Wednesday 26th November 2014

Post by **refitman** » Wed 26 Nov, 2014 7:24 am

Morning all. Labour lead at 1 point on Yougov:

Latest YouGov / The Sun results 25th November -

Con 32%, (+2)
Lab 33%, (-1)
LD 7%, (+1)
UKIP 16%; (-2)
Grn 6%, (no change)

APP -22 (+8)

StephenDolan · Post by **StephenDolan** » Wed 26 Nov, 2014 7:49 am

refitman wrote:Morning all. Labour lead at 1 point on Yougov:

Latest YouGov / The Sun results 25th November -

Con 32%, (+2)
Lab 33%, (-1)
LD 7%, (+1)
UKIP 16%; (-2)
Grn 6%, (no change)

APP -22 (+8)

Approval +8? Shurely some mishtake?

Post by **refitman** » Wed 26 Nov, 2014 7:52 am

StephenDolan wrote:
refitman wrote:Morning all. Labour lead at 1 point on Yougov:

Latest YouGov / The Sun results 25th November -

Con 32%, (+2)
Lab 33%, (-1)
LD 7%, (+1)
UKIP 16%; (-2)
Grn 6%, (no change)

APP -22 (+8)
Approval +8? Shurely some mishtake?

Yesterday's -30 was most probably an outlier.

Post by **letsskiptotheleft** » Wed 26 Nov, 2014 8:49 am

One of my bug bears, all of ours no doubt is so called "analysts" who give their opinion and the broadcaster doesn't deem fit to tell us where their allegiances lie.

Sat here, with my tea and toast watch sky news, a youth worker, Shaun Bailey doing the paper review, Hunt and his "I have taken my children to A&E" was brought up, he defended Hunt, as is his right, he then went onto to say Labour are close to the unions and they are against any reforms, could this be the same Bailey who was supposedly one of the Tories beautiful young thangs, surely the same guy who pushed out from Cameron's inner circle?

If it's not I'll eat my big toe.

Post by **refitman** » Wed 26 Nov, 2014 8:57 am

letsskiptotheleft wrote:One of my bug bears, all of ours no doubt is so called "analysts" who give their opinion and the broadcaster doesn't deem fit to tell us where their allegiances lie.

Sat here, with my tea and toast watch sky news, a youth worker, Shaun Bailey doing the paper review, Hunt and his "I have taken my children to A&E" was brought up, he defended Hunt, as is his right, he then went onto to say Labour are close to the unions and they are against any reforms, could this be the same Bailey who was supposedly one of the Tories beautiful young thangs, surely the same guy who pushed out from Cameron's inner circle?

If it's not I'll eat my big toe.

Didn't they mention that he is David Cameron's Special Adviser on Youth and Crime?

RogerOThornhill · Post by **RogerOThornhill** » Wed 26 Nov, 2014 9:06 am

letsskiptotheleft wrote:One of my bug bears, all of ours no doubt is so called "analysts" who give their opinion and the broadcaster doesn't deem fit to tell us where their allegiances lie.

Sat here, with my tea and toast watch sky news, a youth worker, Shaun Bailey doing the paper review, Hunt and his "I have taken my children to A&E" was brought up, he defended Hunt, as is his right, he then went onto to say Labour are close to the unions and they are against any reforms, could this be the same Bailey who was supposedly one of the Tories beautiful young thangs, surely the same guy who pushed out from Cameron's inner circle?

If it's not I'll eat my big toe.

Shame they didn't look at Ben Goldacre's tweets over the last few hours!

https://twitter.com/bengoldacre

ben goldacre @bengoldacre · 12h 12 hours ago
Not party political but bravo @andyburnhammp on @Jeremy_Hunt dangerous contradiction of official Govt advice on A&E

yahyah · Post by **yahyah** » Wed 26 Nov, 2014 9:12 am

Natalie Rowe @RealNatalieRowe ·
Then we come to another fact, @George_Osborne got one of his lawyers to call me, wanting to buy ANY Obscene photos of Osborne I Declined !

Natalie Rowe @RealNatalieRowe · 11h 11 hours ago
I don't intend to let my Followers down or any one who wants Tories out,
I Will tweet more photos of #Osbornecokehead , all about when !x

About three weeks before the next general election would do very nicely thank you Natalie.

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Wed 26 Nov, 2014 9:14 am

Morning all.

