Thursday 4th December 2014

[refitman]

As some of you know, my other passport is from the other side of the Atlantic. As a result, I also have a fascination for the train wreck that is politics over there, not least (but not exclusively) because it's instructive of where we're going over here.

Jeb Lund's a writer the Guardian's started publishing of late and I rate him very highly (aside: except for when he said a calzone is a sandwich - it's not - it's a pie). So while some of the references to specific Fox presenters may mean nothing over here, the whole victim-blaming Foxetisation of reporting, and the polarising, narrative-based, fact-hating thrust of American politics should be worryingly, increasingly familiar over here. So anyway, here's his piece on how, in short, Fox have decided that accusing the police of racism is the real problem in the increasing numbers of apparently race-related murders by the police there. I'm posting it here in the hope you may find it as interesting - and as brilliantly poised in its anger - as I did. It's too well written not to share:

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfre ... egyn-kelly

Ah, but the thing to remember about Megyn Kelly, is she seems to be as thick as pigshit (I have watched a lot of The Daily Show).

[Tubby Isaacs]

Mike Smithson's preview of tonight's by-elections- one is in Thurrock.

http://www1.politicalbetting.com/index. ... -4th-2014/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I didn't know that UKIP took more Tory seats than Labour ones when they did well this year, till I read Mike's bit just now.

Amazing what you don't read, isn't it?

[ohsocynical]

When all the media are saying that government spending will fall to levels last seen in the 1930's, and the OBR specifically say that spending will fall to a level last seen in 1938, I don't need a reporter bringing up The Road to Wigan Pier to get get an image of what that means. Just hearing 'The 1930's' brings to mind:

The Great Depression
Men queuing for work at factory gates with the majority turned away
The Jarrow March

So, no, George Osborne and David Cameron, it is not hyperbole to compare what your spending plans mean with what happened then.

Their anger at the BBC seems like an own goal to me - it guarantees that this is the message that is taken away from the Autumn Statement, and not their own message. It highlights once again the incompetence of this government.

My mum and dad were both born in 1921 and although we can never return to life exactly as it was then due to being in the technological age, some things can easily become the norm.
Hunger, poverty, overcrowding, lack of decent health care, a return of diseases that thrive on overcrowding such as TB, no workers rights, health and safety issues.
We are literally just a cross on a piece of paper away from bad times.

[ohsocynical]

UKIP Trumpton ‏@Trumpton_UKIP 1h1 hour ago
Pugh, Pugh, Nigel Farage, Cuthbert, Dibble, Grubb? http://voxpoliticalonline.com/2014/12/0 ... ble-grubb/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; … via @@MidWalesMike

[HindleA]

Legal action against IDS regarding lack of guidance in the Access To Work scheme




http://www.leighday.co.uk/News/2014/Dec ... ork-scheme" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[WelshIan]

As some of you know, my other passport is from the other side of the Atlantic. As a result, I also have a fascination for the train wreck that is politics over there, not least (but not exclusively) because it's instructive of where we're going over here.

Jeb Lund's a writer the Guardian's started publishing of late and I rate him very highly (aside: except for when he said a calzone is a sandwich - it's not - it's a pie). So while some of the references to specific Fox presenters may mean nothing over here, the whole victim-blaming Foxetisation of reporting, and the polarising, narrative-based, fact-hating thrust of American politics should be worryingly, increasingly familiar over here. So anyway, here's his piece on how, in short, Fox have decided that accusing the police of racism is the real problem in the increasing numbers of apparently race-related murders by the police there. I'm posting it here in the hope you may find it as interesting - and as brilliantly poised in its anger - as I did. It's too well written not to share:

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfre ... egyn-kelly

I've read a bit about the Mike Brown shooting in Ferguson, and can't help thinking 'Institutional Racism'. I see I'm not the only one:

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfre ... nal-racism" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Tubby Isaacs]

Absolutely. It was heartbreaking back in 2010 when you could see all of these long-term improvement programmes axed just to save a bit of cash that year, when they would have saved money in the long term and actually made services better. All it does is lose a few years and in the long run waste money.

