Wednesday 16 th March 2016

HindleA · Post by **HindleA** » Wed 16 Mar, 2016 3:30 am

Morning.

Reposting as comments now allowed

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

Benefit cuts threaten independent living for thousands of disabled people

HindleA · Post by **HindleA** » Wed 16 Mar, 2016 4:40 am

Clinton wins Illinois.

HindleA · Post by **HindleA** » Wed 16 Mar, 2016 5:07 am

Went to the wire in Missouri for both parties,Clinton just pipping it at the end in the last few precincts,Trump beating Cruz by a similar amount.

StephenDolan · Post by **StephenDolan** » Wed 16 Mar, 2016 6:41 am

All schools to be academies. I take it the churches have signed off on this?

NonOxCol · Post by **NonOxCol** » Wed 16 Mar, 2016 7:41 am

Morning. I do not have children, but was surprised by my levels of anger at the academy announcement yesterday.

This government is an obscenity. The country barely resembles a democracy. I hope this is a tipping point for some of the complacent, selfish idiots who voted them in for the most embarrassingly pathetic, media-led reasons. I see no need to apologise for that description. It's quite polite actually.

I don't hold out too much hope though. We're going backwards as a society.

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Wed 16 Mar, 2016 7:53 am

Labour MP throws boss of dodgy poverty charity out of parliament
https://tompride.wordpress.com/2016/03/ ... arliament/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Morning.

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Wed 16 Mar, 2016 8:02 am

Sam Coates Times ‏@SamCoatesTimes 17m17 minutes ago
Exc: Veto "dangerous" EU deal with Turkey on Friday, Cameron told by Iain Duncan Smith http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/news/poli ... 714123.ece" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; …

.

Who to distrust and dislike more ...? Nothing is very palatable about any of this.

Andrew Woodcock ‏@AndyWoodcock 7m7 minutes ago
Actor Jeremy Irons tells @BBCr4today politicians are turning #EUreferendum into "gameshow" of Cameron v Johnson

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Wed 16 Mar, 2016 8:02 am

Thank you HindleA for giving us the updates on the US primaries.

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Wed 16 Mar, 2016 8:08 am

Anushka Asthana ‏@GuardianAnushka 47m47 minutes ago Lambeth, London
So Schools will all have to find sponsors. They'll set own admissions (but councils will have to manage locally- it's a complex to system)

Sam Freedman ‏@Samfr 14m14 minutes ago
@GuardianAnushka looks like control over admissions might go back to LAs (according to whoever briefed the Times anyway).

Anushka Asthana ‏@GuardianAnushka 12m12 minutes ago
.@Samfr DFE source insisting that is not true. Saying schools will be able to set admission -but inevitably councils will have to coordinate

Sam Freedman ‏@Samfr 11m11 minutes ago
@GuardianAnushka hmm. Interesting. Shame if it's not true - would make the system fairer.

Anushka Asthana
‏@GuardianAnushka
.@Samfr I'm in the school application process at moment - its unbelievably complicated and needs to be coordinated across area no?

This sounds like a recipe for chaos - like most Tory policies. What happens to the kids that no school accepts - and those that have nowhere independent to appeal decisions they wish to challenge? Do they appeal direct to the DfE?

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Wed 16 Mar, 2016 8:14 am

Nick Robinson just introduced someone as 'Gameron' Thorpe ... and then hastily corrected himself. He meant Cameron Thorpe of course.

Freudian slip or what.

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Wed 16 Mar, 2016 8:16 am

StephenDolan wrote:All schools to be academies. I take it the churches have signed off on this?

The problem with the churches is, apparently, that they own the land their schools sit on ... something will have to be done about that. I see this mass academisation as another property and assets grab.

utopiandreams · Post by **utopiandreams** » Wed 16 Mar, 2016 8:16 am

From last night (sorry if someone else has already posted this), Disability benefit cuts: Commons could be forced into emergency debate after 100,000 people sign petition (http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/po ... 33266.html). 77

Ironic within 24 hours of passing the government's statutory instrument, however as I said before, discussion or no discussion, whipped Tory MPs know what they were voting for, not that I've checked votes or abstentions. I am a bit tied up at the moment and likely to miss the budget but tbh have never managed more than a few minutes of Osborne's annoying drawl.

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Wed 16 Mar, 2016 8:22 am

Joe Murphy ‏@JoeMurphyLondon 17m17 minutes ago
Top Budget story - @george_osborne funds running blades for 500 amputee kids, like @christopherhope's inspiring lass http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/budg ... udget.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; …

Sorry - great for kids that want to run - but what about the disabled kids that want to know their parents can afford to pay the rent without worrying about bedroom tax? This seems like a kindly gesture to the camera whilst punching people behind the scenes.

utopiandreams · Post by **utopiandreams** » Wed 16 Mar, 2016 9:10 am

From that Guardian article HindleA posted up at start of thread.

