Thursday 25th June 2015

Tubby Isaacs · Post by **Tubby Isaacs** » Thu 25 Jun, 2015 5:47 pm

Ha ha.

Swinney publishes "Thank God we didn't vote Yes" oil and gas projections on last day of Holyrood session.

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

Awful projections for the next 4 years. Seem to be about a third of what they said before the Indyref.

Let's see them keep up the pretence they want FFA.

Tubby Isaacs · Post by **Tubby Isaacs** » Thu 25 Jun, 2015 6:05 pm

I don't understand why Sturgeon didn't knock this FFA stuff on the head.

Wait a bit, run Scotland, pop up occasionally to say sensible stuff in the media, accumulate powers to Holyrood.

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Thu 25 Jun, 2015 6:11 pm

‘MINISTER FOR NORTHERN POWERHOUSE’ GOES INTO HIDING OVER #NORTHERNPOWERCUT
http://politicalscrapbook.net/2015/06/j ... rail-cuts/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

'Pause' in promised rail upgrades programme. Another let down / flop / broken promise that apparently was known about well before the election but only allowed to surface after the election.

And they wonder why people don't trust politicians.

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Thu 25 Jun, 2015 6:13 pm

Faisal Islam ‏@faisalislam 32m32 minutes ago
Farage praises Liz Kendall's migration policies in Sky News interview

Well that may be one way of winning back Ukip voters.

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Thu 25 Jun, 2015 6:16 pm

Nick RobinsonVerified account
‏@bbcnickrobinson
BREAKING PM has told EU he accepts may not be possible to change EU treaties before referendum. Wants "irreversible lock" instead. More soon

Who does he think he is kidding? Did anyone ever think he was going to be able to get treaty change? This is just pathetic bluster - total emperors clothes from start to finish.

But I do like the words BREAKING PM next to each other.

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Thu 25 Jun, 2015 6:28 pm

Toby Perkins ‏@tobyperkinsmp 1h1 hour ago
Real irony that Osborne attempting to tie hands of future Chancellors whilst un-spending money he allocated before 2015 Election.

AnatolyKasparov · Post by **AnatolyKasparov** » Thu 25 Jun, 2015 6:31 pm

rebeccariots2 wrote:
Faisal Islam ‏@faisalislam 32m32 minutes ago
Farage praises Liz Kendall's migration policies in Sky News interview
Well that may be one way of winning back Ukip voters.

What has she actually said, then? She seemed to be taking the traditional Blairite immigration-friendly stance until recently......

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Thu 25 Jun, 2015 6:33 pm

Andy Bell ‏@andybell5news 20m20 minutes ago
Downing St on treaty changes not happening before #EURef "if you buy a car and it delivered 3 months later everyone still sticks to deal"

Isn't that reassuring? The Arthur Daley brand of politics - without a hint of shame.

Tubby Isaacs · Post by **Tubby Isaacs** » Thu 25 Jun, 2015 6:36 pm

rebeccariots2 wrote:
Nick RobinsonVerified account
‏@bbcnickrobinson
BREAKING PM has told EU he accepts may not be possible to change EU treaties before referendum. Wants "irreversible lock" instead. More soon
Who does he think he is kidding? Did anyone ever think he was going to be able to get treaty change? This is just pathetic bluster - total emperors clothes from start to finish.

But I do like the words BREAKING PM next to each other.

That's a treaty about signing a treaty?!

Tubby Isaacs · Post by **Tubby Isaacs** » Thu 25 Jun, 2015 6:37 pm

AnatolyKasparov wrote:
rebeccariots2 wrote:
Faisal Islam ‏@faisalislam 32m32 minutes ago
Farage praises Liz Kendall's migration policies in Sky News interview
Well that may be one way of winning back Ukip voters.
What has she actually said, then? She seemed to be taking the traditional Blairite immigration-friendly stance until recently......

That's the thing. and why the 90s parallel doesn't work. The Blairites have no appeal to blue collar voters.

Tubby Isaacs · Post by **Tubby Isaacs** » Thu 25 Jun, 2015 6:41 pm

Wow, not just the electrification to Sheffield shelved. The Leeds- Manchester electrification shelved too. Has that just happened too?

Meanwhile, the minister for the northern powerhouse, James Wharton – who held on to his marginal Stockton South seat in the general election – was keeping stumm, referring media requests to the Department for Transport and ignoring tweets about what it all meant for his ministerial empire.

