Tuesday 10th January 2017

[StephenDolan]

Well well well.

Corbyn proposes maximum wage for all government contractors

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

Let's see who criticises this first.

[SpinningHugo]

Well well well.

Corbyn proposes maximum wage for all government contractors

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

Let's see who criticises this first.

Danny Blanchflower?

It is a crackpot policy, that would seriously restrict the number of contractors prepared to bid, thereby whacking up costs. Good luck finding, say, an IT or road haulage contractor that met those limits.

IF you want to make income more progressive there is one fair way to do it.

The taxation system. Use that.

[SpinningHugo]

"We're not wedded to freedom of movement as a point of principle, but I don’t want to be misinterpreted, nor do we rule it out."

Strong message here.

[Tubby Isaacs]

Well well well.

Corbyn proposes maximum wage for all government contractors

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

Let's see who criticises this first.

Danny Blanchflower?

It is a crackpot policy, that would seriously restrict the number of contractors prepared to bid, thereby whacking up costs. Good luck finding, say, an IT or road haulage contractor that met those limits.

Depending on the conditions, it certainly could have these bad effects.

I'm still not really getting why tax and spend isn't perfectly adequate.

[StephenDolan]

Well well well.

Corbyn proposes maximum wage for all government contractors

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

Let's see who criticises this first.

Danny Blanchflower?

It is a crackpot policy, that would seriously restrict the number of contractors prepared to bid, thereby whacking up costs. Good luck finding, say, an IT or road haulage contractor that met those limits.

Fail.

Blanchflower didn't criticise this.

[Tubby Isaacs]

If the Government seeks legal advice from outside, won't there be some seriously high earners there? Even if they're doing it for a reasonable fee.

[SpinningHugo]

If the Government seeks legal advice from outside, won't there be some seriously high earners there? Even if they're doing it for a reasonable fee.

It couldn't instruct any major law firm.

[Tubby Isaacs]

Well well well.

Corbyn proposes maximum wage for all government contractors

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

Let's see who criticises this first.

Danny Blanchflower?

It is a crackpot policy, that would seriously restrict the number of contractors prepared to bid, thereby whacking up costs. Good luck finding, say, an IT or road haulage contractor that met those limits.

Fail.

Blanchflower didn't criticise this.

He criticized the maximum wage in general, which would rule it out for contractors.

[StephenDolan]

Well well well.

Corbyn proposes maximum wage for all government contractors

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

Let's see who criticises this first.

Danny Blanchflower?

It is a crackpot policy, that would seriously restrict the number of contractors prepared to bid, thereby whacking up costs. Good luck finding, say, an IT or road haulage contractor that met those limits.

Depending on the conditions, it certainly could have these bad effects.

I'm still not really getting why tax and spend isn't perfectly adequate.

Oh come on. From a purely political point of view, is this likely to be a vote winner or a vote loser?

[Tubby Isaacs]

If the Government seeks legal advice from outside, won't there be some seriously high earners there? Even if they're doing it for a reasonable fee.

It couldn't instruct any major law firm.

And what's going to really whack the earnings rates, I assume, is the international stuff that foreign companies come to The City for. De facto exports- bad.

[StephenDolan]

Danny Blanchflower?

It is a crackpot policy, that would seriously restrict the number of contractors prepared to bid, thereby whacking up costs. Good luck finding, say, an IT or road haulage contractor that met those limits.

Fail.

Blanchflower didn't criticise this.

He criticized the maximum wage in general, which would rule it out for contractors.

Did you and/or SH read the piece or go off the headline? Genuine question.

[Tubby Isaacs]

Danny Blanchflower?

It is a crackpot policy, that would seriously restrict the number of contractors prepared to bid, thereby whacking up costs. Good luck finding, say, an IT or road haulage contractor that met those limits.

Depending on the conditions, it certainly could have these bad effects.

I'm still not really getting why tax and spend isn't perfectly adequate.

Oh come on. From a purely political point of view, is this likely to be a vote winner or a vote loser?

Higher top rates of tax and spending the money are politically popular. You have to do work on where yield is highest, of course. Go for it.

Something unworkable is just going to look silly.

[Tubby Isaacs]

He criticized the maximum wage in general, which would rule it out for contractors.

