Saturday 11th and Sunday 12th March 2017

PorFavor · Post by **PorFavor** » Sat 11 Mar, 2017 9:05 am

Good morfternoon.

HindleA · Post by **HindleA** » Sat 11 Mar, 2017 9:24 am

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

Judge blocks Trump administration from banning Syrian family

HindleA · Post by **HindleA** » Sat 11 Mar, 2017 9:26 am

https://www.theguardian.com/money/2017/ ... are_btn_tw" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Why are Britain’s new homes built so badly

HindleA · Post by **HindleA** » Sat 11 Mar, 2017 9:31 am

https://www.theguardian.com/social-care ... ip-hammond" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Budget's £2bn for social care is welcome but crisis is about more than money
Bob Hudson

HindleA · Post by **HindleA** » Sat 11 Mar, 2017 9:47 am

Labour front bench writing to Cabinet secretary re Surrey and Ministerial code.

HindleA · Post by **HindleA** » Sat 11 Mar, 2017 9:53 am

http://www.slate.com/blogs/moneybox/201 ... rcent.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

An Important Insurer Says Paul Ryan’s Health Care Plan Fails at Its Only Goal: Making Coverage Cheaper

HindleA · Post by **HindleA** » Sat 11 Mar, 2017 10:04 am

http://edition.cnn.com/2017/03/10/polit ... index.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Anger mounts over handling of USA attorney firings

HindleA · Post by **HindleA** » Sat 11 Mar, 2017 10:21 am

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-39154242" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Music 'could face extinction' in secondary schools

HindleA · Post by **HindleA** » Sat 11 Mar, 2017 10:24 am

http://www.newstatesman.com/world/2017/ ... ine-le-pen" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

How Emmanuel Macron can hold the centre to beat Marine Le Pen

Lost Soul · Post by **Lost Soul** » Sat 11 Mar, 2017 10:33 am

'A senior Juncker aide later said the option of Britain returning to the EU “will always be open”.

“There are different ways you can join,” the aide said. “You can be a full member, you can be a partner, you can be related to us in the customs union, or through a trade agreement.”'

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/ ... day-brexit" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

There you are - nasty 'foreigns' boxing us into a corner again...

HindleA · Post by **HindleA** » Sat 11 Mar, 2017 10:54 am

https://www.gov.uk/government/publicati ... ocial-care" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The allocations of the additional funding for adult social care

AnatolyKasparov · Post by **AnatolyKasparov** » Sat 11 Mar, 2017 10:54 am

HindleA wrote:Labour front bench writing to Cabinet secretary re Surrey and Ministerial code.

I think this one still very much has life in it.

RogerOThornhill · Post by **RogerOThornhill** » Sat 11 Mar, 2017 11:30 am

HindleA wrote:https://www.theguardian.com/money/2017/ ... are_btn_tw

Why are Britain’s new homes built so badly

They could do with studying house building in the late Victorian and Edwardian periods. Having been researching how my local area was built up, I'm amazed by the sheer number of houses that were being built in the period up to WWI. And good quality homes too.

Willow904 · Post by **Willow904** » Sat 11 Mar, 2017 11:55 am

Norman Lamont on the self-employed NIC rise:

“He [Hammond] should drop it. I don’t think he should have extra for the self-employed. The self-employed should pay lower NICs and have lower benefits.”

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

HindleA · Post by **HindleA** » Sat 11 Mar, 2017 12:21 pm

Re probate fees,FTN mentioned this weeks ago

https://consult.justice.gov.uk/digital- ... f-probate/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

pk1 · Post by **pk1** » Sat 11 Mar, 2017 12:25 pm

Don't always agree with him but can't say I blame him for needing a break from social media.

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

AnatolyKasparov · Post by **AnatolyKasparov** » Sat 11 Mar, 2017 12:32 pm

He gets a lot of silly abuse, but there have been some legitimate questions raised about his latest piece.

pk1 · Post by **pk1** » Sat 11 Mar, 2017 12:47 pm

AnatolyKasparov wrote:He gets a lot of silly abuse, but there have been some legitimate questions raised about his latest piece.

It's unnecessary to abuse him despite having a different opinion though. Social media bullies are probably cowards in real life.

AnatolyKasparov · Post by **AnatolyKasparov** » Sat 11 Mar, 2017 12:50 pm

On that, I agree.

(of course, it is also self defeating as it makes it easy for the subject to deflect proper criticisms)

Willow904 · Post by **Willow904** » Sat 11 Mar, 2017 12:56 pm

AnatolyKasparov wrote:He gets a lot of silly abuse, but there have been some legitimate questions raised about his latest piece.

