Thursday 15th January 2015

StephenDolan · Post by **StephenDolan** » Thu 15 Jan, 2015 6:49 am

Morning all.

Interesting to see the 'country v me and my family' figures.

Check out the Conservative voters 'Tackle the cost of living'.

Post by **refitman** » Thu 15 Jan, 2015 7:34 am

Morning. Labour lead at 2 points on Yougov:

Latest YouGov / The Sun results 14th January -

Con 32%, (nc)
Lab 34%, (+1)
LD 6%, (-1)
UKIP 15%, (+1)
GRN 7%; (nc)

APP -23 (-3)

daydreamer · Post by **daydreamer** » Thu 15 Jan, 2015 8:14 am

Morning all,

Got to admit I find it somewhat depressing (even though Anatoly has reassured us on this point) that the recent poll gaps between Labour and cons is only 1 or 2 points. So near to the election too!

Was very windy last night, this morning too. Couldn't sleep for something banging loudly. I had visions of fences down and bins blown everywhere, but thankfully I can't see any damage. Hope everyone else is okay

Well, at least my headache has gone.

daydreamer · Post by **daydreamer** » Thu 15 Jan, 2015 9:01 am

Ed Miliband will promise to provide global leadership on tackling poverty and climate change if he wins the general election.

The Labour leader will insist that a commitment to the green agenda and a desire to reduce inequality are "at the heart of my beliefs".

http://www.thestar.co.uk/news/national/ ... -1-7051337

daydreamer · Post by **daydreamer** » Thu 15 Jan, 2015 9:08 am

Foreign purchasers have bought 80% of the homes in a series of major new Thameside housing developments in the latest sign that struggling London homebuyers are being squeezed out by wealthy international investors.

A quarter of properties bought in the four developments were taken by buyers from the far east and around 20% from the Middle East, according to the leading estate agent Knight Frank. The agent also revealed that 40% of all the homes in the schemes were sold to investors.

http://www.theguardian.com/society/2015 ... velopments

I don't know London very well, so not sure if Vauxhall cross south of the Thames, is an already affluent area or not. Still, from recent articles you could be forgiven for thinking most of London has been purchased by foreign investors.

Lonewolfie · Post by **Lonewolfie** » Thu 15 Jan, 2015 9:15 am

daydreamer wrote:Morning all,

Got to admit I find it somewhat depressing (even though Anatoly has reassured us on this point) that the recent poll gaps between Labour and cons is only 1 or 2 points. So near to the election too!

Was very windy last night, this morning too. Couldn't sleep for something banging loudly. I had visions of fences down and bins blown everywhere, but thankfully I can't see any damage. Hope everyone else is okay Well, at least my headache has gone.

With you on that, but as you know, I live in Hope - here, we believe(TM) in a Labour landslide, a la Mr Attlee, and take continued comfort from the marginals (which is where Mr Ed has to win to win overall) where the last polls had Labour 7% to 10% up - it's the pollsters (mostly Ashcroft (through yougov) and Yougov (founded by Horse-warmer Zahawi)) who are telling us it's 'too tight to call'....and Dodgy Dave (OGRFG) has to be somewhere between 5% and 7% ahead in the polls to get to the Tory-Murkydochian-NeoLiberal dreamland...so another 8% or so better than they're doing now...and OGRFG is their best electoral 'asset'

....and morning all

daydreamer · Post by **daydreamer** » Thu 15 Jan, 2015 9:18 am

Lonewolfie wrote:
daydreamer wrote:Morning all,

Got to admit I find it somewhat depressing (even though Anatoly has reassured us on this point) that the recent poll gaps between Labour and cons is only 1 or 2 points. So near to the election too!

Was very windy last night, this morning too. Couldn't sleep for something banging loudly. I had visions of fences down and bins blown everywhere, but thankfully I can't see any damage. Hope everyone else is okay Well, at least my headache has gone.
With you on that, but as you know, I live in Hope - here, we believe(TM) in a Labour landslide, a la Mr Attlee, and take continued comfort from the marginals (which is where Mr Ed has to win to win overall) where the last polls had Labour 7% to 10% up - it's the pollsters (mostly Ashcroft (through yougov) and Yougov (founded by Horse-warmer Zahawi)) who are telling us it's 'too tight to call'....and Dodgy Dave (OGRFG) has to be somewhere between 5% and 7% ahead in the polls to get to the Tory-Murkydochian-NeoLiberal dreamland...so another 8% or so better than they're doing now...and OGRFG is their best electoral 'asset'

....and morning all

Thank you. Knew someone would come along and give me Hope (just north of Peterborough, isn't it?