Did you and/or SH read the piece or go off the headline? Genuine question.

I read your summary. "Corbyn proposes maximum wage".

[AngryAsWell]

Danny Blanchflower?

It is a crackpot policy, that would seriously restrict the number of contractors prepared to bid, thereby whacking up costs. Good luck finding, say, an IT or road haulage contractor that met those limits.

Depending on the conditions, it certainly could have these bad effects.

I'm still not really getting why tax and spend isn't perfectly adequate.

Oh come on. From a purely political point of view, is this likely to be a vote winner or a vote loser?

In my (Labour area) massive vote loser. If abide by it would have a crash effect on house prices, what sort of salary do you think is needed for a house costing 850K /1mil plus ?

[StephenDolan]

Did you and/or SH read the piece or go off the headline? Genuine question.

I read your summary. "Corbyn proposes maximum wage".

Nope. That'd be the headline.

[StephenDolan]

Depending on the conditions, it certainly could have these bad effects.

I'm still not really getting why tax and spend isn't perfectly adequate.

Oh come on. From a purely political point of view, is this likely to be a vote winner or a vote loser?

In my (Labour area) massive vote loser. If abide by it would have a crash effect on house prices, what sort of salary do you think is needed for a house costing 850K /1mil plus ?

That's a good question.

Of those looking at, or indeed owning, a house costing 850k, what do you think is held in equity and what would be the actual mortgage?

[Tubby Isaacs]

To be more positive, I think there's something decent in Corbyn's remarks to Kuennsberg.

He says that he supports a more regulated labour market. This would, he suggests, and I agree, probably reduce immigration.

That looks like something I could get behind. If you ignore his strange confusion between "freedom of movement" and "unregulated labour market".

[Tubby Isaacs]

Nope. That'd be the headline.

I assumed you endorsed it. You seemed to be not only putting it up for info, but saying it was good.

[Tubby Isaacs]

"We're not wedded to freedom of movement as a point of principle, but I don’t want to be misinterpreted, nor do we rule it out."

Strong message here.

The EU bits are sounding better than the messaging.

[SpinningHugo]

"We're not wedded to freedom of movement as a point of principle, but I don’t want to be misinterpreted, nor do we rule it out."

Strong message here.

The EU bits are sounding better than the messaging.

Well, the last 24 hours have been very funny. Would have loved to have been watching Milne scurrying around. Certainly a new way of doing politics. Sadly I don't think we'll ever see another doc like that Vice one.

[StephenDolan]

Nope. That'd be the headline.

I assumed you endorsed it. You seemed to be not only putting it up for info, but saying it was good.

Do I think that there's potential in multipliers? Yes. A hard cap? Nope. The former was in the Mason piece, the latter was kindly spun in by the sub-editor.


Coming up with specific scenarios that could prove complicate matters doesn't make the idea generally bad.


I wonder whether (and if so, how) this appears in a YouGov.

[Tubby Isaacs]

Neale Coleman walked out pretty sharpish. Who is still in there?

[HindleA]

DWP Selec Committe oral.evidence session on citizens income on Thursday 11 am for those interested.


http://www.parliament.uk/business/commi ... committee/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Tubby Isaacs]

Nope. That'd be the headline.

I assumed you endorsed it. You seemed to be not only putting it up for info, but saying it was good.

Do I think that there's potential in multipliers? Yes. A hard cap? Nope. The former was in the Mason piece, the latter was kindly spun in by the sub-editor.


Coming up with specific scenarios that could prove complicate matters doesn't make the idea generally bad.


I wonder whether (and if so, how) this appears in a YouGov.

OK but you can see why I was confused?

I think multipliers are a dead end too. You can just boot out the low paid employees and get in contractors to make things look better.

[StephenDolan]

I assumed you endorsed it. You seemed to be not only putting it up for info, but saying it was good.

Do I think that there's potential in multipliers? Yes. A hard cap? Nope. The former was in the Mason piece, the latter was kindly spun in by the sub-editor.


Coming up with specific scenarios that could prove complicate matters doesn't make the idea generally bad.


I wonder whether (and if so, how) this appears in a YouGov.

OK but you can see why I was confused?

I think multipliers are a dead end too. You can just boot out the low paid employees and get in contractors to make things look better.

