Sat 5 and Sun 6 November 2016

[SpinningHugo]

Ooh...

Sky News Newsdesk Verified account
‏@SkyNewsBreak

Jeremy Corbyn says Labour will vote against Article 50 if the Prime Minister does not guarantee access to the single market

And don't forget that the Tory manifesto said this:



Life just just a bit more difficult for the government...although it could be argued that every country has access to the single market but I'd say that means within it.

As the Tories have already pledged 3/4 it amounts to nothing.

[tinyclanger2]

Ah. Eeyore.

[tinyclanger2]

I never did get over being moved by his birthday. When Pooh ate his honey and Piglet burst his balloon.
But he loved putting the burst balloon in and out of the empty honey jar.
An optimist in his own way.

[tinyclanger2]

For example (on the press)

https://www.theguardian.com/society/201 ... rime-cases" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Racial elements in hate crime cases being 'filtered out' in UK
Council of Europe anti-racism experts say half of reported hate crime is not prosecuted and judges underuse heavier sentences

The report of experts from 47 European countries, published on Tuesday, also says that about half the hate crime recorded by British police – including on social media – goes unpunished because no suspects are identified.

The fifth Council of Europe report on racism in the UK highlights concerns over the “considerable intolerant element” in the public political debate in Britain, particularly on immigration.

...

The experts say that hate speech continues to be a serious problem in tabloid newspapers, and online hate speech against Muslim people has soared since 2013. They say this is particularly evident in the targeting of Muslim women online on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

“It is no coincidence that racist violence is on the rise in the UK at the same time as we see worrying examples of intolerance and hate speech in newspapers, online and even among politicians,” said the Ecri chair, Christian Ahlund.

[tinyclanger2]

http://www.consented.co.uk/read/kelvin- ... ish-press/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
KELVIN MACKENZIE, THE SUN AND HATE SPEECH IN THE BRITISH PRESS

[SpinningHugo]

The next General Election in microcosm

http://www.politicshome.com/news/uk/pol ... ian-wolmar" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[gilsey]

Pensions triple lock and free TV licences must be ditched, ministers told - The Telegraph
https://apple.news/ADv2cv0knQKeHKtHWea9oqw" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Frank Field being the Tories useful idiot as per.

Frank Field, the Labour chairman of the committee, said: “Homeownership, taken as a given by many in my generation, is out of reach for too many aspiring young people today.
“At the same time as tightening their belts, they are being asked to support a group that has fared relatively well in recent years.

Someone who is actually left wing would be arguing that the young should be elevated to the same level as the old, not that the old should be brought down to the level of the young.

Not only that, but moaning about the triple lock will soon be overtaken by events, as the fall in the pound leads inevitably to higher inflation.

[Willow904]

Pensions triple lock and free TV licences must be ditched, ministers told - The Telegraph
https://apple.news/ADv2cv0knQKeHKtHWea9oqw" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Frank Field being the Tories useful idiot as per.

Frank Field, the Labour chairman of the committee, said: “Homeownership, taken as a given by many in my generation, is out of reach for too many aspiring young people today.
“At the same time as tightening their belts, they are being asked to support a group that has fared relatively well in recent years.

Someone who is actually left wing would be arguing that the young should be elevated to the same level as the old, not that the old should be brought down to the level of the young.

Not only that, but moaning about the triple lock will soon be overtaken by events, as the fall in the pound leads inevitably to higher inflation.

Absolutely. There may be an argument against raising pensions more quickly than inflation, but we're going to be above 2% inflation soon enough and the triple lock will mean pensioners seeing rises in line with inflation which is necessary. As Johnny1234 pointed out over the page, the focus should be on the scandal of people of working age stuck on frozen benefits and stagnant pay, not reducing pensioners incomes to match them.

As for free tv licences, I think it particularly Grinch-like to begrudge the over-75's a bit of free telly. Surely it doesn't cost a lot and is now paid for directly out of the tv licence fee, which remains ridiculously good value for money when compared to the cost of satellite and cable.

[AnatolyKasparov]

Ooh...

Sky News Newsdesk Verified account
‏@SkyNewsBreak

Jeremy Corbyn says Labour will vote against Article 50 if the Prime Minister does not guarantee access to the single market

And don't forget that the Tory manifesto said this:



Life just just a bit more difficult for the government...although it could be argued that every country has access to the single market but I'd say that means within it.

As the Tories have already pledged 3/4 it amounts to nothing.

No, its politics. On this, JC is actually behaving much as any previous Labour leader (or putative present/future leader) would.

