Wednesday 21st October 2015

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Wed 21 Oct, 2015 5:00 pm

Dear xxxxx

As you know, HOPE not hate has been leading the campaign to get the Government to reverse its decision to bring forward changes to the way we register to vote - changes that could result in as many as 1.9m people dropping off the electoral register.
Next Tuesday, the fight goes to the House of Lords. Lib Dem peer Lord Tyler has put down a motion to overturn the Government's plans. And we are working closely with Lord Tyler to ensure the vote goes our way.

We have already sent a detailed briefing to every peer and we are now contacting the crucial crossbenchers - those peers without a party affiliation - to ensure they both support our position but also turn up. Later this week we will send a second briefing to peers.
We have also been getting the issue raised in several national and local newspapers.
We are doing everything we can to win this vote and ensure those who are most likely to drop off - the young, people in private rented accommodation and minority communities - have a voice. But whatever the outcome, the fight for Voter Registration will go on. If we lose then we have just two weeks to ensure that as many people are on the 1 December register. If we win the vote, we have a year to get the 1.9m on the register AND work to sign up the millions of others who are not even on the register in the first place.

Just in case we lose the vote next Tuesday, we are organising a huge Voter Registration drive over the next two weeks. Sign up if you can help host an event in your area

http://action.hopenothate.org.uk/page/s ... leafleting" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I'll let you know about the result in the Lords next Tuesday immediately I hear.

Thanks again for your support

Nick

AnatolyKasparov · Post by **AnatolyKasparov** » Wed 21 Oct, 2015 5:05 pm

yahyah wrote:Peter Jukes ‏@peterjukes 7m7 minutes ago
Watson explains his parliamentary intervention led directly to conviction of Charles Napier (and others) - rapidly cut off by Vaz

What is it with Vaz ?

If there's something I'm missing that can't be openly posted, please private message me.

A fairly obvious one, tbh - think of what constituency he represents. And who used to be MP for a neighbouring one......

(they were once big mates, as well)

TobyLatimer · Post by **TobyLatimer** » Wed 21 Oct, 2015 5:07 pm

: ScreenShot00875.jpg (19.03 KiB) Viewed 7951 times

yahyah · Post by **yahyah** » Wed 21 Oct, 2015 5:09 pm

Ah...yes. Thanks Anatoly. My memory is not what it was.

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Wed 21 Oct, 2015 5:54 pm

Pay up or go to jail: how a Mississippi town resurrected the debtors' prison
A poor single mother seeks justice against Biloxi after she was imprisoned for not paying $400 in court fees, a practice that systematically criminalizes poverty
http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015 ... ty-lawsuit" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The Tories have made sure we've got our own version of this now - and it's not just restricted to one area or town. We've got it UK wide. Never say we can't do things bigger than the Americans, eh.

tinybgoat · Post by **tinybgoat** » Wed 21 Oct, 2015 5:54 pm

yahyah wrote:Peter Jukes ‏@peterjukes 7m7 minutes ago
Watson explains his parliamentary intervention led directly to conviction of Charles Napier (and others) - rapidly cut off by Vaz

What is it with Vaz ?

If there's something I'm missing that can't be openly posted, please private message me.

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfre ... -years-ago

PorFavor · Post by **PorFavor** » Wed 21 Oct, 2015 5:58 pm

TobyLatimer wrote:30 years ago Michael Meacher appeared as himself in the BBC Nuclear Drama 'Edge Of Darkness'

[youtube]gbKmnuJPCDE[/youtube]

I used to watch that avidly. Bob Peck was a great actor - although, in that particular drama, the whole cast was pretty damn' good.

PorFavor · Post by **PorFavor** » Wed 21 Oct, 2015 6:01 pm

Xi Jinping state visit: UK and China sign cybersecurity pact

The deal mirrors one agreed between China and the US last month, but which the American monitoring group CrowdStrike believes was violated almost immediately. (Guardian)

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/201 ... id-cameron

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Wed 21 Oct, 2015 6:03 pm

George Eaton ‏@georgeeaton 6m6 minutes ago
Exclusive: New group Labour Together to be launched http://bit.ly/1jB5L5P" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

For many Labour MPs, the party's general election defeat and Jeremy Corbyn's victory were symptomatic of an absence of intellectual renewal. Corbyn's opponents speak of how they lacked an alternative project and vision compelling enough to win over voters. After Ed Miliband declared the end of New Labour in 2010, it felt to many that the questions the party needed to answer were simply deferred. they lacked an alternative project and vision compelling enough to win over voters.