The point about advertising is a good one. The Central Office of Information was an agency with real history - most of the iconic public information campaigns of the last half century. Axed. Instead, government agencies are shoving money at private sector PR and marketing agencies like Freud. A bit of researcg Public Health England did recently suggested that the one thing that made a real difference to immunisation rates was a letter inviting patients to an appointment, yet so many surgeries are resisting sending out letters to save a bit of cash. Insane.

I didn't know whole office had been axed. Real pedigree it had. I bet good people worked there for relatively low wages because of what it was.

Chap on another board said axed school building was heartbreaking. Really good, long term buildings, axed. Remember the appalling pig's ear Gove made of it, having to revisit the list several times.

Seemed like a fair bit could have been saved by improving the financing, but Gove went ahead and PFIed what he did anyway. If the big problem with PFI is that the Crash made the deals worse, why the heck were they still being done post Crash?

[onebuttonmonkey]

As some of you know, my other passport is from the other side of the Atlantic. As a result, I also have a fascination for the train wreck that is politics over there, not least (but not exclusively) because it's instructive of where we're going over here.

Jeb Lund's a writer the Guardian's started publishing of late and I rate him very highly (aside: except for when he said a calzone is a sandwich - it's not - it's a pie). So while some of the references to specific Fox presenters may mean nothing over here, the whole victim-blaming Foxetisation of reporting, and the polarising, narrative-based, fact-hating thrust of American politics should be worryingly, increasingly familiar over here. So anyway, here's his piece on how, in short, Fox have decided that accusing the police of racism is the real problem in the increasing numbers of apparently race-related murders by the police there. I'm posting it here in the hope you may find it as interesting - and as brilliantly poised in its anger - as I did. It's too well written not to share:

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfre ... egyn-kelly

Ahem. Calzone is a folded pizza. And it's pronounced 'calt-zoné'

Apologies, I was being entirely foolish. It's because an early column he wrote for the Guardian was a piece that argued that pretty much every type of snack food was a sandwich. I think he was doing it to wind up anyone who took him seriously. (Personally, I think pizzas are brilliant but that calzones are an abomination. Why fold perfection?).

[Tubby Isaacs]

The year still has a third to run.

If we're doing predictions, Labour had the same deficit predicted.

[onebuttonmonkey]

As some of you know, my other passport is from the other side of the Atlantic. As a result, I also have a fascination for the train wreck that is politics over there, not least (but not exclusively) because it's instructive of where we're going over here.

Jeb Lund's a writer the Guardian's started publishing of late and I rate him very highly (aside: except for when he said a calzone is a sandwich - it's not - it's a pie). So while some of the references to specific Fox presenters may mean nothing over here, the whole victim-blaming Foxetisation of reporting, and the polarising, narrative-based, fact-hating thrust of American politics should be worryingly, increasingly familiar over here. So anyway, here's his piece on how, in short, Fox have decided that accusing the police of racism is the real problem in the increasing numbers of apparently race-related murders by the police there. I'm posting it here in the hope you may find it as interesting - and as brilliantly poised in its anger - as I did. It's too well written not to share:

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfre ... egyn-kelly

I've read a bit about the Mike Brown shooting in Ferguson, and can't help thinking 'Institutional Racism'. I see I'm not the only one:

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfre ... nal-racism" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The coverage of the Eric Garner case is astonishing, though. I mean, it's on film. They choke him to death. And the response has been to blame accusations of racism for the fact that the victims of racism are being treated in a discriminatory way. Osborne's quite the post truth politician, but he's got nothing on Fox. Thankfully.

[RogerOThornhill]

Did anyone post the lineup for tonight's QT?

The panel includes Conservative culture secretary Sajid Javid MP, Labour's shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper MP, Liberal Democrat peer Shirley Williams, actor and comedian Omid Djalili and the former director of the Centre for Policy Studies Jill Kirby.

Cooper's MSc in Economics might come in handy...and the bloody CPS again! Have they got a speed-dial for right wing thinktanks?

Kirby's background is in social policy so she'll be out of her depth.

[Tubby Isaacs]

Sajid Javid is dreadful. Just repeats buzz phrases aggressively.

