Tuesday 4th November 2014

TheGrimSqueaker · Post by **TheGrimSqueaker** » Tue 04 Nov, 2014 3:28 pm

citizenJA wrote:
Eric Pickles takes over ‘rotten’ Tower Hamlets
Crackdown on London borough’s ‘partisan approach to politics’ represents one of his biggest interventions in local government
http://www.theguardian.com/politics/201 ... on-borough

I haven't read the article yet. I'm hurting in mind, body & soul.

Wait - I read a bit - what's this shit?

...showed the directly elected Labour mayor, Lutfur Rahman, had sown division and should bow his head in shame at the report’s findings. Executive power had been left unchecked and misused, he added.
I thought that council had elected a former Labour party member who ran as an Independent?

Rahman was expelled from the Labour Party in 2010. So with that level of poor research and blatant smearing I'm guessing the article was written by Wintour?

Post by **PaulfromYorkshire** » Tue 04 Nov, 2014 3:28 pm

Angry Bird Flies retweeted
Mike Sivier ‏@MidWalesMike 4m4 minutes ago
@UKLabour Please sign the petition for Osborne to withdraw his 'tax summaries' & apologise: http://chn.ge/1x0gjPN" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

AngryAsWell · Post by **AngryAsWell** » Tue 04 Nov, 2014 3:29 pm

Mike Sivier ‏@MidWalesMike · 6m6 minutes ago
@LabourEoin Please sign the petition for Osborne to withdraw his 'tax summaries' & apologise: http://chn.ge/1x0gjPN" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

AngryAsWell · Post by **AngryAsWell** » Tue 04 Nov, 2014 3:30 pm

PaulfromYorkshire wrote:Angry Bird Flies retweeted
Mike Sivier ‏@MidWalesMike 4m4 minutes ago
@UKLabour Please sign the petition for Osborne to withdraw his 'tax summaries' & apologise: http://chn.ge/1x0gjPN" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Snap!

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Tue 04 Nov, 2014 3:35 pm

AngryAsWell wrote:Capitalism Explained. This Is So Accurate It Hurts.
http://www.tickld.com/x/capitalism-expl ... e-it-hurts" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I could live with having two mad cows. If only.

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Tue 04 Nov, 2014 3:40 pm

Rahman was expelled from the Labour Party in 2010. So with that level of poor research and blatant smearing I'm guessing the article was written by Wintour?

That was my first thought too, the G made a mistake...or something.

StephenDolan · Post by **StephenDolan** » Tue 04 Nov, 2014 3:42 pm

TheGrimSqueaker wrote:
citizenJA wrote:
Eric Pickles takes over ‘rotten’ Tower Hamlets
Crackdown on London borough’s ‘partisan approach to politics’ represents one of his biggest interventions in local government
http://www.theguardian.com/politics/201 ... on-borough

I haven't read the article yet. I'm hurting in mind, body & soul.

Wait - I read a bit - what's this shit?

...showed the directly elected Labour mayor, Lutfur Rahman, had sown division and should bow his head in shame at the report’s findings. Executive power had been left unchecked and misused, he added.
I thought that council had elected a former Labour party member who ran as an Independent?
Rahman was expelled from the Labour Party in 2010. So with that level of poor research and blatant smearing I'm guessing the article was written by Wintour?

Dunno if this is the same article (but amended)
Responding to the PwC report, Rahman the former Labour politician who now runs Tower Hamlets as an independent said: “In April 2014, Eric Pickles announced that he was concerned about potential fraud. These allegations have been rejected by PwC. The report highlights flaws in processes. These are regrettable. We will learn from this report and strengthen our procedures accordingly. I was always confident wild claims about fraud would not be substantiated. Both my officers and I want to get on with our jobs serving all residents in Tower Hamlets.”

AnatolyKasparov · Post by **AnatolyKasparov** » Tue 04 Nov, 2014 3:43 pm

citizenJA wrote:
Ah, rumours - so often much more exciting than the real thing
I don't want excitement; I like to read about exciting historical events from the safe vantage point of a compassionate, well-run democracy. It's hard to fight for justice on a daily basis & the road seems to go on forever.

