Wednesday 20th July 2016

[tinyclanger2]

It's purely the avatar mbc.

Oh no it isn't.

[RogerOThornhill]

FOI request for the DfE Board Meeting agenda and minutes.

https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/ ... ion_bo/new

Please supply electronic copies of the Department for Education board papers ie agendas and minutes - for all meetings from 27 January 2015 to date. Please also include the agendas and minutes for any extraordinary meetings.

Please supply full agendas and minutes for all meetings please - not summaries of them.

We'll wait and see...

[tinyclanger2]

//www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/ ... 45801.html
Britain will not take up its scheduled presidency of the EU Council next year and will instead focus on its preparations to leave the bloc, Theresa May has said.

British English public hail Thatcheresa May for her valuable expenditure of effort

[tinyclanger2]

And Sam Allardyce.
God how we hate ourselves.

[refitman]

And Sam Allardyce.
God how we hate ourselves.

Big lad up front, get it in the mixer!

What can go wrong.

[citizenJA]

Goodnight, everyone.
love,
cJA

[TR'sGhost]

Curious, if working for a pharmaceutical company disqualifies Smith from being Labour leader, at what point on the moral compass does being paid by an Iranian state TV station that was complicit in the forced confession of a tortured journalist, place you ? Not once, not twice but five times ? With the final appearance being six months after the network had its broadcasting license revoked by Ofcom for airing a forced confession by Newsweek journalist Maziar Bahari.

http://uk.businessinsider.com/jeremy-co ... ist-2016-6" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Please, please read it before dismissing it, I'm not being confrontational, but I am confused as to why one is viewed as the pits, but the other goes by without comment.

A few things. First off, the article contains basic factual errors. Second, there are big differences in these two positions.

The article is factually incorrect. The network was fined for the aforementioned broadcast, but this was not the reason it lost its licence. Ofcom was perfectly happy to work with Press TV following this incidence. It lost its licence for breaching Ofcom rules in that oversight was from Tehran while the licence was held in London. Ofcom offered to help Press TV resolve this, but for whatever reason, the broadcaster declined so Ofcom withdrew the licence. There are problems of tone and bias in the piece IMO. 'Complicit in forced torture and forced confession' is a very, very strong way of putting a ten-second clip broadcast from an allegedly forced confession that they may or may not have known was forced. The article cites the broadcaster's two main Western critics as Nick Ferrari and Andrew Gilligan, and also mentions the Anti-Defamation League, all, with the deepest of respect, figures not without agenda. Iran has many problems, but is among the most enlightened of the Arab states, is an emerging democracy and the policy of most Western governments is of engagement, so the article is rather one-sided in its tone at least. The problems in Iran are hardly Press TV's fault.

And the comparison with Smith. To my mind, there are all kinds of differences. Smith was full-time employed for a big pharma company, and his role was to defend the actions of that company, and lobby government in favour of its activities. Big pharma is a hugely problematic industry for all kinds of reasons, and it's concerning to say the least that someone calling themselves progressive would work for them in a role that defends pharma's actions and attempts to persuade government to act in its favour. Corbyn, on the other hand, undertook a handful of interviews for a broadcaster over several years. The article doesn't say what he said in these interviews, apart from one case where he is described as reacting uncomfortably homophobic statements by another interviewee. Corbyn hasn't, to the best of my knowledge, taken money from Press TV to present it in a good light or lobby for it to parliament. He took their money, but not in return for putting a gloss on the company. Given his record with human rights, it's a bit strong to suggest that he in any way condoned forced confession, while Smith would have been required to sign up to everything Pfizer was doing.

Apropos of nothing, just been looking at register of members' interests around this. Apparently Nick Clegg received £22,500 for delivering a speech to Goldman Sachs last December!

If you are content for JC - as prospective PM - to have been involved with this kind of company, fine.

Many years ago I was once interviewed (at their request) by the Sun. They didn't use the interview in the end, but I guess that makes me "involved" with the Murdoch press. For which I apologise.

[HindleA]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leeds-36842707" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;


Dying doctor Kate Granger raises £250k for cancer charity

[HindleA]

Noticed I am Prime Minister.I did tell anybody that would listen when I became politicised at an early age of being PM by 50,a little behind schedule and ironically for the first time in a while actually younger than the pretend one.Now to policies.

Abolishment of The Office of the Prime Minister.


Well that was easy

[HindleA]

"principles"

Mainstream opinion,granted in more "kindlier" tones that the eugenicism of the Fabians,Beveridge,Keynes et al,is that it would be better that the majority of the people that I have worked and lived with had not existed,so I am afraid the fact that someone shook the hand of a Tory once and didn't wash their hands afterwards doesn't particularly attract my ire.

[Hobiejoe]

I'm rather thinking that (with respect to the late Gary Marshall) English Heritage has just jumped the shark on this one...

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2016/ ... ition-2020

[HindleA]

Checks date

[HindleA]

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/abou ... -released/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;


More files released from PM and Cabinet Office 86-88

[HindleA]

http://www.parliament.uk/business/publi ... 20/HCWS96/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;


Full Statement on UC