If anything, you should approve

[gilsey]

A personal story about pensions and inflation. Mr gilsey's company pension this month was more than usual, for no reason that we knew. The explanatory letter arrived yesterday, the pension scheme had been uprating benefits in line with CPI since 2011

http://www.pensionsadvisoryservice.org. ... 1_V1.2.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The Government announced as part of the 22 June 2010 Budget that it planned to use the Consumer
Prices Index (CPI) rather than the Retail Prices Index (RPI) as the measure by which annual increases
to certain state benefits and public sector pensions would be calculated, from April 2011. On 8 July
2010 the Government said that CPI would also apply to private sector occupational pensions from
April 2011, where CPI will be used for statutory increases on pensions.

Apparently there's been a few court cases about this, which had passed me by, probably because he didn't start drawing his pension until later in 2011.
They've now decided the scheme rules don't allow the change and paid the difference, backdated, it's nearly £500 (before tax).

Neatly demonstrates what a rip-off changing to CPI is.

[gilsey]

Radical reform is the only solution to Britain’s housing crisis
With even young professionals now struggling to buy, the heat is rising
Liam Halligan
http://www.spectator.co.uk/2016/11/brit ... -to-roost/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The idea of ‘land-banking’ — with the biggest house-builders remaining on go-slow to up their profit on each unit — used to be dismissed as a conspiracy theory. In recent months, that has changed. A quarter of all new homes in the UK are built by the biggest three providers and over half are provided by the top eight.

The UK house-building market has been described as having ‘all the characteristics of an oligopoly’ in a little-noticed report from the House of Lords economic affairs select committee, published during the depths of last summer. Now the secretary of state has weighed in, as has the veteran MP Clive Betts, who chairs the Commons select committee that monitors his department.

‘The big developers are deliberately restricting supply, maximising their prices and profits, rather than the numbers of houses they build,’ he says.

Liam Halligan’s Dispatches documentary, ‘Britain’s home-building scandal’, is on Channel 4 on Monday 7 November at 8 p.m.

Why the disdain for prefabs, btw? There should be a lot more of them, they don't have to be temporary.

‘Prefabs to solve housing crisis,’ screamed the front page of the Sunday Telegraph last weekend. Can the shortage of homes in Britain really be so bad that ministers are floating plans to encourage the first new generation of temporary, pre-packed houses since the great reconstruction drive which followed the second world war?

[tinybgoat]

Radical reform is the only solution to Britain’s housing crisis
With even young professionals now struggling to buy, the heat is rising
Liam Halligan
http://www.spectator.co.uk/2016/11/brit ... -to-roost/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The idea of ‘land-banking’ — with the biggest house-builders remaining on go-slow to up their profit on each unit — used to be dismissed as a conspiracy theory. In recent months, that has changed. A quarter of all new homes in the UK are built by the biggest three providers and over half are provided by the top eight.

The UK house-building market has been described as having ‘all the characteristics of an oligopoly’ in a little-noticed report from the House of Lords economic affairs select committee, published during the depths of last summer. Now the secretary of state has weighed in, as has the veteran MP Clive Betts, who chairs the Commons select committee that monitors his department.

‘The big developers are deliberately restricting supply, maximising their prices and profits, rather than the numbers of houses they build,’ he says.

Liam Halligan’s Dispatches documentary, ‘Britain’s home-building scandal’, is on Channel 4 on Monday 7 November at 8 p.m.

Why the disdain for prefabs, btw? There should be a lot more of them, they don't have to be temporary.

‘Prefabs to solve housing crisis,’ screamed the front page of the Sunday Telegraph last weekend. Can the shortage of homes in Britain really be so bad that ministers are floating plans to encourage the first new generation of temporary, pre-packed houses since the great reconstruction drive which followed the second world war?

Not sure how many people live in caravan parks/'static' mobile homes, but surely these are basically prefabs on wheels? So can't see why the idea of prefabs is contentious, while seeing little discussion of these.

[AnatolyKasparov]

Indeed, my late grandparents moved into a prefab circa 1950 and they are still going strong (albeit modified) today.

[PorFavor]

Labour will not block article 50, Jeremy Corbyn allies confirm

Sources clarify that party will not block formal process of leaving EU after Mirror interview suggests it had Brexit ‘red lines’ (Guardian)

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/20 ... es-confirm

[PorFavor]

Good morfternoon.

[PorFavor]

I've always hankered after a prefab. Stop me if you've heard this before . . .

[Womble44]

Radical reform is the only solution to Britain’s housing crisis
With even young professionals now struggling to buy, the heat is rising
Liam Halligan
http://www.spectator.co.uk/2016/11/brit ... -to-roost/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The idea of ‘land-banking’ — with the biggest house-builders remaining on go-slow to up their profit on each unit — used to be dismissed as a conspiracy theory. In recent months, that has changed. A quarter of all new homes in the UK are built by the biggest three providers and over half are provided by the top eight.

