Tuesday 7th March 2017

[refitman]

Morning all.

[HindleA]

Morning


https://www.theguardian.com/society/201 ... lor-budget" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Government abdicating responsibility for social care, say providers

[HindleA]

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/201 ... are-repeal" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;


House Republicans reveal bill to repeal and replace Obama's healthcare law
American Health Care Act would shrink government role in healthcare and could leave more people without insurance despite Trump administration promises


"Other issues in the Senate for the House bill include the proposal to roll back the expansion of Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act. Four Republicans senators, Rob Portman of Ohio, Cory Gardner of Colorado, Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska wrote publicly that they could not support the draft bill’s current provisions to eliminate the expansion of a program that provides healthcare to the working poor."

[HindleA]

Not grammars apparently but selective free schools.

[RogerOThornhill]

Not grammars apparently but selective free schools.

I switched off Today when that arse Toby Young used the DfE-approved line of "council-run schools".

Humphries seemed to be more interested in badgering Angela Rayner about whether she'd shut the existing grammars.

[HindleA]

https://betterhealthforall.org/2017/03/ ... crease-it/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;


We need to reduce the disability poverty gap, but benefit cuts are likely to increase it

[HindleA]

In a competitive field according to a yougov poll,the Wail seen as the most right wing.

[HindleA]

Carmichael bedroom tax case in the upper tribunal today,the one stayed due to being in the Supreme Court,which they won.

[StephenDolan]

Morning all.

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfr ... l-election" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Lots I can nod along to, and yet...

[HindleA]

https://www.theguardian.com/society/201 ... ed-parents" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;


Philip Hammond urged to pause cut in benefits for widowed parents
More than 3,200 people write to MPs to say reforms to bereaved support payments will leave 75% of people worse off in cash terms

[Willow904]

@pk1

Thanks for the link yesterday to May's publication of her tax return during the leadership contest. It explains the lack of interest in the topic, if she's already published a pretty boring, modest return quite recently. I note that her extra money as a cabinet minister is simply lumped in with her basic MP income as part of her salary. It's just a summary, of course, rather than a return, but the way it's presented makes more sense than Corbyn's, which seems to have been presented to the public with very little thought, hence the scope for a hostile media to turn it back on him unfortunately

[gilsey]

https://www.theguardian.com/society/201 ... ed-parents

Philip Hammond urged to pause cut in benefits for widowed parents
More than 3,200 people write to MPs to say reforms to bereaved support payments will leave 75% of people worse off in cash terms

The contributory link gets loosened further.

It's pennies in overall budget terms, like the 18-21 housing benefit. Just nasty.

And yet 'Tories have 31-pt lead over Labour on economic competence'.

[HindleA]

http://www.newstatesman.com/politics/st ... heir-hands" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;



MPs voting on the Dubs scheme hold the fate of child refugees in their hands

[HindleA]

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


Hammond gets budget boost as OECD upgrades UK growth forecast

[RogerOThornhill]

Well.

Bolton Wanderers Free School to close

http://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/news/bol ... _to_close/

A FREE school set up by Bolton Wanderers will close at the end of this academic year.

The announcement by the trustees comes just four months after a damning Ofsted report which graded it inadequate it all areas.

The trustees are blaming the failure to recruit sufficient students, meaning the school, a post-16 establishment, “is not financially viable into the future”.

The school will not accept applications for entry from new Year 12 students for September, and it will close on August 31.

Trustees say the decision has been reached “only after extensive discussion with the department for education and the education funding agency to explore all available options”.

"On hearing the news, Toby Young, Tory shill at the NSN, said....well, actually he said nothing at all as usual when faced with negative reports of Free Schools".

[gilsey]

And yet 'Tories have 31-pt lead over Labour on economic competence'.

But is it not all good news for the Conservatives. In July May and Hammond were on 53%. Their figures has fallen by 10 points over the last eight months.

[NonOxCol]

Morning.

A picture of Craig, Clooney, Pitt and Styles, to cheer up our female members in these dark times.

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

[gilsey]

Morning.

A picture of Craig, Clooney, Pitt and Styles, to cheer up our female members in these dark times.

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

Some great replies.

[pk1]

Morning.

A picture of Craig, Clooney, Pitt and Styles, to cheer up our female members in these dark times.

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

That's a dirty trick to play so early in the day

[AnatolyKasparov]

And yet 'Tories have 31-pt lead over Labour on economic competence'.

But is it not all good news for the Conservatives. In July May and Hammond were on 53%. Their figures has fallen by 10 points over the last eight months.

I'm sure we - and they - can get that down by another 10 points. And then maybe another 10?

[Tubby Isaacs]

Inflation could chip away at that. All totally unnecessary.