It's a squeaky one, what with Osborne and rubber pants, and IDS trying to get his rubbish assertions re UC in before the National Audit Office released the report showing the real picture ... (see posts from late last night).

And then this morning ...

Tory minister joins calls for U-turn on local welfare cuts
Amber Rudd appeals against plans to scrap funding for crisis schemes as cross-party opposition to £180m a year cut grows
http://www.theguardian.com/politics/201 ... is-schemes

She must be in a marginal seat. Cynical, me?

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Wed 26 Nov, 2014 9:16 am

yahyah wrote:Natalie Rowe @RealNatalieRowe ·
Then we come to another fact, @George_Osborne got one of his lawyers to call me, wanting to buy ANY Obscene photos of Osborne I Declined !

Natalie Rowe @RealNatalieRowe · 11h 11 hours ago
I don't intend to let my Followers down or any one who wants Tories out,
I Will tweet more photos of #Osbornecokehead , all about when !x

About three weeks before the next general election would do very nicely thank you Natalie.

There are probably people on their way round to see her as we write yahyah ... if they haven't been already. I'm anticipating injunctions and all sorts.

ephemerid · Post by **ephemerid** » Wed 26 Nov, 2014 9:17 am

Good morning everyone.

Universal Credit.

The NAO report now tells us that the "net present value of introducing Universal Credit in the Department's Autumn 2014 business case is £20.7 Billion" - in other words, this is the money that UC will "save". That is dependent on several assumptions, and those assumptions include projections which cannot predict how many people will claim UC, what the labour market will do over the next 5 years, or what the housing situation will be; DWP also assumes that people will be better off on UC, be more likely to find work as a result of UC, and thus the value of the project could be a further £7 Billion if fewer people than anticipated claim UC. This is based on the savings already made by new conditionality and restrictions/sanctions on existing benefits, which DWP calculates is £10.8 Billion.

HM Treasury did not sign off the draft business plan submitted by DWP earlier in the year, but have signed off this new one. This one is an "outline business case" and the DWP will have to produce another one in summer 2015 with "more detail".

This report shows that most of the original roll-out timetable is now delayed; parts of it have been postponed indefinitely; some "legacy" benefits will not be transferred to UC by 2019, and some people claiming tax credits and ESA will stay on their existing benefits "beyond 2019".
DWP "estimates" that 390,000 tax credit and 165,000 ESA claimants will not have been transferred by December 2019.

DWP estimates that the net administrative cost to government of nationwide roll-out of UC will be £149 Million. (I don't believe this)

The digital service will be complete in 18 months time, according to DWP. The service will be tested on 100 to 500 claims now, and by May 2016 it will be a "full service" dealing with 10 Million claims. The NAO notes that claimant numbers are a "broad estimate used to populate the business case" and that "the actual numbers will be decided as part of the agile planning process".

Staffing in jobcentres has yet "to be determined" in most stages of the roll-out process; effects on the labour market have not been assessed; there are risks in maintaining quality and accuracy; there are problems with leadership and governance; and the NAO's conclusions are "the programme is at too early a stage to determine if the Department will achieve value for money".
At the end of the report is an analysis of the business case. It looks as though overall benefit spending will continue to rise, overpayments will not be reduced appreciably, and the systems are not geared to deal with fraud in anything like the degree claimed by DWP.

In short - UC is not very good value so far, may never deliver the value it claims, will take at least 5 years to implement and then not fully, and this business case (trumpeted by IDS as proof that UC is brilliant) is an outline case which must be reviewed in 6 months time. Great.

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Wed 26 Nov, 2014 9:18 am

RogerOThornhill wrote:
letsskiptotheleft wrote:One of my bug bears, all of ours no doubt is so called "analysts" who give their opinion and the broadcaster doesn't deem fit to tell us where their allegiances lie.

Sat here, with my tea and toast watch sky news, a youth worker, Shaun Bailey doing the paper review, Hunt and his "I have taken my children to A&E" was brought up, he defended Hunt, as is his right, he then went onto to say Labour are close to the unions and they are against any reforms, could this be the same Bailey who was supposedly one of the Tories beautiful young thangs, surely the same guy who pushed out from Cameron's inner circle?