The UK house-building market has been described as having ‘all the characteristics of an oligopoly’ in a little-noticed report from the House of Lords economic affairs select committee, published during the depths of last summer. Now the secretary of state has weighed in, as has the veteran MP Clive Betts, who chairs the Commons select committee that monitors his department.

‘The big developers are deliberately restricting supply, maximising their prices and profits, rather than the numbers of houses they build,’ he says.

Liam Halligan’s Dispatches documentary, ‘Britain’s home-building scandal’, is on Channel 4 on Monday 7 November at 8 p.m.

Why the disdain for prefabs, btw? There should be a lot more of them, they don't have to be temporary.

‘Prefabs to solve housing crisis,’ screamed the front page of the Sunday Telegraph last weekend. Can the shortage of homes in Britain really be so bad that ministers are floating plans to encourage the first new generation of temporary, pre-packed houses since the great reconstruction drive which followed the second world war?

Not sure how many people live in caravan parks/'static' mobile homes, but surely these are basically prefabs on wheels? So can't see why the idea of prefabs is contentious, while seeing little discussion of these.

When I was younger I spent a year living in a caravan on a farm. It was fine (I loved the solitude) but in Winter it's very cold, and condensation drips down the walls and windows, so you need to keep air circulating. I'd recommend it to young people that want a relatively short term place in the country though.

Also mice! Couldn't keep the buggers out no matter what I did.

[JonnyT1234]

As an election Donald Trump could actually win looms, Madonna tells America: 'The world is laughing at us' - The Independent
https://apple.news/AOhMBiEU-TAm72C42cy24lw" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Don't worry Madge, some Brits are doing their best to make everyone laugh at us instead.

[PorFavor]

I may be grossly oversimplifying things, but I don't really get this thing about not forcing Theresa May to "reveal her hand" re EU exit negotiations. She's got to tell the EU what she wants at some stage and, short of there being a requirement for them to give an immediate response to her proposals, they're going to have time to go away and mull it over and formulate a response in any case.

[frightful_oik]

I may be grossly oversimplifying things, but I don't really get this thing about not forcing Theresa May to "reveal her hand" re EU exit negotiations. She's got to tell the EU what she wants at some stage and, short of there being a requirement for them to give an immediate response to her proposals, they're going to have time to go away and mull it over and formulate a response in any case.

Good point, well punctuated PF.

[AngryAsWell]

Post war Heaton Park prefabs (first few photo's at the top of page)

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=Heato ... AQ_AUIBigB" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Many of my school friends lived on this estate in the park, they had a great childhood with all the park to roam in over summer holidays. The prefabs were compact, but from the inside no different to being in a bungalow. Winters were cold and damp though.

[JonnyT1234]

You're not understanding PF. It's going to be like the scene in The Firm where Tom Cruise's character is handed a sealed envelope with the salary and terms of his job offer while being told, "if you're as good a lawyer as you think you are, you already know what it says inside."

May's firm is going to pull the same stunt on the EU employee. Only not even she will know what's on the letter.

[Sorry to spoil the plot, but it's blank]

[JonnyT1234]

Tory Minister 'Should Have Been Sacked' For Criticising Brexit Judges - The Huffington Post - UK
https://apple.news/ADe3YIQemTDeskqJ0ooDkeA" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Personally, I think Javid should never have been employed in the first place.

Edit: Chris Patten is the one saying this btw. Not clear from the title that this is more blue on blue action.

[JonnyT1234]

Given the often shoddy construction of new builds in this country, prefabs could easily be a step up in terms of build and size.

[JonnyT1234]

Birds Eye and Walkers ask supermarkets for more than 10% price rise - the guardian
https://apple.news/Aj3latIKYQo-fA5x9S_O12Q" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Stability.

[JonnyT1234]

The Bank of England has rightly told Theresa May she doesn’t know what she’s talking about on interest rates - The Independent
https://apple.news/ABNVvHszxRu6ubq11IcBK_Q" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[PorFavor]

Birds Eye and Walkers ask supermarkets for more than 10% price rise - the guardian
https://apple.news/Aj3latIKYQo-fA5x9S_O12Q" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Stability.

That's at least 50% the fault of that enemy of the state Gary Lineker. Surely you realise that?

[AngryAsWell]

A C Grayling ‏@acgrayling Nov 5
Chinese businessman: 'UK is the door to Europe. Without Europe it's just a door - to nowhere.'