A spokeswoman from the Department of Work and Pensions said: “The truth is that these changes are about ensuring that PIP is achieving its original purpose of supporting people with the extra costs associated with their disability. We have consulted widely with disability organisations, to ensure we get this right, and have been careful to protect people with the most complex needs. We continue to spend £50bn a year on disability benefits.”

As usual counter arguments to those initially stated otherwise known as lies; 20% savings to the working age DLA budget as I recall.

Post by **PaulfromYorkshire** » Wed 16 Mar, 2016 9:19 am

The schools thing is Squirrel City Arizona.

While it is worrying and important, we really need to focus on Osborne's economic failure.

ephemerid · Post by **ephemerid** » Wed 16 Mar, 2016 9:20 am

rebeccariots2 wrote:
Joe Murphy ‏@JoeMurphyLondon 17m17 minutes ago
Top Budget story - @george_osborne funds running blades for 500 amputee kids, like @christopherhope's inspiring lass http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/budg ... udget.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; …
Sorry - great for kids that want to run - but what about the disabled kids that want to know their parents can afford to pay the rent without worrying about bedroom tax? This seems like a kindly gesture to the camera whilst punching people behind the scenes.

That's precisely what it is, Ms.Riots.

As ever, as with the past 6 long years of budgets, statements, call 'em what you will, there will be -
a few little giftettes like this (beer, bingo, anyone?) to show how carey-sharey Caligidiot really is;
a patronising piece of utter fuckwittery (caravan tax, pasty tax) that has to be reversed 'cos the plebs won't like it;
a marchofthemakers(TM) spending announcement for The North which gets spent on London (again);
a "freedom" thing, like more powers for a devolved administration complete with no cash and handcuffs;
a pretence that cutting laboursbenefits(TM) will save the nation from penury and it's what ill people want;
a big fat lie about listening to people who didn't want tax credits cut so we haven't ooh whoops we have;
a tax break for richpeople/landlords/anyonewhoisn'toneofus/etc.

We will be treated to two scenarios, both of which absolutely apply at the same time, viz:
1. Our longtermeconomicplan is working so well we have cut the deficit and we can reward hardworkingfamilieswhodotherightthing.
2. The storm clouds over the world's economies and the Eurozone are so scary that we must tighten our belts for the coming thingy.

In fact, I have written the Budget statement, and all Snorty George has to do is read it.
Out loud, dropping aitches, using non-words like "gonna" complete with glottal stops.

Tomorrow, the papers will be praising him to the skies until some bright spark points out what crap it all is.

You may now retire to your caves/hovels, peasants, as my work is done and there's no more that you need to know.

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Wed 16 Mar, 2016 9:20 am

Government's rehashed dementia plans sum up why Jeremy Hunt has lost clinicians' trust
The health secretary ignored the damage cuts have done to dementia care and prevention, instead crowbarring in his seven-day NHS and contracts agenda
http://www.theguardian.com/healthcare-n ... -contracts" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Very good. And also one of the first occasions I've seen a clinician point out the great steps forward in this area that were instigated and led by Labour governments .... applies also to stroke and other key areas of health and social care.

ephemerid · Post by **ephemerid** » Wed 16 Mar, 2016 9:24 am

utopiandreams wrote:From that Guardian article HindleA posted up at start of thread.

A spokeswoman from the Department of Work and Pensions said: “The truth is that these changes are about ensuring that PIP is achieving its original purpose of supporting people with the extra costs associated with their disability. We have consulted widely with disability organisations, to ensure we get this right, and have been careful to protect people with the most complex needs. We continue to spend £50bn a year on disability benefits.”
As usual counter arguments to those initially stated otherwise known as lies; 20% savings to the working age DLA budget as I recall.

Why does nobody challenge this crap about "£50BN a year on disability benefits"?

The spend on DLA/PIP/IB/SDA/ESA/CA is less than half that - they are the benefits.

If DWP is spending £50BN a year on "benefits" what's included? The NHS? LA funding? What?

"We have consulted widely" - well, not very widely and certainly not for long. Actually.
And the vast majority of those consulted DO NOT WANT THESE CHANGES.

FFS.

