He has two Labour gains.GENERAL ELECTION PREDICTIONS 25: DERBYSHIRE
http://www.iaindale.com/posts/2015/01/0 ... um=twitter
Iain Dale @IainDale · 12h 12 hours ago
New Blog by me: General Election Predictions 24: Staffordshire: This is the twenty-fourth in a series of blogp... http://bit.ly/1AnGOPx" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Private firm wins NHS contract despite charging £7m MORE than NHS
http://tompride.wordpress.com/
Stoke NHS hospital scanning contract won by private firm
http://www.stokesentinel.co.uk/Stoke-NH ... V6XgX8c.01
A CONTRACT to diagnose illnesses in thousands of patients has been handed to a private firm even though the NHS offered to do the work for seven million pounds cheaper.
The scans for cancer and other conditions are performed on a state-of-the-art machine at the Royal Stoke University Hospital partly paid for by public donations.
But it is to be operated by staff from Alliance Medical which has been given the scanning service in Staffordshire, Cheshire, Shropshire and Lancashire by the Government.
A competing NHS bid led by Royal Stoke’s trust was turned down by NHS England which had put the work out to tender.
... Health campaigners said the move was motivated by political dogma to get the private sector more involved in public services.
It comes as a bitter row continues over the decision to put £1.2 billion of cancer and end-of-of-life care on the market.
Most of the cash for the £3 million machine came from a bequest plus a £1 million Keele University research grant - but £250,000 was donated by the public.
Ron Alcock, aged 75, from Cheadle gave £1,000 after the death of wife Jeannette of leukaemia in 2009.
He said: “Because of Mr Cameron’s policies private firms are coming more into the NHS.
“That scares people that it will be privatised and could deter them from raising money for things in future.”...
Looks like you could be in for a welcome change of representative then HindleA. Always good to know a fellow FTNer might get something better in their area come the election.HindleA wrote:@RR2
The PPC for Labour in Amber Valley is Kevin Gillott,DCC councillor and deputy leader and lives in the next street to me.Has helped us in the past with alacrity.
Iain Duncan Smith to accelerate benefit reforms to stop Labour reversing them
Benefits reform will be one of the key battlegrounds at May’s general election and the suggestion that Mr Duncan Smith wants to bed in fully his benefit reforms will infuriate Labour
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politic ... -them.html
I see there is a commenter called Shinsei1967 BTL here. I wonder if this is a resurfacing of the Shinsei that used to post on the G - haven't seen them there recently though. @Shinsei1967 is also having twitter exchanges elsewhere - if it's the same person their profile says they are a former Japanese fund manager.George Eaton @georgeeaton · 1h 1 hour ago
How the Conservatives ridiculed Labour for pledging to halve the deficit - @jdportes on @TheStaggers http://bit.ly/1vV2VHP" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
I take the Torygraph piece as loud rhetoric - intended to make those who believe in the benefit scroungers are everywhere, and work will make you better off because we say it will (not because it does) narratives feel more snug and secure with those nicely nasty Tories. Nasty muscle flexing before the election. But IDS will try and do whatever he can to ensure his 'legacy' - I do believe he is deluded enough for that.HindleA wrote:RR2
Happen to be already in a Labour seat,Amber Valley is a neighbouring one.
I wouldn't take the Telegraph piece too seriously ,IDS is a fantacist and the Torygraph just aids his delusions,the business case has not been signed off as one obvious point.
Quite possible - Shinsei was always pretty knowledgeable about the financial world.rebeccariots2 wrote:I see there is a commenter called Shinsei1967 BTL here. I wonder if this is a resurfacing of the Shinsei that used to post on the G - haven't seen them there recently though. @Shinsei1967 is also having twitter exchanges elsewhere - if it's the same person their profile says they are a former Japanese fund manager.George Eaton @georgeeaton · 1h 1 hour ago
How the Conservatives ridiculed Labour for pledging to halve the deficit - @jdportes on @TheStaggers http://bit.ly/1vV2VHP" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
So, you've had 4 and a half years - why didn't you do something before?The Conservatives would stop public sector workers in the NHS, BBC and civil service getting six-figure redundancy packages if they win the election, the party will say on Saturday.
In a new manifesto pledge, the Tories will commit to capping payouts at less than £95,000.
The party said it would legislate against big redundancy payments as one of the first acts of a Tory government, as payouts in recent years have included packages worth more than £450,000 in the civil service, £500,000 in the NHS and more than £1m in the BBC.