).

daydreamer · Post by **daydreamer** » Thu 15 Jan, 2015 9:21 am

Ham face is off to the USA for a photo-op with Obama. Must be an election due

David Cameron will today urge the American Government to force US-based Facebook and Twitter to take tougher action against terrorists using social media to hatch plots.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/po ... 78680.html

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Thu 15 Jan, 2015 9:23 am

Good morning, everyone.

StephenDolan · Post by **StephenDolan** » Thu 15 Jan, 2015 9:26 am

Lonewolfie wrote:
daydreamer wrote:Morning all,

Got to admit I find it somewhat depressing (even though Anatoly has reassured us on this point) that the recent poll gaps between Labour and cons is only 1 or 2 points. So near to the election too!

Was very windy last night, this morning too. Couldn't sleep for something banging loudly. I had visions of fences down and bins blown everywhere, but thankfully I can't see any damage. Hope everyone else is okay Well, at least my headache has gone.
With you on that, but as you know, I live in Hope - here, we believe(TM) in a Labour landslide, a la Mr Attlee, and take continued comfort from the marginals (which is where Mr Ed has to win to win overall) where the last polls had Labour 7% to 10% up - it's the pollsters (mostly Ashcroft (through yougov) and Yougov (founded by Horse-warmer Zahawi)) who are telling us it's 'too tight to call'....and Dodgy Dave (OGRFG) has to be somewhere between 5% and 7% ahead in the polls to get to the Tory-Murkydochian-NeoLiberal dreamland...so another 8% or so better than they're doing now...and OGRFG is their best electoral 'asset'

....and morning all

Agree with all of that. It kinda has the feel of the US election. Obama a few percentage points ahead in the key marginals so a lot of the commentators saying the result was "too close to call". A sprinter capable of running 100m in 9.7s rarely loses to a sprinter with a best of 9.9s, even if the times appear very similar.

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Thu 15 Jan, 2015 9:34 am

Good morning. We have just been out to check everything in our immediate area is still standing. It is. Thank goodness. Mr Riots said it was the worst storm we've had since we've been here - never heard anything like that. Now more torrential rain.

Reposting a little exchange from Hobiejoe and myself late last night. I think his reponse to me amply proves what a fine agent he would make for Al Murray. I raise a toast to him and all who sail in .... you know what I mean.

rebeccariots2 wrote:
If Al Murray of the FUKP needs an agent ... Hobiejoe might be able to help out. 1p a pint - that's some pledge. I'm guessing it will be only in pubs.

Hobiejoe wrote:
Crikey, I'd be honoured! However....I think that our leader, The Guv, might be a little prone to what our American cousins refer to as "mis-speaking" (or as we call it "getting caught").

I am absolutely sure that he meant to say "1p a pint wholesale", for which I am entirely in favour. An uncharacteristic slip for such a sharp operator. Perhaps he has already been corrupted by the demands of the electoral process and added beer to the usual bread'n'circuses.

Should he be doing it though? Crikey. Well, yes, be-gods, UKIP desperately need some serious mocking, but, but, but. I don't know. Something niggles. I'm going to sleep on it, so

Lonewolfie · Post by **Lonewolfie** » Thu 15 Jan, 2015 9:35 am

StephenDolan wrote:Morning all.

Interesting to see the 'country v me and my family' figures.

Check out the Conservative voters 'Tackle the cost of living'.

Sorry...but WTF sort of old b******s is the line 'reforming welfare to cut benefit dependency'?

Don't really know where to start....other than the entire piece is compromised in my view - that line is straight from the Tory-IDS-Fraud Handbook of Shallow Factless Sh*t to Stop Them Asking Questions (edited by Sebastian-Corrine-Grant-Michael Fox-Stockheath-Shapps-Green)

StephenDolan · Post by **StephenDolan** » Thu 15 Jan, 2015 9:41 am

Lonewolfie wrote:
StephenDolan wrote:Morning all.

Interesting to see the 'country v me and my family' figures.

Check out the Conservative voters 'Tackle the cost of living'.
Sorry...but WTF sort of old b******s is the line 'reforming welfare to cut benefit dependency'?

Don't really know where to start....other than the entire piece is compromised in my view - that line is straight from the Tory-IDS-Fraud Handbook of Shallow Factless Sh*t to Stop Them Asking Questions (edited by Sebastian-Corrine-Grant-Michael Fox-Stockheath-Shapps-Green)

Otherwise known as Lord Ashcroft.
I wonder how many private landlords will be happy with the cap if it involves heavily cutting the housing benefit paid to them? I can see a lot of brains exploding coping with the diametrically opposed positions.