If it's not I'll eat my big toe.
Shame they didn't look at Ben Goldacre's tweets over the last few hours!

https://twitter.com/bengoldacre

ben goldacre @bengoldacre · 12h 12 hours ago
Not party political but bravo @andyburnhammp on @Jeremy_Hunt dangerous contradiction of official Govt advice on A&E

He's obviously outraged isn't he. Not usual for him to come out that strongly against a politician. Only other time I can remember him being equally excoriating is about Paterson and the totally anti science badger cull.

yahyah · Post by **yahyah** » Wed 26 Nov, 2014 9:19 am

Don't think we've had this ?

'Police are investigating members of the House of Lords after one peer, Lord Hanningfield, was found to have abused his Parliamentary expenses.

Lord Hanningfield, jailed for expenses fraud, was exposed for regularly ‘clocking in’ to the House of Lords to claim a £300 daily attendance allowance despite spending minutes inside.
When his activities came to light, Lord Hanningfield said: “I could name 50 other peers that do it.” '

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/ ... andal.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Wed 26 Nov, 2014 9:24 am

From that G report on Amber Rudd opposing cut to crisis welfare funding ...

The DWP announced in January that it would stop funding local welfare assistance after 2015, despite promising during the passage of the Welfare Reform Act in 2012 that it would conduct a review of the policy before making a decision.

After being threatened with court action over this decision by Islington council and CPAG, however, the government promised in September to reconsider its position and issued a consultation.

The consultation, which closed on Friday, has been criticised because none of the three choices offered to consultees involve continued funding. The housing charity Shelter called it “a cheap pavement shuffle cup trick”.

Shysters. The only word that sprang to mind for this filthy conniving rabble supposedly running the country. All in it together my arse.

RogerOThornhill · Post by **RogerOThornhill** » Wed 26 Nov, 2014 9:37 am

Ofsted Watch...

A rather damning comment on a s.8 re-inspection of an E Act school that was placed in special measures back in January.

External support
The support provided by the sponsor, E-ACT, has previously lacked challenge and coordination. Some systems that are imposed by E-ACT have served to limit the effectiveness of leaders to concentrate on areas that will lead to rapid school improvement

And this was a school that E Act were allowed to keep too!

So much for academy 'freedoms'...

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Wed 26 Nov, 2014 9:49 am

- ...the DWP has reduced risks in its planned transfer of most tax credit claimants to Universal Credit by extending the timetable by two years to the end of 2019.
- It was becoming increasingly unlikely that the DWP could transfer over one million tax credit claimants on to Universal Credit in April 2016 as planned without significant operational risks.
- The Department’s digital service has been delayed and is still in the very early stages of development. At this early stage it will depend heavily on manual intervention and will handle only a small number of claims – but it is soon to be tested with all claimant types, even the most complex.
- The timetable is challenging, with the Department planning to start to roll out its fully scalable digital service in just 18 months time.
- It expects significant savings from its digital service, but does not yet have a contingency plan should the digital service be delayed or fail.
- It has not evaluated whether it could use the live service instead.
- The NAO estimates that using live service systems, without further investment, could cost £2.8 billion more in staff costs.
- In principle, the DWP’s approach should allow it to learn from experience, improve the design and readiness of services and reduce risks.
- Given the gradual progress of the past year and the early stage of digital development, the Department has not yet tested its new digital approach, or gone through the process of integrating this with live service.
- The NAO finds that the Department has continued to struggle to stabilize senior leadership roles and responsibilities.

Amyas Morse, head of the National Audit Office, 26 November 2014

http://www.nao.org.uk/report/universal- ... -update-2/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Disaster.

TheGrimSqueaker · Post by **TheGrimSqueaker** » Wed 26 Nov, 2014 9:54 am

rebeccariots2 wrote:Morning all.

It's a squeaky one, what with Osborne and rubber pants, and IDS trying to get his rubbish assertions re UC in before the National Audit Office released the report showing the real picture ... (see posts from late last night).

And then this morning ...
Tory minister joins calls for U-turn on local welfare cuts
Amber Rudd appeals against plans to scrap funding for crisis schemes as cross-party opposition to £180m a year cut grows
http://www.theguardian.com/politics/201 ... is-schemes
She must be in a marginal seat. Cynical, me?

MP for Hastings & Rye, taken from Labour in 2010 and sitting on a majority of 1993. Number 30 on Labour's target list ...... Dan, can we have a "toast" smiley please?

Post by **letsskiptotheleft** » Wed 26 Nov, 2014 9:56 am

I thought France was ******, well that's what the Telegraph keep telling us, Hollande has made a laughing stock of it, investors fleeing, if that's the case, why is a consortium, including the government leading the way to run East Coast Mainline?

