It's a serious topic but a small, bacon-obsessed part of me can't help but think "Does that mean I'll be able to buy that lovely Morning Star veggie bacon again?"
Max Schmid, the new cabinet member for finance, announced £267,000 of immediate cuts by elaborately putting the several current council publications into a bin bag. He also said they would end the use of lamppost banners promoting councillors, will scrap food at future council meetings and there will be a 10 per cent reduction in allowances received by cabinet members and committee chairs as well as a ban on doubling up of special responsibility allowances.
There was much huffing and puffing from the Conservative councillors who told Labour that saving money was harder than it seemed and reminded them of the millions of pounds of debt the Conservatives inherited from Labour when they took over in 2006 and how well the Tories had done to relieve most of that debt.
Council leader Stephen Cowan announced 4 December 2014
There are 1,666 people in the borough who use the home care service, with the majority eligible for free home care, but those who fall outside the threshold will not have to pay from April next year if the final decision is voted on at the council’s annual budget-setting process in February.
Mr Cowan said: “I am pleased we have found the money from back office cuts, such as from the council’s PR and admin budgets, and today announce that this administration will abolish what has rightly become known as a tax on disability.”
The council says that abolishing care charges will cost £324,000 a year in lost income but that the scheme is being funded by £400,000 cuts in PR, council publications and lamp post banners.
Re: Friday 5th December 2014
Posted: Fri 05 Dec, 2014 8:45 pm
by citizenJA
HindleA wrote:@CitizenJ so if I've interpretated that information correctly ,unlike England and Wales generally,the number of family carers has declined in London.Carers Allowance is of course included in the benefit cap.
Correct - according to that data, unpaid carers in London have declined while people in care homes in the same area have increased.
I'll go back to check the ONS data regarding "unpaid carers". To me, that says these people aren't in receipt of Carers' Allowance but I could be wrong - the amount of Carer's Allowance is disgracefully small, it's not been increased very much & yes, it's part of the benefits capped as well as those carers being subjected to having to apply for jobs under Universal Credit. Remember the raucous Radio 4 program a month ago or so? Apologies for not having a better link or information. I think it was your suggestion to listen to the program, if I'm not mistaken. Apologies if I am.
Re: Friday 5th December 2014
Posted: Fri 05 Dec, 2014 8:58 pm
by letsskiptotheleft
Hey, remember the Premier Foods story from this morning, well Vince is now on the case, so I guess it's business as usual?
There is much more to it, I posted these links in September about TTIP, http://flythenest.org/viewtopic.php?p=2729#p2729" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
The "Trade policy and you" one explains quite a bit of it.
Re: Friday 5th December 2014
Posted: Fri 05 Dec, 2014 9:09 pm
by HindleA
@CJ "unpaid carers" is a term used to distinquish from care workers etc ,some will receive CA subject to eligibility -you can't get it if you are a pensioner,or in work and earning too much for example.To be clear the data relates to a decline prior to the benefit cap,It just seems particularly silly to enact a policy that penalises caring ,given the area disproportionately effected has had a historical decline in family caring,unlike the general situation.
Re: Friday 5th December 2014
Posted: Fri 05 Dec, 2014 9:12 pm
by citizenJA
What is Unpaid Care?
Informal carers are defined in the 2011 Census as people who look after and support family members, friends or neighbours in need of help because of long-term physical or mental ill health or disability or problems related to old age. The 2011 Census question on unpaid care provision is shown in Box 1. Respondents were asked about the extent of unpaid care they provide in three specific durations per week, ranging from 1 to 19 hours through to 20 to 49 hours and 50 or more hours.
Box 1. Unpaid care question asked as part of the 2011 Census form in England and Wales
unpaidcarequestionbox1_tcm77-366543 (2).jpg (35.55 KiB) Viewed 11421 times
This is where the data & definitions of terms came from - the 2011 Census information. I'm unable to determine if "unpaid carers" as defined above will be in receipt of the Carers' Allowance.