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Thu 15 Jan, 2015 9:44 am

GPs to be offered £1bn in new funds if they improve access and elderly care
NHS England makes £250m-a-year infrastructure cash available for renovating doctors’ surgeries, subject to targets being met
http://www.theguardian.com/society/2015 ... astructure

When I was working in health and social care - with the now defunct PCTs et al - some 10 years ago - there was a massive support programme already underway for refurbing, extending and making more accessible GP surgeries. Was this not continued on? I'm guessing this is a silly question ... that it would be one of the things that the Condems stopped PDQ and are now re introducing as if it was something completely new - with a big election fanfare.

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Thu 15 Jan, 2015 9:44 am

StephenDolan

I wonder how many private landlords will be happy with the cap if it involves heavily cutting the housing benefit paid to them? I can see a lot of brains exploding coping with the diametrically opposed positions.

Well said!

The DWP has been rung up for under & over payments - I noticed right away any overpayment was in housing benefit, according to the G article I read. The underpayments are simply people not receiving their entitlements.

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Thu 15 Jan, 2015 9:50 am

: Cameron Chicken Shadow.jpg (49.88 KiB) Viewed 16325 times

daydreamer · Post by **daydreamer** » Thu 15 Jan, 2015 9:56 am

rebeccariots2 wrote:
GPs to be offered £1bn in new funds if they improve access and elderly care
NHS England makes £250m-a-year infrastructure cash available for renovating doctors’ surgeries, subject to targets being met
http://www.theguardian.com/society/2015 ... astructure
When I was working in health and social care - with the now defunct PCTs et al - some 10 years ago - there was a massive support programme already underway for refurbing, extending and making more accessible GP surgeries. Was this not continued on? I'm guessing this is a silly question ... that it would be one of the things that the Condems stopped PDQ and are now re introducing as if it was something completely new - with a big election fanfare.

(My bold).

Does the sun rise in the east.

StephenDolan · Post by **StephenDolan** » Thu 15 Jan, 2015 9:58 am

- Targeted action on high-strength, low-cost alcohol which fuels binge drinking and does most harm to health, with a range of options on both price and bottle-size being explored;
- Standardised cigarette packaging to be introduced immediately to halt the industry’s increasingly sophisticated methods of recruiting new, young smokers; and a goal that children born in 2015 will become the first ‘smoke-free generation’.

Good ideas from Andy Burnham

daydreamer · Post by **daydreamer** » Thu 15 Jan, 2015 9:59 am

Britain is set to have the largest economy in Europe in the next 15 years and be richer than America, Chancellor George Osborne has said, should voters stick with his plan.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/po ... 79231.html

Yeah, whatever.

Lonewolfie · Post by **Lonewolfie** » Thu 15 Jan, 2015 10:00 am

daydreamer wrote:
Lonewolfie wrote:
daydreamer wrote:Morning all,

Got to admit I find it somewhat depressing (even though Anatoly has reassured us on this point) that the recent poll gaps between Labour and cons is only 1 or 2 points. So near to the election too!

Was very windy last night, this morning too. Couldn't sleep for something banging loudly. I had visions of fences down and bins blown everywhere, but thankfully I can't see any damage. Hope everyone else is okay Well, at least my headache has gone.
With you on that, but as you know, I live in Hope - here, we believe(TM) in a Labour landslide, a la Mr Attlee, and take continued comfort from the marginals (which is where Mr Ed has to win to win overall) where the last polls had Labour 7% to 10% up - it's the pollsters (mostly Ashcroft (through yougov) and Yougov (founded by Horse-warmer Zahawi)) who are telling us it's 'too tight to call'....and Dodgy Dave (OGRFG) has to be somewhere between 5% and 7% ahead in the polls to get to the Tory-Murkydochian-NeoLiberal dreamland...so another 8% or so better than they're doing now...and OGRFG is their best electoral 'asset'

....and morning all
Thank you. Knew someone would come along and give me Hope (just north of Peterborough, isn't it? ).

Indeed it is.....although I rather think it's spreading

...

...don't know if anyone else caught the Vine Show on R2 yesterday (on in the background quite a lot)...stand-in host Paddy O'Connell had a bit about the TV debates. I must admit, I wasn't expecting much, which is why everyone should live in Hope (but maybe not the one just north of Peterborough - I'm not sure everyone would fit

) First up was Natalie Bennett (Green Party) with 'Camerons right, it's not fair, we should be included'...then Lucy Powell (Labour Party) (ears prick up - heard some good stuff about this lady)...'but it's nothing to do with politicians - we're following what the broadcasters and Ofcom want and are more than happy to debate with anyone'

...then a nameless Lost Deposit 'it's Dodgy Dave - he doesn't want to do it'...and then the ultra-important Mr Nigel Farage with 'it's all the fault of immigration and they're all scared of ME'...and a Plaid Cymru person (again, didn't catch the name) 'well if the Greens are in we should be too' and finally Wee Eck, quoting the latest bookies odds as though people placing bets is an accurate way to judge the 'public mood'

...and so to my point (I feel as though I've rambled endlessly on but there is a point...it's on its' way!)