The Guardian app lack of quotation marks when sharing doesn't help!

Assuming that these can be considered and planned for, do you think that politically it is a bad thing to suggest?

[AngryAsWell]

Oh come on. From a purely political point of view, is this likely to be a vote winner or a vote loser?

In my (Labour area) massive vote loser. If abide by it would have a crash effect on house prices, what sort of salary do you think is needed for a house costing 850K /1mil plus ?

That's a good question.

Of those looking at, or indeed owning, a house costing 850k, what do you think is held in equity and what would be the actual mortgage?

Our house is not worth that kind of money but in the (for want of a better word) "better" parts of the constituency plenty are. I'm thinking more about an MD/business owner looking to buy, not one who has benefited from the current prices by already owning one. As to how much equity they can put in (deposit wise) that would depend on what mortgage they could get on the salary limit they would be at, already I can see openings for crafty dealings where the "firm" hold an interest in the property in loo of wages.

[StephenDolan]

In my (Labour area) massive vote loser. If abide by it would have a crash effect on house prices, what sort of salary do you think is needed for a house costing 850K /1mil plus ?

That's a good question.

Of those looking at, or indeed owning, a house costing 850k, what do you think is held in equity and what would be the actual mortgage?

Our house is not worth that kind of money but in the (for want of a better word) "better" parts of the constituency plenty are. I'm thinking more about an MD/business owner looking to buy, not one who has benefited from the current prices by already owning one. As to how much equity they can put in (deposit wise) that would depend on what mortgage they could get on the salary limit they would be at, already I can see openings for crafty dealings where the "firm" hold an interest in the property in loo of wages.

Yes, but how many people buy a house for 850k without a deposit or (more importantly) existing equity?

[AngryAsWell]

That's a good question.

Of those looking at, or indeed owning, a house costing 850k, what do you think is held in equity and what would be the actual mortgage?

Our house is not worth that kind of money but in the (for want of a better word) "better" parts of the constituency plenty are. I'm thinking more about an MD/business owner looking to buy, not one who has benefited from the current prices by already owning one. As to how much equity they can put in (deposit wise) that would depend on what mortgage they could get on the salary limit they would be at, already I can see openings for crafty dealings where the "firm" hold an interest in the property in loo of wages.

Yes, but how many people buy a house for 850k without a deposit or (more importantly) existing equity?

Owners /MD's/Executives of small & medium businesses have to start somewhere, just like the rest of us.

[gilsey]

Public health officials and politicians often use statistical complexity as an excuse to do nothing, says Danny Dorling.
http://www.nature.com/articles/s41562-016-0009" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

When governments cut health and care funding and many more people die shortly afterwards, the default assumption should be that the two are linked.

[Tubby Isaacs]

The Guardian app lack of quotation marks when sharing doesn't help!

Assuming that these can be considered and planned for, do you think that politically it is a bad thing to suggest?

I'm assuming they can't. I can't see how you can stop people outsourcing their cheaper employees. Or indeed why the tax system can't do the work as it is, with higher rates at the top.

[StephenDolan]

Our house is not worth that kind of money but in the (for want of a better word) "better" parts of the constituency plenty are. I'm thinking more about an MD/business owner looking to buy, not one who has benefited from the current prices by already owning one. As to how much equity they can put in (deposit wise) that would depend on what mortgage they could get on the salary limit they would be at, already I can see openings for crafty dealings where the "firm" hold an interest in the property in loo of wages.

Yes, but how many people buy a house for 850k without a deposit or (more importantly) existing equity?

Owners /MD's/Executives of small & medium businesses have to start somewhere, just like the rest of us.

Absolutely they do. The chances of them either having no equity, no deposit and paying themselves above say 350k?

IMHO that's going to be a relatively small subset.

[Tubby Isaacs]

Hadn't seen this. From November.

http://citywire.co.uk/money/government- ... ls/a973346" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The government is to review the levying of stamp duty on share transactions.

Well done, anti-corporate Brexiters. You've brought this on the agenda.

I wonder how long the Brexiters are going to get away with this for. Nissan freebie is fighting for British proper jobs. Tax cuts for stockbrokers is quite another, even if the economic logic might be the same.