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Wed 16 Mar, 2016 9:33 am

I agree with you Paul that the mass forced academisation is essentially being used as Osborne's fig leaf (please don't let it slip Osborne ...). However - I need to add a comment on another aspect of this proposed programme that really concerns me (on top of loss of national pay grades / local autonomy etc etc). Surely it's yet another sucking of jobs and therefore stability out of regional and local economies. Presumably jobs in local education authorities will go ... to be replaced by some jobs in the DfE? It's akin to the loss of the Sheffield Norther bis dept - subsumed to Whitehall. There will be a knock on effect as fewer people will want to stay /move to / live and work in some areas as job prospects for partners and children grow ever scarcer. I want to see a government that is doing the exact opposite - devolving jobs and departments and budgets out to the regions and local communities. I posted a chart the other day that showed where the jobs are in England and Wales - it was pretty devastating to see a central and south eastern belt where there are jobs and pretty much a desert all around that - especially in coastal areas. Do we want a completely unviable and increasingly unpopulated country - anywhere that isn't commutable to London or big city?

frightful_oik · Post by **frightful_oik** » Wed 16 Mar, 2016 9:52 am

On toady, a woman said to Nick Robinson, "You look just like Sergeant Bilko."
Spotter's badge for that lady.

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Wed 16 Mar, 2016 9:58 am

Matina Stevis ‏@MatinaStevis 37m37 minutes ago
OMG this has actually happened. The Greek migration minister has resigned in middle of crisis because he called Macedonia "Macedonia"

He was interviewed by the Beeb the other week - he seemed OK.

StephenDolan · Post by **StephenDolan** » Wed 16 Mar, 2016 10:03 am

rebeccariots2 wrote:
Matina Stevis ‏@MatinaStevis 37m37 minutes ago
OMG this has actually happened. The Greek migration minister has resigned in middle of crisis because he called Macedonia "Macedonia"

He was interviewed by the Beeb the other week - he seemed OK.

The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia as the UN refer to it due it's contentious name.

utopiandreams · Post by **utopiandreams** » Wed 16 Mar, 2016 10:05 am

ephemerid wrote:... If DWP is spending £50BN a year on "benefits" what's included? The NHS? LA funding? What?

"We have consulted widely" - well, not very widely and certainly not for long. Actually.
And the vast majority of those consulted DO NOT WANT THESE CHANGES.

FFS.

The £50bn no doubt includes A4E, Atos, Maximus, etc. not forgetting all the money thrown and discarded over UC, ephe. As for consultations, largely ignored similar to their impact assessments that ignore likely outcomes, only portraying their chosen narrative.

utopiandreams · Post by **utopiandreams** » Wed 16 Mar, 2016 10:15 am

rr2 mentions jobs. Well I have learned something this morning about BT engineers. I asked one such if he was busy enough these days and indeed he was. However I also learned that he is self-employed and that BT OpenReach or whatever they're called sub-contract their work. I asked what other work he does then since we had already spoken of freelance work I used to and occasionally still do and the answer was none. I rhetorically pointed out that he therefore receives no sick or holiday pay and neither do they pay employer's NI.

"They're not stupid are they? You're grateful for what you can get" came his reply.

I may ask later, (he's outside now) but it does raise other questions such costs or charges for vehicles.

Edit: removed a repeated 'therefore '.

Post by **PaulfromYorkshire** » Wed 16 Mar, 2016 10:16 am

Good on the (strangely changed) Yorkshire Post for highlighting this study

http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/pol ... -1-7797899" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

stark-statistic-for-budget-day-credit-cuts-linked-to-deaths-of-pensioners

gilsey · Post by **gilsey** » Wed 16 Mar, 2016 10:23 am

ephemerid wrote:
Why does nobody challenge this crap about "£50BN a year on disability benefits"?

The spend on DLA/PIP/IB/SDA/ESA/CA is less than half that - they are the benefits.

If DWP is spending £50BN a year on "benefits" what's included? The NHS? LA funding? What?

"We have consulted widely" - well, not very widely and certainly not for long. Actually.
And the vast majority of those consulted DO NOT WANT THESE CHANGES.

FFS.

I think this came up when GO came up with that ridiculous pie chart they send out to show where your taxes have gone.

It includes LA social care, iirc.

AnatolyKasparov · Post by **AnatolyKasparov** » Wed 16 Mar, 2016 10:45 am

rebeccariots2 wrote:
Matina Stevis ‏@MatinaStevis 37m37 minutes ago
OMG this has actually happened. The Greek migration minister has resigned in middle of crisis because he called Macedonia "Macedonia"

He was interviewed by the Beeb the other week - he seemed OK.

Greeks are very sensitive on the subject, for historical reasons.

StephenDolan · Post by **StephenDolan** » Wed 16 Mar, 2016 10:46 am

Anyone going to be watching and commenting on the Fudge It later? I'm not sure I can put up with the inevitable BTL glee elsewhere.