It has always been hard, though. "Compassionate, well run democracies" have always had to be fought for - day by day, inch by inch ("fought for" mostly speaking metaphorically, happily, but on occasion literally)

In some ways, we have become too comfortable and complacent - forgetting that basic truth.

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Tue 04 Nov, 2014 3:47 pm

Tish wrote:
rebeccariots2 wrote:
Scandalously low pay should not be the new normal
A living wage is the kind of policy people expect from Labour, but is Ed Miliband letting it slip away?
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfre ... d-miliband

I don't understand why Labour haven't continued to build on the predistribution speech...

We have. We're not allowed to publish it on pain of having our community taken over by current government. Come 'round to the Spot when the sun goes down. Bring a canine on a leash to avoid suspicion. I'll tell you more then.

pk1 · Post by **pk1** » Tue 04 Nov, 2014 3:52 pm

TheGrimSqueaker wrote:
citizenJA wrote:
Eric Pickles takes over ‘rotten’ Tower Hamlets
Crackdown on London borough’s ‘partisan approach to politics’ represents one of his biggest interventions in local government
http://www.theguardian.com/politics/201 ... on-borough

I haven't read the article yet. I'm hurting in mind, body & soul.

Wait - I read a bit - what's this shit?

...showed the directly elected Labour mayor, Lutfur Rahman, had sown division and should bow his head in shame at the report’s findings. Executive power had been left unchecked and misused, he added.
I thought that council had elected a former Labour party member who ran as an Independent?
Rahman was expelled from the Labour Party in 2010. So with that level of poor research and blatant smearing I'm guessing the article was written by Wintour?

It has been amended & now reads:

...showed the directly elected mayor, Lutfur Rahman, had sown division and should bow his head in shame at the report’s findings. Executive power had been left unchecked and misused, he added.

No mention of the amendment however.....& yes, unsuprisingly, it's a Wintour piece

Tubby Isaacs · Post by **Tubby Isaacs** » Tue 04 Nov, 2014 3:58 pm

Sodding Labour supporting this in Tower Hamlets.

Clearly, the areas criticized in the report could do with direct oversight- grants, disposals, and someone should knockheads together to stop Labour and Tower Hamlets First opposing each other all the time.

“The abuse of taxpayers’ money reflects a partisan approach to politics that seeks to spread favours and sow divisions”, Pickles said. “Such behaviour is to the detriment of integration and community cohesion in Tower Hamlets and in our capital city. This is a borough where there has been widespread allegations of extremism, homophobia and antisemitism has been allowed to fester without proper challenge.”

This is beyond satire. The council have been praised by Stonewall. It's hardly their fault there are homophobes outside.

PorFavor · Post by **PorFavor** » Tue 04 Nov, 2014 4:01 pm

I'm rather more distracted than usual today but I must vent.

I've been trying to sort out stuff to do with my Civil Service Pension. Some outfit called MyCSP "deal" with such matters now (formerly they were "dealt with" by Crapita). Anyway, suffice to say - ignorant, unhelpful asked for totally different details to those which their letter to me said they wanted (the latter I had at my fingertips - the former I didn't) etc etc. Oh, they took 45 minutes to answer the 'phone (well, there was a holding message with god-awful music). They took over an hour not to answer the 'phone yesterday so I gave up.

Anyway, the upshot was that they referred me to my previous Department's HR (or Personnel as I prefer to call it) Department which was prompt, helpful, knowledgeable and frankly pissed off with MyCSP who are bloody useless but are, nonetheless, getting money for old rope.

Sorry. All that, and I don't even feel better!!

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Tue 04 Nov, 2014 4:13 pm

PorFavor

Sorry. All that, and I don't even feel better!!

It's a difficult time now. I'm sorry. It will change. We'll probably have finer times ahead of us - all of us - change will come for sure regardless - take care of yourself first, ask for help when you need it.

