Tuesday 12 th January 2016

ephemerid · Post by **ephemerid** » Tue 12 Jan, 2016 1:07 pm

The Northern Powerhouse is under water and getting no help.
Christmas retail figures for some bug names are disappointing.
Manufacturing growth (hah!) is not as expected (really?).
Jobs are being lost by the hundred all over the UK.

Such is the success of Baron Gidiot Gimp's longtermeconomicplan(TM)

Wonderful.

Tubby Isaacs · Post by **Tubby Isaacs** » Tue 12 Jan, 2016 1:15 pm

Sorry, more bad Corbyn for you.

https://therealstopthewar.wordpress.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Stop The War have been taking down "embarrassing" articles.

See what some of Corbyn's opponents are worried about?

RogerOThornhill · Post by **RogerOThornhill** » Tue 12 Jan, 2016 1:16 pm

Seems to sum up the situation well...a vascular surgeon workibg at the Royal Free in London.

AnatolyKasparov · Post by **AnatolyKasparov** » Tue 12 Jan, 2016 1:17 pm

Yes and no. I agree that STW are a pretty terrible organisation overall, and Corbyn's links with them are a legitimate thing for his critics (in and out of Labour ) to cite.

But he's not actually responsible for most of the rubbish that appears on their website, is he?

Tubby Isaacs · Post by **Tubby Isaacs** » Tue 12 Jan, 2016 1:30 pm

AnatolyKasparov wrote:Yes and no. I agree that STW are a pretty terrible organisation overall, and Corbyn's links with them are a legitimate thing for his critics (in and out of Labour ) to cite.

But he's not actually responsible for most of the rubbish that appears on their website, is he?

He's just reaffirmed how wonderful Stop The War are though. That's the big problem for me.

And I've serious problems with his own views on Eastern Europe. That would be incredibly problematic as PM- see the reaction to the previous Polish PM. It's still apparently the case that he wants to be PM.

If he'd said he'd stay for a couple of years, reconnect, relaunch whatever, then fine. But why should I bother trying to help him be the PM?

Tubby Isaacs · Post by **Tubby Isaacs** » Tue 12 Jan, 2016 1:36 pm

RobertSnozers wrote:
Tubby Isaacs wrote:Sorry, more bad Corbyn for you.

https://therealstopthewar.wordpress.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Stop The War have been taking down "embarrassing" articles.

See what some of Corbyn's opponents are worried about?
So they're taking down the stuff people find unacceptable, and this is a bad thing?

For Christ's sake.

Come on, you know what I mean.

We've all criticized Stop the War, from what we've seen- most obviously, the pro-Putin bollocks.

Point is that it's even worse than that. And as I understand it, the deletions were well after the events.

HindleA · Post by **HindleA** » Tue 12 Jan, 2016 1:38 pm

http://www.theguardian.com/society/2016 ... arder-work" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Cutting disabled people’s benefits will make it harder for them to find work
(Lord)Colin Low

ephemerid · Post by **ephemerid** » Tue 12 Jan, 2016 1:43 pm

RobertSnozers wrote:
RogerOThornhill wrote:
rebeccariots2 wrote:
Staffing in maternity units are no different at any time to any other. There is no link with staffing - a correlation not causation used by the statistically dimwitted. And yes, I asked the other half a while back about this...
The last Labour government set up stroke networks, which meant groups of local hospitals working together to provide 24/7 emergency stroke coverage to a consistently very high standard. If No.10 wants to try and fight on this front they will lose, humiliatingly.

Of course they will - provided, obviously, that the nameless No.10 spokesthing is actually challenged on its' utterances.

Naturally, they never are. They issue statements daily which fly in the face of fact or reason.

Even when that nice Mr.Dilnot ticks them off for "misrepresenting official statistics" (ie. lying) they just ignore him.

125,000 people suffered stroke in 2014. The death rate was 30%. Rapid diagnosis matters, because not all strokes are the same.
Dedicated stroke units save lives and reduce disability - the vast majority of them are staffed and ready to accept emergency cases 24/7 and it is wrong for that No.10 spokesthing to infer otherwise. Disgraceful.

Tubby Isaacs · Post by **Tubby Isaacs** » Tue 12 Jan, 2016 1:43 pm

RogerOThornhill wrote:
rebeccariots2 wrote:
Paul Waugh ‏@paulwaugh 9m9 minutes ago
No10 spksmen plays hardball re strike: "If you hv a stroke at the wkend the mortality rate is 20% higher. Newborn deaths are 7% more likely"

Paul Waugh ‏@paulwaugh 7m7 minutes ago
When I asked if those stats on stroke/newborn deaths had any evidence of causal link with staffing levels, No10: "It's what the stats are."
Staffing in maternity units are no different at any time to any other. There is no link with staffing - a correlation not causation used by the statistically dimwitted. And yes, I asked the other half a while back about this...

Absolutely.