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/br ... ne-4696048" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Now rail has been devolved to Wales, I would wet myself if the WG kept it in house, something not even those arch egalitarians the SNP did.

Post by **letsskiptotheleft** » Wed 26 Nov, 2014 9:58 am

Brown a better Chancellor than Spank me Osborne, Christ, and this is news.

http://labourlist.org/2014/11/brown-was ... oll-finds/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Willow904 · Post by **Willow904** » Wed 26 Nov, 2014 10:01 am

Morning All.

#CameronMustGo is still going strong on Twitter:

: Simpson tweet.png (152.32 KiB) Viewed 15136 times

Post by **letsskiptotheleft** » Wed 26 Nov, 2014 10:03 am

Apologies if already posted, this is incredulous, if it goes ahead, I'd bet some of it goes ahead at least?

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/n ... CMP=twt_gu" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Scrapping checks for avian flu, in the light of what happened last week?! No depths to their idiocy.

TheGrimSqueaker · Post by **TheGrimSqueaker** » Wed 26 Nov, 2014 10:05 am

Willow904 wrote:Morning All.

#CameronMustGo is still going strong on Twitter:

Simpson tweet.png

And it is beginning to discomfit the MSM. Havisham Dan was trying to sneer yesterday, just made himself look daft as per and there is a sneery (and somewhat shrill) article in today's Metro freebie paper; the Metro's main beef appears to be the personal nature of the attack, conveniently forgetting that they have gleefully joined in with the "Ed is weird" meme.

http://metro.co.uk/2014/11/25/cameronmu ... g-4961657/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Wed 26 Nov, 2014 10:15 am

TheGrimSqueaker wrote:
rebeccariots2 wrote:Morning all.

It's a squeaky one, what with Osborne and rubber pants, and IDS trying to get his rubbish assertions re UC in before the National Audit Office released the report showing the real picture ... (see posts from late last night).

And then this morning ...
Tory minister joins calls for U-turn on local welfare cuts
Amber Rudd appeals against plans to scrap funding for crisis schemes as cross-party opposition to £180m a year cut grows
http://www.theguardian.com/politics/201 ... is-schemes
She must be in a marginal seat. Cynical, me?
MP for Hastings & Rye, taken from Labour in 2010 and sitting on a majority of 1993. Number 30 on Labour's target list ...... Dan, can we have a "toast" smiley please?

Yep - Rudd's seat in Parliament is tenuous.

HASTINGS & RYE
2010 Result:

Conservative: 20468 (41.1%)
Labour: 18475 (37.1%)
Lib Dem: 7825 (15.7%)
BNP: 1310 (2.6%)
UKIP: 1397 (2.8%)
English Dem: 339 (0.7%)
MAJORITY: 1993 (4%)

Category: Marginal Conservative seat

Geography: South East, East Sussex. Contains the whole of the Hastings council area and three wards from the Rother council area.

Politics: This was an unusual Labour gain in 1997. The Liberal Democrats had been in second place in 1992 and it would have seemed more natural for them to benefit from the anti-Conservative tide. In the event it was the Labour party, possibly as a result of an opinion poll published in the Observer shortly before polling day showing the Labour party best placed to defeat the Conservatives in the seat. The seat was regained by the Conservatives in 2010.

(my bold)

...from the UK Polling Report website - I'm shocked an opinion poll published before polling day is thought to have that much influence over an election outcome. It very well may be true. It's frightening to me nonetheless.

Rudd's 2015 competition for HASTINGS & RYE seat:

SARAH OWEN (Labour) Born Hastings. Advisor to Alan Sugar.

NICK PERRY (Liberal Democrat) Born 1976, St Helens. Educated at Cambridge University. Social worker. Contested Hastings and Rye 2010.

RALPH ATKINSON (UKIP) Contested Dulwich and West Norwood 2005, Croydon Central 2010. London region 2004, 2009 European elections.

http://ukpollingreport.co.uk/2015guide/hastingsandrye/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I know little about any of those candidates at this time.

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Wed 26 Nov, 2014 10:19 am

letsskiptotheleft wrote:Apologies if already posted, this is incredulous, if it goes ahead, I'd bet some of it goes ahead at least?

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/n ... CMP=twt_gu" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Scrapping checks for avian flu, in the light of what happened last week?! No depths to their idiocy.