Treasury minister Priti Patel said it was not right that taxpayers on low salaries have to “fund huge payouts when well-paid people get made redundant”.
“We’re going to do something that’s long overdue and that will bring some fairness back to the system – we’re going to introduce a new public sector redundancy pay cap,” she said.
It's a nice read and he usefully provides a definition of 'porkie'.How Osborne’s ‘deficit halved’ claim backfired
http://blogs.spectator.co.uk/coffeehous ... backfired/
* A porkie is an election statement which is misleading, but carries with it a long and technical explanation intended to stop anyone questioning it. In this case, the claim is explained by the idea that the word ‘deficit’ is defined as a ratio of PSNB/GDP and this ratio (which economists find more useful than straight cash) has halved over the five years.
I think it is - also quite active on Twitter using their real name (Nick Reid)rebeccariots2 wrote:I see there is a commenter called Shinsei1967 BTL here. I wonder if this is a resurfacing of the Shinsei that used to post on the G - haven't seen them there recently though. @Shinsei1967 is also having twitter exchanges elsewhere - if it's the same person their profile says they are a former Japanese fund manager.George Eaton @georgeeaton · 1h 1 hour ago
How the Conservatives ridiculed Labour for pledging to halve the deficit - @jdportes on @TheStaggers http://bit.ly/1vV2VHP" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
After the #WeBackEd campaign Ferguson acknowledged he was too negative on occasion, and promised to try harder; thought it was a piecrust promise at the time, slightly disappointed to see I was not wrong.AngryAsWell wrote:I'm really fed up with Mark Ferguson at LL he does nothing but negative comment to add to Labour. It is fast becoming a parody of Labour support. Not to mention the very anti Labour btl comment that are left standing on most items
"Members vs Money – serious questions about Labour’s election plan"
http://labourlist.org/2015/01/members-v ... tion-plan/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
There's a slightly gleeful tone about this new post from Iain Dale. He's just discovered Roger Scully's site re elections in Wales and is full of it.PROOF THAT UKIP MAY COST LABOUR SEATS (ESPECIALLY IN WALES) IN MAY 2015
http://iaindale.com/posts/2015/01/03/pr ... n-may-2015
George Eaton retweeted
John Rentoul @JohnRentoul · 42m 42 minutes ago
I have election 2015 predictions from bosses of 10 polling cos in @IndyOnSunday tomorrow. What they said in 2010: …http://johnrentoul.independentminds.liv ... 47646.html
Whilst it is true that Tories are capable of winning seats in Wales they have only once increased their share of seats while in power, under Thatcher, and as much as I loathed the woman Cameron is no Thatcher, Dale's analysis which has so far been remarkably fair is a bit haphazard here.rebeccariots2 wrote:There's a slightly gleeful tone about this new post from Iain Dale. He's just discovered Roger Scully's site re elections in Wales and is full of it.PROOF THAT UKIP MAY COST LABOUR SEATS (ESPECIALLY IN WALES) IN MAY 2015
http://iaindale.com/posts/2015/01/03/pr ... n-may-2015
From my - very limited - experience on the ground there is some Ukip support around here. I wouldn't have said it was coming from people who voted Labour before though - at least not the ones I've got any personal acquaintance with. They - the Ukip supporters I know - would have been true blue Tories before, they buy the Mail and / or Express, a fair bit of their conversation with me has been railing against Eastern Europeans especially Romanians and Bulgarians, usual generalist slurs, and a couple of them have openly said 'I'm racist I know' .... Nobody on the doorstep has told us they intend to vote Ukip - so far. It's going to be interesting to see if this changes over the next few months and if we see Ukip literature and posters going up.
RogerOThornhill wrote:This isn't legal surely?
Conservatives would cap redundancy payouts for NHS, BBC and civil service
http://www.theguardian.com/politics/201 ... mentpage=4" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
So, you've had 4 and a half years - why didn't you do something before?The Conservatives would stop public sector workers in the NHS, BBC and civil service getting six-figure redundancy packages if they win the election, the party will say on Saturday.
In a new manifesto pledge, the Tories will commit to capping payouts at less than £95,000.
The party said it would legislate against big redundancy payments as one of the first acts of a Tory government, as payouts in recent years have included packages worth more than £450,000 in the civil service, £500,000 in the NHS and more than £1m in the BBC.