Straight talking rightwinger- provided the subject is an EU referendum.

Tubby Isaacs · Post by **Tubby Isaacs** » Thu 25 Jun, 2015 6:52 pm

Hang on.

Why should other leaders agree stuff before their ready because Cameron's too weak to tell his swivel eyed loons to wait?

Hobiejoe · Post by **Hobiejoe** » Thu 25 Jun, 2015 7:31 pm

Ladeeez'n'gennelmen, a big hand please, for the first COBRA meeting of the new guvment!

http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2015 ... s-migrants

RogerOThornhill · Post by **RogerOThornhill** » Thu 25 Jun, 2015 7:41 pm

Oh no!

Avengers star Patrick Macnee dies

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-33279566" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

PorFavor · Post by **PorFavor** » Thu 25 Jun, 2015 7:47 pm

RogerOThornhill wrote:Oh no!

Avengers star Patrick Macnee dies

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-33279566" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Mind you - he was 93!

RogerOThornhill · Post by **RogerOThornhill** » Thu 25 Jun, 2015 7:50 pm

PorFavor wrote:
RogerOThornhill wrote:Oh no!

Avengers star Patrick Macnee dies

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-33279566" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Mind you - he was 93!

Yes but he was indestructible!

Wait...that was Captain Scarlet...

RogerOThornhill · Post by **RogerOThornhill** » Thu 25 Jun, 2015 7:57 pm

Back in the early 1980s I spent a happy fortnight at the Scala Cinema in London every evening watching an episode of The Prisoner, Danger Man and The Avengers (Diana Rigg era of course). All classic Sixties TV.

PorFavor · Post by **PorFavor** » Thu 25 Jun, 2015 7:57 pm

RogerOThornhill wrote:
PorFavor wrote:
RogerOThornhill wrote:Oh no!

Avengers star Patrick Macnee dies

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-33279566" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Mind you - he was 93!
Yes but he was indestructible!

Wait...that was Captain Scarlet...

They crash him and his body may burn -
They smash him but they know he'll return
To live again.
Captain Scarlet (and the Mysterons) . . . .

Or something like that.

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Thu 25 Jun, 2015 7:58 pm

Any Questions? ‏@BBCAnyQuestions 53m53 minutes ago
This week's line-up for #bbcaq: @nigel_farage, @normanlamb, @anna_soubry + @GiselaStuart. Friday, 8pm @BBCRadio4

Looks like we're returning to the incredible repeating Farage show ...

I wonder if anyone else 'senior' from Ukip is going to get a turn anytime soon?

RogerOThornhill · Post by **RogerOThornhill** » Thu 25 Jun, 2015 8:03 pm

rebeccariots2 wrote:
Any Questions? ‏@BBCAnyQuestions 53m53 minutes ago
This week's line-up for #bbcaq: @nigel_farage, @normanlamb, @anna_soubry + @GiselaStuart. Friday, 8pm @BBCRadio4
Looks like we're returning to the incredible repeating Farage show ...

I wonder if anyone else 'senior' from Ukip is going to get a turn anytime soon?

I doubt it - they've all resigned and/or been sacked. Or unsacked.

PorFavor · Post by **PorFavor** » Thu 25 Jun, 2015 8:05 pm

RogerOThornhill wrote:
rebeccariots2 wrote:
Any Questions? ‏@BBCAnyQuestions 53m53 minutes ago
This week's line-up for #bbcaq: @nigel_farage, @normanlamb, @anna_soubry + @GiselaStuart. Friday, 8pm @BBCRadio4
Looks like we're returning to the incredible repeating Farage show ...

I wonder if anyone else 'senior' from Ukip is going to get a turn anytime soon?
I doubt it - they've all resigned and/or been sacked. Or unsacked.

Is "unsacked" the Ukip equivalent of being de-bagged?

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Thu 25 Jun, 2015 8:05 pm

RogerOThornhill wrote:
rebeccariots2 wrote:
Any Questions? ‏@BBCAnyQuestions 53m53 minutes ago
This week's line-up for #bbcaq: @nigel_farage, @normanlamb, @anna_soubry + @GiselaStuart. Friday, 8pm @BBCRadio4
Looks like we're returning to the incredible repeating Farage show ...

I wonder if anyone else 'senior' from Ukip is going to get a turn anytime soon?
I doubt it - they've all resigned and/or been sacked. Or unsacked.

What's going on?
Why the UKIP distraction?