What kind of legitimate questions?

I didn't notice anything unusual in the ideas expressed. Unless you mean another article.

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

It is a faultline that the EU referendum exposed and widened. Both Hackney in inner London and Doncaster are Labour heartlands. While nearly eight out of 10 Hackney residents voted to remain, nearly seven out of 10 Doncaster voters opted for leave.

But towns like Doncaster are far from homogenous: they too are divided along lines of class, education, race and, perhaps most strikingly, age.

AnatolyKasparov · Post by **AnatolyKasparov** » Sat 11 Mar, 2017 1:00 pm

Some people who spoke to him have claimed that their perspectives were either distorted or ignored completely.

Willow904 · Post by **Willow904** » Sat 11 Mar, 2017 1:07 pm

AnatolyKasparov wrote:Some people who spoke to him have claimed that their perspectives were either distorted or ignored completely.

Are they claiming they were misquoted?

pk1 · Post by **pk1** » Sat 11 Mar, 2017 1:30 pm

Thanks to the report in Private Eye highlighting this rather unsavoury character, Labour has expelled a newly elected member of the Hove constituency party’s executive committee after less than a fortnight.

http://www.brightonandhovenews.org/2017 ... to-saddam/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

HindleA · Post by **HindleA** » Sat 11 Mar, 2017 1:31 pm

https://www.theguardian.com/media/2017/ ... CMP=twt_gu" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Death of truth: when propaganda and 'alternative facts' first gripped the world

Willow904 · Post by **Willow904** » Sat 11 Mar, 2017 2:22 pm

Willow904 wrote:
AnatolyKasparov wrote:Some people who spoke to him have claimed that their perspectives were either distorted or ignored completely.
Are they claiming they were misquoted?

In response to my own question, the Facebook link in this Twitter thread has the full story. The interviewee wasn't misquoted by Jones, but would simply have liked to have seen more of his pro-Corbyn views featured. He seemed unhappy to be featured in an article that didn't create an overall picture that he agreed with, which is understandable. He was clearly disappointed by Jones' article and wanted to share this, but hasn't accused Jones of anything unethical.

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

AnatolyKasparov · Post by **AnatolyKasparov** » Sat 11 Mar, 2017 3:08 pm

Well, we are now familiar with the Graun's "bigotry correspondent" John Harris daring to venture outside the M25 and filing near identical pieces along the lines of "Oh look! A load of racist yokels - this means that Labour and/or Corbyn are DOOMED!*". OJ's piece wasn't anywhere near as bad, but did nod to that well worn formula on occasion.

(*and then, of course, switching almost seamlessly to "why isn't Labour STOPPING BREXIT??" Its a curse of journalism that hacks are never held to consistency on anything)

Tubby Isaacs · Post by **Tubby Isaacs** » Sat 11 Mar, 2017 4:15 pm

Kate Osamor wasn't exactly helping the impression of Labour yesterday. No safe seats apparently.

I'm not sure when the 30 point swing happened in Bootle.

AnatolyKasparov · Post by **AnatolyKasparov** » Sat 11 Mar, 2017 4:24 pm

Its pretty standard rhetoric to avoid the appearance of complacency and taking voters for granted. People are only pretending otherwise right now because of Labour's poor position.

(cf the Tories saying they were fighting the Sleaford byelection "like it was a marginal" - it wasn't and they knew that very well, but saying "yay! super safe seat" would have still grated)

Tubby Isaacs · Post by **Tubby Isaacs** » Sat 11 Mar, 2017 4:26 pm

RogerOThornhill wrote:
HindleA wrote:https://www.theguardian.com/money/2017/ ... are_btn_tw

Why are Britain’s new homes built so badly
They could do with studying house building in the late Victorian and Edwardian periods. Having been researching how my local area was built up, I'm amazed by the sheer number of houses that were being built in the period up to WWI. And good quality homes too.

Surprised at that. Pathfinder found a lot of problems with older houses.

Tubby Isaacs · Post by **Tubby Isaacs** » Sat 11 Mar, 2017 4:31 pm

AnatolyKasparov wrote:Its pretty standard rhetoric to avoid the appearance of complacency and taking voters for granted. People are only pretending otherwise right now because of Labour's poor position.

(cf the Tories saying they were fighting the Sleaford byelection "like it was a marginal" - it wasn't and they knew that very well, but saying "yay! super safe seat" would have still grated)

That's saying "we're not complacent". Osamar basically said "we're shit".