55DegreesNorth · Post by **55DegreesNorth** » Wed 16 Mar, 2016 10:55 am

http://www.newstatesman.com/politics/ed ... king-about" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

AnatolyKasparov · Post by **AnatolyKasparov** » Wed 16 Mar, 2016 11:02 am

rebeccariots2 wrote:Thank you HindleA for giving us the updates on the US primaries.

Good night for HRC, she badly needed to take some more key states outside the South.

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Wed 16 Mar, 2016 11:09 am

London mayor race: has Zac Goldsmith's 'Hindu jewels' attack misfired?
Attempts by the Conservative candidate for City Hall to woo some of London’s ethnic minority voters may have struck the wrong note
http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/dave ... s-misfired" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I love this from BTL:

COYS1977 4m ago
Genuine question: what has Goldsmith done for Britain's Tamil community?

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Wed 16 Mar, 2016 11:14 am

Justin Davenport
‏@_jdavenport
Met’s £65m 999 call handling contract axed after two years http://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/met-" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Pippa Crerar ‏@PippaCrerar 6m6 minutes ago
Pippa Crerar Retweeted Justin Davenport
"They've not lived up to our expectations to put it mildly," says Mayor - says they'll recoup "virtually all" costs.

What has Boris done that's actually been a success?

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Wed 16 Mar, 2016 11:18 am

From G politics live blog:

Daniel Finkelstein, a Conservative peer, argues in his Times column today (paywall) that expecting the leader of the opposition to respond instantly and in detail to the announcements in the budget is daft. He has some advice for Jeremy Corbyn.

Faced with this challenge, Jeremy Corbyn should use his favourite technique. He shouldn’t even bother. He should say that he will reply to the budget once he has studied it. Instead, he should outline the fundamental critique of Conservative economic policy that Labour is now moving towards.

I think that's probably a relatively good strategy. Have something prepared for the bits that we already know about - e.g. the academisation proposals - but don't attempt to respond to other detail until it's had a bit more scrutiny.

PorFavor · Post by **PorFavor** » Wed 16 Mar, 2016 11:21 am

rebeccariots2 wrote:
Justin Davenport
‏@_jdavenport
Met’s £65m 999 call handling contract axed after two years http://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/met-" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Pippa Crerar ‏@PippaCrerar 6m6 minutes ago
Pippa Crerar Retweeted Justin Davenport
"They've not lived up to our expectations to put it mildly," says Mayor - says they'll recoup "virtually all" costs.
What has Boris done that's actually been a success?

For some reason or another, the Standard link won't work (however I try it).

But I'll say, at this point, how I laughed when I heard the Tamil heirloom story yesterday. Really desperate - and more than a little ludicrous.

Edited (again) - this time to add

Ok - so I added an "s". Fair cop, guv.

PorFavor · Post by **PorFavor** » Wed 16 Mar, 2016 11:21 am

Good morfternoon.

PorFavor · Post by **PorFavor** » Wed 16 Mar, 2016 11:26 am

Er - but quite what the Tamil Trinket Tax has got to do with the Met call-centre defeats me!

danesclose · Post by **danesclose** » Wed 16 Mar, 2016 11:29 am

AnatolyKasparov wrote:
rebeccariots2 wrote:
Matina Stevis ‏@MatinaStevis 37m37 minutes ago
OMG this has actually happened. The Greek migration minister has resigned in middle of crisis because he called Macedonia "Macedonia"

He was interviewed by the Beeb the other week - he seemed OK.
Greeks are very sensitive on the subject, for historical reasons.

Indeed. A Greek chap I used to work with used to call the country Skopje

PorFavor · Post by **PorFavor** » Wed 16 Mar, 2016 11:30 am

I'm getting fed up with the BBC's assumption that George Osborne would simply move into 10 Downing Street should things go his way. Won't he have to first win a General Election if David Cameron serves his full term (as he keeps saying that he will)?

AnatolyKasparov · Post by **AnatolyKasparov** » Wed 16 Mar, 2016 11:34 am

We all know that Dave's "full term" pledge is as ficticious as Blair's a decade ago, however.