Re: Friday 5th December 2014
Posted: Fri 05 Dec, 2014 9:18 pm
by HindleA
@CJ see above , 35 hours minimum and "caree" in receipt of DLA,AA etc.IE some will be.(like me)
Re: Friday 5th December 2014
Posted: Fri 05 Dec, 2014 9:19 pm
by citizenJA
HindleA wrote:@CJ "unpaid carers" is a term used to distinquish from care workers etc ,some will receive CA subject to eligibility -you can't get it if you are a pensioner,or in work and earning too much for example.To be clear the data relates to a decline prior to the benefit cap,It just seems particularly silly to enact a policy that penalises caring ,given the area disproportionately effected has had a historical decline in family caring,unlike the general situation.
I posted my comment prior to reading your post answering my question. I'm mortified. Pensioners won't receive CA? I see how it is now. We are literally talking about unpaid carers for the most part - that is, people are caring for others without receiving monetary compensation. This won't do. People are in too vulnerable positions (those caring as well as their cared for people) & risk damaging their health.
Re: Friday 5th December 2014
Posted: Fri 05 Dec, 2014 9:24 pm
by JustMom
Both myself and my husband receive the basic pension,when I started to collect it they stopped my husbands carer allowance. We were told that was what pension credit was for.
Re: Friday 5th December 2014
Posted: Fri 05 Dec, 2014 9:27 pm
by AngryAsWell
On the CMG hashtag, I got this from two labour councillor's - its the last one that matters
christopher bloore @ChrisBloore · Nov 30
American politics shows us how important a fired up activist and support base can be in elections. Don't under estimate #CameonMustGo
Rowan Draper @Rowan_Draper · Nov 30
@ChrisBloore Only time I tweeted the hashtag was to RT comment saying if everyone who tweeted gave £10 to Labour, it would help campaigning.
Angry Bird Flies @Rosiecat2 · Nov 30
@Rowan_Draper @ChrisBloore Reason 4 hashtag is many haven't got £10 any more thanks to tory's. Can help with making people more aware tho.
Rowan Draper @Rowan_Draper · Nov 30
@Rosiecat2 @ChrisBloore Make people more aware? Join the #labourdoorstep or the #labourphonebank. Talk to real voters who are undecided.
christopher bloore @ChrisBloore · Nov 30
@Rowan_Draper @Rosiecat2 I don't think that's in doubt fella. But i know locally we have had two people get back involved because of it.
Re: Friday 5th December 2014
Posted: Fri 05 Dec, 2014 9:29 pm
by HindleA
@JustMom both the State Pension and Carers Allowance are classified as "replacement income benefits",by law you can't receive both.
Re: Friday 5th December 2014
Posted: Fri 05 Dec, 2014 9:38 pm
by letsskiptotheleft
Is this right, Philip Davies's old man is Peter Davies, he of the English Democrats and ex Doncaster mayor?
Just got an email in from Full Fact about Fact checking EdM on Monday.
Don't remember them doing this for Farage last week?
"We’ve been invited to factcheck the Leaders Live debates with ITV News and Bite the Ballot.
Watch the first debate with Ed Miliband live on YouTube at 5.30pm this Monday.
The debate is explicitly aimed at 16-24 year olds and will be hosted by Rick Edwards and June Sarpong.
So far we know Ed Miliband will be talking about jobs, democracy and health. If you’ve got any questions, please tweet @BiteTheBallot using #LeadersLive now or on Monday evening.
Nick Clegg: Tuesday 16th December
David Cameron: In the new year.
Re: Friday 5th December 2014
Posted: Fri 05 Dec, 2014 10:10 pm
by TheGrimSqueaker
Rory Bremner @rorybremner · 9h9 hours ago
Osborne now blaming BBC. Bad workmen always blame their tools.
This is not the most heinous cut I've seen but it has to one of the meanest and most ill advised that I can tthink of. A very good friend is now losing her hearing fast, it is driving her mad, her hearing aids often fall out. Her very real distress at not being able to understand what people are saying says it all. It's very socially isolating. Cost effectiveness is not the issue, even residual hearing does not work like that, everyone understands that, and the vote on it reflects the idiocy of what they are doing in Devon.