I can't remember any fuss about Ogmore being a marginal, for instance. I think it's transparently sectarian, as I said yesterday, part of the "Blair lost Copeland" stuff.

Tubby Isaacs · Post by **Tubby Isaacs** » Sat 11 Mar, 2017 4:33 pm

But I agree with you about John Harris.

Tubby Isaacs · Post by **Tubby Isaacs** » Sat 11 Mar, 2017 4:39 pm

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

Wow, colour me amazed.

Texas Republicans drew congressional districts on racial lines, judges find

Great drivel from a dissenting judge.

“It was obvious, from the start, that the DoJ attorneys viewed state officials and the legislative majority and their staffs as a bunch of backwoods hayseed bigots who bemoan the abolition of the poll tax and pine for the days of literacy tests and lynchings,” Smith wrote. “And the DoJ lawyers saw themselves as an expeditionary landing party arriving here, just in time, to rescue the state from oppression, obviously presuming that plaintiffs’ counsel were not up to the task.”

This is a judge. What on earth are the "legislative majority" like?

HindleA · Post by **HindleA** » Sat 11 Mar, 2017 4:40 pm

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

Prison psychiatrists warn care is ‘at breaking point’

Tubby Isaacs · Post by **Tubby Isaacs** » Sat 11 Mar, 2017 4:52 pm

John McDonnell.

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/201 ... iant-firms" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

"Clamp down on tax avoidance". The Resolution Foundation seemed to think that's exactly what Philip Hammond had done with his NI stuff. It's pretty incoherent too. He talks about bogus self-employment, but you're going to get more of it if the tax system encourages it.

"Take on utilities". What does that actually mean?

He's right about Corporation Tax cuts. But even without those, we're not raising enough tax to pay for services.

HindleA · Post by **HindleA** » Sat 11 Mar, 2017 6:03 pm

DWP payments over £25,000 for 2017

https://www.gov.uk/government/publicati ... 0-for-2017" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

(Centre for health and disability assessments ltd=maximus)

Willow904 · Post by **Willow904** » Sat 11 Mar, 2017 6:29 pm

Tubby Isaacs wrote:John McDonnell.

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/201 ... iant-firms" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

"Clamp down on tax avoidance". The Resolution Foundation seemed to think that's exactly what Philip Hammond had done with his NI stuff. It's pretty incoherent too. He talks about bogus self-employment, but you're going to get more of it if the tax system encourages it.

"Take on utilities". What does that actually mean?

He's right about Corporation Tax cuts. But even without those, we're not raising enough tax to pay for services.

McDonnell confused me quite a bit with this article. He seems to start to talk about the unfairness of the NICs rise specifically only to illustrate this with examples that don't seem to relate to the NICs rise at all but other unspecified measures. Are they measures from this budget or previously announced? Although the overall thrust is undoubtedly correct - the Tories have paid for tax cuts for the wealthy from the proceeds of austerity - McDonnell's scattergun approach neither rams home this broader point or brings any clarity to the finer details. With so few opportunities for Labour to reach an audience unfiltered, I feel this article deserved a bit more time and effort than it appears to have received.

HindleA · Post by **HindleA** » Sat 11 Mar, 2017 7:01 pm

https://www.theguardian.com/public-lead ... dApp_Tweet" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Drug addiction isn't going away so why are treatment centres being slashed?

HindleA · Post by **HindleA** » Sat 11 Mar, 2017 7:10 pm

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

Top New York prosecutor refuses Jeff Sessions' request to resign –

HindleA · Post by **HindleA** » Sat 11 Mar, 2017 7:12 pm

https://www.theguardian.com/money/2017/ ... are_btn_tw" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The Falklands war hero fighting for his state pension

HindleA · Post by **HindleA** » Sat 11 Mar, 2017 7:15 pm

The Dutch far right’s election donors are almost exclusively American

https://qz.com/928684/the-dutch-far-rig ... -american/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Tubby Isaacs · Post by **Tubby Isaacs** » Sat 11 Mar, 2017 7:52 pm

Willow904 wrote:
Tubby Isaacs wrote:John McDonnell.

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/201 ... iant-firms" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

"Clamp down on tax avoidance". The Resolution Foundation seemed to think that's exactly what Philip Hammond had done with his NI stuff. It's pretty incoherent too. He talks about bogus self-employment, but you're going to get more of it if the tax system encourages it.

"Take on utilities". What does that actually mean?