[Tubby Isaacs]

https://www.theguardian.com/society/201 ... ed-parents

Philip Hammond urged to pause cut in benefits for widowed parents
More than 3,200 people write to MPs to say reforms to bereaved support payments will leave 75% of people worse off in cash terms

The contributory link gets loosened further.

It's pennies in overall budget terms, like the 18-21 housing benefit. Just nasty.

And yet 'Tories have 31-pt lead over Labour on economic competence'.

It was a benefit change for young people that brought on the 80s 90s rough sleeping epidemic.

[HindleA]

Yeah,happened to be working in London/Liverpool for homeless charities at the time.

[adam]

https://www.theguardian.com/society/201 ... ed-parents

Philip Hammond urged to pause cut in benefits for widowed parents
More than 3,200 people write to MPs to say reforms to bereaved support payments will leave 75% of people worse off in cash terms

The contributory link gets loosened further.

It's pennies in overall budget terms, like the 18-21 housing benefit. Just nasty.

And yet 'Tories have 31-pt lead over Labour on economic competence'.

It was a benefit change for young people that brought on the 80s 90s rough sleeping epidemic.

I had a conversation with a prison governor on a train once who said that he thought the early 80s cuts to benefits for young people were the single worst examples of legislation he'd ever seen - that they were as good as designed to increase homelessness, poverty and criminal behaviour amongst the young.

[HindleA]

https://www.theguardian.com/society/201 ... ns-not-new" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[citizenJA]

Good-morning, everyone.

[HindleA]

An old but still highly relevant article on U.K spending on disability /comparisons.


http://lartsocial.org/disexpintrnl" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;


A hard concept to grasp perhaps but DLA/PIP in particular saves money.

[gilsey]

https://www.politicshome.com/news/uk/ho ... have-taken" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
A senior Labour peer has revealed how he and his wife have taken in a young Syrian refugee after he was reduced to tears by a visit to the Calais Jungle.

[adam]

Food inflation doubles in a month as UK shoppers start to feel the pinch

Supermarket inflation doubled last month as shoppers had to pay more for staples such as butter and tea, underlining expectations that household budgets will come under extra pressure in 2017.

Grocery inflation jumped to a near three-year high of 1.4% in the 12 weeks to 26 February, from 0.7% in the 12 weeks to 29 January, according to the consumer consultancy Kantar Worldpanel. The cost of fruit and vegetables – a large proportion of which are imported – also rose.

And this core goods inflation always hits the poorest hardest.

[Tubby Isaacs]

Well.

Bolton Wanderers Free School to close

http://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/news/bol ... _to_close/

A FREE school set up by Bolton Wanderers will close at the end of this academic year.

The announcement by the trustees comes just four months after a damning Ofsted report which graded it inadequate it all areas.

The trustees are blaming the failure to recruit sufficient students, meaning the school, a post-16 establishment, “is not financially viable into the future”.

The school will not accept applications for entry from new Year 12 students for September, and it will close on August 31.

Trustees say the decision has been reached “only after extensive discussion with the department for education and the education funding agency to explore all available options”.

"On hearing the news, Toby Young, Tory shill at the NSN, said....well, actually he said nothing at all as usual when faced with negative reports of Free Schools".

It must have seemed a better idea when they were in the Premier League. Bit of a problem with attaching schools to "brands" like that.

Is Everton Free School surviving?

[Tubby Isaacs]

Yeah,happened to be working in London/Liverpool for homeless charities at the time.

Top respect.

[Tubby Isaacs]

@pk1

Thanks for the link yesterday to May's publication of her tax return during the leadership contest. It explains the lack of interest in the topic, if she's already published a pretty boring, modest return quite recently. I note that her extra money as a cabinet minister is simply lumped in with her basic MP income as part of her salary. It's just a summary, of course, rather than a return, but the way it's presented makes more sense than Corbyn's, which seems to have been presented to the public with very little thought, hence the scope for a hostile media to turn it back on him unfortunately

I think the target was Hammond ahead of the budget, to be fair. It was fluffed on this occasion but they might be planning to follow it up with eg the rest of the Shadow Cabinet, then it could get legs.

[PorFavor]

Food inflation doubles in a month as UK shoppers start to feel the pinch

Supermarket inflation doubled last month as shoppers had to pay more for staples such as butter and tea, underlining expectations that household budgets will come under extra pressure in 2017.

Grocery inflation jumped to a near three-year high of 1.4% in the 12 weeks to 26 February, from 0.7% in the 12 weeks to 29 January, according to the consumer consultancy Kantar Worldpanel. The cost of fruit and vegetables – a large proportion of which are imported – also rose.

And this core goods inflation always hits the poorest hardest.