Has Labour got a decent response in to this? I like the look of Heidi Alexander. I've liked quite a few Corbyn appointments.

yahyah · Post by **yahyah** » Tue 12 Jan, 2016 1:43 pm

StephenDolan wrote:" My advice to my own party leadership is that they should take less notice of the London-centric, hard-left political class who sit around in their £1 million mansions, eating their croissants at breakfast and seeking to lay the foundations for a socialist revolution"

Dave Watts in the House of Lords.

Helpful.

What's he got against croissants ?

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Tue 12 Jan, 2016 1:49 pm

Tubby Isaacs wrote:
AnatolyKasparov wrote:Yes and no. I agree that STW are a pretty terrible organisation overall, and Corbyn's links with them are a legitimate thing for his critics (in and out of Labour ) to cite.

But he's not actually responsible for most of the rubbish that appears on their website, is he?
He's just reaffirmed how wonderful Stop The War are though. That's the big problem for me.

And I've serious problems with his own views on Eastern Europe. That would be incredibly problematic as PM- see the reaction to the previous Polish PM. It's still apparently the case that he wants to be PM.

If he'd said he'd stay for a couple of years, reconnect, relaunch whatever, then fine. But why should I bother trying to help him be the PM?

Because at present there's no-one worthy - yes I use that word deliberately - enough to take over; and for me and I suspect many others, if we don't nip this stupid, stupid behaviour firmly in the bud more people are going to die and I don't want a single persons blood on my hands even if it might be some poor sod at the other end of the country that I don't know from Adam. Sod Europe, sod ban the war or whatever. When you're standing at the food bank that's the last bloody thing you're going to worry about.

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Tue 12 Jan, 2016 1:51 pm

yahyah wrote:
StephenDolan wrote:" My advice to my own party leadership is that they should take less notice of the London-centric, hard-left political class who sit around in their £1 million mansions, eating their croissants at breakfast and seeking to lay the foundations for a socialist revolution"

Dave Watts in the House of Lords.

Helpful.

What's he got against croissants ?

I have a croissant for breakfast every day. Up the revolution.

Tubby Isaacs · Post by **Tubby Isaacs** » Tue 12 Jan, 2016 1:51 pm

RobertSnozers wrote:
Tubby Isaacs wrote:
AnatolyKasparov wrote:Yes and no. I agree that STW are a pretty terrible organisation overall, and Corbyn's links with them are a legitimate thing for his critics (in and out of Labour ) to cite.

But he's not actually responsible for most of the rubbish that appears on their website, is he?
He's just reaffirmed how wonderful Stop The War are though. That's the big problem for me.

And I've serious problems with his own views on Eastern Europe. That would be incredibly problematic as PM- see the reaction to the previous Polish PM. It's still apparently the case that he wants to be PM.

If he'd said he'd stay for a couple of years, reconnect, relaunch whatever, then fine. But why should I bother trying to help him be the PM?
Because Tories.

He can beat them without me then, in so far as I matter. I'll call out the media bollocks against Corbyn, but doesn't mean I have to like the reality, or think it's viable.

Something else I was told recently. Corbyn and McDonnell tried to get involved with the Northern Ireland Peace Process. Mo Mowlam wouldn't have them anywhere near because she saw how poisonous they were to Unionists.

Tubby Isaacs · Post by **Tubby Isaacs** » Tue 12 Jan, 2016 1:59 pm

ohsocynical wrote:
Tubby Isaacs wrote:
AnatolyKasparov wrote:Yes and no. I agree that STW are a pretty terrible organisation overall, and Corbyn's links with them are a legitimate thing for his critics (in and out of Labour ) to cite.

But he's not actually responsible for most of the rubbish that appears on their website, is he?
He's just reaffirmed how wonderful Stop The War are though. That's the big problem for me.

And I've serious problems with his own views on Eastern Europe. That would be incredibly problematic as PM- see the reaction to the previous Polish PM. It's still apparently the case that he wants to be PM.

If he'd said he'd stay for a couple of years, reconnect, relaunch whatever, then fine. But why should I bother trying to help him be the PM?
Because at present there's no-one worthy - yes I use that word deliberately - enough to take over; and for me and I suspect many others, if we don't nip this stupid, stupid behaviour firmly in the bud people are going to die. They are already, and I don't want a single persons blood on my hands even if it might be some poor sod at the other end of the country that I don't know from Adam. Sod Europe, sod ban the war or whatever. When you're standing at the food bank that's the last bloody thing you're going to worry about.

I do like both Owen Smith and Debbie Abrahams, as appointed by Corbyn, to be fair to him. This area looks much better than under Miliband.

I mention the other stuff because Labour will get killed on it. The Tories haven't even started with that yet.

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Tue 12 Jan, 2016 2:00 pm

The old are supposed to be the ones that keep raking up the past and bewailing stuff that's dead and buried.

I've just had a saying pop into my head ... Navel gazing. Is that the correct expression?