Our host then made a rather curious statement.

'We've spoken to nearly everyone but we don't seem to be able to find anyone from the Tories to comment...the production team have been ringing for 4 hours with no success, so if there are any Tories out there feel free to give us a call to explain your position.'

So is it 'meltdown' time for the Bullingdon Bullshitter, Gidiot the Gormless and their band of Cretinous Incompetents?

I live in Hope (still just North of Peterborough but possibly invading a space near you soon

)

TheGrimSqueaker · Post by **TheGrimSqueaker** » Thu 15 Jan, 2015 10:03 am

daydreamer wrote:
Foreign purchasers have bought 80% of the homes in a series of major new Thameside housing developments in the latest sign that struggling London homebuyers are being squeezed out by wealthy international investors.

A quarter of properties bought in the four developments were taken by buyers from the far east and around 20% from the Middle East, according to the leading estate agent Knight Frank. The agent also revealed that 40% of all the homes in the schemes were sold to investors.
http://www.theguardian.com/society/2015 ... velopments

I don't know London very well, so not sure if Vauxhall cross south of the Thames, is an already affluent area or not. Still, from recent articles you could be forgiven for thinking most of London has been purchased by foreign investors.

Like most of London it has pockets of affluence next to areas of deprivation but, on the whole, I would say it wasn't a terribly upmarket area; until this development came along the only places of note were the bus & train station, nearby New Covent Garden and the SIS Building (aka MI6) - oh, and for cricket fans, of course, the nearby Oval. The bus & train station possibly gives the best clues; until recently the main buildings of note alongside it were the HQ for the Big Issue and a massive hostel, now they have been joined by a branch of Starbucks, a quite smart hotel and Waitrose Local!

Incidentally that development was in the news a couple of years back when a helicopter, tragically, clipped one of the towers and crashed to the ground near to New Covent Garden.

daydreamer · Post by **daydreamer** » Thu 15 Jan, 2015 10:03 am

NHS staff have been coming into work voluntarily and unpaid to help their hospitals cope with extreme winter pressures, MPs were told today, as the country’s top emergency doctor warned over a dramatic increase in A&E visits.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/nh ... 78651.html

mikems · Post by **mikems** » Thu 15 Jan, 2015 10:06 am

Britain is set to have the largest economy in Europe in the next 15 years and be richer than America, Chancellor George Osborne has said, should voters stick with his plan.

The man is off his head. Must be quality gear.

daydreamer · Post by **daydreamer** » Thu 15 Jan, 2015 10:08 am

mikems wrote:
Britain is set to have the largest economy in Europe in the next 15 years and be richer than America, Chancellor George Osborne has said, should voters stick with his plan.
The man is off his head. Must be quality gear.

Snap, I posted it a little further up the thread, and yes it must be excellent gear. He's totally lost the plot.

StephenDolan · Post by **StephenDolan** » Thu 15 Jan, 2015 10:11 am

daydreamer wrote:
NHS staff have been coming into work voluntarily and unpaid to help their hospitals cope with extreme winter pressures, MPs were told today, as the country’s top emergency doctor warned over a dramatic increase in A&E visits.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/nh ... 78651.html

See? Hospitals are coping, it just needed a nudge to get the big society working.....

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Thu 15 Jan, 2015 10:11 am

GENERAL ELECTION PREDICTIONS 69: CHESHIRE
http://www.iaindale.com/posts/2015/01/1 ... um=twitter
Seats: 11
Current Political Makeup: Con 8, Lab 3
Predicted Political Makeup after May 7: Con 5, Lab 6
City of Chester - Sitting MP: Stephen Mosley (Con) - Labour gain
Warrington South - Sitting MP: David Mowat (Con) - Labour gain
Weaver Vale - Sitting MP: Graham Evans (Lab)? - Labour gain (must be a mistake there somewhere).

AnatolyKasparov · Post by **AnatolyKasparov** » Thu 15 Jan, 2015 10:11 am

Trolls (eg on LabourList) still trying to claim that the debates impasse is all Miliband's fault because he is "scared of the Greens"

Their desperation is palpable, though

daydreamer · Post by **daydreamer** » Thu 15 Jan, 2015 10:13 am

Latest on the TV debates.