As they adjust to the post-election landscape, MPs are looking for sources of renewal. It is with this aim that a new group, Labour Together, will soon be launched. Those involved include former policy review head Jon Cruddas, former business secretary Chuka Umunna, shadow energy secretary Lisa Nandy, former education secretary Tristram Hunt, peer Maurice Glasman and Croydon North MP Steve Reed. "New and Blue have to come together," a source told me, in reference to New Labour and Blue Labour. "The group is aimed at achieving that." The source added that to thrive its membership would need to be as broad-based as possible, ideally including supporters of "all four leadership campaigns"...

AnatolyKasparov · Post by **AnatolyKasparov** » Wed 21 Oct, 2015 6:10 pm

I hope that Cruddas contributes more to it than rigged polling/focus groups telling us endlessly "WE'RE DOOOOOOMMMEEDDDD!!!!!"

yahyah · Post by **yahyah** » Wed 21 Oct, 2015 6:26 pm

Andrew Neil thinks Watson was left pretty much unscathed.

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Wed 21 Oct, 2015 6:34 pm

rebeccariots2 wrote:
Pay up or go to jail: how a Mississippi town resurrected the debtors' prison
A poor single mother seeks justice against Biloxi after she was imprisoned for not paying $400 in court fees, a practice that systematically criminalizes poverty
http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015 ... ty-lawsuit" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
The Tories have made sure we've got our own version of this now - and it's not just restricted to one area or town. We've got it UK wide. Never say we can't do things bigger than the Americans, eh.

When did this happen, please?

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Wed 21 Oct, 2015 6:41 pm

citizenJA wrote:
rebeccariots2 wrote:
Pay up or go to jail: how a Mississippi town resurrected the debtors' prison
A poor single mother seeks justice against Biloxi after she was imprisoned for not paying $400 in court fees, a practice that systematically criminalizes poverty
http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015 ... ty-lawsuit" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
The Tories have made sure we've got our own version of this now - and it's not just restricted to one area or town. We've got it UK wide. Never say we can't do things bigger than the Americans, eh.
When did this happen, please?

The court charges that Grayling brought in - which have to be applied regardless of whether a person can afford them or not - which has upset a lot of magistrates because they aren't allowed to use their discretion so some of them are resigning - which puts pressure on people to plead guilty even if they're not because they might get even higher charges if they don't and are then found guilty .... and which even Michael Gove seems to think were a step too far.

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Wed 21 Oct, 2015 6:45 pm

norman smith ‏@BBCNormanS 41m41 minutes ago
Govt defeated in Lords over move to end subsidies for existing on shore wind farms

I could get to like the House of Lords if they carry on in this vein.

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Wed 21 Oct, 2015 6:57 pm

Commons Speaker warns Lords not to block tax credit cuts

The Commons Speaker, John Bercow, has sent a clear warning to the Lords not to overreach itself by blocking the government’s plan to cut tax credits, saying “the constitutional position is clear and longstanding”.

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/201 ... -cuts-pmqs

Don't overreach yourself, Bercow.

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Wed 21 Oct, 2015 7:02 pm

Class War protester cleared of criminal damage at 'poor doors' demonstration
Lisa McKenzie had been accused of helping fix sticker to window of apartment block with separate doors for private and social-housing tenants
http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2015 ... not-guilty" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

From the account here they tried to prosecute her under 'joint enterprise' and with no evidence other than previous 'profiling' of her.

I really don't want public money and resources being wasted on what reads like a completely malicious prosecution.

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Wed 21 Oct, 2015 7:25 pm

EU rules Starbucks 'sweetheart' tax deals are illegal state subsidies
Luxembourg and Netherlands judged to have provided illegal tax breaks to the tune of €30bn to corporate giants Starbucks and Fiat

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/news ... taxes.html

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Wed 21 Oct, 2015 7:45 pm

ohsocynical wrote:
EU rules Starbucks 'sweetheart' tax deals are illegal state subsidies
Luxembourg and Netherlands judged to have provided illegal tax breaks to the tune of €30bn to corporate giants Starbucks and Fiat

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/news ... taxes.html

I heard this on the radio earlier. Good news - but likely to be heavily challenged somehow because it apparently will apply to so many other companies who've got the same kind of deals. Grrrh.