HindleA · Post by **HindleA** » Wed 16 Mar, 2016 11:35 am

@Eph re.50billion-meant to be "on the disabled".Of course they have been trotting this out for some years.Considering what it encompasses,it really is not that much.I don't know if the article misquoted or DWP bod error.I have bookmarked.it,given its repeated (mis)use.Figures out of date,but gives what is included.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publicati ... led-people" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Wed 16 Mar, 2016 11:42 am

Just had a chat with a new member of our CLP who has just joined to help with the election because he supports Corbyn. I know him a bit from past local activities. He tells me he has been banned from Stephen Crabb's website and facebook because he keeps posting questions asking Crabb to explain why he voted for the ESA cuts - Crabb was also one of the MPs who had to repay expenses. Answer there has been none - other than to block the questioner.

ephemerid · Post by **ephemerid** » Wed 16 Mar, 2016 11:45 am

[*]

PorFavor wrote:Er - but quite what the Tamil Trinket Tax has got to do with the Met call-centre defeats me!

D'oh, Por.

If you're a Tamil whose trinkets have been purloined by someone, you need to get the Met pronto.

Obviously.

Young Goldsmith was accused of sending coded racist messages to voters back in January of last year.
Zac was putting out leaflets describing Khan as "radical", "divisive", and ......OMG!!!!!! ......"Muslim".

When Khan's people made a fuss about it, he was accused of "playing the race card".

So - what do we call this?
The "only-brown-hindu-people-have-gold-jewellery" card?

FFS.

StephenDolan · Post by **StephenDolan** » Wed 16 Mar, 2016 11:49 am

Osborne must do more to crack down on tax havens – for poor nations’ sake

http://gu.com/p/4htd5" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Surprised this line of attack hasn't been taken whenever the overseas aid development sums are mentioned.

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Wed 16 Mar, 2016 11:54 am

: SNP Priorities.jpg (70.65 KiB) Viewed 7904 times

Is this a joke?

gilsey · Post by **gilsey** » Wed 16 Mar, 2016 12:09 pm

rebeccariots2 wrote:
SNP Priorities.jpg
Is this a joke?

Yes, but he probably means it in all seriousness.

Vordy · Post by **Vordy** » Wed 16 Mar, 2016 12:26 pm

Morning all,of to Hospital so in a bit of a rush.story about our free press linked below.

CNN Journalist ‘Governments Pay Us To Fake Stories’, Shocking Exposé.

According to Amber Lyon, a three-time Emmy award winning journalist, CNN is routinely paid by the US government and foreign governments to selectively report on certain events. Furthermore, the Obama administration pay CNN for editorial control over some of their content.

Source:

http://yournewswire.com/cnn-journalist- ... ng-expose/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

AnatolyKasparov · Post by **AnatolyKasparov** » Wed 16 Mar, 2016 12:35 pm

Though IIRC that was at one of the Autumn Statements, when EB unfortunately didn't help himself by stammering at an unfortunate moment?

gilsey · Post by **gilsey** » Wed 16 Mar, 2016 12:41 pm

Didn't watch PMQ's but just read AS summary. Go Jez.

Cameron says employment is at a new record high. There are 2,370,000 more people in work than when he became prime minister.

Jeremy Corbyn asks Cameron how many people will die from respiratory disease before Britain meets its air quality targets for 2025.

Cameron says he does not have those figures, but he says the government is acting on air pollution.

Corbyn says half a million people will die. How much does air pollution cost the economy?

Cameron says of course it costs the economy. The government’s carbon reduction plan would give the government one of the best green records.

Corbyn says the Royal College of Physicians says air pollution costs the economy £20bn a year. There was a smog alert in London recently. Why won’t the government act?

Cameron says it was Conservative governments in the 1950s that acted on this, and a Conservative government can act again.

Corbyn says we all welcome the 1956 Clean Air Act, but things have moved on. Why not spend money on investing in better air?

Cameron says the government is. It is phasing out coal-fired power stations. But you can only act if you have a strong economy.

Corbyn says, if the government is so keen on clean energy, why did it block a move to allow communities a veto on clean energy. Will it offer communities a veto on fracking?

Cameron says the government has planning law. Some 99% of solar panels were installed since he was prime minister. He criticises Corbyn for not asking about the unemployment figures. They are supposed to be the party of labour.

Corbyn says Cameron once boasted about leading the greenest government ever. No husky was safe from his cuddles. Why is the government failing people who work in the green energy industry.

Cameron says the government has a good record on green energy. He lists some achievements in this area. On renewable electricity, the government is on track to get 30% of renewables by 2020.

Citizen JA will like it.

PorFavor · Post by **PorFavor** » Wed 16 Mar, 2016 12:56 pm

rebeccariots2 will be as elated as I am. Not only is he "gonna" do things, he's taken to saying "lemme".

NonOxCol · Post by **NonOxCol** » Wed 16 Mar, 2016 12:56 pm

Christ (from AS blog):

Osborne says the government is announcing changes to the disability budget.

But spending on disability is rising, and is higher than under Labour, he says.

" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;