Saturday 19th & Sunday 20th December

[rebeccariots2]

Dark Christmas ahead for nearly 1,000 axed staff of solar panel company
Mark Group went into administration in October, with many associated with the Leicester-based company blaming the government for stifling solar’s potential
http://www.theguardian.com/business/201 ... -leicester" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

... What’s more, Rumble believes that solar energy was just a few years away from being cheap enough not to require government support to grow. He said: “We understood the industry couldn’t depend on subsidies forever. But in four or five years it could have been an energy source that was subsidy-free. It seems short-sighted.”

The day the administrators came in was “undoubtedly one of the worst days of my life”, he recalled. “Helping people carry personal belongings to their cars brings it home to you. You’re not sure what to say when they close the boot. It all feels very cold.

“There will still be people out there facing a miserable Christmas. We were a large company and our job losses were very visible but I’m sure that story will be repeated many times over in small businesses around the country.”

Even the government agrees with that view. Last week, Rudd rowed back on the subsidy cut, reducing it to 65%. But her department’s own impact assessment estimates that even this milder cut could cost up to 18,700 jobs...

[Tubby Isaacs]

The Partido Popular are like the Tories, except with Daily Telegraph Catholicism chucked in. And Franco apologists too.

[rebeccariots2]

The Partido Popular are like the Tories, except with Daily Telegraph Catholicism chucked in. And Franco apologists too.

Could you make them sound any worse Tubby?

[ohsocynical]

Rowson again. Brilliant!!!

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

[ohsocynical]

Andrew Neil ‏@afneil 6 mins6 minutes ago

Even with (unlikely) support of Centrist Citizens, Spanish Conservatives well short of majority. Will Socialists attempt deal with Podemos?

[Tubby Isaacs]

If nothing else, this result ought to knock on the head some of the rubbish about the self-appointed real left sweeping to power across Europe. And no "1945" stuff is going to change that. Spain has an even older population than the UK, the 10th oldest of any country. Rajoy protected pensions and chucked in a load of social conservatism. It's surprising they only got 26%.

Podemos deserve credit for putting forward positive populism though. Over here, UKIP leapt into the same void. But it's an awful situation overall, and I don't know what the answer is.

[Hobiejoe]

Plus - terrible mixed and bungled metaphors and cliche.

I am mortified.

We'll always have Brussels (sprouts) . . . . .


(I'm a Brussophile, too. The responsibility for keeping that industry going singlehanded has, today, been lifted from my shoulders. So, I thank you!)

I think there may be more of us than are prepared to admit it PF.

We'll sniff you out...eventually

[Tubby Isaacs]

Andrew Neil ‏@afneil 6 mins6 minutes ago

Even with (unlikely) support of Centrist Citizens, Spanish Conservatives well short of majority. Will Socialists attempt deal with Podemos?

I think a fair few of the others are Basque and Catalans.

I would think most of those would be opposed to the PP.

[rebeccariots2]

Another Grayling failure.

Andy Slaughter MP ‏@hammersmithandy 5m5 minutes ago
Probation Services in South Yorkshire could be renationalised after firm fails Ministry of Justice audit - Indy http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/cr ... 80881.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; …

and this, of course.

Andy Slaughter MP ‏@hammersmithandy 3m3 minutes ago
Gove needs to get a grip. Overcrowding & staffing cuts have left our prisons in a sorry state / @SunNation http://www.sunnation.co.uk/prisons-lost ... k-per-set/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; …

What a legacy Grayling has bequeathed to Gove. And all managed in a relatively short time. Unravelling just as quickly.

[RogerOThornhill]

Another Grayling failure.

Andy Slaughter MP ‏@hammersmithandy 5m5 minutes ago
Probation Services in South Yorkshire could be renationalised after firm fails Ministry of Justice audit - Indy http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/cr ... 80881.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; …

and this, of course.

Andy Slaughter MP ‏@hammersmithandy 3m3 minutes ago
Gove needs to get a grip. Overcrowding & staffing cuts have left our prisons in a sorry state / @SunNation http://www.sunnation.co.uk/prisons-lost ... k-per-set/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; …

What a legacy Grayling has bequeathed to Gove. And all managed in a relatively short time. Unravelling just as quickly.

Pretty sure that it was said at the time that none of the bidders for the contract had anything like the experience of running something like this.

Two observations.
1. Grayling must win some sort of award for Worst Minister Ever
2. "Public sector reform" = "Encouraging outsourcing companies to take over running state services"

I find it chilling that companies like Sodexo have a "justice Services" division - what the fuck is that? Justice is something which is state responsibility - I don't want the private sector anywhere near it. They used to run our catering FFS!

[rebeccariots2]

Another Grayling failure.

Andy Slaughter MP ‏@hammersmithandy 5m5 minutes ago
Probation Services in South Yorkshire could be renationalised after firm fails Ministry of Justice audit - Indy http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/cr ... 80881.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; …

and this, of course.

Andy Slaughter MP ‏@hammersmithandy 3m3 minutes ago
Gove needs to get a grip. Overcrowding & staffing cuts have left our prisons in a sorry state / @SunNation http://www.sunnation.co.uk/prisons-lost ... k-per-set/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; …

What a legacy Grayling has bequeathed to Gove. And all managed in a relatively short time. Unravelling just as quickly.

Pretty sure that it was said at the time that none of the bidders for the contract had anything like the experience of running something like this.

Two observations.
1. Grayling must win some sort of award for Worst Minister Ever
2. "Public sector reform" = "Encouraging outsourcing companies to take over running state services"

I find it chilling that companies like Sodexo have a "justice Services" division - what the fuck is that? Justice is something which is state responsibility - I don't want the private sector anywhere near it. They used to run our catering FFS!

Just about everything in that article about the Sodexo run probation services is chilling. Yes - how the hell can it be OK for a company to go from catering to monitoring and supporting offenders ....????

I'm left wondering - yet again - how the Tories are getting away with so much. They have bungled in many areas, wasted scads of money, reneged on pledges and manifesto commitments, been shown to have vipers operating in their midst ... yet the public
allow them to do it.

I see the latest Sun jab at the Tories is a front page outing the female MP who ousted Ed Balls for having an affair with a married Tory MP. That's pretty run of the mill stuff in comparison to some of what has been going on in their ranks.

[utopiandreams]

... What a legacy Grayling has bequeathed to Gove. And all managed in a relatively short time. Unravelling just as quickly.

Whilst agreeing with you about Grayling, rr2, as our friend Roger keeps reminding us, in many ways Gove has left no better a legacy in education. Although not driven by the same malevolence as Grayling, his privatisation of education has resulted in similar chaos and no better health. Ah there's that word again, chaos, one of Cameron's favourites he bandied about the opposition when pretty much every government department since he took control has exhibited little else.

At least Gove is trying to undo some of the harm that Grayling has done. I sometimes wonder what may have caused his problem as he seemed, and still is I suppose, one petty minded and vicious individual.

Edit: added the missing k in 'took control'

[utopiandreams]

... I see the latest Sun jab at the Tories is a front page outing the female MP who ousted Ed Balls for having an affair with a married Tory MP. That's pretty run of the mill stuff in comparison to some of what has been going on in their ranks.

It does make you wonder how far off the mark I was with my jest about the casting couch, rebecca.