Farron's been the best mainstreamer. He might as well go more strongly though, and point out the low tax, low regulation shit show that's on the way.

[gilsey]

A view from Germany, there is nothing in it to surprise anyone here.
http://www.spiegel.de/international/eur ... 29194.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Brexit Confusion
A Riddle Wrapped in a Mystery Inside an Enigma
Six months after the EU referendum, the government in Britain still has no plan for leaving the bloc. What does Brexit really mean?
By Christoph Scheuermann

[Tubby Isaacs]

A view from Germany, there is nothing in it to surprise anyone here.
http://www.spiegel.de/international/eur ... 29194.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Brexit Confusion
A Riddle Wrapped in a Mystery Inside an Enigma
Six months after the EU referendum, the government in Britain still has no plan for leaving the bloc. What does Brexit really mean?
By Christoph Scheuermann

You mean they're not suddenly thinking "Old Boris is right!"

[pk1]

Harry Smith's verdict on today's relaunch

[yahyah]

Has anyone told Harry he's a neo-lib Blairite Red Tory elitist establishment shill

[yahyah]

Harry L Smith also tweeted

''People need a living wage, a universal basic income, affordable education, public healthcare, a good tax system not a #maximum wage''.

[PorFavor]

Good morfternoon.

PLO threatens to revoke recognition of Israel if US embassy moves to Jerusalem

Palestinian officials call for protests in mosques to object to the proposed move from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, and say it would violate Oslo peace agreements(Guardian)

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/ ... oslo-peace



Edited - tidy up

[yahyah]

Have finally conceded to technology and got a smartphone.
Sorry PF, I feel I've let the side down. Also have bluetoothed the i-pod and digital radio. They now talk to each other. All feels a bit heady. Whatever next ?

[PorFavor]

Have finally conceded to technology and got a smartphone.
Sorry PF, I feel I've let the side down. Also have bluetoothed the i-pod and digital radio. They now talk to each other. All feels a bit heady. Whatever next ?

I know what a digital radio is but, beyond that, you've lost me . . .

[Tubby Isaacs]

Ed is a nice chap, isn't he?

Ed Miliband ‏@Ed_Miliband 3h3 hours ago
Whatever precise mechanism, Jeremy Corbyn is totally right to be setting agenda on the crucial issue of obscene pay differentials today.

[pk1]

[HindleA]

https://www.jrf.org.uk/blog/acting-unfa ... ign=buffer" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;


Acting on unfair poverty premiums must be a 2017 priority

[PorFavor]

Is anyone here up to speed on the Northern Ireland situation and its possible ramifications, please?





Edited - typo

[AngryAsWell]

Is anyone here up to speed on the Northern Ireland situation and its possible ramifications, please?





Edited - typo

There will be an election but not till mid March(ish) I've seen some (casual not official or jurno's) that it may be fought on EU/leave EU platform, in which case Sinn Fein may benefit as they backed remain. (Don't quote me, only seen the odd twitter on it.)

[Tubby Isaacs]

The Nationalist vote over all going down though. Who are Sinn Fein going to get votes off? They've already killed the SDLP.

Actually, I shouldn't use metaphors like that in the context of Sinn Fein. Hoping the less lunatic and slightly more distanced from paramilitaries UUP get some votes off the DUP though.

[PorFavor]

Dutch trains become 100% wind-powered

The national railway company, NS, said that its renewable energy target had been met a year earlier than planned (Guardian)

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/ ... powered-ns

[WelshIan]

<snip> Vote Green.

I'm not voting Green, it'll get get us nowhere.

Given that there is no prospect of any party other than the Tories being in power, why not vote for principle?

SH telling people to vote Green because of his long term, deeply held Green principles?

[Tubby Isaacs]

Labour economic adviser no longer supports Labour.

simon wren-lewis
‏@sjwrenlewis simon wren-lewis Retweeted Ben Chu
Ben is crystal clear here. Can anyone who believes strongly in staying in the single market support either of the two main parties?

[Tubby Isaacs]

Well done, Cameron and Mayhem.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/C10RzbDW8AAMqvq.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Ian Jones ‏@ian_a_jones 5h5 hours ago
200 days on from the referendum, the pound's slump has outpaced the devaluation of 1967, the 1976 sterling crisis *and* Black Wednesday.