Love,

JA

PorFavor · Post by **PorFavor** » Tue 04 Nov, 2014 4:14 pm

citizenJA wrote:PorFavor
Sorry. All that, and I don't even feel better!!
It's a difficult time now. I'm sorry. It will change. We'll probably have finer times ahead of us - all of us - change will come for sure regardless - take care of yourself first, ask for help when you need it.

Love,

JA

Thank you for that.

TechnicalEphemera · Post by **TechnicalEphemera** » Tue 04 Nov, 2014 5:49 pm

Tubby Isaacs wrote:Sodding Labour supporting this in Tower Hamlets.

Clearly, the areas criticized in the report could do with direct oversight- grants, disposals, and someone should knockheads together to stop Labour and Tower Hamlets First opposing each other all the time.

“The abuse of taxpayers’ money reflects a partisan approach to politics that seeks to spread favours and sow divisions”, Pickles said. “Such behaviour is to the detriment of integration and community cohesion in Tower Hamlets and in our capital city. This is a borough where there has been widespread allegations of extremism, homophobia and antisemitism has been allowed to fester without proper challenge.”
This is beyond satire. The council have been praised by Stonewall. It's hardly their fault there are homophobes outside.

Sorry, but the mayoral election was fundamentally worthy of Russia. In my view the whole thing should have been re-run and a number of the mayors supporters jailed.

There is no place for that sort of regime in the UK, even allowing for the fact Pickles is an arse.

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Tue 04 Nov, 2014 6:06 pm

TechnicalEphemera wrote:
Tubby Isaacs wrote:Sodding Labour supporting this in Tower Hamlets.

Clearly, the areas criticized in the report could do with direct oversight- grants, disposals, and someone should knockheads together to stop Labour and Tower Hamlets First opposing each other all the time.

“The abuse of taxpayers’ money reflects a partisan approach to politics that seeks to spread favours and sow divisions”, Pickles said. “Such behaviour is to the detriment of integration and community cohesion in Tower Hamlets and in our capital city. This is a borough where there has been widespread allegations of extremism, homophobia and antisemitism has been allowed to fester without proper challenge.”
This is beyond satire. The council have been praised by Stonewall. It's hardly their fault there are homophobes outside.
Sorry, but the mayoral election was fundamentally worthy of Russia. In my view the whole thing should have been re-run and a number of the mayors supporters jailed.

There is no place for that sort of regime in the UK, even allowing for the fact Pickles is an arse.

Sorry from me too. Having worked in Tower Hamlets in council / community matters - this sort of intervention has been a long time coming. I was glad to get out before things blew up - or I did. This is not to say that there aren't many other councils - of various party political hues and persuasions - that don't have similar issues. Pembrokeshire - where I am now - and which uncannily is also 'Independent' controlled / ruled - is also in meltdown right now. I suspect we may be subjected to direct rule by the Welsh Assembly - or fast tracked merger with Ceredigion - pretty soon.

AnatolyKasparov · Post by **AnatolyKasparov** » Tue 04 Nov, 2014 6:13 pm

I have to also disagree with Tubby about Rahman - TH would be better off without him and his "boss" politics.

Tubby Isaacs · Post by **Tubby Isaacs** » Tue 04 Nov, 2014 6:18 pm

But this report wasn't anything to do with the election.

Sure, put in some oversight of the Mayor's Office, and knock some heads together among councillors to get a Chief Exec.

But take over the whole council? That's counterproductive on its own terms. Rahman thrives on being attacked by Gilligan and all. He'll probably beat Labour again though he need not.

It doesn't just happen in other councils- it happens with Pickles' own cabinet colleagues- Gove didn't even have a process for the first year of free schools, and went against best practice by the grant to his ex-advisor, Rachel Wolf. That grant alone was more than all the ones Rahman's accused of breaking rules on.

This measure is for dysfunctional councils. Tower Hamlets isn't one of those. Things work well generally.