He's right about Corporation Tax cuts. But even without those, we're not raising enough tax to pay for services.
McDonnell confused me quite a bit with this article. He seems to start to talk about the unfairness of the NICs rise specifically only to illustrate this with examples that don't seem to relate to the NICs rise at all but other unspecified measures. Are they measures from this budget or previously announced? Although the overall thrust is undoubtedly correct - the Tories have paid for tax cuts for the wealthy from the proceeds of austerity - McDonnell's scattergun approach neither rams home this broader point or brings any clarity to the finer details. With so few opportunities for Labour to reach an audience unfiltered, I feel this article deserved a bit more time and effort than it appears to have received.

Agree. I think an article making clear that central point- ie spending cuts have gone on tax cuts- would be better. Add all the tax cuts up and say, "this is where your NHS etc went".

HindleA · Post by **HindleA** » Sat 11 Mar, 2017 7:59 pm

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/201 ... mond-boost" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Headteachers sound alarm on budget’s boost for grammar schools

HindleA · Post by **HindleA** » Sat 11 Mar, 2017 8:01 pm

https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2017/ ... m-fighters" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

From Brecht to Lorca, the playwrights who became theatre's freedom fighters

Tubby Isaacs · Post by **Tubby Isaacs** » Sat 11 Mar, 2017 8:02 pm

Odd intervention on Scotland again by Corbyn. Dugdale had given some indication that independence might need another look after Brexit. But Corbyn had taken a harder line before, as he did the other week.

I don't see why the line isn't "fight Hard Tory Brexit together". Scotland's not going to be any better off for years, if at all, if it leaves.

Willow904 · Post by **Willow904** » Sat 11 Mar, 2017 8:15 pm

Eoin Clarke‏ @LabourEoin
Big Intervention from Corbyn paves the way for a Second Scottish Independence Referendum. Finally, Labour get it

Eoin Clarke suggests Corbyn supporting a 2nd Indy ref is a good thing. I think some people may disagree. I'm not sure where Clarke gets 'paving the way' from, anyway. Corbyn is about as clear as mud in this interview but he doesn't sound especially excited about the prospect of another Scotland vote. But I may have misunderstood his meaning.

https://stv.tv/news/politics/1382817-co ... d-be-held/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

AnatolyKasparov · Post by **AnatolyKasparov** » Sat 11 Mar, 2017 8:18 pm

I think the real idea is that it would be pointless for SLab to stand against another independence referendum if it is going to happen anyway. But we are still a bit off that yet.

Willow904 · Post by **Willow904** » Sat 11 Mar, 2017 8:21 pm

Tubby Isaacs wrote:Odd intervention on Scotland again by Corbyn. Dugdale had given some indication that independence might need another look after Brexit. But Corbyn had taken a harder line before, as he did the other week.

I don't see why the line isn't "fight Hard Tory Brexit together". Scotland's not going to be any better off for years, if at all, if it leaves.

Does Labour want to keep the union together or not?

As far as I'm concerned, the UK is better off in the EU, Scotland is better off in the UK and we'd all be better off if the Tories were jettisoned into outer space.

Nationalism and referendums have done enough damage to this country already, thank you very much. We don't need any more.

RogerOThornhill · Post by **RogerOThornhill** » Sat 11 Mar, 2017 8:24 pm

HindleA wrote:https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/201 ... mond-boost

Headteachers sound alarm on budget’s boost for grammar schools

With Brexit due to dominate parliamentary business over the next two years, an education bill to end the ban on selection is one of the few domestic bills that Tory MPs believe will be advanced in the next session of parliament. But many now fear the plans – opposed by at least 30 Conservative MPs – will run into trouble.

I guess they're part of The Blob too now...

I notice from The Times that May has already indicated that the admissions for existing grammars might well have to change to force them to take pupils from poorer backgrounds. When you have to start tinkering with the existing system then you're in trouble.

AnatolyKasparov · Post by **AnatolyKasparov** » Sat 11 Mar, 2017 8:26 pm

But what if the best way of safeguarding the union is actually holding another referendum - which then goes the same way as the last one?

If that happens, its not impossible that the SNP could tear itself apart - or at least lose significant support (as happened to the Nats in Quebec after 1995)

Its a risk, obviously - but so are the other "options" in their own way.

Willow904 · Post by **Willow904** » Sat 11 Mar, 2017 8:31 pm

AnatolyKasparov wrote:I think the real idea is that it would be pointless for SLab to stand against another independence referendum if it is going to happen anyway. But we are still a bit off that yet.

Perhaps Corbyn should have stuck to the point that we're a long way off that, then?

And the stuff about regions etc was confusing. I couldn't grasp what he was on about. But Clarke is wrong, isn't he, about Corbyn 'paving the way' to another vote?