[JonnyT1234]

Birds Eye and Walkers ask supermarkets for more than 10% price rise - the guardian
https://apple.news/Aj3latIKYQo-fA5x9S_O12Q" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Stability.

That's at least 50% the fault of that enemy of the state Gary Lineker. Surely you realise that?

Enemy of the people, I think you'll find.

[tinyclanger2]

A C Grayling ‏@acgrayling Nov 5
Chinese businessman: 'UK is the door to Europe. Without Europe it's just a door - to nowhere.'

god.

[PorFavor]

Birds Eye and Walkers ask supermarkets for more than 10% price rise - the guardian
https://apple.news/Aj3latIKYQo-fA5x9S_O12Q" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Stability.

That's at least 50% the fault of that enemy of the state Gary Lineker. Surely you realise that?

Enemy of the people, I think you'll find.

Ha! They seem to be fast morphing into the same thing, though.

[fedup59]

Afternoon all

On the prefab possibilities I think there might be a problem of normalisation of inadequate and specifically poor people's housing in the longer term. If you think about prefabs, they were used after the war as a short term solution to a housing crisis created by war. They existed alongside a huge council house programme aimed at providing decent housing for all. There appears to me to be a real problem of creating an accepted housing programme that can be the basis of our very own version of a 'trailer trash' narrative that simply denies that everyone has the right to decent housing.

I think of decent, affordable homes as a human right and without that underpinning commitment I'm wary of the way the ideas are gaining traction.

[yahyah]

If anyone sees a full transcript of what Corbyn actually said to the Mirror please can you post it.

[tinyclanger2]

http://s358616779.websitehome.co.uk/pdf ... er2012.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
A review of the evidence relating to the representation of Muslims and Islam in the British media
(from 2012)

The evidence shows an overwhelmingly negative picture, where threat, otherness, fear and danger posed or caused by Muslims and Islam underpins a considerable majority of the media’s coverage. Given that 64% of the British public claimed that what they know about Muslims and Islam is acquired through the media, then it could be that such a stream of negativity goes some way to feeding, creating and justifying a form of order about who we are, or more precisely who we are not being created in the minds of the general public. All of this has the potential to then ensure stigmatisation, marginalisation and intolerance. If such messages are seen to ‘make sense’, then not only is it possible that this will result into discriminatory and exclusionary practices but so too does it make the divisive messages of those such as the far-right – the British National Party and English Defence League for instance – appear justified and fair. From an alternative perspective, such a process also reinforces the view that Muslims do not – and never will – ‘belong’ here, reinforcing dualistic and oppositional rhetoric especially of those promoting more radical ideas from within some sectors of Muslim communities.

[tinyclanger2]

The study shows how discourse on social media amplifies and is more explicit in expressing the stereotypes and negative representations of Muslims present in mainstream media.
http://www.ingentaconnect.com/contenton ... 1/art00002" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Suggesting social media not replacing the press just amplifying it. As I would expect.

[tinyclanger2]

https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals ... 7B9C5CE739" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Application of human rights responsibilities to the media in accordance with the Guiding Principles is significantly complicated by the existence of media rights of freedom of expression. It is argued that the application of the Guiding Principles to the media industry leaves significant scope for it to be involved with serious and systemic human rights violations. This conclusion indicates that the Guiding Principles are an inadequately theorised tool for dealing with human rights responsibilities of the media. It may reveal deeper flaws in the Guiding Principles, which extend to industries other than the media. At the least, a dialogue between the human rights community and the media industry must commence in order to work out how human rights might apply in the context of the responsibilities of one of the world’s most important and powerful industries.

[tinyclanger2]

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/po ... 00636.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Mr Farage also questioned the independence of the judiciary, in response to this week’s High Court ruling that said parliament must vote on when to deploy Article 50, and the claims by Jeremy Corbyn that Labour could demand continued membership of the single market.

“If that’s where we end up we’ve got half a Brexit,” he told The Andrew Marr Show.

Which would be about right given the result of the vote.

[AnatolyKasparov]

So that confirms that Farage and those who think like him see a hard Brexit as the only "real" Brexit. We knew that anyway, but good to see it confirmed with such clarity.

[SpinningHugo]

Ooh...
And don't forget that the Tory manifesto said this:



Life just just a bit more difficult for the government...although it could be argued that every country has access to the single market but I'd say that means within it.

As the Tories have already pledged 3/4 it amounts to nothing.

No, its politics. On this, JC is actually behaving much as any previous Labour leader (or putative present/future leader) would.