Whatever. It's a dreadful waste of time.

tinybgoat · Post by **tinybgoat** » Tue 12 Jan, 2016 2:03 pm

rebeccariots2 wrote:
Telegraph FinanceVerified account
‏@TeleFinance
Pound plunges to five-year low as manufacturing performance worse than anyone expected http://telegraph.feedsportal.com/c/3272 ... um=twitter" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; …

Hopefully weak pound may help Steel industry a bit.

Tubby Isaacs · Post by **Tubby Isaacs** » Tue 12 Jan, 2016 2:13 pm

I didn't know how low the pound was. I hadn't looked- assumed that it was high, and that was hurting exports.

Talking of exports, Ireland seems to be doing very well on that score.

http://www.tradingeconomics.com/ireland/exports" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The way Ireland was treated by the Troika was, in a way, even worse than Greece. It was a good economy mucked up by bankers and politicians, not the complete disaster that Greece was. And the government were very regressive in what they had a choice about.

They can make more of a claim that their "medicine worked" than Osborne can.

Tubby Isaacs · Post by **Tubby Isaacs** » Tue 12 Jan, 2016 2:14 pm

ohsocynical wrote:The old are supposed to be the ones that keep raking up the past and bewailing stuff that's dead and buried.

I've just had a saying pop into my head ... Navel gazing. Is that the correct expression?

Whatever. It's a dreadful waste of time.

I'm not as young as I was!

Tubby Isaacs · Post by **Tubby Isaacs** » Tue 12 Jan, 2016 2:18 pm

http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016 ... ins-london" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Interesting rail story- train delayed because of "low winter sun".

Some of these excuses aren't as stupid as they sound, but I don't understand this one. This is what they say:

A spokesman for Southeastern said: “We know that sometimes it seems that if it is not leaves on the line or snow on the track then it is some other weather issue. But actually glare this morning made it impossible for some drivers to see the full length of their train in their mirrors before leaving stations.

“When this happens they have to get out and check to ensure everybody has got on or off the train safely before they can move. This can take a little more time but thankfully for all it doesn’t happen very often.”

Never heard of it before. Maybe they just haven't said it before because it sounds silly?

RogerOThornhill · Post by **RogerOThornhill** » Tue 12 Jan, 2016 2:27 pm

RobertSnozers wrote:
Tubby Isaacs wrote:http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016 ... ins-london

Interesting rail story- train delayed because of "low winter sun".

Some of these excuses aren't as stupid as they sound, but I don't understand this one. This is what they say:

A spokesman for Southeastern said: “We know that sometimes it seems that if it is not leaves on the line or snow on the track then it is some other weather issue. But actually glare this morning made it impossible for some drivers to see the full length of their train in their mirrors before leaving stations.

“When this happens they have to get out and check to ensure everybody has got on or off the train safely before they can move. This can take a little more time but thankfully for all it doesn’t happen very often.”
Never heard of it before. Maybe they just haven't said it before because it sounds silly?
What immediately struck me was that the driver should surely be able to call on either a guard or station staff to check it for him and report back - is staffing now so slender that there's no-one else to do things like that?

Yeah, whatever happened to that bloke with the flag and whistle?

Or did they do away with those back in Will hay's day?

tinybgoat · Post by **tinybgoat** » Tue 12 Jan, 2016 2:27 pm

yahyah wrote:
StephenDolan wrote:" My advice to my own party leadership is that they should take less notice of the London-centric, hard-left political class who sit around in their £1 million mansions, eating their croissants at breakfast and seeking to lay the foundations for a socialist revolution"

Dave Watts in the House of Lords.

Helpful.

What's he got against croissants ?

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bread_and_Roses

"The worker must have bread, but she must have roses, too."

& Croissants, don't be denied!

Tubby Isaacs · Post by **Tubby Isaacs** » Tue 12 Jan, 2016 2:38 pm

RobertSnozers wrote:
Tubby Isaacs wrote:
RobertSnozers wrote: Because Tories.
He can beat them without me then, in so far as I matter. I'll call out the media bollocks against Corbyn, but doesn't mean I have to like the reality, or think it's viable.

Something else I was told recently. Corbyn and McDonnell tried to get involved with the Northern Ireland Peace Process. Mo Mowlam wouldn't have them anywhere near because she saw how poisonous they were to Unionists.
I really hate how this place is such an echo chamber

Re the NI Peace Process, I'm not sure how this fits into the debate. They were both deeply interested in it, so why not seek to get involved? If Mowlam did indeed keep them away from it then that was that. Time has proved them both to be right.

I'm not sure we're going to agree on STW. I don't see them as pro-Putin, indeed, they've specifically said that they are not. Focussing on criticism of the UK and US does not mean they're the allies of anyone else. Pointing out that the EU and US were playing geopolitical games with Russia's neighbours doesn't mean they agree with the invasion. I'm getting a bit sick of the binary 'for us or for the terrorists/invaders' stuff we're increasingly hearing from people who should know better. I don't think they're a particularly good thing, and some of it can be a bit crass, but nor do I regard them as the disaster that others seem to. In the list of things that might stop Labour from winning the next election, I don't think Corbyn's relationship with STW is particularly high.