Was astounded yesterday to see some tweets from individuals saying 'when you realise you've paid more tax than Facebook'. They apparently got away with approx £4,600 of corporation tax.

And here we are talking about people who don't even earn a full time minimum wage getting less help from the state because that's the only way we can pay our debts ... mind boggling.

Eric_WLothian · Post by **Eric_WLothian** » Wed 21 Oct, 2015 7:50 pm

rebeccariots2 wrote:
norman smith ‏@BBCNormanS 41m41 minutes ago
Govt defeated in Lords over move to end subsidies for existing on shore wind farms
I could get to like the House of Lords if they carry on in this vein.

That'll give the Cybernats a problem - they were slanging off the Tories for scrapping the subsidy to Scottish wind farms. On the other hand, they hate the HoL as much as the Tories.

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Wed 21 Oct, 2015 8:04 pm

Iain Duncan Smith blows £8.5m on fluffy animated monster
http://voxpoliticalonline.com/2015/10/2 ... d-monster/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Iain Duncan Smith spent more than £8.5 million on an ad campaign featuring a giant fluffy monster – as his department makes savage cuts to disability benefit.
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) will tonight launch the bizarre new ad campaign featuring the character, known as Workie.

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Wed 21 Oct, 2015 8:12 pm

rebeccariots2 wrote:
Iain Duncan Smith blows £8.5m on fluffy animated monster
http://voxpoliticalonline.com/2015/10/2 ... d-monster/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Iain Duncan Smith spent more than £8.5 million on an ad campaign featuring a giant fluffy monster – as his department makes savage cuts to disability benefit.
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) will tonight launch the bizarre new ad campaign featuring the character, known as Workie.

Speak of the devil. It's just been aired.

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Wed 21 Oct, 2015 8:18 pm

The news today is nothing short of nightmarish.

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Wed 21 Oct, 2015 8:22 pm

ohsocynical wrote:
rebeccariots2 wrote:
Iain Duncan Smith blows £8.5m on fluffy animated monster
http://voxpoliticalonline.com/2015/10/2 ... d-monster/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Iain Duncan Smith spent more than £8.5 million on an ad campaign featuring a giant fluffy monster – as his department makes savage cuts to disability benefit.
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) will tonight launch the bizarre new ad campaign featuring the character, known as Workie.
Speak of the devil. It's just been aired.

How bad was it?

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Wed 21 Oct, 2015 8:24 pm

AnatolyKasparov wrote:I hope that Cruddas contributes more to it than rigged polling/focus groups telling us endlessly "WE'RE DOOOOOOMMMEEDDDD!!!!!"

I had a flash of that man from the ad with the Trebor mint face / head when I read that. 'NOOOOOOOOOOO......'

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Wed 21 Oct, 2015 8:28 pm

citizenJA wrote:The news today is nothing short of nightmarish.

And now I'm getting a flash of Nick Ross (sorry for that unfortunate juxtaposition) saying 'don't have nightmares etc etc' at the end of Crimewatch - centuries ago.

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Wed 21 Oct, 2015 9:14 pm

rebeccariots2 wrote:
citizenJA wrote:The news today is nothing short of nightmarish.
And now I'm getting a flash of Nick Ross (sorry for that unfortunate juxtaposition) saying 'don't have nightmares etc etc' at the end of Crimewatch - centuries ago.

I found a nice article.
I don't ride a bike but I walk.

Cycling: three-quarters of Britons support more spending on bike use
Biggest ever survey on subject says people would like government to spend almost seven times more on bike infrastructure than it does now.

http://www.theguardian.com/environment/ ... g-bike-use

HindleA · Post by **HindleA** » Wed 21 Oct, 2015 9:19 pm

I now walk,but used to use my bike for work-receiving 75p a day allowance(not as bad as it sounds I also got travelling time)Think I will get my bike repaired and get back into the habit.Did a run at the week-end in Exeter,taking me longer to recover these days.

howsillyofme1 · Post by **howsillyofme1** » Wed 21 Oct, 2015 9:24 pm

Good evening

Don't know if this has been posted before....is the right wing everywhere going completely mad

I knew this man was a disgrace but how can he get away with this blatant racism?

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/o ... -holocaust" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Wed 21 Oct, 2015 9:48 pm

rebeccariots2 wrote:
ohsocynical wrote:
rebeccariots2 wrote:
Speak of the devil. It's just been aired.
How bad was it?

8.5 million? We wuz robbed.