If anything, you should approve

Previous leaders were pro EU and would not have adopted a position that is identical to the Tories

[Willow904]

So that confirms that Farage and those who think like him see a hard Brexit as the only "real" Brexit. We knew that anyway, but good to see it confirmed with such clarity.

The concept that only leaving the single market would fulfil the result of the referendum on the EU is rapidly gaining traction, despite polling clearly showing a majority currently support continued membership of the single market. The hard Brexiters are taking the initiative at the moment and I fear if the case for full membership of the single market isn't made soon and made repeatedly hard Brexit is what we're going to get. It's especially important to emphasise the advantages of single market membership over full EU membership (I appreciate this is tricky), in order to ram home how remaining in the single market is different from remaining in the EU. An economic union rather than a political one etc etc. I don't see anyone attempting to establish wide support for the single market option in this way, and it's worrying to me. It will only happen if voters are convinced it's the best deal and insists on it. At the moment voters are being led to believe that anything but hard Brexit will be letting them down and with no counter-narrative they could well come to believe WTO is the only option.

[tinyclanger2]

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/peopl ... 00661.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
But the backlash has been fierce and Ms Miller has been subjected to a torrent of online abuse. Appearing on BBC One's Andrew Marr Show, she said: “It’s brought out a side of society - the dark clouds are definitely gathering. Every -ism you could think of: sexism, racism, homophobia. I was aware that there would be nastiness because anything to do with the word Brexit, people lose their minds."

She accused the press of having “behaved disgracefully” since the court's decision: “The papers - The Mail in particular - have been shameful."

If I were a communications researcher in this field, I'd be sending Gina Miller an overview of the current literature ....

[HindleA]

https://www.ifs.org.uk/publications/8717" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;


A tighter cap

IFS

[SpinningHugo]

So that confirms that Farage and those who think like him see a hard Brexit as the only "real" Brexit. We knew that anyway, but good to see it confirmed with such clarity.

The concept that only leaving the single market would fulfil the result of the referendum on the EU is rapidly gaining traction, despite polling clearly showing a majority currently support continued membership of the single market. The hard Brexiters are taking the initiative at the moment and I fear if the case for full membership of the single market isn't made soon and made repeatedly hard Brexit is what we're going to get. It's especially important to emphasise the advantages of single market membership over full EU membership (I appreciate this is tricky), in order to ram home how remaining in the single market is different from remaining in the EU. An economic union rather than a political one etc etc. I don't see anyone attempting to establish wide support for the single market option in this way, and it's worrying to me. It will only happen if voters are convinced it's the best deal and insists on it. At the moment voters are being led to believe that anything but hard Brexit will be letting them down and with no counter-narrative they could well come to believe WTO is the only option.

Absolutely.

What a disaster it is that both Labour and the Tories support leaving the single market. There is no opposition to disaster

[tinyclanger2]

https://www.indy100.com/article/shop-si ... ke-7397116" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

fencing sign.jpg (183.62 KiB) Viewed 6407 times

[tinyclanger2]

From Wikipedia:

Eeyore has a poor opinion of most of the other animals in the Forest, describing them as having "No brain at all, some of them", "only grey fluff that's blown into their heads by mistake" (from chapter 1 of The House at Pooh Corner). Eeyore's favorite food is thistles. He lives in the southeast corner of the Hundred Acre Wood, in an area labeled "Eeyore's Gloomy Place: Rather Boggy and Sad" on the map in the book. He has a stick house therein called The House at Pooh Corner. Pooh and Piglet built it for him after accidentally mistaking the original house that Eeyore built for a pile of sticks. On Eeyore's birthday, he is given an empty honey jar from Pooh for keeping things in, a popped red balloon from Piglet to keep in the pot, and a note from Owl.

Eeyore is also surprisingly good at the game Poohsticks, winning more times than anyone else when it is played in the sixth chapter.

[citizenJA]

Good-afternoon, everyone.

[PorFavor]

Good-afternoon, everyone.

Hello!

[AngryAsWell]

Nicky Morgan ‏@NickyMorgan01 17h17 hours ago
'A country that hounds, demonises & threatens its judiciary is one that toys menacingly with the very tenets of its democracy' - says it all


How long until someone starts collecting names for the tory coup ? and who will get to be next leader? My bets are on Osborne.

[citizenJA]

Congratulations, RogerOThornhill and Mrs RogerOThornhill
Happy Anniversary!

[AnatolyKasparov]

As the Tories have already pledged 3/4 it amounts to nothing.

No, its politics. On this, JC is actually behaving much as any previous Labour leader (or putative present/future leader) would.

If anything, you should approve

Previous leaders were pro EU and would not have adopted a position that is identical to the Tories

Even by your admission, it is not "identical".