Tubby Isaacs · Post by **Tubby Isaacs** » Tue 04 Nov, 2014 6:25 pm

AnatolyKasparov wrote:I have to also disagree with Tubby about Rahman - TH would be better off without him and his "boss" politics.

He's not going anywhere, that's the silly thing about this. We'll now just have constant arguments with the Commissioners, as well as with Labour.

The grants are rightly criticized, but the main reason he does well is that the council has done lots of good stuff, with schools and development money. The idea he's bribed his way to victory is rubbish.

Tubby Isaacs · Post by **Tubby Isaacs** » Tue 04 Nov, 2014 6:27 pm

Look at that sly attempt to blame the council for extremism, misogyny and homophobia. That's way out of order. Is it going to stop with Pickles in charge?

TechnicalEphemera · Post by **TechnicalEphemera** » Tue 04 Nov, 2014 6:29 pm

Tubby Isaacs wrote:
AnatolyKasparov wrote:I have to also disagree with Tubby about Rahman - TH would be better off without him and his "boss" politics.
He's not going anywhere, that's the silly thing about this. We'll now just have constant arguments with the Commissioners, as well as with Labour.

The grants are rightly criticized, but the main reason he does well is that the council has done lots of good stuff, with schools and development money. The idea he's bribed his way to victory is rubbish.

Sorry, but he has got to go. If you are prepared to allow the election process to be contaminated, God knows what is happening behind the scenes.

One assumes this action will seriously limit his ability to distribute funds to his allies.

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Tue 04 Nov, 2014 6:32 pm

Lord Ashcroft ‏@LordAshcroft 1h1 hour ago
My wider marginal seats survey will be published tomorrow at 11am. Note to bookies...it's interesting especially in the following seats...

Tim MontgomerieVerified account
‏@montie
@LordAshcroft can't wait Lordie

9:06 AM - 4 Nov 2014
Lord Ashcroft ‏@LordAshcroft 1h1 hour ago
@montie you'll have to montie

Nick Faith ‏@nickfaith82 1h1 hour ago
@montie @LordAshcroft I do wonder if Osborne's Northern love-bombing will have any effect on some of those marginals.

Oo eck. More hints and nudges - more trepidation.

Tubby Isaacs · Post by **Tubby Isaacs** » Tue 04 Nov, 2014 6:48 pm

TechnicalEphemera wrote:
Sorry, but he has got to go. If you are prepared to allow the election process to be contaminated, God knows what is happening behind the scenes.

One assumes this action will seriously limit his ability to distribute funds to his allies.

He still isn't going anywhere, whatever you think. He won the election, there is no recall, and distributing money to people you like isn't an offence. It's possible some fraud charges will arise, but I'd have thought PWC would have told the Police before.

The Police and Electoral Commission haven't accused him or anyone else directly regarding the election, and that's nothing to do with the PWC report Pickles is acting on.

PWC have been behind the scenes. If it involves money, they'll have looked at it.

TheGrimSqueaker · Post by **TheGrimSqueaker** » Tue 04 Nov, 2014 7:14 pm

In other news the Mail lied (again) and people bought their lies (again).

http://www.fawcettsociety.org.uk/2014/1 ... t-t-shirt/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Tue 04 Nov, 2014 7:16 pm

Alastair Campbell retweeted
British GQ @BritishGQ · 5h 5 hours ago
Get an exclusive preview of @campbellclaret's interview with @TristramHuntMP: http://gq.uk/aSEBLQ" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Tubby Isaacs · Post by **Tubby Isaacs** » Tue 04 Nov, 2014 7:28 pm

TheGrimSqueaker wrote:In other news the Mail lied (again) and people bought their lies (again).

http://www.fawcettsociety.org.uk/2014/1 ... t-t-shirt/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Wow.

So complaints to that knew tigerish regulator?