I think we will have to disagree. Re Ukraine, they've had to be a bit careful now that Putin has actually invaded. But Russia' interfered far more in Ukraine than anyone else ever has, and very many Ukranians very much want to be "the West".

Re the NI peace process, I don't think "we spoke to Sinn Fein years ago, so we were right" is at all a good argument. It was a completely different peace they had in mind. It wouldn't have stood for 5 minutes.

I think a load of Unionists on the news before a General Election would be incredibly poisonous. As would a load of foreign allies criticizing Corbyn.

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Tue 12 Jan, 2016 2:41 pm

yahyah wrote:
StephenDolan wrote:" My advice to my own party leadership is that they should take less notice of the London-centric, hard-left political class who sit around in their £1 million mansions, eating their croissants at breakfast and seeking to lay the foundations for a socialist revolution"

Dave Watts in the House of Lords.

Helpful.

What's he got against croissants ?

It's actually rather telling about his assumptions about people outside London - hard left, soft right or whatever. It may come as a surprise to him that we know what bloody croissants are and, lawks aloud, also like, buy and eat them. Mr Riots is very partial to a couple of chocolate croissants (usually supermarket bought) put in the Rayburn to warm up as a mid morning treat. Cardigan has numerous cafes, delis and bakers that all sell croissants - funnily enough they seem to be popular. The man should get out a bit more.

Tubby Isaacs · Post by **Tubby Isaacs** » Tue 12 Jan, 2016 2:41 pm

RobertSnozers wrote:
Tubby Isaacs wrote:http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016 ... ins-london

Interesting rail story- train delayed because of "low winter sun".

Some of these excuses aren't as stupid as they sound, but I don't understand this one. This is what they say:

A spokesman for Southeastern said: “We know that sometimes it seems that if it is not leaves on the line or snow on the track then it is some other weather issue. But actually glare this morning made it impossible for some drivers to see the full length of their train in their mirrors before leaving stations.

“When this happens they have to get out and check to ensure everybody has got on or off the train safely before they can move. This can take a little more time but thankfully for all it doesn’t happen very often.”
Never heard of it before. Maybe they just haven't said it before because it sounds silly?
What immediately struck me was that the driver should surely be able to call on either a guard or station staff to check it for him and report back - is staffing now so slender that there's no-one else to do things like that?

They have them for long intercity trains with slam doors, definitely.

These might be relatively short trains with electronic doors, leaving very frequently. There wouldn't normally be one for the train in the picture- though trains in pictures by news stories are normally wrong.

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Tue 12 Jan, 2016 2:45 pm

RogerOThornhill wrote:
RobertSnozers wrote:
Tubby Isaacs wrote:http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016 ... ins-london

Interesting rail story- train delayed because of "low winter sun".

Some of these excuses aren't as stupid as they sound, but I don't understand this one. This is what they say:
Never heard of it before. Maybe they just haven't said it before because it sounds silly?
What immediately struck me was that the driver should surely be able to call on either a guard or station staff to check it for him and report back - is staffing now so slender that there's no-one else to do things like that?
Yeah, whatever happened to that bloke with the flag and whistle?

Or did they do away with those back in Will hay's day?

The guard shouting 'Boooaaaarrrrddd', blowing his whistle and the steam exploding along the platform as the train drew out, was one of the most exciting sounds I ever heard, Never been anything to match it.

With apologies to Tubby for the 'In my day' lapse.

Post by **refitman** » Tue 12 Jan, 2016 2:47 pm

Tubby Isaacs wrote:
RobertSnozers wrote:
Tubby Isaacs wrote:http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016 ... ins-london

Interesting rail story- train delayed because of "low winter sun".

Some of these excuses aren't as stupid as they sound, but I don't understand this one. This is what they say:
Never heard of it before. Maybe they just haven't said it before because it sounds silly?
What immediately struck me was that the driver should surely be able to call on either a guard or station staff to check it for him and report back - is staffing now so slender that there's no-one else to do things like that?
They have them for long intercity trains with slam doors, definitely.

These might be relatively short trains with electronic doors, leaving very frequently. There wouldn't normally be one for the train in the picture- though trains in pictures by news stories are normally wrong.

The trains at my local station are frequent 2-4 carriage ones. There is always a conductor and a driver,

If there's no conductor, who takes the fares on the train?

Tubby Isaacs · Post by **Tubby Isaacs** » Tue 12 Jan, 2016 2:47 pm

ephemerid wrote:
RobertSnozers wrote:
RogerOThornhill wrote: Staffing in maternity units are no different at any time to any other. There is no link with staffing - a correlation not causation used by the statistically dimwitted. And yes, I asked the other half a while back about this...
The last Labour government set up stroke networks, which meant groups of local hospitals working together to provide 24/7 emergency stroke coverage to a consistently very high standard. If No.10 wants to try and fight on this front they will lose, humiliatingly.