RogerOThornhill · Post by **RogerOThornhill** » Wed 21 Oct, 2015 10:08 pm

Evening all. Back from a fun-packed evening of GB meetings at school.

I take it the frothing fuss over Seumas Milne has lasted about as long as the furore over Lord...wait...what was his name again? I've genuinely forgotten. It'll come to me soon I expect.

#Westminsterbubbleissue

Edit - Warner. Remembered now.

Tubby Isaacs · Post by **Tubby Isaacs** » Wed 21 Oct, 2015 10:50 pm

rebeccariots2 wrote:
Iain Duncan Smith blows £8.5m on fluffy animated monster
http://voxpoliticalonline.com/2015/10/2 ... d-monster/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Iain Duncan Smith spent more than £8.5 million on an ad campaign featuring a giant fluffy monster – as his department makes savage cuts to disability benefit.
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) will tonight launch the bizarre new ad campaign featuring the character, known as Workie.

They made a big song and dance of scrapping lots of advertising in 2010, or as they called it "the government promoting itself".

Tubby Isaacs · Post by **Tubby Isaacs** » Wed 21 Oct, 2015 10:55 pm

rebeccariots2 wrote:
ohsocynical wrote:
EU rules Starbucks 'sweetheart' tax deals are illegal state subsidies
Luxembourg and Netherlands judged to have provided illegal tax breaks to the tune of €30bn to corporate giants Starbucks and Fiat

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/news ... taxes.html
I heard this on the radio earlier. Good news - but likely to be heavily challenged somehow because it apparently will apply to so many other companies who've got the same kind of deals. Grrrh.

Was astounded yesterday to see some tweets from individuals saying 'when you realise you've paid more tax than Facebook'. They apparently got away with approx £4,600 of corporation tax.

And here we are talking about people who don't even earn a full time minimum wage getting less help from the state because that's the only way we can pay our debts ... mind boggling.

It'll take time to work its way through indeed. A lawyer I know reckoned some of the deals struck by HMRC were better than they looked when you considered there wasn't even any initial victory.

I don't know what profits Facebook makes, but internet companies in general are much more focussed on market share than traditional companies, so they do lots of discounting and make smaller profits than you might think.

Tubby Isaacs · Post by **Tubby Isaacs** » Wed 21 Oct, 2015 11:02 pm

citizenJA wrote:
Commons Speaker warns Lords not to block tax credit cuts

The Commons Speaker, John Bercow, has sent a clear warning to the Lords not to overreach itself by blocking the government’s plan to cut tax credits, saying “the constitutional position is clear and longstanding”.

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/201 ... -cuts-pmqs
Don't overreach yourself, Bercow.

Not sure he actually did say what he's said to have said.

Says position is clear.

From James Landale.

Now the government is taking umbrage about this. It says the Lords has no business trying to kill off secondary legislation. It is not something the Lords traditionally does. Clerks can find only five occasions since World War Two - in 1968, twice in 2000, 2007 and 2012.

Tubby Isaacs · Post by **Tubby Isaacs** » Wed 21 Oct, 2015 11:04 pm

Eric_WLothian wrote:
rebeccariots2 wrote:
norman smith ‏@BBCNormanS 41m41 minutes ago
Govt defeated in Lords over move to end subsidies for existing on shore wind farms
I could get to like the House of Lords if they carry on in this vein.
That'll give the Cybernats a problem - they were slanging off the Tories for scrapping the subsidy to Scottish wind farms. On the other hand, they hate the HoL as much as the Tories.

But I thought Scotland was the most energy rich country in the world. Whatdya mean subsidy?

HindleA · Post by **HindleA** » Wed 21 Oct, 2015 11:07 pm

Charley says"bastards,usurped by a frigging computer generated monster"

HindleA · Post by **HindleA** » Wed 21 Oct, 2015 11:13 pm

Tomlinson to keep his job.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-wiltshire-34591534" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Tubby Isaacs · Post by **Tubby Isaacs** » Wed 21 Oct, 2015 11:23 pm

Mr Tomlinson has apologised and accepted he broke the rules.

In a letter to the Public Accounts Committee he said he allowed his "judgment to be clouded" by his "strongly-held belief that action needed to be taken on payday lenders".

So that led you to leak the report to the most notorious pay day lender?