Tubby Isaacs · Post by **Tubby Isaacs** » Tue 04 Nov, 2014 7:30 pm

Response to PwC report
In response to comments today by the Secretary of State, The Mayor of Tower Hamlets said: “We need to be clear that there was no evidence of fraud or criminal activity identified in the PwC report published today.
“All governance issues identified in the PwC report have already been highlighted by our internal processes and are being rectified accordingly.
“Given that Tower Hamlets Council is one of the highest performing local authorities in London, and the wider UK for service delivery to our residents, I am surprised at the Secretary of State’s comments today in the House of Commons.
I believe that there is a huge disparity between the detail of PwC’s report and the level of the Secretary of State’s comments. ”We will be responding to Mr Pickles in due course.”

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Tue 04 Nov, 2014 7:32 pm

Dr Éoin Clarke @LabourEoin · 9m 9 minutes ago
The movie the Tories do not want you to see. A Free Download of "The Sell Off" documenting NHS Privatisation " onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Maybe someone else can embed it here - beyond me I'm afraid.

Tubby Isaacs · Post by **Tubby Isaacs** » Tue 04 Nov, 2014 7:35 pm

Last Wednesday, the DWP continued to battle the information commissioner and hostile judgments in the courts, ordering it to reveal where possibly hundreds of thousands of people are being sent to work without pay for weeks and months at a time.

At a tribunal on Wednesday, the DWP argued that if the public knew exactly where people were being sent on placements political protests would increase, which was likely to lead to the collapse of several employment schemes and undermine the government’s economic interests.

“We are not naming the charities and community groups involved in the scheme in order to protect them from those who seem intent on stopping us helping people into work.”

Unbelievable. Apol if we had this before.

Can't know whose getting subsidized (via dole) employees because we might protest.

TheGrimSqueaker · Post by **TheGrimSqueaker** » Tue 04 Nov, 2014 7:35 pm

Tubby Isaacs wrote:
TheGrimSqueaker wrote:In other news the Mail lied (again) and people bought their lies (again).

http://www.fawcettsociety.org.uk/2014/1 ... t-t-shirt/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Wow.

So complaints to that knew tigerish regulator?

Post by **refitman** » Tue 04 Nov, 2014 7:42 pm

Wow. Posted a link to non-beta comments on Andrew's blog this morning. The comment has been modded!

PorFavor · Post by **PorFavor** » Tue 04 Nov, 2014 7:43 pm

Goodnight, everyone.

LadyCentauria · Post by **LadyCentauria** » Tue 04 Nov, 2014 7:44 pm

PorFavor wrote:Goodnight, everyone.

Goodnight PF x

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Tue 04 Nov, 2014 7:52 pm

Rolls-Royce to cut 2,600 jobs
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-29900087
... It is not clear where the cuts will be made from Rolls-Royce's global workforce of 55,000, 24,000 of whom are in the UK.

However, the Unite union told the BBC there would be 800-1200 engineering jobs cut in Derby and Bristol...

Those with good knowledge of the company have told me that the 2,600 job losses will be split between civil and defence aviation in the UK and the US, with two-thirds of the losses coming in the UK...

Those are good skilled jobs we are losing. Sad news.

Post by **letsskiptotheleft** » Tue 04 Nov, 2014 7:52 pm

Chortling to myself here at the news that Jenny Willot has resigned her ministerial post to ''concentrate'' on her constituency. Bit behind the times here, haven't been online. But isn't ''to concentrate'' a euphemism for ''I think I am fucked, better pull my finger out?''

LadyCentauria · Post by **LadyCentauria** » Tue 04 Nov, 2014 8:02 pm

http://www.theguardian.com/public-leade ... ster-mayor

Did we cover this? The Greater Manchester Combined Authority (which voted firmly against having a directly elected Mayor only two years ago) is to have a temporary Mayor appointed in January 2015 then elections in 2017. This Mayor will have wider-ranging powers (in theory) than in London, as Health & Social Care will be under his or her control...