They don't give a shit - it's a personal thing for this government - not just indifferent, outright dislike - "die-why-don't-you-&-decrease-the-surplus-population" - Thank you, Mr. Scrooge.

Post by **PaulfromYorkshire** » Wed 26 Nov, 2014 10:22 am

TheGrimSqueaker wrote:
Willow904 wrote:Morning All.

#CameronMustGo is still going strong on Twitter:

Simpson tweet.png
And it is beginning to discomfit the MSM. Havisham Dan was trying to sneer yesterday, just made himself look daft as per and there is a sneery (and somewhat shrill) article in today's Metro freebie paper; the Metro's main beef appears to be the personal nature of the attack, conveniently forgetting that they have gleefully joined in with the "Ed is weird" meme.

http://metro.co.uk/2014/11/25/cameronmu ... g-4961657/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Well exactly.

Make no bones what we are feeling is the good old British establishment getting nervous.

Post by **PaulfromYorkshire** » Wed 26 Nov, 2014 10:23 am

A timely Tweet

TheGrimSqueaker · Post by **TheGrimSqueaker** » Wed 26 Nov, 2014 10:24 am

citizenJA wrote:
TheGrimSqueaker wrote:
rebeccariots2 wrote:Morning all.

It's a squeaky one, what with Osborne and rubber pants, and IDS trying to get his rubbish assertions re UC in before the National Audit Office released the report showing the real picture ... (see posts from late last night).

And then this morning ... She must be in a marginal seat. Cynical, me?
MP for Hastings & Rye, taken from Labour in 2010 and sitting on a majority of 1993. Number 30 on Labour's target list ...... Dan, can we have a "toast" smiley please?
Yep - Rudd's seat in Parliament is tenuous.
HASTINGS & RYE
2010 Result:

Conservative: 20468 (41.1%)
Labour: 18475 (37.1%)
Lib Dem: 7825 (15.7%)
BNP: 1310 (2.6%)
UKIP: 1397 (2.8%)
English Dem: 339 (0.7%)
MAJORITY: 1993 (4%)

Category: Marginal Conservative seat

Geography: South East, East Sussex. Contains the whole of the Hastings council area and three wards from the Rother council area.

Politics: This was an unusual Labour gain in 1997. The Liberal Democrats had been in second place in 1992 and it would have seemed more natural for them to benefit from the anti-Conservative tide. In the event it was the Labour party, possibly as a result of an opinion poll published in the Observer shortly before polling day showing the Labour party best placed to defeat the Conservatives in the seat. The seat was regained by the Conservatives in 2010.
(my bold)

...from the UK Polling Report website - I'm shocked an opinion poll published before polling day is thought to have that much influence over an election outcome. It very well may be true. It's frightening to me nonetheless.

Rudd's 2015 competition for HASTINGS & RYE seat:
SARAH OWEN (Labour) Born Hastings. Advisor to Alan Sugar.

NICK PERRY (Liberal Democrat) Born 1976, St Helens. Educated at Cambridge University. Social worker. Contested Hastings and Rye 2010.

RALPH ATKINSON (UKIP) Contested Dulwich and West Norwood 2005, Croydon Central 2010. London region 2004, 2009 European elections.

http://ukpollingreport.co.uk/2015guide/hastingsandrye/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
I know little about any of those candidates at this time.

Ralph Atkinson, well, well, well. I shall say nothing but can suggest Googling him; suffice to say he is an 'interesting' character.

Willow904 · Post by **Willow904** » Wed 26 Nov, 2014 10:25 am

TheGrimSqueaker wrote:
Willow904 wrote:Morning All.

#CameronMustGo is still going strong on Twitter:

Simpson tweet.png
And it is beginning to discomfit the MSM. Havisham Dan was trying to sneer yesterday, just made himself look daft as per and there is a sneery (and somewhat shrill) article in today's Metro freebie paper; the Metro's main beef appears to be the personal nature of the attack, conveniently forgetting that they have gleefully joined in with the "Ed is weird" meme.

http://metro.co.uk/2014/11/25/cameronmu ... g-4961657/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Strange that. I've been struck by how most of the #CameronMustGo tweets refer to specific policy decisions. When you start lining them up, it's quite damning. My own personal beef, however, is very personal. I can't forgive Cameron for lying to the Dowlers' faces about implementing the Leveson recommendations in full if they weren't "bonkers". That was quite despicable and a reflection on him as a person, rather than Tory policy as a whole. It's truly telling that the MSM press is upset about people calling Dave out on things he has deliberately and consciously chosen to do of his own free will, but think it's fine to criticise Ed purely for not looking the part, something he has no control over. Interestingly, I asked someone on CIF who used the term 'weird Ed' what about his features made people think he looked weird. In the reply they said they never said he looked weird, they just thought he acted weird. Indeed, no one was willing to tell me why it is commonly accepted Ed looks weird. I wonder why.....

pk1 · Post by **pk1** » Wed 26 Nov, 2014 10:27 am

rebeccariots2 wrote:Morning all.