George Osborne has insisted that the prime minister wants to take part in televised debates before the general election – and challenged the broadcasters to “come up with a good plan”.

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/201 ... oadcasters

What would that plan be George? Show Dave in the best light possible? Go easy on him?

Tubby Isaacs · Post by **Tubby Isaacs** » Thu 15 Jan, 2015 10:18 am

Thanks to Tizme for replying last night, that's fine. See what you can come up with.

Willow904 · Post by **Willow904** » Thu 15 Jan, 2015 10:18 am

mikems wrote:
Britain is set to have the largest economy in Europe in the next 15 years and be richer than America, Chancellor George Osborne has said, should voters stick with his plan.
The man is off his head. Must be quality gear.

It would be quite a turn around. On the measure of GDP per capita (which is the only measure of relevance to ordinary people) we're usually around a reasonable (but not stellar) 24th - quite close to Japan, interestingly, given recent comments about that country's struggles with disinflation and how it may or may not mirror our own current problems.

mikems · Post by **mikems** » Thu 15 Jan, 2015 10:26 am

Merely riffing on your theme, daydreamer.

daydreamer · Post by **daydreamer** » Thu 15 Jan, 2015 10:33 am

mikems wrote:Merely riffing on your theme, daydreamer.

The more that point out his idiocy the merrier.

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Thu 15 Jan, 2015 10:44 am

I'm seeing quite a lot of tweets and BTL comments re the Greens not being a single national party ... now that's taking things too far re making a point about why they shouldn't be included in national TV debates (surely the same would apply to the Tories and Labour?). But - for interests sake - how do the Green parties of Wales and Scotland relate to the Green party as led by Natalie Bennett and represented in HoC by Caroline Lucas? Do they have completely separate memberships etc? What's the structure and relationship like?

When I meet people here in Wales who talk about the Greens - it is Caroline Lucas and Natalie Bennett they are referring to - not Pippa Bartoletti and the more local activists.

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Thu 15 Jan, 2015 10:45 am

StephenDolan wrote:
daydreamer wrote:
NHS staff have been coming into work voluntarily and unpaid to help their hospitals cope with extreme winter pressures, MPs were told today, as the country’s top emergency doctor warned over a dramatic increase in A&E visits.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/nh ... 78651.html
See? Hospitals are coping, it just needed a nudge to get the big society working.....

Nothing makes me more angry than the professional, compassionate, good-will of others is used to cheat them of appropriate employment remuneration & conditions for no other reason than current government think they can get away with it.

Tubby Isaacs · Post by **Tubby Isaacs** » Thu 15 Jan, 2015 10:49 am

rebeccariots2 wrote:
GENERAL ELECTION PREDICTIONS 69: CHESHIRE
http://www.iaindale.com/posts/2015/01/1 ... um=twitter
Seats: 11
Current Political Makeup: Con 8, Lab 3
Predicted Political Makeup after May 7: Con 5, Lab 6
City of Chester - Sitting MP: Stephen Mosley (Con) - Labour gain
Warrington South - Sitting MP: David Mowat (Con) - Labour gain
Weaver Vale - Sitting MP: Graham Evans (Lab)? - Labour gain (must be a mistake there somewhere).

Graham Evans is Con.

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Thu 15 Jan, 2015 10:52 am

Minimum wage: 37 firms named for failing to pay rate
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-30822565
The 37 firms will be fined a total of £51,000 and must also pay affected staff the £177,000 they were underpaid.

Welcome Break said a new IT problem contributed to the mistake, while H&M blamed time logging errors...

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/gove ... -offenders
The 37 employers are:

Kings Group LLP, Hertfordshire, neglected to pay £53,808.91 to 53 workers
Kings Group Lettings LLP, Hertfordshire, neglected to pay £26,893.43 to 49 workers
Chi Yip Group Ltd, Middleton, neglected to pay £15,566.78 to 13 workers
Kingsclere Nurseries Ltd trading as Abacus Day Nursery, Newbury, neglected to pay £12,904.19 to 8 workers.
Ms Thap Thi Ly trading as Sweet N Sour, Fleetwood, neglected to pay £11,039.14 to 2 workers
Michael Kearney trading as Electrical Estimates, Ceredigion, neglected to pay £5,557.91 to 4 workers
ABC Early Learning and Childcare Centre UK Ltd, Wolverhampton, neglected to pay £5,329.25 to 68 workers
C J Hartley Ltd trading as Headwork, Sheffield, neglected to pay £4,762.64 to 4 workers
Mrs Kelly Jayne Lockley trading as Diva Hair Design, Walsall, neglected to pay £4,103.65 to a worker
Browncow Tanning Ltd trading as Fake Bake Hair & Beauty Boutique, Glasgow, neglected to pay £3,406.66 to 2 workers
J Wood Joiners & Builders Ltd, Edinburgh, neglected to pay £3,373.19 to 4 workers
Louise Ross Trading as Luxe Salon, Leeds, neglected to pay £3,368.13 to a worker
H&M Hennes & Mauritz UK Ltd, London, neglected to pay £2,604.87 to 540 workers
Building Projects Ltd, Dundee, neglected to pay £2,345.85 to 3 workers
David A Farrer Ltd, Morecambe, neglected to pay £2,261.00 to a worker
Julian’s Hair Salon Ltd, Newbury, neglected to pay £2,131.35 to a worker
Motorists Discount Store Ltd trading as TMS Autoparts, Manchester, neglected to pay £2,025.19 to a worker
Ms Dawn Platts trading as Level 2 Hair Studio, Barnsley, neglected to pay £1,186.89 to a worker
Myers and Family Ltd, Wakefield, neglected to pay £1.598.82 to a worker
Welcome Break Holdings Ltd, Newport Pagnell, neglected to pay £1,318.70 to 19 workers
Callum Austin Ltd trading as Jason Austin Hairdressers, Kettering, neglected to pay £1,899.66 to 2 workers
Mrs Karen Riley Trading as Crave, Preston, neglected to pay £1,179.09 to 7 workers
RPM Performance Rally World Ltd, Maldon, neglected to pay £998.71 to a worker
Ego Hair & Beauty (Anglia) Ltd, Colchester, neglected to pay £985.55 to a worker
Mr Jinit Shah trading as Crystal Financial Solutions, Middlesex, neglected to pay £941.65 to a worker
Counted4 Community Interest Company, Sunderland, neglected to pay £930.73 to a worker
HAE Automotive Services Ltd, Harrogate (ceased trading), neglected to pay £798.16 to a worker
Vision on Digital Ltd, Ossett, neglected to pay £683.86 to a worker
Ultimate Care UK Ltd, Ipswich, neglected to pay £613.79 to 7 workers
Century Motors (Sheffield) Ltd, Sheffield, neglected to pay £571.72 to a worker
Mr D Eastwell & Mr G Brinkler trading as The Salon, Letchworth Garden City, neglected to pay £409.85 to a worker
Rumble (Bedworth) Ltd, Nuneaton, neglected to pay £404.41 to a worker
Shannons Ltd, Worthing neglected to pay £313.76 to a worker
Holmes Cleaning Company, Worksop neglected to pay £240.48 to a worker
Learnplay Foundation Ltd, West Bromwich, neglected to pay £224.73 to a worker
Adrien Mackenzie trading as Maverick Models, Manchester, neglected to pay £205.52 to a worker
QW Security Ltd, Hartlepool, neglected to pay £126.20 to a worker
The 37 cases named today were thoroughly investigated by HM Revenue and Customs after workers made complaints to the free and confidential Pay and Work Rights Helpline.

Toby Latimer · Post by **Toby Latimer** » Thu 15 Jan, 2015 10:53 am

Spotted this comment btl on ASparrow blog

Nick Robinson was particularly awful on Today this morning. He basically said:

"David Cameron and Barack Obama are best friends, and Obama is giving Dave his full support ahead of the election campaign. They're leaders of the free world, and they're ace. Meanwhile (snigger), Ed Balls of all people is meeting (ho ho ho) US treasury officers, so it seems that there are (snigger) some people who think Labour will win, the fools."

Did he really 'basically' say that ? I was under the impression Barry thought of our Hallowed Fish Pointer as a ''lightweight''

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Thu 15 Jan, 2015 11:01 am

I think it's time to get out and do something really useful ... Mr Riots is obviously going stir crazy from being cooped up while it pours down.

We just heard the end of Womans Hour on R4 with Jenny Murray announcing the next programme would have an item on 'online sperm donation'.

Cue Mr Riots shouting out from the kitchen - 'How do you do that then ... surely you'd gum up the internet?'

We're going now.

ephemerid · Post by **ephemerid** » Thu 15 Jan, 2015 11:05 am

citizenJA wrote:
StephenDolan wrote:
daydreamer wrote: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/nh ... 78651.html
See? Hospitals are coping, it just needed a nudge to get the big society working.....
Nothing makes me more angry than the professional, compassionate, good-will of others is used to cheat them of appropriate employment remuneration & conditions for no other reason than current government think they can get away with it.

This happens all the time in the NHS.

