Tuesday 31st January 2017

[Tubby Isaacs]

Steve Peers ‏@StevePeers 5h5 hours ago
As a statement of law, this is a complete lie.

[PaulfromYorkshire]

Would it help if you knew that Liam Fox has been my MP or neighbouring MP for most of my adult life and my current MP is Jacob Rees-Mogg and as such I tend to associate Euroscepticism with the very worst kind of Tory? The idea that Labour must meekly walk through the aye lobby with them and help them take us out of Europe because it's "democracy" is like a pretty sick joke. I know a lot of working class people voted to leave, too, of course I do, but the few I know have no positive reasons, just vague anti-immigrant and anti-EU bile they've absorbed from the tabloid press. I'd love for them to vote for Labour again, but because Labour has convinced them that staying in the single market is more important to them than curbing immigration, not because Labour are blindly implementing the will of 52% of the people who have been heavily swayed by Dacre and Murdoch.

Willow thanks for sharing your context. The bit I've highlighted is where I struggle.

Did you listen to Starmer this afternoon? I can't take it as anything but a strong, principled, heartfelt speech. I feel the same. And to be labelled as "meek" for it is hard to take.

I don't want you to agree with me or with Starmer, or others here, but is it really impossible for you to look for some sense in what we are saying?

Starmer is helping to keep me hanging on as a member, as are a few others, but you've got to admit Starmer isn't leader and doesn't shape policy. We'll see what happens. I understand you see voting for article 50 as principled. I can respect that. But in the past arguments were made that assenting unseen and to May's timetable would make decent amendments more likely. This I don't see the logic of and if it doesn't work and the bill is mostly unamended, as I have said before, I wouldn't blame any Labour MP for voting against it. What I have not said is what I would think of Labour MPs who vote for it and I haven't because I don't know yet. The reason I cannot support Corbyn is because I find, from what he says and his demeanour when he says it, that I can only conclude that he wants to leave the single market. This doesn't matter to you yet, because, probably like Ed Miliband, your views would lead you to the same action as Corbyn at this point in time, but there must surely come a time when you will diverge from agreeing with Corbyn just as I have if you are hoping to see the UK retain as close ties to the EU as possible.

Thanks for this reply. I've been at the pub quiz not ignoring

If Corbyn has a hidden agenda on Brexit I shall eat humble pie and join with you in condemning him. But I don't believe he does. Surely we can agree the EU could be better? You would hope a Labour leader would argue for a more equitable EU. Seven out of ten is about right isn't it? Why not just take the leadership's line at face value? There is no evidence to suggest their intentions are anything else.

When pk1 announced earlier that the Hove MP had come out against Article 50, my feelings were well great - good for them. They have principles and Hove is presumably massively pro-EU. All I want is you to take the step you outline very carefully above and trust a little more those Labour MPs who take the other line. They will be grappling with divided loyalties and huge uncertainties. But most probably if they are a Labour MP they will be trying to do the best by ordinary folk.

[tinybgoat]

Tem, always good to read the historical context posts. Agree with others regarding getting involved in a goat eating contest.

Eek! I feel I should at this point, take the opportunity to remind anyone, considering such activities, that, as always, there is a strong likelihood of larger, older & tastier goats passing this way...

[HindleA]

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/work ... s-underway" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;


Work to improve disabled access to toilets on trains and at stations is underway

[HindleA]

President Donald Trump has nominated circuit court judge Neil Gorsuch to fill the vacant seat on the US supreme court, setting up a showdown with congressional Democrats and activists over a pick that could shape the ideological bent of the court for a generation.

Gorsuch, 49, the youngest supreme court nominee in 25 years, was among a group of federal judges reported in recent weeks to be on Trump’s shortlist. A strict adherent of judicial restraint known for sharply-written opinions and bedrock conservative views, Gorsuch, a Colorado native, is popular among his peers and is seen as having strong backing among Republicans generally.

[HindleA]

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/31/us/p ... .html?_r=0" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[HindleA]

https://www.theguardian.com/business/20 ... foundation" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;


UK faces return to inequality of Thatcher years, says report




The Resolution Foundation’s study found that the current parliament would be the worst for living standards for the poorest half of households since comparable records began in the mid-1960s and the worst since the early years of Thatcher’s 1979-90 premiership for inequality.

[HindleA]

https://www.disabilityscoop.com/2017/01 ... ces/23256/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;


The U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions voted 12 to 11 Tuesday along party lines in favor of confirming Betsy DeVos. Her nomination will now go before the full Senate for a vote.

The move to advance DeVos came despite significant pushback from disability advocates and a barrage of calls to senators after the nominee admitted to being confused about the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act during her appearance before the Senate committee earlier this month.

[HindleA]

https://www.theguardian.com/media/2017/ ... kesman-no-" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;


Journalist James Slack tipped to become Theresa May's spokesman
Political editor of the Daily Mail lined up to take charge of Downing Street’s press office
James Slack could soon be taking a position as official spokesman to prime minister Theresa May.

[HindleA]

Warren says she has “reviewed in detail” Gorsuch’s public record:

Before even joining the bench, he advocated to make it easier for public companies to defraud investors. As a judge, he has twisted himself into a pretzel to make sure the rules favor giant companies over workers and individual Americans. He has sided with employers who deny wages, improperly fire workers, or retaliate against whistleblowers for misconduct. He has ruled against workers in all manner of discrimination cases. And he has demonstrated hostility toward women’s access to basic health care.

For years, powerful interests have executed a full-scale assault on the integrity of our federal judiciary, trying to turn the supreme court into one more rigged game that works only for the rich and the powerful. They spent millions to keep this seat open, and Judge Gorsuch is their reward …

Based on the long and well-established record of Judge Gorsuch, I will oppose his nomination.

[HindleA]

" Gorsuch is “hostile to children”, ruling that children with autism are not entitled to protections for disabled children"