[citizenJA]

Tories always demand a small state but never get round to saying why it would do us any good. They should #putuporshutup

Tories don't want a small state. Tories want to rule all the country from Control Central. Spirit of '45 had a scene in it explaining it better than I can at the moment.

[WelshIan]

When all the media are saying that government spending will fall to levels last seen in the 1930's, and the OBR specifically say that spending will fall to a level last seen in 1938, I don't need a reporter bringing up The Road to Wigan Pier to get get an image of what that means. Just hearing 'The 1930's' brings to mind:

The Great Depression
Men queuing for work at factory gates with the majority turned away
The Jarrow March

So, no, George Osborne and David Cameron, it is not hyperbole to compare what your spending plans mean with what happened then.

Their anger at the BBC seems like an own goal to me - it guarantees that this is the message that is taken away from the Autumn Statement, and not their own message. It highlights once again the incompetence of this government.

My mum and dad were both born in 1921 and although we can never return to life exactly as it was then due to being in the technological age, some things can easily become the norm.
Hunger, poverty, overcrowding, lack of decent health care, a return of diseases that thrive on overcrowding such as TB, no workers rights, health and safety issues.
We are literally just a cross on a piece of paper away from bad times.

Yes, and we're already seeing these things coming back and getting worse as a direct result of Tory policy.
May 2015 is not just a choice between Tory, Labour, etc but is actually about saving people's lives because a vote for the Tories is a vote for continuing their despicable war on the sick, disabled and disadvantaged - the most vulnerable in our society. Sorry if that's overly dramatic but it's how I'm starting to feel.

Nye Bevan:

That is why no amount of cajolery, and no attempts at ethical or social seduction, can eradicate from my heart a deep burning hatred for the Tory Party that inflicted those bitter experiences on me. So far as I am concerned they are lower than vermin. They condemned millions of first-class people to semi-starvation. Now the Tories are pouring out money in propaganda of all sorts and are hoping by this organised sustained mass suggestion to eradicate from our minds all memory of what we went through. But, I warn you young men and women, do not listen to what they are saying now. Do not listen to the seductions of Lord Woolton. He is a very good salesman. If you are selling shoddy stuff you have to be a good salesman. But I warn you they have not changed, or if they have they are slightly worse than they were.

[citizenJA]

Did anyone post the lineup for tonight's QT?

The panel includes Conservative culture secretary Sajid Javid MP, Labour's shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper MP, Liberal Democrat peer Shirley Williams, actor and comedian Omid Djalili and the former director of the Centre for Policy Studies Jill Kirby.

Cooper's MSc in Economics might come in handy...and the bloody CPS again! Have they got a speed-dial for right wing thinktanks?

Kirby's background is in social policy so she'll be out of her depth.

Sajid Javid, tedious Tory, former banker.

[RogerOThornhill]

I've just been watching Toady Young's speech to some marketing conference about the things he got right...and wrong when setting up his free school.

Strangely enough, the loss of 2 head teachers since 2011 seemed to have slipped his mind...funny that.

[AngryAsWell]

National Opinion Poll (YouGov):
LAB - 32% (+1)
CON - 31% (-1)
UKIP - 15% (-2)
GRN - 8% (+1)
LDEM - 7% (+1)

[LadyCentauria]

Who is, and what with?

Apologies ladies and gentlemen, I had no wish to poison your minds with such images.

I should have said:

Alan Fucking Titchmarsh

and shown you this:

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/al ... at-4744382" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

..and I apologise for the crude response...couldn't resist though ...his brand of political passion is exactly what Ukip needs

In other news, I'm wondering how big this might get now (scooped from Mr Jukes)...

http://blog.cps.gov.uk/2014/12/action-o ... hmood.html

...and this came from #CMG...

http://www.thelocal.fr/20141204/france- ... o-the-poor

Toodle-pip

From that article on the French Christmas Bonus:

The bonus, which adds up to about €152 for one person households and €320 for couples with two children, is primarily earmarked for French people on unemployment benefits and who don’t have any other assets.