Medical and nursing staff have always done more than their contracts require at times of trouble - back in my day, we had riots and bombs and some very violent demonstrations to contend with in London.
Lots of people, me included, didn't go home for days sometimes; we'd bed down in the on-call rooms and work until things calmed down; police, fire, and ambulance staff did the same.

My few years in A&E included overspill from 2 major riots, frontline cover for the Notting Hill Carnival when it was a dangerous thing, 3 major fires, a few bombs, and the Iranian Embassy siege. That's on top of all the usual stuff an inner-city A&E contends with.
If something was going on that meant crossing town to get home was a problem, people just stayed on; often they did it anyway if the pressure was relentless. One Notting Hill Carnival when I was at St.Charles, 4 of us in A&E lived in for 5 days and worked 16-hour shifts.

All government know that most NHS staff will not leave their patients to die or their colleagues to struggle when things are tough.
Even under normal circumstances, there is a lot of unpaid overtime in the NHS which goes unnoticed - someone goes sick, whoever they were due to take over from stays on and frequently works a double shift. Happens all the time - and you usually don't get the time back.

Most of the time,people don't really mind doing this - but there needs to be a bit of appreciation. That's something that this government simply doesn't understand, and the dedicated staff in the NHS will run out of patience and energy at some point. God help us then.

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Thu 15 Jan, 2015 11:25 am

Not quite gone yet - Mr Riots gainfully employed on the washing up before we exit.

Really really good piece from Emma Burnell on the TV debates and Cameron's hissy fit tactics.

Why are we putting up with this?
http://labourlist.org/2015/01/why-are-w ... with-this/

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Thu 15 Jan, 2015 11:44 am

Ephemerid

Most of the time,people don't really mind doing this - but there needs to be a bit of appreciation. That's something that this government simply doesn't understand, and the dedicated staff in the NHS will run out of patience and energy at some point. God help us then.

I know.

Cavalier disrespect of healing workers, the NHS, is an outrage. Apologies if I sound dramatic - it may well be, but it's honest so, I'll leave it.

The NHS could use more funding. It's the most economical, successful, healthcare delivery system in the world. The NHS, health & social care, require more funding. The NHS will have more funding without privatisation. Train, pay, support & appreciate the staff & that healthcare infrastructure will last more decades benefiting us all.

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Thu 15 Jan, 2015 11:46 am

rebeccariots2 wrote:Not quite gone yet - Mr Riots gainfully employed on the washing up before we exit.

Really really good piece from Emma Burnell on the TV debates and Cameron's hissy fit tactics.

Why are we putting up with this?
http://labourlist.org/2015/01/why-are-w ... with-this/

I don't know what I'd do without you, RR. Appropriate smiley here.

mikems · Post by **mikems** » Thu 15 Jan, 2015 11:57 am

Those tables ranking issues. That can't be right can it?

If UKIP is attracting about 14% of the vote, averaging their smaller group of voters with the much larger group of voters drawn to the Tories and Labour, distorts the resulting average.

For example, the immigration wedge issue is 38(Con), 38(Lab), 26(Lib) and 86(UKIP). Without UKIP's figure included the average is just over 33% for immigration. Yet 86% of 14% boosts it to 49% in the rankings.

frightful_oik · Post by **frightful_oik** » Thu 15 Jan, 2015 12:02 pm

RobertSnozers wrote:
Toby Latimer wrote:Spotted this comment btl on ASparrow blog

Nick Robinson was particularly awful on Today this morning. He basically said:

"David Cameron and Barack Obama are best friends, and Obama is giving Dave his full support ahead of the election campaign. They're leaders of the free world, and they're ace. Meanwhile (snigger), Ed Balls of all people is meeting (ho ho ho) US treasury officers, so it seems that there are (snigger) some people who think Labour will win, the fools."

Did he really 'basically' say that ? I was under the impression Barry thought of our Hallowed Fish Pointer as a ''lightweight''
Didn't hear it this morning, but it feels to me as though Robinson is getting more and more obvious in the runup to the election. Any opportunity to turn a story around to make it about how things are bad for Labour/Ed Miliband and he grasps it gleefully. I know he's the 'political editor' but does a story always have to be about small-p politics? The worst recent example I heard was the interview with Tony Blair. Never mind that he'd been dragged kicking and screaming to give evidence about 'On The Runs', the important thing in Robinson's report was that he gave what could be interpreted as lukewarm support for Ed M.

(In any event, I'm not sure I see what the problem for Ed is with this - it may be that both he and Blair recognise that the full-throated support of the latter will not play at all well for a very large number of people who potentially support Labour. Ed M may not want Blair's full backing, and Blair may well see that doing so would not help Labour - though that is being generous to Blair)

I haven't listened to Robinson's programme about democracy, but if his article promoting it is anything to go by, he's more or less pushing a line of 'everything is fine with the system and the real problem is people like Russell Brand'.