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Wed 21 Oct, 2015 11:23 pm

Tubby Isaacs wrote:
citizenJA wrote:
Commons Speaker warns Lords not to block tax credit cuts

The Commons Speaker, John Bercow, has sent a clear warning to the Lords not to overreach itself by blocking the government’s plan to cut tax credits, saying “the constitutional position is clear and longstanding”.

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/201 ... -cuts-pmqs
Don't overreach yourself, Bercow.
Not sure he actually did say what he's said to have said.

Says position is clear.

From James Landale.
Now the government is taking umbrage about this. It says the Lords has no business trying to kill off secondary legislation. It is not something the Lords traditionally does. Clerks can find only five occasions since World War Two - in 1968, twice in 2000, 2007 and 2012.

Agreed.

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Wed 21 Oct, 2015 11:24 pm

Goodnight, everyone.
love,
cJA

LadyCentauria · Post by **LadyCentauria** » Wed 21 Oct, 2015 11:55 pm

HindleA wrote:Michael Meacher has passed away

Really really sorry to hear that. His blog was always interesting (rewarding reading) and he was really one of the good guys. Honour to his memory.

Hobiejoe · Post by **Hobiejoe** » Wed 21 Oct, 2015 11:59 pm

Blimey! So, here's a little late-night homework for you:

http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2015 ... ace-record

Screeching U-turn after being fixed up as nasty right-winger at conference, or rational view taken after much consideration of facts and the views of informed persons in the field?

Discuss.

Hobiejoe · Post by **Hobiejoe** » Thu 22 Oct, 2015 12:19 am

And once you've handed in your homework you may enjoy a round of golf...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-surrey-34591272

Now that should get them squealing in the golf club bars...it seems that a chap/pess can "strive" to achieve the Surrey "gin'n'jag" dream, only to have the very forces one has voted for so assiduously for over the years piss on one from a very great height.

Oh schadenfreude, your day has come.

LadyCentauria · Post by **LadyCentauria** » Thu 22 Oct, 2015 12:31 am

seeingclearly wrote:It occurs to me that the oblique framing of our PM in the HoC during PMQs is a departure from usual camerawork. Does anyone else concur? I have no memory of this during the Miliband years or earlier. Just the last two weeks.

A whole new array of cameras and microphones was installed in the HoC over the summer holidays, in a major upgrade of facilities, together with new sound- and vision-mixing-boards and editing-suite - hence all the new camera angles. We lose the bald-spot but get a better chance at lip-reading through eye-level views...

Edit to add: And I was well and truly beaten to this thanks to @TobyLatimer[/i]'s post of the video about the upgrade...

LadyCentauria · Post by **LadyCentauria** » Thu 22 Oct, 2015 1:31 am

HindleA wrote:I now walk,but used to use my bike for work-receiving 75p a day allowance(not as bad as it sounds I also got travelling time)Think I will get my bike repaired and get back into the habit.Did a run at the week-end in Exeter,taking me longer to recover these days.

My sister-in-law runs in that area! - but she and my bro were away for a couple of days over the weekend. Well done on getting back out for a run - hope it went well and hope you're properly recovered now

LadyCentauria · Post by **LadyCentauria** » Thu 22 Oct, 2015 5:13 am

citizenJA wrote:
Commons Speaker warns Lords not to block tax credit cuts

The Commons Speaker, John Bercow, has sent a clear warning to the Lords not to overreach itself by blocking the government’s plan to cut tax credits, saying “the constitutional position is clear and longstanding”.

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/201 ... -cuts-pmqs
Don't overreach yourself, Bercow.

What was said:

Sir Edward Leigh (Gainsborough) (Con):
On a point of order, Mr Speaker. Generations of your predecessors defended the privileges of this House, and the greatest privilege of all is the principle of no taxation without representation. Indeed, we lost the American colonies in the 18th century because a previous Government forgot that. We had a lively debate yesterday on tax credits, and many of us would like to see some movement from the Government, but surely it is the elected representatives of the people who decide on tax and spending. In your discussions with the Lord Speaker of the House of Lords, will you make it clear that it is not for the unelected House of Lords to determine tax and spend?

Mr Speaker:
I understand entirely what the hon. Gentleman is saying. My own feeling from the Chair is that the other place can look after itself; but we also can and will look after ourselves. I think it would be much more dignified for the Chair not to become drawn into what might be a public spat between the two Houses. In the final analysis, each House knows what the factual constitutional position is, and that position is what it is of long standing.

http://www.parliament.uk/business/publi ... known/193/ (at 12.37pm)