Treasury minister Priti Patel said it was not right that taxpayers on low salaries have to “fund huge payouts when well-paid people get made redundant”.
“We’re going to do something that’s long overdue and that will bring some fairness back to the system – we’re going to introduce a new public sector redundancy pay cap,” she said.
I can't actually think it's legal to override previously signed employment contracts. Anyone know?
We caught an add for it on the TV the other day.frightful_oik wrote:I don't mind them wasting their money but I don't like them wasting mine. The whole of pages 2 and 3 of today's telegraph are taken up by an advert for super fast broadband saying:
"We are now a super fast nation. Together, we're investing in Superfast Broadband, so now we can achieve more than ever before."
Clearly drumming home the government's message.
The Tories and their banker friends are far too cosy with the Palace. When Ed Miliband abolishes the House of Lords he should abolish the Monarchy too. At the very least, it's an option that should be considered by the planned constitutional convention.http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/ho ... 79148.html
Sweeping changes to the Freedom of Information Act will reverse advances which had briefly shone a light on the royal finances – including an attempt by the Queen to use a state poverty fund to heat Buckingham Palace – and which had threatened to force the disclosure of the Prince of Wales's prolific correspondence with ministers.
ohsocynical wrote:We caught an add for it on the TV the other day.frightful_oik wrote:I don't mind them wasting their money but I don't like them wasting mine. The whole of pages 2 and 3 of today's telegraph are taken up by an advert for super fast broadband saying:
"We are now a super fast nation. Together, we're investing in Superfast Broadband, so now we can achieve more than ever before."
Clearly drumming home the government's message.
One more Labour gain predicted in Northampton North.GENERAL ELECTION PREDICTIONS 26: NORTHAMPTONSHIRE
http://www.iaindale.com/posts/2015/01/0 ... um=twitter
http://www.theguardian.com/media/2011/m ... ing-budgetyahyah wrote:ohsocynical wrote:We caught an add for it on the TV the other day.frightful_oik wrote:I don't mind them wasting their money but I don't like them wasting mine. The whole of pages 2 and 3 of today's telegraph are taken up by an advert for super fast broadband saying:
"We are now a super fast nation. Together, we're investing in Superfast Broadband, so now we can achieve more than ever before."
Clearly drumming home the government's message.
Yet the Coalition cut the budget for ads for flu vaccination for the elderly didn't they ?
Just tried searching for that, but couldn't find the news items.
Wonder if the Tories/Libs are manipulating internet search results...it can be done can't it ?
Getting things pushed to the bottom of the results pages would be very handy in an election year.
Or maybe it is just my crap online search ability.
Because letting people know that super-fast broadband exists is "essential"?!The coalition government has cut the amount spent on advertising by more than £130m in the last nine months and is to introduce a new approvals system to ensure only "essential" campaigns run for the next four years.
Willow904 wrote:http://www.theguardian.com/media/2011/m ... ing-budgetyahyah wrote:ohsocynical wrote: We caught an add for it on the TV the other day.
Yet the Coalition cut the budget for ads for flu vaccination for the elderly didn't they ?
Just tried searching for that, but couldn't find the news items.
Wonder if the Tories/Libs are manipulating internet search results...it can be done can't it ?
Getting things pushed to the bottom of the results pages would be very handy in an election year.
Or maybe it is just my crap online search ability.
and
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/artic ... -risk.html
The first article is particularly relevant:
Because letting people know that super-fast broadband exists is "essential"?!The coalition government has cut the amount spent on advertising by more than £130m in the last nine months and is to introduce a new approvals system to ensure only "essential" campaigns run for the next four years.