I heard the first of Robinson's offerings. Sack o' patronising shite doesn't really do it justice. Man's a knob.

A propos of nothing, I saw Liz Kendall at St Pancras this morming. I'm pretty sure it was her but she was engrossed in her mobile. She cuts a very striking figure.

Tish · Post by **Tish** » Thu 15 Jan, 2015 12:03 pm

Peter Oborne has one of his decent columns up this week, suggesting that George Osborne has finally accepted he will never be Tory leader and is therefore throwing his weight behind Boris Johnson as leader as part of a "stop Teresa" campaign.

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

As usual with Oborne it contains a series of wonderful digs at Gids, including his lack of involvement at the Treasury, his relentless empire building and the fact that he, not Cameron, is the motovating force behind the current governments actions (which I've always suspected). But I was particularly taken with this paragraph:

"Mr Osborne has served on the inner team of each one of the past four Tory leaders – William Hague, Iain Duncan Smith, Michael Howard and now David Cameron. He has calculated, in his cynical but realistic way, that Boris is by far the best hope of making it five in a row. Leaders come and go, but George Osborne makes sure he will always be on the premises."

I confess, I had no idea that Osborne had been in the inner circle of the past three leaders as well, but if that is the case then what a history of utter failure. Three outright election losses, one leader who was so inept he couldn't even last until the election, and then a final failure to properly beat a highly unpopular Prime Minister in the middle of a massive recession, resluting in them having to get into bed with a bunch of self obsessed political slappers in order to get make it to Number 10.

How on earth can the Tories still take him seriously as a "master strategist" when everything he's been involved with has been a disaster? How dumb must the rest of them be?

daydreamer · Post by **daydreamer** » Thu 15 Jan, 2015 12:03 pm

The speed at which social rented homes are being lost in England more than doubled in the year to April 2014 as right-to-buy sales and a move to more expensive rents removed almost 44,000 properties from the sector.

http://www.theguardian.com/money/2015/j ... ocial-rent

Lonewolfie · Post by **Lonewolfie** » Thu 15 Jan, 2015 12:06 pm

citizenJA wrote:
StephenDolan

I wonder how many private landlords will be happy with the cap if it involves heavily cutting the housing benefit paid to them? I can see a lot of brains exploding coping with the diametrically opposed positions.
Well said!

The DWP has been rung up for under & over payments - I noticed right away any overpayment was in housing benefit, according to the G article I read. The underpayments are simply people not receiving their entitlements.

This one?...and WARNING...sincere apologies for the image - not for the faint-hearted

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/uk ... ne-3175130

Also, this report should be (set alight and) rammed up IDS-Fraud until they can read it from the inside...

“Given the lack of evidence that the Department is getting to grips with fraud and error we view with scepticism the Department’s confidence that it will meet its target to reduce total fraud and error overpayments to 1.7% of benefit expenditure by March 2015.”

http://linkis.com/www.24dash.com/news/ddC2y

TechnicalEphemera · Post by **TechnicalEphemera** » Thu 15 Jan, 2015 12:07 pm

mikems wrote:Those tables ranking issues. That can't be right can it?

If UKIP is attracting about 14% of the vote, averaging their smaller group of voters with the much larger group of voters drawn to the Tories and Labour, distorts the resulting average.

For example, the immigration wedge issue is 38(Con), 38(Lab), 26(Lib) and 86(UKIP). Without UKIP's figure included the average is just over 33% for immigration. Yet 86% of 14% boosts it to 49% in the rankings.

I can get it to 46% using their figures and my polling guess of L34 c32 U16 LD6

The sum for all those parties is less than 100 so you have to adjust for that in the final percentage.

mikems · Post by **mikems** » Thu 15 Jan, 2015 12:10 pm

In more decent times, before hate-speech and anger became the common currency of political discourse, what is now demeaningly called 'welfare dependency' used to be described by sociologists and sensible people as the 'poverty trap'.

We should reclaim the language of politcal decency and insist on 'poverty trap' as the proper term.

mikems · Post by **mikems** » Thu 15 Jan, 2015 12:17 pm

TE,

What I think I am saying, in short, is that UKIP gains about 14% support, but in that list is weighted at 25%, with the crude lumping together being done. Would it not be more accurate to say that the tories, say, have about 34% support and 38% of their supporters weigh immigration that high, etc and continue weighing for each party?

The Greens are also subsumed somewhere in the figures. But if they had been included separately how would their figures be included? By simple averaging, dividing the crude total by five, not four, even though their support is as small as the Liberals?