PorFavor · Post by **PorFavor** » Thu 25 Jun, 2015 8:07 pm

Goodnight, everyone.

RogerOThornhill · Post by **RogerOThornhill** » Thu 25 Jun, 2015 8:10 pm

There's one on QT too...

Panellist Amber Rudd
Panellist Andy Burnham
Panellist Suzanne Evans
Panellist Yanis Varoufakis *
Panellist Fraser Nelson

* well, he was scheduled but he's a bit tied up right now...

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Thu 25 Jun, 2015 8:25 pm

RogerOThornhill wrote:There's one on QT too...

Panellist Amber Rudd
Panellist Andy Burnham
Panellist Suzanne Evans
Panellist Yanis Varoufakis *
Panellist Fraser Nelson

* well, he was scheduled but he's a bit tied up right now...

I so wish that was true - that he was going to be on QT that is. Our politics and certainly the media portrayal of it could really d o with some shaking up ... it might just give people some new perspectives and comparisons rather than the stale narratives and stereotypes we put up with time after time.

As a by the by, daft non sequitur. Watched Merkel greeting Cameron at some EU do on the news last night. He sort of pranced up the steps and did the kissy kissy thing on both her cheeks and then sort of patted her on her back. It was disgusting ... made me squirm. I said to Mr Riots - 'imagine having to put up with that all the time as a female leader / PM'. Short pause as we reflected on that. Then one of us said ... can't remember who now ... 'yeah, wonder what Thatcher felt about being kissed by Berlusconi?'

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Thu 25 Jun, 2015 8:26 pm

Night PF.

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Thu 25 Jun, 2015 8:27 pm

PorFavor wrote:Goodnight, everyone.

Goodnight, PorFavor

tinyclanger2 · Post by **tinyclanger2** » Thu 25 Jun, 2015 8:42 pm

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/trave ... capes.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Mail - apologies - but this will cheer you up.

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Thu 25 Jun, 2015 8:50 pm

Figures detailing benefit-related deaths to be published, says David Cameron
Prime minister’s disclosure, in wake of 200,000-strong petition, comes two days after Iain Duncan Smith’s claim in parliament that such data did not exist
http://www.theguardian.com/society/2015 ... ameron-dwp" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

... Cameron replied: “First of all let me reassure you this data will be published and is being prepared for publication as we speak. I think it is important we publish data and this government has published more data about public spending than any previous government.”...

Why don't I find that 'reassuring'?

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Thu 25 Jun, 2015 9:00 pm

PorFavor wrote:Goodnight, everyone.

Night PF

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Thu 25 Jun, 2015 9:15 pm

ohsocynical wrote:
PorFavor wrote:Goodnight, everyone.
Night PF

Give my love to your family, Ohso, please.
xx
cJA

AngryAsWell · Post by **AngryAsWell** » Thu 25 Jun, 2015 9:18 pm

Labour says universal credit will take 495 years to roll out as costs rise £3bn
Cost of Iain Duncan Smith’s troubled plan for benefits rises to £15.8bn as Major Projects Authority report reveals HS2 also among schemes at high risk of failing

The Ministry of Defence also had several troubled projects, including the Queen Elizabeth aircraft carrier project on “amber/red” and the Future Reserves 2020 programme, which is the recruitment of reserves to replace army regulars.

And in the Ministry of Justice, the costs of the department’s plan to overhaul rehabilitation by partnering with more private companies were revealed as £9.6bn and given an amber/red rating. The same department’s National Offender Management Service IT services contract, which sets up technology to track offenders, has also been classified as in trouble.

http://www.theguardian.com/society/2015 ... s-rise-3bn" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Thu 25 Jun, 2015 9:22 pm

rebeccariots2 wrote:
Figures detailing benefit-related deaths to be published, says David Cameron
Prime minister’s disclosure, in wake of 200,000-strong petition, comes two days after Iain Duncan Smith’s claim in parliament that such data did not exist
http://www.theguardian.com/society/2015 ... ameron-dwp" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

... Cameron replied: “First of all let me reassure you this data will be published and is being prepared for publication as we speak. I think it is important we publish data and this government has published more data about public spending than any previous government.”...
Why don't I find that 'reassuring'?

Because it's not reassuring, you're right.
He's a leader of a government forced into the position of having to publish documentation his governments' policies have caused people so much anxiety & pain, some people have taken their own lives.

"I think it is important we publish data and this government has published more data about public spending than any previous government."
- Cameron

What does this mean in relation to his statement? It's silly. So what, Dave? Is there a prize for the government that publishes the most data about public spending? If you inundate the public with public spending data, it's all okay then?