I've notice that grocery prices have gone up a great deal. It's not even single figure pennies at a time. It's 20p here, 50p there and so on. I know I'm a bit of a Luddite but, since barcoding for prices, I don't think people notice as much as they once did. Formerly, I'd get something out of the cupboard and see the price on the sticky label. And then see the new price on the replacement.







Edited - typo

[PorFavor]

Good morfternoon.

[adam]

@pk1

Thanks for the link yesterday to May's publication of her tax return during the leadership contest. It explains the lack of interest in the topic, if she's already published a pretty boring, modest return quite recently. I note that her extra money as a cabinet minister is simply lumped in with her basic MP income as part of her salary. It's just a summary, of course, rather than a return, but the way it's presented makes more sense than Corbyn's, which seems to have been presented to the public with very little thought, hence the scope for a hostile media to turn it back on him unfortunately

I think the target was Hammond ahead of the budget, to be fair. It was fluffed on this occasion but they might be planning to follow it up with eg the rest of the Shadow Cabinet, then it could get legs.

I have visions of the treasury team crowbarring in strange technical measures so they can stand up and say "Look how much better off the shadow cabinet are now because of the budget - aren't they terribly wealthy hypocrites'. And the press loving it.

[adam]

Well.

Bolton Wanderers Free School to close

http://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/news/bol ... _to_close/

A FREE school set up by Bolton Wanderers will close at the end of this academic year.

The announcement by the trustees comes just four months after a damning Ofsted report which graded it inadequate it all areas.

The trustees are blaming the failure to recruit sufficient students, meaning the school, a post-16 establishment, “is not financially viable into the future”.

The school will not accept applications for entry from new Year 12 students for September, and it will close on August 31.

Trustees say the decision has been reached “only after extensive discussion with the department for education and the education funding agency to explore all available options”.

"On hearing the news, Toby Young, Tory shill at the NSN, said....well, actually he said nothing at all as usual when faced with negative reports of Free Schools".

It must have seemed a better idea when they were in the Premier League. Bit of a problem with attaching schools to "brands" like that.

Is Everton Free School surviving?

*stifles comment about long term underachievement*

[Tubby Isaacs]

Ellie Mae O'Hagan brought together some links from unlikely people (Lagarde, a partner at PWC) calling for more transparency on tax. I think it was corporate rather than personal tax, but there were practical points. I's there someone in Labour pulling this together? There's plenty of money about- a couple of full time tax policy experts are affordable. Not that I necessarily think getting advice from PWC is corrupt (they know what they're talking about) but might be a nice touch to put a bit more distance.

[Tubby Isaacs]

@pk1

Thanks for the link yesterday to May's publication of her tax return during the leadership contest. It explains the lack of interest in the topic, if she's already published a pretty boring, modest return quite recently. I note that her extra money as a cabinet minister is simply lumped in with her basic MP income as part of her salary. It's just a summary, of course, rather than a return, but the way it's presented makes more sense than Corbyn's, which seems to have been presented to the public with very little thought, hence the scope for a hostile media to turn it back on him unfortunately

I think the target was Hammond ahead of the budget, to be fair. It was fluffed on this occasion but they might be planning to follow it up with eg the rest of the Shadow Cabinet, then it could get legs.

I have visions of the treasury team crowbarring in strange technical measures so they can stand up and say "Look how much better off the shadow cabinet are now because of the budget - aren't they terribly wealthy hypocrites'. And the press loving it.

That's a very good point.

[HindleA]

http://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/econo ... ntegrating" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;



The case for Universal Credit is disintegrating

[AnatolyKasparov]

Hasn't that been the case for, well, years?

Though I suppose it is rather interesting if even the likes of Prospect have noticed.

[pk1]

@pk1

Thanks for the link yesterday to May's publication of her tax return during the leadership contest. It explains the lack of interest in the topic, if she's already published a pretty boring, modest return quite recently. I note that her extra money as a cabinet minister is simply lumped in with her basic MP income as part of her salary. It's just a summary, of course, rather than a return, but the way it's presented makes more sense than Corbyn's, which seems to have been presented to the public with very little thought, hence the scope for a hostile media to turn it back on him unfortunately

I think the target was Hammond ahead of the budget, to be fair. It was fluffed on this occasion but they might be planning to follow it up with eg the rest of the Shadow Cabinet, then it could get legs.

I hate it. What purpose does it serve other than to create division between the 'haves' and the 'have nots' ? We all know some MPs are wealthy but tbh, if a successful barrister say then becomes an MP, I'd be gobsmacked if they weren't wealthy.

In any case, a tax return never reveals any tax avoidance measures that may have been used. It's virtue signalling at its worst.