Of course they will - provided, obviously, that the nameless No.10 spokesthing is actually challenged on its' utterances.

Naturally, they never are. They issue statements daily which fly in the face of fact or reason.

Even when that nice Mr.Dilnot ticks them off for "misrepresenting official statistics" (ie. lying) they just ignore him.

125,000 people suffered stroke in 2014. The death rate was 30%. Rapid diagnosis matters, because not all strokes are the same.
Dedicated stroke units save lives and reduce disability - the vast majority of them are staffed and ready to accept emergency cases 24/7 and it is wrong for that No.10 spokesthing to infer otherwise. Disgraceful.

I think Dilnot is excellent, but the frustration I have with them is that they can only comment on, if I understand it, the official statistics. Nothing to stop Cameron or IDS quoting some rubbish that Policy Exchange or whoever have knocked up.

If it contradicts official statistics, then I think Dilnot should be able to flag up that national statistics disagree. Or something.

Friend of mine worked with Dilnot on a radio show years ago. She really enjoyed it.

Willow904 · Post by **Willow904** » Tue 12 Jan, 2016 2:51 pm

RogerOThornhill wrote:
rebeccariots2 wrote:
Paul Waugh ‏@paulwaugh 9m9 minutes ago
No10 spksmen plays hardball re strike: "If you hv a stroke at the wkend the mortality rate is 20% higher. Newborn deaths are 7% more likely"

Paul Waugh ‏@paulwaugh 7m7 minutes ago
When I asked if those stats on stroke/newborn deaths had any evidence of causal link with staffing levels, No10: "It's what the stats are."
Staffing in maternity units are no different at any time to any other. There is no link with staffing - a correlation not causation used by the statistically dimwitted. And yes, I asked the other half a while back about this...

Weekends can be different for patients, too. This is being ignored. A woman who gets up at 7am on a weekday to do the school run might notice by 9am that her unborn child isn't kicking. On a Sunday, she might have a lie in and not notice until 11am. All health systems have weekend effects but as you say there is no evidence linking this to doctors pay and hours. Hunt is abusing this to try to justify what he wants to do, which is pay unsocial hours at a lower rate and compel doctors to work certain shifts, which probably enables getting away with an even smaller number of core staff as there will be less reliance on voluntary overtime. A perfect recipe for overworked and underpaid junior docs.......and that expectant mum will still sleep in on a Sunday. Of course, once Hunt gets his way, it is unlikely weekend mortality stats will ever be referred to again and the media won't even think to follow up.

Tubby Isaacs · Post by **Tubby Isaacs** » Tue 12 Jan, 2016 2:52 pm

refitman wrote:
Tubby Isaacs wrote:
RobertSnozers wrote: What immediately struck me was that the driver should surely be able to call on either a guard or station staff to check it for him and report back - is staffing now so slender that there's no-one else to do things like that?
They have them for long intercity trains with slam doors, definitely.

These might be relatively short trains with electronic doors, leaving very frequently. There wouldn't normally be one for the train in the picture- though trains in pictures by news stories are normally wrong.
The trains at my local station are frequent 2-4 carriage ones. There is always a conductor and a driver,

If there's no conductor, who takes the fares on the train?

Within London (as this train was) there are ticket barriers virtually everywhere. You can pay with a contactless debit card on most NR routes in London too and some big stations outside it. This is very convenient, but there's a problem with the far deducted sometimes being bigger than the cheapest available cash fare. Usually only pence, but for eg Gatwick Airport to London, it can be a few pounds.

/Digression.

Tubby Isaacs · Post by **Tubby Isaacs** » Tue 12 Jan, 2016 3:00 pm

Not that Fine Gael are all sweetness and light, but it's great that Fianna Fail are below 20%.

Sinn Fein are beating FF, despite being poisonous to lots of people.

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Tue 12 Jan, 2016 3:06 pm

: ONS Funding Cut.jpg (60.03 KiB) Viewed 6652 times

Alberto NardelliVerified account
‏@AlbertoNardelli
ONS funding will be cut by 19% by 2019/2020 (https://consultations.ons.gov.uk/ons-st ... oducts2015" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; …) - ultimately, that will mean less UK data:

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Tue 12 Jan, 2016 3:13 pm

Sell everything ahead of stock market crash, say RBS economists
Royal Bank of Scotland warns of ‘cataclysmic’ year with slumps in shares and oil and advises clients to shift to bonds
http://www.theguardian.com/business/201 ... economists" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

... Investors face a “cataclysmic year” where stock markets could fall by up to 20% and oil could slump to $16 (£11) a barrel, economists at the Royal Bank of Scotland have warned.

In a note to its clients the bank said: “Sell everything except high quality bonds. This is about return of capital, not return on capital. In a crowded hall, exit doors are small.” It said the current situation was reminiscent of 2008, when the collapse of the Lehman Brothers investment bank led to the global financial crisis. This time China could be the crisis point.