It's a squeaky one, what with Osborne and rubber pants, and IDS trying to get his rubbish assertions re UC in before the National Audit Office released the report showing the real picture ... (see posts from late last night).

And then this morning ...
Tory minister joins calls for U-turn on local welfare cuts
Amber Rudd appeals against plans to scrap funding for crisis schemes as cross-party opposition to £180m a year cut grows
http://www.theguardian.com/politics/201 ... is-schemes
She must be in a marginal seat. Cynical, me?

Defending her Hastings seat against Sarah Owen who will take it from her with ease I reckon. Sarah is local & she knows everything about the area whereas Rudd was what might be called 'parachuted in' but we all know the Cons don't do that don't we

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Wed 26 Nov, 2014 10:33 am

letsskiptotheleft wrote:Brown a better Chancellor than Spank me Osborne, Christ, and this is news.

http://labourlist.org/2014/11/brown-was ... oll-finds/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Interestingly,9% of people who plan to vote Conservative in 2015 said they thought thought Brown was a better chancellor than Osborne.

From what I know about Brown (though he was PM & not Chancellor in 2008), his work at the time of the crisis created by financiers using toxic derivatives & bloated assets outside of reality was excellent. Kept a cool head. The ATMs didn't turn off. I like Brown. I wish he'd told the all the financial sectors of the world to fuck the hell off & established the Regular People Bank for those who work for a living.

I can understand why some Tories might have a fondness for Brown's Chancellor expertise.

pk1 · Post by **pk1** » Wed 26 Nov, 2014 10:36 am

U-turn so soon Mr Stevens ?

Exclusive NHS England will drop the scheme to pay GPs £55 for each additional patient on their list diagnosed with dementia from April, NHS England’s chief executive has told Pulse.

Speaking exclusively to Pulse, Mr Simon Stevens called the scheme a ‘one-time catch up opportunity’ and said the situation was ‘unusual’, when asked if the pay-per-diagnosis scheme would be renewed when it expires in April.

http://www.pulsetoday.co.uk/20008567.ar ... HWpcYusXfI" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Wed 26 Nov, 2014 10:44 am

letsskiptotheleft wrote:I thought France was ******, well that's what the Telegraph keep telling us, Hollande has made a laughing stock of it, investors fleeing, if that's the case, why is a consortium, including the government leading the way to run East Coast Mainline?

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/br ... ne-4696048" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Now rail has been devolved to Wales, I would wet myself if the WG kept it in house, something not even those arch egalitarians the SNP did.

Let's go over to the G & aggravate socialist France-hating right wingers by repeatedly posting the following from the Mirror:

Britain's East Coast main line set to be sold off to French government consortium

They'll be gnashing their teeth all day.

Post by **PaulfromYorkshire** » Wed 26 Nov, 2014 10:46 am

Will Ed use #CameronMustGo at PMQs?

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Wed 26 Nov, 2014 10:49 am

TheGrimSqueaker wrote:
Ralph Atkinson, well, well, well. I shall say nothing but can suggest Googling him; suffice to say he is an 'interesting' character.

He sounds lovely - an ideal fit for the party. I think this was possibly my favourite snapshot of his views and approach.

...The panel were asked, will you defend the Human Rights Act ?
Should religious groups be exempt from human rights legislation ?

The Green, Labour and Lib Dem candidates all support the Human Rights Act.
The conservative and UKIP candidate both wanted the UK to withdraw from all EU Human Rights legislation, and to allow religious groups to discriminate against gays.

Gordon Ross for the Greens argued that Human Rights are universal, should apply to everyone across the EU, with no exceptions.

The UKIP candidate railed against the EU, Human Rights legislation, social policy, public schooling and the NHS. He said that we were better off before we had an NHS, calling it “collectivist”.