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Thu 25 Jun, 2015 9:44 pm

AngryAsWell wrote:Labour says universal credit will take 495 years to roll out as costs rise £3bn
Cost of Iain Duncan Smith’s troubled plan for benefits rises to £15.8bn as Major Projects Authority report reveals HS2 also among schemes at high risk of failing

The Ministry of Defence also had several troubled projects, including the Queen Elizabeth aircraft carrier project on “amber/red” and the Future Reserves 2020 programme, which is the recruitment of reserves to replace army regulars.

And in the Ministry of Justice, the costs of the department’s plan to overhaul rehabilitation by partnering with more private companies were revealed as £9.6bn and given an amber/red rating. The same department’s National Offender Management Service IT services contract, which sets up technology to track offenders, has also been classified as in trouble.

http://www.theguardian.com/society/2015 ... s-rise-3bn" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

"Government has a growing portfolio of PbR schemes and the Work Programme, one of its largest programmes, has now been running for 4 years.
The government’s payment by results (PbR) schemes are now estimated by the National Audit Office to account for at least £15 billion of public spending.
However, neither the Cabinet Office nor the Treasury currently monitors how PbR is operating across government.
Nor is there a systematic collection or evaluation of information about how effectively PbR is working."

- Amyas Morse, head of the National Audit Office, 19 June 2015

http://www.nao.org.uk/report/outcome-ba ... y-results/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://www.nao.org.uk/wp-content/upload ... ummary.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

When Mr. Morse can do no better than this write-up for his mates, current government is in the sh**.

AngryAsWell · Post by **AngryAsWell** » Thu 25 Jun, 2015 9:47 pm

New Labour MP planned to sleep in camper van with family as London prices so expensive
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/ne ... ar_twitter" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Yeah Yeah - they're all the same..

AngryAsWell · Post by **AngryAsWell** » Thu 25 Jun, 2015 9:58 pm

An interesting read.....

Time will tell whether the ousting of Mayor Lutfur Rahman has restored or denied democracy to Tower Hamlets
The ousting by the Government’s Department for Communities and Local Government and an independent commission of lawyers of Lutfur Rahman, who was twice Elected as Mayor of Tower Hamlets suggests that we expect different levels of behaviour from Bangadeshi politicians and those of the general white British political culture, argues Paul Thompson.

http://www.democraticaudit.com/?p=14105 ... ign=buffer" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

frightful_oik · Post by **frightful_oik** » Thu 25 Jun, 2015 10:03 pm

How come QT has resumed its 2left 3right(+DD) format. You could just about make a case for it when the LDs were in coalition. But now, why?

Tubby Isaacs · Post by **Tubby Isaacs** » Thu 25 Jun, 2015 10:03 pm

AngryAsWell wrote:Labour says universal credit will take 495 years to roll out as costs rise £3bn
Cost of Iain Duncan Smith’s troubled plan for benefits rises to £15.8bn as Major Projects Authority report reveals HS2 also among schemes at high risk of failing

The Ministry of Defence also had several troubled projects, including the Queen Elizabeth aircraft carrier project on “amber/red” and the Future Reserves 2020 programme, which is the recruitment of reserves to replace army regulars.

And in the Ministry of Justice, the costs of the department’s plan to overhaul rehabilitation by partnering with more private companies were revealed as £9.6bn and given an amber/red rating. The same department’s National Offender Management Service IT services contract, which sets up technology to track offenders, has also been classified as in trouble.

http://www.theguardian.com/society/2015 ... s-rise-3bn" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

IDS has an explanation. The accountants did something funny.

A source close to Duncan Smith insisted that the use of an accounting convention by the Major Projects Authority meant that the next 10 years’ estimated expenditure had included the scheme’s start-up costs.

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Thu 25 Jun, 2015 10:05 pm

Disposal of public land for new homes
24 June 2015

The National Audit Office has published the findings from its investigation into the previous Government’s progress in meeting its target “to release enough land to build as many as 100,000 new, much-needed, homes and support as many as 25,000 jobs by 2015”.

A programme to sell enough government land by March 2015 to build a potential 100,000 homes did not collect information on the amount of money raised or how many homes have actually been built.
In future land sales, responsibility for monitoring what happens to land after disposal should be made clear.

The key findings of the investigation are as follows.