Live IMF's Lagarde calls for new push to help emerging markets - business live
IMF chief says global economy needs to tame hot money, to help developing economies achieve stable growth
Read more
Stock markets have already come under severe pressure in 2016, with the FTSE 100 down more than 5% in its worst start since 2000. In the US, the Dow Jones industrial average has made its poorest ever start to a year...

What a jolly start to the year we're having.

StephenDolan · Post by **StephenDolan** » Tue 12 Jan, 2016 3:28 pm

rebeccariots2 wrote:
Sell everything ahead of stock market crash, say RBS economists
Royal Bank of Scotland warns of ‘cataclysmic’ year with slumps in shares and oil and advises clients to shift to bonds
http://www.theguardian.com/business/201 ... economists" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

... Investors face a “cataclysmic year” where stock markets could fall by up to 20% and oil could slump to $16 (£11) a barrel, economists at the Royal Bank of Scotland have warned.

In a note to its clients the bank said: “Sell everything except high quality bonds. This is about return of capital, not return on capital. In a crowded hall, exit doors are small.” It said the current situation was reminiscent of 2008, when the collapse of the Lehman Brothers investment bank led to the global financial crisis. This time China could be the crisis point.

Live IMF's Lagarde calls for new push to help emerging markets - business live
IMF chief says global economy needs to tame hot money, to help developing economies achieve stable growth
Read more
Stock markets have already come under severe pressure in 2016, with the FTSE 100 down more than 5% in its worst start since 2000. In the US, the Dow Jones industrial average has made its poorest ever start to a year...
What a jolly start to the year we're having.

Gordon Brown's fault.

Rebecca · Post by **Rebecca** » Tue 12 Jan, 2016 3:30 pm

Tubby Isaacs wrote:
AnatolyKasparov wrote:Yes and no. I agree that STW are a pretty terrible organisation overall, and Corbyn's links with them are a legitimate thing for his critics (in and out of Labour ) to cite.

But he's not actually responsible for most of the rubbish that appears on their website, is he?
He's just reaffirmed how wonderful Stop The War are though. That's the big problem for me.

And I've serious problems with his own views on Eastern Europe. That would be incredibly problematic as PM- see the reaction to the previous Polish PM. It's still apparently the case that he wants to be PM.

If he'd said he'd stay for a couple of years, reconnect, relaunch whatever, then fine. But why should I bother trying to help him be the PM?

tbh Tubby,I haven't noticed you trying to help Corbyn since he started campaigning for the Labour leadership.
Maybe you could come up with a strong alternative?There were none in September.

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Tue 12 Jan, 2016 3:32 pm

: BBC Reporting.jpg (20.8 KiB) Viewed 6616 times

The BBC keep repeating Hunt's mantra thanking the 40% of junior doctors who went to work despite the strike. They are at work because they are providing the emergency cover they said they would.

Rebecca · Post by **Rebecca** » Tue 12 Jan, 2016 3:33 pm

rebeccariots2 wrote:
Sell everything ahead of stock market crash, say RBS economists
Royal Bank of Scotland warns of ‘cataclysmic’ year with slumps in shares and oil and advises clients to shift to bonds
http://www.theguardian.com/business/201 ... economists" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

... Investors face a “cataclysmic year” where stock markets could fall by up to 20% and oil could slump to $16 (£11) a barrel, economists at the Royal Bank of Scotland have warned.

In a note to its clients the bank said: “Sell everything except high quality bonds. This is about return of capital, not return on capital. In a crowded hall, exit doors are small.” It said the current situation was reminiscent of 2008, when the collapse of the Lehman Brothers investment bank led to the global financial crisis. This time China could be the crisis point.

Live IMF's Lagarde calls for new push to help emerging markets - business live
IMF chief says global economy needs to tame hot money, to help developing economies achieve stable growth
Read more
Stock markets have already come under severe pressure in 2016, with the FTSE 100 down more than 5% in its worst start since 2000. In the US, the Dow Jones industrial average has made its poorest ever start to a year...
What a jolly start to the year we're having.

Jolly indeed.
I cannot understand how people do a dry January,or start diets etc.It's the worst month of the year.Bunker down and comfort eat/drink.

HindleA · Post by **HindleA** » Tue 12 Jan, 2016 3:33 pm

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/sheila- ... 58474.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

How Much More Incompetent Can the DWP Get?

seeingclearly · Post by **seeingclearly** » Tue 12 Jan, 2016 3:34 pm

Tubby Isaacs wrote:http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016 ... ins-london

Interesting rail story- train delayed because of "low winter sun".

Some of these excuses aren't as stupid as they sound, but I don't understand this one. This is what they say:

A spokesman for Southeastern said: “We know that sometimes it seems that if it is not leaves on the line or snow on the track then it is some other weather issue. But actually glare this morning made it impossible for some drivers to see the full length of their train in their mirrors before leaving stations.