Whereas, the UK equivalent is £10 – exactly the same as when the Heath Government introduced it in 1972. Except that in 1972, that £10 had the buying power of £92 in today's money... Vive la France!

[TechnicalEphemera]

National Opinion Poll (YouGov):
LAB - 32% (+1)
CON - 31% (-1)
UKIP - 15% (-2)
GRN - 8% (+1)
LDEM - 7% (+1)

Let us see where we are in a week.

I think Osborne has made a fundamental mistake. Even Kettle is calling time on the Tories.

People simply no longer believe the deficit is a big thing (less than 7%), they do however care about the welfare state. To me this looks more fatal than Smith's 92 shadow budget, we may even have seen the Tory equivalent of Labour's 1983 manifesto.

[TechnicalEphemera]

Apologies ladies and gentlemen, I had no wish to poison your minds with such images.

I should have said:

Alan Fucking Titchmarsh

and shown you this:

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/al ... at-4744382" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

..and I apologise for the crude response...couldn't resist though ...his brand of political passion is exactly what Ukip needs

In other news, I'm wondering how big this might get now (scooped from Mr Jukes)...

http://blog.cps.gov.uk/2014/12/action-o ... hmood.html

...and this came from #CMG...

http://www.thelocal.fr/20141204/france- ... o-the-poor

Toodle-pip

From that article on the French Christmas Bonus:

The bonus, which adds up to about €152 for one person households and €320 for couples with two children, is primarily earmarked for French people on unemployment benefits and who don’t have any other assets.

Whereas, the UK equivalent is £10 – exactly the same as when the Heath Government introduced it in 1972. Except that in 1972, that £10 had the buying power of £92 in today's money... Vive la France!

It will also add a significant monetary stimulus.

[Tubby Isaacs]

This is the Council of the non-partisan CPS.

Graham Brady MP
Lord Griffiths
Richard Jeffrey
Keith Marsden
Lord Powell
David Ruffley MP
David Willetts MP
Michael Fallon MP
Martin Howe QC
Brooks Newmark MP
Lord Norton
Oliver Letwin MP
Minette Marin
Howard Flight
John Redwood MP
Andrew Roberts
Nick Seaton
Andrew Tyrie MP
Tim Montgomerie

They don't even pay Frank Field to give it a non-partisan aura.

[ErnstRemarx]

Evening, all. As promised (or threatened) here's tonight's BBCQT rant:

http://onebuttonmonkey.squarespace.com/ ... aster.html

Even if you are a little grumpy at me for not giving much credit to Cooper, I'd hope you can skip along to the (re-used from earlier in the year) bit on Shirley Williams. As bile goes, it's pretty acrid. And I mean every angry word of it.

In other news, Osborne's still howling at the BBC. I saw their bit on the statement on Breakfast, and it couldn't have been cosier if they'd have hugged after each reply. Apparently "hyperbole" is now just a term for "insufficiently unquestioning; lacking in gormless fawning". I think I might give myself a night off the news and BBCQT tonight - it's going to be horrible.

I'm not at all grumpy at you sticking it to Cooper - she needs to up her game as does much of the Labour front bench. Your appraisal is pretty fair; I want somewhat more fire and passion from her and them. And that's from a party member and councillor. I've heard local councillors tear local Tories a new one when they speak and I want MPs that do that. I just hope that the Blair legacy is slowly having its deadening fingers peeled off the PLP one by one by Miliband - he can surely be no friend of theirs, given their endless sniping and briefings to an ever eager press (and that aresewipe Hodges).

Quick edit to add this from the (extremely good) article, concerning Shirley Williams, that bastion of agitprop:

"There is no principle she will not sell, no lie too large to stick in her forked-craw, and no patronising payload of doublespeak she will not parp out of her drivel-bloated skinsack in order to make sure Shirley Williams always comes first. The fact she is so eager to lie for the Tories now should be no surprise –that, in a nutshell, is all Shirley Williams is: a duplicitous, self-serving, lying, two-faced, sanctimonious, condescending, worthless, hateful aggregation of venality whose legacy is to have done more damage to voters in the thirty five years since she was last elected by them than almost any other political figure in this country’s history. And if you don’t believe me, just cast your mind back to 1983, and think what could have been – what would have been – had Thatcher not been so aided by Dame Shirl’s refusal to care one solitary iota about anyone other than her preening, unforgivable, detestable self.

