr, 2016 8:25 pm

"If all power corrupts, power which has to argue its corner corrupts somewhat less.
In differently-shaped systems from the UK’s, political leaders often have to persuade
a separate legislative branch to go along with their plans, or else persuade judges that
their laws can be squared with the constitution. In Britain, however, the ultimate ground
rule is that “the Queen in parliament is sovereign”, which in plain English means that a
prime minister in possession of a decent Commons majority can do pretty well as they please."

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfre ... d-henchmen" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Research has led me to the same discouraging conclusion

Post by **refitman** » Wed 13 Apr, 2016 9:20 pm

rebeccariots2 wrote:
Mirror Politics ‏@MirrorPolitics 11m11 minutes ago
Ted Cruz has been branded a hypocrite for defending Texas' dildo ban
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/te ... ng-7749009" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; …
Now there's a headline.

From someone called Craig Mazin, on Twitter:

Ted Cruz thinks people don’t have a right to “stimulate their genitals.” I was his college roommate. This would be a new belief of his.

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Wed 13 Apr, 2016 9:32 pm

John Bull ‏@larrymeath 8h8 hours ago Manchester, England

"John #Whittingdale is not available for comment."
Oh.
I suppose he is tied up this afternoon...

HindleA · Post by **HindleA** » Wed 13 Apr, 2016 9:46 pm

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/201 ... are_btn_tw" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Should we scrap benefits and pay everyone £100 a week whether they work or not?

FWIW IMHO absolutely not,cash payment accounting for need will be scrapped and replaced with discretionary and conditional "support".

RogerOThornhill · Post by **RogerOThornhill** » Wed 13 Apr, 2016 9:52 pm

Evening all (& is reminded of George Dixon...)

I managed to see some of the debate over forced academisation and it was heartening to see so many Tory MPs starting to query this.

But...Suella Fernandes...awful. Seems to have no idea about what schools apart from her own do. And like most Michaela people I;ve heard of, is virulently anti-Ofsted.

Here's the start:

Learning changes lives because it changes life chances and we all get only one chance at school. In 2010, Labour left this country with one in three children unable to do basic maths or to read.

No. As was pointed out that was chucked out by the UK Statistics Authority for being misleading.

I helped to set up one of the first free schools, in Wembley in Brent, where we are seeing our teachers flourish and live out their passion for their subjects, free from bureaucracy and diktat. We are seeing our children’s discipline and behaviour turn around. Therefore, I speak in favour of the White Paper, which represents the next logical step in the reforms that are radically improving and changing the life chances of children in this country.

But you're not though. You have the same Ofsted regime as everyone else, and you have an RSC with more powers over you than any LA director has had for decades. Oh, and you have to abide by your funding agreement.

Secondly, on academisation, it is important that schools are free to choose how they are run. Hampshire, in which my constituency is located, is performing well. The authority has an opportunity here. It can take advantage of that to become a MAT. It can outsource its services. This is a great opportunity to reform standards and schools, to change structures and to improve standards by allowing more collaboration, whether in CPD, teacher training, leadership training or back-office sourcing.

Yeah, of course, LA maintained schools simply aren't allowed to do this...

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Wed 13 Apr, 2016 10:06 pm

Sam Coates TimesVerified account
‏@SamCoatesTimes

YouGov Times poll
Voting inention

Lab 34
C 31
Ukip 17
LD 8
Other 11

Keep going Dave. You're doing fine.

Tubby Isaacs · Post by **Tubby Isaacs** » Wed 13 Apr, 2016 10:23 pm

Oh dear. Goldsmith is useless.

http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/dave ... are_btn_tw" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

danesclose · Post by **danesclose** » Wed 13 Apr, 2016 10:50 pm

Dear God, Andrew Mitchell is being allowed to get away with murder on Newsnight. Whittingdale story nnot in the public interest, he's a single man, bit like Cameron's tax returns. Evan Davis lying back and having his stomach stroked.
Mitchell must be auditioning for a post-referendum Cabinet come back

RogerOThornhill · Post by **RogerOThornhill** » Wed 13 Apr, 2016 10:53 pm

Myself and Andy Jolley have noticed that Morgan and David Carter seem to be saying different things about small schools.

Richard Benyon (Newbury) (Con)

Like most Conservative Members, I am a great supporter of academies and they have been a great success in my constituency. Will the Secretary of State say something about the capacity of small primary schools, particularly in rural areas, to make that change?

Nicky Morgan

I will, and I recognise that there will be challenges for smaller schools in taking on the responsibilities of becoming stand-alone academy trusts, and we look forward to working with Members across the House on that.

Except that Carter thinks this...

6. The optimum size of a MAT should be measured in terms of number of pupils not numbers of schools because it is per pupil funding that determines their viablilty. And the miniumum size is: 1200 pupils

https://www.tes.com/news/school-news/br ... earned-sir" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

They're bloody clueless right now - everyone making it up as they go along.

Hobiejoe · Post by **Hobiejoe** » Wed 13 Apr, 2016 11:33 pm

ohsocynical wrote:Sam Coates TimesVerified account
‏@SamCoatesTimes

YouGov Times poll
Voting inention

Lab 34
C 31
Ukip 17
LD 8
Other 11

Keep going Dave. You're doing fine.

Hmm. Bearing in mind the gawdawfulness of polling over the recent past and, given the source, the potential for push-polling, could this suggest the start of the much-heralded right-wing euro split? Or just wishful thinking on my part?

Yeah, I know, but a chap can hope.

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Wed 13 Apr, 2016 11:43 pm

Tubby Isaacs wrote:Oh dear. Goldsmith is useless.

http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/dave ... are_btn_tw" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Oh, my. Video clip of Zac Goldsmith disproving his recent words. He's a malicious liar. At least we know. It's always best to know the truth.

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Wed 13 Apr, 2016 11:44 pm

Goodnight, everyone
it's been another hard day
sleep well
love,
cJA

Hobiejoe · Post by **Hobiejoe** » Wed 13 Apr, 2016 11:44 pm

Heh.

http://newsthump.com/2016/04/13/sex-wor ... olitician/

HindleA · Post by **HindleA** » Thu 14 Apr, 2016 12:05 am

Tory MP's are increasingly against their own policies in a number of areas,no doubt portrayed as Labour weakness for those following their own narrative in desperate attempt to prove themselves correct."Should be x ahead" ,when x is reached x plus y.Hearteningly I saw supportive tweets from MP's not usually known to praise Corbyn,today.I hope it is a rallying around and remembering the real enemy.

HindleA · Post by **HindleA** » Thu 14 Apr, 2016 1:16 am

http://www.theguardian.com/environment/ ... udit-finds" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Green deal scheme did not deliver energy savings, audit finds

https://www.nao.org.uk/report/investiga ... e-company/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Temulkar · Post by **Temulkar** » Thu 14 Apr, 2016 2:00 am

You know at the end of last year, I postulated Brexit followed by Cameron resignation and a general election, and Trump winning the GOP nomination. Not looking so crazy now. At least dodgydave resigning will bring some pleasure, but this year looks more and more like one of those pivotol years in history.

HindleA · Post by **HindleA** » Thu 14 Apr, 2016 2:10 am

Leicester to win the Premiership?

Temulkar · Post by **Temulkar** » Thu 14 Apr, 2016 2:29 am

HindleA wrote:Leicester to win the Premiership?

Im just happy the swans are staying up. Not so happy yank venture capitalists are trying to buy the club and marginalise the supporters trust though,