There was an audible gasp from the audience when the UKIP candidate said schools should be allowed to discriminate against gay people on religious grounds ...
http://croydongreens.blogspot.co.uk/201 ... nd-of.html

AnatolyKasparov · Post by **AnatolyKasparov** » Wed 26 Nov, 2014 10:49 am

rebeccariots2 wrote:From that G report on Amber Rudd opposing cut to crisis welfare funding ...

The DWP announced in January that it would stop funding local welfare assistance after 2015, despite promising during the passage of the Welfare Reform Act in 2012 that it would conduct a review of the policy before making a decision.

After being threatened with court action over this decision by Islington council and CPAG, however, the government promised in September to reconsider its position and issued a consultation.

The consultation, which closed on Friday, has been criticised because none of the three choices offered to consultees involve continued funding. The housing charity Shelter called it “a cheap pavement shuffle cup trick”.
Shysters. The only word that sprang to mind for this filthy conniving rabble supposedly running the country. All in it together my arse.

And something else where the LibDems have enabled the Tories in their nastiness. "Differentation strategy", anyone?

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Wed 26 Nov, 2014 11:06 am

john spellar ‏@spellar 2m2 minutes ago
RT @marcusaroberts: Tory candidate press releases visit to their own constituency <surreal. h/t @spellar http://m.horncastlenews.co.uk/news/loca ... -1-6337674" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; …

Yes, it is indeed surreal.

What was that you were saying about the Tories never ever ever parachuting candidates in PK? How right you are.

Editing to add:

Jonathan Ashworth MP ‏@JonAshworth 1m1 minute ago
How marvellous for the lucky people of Horncastle http://m.horncastlenews.co.uk/news/loca ... -1-6337674" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; …

He's got the tone about right too. It does come across as fantastically patronising ... Did they really think this wouldn't be picked up on? And why on earth would they try something like this on in an Essex constituency ... barmy.

Whoops - editing again - just realised the constituency is Louth & Horncastle - so not Essex then. Still barmy to announce it like this though.

pk1 · Post by **pk1** » Wed 26 Nov, 2014 11:06 am

Tweet by Richard Blogger last night:

Norman Lamb admits there is a Lib Dem privatisation agenda for the NHS

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

Have no sub to HSJ so can't verify what exactly was said but this comment is fairly damaging.

TheGrimSqueaker · Post by **TheGrimSqueaker** » Wed 26 Nov, 2014 11:20 am

So can we expect to see Theresa May tweeting #CameronMustGo any day now?

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/th ... id-4694731" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

RogerOThornhill · Post by **RogerOThornhill** » Wed 26 Nov, 2014 11:26 am

TheGrimSqueaker wrote:So can we expect to see Theresa May tweeting #CameronMustGo any day now?

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/th ... id-4694731" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Ah, that was what this was about...

Laura Kuenssberg @bbclaurak · 18h 18 hours ago
For those inside the news bubble, interesting story brewing about the Home Sec and her adviser giving named quotes about her 'vision'

pk1 · Post by **pk1** » Wed 26 Nov, 2014 11:29 am

Bloody hell Grim, post something quick so we're not subjected to that smug image on your profile !!

TheGrimSqueaker · Post by **TheGrimSqueaker** » Wed 26 Nov, 2014 11:36 am

pk1 wrote:Bloody hell Grim, post something quick so we're not subjected to that smug image on your profile !!

No, I shall refrain, so you will have to view the visage all day ..... oh sod, another cunning plan shot down.

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Wed 26 Nov, 2014 11:36 am

TheGrimSqueaker -

You've posted 666 comments; there's a photo & name new to me - "The Devil", eh?

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Wed 26 Nov, 2014 11:37 am

TheGrimSqueaker wrote:
pk1 wrote:Bloody hell Grim, post something quick so we're not subjected to that smug image on your profile !!
No, I shall refrain, so you will have to view the visage all day ..... oh sod, another cunning plan shot down.

You kidder.

Rebecca · Post by **Rebecca** » Wed 26 Nov, 2014 11:39 am

Hey,my car passed its mot again.Almost 10 years old and never failed yet.Bit shocked really.

So,re Mrs May,are we about to have wall to wall media coverage of Camerons leadership problems?

Post by **letsskiptotheleft** » Wed 26 Nov, 2014 11:56 am

Hurrah, bloody hurrah.