And the fact that she now presents herself as some kind of caring, empathetic politician is an untruth so nauseating in its enormity, it even makes my vomit want to throw up."

Nice, Michael. I was equally nodding and chuckling. Shame the Graun don't have a writer of your abilities - it might then be worth reading.

[Tubby Isaacs]

National Opinion Poll (YouGov):
LAB - 32% (+1)
CON - 31% (-1)
UKIP - 15% (-2)
GRN - 8% (+1)
LDEM - 7% (+1)

Let us see where we are in a week.

I think Osborne has made a fundamental mistake. Even Kettle is calling time on the Tories.

People simply no longer believe the deficit is a big thing (less than 7%), they do however care about the welfare state. To me this looks more fatal than Smith's 92 shadow budget, we may even have seen the Tory equivalent of Labour's 1983 manifesto.

I think it looks that way. Provided Balls actually is exempting investment from his balance, then I think Labour are well placed.

[citizenJA]

George Osborne rattled by tax experts’ accusations of colossal scale of cuts
Institute for Fiscal Studies statement prompts chancellor to condemn ‘hyperbolic news coverage’ on spending plans

Phillip Inman and Patrick Wintour
The Guardian, Thursday 4 December 2014 20.57

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/201 ... udies-cuts" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

So rattled the G has another rattled hyperbolic news article - which is fine with me.

Good-night, everyone.
Peace.
Love,
JA

[RogerOThornhill]

Jeez...Jill Kirby has just done the "he sold off our gold" line.

She's worse than a BTL troll.

[RogerOThornhill]

Hey, Tory numpty...if the FSA was so bad why did you knight the CEO?

Moron.

[ErnstRemarx]

Tories always demand a small state but never get round to saying why it would do us any good. They should #putuporshutup

Tories don't want a small state. Tories want to rule all the country from Control Central. Spirit of '45 had a scene in it explaining it better than I can at the moment.

Spirit of 45 should be compulsory viewing for everyone who has ever used, or will ever use, the NHS.

If that doesn't make you realise that it's a socialist achievement by a socialist government in a time of austerity worse than our own, then your brain is on holiday and your heart is probably for sale.

Just caught a bit of QT, with the unthink tank (props to OBM) harpy blaming everything on Gordon Brown. Gosh, who would have thought that a mindless purveyor of the most evil financial ideology on the planet might slag off the man who actually fucking saved it from complete collapse? Me, and I'm guessing many of us here. I wouldn't describe her as pig stupid, as I respect pigs, but her amoebic level intellect had me blushing for how it reflects on the human race. When her few brain cells do actually catch fire, I hope to be walking down that pavement just so I can point out to her that they'd be a waste of piss.

[onebuttonmonkey]

Evening, all. As promised (or threatened) here's tonight's BBCQT rant:

http://onebuttonmonkey.squarespace.com/ ... aster.html

Even if you are a little grumpy at me for not giving much credit to Cooper, I'd hope you can skip along to the (re-used from earlier in the year) bit on Shirley Williams. As bile goes, it's pretty acrid. And I mean every angry word of it.

In other news, Osborne's still howling at the BBC. I saw their bit on the statement on Breakfast, and it couldn't have been cosier if they'd have hugged after each reply. Apparently "hyperbole" is now just a term for "insufficiently unquestioning; lacking in gormless fawning". I think I might give myself a night off the news and BBCQT tonight - it's going to be horrible.

I'm not at all grumpy at you sticking it to Cooper - she needs to up her game as does much of the Labour front bench. Your appraisal is pretty fair; I want somewhat more fire and passion from her and them. And that's from a party member and councillor. I've heard local councillors tear local Tories a new one when they speak and I want MPs that do that. I just hope that the Blair legacy is slowly having its deadening fingers peeled off the PLP one by one by Miliband - he can surely be no friend of theirs, given their endless sniping and briefings to an ever eager press (and that aresewipe Hodges).