- The target measured a notional number of expected homes, not actual homes built.
- The NAO found no supporting documentation or economic evidence behind the target or how it was allocated to departments.
- By the end of March 2015, government had disposed of enough land with capacity for an expected 109,590 homes.
- In total, the land disposed of comprised 942 sites.
- The Department for Communities and Local Government applied a wide interpretation of the land that could be counted towards the target.
- The total notional 109,590 homes figure included 15,740 homes on land that the public sector disposed of before the target was set.
- Land sold for the 15,740 homes was counted because it was expected to be built on during the programme however this is inconsistent with the scoring of land sold during the course of the programme, where homes will be built long after the programme closed in March 2015. And, in addition, surplus land was categorized as sold when the organization owning the sites moved outside the public sector even if the sites were not developed : e.g. sites owned by Royal Mail (2,584 homes) and British Waterways (8,199 homes).
- Departments do not routinely monitor what happens to a site after disposal so there is no information on how many homes have been built on sold land.
- The NAO is unable to report the actual number of homes built to date as the information is not collected.
- The DCLG does not collect information on the amount of money raised from the sales.
- Without data on the number of homes or sales proceeds, it is difficult to assess if departments obtained good value from their disposals and, more broadly, if government secured value for money from the programme as a whole.

http://www.nao.org.uk/report/disposal-o ... new-homes/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

(my bold)

Oh, my.

Tubby Isaacs · Post by **Tubby Isaacs** » Thu 25 Jun, 2015 10:06 pm

AngryAsWell wrote:An interesting read.....

Time will tell whether the ousting of Mayor Lutfur Rahman has restored or denied democracy to Tower Hamlets
The ousting by the Government’s Department for Communities and Local Government and an independent commission of lawyers of Lutfur Rahman, who was twice Elected as Mayor of Tower Hamlets suggests that we expect different levels of behaviour from Bangadeshi politicians and those of the general white British political culture, argues Paul Thompson.

http://www.democraticaudit.com/?p=14105 ... ign=buffer" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Friend of mine who used to work there (and doesn't particularly like Rahman) said the Commissioners are twiddling their thumbs. The Council basically works fine, minus a couple of questionably grants.

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Thu 25 Jun, 2015 10:11 pm

"Without data on the number of homes or sales proceeds, it is difficult to assess if departments obtained good value from their disposals and, more broadly, if government secured value for money from the programme as a whole."

Disposal of public land for new homes
24 June 2015

http://www.nao.org.uk/press-releases/di ... w-homes-2/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Excuse me, but after something like this, isn't a government responsible for this utter mess supposed to step aside as too dishonourable to even look upon a Margaret Thatcher image let alone attempt to continue governing the UK?

This is a failure.
This is what Tory failure is.
Tory failure.
The National Audit Office says
TORY FAILURE - GET OUT.

Tubby Isaacs · Post by **Tubby Isaacs** » Thu 25 Jun, 2015 10:17 pm

I think the Major Projects Authority must be mistaken.

IDS's think tank told us last year "UNIVERSAL CREDIT IS WORKING. I’VE SEEN IT"

http://www.centreforsocialjustice.org.u ... ve-seen-it" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

One of the more demoralising elements of the Universal Credit debate in Westminster is the lust with which many critics attack the project. Some, driven by political rather than poverty interest, are clearly longing for this to fail. They should head to west London and talk to people like Danny. He probably cares little for those games. He’s in the real world. He’s just getting on with it.

Seeing Danny is doing beefed-up Job Seekers Allowance, which could have been done without Universal Credit, I won't take too much heed of what he says.

Perhaps those critics want to save public money?

RogerOThornhill · Post by **RogerOThornhill** » Thu 25 Jun, 2015 10:32 pm

Tubby Isaacs wrote:
AngryAsWell wrote:An interesting read.....

Time will tell whether the ousting of Mayor Lutfur Rahman has restored or denied democracy to Tower Hamlets
The ousting by the Government’s Department for Communities and Local Government and an independent commission of lawyers of Lutfur Rahman, who was twice Elected as Mayor of Tower Hamlets suggests that we expect different levels of behaviour from Bangadeshi politicians and those of the general white British political culture, argues Paul Thompson.

http://www.democraticaudit.com/?p=14105 ... ign=buffer" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Friend of mine who used to work there (and doesn't particularly like Rahman) said the Commissioners are twiddling their thumbs. The Council basically works fine, minus a couple of questionably grants.