It is a myth that Linux isn't vulnerable to root kits, malware and general Trojans, they are less common but they definitely exist.
No, linux is not vulnerable to them, not in the same way that Windows is. Windows and the software running on it is wide open to attack because the priority isn't the user, it is the OS sellers and the software sellers.
I've never come across a single case of a linux installation getting any sort of virus. There is no real anti-virus programme even made. Clam is more for servers that may deal with Windows systems as well as linux, or for using to disinfect a windows partition from linux user space. I can't really see why anyone would run an operating system that has awful security, thinks of the end user a distant second or worse and that is forever changing simply so more money can be screwed out of the monopoly market.
But, I admit to a bias - I did my study on Unix and am not lost on the command line. But I can do all that on Windows too. What you've had to learn is all about when you started.
Re: Friday 5th December 2014
Posted: Fri 05 Dec, 2014 11:45 pm
by StephenDolan
Balls on the attack.
Osborne is now more extreme than Thatcher, says Ed Balls
Unless he ended up in hospital for some reason and has had a Damascene conversion...
Re: Friday 5th December 2014
Posted: Sat 06 Dec, 2014 12:26 am
by ErnstRemarx
Spacedone wrote:
tinyclanger2 wrote:
TheGrimSqueaker wrote:
Will it change anything? An interesting question; it could be argued that it's predecessor, #WeBackEd, may have helped steady the ship when that raft of "Alan Johnson for Leader" fabrications was doing the rounds - obviously I have no data to back that up but it was noticeable that the stories, designed to breed uncertainty and drive a wedge into Labour ranks, petered out when that one started trending (i.e. when they realised the BS wasn't working).
Personally I think CMG has changed things, in much the same way #VoteYes boosted the Indy vote; it gives people a focus, it gives them a voice that isn't controlled by the meeja and it serves notice on the meeja (and the Tories) that their lies won't go unanswered any longer. The increasingly shrill dismissal of it by such disparate sources as the despised Havisham Hodges, Sarah Trollaston and even the Mirror (and if Blackops Belam is behind that one I shall be having words) betrays more than a little nervousness imo.
Well it's already changed my attitude to twitter and media habits, so my suspicion is yest it will change something. Is just a question of how best to use it. Organised tweetchats? I don't bother with the G, I or BBC anymore, and never thought I would hear myself say that. I can get better info in the twitter and blogspheres and rely on FTN for a lot of it!
It's already a good place to disseminate information so maybe we can spread some of that knowledge we've collated elsewhere on FTN to a wider audience, as links to the sources or perhaps in the form of infographics that highlight the salient points on a specific issue?
I've noticed that some people are already using it to encourage people to register to vote and to use that vote and most especially not to fall for the "they're all the same" meme.
This is pretty much where I'd like to see FTN in due course. Publicise, people, publicise; don't be backward splatter FTN's web address all over the place and to interested and sympathetic parties. Remember - if an arsehole like Guido Fawkes can get a following then FTN certainly can, given that we don't do hate speech, racism and pointless tittle tattle such as he has to rely on to have content.
FTN should be a conduit for thoughtful criticism and observation, and the more posts that we have that are factual, accurate and timely, the more people will come to us. So write those articles. I may well be doing one shortly regarding local government, as the Graph of Doom is no myth, and will affect us all materially within the next two years.
Get writing, get tweeting, get encouraging - get going!
Re: Friday 5th December 2014
Posted: Sat 06 Dec, 2014 12:32 am
by ErnstRemarx
letsskiptotheleft wrote:Hey, remember the Premier Foods story from this morning, well Vince is now on the case, so I guess it's business as usual?
Yep. It means that nothing will happen, apart from LDV getting all dizzy about their 'hero'.
You are probably aware that Labour table amendments in legislation going through Parliament regarding this very practice some weeks ago which were rejected by the Government.It was only the Newsnight programme and subsequent coverage which stirred any movement.