“When this happens they have to get out and check to ensure everybody has got on or off the train safely before they can move. This can take a little more time but thankfully for all it doesn’t happen very often.”
Never heard of it before. Maybe they just haven't said it before because it sounds silly?

Unmanned stations? And not just the tinier remote ones?

ephemerid · Post by **ephemerid** » Tue 12 Jan, 2016 3:36 pm

Tubby Isaacs wrote:
I think Dilnot is excellent, but the frustration I have with them is that they can only comment on, if I understand it, the official statistics. Nothing to stop Cameron or IDS quoting some rubbish that Policy Exchange or whoever have knocked up.

If it contradicts official statistics, then I think Dilnot should be able to flag up that national statistics disagree. Or something.

Friend of mine worked with Dilnot on a radio show years ago. She really enjoyed it.

Dilnot can only make statements on official statistics, and he does this whenever he is asked to.

What he also does is reprimand ministers when they "misrepresent" official statistics - which they do all the time.
He has written to Cameron, Osborne, Shapps, and IDS (many many times) ticking them off for doing this.

Unfortunately, what he can't do is publicly castigate government in the press; the ONS is supposedly independent, and he cannot be seen to be criticising from the sidelines, he can only inform ministers when they've got it wrong.
What doesn't help is that some departments - most notably DWP - will only give the ONS what they call "experimental" figures, and Dilnot's staff are reliant on what information they are given by those departments.
The Labour Market Survey is a bit more accurate, mainly because it doesn't rely on government for the information; but if the ONS is not getting a clear picture of what's really going on, we certainly aren't.

Obviously, by cutting the ONS funding, we can only expect to get even less information than we do now. Not good.

The spokespersons for this government will happily, as you say, pretend that the figures they throw about are actually official statistics when it's obvious they're not. They don't care. See my new signature.......

Tubby Isaacs · Post by **Tubby Isaacs** » Tue 12 Jan, 2016 3:41 pm

Rebecca wrote:
Tubby Isaacs wrote:
AnatolyKasparov wrote:Yes and no. I agree that STW are a pretty terrible organisation overall, and Corbyn's links with them are a legitimate thing for his critics (in and out of Labour ) to cite.

But he's not actually responsible for most of the rubbish that appears on their website, is he?
He's just reaffirmed how wonderful Stop The War are though. That's the big problem for me.

And I've serious problems with his own views on Eastern Europe. That would be incredibly problematic as PM- see the reaction to the previous Polish PM. It's still apparently the case that he wants to be PM.

If he'd said he'd stay for a couple of years, reconnect, relaunch whatever, then fine. But why should I bother trying to help him be the PM?
tbh Tubby,I haven't noticed you trying to help Corbyn since he started campaigning for the Labour leadership.
Maybe you could come up with a strong alternative?There were none in September.

I supported Burnham or Cooper. Burnham in retrospect, once Cooper refused to serve.

Somebody needs to emerge in the couple of years though. I think it's there for someone who's soft left or like a more congenial Gordo. It would help if Corbyn had said right away he'd stand down, though I can understand why he didn't.

HindleA · Post by **HindleA** » Tue 12 Jan, 2016 3:44 pm

https://disabilitybenefitsconsortium.wo ... -13th-jan/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
13th January – Disabled people lobby Parliament

PorFavor · Post by **PorFavor** » Tue 12 Jan, 2016 3:49 pm

Good morfternoon.

David Cameron will be giving evidence to the Commons liaison committee at 4pm. He will be questioned about Syria and about climate change and flooding. The hearing should last about 90 minutes.

Andrew Tyrie, the Conservative chair of the Treasury committee, has replaced Sir Alan Beith as chair. (Politics Live, Guardian)

Andrew Tyrie, strange - and very right-wing - though he may be in many respects, might be a breath of fresh air. He's impressed me in the past.

Tubby Isaacs · Post by **Tubby Isaacs** » Tue 12 Jan, 2016 3:51 pm

Kuenssberg follows that up by "The BMA say..."

She genuinely thinks this OK.

Tubby Isaacs · Post by **Tubby Isaacs** » Tue 12 Jan, 2016 3:52 pm

seeingclearly wrote:
Tubby Isaacs wrote:http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016 ... ins-london

Interesting rail story- train delayed because of "low winter sun".

Some of these excuses aren't as stupid as they sound, but I don't understand this one. This is what they say:

A spokesman for Southeastern said: “We know that sometimes it seems that if it is not leaves on the line or snow on the track then it is some other weather issue. But actually glare this morning made it impossible for some drivers to see the full length of their train in their mirrors before leaving stations.

“When this happens they have to get out and check to ensure everybody has got on or off the train safely before they can move. This can take a little more time but thankfully for all it doesn’t happen very often.”
Never heard of it before. Maybe they just haven't said it before because it sounds silly?
Unmanned stations? And not just the tinier remote ones?