Nah - I still think its 38 seconds in on Road to Nowhere - even the bump in the road is there...refitman wrote:Ha! It looks like the Tories have based their poster on a photo by a German photographer, airbrushing out some cracks in the process: https://tompride.wordpress.com/2015/01/ ... gn-poster/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Claude Lorraine on acid.Toby Latimer wrote:"Stay with us on the road" says Cameron
I've seen the future down that road. The Apocalypse would have been a better picture to use along with the bare faced lies printed on top
Corby would be a gain too.rebeccariots2 wrote:One more Labour gain predicted in Northampton North.GENERAL ELECTION PREDICTIONS 26: NORTHAMPTONSHIRE
http://www.iaindale.com/posts/2015/01/0 ... um=twitter
Has anyone kept a running total of the gains in the various articles thus far? I get the feeling that Dale's erring very much on the side of caution with some of his predictions, and I don't think I've clocked more than about a dozen or so gains.Tubby Isaacs wrote:Corby would be a gain too.rebeccariots2 wrote:One more Labour gain predicted in Northampton North.GENERAL ELECTION PREDICTIONS 26: NORTHAMPTONSHIRE
http://www.iaindale.com/posts/2015/01/0 ... um=twitter
Being from an older generation, I quite like our history and of course the monarchy plays a huge part in it. I'd hate to see it thrown away. However, I am reluctantly coming to the conclusion that the Royals should be self funding. They can stay, but must pay for their lifestyle. I don't feel that would be unreasonable given their wealth.Willow904 wrote:The Tories and their banker friends are far too cosy with the Palace. When Ed Miliband abolishes the House of Lords he should abolish the Monarchy too. At the very least, it's an option that should be considered by the planned constitutional convention.http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/ho ... 79148.html
Sweeping changes to the Freedom of Information Act will reverse advances which had briefly shone a light on the royal finances – including an attempt by the Queen to use a state poverty fund to heat Buckingham Palace – and which had threatened to force the disclosure of the Prince of Wales's prolific correspondence with ministers.
Whilst those on the left worry that Ed Ball's economic restraint leaves little room for radicalism, I just see huge potential from widespread and radical political reform that even the Tories, with their campaign for EVEL, suggest is needed. I wonder if I can get an "abolish the monarchy" campaign going on twitter?!
Have this one instead. The number of people receiving meals on wheels has dropped by 63% since the Coalition came to office; this kind of service is, literally, a lifesaver for many - it isn't just about the hot meal (as important as that is) but these visits are the only real human contact some of these people get, and withdrawing that may be, will be, catastrophic for some. Kris Hopkins, one of Pickles' trained monkeys, is blaming it on the councils but people will no where to apportion the blame come Election Day.yahyah wrote:ohsocynical wrote:We caught an add for it on the TV the other day.frightful_oik wrote:I don't mind them wasting their money but I don't like them wasting mine. The whole of pages 2 and 3 of today's telegraph are taken up by an advert for super fast broadband saying:
"We are now a super fast nation. Together, we're investing in Superfast Broadband, so now we can achieve more than ever before."
Clearly drumming home the government's message.
Yet the Coalition cut the budget for ads for flu vaccination for the elderly didn't they ?
Just tried searching for that, but couldn't find the news items.
ErnstRemarx wrote:Has anyone kept a running total of the gains in the various articles thus far? I get the feeling that Dale's erring very much on the side of caution with some of his predictions, and I don't think I've clocked more than about a dozen or so gains.Tubby Isaacs wrote:Corby would be a gain too.rebeccariots2 wrote: One more Labour gain predicted in Northampton North.
There's something to be said for a ceremonial Monarch, like a ceremonial Lord Mayor, for the history, tourism etc. Currently, however, the Queen is an integral part of our political system and a question mark hangs over how representative, democratic and modern that makes our constitutional monarchy. Along with other monoliths like the Lords, the Remembrancer and honours lists, these trappings of power promote the idea of an "elite".....and just lately I've pretty much had enough of "elites". Barely a year after gaining power Osborne tells us it's time to stop bashing the bankers, despite doing nothing to prevent a repeat of the 2007/8 credit crunch. Part of why he can get away with such a brazen attempt to protect his wealthy fraudulent friends is because our whole political system is geared up to look after them. I honestly don't believe anything will change until we change the system. Even just a debate about whether we need a monarchy and precisely what that monarch's role should be would be useful. If the House of Lords is to be abolished, the role of the monarchy really does need to be scruntinised, especially the feudal role of the Royals as landowners. You can't move without tripping over Duchy land round where I live. Is that really how a modern democratic country should be?ohsocynical wrote:
Being from an older generation, I quite like our history and of course the monarchy plays a huge part in it. I'd hate to see it thrown away. However, I am reluctantly coming to the conclusion that the Royals should be self funding. They can stay, but must pay for their lifestyle. I don't feel that would be unreasonable given their wealth.
It might mean they'd have to close some of their palaces, but they aren't dependent on them to keep up their life style.
What made me change my thoughts was a couple of years ago when I read the Queen or her advisers, had applied for help under fuel poverty criteria. That really was taking the piss.