Tubby Isaacs · Post by **Tubby Isaacs** » Tue 04 Nov, 2014 8:13 pm

LadyCentauria wrote:http://www.theguardian.com/public-leade ... ster-mayor

Did we cover this? The Greater Manchester Combined Authority (which voted firmly against having a directly elected Mayor only two years ago) is to have a temporary Mayor appointed in January 2015 then elections in 2017. This Mayor will have wider-ranging powers (in theory) than in London, as Health & Social Care will be under his or her control...

What a surprise.

Strategic planning and regional oversight good for everything except Education- which is to be run by private trusts.

I think imposing a mayor on the region is fair enough- it's different to the City of Manchester mayor voted on before. And it's a way to proper devolution in England. But surely the elected mayor has to happen straightaway?

AngryAsWell · Post by **AngryAsWell** » Tue 04 Nov, 2014 8:27 pm

Tubby Isaacs wrote:
LadyCentauria wrote:http://www.theguardian.com/public-leade ... ster-mayor

Did we cover this? The Greater Manchester Combined Authority (which voted firmly against having a directly elected Mayor only two years ago) is to have a temporary Mayor appointed in January 2015 then elections in 2017. This Mayor will have wider-ranging powers (in theory) than in London, as Health & Social Care will be under his or her control...
What a surprise.

Strategic planning and regional oversight good for everything except Education- which is to be run by private trusts.

I think imposing a mayor on the region is fair enough- it's different to the City of Manchester mayor voted on before. And it's a way to proper devolution in England. But surely the elected mayor has to happen straightaway?

We don't want or need a mayor, the GMCA look after Manchester with no need of a high paid, unelected, money grabbing, Mayoral position. I for one do not want so much power in one persons hands.
This has made me very mad by the way.....
Edit to add
We voted against it, and he has no right to ignore that!

AngryAsWell · Post by **AngryAsWell** » Tue 04 Nov, 2014 8:41 pm

I'm not normally disrespectful to older people but this one is a right twit
Sir John Nott: I Voted Ukip To Put A Bomb Under David Cameron And The Liberal Conservative Leadership

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2014/10 ... tml?&ir=UK" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

"I was quite a senior politician. I don’t think I ever read the manifesto. Have you ever met anyone who ever read a manifesto. I like the right policies in government but people aren’t going to read a manifesto for heavens sake, of course they're not."

HindleA · Post by **HindleA** » Tue 04 Nov, 2014 8:47 pm

Not only do I read manifestos I keep them for posterity (sad git)

Post by **refitman** » Tue 04 Nov, 2014 8:48 pm

HindleA wrote:Not only do I read manifestos I keep them for posterity (sad git)

What else are you going to do, when parties start deleting their archives from the internet

Tubby Isaacs · Post by **Tubby Isaacs** » Tue 04 Nov, 2014 8:50 pm

I said the mayor should be elected and start immediately.

But this is a chance to get meaningful regional devolution happening, and for that I think you need the region to be directly elected- otherwise you're electing people to boroughs who then decide which of them get sent up to work on what ought to be more important stuff at the regional level. That puts things in the hands of party whips.

I think the mayor systems's worked pretty well in London, though I'd want some of the powers to overrule boroughs over eg affordable housing to be curtailed. But you could leave out the mayor, I guess.

Tubby Isaacs · Post by **Tubby Isaacs** » Tue 04 Nov, 2014 8:51 pm

I think without this, we're going to have things handed over to regional quangos or run from Westminster, like now, whether in its current form or as John Redwood's English Parliament.

Tubby Isaacs · Post by **Tubby Isaacs** » Tue 04 Nov, 2014 8:57 pm

Someone get rich moaner, Griff Rhys Jones, off my TV.

Tizme1 · Post by **Tizme1** » Tue 04 Nov, 2014 9:05 pm

rebeccariots2 wrote:
Dr Éoin Clarke @LabourEoin · 9m 9 minutes ago
The movie the Tories do not want you to see. A Free Download of "The Sell Off" documenting NHS Privatisation " onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Maybe someone else can embed it here - beyond me I'm afraid.

I'm going to a showing of it on Friday in Surrey. Evening all btw.