Lewisham is very manned.

ephemerid · Post by **ephemerid** » Tue 12 Jan, 2016 3:57 pm

HindleA wrote:http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/sheila- ... 58474.html

How Much More Incompetent Can the DWP Get?

Sheila Gilmore was excellent on these issues, and I miss her - she was a real thorn in (what passes for) IDS' flesh.

But - she is, I think, missing the point here.

This government is not remotely interested in how much it spends on this, or whether there are any savings to be made.
The Tories have known for some time that even when Maximus took over from Atos not much would change.
This is not incompetence - it's deliberate intent.

Gilmore mentions the cut of the WRAG Component of ESA in the context of DWP wanting to make savings by doing this to make up for the failure to make savings elswhere - but that's not why the government is doing it.
It's removing that £30 a week from ill people because it wants the public to believe they are malingering - hence the ridiculous rhetoric of "perverse incentives" etc.

It really doesn't matter which benefit we are referring to - JSA. IB/ESA, DLA/PIP, Income Support, or Universal Credit (plus in-work support and carer benefits) - the aim is to bring them all down to one level, means-tested, subject to draconian jobsearch conditions and sanctionable, with no centrally-funded hardship or emergency help.

That's the plan, that has always been the plan, and it's not incompetence. It's deliberate, cynical, vicious, and evil.
People are getting sick at the same sort of rate they always have - as Gilmore rightly points out.

Gilmore is correct to say there should be a review after 7 years of this nonsense with ESA. But there won't be.
Maximus was the ONLY bidder for the contract, and are being paid very handsomely to fuck up the lives of the sick.

Gilmore is too kind. These people are fascists.

PorFavor · Post by **PorFavor** » Tue 12 Jan, 2016 3:58 pm

Tubby Isaacs wrote:
Rebecca wrote:
Tubby Isaacs wrote: He's just reaffirmed how wonderful Stop The War are though. That's the big problem for me.

And I've serious problems with his own views on Eastern Europe. That would be incredibly problematic as PM- see the reaction to the previous Polish PM. It's still apparently the case that he wants to be PM.

If he'd said he'd stay for a couple of years, reconnect, relaunch whatever, then fine. But why should I bother trying to help him be the PM?
tbh Tubby,I haven't noticed you trying to help Corbyn since he started campaigning for the Labour leadership.
Maybe you could come up with a strong alternative?There were none in September.
I supported Burnham or Cooper. Burnham in retrospect, once Cooper refused to serve.

Somebody needs to emerge in the couple of years though. I think it's there for someone who's soft left or like a more congenial Gordo. It would help if Corbyn had said right away he'd stand down, though I can understand why he didn't.

I voted for Yvette Cooper (although she disapponted me re her Syria vote).

I wonder if she refused to serve in order to keep herself aloof from what she probably foresaw would happen under Jeremy Corbyn in order to have another "untainted" (shorthand) go. She hasn't been making any trouble-making "noises off", so far as I'm aware, for which I'm thankful.

NonOxCol · Post by **NonOxCol** » Tue 12 Jan, 2016 4:01 pm

Tubby Isaacs wrote:Kuenssberg follows that up by "The BMA say..."

She genuinely thinks this OK.

And she didn't even include this clarification in her main feed, so only people who follow both parties would see it...

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Tue 12 Jan, 2016 4:05 pm

StephenDolan wrote:
rebeccariots2 wrote:
Sell everything ahead of stock market crash, say RBS economists
Royal Bank of Scotland warns of ‘cataclysmic’ year with slumps in shares and oil and advises clients to shift to bonds
http://www.theguardian.com/business/201 ... economists" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

... Investors face a “cataclysmic year” where stock markets could fall by up to 20% and oil could slump to $16 (£11) a barrel, economists at the Royal Bank of Scotland have warned.

In a note to its clients the bank said: “Sell everything except high quality bonds. This is about return of capital, not return on capital. In a crowded hall, exit doors are small.” It said the current situation was reminiscent of 2008, when the collapse of the Lehman Brothers investment bank led to the global financial crisis. This time China could be the crisis point.

Live IMF's Lagarde calls for new push to help emerging markets - business live
IMF chief says global economy needs to tame hot money, to help developing economies achieve stable growth
Read more
Stock markets have already come under severe pressure in 2016, with the FTSE 100 down more than 5% in its worst start since 2000. In the US, the Dow Jones industrial average has made its poorest ever start to a year...
What a jolly start to the year we're having.
Gordon Brown's fault.

Bloody Labour Party...

PorFavor · Post by **PorFavor** » Tue 12 Jan, 2016 4:08 pm

Good morfternoon.

NonOxCol · Post by **NonOxCol** » Tue 12 Jan, 2016 4:11 pm

NonOxCol wrote:
Tubby Isaacs wrote:Kuenssberg follows that up by "The BMA say..."

She genuinely thinks this OK.
And she didn't even include this clarification in her main feed, so only people who follow both parties would see it...

There are literally hundreds of replies to her original tweet, pointing out the bleeding obvious. The woman is a f***ing embarrassment.