So basically it's going to end up like the investigation into Ken Livingstone - big hoo-hah...and then they find bugger all.

I guess it'll be "yeah but no but yeah but they destroyed all the documents before we got there"...

Tubby Isaacs · Post by **Tubby Isaacs** » Thu 25 Jun, 2015 10:34 pm

I think the Commissioners are supposed to be there to make sure things are working rather than investigate- PWC did that before.

3 investigations into Livingstone and Jasper, weren't there?

Forensic Tory journo, Patience Wheatcroft, ran one of them. Proper fair.

HindleA · Post by **HindleA** » Thu 25 Jun, 2015 10:37 pm

rebeccariots2 wrote:
Figures detailing benefit-related deaths to be published, says David Cameron
Prime minister’s disclosure, in wake of 200,000-strong petition, comes two days after Iain Duncan Smith’s claim in parliament that such data did not exist
http://www.theguardian.com/society/2015 ... ameron-dwp" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

... Cameron replied: “First of all let me reassure you this data will be published and is being prepared for publication as we speak. I think it is important we publish data and this government has published more data about public spending than any previous government.”...
Why don't I find that 'reassuring'?

http://voxpoliticalonline.com/2015/06/2 ... ed-deaths/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Thu 25 Jun, 2015 10:38 pm

Tubby Isaacs wrote:I think the Major Projects Authority must be mistaken.

IDS's think tank told us last year "UNIVERSAL CREDIT IS WORKING. I’VE SEEN IT"

http://www.centreforsocialjustice.org.u ... ve-seen-it" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

One of the more demoralising elements of the Universal Credit debate in Westminster is the lust with which many critics attack the project. Some, driven by political rather than poverty interest, are clearly longing for this to fail. They should head to west London and talk to people like Danny. He probably cares little for those games. He’s in the real world. He’s just getting on with it.
Seeing Danny is doing beefed-up Job Seekers Allowance, which could have been done without Universal Credit, I won't take too much heed of what he says.

Perhaps those critics want to save public money?

I hadn't realised the NAO had come out with some new reports, Tubby Isaacs.
I'm not surprised, just angry more isn't being made out of the fact billions are unaccounted for.
Did you read the one about 'disposal of public land for new homes'?
NAO can't find homes, they can't find money, they can't find land beneath their feet.
Tories have apparently disappeared all of it.

LadyCentauria · Post by **LadyCentauria** » Thu 25 Jun, 2015 10:41 pm

PorFavor wrote:
Revealed: how developers exploit flawed planning system to minimise affordable housing (Guardian)
A very long, but disturbing and interesting, read.

http://www.theguardian.com/cities/2015/ ... wainwright

A superb article if a deeply disturbing one. Thank you.

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Thu 25 Jun, 2015 11:14 pm

Private renters in UK pay double the European average
Despite the growing number of private renters in England and the UK, private renting remains comparably unattractive to many and often viewed as the ‘tenure of last resort’.
23 June 2015

http://www.housing.org.uk/media/blog/pr ... n-average/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

"...private renters in the UK pay the highest price for housing in the entire European Union.

With an average monthly rent of 902 Euros per month (the equivalent of around £730), private renters in the UK pay almost double the amount of the European average, which is 481 Euros. Even when compared to other Western European countries with similar income levels, the PRS in the UK remains expensive.

For example, private rents in the UK are around 50% higher than in Germany (600 Euros) or the Netherlands (625 Euros), both countries with a large share of privately rented households."

Tubby Isaacs · Post by **Tubby Isaacs** » Thu 25 Jun, 2015 11:24 pm

HindleA wrote:
rebeccariots2 wrote:
Figures detailing benefit-related deaths to be published, says David Cameron
Prime minister’s disclosure, in wake of 200,000-strong petition, comes two days after Iain Duncan Smith’s claim in parliament that such data did not exist
http://www.theguardian.com/society/2015 ... ameron-dwp" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

... Cameron replied: “First of all let me reassure you this data will be published and is being prepared for publication as we speak. I think it is important we publish data and this government has published more data about public spending than any previous government.”...
Why don't I find that 'reassuring'?

http://voxpoliticalonline.com/2015/06/2 ... ed-deaths/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Beware too of taking the new figures too seriously when they come out. If the government hasn't looked very hard, they won't have everyone in.

They'll also reheat the rogue figure from a few years ago, and then pretend it's fine because only x have died.

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Thu 25 Jun, 2015 11:49 pm

Goodnight, everyone.
love,
cJA