[HindleA]

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



High levels of violence and use of force at last G4S-run child jail, report finds

https://reports.ofsted.gov.uk/secure-tr ... es/oakhill" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[StephenDolan]

@pk1

Thanks for the link yesterday to May's publication of her tax return during the leadership contest. It explains the lack of interest in the topic, if she's already published a pretty boring, modest return quite recently. I note that her extra money as a cabinet minister is simply lumped in with her basic MP income as part of her salary. It's just a summary, of course, rather than a return, but the way it's presented makes more sense than Corbyn's, which seems to have been presented to the public with very little thought, hence the scope for a hostile media to turn it back on him unfortunately

I think the target was Hammond ahead of the budget, to be fair. It was fluffed on this occasion but they might be planning to follow it up with eg the rest of the Shadow Cabinet, then it could get legs.

I hate it. What purpose does it serve other than to create division between the 'haves' and the 'have nots' ? We all know some MPs are wealthy but tbh, if a successful barrister say then becomes an MP, I'd be gobsmacked if they weren't wealthy.

In any case, a tax return never reveals any tax avoidance measures that may have been used. It's virtue signalling at its worst.

It's not Virtue Signalling. There are many wheezes and schemes to minimise how much tax is paid according to a former Chancellor. Let's keep things transparent and open.

[pk1]

I think the target was Hammond ahead of the budget, to be fair. It was fluffed on this occasion but they might be planning to follow it up with eg the rest of the Shadow Cabinet, then it could get legs.

I hate it. What purpose does it serve other than to create division between the 'haves' and the 'have nots' ? We all know some MPs are wealthy but tbh, if a successful barrister say then becomes an MP, I'd be gobsmacked if they weren't wealthy.

In any case, a tax return never reveals any tax avoidance measures that may have been used. It's virtue signalling at its worst.

It's not Virtue Signalling. There are many wheezes and schemes to minimise how much tax is paid according to a former Chancellor. Let's keep things transparent and open.

How exactly do those wheezes and schemes show up on a tax return ? A flippin' legitimate ISA doesn't show let alone anything remotely dodgy !

[Tubby Isaacs]

@pk1

Thanks for the link yesterday to May's publication of her tax return during the leadership contest. It explains the lack of interest in the topic, if she's already published a pretty boring, modest return quite recently. I note that her extra money as a cabinet minister is simply lumped in with her basic MP income as part of her salary. It's just a summary, of course, rather than a return, but the way it's presented makes more sense than Corbyn's, which seems to have been presented to the public with very little thought, hence the scope for a hostile media to turn it back on him unfortunately

I think the target was Hammond ahead of the budget, to be fair. It was fluffed on this occasion but they might be planning to follow it up with eg the rest of the Shadow Cabinet, then it could get legs.

I hate it. What purpose does it serve other than to create division between the 'haves' and the 'have nots' ? We all know some MPs are wealthy but tbh, if a successful barrister say then becomes an MP, I'd be gobsmacked if they weren't wealthy.

In any case, a tax return never reveals any tax avoidance measures that may have been used. It's virtue signalling at its worst.

I don't like the thing with millionaires having to publish what tax they pay. That just seems to be "look at these fuckers". You might get the odd Mark Owen or Jim my Carr who is doing big avoidance but mostly they'll be obscure people. The government has all the info it needs to fight avoidance. No need for naming and shaming.

I think though if you're pushing a broader transparency agenda with corporate tax, it's good to publish your own returns.

[HindleA]

http://www.gizmodo.co.uk/2017/03/the-re ... sometimes/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;


The Results Are In: The Holborn Escalator Trial Proves That It Is Better To Stand On the Escalator (Well, Sometimes)

[Tubby Isaacs]

I think corporate tax is where to go on transparency. Personal tax is much more tricky because it gets you into personal privacy areas. That can really bite you on the arse.

[Willow904]

The point about David Cameron and tax transparency was that he oversaw the reduction in tax for the top rate. At a time of austerity and we all being supposedly "in it together". If it were revealed he and his front bench were all to be beneficiaries it could have been damaging. Although, to be frank, it's regularly been shown that many Tory frontbenchers are landlords of expensive London properties that have benefited hugely from government efforts to artificially prop up the housing market and that hasn't stopped people voting for the selfish bastards, so it's sometimes difficult to see what will.

Especially when Ed Miliband was regularly attacked for living in an expensive London home, even though he was willing to introduce a mansion tax which would have been against his own personal best interests. Go figure.

[adam]

http://www.gizmodo.co.uk/2017/03/the-re ... sometimes/


The Results Are In: The Holborn Escalator Trial Proves That It Is Better To Stand On the Escalator (Well, Sometimes)

Grammar schools. Walking up the escalators might be the best thing for you to do, for you, but its net effect is to slow down everybody.

[SpinningHugo]

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

Certainly true for me, and I'm relatively wealthy. Lidl and the market, no Waitrose from now on/