Quick edit to add this from the (extremely good) article, concerning Shirley Williams, that bastion of agitprop:

"There is no principle she will not sell, no lie too large to stick in her forked-craw, and no patronising payload of doublespeak she will not parp out of her drivel-bloated skinsack in order to make sure Shirley Williams always comes first. The fact she is so eager to lie for the Tories now should be no surprise –that, in a nutshell, is all Shirley Williams is: a duplicitous, self-serving, lying, two-faced, sanctimonious, condescending, worthless, hateful aggregation of venality whose legacy is to have done more damage to voters in the thirty five years since she was last elected by them than almost any other political figure in this country’s history. And if you don’t believe me, just cast your mind back to 1983, and think what could have been – what would have been – had Thatcher not been so aided by Dame Shirl’s refusal to care one solitary iota about anyone other than her preening, unforgivable, detestable self.

And the fact that she now presents herself as some kind of caring, empathetic politician is an untruth so nauseating in its enormity, it even makes my vomit want to throw up."

Nice, Michael. I was equally nodding and chuckling. Shame the Graun don't have a writer of your abilities - it might then be worth reading.

Cheers, Ernst. I try to be an equal opportunities insultant (hence never giving Labour figures an easier ride than the rest of the panel). But when it comes to Shirley Williams... well. The list of politicians I truly detest isn't exactly short (and it's getting longer, daily). But Shirley's up there almost at the top of it, just after M******t T******r.

The G still has a few good things on it, but it's increasingly hard to find them.

[Spacedone]

National Opinion Poll (YouGov):
LAB - 32% (+1)
CON - 31% (-1)
UKIP - 15% (-2)
GRN - 8% (+1)
LDEM - 7% (+1)

Let us see where we are in a week.

I think Osborne has made a fundamental mistake. Even Kettle is calling time on the Tories.

People simply no longer believe the deficit is a big thing (less than 7%), they do however care about the welfare state. To me this looks more fatal than Smith's 92 shadow budget, we may even have seen the Tory equivalent of Labour's 1983 manifesto.

I think it looks that way. Provided Balls actually is exempting investment from his balance, then I think Labour are well placed.

I think that's why Osborne was so defensive this morning. His plans no longer have any appearance of "saving the economy", not when they're throwing tax cuts around like confetti and announcing huge infrastructure investment (something he was against back in 2010). Planning to decimate public services at the same time now looks exactly like what it always really was, an idealogical desire to shrink the state so that people like him no longer have to pay tax for services used by people like us. That's not the deal that a lot of the public signed up for and he knows it.

[RogerOThornhill]

Farage on again next week?

[frightful_oik]

I thought Cooper did reasonably well tonight. Williams clearly had 'bash the Tories' instructions. The Kirby woman has vile attitudes. Omid was mostly a bystander but quite funny at times. Javid was merely reciting from the Crosby playbook.

[LadyCentauria]

For Lady C and anbody else interested.Proposed benefit and pension rates.


https://www.gov.uk/government/publicati ... 15-to-2016" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Thanks, @HindleA!

[HindleA]

@LC
http://www.theguardian.com/politics/201 ... ax-credits" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[JustMom]

I see rachel reeves is having her second child in june,so someone will have to step into her shoes surely ?

[LadyCentauria]

Courtesy of Chris Cook, one of the best tweeters of interesting links.

On Twitter yesterday they gave a breakdown on the ages of apprentices. A lot are over 50!

Yep. I know three people (fellow dog-walkers, at the time) who took valuable voluntary redundancy packages from their senior jobs in banking then did apprenticeships. One is now an artist-blacksmith, one a stone-mason working on restorations, one a plumber-come-property-developer. All happier 'working with their hands' but all of them very well-connected and very financially secure to begin with. Didn't matter to them, themselves, how low the apprentice rate-of-pay was because they were so securely cushioned to begin with; but they were all shocked by how tough the young apprentices had it, trying to get by on the youth-rates and often with little-or-no financial support from their families. One now campaigns for his local Labour Party – so there's a result, at least.