Some local news. Here in Watford, we have a 'Watford Local Hero' thing. People are nominated, and then its opened up to the public to vote. This year, Sara Jane Trebar from Save Farm Terrace Allotments has been nominated. The award is presented to the winner by....................

............... The Dotty Mare.

Wouldn't it be supreme irony if Sara Jane won?

But the link to vote seems to be broken. Could anyone check it for me and see if they can get to it [ta nicely thank you very muchly]?

http://www.watfordobserver.co.uk/news/1 ... _now_open/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Tubby Isaacs · Post by **Tubby Isaacs** » Tue 04 Nov, 2014 9:09 pm

Any word from Labour over the tribunal award of back holiday pay? Or on Cable cooking up a working party with no unions on it?

If not we might as well give up.

AngryAsWell · Post by **AngryAsWell** » Tue 04 Nov, 2014 9:10 pm

Tubby Isaacs wrote:I said the mayor should be elected and start immediately.

But this is a chance to get meaningful regional devolution happening, and for that I think you need the region to be directly elected- otherwise you're electing people to boroughs who then decide which of them get sent up to work on what ought to be more important stuff at the regional level. That puts things in the hands of party whips.

I think the mayor systems's worked pretty well in London, though I'd want some of the powers to overrule boroughs over eg affordable housing to be curtailed. But you could leave out the mayor, I guess.

The GMCA is working well and - as one who lives here - I see no reason to alter the make up or to add another layer with a mayor, and as I said before I don't like so much power in one persons hands, that's why we voted against it last time.

Post by **refitman** » Tue 04 Nov, 2014 9:14 pm

Tizme1 wrote:
rebeccariots2 wrote:
Dr Éoin Clarke @LabourEoin · 9m 9 minutes ago
The movie the Tories do not want you to see. A Free Download of "The Sell Off" documenting NHS Privatisation " onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Maybe someone else can embed it here - beyond me I'm afraid.
I'm going to a showing of it on Friday in Surrey. Evening all btw.

Some local news. Here in Watford, we have a 'Watford Local Hero' thing. People are nominated, and then its opened up to the public to vote. This year, Sara Jane Trebar from Save Farm Terrace Allotments has been nominated. The award is presented to the winner by....................

............... The Dotty Mare.

Wouldn't it be supreme irony if Sara Jane won?

But the link to vote seems to be broken. Could anyone check it for me and see if they can get to it [ta nicely thank you very muchly]?

http://www.watfordobserver.co.uk/news/1 ... _now_open/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

It looks like they've either taken the page down, or released the link prematurely. They have been tweeted about it (" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;). I assume someone will pull their finger out and fix it at some point

Tizme1 · Post by **Tizme1** » Tue 04 Nov, 2014 9:17 pm

refitman wrote:
Tizme1 wrote:
rebeccariots2 wrote: Maybe someone else can embed it here - beyond me I'm afraid.
I'm going to a showing of it on Friday in Surrey. Evening all btw.

Some local news. Here in Watford, we have a 'Watford Local Hero' thing. People are nominated, and then its opened up to the public to vote. This year, Sara Jane Trebar from Save Farm Terrace Allotments has been nominated. The award is presented to the winner by....................

............... The Dotty Mare.

Wouldn't it be supreme irony if Sara Jane won?

But the link to vote seems to be broken. Could anyone check it for me and see if they can get to it [ta nicely thank you very muchly]?

http://www.watfordobserver.co.uk/news/1 ... _now_open/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
It looks like they've either taken the page down, or released the link prematurely. They have been tweeted about it (" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;). I assume someone will pull their finger out and fix it at some point

Thanks, I really appreciate you checking. It was working earlier as I voted. Discovered it wasn't working when I sent it to other people.

Tubby Isaacs · Post by **Tubby Isaacs** » Tue 04 Nov, 2014 9:19 pm

Doing my best to fill Roger's shoes...

http://academiesweek.co.uk/academies-gi ... tal-funds/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Academies and colleges can borrow money at low interest from the DfE.

Maintained schools.... can't.