Tory Charlotte Vere being outed for what she is, not an independent view on what's happening in education, but rather a Tory, who embarrassingly has tried standing for 4 seats in a matter of weeks, still, plenty of time for her.

http://politicalscrapbook.net/2014/11/m ... ool-plans/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

AngryAsWell · Post by **AngryAsWell** » Wed 26 Nov, 2014 12:02 pm

@Tizme
You asked for help with a Labour policy on young unemployed. I tried to help you by explaining that JSA was not just being taken away but would be replaced by a Youth Allowance, with conditions, and a brief explanation as to why that was better than JSA (being able to go back to collage without financial penalty)
You then turned the argument into adult unemployed, people who have worked for 7 years and 40k plus earnings not being enough to support a child for an extra couple of years whilst they get on their feet. You ended by saying
"I don't think you answered why a uni student should get into 30k+ debt while their peer/sibling was paid to continue studying. Nor did you answer at what age an individual becomes a citizen in their own right."
No I didn't, because I was answering the question you originally asked, not a subset of "what if's".
The 40K (or 44K not sure which) parents earnings is on a sliding scale, which has been based on the current University Maintenance Grant
"Full-time students are also eligible for grants to help with living costs, which you do not have to repay. If your household/parents’ income is less than £25,000, you will be eligible for a full Maintenance Grant of £3,354 a year. If your household/parents’ income is £25,000-£42,611, you will be eligible for a partial grant (i.e. a lesser amount). Maintenance Grants are not available to part-time students. - See more at: http://www.offa.org.uk/students/frequen ... 38Z7W.dpuf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; "
The proposed Youth Allowance, which is basically to encourage kids to study rather than hang out on JSA, is the equivalent of the maintenance grant a student (who's parents earn less than 40k) can apply for - on a sliding scale - and is actually putting young unemployed on a par with uni students, in that they too can study to improve their futures.
University Fees are a different subject.
"I" (that's me personally) think for education/benefits purposes we should be at least be partially responsible for our children for as long as they need our help, and I don't see a cut off time when a birthday changes that. Whilst I appreciate the middle class on 40k plus per year might feel squeezed, somehow I can't seem to work up the same level of sympathy for them as I do for those forced to use food banks. As I said if they can't help out their own child for an extra couple of years then maybe they should think of selling the second car or miss a few catch a film and meal evening out's.

I am not a Labour spokes person, I was simply attempting to help you with a question you had, and would have been more than happy to leave this at the point I stated last night which was "I think we will have to agree to differ on this one".

DonutHingeParty · Post by **DonutHingeParty** » Wed 26 Nov, 2014 12:03 pm

Ha! Well played, Mr Sparrow.

This is surreal. Nigel Farage has started posting tweets that implicitly critcise himself for having children.
. . .And what makes Farage’s decision to promote this figure so peculiar. The fact that he’s responsible for at least one of these 3.8m himself. His wife, Kirsten, is German and they have two children. One was born in 2000, outside the MigrationWatch timeframe, according to Wikipedia, but the other was born in 2005.

Rebecca · Post by **Rebecca** » Wed 26 Nov, 2014 12:09 pm

Ha Ha
from the independant,london taxi drivers are considering a city wide ban on Mellors.
This has made my day,and I hope it goes through.

Post by **letsskiptotheleft** » Wed 26 Nov, 2014 12:13 pm

DonutHingeParty wrote:Ha! Well played, Mr Sparrow.

This is surreal. Nigel Farage has started posting tweets that implicitly critcise himself for having children.
. . .And what makes Farage’s decision to promote this figure so peculiar. The fact that he’s responsible for at least one of these 3.8m himself. His wife, Kirsten, is German and they have two children. One was born in 2000, outside the MigrationWatch timeframe, according to Wikipedia, but the other was born in 2005.

Bloody foreigners, coming over here and dropping sprogs all over the place. This never happened in the 50s.

DonutHingeParty · Post by **DonutHingeParty** » Wed 26 Nov, 2014 12:30 pm

Um, pretty certain that Shakespeare was ineligible to vote when Zahari was standing as an MP, on account of having been dead for about 300 years.
Unless someone's pulling a postal vote scam, of course.

Post by **PaulfromYorkshire** » Wed 26 Nov, 2014 12:57 pm

This is very important. Cameron said this (more or less) twice at PMQs - it's clearly their strategy to try and move the debate away from the NHS and onto the economy.

If you cannot run the economy, you cannot run the NHS.

which could backfire couldn't it?