I was asking about this on Twitter, and a chap pointed out that Labour have lost a bit on a couple of years ago, and in that time UKIP have gone up. Fair point, but Labour are still well up on 2010, so I don't see that as being a problem.letsskiptotheleft wrote:ErnstRemarx wrote:Has anyone kept a running total of the gains in the various articles thus far? I get the feeling that Dale's erring very much on the side of caution with some of his predictions, and I don't think I've clocked more than about a dozen or so gains.Tubby Isaacs wrote: Corby would be a gain too.
Made the point to a friend that it's funny how 5000ish majorities for the Tories should mean they are relatively safe, though larger majorities in Wales could mean being at risk to losing to the Tories with the help of UKIP?
I assume that stuff isn't written into contracts for a laugh, but because "top people" negotiate it.RogerOThornhill wrote:This isn't legal surely?
Conservatives would cap redundancy payouts for NHS, BBC and civil service
http://www.theguardian.com/politics/201 ... mentpage=4" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
So, you've had 4 and a half years - why didn't you do something before?The Conservatives would stop public sector workers in the NHS, BBC and civil service getting six-figure redundancy packages if they win the election, the party will say on Saturday.
In a new manifesto pledge, the Tories will commit to capping payouts at less than £95,000.
The party said it would legislate against big redundancy payments as one of the first acts of a Tory government, as payouts in recent years have included packages worth more than £450,000 in the civil service, £500,000 in the NHS and more than £1m in the BBC.
Treasury minister Priti Patel said it was not right that taxpayers on low salaries have to “fund huge payouts when well-paid people get made redundant”.
“We’re going to do something that’s long overdue and that will bring some fairness back to the system – we’re going to introduce a new public sector redundancy pay cap,” she said.
I can't actually think it's legal to override previously signed employment contracts. Anyone know?
And hard to know what to do about it in the shorter term.yahyah wrote:The poisoned fruit of Danny & George's economic policies: more credit card bills, overdrafts etc.
'Public's unsecured borrowing rises at fastest rate in 10 years'
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/busin ... 55187.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Employment law has been written in such a way that there are exemptions from it so that the Government can do pretty much whatever it wants to public sector contracts as long as they do it for everyone within the service (as I found to my cost not long after joining the NHS when Agenda For Change happened). The only thing people will be able to do is refuse the new contract, at which point they've 'voluntarily' given up their job and they receive sod all in redundancy pay.Tubby Isaacs wrote:I assume that stuff isn't written into contracts for a laugh, but because "top people" negotiate it.RogerOThornhill wrote:This isn't legal surely?
Conservatives would cap redundancy payouts for NHS, BBC and civil service
http://www.theguardian.com/politics/201 ... mentpage=4" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
So, you've had 4 and a half years - why didn't you do something before?The Conservatives would stop public sector workers in the NHS, BBC and civil service getting six-figure redundancy packages if they win the election, the party will say on Saturday.
In a new manifesto pledge, the Tories will commit to capping payouts at less than £95,000.
The party said it would legislate against big redundancy payments as one of the first acts of a Tory government, as payouts in recent years have included packages worth more than £450,000 in the civil service, £500,000 in the NHS and more than £1m in the BBC.
Treasury minister Priti Patel said it was not right that taxpayers on low salaries have to “fund huge payouts when well-paid people get made redundant”.
“We’re going to do something that’s long overdue and that will bring some fairness back to the system – we’re going to introduce a new public sector redundancy pay cap,” she said.
I can't actually think it's legal to override previously signed employment contracts. Anyone know?
As the example of Sharon Shoemith shows, you can cop a load of completely unfair crap and be forced out of your job. I'd certainly want some protection against that.
Afternoon all,TheGrimSqueaker wrote:Have this one instead. The number of people receiving meals on wheels has dropped by 63% since the Coalition came to office; this kind of service is, literally, a lifesaver for many - it isn't just about the hot meal (as important as that is) but these visits are the only real human contact some of these people get, and withdrawing that may be, will be, catastrophic for some. Kris Hopkins, one of Pickles' trained monkeys, is blaming it on the councils but people will no where to apportion the blame come Election Day.yahyah wrote:ohsocynical wrote: We caught an add for it on the TV the other day.
Yet the Coalition cut the budget for ads for flu vaccination for the elderly didn't they ?
Just tried searching for that, but couldn't find the news items.
